Work It Daily

While making the most money we can (or at least enough to be comfortable) is the goal, sometimes a high-paying job costs you more in the end. You might have to give up things that are important to you like job security, stress-free work, and work-life balance. So, when should you leave a high-paying job for a lower-paying job? How do you know it’s time to find a new job?Leave Your High-Paying Job For A Lower-Paying Job If THIS Is Happening… @j.t.odonnell Replying to @_.michele4._ When to leave a high paying job for a lower paying #job. #jobtok #edutok #careertok #learntok ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell If you’re getting thrown around in a job and it’s really draining you, but they pay you a lot of money, you have what we call “golden handcuffs.” You’re trapped. And the reality is if you can’t find a way to make peace with that, if you can’t find a way to not let the way they throw you around and raise your blood pressure bother you, then it is time to move on.Now, oftentimes when you decide to leave a high-paying job, you get offered a job that would require you to take a huge pay cut. If that happens to you, don’t assume that’s your next long-term career move. Look at this lower-paying job as an opportunity for you to get yourself back to a happy place and figure out how much more money you need. You might be perfectly happy with the lower salary, or you might decide you want to start a side hustle, or you might decide that you want to take this time to do the homework and figure out your next career move so that you can make more money and be happier no matter what.It comes back to working on yourself. And if this lower-paying job will allow you to do that for, say, six months to a year, then I would say go for it. Leave that high-paying job for a lower-paying one. Your career and mental health will thank you.Need more help with your job search?Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

Mary McClinton was a patient admitted to the hospital for a routine medical procedure. She had full trust in the health care providers and was looking forward to going back home after the procedure and spending valuable time with her family and grandkids. Unfortunately, that was not the case. She died during the procedure due to a medication error. She was injected with Chlorhexidine, a chemical antiseptic used for skin cleaning instead of another local IV injection. Both liquids were colorless, but the receptacles of the medications were unlabelled leading to a mixup and fatal medication error.Sadly, medical errors still happen in healthcare and healthcare organizations are working towards zero harm, but we still have a long way to go. Patients come to the hospital worried about their medical condition and its impact on their livelihood and their families. They place their full trust in the medical providers. The last thing they expect is they will suffer harm or death due to medical errors.That’s why it is vital for organizations to develop a culture of safety.Let’s Start With The Definition Of What Is A Culture Of SafetyMany of you must have heard different definitions, but the one I like is very short and simple: the culture of safety is how the healthcare organization and the people working in it behave when no one is watching them.So, what exactly does this mean?It means patient and workforce safety is engrained as a core value from the top level person in the organization to the frontline staff AND they will not take any shortcuts to compromise patient safety for the sake of productivityThat said, let’s look at how an organization can build a culture of safety.Organizations Must Build 4 Strong Pillars To Support The Culture Of Safety​​Pillar #1: Psychological Safety. This is when frontline staff are empowered and are not scared to speak up. They are not punished or humiliated but are appreciated for bringing out safety concerns. Psychological safety leads to better brainstorming of ideas, more possibilities, better assessment and testing of ideas, and rapid cycle learning process. Staff will be more valued and respected. This leads to staff engagement. Teamwork thrives in the organization that has psychological safety.Pillar #2: Active Leadership. This is when leadership in the organization uses strategies and has skills that foster staff engagement, staff development, and staff well-being. The leadership words resonate with their actions. Some of the essential leadership skills are communication skills, creating an intentional culture, providing employees with a voice, developing a reward system, supporting career development, and fostering employee well being.Pillar #3: Transparency. This is where open communication thrives in the organization. Safety information is shared with all the stakeholders which leads to the building of trust. Transparency is used in this organization as a vehicle for learning.Pillar #4: Fairness. This is where individuals are evaluated for their actions with the same lens irrespective of their position and titles. Everyone is treated equally and fairly in the system.When an organization has developed all of the four pillars outlined above, then it has laid the foundational work to support the culture of safety.If you’d like to talk with me more about how to build a culture of safety at your healthcare organization, I can be reached by email at sa7860@comcast.net, or on LinkedIn.

Everyone has a professional presence. The question is, do you have a good one? As a professional, your reputation is as important as your skills and experience. Your professional presence is your reputation, what people think when you walk into a room. Developing good professional presence is essential for success. No matter what industry you’re in, good professional presence can open the door to new opportunities and pave the way for raises and promotions. We recently asked our successful executives what defines good professional presence.Here are their responses…Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations ExecutiveThe three main ingredients in any executive presence are:ConfidenceClarity CredibilityConfidence – The most shining part of executive presence is gravitas—how you act. It means that you show up as inspiring, trustworthy, and capable. From the start, you must show that you have substance and authority in your talents, knowledge, and skills. Leaders with gravitas show grace under fire. They are great at handling adversity with a cool head, letting others know that any crisis can be taken. Clarity – People with poise have a way of talking that transparently engages people. Executives who have complete command over the goals that need to be reached can communicate and break down elements of the tasks into step-by-step instructions. Leaders who can communicate effectively develop a personal brand for delivering information. Credibility – Is the quality of being trusted and believable. In working in the sports business, credibility is paramount. If fans lose confidence that the games are unfair and non-equitable, the NFL loses the core part of the business—the game.Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.Maria Grandone, Director In Higher EducationGood professional presence requires good personal skills that can help you succeed in your career as well as your personal life. Be present – living a life of purpose one must be intentional, passionate, and connected and show that you care.Be open to learning – lifelong learners are eager to learn to advance their skills, try new things, and even learn from their mistakes. Failing forward develops your character—failing 100 times and getting up 200 times is key.Positive attitude – helps facilitate a good work environment and can inspire others to feel the same. This can-do attitude helps others positively contribute to innovation and find solution-oriented opportunities.I believe you give 100+ percent. Show up, engage, collaborate, and connect with the team. In higher education, it is critical to model the way and inspire a vision that allows for success.Maria Grandone is dedicated to student access and success, particularly of underrepresented students in higher education. She loves to wake up early to meditate, go for an early morning run, and meet people from all walks of life.Kathleen Duffy, Founder, CEO, And President Of Duffy GroupA professional presence is your image, your mission, your passion, your values, and your vision. It’s not a logo, a resume, or a profile on LinkedIn or other social media channels. It’s the story of how you solve problems and improve morale or service vs. your credentials—degree or job title. Developing a strong professional presence can help showcase who you are—your skills, expertise, and passion. It provides a platform for you to establish credibility, helps you inspire and succeed, and establishes you as a thought leader in your field. There are a few key tenets to keep in mind: Be authentic, representing exactly who you are. Be compelling, so people will want to take notice. Be consistent across all channels of communication.Be transparent—no secrets. And be visible. After all, what good is a strong professional presence if nobody can find you?Kathleen Duffy is the founder, CEO, and president of Duffy Group. The company’s vision is to elevate recruitment research as an alternative to contingent and retained search. Since its founding, Duffy Group has been a remote workplace and a culture of work/life harmony. Sharon Grace, Executive RecruiterAs a seasoned executive recruiter, I have advised many hiring executives and candidates on their image. Professional presence includes feeling and looking your best, embracing a positive mindset, communicating effectively, and being likable. It would help if you gave people reasons to want to meet with you and build a relationship. I suggest six tips when improving one’s professional presence.Take care of yourself. The benefits of practicing good health and wellness are endless. Being mindful of good health keeps our stress levels low and our energy, focus, and positivity high. When you feel good, you look good.Be present, engaged, and actively listening. Showing up and being intentional is not always easy. Having the right mindset will help you perform better. Be an active listener with a curious attitude to learning.Be prepared. An action plan with the desired outcome is a time investment well spent.Communicate thoughtfully, clearly, and effectively. Clear is kind, and being direct, upfront, and honest is essential. Practice being engaged with those you speak with, and do not meet for the sake of meeting; make it a valuable experience. Speak in the way you want to be heard. Think before speaking and be in the right mindset. Know your audience.Look good and take an interest in your appearance. Dressing appropriately is always in style, and never forget to know who your audience is. Sharon Grace is a veteran search executive who helps hiring leaders hire great people because of her proven track record as a strategic partner and advisor to recruit, identify and assess talent.Kathryn Marshburn, Music Program ManagerProfessional presence in the music industry is different than other industries. As a female executive in the music industry, earning respect is essential and requires putting in the time with teams that are highly sought after and in demand. Professional presence starts with social media checks and ends with teams liking you. Many times, just showing up is crucial because the teams, artists, and bands that connect with you personally provide roadmaps to other connections. That said, a few basics that are important include:Always have exceptional phone manners when receiving invites and say less and listen more.Show up in appropriate fashion for the moment. (Studios, events, and carpet opportunities require completely different looks.)Humble, humble, humble would be the word for the night. Be grateful that you are in attendance and thank the host.Be professional. Do not take pictures or videos when not invited. Keep all time spent as a professional in an invited space.Do not overindulge in any substance.If I love a project or something I want to do, I don’t do it for money. I do it because I love it. If the budget isn’t there, I’ll make it work for me and throughout my career. I think that’s been a consistent theme. I hear all day long that peers will turn down jobs because the money is not right. Some people will throw away opportunities because of the pay. That’s just not how I do business as so many opportunities happen from just being in the room. To be invited into successful circles, your presence is important no matter what industry you are in, and making sure that you are providing an attractive, positive image is always on trend.Kathryn Marshburn has spent 12+ years in the music and gaming industries guiding teams on identifying targeted goals with an agile approach resulting in driving revenue and reducing risk.Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist​According to multiple surveys, over 60% of organizations that hire coaches say executive presence is one of the two top purposes for their coaching. Companies see this skill’s value and want their leaders to lead with a strong presence! So, if it is so critical, what is it? It is defined in different ways for sure, depending on who you ask, yet the definition that I typically go to combines: CharacterPersonalityCredibilityAnd these probably include a wide variety of possible combinations which generate a successful “executive presence.” The result is a leader who can command the attention of a room and immediately draw you into their vision and who is set apart from others, allowing you to establish a reputation of respect and knowledge. Companies and leaders may already know that executive presence is important, but it isn’t a skill that comes naturally for a lot of people.It takes some time to develop and refine. So, the most important question is, how can you develop it yourself? Be self-aware and spend time with other executives you admire. By studying yourself and others, you can train yourself through hard work and discipline. Inspire your direct reports through clarity and intentional communication, taking the initiative and being a role model for them by keeping a journal, etc. Writing down your goals, plans, and priorities can also help you better understand your emotions and encourage regular self-reflection! Build relationships, which helps you to connect with others and build trust. By building strong relationships with colleagues, clients (internal and external), and other key stakeholders, you can establish yourself as a leader who is approachable and respected. Create AND share a clear, compelling vision. One of the most inspiring forms of executive presence is to inspire and share a compelling vision for others to see and follow.Build trust across different stakeholder groups (i.e., direct reports, peers, next level up, etc.) by keeping your work, and taking the necessary time to build and earn trust.Building executive presence is probably one of the most complicated things to do in leadership development, therefore don’t forget to get a coach, a mentor, and several peers who will be willing to support your development as you will support theirs!Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”Marshall Martin, Director Of OperationsDeveloping a good professional presence is crucial for success in any industry. It is not just about having the right skills and knowledge, but also about presenting oneself in a positive and effective manner. Good professional presence is defined by a combination of qualities, such as: Passion is the driving force behind a person or organization’s work and is essential in creating a positive impact. It exudes optimism and a can-do attitude. Integrity is fundamental in demonstrating honesty, ethical behavior, and trustworthiness. It is essential for building trust and credibility with colleagues and clients alike. Generosity involves giving back to others and contributing to the community. Whether through sharing knowledge or supporting others with our time, talents, and treasure, generosity fosters strong and healthy relationships. Gratitude is recognizing and expressing appreciation for others’ contributions. It contributes to creating a positive work culture. Authenticity is being true to oneself and one’s values, maintaining a sense of transparency and honesty in all interactions.Overall, good professional presence requires intentional effort and self-awareness. By embodying these qualities, individuals can establish themselves as respected and trusted leaders, achieving success and making a positive impact on those around them.Marshall Martin is a former executive with start-up/entrepreneurial and large multi-national organizations with 20+ years of experience in the delivery of sales, finance, and operations management. His mission is to be a servant leader that connects, creates, and builds innovative ideas and solutions.Percy Leon, Digital Media Content Executive​In today’s competitive business world, having a good professional presence is essential for success. Here are some key characteristics that I feel contribute to a strong professional presence: Confidence: A good professional presence is characterized by confidence. This means having the self-assurance to speak up, take risks, and make decisions. When you exude confidence, others will be more likely to trust and respect you.Communication skills: Communication is an essential part of building a strong professional presence. This includes not only speaking clearly and articulately but also being a good listener and able to communicate effectively in writing.Professionalism: Professionalism is another key characteristic of a good professional presence. This means being reliable, respectful, and trustworthy in your interactions with others. It also means dressing appropriately for the situation and being punctual.Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others. This is essential for building strong relationships with colleagues and clients.Competence: Finally, a good professional presence is characterized by competence. This means having the skills and knowledge necessary to do your job well and being willing to learn and adapt as needed.A good professional presence is a combination of confidence, communication skills, professionalism, emotional intelligence, and competence. By focusing on developing these characteristics, you can build a strong professional presence that will help you in your career.Percy Leon is a digital media content producer specializing in educational technology and entertainment. He is interested in web3, metaverse, and the use of virtual reality for storytelling.Lisa Perry, Global Marketing ExecutiveI didn’t know much about professional presence until about 2 ½ years ago when I met J.T. O’Donnell. I took her in-depth course on executive presence and learned that it’s about what people see when they come in contact with us. It’s our ability to project gravitas, confidence, competence, poise under pressure, decisiveness, speaking skills, assertiveness, and the ability to read an audience or situation, among other key characteristics. It enables us to build trust, establish credibility, and accelerate outcomes and results. What defines good executive presence is a personal journey and requires work. And that’s what I’ve been doing over the last several years. I did a deep dive into four areas: Understand My Strengths, Weaknesses, Talents, & Biases Explore How Peers, Colleagues, Subordinates, & Leaders Perceive MeDevelop An Action Plan To Enhance Executive Presence Create A Measurement PlanThis process was very enlightening, helping me understand where I was undervaluing myself based on feedback from those who have worked with me. As a result, over the last year, I’ve been able to turn around my executive presence based on the action plan I put together, helping me become a more effective leader, build stronger relationships with others, and achieve greater success at work.Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.John Hoffman, Creative ProducerAn excellent professional presence is essential for anyone, especially those starting a career path. It begins with credibility, being present, paying attention, and inspiring confidence in your colleagues. To build credibility, focus on four simple aspects: Competence – the ability to do something successfully.Communication – transfer information succinctly.Integrity – do what you say, say what you do.Preparedness – be ready.Always be willing to learn and improve by asking questions, stepping out of your comfort zone, and being open to feedback. Stay positive, avoid negative language, and have fun. Taking yourself too seriously can be detrimental to your professional presence, so remember to keep it simple and enjoy the journey. In closing, pay attention to the positive and ask yourself if your actions are helping or harming the task. Then, do these things and develop a professional presence to set you up for success.John Hoffman has 15+ years of leadership experience creating and producing video content, branded entertainment, PR stunts, and experiential and live events. At his core, he’s a storyteller who has mastered the creative map and can scale logistical mountains.What do you think defines good professional presence? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Landing a management job is a big deal. You’re moving up in your career and getting recognized for all of your hard work and accomplishments. But it takes more to be a good manager than just experience and an impressive resume.We’ve all had managers at different points in our careers, and let’s be honest: a few, if not the majority of them, were not good managers. And that’s okay. Not everyone is cut out for a management position. But if you recently landed a job as a manager at your company, you probably want to be the best manager you can be.Here are 10 mistakes new managers make at work that you should try to avoid:1. Acting Too QuicklyNew managers frequently believe that they need to change everything. They place the stamp of their own ideas on every policy, procedure, and rule. And if there are no policies and rules, they’re eager to create new ones.They act on poor performance appraisal data. They immediately favor co-worker friends for key assignments, schedules, and so on. They want to create their “own team” as quickly as possible.2. Acting Too SlowlyOther new managers act too slowly—buying into the “we’ve always done it that way” mindset. This can be particularly true of new managers with no management experience or very little experience with the company (e.g., a new manager hired from outside the organization).Managers report that they intended to “wait a year or so” to learn how things work in the organization so “my employees can get to know me.”3. Failing To Assess ProperlyThis mistake holds the solution to the paradox of the first two mistakes—the “just right” solution. A new manager must assess the situation of the organization, the expectations given by senior management, and the strengths and weaknesses of the department and each employee (hopefully, more focused on strengths).Typically, a new manager is charged with solving some specific problems. Ignoring them is fatal. Not meeting with each subordinate to get to know them personally, get to know their strengths, and get their input is equally fatal.4. Acting On Old Performance Appraisal DataPerformance appraisal data is fundamentally flawed by rater bias. The appraisal data reflects more on the performance of the previous manager than it does on the employees being rated. Spending hours reviewing old performance ratings on subordinates is a waste of time.If the previous manager was promoted because of his or her successful management of your new team, ask that manager some simple questions about each member of your new team. For example, ask: “Would you always pick (or rehire) this person for your team?”If you’re replacing a manager who was not successful, see the mistake below. 5. Focusing On Weaknesses, Not StrengthsSolving key problems may be a top priority (e.g., poor customer service). But solving problems is less likely to be successful if the focus is on weaknesses instead of strengths.If you can’t objectively measure the strengths of the team using an assessment like CliftonStrengths Assessment then interview members about their strengths. Ask each one of them how they see themselves best contributing.6. Failing To CommunicateYes, it’s a classic movie line, but it could be number one on this list. Too often, new managers lock into a learning mode to read policies and procedures. They want to “understand things” before saying anything to their new team.The solution is simple: communicate now and communicate often. Give your team the opportunity to learn about you as you learn about them. Let them learn your communication style as you learn their styles.7. Failing To Ask Questions”If I ask questions, it shows I don’t know what to do.” That’s scary, but it’s not unusual.Too many new managers fail because of both inaction and action driven by the failure to ask. Some of the most successful managers I’ve known were the most curious—asking questions of their bosses, other managers, and members of their team. They had a two-year-old’s curiosity and loved the “why?”8. Treating Everyone The SameThe biggest mistake all managers make, not just new managers, is trying to motivate all team members the same way—or assuming they’re motivated by what you think “motivates everyone.”Motivation has some common elements known to anyone who really studies performance and it has some myths that managers routinely follow by mistake. The solution is to understand your team members’ strengths. That way, you’ll know more about how to best motivate each person on your team. 9. Having A ‘My Way Or The Highway’ AttitudeNew managers often believe they must be the know-it-all decision maker for the team, failing to realize the job is coaching people to be top performers and NOT being the “I can do it myself” manager.In today’s multiple-skilled workforce, a manager is likely to be the least knowledgeable regarding specific job/technical knowledge. The solutions are communicating, asking, and listening!10. Being Afraid To FireNew managers are often challenged by Red Scott’s “hire smart, or manage tough” dilemma with a situation created by themselves or the previous manager. Managers must know when and how to firmly make decisions (legally) that someone does not want to meet performance objectives.A common refrain: “I know I should have terminated him/her a long time ago.”A favorite management quote: “Management is now where the medical profession was when it was decided that working in a drug store was not sufficient training to become a doctor.” —Lawrence AppleyThe ultimate solution to these 10 mistakes new managers make is adequate training! We wish you the best of luck in your management position and hope you receive the training you need in order to be the best manager you can be.Need more help with your career?Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Job seekers spend hours drafting their cover letters and contacting different companies, hoping to get a job interview. A smart job seeker knows the common interview questions a hiring manager will ask in a job interview and will prepare answers accordingly. Anticipating and crafting interview questions and answers gives you the best shot at making a good impression. Usually, employers ask a common set of questions. So, we’re going to share some important points regarding those questions and how you should respond to them. Here are five smart tips for answering interview questions:Do Not Be Impulsive When Answering QuestionsDifferent hiring managers speak at different speeds. Allow the hiring manager to complete the question and listen to each and every word carefully. Some questions start off similar to other questions but demand different responses.For example, an employer might ask you, “What skills do you have to deal with a customer?” Here, if you listen to only the first part, that is, “What skills do you have…?” you will end up giving a wrong answer.Take A Pause Before Answering A QuestionWait a few seconds after the employer stops speaking to make sure you heard the complete question. Create a mental list of points to include in your response. Do not wander off the point, and answer directly, covering all main points of the questions. Be sure to answer all parts of the employer’s question.Respond By Stating Your Key PointsRepeat your key points 2-3 times while answering the question. Explain how you have applied these points in your previous jobs. Finish your answer by reiterating these points. This will highlight your skills and reinforce your case to the employer as the ideal person for the job.Tell The Interviewer Something Unique About YourselfIf you are good at creative things like graphic designing, essay writing, event planning, and so on, then you should definitely let them know about your extraordinary skills. It’s important to leave the interviewer with a lasting impression.Each response must tell the interviewer something new. For example, when you answer questions like, “Tell me about yourself,” you can start out with “As a longtime volunteer at XYZ organization…”Some final things to keep in mind while going through the job interview…Listen carefully to your interviewer. It does not matter if you get the job or not, an interviewer is giving you an opportunity for professional growth and therefore deserves respect. Put your phone on “silent mode” before going into your job interview. A ringing tone or message alert may distract you and the interviewer from the discussion.If you remember these tips during your next job interview, you’ll impress the hiring manager and stand out as a smart, capable, and qualified job candidate. Never underestimate the power of good interview questions and answers! Need more help with your job search?Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!This article was originally published at an earlier date.