Angela Copeland, Author at Copeland Coaching

Making Management Easier

by Angela Copeland | Sep 10, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter

Managers are often drained by the people part of their jobs. After working for years as an individual contributor, they are finally rewarded with a management role. But, management is not as fun as they had hoped. In addition to their old tasks, the manager is now saddled with a job that feels like a combination of a therapist and a babysitter. But, instead of watching over children, they are tending to middle-aged adults.

The interesting thing about this challenge is that the manager often creates it themselves. You heard that right. There is an easier way to manage that’s less taxing and takes up less time.

There are basics, such as treating your team with respect. Then comes trust and empowerment. Beyond these however, is something not often thought about. Many managers serve as the person who works out the problems of their employees.

On paper, this sounds great. Who doesn’t want a manager that helps them to move boulders? But, many work problems are not boulders. Most problems are comprised of a mix of misunderstandings and feelings.

Early in my own management career, I began to test a strategy that I employ to this day. I’m happy to be a sounding board for employees if something frustrating is happening. Often, an employee will share an upsetting interaction they had in a meeting or on a project. Then, they may ask me to intervene.

This is where managers can waste emotional cycles and degrade their work culture. If they take the problem and run with it, they are hearing only one side. When they approach the other person, it becomes clear that people are talking about one another. And, it doesn’t allow the employees to grow closer.

It can be draining for the manager. And, can create a cycle that is not sustainable in a busy work culture. So, what is a manager to do?

Be a good listener. Most people simply want to be heard. If an employee is venting, they may need a listening ear more than an answer. Keep the conversation confidential, if possible. Employees want to know they can count on their boss to be trustworthy.

Ask the employee what they believe is the best solution. They may already have an idea. If not, this will put them into the practice of their own conflict resolution.

If the employee asks you to step in, consider another path. Encourage the frustrated employee to have one conversation with the other person. Discuss the goals of the conversation. Then, ask that the employee report back afterward.

Assure them that if the entire thing goes off the rails, you are the backup plan. Having this can help the employee to feel more comfortable to try something new.

Surprisingly, most employee conflicts are able to be resolved by having a single conversation. It also builds a closer, more trustworthy relationship between employees. And, it makes management easier.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Your Ideas Are Not That Original

by Angela Copeland | Aug 27, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Interview Questions, Interviewing, Job Search, Newsletter

Most job seekers have very strong feelings on one particular topic: job interview assessments. It is not uncommon in today’s job market for an employer to ask you to take an assessment. Yes, they may ask you to take a test.

An employer may ask you to “do a case study.” An employer may ask you to take an IQ test or to write a paper. Or, an employer may ask you to write a sample marketing plan.

Very often, I hear from job seekers that they feel that these assessment are ridiculous. Job seekers believe they are a waste of time. The company is asking the job seeker to do free work. And, many job seekers feel that companies do assessments such as these in order to steal their ideas. Job seekers often feel that their resume should speak for itself.

But, what if we think about the other side of this issue? Yes, assessments do take more time. And, when it comes to test taking, it could be debated that they are not always perfectly fair.

Assessments do however give a company a bird’s eye view into how you think. For example, what if the manager who hires you doesn’t like your ideas, or your working style? Doing an assessment may give you the opportunity to avoid a company that’s not for you.

Plus, it is not uncommon to compete against Ivy League graduates in a job interview. If you only needed a resume, the Harvard graduate might win every interview. An assessment can allow an underdog candidate to be taken more seriously. It can show a hiring manager that you understand their business, and are willing to work hard.

I once used an assessment when interviewing candidates for a graphic artist role. Each person was asked to create an image. In fairness, I provided each person with a small payment for their work. But, this small project allowed me to clearly see who the most talented designers were. It allowed all bias to be set aside, and to focus on results.

Think of it this way. An assessment can help to set you apart from the competition.

And, on the topic of stealing ideas, I hate to break it to you. Your ideas are not that original. Neither are mine. It is not uncommon for two people to come up with the same idea. Not only that, a company cannot sustain on a few ideas that may have been shared in a job interview assessment. The likelihood that a company is interviewing you in order to take ideas from you is low.

Rather than be upset about an assessment, look at it as an opportunity. It’s your chance to shine, and it’s your chance to get a new job offer. Many candidates drop out on the assessment step. Be the candidate who takes a risk, and wins big. You might get the opportunity to implement the ideas you created.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

The Emotional Impact of Layoffs

by Angela Copeland | Aug 5, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Layoff, Newsletter

Do you remember when layoffs were unusual? They were a last resort that companies would only take if they had no other choice. Layoffs were shocking. They were a mark of shame on employers who couldn’t seem to find any other option.

Today, layoffs are commonplace. In fact, they can be a badge of honor for a company. A company’s stock price may go up following a layoff. Layoffs have evolved from a last resort to a first stop on the list of ways to save money.

Layoffs have become so normal that at times executive leadership may fail to mention to anyone that a layoff has occurred. And, the annual reviews that were once used to help improve someone’s career are now the first place an employer may look for the best candidates to lay off.

All in all, this is inhumane. What is going on for the employee who was walked out the door? Have layoffs been so normalized that these employees are not personally impacted?

The answer is: no. Employees who are laid off for any reason can face career-long ramifications that we often don’t think about. It’s such a painful topic that those who were laid off often don’t talk about it. Or, they may pretend that it’s normal.

According to Kyra Bobinet’s book, Unstoppable Brain, layoffs bring “long-term negative consequences, including health issues, significant mental and financial stress, and a 1.3 to 3 times risk of suicide.” A Harvard Business Review article also noted that, “displaced workers have twice the risk of developing depression, and four times the risk of substance abuse.” It also notes the cumulative effect of unemployment. Displaced workers often experience long-term income loss that stick around for their entire career. “For example, workers laid off during the 1980s recession saw a 30 percent earnings decline, and twenty years later, most of them still earned 20 percent less than peers who retained their jobs.”

These are startling statistics. Job loss might be compared to the deal of a spouse. It’s losing a big part of your identity that is shocking and hard to recover from. In our achievement-based culture, it can feel like a reflection on who you are as a person. It can feel like a reflection of failed performance.

If you have gone through a layoff, I empathize with your experience. But, do not take too much time off between opportunities. Start looking as fast as you can. The quicker you find something new, the more you will minimize the financial and emotional impact of the experience. And, the less likely the layoff will follow you through your career and your finances.

Reach out to your loved ones for support. Many people have had similar tough experiences. But, sadly, we often don’t talk about it enough. Understanding that you are not alone in this experience can also help to move you forward to your next chapter.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

The Salary Divide

by Angela Copeland | Jul 8, 2024 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Money, Newsletter

Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if you had taken a different path? For example, what if you had studied something different in college? Or, if you had worked in a different industry? Or, if you had a different role at work?

When I was in graduate school, a professor casually mentioned that I should go into consulting at a big firm. I had no idea what that meant. I never asked, and he never explained. I have wondered what my path would have been like if we had just one conversation.

In the past, I would have said career differences don’t matter much. You simply needed to end up in a job that would pay the bills. But, a disturbing trend is becoming more apparent. There are larger and larger gaps in pay between workers.

This trend can also be seen in our economy as a whole. Many indicators say the economy is doing well. But, someone making less than $50,000 per year most likely doesn’t feel that way. They are probably struggling to make ends meet. On the flip side, those who are doing well seem largely untouched by our current economic challenges. But, they are also often making $200,000 or more.

What are these different groups doing differently? It can be more random than you might think. It’s not necessarily that the higher paid person is working harder or longer hours. And, it’s not necessarily that they are any smarter than anyone else. Often, it’s the particular educational and career path that they happened to end up on pays more.

If you are a parent of a teenager or young adult, this column is for you. If you want to help your child pick the best career, do research. Look at sites like Glassdoor.com to see how much various jobs pay. If your child is looking at certain colleges, look up what is called a “post-graduation report.” It will tell you which fields their graduates are working in, and how much money they are making.

Two different degrees may cost the same amount of money to earn. However, the careers they lead to may be very different. And, one career may pay $50,000 pear year, while the other pays $200,000.

Don’t get me wrong. Money isn’t everything. But, if there are two jobs that would be a good fit for a person, and one pays four times what the other pays, wouldn’t you want to select the higher paying option?

If you are already in your career path, and you’re feeling financially strained, do some research. First, learn if you are underpaid for the work you do today. If you aren’t underpaid, but are still not making enough money, look at other options. Consider what transferrable skills you have that you can take to another field that will pay more. This can help you to close the salary divide.