It's been a long time since I was in high school. I've tried to remember whether it was the same then as it is now, whether the 12th graders I just finished teaching Junior Achievement to understand how timeless some institutions are and how much others change.
A lot of the same stereotypes still apply - there were jocks and nerds and shy types, Goth girls and artists, kids trying to get attention and acting like they didn't want it at the same time. Junior Achievement's goal is to raise a financially literate generation. My goal as a volunteer is for these kids to understand what actually happens in business.
We talked about networking and hard skills and cult personalities. We talked about different ways to win. I asked them about the connections they have now, and two girls who were sitting next to each other and played on the same soccer team acted like it was odd to think they might have a connection post-high school. Too many of the students I've had over the years think the opposite, that their connections will last a lifetime. There must be balance.
Which brings us to cheerleaders. I never thought much about them when I was in high school, I was friendly with the ones in my classes and never gave much thought to knowing whether captains of industry need to be able to do roundoffs. They were better athletes than people gave them credit for, and the ones who wiped the floor with me in organic chemistry shattered any myth circulating about their stupidity. My high school yearbooks have been gathering dust in my parents' basement ever since they rolled off the presses, and I think sometimes about all the late nights and long hours I spent selling ads, planning pages and thinking about that book. The cheerleaders were in there, and so was the math club and the Latin society and the soccer team. It was our story - together.
Cheerleaders are still important. I told my Junior Achievement kids a story about a coworker of mine who should have been a competitor. We have the same job, we're on the same team. He's won awards I haven't and even though by other measures I think I may be better, he's more promotable. He came to me confidentially and asked for my help to get a promotion. Not just a promotion to a job that already existed, but a job he wanted me to help create. So I did. We met for coffee a few hours before work. I poked every hole I could in his business plan and gave him my best idea to fix them. We talked strategy. Every opportunity to buy in was good for me.
The best cheerleaders are people who want their people to win. The cheerleaders didn't want to be on the field, just like I didn't want this particular job. But I wonder if it would have made a difference - I wanted this guy to win because that's what he wanted for himself.
Winners in business (and in life) are the people who have enough vision to go around. They have vision for themselves and vision for their friends. They dream big and offer everything they have to give without reservation. Some people are lucky to learn that in a lifetime. The ones who learn how to cheer in high school will find themselves surrounded by winners for the rest of their lives - people who buy into them back. No amount of money can buy sincere vision. And that's a piece of advice that should never gather dust.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
How to Get an Entry Level Job
Social networking has made recruiting immeasurably easier and harder for employers. It's easier because the whole world of active and passive candidates are on the table. It's harder because the whole world of active and passive candidates are on the table.
I've placed a lot of executives over the years. They pose their own set of challenges. But that's for another post. For now, I'm interested in helping entry level candidates get the job.
Five Rules For Entry-Level Candidates
1) Present your character, not your skill set.
At age 22, you don't have a ton of useful skills. Speaking Chinese or programming in C# is great. And unusual. The huge majority of candidates have traveled abroad, have decent grades, and were the treasurer of the marketing club at Central Michigan University. What employers are looking for is your ability to step up to challenges and solve problems.
2) Be friendly, polite and professional.
Three recent college grads answered a job ad I put up requesting entry level help. The first intro got my gender wrong, even though I had a picture on the ad. The second intro was somewhat rude and presumptive, asking for my contact info so she could send me a resume and schedule an interview without asking anything about the job or telling me anything about herself. The third candidate was polite. She actually sent me a resume with a misspelling on it (which I pointed out) and she apologized, explained it and fixed it. I asked her for an interview. That's character.
3) Tell the truth.
A candidate I was looking at claimed to have an MBA from the University of Ohio at Cincinnati, which was particularly interesting since there is no University of Ohio anywhere, particularly not in Cincinnati, which happens to be my hometown. Another candidate told me his biggest weakness was perfectionism, which I found interesting since his writing sample had two misspellings and three grammar mistakes.
4) Do as much research as you can, then ask interesting questions.
Job descriptions are often vague and very likely won't give you all the information you need. Find out what the company does, as much history as you can, and as many details about the position as you can. Do your homework. Find someone who works there and ask for a brief informational interview.
5) Understand that the answer to "Could you do me a favor?" is usually yes.
People, if they know what you need and are in a position to help you, usually will. The key here is to follow through. I made that mistake early in my career when a number of people offered introductions and other help and I didn't follow through, or later didn't know what to ask or how to ask for it. Everybody was entry level once and asking for help shouldn't be seen as overly aggressive and annoying. (Note to candidates: Don't be overly aggressive and annoying!)
Follow these steps and you'll be on your way!
I've placed a lot of executives over the years. They pose their own set of challenges. But that's for another post. For now, I'm interested in helping entry level candidates get the job.
Five Rules For Entry-Level Candidates
1) Present your character, not your skill set.
At age 22, you don't have a ton of useful skills. Speaking Chinese or programming in C# is great. And unusual. The huge majority of candidates have traveled abroad, have decent grades, and were the treasurer of the marketing club at Central Michigan University. What employers are looking for is your ability to step up to challenges and solve problems.
2) Be friendly, polite and professional.
Three recent college grads answered a job ad I put up requesting entry level help. The first intro got my gender wrong, even though I had a picture on the ad. The second intro was somewhat rude and presumptive, asking for my contact info so she could send me a resume and schedule an interview without asking anything about the job or telling me anything about herself. The third candidate was polite. She actually sent me a resume with a misspelling on it (which I pointed out) and she apologized, explained it and fixed it. I asked her for an interview. That's character.
3) Tell the truth.
A candidate I was looking at claimed to have an MBA from the University of Ohio at Cincinnati, which was particularly interesting since there is no University of Ohio anywhere, particularly not in Cincinnati, which happens to be my hometown. Another candidate told me his biggest weakness was perfectionism, which I found interesting since his writing sample had two misspellings and three grammar mistakes.
4) Do as much research as you can, then ask interesting questions.
Job descriptions are often vague and very likely won't give you all the information you need. Find out what the company does, as much history as you can, and as many details about the position as you can. Do your homework. Find someone who works there and ask for a brief informational interview.
5) Understand that the answer to "Could you do me a favor?" is usually yes.
People, if they know what you need and are in a position to help you, usually will. The key here is to follow through. I made that mistake early in my career when a number of people offered introductions and other help and I didn't follow through, or later didn't know what to ask or how to ask for it. Everybody was entry level once and asking for help shouldn't be seen as overly aggressive and annoying. (Note to candidates: Don't be overly aggressive and annoying!)
Follow these steps and you'll be on your way!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Where MLMs Went Right
My first experience with a multi-level marketing (MLM) operation was an invitation to an "interview" for a marketing job when I was 20. On arrival, I was promptly carted into a room with 50 other people, spoken to by a guy with brilliant white teeth whose hair probably wouldn't have moved under any circumstances. He could have written the book on presenting, making eye contact, using names, asking the appropriate number of questions. The whole thing seemed about as sincere as a game show host's desire to see an overweight housewife win a new car. I didn't want to be rude and walk out in the middle of it, but there was no way I was going to sign up to be in somebody else's down line. The gentleman who invited me to the religious cult gathering, er, intro session sat me down in an overstuffed leather chair and shoved a clipboard at me. "I've already filled in part of it for you." I stood up, thanked him for his time, and let him know I wasn't interested. He put his hand on my shoulder, pushed me back into the chair, and said "That's great. We'll go ahead and get you signed up. What I need from you today is $200."
I was mad. He wasn't listening. It felt manipulative. And there was one thing about it I've never been able to shake for all these years. I've never seen any organization with members who bought in as completely as the stakeholders of an MLM. They were mobilized, committed. They had their pitches down. They had their materials. They learned how to market. They were fearless!
I've been part of some really great churches, political groups and social clubs. The membership is often largely attracted by a handful of members, or in some cases a single person. I've learned how to be the connector. I recruit for my company, not in any official capacity, but because it's a great place to be and I want other people to have the opportunity.
There's an unmatchable excitement around recruiting. I love talking about intangibles with people. I want them to buy into the idea of what I'm doing. I want to learn what they're excited about. I love sharing ideas, vetting my own, seeing how we can all get better. I think every employee should get in the habit of recruiting, every club member, every congregant. If you don't love what you're part of enough to tell other people, why are you doing it?
I scan my company's website for open positions on a regular basis. I can rattle off a dozen reasons why people should want to work for us. I love my church, and one of the highlights of last week was having my best friend with me. I'm part of a political women's group that I started inviting friends to after the first meeting.
If you're not part of an incredible church, a vibrant company or a dynamic club, join one. There's no day like today!
I was mad. He wasn't listening. It felt manipulative. And there was one thing about it I've never been able to shake for all these years. I've never seen any organization with members who bought in as completely as the stakeholders of an MLM. They were mobilized, committed. They had their pitches down. They had their materials. They learned how to market. They were fearless!
I've been part of some really great churches, political groups and social clubs. The membership is often largely attracted by a handful of members, or in some cases a single person. I've learned how to be the connector. I recruit for my company, not in any official capacity, but because it's a great place to be and I want other people to have the opportunity.
There's an unmatchable excitement around recruiting. I love talking about intangibles with people. I want them to buy into the idea of what I'm doing. I want to learn what they're excited about. I love sharing ideas, vetting my own, seeing how we can all get better. I think every employee should get in the habit of recruiting, every club member, every congregant. If you don't love what you're part of enough to tell other people, why are you doing it?
I scan my company's website for open positions on a regular basis. I can rattle off a dozen reasons why people should want to work for us. I love my church, and one of the highlights of last week was having my best friend with me. I'm part of a political women's group that I started inviting friends to after the first meeting.
If you're not part of an incredible church, a vibrant company or a dynamic club, join one. There's no day like today!
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Foot
A rose is a rose is a rose. A foot in Portland, OR is a foot in Portland, ME. This common set of measurement standards is useful in everything from recipes to building construction. So, when and why is uniform standardization a good idea?
When start up companies start, the president may also be in charge of everything from building the website to mailing packages to collecting accounts receivable. Companies rely on their institutional memory - we do things the way we've always done them, and if you have a question about that process, feel free to ask your neighbor. As companies evolve, employees need to standardize and document exactly as much information as will be used again, no more, no less.
Documentation can run out of control. If a process is likely to only be repeated once by the same user, or not at all, documentation is unnecessary. A speech written by its deliverer doesn't need stage notes. Companies trying to track down every process and generate report after report after report can find their production grinding to a halt.
How is your end user going to interact with your information? Do you have a strong sense of who your end user actually is? If not, or if you want to check, ask another department in the company who you interact with how they need the information presented. I like standardized abbreviations in marketing material I'm trying to find. When the word international is sometimes written out in full, sometimes written int, sometimes written intl and sometimes written int'l, it can be easy to think a piece is missing or was never created. When your company is 25 people with low turnover, it's easier to learn any system and stick to it. When your company is 25,000 people with high turnover, a non-intuitive system can create a significant source of mistakes and frustration.
How far does this go? Teachers rebelling against the No Child Left Behind Act claimed it neutered their ability to teach the material and forced them to "teach to the test." Children's education has huge variability depending on the wealth of the district, the involvement of the parents, the quality of the teachers the district is able to attract. Standards are good, so how do you account for variability when you can't control the input? Companies can hire the people they want and fire the ones they don't. To a large degree, schools don't have that option.
A solution: require all Master's of Education candidates to meet KIPP standards for teaching, and integrate the program into America's schools over a 5 year period. KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in under served communities for success in college and in life. There are currently 82 KIPP schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia serving around 20,000 students (from their website, July 2009). Their program is rigorous, requiring attendance from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, with hours of homework afterward and significantly shorter breaks and days off. Their mandatory curriculum includes music and foreign languages. And their results are impressive: teachers and administrators are lined up to teach and start new schools, and although they serve primarily at risk communities, they proudly boast 25 to 100% better results in math and reading. In many cases, their graduates are the first member of their family to go to college.
Back to standardization. Where does the funding come from? KIPP, while an important movement and one I fully expect to continue to grow in the following years, serves only 20,000 students. If that number grew to 2,000,000 students, funding options for the independent schools would be vastly lacking and space for students would be even more of a premium.
The only solution is to make KIPP, which already seems to have figured out the answer, the new standard and for government to get out of the way. If we removed teacher tenure and the vacation schedule and raised the pay to the demands of the job we now require them to do, every school could be a KIPP school and America could take her place as the world's foremost intellectual leader.
Standardization is good, but only by standardizing at the highest level and not the lowest.
When start up companies start, the president may also be in charge of everything from building the website to mailing packages to collecting accounts receivable. Companies rely on their institutional memory - we do things the way we've always done them, and if you have a question about that process, feel free to ask your neighbor. As companies evolve, employees need to standardize and document exactly as much information as will be used again, no more, no less.
Documentation can run out of control. If a process is likely to only be repeated once by the same user, or not at all, documentation is unnecessary. A speech written by its deliverer doesn't need stage notes. Companies trying to track down every process and generate report after report after report can find their production grinding to a halt.
How is your end user going to interact with your information? Do you have a strong sense of who your end user actually is? If not, or if you want to check, ask another department in the company who you interact with how they need the information presented. I like standardized abbreviations in marketing material I'm trying to find. When the word international is sometimes written out in full, sometimes written int, sometimes written intl and sometimes written int'l, it can be easy to think a piece is missing or was never created. When your company is 25 people with low turnover, it's easier to learn any system and stick to it. When your company is 25,000 people with high turnover, a non-intuitive system can create a significant source of mistakes and frustration.
How far does this go? Teachers rebelling against the No Child Left Behind Act claimed it neutered their ability to teach the material and forced them to "teach to the test." Children's education has huge variability depending on the wealth of the district, the involvement of the parents, the quality of the teachers the district is able to attract. Standards are good, so how do you account for variability when you can't control the input? Companies can hire the people they want and fire the ones they don't. To a large degree, schools don't have that option.
A solution: require all Master's of Education candidates to meet KIPP standards for teaching, and integrate the program into America's schools over a 5 year period. KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in under served communities for success in college and in life. There are currently 82 KIPP schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia serving around 20,000 students (from their website, July 2009). Their program is rigorous, requiring attendance from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, with hours of homework afterward and significantly shorter breaks and days off. Their mandatory curriculum includes music and foreign languages. And their results are impressive: teachers and administrators are lined up to teach and start new schools, and although they serve primarily at risk communities, they proudly boast 25 to 100% better results in math and reading. In many cases, their graduates are the first member of their family to go to college.
Back to standardization. Where does the funding come from? KIPP, while an important movement and one I fully expect to continue to grow in the following years, serves only 20,000 students. If that number grew to 2,000,000 students, funding options for the independent schools would be vastly lacking and space for students would be even more of a premium.
The only solution is to make KIPP, which already seems to have figured out the answer, the new standard and for government to get out of the way. If we removed teacher tenure and the vacation schedule and raised the pay to the demands of the job we now require them to do, every school could be a KIPP school and America could take her place as the world's foremost intellectual leader.
Standardization is good, but only by standardizing at the highest level and not the lowest.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Will
Sitting in my apartment in sunny Denver, CO, I'm thinking of Bangladesh, a country with the population density equivalent to half the US population in an area the size of Wisconsin without clean water or clean toilets. Disease, infant mortality and despair run rampant across the countryside.
My question to America is "Do you care?" or, more importantly, "Would you be more likely to care if you knew you would be able to make a difference that you could see and measure?"
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the father of micro-lending, may have already given us the answer to the latter. In his two NY Times bestselling books Banker to the Poor and Creating a World Without Poverty, he outlines what it looks like to have a system where capital is A) recycled, and B) put directly in the hands of the people who can use it to generate business. His argument (with 30 years of success to back it up) is that the poorest of the poor have some skill that they've used to survive, and their need isn't for training, it's for capital and a market.
People have with in them the will to survive. But more than that, they have the will to dream big, to the will to change their circumstances and the will to change their family trees, one branch at a time.
So how does this work?
A micro-loan, at least in this context, is a loan of as little as $25 that is given to a person who belongs to a community of borrowers, without collateral, that they agree to repay on a fixed schedule with interest. It's different from charity in several significant ways.
1) These are loans, not gifts. They're on a fixed schedule, including interest. Once the borrower has repaid, both borrower and lender may enter other deals with each other or other borrowers/lenders.
2) These are loans to generate income producing businesses. Whatever the borrower's skill, whether making baskets to sell or anything else, must produce income. The goal is for every borrower to become financially self-sustaining, and possibly even a lender some day. There are no loans for simple consumption.
3) The target borrower for these loans are women, to empower them and eventually their children/families.
For thirty years, he's taken the concept of micro-lending across the countryside of his native land. He's helped his fellow countrymen help themselves, and lowered the poverty rate from a mind-numbing 62% to under 25%. While their current state is still roughly the same as the Great Depression, the progress is phenomenal.
His argument seems to eliminate the obstacle all charitable organizations face - how do you finish the mission before you run out of money? By making the structure a loan that gets repaid, people can willingly invest significantly larger sums and, with the promise of their money back (Yunus boasts a 98% repayment rate among the poor), the capital can be redeployed again and again. Further, it instills in the organization the need to function with business efficiency to become self-sustaining and to eliminate the need for continuous fundraising.
By reaching out through a person-to-person network, establishing local accountability and a systematic way to empower people, we have the ability to end poverty in this lifetime.
Are you in, America?
My question to America is "Do you care?" or, more importantly, "Would you be more likely to care if you knew you would be able to make a difference that you could see and measure?"
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the father of micro-lending, may have already given us the answer to the latter. In his two NY Times bestselling books Banker to the Poor and Creating a World Without Poverty, he outlines what it looks like to have a system where capital is A) recycled, and B) put directly in the hands of the people who can use it to generate business. His argument (with 30 years of success to back it up) is that the poorest of the poor have some skill that they've used to survive, and their need isn't for training, it's for capital and a market.
People have with in them the will to survive. But more than that, they have the will to dream big, to the will to change their circumstances and the will to change their family trees, one branch at a time.
So how does this work?
A micro-loan, at least in this context, is a loan of as little as $25 that is given to a person who belongs to a community of borrowers, without collateral, that they agree to repay on a fixed schedule with interest. It's different from charity in several significant ways.
1) These are loans, not gifts. They're on a fixed schedule, including interest. Once the borrower has repaid, both borrower and lender may enter other deals with each other or other borrowers/lenders.
2) These are loans to generate income producing businesses. Whatever the borrower's skill, whether making baskets to sell or anything else, must produce income. The goal is for every borrower to become financially self-sustaining, and possibly even a lender some day. There are no loans for simple consumption.
3) The target borrower for these loans are women, to empower them and eventually their children/families.
For thirty years, he's taken the concept of micro-lending across the countryside of his native land. He's helped his fellow countrymen help themselves, and lowered the poverty rate from a mind-numbing 62% to under 25%. While their current state is still roughly the same as the Great Depression, the progress is phenomenal.
His argument seems to eliminate the obstacle all charitable organizations face - how do you finish the mission before you run out of money? By making the structure a loan that gets repaid, people can willingly invest significantly larger sums and, with the promise of their money back (Yunus boasts a 98% repayment rate among the poor), the capital can be redeployed again and again. Further, it instills in the organization the need to function with business efficiency to become self-sustaining and to eliminate the need for continuous fundraising.
By reaching out through a person-to-person network, establishing local accountability and a systematic way to empower people, we have the ability to end poverty in this lifetime.
Are you in, America?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Everywhere in the world and right next to you.
UBS, the world's most successful investment bank, claims to only have two locations - everywhere in the world, and right next to you. Their tag line "You & Us - UBS" is supposed to convey thoughts of global size, strength, resources, trust and ability. I like their marketing schtick, but it made me ask myself another question:
When is universality a good thing?
Does a client in Manhattan need the same thing as one in Arthur, NE? What about a client in Athens, OH vs. one in Athens, Greece? How important is specialization? When thinking about a global enterprise, how do you achieve economies of scale and compatibilities of message while being responsive to the needs of the local business?
Can any business exist by being truly universal?
The world's most transcendent business is probably McDonald's. Many economists point to the Big Mac Index, a weekly published list of the price of the world's most popular sandwich here and in countries around the world as a quick take on the relative value of the dollar against 33 foreign currencies. There are few icons in the world that are as broadly recognized as the Golden Arches. But, even within this country, there are variations in local offerings. In heavily Catholic areas, the Fridays during Lent offer a great opportunity to push fish sandwiches. In the deep South, you're more likely to see barbecued options. In certain parts of the burbs, McDonald's are more likely to have playgrounds.
Do these regional differences hurt the brand?
I argue no. While standards can be highly beneficial, they must be viewed in context of what the business needs are. Rigid conformity to absolute standards minimizes the ability of your front line to respond. So, how does a business find a balance?
An interesting survey would be to ask your customers, vendors, employees and senior management to answer these questions:
What do you love about our company?
What do you hate about our company?
What do we do better than our competition?
What does our competition do better than us?
How similar do you think the answers would be? What information could you get by taking that regionally as well as by respondent segment? Would you get the same answers from IT and Marketing? What about Legal and Sales? While no business can (or probably should) allocate its resources identically across all categories, it's interesting to think about the penetration of the message. Does your senior management think you have a stellar website that your customers think is a joke? Are middle managers empowered to make unusual concessions if it benefits the overall bottom line?
One of my favorite examples is an engineering firm who needed a special project done and was considering American labor, foreign labor, or importing foreign labor. They settled on the latter, and brought five gentlemen in from India. Culturally, they preferred to work without shoes and for their wives to be able to cook them their favorite dishes. The manager's solution? Rip up the carpet and reinstall it with extra thick padding, and add a special oven to the kitchen. The price? 30% less than it would have cost to outsource to a local firm.
So, when are floating standards a bad thing? When should standards be set?
First, legally. Rules on document retention, etc. must be followed even when annoying. However, giving employees some discretion on how to improve compliance may be a good thing. Changing from a paper to electronic filing system (assuming that satisfies regulations), color coding files, sending out reminders may all be good ways to make it easier for employees to integrate standards into their process.
Second, brand wise. While a franchise owner may think Big Macs taste better with spicy mustard than special sauce, the brand's overall value is likely to be harmed if Corporate is broadly promoting a traditional product. A better solution may be to insist on certain standards, but give franchise owners a small amount of discretion to try new products. It might even be a great test market with rewards for success.
Third, ethically. Chick-Fil-A, a self-proclaimed Christian company, insists on all sites being closed on Sundays so their employees can attend church and be with their families. Locations that want to be open on Sundays must not be allowed to violate the company's overall ethical standard or the overall credibility will be damaged.
Finally, universality must be evaluated in multiples. Best Buy is a great example of having strings of different types of stores - some known for great service/personal shopping, others for low prices, others for technical expertise. While the general brand is the same, there's a great opportunity for mini-brands based on local markets.
The best opportunity for a company to establish a universal brand is to decide on which elements truly need to be universal, and leave everything else to local taste.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
"...and when you get done with all of the forevers, then AMEN!"
The subject, for those of you who might not recognize it, is the last line of Rev. S.M. Lockridge's famous six minute description of Jesus, commonly known as "That's My King!" for Lockridge's use of the phrase throughout.
It's available on YouTube. It's available in its original entirety, spliced together with other songs and beats, preceded and/or followed by other messages. It's been heard by thousands, if not millions, of people.
Lockridge inspires me. But far more, Jesus inspires me. I can't think of anything better than a message I truly believe in wrapped up in a flawless delivery.
Who inspires you?
More specifically, once you have the answer to that question, do you make a point to listen to them as regularly as you need to live in a state of inspiration?
Printed speeches are good also, but don't have the same emotion and power as the spoken word. Some of the most moving words of our time put a face on civil rights, a man on the moon and tore down the Berlin Wall. Our leaders have boldly declared us victorious in the war on terrorism, then kept us safe for 8 years after the first attack on our soil since Pearl Harbor. They've rallied us to raise money for charitable causes and inspired us to new heights of success inside corporations.
So... who then is the face behind the face?
Even the most famous speechwriters are largely unknown to the general public. (Although if you take Jay Leno's JayWalk as a sample of the common man, our highest leaders are also largely unknown.)
The essential part of a good speech is 2-fold, first a concisely constructed idea and second a delivery with strength, conviction and power. Lockridge, although a seasoned minister and public speaker, delivered his most famous address off the cuff. Some say he was simply seized by the Holy Spirit, others say he was infused with a lifetime of preparation beforehand.
Candy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), was so angry at the lax treatment of the driver who killed her 13 year old Cari that she started a grassroots campaign that eventually became a national movement. She passed out leaflets. She held meetings. And eventually, she testified before Congress.
What are you convicted about? And, given the opportunity, could you deliver it with strength and power?
If the answer is no, join a Toastmasters Club and start practicing! Buy a camcorder and start critiquing yourself on film. Learn to convince people both in writing and in person. Follow strong leaders with strong values. Make inspiration as necessary a part of your life as food and water.
Conviction + Action = Purpose
Who and what are you living for?
It's available on YouTube. It's available in its original entirety, spliced together with other songs and beats, preceded and/or followed by other messages. It's been heard by thousands, if not millions, of people.
Lockridge inspires me. But far more, Jesus inspires me. I can't think of anything better than a message I truly believe in wrapped up in a flawless delivery.
Who inspires you?
More specifically, once you have the answer to that question, do you make a point to listen to them as regularly as you need to live in a state of inspiration?
Printed speeches are good also, but don't have the same emotion and power as the spoken word. Some of the most moving words of our time put a face on civil rights, a man on the moon and tore down the Berlin Wall. Our leaders have boldly declared us victorious in the war on terrorism, then kept us safe for 8 years after the first attack on our soil since Pearl Harbor. They've rallied us to raise money for charitable causes and inspired us to new heights of success inside corporations.
So... who then is the face behind the face?
Even the most famous speechwriters are largely unknown to the general public. (Although if you take Jay Leno's JayWalk as a sample of the common man, our highest leaders are also largely unknown.)
The essential part of a good speech is 2-fold, first a concisely constructed idea and second a delivery with strength, conviction and power. Lockridge, although a seasoned minister and public speaker, delivered his most famous address off the cuff. Some say he was simply seized by the Holy Spirit, others say he was infused with a lifetime of preparation beforehand.
Candy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), was so angry at the lax treatment of the driver who killed her 13 year old Cari that she started a grassroots campaign that eventually became a national movement. She passed out leaflets. She held meetings. And eventually, she testified before Congress.
What are you convicted about? And, given the opportunity, could you deliver it with strength and power?
If the answer is no, join a Toastmasters Club and start practicing! Buy a camcorder and start critiquing yourself on film. Learn to convince people both in writing and in person. Follow strong leaders with strong values. Make inspiration as necessary a part of your life as food and water.
Conviction + Action = Purpose
Who and what are you living for?
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
When Not to "Ace the Interview"
I just finished a great book, Acing the Interview by 30+ year career coach and recruiting veteran Tony Beshara, that will teach you exactly everything you need to know to get a job you hate.
He's been recruiting since before I was born. However, I edited over 1,000 resumes and interviewed over 400 candidates last year so I feel like I can speak to this topic with some authority.
His advice:
1) Write cover letters.
2) Learn the "right" answers to interviewers' questions.
3) Spin yourself into their ideal candidate.
My advice:
1) Find a person to be your cover letter.
2) Find a job that both uses many of your skills and few of your weaknesses.
3) Never take a job for someone that you wouldn't want to see promoted.
Debunking Myth #1 - The Cover Letter
A cover letter says two things about you. You don't know anybody in the company who can get you in, and you're "one of them" vs. "one of us." The push back people usually give me in this area is that they don't know anyone at a company they're trying to get into. Malcolm Gladwell's compelling argument in The Outliers was that weak connections are more likely to be helpful than best friends or family, since there's a good chance that you already know the same people they do. Your casual acquaintances and friends of friends are the most likely to have a connection that you don't and can help you get to the opportunity of your choice.
Rather than sending an anonymous letter, go through your Rolodex and start building it out. LinkedIn and Facebook are great resources for this. Once you find a person who might be open to helping you, a cover letter is unnecessary.
Debunking Myth #2 - The "Right" Answers
I've had exactly two jobs in my life that I hated, and I got fired from both of them within the first month. I've had another four jobs that I've loved, including my current job, and when I look back at what the difference was, I realized I should have seen it coming in the interview.
I'm very good at interviewing. I know the right answers. I've gotten every offer I've interviewed for since I graduated from college, and I can tell you definitively that there is never, ever a beneficial reason to sell a skill set that you don't have.
The classic example "My biggest weakness is perfectionism" is a really dumb answer for two reasons. Number one, it doesn't answer the question and number two, it sounds canned because it is canned. I once spent 23 hours over four days doing bullet (15 minute) back to back interviews with college students and I heard that answer over 70 times. Given the fact that so many of their resumes had extra returns, spaces instead of tab stops, and in one particularly egregious example, grammar spelled an E, I found that answer to be at best unoriginal and at worst an outright lie.
If you have a habit you can't or don't plan on breaking that might cause friction, you might want to consider making that the answer. I've admitted I'm not the best public speaker (which I'm working on) and that my desk is almost always a mess (which I'm not working on). But I'd rather not get an offer than to be harangued over something like office cleanliness.
Several years ago, one of my teammates and I were both promoted to the same position in marketing generating detailed reports and original sales ideas/campaigns. She used to proof my detail work and correct the many errors. I had so many original ideas, I turned in half of them with her name on them. The obvious solution we came up with over burritos at lunch one day? She'd take my detail work, I'd take her creative. Our boss' solution? NOT A CHANCE. She had a specific vision of what she wanted in that role.
I'm not good at detail. Saying I am is something I shouldn't have said in that interview. Complete full disclosure isn't always a great thing to lead with, but it's better to be up front then get into something you hate.
Debunking Myth #3 - Your personal brand
Interviewers, particularly early in your career, have been doing this a lot longer than you have and almost always do it more often.
The easiest way to impress an interviewer is to be impressive, interesting and mildly entertaining. If there's something about your current job that you don't like or think is a waste of money, start brainstorming around some ideas. Take a teammate to lunch and brainstorm together. Be interesting. Read books, have hobbies, have something to talk about.
Beshara and I disagree on the last point also - he says stay away from politics, religion, anything controversial. Where we disagree is on the delivery. On your resume, saying "Member of X Church (or political party)" isn't a bad idea because it might stigmatize you, it's a bad idea because it's not relevant. But, if your involvement shows clearly related job skills, I actually think it's a good idea if it comes up. Serving as an Elder on the board of your church and having fiduciary responsibility for the church's budget and pension is a non-controversial way to show your commitment to the community.
I'm a committed, lifelong Republican who once made a strong recommendation for an equally committed, lifelong Democrat who told me about her success stories winning over Democrats in a very red part of rural Georgia - which showed me more about her sales skills and passion than any of her prior job experience. She went on to have a successful stint as a sales rep (later promoted to sales manager) and we mutually agreed to never discuss politics. :)
As soon as you get a job, find the bathroom, and figure out what you actually got hired to do (HR job descriptions aren't always the most conducive), then the next thing you should do is figure out how to get your boss promoted.
If at all possible, only work for people you truly like and respect. The #1 reason people leave jobs is because of their immediate supervisor. I must either be the luckiest person in the world or just a decent judge of character because I've had a string of incredible bosses, each of whom I've seen get promoted while they were leading the team I was on. I used to joke around that I was causing it, but I think the real reason is that winners attract winners. If you're a winner, never work for a loser. If you work for a winner, push him or her up as high as you can.
The reason I start with character is because people push back on me here also with comments like "my boss would steal credit for all my ideas" or "there's no reason to push my teammates up - they wouldn't do the same for me." That's a loser's attitude. You're a winner. You work for winners. Your company is lead by winners. If that statement isn't true, you should start looking for a new job where it is true.
To wrap up, the best way to "ace an interview" is to be a star where you are, continue to push yourself and let success find you.
He's been recruiting since before I was born. However, I edited over 1,000 resumes and interviewed over 400 candidates last year so I feel like I can speak to this topic with some authority.
His advice:
1) Write cover letters.
2) Learn the "right" answers to interviewers' questions.
3) Spin yourself into their ideal candidate.
My advice:
1) Find a person to be your cover letter.
2) Find a job that both uses many of your skills and few of your weaknesses.
3) Never take a job for someone that you wouldn't want to see promoted.
Debunking Myth #1 - The Cover Letter
A cover letter says two things about you. You don't know anybody in the company who can get you in, and you're "one of them" vs. "one of us." The push back people usually give me in this area is that they don't know anyone at a company they're trying to get into. Malcolm Gladwell's compelling argument in The Outliers was that weak connections are more likely to be helpful than best friends or family, since there's a good chance that you already know the same people they do. Your casual acquaintances and friends of friends are the most likely to have a connection that you don't and can help you get to the opportunity of your choice.
Rather than sending an anonymous letter, go through your Rolodex and start building it out. LinkedIn and Facebook are great resources for this. Once you find a person who might be open to helping you, a cover letter is unnecessary.
Debunking Myth #2 - The "Right" Answers
I've had exactly two jobs in my life that I hated, and I got fired from both of them within the first month. I've had another four jobs that I've loved, including my current job, and when I look back at what the difference was, I realized I should have seen it coming in the interview.
I'm very good at interviewing. I know the right answers. I've gotten every offer I've interviewed for since I graduated from college, and I can tell you definitively that there is never, ever a beneficial reason to sell a skill set that you don't have.
The classic example "My biggest weakness is perfectionism" is a really dumb answer for two reasons. Number one, it doesn't answer the question and number two, it sounds canned because it is canned. I once spent 23 hours over four days doing bullet (15 minute) back to back interviews with college students and I heard that answer over 70 times. Given the fact that so many of their resumes had extra returns, spaces instead of tab stops, and in one particularly egregious example, grammar spelled an E, I found that answer to be at best unoriginal and at worst an outright lie.
If you have a habit you can't or don't plan on breaking that might cause friction, you might want to consider making that the answer. I've admitted I'm not the best public speaker (which I'm working on) and that my desk is almost always a mess (which I'm not working on). But I'd rather not get an offer than to be harangued over something like office cleanliness.
Several years ago, one of my teammates and I were both promoted to the same position in marketing generating detailed reports and original sales ideas/campaigns. She used to proof my detail work and correct the many errors. I had so many original ideas, I turned in half of them with her name on them. The obvious solution we came up with over burritos at lunch one day? She'd take my detail work, I'd take her creative. Our boss' solution? NOT A CHANCE. She had a specific vision of what she wanted in that role.
I'm not good at detail. Saying I am is something I shouldn't have said in that interview. Complete full disclosure isn't always a great thing to lead with, but it's better to be up front then get into something you hate.
Debunking Myth #3 - Your personal brand
Interviewers, particularly early in your career, have been doing this a lot longer than you have and almost always do it more often.
The easiest way to impress an interviewer is to be impressive, interesting and mildly entertaining. If there's something about your current job that you don't like or think is a waste of money, start brainstorming around some ideas. Take a teammate to lunch and brainstorm together. Be interesting. Read books, have hobbies, have something to talk about.
Beshara and I disagree on the last point also - he says stay away from politics, religion, anything controversial. Where we disagree is on the delivery. On your resume, saying "Member of X Church (or political party)" isn't a bad idea because it might stigmatize you, it's a bad idea because it's not relevant. But, if your involvement shows clearly related job skills, I actually think it's a good idea if it comes up. Serving as an Elder on the board of your church and having fiduciary responsibility for the church's budget and pension is a non-controversial way to show your commitment to the community.
I'm a committed, lifelong Republican who once made a strong recommendation for an equally committed, lifelong Democrat who told me about her success stories winning over Democrats in a very red part of rural Georgia - which showed me more about her sales skills and passion than any of her prior job experience. She went on to have a successful stint as a sales rep (later promoted to sales manager) and we mutually agreed to never discuss politics. :)
As soon as you get a job, find the bathroom, and figure out what you actually got hired to do (HR job descriptions aren't always the most conducive), then the next thing you should do is figure out how to get your boss promoted.
If at all possible, only work for people you truly like and respect. The #1 reason people leave jobs is because of their immediate supervisor. I must either be the luckiest person in the world or just a decent judge of character because I've had a string of incredible bosses, each of whom I've seen get promoted while they were leading the team I was on. I used to joke around that I was causing it, but I think the real reason is that winners attract winners. If you're a winner, never work for a loser. If you work for a winner, push him or her up as high as you can.
The reason I start with character is because people push back on me here also with comments like "my boss would steal credit for all my ideas" or "there's no reason to push my teammates up - they wouldn't do the same for me." That's a loser's attitude. You're a winner. You work for winners. Your company is lead by winners. If that statement isn't true, you should start looking for a new job where it is true.
To wrap up, the best way to "ace an interview" is to be a star where you are, continue to push yourself and let success find you.
Monday, February 16, 2009
We spent *how much* on olives???
I just got back from long weekend trip in Cincinnati to celebrate my parents' 40th anniversary and to be astounded at the sheer tonnage of food my five year old nephew can consume and still be hungry. (On an unrelated note, one of the highlights of that trip was him asking me if he could look at my Wii controller, where he promptly dropped me out of the Batman game we were playing and replaced me with a computer player, then handed it back to me and told me he was done looking at it.)
On the way back to Denver, I got to the airport two hours early but there were only three people ahead of me in line at security. I brought a book, but figured I'd save it for the plane and spent some time thinking about the airport and the future of the airline industry.
Twenty years ago, according to a 2005 article in the International Herald Tribune, American Airlines made the industry's first attempt at cost cutting by taking one olive out of every salad. Since then, the increasingly competitive nature of the airline industry has divided into a barbell - hoping to snag the bargain shoppers with the cheapest seats on consolidation sites likes Cheap Tickets or Travelocity, and wooing the business/first class passengers with expanded offerings.
Airlines, like the rest of the transportation industry, hit their price ceiling in how much they could raise prices and still retain demand for their product. So when an industry has a highly variable cost structure, what's the best way to stay profitable both at the moment when the prices are the highest and a year later when prices may be significantly lower as they were between December, 2007 and December, 2008?
Before you can put together any strategy, I recommend considering three points 1) are your best customers those who will be the most profitable this month or for the next year in aggregate? 2) How are your competitors likely to capitalize on any decisions you make? 3) How can you drop your least profitable customers at the same time you attract new ones?
First, defining your customer base. The ideal plane would be full of last minute booked, refundable (maximum fare) business travelers with light luggage (minimum extra fuel usage), taking a flight that costs the least amount in fuel, crew capacity and doesn't require an overnight stay. What opportunities are available to pre-sell large mileage punch cards to be the exclusive carrier to companies whose employees travel en masse? If the dollar is weak, should you increase your marketing overseas to encourage travelers to come here? What about locking up future revenue by offering sweeteners?
Second, do you want to be the absolute lowest price in the game? Would you rather have one $400 passenger and one empty seat or 2 $200 seats filled? From a straight fuel charge, that answer seems obvious. What about 2 $225 seats? Where is the break even point? If corporate associates know the answer, do gate agents? If there are opportunities to fill seats last minute, would a bid model be appropriate? How empowered are your front line employees to either make or save the company money? Where do they see opportunities and waste?
Third, is it ever appropriate to move away from unprofitable customers? While certain federal guidelines (as well as general good PR) require universal availability, is there data broadly available about the true cost of service? Does a small child plus a stroller weigh less than a larger child, both paying the same fare? Is there an opportunity to market a grandparents' package for mothers with infants in arms who make multiple round trips to the same location in a year?
Lastly, what other factors go into airlines' process management? Is it time for a complete overhaul of the air traffic control system to see if we can save fuel by redirecting plane routes? What about additional services inside airports such as individual TVs (as they have on some airplanes) for a separate charge? Or the ability to log on to Internet only in-flight? (For the sanity of all passengers, I hope that the ability to make phone calls never becomes a reality!)
There is a tremendous opportunity for the airlines committed to streamlining to emerge from this financial crisis stronger and leaner with bigger market shares than ever before.
On the way back to Denver, I got to the airport two hours early but there were only three people ahead of me in line at security. I brought a book, but figured I'd save it for the plane and spent some time thinking about the airport and the future of the airline industry.
Twenty years ago, according to a 2005 article in the International Herald Tribune, American Airlines made the industry's first attempt at cost cutting by taking one olive out of every salad. Since then, the increasingly competitive nature of the airline industry has divided into a barbell - hoping to snag the bargain shoppers with the cheapest seats on consolidation sites likes Cheap Tickets or Travelocity, and wooing the business/first class passengers with expanded offerings.
Airlines, like the rest of the transportation industry, hit their price ceiling in how much they could raise prices and still retain demand for their product. So when an industry has a highly variable cost structure, what's the best way to stay profitable both at the moment when the prices are the highest and a year later when prices may be significantly lower as they were between December, 2007 and December, 2008?
Before you can put together any strategy, I recommend considering three points 1) are your best customers those who will be the most profitable this month or for the next year in aggregate? 2) How are your competitors likely to capitalize on any decisions you make? 3) How can you drop your least profitable customers at the same time you attract new ones?
First, defining your customer base. The ideal plane would be full of last minute booked, refundable (maximum fare) business travelers with light luggage (minimum extra fuel usage), taking a flight that costs the least amount in fuel, crew capacity and doesn't require an overnight stay. What opportunities are available to pre-sell large mileage punch cards to be the exclusive carrier to companies whose employees travel en masse? If the dollar is weak, should you increase your marketing overseas to encourage travelers to come here? What about locking up future revenue by offering sweeteners?
Second, do you want to be the absolute lowest price in the game? Would you rather have one $400 passenger and one empty seat or 2 $200 seats filled? From a straight fuel charge, that answer seems obvious. What about 2 $225 seats? Where is the break even point? If corporate associates know the answer, do gate agents? If there are opportunities to fill seats last minute, would a bid model be appropriate? How empowered are your front line employees to either make or save the company money? Where do they see opportunities and waste?
Third, is it ever appropriate to move away from unprofitable customers? While certain federal guidelines (as well as general good PR) require universal availability, is there data broadly available about the true cost of service? Does a small child plus a stroller weigh less than a larger child, both paying the same fare? Is there an opportunity to market a grandparents' package for mothers with infants in arms who make multiple round trips to the same location in a year?
Lastly, what other factors go into airlines' process management? Is it time for a complete overhaul of the air traffic control system to see if we can save fuel by redirecting plane routes? What about additional services inside airports such as individual TVs (as they have on some airplanes) for a separate charge? Or the ability to log on to Internet only in-flight? (For the sanity of all passengers, I hope that the ability to make phone calls never becomes a reality!)
There is a tremendous opportunity for the airlines committed to streamlining to emerge from this financial crisis stronger and leaner with bigger market shares than ever before.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
CEO - Chief Engagement Officer?
My company just got a new CEO. He is engaging, dynamic, with a slightly self-deprecating sense of humor and a crisp, clear message about who we are as a team and where we're going. During our all-hands meeting, I asked him a question he didn't know the answer to, but asked me to email it to him (in front of 1,000 colleagues, no less). I did. Within an hour, it had bounced from him to our CFO and back to me with the answer. Another gal made a comment about a way to potentially increase revenues, and he told her to form a task force to research it and get started on the process of achieving it.
Motivational? Absolutely!
With that one act, I learned he is as good as his word and he understands the speed of caring.
Above, my first interaction with him, was step 2. Step 1 was our Board having the vision to know the kind of person we need at the helm, find him, and give him to us. There's always a Step 1.
Identifying the challenges to your business, gathering input from your team and acting swiftly and decisively to retify them is what separates the merely good from the truly great.
Motivational? Absolutely!
With that one act, I learned he is as good as his word and he understands the speed of caring.
Above, my first interaction with him, was step 2. Step 1 was our Board having the vision to know the kind of person we need at the helm, find him, and give him to us. There's always a Step 1.
Identifying the challenges to your business, gathering input from your team and acting swiftly and decisively to retify them is what separates the merely good from the truly great.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Don't Kilz the Messenger
My apartment, thanks to my dear friend with dogged persistence and a great sense of style, is finally colorful and homey. Part of why I was reluctant to paint it in the first place was my sense of the work vs. the result - I don't spend a lot of time here, so why should it be anything but white? Her argument, interestingly enough, was that once it was beautiful I would want to be there more.
We ended up using Kilz Paint from Wal-Mart, guaranteed one-coat for life. I was pretty impressed impressed with the smooth glide even on my crazy textured walls, and, like every other product in my life that's wowed me, I wanted everybody to know about it. So I started telling them. Kilz paint is the best paint in the universe. It's thick, it goes on with one coat (just like it says on the label!) I am wowed. It's a product that does what it promises and makes evangelists out of buyers in a category that most people don't look forward to needing. I am also wowed by the fact that 4 of the 7 people I told about it told me "Kilz is a primer - you need to paint over it with paint." My thought? Kilz definitely could be a primer (it's thick enough) but you can dye it in 1,000 colors and it went on as smooth as 3-4 coats of a competitor's product. Why was everyone stuck in the mud here?
Here's the problem. Kilz may very well be a primer. However, it can be dyed to over 1,000 colors which means it wasn't meant to be painted over. It even comes with a lifetime guarantee of being one coat. My guess is that whoever invented it probably did it by accident, or maybe dropped some dye in primer one day just as an experiment. Voila!
What ideas are on the tip of your tongue right now? What aspects of your job or company could run faster, better or more efficiently? What products do you need and which ones don't you need? Are employees engaged? Challenged? Motivated?
If not, it might just be time to drop some dye in the primer and see what happens.
We ended up using Kilz Paint from Wal-Mart, guaranteed one-coat for life. I was pretty impressed impressed with the smooth glide even on my crazy textured walls, and, like every other product in my life that's wowed me, I wanted everybody to know about it. So I started telling them. Kilz paint is the best paint in the universe. It's thick, it goes on with one coat (just like it says on the label!) I am wowed. It's a product that does what it promises and makes evangelists out of buyers in a category that most people don't look forward to needing. I am also wowed by the fact that 4 of the 7 people I told about it told me "Kilz is a primer - you need to paint over it with paint." My thought? Kilz definitely could be a primer (it's thick enough) but you can dye it in 1,000 colors and it went on as smooth as 3-4 coats of a competitor's product. Why was everyone stuck in the mud here?
Here's the problem. Kilz may very well be a primer. However, it can be dyed to over 1,000 colors which means it wasn't meant to be painted over. It even comes with a lifetime guarantee of being one coat. My guess is that whoever invented it probably did it by accident, or maybe dropped some dye in primer one day just as an experiment. Voila!
What ideas are on the tip of your tongue right now? What aspects of your job or company could run faster, better or more efficiently? What products do you need and which ones don't you need? Are employees engaged? Challenged? Motivated?
If not, it might just be time to drop some dye in the primer and see what happens.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Dead birds on a stick. Really, no explanation necessary.
Last night, in very possibly the longest six minutes and forty seconds of my life, I watched a slide show called Lovely and Amazing, featuring 20 dead birds mounted on what appeared to be Popsicle sticks clipping along one at a time over 20 slides with their calls playing in the background and the artist (her term not mine) standing idly next to the slide show, mic swinging by the cord from her hand, while she looked on (apparently mesmerized by her own work) and offering no other explanation.
It got me thinking. Most things do, as I'm sure you know by now. :)
Where does the audience fit into a presentation?
If stand up comics are any indication, the audience is at least 50%, maybe more than that. The experience of trying to get the attention of people sitting at round tables eating and talking is painful. On the flip side, an audience already prepared to support you and/or your message, interested and ready to engage is priceless.
The questions I would ask any presenter to consider are: "How likely is my audience to already have knowledge on this subject?" "What is the purpose of this information? Entertainment, Call to action, Informational only?" "If they're ready to engage, did I give them an action step?"
Having sat through countless engagements in my life, I can confidently say the most memorable ones are some combination of all three. The speaker didn't have to be a stand up comic to make light of a few serious topics intermittently. The common thread seems to be the story behind the story. In all circumstances, people want to feel like by attending this session, they're receiving something they wouldn't have gotten elsewhere and didn't already know.
The last and most crucial piece of a successful talk:
Make it short enough! There will be times when you need to give people 40 hours of information. There are an awful lot of times when an hour long talk should have been 20 minutes. Does your audience need visual aids or handouts? Do they need to know every nuance of your topic? Why do they need to X or Y?
By considering these things in advance, you're likely to get a vastly improved response than you would have any other way.
It got me thinking. Most things do, as I'm sure you know by now. :)
Where does the audience fit into a presentation?
If stand up comics are any indication, the audience is at least 50%, maybe more than that. The experience of trying to get the attention of people sitting at round tables eating and talking is painful. On the flip side, an audience already prepared to support you and/or your message, interested and ready to engage is priceless.
The questions I would ask any presenter to consider are: "How likely is my audience to already have knowledge on this subject?" "What is the purpose of this information? Entertainment, Call to action, Informational only?" "If they're ready to engage, did I give them an action step?"
Having sat through countless engagements in my life, I can confidently say the most memorable ones are some combination of all three. The speaker didn't have to be a stand up comic to make light of a few serious topics intermittently. The common thread seems to be the story behind the story. In all circumstances, people want to feel like by attending this session, they're receiving something they wouldn't have gotten elsewhere and didn't already know.
The last and most crucial piece of a successful talk:
Make it short enough! There will be times when you need to give people 40 hours of information. There are an awful lot of times when an hour long talk should have been 20 minutes. Does your audience need visual aids or handouts? Do they need to know every nuance of your topic? Why do they need to X or Y?
By considering these things in advance, you're likely to get a vastly improved response than you would have any other way.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Mission, if you choose to accept it...
Say It and Live It, the wonderful little book I mentioned in my last post, is sitting on my desk right now next to an empty coffee cup, a dozen library books, a roll of paper towels, some mail I've been meaning to open and wires and wires connecting everything to everything else. I've come to two important realizations over this.
1) I really need to clean my desk.
2) I need to write a personal mission statement.
The last time most of us wrote personal mission statements was when we were trying to get into college, when you're young and idealistic and don't understand much of anything at all. I wrote one. It helped me get into The Ohio State University (not to be confused with Harvard, which I believe refers to itself as the Ohio State of the Northeast).
Patricia Jones and Larry Kahaner lay out six foundations that a company must incorporate for a mission statement to work: simplicity, the involvement of many members of the company, an outside perspective, wording that reflects personality, the creative and frequent sharing of it and the willingness to look to the mission statement for guidance.
I want to take this one step further and ask people to apply that to their personal lives.
So many young professionals between 25 and 40 seem to be struggling with the same question - "What do I want to be?" and I think that's the wrong question. What if we changed the conversation from what to whom, and started thinking through the character issues instead of the action steps?
"I want to be an accountant" (or a dentist or a roofer or a magician) is a much more pat answer than "I want to be centered, calm in the storm, functioning within my purpose and making the world more complete." The second answer doesn't fit. The second answer is someone who doesn't want to grow up, or is too young or naive or idealistic.
For someone like me, who values most spreadsheets far more than most people (if for no other reason than because they fit a set of rules), the answer is simply trial and error. Does the whole world annoy you? Try living with unlimited patience. Don't like the fact that you don't have much control over your circumstances? Try starting something new... a book club, a sports team, a chapter of Toastmasters.
I'm constantly encouraged by the fact that my biggest problem is unlimited choice. My mailbox is stuffed with advertisements from local colleges and community centers encouraging me to try something new. The Internet is the gateway to the world, and if navigating it isn't yielding any interesting results, there's always the traditional (gasp) way of talking to friends and asking them about their interests. Try going to high school musicals or a church far from your denomination or whichever appeals to you least between art museums and football games.
My answers have been coming in a variety of sources. I love creativity but also calm. I don't like frenzied much of anything. I love connecting with other people... but also highly value my space. I like nature only in small doses, and have to remind myself to take advantages of the resources offered to me. I also have to draw hard limits against people who want an unlimited amount of anything from me.
My mission is to empower other people to realize their dreams and teach them how to turn them into action plans, working together to eliminate obstacles and distractions.
Learning to think differently will give you a stronger sense of where you feel most at home and what you want your life to be all about.
1) I really need to clean my desk.
2) I need to write a personal mission statement.
The last time most of us wrote personal mission statements was when we were trying to get into college, when you're young and idealistic and don't understand much of anything at all. I wrote one. It helped me get into The Ohio State University (not to be confused with Harvard, which I believe refers to itself as the Ohio State of the Northeast).
Patricia Jones and Larry Kahaner lay out six foundations that a company must incorporate for a mission statement to work: simplicity, the involvement of many members of the company, an outside perspective, wording that reflects personality, the creative and frequent sharing of it and the willingness to look to the mission statement for guidance.
I want to take this one step further and ask people to apply that to their personal lives.
So many young professionals between 25 and 40 seem to be struggling with the same question - "What do I want to be?" and I think that's the wrong question. What if we changed the conversation from what to whom, and started thinking through the character issues instead of the action steps?
"I want to be an accountant" (or a dentist or a roofer or a magician) is a much more pat answer than "I want to be centered, calm in the storm, functioning within my purpose and making the world more complete." The second answer doesn't fit. The second answer is someone who doesn't want to grow up, or is too young or naive or idealistic.
For someone like me, who values most spreadsheets far more than most people (if for no other reason than because they fit a set of rules), the answer is simply trial and error. Does the whole world annoy you? Try living with unlimited patience. Don't like the fact that you don't have much control over your circumstances? Try starting something new... a book club, a sports team, a chapter of Toastmasters.
I'm constantly encouraged by the fact that my biggest problem is unlimited choice. My mailbox is stuffed with advertisements from local colleges and community centers encouraging me to try something new. The Internet is the gateway to the world, and if navigating it isn't yielding any interesting results, there's always the traditional (gasp) way of talking to friends and asking them about their interests. Try going to high school musicals or a church far from your denomination or whichever appeals to you least between art museums and football games.
My answers have been coming in a variety of sources. I love creativity but also calm. I don't like frenzied much of anything. I love connecting with other people... but also highly value my space. I like nature only in small doses, and have to remind myself to take advantages of the resources offered to me. I also have to draw hard limits against people who want an unlimited amount of anything from me.
My mission is to empower other people to realize their dreams and teach them how to turn them into action plans, working together to eliminate obstacles and distractions.
Learning to think differently will give you a stronger sense of where you feel most at home and what you want your life to be all about.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Fill in the blank. "My company could be better if ___"
Message board. Blogs. Social Networks.
For some of us (I also point the finger at myself here!), public information has become some cross between a habit and an obsession. Lawsuits get filed over the wrong people sharing the wrong information. People get hired and fired over recruiters finding them or their bosses staring at their web-resume advertising themselves for immediate hire.
I was reading a message board last night and someone posed the question to the world: Fill in the blank. "My company could be better if ___". Responses were mostly negative, and I assume that's one of the unfortunate by products of the question. Given the market and how many executives and politicians have been in the news in the last 5 years, it's hard for a lot of people to feel good about where they work.
So here's the real question... what would happen if the company asked its own employees that question, took no retribution on scathing comments, and made changes to reflect the better?
I've just finished a book called Say It and Live It http://www.amazon.com/Say-Live-Patricia-Jones/dp/0385476302 that talks about 50 companies' mission statements and how they're committed to them. It got me thinking - virtually every company I've ever worked for has said its people are its greatest asset, which I've come to realize is the equivalent of workers saying perfectionism is their greatest weakness.
Has your company ever posted a profitability challenge, where every department scans itself for waste? Prizes for the winners. What about feedback for ways the company can make itself a better place to work at low or no cost? Flex time, work from home options and little things like the ability to give your vacation days to coworkers if desired create a strong bond to the brand.
My dream for my own company is that we would have a work force so incredibly loyal that we could publish their contact info on the home page and no recruiters would get their calls returned.
A few ideas your employees will be happy to give you on running a better mousetrap:
1) Ask what they like the least about their current job responsibilities. Challenge them to come up with a way to get it done more easily. If they don't like a task that must be done, look at your entire department - can you pair up a detail-oriented and a creative person to share responsibilities vs. assigning the task to each, 50/50?
2) Ask what they like the least about their current environment. Are engineers trying to work quietly while boisterous sales people are talking on the phone all day? Are departments who interact all day physically close to one another? If not, can one be moved?
3) Ask how they feel their compensation package compares to the competition. Employees overwhelmingly don't expect to be paid ridiculous amounts over the expectation for the job, but do become vulnerable to recruiting when they feel (and especially if they actually are) underpaid. Your more experienced people know what the national averages are, and particularly the local ones. The average cost of replacing an employee is ~25-40% of their annual pay, so paying them 10% more might be one of the best moves a company can make.
4) Ask if your employees understand the resources available to them. Here, internal marketing is particularly important. If not, make a point to step up the availibility.
5) Do employees get to engage with management one level above their supervisor and beyond? A CEO doing a bi-annual meeting is huge in helping build credibility. Likewise, it's worth a senior VP stopping in for a quarterly lunch with people from various departments. It keeps everybody accountable and motivated.
6) AOB. Any other business. If there's an open door for employees to share their questions, ideas, concerns or complaints, they're much more likely to be happy and productive.
For some of us (I also point the finger at myself here!), public information has become some cross between a habit and an obsession. Lawsuits get filed over the wrong people sharing the wrong information. People get hired and fired over recruiters finding them or their bosses staring at their web-resume advertising themselves for immediate hire.
I was reading a message board last night and someone posed the question to the world: Fill in the blank. "My company could be better if ___". Responses were mostly negative, and I assume that's one of the unfortunate by products of the question. Given the market and how many executives and politicians have been in the news in the last 5 years, it's hard for a lot of people to feel good about where they work.
So here's the real question... what would happen if the company asked its own employees that question, took no retribution on scathing comments, and made changes to reflect the better?
I've just finished a book called Say It and Live It http://www.amazon.com/Say-Live-Patricia-Jones/dp/0385476302 that talks about 50 companies' mission statements and how they're committed to them. It got me thinking - virtually every company I've ever worked for has said its people are its greatest asset, which I've come to realize is the equivalent of workers saying perfectionism is their greatest weakness.
Has your company ever posted a profitability challenge, where every department scans itself for waste? Prizes for the winners. What about feedback for ways the company can make itself a better place to work at low or no cost? Flex time, work from home options and little things like the ability to give your vacation days to coworkers if desired create a strong bond to the brand.
My dream for my own company is that we would have a work force so incredibly loyal that we could publish their contact info on the home page and no recruiters would get their calls returned.
A few ideas your employees will be happy to give you on running a better mousetrap:
1) Ask what they like the least about their current job responsibilities. Challenge them to come up with a way to get it done more easily. If they don't like a task that must be done, look at your entire department - can you pair up a detail-oriented and a creative person to share responsibilities vs. assigning the task to each, 50/50?
2) Ask what they like the least about their current environment. Are engineers trying to work quietly while boisterous sales people are talking on the phone all day? Are departments who interact all day physically close to one another? If not, can one be moved?
3) Ask how they feel their compensation package compares to the competition. Employees overwhelmingly don't expect to be paid ridiculous amounts over the expectation for the job, but do become vulnerable to recruiting when they feel (and especially if they actually are) underpaid. Your more experienced people know what the national averages are, and particularly the local ones. The average cost of replacing an employee is ~25-40% of their annual pay, so paying them 10% more might be one of the best moves a company can make.
4) Ask if your employees understand the resources available to them. Here, internal marketing is particularly important. If not, make a point to step up the availibility.
5) Do employees get to engage with management one level above their supervisor and beyond? A CEO doing a bi-annual meeting is huge in helping build credibility. Likewise, it's worth a senior VP stopping in for a quarterly lunch with people from various departments. It keeps everybody accountable and motivated.
6) AOB. Any other business. If there's an open door for employees to share their questions, ideas, concerns or complaints, they're much more likely to be happy and productive.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Professional Education and Career ROI
The first boss I ever had in my professional career gave me some pretty sound advice that I've thought of often over the years:
"To make it in finance, you have to know stuff or you have to know people. You're 22, you don't know anybody, and the people you do know don't have any money. So, grad school for you!" and he handed me a copy of our company educational reimbursement policy. "There are two types of programs," he explained "the easy way for people who just want letters after their name, and the hard program that will get you respect industry wide. Which one do you want to do?"
I took the hard one. The rest was history.
I raced through the classes in a year, becoming the youngest person in my firm to get them, and ironically wasn't able to use the designation for several months afterward since I didn't have enough career experience. But those three letters, and all the other designations I've earned since then, have tagged on the end of my name on my email signature and stationary and every resume I've written. I don't use my middle initial anymore... it seemed odd to have a letter in the middle of my name when I had so many at the end.
Here's the $64,000 question: was it worth it?
In a word: YES.
To know if grad school is right for you, take this True/False quiz: (Come on... we're talking about school here! Of course there's going to be a test at the end...)
1) I know specifically how this program will help me.
2) I have a rough idea of what topics will be covered.
3) I have investigated professional certificates, industry-specific licensing and other options.
4) I have done informational interviews with people who have the job I think I want. They also agree this schooling is necessary.
5) I can afford it on my current income, or I know what the future loan payments vs. future income will be and I'll be better off.
6) I'm not anticipating any other major life expenses during or immediately after grad school that would prevent me from finishing.
7) I've spent at least three (preferably five) years working in my chosen field.
8) I can handle the academic workload.
9) I can handle the strain the extra work may put on my current job (if you have one), my marriage, family, social life, etc.
10) I chose my program for a specific reason relevant to me, not purely on a general ranking or family legacy.
If you answered most of the above questions True, you've probably done enough research to go to grad school.
Finally, there's a possibility grad school may make you undesirable. If you're a lawyer, people may be concerned you're not able to innovate. If you're an MBA, you may have the "Vice President Syndrome." (See point number 1, knowing specifically how your program will help you.)
Studies have shown consistently that more education equals more money over a lifetime and grad school may be the time of your life! Being around a dynamic, focused group of colleagues who are moving in the same direction you are is good for everybody.
Be focused, be sure and be on with it!
"To make it in finance, you have to know stuff or you have to know people. You're 22, you don't know anybody, and the people you do know don't have any money. So, grad school for you!" and he handed me a copy of our company educational reimbursement policy. "There are two types of programs," he explained "the easy way for people who just want letters after their name, and the hard program that will get you respect industry wide. Which one do you want to do?"
I took the hard one. The rest was history.
I raced through the classes in a year, becoming the youngest person in my firm to get them, and ironically wasn't able to use the designation for several months afterward since I didn't have enough career experience. But those three letters, and all the other designations I've earned since then, have tagged on the end of my name on my email signature and stationary and every resume I've written. I don't use my middle initial anymore... it seemed odd to have a letter in the middle of my name when I had so many at the end.
Here's the $64,000 question: was it worth it?
In a word: YES.
To know if grad school is right for you, take this True/False quiz: (Come on... we're talking about school here! Of course there's going to be a test at the end...)
1) I know specifically how this program will help me.
2) I have a rough idea of what topics will be covered.
3) I have investigated professional certificates, industry-specific licensing and other options.
4) I have done informational interviews with people who have the job I think I want. They also agree this schooling is necessary.
5) I can afford it on my current income, or I know what the future loan payments vs. future income will be and I'll be better off.
6) I'm not anticipating any other major life expenses during or immediately after grad school that would prevent me from finishing.
7) I've spent at least three (preferably five) years working in my chosen field.
8) I can handle the academic workload.
9) I can handle the strain the extra work may put on my current job (if you have one), my marriage, family, social life, etc.
10) I chose my program for a specific reason relevant to me, not purely on a general ranking or family legacy.
If you answered most of the above questions True, you've probably done enough research to go to grad school.
Finally, there's a possibility grad school may make you undesirable. If you're a lawyer, people may be concerned you're not able to innovate. If you're an MBA, you may have the "Vice President Syndrome." (See point number 1, knowing specifically how your program will help you.)
Studies have shown consistently that more education equals more money over a lifetime and grad school may be the time of your life! Being around a dynamic, focused group of colleagues who are moving in the same direction you are is good for everybody.
Be focused, be sure and be on with it!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Virtual Couches
I woke up this morning to a tongue in my eye and hearty bacon breath panting at me, and realized two things. 1) Dogs and beds should not be the same height. 2) I see a hugely excellent reason to have a pet you can keep in a file folder.
I was having dinner with three close friends on New Year's Eve, and one of them was telling me about her virtual pet on Facebook. I, having proudly resisted the urge to open up an account for several years, officially caved to peer pressure after she told me that.
Although I haven't spent much time on it yet, I'm interested in the rest of the things it can do. Is there a virtual couch you can sit on? What about a virtual cup of coffee? What applications have amateurs developed, considering there were almost 200 hits for virtual pet program applications on Facebook when I searched tonight.
Personally, I've gone from being a consumer only to a producer-consumer. More and more, the line between amateur and professional content is getting blurred. When blogs are getting more hits than professional newspapers, with equal and sometimes superior quality, I think it's time to ask ourselves what is the role of the producing consumer in today's business model?
ITunes is another great example. Just a few years ago, Ipods didn't exist. Now, ITunes is the second largest retailer in the US, trailing only Wal-Mart. Local bands, without the ability to promote themselves in the same way that major labels do, can nonetheless get benefits out of being available to download.
If you haven't read Chris Anderson's book and blog The Long Tail, http://www.thelongtail.com/, I highly recommend it. It's a fascinating theory that proposes if, given infinite choices, consumers' demand will swell to meet that number of choices.
So, back to Facebook. While I've been writing this entry, three people have written on my wall, I commented on two of their statuses, made plans with another for dinner next week and considered adopting a virtual penguin. As Facebook's corporate image has always been that they don't care about money, the tide is starting to turn - you have ages, genders, interest groups, localities - about everything you need to run a successful marketing program. Now the only question is how will they use it in a way that the commercial aspect doesn't take over?
Is Chris correct? Are there infinite demands for infinite choices?
If virtual penguins didn't exist, would we ever have known that we needed them?
I was having dinner with three close friends on New Year's Eve, and one of them was telling me about her virtual pet on Facebook. I, having proudly resisted the urge to open up an account for several years, officially caved to peer pressure after she told me that.
Although I haven't spent much time on it yet, I'm interested in the rest of the things it can do. Is there a virtual couch you can sit on? What about a virtual cup of coffee? What applications have amateurs developed, considering there were almost 200 hits for virtual pet program applications on Facebook when I searched tonight.
Personally, I've gone from being a consumer only to a producer-consumer. More and more, the line between amateur and professional content is getting blurred. When blogs are getting more hits than professional newspapers, with equal and sometimes superior quality, I think it's time to ask ourselves what is the role of the producing consumer in today's business model?
ITunes is another great example. Just a few years ago, Ipods didn't exist. Now, ITunes is the second largest retailer in the US, trailing only Wal-Mart. Local bands, without the ability to promote themselves in the same way that major labels do, can nonetheless get benefits out of being available to download.
If you haven't read Chris Anderson's book and blog The Long Tail, http://www.thelongtail.com/, I highly recommend it. It's a fascinating theory that proposes if, given infinite choices, consumers' demand will swell to meet that number of choices.
So, back to Facebook. While I've been writing this entry, three people have written on my wall, I commented on two of their statuses, made plans with another for dinner next week and considered adopting a virtual penguin. As Facebook's corporate image has always been that they don't care about money, the tide is starting to turn - you have ages, genders, interest groups, localities - about everything you need to run a successful marketing program. Now the only question is how will they use it in a way that the commercial aspect doesn't take over?
Is Chris correct? Are there infinite demands for infinite choices?
If virtual penguins didn't exist, would we ever have known that we needed them?
The Giving Fund
New Year's is a time for reflection. A time to consider (however briefly) the opportunity to stop smoking, start working out, redo the budget. Prioritize what's important. Clean out the closets. Organize your birthday cards a year in advance and call your grandmother more often. All kinds of dreams, all kinds of ideas.
I know of very few people who have any luck successfully transforming themselves into something different. It's by no means undoable, but unlike far too many self help books that preach the gospel of changing yourself and the actions will follow, I propose a different method. "You are," said Aristotle "what you repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an action but a habit." So change your behavior now, and your heart, mind and soul will follow.
Giving for me was the hardest. I wanted to be the kind of person who gave. I wanted to give because Jesus was the ultimate giver. But it was hard. I had bills. I had a mortgage. And I had an overwhelming amount of guilt because there were people who had it so much worse off than I did, and many of them gave generously. A friend of mine from college had to struggle through her final exams back and forth going to the school's hospital to sit with her mom as she lay dying of cancer. This extraordinarily faithful woman put her hope in the Lord and even as she struggled to raise children alone, she gave faithfully.
Financially, giving was something that I worshipped. It took on a place of importance that turned into a prideful issue. I would most certainly give, but always with a careful eye on my tax write-off, and particularly would give to causes when I felt they were worthy of my gift and I would be properly credited.
As I've grown in my giving, I find those things less important. I make a list of causes that I care about and I give generously. I don't try to give everything to every cause. I don't make excuses that my gift is too little to count, or that the charity can't be trusted. I find charities that I can trust, then I trust them. In its purest form, giving to charity is buying nothing. But if you've ever given regularly, you'll understand that giving will buy you something that no thing can replace.
I challenge all of you who budget to put money in your giving fund. If you can write the check now, then you should. If you can't (and the reason stopping you is almost always fear or greed), then don't write it. But put the money aside and pray about it. Think about the people in your life who have been generous with you, or if you don't have any, break that cycle.
My causes are varied. I care about church, Junior Achievement, Toastmasters, the library and politics. My giving is reflected accordingly. I want you to give boldly, as you've already received. When you give in line with your values, you'll be free.
What I most want is for my life to be an inspiration to the ones I hold the closest. For all the differences you may be able to come up with between Donald Trump and Billy Graham, there's really only one: if you glorify yourself, you must win as somebody loses. If you glorify Him through your sacrificial love and praise, others will lift you up. Look to the Ultimate Giver, for He is the only one who will ever and always out give you.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
How can corporate training be more effective?
Training. It can be viewed as vitally necessary, a waste of budget, and everything in between. In this era of cost cutting and the mad scramble for profitability, how can companies be more strategic in their approach?
Before costs or any other factor can be considered, I would ask what the employees look like on the other side of the training. What new benefit are they bringing to the company? What skills do they have now that they didn't have before, and how will that make the company more efficient (or profitable or whatever other goal the company had in mind). Are the employees going to need on-going monitoring and assistance? Does the training require company-specific longevity and expertise?
Most companies either use full time in-house trainers or freelance consultants. Both have merit, however this isn't just a bottom-line issue. Training should always be viewed as a source of revenue for the company. If the training won't significantly improve the employee's bottom line to the company, skip it. One of the worst things a company can discover is that it spent time, money and effort making sure its employees are absolutely world-class at a skill set they didn't need at all.
A few ideas to leverage your training department:
1) Do intra-team (or departmental training). Do you have a small number of employees with a great skill set you want to replicate? Do a brown bag lunch/panel discussion on best practices.
2) If you have a large number of people to deploy information to, give it to them with a virtual presentation. It's particularly helpful if you have the ability to archive it for later reuse and replay.
3) Ask the employees where they feel weakest. Companies that view training as a cost center vs. a profit center may be delivering the wrong programs, not be able to see the benefits from them and assume they're not working.
4) Ask management for feedback. What skills do they want their employees to have? Viral training can also be effective as a cost-cutting tool - train a select group of employees who can then deliver the training to their teams.
Training is extremely valuable and if done correctly, can reduce the need for external recruits vs. internal promotions, raise morale as employees are given the opportunity to grow in their skills sets and generate more revenue than it cost through a general improvement in efficiency, technology, revenue generation or any of a number of objectives.
Before costs or any other factor can be considered, I would ask what the employees look like on the other side of the training. What new benefit are they bringing to the company? What skills do they have now that they didn't have before, and how will that make the company more efficient (or profitable or whatever other goal the company had in mind). Are the employees going to need on-going monitoring and assistance? Does the training require company-specific longevity and expertise?
Most companies either use full time in-house trainers or freelance consultants. Both have merit, however this isn't just a bottom-line issue. Training should always be viewed as a source of revenue for the company. If the training won't significantly improve the employee's bottom line to the company, skip it. One of the worst things a company can discover is that it spent time, money and effort making sure its employees are absolutely world-class at a skill set they didn't need at all.
A few ideas to leverage your training department:
1) Do intra-team (or departmental training). Do you have a small number of employees with a great skill set you want to replicate? Do a brown bag lunch/panel discussion on best practices.
2) If you have a large number of people to deploy information to, give it to them with a virtual presentation. It's particularly helpful if you have the ability to archive it for later reuse and replay.
3) Ask the employees where they feel weakest. Companies that view training as a cost center vs. a profit center may be delivering the wrong programs, not be able to see the benefits from them and assume they're not working.
4) Ask management for feedback. What skills do they want their employees to have? Viral training can also be effective as a cost-cutting tool - train a select group of employees who can then deliver the training to their teams.
Training is extremely valuable and if done correctly, can reduce the need for external recruits vs. internal promotions, raise morale as employees are given the opportunity to grow in their skills sets and generate more revenue than it cost through a general improvement in efficiency, technology, revenue generation or any of a number of objectives.
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