Well, I'm just a couple weeks away from the end of my first semester toward my bachelor degree. Thank heavens!
This has been a very difficult process for me. The courses are not difficult. The problem is the amount of work required in this accelerated course. Working 40+ hours, taking care of my family and home, keeping up on my responsibilities with the Charleston Chapter IAAP AND taking 12 credit hours - well it's just exhausting.
At this point I have basically been validating many things I have learned through my career. The importance of teams, personality types, Maslow's Hierarchical Theory, things I have picked up through personnel trainings and other college courses.
One of the things that has really helped me so far is the "inside" look at management and management decision making. I think I always knew these things, but I didn't really consider them.
One of the chapters we just completed focused on "The Seasons of a CEO's Tenure" by Hambrick and Fukutomi. They identified five seasons:
1. Response to a mandate,
2. Experimentation,
3. Selection of an enduring theme,
4. Convergence, and,
5. Dysfunction.
They have found that, on average, a CEO's performance peak comes about midway of a seven year cycle, and declines from there. When I considered this in relation to my traditional employer, I can see the pattern. The current executive director has been in place just under seven years. He has reached convergence and is moving toward dysfunction. It also tells me that I will face this same cycle in time.
Although these classes have been very difficult to juggle, it has given me an renewed sense of competency. It has also helped me to decide to make some strategic career changes. I am looking at leaving my full-time position in order to take a part-time job that will allow me more flexibility to focus on my personal business and my degree completion.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Are You A Professional?
There are many things we think of when we think "professional". Education is probably the primary item. Other credentials fall in quickly behind. But, attitude and mannerisms play an important role in being perceived as a professional.
If you find yourself struggling to be taken as a true professional, here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Decide that you ARE a professional!
2. Do everything as a professional with professional standards.
3. Make being a professional part of your daily frame of mind.
4. Learn all the aspects of the job, amateurs take shortcuts.
5. Try to find out everything that is needed and wanted, don't assume you already know.
6. Act, dress and speak like a professional.
7. Learn from mistakes, don't try to hide them or ignore them.
8. Seek out difficult assignments.
9. Stay optimistic and level-headed. Amateurs get upset and tend toward pessimism.
10. Go above and beyond. Amateurs give only what is requested.
11. Don't act like an amateur.
If you are like me, you will find it hard to manage these items every day, under every circumstance. Knowing that you slip once in a while may be holding you back from advancement in your career. Don't let it!
Step out of your comfort zone.
You will never develop yourself fully if you continue to do what you've always done. We are all human. Professionals of every type make mistakes from time to time, lose their temper or get frustrated. It's how you handle yourself once you realize that you've crossed the line that matters. Accept the mistake, learn from it and move on.
If you find yourself struggling to be taken as a true professional, here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Decide that you ARE a professional!
2. Do everything as a professional with professional standards.
3. Make being a professional part of your daily frame of mind.
4. Learn all the aspects of the job, amateurs take shortcuts.
5. Try to find out everything that is needed and wanted, don't assume you already know.
6. Act, dress and speak like a professional.
7. Learn from mistakes, don't try to hide them or ignore them.
8. Seek out difficult assignments.
9. Stay optimistic and level-headed. Amateurs get upset and tend toward pessimism.
10. Go above and beyond. Amateurs give only what is requested.
11. Don't act like an amateur.
If you are like me, you will find it hard to manage these items every day, under every circumstance. Knowing that you slip once in a while may be holding you back from advancement in your career. Don't let it!
Step out of your comfort zone.
You will never develop yourself fully if you continue to do what you've always done. We are all human. Professionals of every type make mistakes from time to time, lose their temper or get frustrated. It's how you handle yourself once you realize that you've crossed the line that matters. Accept the mistake, learn from it and move on.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Meeting Follow Up
Well, what do you know. The meeting went pretty well. It lasted about an hour. The Governors men were very open minded and had a lot of questions.
Once we got all the confusion resolved (their confusion over what I was seeking and mine over how the applications are scored) we started making headway.
The key staffer basically said that he will have to contact DOP to see what they need from the certification department of the IAAP (who give the exam). They agreed that the CPS and CAP ratings are a great option for the administrative professional who is not interested in college or is undecided.
--> Wednesday
Well, I got the call today that told me what had to happen. We have to get a letter from one of the colleges that gives credits for the certifications. This letter has to clearly state how many credit hours are awarded. I know when I passed my certifcation I got 31 hours. That was the difference between completing my associates in four years or six.
I am very excited about this development. This will provide some incentive for state employees who fall in the adminisrative professional classification to continue their professional development. This also provides a way for those who have no desire or may not have the resources to persue a college degree to validate their skills in this manner.
The job market is very competitive today. If you want to move up you have to be able to prove your skills. And you have to be willing to take charge of your own career path.
Hopefully, this will provide a good opportunity for a lot of people throughout West Virginia.
Once we got all the confusion resolved (their confusion over what I was seeking and mine over how the applications are scored) we started making headway.
The key staffer basically said that he will have to contact DOP to see what they need from the certification department of the IAAP (who give the exam). They agreed that the CPS and CAP ratings are a great option for the administrative professional who is not interested in college or is undecided.
--> Wednesday
Well, I got the call today that told me what had to happen. We have to get a letter from one of the colleges that gives credits for the certifications. This letter has to clearly state how many credit hours are awarded. I know when I passed my certifcation I got 31 hours. That was the difference between completing my associates in four years or six.
I am very excited about this development. This will provide some incentive for state employees who fall in the adminisrative professional classification to continue their professional development. This also provides a way for those who have no desire or may not have the resources to persue a college degree to validate their skills in this manner.
The job market is very competitive today. If you want to move up you have to be able to prove your skills. And you have to be willing to take charge of your own career path.
Hopefully, this will provide a good opportunity for a lot of people throughout West Virginia.
May 3 - Big Meeting
I have a meeting this morning that I have been trying to arrange for a long time. It is with two representatives of Governor Joe Manchin III's staff.
Last week, while I was participating in the Governor's proclamation of Administrative Professionals Week, I mentioned to him that I had tried to get legislation introduced to instruct the Division of Personnel [the administration's personnel office] to recognize and rate the Certified Professional Secretary(R) and the Certified Administrative Professional(R) ratings, and to consider the achievement during reviews and promotional consideration.
The ratings are earned by those in the administrative support profession who have achieved documentable on-the-job experience and can pass a rigorous 8 hour exam. Colleges and universities across the country recognize this exam and award up to 31 credit hours toward degrees. In addition, West Virginia State Community and Technical College provides a 3 credit hour review course for the exam. I've both taken and taught the course. It isn't easy!
So, the Governor asks me what happened to my legislation. I told him it was never introduced, but I did get a late start. He instructed his assistant to arrange a meeting for me with two of his staffers to discuss the matter further and begin looking into it.
That meeting is this morning!
My ultimate goal is to have the ratings recognized by all state agencies, provide a one-time bonus for those passing the exam and when they recertify and to encourage continued professional developement.
Yes, this is a huge goal. But major private industries across the world recognize this certification. Our Governor wants West Virginia to be 'open for business' and he's frequently commented on the need for state employees to perform in a more professional manner.
Let's face it, there is no way to force every employee to improve like that. But, with this tool and incentive, you may bring more of them to the table. You will provide a goal that they can reach. Not every employee will want to go back to school for a college degree. And expecting that from everyone is not realistic. But you can provide the incentive for them to achieve certification in their field, just like you do with Microsoft operating and software programs, accountants, and other professions.
The administrative support professions is still very misunderstood and suffers from prejudices. We aren't all women, men are increasing in number, we aren't only secretaries and receptionists and we can do more than make coffee and chew gum.
Tearing down this stereotype is going to take a long time!
Last week, while I was participating in the Governor's proclamation of Administrative Professionals Week, I mentioned to him that I had tried to get legislation introduced to instruct the Division of Personnel [the administration's personnel office] to recognize and rate the Certified Professional Secretary(R) and the Certified Administrative Professional(R) ratings, and to consider the achievement during reviews and promotional consideration.
The ratings are earned by those in the administrative support profession who have achieved documentable on-the-job experience and can pass a rigorous 8 hour exam. Colleges and universities across the country recognize this exam and award up to 31 credit hours toward degrees. In addition, West Virginia State Community and Technical College provides a 3 credit hour review course for the exam. I've both taken and taught the course. It isn't easy!
So, the Governor asks me what happened to my legislation. I told him it was never introduced, but I did get a late start. He instructed his assistant to arrange a meeting for me with two of his staffers to discuss the matter further and begin looking into it.
That meeting is this morning!
My ultimate goal is to have the ratings recognized by all state agencies, provide a one-time bonus for those passing the exam and when they recertify and to encourage continued professional developement.
Yes, this is a huge goal. But major private industries across the world recognize this certification. Our Governor wants West Virginia to be 'open for business' and he's frequently commented on the need for state employees to perform in a more professional manner.
Let's face it, there is no way to force every employee to improve like that. But, with this tool and incentive, you may bring more of them to the table. You will provide a goal that they can reach. Not every employee will want to go back to school for a college degree. And expecting that from everyone is not realistic. But you can provide the incentive for them to achieve certification in their field, just like you do with Microsoft operating and software programs, accountants, and other professions.
The administrative support professions is still very misunderstood and suffers from prejudices. We aren't all women, men are increasing in number, we aren't only secretaries and receptionists and we can do more than make coffee and chew gum.
Tearing down this stereotype is going to take a long time!
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