Yes, reality television is one of my favorite guilty pleasures; Real Housewives of Atlanta, Chicagolicious… and Shahs of Sunset might be growing on me. I don’t get a kick out of the cat fights or the wig tugging. But, I do have an appreciation for the more subtle moments where career and business transactions are being made, and lessons are being learned. I’m especially more interested in the characters that are driven entrepreneurs and live for the actual real moments, even if it’s just some nuggets of knowledge. Oh, and the drama… just keeps it interesting. So I’ve taken some snippets of real moments that you can apply in real life to achieve career success.
Make Real Connections. No, the faux friends you have on Facebook don’t
count. Not to discredit social media (love it!), but remember it’s a bridge for
real connections to be made. Please do not get confused, I’m not necessarily talking
about rubbing elbows with Donald Trump or Bravo TV’s Andy Cohen, who both
by the way attributed themselves to Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Nene
Leakes’ success (she stated otherwise). What I am saying is, foster positive relationships by starting with the
people around you, like your neighbor across your cubical and in your
community. Because you never know where a real connection may lead you.
Be Likable. Again,
not as in the 20 “likes” on your photo planking on top of the stove. Being
likable goes hand-in-hand with making real connections. It’s hard to keep
connections with an "all-about-ME” attitude. We all know there’s no “I” in TEAM
and you’ll need a great one around you to achieve success like the team at AJ's Salon of Style Network's Chicagolicious. Even if you’re
confident in what you do, embrace your talents graciously or end up in the NFL
(no friends left) zone.
Give Back. Let’s
keep it real, not all of us need to
start a foundation at once, because you know that’s popular in Hollywood. We
can all give back in small ways, such as sharing best practices with your team,
giving a colleague a good referral, and sharing your gifts with the underserved.
Some people may remember and one day return the favor, but do not give to receive,
which goes back to the first point about making real connections.
So the next time you're getting ready to have your reality TV fix, put down your smartphone, bring out the pen and paper, and get ready to be schooled. It's lesson time!
Moving you forward,
Cathy Francois
Career Coach
Founder of Rezume Forward
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