Those of you who understand the skills that I’ve written about  should immediately recognize how  two of those skills, connecting and visibility, could be used to your advantage this holiday season.  Let’s face it, few of us seem to have enough hours in a day to get done what we need to get done, let alone get done those extra things that come along with the holidays. 

 One way you can help at work and show that you fully understand the challenges the boss is facing is by continuing to engage him or her in conversation that helps illustrate your understanding of the addtional pressure he or she may be under.  This constant effort to stay connected to the boss will also help you remain visible. 

 It is amazing to me how many people go AWOL over these few holiday weeks -  long lunches to get some shopping done, long breaks to finish up a few online orders,  coming in late because of ‘issues’ at home or leaving early because of an emergency (a sale is ending).  The thing is, the work still needs to get done and the boss or others in a position to influence your career still have to meet their objectives while handling all their extra holiday tasks, too. 

Do them a favor – come in early, offer to help, work through lunch, stay late – do all those things that keep you visible and send a message about your loyalty and dedication.   Those corporate brown-nosers you love to hate are still playing their game so if you’d like to be on the receiving end of the perks and kudos that will inevitably go around once things settle down, consider beating them at their own game by illustrating how much of a player you are when the going gets a little tough.  People are watching.

Think about it….

L

It is with a heavy heart that I find myself back to these pages today.  The news of Elizabeth Edwards’ death has special meaning to me, a breast cancer survivor.  I call myself a survivor fully aware of the fact that the definition of a cure is five years cancer free, so I’m not out of the woods yet.  Nonetheless, the reminder that we are here but for a short while should be a wake-up call to all of us to be mindful of how and with whom we spend our time.

Since my mission is to help people live up to their full potential through their work, I am always concerned when people are not doing work that makes their soul sing.    

The talk shows this morning spent a great deal of time profiling how Elizabeth Edwards lived her life with grace and courage – clearly her soul was singing.  Of the many wise things she said and wrote about these past few years, one thing seems especially poignant.  “On the day of our death, will we be able to look back on the previous day and say that was a good day spent?”

I can’t help but ask…. are you reading this while sitting at work, in a job that doesn’t make your soul sing? Is it time well spent?  If today were your last day on earth, would you feel you had spent your day living up to your full potential, giving back to the world from the gifts you have been given?  Are you working for the money only, spending the real currency you have, your time, in ways that have no special meaning for you or others? 

The corporate skills I have written about – visibility, positioning, networking and connecting – are designed to help you understand how to market yourself and your skills so YOU are taken seriously; proficiency in these skills can help you live up to your full potential THROUGH your work not after the work is done.  If you are calling others brown-nosers because they have the courage to use these skills and you do not, are you holding yourself to a lower standard because you are afraid of the consequences of change – a change in your job, a change in your behavior, a change in the perception of others?  

If you are confident that you are doing your job as well as or better than others with whom you work, what about changing how you think about these skills?  What kind of a great jobs might be offered you if more people actually realized the extent of your capabilities?  How could the use of these skills actually create new, positive behaviors in yourself and others throughout the day?  What might your career prospects look like if you were perceived as someone with high potential and an understanding of how things get done in the organization?    

As you enjoy this holiday season, become aware of how you spend your time and consider giving more of it to the work, people and causes you care about.  It is the one true gift we give to the world – the gift of ourselves.  

Think about it….

Linda

We buried my brother in law yesterday.  Less than two months after a devastating diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer many hearts are aching as they try to make sense of this loss.  My heart is one of them. So is my sister’s who now finds herself a widow after 15 years of love and joy with a man who was clearly her soul mate.

Len was a brilliant ear, nose and throat physician who ran his own practice for over 20 years.  In all that time he was never sued by a patient — not once.  This says a great deal about a man who always sought to do the right thing for his patients and who never compromised his principles.   Just one year ago he and my sister moved here to Jacksonville so he could take a medical director position where he hoped to make meaningful changes to a healthcare system that doesn’t always advocate for the patient.  Len was always a patient advocate and, in the truest sense of the word, a servant leader who always had the best interests of others first and foremost in his mind.

He might not agree with me but I think he was a brilliant, competent, corporate brown noser, too.  After his funeral, a gathering at the home he once shared with my sister was full of people whom he worked with, whom he worked for, and who worked for him.  Clearly, he understood that if he was to make meaningful change he would need the help of others in the organization so he took pride in helping them see what was in it for them if they bought into his vision.  It was evident by yesterday’s visible outpouring of love and support that he had a small army working with him to change the small part of the world where he had some influence.   Len obviously knew how to connect with others.  The grief that was palpable throughout the day was clear evidence of how deep his connections were with those people who had only worked with him for a short while. 

Connecting with others on a personal and professional level and positioning your ideas in a way that helps others see what’s in it for them, are two simple but powerful tools that every good brown-noser uses.  The reason they use them is because they work.  You can refuse to use these skills, but when that day comes when you must account for your deeds, will you be like Len, who was able to say that through his work he made a difference?  Or  will you have to say that you were afraid of being called names, of being called a brown-noser?  Will you be able to say that you had the courage to recognize what was required to make your career dreams come true? 

Len, thank you for your love and support when I faced my own healthcare challenge.  Thank you for the love and the life that you gave my sister;  you showed her the world.  I have no doubt she will continue your legacy of service to others in her own special way.  No doubt we will ALL try to live just a little bit better because of the example you gave us.  Because of YOU.

Goodbye my friend.  Peace.

L

A brief note today — In a great class last night a number of new students - most of whom work in corporate America, were surprised how much Brown nosing goes on in the business world that is called something else.  From networking to politics, our discussions about the presumptions of management work and its changing nature pointed out that all of the skills required to be a good manager are also skills that Brown nosers use regularly.  Of particular importance in last nights discussions were communication skills and networking. 

If these aren’t on your intentions list for 2010, you will want to modify your list quickly.  Without proficiency in these two areas becoming visible (another Brown noser skill) will be all but impossible.

Think about it — more later….getting caught up;

L

If you didn’t have a chance to see the USA Today article yesterday about job satisfaction, please visit www.brownnosingonline.com and click on my reading suggestion link in the upper left hand corner.  I find it to be a sad state of affairs that people spend so much of their lives doing things that don’t make their souls sing.

If you really want to experience a satisfying work life you may need to rethink your game.  Yes, work is a game and I suggest you learn how to play as well as some of those brown nosers out there who seem to be having much more fun than everybody else.  I’m dedicated to helping you improve your game this year  and I’ll start with some ways you can start creating a Brand for yourself to help you stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Stay tuned —

Linda

Just a quick reminder for you today — The holidays provide an excellent opportunity to make an impression on your boss and those who may have the potential to influence your career. To the extent you can offer assistance and support during these last few busy days of the year, consider doing so. It is a great way to show that you are interested in something other than yourself (which is what the season is all about, right??) and it is a great way to make yourself visible in the organization. People remember those who are genuinely interested in their well being…be one of them.

Visit – www.brownnosingonline.com – for a Happy Holiday Greeting and see what we’ve been up to with the new, improved and evolving site.

For a last minute holiday gift for someone else or yourself you can download the ebook version of Brown-Nosing 101: A career survival manual for the rest of us here.

Over the past few weeks we’ve been making signficant changes to the website to help make your experience richer and more robust.  When you have a moment please visit www.brownnosingonline.com and look around.  Currently you will find a list of reading recommendations, have the ability to purchase an ebook copy of Brown-nosing 101: A career survival manual for the rest of us, and can link directly to this blog.

Over the next few days we will bring the community area to life, allowing you to discuss your career experiences with other like minded individuals and interact with me directly.  Additional products, tools, a link to my speaking engagements and workshops, seminars, teleseminars, etc. will all slowly become visible over the days and weeks ahead.

We know there is some tweaking to be done but I’d appreciate your overall thoughts and suggestions.

Don’t forget your friends and colleagues this holiday season — you can give them the gift of potential by putting a copy of Brown-Nosing 101: A career survival manual for the rest of us in their stocking this year!

Enjoy this blessed season!

Later,

Linda

We often go through our days doing things we don't like to do, giving less than our full capability and capacity, presuming that we have all the time in the world to get it right.  But that's just not true and the sooner we realize this, the sooner we can do whatever is necessary to live up to our full, God given potential.

Two years ago on this very evening I was made painfully aware of this.  As my cousin, Dan,  and his wife, Nicky, drove to what was to be a routine, family dinner with Nicky's mom and their youngest son, they witnessed a young driver lose control of his vehicle.  As anyone who knows them would expect, they stopped to help.  As they walked towards the accident victim they became vicitms themselves as they were both hit by a driver in an SUV that was going approximately 45 mph.  In an instant, their lives and mine, and the lives of countless others in the family and in their community were changed forever.

After a severe head injury, along with arm and leg injuries that have forever changed his physical abiities, Dan continues to show remarkable improvement and works through the trauma as best he can.  On Christmas day, 2007, Nicky turned 48 years old, in a drug induced coma to keep her from the pain of her injuries.  She died 30 days after the accident having never regained consciousness.  I can't help but think what they might have done differently had they known what was about to transpire. 

What if —- what if today was your last day?  One day it will be whether you want to believe it or not.  Would you really care if someone called you a brown noser?  If you were using these skills I've been writing about from a position of strength and competence, could they be moving you closer to your goals?  Closer to living up to your full potential?  Would your full potential include the capacity to give back to the world in which you live and work in some meaningful way? 

Nicky's last act on earth was in service to another.  I am sure that when she stood before God he smiled and said, "Well done."  Are you doing all you can do so that you will hear those words, too? 

Peace to all of you this evening….enjoy this blessed time of year.

Linda

In previous posts I've hammered the point that people need to know you to insure that you remain on the radar screen when choice jobs, assignments and projects come around.  Equally important is understanding who in an organization can make things happen for you and who you need to know.  Watch Brownnosers in action — they are masters at this.  You should be, too.

I heard a great story last night from a friend who spent just under 10 years in the military.  Just before he left home his Dad gave him some great brown-nosing advice.

"Son, no matter where you go, not matter where you are stationed around the world, there are three people you need to get to know immediately.  Get to know someone in the mess hall.  Then get to know someone in supply, and then get to know someone in the company commander's office.  That way, you'll always have the food you need, the supplies you require and most important, information."

This guy's dad was teaching him some basic survival skills which aren't much different than those  needed for survival in Corporate America, or for that matter, in any organization on the planet!  Understand this and you can move from survival to thriving in very little time.

Continue reading this post…

Most people who don't know how to Brownnose equate the skills involved with negative behavior. They resist learning the skills out of fear of being called a "Brown-Noser" and having what they perceive as that negative label attached to them.

To calm your fears about being called a Brown noser, you need to understand why Brownnosing skills are good for you— and good for your company or business. Understanding why helps us see that when executed from a position of competence and knowledge, Brown-Nosing skills aren't negative. In fact, they make good sense for your career (and your company).

You can use these skills with confidence to help you share your ideas with people in such a way that they immediately see the value of both the idea and what YOU bring to a particular situation and the organization.

First, and probably most important, you need to realize that work is not like school. There is no teacher constantly evaluating your work and automatically promoting you to the next level once you meet a certain set of requirements. Unlike school, where the purpose of the effort is to develop you and help you learn, the purpose of an organization is to achieve its mission, whatever that may be.

I