OI Partners Newsletter: Leadership Strategies in a Time of Growth

Leadership Strategies in a Time of Growth

April 2010

In this issue:

Who's in Control here?
Leading Across the Generational Chasm
Finding the Path
Holistic Leadership
A Recession's Effect on Leadership

Leadership comes in all sizes and shapes and it is no longer defined by title, expertise or experience. It can appear in the most unexpected places. Keeping the focus of everyone in your organization on a vision can require the flexibility of a chameleon, the charisma of a rock star and the wisdom of an ancient oracle. What are we poor mortals to do? Start with recognizing the multiple viewpoints and goals of the people you are leading and bring them with you in the journey. We have provided some strategies and techniques to guide you. Even more important is putting aside perceptions of the past and taking a risk on creating the future.

Sincerely,
Ron Ennis, Ph.D., CMF
Jean Erickson Walker, Ed.D., CMF
Pathways/OI Partners, Inc. (Portland)

OI Partners Newsletter Summary

Who's in Control Here?

The old style of management assumed the manager did the thinking and the worker did the job. Those days are gone forever. Here are 10 ways to ensure top talent is attracted to your company so you reap the benefits. Click here to read the full article.

Leading Across the Generational Chasm

There is no magic technique or management style that is going to work across the generational chasm that exists in today's workplace. Bringing the generations together may be the greatest leadership challenge you will face.
Click here to read the full article.

Finding the Path

Leadership is not an individual sport. You cannot lead without having followers, especially in today's workplace. Here are five things every good leader instinctively knows. Click here to read the full article.

Holistic Leadership

A senior leader is only as good as the team which drives his or her vision. Recent research takes a look at the inherent and acquired traits of leaders. Click here to read the full article.

A Recession's Effect on Leadership

Not surprisingly, a recession can adversely affect a society's optimism. But when it comes to leaders, little research has been conducted on the influence recessions have on the outlook of top management. Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read OI Partners' Job-Search Advice for People over 40.

Follow Pathways/OI Partners on Twitter!
@PathwaysPDX

This Week at Pathways: Technology & Transition: Get Linked on LinkedIn

Dear Clients,

Summer is almost here and the nicer it get’s outside the harder it is to focus on your job search! Join us tomorrow for our Job Search Support Group and get feedback on your job search, share ideas on how to be more productive, and learn helpful tools to stay organized.

How is your online network? Face to face networking is essential, especially in this job market, but using social networking sites like LinkedIn can be very useful. Join us this week for our Technology and Transition Lab and get an in-depth look at LinkedIn, explore how to use it more effectively, and get important tips to networking successfully online. Read here for a few successful LinkedIn stories: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/linkedinsuccess.htm

This Week at Pathways:

Job Search Support Group
Every Tuesday; 9:00am-11:00am
Facilitated by Ron Ennis, Ph.D., CMF
No RSVP necessary!

Technology and Transition: Get Linked on LinkedIn
Thursday, April 29th; 1:00pm-3:00pm
Facilitated by Matt Morscheck, MS, CMP
Please RSVP for this event, if you have not already!


Not on LinkedIn? Click the link below and sign-up today!
http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_home


Look forward to seeing you this week!

“Your persistence level is a function of your emotional investment in your purpose and your belief in your ability to accomplish that purpose. Persistent application toward the realization of a given purpose is the result of a burning desire to see it manifest. Don’t give up. Believe in yourself and your purpose.”

--Laurence G. Boldt, author of Zen and the Art of Making a Living

This Week at Pathways: How to Find and Evaluate a Franchise Opportunity

Hello All,

Happy Monday! Play hard and then work hard…it was a great weekend to be in Portland, but now it is back to work! This week we have two workshops, the Career Transition Workshop and the How to Find and Evaluate a Franchise Opportunity, RSVP your spot today!

Are you feeling stuck? Finding what works and produces the most results is not always easy. Many of you have to make tough decisions during your job search transition, but you are not alone! Give us a call for a one-on-one appointment with a counselor and re-fresh, re-new and re-strategize your job search!

This week at Pathways:

Job Search Support Group:
Every Tuesday, 9am-11am
Facilitator: Ron Ennis, Ph.D., CMF

Career Transition Workshop:
Wednesday April 21st & Thursday April 22nd; 8:30am-4:30pm
Facilitators: Jean Walker, Ed.D., CMF & Matt Morscheck, MS, CMP

Why is the Career Transition Workshop important? This workshop will help you get organized, analyze your personal strengths, get you started on developing a dynamic resume and job search strategy, interview with confidence, negotiate the best offer, and increase your future success.

Who can take the workshop? Anyone who has, never taken it before, needs a refresher, and or if you need to make up a day. The CTW is designed to be an overview of our “core” services and will help you target areas where you need the most help in your transition, making your one-on-one time with your counselor more productive.

How to Find and Evaluate a Franchise Opportunity:
Wednesday, April 21st; 10am-12pm
Facilitator: Page Nicol

Want your own business, but don’t want to start from scratch? This workshop will provide you with key steps in finding and evaluating a franchise opportunity. Find out the critical “must know” areas of your research, where to find available franchise opportunities and the investment required, how to define your needs and the industry you select, and how to evaluate your personal and financial risk.

If you are interested in taking the CTW or the How to Find and Evaluate a Franchise Opportunity, please RSVP!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive week and we look forward to seeing you in the office!


















“Your decision to be, have and do something out of ordinary entails facing difficulties that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.”

--Brian Tracy

Tips For Using Social Networking In Job Search

Tips For Using Social Networking In Job Search

Portland – April 6, 2010 – Social networking websites are being used more often to make connections that can lead to job interviews and jobs, according to OI Partners-Pathways (Portland), a leading global talent management firm.

45% of employers reported using social networking websites to screen potential employees - more than twice as many as the 22% that did so the year before, according to a June 2009 CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,600 hiring managers.

29% of the hiring managers utilizing social media to screen employees said they use Facebook, 26% use LinkedIn, 21% use MySpace, 11% search blogs, and 7% follow candidates on Twitter, according to the survey.

18% of the managers said they were encouraged to hire candidates due to social networking content. Half of them were able to determine that a person would fit in well with the organization's culture, while about 4 out of 10 said online profiles helped to support candidates' professional qualifications, showcase their creativity, and highlight their communications skills.

"Social networking websites are an increasingly valuable way to keep networking contacts up to date about your career status, to make new connections, reconnect with old ones, and increase your visibility," said Jean Erickson Walker, managing partner of OI Partners-Pathways (Portland) (www.oipartners.net).

"However, social networking is not a replacement for regular networking. It should be considered a supplement to and a means for making face-to-face contact, and should not be where you spend most of your time," added Walker.

Also, be cautious of what your online presence comprises. 35% of hiring managers in the CareerBuilder survey said they found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire candidates, including provocative or inappropriate photographs, bad-mouthing a previous employer, and bad spelling and grammar.

Consultants from OI Partners-Pathways offer these tips for getting the most from using social media in a job search:

- Compile a complete profile with searchable key words that detail the full range of your experience. "Use a descriptive headline that catches attention. List your accomplishments so potential employers can get a better sense of your career. Include a good-quality photo to personalize your online presence," said Walker.

- Spread the word about your career status, especially if recently unemployed or in transition. "Update your social networking websites at least weekly. Include any freelance, contract, and part-time work you are doing, along with appropriate examples or links. Specify what types of career opportunities you are open to," said Walker.

- Find out more information about a potential employer, the types of people they hire, and the secret requirements for a job. "Job postings rarely spell out entirely or exactly what a hiring manager is seeking. Locate a connection at the company who can get information about what really matters for the job. If you don’t have an inside connection, look at profiles of the people who work at the company to determine their backgrounds and which companies they came from to help you discern what the company is looking for in new hires," said Walker.

- Post recommendations from current and former employers, clients, bosses, and colleagues. "Managers and executives should also get recommendations from people they have managed to highlight their leadership qualities," added Walker.

- Create a personalized website address on social networking sites that includes your name, and put this on your cover letter, resume, and business cards.

- Use social networking to uncover start-ups to work for. "Great start-ups are difficult to get a handle on, and social media websites will enable you to narrow these down by industry and other categories," said Walker.

- Practice good netiquette. "Be courteous and respectful of others' time. As in traditional networking, when someone you know or want to know connects with you online, you should always reciprocate and see how you can help that person, too," said Walker.

- Join online groups that are active, have a lot of members, and will enable you to validate your expertise. "Be diligent in providing good answers to questions that are asked in the group and solutions to problems, and start discussions of your own," said Walker.

- Play close attention to proper grammar and spelling in order to put your best foot forward.

About OI Partners
OI Partners is a leading global talent management firm that helps individuals find new careers and employers to improve the performance of their employees and organizations. OI Partners is comprised of certified career management professionals who specialize in executive and group outplacement, executive coaching, leadership development, workforce planning, and talent management. The company was established in 1987 and is now located in 200 locally-owned offices in 27 countries with more than 100 U.S. offices. Please visit www.oipartners.net or call 800-232-5285.

This Week at Pathways: March Success Story

Dear Clients,

I thought about you over the Easter weekend and hope that you enjoyed the holiday, time with family, or a much needed day of rest and relaxation from your job search, dry and out of the rain. I am happy to say that we are continuing to hear about clients landing jobs; the uplifting energy surrounding this time of year and the rise in the economy is giving much needed hope and enthusiasm!

Success Story of Month

I am happy to announce that Peter von Euen is the new Senior Project Leader for ACME Business Consulting, LLC!

"When asked what the 'one best thing' was that contributed to my landing a job I was somewhat stymied on how to respond. It had been nearly 21 months to the day when I finally started a new position. After a lot of reflection I would have to say it was my attitude, in believing in myself and my abilities. I have had several successful career paths over nearly forty years and was really getting disheartened at times with the discussions and/or feelings regarding over-qualification, age factors and past high earning senior management position employer impressions. In the end I took a job that allows me to do something I value even though the earning is considerably less than where I was. I disciplined myself to look for work for at least two hours, often six or eight, almost every day, and made sure to attend to my networking. I attended the Pathways Job Search Support Group meetings, as it gave me discipline in that I had to share with others what I was doing to become employed, as well as share my experiences and ideas with others that would hopefully help them too.

While the search was lonely and often left me feeling detached, I was not alone. There were always people there which I came to recognize and value; a continually loving and supportive spouse, a long term network with whom to communicate, a local support organization (Pathways) with knowledgeable and caring professionals, and my imaginary shepherd who made sure I always believed that my glass was half full. I can only say that we must all keep up hope and believe in what we have to contribute; at some point the stars will align and we will move forward to our next adventure. Keep the faith in yourself as the alternative is grim and trust in others to share, especially in a safe environment like on the 11th floor. Best of luck! --Peter"

Thank you Peter, we celebrate your success!

Are you feeling stuck in your search? Take action and join us tomorrow for our Job Search Support Group from 9am to 11am, and connect with fellow job seekers! Also, many of you were not able to attend the Strategic Networking Lab last month, so we have scheduled it again this month. Join us this week, Wednesday April 7th from 1pm to 3pm, for our two-hour Strategic Networking Lab and get help managing your network. RSVP today!

Look forward to seeing you in the office this week!















"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." --On Achievements, Belief & Desire: Anatole France Quotes

Career Update for April

►Strategic Networking Lab

Networking is the most effective way, especially in this economy, to be successful in your job search. Come learn how to strategically manage your network in order to bring together the people you know, the people you would like to know, and the people you need to know to get the job that you actually want!

Facilitator: Matt Morscheck, MS, CMP
Wednesday, April 7th, 1:00-3:00 PM

► Interviewing Series: Panel Interview Practice

Panel interviews are the most common, and the most disliked interview format. Join us and learn the best ways to prepare for a panel interview and get the chance to practice answering questions from each other in a panel interview format!

Facilitator: Ron Ennis, Ph.D., CMF
Wednesday, April 14th, 10:00-12:00 PM

► Career Transition Workshop

The CTW is a core feature of your career transition services covering self-assessment, resume development, interviewing, negotiating, and more! It is recommended, though not required, that you attend all of the workshops, and attend them in the order listed. You are welcome to repeat workshops as often as you would like.

CTW: Wed., April 21st & Thurs., April 22nd, 8:30-4:30 PM
Facilitators: Jean Walker Ed.D, CMF & Matt Morscheck, MS, CMP

►How to Find and Evaluate a Franchise Opportunity

Want your own business, but don’t want to start from scratch? This workshop will provide you with key steps in finding and evaluating a franchise opportunity. Find out the critical “must know” areas for your research, where to find available franchise opportunities and the investment required, how to define your needs and the industry you select, and how to evaluate your personal and financial risk.

Facilitator: Page Nicol
Wednesday, April 21st, 10:00-12:00 PM

►Technology & Transition: Get Linked on LinkedIn

Have a LinkedIn account, but not sure if you are using it effectively? Come explore an in depth look at LinkedIn, one of the largest social media websites utilized by job searchers, recruiters, and companies. Have a laptop? Bring it with you!


Facilitator: Matt Morscheck, MS, CMP
Thursday, April 29th, 1:00-3:00 PM

Do you have questions about your Services?

Contact Matt at mmorscheck@oipartners.net for a description of your services and your remaining services.

Individual Appointments:
All programs include individual one-on-one appointments with a career coach. To schedule an appointment, call us at (503) 221-8747 or email: pathways@oipartners.net

Job Search Support Group
A weekly gathering of Pathways/ OI Partners, Inc. clients focused on the development and implementation of effective job search strategies through peer group support. (Does not require a RSVP)

Facilitator: Ron Ennis, Ph.D, CMF
Every Tuesday, 9:00 -11:00 AM