Have you figured out how to beat the odds of being successful during this recession? If you are a woman working in technology today, you are likely one of many who take their BlackBerry to the shower in the morning or take their iPhone to bed at night. You are likely part of a team working on projects that require involvement 24 X 7. With iPhones and Blackberries, it feels like you never stop working. Do you find yourself checking email and text messages even when you are supposed to be giving yourself the day off?

If you entered the workforce within the last decade or so, you have not experienced a recession until now. There have been other bumpy economic times that skirted close to recession but in general, if you’re a Gen Y, your entire life thus far has been lived under pretty rosy economic conditions.

During such a time as this we are called upon to do more with fewer resources. I can remember being a part of a couple of downturns in business and my tendency was to work harder and longer and to try to show that I was carrying more than my weight. I was working harder and not necessarily smarter. I want to share with you a few ideas to incorporate in your plan for becoming the ‘go to’ person in a downturn.
A few things to consider while weathering the recession:

1. Become a person of influence and leverage relationships.

2. Be flexible and adaptable in this time of change.

3. Anticipate change, develop an alternative plan.

4. Become known as the specialist or subject matter expert.

5. Have your growth/development plans ready.

Managing successfully through a recession is sometimes viewed almost as an art form. One of the criteria senior leaders like to use in selecting line managers for these times is whether they’ve weathered tough economic times in the past. Why? I suspect because there’s an element of intuition and judgment involved — being perceptive about what’s the trend and what’s only a temporary blip, knowing when to take action and when to sit tight. If you want to learn more about influence, work-life balance and getting visibility so that you are ready for the turnaround, start by getting my Complimentary Report: Creating Your Personal Master Plan, Putting Me On My ‘To Do’ List, @ www.personalmasterplantoday.com

The key to overcoming any challenge is to empower yourself through the event. In fact, life’s challenges and adversities can be our best teachers, if you take the steps to focus on the positive and not the negative.