by Kathi Crawford, SPHR, IAC-CC A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t fit today’s age-diverse work force, where the generation gap between the youngest and oldest workers can span more than 40 years. For the first time in history, there are four generations of workers. On one end of the spectrum, there are the 20-somethings, who are fresh [...]

On June 8th 2010, the EMPOWER Program at the University of Houston hosted their inaugural Leadership Luncheon on campus at the University Hilton. The luncheon focused on helping to prepare for careers in the post-recession workplace. The event was led by a panel of experts including Kathi Crawford, SPHR, IAC-CC, President of People Possibilities LLC, Cheryl Smith-Bryan, Executive Coach and President of Coaching for Career Success, Kathy Rapp, Vice President and Managing Director for hrQ-Texas and Mercedes Suraty-Clarke, Assistant Director of Continuing Education at the University of Houston.

“Trust Me”

Have you heard these words before either from someone you just met or someone you’ve known for years? What is your response? Do you trust this person automatically or does this person have to earn your trust? And, who trusts you? Why?

In today’s workplace, trust is a big concern as more pressure is placed on leaders and employees to deal with economic pressures and an uncertain future. Building a culture of trust expands the level of contribution each of us can make. Yet, many people are not sure where they should place their trust as more and more examples of leaders who have taken advantage of others’ trust come to the surface. What can you do as a leader in this environment?

Are you confused about personal branding? Everyone’s talking about it and why it’s so important to have a personal brand and how you must communicate it in person or on the web. Do you feel like you’re behind the eight ball on this one? Trust me, you are not alone!

What is a personal brand? Simply put, it’s your total perceived value, relative to competitors, as viewed by your audience. If you haven’t checked in with your audience lately, it’s hard to know what your personal brand is. And how can you communicate something you’re not sure about?

To be a leader today you must be an agile learner and apply new skills and experiences as lessons are learned under first time conditions. A leader sets the example for employees and coaches them to excel. You may have heard the expression “fail forward”. This is the mantra for effective leadership. If nothing is tried, nothing happens. An effective leader tries, fails, learns, adjusts and tries again.

Six Week Workshop Series Begins February 4, 2009     Do you like your job yet you’re not sure what’s next? Do you want to recognize a dead end job before you get into it? Do you want to know how to get past people not taking you seriously? Your boss sees you as a problem and [...]