Professional Behavior and Communication Development Course 2-page summary/reflection of class

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Finance 250

Professional Behavior and Communication Development

Professor Troy Kane

Week Five Agenda

➢ Guest Speaker

➢ Etiquette in the Workplace

➢ Professional Writing

➢ Industry Feedback

Etiquette in the Workplace

10 Keys to Workplace Success "If I knew then what I knew now..."

Every seasoned employee has had this thought at one point in time. Starting your first job is a huge endeavor, and there are bits of professional wisdom every employee should know to be successful. Here are 10 keys to workplace success:

1. Embrace the unknown as a challenge. Ninety-five percent of your job will be on- the-job learning. See your new projects and responsibilities as learning opportunities. Don't be afraid to figure it out. With topics and duties that are new to you, research, explore, and have fun with it.

2. Always have an opinion. Have an answer to "What do you think?" This will make you part of the conversation, and it will help you hone your decision-making skills.

3. Failing is learning. Fail faster! You won't always have the "right" answer; see it as a learning opportunity. Never turn down a new project because you’re intimidated or afraid to fail. Think outside the box and try new things.

4. Under promise, over deliver. It’s better to exceed expectations than not be able to meet them.

5. Focus on quality versus quantity. More is not necessarily better. Flawless execution is imperative to instill trust in your company and brand. Attention to detail is everything, so triple check everything. Treat every assignment as though the CEO will be evaluating it.

6. Have solutions for problems. Always brainstorm answers and solutions for problems. Ask for guidance or input, not the answer.

7. Own your position and duties. See your duties through from start to finish. Don't be afraid to take complete ownership in all that you do.

8. Join a professional organization. This exposes you to professionals outside of your company and allows you to gain new skills and education.

9. Find life balance. Do something for you every day. Find something you love to do, and make sure you achieve one thing and enjoy one thing every day.

10. Keep a great attitude. A positive attitude is contagious and will make people want to work with you. Avoid negativity and find the positive in every situation. Attitude is everything!

10 Keys to Workplace Success

• 54% of managers expect new hires have 1 to 3 months to prove themselves

• Another 9% expect new hires to prove themselves in less than one month

• Meet as many people across the organization as quickly as possible

• Show up early to organize your work day

• Its ok to ask for help

• Set up one-on-one meetings with your boss to get feed back on your performance and to identify what additional training is needed

• Say, "Thank you" to everyone who assists

• Don't be a know it all regarding how you did things in your old job or at school

• Don't isolate yourself, invite colleagues to lunch or coffee

• Ask colleagues if you can help out

• Learn about other roles in the company

First 90 Days

Unprofessional Behavior

• Being Lazy, there is no easy button

• Being late (arriving to work; meetings; assignments)

• Unrealistic optimism

• Inconsistency

• Disorganization

• Secrecy

• Overpromising

• Cheating, take credit for other’s work

• Lying

• Gossiping

• Talking about other co-workers

• It’s one thing to be quiet, it’s another for your name NOT to be mentioned when it comes to your unique strengths. In that case, work on your personal brand.

• Speak up in meetings. If you’re invited and not going to contribute, you’re failing your organization.

• Develop a strategy before the networking event. Be a, “Loud Listener”. Listen, analyze, internalize and wait for an opportunity to insert your opinion and steer (not take over) the conversation.

• Ask yourself: 1) Why am I here? 2) What will I contribute? 3) What will people say when I leave the room?

• Ask insightful questions. Over prepare.

• Be intentional with appreciation.

• Be ready to summarize (Make yourself known for summarizing).

So, What if You’re an Introvert?

Generations in the Workplace

Current Generations

Generation Name Births Start Births End Age Range Today (2018)

The Greatest Generation 1910 1924 94 108

The Silent Generation 1925 1945 73 93

Baby Boomer Generation 1946 1964 54 72

Generation X (Baby Bust) 1965 1979 39 53

Generation Y (The Millennials) 1980 1994 24 38

Generation Z (Gen Next/iGen) 1995 2012 6 23

Gen Alpha 2013 2025 0 5

A core challenge over the next decade will be to attract and retain a skilled work force as the labor

market continues to tighten, technology continues to evolve, and fewer foreign students immigrate

to America for job opportunities. For the first time in history, five generations are working side by

side, each with different leadership, communication and career development styles.

The Silent Generation (ages 73-93): ▪ Make up less than 1 percent of the U.S.

workforce. ▪ Place a strong emphasis on rules. ▪ Lead with a "command and control" style. ▪ Prefer face-to-face interaction, but

communicate best formally (e.g., memos).

Baby Boomers (ages 54-72): ▪ Make up 27 percent of the U.S. workforce,

but their numbers are declining. ▪ Are retiring at a rate of 10,000 per day, but

many can't afford to retire and want to work part time.

▪ Are inclined to seek contract work after retirement.

▪ Tend to be workaholics who get personal fulfillment from work.

Generation X (ages 39-53): ▪ Make up 35 percent of the U.S. workforce. ▪ Prefer independence and fewer rules. ▪ Seek to balance work and family. ▪ Want to communicate directly with leaders.

Generation Y, aka Millennials (ages 24-38): ▪ Make up 37 percent of the U.S. workforce ▪ Take an entrepreneurial approach to work. ▪ Prefer direct communication and feedback. ▪ Want a social, friendly work environment.

Generation Z (under 23): ▪ Make up 1-2 percent of the U.S. workforce. ▪ Are likely to be using Social Media to find

jobs. ▪ Communicate best by smartphone/e-mail. ▪ Have large networks but not much job

experience. Employers can leverage these networks.

Source: American Management Association and Society for Human Resource Management

Generations at Work

Professional Writing

Professional Email Structure • Include a clear, direct subject line - make the subject line count

• Add the email addressee last

• Double check that you've selected the correct recipient

• Think twice before hitting 'reply all’

• Use professional salutations

• Proof read every message

• Reply to your emails in a timely manner

• Be cautious with humor

• Keep tabs on your tone

• Nothing is confidential -- so write accordingly

• If you need to communicate something confidential, PICK UP THE PHONE!

• Limit who you copy (Use, "Reply All" as a last resort).

• Think of the intended audience

• Include a signature block

Presentations • Presentations, whether made with PowerPoint or another tool, are a great way

to support a talk, visualize complicated circumstances or focus attention on the subject.

• The first thing that gives a professional touch to any presentation is the design. It’s the first thing your audience will see and it can leave a lasting impression, for better or worse.

• Carefully compose your slides, be carful when cutting and pasting from other material, and pick an easy to read font.

• Carefully select font sizes for headers and text; Leave room for highlights, such as images or take home messages.

• Use Consistency and take the time to match your visuals to your presentation design.

• Content should be concise, remember that your slides are only there to support, not to replace your talk! You want to tell a story, describe your data or explain circumstances, and only give keys through your slides.

Industry Feedback

What is the Financial Industry Looking For? • Skills at Least as Important as Knowledge

– Critical Thinking Skills

– Technical Analytical Skills

– Communication

– Leadership

• Personality Traits Matter

• Knowledge

– Programming Orientated to Specific Industry Segments/Roles Preferable

– Technology Matters

– Applied/Experiential Learning Matters

– Intermediate Financial Accounting is a Must