What Makes You Happy Can Make You Rich

One of the perks of working with so many different people is, I get to help folks from diverse backgrounds to conduct personal assessments into what they value, and then help them to pursue the dreams that they left behind years ago.

While many people refuse to follow their passions when then gave up on obtaining their dream job, I get to coach my clients how to figure out what they do best and what they love to do, then where those two overlap, we have identified their DREAM job which I teach them how to pursue in their next job.

With so many highly qualified people out of work, under-employed, and struggling to make ends meet, now is the PERFECT time to come up with a new definition of "wealth."

While America struggles to reinvent itself, now is the perfect time to adjust our notion of success. Can we alter our prevailing definition of the wealth as the successful acquisition of materials objects to a new concept of success as doing what's best for others?


We are already witnessing a change in what we value, with the proliferation in social corporate responsibility not as a PR goodwill ploy, but as a sincere effort made by organizations to have a positive impact on society. We see it in the Green movement, the increase in micro-lending, a relatively new societal pursuit for alternative energy/fuel sources, a more ethical treatment of animals, a movement to preserve our natural resources, etc.

Instead of arguing that you can't pay your bills by chasing your dreams (those interests/hobbies that you pursue on the side), I would argue that each of us should make a renewed effort to reconsider that what we enjoy doing "ON THE SIDE OUTSIDE OF WORK" that fulfills us, COULD be our next full-time employment opportunity.

What do you do to make you happy? Coach Little League? Volunteer in your church/synagogue? Serve on your children's school Board? Lead fundraising efforts for community projects?

So many people are doing this now as we pursue second careers. As our nation struggles to create jobs, each of us will have to create our own jobs, to ensure we are employed in the future.

So I ask: "What makes you happy?" It can make you rich, if you pursue it with passion and intensity.

How do you accomplish this? Create a list of all the things that you love to do. then, create a second list of the things that you do really well. Where these two overlap, you have identified your DREAM job. Once you find those things that could constitute your future calling, you need to develop an action plan.

This action plan will include all oft he steps required to turn your dream job into your next job. List all the actions, start and end dates, prioritize with a 1-3 ranking with 1 being critical To-Dos, priority 2 items are the things you must get done in a short period of time, and the 3s are the things you need to get done. Identify the contingencies for each action, those things that will prevent you from completing those tasks.

An additional step in conducting a successful personal assessment is to figure out which types of organizations you would like to work for. what are the values that matter most to you. Pick five key adjectives that you think define you. Next, create a short list of the top 4-5 things that matter most to you in your next job. Some things you might be pursuing include: creativeness, variety, ability to take risks, personal growth, positively impacting society, recognition, work-life balance, etc.

Next, complete a personal job search marketing plan. Here's what you need to include on this 1-2 page document:

Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip code
Tel. (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Cell (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Email: JaneDoe@gmail.com
LinkedIn profile: http://xxxxxxxxxxx

Section 1 - Summary of your professional qualifications:

I possess X years of experience in Industry 1, Industry 2, and Industry 3, with core competencies in:
* Competency 1
* Competency 2
* Competency 3
* Competency 4

Section 2 - My Target Job Functions and Job Titles Include:
Function 1 Function 2 Function 3 Function 4
Job Title 1 Job Title 1 Job Title 1 Job Title 1
Job Title 2 Job Title 2 Job Title 2 Job Title 2
Job Title 3 Job Title 3 Job Title 3 Job Title 3
Job Title 4 Job Title 4 Job Title 4 Job Title 4

Section 3 - The Key Responsibilities That I am Seeking Include:
* Responsibility 1
* Responsibility 2
* Responsibility 3
* Responsibility 4

Section 4 - My Ideal Company Characteristics and Locations Are:
Key Company Attributes Ideal Job Location
Entrepreneurial culture, small start up, and condones calculated risk-taking NYC, Northern / Central NJ, etc.


Section 5 - Target Industries and Organizations I might like to work for:

Industry 1 Industry 2 Industry 3 Industry 4
Organization 1 Organization 1 Organization 1 Organization 1
Organization 2 Organization 2 Organization 2 Organization 2
Organization 3 Organization 3 Organization 3 Organization 3
Organization 4 Organization 4 Organization 4 Organization 4
Organization 5 Organization 5 Organization 5 Organization 5
Organization 6 Organization 6 Organization 6 Organization 6

By achieving your DREAM job you will experience an entirely new experience in your next job...HAPPINESS. And that's a priceless position to be in these days.

You're worth PENNIES on the DOLLAR

It's true! Research shows that $.75 on EVERY dollar that employers spend on employees is wasted.

Here's why: when a person is hired to fill a position, they provide a set of solutions by performing certain tasks within an organization.

Few organizations that I have coached/consulted actually conduct an assessment of the individual's core competencies, to expand the job description to include all of the skills that you possess and the things you do REALLY well (core competencies.)

If you are really strong in say 6-8 key areas, your job may only allow/require you to use 2-3 of those skills in your day to day roles and responsibilities. That's 25% of your full talent potential.

According to a Global Workforce Study conducted by Towers Perrin in March, 2008, only 21% (1 in 5) of the employees surveyed are “engaged” in their work, and 38% admitted being partly to fully disengaged. Engagement was defined as employees willing to go the extra mile to help their company succeed.



The other things you do really well and maybe are most passionate about remains dormant...UNUSED in that organization that is paying you for your collective experience, training and skill sets.These wasted skills when applied to EVERY employee could be the difference maker in organizations remaining competitive, esp. in times like today when precious resources CANNOT be squandered.



In a 2008 study by Resources Global, 80% of global HR leaders believe the “war on talent” is a key & enduring business issue in the next ten years. How can this be reconciled against employer claims that there is a lack of qualified/skilled labor? It can't!

What if organizations took a DIFFERENT approach to talent management...

What would happen if your company constantly assessed its people's strengths, took active steps to expand their talents and skill sets through training, moved their employees into other jobs to make BETTER use of their untapped talents, and created opportunities for employees to experience the entire organization by conducting job rotations, work-sharing, and cross-functional team-based work flows?

Taken to the extreme, organizations could create entirely NEW roles for each employee, in order to take advantage of their many unused talents, skills, and passions?



It is relatively EASY to conduct a human capital audit for each of your employees.

You match the employee roles and responsibilities in their current job to their core competencies. Once yo identify their unused talents, you create a mini career development plan to determine the time frame their manager to incorporate those unused talents that the manager and employee agree to incorporate into their daily workflow. There are tools that you can rely on to help you manage this MATCHING process. I've developed a Human Capital Audit web application that helps organizations to do this.

“…at a time when companies are looking for every source of potential advantage, the workforce itself represents the largest reservoir of untapped potential.”
- Julie Gebauer, Towers Perrin Managing Director

By matching employee skills to their daily job requirements, organizations would develop a workforce filled with top-performing employees (the Jack Welsh model with only type A - Star employees.) You would create an entirely engaged, motivated, and passionate workforce.

That in turn would foster a higher level of employee loyalty, retention, and a wealth of new ideas creation flooding your organization with new products and services, more effective ways to find, keep, and up-sell clients, more efficient operations, reduced costs, better inventory management, quality control measures, etc.

Think of the commensurate benefits gained by organizations that embraced such talent management practices. You would have much higher employee attendance, greater productivity, stronger financial performances. you would have a world filled with world-class organizations like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Disney, SAS, Boston consulting Group, Hasbro, Wegmans, Cisco, etc.

* 88% of U.S. workers consider themselves creative BUT only 63% said their positions were creative.

* 75% of survey respondents thought their employers valued creativity.

* One in five said they would change jobs, even if it meant LESS money to be MORE creative.

(Survey conducted by IPSOS Research in 2007 to 564 adults commissioned by the Fairfax County, VA Economic Development Authority for the 2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy.)

Instead, many organizations remain content to achieve relatively low returns on their aggregate investment in their workforce. This is especially true when you factor in ALL of the costs associated with employees such as: recruiting costs, salaries, benefits, training and professional development, social security and other expenses mandated by law, equipment, utilities, rent/mortgage costs, insurance, and incidentals.

Only when organizations realize their employees are the GREATEST asset and work to cultivate that resource for competitive advantage will they unleash the full potential of their workers.

Ethical Organizations Are MORE Profitable!

Organizations that do good are more successful in the markets they compete in. Stated bluntly: Companies that do right...do better!

As a business coach, I always remind my clients if they implement ethical practices, it will have a direct POSITIVE impact on their bottom line. It turns out, there is an entire field (heck a global "Who's Who") of organizations that prove this is TRUE.

Check out this year's list of 110 companies that have been awarded the prestigious "World's Most Ethical Companies" distinction.

These organizations, which represent a broad range of sectors/industries, have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past three years, during the Great Recession.



















What does it mean to lead an ethical organization?

First off, you don't just HAVE an ethical organization...you BUILD it!

You start by defining the organizational values and beliefs that are important. This step seems to get lost with most of the entrepreneurs and start-ups that I consult with. However, it is often EASIEST to include ethical behavior/morality as part of the organization's BUSINESS plan BEFORE a business is formed, then grows and becomes entrenched in its artifacts and hard-wired behaviors.

More than anything else though, ethical organizations are created by ETHICAL LEADERS!

Ethical leaders can be identified and are placed into positions based on the specific innate traits and skills they possess/exhibit. The qualities they possess are courage, generosity, modesty, benevolence, fairness, justice, self-control, and sociability.



Ethical leaders display a keen sense of altruism by promoting the best interests of others (most notably their followers), at the expense of ethical egoism or acting in their OWN best interests. They are "hardwired" towards utilitarianism - the act of creating the greatest good for the greatest number of people. They always try to maximize social benefits while minimizing societal costs.

According to Ronald Heifetz: "Leaders help their followers confront and overcome conflict by effecting change."

Robert Greenleaf's extensive research into the field of ethical ("servant") leaders found the following:
* Leaders should be attentive to the concerns of their followers, and empathize with/nurture and care for them.
* Leadership is given to people that should serve others.
* Caring leaders always help followers become more knowledgeable, free, and autonomous.
Social responsibility to care for the have-nots.

Simon (Sinek) says GREAT leaders ask: "Why...What...How?"

A field of leadership study called the STYLE approach assessed how ethical leaders actually behave. Ethical leaders with a strong employee orientation engage followers (direct reports) with a strong human relations focus. These leaders care about their people (also referred to in leadership studies as the "consideration" approach.)

Given the importance of caring leaders in developing ethical organizations, why are so many institutions run by poor leaders? The answer..."they're NOT!" They are MANAGED by people that were given positions of immense authority not based on their ability to lead but some other factor(s). The practice of putting people that are ill-equipped to lead into top positions has a special name...it's called the "Management TRAP."

If ethical behavior is a straight path to profit, why are so many heads of organizations ethically "challenged" these days? I mean, the list (of unethical organizations) goes on and on...British Petroleum, Bernie Madoff, News Corp, Monsanto, Exxon/Mobile, Halliburton, Adelphia, Global Crossing, Worldcom, Arthur Andersen, Enron, Phillip Morris... Clearly, while being ethical has a direct correlation with success, unethical organizations can turn a buck or (a few billion.)

An outgrowth of ethical business practices can be found in corporate social repsonsibility and the Green Movement. This is not the same thing as organizations putting a positive spin on their activities only to achieve goodwill/positive PR. Rather, ethical organizations exhibit a genuine concern/passion for positively impacting society long after they're gone.

The take-away for organizations is, even if you don't care about practicing ethical behavior for altruistic reasons then I propose your organization pursue them as a means of staying competitive.

Some great resources to explore this topic further:

* Joanne B. Ciulla: "Ethics, the Heart of Leadership."
* Robert Hoyk & Paul Hersey: "Ethics and Employees."

So...what do you think?

Use Social Media to Build Your Personal BRAND

Social media is all the rage these days. You see it EVERYWHERE! Virtually the whole world is one global online social networking village, between the 800 million users on Facebook and 120 million on LinkedIn.

How can you build your personal brand in this global network, without having your voice drowned out?

First, you need to understand that social media is another marketing platform through which you can extend your personal brand. Define your core competencies, values, beliefs, qualifications, and interests. Your strategy to build your brand online should supplement/suport your offline networking activities an more traditional marketing efforts (PR, print, broadcast, outdoor advertising, direct mail, etc.)

To that end, you MUST develop a strategic social media plan that integrates with your marketing plan and includes the following:
* A comprehensive and COMPELLING definition of your personal brand in significant detail with core messaging including your value proposition, core competencies and unique selling proposition - WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?;

* The segments you plan on targeting;
* The 3-4 industries you wish to pursue;
* Industry associations, networking groups, blogs, events, think tanks, consortiums, journalists, and subject matter experts.

Armed with your strategic social media plan, you need to limit the scope of your approach so it is manageable. Begin by completing your FREE profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and MeetUp. Commit to investing 15-30 minutes eac hweeknight and 45 minute to an hour each weekend day for 1-2 months.

You will need to create your own website and blog to serve as the core of your social networking efforts. Two of the more popular blogging services that are both FREE are Google Blogger and WordPress. WordPress is a much more robust publishing platform. There are many free seminars/workshops/courses offered online and near you that can help you get started.

A blog is a recuring regularly scheduled article you publish on specific topics. The typical length is 600-800

Understand that there are certain guidelines you should follow when developing your social media strategy. For starters, it's NEVER about the QUANTITY or size ofyou network but the QUALITY of your online relationships. A great TOP-10 list from Shama Hyder Kabani's: "the zen of social media marketing":

* Decide where you stand on the types of relationshispyou wnat to have and the kind of information you want to disseminate.
* Determine what constitutes social media and the social networking resources you can utilize.
* Clarify who owns what when it comes tothe content you create directly or repurpose/republish from others.
* Keep all your confidential information PRIVATE.
* Decide who is responsible for creating, distributing, and monitoring as well as performing analytics to gauge your social media ROI.
* Dictate the rules of engagement without being a dictator.
* Address taboo topics.
* Have a system for monitoring the social sphere.
* Make training easily available for all foyour employees that are tasked with being social media ambassadors in your organization
* Have a crisis plan - see Blackberry!

There are a Gzillion resources out there toget started. A random list of the more popular ones include:

All top
Digg
Mashable
Social Media Today
Delicious
Postling

How Work is Killing the American Worker

The #1 Killer of American Workers Is... THEIR WORK.

It's TRUE! According to Center for American Progress, American workers are the most OVERWORKED developed nation IN THE WORLD.

* In 1960, 20% of American mothers worked. Today, 70% of all American children live in households where ALL adults are employed.

* The U.S. is the ONLY country in the Americas WITHOUT paid parental leave benefit. The average is over 12 weeks paid leave anywhere other than Europe, and 20 weeks in Europe.

* American workers work 137 hours a year more than Japanese workers, 260 hours more a year than British workers, and 499 hours a year more than Frenchworkers.

* In the US 85.8% of males work more than 40 hours a week, and 66.5% of females work more than 40 hours a week.

The increased work demands placed on American workers take a tremendous toll over time, as we struggle to maintain a healthy family/work/self balance. There is even a field of study dedicated to the phenomenah of overworked Americans. Some relevant boosk that have been written on the subject include:

* The White-Collar Sweatshop by Jill Andresky Fraser.
* The Overworked American by Juliet Schor.
* The Working Life by Joanne B. Ciulla.

Being overworked can lead to more stress that manifests itself in the following ways:
* Fatigue
* High Blood Pressure
* Heart Disease
* Substance Abuse
* Lost Time With Loved Ones
* Spousal/Child Abuse
* Anger Management/Road Rage
* Early Death
* Suicide

There is only 168 hours in the week. One way to deal with stress is to understand what is causing it. To effectively do this, keep a STRESS journal, or log of things that create stress in your life for THREE days. To get a better handle on your time management, I suggest you use a calculator to determine a starting point for your persdonal work/life balance.



The demands we face in trying to manage our time, keep our calendars in order and have time to ourselves manifest itself in increased stress levels. Stress takes a tremendous toll on individuals emotionally and physiologically in the form of:





Fatigue
High Blood Pressure
Heart Disease
Substance Abuse
Lost Time Not Spent With Loved Ones
Spousal/Child Abuse
Anger Management/Road Rage
Early Death
Suicide

You need to find the time to make your own personal time. Some strategies to this include:

* Pick a time of day that is ALL yours. Communicate to all there are NO exceptions .
* Rediscover your interests/passions.
* Make time to exercise to increase your energy level and makes you MORE productive.)
* Slowly introduce more activities that are important/special/relaxing to YOU.
* NURTURE YOURSELF - Eat healthy, get MORE sleep.
* Seek professional help – does your employer offer an Employee Assistance Program?

I have developed a new suite of programs for organizations to help their employees in the following areas:

* Manage Chaos to Sieze Opportunities
* Work/Family/Self Balance...It IS Possible
* Time Management: OWN Your Calendar
* Reduce Stress...to Your Health!

Contact The Chazin Group to obtain more information on these exciting new programs.

The UGLY Truth About America's Jobless Economy

Based upon the MANY conversations that I've had with people about America's jobless economy the last few weeks, it is clear that we are LONG past due the time required for an honest conversation about the HORRIFIC state of America's "JOBLESS" economy.

Our economy has been transforming at a tremendous rate of change since we evolved from a post-Industrial manufacturing society to an information and technology-driven market.

Entire industries have been transformed due to advances in technology (most notably the Internet.) Sectors of our economy such as printing & publishing, advertising, retail, accounting, manufacturing, banking, and financial services have all been transformed. Significant transformation demands the kind of new skills, training, certifications, and knowledge that threatens the entire American workforce.

Making matters significantly worse for America' workers, the myopic short-term profit centric focus of our business "leaders " has led to tremendous employee layoffs through outsourcing, off-shoring, downsizing, right-sizing and re-engineering as they pursued a scorched earth policy of seeking the cheapest available labor. We have become a society where there is no such thing as job security and the "contract" between employees and employers no longer exists.

The new "REALITY" for America's workers.

The average American worker will now change jobs 8-9 times in their career (and the number is on a rapid rise.) One in four Americans can now be classified as contract/independent workers or consultants who are employed on a full-time basis and have ZERO guarantee of steady income.

The state of America's workforce is SO bad, that wee can't even determine an accurate accounting for our nation's unemployed since so many people that are ready, willing, and able to work have given up on looking for work. Pick a number....how about 15-20% unemployed? The truth is, no one (especially the Bureau of Labor Statistics) knows for sure!

Remember the buzz in the media about a "recovery?" Well, it seems that recovery helped large corporations and the top 2% of America, but passed over the rest of us. Large companies have been performing quite well, but are hell bent on hording cash and paying senior executives exorbitant bonuses. No jobs creation there! Meanwhile, smaller companies (including the many I consult with) continue to struggle to meet payroll and keep their businesses afloat. Hire new employees? No way! They continue to be forced to operate with skeletal staffs they've had in place for several years since the last round of layoffs.

Insurance companies, banks, and credit card companies continue to prey on the balance of Americans that are in financial distress. This is where the public debate should be framed, and yet we hear nothing but the shrill sound of two parties not willing to compromise on a relatively minor issue of raising America's debt ceiling.

The bigger issue is a lack of American leadership in politics, education, and business. For 40 years our leaders have taken the easy way out, kicked the can down the road and passed up on countless opportunities to move America forward. Well, that can is at the end of the road. Where do we go from here?

THIS is the broad debate that needs to happen NOW.

The fundamental question that DEMANDS a new kind of visionary American leadership to answer is this: "How can we put Americans back to work?"

For three years, I have been working with all sorts of people from High School students to the mature workforce on ways to bulletproof your career in these turbulent times. There is an "across-the-board" fear at MOST levels of our society that people cannot find meaningful work, and our future is destined to be worse than today.

How did we bankrupt our future? How can we create jobs for our High School students and college graduates and a meaningful future for our children? When 2% of Americans control a majority of our nation's wealth through Lobbyists and special interests, we are in danger. When a grassroots Tea Party movement of less than 10% Congressional representation can derail a nation's political agenda, we are in danger. When our children finish well below the students of other nations in math and science proficiency...we are in danger.

Until an entirely new visionary leadership arises at all levels of our American education, political, and business systems, we are merely shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic American jobless recovery.

Women's World Cup Final Has GREAT Lessons for All

This Sunday at 2PM Eastern Time, I will be glued to my TV watching the US women play the ladies from Japan for the 2011 Women's World Cup championship.

AND I HATE SOCCER!

So why will I sit and watch, riveted by EVERY play? As a career coach and business consultant...I SIMPLY HAVE TO!

I ask you...has ANY other international sports competition brought together two more positive world role models for us to learn invaluable life lessons from than this game? It is truly RARE that a sporting event holds nearly universal appeal for teaching all the most important lessons on life, competition, teamwork, professionalism...YOU NAME IT!

On one hand is the lady's team from Japan.













Hollywood could NOT have scripted a more improbable, against all odds David victory against Goliath win than when Japan beat a tournament favorite and host nation lady's team from Germany. As a "reward" Japan got to face a VERY strong team from Sweden in the semi's where the Japanese team was outsized 5'-4" to 5'-8" average per player by the Swedes...AND Japan STILL WON to continue the team's phenomenal tournament play, in advancing to the finals.

The Japanese team plays for a nation still healing from a massive earthquake and the evacuation that followed due to the threat of multiple nuclear reactor meltdowns. The team has exhibited a "JUST WIN" mentality throughout the World Cup. They have taken on every adversary no matter how seemingly over-matched and has come through victorious.

The team lends credence to the notion that it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. And they are already winners for how they have performed.

And then there are those crazy American ladies...












Favored to play in the finals before the tournament even began, they were a collection of stars that had won everything in their path as they racked up international wins. But clearly they likely had not faced adversity and may not have had to play as a truly unified team as when they faced the team from Brazil.

They ran into a Brazilian team that was up to the challenge of playing David to Team USA's Goliath themselves. Brazil outplayed the US in the first half. Coupled with truly horrendous, heinous anti-American officiating the USA ladies faced a horrible position of having to play one player short a majority of the game.

As spectators we got to watch a team of stars rise to the occasion on a global stage.

Team USA put aside any egos and individual goals through clarity of focus on ONE goal...winning a championship! They pushed ahead and seized every opportunity and broke through against Brazil then they followed that win with a victory against France, for a date in the finals.

There are so many parallels for these two teams and so much that they represent that is best in sports. And can be in all of us. Can you see NFL and NBA players/teams performing like this (or the MLB and NHL, for that matter?)

Players on both sides elevated their games, put aside their personal needs, changed positions (roles), had the widespread support of their Nations behind them, all while exhibiting the highest levels of sportsmanship/professionalism as they pursued their lifelong passions.

On the American side, there was great coaching (management) by Sundhage, players becoming leaders (Wambach), rising stars who achieved success when called on to step up (Morgan and Cheney), and unbelievable saves from a woman named Hope Solo (how IRONIC!)

BOTH teams represent the highest standards of excellence regardless of the outcome.

Tune in to ESPN on Sunday at 2PM ET. For all those invaluable LIFE & CAREER lessons.

When Was The Last Time You YO-YO'd?

What was the last thing you did for fun that made you happy?

When was the last time that you smiled for no reason at all? Did you jump into a game of jump rope with complete strangers? Walk into a sprinkler...with all your clothes on? Laugh so hard that what you were drinking came out of your nose? Maybe you bought a YO-YO just to have some fun?

This is not an esoteric blog post about reclaiming a lost youth. I am amazed and shocked at the increasing level of anger and hatred that seems to be going on in every town of America. You see it on the streets outside our homes, all the way to Washington, DC and the tone of our national political debate. It's PERVASIVE.

The other day I was walking my daughter to her swimming lesson. We got halfway across the street when the light changed colors. We hurried across, but a woman in the car at the red (now green) light honked at us, I guess for slowing her down. As we got onto the curb I turned to her, smiled, and waved as if to say "thanks for your patience." What was her response? She honked again and flipped us the bird...you know, that finger you show people to express your extreme ill-will.

Sure, as an isolated incident we can laugh it off. But these past few years these exchanges of random hostility are becoming all too common. You hear it in the tone of people yelling at servers in restaurants, service staff in stores, people waiting in line for movies.

We are the nation of walking TIME BOMBS, and it makes me wonder how this extreme stress that we all deal with given the uncertainties of our jobs, our homes, and family security, how this is manifesting itself in our own health and personal relationships.

You have to wonder how this rising tide of anger is affecting levels of alcohol and drug abuse dependency, spousal and child abuse, road rage, obesity, the divorce rate, violence in our schools in bullying, conflicts in the workplace such as harassment. It truly is all inter-related.

Clearly the prolonged strain on our society of double digit unemployment, jobs being outsourced and off-shored, our failing education system, our two-party political state of hatred and ineffectiveness...these are all leading us down the road to ruin through anger and unhealthy living.

So, what can we do to reclaim a sense of individual calm, quiet, peacefulness, and a bit of (dare I say it?) happiness?

For starters we can all re-discover what made us happy as children. In honor of July 4th, use the extended weekend to play with a yo-yo or a slinky. Go buy some bubbles, jump in a pool fully clothed. Buy a used saxophone or trumpet, take an art class, pick up that old guitar. Find a friend or stranger to play tennis with. Take a basketball out to the courts and shoot around. Go to the movies by yourself in the middle of the afternoon. Heck, celebrate with a huge tub of popcorn and a soda.

Make a pact with yourself to treat EVERY person you come into contact with in the most civil and friendly of terms, whether a best friend, strained family relation, or complete stranger. You aren't doing this for others...it's for yourself.

While you're at it, spend some time this weekend thinking about the dreams you had when you were younger. It is NEVER too late to revisit your passions. It is certainly NEVER too late to be happy. Try skipping with a child, niece, or nephew, draw chalk on the sidewalk. Go bike-riding.

Take this pursuit of happiness a step further. Remember what you dreamed of doing for a living before you settled on a career of failed hopes and dreams. Rekindle the passion. Find what you are REALLY passionate about AND that you are really good at. Where those two worlds collide...that is your DREAM job. Go for it! If you don't know how, find someone that can help you.

I dare you. No...I DOUBLE dare you.

HAPPY JULY 4TH!

Don't Count America Out, Sweetie

Last week, I was working on-site at a client's office to develop a coaching and mentoring program to deliver to her employees.

While we were sitting together discussing the course outline, she asked me out of the blue: "Why are you so down on America?"

Talk about your 'out of left field' question. I was blown away.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

So she tells me: "Your last few blogs have been so critical of America. Do you think our best days our behind us?"

As a consultant I've learned to be a straight shooter while mastering the art of evasiveness simultaneously. In her case bluntness was expected.

"I find it hard to dispute the facts," I replied. "For starters, 15-20% of Americans are unemployed, one in four Americans can be categorized as contract/independent workers without the benefits of full-time employment, entire industries are imploding and transforming, and our skyrocketing debt may bankrupt future generations," I answered.

So, yes I am bearish on America right now.

She smiled this ear to ear grin and she said to me: "Sweetie, these are all serious issues but nothing we haven't seen before. We'll manage, like we always do. You're forgetting," she said. We are Americans. This is what we DO."

And that was that.

The trouble is, I keep thinking about the state of America, our short and long-term prospects especially for our children, not to mention my job seeker and small business clients.

But we HAVE seen this before. It's what "creative destruction" as defined by Joseph Schumpeter in his book: 'Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy' is all about. A special thanks to Ray O'Connor for introducing me to this awesome read.

You see America shifting gears now with a surge in new business pursuits around alternative, fuel sources, green technologies, cloud computing, etc. While Best Buy, Blockbuster, Circuit City declare bankruptcy, Netflix, Google, Facebook, Apple continue to shine.

Yes, American students continue to drop down the ranks in global math and science skills rankings. On the flip side, more and more college students are banding together to form business ventures while they are in school. They've seen what has happened to their parents and grandparents. They understand that future employment post graduation is no longer a certainty.

In times of great upheaval and crisis, new opportunities continue to present themselves. So perhaps it is not so foolish to discover a renewed faith in America. Times have been tough these past few years, but perhaps the best is still yet to come, with the right leadership politically, academically, and in business and industry.

Need another perspective? Check out what David Brooks had to say in his op-ed article: "Relax, We'll Be Fine" that appeared in the New York Times on April 5, 2010.

Let's not count America out. We are a nation of DOERs.

Wanna Succeed? Don't Commit to ANYTHING

Why is it that so many people make commitments to others that they have no intention of keeping? You know all those little white lies... "Sure I'll call you," "I will get back to you on that," "You'll hear from me either way," or one of my all-time favorites - "Of course I can get that to you by then."

It doesn't matter whether you do this out of a passive-aggressive nature or are simply swamped with LIFE. No matter what the intention, poor follow through makes you look bad. This is exacerbated when it is a FIRST impression, and can have a significant NEGATIVE impact on the impression you make with others. The only way to avoid this is...DON'T DO IT.

We are known for our actions. Living a life of "Do as I say, and not as I do" smacks of hypocrisy. Granted we live in the "ME" society and we are all busy to the umpteenth degree. However, not responding to someone especially when you made a commitment to do so reflects a lack of courtesy and poor values.

You do NOT want to become someone that is known for these less than stellar behavioral tendencies. If you take ownership of following up with someone, then do so. If not, do not make the commitment to do so. By acting this way you demonstrate a lack of respect for others.

So, how can you ensure that you follow through on everything you commit to?

1) STOP and really think before you make the commitment.

Don't be too quick to say "yes" to something. Think about the work on your plate and whether or not you have the bandwidth to take on the additional work. Ask for time before you get back to someone with an answer on a commitment. They will appreciate that much more than if you immediately agreed to do something and then NOT delivered on the promise.

2) Try to delegate more and ask for help when needed.

Think of other people that you can assign tasks to that can do a better job, are closer to the information required to complete the project, and can complete the task in a more timely fashion.

3) Take good notes of meetings you attend.

During meetings jot down all of the information that you will need, in order to complete any actions you commit to completing. It helps to capture any commitments you make on your weekly task list and project plans. Use start and end dates for each task, the specific requirements, people that can help you complete the tasks associated with a project, the task's status, and any contingencies that threaten to prevent you from completing the task on time.

4) Create template responses.

If you are expecting overwhelming responses to your communications, then you can always create canned responses that, at a minimum let people know when they can expect to hear back from you.

5)Manage other people's expectations.

Let people know when they can expect your feedback. If it becomes clear as you approach the deadline to respond and you know you will not be able to make the deadline, then let them know you will need to set a new deliver-by date.

6) You can always bow out of the commitment, if all else fails.

If you simply cannot get back to someone, respond to their inquiry, or complete the task, then you owe it to them to let them know that you won't be able to follow through on your commitment.

So whether you receive a call or email from a potential vendor, supplier, or someone looking to offer your organization services, or you are a recruiter or HR professional responsible for responding to job seekers and candidates, there is a MORE professional way to act then ignoring their communication. It's called follow up and follow through...and it leads to greater career success.

Embracing Our FAILURES For Future SUCCESS

Why are we so afraid of failure?

Why do we rationalize the THREAT of failure as a valid excuse to NOT pursue our wildest dreams and aspirations?

Like all other things, it probably started when we were young. Remember playing team sports and our parents teaching us that losing was synonymous with failing and failing was bad...very bad?

Slowly and bit by bit that fear of failure has stayed with us and grown inside. Maybe it was the threat of the unknown and all the failure tied to the unknown that prevented you from pursuing your passion. Maybe it was the fear of getting on stage that kept you from trying out for the drama club, or taking up a musical instrument for fear of performing in public? How about the fear of getting rejected that stopped you in your tracks from trying out for that sports team?

As we got older many supposed experts, from our High School guidance counselors to parents, friends, and family, all told us what classes to take (and avoid), what activities to pursue (and avoid), what majors to pursue (and avoid), relationships to pursue (and avoid),and jobs/careers to pursue (and avoid) until we became the preconditioned risk-averse individual that may define you today.

It's not as if we need others to tell us all the things we can't do. We are good enough at it ourselves. Psychologists have coined the term "head trash" to explain the fact that 65% of all the things that each person says to themselves ABOUT THEMSELVES is negative!

How do we break out of this vicious cycle of self-loathing and fear of failure that prevents us from taking the risks needed to succeed in new ventures?

Is the fear of the unknown and all its potential failure keeping you anchored to a job that you hate? Have you been stuck in the same industry that you have absolutely ZERO no interest in and passion for, just because there's comfort in the familiar?

As trite as it may sound now is the ideal time to cast aside those fears of failure and embrace change, take risks, and seek out success. Start small. Set quantifiable "stretch" goals for yourself, both personally and professionally. A stretch goal demands your very best performance and still there is a great likelihood you won't accomplish it. but hitting 85% of your stretch goal is better than 100% of SAFE goals that never challenge yourself to grow by pushing through your comfort zones.

Consider what the risk is to you that is associated with all the lost opportunities of you not undertaking a challenge due to the risk of failure. They add up tremendously!

Identify the worst case scenario of what failure looks like and compare it to the potential rewards if you are successful. It's called a COST-BENEFIT analysis.

Understand that even if you fail there is tremendous growth through learning, acquiring self-confidence, developing new skills and becoming more comfortable embracing personal risk. Perhaps it would help if we take failure for what it is...part of the process of learning and growing.

“There is no failure. Only feedback.” –Robert Allen

Failure is simply one component of succeeding and most of us separate it as a separate outcome when in fact it's directly tied to and required for being successful.

“Failure is an event, never a person.” – William D. Brown

Too many people associate the event of failing with the intrinsic sense of our own self-worth. In fact, we get conditioned to make our own sense of self-worth connected to the OUTCOMES of our actions. When an idea we have fails, it shouldn't have any reduction in our self-esteem but it can be hard not to let that happen. We internalize that feeling of failure way down inside, like WE were that idea that failed.

What to do???

But you don’t need to think that way. If something you try doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean you're a failure. It just means you’re actively experimenting, that you’re trying, and you’re learning as a result. In that regard, the expression to be a failure (or successful) doesn’t make any sense.

Always have a contingency or fall back plan. Call it a plan "B" so if plan A "FAILS" there is comfort in having a fall back to relive the stress/fear of failing.

Seize the moment and act today! There is no time like the present. The new normal is 15-20% unofficial unemployment, 1 in 4 American workers can be classified as contract, consulting, or independent. Millions of Americans in their 30s to 50s are turning their untapped passions and talents into life-altering career transitions.

As Les Brown has famously said: "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."

Cold Calling: A Sure Fire Way to NOT Get Results

Be honest...do you actually ENJOY making cold calls (or mailing letters or emailing) complete strangers, inquiring about potential job opportunities? Me neither!

It's extremely scary, threatening, and stressful…ESPECIALLY when you don't have a formalized strategy to guide you through the process. The two greatest barriers to effectively contacting strangers through calling are FEAR and a LACK OF FAITH that you'll be successful in your calling efforts.

That's because cold calling is doomed for failure.

Think about it! In today’s job market unemployment runs rampant (unofficially as high as 15-20%.) Entire industries (banking, financial services, printing, publishing, advertising, retail, music, printing, manufacturing) are struggling for survival. Technological advances evolve constantly and at such a tremendously fast pace that it affects even the most effectively run organization's ability to develop, offer, and deliver products and services.

ORGANIZATIONS DON’T KNOW WHO THEY NEED

In this time of constant uncertainty, few if any organizations can successfully determine which jobs they are going to have a (continued) need for.

The odds of you calling someone that knows NOTHING about you (and that you know little about) and asking her/him if they have a suitable position for you at precisely THAT moment and getting a “MATCH” is truly daunting.

NETWORKING SUPPORTS YOUR CALL EFFORTS

Networking is a proven strategy that you can leverage to find people you should be pursuing opportunities to meet with by leveraging your social AND professional networks including: your family, friends, family of friends, and friends of family that can help you identify the people that you would benefit from speaking with.

Enlisting the help of others is most certainly NOT a sign of weakness or failure in your search. Rather, tapping into your network is a CRITICAL job search tool that supports your job search efforts by removing the need for “COLD CALLING.”

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO WORK?

Successful outcomes are achieved through RESEARCH.
The greatest determining factor to how successful your phone call will be lies well before you ever pick up the phone and call. It has the research you do.

THE 18-32 CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

In my work coaching people on the most effective job search strategies, I teach a strategy that requires you to maximize the likelihood that you will “CONNECT” with the person they contact when you call them.

You MUST have 3 or 4 industries that you are interested in. For each industry, you should identify 6-8 organizations to learn as much about as possible.
Find out what products they make/services they offer? Who are their top competitors? Who are their clients? What are the top 2-3 challenges they face in growing their business? What are their goals?

As an aside cold calling doesn't only apply to job seekers but also those people in sales positions responsible for generating new business.

WHO WOULD YOU REPORT TO?

You also need to find out who the person is that you would report to in the ideal position that you can identify for yourself there. There are plenty of resources that are available for publicly traded companies, non-profits, newly created businesses.

HERE IS THE KEY TO PHONE-BASED INQUIRIES:

Your goal when you call them is to set up a SPECIFIC day AND TIME to meet to explore ways that you can help them to resolve their TOP BUSINESS challenges AND achieve their goals by “creating” a position that DOES NOT CURRENTLY EXIST.

With so much information available to you through the Internet it takes minutes to find background information on the individuals you are targeting such as: where they graduated from High School, college and graduate school, volunteer work/community engagement, their professional affiliations and memberships, articles they're written, panels they participated in, professional awards and accomplishments, certifications and speeches they gave, elected positions held, etc.

Once you identify those 18-32 organizations and the people you would speak to, create a CALL SCRIPT. In order to ensure success you need to rehearse. Use a mirror to make sure that as you rehearse your CALL you are smiling. That will have a positive effect on the cheerfulness in your voice.

DEVELOP A CALL SCRIPT THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Let’s say you are an accountant with experience in the furniture industry and you have targeted a furniture company in Long Island (La-Z-Boy, for example) to explore opportunities as a senior Accountant. Here’s how the flow of a call to their Chief Financial Officer would work:

Hi FIRST NAME. My name is YOUR NAME.

I see that La-Z-Boy is currently in the midst of combining THREE furniture product lines. I am an accountant with experience helping furniture companies such as Ashley and Jennifer Convertibles combine product lines and extend their product offerings.
I would like to schedule 15-30 minutes with you in the next week or two to chat about ways that I can help you to accomplish the goals of 1) combining product lines; and 2) developing the accounting procedures in advance of launching this new line of contemporary furniture. When would you have some time to meet with me?

Be prepared for an “INTERVIEW” during your call.
The research you did will prepare you to answer their questions effectively and explain how your background and experience will help them: 1) make money; 2) save money; and / or: 3) improve their operations, which will MAKE or SAVE them money.


GET A DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER

If you can’t find the person’s telephone number, call their office main number either before or after normal business hours (8am-6pm) and get their automated voice system. You want to search their employee directory for the person’s NAME to get their telephone number. Once you get their telephone number, call them early in the morning or towards the end of the day. Research shows that the best days to call are Tuesdays and Thursdays.

AVOID LEAVING VOICE MAILS

Try not to leave a voice mail message. If you can’t reach them during one time of day, try another. Try three times before you leave a voice mail in which you identify yourself at the beginning with your telephone number, then use your script, and close with your telephone number. If you don’t hear from them in 3-4 days, call back but try not to leave another voice mail.

PRACTICE...PRACTICE...PRACTICE!

Happy Easter/Passover & Other Brain Droppings

On Tuesday, May 3rd I will be presenting "Brand New YOU: Sell Yourself for Career Success" to alumni at William Paterson University. Why? In today's transformational job market, you MUST know how to package (and SELL) YOURSELF for career and professional success.

Tuesday, May 10th I am presenting an entirely new program on "Critical Thinking for Career Success" to the staff at NY Hospital Queens. According to noted English philosopher Bertrand Russell: "Many people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do."



I prefer to think of critical thinking like Albert Einstein who famously stated: "Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which they were created.”



On Wednesday, May 11th I begin teaching a course on Brand Identity at Baruch College Continuing and Professional Studies. Speaking of which, I was in New York City going to Baruch and I walked by the following:


Is it me, or are the rats in NYC getting bigger and bigger?








I've been having A LOT of conversations with business owners and entrepreneurs about whether people should spend their invaluable time trying to build a brand ONLINE. The most common argument for NOT investing the effort goes something like: "Well, how much business are YOU getting from all your efforts."

As someone who spent most of his career in various marketing roles, I understand the point completely about seeing a tangible return on your TIME investment. However, it's a bit like the CHICKEN & EGG argument, or a classic CATCH-22. you have to build a brand presence online to compliment your in-person brand, and then results i.e. new client acquisition will follow.

I suggest you begin by building your Linked In profile then leveraging the Groups and Discussion function. Build a Twitter presence, develop a blog, use Facebook for your business and career pursuits, and integrate them with each other for your online brand as well as tying them into your offline personal branding efforts. As a job seeker or business owner the first question you always should be asking is: "HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT ME?"



Have a GREAT Easter weekend.

Are You Ready to be RIF'd?

Today's blog was inspired by conversations I had with three people this week who were all blind-sided when their employment was terminated.

For those keeping score at home, the latest acronym for heartless employee terminations is RIF, short for (yet another) "reduction in force."

The following is a list of tell-tale signs that you should be concerned about your short term employment safety. CAVEAT: there is no such thing as job security.

- How "NECESSARY" are you?
- Could a college graduate perform (a large portion of) your work?
- Can parts of your job be delegated to others?
- How aggressively/successfully have you promoted yourself across your organization?
- Are you working with any of the "Rising Stars" in your company? Are you one of them?
- How is your relationship with your boss?
- How is your bosses reputation? Her relationship with her boss?
- How expansive is your professional network?
- Are you active in your industry associations?
- what are you doing to be recognized as a subject matter expert in your chosen field?
- Have you been published?
- Have you served on panel discussions? Have you spoken at industry events?
- Is your work day monopolized by "busy" work?
- Do you CONSTANTLY update your skills?
- How connected/plugged into the office rumor mill are you?
- Is your employer changing their business model?
- Do you frequently offer to help on cross-functional teams or take on additional roles and responsibilities?
- Has your Team / Department budget been frozen (again?)
- Has there been a recent round of layoffs?
- How was your last performance review?

Even if your job is safe, the best time to explore other opportunities is when you ARE employed. It doesn't mean you should plan on leaving your job TODAY. However, it never hurts to know what your "VALUE" is.

The average American worker changes jobs 8-9 times throughout their career. You should ALWAYS be developing a core set of transferable skills for your personal career contingency plan.

What do you think?

If All The World's A Stage DON'T Get Kicked Off

I attended a presentation earlier this week that happened to be so bad, it made me walk out well before the speaker was finished. Even though he was talking on a topic I have spent most of my career doing, I assumed there would be a few nuggets of useful information. Turns out you should NEVER assume...I and many others in attendance were extremely disappointed.

The speaker started a half hour late and spent the allotted time providing a bare minimum of remotely useful information. Further, he made a few bragging claims about how successful he was. I wanted to scream: "Gee, that is great for you! Why are you here again?"

I found out later that I was not alone in my early exodus. Approximately half of the people in attendance followed me to the exit doors.

Normally, I would let this sort of thing slide by EXCEPT...I am noticing that more and more presentations that I attend are about as exciting as watching paint dry!

This is a topic near and dear to my heart. You see, I make my living as a professional presenter. I've spoken to hundreds of High School students, military personnel, inmates (yes, convicts!) mid-career changers, senior executives...even SALESPEOPLE. While I may not be trained in the performing arts and as such most definitely no great Thespian, I DO know how to keep an audience focused, in touch with me and interested in what I have to say.

So I find this trend of awful presenting to be quite alarming. It is NOT enough to be a subject matter expert or well versed on the topic you present on. You have to be engaging. You have to provide PRACTICAL advice customized to your audience so they can take away your advice and recommendations and implement them that same day to use in their job, at work, on their business, with their patients..etc. A great tip is practice voice modality. Your tone should not be reminiscent of watching dust accumulate on venetian blinds. If you do a lot of public speaking, why not take a public speaking course. Better yet, enroll in an acting class.

If you are developing a program start out by asking: "what am I going to convey?" Why should someone leave their job and devote their precious time to come hear you speak? What new knowledge are you going to provide? What can they learn from you that they can't learn anywhere else? It may sound simple, but the garbage being passed off as expert commentary is alarming.

It is a disgusting trend where presenters divulge the BARE MINIMUM of "FREE" information as a loss leader. There is NO transparency. It is crystal clear that their intent is ONLY to hook attendees into paying for their consulting service.

In my opinion, there is going to be a huge backlash if this trend continues.If all the world is a stage, many of these imposters are going to get the proverbial hook.

What do you think?

Only a Few of Anything REALLY Matter

Whether you are a business owner or salesperson trying to please your customers, a comedian attempting to win over a tough crowd, or a politician trying to win votes, it is an entirely NATURAL human desire to want to pay attention to/focus on (and try to please) EVERYONE.

Today's business tip is inspired by the notion that LESS IS MORE or:

"You can make ALL of the people happy SOME of the time and SOME of the people happy ALL the time, but you can't make ALL of the people happy ALL of the time."

Need proof? Let's go back a 100 years...


Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who studied the income distribution of citizens in Switzerland around 1900.

He found that a relatively small percent of the population controlled most of the countries' wealth (sound familiar, fellow Americans?)

During the 1940s an American named Dr. Joseph Juran expanded upon the work done by Pareto, by studying significant numbers of data from many different industries and case studies. He found that a relatively small number (20%) of the total were always critical, and a majority of the data (80%) was relatively unimportant.


Dr. Juran discovered that this mathematical formula had nearly universal application. So, what that means is the Pareto Principal dictates that:

* 20% of your customers are responsible for 80% of you sales, revenues, and profits.

Looked at another way, if you were to categorize your customers in terms of their loyalty to your offering and satisfaction with you, nearly 75% can be defined as "mercenaries." While they have high satisfaction with (they purchase) your products and services, they have little loyalty to you and will leave you in a heart beat if they find a cheaper price, newer model, etc.

A much smaller segment (no more than 20%) of your customers can be considered loyalists. They are highly loyal to and satisfied with you. NO MORE THAN A PALTRY 5% can be considered "raving fans" or "apostles."

A raving fan is a customer that sticks with you through thick and thin. They are 100% loyal to you and thrilled with your brand. They tell anyone and EVERYONE they know about you and they provide you with a constant pipeline of referrals.

They are the "unpaid sales reps" of your business who behave like Loyalists BUT they also provide you with much needed input/criticism that helps you to continuously improve your offerings.

The challenge we face is create an action plan to find apostles in your customer base. You do this by moving your customers up the three step sales ladder from prospect to Raving Fan/Apostle. You initially have to convert them during the first step from a prospect into a customer. During the second stage, you migrate them to the more lofty status of repeat customer. At the highest level of customer engagement, you need to convert them from a repeat customer into a raving fan.

Conduct a needs assessment for your top non-apostle accounts, convince those clients to embrace/accept/implement your recommendations, and review their plan with them every 3-4 months. It will help you to write down the names of a few of your apostles. Think about those relationships. What did it take to convert them from repeat customers? What does it take to maintain a "raving fan" relationship with them? Which existing clients will you target to convert this year?

Start now! It takes time and special nurturing. Remember that less is more, and a handful of clients hold the key to your future success.

Bad Things ALWAYS Happen to Rip Van Winkels

It's a sad but absolute truism that when you fall asleep at the wheel (or under a tree) for a significant length of time, bad things are sure to happen.

You SNOOZE, you LOSE!

For countries that fall asleep, bad things happen in the form of failing social services, exodus of jobs, atrophied infrastructure, failing education standards, a dwindling Middle Class, lack in global competitiveness, etc.

When organizations fall asleep, they lose market share, lose sight of their best customers' needs, stop making relevant products or offering services that matter, lose talented employees, and miss opportunities to enter new markets.

When individuals like Rip Van Winkel fall asleep, they wake up to find they spent a career in a job they hated. They miss out on opportunities to develop lifelong transferable skills, have their experience become outdated/obsolete, fail to keep up with the latest trends and developments, miss out on chances for promotions or lateral career moves, etc.

The question we all need to keep asking ourselves is: "how can I stop myself from falling asleep, by applying personal career insomnia?"

Phrased differently: "what can you do to not miss out on life's golden opportunities? Following are a few strategies that you can employ to stay wide awake:

* Pursue lifelong learning;
* Conduct a personal career exploration audit every 3-4 months;
* Hire a career or life coach;
* Go back to school - take classes or teach;
* Turn your passions into a career;
* Monetize your hobbies;
* Update your resume especially if you are happy in your current job;
* Network like a fiend to find out what other people are doing;
* Join relevant industry associations;
* Shake things up! Embrace change...try a new haircut/style, take up an instrument, try a new sport, sign up for an art class, or go see a movie by yourself;
* DON'T PROCRASTINATE!!! Set weekly personal goals;

We all have a tendency to get so caught up in the moment of performing our daily routine that with time it becomes nearly impossible to wake ourselves up.

Let this be your WAKE UP CALL!

My Dog Molly’s GREAT Career Advice

Molly, my two year old terrier mutt was looking over my shoulder as I began writing this blog. She yawned, licked herself, and was looking very bored and unimpressed.

I got a bit insulted at her lack of enthusiasm so I snapped at her: “Do you think you can do better?”

She jumped off the bed, onto the chair at the computer and started banging away on the keyboard furiously.

Since she almost NEVER exhibits that kind of enthusiasm for my work, I let her have a go at it. Turns out, her advice is brilliant!

So with a minimum of editorial changes (she doesn’t have thumbs so there were a lot of typos) I give you Molly’s tips for exceptional career success.

Time Management: Make Time to Lick Yourself

It’s not easy sleeping 20 hours a day and still accomplishing the most pressing business matters I face. So, I need to be economical and know my “up” and “down” time. I plan accordingly and stick to a schedule. I wake early EVERY day, to prepare for a day of napping AND barking at every noise outside our apartment. I manage to get in three good walks a day, fit in an hour of ball chasing at the park and ample time for licking myself. Do you have a well planned out routine and plan each day and week to accomplish clearly defined goals?

Be an Expert at Non-Verbal Communications

Without as much as a single word spoken, I can convey my constant desire to play fetch with the human (that’s Ethan) by dropping my ball at his feet constantly for TEN OR MORE HOURS EVERY DAY. It took a lot of work on my part, but he was finally trained. When he fails to respond - I bark (walk quietly and carry a big stick – or bark, I say!) then he focuses on me and I get what I want. It’s my way of saying “ball…ball…ball…ball…” loudly and clearly.

I am also quite capable of expressing my need for receiving affection. All I have to do is waddle over to any available human in the family then plop down next to them and ever so gently push my muzzle under their hand. I’ve trained them all to understand that means scratch me until I cuddle up into a convulsing fit of pleasure. It brings down their blood pressure, and it makes me feel REEEAAALLY good. It’s a WIN-WIN.

By paying attention to the subtle body language and non-verbal cues between your co-workers, partners, bosses, clients, and prospects you separate the terriers from the retrievers, and the most effective leaders from the ineffectual manager types.

Do YOU practice conveying your feelings, emotions, and desires without speaking? Are you adept at reading others’ non-verbal cues? If not…practice. Start by dropping a ball at a co-worker’s (or bosses) feet repeatedly…or something else. You’ll find it works wonders.

Relationship-Building Skills To Be the TOP DOG

This is a truly critical skill that is mandatory for successful career mobility and professional development. Trust me, I know. It’s taken me two years to build a reputation as the most demanding, ball-obsessed barking terrier on the block!

I make those nearest me feel special EVERY day. I greet my fellow pack (family) members at the door when they arrive home. Whether they’re gone for nine hours or 5 minutes, I wag convulsively in my excitement when they walk through the door, until I nearly fall over. It must work really well…they keep feeding me!

Do you do the same thing with your humans (whether employees or team members you manage?) I suggest recognizing their work and accomplishments, rewarding them, paying attention to them, and soliciting their ideas.

Well, that’s it for now. I have to go lick myself, take a nap, play some ball, and bark at the mailman.

Being Great DEMANDS Follow Up With People.

Today’s business tip is really nothing more than a simple common courtesy, yet it seems to have become a lost art for many in today’s hyper-frantic 24x7 world in which we conduct business. It has to do with returning people’s phone calls, responding to emails, confirming you’ve received information others have sent you, and/or completing tasks that you agreed to as outcomes of meetings or working in teams.

We can get overwhelmed with work when we’re working harder than ever and putting in more hours. For many of us, our workload has increased significantly when we inherited the work performed by others in our organization laid off. But that does not justify refusing to extend others the courtesy of a call back, email reply, or status update on the work we agreed to contribute.

This failure to follow up may have something to do with a more subtle issue of deciding to be passive aggressive when we don’t want to talk to the person contacting us or we put off doing the tasks that were assigned to us or we volunteered to do. When this happens, our reputation demands we act in the most professional manner.

Whatever the motivation, when you make a commitment to follow up with someone or take on an action your decision not to follow through speaks volumes about you…and it’s not positive. Your reputational brand is a transferrable skill that you take with you. By establishing a proven track record of reliability and accountability, it becomes a part of your USP – Unique Selling Proposition.

A further motivation for having the professionalism to follow through on commitments has to do with the very small world that we live in. We all know Kevin Bacon through six degrees of (LinkedIn) interconnectedness.

When you make a bad impression with others (whether it’s with peers in your organization or acquaintances you know in your social or professional network) it can become a Scarlet Letter that brands you as someone that lacks respect for others.

So, is there someone you owe a call to? Pick up the phone and call them, or return those emails sitting in your in-box.

Consider it an invaluable step in your ongoing career and professional development.

Your Employees Hate You and They're Telling Everyone

Psst! Your Employees HATE You and They're Telling People

In any place of work, employees have an annoying habit of talking to each another. Sure, they complain about their boss to their co-workers, but depending on how well (or poorly) their employer is treating them they may also talk to their friends and their family members.

So what, you ask?

Well, if that isn’t potentially damaging enough to your company, if they’ve been treated really badly they will keep talking to more people.

What if your employees are talking (negatively) about you to your competitors? Worse yet, what if they are complaining to your prospects or…GASP …your customers?
Are your actions as a manager (or boss) jeopardizing your business survival by unleashing a toxic sea of bad press through your employees’ collective ill will?
What are they saying…and where are they saying it?

Are your employees bad-mouthing your company on employment rant websites like Jobvent, JobGrades, WorkRant, and Telonu, or social media websites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace?

Yes? Then it is incumbent upon you to figure out why AND RECTIFY THAT!

Be honest. Are you personally or your organization guilty of the following?

• You haven’t given your people a bonus in years (or ever) even if they really deserved one. Did you reward yourself, your senior management team, even a select few employees you really like without regard to performance? Oh-oh!

• Have you even given your people a cost of living salary adjustment to compensate for increases in the cost of living? No? Danger, Will Robinson!

• Have you terminated people in the past two years, and made the workers you kept work harder by giving them additional responsibilities…at no additional pay increase? Do they work longer hours, or take work home with them to do nights and weekends just to keep their head above water?

• Have you stopped offering a holiday party,cut back on basic supplies (coffee, post-it’s toilet paper – don’t laugh! I’ve seen it) or forced people to share computers, phones, workspace?

The people that you laid off were friends of the ones you kept. Do you think that the ones left behind are motivated to work harder?

• Do you treat your people like children? For example, do you use software to monitor/track their use of social media at work? Do you limit their personal calls? Are you requiring them to sign in and out, limit their breaks and lunch time…whether they have abused workplace procedures or they are stellar employees?

• Do you exercise an autocratic leadership style that berates and belittles people, and demands they check in with you for every little action?

• Do you make them pay their own work-related expenses?

• Is your performance management/review process fair? Heck, do you even have one?

• How often do you communicate with your people? Do you encourage them, by telling them when they’ve done a good job?

• Do you ever do anything FUN for your people…a night out bowling? Afternoon pizza party? Throw bean bags at a blow up clown or darts at a board with your face taped to it?

Do you notice a THEME in this line of questions? Let’s say you’re “guilty” of some of these abusive employer actions. Is your answer to all these questions: “my people are lucky they are employed and receiving a paycheck?”

If that is your mindset and your firm keeps treating your people this way, rest assured they will leave you as soon as they get the chance.

Rather than punish your people for expressing displeasure in your horrible treatment, why not become a world class employer? Solicit their ideas all the time how to make your business better. Empower them to take calculated risks, and recognize them for their successes and their failures by learning from the failures.

What do you do to ensure that your people grow professionally? Do you challenge your workers to challenge themselves, think creatively, and act independently? Do you reward and recognize your workers? Do you communicate with them constantly? Have you promoted people?

By implementing a few of these strategies, you will become a preferred employer who has their employees’ ultimate respect and loyalty. Your people will run through walls for you, achieve amazing results, stay with you when times are rough, and help you not only survive but thrive in these transformational times. Your people will still talk about you, but it will be glowing rave reviews that create a strong reputational brand that will make top talent flock to you and the press cover what you do.

So, if you can’t be altruistic do it for purely selfish reasons.

Or, keep doing what you’re doing. I’m sure your workers like spending most of their days playing Solitaire, chatting on Facebook, and searching for a new job.