A Friday Time Out to Say Thank You
I’m way overdue to provide some thanks to a number of great people and organizations that I’ve worked with or that have supported me over this past year, and the deep freeze here in Chicago is no excuse for delaying this post any longer. Nor is the fact that I’m horribly behind on holiday shopping (the economy is waiting!), not to mention that my wife and brother both have birthdays within 6 days of Christmas. (Parents, in the future, better planning please!)
I turned up the heat a bit, refilled my coffee cup and pried myself away from this week’s all consuming collaboration on my next Building Better Leaders program (mentoring plus distance education) entitled Leadership and the Technical Professional, and here are just a few of Thank You’s that I would like to extend.
My Thanks!
-Thank you to the editors at SmartBrief for including a number of my posts in their great bulletins during the past week and over the past year. I particularly enjoyed contributing to their 2009 Leadership Review and was in some great company with Wally Bock (Three Star Leadership), Dan McCarthy (Great Leadership) and others. If you don’t subscribe to one of their many bulletins, you are missing out on an outstanding opportunity to stay informed and gain access to great content.
-Speaking of Wally, I am thankful for his great support and for his frequent inclusion of my posts in his great feature, “Midweek Look at the Independent Business Blogs. The best part of the inclusion is that he puts me in good company with some of my favorite business bloggers.
-We have a great resource in my county called the Shah Center for Corporate Training, affiliated with our community college. This organization, its Director and team do an outstanding job bringing all manner of professional training to businesses and non-profits all year long. I was honored to write the cover article for the Q1 2010 issue of their publication, CATALYST, and noticed the other evening that it had published. My article is perhaps timely given the state of our economy, and I encourage you check out the pdf version of “Rethink, Renew and Recover,” as well as take a look at the expanse of what this great organization provides to our community. They are certainly a model to learn from.
-My recent collaboration partners, Chris Colbert, Joe Zurawski as well as the team at DigiSage (web development/hosting) have all been in overdrive helping on various projects, including the Building Better Leaders launch. Joe and I will launch the new technical leadership program in early January, and Chris is working evenings to help out. The DigisSage team never sleeps.
-Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Mary Jo Asmus of Aspire Collaborative Services for collaborating with me on two, “Two Voices” posts.I’ve rarely worked with anyone as creative and frankly as fun to work with as Mary Jo and I look forward to more opportunities for us to pool our thoughts. Of course, her pool of thoughts is much deeper than mine, so I am the beneficiary in this arrangement.
-Thank you to my Twitter and all of my blog readers. Who would have imagined that the world of social networking would lead to so many amazing and productive new relationships! I’m working with a dozen or so great professionals and organizations that I’ve met through blogging or on Twitter and look forward to some great new ventures in the upcoming year.
-Thank you to the great professionals, deans and department chairs at DePaul, The Illinois Institute of Technology and McHenry County College that have invited me to participate in serving their students and communities as a management and leadership educator. Thanks as well to my students! The secret here is that when I’m teaching, I’m learning. The pleasure is all mine.
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Saying “Thank You” is always in style, and all too often, we let the pace of life get in the way of these two simple but important words. For anyone reading, please accept my sincere thanks. Now it’s time for you to pay it forward.
Twitter and Social Networking: Job Search Power Tools or Time Killers?
Filed under: Career, Current Affairs, Life and Business, Marketing, Marketing Yourself, Professional Growth, Social Commentary, Your Professional Development "To Do" List
One of the best lessons that I’ve learned from working on about two million fix-it and improvement projects with my Dad is to match the right tool to the job at hand. This is particularly true in searching for a job, which can be one of the more vexing projects for many people.
Fortunately, there are a number of interesting new power tools available in the form of social networking platforms, to help today’s job seeker. However, unlike the tools in the picture, there are few guidelines on how and where to to use these tools to good effect.
Sidebar 1: Most of us probably know more than a few great people looking for work, and hopefully, you are providing your help and support in the form of networking contacts and moral and morale support.
Sidebar 2: A friend indicated that she now knows what it might feel like to suddenly be the person that no one is comfortable interacting with anymore. It seems her friends have responded to her lingering unemployment by doing what many people do when someone gets sick or suffers a personal loss…they disappear. Please don’t do that.
OK, back on topic. One of the issues that I make it a point to always ask my job searching colleagues about is their social networking strategy. I’m both curious how people are using the tools and whether they are finding them helpful or distracting. The feedback is mixed and interesting.
My informally captured, non-scientific research findings indicate the following about the use of social networking tools in the job search:
- Use and enthusiasm for social networking seems to vary by age and experience, with younger job seekers comfortable leveraging a broader swath of the social media spectrum than the more experienced (translated: older) professionals. No surprise here.
- LinkedIn is the most common tool that senior managers opt for initially. Again, no surprise.
- The minority of people that I’ve spoken with are Twitter users, and the perceptions of what Twitter is/can do are all over the map. Again, not surprisingly, there’s a great deal of ignorance about Twitter and a fair amount of cynicism. It usually goes something like, “I don’t know how telling people what I had for breakfast will help me find a job.” That’s certainly one point I agree with…, there’s no chance that telling people what you had for breakfast is correlated with landing a job!
On the positive side, I’m also hearing some interesting ideas and uses of the various media coming from some of the more adventurous job seekers.
The tone/theme of this feedback is: I don’t expect social networking to replace the hard work of researching, live networking and effective marketing and selling, but it is a valuable supplement and source of ideas, leads and contacts.
That’s a good, well-grounded perspective.
Some of the best uses that I’ve heard are (paraphrased):
- Targeting: I target the firms that I’m interested in working for, then I leverage the social media platforms to learn as much as I can about the company and the people. I’ve openly shared with people that I’m interested in their company and have received some great insights and suggestions.
- Culture Assessment: I look at how involved a company and its employees are in social media as one indicator of culture. I don’t want to work for a firm that is restrictive or paranoid.
- Pure Networking: I use the tools to meet people and learn about exciting new firms.
- Research: I use the tools to find people writing about or offering advice for job seekers.
- Power Research: I use the research capabilities of Tweetdeck (an application to help organize your twitter world) to search on key terms and find firms and people talking about things related to the type of work that I do.
- Introductions: Several times I’ve asked for help from my LinkedIn colleagues for an introduction to a contact of a contact, and they’ve come through for me every time.
- Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation: Social networking is my life-saving coffee break. I let myself jump into the conversations twice a day for about 15 minutes each time, and I come out rejuvenated. I meet great people and we exchange ideas and then I get back to work.
The Bottom Line for Now:
My two-cents suggests that it’s critical to use all of the tools available in securing a new opportunity. Social Networking may not hold the easy answer, but it certainly can be part of finding the answer. Savvy job seekers recognize the information and research power of social networking and are leveraging these new power tools to help get the job done.
Friday Fare and Summer Shorts
Filed under: Career, Current Affairs, Life and Business, Marketing, Social Commentary, Your Professional Development "To Do" List
The summer days are growing noticeably shorter here in the middle of the U.S., and while it seems remarkably early, both of our sons will be off at college within the next week. Since it was just yesterday that I was in college, this new empty nest phase is a little hard to digest. I’ll have to live vicariously through our sons!
Fresh off of the coldest July since AD 85 here in the Chicago-area, the weather is finally warming a bit and I’m breaking out the Summer Shorts for this Friday Fare post here at Management Excellence. (Since my wife didn’t get it either, this means that today’s post is going to include brief snippets instead of my usual lengthy essays. Get it…summer shorts! Hey, I thought it was a cute play on words.)
Here goes:
Help! I Think My Phone Bill is the Source of Funding for the Economic Recovery!
I’m still reeling from the eye-popping bill that showed up after we deftly moved all of our wireless phones under one carrier and merged it with our home line and internet to save money.
It seems that when you do this, you encounter some form of time warp that requires you to change billing cycles, pro-rate your plans and pay in one bill something like 2.5x what the normal monthly billing will be once this time warp passes. The AT&T rep gave it the old college try, but he could not adequately explain this near four-figure bill. I’ve had to hire an accounting firm to help audit the 4-pound stack of paper that comprises my bill.
For anyone like me that loves to hate big cable/phone/internet/wireless providers, you might find my rant: “The Insane and Confusing Battle for the Pipe Into Your Home” cathartic.
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Social Networking and the Average 40 or 50 Something Job Seeker
In spite of the fact that people that blog and tweet think that everyone understands blogging and tweeting and obscure terms like RSS and social networking, I’ve come to the conclusion that the majority of people are still clueless. They know the words and make funny comments about Twits that Tweet, but many are wholly uninformed about how these tools can be used to build visibility, promote a business or help find a job.
I increasingly find myself as an evangelist for these various tools…offering some explanation as to what they are and how they can help. While they are not silver bullets for any business or personal problem, the new tools are remarkably powerful and inexpensive ways to promote yourself, establish yourself as a thought-leader or expert and to make some great contacts. I’m thinking of putting on an on-line seminar series to help the growing legions of talented but unemployed learn to leverage the tools. Might be a nice public service.
Some Short-Shorts:
-Clunkers anyone? Anyone wonder what a “clunker” is and whether your car qualifies? I’m still looking at this program with eyes crossed and brow furrowed. It feels a lot like the jolt you get from ingesting a sugary drink or dessert.
-Small Biz Marketing: Like social networking, I mistakenly assume that everyone is familiar with John Jantsch’s great book, website and products under the Duct Tape Marketing label. I’ve run into a few people recently that have not heard of John or the book. It’s time to remedy that. If you are running your own business, Duct Tape Marketing is a must read and John’s site is full of remarkable ideas and resources.
Want to double your marketing pleasure? Pick up David Meerman Scott’s “The New Rules of Marketing and PR,” and you’ll be glad that you read both together.
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OK, that’s enough of the Shorts for one Friday. Have a great weekend and I’ll be back early next week with my regularly scheduled content, starting with some more Leadership Caffeine!
A Rant on Social Networking Etiquette or, When did Rude Become Acceptable OnLine?
Filed under: Life and Business, Marketing Yourself, Social Commentary
Call me old-fashioned, but just because so many of us are interacting from behind a screen doesn’t mean that the rules of etiquette and common courtesy have been suspended.
In case you didn’t get the memo on the importance of professional courtesy in an on-line world, this is it.
I am increasingly fascinated and horrified by the way people conduct themselves through sites like Linkedin and for networking introductions provided via e-mail.
I’ve compared notes with a number of my colleagues and have found that I’m not alone with my observations and annoyances.
Invitations to Connect on Linkedin:
Let’s tackle Linkedin first. This popular and powerful business networking tool is an ideal way to catch up with colleagues from firms long-ago as well as to facilitate introductions for these seeking to connect. I like it…it merits a few minutes a day of maintenance, it is a good resource for learning something about people you might be meeting or interviewing with, and the forums and discussion groups have some merit for like-minded professionals.
What irks my about people’s behavior on LI is the way some people seek to reconnect. I won’t name names, but more than a few colleagues from a life two decades ago have found me on Linkedin and sent along the following boilerplate message:
“So and So has identified you as someone they trust and would like to add you to their network.”
That’s it. No “Hello!” no “How are you?” or even a “Hey, great to see that you are still breathing.” Heck, an ”I didn’t like you 20 years ago, but now that it looks like you can help me, I want to be your friend,” message would be better than nothing. At least it is personal and honest.
Most people offer nothing. Silence. Nada. Zero. Zip.
What’s wrong with you people?!
Can you imagine bumping into a colleague on the street after many, many years and not offering a smile, a polite greeting and some questions about what they are up to? I can’t.
Proper Etiquette: Use the message function of Linkedin and send a polite greeting. After the connection is made, exchange notes and engage. The goal is to create quality connections and to find ways to support each other should the occasion arise. Start engaging…not just linking.
e-Introductions:
I love this one and again, my colleagues report the same. Someone goes to the trouble of sending a nice note out suggesting that two people might share interests and might benefit from connecting, and then one or both parties ignore the introduction.
I make it a habit to always send a nice greeting to the person that I was introduced to and offer my contact information and encouragement for a chance to connect via a brief phone call. It is amazing how many people never respond.
Was it my courtesy? My enthusiasm for meeting great new people?
The lack of response speaks volumes about the person.
Proper Etiquette: Always, always, always take the next step after an e-introduction. Be the better person and extend the opportunity to connect. You may decide after 60 seconds of phone time that there is no fit. Or better yet, you may find a valuable new relationship, a kindred spirit on a professional topic of interest or someone who turns into a valuable network partner.
If you don’t follow-up, all that you tell everyone is that you are a jerk.
The Bottom-Line on this Rant for Now:
We all have a remarkable number of ways to interact and while we are all busy, YOU are never too busy that skimping on courtesy is acceptable. Bring Etiquette Back!
Seven Survival Tips for the Newly Independent
Filed under: Career, Life and Business, Professional Growth, Your Professional Development "To Do" List
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.
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