Color Q Personality Power

Understand People: Improve Leadership, Sales, Teams and Careers

Shoya

Will You Be Underpaid? Can Your Personality Affect Your Salary & What Can You Do About It?

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Take a quick look at the options below.  Choose one from each set of statements.  At least 51% of the time, do you tend to be more:

__tactful and diplomatic or __direct and frank?
__apt to avoid conflict where possible or __apt to meet conflict head on?
__empathetic or __analytical?
__accepting at first or __skeptical at first?
__apt to take things personally or __objective about criticism?

If you’ve chosen more items from the left column, research shows there is a high probability you will be underpaid by at least 25% of your true value.  This is not because you lack drive, skills, commitment or talent.  Chances are you are simply not asking for your due. When first interviewed, you probably liked the job and/or found compatibility with your future boss and colleagues.  So when a reasonable number was offered, you accepted it rather than creating conflict by pushing the envelope and asking for more.  Later, at review time, you also were less likely to be aggressive about demanding a robust raise.  Companies need to focus on the bottom line and will offer the minimum.  It is easy to accept the offer to maintain harmonious work relations. After all money is not everything!  But this does not have to be your ongoing fate!

You need to learn from those who choose more items from the right column.  These individuals are typically paid more, often not because they produce superior work, but because they know their worth and demand to be properly compensated.

So if you are in the group on the left, which makes up 50% of the population, and 65% of women, what can you do about it?

  1. Research Your Position.  Search salary websites, and talk to people who are in similar jobs.
  2. Determine Your Priorities. Salary, bonus, vacation, health benefits, technologically advanced equipment, a supportive boss, freedom, and meaningful work are all priorities that are individually sensitive.  Perhaps you cannot push on the salary, but you can increase the value of the overall package.
  3. Get Organized.  Make a written list of your skills and achievements. This will give you the confidence to present these in a coherent way and to highlight your past contributions.
  4. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse.  You know the old saying, “Practice makes perfect.”  The confidence gained through rehearsal will decrease your anxiety and allow you to remain confident and focused.  As a result, you will be less likely to fold early on in the salary negotiation process.

Avoid the costly mistake of starting your career being underpaid.  Know your worth and demand to be properly compensated.  Your future career and financial success depend on it.

Your approach to money and salary is one of many factors covered in Shoya Zichy’s Color Q Model and new book, Career Match: Connecting Who You Are With What You’ll Love to Do.  Others factors include your work-related strengths, ideal work environment and boss, range of suitable careers, entrepreneurial style and interview and job search style.  For further information, visit www.ColorQPersonalities.com.

Dinner with the Ambassador

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It is 6 pm and I am sitting with the South American ambassador for my monthly dinner. Once a month he invites me without my parents. I am 8 years old and the Cairo community smiles indulgently. He misses his kids is the word around town.

So “my little one” he says with a warm smile. “What have you heard this week?” The reality is that the ambassador discovered the previous year that I visit many of society’s children. Following our escape from Hungary, my parents were invited to Egypt by King Farouk so invitations are not in short supply. Each household  has a staff in excess of 30 – governesses, butlers, cooks, maids etc – and they do chatter about what goes on in other households. I love gossip so listen attentively and often share with the ambassador some of the choice tidbits. Tonight, I tell him the story of a party given the previous week by another recently arrived ambassador. The man hired the king’s cook as caterer, thinking only of his expertise. The king crashed the party at 11 PM – as he often did – only to discover that the guests were using the palace china, silver and food provided by his cook. In a fit of rage, he began throwing plates against the wall and everyone took quick cover in adjoining rooms. The ambassador howls with laughter hearing this, as does the serving staff of 3 – so much so, that food from the platters is dripping on the embassy floor!

15 years later I am in Paris working for Coca Cola and representing the firm at a cocktail party. My host says “there is a man charging across the room who wants to talk to you.” I turn around and there is the ambassador whom I have not seen since we made a quick political exit from Cairo 14 years before. “Shoya,” he says with a huge grin. “I have been looking for you for years. I so wanted to tell, you saved my career!” The ambassador, it turns out, had hired the same caterer to do his coming out party the week after our dinner, and promptly cancelled him the following day.

Lesson learned. Always pay attention to those below you. Often they have information that your peers and superiors do not.

Networking Tips Learned from Serving as a Lady-In-Waiting To the Court in Exile of Queen Geraldine of Albania.

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   by Shoya Zichy

 

 

 

Hungarian born Geraldine, was a cousin of enduring charm and beauty.  King Zog of Albania saw her photo when she was 20 and invited her to visit his country.  She arrived with her chaperones and, as he had hoped, fell in love.  Their wedding was triumphant. 50,000 children in native costumes sang and applauded.  The plot however turned.  Less than a year later, still bleeding from the birth of her son, she was carried to a vehicle on a mattress and the couple escaped from the Italian invaders.  She, the king and his entourage began an odyssey that would ultimately land them in Egypt at the invitation of King Farouk.  It was there that I met her as a small child and was privileged to visit her in Alexandria each summer for the next 6 years.

Later we went our separate ways.  My family emigrated to the US and she ultimately went to  Spain after her husband passed away.  Much to my surprise she contacted me after my US college graduation and asked whether I would be interested in joining her as a lady in waiting in Madrid.  I spent a memorable year with her and remember well the many lessons she taught her “ladies” to help strengthen her position in Madrid.

Things were complicated by the presence of several colonels who, under the direction of her son Crown Prince Leka, were training young Albanians in the family’s compound.  Leka was hoping to launch a coup to regain his throne.  Needless to say, neighbors in the fashionable neighborhood were not amused.  Yet the Queen continued to be invited to social events most evenings of the week.  Before each event we gathered to discuss the guests and strategies to solidify her relationship with the community.  Her tips remains among the best, and have served me well ever since.  I have simplified them into 3 networking steps described below:

1. Observe & listen. What clues are provided by the individual’s speech tempo and eye contact.  Are they more outgoing or reserved and how much do they want to reveal about themselves?  Follow their lead and adapt your response accordingly.  Most of all, nod and smile frequently.
2. Ask questions: First determine from #1 how much personal information the person wants to reveal.  Then ask questions that will provide more information about their interests, activities, feelings and concerns.  Most of all, don’t interrupt.  Let them talk.
3. Reveal key things about yourself that will make you memorable.  Based on #2, you can now tell them a few interesting things about yourself that will help them remember you after the evening is over.  These will differ depending on answers to the previous steps.

We practiced good openers, how to ask questions and what to reveal.  After the event we gathered to share the information received.  Over the coming months these tips made the evenings fun, informative and, most importantly, solidified her position among the ruling class of Madrid.

Turbulent years followed, but in 2002 Queen Geraldine, along with her son and grandson , was invited by Parliament back to Albania to live.  She died at the age of 87 and was buried with full honors .  Who would have thought?  Targeted networking does work!

Will You Be Underpaid?: What Your Personality Says About Your Approach To Money & Salary Negotiations

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Take a quick look at the options below. Choose one from each set of statements. At least 51% of the time, do you tend to be more:

___ tactful and diplomatic

___ apt to avoid conflict where possible

___ empathetic

___ accepting at first

___ apt to take things personally

or ___ direct and frank?

or ___ apt to meet conflict head on?

or ___ analytical?

or ___ skeptical at first?

or ___ objective about criticism?

If you’ve chosen more items from the column on the left, research shows you will probably be underpaid by at least 25% of your true value. This is not because you lack skills or talent, but because you are not asking for your due. The chances are you like the job and the people and when a reasonable number is offered, you accept it rather than create conflict. It is easy to fall into this “funk,” but it does not have to be your ongoing fate!

You need to learn from those who chose more items from the right column. These individuals are typically paid more than the previous group; not because they produce superior work, but because they know their worth and demand to be properly compensated. So if you are in the group on the left, which makes up 50% of the population, and 65% of women, what can you do about it?

1. Research Your Position. Search salary websites, and talk to people who are in similar career professions.

2. Determine Your Priorities. Salary, bonus, vacation, health benefits, technologically advanced equipment, a supportive boss, freedom, and meaningful work are all priorities that are individually sensitive. Perhaps you cannot push on the salary, but you can increase the overall package.

3. Get Organized. Make a list of your skills and achievements. Prepare to present these as well as highlight your past contributions and accomplishments.

4. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse. You know the old saying, “Practice makes perfect.” Find someone with whom to role play. The confidence gained through rehearsal will decrease your anxiety and allow you to remain confident and focused. As a result, you will be less likely to fold early on in the salary negotiation process.

Avoid the costly mistake of starting your career being underpaid. Know your worth and demand to be properly compensated. Your future career and financial success depend on it. Your approach to money is one of many factors covered in Shoya Zichy’s Color Q Model and book, Career Match: Connecting Who You Are With What You’ll Love to Do. Others factors include your work-related strengths, ideal work environment and boss, range of suitable careers, entrepreneurial style and interview and job search style.

Your Organizational Personality: Finding The Right Fit Is Key To Success

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Corporate culture is the sum of an organization’s goals, behaviors and values.  Fortunate individuals who find themselves in the right culture feel both energized and highly valued by their boss, peers and subordinates.  Others, in the wrong setting, will be stifled and frustrated by practices and processes that run counter to their natural style.  Finding the right culture for your personality is a key component to job success and overall quality of life.  Please note that neither of the two types described below is better or smarter.  Each has its success stories and failures.  They key is knowing yourself and finding the right fit.

Cultural fit is closely related to the Structured and Adaptable components.

Check Your True Preference Below:

__meet deadlines early                           OR __meet deadlines at the last minute

__make detailed plans before you start   OR __handle problems as they arise

__are punctual and sometimes early        OR __tend to be leisurely

__like to be scheduled                            OR __prefer to be spontaneous

__have a tidy workplace                         OR __have a workplace with many piles

MORE ITEMS ON THE LEFT?  Your inborn style is “Structured” with more left-brain activity.   You thrive in a stable work environment with well-defined job responsibilities.  You prefer working with tried and true products and processes that have been tested in the past.   You are seen as responsible, punctual and accountable and like to be rewarded for getting the job done in an efficient and organized manner.  You typically do not like change, too many surprises or having to work with co-workers who are too flexible and/or easy going.  You have a neat desk, closet, files and car.  You balance your checkbook on a regular basis and keep firm control over your assets.  Even relaxation is organized – play comes after the work is done.   Life is tidy and predictable and you like it that way!

Your special strengths include:

  • Setting and pursuing long term goals
  • Organizing projects and developing efficient systems
  • Meeting and enforcing deadlines
  • Properly using and conserving resources
  • Completing all parts of work with precision and accuracy

MORE CHOICES ON THE RIGHT?   You are an “Adaptable” with more right-brain activity.  Chances are you prefer to work in a flat hierarchy, with the opportunity redefine your job every day.  You excel at creating new products and processes and thrive on dealing with the unexpected.  Variety, change, and a flexible environment without undue rules or bureaucracy is best for you.  You need to be rewarded for your willingness to take risks and to get things done, often without the assistance of others.  You are seen as spontaneous and adaptable.  Typically casual in your clothing and irreverent in manner, you also tend not to balance your checkbook too frequently.  And if work is not fun, it is not worth doing!

Your special strengths are:

  • Responding easily to unexpected changes and crises
  • Multi-tasking and keeping several balls in the air at the same time
  • Being flexible, accommodating and easy to work with
  • Applying skills and interests to new fields
  • Solving problems in original ways

THE CONFLICT

There are many conflicts between the two groups – both in the workplace and in families (we tend to marry our opposite).   Structured types drive their opposites crazy with their need for schedules, plans, and closure.  Meanwhile  Adaptables may be perceived as messy and irresponsible by their Structured counterparts.  Understanding these inborn differences and the contributions of each increases workplace satisfaction and productivity.  It will also make for a happier marriage and better parenting.

DO COMPANIES HAVE ONLY ONE CULTURE? 

Despite an overall “culture: environments have different work niches for the other personality type. For instance companies like IBM will have a few departments designed to explore new markets and products.  These groups may be heavily populated by Adaptables who create a unique culture within their units.  Similarly a large bank, normally a bastion of structured behavior, will have overseas posts filled with employees always ready get on a plane on a moment’s notice to pursue a new client.  Likewise companies like Google need operating units with more Structured components.  Accounting, project management and operations are just a few that will typically draw and be run by individuals with the laser beam focus needed to carry out the responsibilities of the group.  Recognizing that you are good fit with your unit, but at odds with the company’s culture at a large, reduces stress.  It is easier to point out your value to the company if you understand the larger framework in which you operate.

CLUES TO RECOGNIZING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Can you determine the corporate culture during the interviewing process?  The degree of noise, conditions of desks and dress code may provide clues.   The Structured environments tend to be more subdued.   Employees have desks with limited and neatly organized piles.  The clothing usually is more formal.  Deadlines and punctuality are high priorities.  In an Adaptable environment there is “restrained chaos.”  Deadlines, clothing and schedules are more casual and desks have many piles.

IN SUMMARY.  The world divides fairly equally between the two groups.  There are no gender differences and the percentages hold up across cultures worldwide, even though some cultures seem to express values that favor one group over the other.  Differences are inborn and hold up from cradle to grave.  Finding the right corporate culture will allow you to define your unique strengths and brand yourself so others appreciate your contributions.  This is one of the most important steps to career success.  It will also reduce stress, free up your creativity and improve your relationship with your co-workers, clients, families and friends.

Four Easy Networking Tips for 2011

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Re-connect. Choose 5-10 people you lost touch with in 2010 and re-connect with them. Suggest and schedule either a telephone or in-person catch-up session. Say something like, “I’d like to hear what you’ve been up to.” This is easy, enjoyable and puts you back on their radar screen.

Plan forward. Imagine 3 projects you’d like to accomplish by July 2011. Outline them and determine in your network might be able to help? What specific kind of help will you ask for?

Express appreciation. Choose 5 people who made an impact on your life and business in 2010. Say, “I want to thank you for . . . ” Be specific, enthusiastic and grateful.

Help others. Someone in your circle would benefit from your knowledge. Offer to share without expecting anything in return.