iClarify | Simplify | Engage

Your cover letter is your opening song. It can’t be your warm-up. Who wants a performer to waiver on her first song – no one. We want to be wowed from the first line of lyrics. We want to be enticed from the start. By the end of the first song, we are hooked and want more. You need the same reaction with your letter to potential employers. The most important connection you need to make to that employer is that you fit the job. Yes, you have certain bonuses to offer like leadership, positive attitude, initiative, great interpersonal skills and more; but you also must sew them to the employer’s needs and the position or they’ll just stop reading and put you in the slush pile. Your opening song is your letter and your opening is your first paragraph. This paragraph should be about three to five lines, no more and no less.  Here’s an example that got me an interview: Thank you for the opportunity to apply for Director of Communications as seen advertised on CharityVillage.com. ...

Giving employees a way to voice their thoughts, opinions and suggestions about the business has multiple impacts. Offering opportunities for employees to give feedback to the organization allow them to: Become more engaged as they feel someone is listening. Come up with creative solutions to operational problems. Share intelligence to which leaders are not exposed. Inform leaders of what employees are thinking and what their needs are. Ignoring employee input makes as much sense as ignoring customer input. If you’ve ever watched the CBS reality show UNDERCOVER BOSS, you’d know that until executives get their hands dirty, it’s difficult for them to run their business well. The show follows high-level corporate executives as they slip anonymously into the lowest level jobs within their companies to find out what their employees really think about their boss and the business. It’s tough for leaders to conduct an undercover boss operation in their own orga...

Can you overcome family riffs, marriage troubles, difficulties in school or financial troubles through communication? You can if you use sincerity and patience to develop trust. Reaching out to people in your life is the beginning of communicating to overcome difficulty. Calling or emailing a relative when least expected can have a powerful effect if the message and the action are fully sincere. “Jane, hi, I just thought I’d give you a call. I know it’s been a while but…” A conversation opener that is sincere opens a positive conversation. If you have a history of difficulty with your co-communicator, you may need to be patient. “What are you calling for?” Before you respond, think: Sincerity. Remove tone from your voice. Ignore the tone in his/her voice. Clear your messages of inflammatory words/phrases like: always, never, fault, blame, hate, stupid, ridiculous, etc… in other words, avoid saying things that can back people into an emotional corner where ...