First and foremost, take it offline (don’t do it in front of anyone else).  Second, do it in person.  Third, as you approach your colleague or teammate, point out or question the facts of the mistake rather than directly blaming her.  Don’t make it about “you did something wrong.”  Instead, position it as: “I’m concerned there might be an error here” or “I’m wondering whether or not that was the intended outcome we were hoping for?”  Or “It seems to me like there’s a mistake in the presentation that just went out to the client, do you have a few minutes to discuss?” Let the facts speak for themselves, and make it clear that your main interest is what’s best for the client/company, not in laying blame.

In terms of managing upward, getting feedback from people junior to you can be tricky—you have to make the junior person feel comfortable sharing his/her thoughts.  The best way to do this is to propose a mutual feedback session—let him know you’re interested in hearing about how you’re doing and at the same time offer to share some feedback about his performance as well.  By making it mutual, you’ll in effect give your subordinate permission to think critically about how you are doing (because you’re doing the same for him).  As always, schedule the meeting in advance (don’t ever ask for feedback on the spot!) and let him know the specific areas you’d like feedback on.  Questions might center around: Did I give you enough direction to complete the assignment?  Was the timeline reasonable for you or do you need more help/time next time around?  What I can do to help you do a better job next time?

Excerpt from the Forte Foundation webinar: Sucessfully Navigating the Workplace: Communication Strategies for Women Leaders

Monthly is too often—it can overwhelm the person from whom you’re requesting the feedback.  About once a quarter is a good target—the goal is to have 3-5 touch points over the course of the year.  You can and should spread those requests for feedback out—don’t always ask the same person for feedback.  Have a stable of people you’re hearing from and listening to—both junior and senior to you.

from the Q&A portion of the Forte Foundation webinar “Successfully Navigating the Workplace: Communication Strategies for Women Leaders”

Keith Ferrazzi, relationship guru and NYT best-selling author of Never Eat Alone, posted a greatest-hits list last week- The Top 20 Relationship Posts of 2009.  Great on the Job’s How to Get More from Your Mentor made the list- thanks Keith!  For anyone looking for some great relationship building advice, be sure to check out the list.  Here are a few other’s I really enjoyed: Marci Alboher’s 7 Deadly Sins of Networking and How to Avoid them is a brilliant summary of what NOT to do these days in our networking-crazed race to find a new or better job, get introduced to a talent agent or meet the President of the company.  And in Maintaining Networking Momentum After You Land the Job: Liz Lynch offers some very practical advice for staying in touch and building new networks once you’ve got that new dream job.

December is performance review month. While the merits and validity of a year-end review are often the subject of great debate, the fact that many firms use them as a tool for compensation and promotion is not.

Your managers will spend much time (hopefully) preparing to deliver your review in a thoughtful and constructive manner.  You should spend as much time, if not more, preparing yourself to receive the feedback in a thoughtful and constructive way too—to impress your manager, address negative issues head-on, and set a positive tone for the year ahead.

2009 has been a tough year for many of us. Most people I know have been hanging on for dear life at their jobs, versus swinging for the fences. It is rare, these days, to hear, “I knocked it out of the park.”

For those who are more apprehensive than usual regarding the fateful meeting with the boss, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. More importantly, know that there are three things you can and should do to prepare yourself, whether or not you expect the conversation to be difficult.

The goal of the performance review, from your perspective (not just your manager’s), should be to:

1. Highlight what you’ve done well
2. Acknowledge areas of weakness
3. Demonstrate what you’re doing now to make things better next year

1. Highlight what you’ve done well

Before your performance review, you owe it to yourself to take stock of your accomplishments and be ready to toot your own horn. No one else is going to do it for you. This may be your only chance to let senior management know about 2009 “wins,” big or small.  Failing to go into that meeting prepared to dazzle your manager with what you’re most proud of is nothing short of professional negligence. Too many people walk out of a performance review caught off-guard and realize after the fact that they’ve just spent thirty minutes talking about what went wrong without ever mentioning their important clients, biggest deals or contributions to the firm.

2. Acknowledge areas of weakness

Don’t fight the obvious. I’ve spoken to several people lately who have expressed a great deal of concern about their upcoming reviews. In two cases, both people told me right off the bat about the criticism they knew was coming at them. If you know what’s coming, don’t try to hide behind it. You’ll do far better with your manager if you acknowledge the issue and then show how you’re moving past it or why it actually isn’t a problem after all.

Anna B., a human resource professional, had been receiving rave reviews from her internal clients in the various business divisions she covered. Her HR manager, however, didn’t like Anna’s direct approach and disregard for the hierarchy implicit in the organization. Anna spent a lot of time thinking about the differences between her and her manager before her performance review. She recognized her work-style was different and could be perceived as threatening, but she also knew that she delivered results and her clients valued her contributions greatly. She decided to frame the discussion like this: her process might be different, but her work product was excellent. If the firm valued process over product, then perhaps she should look for something new. If the firm valued her work product, then she and her manager needed to find some common ground on process while not sacrificing the end goal: great client service, which she was delivering.

3. Demonstrate what you’re doing now to make things better next year

Here’s where you’ve got to be ahead of the eight ball. It doesn’t fly to just sit there and listen and agree to work harder or smarter or better next year. You’ve got to show a meaningful understanding of what went wrong, or what was sub-optimal, and then show what you’re already doing, or planning to do, to fix the situation.

David M. had just moved cross-country and his productivity had slipped. He knew he wasn’t on top of his game while getting his life up and running in California. He himself was upset that he hadn’t been able to produce the results he had hoped for in the 4^th quarter and he was nervous about his upcoming review. I asked David how he was going to improve his productivity in the new year. He mentioned several new initiatives underway and the fact that his transition period would be over. I encouraged David to pre-empt the criticism. He needed to walk into that meeting, acknowledge the disruption his move had caused and then move past it quickly with a concrete timeline and action plan for producing results in the first half of 2010.

The performance review can be a valuable learning experience. It takes work, however. Don’t be an observer—be an active participant in the conversation. Know and be able to communicate what has gone well, what hasn’t and how you’re working to improve next year—and you’ll be well positioned for a constructive dialogue that shows you to be the competent and capable professional you are.

Last week, more evidence emerged in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s debacle over the mishandling of the Bernie Madoff über-fraud. While the SEC failed repeatedly to uncover the greatest Ponzi scheme in our country’s history ($50 billion and counting), the New York Times revealed a tale of “unseasoned people uncertain about what to do and unwilling to ask for help.”

But learning how to ask for help — and how to do it right — is critical to doing your job well and setting yourself up for success.

You may be afraid of looking dumb, but to be afraid to ask for and get the help you need is inexcusable, especially when the stakes are high. Asking for help in the workplace is a good thing. In fact, asking for help the right way can show how smart you are: it demonstrates that you’ve got good judgment and shows that you know what you know and what you don’t know. Moreover, getting help up front saves endless time, energy and resources on the back end; in the Madoff case, it could have saved billions of dollars and immeasurable heartache.

Of course, it’s not just asking for help — it’s asking the right way. I recently coached a young man in commercial real-estate who relayed a conversation he had with his boss about starting a new regional initiative for his firm’s brokers. Several times he asked, “How should I do this?” or “How should I think about this?” I cringed every time.

Instead, think about the following strategy to get the best answer — and show how smart you are — the next time you ask for help:

1. Start your question with what you know. Do your homework first. Get enough background information to put your issue or problem in context. Give the other person an idea of what you’ve completed to date or what you know already and then proceed to explain what’s outstanding, where or how you’re struggling, or what you need help with.

 

2. Then, state the direction you want to take and ask for feedback, thoughts or clarification. Form an opinion on what you think the answer should be. Don’t just ask, “How should I reach out to the brokers?” Instead propose a course of action and get your boss’s feedback: “I’m thinking of sending out a mass email to the brokers but I’m not sure if that’s the most effective format…what do you think of that approach?” 

    

3. If you don’t know the direction to take, ask for tangible guidance. Instead of asking “What should I do?” ask specifically for the tools you’ll need to make that decision yourself, such as a recent example of a similar analysis or a template for a given task. Or, ask for a referral to someone who has worked on a similar initiative or project in the past.

In the vast majority of cases, you’ll get a lot further in your career by asking the tough, smart questions. Had the SEC junior staffers pressed senior management for more guidance and help, Bernie might have been stopped long ago.

I’ve been captivated as of late by David Letterman and his walk of shame as he navigates the uncomfortable world of adultery, bribery and blackmail .  By now, we all know the sordid details of Letterman’s adulterous affairs and the alleged blackmail scheme of a former CBS colleague.  I’m struck, however, by the deftness with which he’s managed the crisis and how he has been able, in large part, to control the conversation himself.

In managing through the crisis, Letterman has been effective and endearing in getting his message out he’s done three important things right:

1. He got out in front of the problem
2. He took ownership of the problem
3. He told everyone how he planned on fixing the problem

Out in front: Dave didn’t wait for the media to break the story. Instead, he went on the offensive, crafting the story himself that he wanted the world to hear. In a nationally televised mea culpa that lasted ten minutes in length—an eternity in network air time—Dave admitted to the affairs and apologized to everyone involved.  He used his comedic timing to soften the blow, but his message was sincere and contrite and he took full responsibility for his actions. 

Letterman continued to stay out in front of the drama as events unfolded over the following weekend.   After initially declaring he wouldn’t speak about the matter again, Dave reappeared the following Monday joking that he’d rather be hiking the Appalachian Trail and that even his GPS system was no longer talking to him.  He then acknowledged that while he had hoped to avoid the topic, “that’s all people want to seem to talk about.”  Thus followed a second appeal apologizing to female staffers for their harassment by the media and to his wife for her “horribly hurt” feelings.  

Ownership: It took a lot of courage for Letterman to tell the American public that he was being blackmailed for doing terrible things and then to admit that he had in fact done those terrible things.  But the self-deprecating Letterman didn’t make excuses or blame others.  He just took it on the chin in front of the world to see.  His forthright approach seems to be helping him on the corporate sponsorship front.  So far, there’s been no fallout in advertising for CBS.  A New York Times article entitled, Letterman’s Sponsors Appear to be Unperturbed noted that Madison Avenue hasn’t abandoned Dave.  As an advertising executive noted, “The fact he addressed it head-on, in a very open and honest way, is probably going to position him in the best way he could be positioned in a situation like this.”

Communicating the plan:  During Dave’s second on-air apology, he said, “If you hurt a person and it’s your responsibility, you try to fix it. Let me tell you, folks, I got my work cut out for me.”   

In business, as in life, it’s not that you won’t make mistakes, everyone will and does.  What’s important is how you manage those mistakes.  As a manager, you need to stay out in front of issues and not get caught behind them.  There isn’t a junior banker out there who hasn’t made an error in his merger math.  As the Vice President sitting in front of the client, you’ve got to make the split-second decision—do you acknowledge the mistake and explain it away or hope the client doesn’t notice?  Any VP worth her salt will let the client know up front that there’s a number that’s wrong—and then commit to getting the correct analysis over ASAP.

Once you flag those problems, you need to take ownership for them and propose solutions immediately.  An in-house accountant at a privately-held real-estate firm overpaid bonuses by $5 million one year.  Three executives were forced to return the money.  The accountant was sick over it and offered to resign.  The executives didn’t accept his resignation.  His taking full responsibility for the screw-up may have in fact saved his job; one can only imagine what would have happened had he tried to cover up a seven-figure discrepancy or place the blame on others.

Letterman is going to have to endure a lot of public scrutiny and disapproval in the coming weeks and months.  The blogosphere is abuzz with rumors of divorce.  But Letterman stayed above board throughout his ordeal.  He addressed the issue head on, took ownership for his dalliances and committed to everyone involved that he would do his best to make it all right again.  The jury is out on whether he can fix the mess he’s made but one thing is certain—we should all be so good at managing our message and navigating our way through a crisis.

People often think of the elevator pitch as something you use when you’re interviewing for a new job or trying to raise capital for a new venture. The elevator pitch, however, is no less important once you’ve got the job as it is when you’re looking.

In fact, your personal 30-second spiel about who you are, how you’re different, and why you’re memorable is arguably more important once you’ve landed that great position or won the support of investors and now interact with senior colleagues and important clients regularly.

A managing director on Wall Street once told me of a summer associate who made an uncharacteristically strong impression on senior leadership during a welcoming cocktail party. Within days, the managing director received numerous calls from senior partners advising him to “make sure she gets the attention and resources she needs to succeed this summer.” The young woman’s career has been on the fast track ever since.

So what can you possibly say over canapés and white wine to create so many powerful advocates so quickly and effectively? Think through the following ideas before you craft your pitch:

1. Have a compelling reason for why you want to be there, as in “why did you decide to join the firm?”
2. Know what it is that uniquely qualifies you for the position so that you can answer the how, as in “how did you actually get a job here?”
3. Be able to explain what ties together past and current experiences in a way that is compelling and makes sense — what is the glue that holds your story together?

Of course, no executive or senior manager would dare ask those questions, but your elevator pitch is your opportunity to communicate these critical pieces of information to someone in a crisp but casual way — without even being asked.

As you answer the why, how, and what,

1. Think relevant, not recent. There’s no rule that says you must talk about your resume in reverse chronological order. Mike was a marketing executive who took a sales position abroad for two years. Yet when he returned to marketing, he kept introducing himself as a someone who had just made a career switch, always leading off with an anecdote about his short stint in sales. Instead, Mike should have started with the fact that he was a seasoned marketing professional who had taken a sabbatical but was now back where he belonged — putting his marketing prowess to work and thinking about what drives consumer spending habits.
2. Focus on skills-based versus situation or industry-based qualifications. You don’t have to have a background in finance to be good at finance. Alex was a chemist and researcher who had gone back to business school to get her MBA. She decided she wanted to work in corporate finance for a large pharmaceutical company but she was afraid no one would take her seriously given her background. When I pressed Alex to explain to me why she chose finance, she exclaimed, “That’s the way my brain works.” Her thinking was methodical, mathematical and formulaic — all of which translated to someone who was a natural fit within a corporate finance department. Instead of focusing on the fact that her background was in academia, Alex could emphasize to colleagues and clients that she was a numbers person at her core.
3. Connect the dots — what ties it all together? If you are a chemist turned finance professional or a marketing executive with experience in international sales, you should find a way to bring together the richness of your experiences and show how each one complements the other. For me, personally, I had a significant hurdle to clear with clients as a former Peace Corps volunteer turned investment banker. I explained away the dichotomy of the two by emphasizing to others that I was big picture thinker by nature and a numbers person by training. Banking was a perfect combination of the two — I liked looking at client’s challenges and issues from 30,000 feet and then digging down into the details to come up with creative financing solutions. Whether the client was the mayor of my Peace Corps town in Chile or the CEO of a healthcare company, I could start at a high level and drill down quickly and effectively.

Mike, Alex and I were all arguably better positioned because of our unique stories and experiences. Ask yourself these questions as your craft your personal pitch and you’ll be able to use your story to impress others from the get-go too.

See my guest post below from today’s Harvard Business Review Blog:  How To Get More From Your Mentor 

A senior publishing executive at William Morris once told me how baffled she was when an aspiring literary agent asked her to be a mentor. She looked at me and said, “She’s got to make me want to be her mentor. Isn’t she supposed to do something for me?” The answer is a definitive yes.

A mentor can prove invaluable when it comes to providing insight into your organization, inside information about the politics of the place, or just some over-the-shoulder advice about who to work with and who to stay away from. Mentorship, however, is a two-way street — and you’ve got to figure out how to repay the favor and make the relationship work for both of you.

We’re all busy. Like you, your mentors have competing demands on their time and resources. It’s not hard for them to let mentorship fall by the wayside when they’re closing a deal, bringing a new product to market or putting out the next fire with an important client. That’s why you — as the mentee — have got to make your mentor’s investment in you worth their time and energy.
Here are four ways you can provide value to your mentor:

1. Send “TOUs” or thinking of yous Share articles of interest or relevant news stories. Keep your mentor’s projects and areas of influence on your radar so that you can weigh in periodically on thought-provoking topics. You can even set up Google alerts on her key clients to make sure you’re the first to see breaking news — then pass it along and make sure she’s “in the know” too.
2. Provide insight into the rank and file of your organization By definition, you are more junior (in terms of age or experience) than your mentor. Senior leaders often feel out of touch with the cubicle culture and lack meaningful interaction with the front lines of their organization. You may be able to share reactions of your peers to a new corporate policy or change in organizational structure. Giving your mentor feedback or insight into employee morale is a great way to give back.
3. Help with extra-curricular activities. Perhaps your mentor does a lot of college recruiting for the firm or runs a leadership development program for women. Why not offer to accompany her on a recruiting trip, sift through resumes in advance or bring her ideas of guest speakers for the leadership program?
4. Buy ‘em lunch. At the very least, if you really struggle to find ways to add value, take your mentor to lunch or dinner. Even if your mentor tries to foot the bill, be firm and generous in your offer. Let your mentor know that you appreciate his help and it’s your pleasure to be able to return the favor in some small way. A nice glass of wine or good steak goes a long way toward building good will.

What have you done to help your mentor out?  How has your mentee solidified the relationship?  Write to jodi@greatonthejob.com to share your stories.

You know how when you’ve never heard of something, a brand or a concept for instance, and someone mentions it and all of a sudden it’s everywhere?  And you then wonder how you could have been so out of the loop for so long?  I had that happen with the word “sommelier” recently.  At a shi-shi dinner with friends in Tribeca a few weeks back, the discussion turned to my friend’s friend, a sommelier, who was very well dressed and had an “in” to all the good restaurants.  I didn’t understand why being from Somalia made him so hip.  We all had a good laugh at my expense when I blurted out my ignorance and found out he was a wine connoisseur from Connecticut, not just a cool guy from Africa.  Now of course everywhere I turn, someone’s talking about a sommelier.

I had the same feeling this weekend reading the New York Times, although instead of not being “in the know” this time, I was right where I wanted to be.  I had just last week written a blog post when I read the NYT Corner Office interview with Maigread Eichten, president and chief executive of FRS, a maker of energy drinks.  Maigread was asked about how she gives feedback. Here’s what she said:

“One of the most memorable things one of my bosses at Pepsi told me was that if you really care about somebody, you give them constructive feedback. And if you don’t care about somebody, you only say positive things. That’s stuck with me all this time. So I really try to make sure that I give people good, constructive feedback - positive first, of course, then constructive, and I give it in real time. It’s got to be in the moment. It’s got to be private.

If you missed my post, 4 Steps to Giving Criticism in a Constructive (Versus Destructive) Way, go check it out.  It will give you tips on how to do what Maigread agrees is so critical to success.  In fact, Maigread highlighted 3 of the 4 issues I raised i) it’s the right thing to do (hard things usually are) ii) positive first then negative; and iii) give it real time and in private (or off-line as I call it).

But don’t take my word for it, take hers…

NYT Corner Office