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Posted on Tue, Dec. 30, 2003 CAREER NOTEBOOK Job Hunting Can Humble Big Shots By DIANE STAFFORD Columnist

Les Griffen, president of CSG Partners Inc. in Overland Park, has helped a lot of executives in his outplacement and executive coaching business.

Many of them, he has found, are ill-equipped for job searches, despite having many talents and business contacts.

Their jobs as corporate chieftains have required them to focus on strategy and vision, and leave the daily hands-on work to others in their organizations.

"But once they lose their position, they no longer have those people to turn to," Griffen noted.

At the same time, some executives overestimate the power of their network. They're accustomed to having people jump when they say so, "but that's not the way it works in a job search," Griffen said. "A lot of executives don't anticipate that once their title is stripped away, some people will be less responsive."

One other problem: Some executives mistakenly think that asking for help makes them look weak, so they have to be coached that it's OK to seek others' help in job searches, he said.

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Another avenue for executive-level networking with peers is being launched in the Kansas City area under the ExecuNet.com umbrella.

ExecuNet, a Web-based career management service and job-posting board, has appointed Meg Montford, a certified career coach and owner of Abilities Enhanced, to convene a series of networking and executive education meetings in the area.

The first gathering will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 10586 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park. The cost is $35 at the door. Leigh Branham, author of Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business, will be the featured speaker.

The program is designed for both employed and unemployed executives. Additional information is available by going to www.execunet.com or by writing Montford at meg@abilitiesenhanced.com.