How to Make a Pivot in the Latter Half of Your Career

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by Marlo Lyons

 

 

Changing careers can be challenging, especially when you’ve worked in a single profession or industry. Doing so when you’re in the last decade or two of your career may be even harder because you need to maintain a certain compensation, level, or title and your competition is younger and “experienced enough” to get the job done.

I remember at 33, when I wanted to change careers from TV news reporter to entertainment lawyer, I was scared hiring managers wouldn’t value my decade of work experience. That fear multiplied exponentially when I decided to pivot careers again at 48 from entertainment lawyer to HR business partner in a new industry, tech.

If you’re considering making a move to a different type of role or industry later on in your career, here are some ways to set yourself apart from your more junior competition during the interview process.

Highlight experience that requires more years of work to master.

Being more mature in the workplace means you understand how to excel in not only the “what” of work but also the “how.” Highlight the personal, interpersonal, and soft skills that have contributed to your career achievements and progress.

Personal skills like dependability, punctuality, and commitment show your overall work ethic and energy to perform the job. Soft skills are also important, such as independence in performing work, being able to work at all levels of an organization, and an ability to understand how your work contributes to a company’s larger goals. For example, if you’ve had the opportunity to present to or work with the CEO or other executives, highlight this experience to show you have executive presence, the ability to communicate effectively, and that you’re not intimidated by more senior leaders.

Finally, interpersonal skills are critical in the corporate workplace. Knowing how to partner with cross-functional team members, problem-solve with others, align and manage stakeholders through change, and influence without authority are skills valued in every job. But your goal is to demonstrate these skills along with a higher level of business acumen — perhaps by giving an example that shows your ability to understand the wide-ranging implications of decisions or by showing an orientation toward profitability when answering a question. Providing examples of complex work situations that show your mastery of interpersonal skills will distinguish you from the more junior employee who hasn’t had as much exposure or time to gain that experience.

Show how you’ll bring value. Continue reading →

Stop Going It Alone

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by Michael Jarrett

 

Negotiating radical organisational change needs to be a collective effort.

History is filled with tales of courageous and decisive heroes. Individuals like Julius Caesar and Winston Churchill, for instance, have led from the front to guide their people through adversity and achieve ultimate success. This myth building is especially prominent in the business sector, with stories of inspiring CEOs parachuting in to rescue and revive troubled organisations.

But is a strong leader who takes a centralised approach to company strategy really the best thing for an organisation experiencing change? Based on research I conducted with Professor Russ Vince from the University of Bath, the answer may often be no. This was our conclusion after studying the emotions of members of the senior management team at KleanCo (name changed), an FTSE 100 company headquartered in Europe.

A decisive leader can have a positive, and sometimes rapid, impact during periods of transformation. But we found that the emotional stresses that such centralised authority places on the organisation, and specifically on those in top management roles, make it difficult to maintain long-term. The tensions such an approach creates typically lead to failure for either the company, CEO, or both.

At the time of our study, KleanCo was going through a period of transformation. A “rag bag of loosely coupled silos”, the multinational was confronting a shift from a position of market dominance to one of fierce competition. Declining performance had led to calls for radical change from stakeholders, and a boardroom coup ushered in the arrival of a new CEO tasked with halting the slide. Continue reading →

How to Drive Sales in a Tight Economy: Avoid These 12 Training Missteps That Lower Results

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BY CASEY CUNNINGHAM

 

For beach lovers, a walk along the shore is an experience to savor – no matter whether the tide is pouring in or receding. Unlike these sand-and-surf aficionados, though, most business development leaders are naturally happiest when cash is flowing, and less comfortable when it’s running dry.

During difficult times, though, the outstanding ones see opportunities to move from their comfort zone and deliver even stronger performance. Moreover, they help their teams adopt the same mindset.

How? They throw out the old sales playbook and they retrain everyone on new business development strategies. They also avoid common training mistakes that could impede everyone’s progress, including:

  1. Lack of leadership buy-in: Too often, business development executives require their people to retrain while they remain on the sidelines. Leaders and managers should complete new training programs before anyone else does – demonstrating their support for the updated standards.
  2. Putting the wrong person in charge: During a downturn, how often do companies ask people to shoulder more than one role? That can work in other positions, but not for sales training. How can individuals who are overworked (and very possibly underqualified) empower their teams to maximize revenues and margins and shorten sales cycles? Odds are they just don’t have the bandwidth or the expertise. In this case, it’s important to tap someone who is proven.
  3. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach: Training everyone the same way at the same time is a recipe for intimidation and confusion (among rookies) and disinterest (among seasoned leaders). Trainers should prepare flexible and robust content to meet everyone’s needs. Great trainers not only make desired outcomes clear; they individualize KPIs according to each colleague’s experience and skill level.
  4. A lack of consistent or sustainable reinforcement: Top-notch trainers know that people’s habits determine their future – and the future of their company. Leaders need to keep modeling and reinforcing new training solutions as “must haves” to ensure that their teams will adopt and master them. Continue reading →

Stop Going It Alone

Posted on

 

 

 

by Michael Jarrett

Negotiating radical organizational change needs to be a collective effort.

History is filled with tales of courageous and decisive heroes. Individuals like Julius Caesar and Winston Churchill, for instance, have led from the front to guide their people through adversity and achieve ultimate success. This myth building is especially prominent in the business sector, with stories of inspiring CEOs parachuting in to rescue and revive troubled organisations.

But is a strong leader who takes a centralised approach to company strategy really the best thing for an organisation experiencing change? Based on research I conducted with Professor Russ Vince from the University of Bath, the answer may often be no. This was our conclusion after studying the emotions of members of the senior management team at KleanCo (name changed), an FTSE 100 company headquartered in Europe.

A decisive leader can have a positive, and sometimes rapid, impact during periods of transformation. But we found that the emotional stresses that such centralised authority places on the organisation, and specifically on those in top management roles, make it difficult to maintain long-term. The tensions such an approach creates typically lead to failure for either the company, CEO, or both.

At the time of our study, KleanCo was going through a period of transformation. A “rag bag of loosely coupled silos”, the multinational was confronting a shift from a position of market dominance to one of fierce competition. Declining performance had led to calls for radical change from stakeholders, and a boardroom coup ushered in the arrival of a new CEO tasked with halting the slide. Continue reading →

Building Trust from the Start: Why First Impressions Matter

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by Nick Cane

 

“First impressions are formed in the blink of an eye, but their impact lasts a lifetime” is an expression I repeated to myself before meeting potential clients for the first time. The science behind this mantra suggests people form an opinion in seconds. Some studies have shown that people form initial judgments about others within milliseconds of meeting them. These opinions can impact sales success and career growth. This article explores how sales professionals can make their best first impression when meeting new prospects for the first time.

Every salesperson knows the importance of making a good early impression. However, it is all too common that, despite this awareness, buyers are often left with a negative impression after the initial meeting with a seller. This begs the question: How does this disconnect occur when sellers understand that their success hinges on the opinion of the buyers they are working with?

The answer lies in the fundamental dynamics of human psychology. As social beings, we are hard-wired to judge others rapidly based on limited information. Our brains automatically seek cues to assess trustworthiness, competence, and likability. These instinctive evaluations guide our subsequent interactions and influence our decisions.

For salespeople, understanding first impressions is not just a matter of intuition but a strategic imperative. A positive initial impression helps foster trust, instill confidence, and create an environment conducive to open dialogue. On the other hand, a poor first impression can create barriers, raise doubts, and hinder communication and the sales process.

Start with Low Ego

Have you ever observed a new salesperson who appears nervous and cautious at the beginning of their sales career, carefully choosing every word and action? They diligently follow the sales training and coaching they received and experience early sales success. They might even set a new sales record, and their potential seems unlimited. However, after this initial peak, they seem to reach a plateau and never manage to achieve the early high-performance results again. Continue reading →