This is my third book on leadership, career and having a life. So why do you need The Blue Jean Manifesto: Making a Living in a Jobless World ? Because: It is a book about what to do in a world where jobs will forever more be uncertain (where layoffs as a corporate cost management tool will always be a matter of when, not if) It is a book about why continuing to think of yourself as an "employee" (even if you currently have a job, even a good one) is the riskiest thing you can do to your career and your income It teaches you a fundamentally different perspective on careers and … [Read more...]

Second acts in the theatre refer to the middle of a story.   Note: not the end, the middle. The middle is often the most powerful part – here love is challenged, resolve is tested, obstacles arise and dreams are still waiting to be fulfilled. In the popular press, second acts increasingly refers to people (by circumstance or by choice) creating a new beginning in their life, particularly in their job/careers. For example, U.S. News and World Report publishes a regular feature on celebrating your passion through career reinvention.   Financial media like Forbes and the Wall Street … [Read more...]

Take the dismal job numbers at a high level and you might assume that most workers are staying scared and staying put – no matter how bad their job is or how toxic their work environment may be.  So you think you’re stuck where you are? Maybe not. Head hunters are calling again (from what I’m hearing on the front lines in my work with leaders and high-potential talent).  And check out the information below from The Wall Street Journal on May 25th: “As the job market begins to loosen up, human-resource managers might increasingly be surprised by an announcement from employees they … [Read more...]

I heard once that the definition of “capacity” literally refers to one’s ability to do work.  Dictionary.com defines capacity a bit more broadly, as the actual or potential ability to perform, yield or withstand.  Given the crazy-busy, 24/7 world leaders operate in today, that second definition is worth thinking about.  Is your capacity as a leader--to perform, yield and withstand--growing? Shrinking?  Or sitting at rock-bottom? If you’re like 95% of the leaders I see, you are probably somewhere between shrinking and rock-bottom.  From my recently published article on … [Read more...]

Whether you know it or not, you already have an on-line presence…even if it is a lack thereof. (Just to be clear, if compromising pictures of you from your Facebook or MySpace page are not easily found, that is and will ALWAYS be in your favor.)  But, if you are one of the many who have not yet established your on-line professional persona, that is actually not a good thing. So the real question is the following:  is your current on-line presence helping or hurting your career? Google, Bing or any other search engine is now the first tool of recruiters and prospective employers.  Even if … [Read more...]

As an executive coach, I love many things about this tool.  First, it can fit anyone’s price range.  Second, it is completely automated and done through email and takes only 10 minutes of time for raters to respond – so the response rate tends to be higher than average and the data more reliable.  And third, I love that this tool provides invaluable insights, whether you are: a leader looking for feedback; a high-potential wanting to advance your career; a job seeker in this tough employment environment; an entrepreneur looking to start or grow your own business; or an HR manager … [Read more...]

The 360Reach Assessment is the world’s first and leading personal branding assessment.  It has been used by nearly one million people globally, both by individuals looking to advance their careers and by leaders and professionals within some the world’s largest corporations (including American Express, British Telecom, J&J, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Starwood Hotels and Warner Brothers Studios). The 360Reach Assessment enables you to gather external feedback on multiple variables:  your personality characteristics (“brand attributes”), leadership competencies, strengths, weaknesses … [Read more...]

Whether you are a leader/manager or a professional/individual contributor, this series of postings is for you.  Below are the three things you need to know, in order, to sell yourself and keep your career moving forward: Know who you are – your values, strengths, weaknesses, and personal “brand” Know how you are perceived by others – their interpretation and assessment of those factors Leverage that information to market your unique value/brand – your communication strategy and plan so the perception you want becomes the one you get Yesterday I promised you an on-line tool to … [Read more...]

I’m going to put this on the line today – if you cannot answer my question above in a meaningful way, you are putting your future career and even your current job at risk.  Most of us know that the old system of employment for life passed away decades ago.  But today employment, period, is morphing into an entirely different animal.  I don’t think we know fully yet what that new world will look like, but it is shaping up to be a very different cycle of job deaths and rebirths than we have seen before. What I mean is that there is a strong case that we are not simply going through a … [Read more...]