TEAM LEAD: DO people RUN when they hear your name?

IF SO... is it TOWARD you... OR.. is it AWAY from you?

If its the latter then perhaps its NOT you but them?

It IS possible that what you are offering has NOTHING in it for them
and that is fine. That says nothing about you. It just says something about them.

It just says something about their wants, their needs, their frustrations.

So may I ask if you have sat down to look at some carefully chosen questions such as the following

How will your team experience your leadership?

What opportunities will open up for THEM participating in YOUR 'game' ?

What will THEY get out of working for YOUR team over and above a paycheck?

Most IT Team Leads don’t give satisfaction enough attention, yet team satisfaction is an essential key strategic indicator that is highlighted in every team lead's strategic objective for their position.

Your team needs to have a CLEAR sense of where THEY can FIT in your IMMEDIATE plan, and they need to know the big idea behind your ULTIMATE VISION. That allows them to DECIDE if they want to back you as part of something they can believe in and benefit from and devote themselves to fully. Your leadership strategy should include communicating your vision to key people in your team that you intend to move forward with. as much as possible, which is something they will truly appreciate. In many ways, that’s what every person is looking for in their working environment and what so many Team Leads lack.

We all KNOW that members of a team WANT to hitch their wagon behind a leader.. ESPECIALLY a leader who they see is clearly going somewhere. They want to come in close and contribute in ways that deepens the pull of the leaders draft. They will only do that if there is something clearly in it for them.

UNFORTUNATELY Team Leads often don't communicate this as effectively as they should.

TO what EXTENT is having people RUN... the instant they hear your name... IMPORTANT?.

PROTECTING your CAREER

COULD it be there is an invisible enemy nibbling away at one of your dearest friends... that is your Career.

IF your career is just a job then I guess it doesn't matter... HOWEVER ask yourself the ONE thing almost ALL successful people have in common. They LOVE what they do. Their career is like their BEST friend...

I am assuming you are successful.. IF so I recommend asking

Whom you're protecting?
Your self, your family, your client

What you're protecting?
Your Skill, Your Value, Your Reputation, Your Trade Secrets, Your Lifestyle, Your Choices

Where do you have to protect it?
Your thoughts, Your perceptions, Your Beliefs, Your Reactions, Your Self Esteem, In leading, In participation, In delivering Promise... In Your Vision, Purpose, Health

When do you have to protect it?
Perhaps the BEST time to actively protect is between contracts. This is a great time to emerse into every aspect of review and repositioning. ITS WORTH remembering that GAPS in contracts are seen as a RED FLAG by some... it implies lesser quality... and that would be valid IF the contractor just sat there emoting by the phone INSTEAD of embracing it as a wonderful opportunity to immerse and reinvent that is denied the permanent employee. A permanent employee does NOT get access to the power of breaking away... stepping back... reevaluating... repositioning that a contractor has. Unfortunately that is also a time when pressure MOUNTS and feel MOST VULNERABLE.

Why you have to protect it and HOW does it Threaten?
Actually this part is perhaps the most simple yet most easily MISSED. The world is changing so rapidly odds are that you will make a mistake and get it wrong more often than not. Its just the way it is. There will be times when your skills become obsolete and no longer worth a dime. There will be times your skills become saturated in the market and reduce your income dramatically. There will be times when you get blocked from accessing leading edge that will breathe new life into your attractiveness. There will be times when the economy dives and you are stuck for extended periods on the bench. YES we SAY we accept that we can get it WRONG. YET each time we get it wrong stealth silently, unnoticeably pulls another support out from under us... QUIETLY, steadily, surely wearing away at our esteem, our certainty.

MAY I ASK

TO what EXTENT is implementing policies, procedures, training and awareness, and technology to reduce your risk of exposing your best friend that is your career to this quiet threat IMPORTANT? or is your career not that big a friend?

Getting Locked Out

Have you ever heard an Actor confide how much they fear being "TYPE CAST" as being able to perform ONLY in certain way.. in a certain part, in a certain genre, in a certain role.. by the big movie conglomerates?

AND how that DRAMATICALLY and FOREVER chokes them off FROM GROWING in the very thing they have dedicated their life to?

IMAGINE being TOLD by 'someone else' that THIS is the part you will spend the rest of your life playing.... WHEN its NOT their art but YOURS... WHEN its NOT their passion but YOURS.

JUST think back... and see if you know of anyone who has experienced the SAME as an IT Contractor at one time?

To what EXTENT in your opinion can this be a problem... WHAT issues are most often faced trying to overcome it?

Is NOW a good TIME to BREAK the CAST.. just 15 minutes away

SIX HAT YOUR CONTRACTING CAREER VISION

Can you relate to this? Often Contractors neglect to Plan their Career because they say they have no control and so it just doesn't get done.

It IS true that there are many variables over which a contractor has no control including (i) the economy (ii) IT Budgets (iii) your team leader (iv) your work environment (v) skills that you love being rejected as obsolete (vi) others working for a pittance killing your billing rate (v) jobs being sent offshore... etc etc

But one area they have control is to MAP out the Career they WANT when things (i) improve (ii) the right opportunity 'shows' up (iii) the Certs they can have ready (iv) the kind of companies they will work fr (v) the companies they will not and so on.

There is a method (created by Edward DeBono) that is USEFUL, FAST and FUN and is called the six thinking hats. So one thing I like to do is spend "six times 15 minutes" to SIX HAT YOUR CAREER VISION.

WHITE HAT YOUR CAREER VISION (15 mins)
-> Lets get the facts
RED HAT YOUR CAREER VISION (15 mins)
-> Lets find the passions
BLACK HAT YOUR CAREER VISION (15 mins)
-> Lets locate the snags
YELLOW HAT YOUR CAREER VISION (15 mins)
-> Lets look at this logically
GREEN HAT YOUR CAREER VISION (15 mins)
-> Lets blow out the holes
BLUE HAT YOUR CAREER VISION (15 mins)
-> Lets make a decision

SIX HAT YOUR CONTRACTING CAREER VISION.. Its FUN, FAST, SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE and it works

Contracting Life Cycle

There are 4 Phases in a Contracts Lifecycle

(1) BRAND NEW CONTRACT
(2) CONTRACT EXPIRY
(3) INTERVIEW
(4) BETWEEN CONTRACTS

CONSIDER that there are different QUESTIONS and DECISIONS at each phase in the lifecycle if you intend to MAXIMISE your hourly RATE over time.

Remember each of these phases is presented to you in the form of a DOUBLE edged sword.. BECAUSE it is a moment that represents an opportunity that you can seize.. OR that you can be seized (and immobilized) BY.. OR perhaps worst of all it takes you into the worlds most dangerous place of all... that place known as COMPLACENCY.

BUSINESS online - FUTURE you can BANK on

FRANK FEATHER



MORE on FUTURE TALK

The HYPE aside..
the REAL message is clear.. the internet and pervasive technology has changed the way we will live forever. Shifts will not be slower but will escalate at an increasing pace including how we make our way through our career.

VIRTUAL TEAMS

According to ODESK (on linkedIn)

Freelancing and creating VIRTUAL TEAMS is something they like to hear people talk about

Hey Dave,

I'm the Marketing Director at oDesk and I love to see this type of activity. A lot of people have been successful building small virtual teams. Good luck!

I wanted to just suggest a few other possible channels for you.
You can check out a few of the oDesk groups on LinkedIn or join the Facebook oDesk page and post a thread there as well.

Best,
Josh

So what is it like to THINK like FREELANCER

You CAN do ALL this YOURSELF

THERE is NOTHING stopping you from doing ALL this YOURSELF

Some have enough time and no commitments and so can spend all the time they want, learning, researching any one of these areas of their career

* REFLECTING ON and ASSESSING your CURRENT situation
and GOALS
* CREATING effective CAREER documentation
* BUILDING and LEVERAGING professional networks that PAY
* Individual JOB SEARCH strategy and INTERVIEW coaching
* Leveraging the HIDDEN JOB market
* Optimising EXISTING opportunities
* Follow Through
* INCLUDING MORE Areas Of Mastery

OR if time IS an issue
and you are buried in committment
and THE WORLD IS SPINNING SO OUT OF CONTROL for you already that you CAN'T afford the TIME to do it ALL yourself
then perhaps ASK us to HELP


Help is Just 15 minutes away

Pushing myself forward

I'm so tired of this

I feel like I am constantly having to push myself forward in my contracting career... I feel nothing compelling enough to draw me.. or to PULL me forward instead...

This happens when we intellectualize our IT Career rather than feel energy come from our BODY that compels us deeper and further into our passion that is our career.

Without this compelling drive that comes from deep WITHIN you will not do what is necessary to get the right training, to get the right certifications, to surround yourself with the right influence, to put yourself in the right position to keep your passion and satisfaction alive.



So with that in mind how are you faring right now... To what extent are you trying to push your career forward rather than it pull you forward from the instant you wake up to the time you shut your eyes the moment you nod off to sleep... OR is that NOT important?