2015 - Essential Tips For The Year Ahead.

This will be a 'user's guide' to help you best navigate 2015 based on the current changes in the marketplace. Headline: Business life as we know it is over. Things are changing at an ever faster rate — so you need to keep up or fall behind. No sitting still or hiding.

1. The idea of keeping your head down, working hard, not making ripples and hoping for the best is gone forever. 

The world isn't over — just the opposite — there are innumerable opportunities out there. So MANY opportunities.

How? Keep your eyes peeled constantly and stay flexible with your projects. Develop a 360° view — what's happening with management, your peers and your team? You can't stay immobile for very long — keep your view and actions constant.

Read This: Extreme Mojo (Or Driving On The Corporate Autobahn).

2. Keep as many options open as possible. 

Little or no options at your disposal invites tragedy. If you have a choice, you then have a way out of the corner you just painted yourself into.

How? If you lose a client, you should have 2-3 waiting in the wings. Keep meeting new people constantly. Keep your resume up to date. Look for new opportunities at other companies.

Read This: How Safe Is Your Career Today?

3. Keep your eye on the marketplace.

Who's up? Who's down? Why? Who are the movers and shakers in the industry? Is there a way you can meet them, get to know them, become friends? How? Start following some of your favorite companies and organizations. Read industry magazines and surf their sites. A well-informed professional is a force to be reckoned with.

Read This: Without A Doubt, The Money Is Still Out There.

4. Keep learning.

Your brain doesn't have a finite amount of space — keep filling it up with new knowledge, new experiences, and new behaviors.

How? When was the last time you read a business book cover-to-cover? How often do you read and follow the Wall Street Journal? When do you meet with peers in your industry for lunch to swap ideas, insights, and stories? You need to start doing it immediately.

Read This: 8 Things I Wish I Learned In College.

5. Take stock of your habits and behaviors.

Which ones move you forward? Which ones hold you back? Which ones do nothing? Understand these habits and begin to change them — it won't happen overnight — but a slow, focused and determined process will allow you to overcome almost anything.

How? Write down some of the habits you know hold you back — procrastination, cocooning, etc. Put in place behaviors which will counteract some of these bad habits. If you cocoon (stay in your office all day) — get out and meet new people.

Read This: How To Eliminate Procrastination From Your Life.

6. Be a billboard.

There are people who want you. They want what you can do. They want your products and services. They just can't find you. How?

Read This: How To Become Unfireable: Be A Billboard.

Don't be afraid of 2015. It's imperative you buck that trend 180 degrees and embrace your future. In good and bad times, there are people out there making a lot of money and getting promotions. You can do it too.

Don't hide. Get out there and do things that SCARE you.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. How did you like this article? Let me know. Are you interested in learning more? Let’s talk. I work with people from all over the world who need to take aggressive steps in their career — call me to schedule a test drive.

How To Become Unfireable – Part Seven: Be A Billboard.

In addition to coaching a full practice of clients, my Mentor Coach Bootcamps started this week (say goodbye to Monday nights). So the 'production' end of my business is ‘full-steam ahead’. I also jumped out of bed every morning over the past two weeks (4:30 AM) to attend various networking/sales meetings to spread the word of the Rich Gee.

And I gave a major presentation to 150+ executives about how to market themselves. It was a big hit for me – most attendees gave me a 4 to 5 rating (on a scale of 1-5).

So the ‘development’ end of my business was in full gear too. What did it deliver? I received an avalanche of interest in my coaching and my phone has been off the hook. In addition, my site numbers are through the roof and I have a pack of new business cards that can choke a horse (all to enter today into my contact list for eBlasts).

Why am I telling you all this? Not to brag — but to illustrate how to grow from knowing a lot of people into a person a lot of people KNOW ABOUT.

You are the product – get others to meet you, talk with you, experience you. “Take you out for a test drive” as I call it.

People need to see you, experience you, to see what you’re working on. They need to hear three things:

#1 What you’ve done.

This is your reputation - you need to advertise it. Don’t think people just know about it. That’s the mistake most executives make — they think their work speaks for them forever.

Don’t kid yourself. After the project is over, the major rollout complete, the client captured . . . people forget. Quickly.

You need to remind them frequently of your past successes. Not blatantly, but in general conversation. Mention how you worked with Tom when you rolled out that spectacular initiative or when Susan helped you lock in one of your biggest clients. Misdirect with someone else and then bring it back to you.

#2 What you’re doing.

People need to know the level of caliber they’re working with and you need to let them know the high-level and high-impact stuff you’re managing.

The secret ingredient: if you have to let people know what you’re working on, you’ll tend to focus on higher exposure projects. It’s like a class reunion, 3-6 months beforehand, you lose weight, get that liposuction done you’ve been putting off, and hit those wrinkles with botox.

I want you to do the same thing with your career. If you aren’t working on the high-priority projects — make sure you are.

#3 What you’re gonna do.

This is how you predict great opportunities for your career. When you’re out there, you’re finding out about what’s in store for the company, the industry, and everyone around you.

The most connected executives are actively letting key people know their ideas, strategies, and plans. They brainstorm at lunch, ask for ideas after work, and delve deeper with the management team over drinks.

The more you are a billboard and let the right people see what you’ve done, what you are doing today, and what you plan to do . . . the more high-level projects, positions, and promotions come your way.

Now go out there and let them see your billboard up in lights!

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Need to figure out how to be a billboard? Let's talk. This is one of the main areas I tackle first with all of my clients. If you’re not a client . . . grab your spot now before all the final spot for October is taken. Only one left — time is getting short.