Particularly in these times of high unemployment, not only do I get inquiries about business, but I also get questions regarding career change and best strategies for job searches. As part of the coaching process, the job seeker updates their resume, researches the companies and industries they’re interested and goes through, what I call a “Personal Career Inventory.” This inventory includes a career planning assessment which not only uncovers specific personal strengths and weaknesses, but also shares some insight into ideal work environment and communication preferences.

Most recently I was interviewed by Sarah Ruppenthal of the Maui Weekly Read the rest of this entry »

August 26th, 2008
Maui, Hawaii
Maui County Business Resource Center - 808-873-8247

Speaking is an essential business tool, whether you have an audience of 1 or 1,000. When you are in front of a group, you have the opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your field.
Susan Kim will teach you how to capture your audience’s attention and deliver a clear, powerful message to your audience. Learn tools to feel confident and comfortable with your delivery.

Gain confidence, speak your mind and position yourself as the expert!

How do you find balance amidst all of your responsibilities and duties?
How do you lead effectively without overwhelm?

The answer not only has to do with self care and balance, but in a large part has to do with leadership - a positive style of leadership.

The first step is to learn how to recognize your personal threshold and say “No.”

Think of “Jody.” She owns her own successful business. She is a member of three different business networking organizations, where she is highly involved. She also believes in community, so voluteers her time on a number of different boards and serves as President for a non-profit organization. She wants to do it all, because it is ALL important. She is often late to board meetings, leaves early and tends to check her blackberry during meetings. She has so much going on, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of details. The other board members find her behavior rude, notice that there is little progress on action items and questions her commitment.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

Everyone has a different threshold, but notice when you feel overwhelmed or you are not as effective. Listen to feedback. This is the time to prioritize and start saying “No” and commit to what is most important.

Spreading yourself too thin is a sure way to overwhelm yourself while diluting your ability to lead and build loyalty.

Once you’ve said “No” the next steps are the VIP of Positive Leadership: Vision, Influence and Prototype.

Create a Clear VISION:
The Vision focuses you, as the leader, focuses the team and makes your life easier.

Creating a clear vision enables the leader to stay focused, take ownership of what needs to be done and makes leading easier. It also serves to inspire and energize your team to stay “on purpose” by keeping them organized and on target.

INFLUENCE through Encouragement and Support:
Give more than you expect to get from your team. Listen to what they have to offer. Encourage and support each member as individuals.

A sense of loyalty naturally comes forth when a team is encouraged by their leader, their ideas and feedback are heard and they are supported with sincerity. By being an encouraging and supportive leader, you are able to leverage your time and energy on what is important because your team is “effected” and inspired to move forward.

Be a PROTOTYPE :
When you build a strong foundation upon which to emulate, it empowers your team, who then becomes energized to created the next “model” of success.

When you lead by example, people respect you. When your successors improve upon your foundation, this is the ultimate compliment. Being a prototype means you don’t have to know it all - you can learn and grow through the process with your team. Doesn’t that make life easier - to know that you do not have to know it all? What a relief!

Leadership and self care are intertwined in many ways.
Being a great leader empowers your team.
It also enables you to lead a lot easier with less stress and more confidence.

Wishing you a Life with Joy and Ease,
Susan

Technorati Tags: leadership, vision, influence, prototype, role model, stress, confidence, self care

(one Tuesday at 12noon (Hawaii))

Susan Kim will be the guest speaker at the Kiwanis Club of Kahului meeting on Tuesday, November 13th. She will discuss Toastmasters’ “Communication and Leadership” program which is offered to the adults and youth of Maui County.

Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Time: 12noon - 1pm
Location: Maui Beach Hotel, Molokai Room

Lunch is available from the hotel’s snack shop for a fee.
No charge for attending the event.

For more information contact Lynn at (808) 244-6042 or visit: www.kahuluikiwanis.com.

Technorati Tags: Kiwanis, Toastmasters, Youth Leadership Program, Communication, Speaking, Community

Oftentimes when I sit out in the ocean to surf, I wait. Wait for the sets, wait for the right wave, wait my turn in the lineup. It certainly takes an element of patience out there - sometimes a LOT of patience. Business is a similar practice in patience, especially when we are “floating” in the sea of prospects.

Perhaps you meet someone at a networking event. There is a nice conversation and an exchange of business cards. You’re feeling good - you made a strong connection, you’re sure that this is certainly going to lead to a great business relationship. That evening, you decide to pop a quick email to follow up on your earlier discussion before you go to bed. In the morning you run to your computer in anticipation. You’re thinking the networking is going to pay off! You turn your computer on. . . no email. You hit “Get Mail” again, . . nothing. Your computer screen is silently staring you in the face, thinking, “Now what?” You feel a little let down, but you’re still pretty sure that you will soon get a response.

A day goes by. Nothing.

Two days go by. Nothing.

As each day goes on, you’re feeling more and more dejected. And then after about a week, you start thinking, “Should I call?” “Should I send another email? Maybe they didn’t get my first one.”

Certainly waiting in anticipation can be a true test of one’s patience. But it can also be frustrating and paralyzing to your business.

Business is a practice in patience. But once you master the art of patience, it pays off . . .

I have the pleasure of being the guest speaker at professional and community organizations, like Rotary club. A couple of years ago, after a Rotary meeting, I had a really great conversation with a woman who expressed interest in coaching. We exchanged business cards and she left the meeting telling me, “I’m definitely going to call you.” When I got home I followed up with an email. No response. . . In a couple of weeks I published my newsletter and thought she might like it, so I sent it to her. She didn’t respond. But a month later she wound up signing up for my newsletter. Then after that I didn’t hear from her for 1 whole year . . . when she called to hire me as her coach!

She told me later that I was always in the back of her mind, but she just didn’t get around to calling. BUT she said that she got my newsletters and always appreciated them and then one day it triggered something in her - which is when she called me.

In business, having a system of follow up promotes patience - you know you’re getting in front of your prospect and that they are being exposed to your message, so you don’t have to TRY so hard.

Practicing patience is instrumental in business.
Remember, business is a process - it takes time.
Hang back and wait for THE wave.
When the “wave of the day” comes your way, just ride it . .

With Aloha,
Susan

Technorati Tags: Business Process, Prospects, Networking, Business Resources, Staying In Touch, Patience

One of my favorite pastimes is to watch movies and usually the summer time is great because of all the new releases. This year is no exception. When I went to the movies I notice that this past month I was drawn to two movies in particular, Spiderman 3 and The Fantastic Four: The rise of the Silver Surfer. Comicbook movies are great, because these are the characters that I grew up with.

Most Superheroes are ordinary people with extraordinary skills. What may be the most extraordinary is that even when they assume their “super” roles, they do not lose their humanity - they stay in integrity with who they are.

Take Peter Parker and Spiderman for instance. Peter Parker is a brilliant young man. He is just a regular guy who struggles to make ends meet with his job and he longs to be noticed by the girl of dreams, MJ. As a person he is honest, fair and is just an all-around nice guy. He tries to do the right thing. When his alter-ego takes over and he starts swinging from the tall buildings of New York City, fighting the “bad guys,” he exhibits super strength, power and agility. He can throw cars, stop trains and fight evil villains 100 feet tall! But when you look inside Superman to who he is. . . he is honest, fair and all around nice guy who is trying to do the right thing. Down to the core, he is the same person. Villains on the other hand, may acquire a super skill, but they change, either going insane to become evil, or they were evil down to the core, to begin with.

We all have the ability to harness this extraordinary power and live with integrity.

When we get hit by “life” and our days do not go as smoothly as we like, sometimes it may feel easy to morph into a “villain” of sorts. However, when life throws us challenges and obstacles, if we can harness the power of our own inner “super” strength to be true to who we are, wouldn’t that make us a Superhero too?

The Superhero in YOU is the ability to assess a situation with quick wisdom and take stock of your strength, stamina, power and courage to act accordingly. Here are some steps to apply it in your life:

1. Write down 3-5 characteristics of who you are a person. Think deeply about WHO you are. Not the roles you play (mother, wife) or what job you have each day (entrepreneur, journalist). Break these characteristics down to the essence of WHO you are as a person and what you are about. Finish this sentence: “I am about. . . “

You might use words like: Support, Adventure, Pleaseure, Beauty, Excitement, Caring, Success, Community, etc.

2. Now think of a challenge that you are facing today. A tough one. Something that might bring out your inner “Evil Villain” and really attack your “Superhero.” It can be personal, professional, business or a combination.

3. Think of your “essence” words as a guideline for your integrity. As you face your challenge, think of how you can bring your essence to the forefront and use that as your “secret weapon.” In light of the challenge, show “Support,” “Caring,” “Success.” See how things turn around.

Be a Superhero.

Be a Super You!

Technorati Tags: Superhero, integrity, self, personal development, success, self awareness, being in the present, focus

Speaking is still a very common fear. The fear of speaking is not limited to public speaking. It also includes much more common occasions, such as talking to someone at a party, speaking to a supervisor, or just providing feedback during a meeting.

How many great ideas have not been expressed because of this fear?

Ironically, this fear is not based on a tangible or life-threatening source; it comes from our own beliefs and perceptions; it comes from what is in our minds.

How many great ideas have YOU not expressed because of this fear?

Since this fear is based on beliefs, it can be eradicated by beliefs.
If you believe in yourself and your message, you will discover the passion and confidence to speak your mind.

THREE STEPS TO SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE

1. Get Over The Fear - Think of a time in your life where it is more important to speak up than to remain silent (e.g. for a promotion, to honor someone, when you see an injustice, to express love and gratitude, to land a client, to remember a loved one with a eulogy). Write this on an index card and look at it to remind you that this is more important than your fear - your message is more powerful than this fear.

2. Know Yourself Better - Being clear and really understanding your own thoughts will enable you to manifest better in words and speech. Get clear.

3. Be Yourself - Leo Buscaglia said, “The easiest thing in the world is to be you. The most difficult thing is to be what other people want you to be.” You donʼt have to “perform” to be heard. Sincerity has a loud voice and is always appreciated.

Technorati Tags: Being in the Present, Communication, Confidence, Challenge, Goals, Personal Development, Results