“Why Did We Fire You?” Talent Gaffes of the Big and Clueless

February 12, 2009 By 2 Comments

If it wasn’t so sad, it would be laughable. The question, “Why did we fire you?” expressed with surprise and genuine confusion was asked by a senior HR exec to a talented and fired sales rep at MegaFirm.

This sales rep was the “last one standing” that actually understood how to sell the products that MegaFirm had inherited with one of its many acquisitions. The products are still there, but the people aren’t. MegaFirm unleashed the neutron bomb from its powerful HR arsenal.

Oh, once the light bulb went on, several of the recently fired were offered their jobs back.

In the movie “Liar, Liar,” Jim Carrey is incapable of saying anything but the naked truth. If this were true for just a moment in the HR world at MegaFirm, here’s how I imagine the conversations with the newly fired associates to go:

“Sorry, we screwed up. We fired you and everyone else because you were there and we needed you to not be there for the numbers to work out on our spreadsheets. You should see this formula we created. All I have to do is reduce the number in one column and our business looks great! I might get a promotion for this.”

“What’s that you ask? Talent, skills and knowledge. No, those aren’t important. We actually don’t care. What counts is that our numbers work. You should have figured out that we actually don’t give a rip about developing people or retaining talent, because we don’t have to.”

“Yeah, so what that we paid to buy your company. You came along with another deal. Yeah, your thousands of customers will not be served…we’ll let your former competitors pick them up. We don’t mind alienating our customers, because we don’t give a rip here either.”

“Hey, are you sure you don’t want your job back? You sound like a smart guy. We probably shouldn’t have fired you. I’ll take someone else out of the spreadsheet if you want to come back. Have I told you about our insurance program?”

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I promised that I would keep this case anonymous, so all of you former colleagues that are guessing about who this is, well, you’re wrong.

As for the recipient of the “Why Did We Fire You?” question, this individual is a one-person success generating machine with the heart of a prize-fighter and the battlefield instincts of Patton.

This individual should be running your sales team.

The bottom-line for now: run, don’t walk, to start finding ways to bring talent like the subject of this post into your organization. MegaFirm’s ignorance should be your gain if you are doing your job.

While the MegaFirms of the world are working themselves down into MiniFirms by focusing on the ratios, you should be arming yourself to the teeth with the best talent you can find. And yes, you will have to make some tough decision on people in your own environment. Make the right choices to make room for the talent…don’t let the spreadsheet rule the day.

There’s something about going into battle in the market with the best soldiers that seems so right.

Filed Under: Crisis Leadership, Decision-Making, Leadership, Surviving Lousy Leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seven Survival Tips for the Newly Independent

February 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I suspect that we are all engaging with former colleagues, friends and family members that have recently been furloughed from the corporate world. 

A few that I have spoken with are struggling to adapt to the new reality and are finding themselves floundering as they struggle to replace the comfortable routine of getting up and going somewhere with wandering around the house wondering what to do and where to start.  

Here are some ideas that I’ve either learned myself over time or have gained from others that have mastered the art of working alone and managing themselves without the services and security of a mother ship.  I would love to hear your suggestions as well

7 Suggestions to Survive and Prosper in your Period of Corporate Independence:

1. Define your new work, establish goals and create and work your plan. 

If you are looking for a job, that is your full time job.  Set goals for yourself. Create plans to achieve the goals and dive into your new work.  A number of people I know like to establish daily targets for networking and prospecting activities.

If your new work is reinventing yourself or pursuing a venture other than a job, it may be a bit harder to set goals…but you need to identify the priority activities that will move you towards your objective and focus on those activities.  Exploration, networking, research, plan development, vetting, more networking and so on. 

2. Create a new routine.

Allow yourself to enjoy the break from fighting traffic every morning, but don’t lounge away your time reading the paper.  I like to hit my home office with cup of coffee in hand by 5:30 a.m.  I allocate 45 minutes to write a post and then I’m off to the races on my priority tasks. (Note: not all of the neurons are firing this early, which explains my occasional typos and editing lapses!)  Breakfast consists of a run for another cup of coffee, enough time as it takes me to assemble a bowl of oatmeal, add milk and raisins, heat it in the microwave and return to my desk.  Elapsed time: about 3 minutes.

Depending upon what I’m working on, I’ve identified optimal times for networking calls and prospecting as well as time for content creation/preparation for the next engagement etc.  It took some experimenting, but there are better times to catch people than others, as any salesperson will tell you.

 3. Give yourself a routine break and work off stress.

Some new independents have a severe guilt complex if they vary the routine off of work.  If that ‘s you, get over it.  There’s nothing more energizing for me than the mid-day workout at the health club.  As long as I’m comfortable that I am not missing prime networking opportunities, an investment in one hour at the club returns huge dividends in the form of stress relief and energizing you for the next part of your day. Oh, you can turn this into a networking opportunity.  Unplug the headphones from your ears and say hello to the person next to you on the treadmill.  It might just be the CEO of the company down the street that is looking for someone like you.

 4. Learn to leverage the new technologies but don’t become consumed.

I’m a huge fan of the power of social networking technologies and am active on LinkedIn and Twitter.  I do however set strict time limits on my use of these services.  I allocate 15 minutes per weekday.  Otherwise, it would be possible to get lost in an on-line existence. 

I’m still under 1-month new to Twitter, but I’ve met a number of great professionals who are now part of my extended network. A few benefits thus far: I’ve conducted and have scheduled numerous phone calls with prospective clients or partners that I met on Twitter.  I’ve been invited to be interviewed for a podcast aimed right at my target market, and I’m talking with other successful bloggers about exchanging guest posts.  My blog traffic is up considerably thanks to the Twitter referrals and the free access to new prospective readers. Plus, I’ve reconnected with former associates in a way that a simple phone call would never allow.  We are interacting daily…140 characters at a time. There’s something to it, and you need to approach it with clear objectives in mind. 

Also, as an fyi, that was a long commercial for Twitter.  LinkedIn offers some remarkably powerful professional networking tools.  You should learn how to leverage this great service. It may be one of your best friends in a job search.

5. Invest in yourself.

I don’t care what you do, but do something that shows that you are concerned about your own personal/professional development.  Take a class, read books, start a blog and immerse yourself in a topic to feed the creation of posts.  Start your MBA or explore courses that fit with your business or career aspirations.  Do something productive with your brain or it will atrophy or worse yet, it will allow negative thoughts to take root and grow like wildfire. 

6. Help others. 

Strive to give way more than you are asking for.  Help others with their networking activities.  Help at school, at church or check to see if your county has a Volunteer Center.  I am now on the board of my county’s Volunteer Center and excited to be helping this organization recast its vision and strategy.  

7. Stay positive, celebrate your victories and your progress.   

Don’t preoccupy on the defeats and rejections.  Again, every great salesperson knows this style of thinking.  They have to stay positive or the rejection would push them over the edge.

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There are many, many more ideas.  Feel free to share your own in the comments. 

My bottom-line for now is: keep moving, keep thinking, keep planning, follow-up and keep improving. 

 

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Career, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Leadership Training Budget, No Problem. Nine Tips, No Charge

February 10, 2009 By 1 Comment

As someone who is passionate about leadership development, it is heartening to see articles like the one that ran recently in the Wall Street Journal, indicating, “Despite Cutbacks, Firms Invest in Developing Leaders.”

The article highlights the enlightened perspective that some firms and executives have on developing talent during the current tough times.  “Despite layoffs and recession-starved budgets, many employers are investing in leadership development programs, hoping not to be caught short when the economy improves.”

Good for these businesses and the leaders.  The notion that it is always time to work on identifying and grooming leaders is healthy.

However, if you happen to work in one of the firms that is not as fortunate or as enlightened as the ones highlighted in the article, don’t despair. 

You don’t have to have a stinking budget to improve your team’s/firm’s leadership development practices.  You do however, have to have your head screwed on straight about this process, and you need to be committed to executing on it as a core, everyday part of your job. 

In my workshop and engagement surveys, the number one reason that leaders don’t do a better job supporting professional development is…, you guessed it, “Time.”  Fantastically and shockingly, people are willing to admit that they just don’t make time for this part of their job. 

All of the training dollars and programs in the world will not make up for the lack of personal commitment about leadership development from you as a leader and from your peers and colleagues. 

Leadership development doesn’t start with training, it doesn’t happen in training and it is not the means to the ends.  It is context, not core.  It offers many potential benefits, including motivation, reinforcement and support for skills development, but only experience gives someone the tools to truly lead.

Regardless of whether you have or don’t have a training budget, do these things and you will increase your batting average for building better leaders.

-Nine Tips for TurboCharging Leadership Development with No Budget:

1. Think about your leadership needs (skills, styles, competencies) in the context of the future, not the present. 

2.  Think hard about the attributes that you are looking for.  Too often, we gravitate towards those that are outgoing and articulate.  There are great leaders hidden behind those that seek the stage.

3.  As a management group, talk a lot about your talent and their needs.  Share insights and feedback on your collective pool of high potentials.

4.  A high-potential one year may not make the cut the next year.  Manage talent like a portfolio.

5.  Share talent across functions to create well-rounded experiences for your high potentials.  Make certain that the sharing involves feedback and performance evaluation from the rotational leaders.

6.  Design opportunities for individuals; don’t just plunk people into problems.  Be deliberate about tailoring opportunity development to the individual.

7.  Coach and provide feedback constantly.  And then double it.

8.  Challenge the people you are developing to do seek out extraordinary ways to strengthen and to gain experience.  I have no qualms encouraging a high potential to seek out other forms of leadership and experience by tapping into community needs.  You can learn a lot about developing lateral influence skills by working in your community at a nonprofit or at your church.

9.  Practice what you preach.  Have you taken charge of your own professional development?  What’s your plan?

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Don’t let the lack of a budget keep you from your appointed rounds as a developer of leaders.  And if you are one of those hoping to be developed, don’t “boo hoo” your firm’s lack of commitment.  You are responsible for you own career.  Get on with it.

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Career, Leadership, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Leadership Caffeine for the New Week

February 8, 2009 By 1 Comment

Let’s start out with an extra large cup of the hot stuff to help kick-start the new week. Oh, and one sugar, please, in acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day.

Consistent with the theme of this card, flower and candy holiday that my significant other enjoys so much, the focus this week is on relationships.

1. Spend a few minutes each day strengthening your professional network

There are a million and one great reasons to spend a few minutes each week shoring up your professional network. There are no excuses for not doing this.

If you are gainfully employed, reach out to those on the wrong end of this recession and offer help. Review resumes and provide feedback, make introductions for valued associates and make yourself available to listen and empathize.

Work hard to overcome any discomfort you might feel in connecting with some newly unemployed friends. They’re not contagious, and frankly, I’m a big believer in keep the bank balance squarely on the giving side. You never know when conditions will shift, and you’ll need to make a few network withdrawals.

2.  Schedule a ride with a rep.  Spend some time in the field with your salespeople.

People that work in functions other than sales often have gigantic misperceptions about what these road warriors actually do for their organizations. I’ve learned more about my businesses by riding along with my sales colleagues for a few days than I would have been capable of learning in few years sitting behind corporate walls. It’s like getting an MBA in reality.

I’ve never come back from a ride-along without a host of great ideas to make it easier for our salespeople to sell and for our customers to buy and use our offerings. And whenever I hear someone joking about the soft life that salespeople lead, I beg to differ.

3. Reach out and repair a relationship.

By now, you’ve probably figured out that the only way big things get done inside of organizations is through the efforts of a lot of people from different functions working together. And chances are, there’s someone somewhere inside the organization that you are not on the best of terms with.

It’s time to be the better person and take the first step towards mending fences. Invite this person to lunch or coffee. Ask him or her what’s going on in their world. If your functional areas intersect, ask for feedback on how you or your team are doing and ask for ideas to improve. And then do it! The gesture and the follow-up are great bridge-building materials.

4. Don’t forget to cultivate your relationship with your boss.

The best leaders are also good followers. Reach out to your boss. Make sure your goals are calibrated with hers, and while you are at it, ask for some feedback. Your gesture might just create the opportunity for that coaching discussion your boss has been meaning to have with you.

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Last and not least, if you or more importantly, your significant other takes Valentine’s seriously, remember to do something special.  Make reservations, order flowers, pick up a gift or all of the above.  You’ll be glad that you did.  

If you need another cup, check out prior issues of Leadership Caffeine.  Otherwise, it’s time to get on with your great week.  Enjoy!   -Art 

 

Filed Under: Leadership Caffeine Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Seeing Opportunities in the Storm

February 6, 2009 By 2 Comments

As we all come to grips with the calamity that is our economic situation, I’m finding bits and pieces of optimism in interesting places. Some of the optimism may be false, as people work to talk themselves into believing that things can’t get much worse. (Don’t fool yourself, they can and most likely will.)  Overall however, I am excited by how some are beginning to face up to the challenges ahead of us.

Here are some of the conversation tidbits that show a glimmer of silver in an otherwise dark environment:

Many people seem to be operating with a new-found stiff upper lip and less in panic mode. Conversations are calm, fear is giving way to acceptance and in many cases I’m sensing a new resolve on the part of businesspeople and those affected to find a way to work through the challenges. It feels a little bit like what I imagine the mood was in the streets as the British people labored on during the Blitz in World War II.

I know some smart people seeking new opportunities to create, to innovate and even to create jobs. Those with deep pockets are recognizing that it may the best time in a century to purchase businesses.  Others are finding opportunities to solve problems by tapping into the large supply of talent available for contract or hire.

While most companies are retrenching, the exciting ones to talk to are those that see the opportunity developing during this mess.  Top executives at Cisco and IBM have publicly described what they view as a magnificent opportunity as we work over the next few years to retool massive amounts of our technology infrastructure to cut costs, leverage new technologies and go green.  Not every firm sees opportunity, but those that have the courage to reinvent themselves will come out the other side in an exciting position.

The numbers and reports are mixed on education, however I expect this area to boom as people retool their skill sets and launch into new careers, or in many cases, new ventures.

I love the enthusiasm coming from the groups of newly unemployed who are coming to grips with the miserable Dilbertian-like existence they’ve led inside corporate walls.  I predict a boom in entrepreneurial ventures as these disenfranchised professionals search for something that will both pay the bills and refuel their spirits.

There are no silver bullets or easy words here, especially if you are one of the 3 million or more that have lost their job already in this recession.  I do think that barring a catastrophic shock to our system like 9/11, the macro forces for the world are good.

One thing is for certain, in spite of how miserable it gets, I personally refuse to stop looking for the opportunities.  I know many others that are there with me.  In case you’re looking for us, we’ll be the ones working hard to create new value.  Oh yeah, and we’ll be smiling.

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