Jo McDermott

jomcdermott

  • Moms At Work

    Happy Mother’s Day On this Mother’s Day, I thought would I write about women at work. I grew up not only with a mother who worked outside the home, but with a grandmother who always had as well (starting when… Continue reading

  • Do a Personal SWOT

    Most of us have done a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for our organization at one time or another.  It is a part of most strategy development efforts.   Try doing a personal SWOT as a part of your career development… Continue reading

  • What The Heck Are Unwritten Rules?

    Four Problems There are four problems to being able to understand the unwritten rules in your organizations.  The first is that you believe you know the rules (these are your beliefs about how organizations are supposed to work) and that… Continue reading

  • Get Off Your Butt! DIY Executive Development

    I’m going to rant a little l talk to people all the time who are sitting around waiting for their company to “do something” about their development.  They know that they are talented (and for the most part, the company… Continue reading

  • Looking for a job? Look in the HJM!

    Looking for a job? Soooooo many people are looking for jobs these days.  People who have been laid off are looking.  People who are dissatisfied are looking.  People who have been underemployed for a while are finally feeling like things… Continue reading

  • Take Feedback, Especially Bad Feedback, As a Gift

    My “Bad” Feedback I remember the first time that feedback got my attention.  It didn’t get enough attention, but I kept thinking about it—for a really long time.  My mentor told me, “Well, you didn’t get where you are on… Continue reading

  • Don’t Take Your Needs to Work

    Basics/Needs/Wants My first exposure to the idea of how my needs impacted my career came from Laura Berman Fortgang’s book, Take Yourself to the Top. Fortgang divides things into basics/needs/wants.  Most of us can tell what the basics are–enough food, housing,… Continue reading

  • Dealing with A**holes

    For some reason I’ve talked to a lot of people in the last couple of weeks who were having problems with people in their lives—mostly at work.  The problem when you have to deal with people who are difficult is… Continue reading

  • Can You Really Earn a Living Doing What You Love?

    Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow You hear it all the time.  “Do what you love and the money will follow?” But is it true?  I’d have to say, “Kind of.”  When you are working doing things you… Continue reading

  • Keeping Up

    Why Should I Care? I talk to people who want to get promoted.  I talk to people who just lost their job.  I talk to people who want to go work for a cool company they know about.  I talk… Continue reading