Author: Dr. Flores Page 24 of 44

The hourly rate you charge depends on the value you provide to your customer. Most of you are interested in earning a higher hourly rate for the work that you do. However, interest alone is insufficient. You have to demonstrate that you deserve a higher level of pay.

The first step is to calculate your current hourly rate, even if you are paid a salary. An annual salary of $40,000 translates to the following:

• $3,333 per month
• $833 per week
• $19 per hour

Therefore, $80,000 per year equals the following:

• $6,667 per month
• $1,667 per week
• $38 per hour

Now that you have an idea where you stand, you can start taking action to improve your economic status.

#1: Select an organization that rewards top-performers.

Some government employees tell me that increasing their pay is too difficult because the system is rigid and based mostly on years of working experience. If you work for an organization or industry that restricts the pace of raises, I recommend looking for a different career. The approach I am recommending here is to double your hourly rate in a year or two, and not in 40.

#2: Look for opportunities to become an expert in a particular area. In my case, I decided to pursue project management.

The first step was to become a Project Management Professional (PMP). With that credential, I set out to teach others the concepts and theories particular to managing projects. Once you have the credential, you have to take action. The more you become an expert in your field, the more you can control your hourly rate. In other words, you can demand a higher rate because your customers are highly satisfied with the caliber of your work.

#3: Look for opportunities outside your day-to-day employment.

I understand that adding more work to your busy schedule can be demanding. However, your services might be of interest to others, and they might be willing to pay premium rates. For example, a person with the talent to edit videos can charge $80 per hour or more, and an HR consultant may request $100 for services rendered. In essence, company leaders are open to outsourcing work, and they are interested in hiring people with knowledge of industry best practices.

#4: Create one talk or speech you can give to anyone who wants to listen, and who is willing to pay for it.

The point here is that you have something that others consider of value. For example, I once heard Dan Kennedy, a professional speaker and marketing guru, state that he created his $1,000,000 talk. His goal was to deliver that speech until he made one million bucks. While he thought it would take more than five years, he reached the goal in less than two. Interestingly, he had to overcome a noticeable stuttering problem to effectively deliver the talk.

In the calculation above, you set the goal to $38 per hour. By following the strategies mentioned here, you can reach that milestone within a couple of years, if not faster. Once you have momentum, keep using the doubling approach, which means that $38 is your new number. When you double $38, you now are earning $76 per hour, and $76 doubles to $152 per hour. At that pace, your annual salary surpasses the $300,000 mark. The key is to focus on the hourly rate because that is a number you can control.

You will experience challenges along the way, to be sure. Stay committed to improving the service value you provide to your customers. You want to help them improve their bottom line. When you do, they will be happy to share it with you.

Change is inevitable. You either accept it, or you are swept away with the tide. The fact is that the choice is already made for you: you either do something to remain competitive in your field, or someone else will soon replace you. From that perspective, the decision is easy.

While any forward-moving action is helpful, there are some change strategies that are more effective. You need to know where you are going. Knowing the final destination will help you make the right decisions. Of course, that means you have a vision regarding your future and you are prepared to set concrete goals. Once those steps are taken, you must take action.

#1: Focus on the Soft Skills

Your technical skills will only take you so far. In other words, your ability to write a program, set up a computer network, or create a flashy PowerPoint will land you a job, but for how long? Technical knowledge is a purchasable commodity that is omnipresent in the marketplace. Your HR department has access to thousands of people who can do the everyday work you were hired to do.

The soft skills are in higher demand. For example, do you have the ability to create enthusiasm within your team? Are other people happy when you walk into the room? Do others take note when you voice an idea? Do you step up to the plate when a challenge arises? These are the skills that will keep you on the payroll, and make you a more valuable asset to the organization.

#2: Do Something from Start-to-Finish

You’ve all seen great ideas in meeting rooms. For some reason, when you walk out of the room, the idea or initiative is erased from your mind. You have other pressing work, and you know that tackling a new project takes a ton of hard work.

Be different. When you have a project that can improve your department or the company as a whole, do whatever it takes to create a plan, find the right resources, seek funding, and get started. By planning and taking action, you will make a difference, and you will create separation between you and the mediocre employees.

#3: Get a Seat at the Table

I remember Chris Matthews of MSNBC stating that you can only become a meaningful participant when you have a seat at the table. Standing on the sidelines generates zero results and is a quick recipe for obsolescence. You must be ready for opportunities. In many cases, you have to take the initiative and get in front of the decision-makers.

You should volunteer for projects in your company. Do whatever possible to remain visible. What appears to be difficult today will become easier as you gain experience. By assuming more responsibility, you will gain the confidence of your leadership team.

I understand that visibility will lead to more work. The goal, however, is to pursue leadership-type work, which means that you are responsible for finding the right resources to do the day-to-day work. This leadership skill is in high-demand today, and will improve your chances of controlling the direction of your career.

A meeting provides the coordinator with the opportunity to get things done. In other words, you should get together only when there is something to do. I’ve attended some meetings in which the agenda was vague, which resulted in a waste of time for the attendees. To have a successful meeting, you must have a clearly defined plan. You need to know what will be discussed, who will attend, and the expected action items.

Standing Meetings are Unproductive

While I understand that standing meetings, those that are perpetually on your schedule, can provide some benefits, the fact is that many of them become routine. For example, the 9 a.m. Monday morning status meeting is merely an event designed to have a manager push information to the team members. Can this same information be provided via email? What if you had a 5-minute informal meeting with the key stakeholder? The point here is that meetings might be a less effective way to communicate compared to other mediums.

Here are three important questions you should ask during your meetings:

#1: Where are we now?

In project management, you identify baselines related to time, cost, and scope. You want to know the starting point. Similarly, in any meeting you hold, the coordinator must get a quick snapshot of where you stand. You cannot fix anything unless you know the beginning point. For example, are you behind schedule by two weeks? Are you under budget with the Thailand telecommunications project? Are you lacking critical resources for the hotel expansion venture? By knowing where you are right now, you can have a more productive meeting.

#2: What do you not know?

You can’t know what you don’t know if you don’t ask. During your meetings, you need to ask questions like: Do your team members have the necessary technical skills to handle the work? What is the uptime last month for the color printing machine? Is the risk management checklist you are using effective? What feedback are you receiving from the leadership team? What’s keeps you up at night? Ask specific questions to identify the root causes of problems and anticipate any potential risk events.

#3: What do we do now?

It’s imperative to walk out of the meeting with clear deliverables. Avoid scheduling a future meeting to discuss the action that will be taken. If no action points will result from the meeting, there is no reason to have it. Here are examples of action items:

• “Mark, contact Japan Airlines to determine whether they can transport our shipment to Tokyo”
• “Rayne, make sure to ask our CPA team how Sarbanes-Oxley regulations are tied to IT.”
• “Richard, work with the Strategy Team to create the objectives for the Peru data migration initiative.”

Avoid standing meetings. The mere use of the word “standing” signifies stagnation. Instead, take a creative approach to having your stakeholders come together. Make sure the agenda is clear regarding the discussion items, and invite only those who can bring value.

Before adjourning, review the main points and start assigning action items. Only assign work that can be measured, and reinforce the importance of accountability. One final point: if the discussion ends early, let people go and get to work.

Earlier in the week, I had the privilege of speaking with a talent manager (Dan) who spends most of his day looking to match job seekers with the requirements specified by hiring managers. Prior to this position, Dan worked at Oracle for more than a decade, and his IT experience is extensive.

As a professor, I often reach out to these individuals so that I can share the knowledge with my students. The goal is to provide guidance on what it takes to excel in today’s workforce. Perhaps more important, the plan is to ensure they have the necessary skills and experience on their resumes.

Here are the three must-haves recommended by Dan:

#1: Get the experience.

It’s obvious that actual, hands-on work experience is necessary. When building your resume, you need to include the applicable work that you’ve done. If you are in the HR world, you need to document the roles and responsibilities that match the employment offer. Employers want to know how you made the department and organization better. In other words, think big picture when composing the resume.

I understand that job seekers might lack the necessary experience. If this is the case, look for opportunities to assume work that is aligned with your career goals. Your transition might take a bit longer than your anticipated, but getting the experience is critical.

#2: Earn your professional certifications.

Dan mentioned to me, “Jimmie, I was looking at an employment website and noticed that PMPs are earning an average of $97,000.” I knew this figure was correct because I share it in project management courses, but it was nice to hear that Dan was also aware of it.

The bottom line is that professional certifications can make a huge difference in your career. The Project Management Professional (PMP)^® certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) is just one of many that is in high demand. For those in IT security, I recommend the Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP). There are other entry-level certs, and you should give them a try.

#3: Learn the soft skills. 

While having technical knowledge about your work is important, you must also learn the soft skills. Dan mentioned the following: critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership. In other words, you must have the ability to work within a team setting and be receptive to constant change.

When Dan first called, I was standing in line at my bank waiting to see a teller. However, I quickly determined that he was imparting valuable information. Thus, I grabbed a couple of deposit slips, and walked over to a quiet area. On the back of those bank artifacts, I took down the notes that I’m sharing with you today. While I lost my place in line, I’m glad I did it.

The fact is that the workforce is way too competitive today. Hundreds and thousands of individuals apply for the best jobs. To have a chance, you must document our work experience, professional certifications, and soft skills. By doing so, the chances of getting an interview with the hiring manager will increase exponentially.

There are some who believe that they can wait until tomorrow before taking action. The problem with this approach is that tomorrow might be too late. Those who often table action until a later date are usually those who have mastered the habit of procrastination, and they eventually forget what was so urgent just a few weeks back.

I do understand you have to create the business plan, run it by the important people in the organization, conduct risk management, consider best practices, and much more. To a certain extent, both process and protocol are important. However, you must avoid engaging in molasses management. In other words, taking action is important.

#1: The timing is wrong.

The timing will never be perfect. There are inherent risks in any business decision. I know some business leaders who are comfortable moving forward with 80% of the information. In the technology community, 50% might be all you can expect before the dynamics change.

The point here is that you must trust your instincts. Many of you have been in the same business for years, if not decades, and you must listen to your inner voice. You must either make a decision to tackle a new project, or wait for a better opportunity. In either case, you have to make a decision.

#2: Lack of resources.

Most organizations today face scarcity of resources. No one has resources sitting around, ready to jump in when the work arrives. In fact, companies are hiring fewer people to do even more work. You’ve all experienced the situation in which employees are cut and the work is spread among those who remain.

If you lack the people required to take on new work, consider the following: subcontracting, joint venture, outsourcing, or offshoring. Some options are better than others, and it largely depends on the type of work you do. With joint ventures or partnerships, you can expect to share the earnings, but you also spread the risk.

#3: You have too much on your plate.

All organizations have a ton of work on their plates. We’re all too busy. I remember not too long ago walking in downtown Pittsburgh, I asked a homeless person the following: “Sir, do you mind telling me where I can find the nearest grocery store?”  Without breaking stride, he responded: “I can’t help you right now. I’m running late.” This humorous example reminded me that nearly every person and company is overwhelmed with daily activities.

Do it Now!

Taking action means that you do anything to get you started. You might start writing the plan, or convene a focus group to discuss your options. The key is to create momentum. It’s important to seek guidance and feedback from those who will be involved in doing the work. By doing so, you are more likely to get buy-in to your vision.

Remember that you are going to face obstacles, especially at the outset. Some will even tell you that the opportunity has zero chance of succeeding. However, once you’ve done your planning and sought feedback from your core team, it’s time to take action. Developing this sense of urgency will get you into the ballgame, and then it’s just a matter of execution.

Like everyone else, I’m interested in strategies that allow me to get my work done faster. Of course, quality does matter, and this usually leads to putting in more hours during the day. However, there are strategies and techniques that can help you complete the core requirements earlier in the day.

Does this mean you can go home at 11 a.m.? I suppose this largely depends on the type of work you do and who writes your paychecks. If you are a business owner, you can call it a day when the requirements are done. However, if you’re a nurse, you will likely have to stick it out until the end of your shift.

The point here is to discuss strategies that make you efficient at what you do for a living. The Pareto Principle applies here, which means identifying the 20% of our activities that generate 80% of the results. With the other 80% of the tasks, you can use creative procrastination, or delegate them to someone with the time to get them done.

Know your 20%

It’s impossible to maximize your performance without first knowing the most important tasks important to your job. If you are a budget analyst, you need to collect the data from individual managers, input them into the system, and verify the accuracy of the data. You have other duties, such as attending meetings, contributing to projects, and analyzing financial trends. If planned correctly, you can complete the 20% of your duties in about 10 hours per week, which means you have 5 hours to participate in the 80% of activities that are less important.

Train Your Team

Regardless of your competence level, there is only so much one person can do. The most successful people are committed to training the members of the their team. However, training is just one part of the equation. You must empower them to make decisions.

Recognize that team members will make mistakes, and some of them might be significant. You must avoid the temptation to ridicule or punish someone when an error is made. Instead, it’s best to use the situation as a learning moment. Once the issue is resolve, you can review what caused the mistake. In some cases, the training program might be at fault.

Refuse to Kill Time

It’s far too easy to spend the morning reading the ESPN highlights or shopping for gifts online. Before you know it, lunchtime has arrived, and you have yet to address any part of your work. You have checked email and even responded to some of the urgent messages, but this is far from meaningful work.

The successful people understand that wasting hours during work will inevitably cause problems on the back-end. You must hit the ground running each morning. You cannot allow coffee breaks and personal activities to interrupt your work time.

Is the 3-hour day a real possibility? You can get work done faster, especially if you focus on the activities that are most meaningful. This may not mean that you go home earlier from the office, but it does mean that you can participate in other activities that are most important to your management team. Of course, you know the benefits that come to those who are proficient at what they do, and are willing to work on high-value assignments.

While attending a church event, I noticed two men carrying on a conversation. After a minute or so, I was intrigued with how well the young man (Ryan), roughly 28-years-old, managed the discussion with an elderly man (Don) who appeared to be in his 70s.

Many of us have heard the important rule that to be a good conversationalist you must be a terrific listener. In other words, you want to avoid dominating the discussion. It’s also critical that you allow the other person to speak without interrupting. From my sales training, I also learned the importance of pausing before speaking. By doing so, you give the impression that you are listening to the customer’s concerns.

Let me share with you what I remember about the conversation between Ryan and Don:

DON: What is your name, young man?

RYAN: Sir, my name is Ryan. Yours?

DON: My name is Eldon Donald Simpson, but I go by “Don.”

RYAN: Good to meet you, Mr. Don. What keeps you busy nowadays?

DON: Well, I’m retired now, so just a few things here and there with my wife. We’re excited about an Alaskan cruise that is coming soon.

RYAN: That does sound like fun. I’ve visited Anchorage for work, but never cruised that area. When are you going?

DON: We’re leaving here in a couple of months. We’ll fly into Vancouver, and start the trip from there.

RYAN: Do you cruise often?

DON: Since I retired four years ago, we’ve been on one every year. I like how we can make one payment and it pretty much takes care of everything. We do a few excursions here and there, but we try to stay on the ship as much as possible.

RYAN: What kind of work did you do before retirement?

DON: Let me take you back a bit. I was in the Air Force for more than 30 years. My background is in logistics, which means that I have an operations background. We had many important missions, and the work we did was critical. We had to be on our toes all the time.

RYAN: That’s so cool! My father served in the Army for 12 years, so I know the commitment you made. Thank you for your service. What did you do after separating from the Air Force?

DON: I forgot to mention that I was also a pilot in the Air Force. In the civilian world, I flew commercial planes for American Airlines. I liked that work, but the airline industry is a bit rocky, so I decided to permanently retire.

RYAN: Man! You have a terrific background. I wish I had your experience.

DON: Thank you, Ryan.

RYAN: It looks like our meeting is about to start. It was good chatting with you. See you soon, Mr. Don!

In this conversation, Ryan is asking the questions, which means that he is engaged. He interjects a few personal points to keep the discussion lively, but he avoids talking too much about himself.

The fact is that Don has tremendous experience, and Ryan can learn from it. However, and perhaps most important, you are far better received when you focus on the other person. Getting to know someone requires that you work on your listening skills, and this advice will lead to more productive personal and business relationships.

We are all overwhelmed with deadline after deadline. The work never seems to go away. The Information Age was supposed to make things better. The idea was that technology would make it easier to manage information overload, resulting in a more productive workforce.

Bosses think employees can now manage more responsibilities, andmany have to manage both routine work and additional projects. They aren’t given more time to do the work. The expectation is that the work will get done on a schedule that someone else determines for them.

There are several approaches that might give you some breathing room. The goal here is to ensure the work gets done on time, and that it meets the quality requirements.

#1: Stress the Importance of Quality

Doing work in a rush may result in subpar quality. If you feel that you are focused only on meeting the deadline and not on the quality requirements, it’s best to schedule a meeting with your boss. Let her know that you can continue the frantic pace, but the final product will fall short of expectations.

In project management, throwing more resources is called crashing. This is a schedule compression technique designed to get the work done by the deadline. When you crash a project, you increase the overall costs of the project because the only goal is to complete the work on time. You might have to hire a resource that charges double what you normally pay, and that is acceptable given the emphasis on meeting the deadline.

#2: Prioritize Your Work

Many of us have heard of the A-B-C time management concept. The “A” activities are urgent, and must get done. They go to the front of the line. The “B” activities are important, but not urgent. They are on the schedule, but you can delay the start. The “C” activities are not important, and can wait until all “A” and “B” work is done.

Find out what is important. I find that many people refer to easier work as more important.

The idea here is that you have a comfort level with these assignments. However, what is easy may be of little importance to your boss. The goal is to work on the activities or projects that are of greatest importance to your direct. Once you are clear regarding what is both urgent and important, you can focus solely on that work. Avoid too much multi-tasking. Stick with one project until its completion.

#3: When All Else Fails – Try Honesty

A big mistake is to make excuses about why work is not getting done. As a project manager, I understand that I sometimes will lack the skills or resources to complete the work. For example, when working on a web-based training product, I might not have the audio and video specialists needed to do the work. Make sure the sponsor is aware of these limitations. It’s imperative that you express your concerns when they are first discovered.

However, avoid looking for sympathy. Your boss wants you to assume responsibility. You are not seeking a shoulder on which to cry. Instead, walk in with a game plan. Express the problem, and be ready to provide a solution.

Your stock will rise by delivering quality work by the stated deadline. To do that, you must accept only assignments that can get done on time. When you are unsure if the expectations can be met, make it clear immediately. Avoid being the eager-beaver who accepts anything thrown at him.

When you know that a deadline cannot be met, inform the key stakeholders. If you don’t let them know, they will expect the work as scheduled, and if you fail to deliver, the consequences may derail your career.

In a previous job, our manager sent the following email:

Hello, Everyone!

I hope you are having a great Monday!

I have a project that we need to start immediately, and I would like to ask for volunteers. The project is CRM-focused, which means we need to verify customer information, such as email addresses, mobile phone numbers, and mailing addresses. We need two (2) volunteers, and I think it will take 20 hours of work per person.

If I don’t get the volunteers by COB today, I will make the assignments on my own.

Nice to be back in the office!

Steve

Of course, you are a team player, and you want to make your manager happy. You also understand that this project is important to the department. However, before becoming Volunteer #1, you must determine if this is the right decision for you.

#1: Do you have the bandwidth to take on more work?

Avoid being the eager beaver who accepts work just to be nice, or to gain the favor of your manager. Can you allocate the 20 hours to take on this project? If you do, how will it affect your other day-to-day activities? Are you currently assigned to other projects?

Consider the challenge here: when you accept more work, you are accountable for getting it done. If you have too much on your plate, you could fall short on both your daily work and the additional responsibilities. That result may negatively affect you during your performance appraisal. Therefore, if you decide to volunteer for this assignment, make sure you have the bandwidth to deliver quality work.

#2: How will your manager perceive the fact that you failed to volunteer?

After reading the email, you ponder what Steve thinks of those who fail to accept the challenge. In reality, you are concerned about you, and you definitely don’t want the perception that you are a slacker.

What should you do?

My recommendation is for you to take a proactive approach. I will write your email to Steve:

Hi, Steve!

The CRM project sounds great. I would like to help out as much as possible. I know you are aware of my current workload, and appreciate your advice.

If you allow me an extra week to submit my Training & Development project, I can make the time to work in the CRM initiative. I may not need the week, but I wanted to run it by you.

What a busy Monday!  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sophia

You are likely the only person who presented an alternative. While some employees provided excuses, you provided a solution. It’s obvious what works best, right?

#3: Do you think your manager will pick you if you ignore the request to volunteer?

The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) work might be in your domain, which means that you will be selected even if you do not volunteer. If you feel that is the case, it’s probably best that you volunteer. Given that you have the required skills set, you can get the work done right and on time. You also have the opportunity to display your leadership skills by helping the other team member learn the process. Even more important, the manager will ask you to make a presentation when the project is completed, which means that your visibility within the organization will increase. Go for it!

You should avoid overcommitting. Know what you can’t do, and know when to put on the brakes. You understand your workload and capabilities better than anyone. However, you should also understand the importance of accepting responsibility. One well-crafted email can set you apart from those who are merely riding the waves.

It’s Monday morning, you’re walking down the hall, and your manager says, “Maria, can you make the 10 a.m. meeting?” You have a ton of work to do, but you are caught off-guard. You want to say “No,” but that might make your manager unhappy. You nod, and sheepishly confirm that you will attend the recently-called meeting.

A few weeks ago, I overheard a conversation in which a manager asked an employee if she could volunteer to assist with a training program. Her response, “Do you really need me there? I have a pressing deadline.” He responded, “I have a few volunteers, but I might need you. Let me get back with you.” This employee had the right answer. She stated her willingness to help, but she had other work on her plate that needed attention.

#1: Ask if your presence is needed.

The fact is that there are too many meetings. It appears that managers feel they must have meetings for the sake of having meetings. I’ve even attended some meetings whose the sole purpose was scheduling other meetings. In other words, let’s have a meeting to schedule more meetings!

When contacted to attend a meeting, I will ask the manager to determine if my presence is needed. In other words, I want to know if I can be a meaningful participant. If I do not feel that my attendance is needed, I will ask to be excused.

Here is one approach:

“John, I saw the agenda for the meeting. It appears that the discussion is focused on internal operations. Given that my work is based on outside sales, I feel my attendance is not needed. May I be excused from this meeting?”

As a manager, you must respect the candid approach described here. You should only invite people who add value to the discussion. If not, leave them off the meeting list.

#2: Determine if a staff member can attend the meeting.

In many cases, a staff member can attend a meeting in your place. The person can take notes, and provide you with a 10-minute summary. Your time is valuable, and you can leverage your team. A staff member can gain excellent insight by participating in the discussion. You have a win-win situation.

You should, however, review the agenda and provide speaking points to your staff member. Meeting coordinators appreciate individuals who are proactive, and who can share their knowledge even when they are not in attendance.

#3: Deny the request to attend the meeting.

Of course, you want to be careful with this option. In other words, you can’t say, “Hell no! I don’t have the time!” It’s best if you make it clear from the outset that your time is committed to day-to-day work and projects.

Have a short discussion with your manager, and reinforce to her that you would like to limit the meetings you attend. I took this approach when working for an organization, and my manager would often block requests before they got to me.

Some meetings do have value, and you should attend those. In my case, meetings are done via webinars. The advantage here is that those who are unable to attend can watch the recording. As a manager or leader of an organization, I want my employees to spend less time in unproductive meetings and more time doing the work that makes the organization successful.