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Rita B. Allen Associates offers customized and individualized career management consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations within a variety of content areas including the following:

  • Career Development

  • Career Planning

  • Management Coaching

  • Management Development

  • Leadership Development

  • Executive Coaching

  • Human Resources Consulting

  • Human Resources Coaching

 

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Spring 2010

Dear Colleague,

Happy Spring! The warm weather seems to finally be upon us with the snow and rain storms behind us. It is also very exciting to be starting the second decade of the twenty first century! The first quarter of this year has brought an uptick in the economy and in our marketplace. There has been renewed energy and enthusiasm to move forward with plans that had been put on hold during the last half of the past year. Companies have released the tight controls that had been placed on their budgets, however doing so with careful planning and caution. My experience has included a lot of current demand in the areas of executive coaching, team development, employee engagement and change management. There has been much need over the last few months and I'm very happy to say there has been a rapid increase in business within these areas in particular.

We have all encountered challenging times throughout our careers and will no doubt experience continued uncertainty even as the market and economy rebound. The best way to empower ourselves is to recognize our value-add and continuously work on enhancing and marketing our brand within our chosen fields. Every January many people select their new year's resolutions with great intentions. Several years ago, I decided a better use of my time would be to revisit my goals every December - review, reevaluate and adjust as necessary - then start the new year with incredible focus and determination. In fact, one of the key areas that I apply in my coaching model with clients is around goal setting. We all need to have a mission for our career and specific goals we want to accomplish - personally and professionally. Without a plan, we do not have direction nor any criteria for accountability.

  • I recently read about a Harvard Business School Study that supports my theory. It researched their graduates over a 30 year period and found that written goals can translate into earnings of 10 times more than those who fail to establish goals or put their goals in writing!

  • Another recent study conducted by Dominican University over a period of a month (on short-term goals) concluded that those who wrote down their goals with specific action steps and follow up fully realized their goals at a rate of 50% more than those who did not.

As we begin a new decade in 2010, getting back to basics and revisiting our goals is an effective way to clarify our vision and set the stage for success. I believe this quote says it best, "Success doesn't come to you - you go to it", Marva Collins. Organizations strive to attract the right mix of talent, develop them and keep them engaged to fulfill their business goals and objectives. Leadership can and should be developed at all levels of a company. Each individual can have a plan that empowers themselves to initiate their development and take charge of their careers.

Five Strategies for Achieving Success in 2010:

  1. Focus on building relationships
    Having long lasting and solid relationships is the key to sustaining a fulfilling and successful career. It requires a long-term process to be viewed as laying a foundation and planting seeds for future growth and success. Do not expect immediate gratification - gain momentum and don't stop! There's a formula to establish which involves 30% planning, 20% sincerity, 20% visibility & outreach, 15% credibility and 15% patience & resilience. Please read more about this formula from my recently published article in the March 2010 issue of the Boston Women's Business Journal,
    "Get to 100-percent Return on Your Business Relationships".
    (PDF file)

     

  2. Identify the barriers holding you back
    Consistent self-reflection and assessment allows you to build inner strength and unleash your fullest leadership potential. Identify your passion and purpose - stay true to your goals and motivations. I am excited to say I have recently become a Certified Partner of Motivation Factor™ which is a ground breaking methodology, developed by Helle Bundgaard, that provides a simple and effective framework for clarifying objectives, developing emotional and social intelligence, identifying individual resources and passions…and understanding how these contribute to personal, team and organizational goals. It uses a Hierarchy of Motivation® as the focal point for managing change. I would love to share more and invite you to view the website at www.motivationfactor.com and contact me to discuss further.

     

  3. Mentor and be mentored
    Seek out potential mentors and trusted advisors throughout the different phases of your career. In addition, welcome opportunities to mentor others throughout their careers. Having and being a mentor are two of the major milestones during a career and represent a critical part of managing a successful and sustaining career. Follow my five-step model for developing mentor relationships: Identify what you need; reach out to a variety of mentors to meet diverse needs; create a strategy that offers value-add and keeps mentors engaged; stay true to your vision and your goals; and communicate, communicate, communicate! Please read more details in another one of my published articles from last October in the Boston Women's Business Journal, "Mentor and be Mentored: Both are Critical to Success".

     

  4. Develop communication strategies
    We can never be too comfortable or confident with our communications skills and our interpersonal abilities. The rules keep changing with the technological advancements and multifaceted resources that are introduced to us every day. Can it be possible to learn, master and get the maximum usage of all of these options all of the time? Probably not…we can, however, create a reasonable and achievable strategy that works for us and accomplishes our objectives. It takes discipline, time management and a focus on quality rather than quantity. Create communication strategies that require high standards of excellence and most importantly exude enthusiasm and energy! As Dale Carnegie said, "Excitement radiates through your eyes, your face, your voice, your soul and your whole personality." I continue to be a strategic partner with Dale Carnegie® Training and invite you to visit the website at www.boston.dalecarnegie.com and contact me with any questions or interest in their various talent management offerings.

     

  5. Celebrate accomplishments and express gratitude!
    There are many victories we do achieve - some small and some more grand. Be sure to acknowledge and celebrate these victories when they do occur. Sometimes they are milestones, sometimes they are full accomplishments, and sometimes they include helping others achieve their goals. Recognize these victories and be happy to celebrate them! It's also just as important to reach out and express gratitude and thank the people who played a role in helping you do so. During these times, there are so many abundances with which we are blessed and to be thankful. Optimism and gratefulness are part of the celebration process.

Keeping in that spirit, I feel very grateful and optimistic to share that I just celebrated my fifth anniversary in business! I could not have done so without the help of so many of you! I feel fortunate and especially thankful for the opportunities that have come my way as my practice continues to grow in the areas of executive coaching, leadership development, management training and career development. I continue to have a nice mix of corporate clients as well as individual clients across a range of industries and disciplines. Please visit my website to see some of my upcoming programs, articles and events at www.ritaballenassociates.com.

In closing, many thanks to you for your continued support, business opportunities and referrals. I welcome the opportunity to be of assistance and continuing to provide a variety of talent management/career management consulting and coaching services. Please reach out and share some of your recent updates and challenges with me. I look forward to speaking!

Best Regards,

Rita B. Allen

 

Rita B. Allen Associates | 460 Totten Pond Road, Suite 110 | Waltham, MA 02451
781-890-6803 | rita@ritaballenassociates.com | www.ritaballenassociates.com