I have been noticing some unique habits regarding the office elevator. Today, a woman held the elevator door with one hand and held her blackberry in the air to make sure she got reception while sending an email. I thought to myself, “is this more important to hold others up while you make sure that last email gets sent.” Last week,  a lost party of two held the door on every floor to see if they were in the right location. While on the levator, two women planned the office birthday party. Should we have red velvet cupcakes or halloween inspired orange candy corn decorated cupcakes? Okay, we need tips on elevator etiquette!

Here are a few tips from elevator rules.com

• All aboard – If you are going up or down one floor, use the stairs! This rule should especially be observed during peak traffic times like morning and afternoon rush.Exceptions: When you have a cart, stroller or large packages, When the elevator is empty, and if you are disabled or injured
•  Re-pushing – NEVER re-push the call button after someone has already pushed it. This indicates that you either do not understand how the button works, or you do not trust the person that has already pushed the button to do an adequate job of it.
• Wait for the door – If you arrive as a door is closing, regardless of how many people are in the car, DO NOT press the button. The people in the car are already prepared mentally for their trip and do not need to be interrupted. WAIT for the door to close completely before pressing the button.If you press the button by mistake, and a door stops closing, do not board unless asked. Politely apologize and wait for their car to leave.
• Ok to ask- If pressing the call button would require you to push through someone, it is acceptable to ask someone else to push the call button for you as long as they are not further away from it or unable to reach the button for you (i.e. coffee in their hands, etc.)
• Check Your Direction – While waiting to board, stand AWAY from the door opening. DO NOT board the car unless you are sure no one is getting off on your floor. If there is someone exiting, allow them to clear the door before attempting to board.
• Who’s On First -In general those standing nearest the door should be allowed to board first. Gentlemen should allow ladies to board first to the extent that this is practical. To determine whether you should board the car, determine if there is enough room for you and your buffer space. As a rule of thumb, there should be room for two people for every one that is attempting to board.
• Crowded Elevator – During high traffic times, you may find it necessary to board a car that is crowded. If there is not a verbal invitation to board, the passengers may welcome you by making room for you, consider that an invitation to board. If you are with someone else, do not assume that the invitation stands for all of you. It may be necessary to split up and agree to meet at your destination floor.
• Holding the door for someone that is running toward the car is only appropriate when the car is empty or there is consensus among the passengers that it is ok to wait.
• Closing the door using the door close button should be done only when it is clear that no one is trying to board the elevator or when there are other cars available to go in the same direction. It is improper to close the door on someone that is moving toward the elevator. It is also acceptable to close the door when you are in a full elevator that stops at a floor for a passenger who indicates they would like to wait for the next car. Give them a chance to make their decision to board or not to board before closing the door.
• Blocking the door – It is inappropriate to block an elevator door from the outside for any reason. Do not abuse the safety devices built in to the elevator door. Refrain from sticking feet, hands, umbrellas, briefcases or other items in front of a closing elevator door.
• Where to stand – You should stand as close to a wall as possible. Consider your destination floor and stand near the back if you are going to a high floor. If you know you are getting off shortly, stand toward the front. If you choose to stand near the buttons, understand that you may have increased responsibility. Always allow as much space as possible between you and the passengers. Always stand facing the door.
• Talking and Singing – Conversations in the elevator are generally discouraged, however, it is acceptable to continue a conversation that was started before boarding as long as it is not clearly irritating others in the car. Avoid lewd jokes and topics that could offend others. If you feel the other passengers are not enjoying your discussion STOP talking and continue when you have arrived at your destination floor. When talking on an elevator be considerate, talk softly and do not assume that everyone in the car cares about what you are saying. Do not make fun of people when they get off the elevator. You never know if other passengers in the car know the person. Singing, humming and whistling are generally discouraged. If you are wearing headphones, they should be turned down to a level that cannot be heard by other passengers.
• No Touching – In general, it is inappropriate to touch other passengers on purpose. If you should accidentally bump into someone with you baggage or parts of your person, immediately apologize for invading their personal space. Always respect the personal space of the other passengers.
• Ride alone while sick – If you are using an elevator while sick, consider waiting for the elevator to arrive empty. The close proximity of an elevator makes it a good place for germs to be transferred. If you have a cold, keep your mouth covered and avoid touching the buttons without a tissue. Always cover your mouth when sneezing in an elevator.
• Pressing Buttons -Pay attention to which buttons have been pressed when you enter the elevator. Once a button has been pressed, nothing more can be done. Re-pressing the floor button will not make the elevator get you to your floor any faster. Re-pressing is disrespectful to the person that has already pressed the button and is generally irritating. If you find yourself close to the button panel in an elevator, you have the additional responsibility of button management. It is your job to make sure the other riders have had the button for their floor pressed. Regardless of your position, if you are asked to press a button, it is proper to press the button as requested or pass the request on to the closest person to the button panel.
• Make a mistake? Take steps to ensure that the only buttons being pressed are the ones for which floor a passenger must exit. However, in the event that you mistakenly press a button for the wrong floor, wait until the doors open on that floor and apologize to those who remain in the elevator. You may press the door closed buttons to cut down on wasted time.
• Carrying bags – When you find it necessary to take baggage onto an elevator, wait for an empty car when possible. If you must board an occupied elevator with baggage, be sure there is enough room for you and your baggage without violating the personal space of others. Try to stay near the doors with baggage in order to displace the fewest number of passengers upon your exit.
• Stoppping the elevator - The emergency stop button is for emergencies only. Do not use this button for personal reasons. Using a passenger elevator for the transport of cargo is not recommended. However, if it must occur, avoid stopping the elevator for long periods of time.
• Exiting the elevator – Gentlemen should allow ladies to exit the elevator first unless you are blocking the doors. In a crowded elevator, when there are others between you and the door, announce that the elevator has arrived at your floor and excuse yourself while making your way through the crowd. Pushing is discouraged. When standing between someone trying to exit and the door, do your best to move out of the way for them. If necessary, exit the elevator, allow them to leave and re-board.

I love animated films with meaning. The Lion King stands out as one of my favorites. I oftten think about the scene when Raifiki ask Simba, “Do you know who you are?”Are you hiding your true self for fear of judgement or fear of reminders of past mistakes?  You can run or learn. It’s time to take your place in the Circle of Life! Sometimes, we  need to be reminded of our best attributes. 

Check out a great coaching scene from the Lion King.

Do you have a mission? Purpose? Are you a whole person or ‘wounded soul’ masquerading as a women that has it all together? Is your work deeply satisfying? Do you get sick on Sunday night because Monday is only hours away? Do you have a personal brand? 

It is rare that you find a career book that is inspiring, motivational, cathartic and actionable. Don’t let the title fool you. Climbing the Ladder in Stilettos is not about fashionable stilettos or shoe swapping at work. This book is about obtaining career success while having a true purpose for your life and work. 

Lynette Lewis gives applicable career strategies,  chronicles her own personal journey to success and highlights transformational experiences of professional women, including how to: 

•  create a purpose for your life and work
• not lose faith and keep enduring when unrecognized, unrewarded, and underpaid 
• see your workplace as a practice field for greatness
• build a strong personal brand
• follow the “four principles of promotion”
• establish a “personal board of directors”
• go from “great idea to “dream come true”
• expand your definition of mentorship

Go purchase a book today! Better yet, sponsor a book club at work.

As I have stated before – “Today’s career woman must be on top of her game to compete in our global business world. A big percentage of your credibility, competence, professionalism, will influence how you are perceived in the workplace by colleagues, staff, and clients. Even though you have worked hard to gain specialized training and expertise to advance in your job, performance counts for only 10% of career success. However, 90% depends on your professional image, personal brand, and visibility; your appearance, presence, ability to get along with others, work in teams, effectively communicate ideas and manage your reputation are key advantages to success in the workplace.”

Mike Hyter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novations Group, Inc. - known for their Four Career Stages Model, reinforces the Professional Savvy strategies by saying that  influence and relational skills critical in creating career momentum building trust, support, and credibility. Gaining confidence in these areas can open new doors for receiving feedback, coaching others, and developing leadership behaviors that are key to development and advancement

Here are a few savvy tips to grow your influence and relational skills in the workplace:

• Think beyond your immediate area of responsibility; study how your assignment contributes to the overall mission of the organization
• Talk to people at all levels of your organization; learn about their contributions and challenges
• Consciously work on establishing a network of professionals with whom you share ideas, feedback and resources
• Try out a variety of influence strategies and study what works best in each situation
• Understand the perspectives/needs of others and shape your communications to address their concerns
• Coach others to do something, rather than doing it yourself
• With practice, you will develop the solid set of influence and relational skills that enable you to expand your contribution and impact.

 Parts of this entry includes excerpts from Michael C. Hyter’s blog. Michael has published articles in 2004 Handbook of Business Strategy, Director’s Monthly, Profiles in Diversity Journal, and Inc. He is also co-author of The Power of Inclusion: Unlock the Potential and Productivity of Your Workforce.

“Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”                                               

 - Maya Angelou

By Jeanne Knight
“The most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation.”
This statement is the premise behind behavioral interviewing, an interviewing technique created in the 1970’s by industrial psychologists. This type of interview is now becoming popular with employers. For those of you unfamiliar with this interviewing style, a behavioral interview can be a challenging experience.
Unlike traditional interviewing, which requires opinion-based answers to questions (tell me about yourself; what are your strengths and weaknesses; why do you want to work for this company?), behavioral interviewing requires job candidates to relate stories about their past employment behaviors. These stories are prompted by questions directly related to the skill sets the company has determined are required for a position.
For example, if a particular job requires strong communication and team-building skills, then, in a behavioral interview, candidates would be asked to recount past accomplishments in those areas. Behavioral interview questions often start with phrases like, “Tell me about a time when…” or “Describe a situation in which…” or “Give me an example of…”
The challenge with the behavioral interviewing style is that, while your skills and experiences could be a perfect match for the position you seek, an interviewer could discount your candidacy if you are unprepared for, or struggle with, the behavioral interview format.
So, how do you prepare for a behavioral interview?
First, you’ll want to put yourself in the shoes of the potential employer and imagine what the ideal candidate for the position would answer from the interviewer’s perspective.
Then, take the time to thoroughly review the job description and research the company and its culture. Look for cues as to which skills are necessary for the job and which are highly valued by the organization. Then, based on your research, identify what skills the successful candidate would have and which behavioral-based questions would correlate to those skills and might be asked in an interview.
Here are a few examples of skill sets and some behavioral-based interview questions associated with these skills.
Decision Making and Problem Solving

• Describe a situation in which you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision.

Leadership

• Have you ever had trouble getting others to agree with your ideas? How did you deal with the situation, and were you successful?
• Describe the most challenging group from which you’ve had to gain cooperation.

Motivation

• Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
• Give me an example of a situation in which you positively influenced the actions of others.

Communication

• Describe a situation in which you were able to successfully communicate with another individual who did not personally like you (or vice versa).
• Give me an example of a time you had to use written communication to convey an important argument or idea.

Interpersonal Skills

• Give me examples of what you’ve done in the past to contribute to a teamwork environment.
• Give an example of an unpopular decision you’ve made, what the result was, and how you managed it.

Planning and Organization

• When scheduling your time, what method do you use to decide which items are priorities?
• Describe how you’ve handled a sudden interruption to your schedule.

Once you’ve determined which behavioral-based questions you might be asked during an interview, look back on your past experiences and develop stories to answer those questions. Your stories should be detailed, yet succinct, and should always include the following three elements:

1. A description of a specific, real-life situation or challenge you encountered.
2. A description of the tasks and actions you took to overcome that challenge.
3. A summary of the results of those actions. (Try to quantify these results whenever possible.)

Here is a sample answer to a behavioral interview question that incorporates each of these elements.
Question: Give an example of a goal you reached, and tell me how you achieved it.
Answer: Due to cuts in funding to our adult continuing education program, we faced the daunting goal of drastically reducing our promotional budget without sacrificing our media presence in the community. As Program Director, I researched alternatives to the effective, yet costly, course brochure, which was produced and distributed biannually to an average of 60,000 residents in our service region. I was able to successfully negotiate with two local newspapers to produce and distribute a new course brochure that increased distribution by 33% to 80,000 residents and decreased costs by 50%.
Familiarizing yourself with the behavioral interview style, crafting and practicing your stories, and doing some homework on the position you seek will ensure that you won’t be caught off guard should you encounter a behavioral interview.
Jeanne Knight is a certified Career Coach/Resume Expert who helps individuals navigate career transitions. She offers career and job search coaching as well as resume writing services

Meet Christine Beaucamp

Christine Beaucamp is a “CEO is Tomorrow” according to Businessweek. Christine Beauchamp became president of the division of AnnTaylor Stores.  If she succeeds, Beauchamp has a shot at replacing Kay Krill, 54, who is CEO of the parent company.

As president of Ann Taylor Stores, Christine is responsible for driving profitable growth by modernizing the brand into the definitive style destination for what’s sophisticated, chic and relevant now. A Harvard Business School grad, she worked at Boston Consulting Group before joining Limited Brands  in 2003, where she developed beauty products and apparel.

Click Here, to read Christine’s chat with Step Up Network.

Crystal McCrary Anthony has created an inspiring show on  Centric (Formerly BET-J) called “Leading Women”, a half-hour original series that intimately chronicles the dynamic lives of women who have shaped our culture – artistically, socially, and politically.

This week’s show featured Sherri Sheperd from the View. It was a great episode!  Check out Leading Women on  Tuesdays at 10 PM on Centric ( please check your local listings).

Thanks to Roz Usheroff, Executive Coach, here are some great tips to exuding “who you are by what you do” in the workplace.

Roz’s personal checklist includes:    

• What do you do in meetings?  Are you contributing or just present?
• Understand how to translate your talents into a viable economic proposition.
• Have a customer focus. Treat everyone like your best customer.
• Focus on one business strength but offer a variety of associated services.
• Upgrade your skills. Offer more value than your competition.
• Stay current with the latest advances in your field.
• Sell yourself. Become comfortable with tooting your own horn.
• Embrace the opportunity for a lateral move. Increasing your business skills is integral to building your brand.
• Don’t ask permission. (Asking permission is like being told “no”.)
• You have to take a stand.
• Embrace politics. All of life is political, especially in the workplace. Even though you’d rather not, if your politics is backed by integrity and motivated by team-playing, you will be recognized for it.
• Become a change agent…not about issues but about moving people forward.
• Network like it is your only source of net worth – lunches, associations, alumni, sports.
• Take lousy projects and make them shine. Over deliver.
• Find a big problem and solve it.
• Focus on the experience of the results – make it positive. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to values like credibility, dependability, trustworthiness.
• Combine confidence with humility.
• Adopt a win-win attitude in whatever you do and say.
• Seek mentors who are smarter and wiser than you.
• What do great leaders do? Emulate those qualities.

Win the trust of customers by following through on promises. Win the trust of colleagues by being a committed teamplayer. Win the trust of your boss by exceeding expectations. Not only will you reap the rewards but you will attract others to follow you.    

 Don’t park your personality at home between nine and five. Allow other people to enjoy the experience of your personality.  You are your own compelling selling proposition.

You get to where you are going by being authentic. Why not enjoy the spotlight when it’s as simple as being who you are?

Roz Usheroff is one of the leading executive coaches, business etiquette experts and personal branding trainers in North America. Founder of The Usheroff Institute, author of “Customize Your Career,” and co-author of  “Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times…and Beyond.” Roz has conducted business coaching seminars and workshops for men and women executives at a number of Fortune 500 companies in Canada and the United States for the past two decades. For further information visit http://www.usheroff.com

” I looked up the road I was going and since I wasn’t satisfied, I decided to step off the road and cut me a new path”    

Annie Henderson ( grandmother of Maya Angelou)