Jo McDermott

jomcdermott

  • Starting a New Job? Hit the Ground Successful!

    First Steps to Success in Your New Job The first thing to ask is why they hired you? What do they need you to do? How does that compare with what your predecessor did? You can’t assume that you were… Continue reading

  • Get Your Business Started. What Are You Waiting On?

    It’s Time to Put Up or Shut Up So you want to start a business.  Someday.  Someday will come and go and where will your business  be?  What are you waiting on?  You want to get everything set up first?… Continue reading

  • Stand Out: Work On Projects

    Internal People on Projects When I work as a consultant on big change projects in companies, there are always consultants (outsiders) and business representatives (insiders).  The insiders are usually identified as subject matter experts, business leads, and sponsors.  Despite what… Continue reading

  • How Do You Know When You’re In Trouble With Your Boss?

    I used to get feedback on 360° assessments that I was unreadable.  I didn’t do much about it because I really didn’t see it as a problem.  I knew what was going on inside my head and I wasn’t thinking anything bad… Continue reading

  • How Do You Get Motivated On Sunday?

    Dreading Sunday Evening? I recently had someone ask me how to get motivated on Sunday.  Great question!  My question is what do you need to be motivated to do?  I assume that when most people wake up on Sunday, they’re relatively… Continue reading

  • The Specialization Sweet Spot for Career Success

    Too Specialized–The Other Kiss of Death I wrote recently about avoiding the Career Kiss of Death by avoiding becoming a commodity.  Becoming too specialized can also be a kiss of death.  I once worked for an electronic publisher that published… Continue reading

  • How’re Those New Years Resolutions Doing?

    It’s the beginning of the fourth quarter.  I think of this as a “last chance” on my resolutions every year.  I look at them and see how I’m doing on each one.  I feel great about the ones that I’ve… Continue reading

    How’re Those New Years Resolutions Doing?

  • Avoid the Career Kiss of Death–Don’t Be A Commodity

    Stand Out or Be Out One of the worst things that can happen to you career-wise is for your employer (or potential employers) to see you as interchangable with other people with the same skill set.  If they think that… Continue reading

  • Bosses Are People Too

    You Think The Same As You Did Before For those of you who are over the age of 25, you know how you feel the same no matter how old you are?  The outside may seem older, but to yourself—inside… Continue reading

  • Your Company Doesn’t Care

    Sorry.  Despite what the Supreme Court thinks, your company is not a person.  It doesn’t care.  It doesn’t think.  It doesn’t want.  You can’t impress it.  Your company is made up of people–lots of them.  All kinds of people.  They DO… Continue reading