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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 37
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TOP TIPS
Your Board of Advisors
Corporations have boards of directors for guidance and accountability in running the business. As the Chief Executive of your career, you can apply the same principles to create a personal Board of Advisors that provides career focus and support. Here are some tips to form your Board:
Choose carefully. Who are the mentors, coaches, professors, co-workers, friends, family, or former classmates who you value for their experience and perspective? Your Board should be comprised of those who will champion you, but also be willing to tell you the straight truth.
Set the vision. In corporations, the Board holds the CEO accountable for goals, based on the strategic direction of the organization. With your personal Board of Advisors, define what you want to be held accountable for. You also want to be clear on what kind of guidance you are looking for, such as critical feedback on new ideas, networking connections, or suggestions for new career options. Give the Board some direction so they can be most useful for your development.
Communicate regularly. Commit to informing your Board of recent activities at least every six months, whether through an emailed update or a face-to-face meeting with each member. Regular contact will help you stay focused on your goals and keep you on the Advisors’ top of mind.
BOOK REVIEW
With over 30,000 online job board and career sites in existence, do you know where to start? CareerXRoads 2003, by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler, can help find the right sites for you.
The newest edition involved reviews of 3,000 sites, and includes indices by industry/functional specialty, geographic region, and site features. With this guide, you can skip the “everyman” sites and go straight to reviews of: 52 executive job/career sites;
162 sites for finance, accounting, manufacturing, MBA, and operations professionals; and 43 sites aimed at sales and marketing professionals.
So get the book and get online!
CareerXRoads
© 2005 Kennedy Information, Inc., a BNA Company.
EXECUTIVE NEWS & VIEWS
An article published by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) highlights the questions managers often ask of a new CEO, from the big picture strategy to effectively “managing up” with the new boss. Click here for the list.
The average tenure of CEOs is declining, according to results of a Booz Allen Hamilton study of CEO succession at 2,500 large companies. In 1995, the average tenure of a CEO departing for performance-related reasons was 7.0 years; in 2001 average tenure was 4.6 years. To read the full study in PDF format, “Why CEOs Fall: The Causes and Consequences of Turnover at the Top,” visit the Booz Allen Hamilton website.
Catalyst, a research and advisory organization working to advance women in business, found in its 2003 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors, that women now hold 779 board seats (13%) of Fortune 500 seats, an increase from 12.4 percent in 2001. All of the Fortune 100 have at least one woman director. The number of seats held by women of color increased from 2.5 percent in 1999 to 3.0 percent in 2003. Learn more at http://www.catalystwomen.org.
Only 25 companies have made FORTUNE's list of the Best Companies to Work For every time that it's been published. Find out which of these “Best Companies” is right for you by taking Fortune’s online quiz at: http://www.fortune.com/fortune/specials/lists/bestcos/question1.html
Lee Hecht Harrison's research, “Severance and Separation Benefits: Bridges for Employees in Transition” benchmarks severance policies by industry and company size. Before negotiating an employment agreement that includes provisions for severance, check the report to see if your severance package is competitive at http://www.lhh.com/knowledge/html.cfm?kcid=12.
The AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 program honors employers who are ahead of the curve in recognizing the value of mature workers through their exemplary workplace policies and practices. See the 2003 winners at: http://www.aarp.org/bestemployers.
An internal survey of DBM Consultants indicates that the average job search time, as of October 2003, is between four and six months (76% of polled Consultants agree). Other observations on the job market:
In its book, The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development (2nd edition), CCL identifies six common developmental experiences that drive learning and one’s ability to grow as a leader. The experiences are:
An article published at CareerJournal.com points out the questions executive recruiters are most likely to ask when interviewing potential candidates. They include “What gets you up in the morning” and “Tell me about the key experiences and relationships of the past that have been instrumental in your becoming who you are today.” To read more, visit CareerJournal.com.
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