The Hands-Off Manager

Leadership comes from partnering, NOT criticizing.

Managers have a choice: be hands-on or hands-off. This choice presents itself over and over again each and every day. Every interaction with an employee is a version of this choice. But, what is the right choice? The Hands-Off Manager: How to Mentor People and Allow Them to Be Successful helps to answer that very question.

In The Hands-Off Manager, authors Steve Chandler and Duane Black offer a new vision for all managers. With stories, examples, and vibrant activities for the reader to practice, this book shows any manager—new or seasoned—how to coach and mentor employees, rather than hover over their shoulders and goad them into action. In this system, each employee’s strengths are honored and honed in a climate of partnership and mutual goal-setting.

The information presented in The Hands-Off Manager will help create an organization that fosters harmony and functions in the best possible way. The lessons presented can be applied to any form of leadership, at home or on the job, in the community or in the workplace. These concepts can be used to create success beyond anything readers have ever imagined possible.

The Hands-Off Manager: How to Mentor People and Allow Them to Be Successful (EAN 978-1-60163-223-4, pages: 224, price: $14.99) was published by Career Press.

Steve Chandler is one of America’s best-selling authors whose dozens of books—including the best-sellers 100 Ways to Motivate Others, 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself, and Reinventing Yourself—have been translated into more than 20 languages. Chandler is also a world-famous public speaker who has been a guest on hundreds of radio and TV shows. Chandler has been a guest lecturer at the University of Santa Monica, where he teaches in the graduate program of soul-centered leadership. Chandler has been a trainer and consultant to more than 30 Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Duane Black is now retired. Black was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of SunCor Developments, where he oversaw 150 employees and more than 150,000 acres of housing developments.

How to Stay Motivated as a Resume Writer

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Earlier this month, I wrote a post about "Finding It Hard to Stay Motivated?"

Being a resume writer can be a very profitable way to make a living -- however, because you only get paid when you work with clients, self-motivation is a necessity. There's no one else to motivate you. You're on your own.

While the threat of no money may seem like motivation enough, sometimes you need a little more motivation. Here are some ideas to get you motivated.

1. Set a Daily Income Goal
Take a look at how much you made last year and create an annual goal for this year's income. Then divide it by 365 days. That's how much you want to earn daily. Print this number out in a large font and hang it over your desk. (My husband uses a weekly goal, because he understands that things can change from day to day.)

2. Track the Money
Hang a dry erase board on your office wall. After you complete a resume project, write down the amount of money you've earned on the board. Track it for the month and keep a running tally. If you're money motivated, watching that number grow will help you stay busy.

3. Take a Day Off
This may sound contradictory; however, one habit that many self-employed resume writers have is to work seven days a week. This leads to burnout and work apathy. Take a full day off each week to recharge yourself. Don't think about work. Don't check email. Just enjoy the day.

4. Build Your Resume Business
If you're doing the same thing day in and day out, it's easy to lose joy and motivation. Spend time each month planning how to grow your business. What is working for you? What isn't working? How can you attract more of your ideal customers? What new service can you provide that offers value to your customers and excitement or interest to you? (LinkedIn profile development? Social media coaching?)

5. Create New Habits
One of the reasons motivation can falter is if you're in a rut. For example, you get up every morning, drink your cup of coffee and check your email. You then get right to work. Why not change your morning habit? Before you check your email and get to work, do something creative or physically active. Changing your habits and routine can add life back into your day. Self-employed resume writers are creative people and a rut can drown your creativity and motivation.

You're in control of your life and your income. If what you're doing isn't working for you and you're feeling unmotivated, you have the power and the wherewithal to make a change. Find your motivation!

Blogging and (Resume) Writer's Block

As a resume writer, when you think about "writer's block," you probably think about the times you're stumped while writing a resume. But many of the resume writers I talk with say that they find the blank page most daunting when it's time to write something for their blog. The phenomenon is common enough that there's a name for the condition -- "blogger's block" -- the condition of not knowing what to put in your blog.

It's easy enough to amass content on your blog -- creating blog posts that are links to other articles, for example. But your blog should feature your voice. It's fine to look for articles in the media -- watch the news, read the paper, check media websites. Look for articles sourced by resume writing colleagues on Twitter and Facebook. But instead of just linking to the story, comment on it. Link to the original news source, but give your opinion about it.

You can also use your blog to promote affiliate programs you work with. Amazon's affiliate program is a great example of this. All of us read (and probably, collect!) career-related books. Take a few minutes to review the book -- including if you'd recommend it to job searchers. You'll have something to write about, and if your blog readers click on the link and purchases the book, you'll make a few cents (or dollars!) off the purchase too.

Blogs are also a great way to promote your website -- especially when you've posted new articles. Create a blog post that contains the first few lines of the article to tease your readers, as well as a link to the page that features the full text.

Keep your posts timely and helpful. Look for natural tie-ins with holidays and career milestones. (For example, with St. Patrick's Day coming up, now would be a great time to write a blog post about how jobseekers can improve their "luck" in the job search.)

To help your readers stay up to date with the new posts that you add, you can install a feed burner. There are different feed services to choose from, including free ones. Once you register, you will be given a small amount of HTML to add to your blog. Your readers can choose to subscribe and have your new posts delivered to their email automatically. (Find out more about RSS feeds in this blog post.)

NRWA 2012 Conference Contest

To celebrate The NRWA's 15th Anniversary, the board of directors is giving away 15 prizes to paid registrants of The NRWA's 15th Annual Conference in Charleston, SC, Sept. 19-22, 2012.

To qualify to win one of the prizes, you must be registered for The NRWA 2012 Conference by March 31st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

With conference registration rates starting at $385 and multiple payment plans available, don't miss this opportunity to take advantage of cutting-edge continuing education and potentially win one of these great prizes.

Sign up for the 2012 Conference now to ensure your name is entered into the giveaway at Conference Giveaway

What Prizes Are Being Given Away?
The prizes include:

• Four Future or Previously Recorded Teleseminars from The NRWA ($35 value each)
• Three Sample Submissions to begin the NCRW Certification process ($50 value each)
• Three 5-Packs of The NRWA Online Training Segments ($130 value each)
• Two One-Year Memberships in The NRWA ($150 value each)
• Two $100-off registrations for The NRWA's 2013 Conference ($100
• value each)
• One Free Hotel Room Night at The NRWA 2012 Conference Hotel ($175.00 value; tax included)

When Will The Prizes Be Drawn and Announced?
All prizes will be drawn on April 2, 2012 and winners will be announced in a separate email on April 4, 2012.