How to Plan a Career Change

How to Plan a Career Change

People change careers for many reasons; losing interest in their current career, finding new interest, redundancy, company down sizing, wanting less or more responsibility,  whatever the reason if you are planning for a career change, you need to know how to plan.

Making a career change, for many is a scary thought by following the steps below you will be able to make a much smoother transition. Often we have been brought up with the belief “you have to choice a career for life” in the past this was true, in more recent times this belief is false, as many people have 2-3 successful careers during their lifetime.

A career change is natural life progression, helping you stay fresh and motivated, as a career coach I would first check why you want a career change? As many people would stay in their current career or organisation if they could male a few minimal changes to their current role. If you know you truly need a career change follow the plan below:

Wants and Don’t Wants: There are probably good reasons why you want a career change, you might want to get away from something negative or you are aiming for something positive.

What do you really like doing when you’re at work, what do you hate doing, what excites you and energize you? What’s your passion? What don’t you like about your job role and position?

Thinking about your current role, write a list under each of the headings below, keep adding to each list until you cant add anything else, then add one more thing, there is always one more, what is yours?

I have provided some real examples from past clients, to help get you started:

  • Want and Have: Flexible Hours, Creativity, My Own Caseload, Excellent Pay
  • Have and Don’t Want: Long Distance to Travel, Bossy Manager, Constant Interruptions
  • Don’t Have and Want: Personal Development Opportunities, Excitement in my Job, Future Prospects
  • Don’t Have and Don’t Want: to Travel throughout the UK, Lack of Responsibility

 

Want and Have

Have and Don’t Want Don’t Have and Want

Don’t Have and Don’t Want

       

 

By writing this list, you have now become more aware of your Likes, Dislikes and Wants; ask yourself; Which list did you find easiest to write? Which list did you relate to the most? Which list made you most excited?

Ask yourself, if you could change or delete some of the Have and Don’t Want, would you still want to change career or would you be happy to stay in the same job?

Look at your Have and Don’t Want List, re-word each “away from” statement, example “I don’t want constant interruptions when I’m working” to a “towards” statement, example I want to work in a company that allows you to work without interruption”

You can now move all your new statements from the “Have and Don’t Want” heading to the “Don’t Have and Want”

Choosing a New Career: Now you are more aware of your likes, wants and don’t wants, turn your page over and in a large circle write Personal Strengths.  Start to record your strengths, skills and qualities as a mind map, mind mapping is a great way to get into the “flow” of writing your personal strengths – this is not a time to be shy, remember all the good things others have said about you and add these to the mind map.

If you have an idea of the new career you are looking to enter write this Job Title above “personal strengths” go through each strength one by one asking yourself “do I need this skill or strength in my new career?” circle all the transferable strengths you have that you need for your new career.

You will be surprised by the amount of transferable skills you already possess that are needed for your new career and job position.

If you’re unsure about which career will suit you, a Careers Advisor can help you match your wants and your personal skills and strengths to different careers. When looking at your new career, you need to check that the job specification and company mission matches your Have and Want and Don’t Have and Want list.

Training and Education: Now you know which career or sector you have set as your new career goal, you need to check the job profile or job specification, as you may need to re-train or update your knowledge. Some sectors will offer training on the job, other careers will accept the qualifications you already have, while some sectors will require you to gain new qualifications before applying for the job role.

Experience: You are already aware of your transferrable skills, to gain new skills or to increase your current experience you can volunteer for a position similar to that of your new career goal, this will look positive as part of the job application and it will also give you a better insight to the job role, duties and if this is the right career move for you.

Networking: Your ability to network is one of the key abilities to changing your career; networking will give you inside industry information making you an industry expert and gives you the upper hand on other job hunters, as you gain job leads, careers information, knowledge of the application process and gaining personal contacts.

Gain a Mentor: Finding a Mentor can help you with your careers transition and will often give you a real insight into your new career sector. A mentor will often know industry information such as which organisation has won a new contract, taking on new staff.

Targeted Employability Skills: You need to prepare your CV, Covering Letter, Interview Skills and Application Form, many job hunters fall into the trap of selling the skills needed for their old career – take another look at your transferable skills and new job specification, you need to target yourself to the essential criteria needed for this new career.  

If you enjoyed this article, you will also enjoy;

 

Using NLP Logical Levels to Achieve your Job Goal

Using NLP Logical Levels to Achieve your Job Goal

What do you want to achieve in your career? Is your current position and company helping you achieve your goal? If not, you need to look at what is missing, why you are experiencing a difficulty  or what you can improve to help align the different levels of your position to help you achieve your overall outcome.

For some, making changes in your identity, belief and values can give you the resources to achieve your career outcome, others may need to change their environment, this change can be as small as moving your desk, office or a bigger change such as your place of work. Changes can be made at all levels or just in one or two.

By answering the logical level questions you will soon gain a better knowledge and understanding of how you can make changes to achieve your goals.

The 6 NLP Logical Levels:                                                                               

Environment              – Where, When and With Whom?                                 

Behaviour                    – What are you doing?

Capabilities                 – How do you do that? How would you do that?

Beliefs and Values     – Why do you want that? Why is that important to you?

Identity                         – Who are you? Who were you?  Who do you want to be?

Spirituality                  – What for, or for Whom?

Do you need support achieving your goal? An NLP Life Coach can help move forward.         

Step 1;           

What is your goal? If you have answered using an “away from” answer, example “to get out of my current company” re-word this to a “positive-towards goal” example “I want to work for an ethical company” write down your goal.

Answer each logical level in turn; first answer each set of questions thinking about your current role and situation, you will find it useful to record your answers.

Before moving to the next step, re-answer the same questions as if you were working in your ideal job role (this can be a new position in a new company or working in your current company, imagining that the job role and company was at its best) really imagine yourself enjoying your job role, see yourself there now, loving each working day. What can you see and hear? How does this feel? Write these answers down on a second piece of paper.

Step 2;            Environment                                                                       

How does your working environment affect your goal?

What are your external opportunities or constraints?

Where do you work best?

What kind of people do you like to have around you in your workplace?            

Where are your resources?

Where do you gain support from?

How does your working environment make you feel?                                  

Step 3.                        Behaviours                                                                     

What specifically do you do in your working day?

What do you do that makes work fun and interesting?                               

How do your behaviours affect your goal?

While at work, do you find yourself saying habitually? 

Can you see any patterns?                                                                                     

If I was you, what would I be doing?                                                                         

Do your actions fit in with your sense of who you are?

What do you sound like?                                                                                              

Step 4.                        Capabilities                                                                         

What skills, competency and knowledge do you have?                            

What skills have you learnt that you are proud of?                                               

What would people who know you well say you are good at?                  

Do you know someone who has the skills you’d like to have?                 

How do you know you are effective?                                                              

Is anything stopping you being your best?                                                    

Step 5.            Beliefs and Values                                                                        

 What do you believe and value?

Why do you believe and value that? 

What factors are important to you in your working situation?

What do you believe to be right and wrong?

What has to be true for you to get what you want?

What are your beliefs about your working situations? Are they helpful?

What beliefs might be help me you get better results?                                  

Step 6.                        Identity                                                                              

What is the definition of who you are and what you stand for?              

What kind of person are you?                                                                                    

How is what you are experiencing an expression of who you are?             

How would you describe yourself in work?                                                        

How would others describe you?                                                                             

Step 7.            Spirituality                                                                                      

What is your meaning in life?

For what reason are you here?

What would you like your contribution to be to others?

 How would you like to be remembered when you’re gone?

Like reading? To learn more about Achieving your Career Goal read the Secrets of employment.                                                                                          

Now, compare your answers from both your current job role and your possible future job position.                                                       

What have you noticed?

What is different between your current job role list and your future job role list?

What can you change in your current situation to turn this into your ideal situation?

Have your beliefs or values changed?

Would it be helpful to change any of your belief, values or identity?

What Step (or logical level) did you find most interesting?

Do you feel more positive now that you have completed this exercise?

What small or large changes will you make to help you achieve your goal and outcome?

If you could take one piece of learning that would help you achieve your goal, from this exercise, what would it be?

What will you do differently tomorrow?                                                            

If you enjoyed reading this article, you will also enjoy;               

I Need a Job Quickly

Do you have a large Mortgage, Bills to Pay or a Holiday due and you have just been made redundant or recently lost your job? Are you desperate to find work quickly?

Whatever your reason is, some job hunters need to find a job quickly, these top ten tips will help you achieve your goal – quickly.

To find a job quickly follow the Top Ten “I Need a Job Quickly” Tips.

1. Write yourself a plan, make it detailed, we are more likely to complete and follow a plan we have wrote – First you need to have a GOAL; start by answering these questions:

 

2. What is your goal? What do you need to do to achieve this goal? What else do you need? What can other people do to help you? What resources do you have? What favours can you call in? What might stop you achieving your goal? How can you overcome this challenge?

 

Put all these answers into a plan of action; add dates and times for when you want to complete your individual actions. Split every action into 3 smaller more mangle chunks, people often need evidence that they are moving forward, by having smaller steps and milestones you will quickly achieve these, keeping you more motivated and focused. Do you need to know how to write a career action plan?

 

3. Pay for a CV Writing Service to write you a Targeted CV, you already know, a CV writing service will ensure your CV gets you noticed when applying for work. A good CV is the key to gaining job interviews, don’t waste time guessing if your CV will work for you, and get the professionals to get it right first time.

 

4. Research Your Industry, find out which companies have won new contracts and who is currently recruiting – this will stop you time-wasting when your job searching.  Using social network sites and asking your past colleagues and managers is the easiest way to succeed with this.

 

5. Sign up to a least 3 Recruitment Agencies and make this industry specific, as well as job searching yourself, let others job search for you.

 

6. Add Your CV to Job Search Engines, again this to increase the amount of job positions you can apply for. Add your CV to at least 3 job search engines.

 

7. Speculative Applications have a 40% success rate and is a quick way to apply for various positions in a short period of time. You can find companies address/e-mails on search engines, business directories and on websites such as www.yell.com

 

8. Practice Interviews; often job hunters find and apply for vacancies only to be turn down after their interview. This is often due to nervous or lack of preparation. Apply for a low level job and use their interview to practice your interview techniques. Use an NLP Career Coach to help you gain new confidence and to overcome interview fears.

 

9. Depending on the industry you are in, Offer to Work for Free for a day, if the employer likes you, they will offer you a contract of employment.

 

10. There is no failure, only feedback; learn from the past, as well as looking at what works well with your job searching, CV Writing and Interviews also look at what you can improve and what you have learnt from any mistakes you may have made. Never give up, life is about learning and moving forward.

If You Liked this Article, You Will also Enjoy Reading:

How to Plan for your First Day at Work 10 Quick Tip’s

First Day in a New Job – 10 Tips

Congratulations – You passed your job interview and been offered a job.

Often you’re excitement can quickly turn to nerves as the first day approaches. Does this sound like you?

There are several things you can do to help prepare for your first day and a Career Coach can help you prepare. First try these 10 quick tip’s:

First impressions count

You need to make a good first impression; preparation is the key.

1. First, thank your referees as you may need to call upon them again, hopefully not in the near future. It is often good to ask your referees for a written reference, as by the time you next need a reference your referee may have moved or change company.

2. Check you know where you are going, in some cases the interview venue is different to that of your place of work, and turning up at the wrong venue will not give a very good first impression. Also check how long it will take you to travel to work, complete a mock run – you don’t want to be late.

3. Prepare what you are going to wear (what is appropriate to the job role) wash, shave and brush your teeth – all obvious I know, but some people will need a little reminder

4. Bring any documents, ID or bank details that the employer has requested and check you know who you are asking for on the first day.

Understand the Industry you are working in.

5. You will be asked about your experience and knowledge during the first week of your new job role by many of your new colleagues, as you know you will be asked this question you can prepare your answer, to help give a positive impression of yourself.

6. Research the company, read the company annual report, press releases and website. You may be introduced to the MD or SEO, you can slip into the conversation your knowledge (only say positive things) of the company history and achievements.

Be Positive and Feel Good

7. Before you start your new job – Imagine yourself in your new job, doing well. If this image that you have just created in your mind, is a still picture, press play and turn the image into a movie;

In this movie, picture everyone you talk to being really interested in you and really liking how you present yourself.  When you are asked a question you automatically know how to respond, you don’t know how you know, you just do and this creates a great feeling inside.

In the movie, you’re looking good, you look confident – you feel confident. Imagine yourself really excited about this new adventure, how does it feel to feel confident and excited? Where does this feeling start in your body? Imagine this feeling running quickly through your body; make this image large and colourful. As you feel the full emotion of this visualisation, squeeze your thumb and finger together creating a positive anchor and repeat the exercise 3 times for a fuller effect.

How does this work? If you imagine yourself being happy and confident, you will feel happy and confident, other people who imagine everything going wrong often end up having a bad first day. To be confident, you need to feel confident. An NLP Life Coach can help you improve your confidence and motivation.

8. Write a list of all your skills and qualities, record everything you know your good at, keep going until you can’t think of any more., then add one more to the list!

Write a second list of all the nice things past colleagues and employers have said about you, this can be in formal reviews and appraisals or  just as a passing comment –remember how it felt at the time this was said to you.

And finally write a third list of what you can bring to this new company, what value will you add, how will your past experience help improve the company to help them achieve their goals?

9. Smile, you have been picked from (on average) over 300 other candidates. A smile goes a long way and creates a good first impression, also shake hands with everyone your introduced to.

10. On average the first day is spent being introduced to many people; mangers and colleagues, be prepared to answer repeated questions. You will be asked to sign a large amount of company documents and to read many of their procedures. Have a snack in your suitcase to help keep your energy up.

If You Liked this Article, You Will Enjoy;

Use NLP Perceptual Positions to Improve your Interview Skills

Use NLP Perceptual Positions to Improve your Interview Skills

This NLP exercise helps see how you come across at interviews from different viewpoints, including the interviewers helping you gain new knowledge and understanding, which can be used to quickly improve your interview techniques.

“if you want a different result, do somthing different”

Think about a recent job interview that you feel could have gone better, a job interview that you wish you could have communicated differently or a job interview that left you feeling confused on how you can improve your interview techniques.

It is useful to fully read this technique before trying it.

1. Consider the Interview from your own perspective

Return to this interview fully in your mind and run mental movie of this situation as it occurred on the day of your interview. Re-experience this situation as fully as possible, (becoming totally associated with the emotions you had at the time of the interview) from your own eyes. What can you see? Notice the interviewer you are talking to, hear what they said to you. See the expression on their face, notice their body language. Become aware of how you feel. Speak to the person (out loud or in your head) and use the same language as you originally did. Really relive this experience as you did at the time of the interview. At the end of this episode, rewind this movie and pause the movie at the beginning of this conflict situation.

Break your State by shaking your arms and legs!                                               

2. The Interviewers Position

Now that your movie is ‘paused’ at the beginning, look over at the person interviewing you. Notice how the interviewer is breathing, notice their posture, facial expressions, the way they move. Now consider what their tone of voice is like, do they speak fast or slow, loud or quiet? How to they walk, talk, sit, laugh and relax? What are some of the things you know about this persons; what are their likes and dislikes?

Now imagine floating out of your own body and into the body of the interviewer. Imagine you are inside the interviewer’s skin. Become aware of how this person experiences life. Take on their posture, gestures and their tone of voice.

Set aside your own beliefs and values and replay the interview from the interviewers chair and viewpoint. Pay attention to the thoughts of the interviewer, their self talk and to any insights that surface as you observe the interviewee (you) in front of you.

Use the interviewer’s language to describe what you experience (refer to yourself as you) ask the interviewee the interview questions asked at the time of the interview, look at how they respond and how they communicate to you the interviewer, what have you learnt from this viewpoint, what else can you learn from this interviewers experience of the interview, how did the interviewee (you) come across?

After the scene ends float back into your own body taking with you this new learning and insights.

Break state again by shaking or taking 3 deep breaths.                                            

3. The Interview Observer  

Return to the interview and from your own point of view, before you play out the interview for a third time, float out of your body and move to a detached place, where you can observe both you and the interviewer. Once again re-play the interview as if you were watching and listening to a film or live show. Be curious about what unfolds before you and notice the learning you gain from this third perspective. Listen to the conversation and notice the body language of both the interviewee and the interviewer and how you both respond to each others communications.

After the scene ends, float back into your body bringing with you all the insights and learning from the three perceptual positions. Pay attention to the difference in your experience. Take all the time you need to fully return to yourself before opening your eyes.

Repeat this as many times as you feel is necessary and always end in the first position of you as the interviewee.

An NLP Life Coach can help you improve your interview skills using NLP techniques.

The Interview Check List

Prepare for the Interview

    • Write a list of your strengths, skills and qualities – highlight the strengths, skills and qualities needed for the job you are being interviewed for.
    • Research the company; you can research the company online by clicking “about us” or “company history” tab on the company website – you will be asked “can you tell me what you know about our company?” during the interview.
    • Complete a mock interview; rehearse what to say and how to respond to interview questions. Also plan a list of questions to ask the interviewer.
    • Plan travel (complete a mock ruin in advance) prepare interview clothes, put CVs and references in a smart-looking file and set your alarm clock – you don’t want to be late!

During the Interview

    • Arrive early; no-one likes a late interviewee. Introduce yourself to the receptionist “good morning my name is Mr X, I have an appointment for an interview with Mrs Y, this morning at 10:00”
    • When asked into the interview, introduce yourself to the interviewer, shake hands and wait to be seated.
    • Have a good induction planned, as a common first interview question is “tell me a little about yourself”
    • Sit up straight, speak clearly and breathe between questions! Lock your hands together if you are nervous as this stops you from fidgeting, make good eye contact and ask for any questions you don’t understand to be repeated.
    • Answer questions using stories and real-life experiences; prove your knowledge, skills and worth by offering evidence or giving numbers, facts and figures.
    • Smile throughout the interview and offer detailed specific answers, relating to your background and experience – remember to discuss your skills that relate to the job specification.
    • Close the interview by asking the interviewer questions relating to the growth of the company, staff development, new contracts and the company employees.
    • Thank the interviewer for their time and shake hands.

After the Interview

    • Review the interview, write a list of what went well; your posture, interview answers, confidence etc. and a second list of what you can improve; speaking more slowly, answering a certain question, eye contact etc.
    • Complete a new mock interview and notice how you have improved with this new learning.
    • Write a thank-you letter to the interviewer indicating your interest within 24 hours of your interview.
    • Prepare references and continue to job search until you have a job offer in writing.
    • If rejected for the position, gain feedback from the interviewer. If offered the job, reply within 10 days.

Life Coaching in Manchester

Benefits of Life Coaching

Employment King use a mixture of NLP Techniques, Hypnotherapy, Coaching and Guidance questioning to help you move forward in all area’s of your life by focusing on what you truly want to achieve

 
   Past clients goals include:    Employment King specialise in:
  • Achieving a work/life balance
  • A change in Career Direction
  • Starting up your own business
  • To Improve your relationships
  • Making better decisions
  • Quicker personal development
  • Increase in confidence
  • Maximum motivation
  • Building Confidence
  • Reducing Negative Self Talk & Lack of Self Belief
  • Increasing Motivation
  • Phobia Removal
  • Self Esteem Boosting

Our coaches are trained and qualified in NLP, Coaching, Hypnotherapy and Information Advice & Guidance; these techniques help our life coaches understand your situation and needs, empowering us to help you move forward quickly into a positive future.

Life coach sessions are a journey, which starts once you realise that you want to make a change. One of our life coaches will act as your guide on this journey making the path along the way fun, rewarding and most importantly ensuring that you reach your intended destination.

Life Coaching in Manchester

Do you need to make a change? Do you want a different direction in life? Do you want to achieve your goals? Then you will want a life coach because a Life Coach can make your changes happen quickly.

We offer face to face Life Coaching session in Manchester City Centre, if you are not living your dream, then a Life Coach can help.

The questions used in life coaching help you look at your situation from different angles, the questions will allow you to explore your metaphors finding the answers you already had stored away in your subconscious mind.

What To Do Next?

Many people like to coach themselves using Employment King’s Online Coaching Course a 12 week e-coaching course with over 36 activities including videos, audios and presentations. If you want a Life Coach to support you, you can choose:

Online Coaching Course £59.99

Click This Link NOW for more details. The online coaching course is a 12 week course for confidence and motivation with over 36 sessions including videos, e-books and audios.

Top Ten 10 Telephone Interview Tips

How to prepare for a telephone interview.

Telephone interviews are often the first stage in the application process especially in telesales job roles and when applying for vacancies through recruitment agencies.

Like all job interviews, you need to prepare for the telephone interview.

Many job hunters fail to impress employers when they apply for a vacancy via the telephone, as they have not realised they were going to be interviewed over the phone.

When applying for any vacancy over the telephone be prepared to answer a series of interview questions.

Interview Test

Top Ten Telephone Interview Tips:

1. Read the job advert and job specification and highlight the essentials skills needed for this job role. For each essential skill prepare a short story that highlights the fact that you have this skill, this is the basis to the answers to the interview questions.

2. Review your CV/Application Form, research the company, prepare the interview questions and answer and practice your interview techniques by completing a mock telephone interview with a friend or careers advisor.

3.Use a landline, as mobiles can easily lose signal and be prepared for the interview to last around 45minutes.

4.Prepare your room, put a “do not disturb” sign on the door – you don’t want to be interrupted, make sure no additional noise from other rooms/outside can be heard.

5. Have your CV, interview questions and answers in front of you, with the main sections highlighted.

6. Don’t speak quickly, don’t use slang or talk over the interviewer. When answering questions, be polite give detailed answers highlighting your experiences and skills. Write down any important information given by the interviewer.

7. Write down the interviewer’s name (remember they can’t see what you have in front of you) and use the interviewer’s name throughout the interview.

8. When talking smile and stand up, research has shown, by doing this your voice comes across more positive.

9. Prepare questions to ask the employer  – these should be around training, company expansion, the team and not about Holidays or Pay

10. Thank the interviewer for their time. One you have finished the interview, review what you have done and write a list of what went well and what you need to improve and complete a new mock telephone interview, noticing the improvements you have made.

How to be Successful

Learn from historic successes

Just One Chance

Many people come to me saying they just need one chance to be successful or I just need one chance to be a millionaire.

Day in day out this can be seen on Reality TV shows like The X Factor “This is my only chance” “This is my last chance” “I will only have this one chance

Really? Why, what are you doing tomorrow?

This idea that if they catch that one chance or that lucky break that they will be able to succeed. This can be a limiting belief as trial and error is devalued as part of the route necessary to succeed.

How Others Become Successful.

Many successful people make mistakes, get things wrong and may face their lowest ebb before they reach the height of their potential. If you only have one chance and you get it wrong, you will extinguish the flame of your dream. Successful people don’t see mistakes as a failure, but as a learning point.

3 Case Studies for Business Success:

Henry J. Heinz

 Started working when he was 9 years old and became the founder of the famous brand “Heinz”.

From an early age, Henry helped his mother sell vegetables from their back garden and generated new custom by knocking on neighbour’s doors to offer a selection of vegetables from his wheelbarrow.

By the age of 17, Henry was earning £2,400 annually – a handsome salary for a worker in the early 1900’s.

In 1869, Heinz founded the Heinz Noble & Company with L.C. Noble, selling – horseradish.  After almost a century of relative success the company faced ruin and Mr Heinz declared himself bankrupt in 1975.

By learning from his mistakes Henry along with his family was able to take the company in a different direction, established under the new name of H&J Heinz.

By continuing to strive for success and being innovative in his approach Heinz was able to create Tomato Ketchup, 12 million bottles of which are sold throughout the world each year.

Walt Disney

 One of the most famous names worldwide – Disney was multi-talented as a  film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon.

How did it all start? After WW1 Disney set up a Company with cartoonist friend Ubbe Iwwerks which collapsed as quickly as it had begun.

Following this in 1922 Disney gave it another shot and formed ‘Laugh-O-Gram Films’ which was also declared bankrupt before Disney had a chance to finish the company’s production of “Alice in Wonderland”.

Undeterred Disney made his way to Hollywood to find success as a film director however this also failed to work out for Disney.

Finally Disney decided to seek support from those closer to home as he asked his brother to finance the costs of setting up a studio, this became The Disney Brother Studio.

The studio grew and Disney hired more staff with the success of the production of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’s. Disney then continued to enjoy this success as he created Steamboat Willy and the character Mickey Mouse.  Disney was finally able to realise his dream as he started to make full length animated films.

Tom Cruise

 Tom grew up in a poor family, the family constantly travelled as Tom’s dad chased employment across the USA. Tom has Dyslexia and due to travelling with his family never spent much time in school.

When attending school Tom would be placed in remedial classes and was not an academic success.

Tom found that he was good at athletics and started to compete in many sports, but a knee injury quickly put an end to any dreams of becoming a professional athlete.

Raised in religious family Tom considered priesthood, after a year in a Franciscan Monastery Tom felt priesthood was not for him and that he should continue to search for what was right for him.

Tom’s mother encouraged and supported Tom to pursue a career in acting, with Tom’s passion and drive a successful acting career quickly followed as he has reached worldwide recognition and notoriety for his acting abilities and achievements.

Management Styles

Management and Leadership Styles

Many describe Management as a process of ‘getting things done’ by the people who work for the manager. A good manager possesses the ability to inspire their staff to their full potential.

A productive manager needs to know the personalities and abilities of each staff member, will create a vision for the company, have effective communication skills and have a desire to achieve.

A good manager must be able:

  • Plan measurable goals with timed completion dates           
  • Able to organise people and ‘things’                                          
  • Possess the ability to motivate staff and keep up staff morale    

Some managers already have personality traits that work well in management roles, like all roles, good managers will learn from mistakes and focus on achieving their goals.

Managers manage their teams in different ways research has shown there are 4 management and leadership styles

4 main management styles

  1. Autocratic Management Style
  2. Democratic Management Style
  3. Participative Management style
  4. Laissez-Faire Management style

Autocratic

“I like to make all the decisions, I will give you a task to do and tell how you should complete it without asking for you input or suggestions. I will closely supervise my staff and use one way communication.

My management style works well when a quick decision needs making without involving others but I can often drive staff away leaving a high turn over of staff”

Paternalistic

“when making a decision I will first listen and gain the views of my staff, the inputs from my staff will moderate my decision but ultimately I still make the decision which I feel is in the best interest of my team. I see my self as a father figure and feel by getting the staffs input on decisions they will accept them more willingly”

Democratic

I like to delegate work to my staff, giving them the responsibility and authority – my style is about other people getting things done. I communicate well and listen to what my staffs has to say. I will talk in one to one situations or in groups to gain new ideas from staff and I always encourage leadership skills in others. Due to me enjoying listening to other peoples suggestions, I sometimes stake longer to reach a decision”

Laissez Faire

“I like to get things done through other people, I will give my staff a job to do and let them have complete freedom in how they do it. I rarely get involved once I have given you a job to do and I feel my management style works well with confrontations as I don’t take sides; others may feel I’m irresponsible and that I’m not on top of my tasks”

You will generally have a natural preference to one style, but one style does not fit into all situations. To improve your management skills, understand each of the management styles and use all the different styles depending on the work situation.