To contact us Click HERE
Last year about this time I set my New Year's Resolutions.
I know, I'm like that.
This was nothing fancy or well-thought-out, I just did it. I took a piece of scrap paper and wrote down the five things I wanted to focus on improving. They're a little bit private, but I can tell you this: four concerned some aspect of my career, and one was an athletic goal. Family, friends, spiritually - thankfully, I feel very good about those aspects of my life. Your areas of focus might include those, but mine didn't.
Here's how I did:
#1 - Nailed it. Blew my goal so far out of the water, it's impossible to even compare.#2-4 - Did somewhere between well and okay.#5 - Oops. Didn't even touch it. Abject failure.
This list, written on a scrap paper, lives in a drawer in my bathroom. Every few days I come across it as I search for the toothpaste or a nail clipper. It's a handy reminder of what I decided to work on last February.
This worked pretty well for me, but around the start of this month I decided it was time to update my list. Not start a brand-new one, because most of those items are ongoing concerns, not "do it and done" type things. They involve getting better at something, and that's a journey.
So Saturday, I retired the first list and replaced it with another. Three items this time, all in some way related to the original five.
This year, as with last, I'm judging everything I do by this standard: Does it promote one of my three goals? Specifically,
1. Does it help me write my next book?2. Does it help with the career move I'm making?*3. Does it help me train for the Naples 1/2 Marathon next January?
This post isn't about me, though. It's about you. What are your goals - not for the year, but ongoing? Try to have only a few. Aim for only one. Write them down. Put them someplace where you have to actually read them - preferably, someplace where they're in the way and you need to move them (and thus read them) as you search for the toothpaste.
And judge every action you take, all year long, by how effectively that action supports your quest for those goals. Cut out fun stuff that doesn't clearly promote those goals. Do more of what does.
Let me know how it goes.
*Career move? I've been eluding to this for a couple of months now. I'm only 44. If my role models are any indication, I have at least 40 more years of active work ahead of me (thank God!). So I'm going to continue to evolve and reinvent myself again and again. I can't wait to share my next step!
30 Mayıs 2012 Çarşamba
You Can Run, But You Can't Hide
To contact us Click HERE
Recently, something on Twitter got my spider senses tingling.
When I "meet" someone interesting in a chat or through a friend, I like to check their bio - I'm sure you do as well. And what caught my attention was how many of these people are former employees of a certain company.
Interesting. It told me two things right off the bat. One, this company hires talented people. Two, talented people leave this company in droves.
Curious, I reached out to one of these people, a friendly acquaintance who is close Twitter friends with one of my best buds on Twitter. We had a connection through past interactions, and we had a level of trust through our mutual pal. In other words, I wasn't a complete stranger.
"I've noticed something I think you can help me with," I tweeted. "Can we take this to email so I can ask you a question?" He was happy to oblige, so via email I asked him about my observation. This is the gist of his reply:
"That company is a great place to make a name for yourself in our field. Unfortunately, they don't pay well, and management isn't the most enlightened. The nature of the work we were required to do there has changed dramatically since they hired me, too. By the time I left, we were innovating much less, instead spending most of our time on lower-skill tasks. I'm glad I've moved on, and I've never looked back. Same goes for my former colleagues." He named several I also followed, and I reached out to them as well for confirmation, which they readily gave.
I've read a lot of headlines about people losing their jobs because of boss-bashing Facebook posts or indiscreet Tweets. Less sensational, perhaps, is how potential recruits and customers use Social to check before they leap. But it happens every day all day long.
I personally don't choose a movie or buy technology without polling my network first. Of my friends and followers, I've got dozens or sometimes hundreds who will weigh in on anything I'm asking about. Often their replies include really useful links to blog posts, reviews, and articles that make my decision easy and shed new light on the object of my question. Increasingly, this is how it's done in the Twenty-First Century.
Employers, people are checking up on you. Once upon a time (you know, 5 years ago), people would ask a small circle of friends and family before trusting a recruiter and taking the career plunge. Now, that inner circle has expanded to thousands, and through connections it can quickly reach tens or even hundreds of thousands. Because of Social Media, no company can hide behind obscurity any longer.
And this is only the beginning. There are new Social applications, and new uses of existing apps, that haven't even been created yet. Two years from now ...three ...five? What I write about today will be so ubiquitous that companies will have no choice but to actually be better - or suffer the consequences.
Social Media isn't just changing the way business is done for those few of us who participate in robust online networks. It is driving a sea change in corporate transparency. Bad bosses? You can run, but you can't hide.
Join me here every Monday for a new installment of Social Media Monday.
When I "meet" someone interesting in a chat or through a friend, I like to check their bio - I'm sure you do as well. And what caught my attention was how many of these people are former employees of a certain company.
Interesting. It told me two things right off the bat. One, this company hires talented people. Two, talented people leave this company in droves.
Curious, I reached out to one of these people, a friendly acquaintance who is close Twitter friends with one of my best buds on Twitter. We had a connection through past interactions, and we had a level of trust through our mutual pal. In other words, I wasn't a complete stranger.
"I've noticed something I think you can help me with," I tweeted. "Can we take this to email so I can ask you a question?" He was happy to oblige, so via email I asked him about my observation. This is the gist of his reply:
"That company is a great place to make a name for yourself in our field. Unfortunately, they don't pay well, and management isn't the most enlightened. The nature of the work we were required to do there has changed dramatically since they hired me, too. By the time I left, we were innovating much less, instead spending most of our time on lower-skill tasks. I'm glad I've moved on, and I've never looked back. Same goes for my former colleagues." He named several I also followed, and I reached out to them as well for confirmation, which they readily gave.
I've read a lot of headlines about people losing their jobs because of boss-bashing Facebook posts or indiscreet Tweets. Less sensational, perhaps, is how potential recruits and customers use Social to check before they leap. But it happens every day all day long.
I personally don't choose a movie or buy technology without polling my network first. Of my friends and followers, I've got dozens or sometimes hundreds who will weigh in on anything I'm asking about. Often their replies include really useful links to blog posts, reviews, and articles that make my decision easy and shed new light on the object of my question. Increasingly, this is how it's done in the Twenty-First Century.
Employers, people are checking up on you. Once upon a time (you know, 5 years ago), people would ask a small circle of friends and family before trusting a recruiter and taking the career plunge. Now, that inner circle has expanded to thousands, and through connections it can quickly reach tens or even hundreds of thousands. Because of Social Media, no company can hide behind obscurity any longer.
And this is only the beginning. There are new Social applications, and new uses of existing apps, that haven't even been created yet. Two years from now ...three ...five? What I write about today will be so ubiquitous that companies will have no choice but to actually be better - or suffer the consequences.
Social Media isn't just changing the way business is done for those few of us who participate in robust online networks. It is driving a sea change in corporate transparency. Bad bosses? You can run, but you can't hide.
Join me here every Monday for a new installment of Social Media Monday.
CEOs: Don't Sideline Your Best Talent
To contact us Click HERE
Quick quiz: what was the day job of the writer and star of the Best Movie of 1976 before he made that film? (Answer below).
A few years ago, the last time the economy was booming, I read one article after another dispensing the same career advice: if you want to move up in your company, leave it. Work elsewhere at a higher position, then (if you still want to) come back - in this way, you can jump the line and gain a much higher position than if you stayed.
Kinda hard to remember a job market so abundant with opportunities that people would throw away perfectly good situations with a current employer for so calculated a move, isn't it?
Here's the thing, though: I saw it work with my own friends and acquaintances again and again and again. And I'm watching this very thing happening again now.
"Whoa!" I hear you shout at your screen. "That's just irresponsible, Ted! Stop that!!"
Okay, okay. As with all responsible career advice, this one comes loaded with caveats. I do not advise you to try this at home (or at the home office). And I certainly am not suggesting that this is a trend - yet. Most people I know are still hunkered down, holding onto their current positions in fear of disaster should they lose it. Given recent events, that's pretty smart.*
But in some sectors, especially technology, the Great Recession is already over. Some firms are once again finding it hard to fill their demand for talent. They're spending all sorts of money on recruiting efforts, and more money on new-hire training, and even more money when some of those new-hires don't fit and have to be replaced - and meanwhile, they're blowing off the greatest pool of already-trained talent any recruiter could ever dream of: their own current employees.
Yes, CEOs, I'm talking to you. Especially if you're in technology, your own company is more than likely hobbling itself by ignoring its own talent within the ranks. If you don't personally, as your company's leader, do something dramatic to reward your staff for elevating those beneath them, you're limiting your firm's growth.
Companies are run by people, and we people are little more than the sum of our prejudices. One prejudice we all suffer from, to one extent or another, is to pigeonhole people. We think,
George is a chicken farmer.Susan's a waitress.Andy's a shipping clerk.Bill's a dropout.Henry's a mechanic.Phil's a production assistant.Sly's an elephant shit-shoveler at the zoo.
...All of which is true. For one period in their careers, all of the people I listed above were employed in those jobs. But they moved on:
George Boldt managed, then owned the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.**Susan Sarandon is a major Hollywood star.Andrew Carnegie was the second-richest man of his day.Bill Gates is the wealthiest man alive.Henry Ford founded a major car company.Phil Beuth was President of ABC Entertainment.Sylvester Stalone's debut movie won three Oscars, including Best Picture 1976.
I could go on with this list all week. The bottom line is, you've got talent in your firm right now that you're grossly underutilizing. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to force your best and brightest to leave because the only option within your company is the slow boat to China? Or are you going to demand that your direct reports reach down amidst the ranks and elevate some of your sharpest talent several rungs up the ladder, and then praise and reward them handsomely when they do?
The most innovative, successful businesses don't make their people stand in line for recognition. "Wait your turn" should not be part of your company's phrasebook.
If it is? Then you deserve all the struggle and lost opportunity that plagues so much of the corporate world today.
* Read this recent post for more sober-minded career advice.
** For the whole story about this remarkable customer service expert, read Five-Star Customer Service
A few years ago, the last time the economy was booming, I read one article after another dispensing the same career advice: if you want to move up in your company, leave it. Work elsewhere at a higher position, then (if you still want to) come back - in this way, you can jump the line and gain a much higher position than if you stayed.
Kinda hard to remember a job market so abundant with opportunities that people would throw away perfectly good situations with a current employer for so calculated a move, isn't it?
Here's the thing, though: I saw it work with my own friends and acquaintances again and again and again. And I'm watching this very thing happening again now.
"Whoa!" I hear you shout at your screen. "That's just irresponsible, Ted! Stop that!!"
Okay, okay. As with all responsible career advice, this one comes loaded with caveats. I do not advise you to try this at home (or at the home office). And I certainly am not suggesting that this is a trend - yet. Most people I know are still hunkered down, holding onto their current positions in fear of disaster should they lose it. Given recent events, that's pretty smart.*
But in some sectors, especially technology, the Great Recession is already over. Some firms are once again finding it hard to fill their demand for talent. They're spending all sorts of money on recruiting efforts, and more money on new-hire training, and even more money when some of those new-hires don't fit and have to be replaced - and meanwhile, they're blowing off the greatest pool of already-trained talent any recruiter could ever dream of: their own current employees.
Yes, CEOs, I'm talking to you. Especially if you're in technology, your own company is more than likely hobbling itself by ignoring its own talent within the ranks. If you don't personally, as your company's leader, do something dramatic to reward your staff for elevating those beneath them, you're limiting your firm's growth.
Companies are run by people, and we people are little more than the sum of our prejudices. One prejudice we all suffer from, to one extent or another, is to pigeonhole people. We think,
George is a chicken farmer.Susan's a waitress.Andy's a shipping clerk.Bill's a dropout.Henry's a mechanic.Phil's a production assistant.Sly's an elephant shit-shoveler at the zoo.
...All of which is true. For one period in their careers, all of the people I listed above were employed in those jobs. But they moved on:
George Boldt managed, then owned the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.**Susan Sarandon is a major Hollywood star.Andrew Carnegie was the second-richest man of his day.Bill Gates is the wealthiest man alive.Henry Ford founded a major car company.Phil Beuth was President of ABC Entertainment.Sylvester Stalone's debut movie won three Oscars, including Best Picture 1976.
I could go on with this list all week. The bottom line is, you've got talent in your firm right now that you're grossly underutilizing. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to force your best and brightest to leave because the only option within your company is the slow boat to China? Or are you going to demand that your direct reports reach down amidst the ranks and elevate some of your sharpest talent several rungs up the ladder, and then praise and reward them handsomely when they do?
The most innovative, successful businesses don't make their people stand in line for recognition. "Wait your turn" should not be part of your company's phrasebook.
If it is? Then you deserve all the struggle and lost opportunity that plagues so much of the corporate world today.
* Read this recent post for more sober-minded career advice.
** For the whole story about this remarkable customer service expert, read Five-Star Customer Service
Don't Spam Me, Bro!
To contact us Click HERE
Auto DMs = Auto Unfollow*
A number of us in the #usguys Twitter tribe were sharing how obnoxious auto-Direct Messages (DMs) are on Twitter.
To summarize our chat: auto-DMs are obnoxious.
Here's the thing. You follow someone because you like what they tweet, or maybe because they follow someone interesting, so you figure, "Hey, we have this third party in common. Maybe this is a good match for us to get to know each other, too." I've found many of my favorite people on Twitter this way, a second or third level in.
So you reach out, and what do you get in return? A spammariffic message in your email inbox saying something inane such as, "Thanks for the follow!" Um... you're welcome ...-ish. I don't need another computer-generated email, is the thing.
The Shameless Self-Promotion
Even better, though, is the auto- shameless self-promotion. "Thanks for following! Friend me on Facebook, too (with link)." Or "Visit my website to learn all about ____ (whatever it is they're selling)."
Come on, folks! You can do better than that. Would you walk up to someone at a party and say, "Follow me on Facebook!" or "Check out my website!" Isn't that how people catch social diseases?
It could just be me, of course, but I'm a little slower off the mark. How 'bout we start with some polite chit-chat. Let me learn about you before we take it to the next level, huh? Just sayin'.
My friend @LewisPoretz has even gone so far as to create a LinkedIn group whose only rule for exclusion is shameless self-promotion. He tells me he's already had to exclude 3 of his LI pals in accordance with this one simple rule.
Folks, no one's perfect - some of us far less than others. (That would be me!) We're all trying to feel our way through the exciting new world of Social together, and it's going to involve all sorts of missteps - I've made more than most as I continue to educate myself, so I'm not just saying that. The more you fail the more you learn, as the saying goes.**
But really. Show some shame - and some tact - when you self-promote.
Next Social Media Monday, we'll discuss TrueTwit. As the ironically completely un-ironic name suggests, it takes a true twit to think this imposition is acceptable.
For earlier Social Media Monday posts:You Can Run, But You Can't HideThe Three Roles of Social in the EnterpriseMy Follow-Back PolicyIntroducing Social Media Monday!
* I wish I could remember who tweeted this piece of wisdom this weekend on #usguys. (Was it @starry_girl?) If you know, I'll amend this post. Sorry!
** Maybe it's just me who says this. If so, please make it your own. It really does work.
A number of us in the #usguys Twitter tribe were sharing how obnoxious auto-Direct Messages (DMs) are on Twitter.
To summarize our chat: auto-DMs are obnoxious.
Here's the thing. You follow someone because you like what they tweet, or maybe because they follow someone interesting, so you figure, "Hey, we have this third party in common. Maybe this is a good match for us to get to know each other, too." I've found many of my favorite people on Twitter this way, a second or third level in.
So you reach out, and what do you get in return? A spammariffic message in your email inbox saying something inane such as, "Thanks for the follow!" Um... you're welcome ...-ish. I don't need another computer-generated email, is the thing.
The Shameless Self-Promotion
Even better, though, is the auto- shameless self-promotion. "Thanks for following! Friend me on Facebook, too (with link)." Or "Visit my website to learn all about ____ (whatever it is they're selling)."
Come on, folks! You can do better than that. Would you walk up to someone at a party and say, "Follow me on Facebook!" or "Check out my website!" Isn't that how people catch social diseases?
It could just be me, of course, but I'm a little slower off the mark. How 'bout we start with some polite chit-chat. Let me learn about you before we take it to the next level, huh? Just sayin'.
My friend @LewisPoretz has even gone so far as to create a LinkedIn group whose only rule for exclusion is shameless self-promotion. He tells me he's already had to exclude 3 of his LI pals in accordance with this one simple rule.
Folks, no one's perfect - some of us far less than others. (That would be me!) We're all trying to feel our way through the exciting new world of Social together, and it's going to involve all sorts of missteps - I've made more than most as I continue to educate myself, so I'm not just saying that. The more you fail the more you learn, as the saying goes.**
But really. Show some shame - and some tact - when you self-promote.
Next Social Media Monday, we'll discuss TrueTwit. As the ironically completely un-ironic name suggests, it takes a true twit to think this imposition is acceptable.
For earlier Social Media Monday posts:You Can Run, But You Can't HideThe Three Roles of Social in the EnterpriseMy Follow-Back PolicyIntroducing Social Media Monday!
* I wish I could remember who tweeted this piece of wisdom this weekend on #usguys. (Was it @starry_girl?) If you know, I'll amend this post. Sorry!
** Maybe it's just me who says this. If so, please make it your own. It really does work.
Don't be a Twit.
To contact us Click HERE
Imagine you're at the store, and a mother with two tiny kids is struggling to navigate the door with all her bags while keeping her children with her. You hold the door open, just like your mother taught you, but rather than thanking you she stops dead and holds out her iPhone. On it you read, "Bonnie uses TrueTwit validation service. To validate click here." The link takes you to a page where you have to type out two Catchpa words before she'll walk through the door you're holding for her.
Huh?!?!
This happens all the time on Twitter, and just like the mother episode above, I just don't get it!
Say you notice a person interacting with a mutual friend on Twitter. You go to their profile page to check them out. They seem pretty interesting, so you take the plunge and click "follow."
...and the first thing they do is ask you to jump through a hoop. "[Person] uses TrueTwitvalidation service. To validate click here" followed by a link that takes you to a page with two of those Catchpa security words.
How is this okay? Whose mother would say, "Oh, yeah, that's good manners right there. Good going, Sonny!"
Are you with me on this? When you follow me, you are showing me a courtesy. My only appropriate response is "thank you," although I'm sure some people prefer to say "no thank you" for whatever reason. Allowing someone to follow me - that doesn't take me any effort at all. It doesn't detract from my Twitter experience in any way. A person can have a million followers, and so what? None of those followers take anything from the person they follow.
Now, if you spam me, that's a different story. And if you're a bot, there's at least a chance I'll figure it out. If I do, I'll unfollow you and block you with extreme prejudice.
Folks, you aren't doing anyone a courtesy by "allowing" them to follow you on Twitter, any more than that mother is doing you a favor by walking through the door you've opened. Saying "thank you" - that's polite, and expected, and maybe we'll take umbrage if you don't. But let's not confuse the two.
If you use TrueTwit, please stop. It's rude. Your mother raised you better than that.
*****See you here at the start of every week for Social Media Monday! I post a bunch throughout the week, as well, so don't be a stranger. And if you like what I write: thank you for commenting, and for sharing it with your friends. Don't worry, I won't make you validate your humanity before extending those thanks. ;)
Huh?!?!
This happens all the time on Twitter, and just like the mother episode above, I just don't get it!
Say you notice a person interacting with a mutual friend on Twitter. You go to their profile page to check them out. They seem pretty interesting, so you take the plunge and click "follow."
...and the first thing they do is ask you to jump through a hoop. "[Person] uses TrueTwitvalidation service. To validate click here" followed by a link that takes you to a page with two of those Catchpa security words.
How is this okay? Whose mother would say, "Oh, yeah, that's good manners right there. Good going, Sonny!"
Are you with me on this? When you follow me, you are showing me a courtesy. My only appropriate response is "thank you," although I'm sure some people prefer to say "no thank you" for whatever reason. Allowing someone to follow me - that doesn't take me any effort at all. It doesn't detract from my Twitter experience in any way. A person can have a million followers, and so what? None of those followers take anything from the person they follow.
Now, if you spam me, that's a different story. And if you're a bot, there's at least a chance I'll figure it out. If I do, I'll unfollow you and block you with extreme prejudice.
Folks, you aren't doing anyone a courtesy by "allowing" them to follow you on Twitter, any more than that mother is doing you a favor by walking through the door you've opened. Saying "thank you" - that's polite, and expected, and maybe we'll take umbrage if you don't. But let's not confuse the two.
If you use TrueTwit, please stop. It's rude. Your mother raised you better than that.
*****See you here at the start of every week for Social Media Monday! I post a bunch throughout the week, as well, so don't be a stranger. And if you like what I write: thank you for commenting, and for sharing it with your friends. Don't worry, I won't make you validate your humanity before extending those thanks. ;)
23 Mayıs 2012 Çarşamba
You Can Run, But You Can't Hide
To contact us Click HERE
Recently, something on Twitter got my spider senses tingling.
When I "meet" someone interesting in a chat or through a friend, I like to check their bio - I'm sure you do as well. And what caught my attention was how many of these people are former employees of a certain company.
Interesting. It told me two things right off the bat. One, this company hires talented people. Two, talented people leave this company in droves.
Curious, I reached out to one of these people, a friendly acquaintance who is close Twitter friends with one of my best buds on Twitter. We had a connection through past interactions, and we had a level of trust through our mutual pal. In other words, I wasn't a complete stranger.
"I've noticed something I think you can help me with," I tweeted. "Can we take this to email so I can ask you a question?" He was happy to oblige, so via email I asked him about my observation. This is the gist of his reply:
"That company is a great place to make a name for yourself in our field. Unfortunately, they don't pay well, and management isn't the most enlightened. The nature of the work we were required to do there has changed dramatically since they hired me, too. By the time I left, we were innovating much less, instead spending most of our time on lower-skill tasks. I'm glad I've moved on, and I've never looked back. Same goes for my former colleagues." He named several I also followed, and I reached out to them as well for confirmation, which they readily gave.
I've read a lot of headlines about people losing their jobs because of boss-bashing Facebook posts or indiscreet Tweets. Less sensational, perhaps, is how potential recruits and customers use Social to check before they leap. But it happens every day all day long.
I personally don't choose a movie or buy technology without polling my network first. Of my friends and followers, I've got dozens or sometimes hundreds who will weigh in on anything I'm asking about. Often their replies include really useful links to blog posts, reviews, and articles that make my decision easy and shed new light on the object of my question. Increasingly, this is how it's done in the Twenty-First Century.
Employers, people are checking up on you. Once upon a time (you know, 5 years ago), people would ask a small circle of friends and family before trusting a recruiter and taking the career plunge. Now, that inner circle has expanded to thousands, and through connections it can quickly reach tens or even hundreds of thousands. Because of Social Media, no company can hide behind obscurity any longer.
And this is only the beginning. There are new Social applications, and new uses of existing apps, that haven't even been created yet. Two years from now ...three ...five? What I write about today will be so ubiquitous that companies will have no choice but to actually be better - or suffer the consequences.
Social Media isn't just changing the way business is done for those few of us who participate in robust online networks. It is driving a sea change in corporate transparency. Bad bosses? You can run, but you can't hide.
Join me here every Monday for a new installment of Social Media Monday.
When I "meet" someone interesting in a chat or through a friend, I like to check their bio - I'm sure you do as well. And what caught my attention was how many of these people are former employees of a certain company.
Interesting. It told me two things right off the bat. One, this company hires talented people. Two, talented people leave this company in droves.
Curious, I reached out to one of these people, a friendly acquaintance who is close Twitter friends with one of my best buds on Twitter. We had a connection through past interactions, and we had a level of trust through our mutual pal. In other words, I wasn't a complete stranger.
"I've noticed something I think you can help me with," I tweeted. "Can we take this to email so I can ask you a question?" He was happy to oblige, so via email I asked him about my observation. This is the gist of his reply:
"That company is a great place to make a name for yourself in our field. Unfortunately, they don't pay well, and management isn't the most enlightened. The nature of the work we were required to do there has changed dramatically since they hired me, too. By the time I left, we were innovating much less, instead spending most of our time on lower-skill tasks. I'm glad I've moved on, and I've never looked back. Same goes for my former colleagues." He named several I also followed, and I reached out to them as well for confirmation, which they readily gave.
I've read a lot of headlines about people losing their jobs because of boss-bashing Facebook posts or indiscreet Tweets. Less sensational, perhaps, is how potential recruits and customers use Social to check before they leap. But it happens every day all day long.
I personally don't choose a movie or buy technology without polling my network first. Of my friends and followers, I've got dozens or sometimes hundreds who will weigh in on anything I'm asking about. Often their replies include really useful links to blog posts, reviews, and articles that make my decision easy and shed new light on the object of my question. Increasingly, this is how it's done in the Twenty-First Century.
Employers, people are checking up on you. Once upon a time (you know, 5 years ago), people would ask a small circle of friends and family before trusting a recruiter and taking the career plunge. Now, that inner circle has expanded to thousands, and through connections it can quickly reach tens or even hundreds of thousands. Because of Social Media, no company can hide behind obscurity any longer.
And this is only the beginning. There are new Social applications, and new uses of existing apps, that haven't even been created yet. Two years from now ...three ...five? What I write about today will be so ubiquitous that companies will have no choice but to actually be better - or suffer the consequences.
Social Media isn't just changing the way business is done for those few of us who participate in robust online networks. It is driving a sea change in corporate transparency. Bad bosses? You can run, but you can't hide.
Join me here every Monday for a new installment of Social Media Monday.
CEOs: Don't Sideline Your Best Talent
To contact us Click HERE
Quick quiz: what was the day job of the writer and star of the Best Movie of 1976 before he made that film? (Answer below).
A few years ago, the last time the economy was booming, I read one article after another dispensing the same career advice: if you want to move up in your company, leave it. Work elsewhere at a higher position, then (if you still want to) come back - in this way, you can jump the line and gain a much higher position than if you stayed.
Kinda hard to remember a job market so abundant with opportunities that people would throw away perfectly good situations with a current employer for so calculated a move, isn't it?
Here's the thing, though: I saw it work with my own friends and acquaintances again and again and again. And I'm watching this very thing happening again now.
"Whoa!" I hear you shout at your screen. "That's just irresponsible, Ted! Stop that!!"
Okay, okay. As with all responsible career advice, this one comes loaded with caveats. I do not advise you to try this at home (or at the home office). And I certainly am not suggesting that this is a trend - yet. Most people I know are still hunkered down, holding onto their current positions in fear of disaster should they lose it. Given recent events, that's pretty smart.*
But in some sectors, especially technology, the Great Recession is already over. Some firms are once again finding it hard to fill their demand for talent. They're spending all sorts of money on recruiting efforts, and more money on new-hire training, and even more money when some of those new-hires don't fit and have to be replaced - and meanwhile, they're blowing off the greatest pool of already-trained talent any recruiter could ever dream of: their own current employees.
Yes, CEOs, I'm talking to you. Especially if you're in technology, your own company is more than likely hobbling itself by ignoring its own talent within the ranks. If you don't personally, as your company's leader, do something dramatic to reward your staff for elevating those beneath them, you're limiting your firm's growth.
Companies are run by people, and we people are little more than the sum of our prejudices. One prejudice we all suffer from, to one extent or another, is to pigeonhole people. We think,
George is a chicken farmer.Susan's a waitress.Andy's a shipping clerk.Bill's a dropout.Henry's a mechanic.Phil's a production assistant.Sly's an elephant shit-shoveler at the zoo.
...All of which is true. For one period in their careers, all of the people I listed above were employed in those jobs. But they moved on:
George Boldt managed, then owned the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.**Susan Sarandon is a major Hollywood star.Andrew Carnegie was the second-richest man of his day.Bill Gates is the wealthiest man alive.Henry Ford founded a major car company.Phil Beuth was President of ABC Entertainment.Sylvester Stalone's debut movie won three Oscars, including Best Picture 1976.
I could go on with this list all week. The bottom line is, you've got talent in your firm right now that you're grossly underutilizing. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to force your best and brightest to leave because the only option within your company is the slow boat to China? Or are you going to demand that your direct reports reach down amidst the ranks and elevate some of your sharpest talent several rungs up the ladder, and then praise and reward them handsomely when they do?
The most innovative, successful businesses don't make their people stand in line for recognition. "Wait your turn" should not be part of your company's phrasebook.
If it is? Then you deserve all the struggle and lost opportunity that plagues so much of the corporate world today.
* Read this recent post for more sober-minded career advice.
** For the whole story about this remarkable customer service expert, read Five-Star Customer Service
A few years ago, the last time the economy was booming, I read one article after another dispensing the same career advice: if you want to move up in your company, leave it. Work elsewhere at a higher position, then (if you still want to) come back - in this way, you can jump the line and gain a much higher position than if you stayed.
Kinda hard to remember a job market so abundant with opportunities that people would throw away perfectly good situations with a current employer for so calculated a move, isn't it?
Here's the thing, though: I saw it work with my own friends and acquaintances again and again and again. And I'm watching this very thing happening again now.
"Whoa!" I hear you shout at your screen. "That's just irresponsible, Ted! Stop that!!"
Okay, okay. As with all responsible career advice, this one comes loaded with caveats. I do not advise you to try this at home (or at the home office). And I certainly am not suggesting that this is a trend - yet. Most people I know are still hunkered down, holding onto their current positions in fear of disaster should they lose it. Given recent events, that's pretty smart.*
But in some sectors, especially technology, the Great Recession is already over. Some firms are once again finding it hard to fill their demand for talent. They're spending all sorts of money on recruiting efforts, and more money on new-hire training, and even more money when some of those new-hires don't fit and have to be replaced - and meanwhile, they're blowing off the greatest pool of already-trained talent any recruiter could ever dream of: their own current employees.
Yes, CEOs, I'm talking to you. Especially if you're in technology, your own company is more than likely hobbling itself by ignoring its own talent within the ranks. If you don't personally, as your company's leader, do something dramatic to reward your staff for elevating those beneath them, you're limiting your firm's growth.
Companies are run by people, and we people are little more than the sum of our prejudices. One prejudice we all suffer from, to one extent or another, is to pigeonhole people. We think,
George is a chicken farmer.Susan's a waitress.Andy's a shipping clerk.Bill's a dropout.Henry's a mechanic.Phil's a production assistant.Sly's an elephant shit-shoveler at the zoo.
...All of which is true. For one period in their careers, all of the people I listed above were employed in those jobs. But they moved on:
George Boldt managed, then owned the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.**Susan Sarandon is a major Hollywood star.Andrew Carnegie was the second-richest man of his day.Bill Gates is the wealthiest man alive.Henry Ford founded a major car company.Phil Beuth was President of ABC Entertainment.Sylvester Stalone's debut movie won three Oscars, including Best Picture 1976.
I could go on with this list all week. The bottom line is, you've got talent in your firm right now that you're grossly underutilizing. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to force your best and brightest to leave because the only option within your company is the slow boat to China? Or are you going to demand that your direct reports reach down amidst the ranks and elevate some of your sharpest talent several rungs up the ladder, and then praise and reward them handsomely when they do?
The most innovative, successful businesses don't make their people stand in line for recognition. "Wait your turn" should not be part of your company's phrasebook.
If it is? Then you deserve all the struggle and lost opportunity that plagues so much of the corporate world today.
* Read this recent post for more sober-minded career advice.
** For the whole story about this remarkable customer service expert, read Five-Star Customer Service
Don't Spam Me, Bro!
To contact us Click HERE
Auto DMs = Auto Unfollow*
A number of us in the #usguys Twitter tribe were sharing how obnoxious auto-Direct Messages (DMs) are on Twitter.
To summarize our chat: auto-DMs are obnoxious.
Here's the thing. You follow someone because you like what they tweet, or maybe because they follow someone interesting, so you figure, "Hey, we have this third party in common. Maybe this is a good match for us to get to know each other, too." I've found many of my favorite people on Twitter this way, a second or third level in.
So you reach out, and what do you get in return? A spammariffic message in your email inbox saying something inane such as, "Thanks for the follow!" Um... you're welcome ...-ish. I don't need another computer-generated email, is the thing.
The Shameless Self-Promotion
Even better, though, is the auto- shameless self-promotion. "Thanks for following! Friend me on Facebook, too (with link)." Or "Visit my website to learn all about ____ (whatever it is they're selling)."
Come on, folks! You can do better than that. Would you walk up to someone at a party and say, "Follow me on Facebook!" or "Check out my website!" Isn't that how people catch social diseases?
It could just be me, of course, but I'm a little slower off the mark. How 'bout we start with some polite chit-chat. Let me learn about you before we take it to the next level, huh? Just sayin'.
My friend @LewisPoretz has even gone so far as to create a LinkedIn group whose only rule for exclusion is shameless self-promotion. He tells me he's already had to exclude 3 of his LI pals in accordance with this one simple rule.
Folks, no one's perfect - some of us far less than others. (That would be me!) We're all trying to feel our way through the exciting new world of Social together, and it's going to involve all sorts of missteps - I've made more than most as I continue to educate myself, so I'm not just saying that. The more you fail the more you learn, as the saying goes.**
But really. Show some shame - and some tact - when you self-promote.
Next Social Media Monday, we'll discuss TrueTwit. As the ironically completely un-ironic name suggests, it takes a true twit to think this imposition is acceptable.
For earlier Social Media Monday posts:You Can Run, But You Can't HideThe Three Roles of Social in the EnterpriseMy Follow-Back PolicyIntroducing Social Media Monday!
* I wish I could remember who tweeted this piece of wisdom this weekend on #usguys. (Was it @starry_girl?) If you know, I'll amend this post. Sorry!
** Maybe it's just me who says this. If so, please make it your own. It really does work.
A number of us in the #usguys Twitter tribe were sharing how obnoxious auto-Direct Messages (DMs) are on Twitter.
To summarize our chat: auto-DMs are obnoxious.
Here's the thing. You follow someone because you like what they tweet, or maybe because they follow someone interesting, so you figure, "Hey, we have this third party in common. Maybe this is a good match for us to get to know each other, too." I've found many of my favorite people on Twitter this way, a second or third level in.
So you reach out, and what do you get in return? A spammariffic message in your email inbox saying something inane such as, "Thanks for the follow!" Um... you're welcome ...-ish. I don't need another computer-generated email, is the thing.
The Shameless Self-Promotion
Even better, though, is the auto- shameless self-promotion. "Thanks for following! Friend me on Facebook, too (with link)." Or "Visit my website to learn all about ____ (whatever it is they're selling)."
Come on, folks! You can do better than that. Would you walk up to someone at a party and say, "Follow me on Facebook!" or "Check out my website!" Isn't that how people catch social diseases?
It could just be me, of course, but I'm a little slower off the mark. How 'bout we start with some polite chit-chat. Let me learn about you before we take it to the next level, huh? Just sayin'.
My friend @LewisPoretz has even gone so far as to create a LinkedIn group whose only rule for exclusion is shameless self-promotion. He tells me he's already had to exclude 3 of his LI pals in accordance with this one simple rule.
Folks, no one's perfect - some of us far less than others. (That would be me!) We're all trying to feel our way through the exciting new world of Social together, and it's going to involve all sorts of missteps - I've made more than most as I continue to educate myself, so I'm not just saying that. The more you fail the more you learn, as the saying goes.**
But really. Show some shame - and some tact - when you self-promote.
Next Social Media Monday, we'll discuss TrueTwit. As the ironically completely un-ironic name suggests, it takes a true twit to think this imposition is acceptable.
For earlier Social Media Monday posts:You Can Run, But You Can't HideThe Three Roles of Social in the EnterpriseMy Follow-Back PolicyIntroducing Social Media Monday!
* I wish I could remember who tweeted this piece of wisdom this weekend on #usguys. (Was it @starry_girl?) If you know, I'll amend this post. Sorry!
** Maybe it's just me who says this. If so, please make it your own. It really does work.
Don't be a Twit.
To contact us Click HERE
Imagine you're at the store, and a mother with two tiny kids is struggling to navigate the door with all her bags while keeping her children with her. You hold the door open, just like your mother taught you, but rather than thanking you she stops dead and holds out her iPhone. On it you read, "Bonnie uses TrueTwit validation service. To validate click here." The link takes you to a page where you have to type out two Catchpa words before she'll walk through the door you're holding for her.
Huh?!?!
This happens all the time on Twitter, and just like the mother episode above, I just don't get it!
Say you notice a person interacting with a mutual friend on Twitter. You go to their profile page to check them out. They seem pretty interesting, so you take the plunge and click "follow."
...and the first thing they do is ask you to jump through a hoop. "[Person] uses TrueTwitvalidation service. To validate click here" followed by a link that takes you to a page with two of those Catchpa security words.
How is this okay? Whose mother would say, "Oh, yeah, that's good manners right there. Good going, Sonny!"
Are you with me on this? When you follow me, you are showing me a courtesy. My only appropriate response is "thank you," although I'm sure some people prefer to say "no thank you" for whatever reason. Allowing someone to follow me - that doesn't take me any effort at all. It doesn't detract from my Twitter experience in any way. A person can have a million followers, and so what? None of those followers take anything from the person they follow.
Now, if you spam me, that's a different story. And if you're a bot, there's at least a chance I'll figure it out. If I do, I'll unfollow you and block you with extreme prejudice.
Folks, you aren't doing anyone a courtesy by "allowing" them to follow you on Twitter, any more than that mother is doing you a favor by walking through the door you've opened. Saying "thank you" - that's polite, and expected, and maybe we'll take umbrage if you don't. But let's not confuse the two.
If you use TrueTwit, please stop. It's rude. Your mother raised you better than that.
*****See you here at the start of every week for Social Media Monday! I post a bunch throughout the week, as well, so don't be a stranger. And if you like what I write: thank you for commenting, and for sharing it with your friends. Don't worry, I won't make you validate your humanity before extending those thanks. ;)
Huh?!?!
This happens all the time on Twitter, and just like the mother episode above, I just don't get it!
Say you notice a person interacting with a mutual friend on Twitter. You go to their profile page to check them out. They seem pretty interesting, so you take the plunge and click "follow."
...and the first thing they do is ask you to jump through a hoop. "[Person] uses TrueTwitvalidation service. To validate click here" followed by a link that takes you to a page with two of those Catchpa security words.
How is this okay? Whose mother would say, "Oh, yeah, that's good manners right there. Good going, Sonny!"
Are you with me on this? When you follow me, you are showing me a courtesy. My only appropriate response is "thank you," although I'm sure some people prefer to say "no thank you" for whatever reason. Allowing someone to follow me - that doesn't take me any effort at all. It doesn't detract from my Twitter experience in any way. A person can have a million followers, and so what? None of those followers take anything from the person they follow.
Now, if you spam me, that's a different story. And if you're a bot, there's at least a chance I'll figure it out. If I do, I'll unfollow you and block you with extreme prejudice.
Folks, you aren't doing anyone a courtesy by "allowing" them to follow you on Twitter, any more than that mother is doing you a favor by walking through the door you've opened. Saying "thank you" - that's polite, and expected, and maybe we'll take umbrage if you don't. But let's not confuse the two.
If you use TrueTwit, please stop. It's rude. Your mother raised you better than that.
*****See you here at the start of every week for Social Media Monday! I post a bunch throughout the week, as well, so don't be a stranger. And if you like what I write: thank you for commenting, and for sharing it with your friends. Don't worry, I won't make you validate your humanity before extending those thanks. ;)
John Everett & Sons Funeral Home
To contact us Click HERE
John Everett & Sons Funeral Home
For four generations, Everett services have been characterized by sympathetic understanding and complete attention to detail, which was realized and perfected by more than a century of experience. We appreciate the attention to detail that the Friends of the 4th Committee uses as they plan and execute Natick's July 4th Celebrations.
http://www.everettfuneral.com/
For four generations, Everett services have been characterized by sympathetic understanding and complete attention to detail, which was realized and perfected by more than a century of experience. We appreciate the attention to detail that the Friends of the 4th Committee uses as they plan and execute Natick's July 4th Celebrations.
http://www.everettfuneral.com/
17 Mayıs 2012 Perşembe
Cognex Corporation
To contact us Click HERE
Cognex Corporation is the world’s leading provider of vision systems, vision software, vision sensors and surface inspection systems used in manufacturing automation. Cognex is also a leader in industrial ID readers.
Cognex vision helps companies improve product quality, eliminate production errors, lower manufacturing costs, and exceed consumer expectations for high quality products at an affordable price.
Typical applications for machine vision include detecting defects, monitoring production lines, guiding assembly robots, and tracking, sorting and identifying parts.
As the leader in the machine vision industry, we believe in sharing our success, so that others can become successful as well. In fact, Sharing is one of the 10 corporate values upon which Cognex was founded. We are pleased to contribute to Natick's Fourth of July Celebration and share in the community spirit.
http://www.cognex.com
Cognex vision helps companies improve product quality, eliminate production errors, lower manufacturing costs, and exceed consumer expectations for high quality products at an affordable price.
Typical applications for machine vision include detecting defects, monitoring production lines, guiding assembly robots, and tracking, sorting and identifying parts.
As the leader in the machine vision industry, we believe in sharing our success, so that others can become successful as well. In fact, Sharing is one of the 10 corporate values upon which Cognex was founded. We are pleased to contribute to Natick's Fourth of July Celebration and share in the community spirit.
http://www.cognex.com
Lexus of Northborough
To contact us Click HERE
Lexus of Northborough operates with one goal in mind: 100% customer satisfaction. We sell and service exceptional vehicles and believe our customers deserve a dealership experience to match, from courteous, no-pressure sales to efficient, state-of-the-art service. Our goal is to be our customers' dealer for life — we're proud of the number who come back to us again and again, and recommend us to their friends and family.
We are pleased to sponsor Natick's Friends of the Fourth, one of the best organizations in the Metrowest area, and their wonderful activities to celebrate July 4th.
Lexus of Northborough
Route 9 14 Belmont St
Northborough, MA 01532
http://www.lexusofnorthborough.com/
We are pleased to sponsor Natick's Friends of the Fourth, one of the best organizations in the Metrowest area, and their wonderful activities to celebrate July 4th.
Lexus of Northborough
Route 9 14 Belmont St
Northborough, MA 01532
http://www.lexusofnorthborough.com/
Roche Bros.
To contact us Click HERE
Roche Bros. has grown and become one of the most innovative, distinguished and exciting supermarkets in our industry. We will continue to grow and change with the times, but never at the expense of service and quality. Our customers expect the highest quality products along with outstanding customer service. We rely on the efforts of each of our associates to help meet our customers’ expectations. We offer online shopping as well.
We are delighted to sponsor the Friends of the Fourth activities.
http://www.rochebros.com/
We are delighted to sponsor the Friends of the Fourth activities.
http://www.rochebros.com/
MathWorks
To contact us Click HERE
MathWorks is the leading developer and supplier of software for technical computing and Model-Based Design. Employing more than 1,400 people, The MathWorks was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, with offices and representatives throughout the world. The company has been profitable every year since its inception and is privately held.
Our guiding principle is "Do the Right Thing." This means doing what is best for our staff members, customers, business partners, and communities for the long term, and believing that "right" answers exist. It also means measuring our success, not merely in financial terms, but by how consistently we act according to this principle. Our mission and core values express what "doing the right thing" means in our day-to-day work. We are proud to contribute to the Natick community.
Our customers are technical people who work at the world's most innovative technology companies, government research labs, financial institutions, and at more than 3,500 universities. They rely on us because MATLAB and Simulink (software programs) have become the fundamental tools for their engineering and scientific work.
MATLAB users are making better and faster progress in vital areas; they are advancing our knowledge of the earth, the environment, and the universe; they are making our cars safer and more fuel efficient, and improving air travel safety; they are making our phone calls clearer and measurement devices more accurate; they are making advances in medical research and diagnostic techniques; they are searching for new sources of energy; and they are educating the next generation of scientists.
http://www.mathworks.com/
Our guiding principle is "Do the Right Thing." This means doing what is best for our staff members, customers, business partners, and communities for the long term, and believing that "right" answers exist. It also means measuring our success, not merely in financial terms, but by how consistently we act according to this principle. Our mission and core values express what "doing the right thing" means in our day-to-day work. We are proud to contribute to the Natick community.
Our customers are technical people who work at the world's most innovative technology companies, government research labs, financial institutions, and at more than 3,500 universities. They rely on us because MATLAB and Simulink (software programs) have become the fundamental tools for their engineering and scientific work.
MATLAB users are making better and faster progress in vital areas; they are advancing our knowledge of the earth, the environment, and the universe; they are making our cars safer and more fuel efficient, and improving air travel safety; they are making our phone calls clearer and measurement devices more accurate; they are making advances in medical research and diagnostic techniques; they are searching for new sources of energy; and they are educating the next generation of scientists.
http://www.mathworks.com/
Fair & Yeager Insurance
To contact us Click HERE
Established in 1898, Fair & Yeager Insurance has grown and expanded in downtown Natick. Three generations later we continue to service our customer's needs in Property & Casualty Insurance and Life & Financial Services.
Appreciation and quality service are not just words at Fair & Yeager Insurance, but are commitments we make to you!! Our mission is superior personalized service. Our goal is a totally satisfied customer. A tradition of integrity and caring for our customers...A tradition we work hard to maintain.
Fair & Yeager Insurance Agency continues its support of the Natick and Metrowest Community with its support of the Natick 4th of July activities.
http://www.fyins.com/
Appreciation and quality service are not just words at Fair & Yeager Insurance, but are commitments we make to you!! Our mission is superior personalized service. Our goal is a totally satisfied customer. A tradition of integrity and caring for our customers...A tradition we work hard to maintain.
Fair & Yeager Insurance Agency continues its support of the Natick and Metrowest Community with its support of the Natick 4th of July activities.
http://www.fyins.com/
13 Mayıs 2012 Pazar
Natick Federal Savings Bank
To contact us Click HERE
Natick Federal Savings Bank specializes in meeting the emerging needs of its customers and community by providing a safe place to deposit savings dollars, and being a source for economical home financing. Our mission is to provide outstanding customer service and deliver quality-banking products at exceptional values in an efficient and friendly atmosphere.
Natick Federal continues its commitment to progress and keeping us connected with our valued customers and the communities we serve. We are glad to invest in Natick and the July 4th Celebration.
http://www.natickfederal.com/
Natick Federal continues its commitment to progress and keeping us connected with our valued customers and the communities we serve. We are glad to invest in Natick and the July 4th Celebration.
http://www.natickfederal.com/
Middlesex Savings Bank
To contact us Click HERE
Middlesex Savings Bank is the 2nd largest bank in Massachusetts with assets exceeding $4 billion and 30 branches serving 24 area communities. As a mutual savings bank we don’t have shareholders. That means we can focus on the long run well-being of business and consumer customers in our towns. We have been an independent community bank for over 175 years and cannot be sold. That independence helps us fulfill our community mission. We strive to provide outstanding value to customers by maintaining fee levels that are typically lower than large banking institutions. What’s more, we are committed to advancing the work of the many community organizations and non-profits that make our towns outstanding places to live. At Middlesex we believe that when community institutions are strong, the community prospers and we succeed as a community bank. We are pleased to once again support the efforts of the Friends of the 4th of July, Inc.
http://www.middlesexbank.com/
http://www.middlesexbank.com/
BLUE Sponsors (up to $499)
To contact us Click HERE
Thank you to the 2012 BLUE Sponsors for their generosity! BLUE sponsors are those who have contributed up to $499, discounting goods or services, donating materials or services, donating gift certificates or tickets, providing a contribution, or hosting a donation jug.
Please visit them and thank them for their support of Natick's 4th of July Activities.
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order:
B & L Land Corp. 508-655-7520
Brigham-Gill Motorcars http://www.brighamgillmotorcars.com/index.htm
The Kiwanis Club of Natick-Metrowest
Please visit them and thank them for their support of Natick's 4th of July Activities.
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order:
B & L Land Corp. 508-655-7520
Brigham-Gill Motorcars http://www.brighamgillmotorcars.com/index.htm
The Kiwanis Club of Natick-Metrowest
WHITE Sponsors ($500 up to $999)
To contact us Click HERE
A big thank you to the White Sponsors for their generosity! WHITE sponsors are those who have contributed $500 up to $999. Please visit them and thank them for their support of Natick's 4th of July Activities.
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order:
Fair & Yeager Insurance Agency http://www.fyins.com/
John Everett & Sons http://www.everettfuneral.com/
Natick Federal Savings Bank http://www.natickfederal.com/
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order:
Fair & Yeager Insurance Agency http://www.fyins.com/
John Everett & Sons http://www.everettfuneral.com/
Natick Federal Savings Bank http://www.natickfederal.com/
PRESENTING Sponsors ($1500 or more)
To contact us Click HERE
A huge thank you to the PRESENTING Sponsors for their generosity! PRESENTING sponsors are those who have contributed $1500 or more. Please visit them and thank them for their support of Natick's 4th of July Activities.
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order:
Cognex http://www.cognex.com
Lexus of Northborough http://www.lexusofnorthborough.com/
MathWorks http://www.mathworks.com/http://www.mathworks.com/
Middlesex Savings Bank http://www.middlesexbank.com/
Roche Bros http://www.rochebros.com/
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order:
Cognex http://www.cognex.com
Lexus of Northborough http://www.lexusofnorthborough.com/
MathWorks http://www.mathworks.com/http://www.mathworks.com/
Middlesex Savings Bank http://www.middlesexbank.com/
Roche Bros http://www.rochebros.com/
2012 Sponsor Letter
To contact us Click HERE
February 2012
Dear Friend of the 4th,
This year marks the 57th annual July 4th Celebration in Natick. This year's celebration will honor our former Chairman, Bruce Weisberg, who had led the 4th of July Committee for the past 10 years. It is our intent once again to showcase the many organizations around town that have been doing their part as this year’s theme is: Discover Natick-Something for Everyone! A sampling of this year’s events include: Mini Triathlon on Sunday, June 24th, Concert on the Natick Common on Monday, June 25th; Family Night on the Natick Common on Wednesday, June 27th and of course the 57th annual Parade on Wednesday, July 4th. Each event will include entertainment, food and fun for all ages.
The Friends of the Fourth is an all-volunteer organization; it does not receive any funding from the town of Natick. We need to rely on private/corporate sponsors like you to raise the approximately $35,000 plus that is required in order to put on this year’s celebration. There are many ways for you to help us meet our goals, including financial contributions, goods and services for the events; PRESENTING sponsors, those contributing $1,500 or more will be recognized by having their banner displayed at all events, in any promotional advertising and on our blog on our website; RED sponsors, those contributing $1,000 -$1,499 will be recognized by having their banner displayed in the Parade, in any promotional advertising and on our blog on our website; and WHITE sponsors, those contributing $500-$999 will be recognized and in any promotional advertising as well as on our blog on our website. If you cannot support us at any of these levels but would like to participate please let us know and we will work with you personally to find a comfortable level and you will be listed as a BLUE sponsor.
The Natick 4th of July celebration is a special tradition in the greater MetroWest area. With your support we will be able to continue the tradition that started in the 1955.
Should you have any questions regarding how you can be supportive of our efforts please feel free to give Bruce Weisberg, our Treasurer, a call at (508) 599-5565.
We realize that we are still in uncertain economic times and we thank you for your past support with hope that we can once again count on you this year.
Sincerely,
Rob Diozzi
Chairman, Friends of the Fourth
FID#: 04-3136249
www.natick4th.org
Dear Friend of the 4th,
This year marks the 57th annual July 4th Celebration in Natick. This year's celebration will honor our former Chairman, Bruce Weisberg, who had led the 4th of July Committee for the past 10 years. It is our intent once again to showcase the many organizations around town that have been doing their part as this year’s theme is: Discover Natick-Something for Everyone! A sampling of this year’s events include: Mini Triathlon on Sunday, June 24th, Concert on the Natick Common on Monday, June 25th; Family Night on the Natick Common on Wednesday, June 27th and of course the 57th annual Parade on Wednesday, July 4th. Each event will include entertainment, food and fun for all ages.
The Friends of the Fourth is an all-volunteer organization; it does not receive any funding from the town of Natick. We need to rely on private/corporate sponsors like you to raise the approximately $35,000 plus that is required in order to put on this year’s celebration. There are many ways for you to help us meet our goals, including financial contributions, goods and services for the events; PRESENTING sponsors, those contributing $1,500 or more will be recognized by having their banner displayed at all events, in any promotional advertising and on our blog on our website; RED sponsors, those contributing $1,000 -$1,499 will be recognized by having their banner displayed in the Parade, in any promotional advertising and on our blog on our website; and WHITE sponsors, those contributing $500-$999 will be recognized and in any promotional advertising as well as on our blog on our website. If you cannot support us at any of these levels but would like to participate please let us know and we will work with you personally to find a comfortable level and you will be listed as a BLUE sponsor.
The Natick 4th of July celebration is a special tradition in the greater MetroWest area. With your support we will be able to continue the tradition that started in the 1955.
Should you have any questions regarding how you can be supportive of our efforts please feel free to give Bruce Weisberg, our Treasurer, a call at (508) 599-5565.
We realize that we are still in uncertain economic times and we thank you for your past support with hope that we can once again count on you this year.
Sincerely,
Rob Diozzi
Chairman, Friends of the Fourth
FID#: 04-3136249
www.natick4th.org
Career Advice part 1: Risk
To contact us Click HERE
I'm often asked for career advice. I take this very seriously, because each time, this is someone's life we're talking about. Giving the wrong advice could mess someone up for years.
So, before we even get into it, let me share this disclaimer:
***Do what I say, not what I've done (or continue to do).***
Sounds a bit backwards, huh? Sure. But let me explain: I have taken more career missteps since college than most ten people will ever take. Oops! I'm like a career crash test dummy. Learn from my mistakes, please!
All right. With my disclaimer clearly in your head as you continue, here goes nothin':
1. Weigh your tolerance for risk.
I put this first on purpose, because everything else you do hinges on this one issue, and no one knows the answer but you. How much economic uncertainty can you stomach? Personally, I hate being broke. Hate it. But quite a few times I've literally been without money to pay the electric bill or even to gas up the car because I have this penchant for taking the main chance, for betting it all on one more roll of the dice.
To me, the risk of being financially middle class for life is much more distasteful than the risk of being dirt poor for a short time before I build a fortune. Key words: To me. This is one aspect of my personality that leads me toward entrepreneurialism. By far, most people are not cut out to run their own companies, and this is one big reason why.
Can you stomach losing it all? Only you can answer that one.
2. Weigh your situation's tolerance for risk.
Are you a kid just out of college, who can move back in with Mom and Dad for a while if things don't work out? If so, you can probably afford to make some mistakes and gamble on your future a bit. Are you a bread-winner with kids to care for, a mortgage, car payments, and all that other good stuff? Do you have employees to look out for, too? Only you can decide what's best for you and yours, but I urge you to think twice before betting the farm.
I'm a Dad now, and the sole breadwinner in our family. My situation is not the same as it was ten years ago. I'm in a different place in my life. How about you?
3. Weigh your spouse's tolerance for risk.
Two things lead to more divorce than anything else: (a) one or both people are selfish jerks, and the couple shouldn't be together anyway, or (b) financial stress. Never mind (a), but (b) is something you have to take sober-minded stock in before you proceed. In all seriousness, you may have to decide between your spouse and a risky career move. Don't kid yourself on this. I don't know which is more important for you. Only you know that.
Taking me as an example again, I decided one hell of a long time ago that Jane is more important to me than anything else in this world. The thing is, she is one of the most risk-averse people I've ever met. If we weren't so in love, we wouldn't be together still - I took risks with our business and my career than she just didn't deserve. So eventually we had it out, and I'm more careful now. No more betting the entire farm.
...Which doesn't mean no more adventure for me - far from it! I just have to be careful that we have a safety net. I'm more of a grown-up now, and it's a good thing. Jane isn't slowing me down at all, she's just inspired me to direct my energies differently than ten years ago, when we both worked and had no kids and lower bills.
These three considerations, all centered around risk (and of course opportunity), are not the full story, but I don't want to overwhelm you right now. In a future post we'll talk about career moves, including what you should do when you're hot to trot in a company that's not.
Tell me what you think so far? After all, this is just one man's advice.
So, before we even get into it, let me share this disclaimer:
***Do what I say, not what I've done (or continue to do).***
Sounds a bit backwards, huh? Sure. But let me explain: I have taken more career missteps since college than most ten people will ever take. Oops! I'm like a career crash test dummy. Learn from my mistakes, please!
All right. With my disclaimer clearly in your head as you continue, here goes nothin':
1. Weigh your tolerance for risk.
I put this first on purpose, because everything else you do hinges on this one issue, and no one knows the answer but you. How much economic uncertainty can you stomach? Personally, I hate being broke. Hate it. But quite a few times I've literally been without money to pay the electric bill or even to gas up the car because I have this penchant for taking the main chance, for betting it all on one more roll of the dice.
To me, the risk of being financially middle class for life is much more distasteful than the risk of being dirt poor for a short time before I build a fortune. Key words: To me. This is one aspect of my personality that leads me toward entrepreneurialism. By far, most people are not cut out to run their own companies, and this is one big reason why.
Can you stomach losing it all? Only you can answer that one.
2. Weigh your situation's tolerance for risk.
Are you a kid just out of college, who can move back in with Mom and Dad for a while if things don't work out? If so, you can probably afford to make some mistakes and gamble on your future a bit. Are you a bread-winner with kids to care for, a mortgage, car payments, and all that other good stuff? Do you have employees to look out for, too? Only you can decide what's best for you and yours, but I urge you to think twice before betting the farm.
I'm a Dad now, and the sole breadwinner in our family. My situation is not the same as it was ten years ago. I'm in a different place in my life. How about you?
3. Weigh your spouse's tolerance for risk.
Two things lead to more divorce than anything else: (a) one or both people are selfish jerks, and the couple shouldn't be together anyway, or (b) financial stress. Never mind (a), but (b) is something you have to take sober-minded stock in before you proceed. In all seriousness, you may have to decide between your spouse and a risky career move. Don't kid yourself on this. I don't know which is more important for you. Only you know that.
Taking me as an example again, I decided one hell of a long time ago that Jane is more important to me than anything else in this world. The thing is, she is one of the most risk-averse people I've ever met. If we weren't so in love, we wouldn't be together still - I took risks with our business and my career than she just didn't deserve. So eventually we had it out, and I'm more careful now. No more betting the entire farm.
...Which doesn't mean no more adventure for me - far from it! I just have to be careful that we have a safety net. I'm more of a grown-up now, and it's a good thing. Jane isn't slowing me down at all, she's just inspired me to direct my energies differently than ten years ago, when we both worked and had no kids and lower bills.
These three considerations, all centered around risk (and of course opportunity), are not the full story, but I don't want to overwhelm you right now. In a future post we'll talk about career moves, including what you should do when you're hot to trot in a company that's not.
Tell me what you think so far? After all, this is just one man's advice.
My Follow-Back Policy
To contact us Click HERE
It's Social Media Monday again, and that means it's time for another short post on one aspect of - you guessed it! - Social Media.
This week I'm going to share the policy I've been following since my first Tweet in April 2009. It works well for me. You can adopt this policy for yourself or not, as you wish.
Ready? It's really straightforward.
I follow everyone back on Twitter. (Just about).
There, that's my policy. Here's why:
1. For whatever odd reason, Twitter limits how many people a person follows. If you follow a bunch of "celebrities" and news outlets that don't follow you back, you'll hit a wall at 2,000 where you find you can't follow anyone else. And even if your follow-followee ratio is close enough that Twitter lets you slip past this stupid, arbitrary wall of 2,000, you still have to stay within a close ratio to continue following more people. So any time you don't follow someone back, you're limiting who else they can follow. That's not nice. Be nice.
2. The friend who introduced me to Twitter explained that automatically following back is the ethic of the medium. It's what you do, he said. A lot of us still act that way, and so this rule has served me well in making some really cool friends and acquaintances along the way.
3. In this way, Twitter is pretty much the opposite of Facebook and LinkedIn, where everyone's always asking, "Do I know you?" This open, "We're all friends here" culture really works for me. I'm friendly in real life - I'm like a Labrador Retriever - and Twitter lets me be friendly online as well.
4. Much more importantly (to me), here's why I follow everyone back: I'm not more important than my followers. Indeed, I'm grateful every single time a person complements me by following me. It's their way of saying, "Hi Ted! I want to get to know you better." For me to snub their kindness would be ungracious - and if I were ungracious, I couldn't look my Mother in the eye. [I'm on a lifelong crusade against arrogance. We'll leave it at that.]
5. On that last point, following back is consistent with my status as a customer service author and leader. How on earth can I tell people to provide Five-Star Customer Service, which is based entirely on manners, when I am impolite myself? So for me, it's an easy decision.
I know some of you will find these to be strong words, especially that last part. Let me repeat: this is MY follow-back policy. These are my reasons. You may have perfectly legitimate reasons for not observing my practices, and I'm sure they work for you.
Now, it's time for the caveats:
6. When I follow a new person, I typically give them a week, maybe two, to follow me back. If they don't choose to, that perfectly fine. But at that point I unfollow them. I literally do not follow a single human who does not follow me as well - at least not for more than a week. No one is that important to me.
7. I use a client (Tweetdeck) to manage my Twitter stream. I basically ignore my "All Friends" feed. Instead I set up columns on Tweetdeck that search for key words, hashtags I enjoy, or for lists of special people - my core friends. I recommend you try something similar.
8. I regularly check in with Tweepi to manage my list, and to find new people to follow who share my interests, which are mostly business, leadership, social media, and customer service.
9. Tweepi is great. It lets me find and follow people with similar interests. You can see when they last tweeted, so you can only follow active Tweeters. You can unfollow accounts that are clearly spambots or that have become inactive. Poke around the site. There's a lot to learn.
10. One last thing: do I follow wack-jobs, which to me includes some members of fringe political and/or religious groups that offend me? Hmn. I'm always wrestling with this, but typically yes. I figure engagement is a great way to find common ground with those whose views are different from mine. Often, even if their beliefs in one area make me squirm, in many other respects we find all sorts of common ground. If they really, truly alienate me with their tweets, then yes, they're out. That's pretty rare, though.
Okay, that's this week's short (*ehem*) write-up of my follow-back policy for Twitter. I'm really interested in your comments. I know this one in particular is not universally agreed upon. Let me have it, if you feel so inclined. My favorite thing about Social Media in general is that I'm always learning.
This week I'm going to share the policy I've been following since my first Tweet in April 2009. It works well for me. You can adopt this policy for yourself or not, as you wish.
Ready? It's really straightforward.
I follow everyone back on Twitter. (Just about).
There, that's my policy. Here's why:
1. For whatever odd reason, Twitter limits how many people a person follows. If you follow a bunch of "celebrities" and news outlets that don't follow you back, you'll hit a wall at 2,000 where you find you can't follow anyone else. And even if your follow-followee ratio is close enough that Twitter lets you slip past this stupid, arbitrary wall of 2,000, you still have to stay within a close ratio to continue following more people. So any time you don't follow someone back, you're limiting who else they can follow. That's not nice. Be nice.
2. The friend who introduced me to Twitter explained that automatically following back is the ethic of the medium. It's what you do, he said. A lot of us still act that way, and so this rule has served me well in making some really cool friends and acquaintances along the way.
3. In this way, Twitter is pretty much the opposite of Facebook and LinkedIn, where everyone's always asking, "Do I know you?" This open, "We're all friends here" culture really works for me. I'm friendly in real life - I'm like a Labrador Retriever - and Twitter lets me be friendly online as well.
4. Much more importantly (to me), here's why I follow everyone back: I'm not more important than my followers. Indeed, I'm grateful every single time a person complements me by following me. It's their way of saying, "Hi Ted! I want to get to know you better." For me to snub their kindness would be ungracious - and if I were ungracious, I couldn't look my Mother in the eye. [I'm on a lifelong crusade against arrogance. We'll leave it at that.]
5. On that last point, following back is consistent with my status as a customer service author and leader. How on earth can I tell people to provide Five-Star Customer Service, which is based entirely on manners, when I am impolite myself? So for me, it's an easy decision.
I know some of you will find these to be strong words, especially that last part. Let me repeat: this is MY follow-back policy. These are my reasons. You may have perfectly legitimate reasons for not observing my practices, and I'm sure they work for you.
Now, it's time for the caveats:
6. When I follow a new person, I typically give them a week, maybe two, to follow me back. If they don't choose to, that perfectly fine. But at that point I unfollow them. I literally do not follow a single human who does not follow me as well - at least not for more than a week. No one is that important to me.
7. I use a client (Tweetdeck) to manage my Twitter stream. I basically ignore my "All Friends" feed. Instead I set up columns on Tweetdeck that search for key words, hashtags I enjoy, or for lists of special people - my core friends. I recommend you try something similar.
8. I regularly check in with Tweepi to manage my list, and to find new people to follow who share my interests, which are mostly business, leadership, social media, and customer service.
9. Tweepi is great. It lets me find and follow people with similar interests. You can see when they last tweeted, so you can only follow active Tweeters. You can unfollow accounts that are clearly spambots or that have become inactive. Poke around the site. There's a lot to learn.
10. One last thing: do I follow wack-jobs, which to me includes some members of fringe political and/or religious groups that offend me? Hmn. I'm always wrestling with this, but typically yes. I figure engagement is a great way to find common ground with those whose views are different from mine. Often, even if their beliefs in one area make me squirm, in many other respects we find all sorts of common ground. If they really, truly alienate me with their tweets, then yes, they're out. That's pretty rare, though.
Okay, that's this week's short (*ehem*) write-up of my follow-back policy for Twitter. I'm really interested in your comments. I know this one in particular is not universally agreed upon. Let me have it, if you feel so inclined. My favorite thing about Social Media in general is that I'm always learning.
Metrics That Matter
To contact us Click HERE
Kicking off Guest-Post Tuesday is Tristan Bishop (@KnowledgeBishop), one of my favorite experts in the fields of leadership, corporate culture, and customer service. He is a true 21st-Century Business leader!
Tristan drives teams toward efficient delivery of effective content. From early days defining the Knowledge Management vision for the first online bank (Wells Fargo) to his current digital strategy role at the world's leading security company (Symantec), Tristan has consistently increased customer access to key content. By integrating technical publishing best practices with web delivery innovation, Tristan forges solutions that optimize customer experience, improving the corporate/customer relationship.
The paramedics burst through the ER door, wheeling a man on a collapsible gurney. The triage nurse quickly moved in front of them and asked, "How long are his fingernails?" "His FINGERNAILS?" gasped the medic, "We got his temperature, pulse, blood pressure and heart rate?" The triage worker shook his head, "We've GOT to measure the fingernails! Just LOOK at these babies: Longest we've had this year."
I offer this ludicrous fictional anecdote only to illustrate a point: Some organizations obsess over absurd metrics. In business, as in healthcare, some measurements matter MUCH more than others. Many of the things we study don't truly reveal the health of our organizations.
I've had a chance to contribute to a number of corporate functions over the years. Along the way, I've seen a variety of metrics claim more mind-share than they merit:
• Within Marketing, I've seen leaders more interested in "direct mail % response rates" than in the actual revenue created by the campaign.
• Within Customer Service, I've seen center managers more interested in lowering Average Handle Time (AHT) than in increasing customer satisfaction.
• Within in Documentation, I've seen managers attempt to determine team "productivity" by tracking "words written, per writer, per day."
For a number of reasons, each metric mattered to the manager in question. But I assert that the most valuable metrics are those that assess attitudes. With the big-picture in mind, I want to offer three metrics: One that matters, another that matters MORE and a third that matters MOST:
Matters: Earnings Per Share (EPS) is a crucial metric for any publicly traded company. In plain language, EPS answers "How much profit did we create for our stock holders in the past three months?" Obviously, this is important. That said, if EPS is the main goal, a brand will OVER-Focus on cost-containment. They will "control costs at ALL costs." Loyalty is built over MANY calendar quarters and, therefore, MUST be measured with a longer view.
Matters MORE: Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty measurement methodology that has gained traction in recent years. NPS is based on a single question a brand asks current customers: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" While NPS is hotly debated, due to it's simplicity, there are compelling correlations between "recommendibility" and revenue growth. For example, in key industries (Insurance, Airline, Cellular)
the brand with the highest Net Promoter Score claimed recent profits, even as competitors lost profound amounts of money.
Matters MOST: Employee Net Promoter Score (ENPS) takes NPS methodology and uses it to assess employee engagement. ENPS adoption is growing among thought-leaders. In 2010, extensive surveys were conducted on how likely employees are to recommend their products to friends and family or to encourage others to take a job alongside them. According to Vovoci, there is a direct correlation between employee loyalty and customer loyalty. Consider this quote from Walker Information: "Loyal employees have a positive impact on customer loyalty and retention: 92% of loyal employees do tasks for customers "above and beyond the call of duty." Only 54% of trapped and high risk employees do so."
The corporate world seems to have gone "Penny Wise, Pound Foolish." Speak some sense back into your plans. Going forward, the most valuable commodity will likely be LOYALTY. And, when viewed through the lens of loyalty, metrics that once motivated now matter less than ever.
We have a new opportunity to focus on better metrics: Metrics that strongly correlate to renewal and retention. So I say this: Start with employee loyalty. Let this drive customer loyalty. Let customer loyalty drive revenue.
I suggest that you have to go from ENPS to NPS to EPS. I'm thinking it doesn't work the other way around.
Tristan drives teams toward efficient delivery of effective content. From early days defining the Knowledge Management vision for the first online bank (Wells Fargo) to his current digital strategy role at the world's leading security company (Symantec), Tristan has consistently increased customer access to key content. By integrating technical publishing best practices with web delivery innovation, Tristan forges solutions that optimize customer experience, improving the corporate/customer relationship.
The paramedics burst through the ER door, wheeling a man on a collapsible gurney. The triage nurse quickly moved in front of them and asked, "How long are his fingernails?" "His FINGERNAILS?" gasped the medic, "We got his temperature, pulse, blood pressure and heart rate?" The triage worker shook his head, "We've GOT to measure the fingernails! Just LOOK at these babies: Longest we've had this year."
I offer this ludicrous fictional anecdote only to illustrate a point: Some organizations obsess over absurd metrics. In business, as in healthcare, some measurements matter MUCH more than others. Many of the things we study don't truly reveal the health of our organizations.
I've had a chance to contribute to a number of corporate functions over the years. Along the way, I've seen a variety of metrics claim more mind-share than they merit:
• Within Marketing, I've seen leaders more interested in "direct mail % response rates" than in the actual revenue created by the campaign.
• Within Customer Service, I've seen center managers more interested in lowering Average Handle Time (AHT) than in increasing customer satisfaction.
• Within in Documentation, I've seen managers attempt to determine team "productivity" by tracking "words written, per writer, per day."
For a number of reasons, each metric mattered to the manager in question. But I assert that the most valuable metrics are those that assess attitudes. With the big-picture in mind, I want to offer three metrics: One that matters, another that matters MORE and a third that matters MOST:
Matters: Earnings Per Share (EPS) is a crucial metric for any publicly traded company. In plain language, EPS answers "How much profit did we create for our stock holders in the past three months?" Obviously, this is important. That said, if EPS is the main goal, a brand will OVER-Focus on cost-containment. They will "control costs at ALL costs." Loyalty is built over MANY calendar quarters and, therefore, MUST be measured with a longer view.
Matters MORE: Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty measurement methodology that has gained traction in recent years. NPS is based on a single question a brand asks current customers: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" While NPS is hotly debated, due to it's simplicity, there are compelling correlations between "recommendibility" and revenue growth. For example, in key industries (Insurance, Airline, Cellular)
the brand with the highest Net Promoter Score claimed recent profits, even as competitors lost profound amounts of money.
Matters MOST: Employee Net Promoter Score (ENPS) takes NPS methodology and uses it to assess employee engagement. ENPS adoption is growing among thought-leaders. In 2010, extensive surveys were conducted on how likely employees are to recommend their products to friends and family or to encourage others to take a job alongside them. According to Vovoci, there is a direct correlation between employee loyalty and customer loyalty. Consider this quote from Walker Information: "Loyal employees have a positive impact on customer loyalty and retention: 92% of loyal employees do tasks for customers "above and beyond the call of duty." Only 54% of trapped and high risk employees do so."
The corporate world seems to have gone "Penny Wise, Pound Foolish." Speak some sense back into your plans. Going forward, the most valuable commodity will likely be LOYALTY. And, when viewed through the lens of loyalty, metrics that once motivated now matter less than ever.
We have a new opportunity to focus on better metrics: Metrics that strongly correlate to renewal and retention. So I say this: Start with employee loyalty. Let this drive customer loyalty. Let customer loyalty drive revenue.
I suggest that you have to go from ENPS to NPS to EPS. I'm thinking it doesn't work the other way around.
Best Practices Suck
To contact us Click HERE
Like every good business heretic, I look at the world of commerce with the eyes of an outsider. That means that I question everything I see, every habit of the business world that most others take for granted. "The way we've always done it" is a phrase that makes me throw up in my mouth a little every time I hear it. Unfortunately, I hear it a lot.
Best practices are great and all - if your current practices are sub-par. After all, you have to start somewhere. But catching up with the Joneses is a fool's errand. The best you can ever hope for is to catch up, but that would assume that the Joneses, and all your other neighbors, don't improve. And I think we should all be quite comfortable by now with the notion that standing still is falling behind. After all, isn't that what the firing squad asks prisoners to do? Stand still against that wall, so they can have a clear shot?
When you go to work today, or next week, take the blinders off and really look around. What do we do that is merely "fine?" Why do we do it this way, or that way? Think less about how to squeeze one percent more efficiency out of your systems this year, and more about how you can double your revenue, this year, by blazing a brand new trail.
Want to know a little secret to innovation? What the heck, here are a couple:
* Hire people from outside the world of big business - teachers, actors, small business owners, bartenders, history majors just out of school - to work on your staff. Don't just teach them how you do things. Much more importantly, ask them to tell you what their fresh eyes think of your systems. Every time they ask Why (as in "Why do we do it like this?"), give them a sign of your thanks - a crisp $100 bill, an afternoon off, a long lunch with you someplace special.
* At that lunch, make sure you take plenty of notes. Bring a pad and pen along. Use them.
* Look at everything you do as if you were the owner of your business. Not a stockholder, which I hope you already are. The owner. And here's how owners think of every dime their business spends: "That's one more dime of my money going out the door." I can say this from experience. When you own 100% of a company, as I did, then every dollar that comes in is yours. Spending money hurts.
* ...But investing money is awesome! Savvy business owners may shudder at the thought of buying a ream of paper for $10, but if an additional $10,000 in salary is what it takes to woo a talented sales pro from her current employer, we're happy to pay it! We see the first as an expense and the second as an investment, a way to bring in even more money. Woo-hoo!
* Put some white space on your calendar, and honor it. White space means no appointments, no email, no phone calls. White space is your time to walk around and talk to people, sans agenda. Just talk. It means read a book, or a magazine. It means take a walk in the parking lot. Respect your white space above all else. This is where your truly great breakthroughs will come - when you aren't looking for them!
In all you do, try to clear the business-cobwebs from your eyes, and see your company from a fresh perspective. It isn't just a nice idea - it's essential to the prosperity of your company, and your career!
Best practices are great and all - if your current practices are sub-par. After all, you have to start somewhere. But catching up with the Joneses is a fool's errand. The best you can ever hope for is to catch up, but that would assume that the Joneses, and all your other neighbors, don't improve. And I think we should all be quite comfortable by now with the notion that standing still is falling behind. After all, isn't that what the firing squad asks prisoners to do? Stand still against that wall, so they can have a clear shot?
When you go to work today, or next week, take the blinders off and really look around. What do we do that is merely "fine?" Why do we do it this way, or that way? Think less about how to squeeze one percent more efficiency out of your systems this year, and more about how you can double your revenue, this year, by blazing a brand new trail.
Want to know a little secret to innovation? What the heck, here are a couple:
* Hire people from outside the world of big business - teachers, actors, small business owners, bartenders, history majors just out of school - to work on your staff. Don't just teach them how you do things. Much more importantly, ask them to tell you what their fresh eyes think of your systems. Every time they ask Why (as in "Why do we do it like this?"), give them a sign of your thanks - a crisp $100 bill, an afternoon off, a long lunch with you someplace special.
* At that lunch, make sure you take plenty of notes. Bring a pad and pen along. Use them.
* Look at everything you do as if you were the owner of your business. Not a stockholder, which I hope you already are. The owner. And here's how owners think of every dime their business spends: "That's one more dime of my money going out the door." I can say this from experience. When you own 100% of a company, as I did, then every dollar that comes in is yours. Spending money hurts.
* ...But investing money is awesome! Savvy business owners may shudder at the thought of buying a ream of paper for $10, but if an additional $10,000 in salary is what it takes to woo a talented sales pro from her current employer, we're happy to pay it! We see the first as an expense and the second as an investment, a way to bring in even more money. Woo-hoo!
* Put some white space on your calendar, and honor it. White space means no appointments, no email, no phone calls. White space is your time to walk around and talk to people, sans agenda. Just talk. It means read a book, or a magazine. It means take a walk in the parking lot. Respect your white space above all else. This is where your truly great breakthroughs will come - when you aren't looking for them!
In all you do, try to clear the business-cobwebs from your eyes, and see your company from a fresh perspective. It isn't just a nice idea - it's essential to the prosperity of your company, and your career!
How's Your Focus?
To contact us Click HERE
Last year about this time I set my New Year's Resolutions.
I know, I'm like that.
This was nothing fancy or well-thought-out, I just did it. I took a piece of scrap paper and wrote down the five things I wanted to focus on improving. They're a little bit private, but I can tell you this: four concerned some aspect of my career, and one was an athletic goal. Family, friends, spiritually - thankfully, I feel very good about those aspects of my life. Your areas of focus might include those, but mine didn't.
Here's how I did:
#1 - Nailed it. Blew my goal so far out of the water, it's impossible to even compare.#2-4 - Did somewhere between well and okay.#5 - Oops. Didn't even touch it. Abject failure.
This list, written on a scrap paper, lives in a drawer in my bathroom. Every few days I come across it as I search for the toothpaste or a nail clipper. It's a handy reminder of what I decided to work on last February.
This worked pretty well for me, but around the start of this month I decided it was time to update my list. Not start a brand-new one, because most of those items are ongoing concerns, not "do it and done" type things. They involve getting better at something, and that's a journey.
So Saturday, I retired the first list and replaced it with another. Three items this time, all in some way related to the original five.
This year, as with last, I'm judging everything I do by this standard: Does it promote one of my three goals? Specifically,
1. Does it help me write my next book?2. Does it help with the career move I'm making?*3. Does it help me train for the Naples 1/2 Marathon next January?
This post isn't about me, though. It's about you. What are your goals - not for the year, but ongoing? Try to have only a few. Aim for only one. Write them down. Put them someplace where you have to actually read them - preferably, someplace where they're in the way and you need to move them (and thus read them) as you search for the toothpaste.
And judge every action you take, all year long, by how effectively that action supports your quest for those goals. Cut out fun stuff that doesn't clearly promote those goals. Do more of what does.
Let me know how it goes.
*Career move? I've been eluding to this for a couple of months now. I'm only 44. If my role models are any indication, I have at least 40 more years of active work ahead of me (thank God!). So I'm going to continue to evolve and reinvent myself again and again. I can't wait to share my next step!
I know, I'm like that.
This was nothing fancy or well-thought-out, I just did it. I took a piece of scrap paper and wrote down the five things I wanted to focus on improving. They're a little bit private, but I can tell you this: four concerned some aspect of my career, and one was an athletic goal. Family, friends, spiritually - thankfully, I feel very good about those aspects of my life. Your areas of focus might include those, but mine didn't.
Here's how I did:
#1 - Nailed it. Blew my goal so far out of the water, it's impossible to even compare.#2-4 - Did somewhere between well and okay.#5 - Oops. Didn't even touch it. Abject failure.
This list, written on a scrap paper, lives in a drawer in my bathroom. Every few days I come across it as I search for the toothpaste or a nail clipper. It's a handy reminder of what I decided to work on last February.
This worked pretty well for me, but around the start of this month I decided it was time to update my list. Not start a brand-new one, because most of those items are ongoing concerns, not "do it and done" type things. They involve getting better at something, and that's a journey.
So Saturday, I retired the first list and replaced it with another. Three items this time, all in some way related to the original five.
This year, as with last, I'm judging everything I do by this standard: Does it promote one of my three goals? Specifically,
1. Does it help me write my next book?2. Does it help with the career move I'm making?*3. Does it help me train for the Naples 1/2 Marathon next January?
This post isn't about me, though. It's about you. What are your goals - not for the year, but ongoing? Try to have only a few. Aim for only one. Write them down. Put them someplace where you have to actually read them - preferably, someplace where they're in the way and you need to move them (and thus read them) as you search for the toothpaste.
And judge every action you take, all year long, by how effectively that action supports your quest for those goals. Cut out fun stuff that doesn't clearly promote those goals. Do more of what does.
Let me know how it goes.
*Career move? I've been eluding to this for a couple of months now. I'm only 44. If my role models are any indication, I have at least 40 more years of active work ahead of me (thank God!). So I'm going to continue to evolve and reinvent myself again and again. I can't wait to share my next step!
Your Own Company of One
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I want you to play a trick on yourself, a mind-game. It will make you a better employee, and it will make you a better boss. It will make you enjoy your present work situation more, and it will set you up well for your next gig, whether that's within your current company or outside it.
The game is simple: as an employee, act at all times as if you are an outside consultant brought in by your employer to work on a project. If you do well on this one, if you blow your client away with how useful you are, and with the phenomenal service you provide, you can expect them to ask you to help with another project, and another. There is no contract. They pay you, you do the work, they ask you do do more, pay you, you do that one. You get the picture.
You are a service provider. Your "employer" is really your "customer." Every employee at that customer's office is a customer - they're all on the inside, and you're a guest.
How will you behave in this situation? Remember, only Five-Star Customer Service will (more or less) guarantee they'll enjoy you enough to keep you. Only by doing what they need of you better than anyone can you make sure they don't hire your competition for the next project. Keep this in mind at all times:
Incredible Service + Superior Performance = "Job" Security.
I put the word Job in quotation marks because you don't have a job, remember? You have your own small business. Your own company of one.
Now let's tweak this mind-setting exercise for bosses. You are the "boss;" you're the customer. Your team is composed of specialists you have hired to complete a project. Yes, you should expect very high levels of professionalism from them, because they are each small business owners and they have a reputation to uphold and, they hope, enhance.
But here's the other side of that sword, taken from today's headlines: the economy is heating up again, and the best small business owners are once again able to pick and choose their clients. If you don't treat them right, they're out, and you'll have to find a replacement. Not only is that costly and time-consuming, but the folks you have right now are the best of the best (which is why you chose them, of course!), and you know that to lose one means settling for second-best, or maybe worse, to complete your projects.
You don't have "employees;" you have "vendors." And these vendors are expert at what they do. You pretty much can't survive without them.
I'm very comfortable with this mind-game because I owned my own small, highly specialized B2B business for a number of years, which had me wearing both hats at all times. As my company's representative when I worked with a client, I knew that every minute of every day I was basically on a job interview. And with my team, some of whom actually were small business owners and consultants themselves, I never forgot that they could leave and help my competitors at any time. So I demanded a very high level of performance, and I did my best to treat each like a rock star so they'd never dream of leaving.*
I hope you take two points away from this post. First, for everyone, employee and boss alike:
Act like you're on a job interview every day, all day long. (You are.)
And for bosses:
Treat your team like volunteers, not employees. Expect them to leave if you mistreat them. (They will).
*****Another time, we'll talk about organizing cats - I mean volunteers, an area I have some experience with (and plenty of scars to show for it!) As many experts will agree, no aspect of leadership is harder, and if you can master this art, the world of work - with its pay and benefits and careers... - will seem a breeze. I promise.
*With varying results, of course - this was the real world, not pie-in-the-sky theory.
The game is simple: as an employee, act at all times as if you are an outside consultant brought in by your employer to work on a project. If you do well on this one, if you blow your client away with how useful you are, and with the phenomenal service you provide, you can expect them to ask you to help with another project, and another. There is no contract. They pay you, you do the work, they ask you do do more, pay you, you do that one. You get the picture.
You are a service provider. Your "employer" is really your "customer." Every employee at that customer's office is a customer - they're all on the inside, and you're a guest.
How will you behave in this situation? Remember, only Five-Star Customer Service will (more or less) guarantee they'll enjoy you enough to keep you. Only by doing what they need of you better than anyone can you make sure they don't hire your competition for the next project. Keep this in mind at all times:
Incredible Service + Superior Performance = "Job" Security.
I put the word Job in quotation marks because you don't have a job, remember? You have your own small business. Your own company of one.
Now let's tweak this mind-setting exercise for bosses. You are the "boss;" you're the customer. Your team is composed of specialists you have hired to complete a project. Yes, you should expect very high levels of professionalism from them, because they are each small business owners and they have a reputation to uphold and, they hope, enhance.
But here's the other side of that sword, taken from today's headlines: the economy is heating up again, and the best small business owners are once again able to pick and choose their clients. If you don't treat them right, they're out, and you'll have to find a replacement. Not only is that costly and time-consuming, but the folks you have right now are the best of the best (which is why you chose them, of course!), and you know that to lose one means settling for second-best, or maybe worse, to complete your projects.
You don't have "employees;" you have "vendors." And these vendors are expert at what they do. You pretty much can't survive without them.
I'm very comfortable with this mind-game because I owned my own small, highly specialized B2B business for a number of years, which had me wearing both hats at all times. As my company's representative when I worked with a client, I knew that every minute of every day I was basically on a job interview. And with my team, some of whom actually were small business owners and consultants themselves, I never forgot that they could leave and help my competitors at any time. So I demanded a very high level of performance, and I did my best to treat each like a rock star so they'd never dream of leaving.*
I hope you take two points away from this post. First, for everyone, employee and boss alike:
Act like you're on a job interview every day, all day long. (You are.)
And for bosses:
Treat your team like volunteers, not employees. Expect them to leave if you mistreat them. (They will).
*****Another time, we'll talk about organizing cats - I mean volunteers, an area I have some experience with (and plenty of scars to show for it!) As many experts will agree, no aspect of leadership is harder, and if you can master this art, the world of work - with its pay and benefits and careers... - will seem a breeze. I promise.
*With varying results, of course - this was the real world, not pie-in-the-sky theory.
Hitting Your Number and Other Folly
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If you haven't read The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki, you owe yourself the treat. It's fascinating. The main premise is to show how our collective wisdom just plain crushes the expertise of even the highest-paid gurus, at least over the long-haul.
Surowiecki also explores a number of side-issues, and he does it in the engaging style of the journalist-author, reminiscent of another of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, author of Tipping Point and Outliers.
It's down one of these thought-alleyways I'd like to take you now. Surowiecki touched on something that has been eating at me for a while now. Perhaps it bugs you as well - or if it didn't before, I hope it starts to now. He writes,
"Companies tend to pay people based on whether they do what they're expected to do. In a market, people get paid based simply on what they do. After all, your local deli owner doesn't make any more money if his sales at year end beat his own expectations. He just makes as much money as he makes. Ideally, the same would be true inside a company."
I founded my own company, and I owned all the stock: typical of many SMBs. That means when we made a sale, I got to keep every dime of the money left over after we'd paid all the bills - just like that hypothetical deli owner. Granted, I paid myself meagerly and invested heavily back into the business, but I was investing profits: some entrepreneurs buy boats and beach homes; I bought staff salaries and a cutting-edge website.
The experience has left an indelible mark on how I think about business, large and small. It kills me when companies play games with money, or with motivation, as if incenting people for desired behavior rather than results makes any kind of sense. As if paying people the same for disparate performance in the same role is anything but... um... dumb.
Many roles in business support the organization and thus are hard to measure in direct impact to the bottom line. I get that, and I respect it. But here's one that has never made a lick of sense to me: when two people perform the same role, but one outshines the other - in terms of measurable dollar-in-revenue amounts - and yet is paid the same, or close to it.
Take innovation. One of your research teams invents your company's version of the sticky pad (3M) or the iPad (Apple). That breakthrough becomes a major part of your firm's revenue for years to come. To my mind, as that deli owner, this team is one hell of a lot more valuable to the company than the other teams. Perhaps they deserve a pass on their annual reviews for the rest of their careers. Just sayin'.
Or the IT professional who guides his firm away from an unhealthy relationship with an under-performing vendor, and ends up saving her company not only millions of dollars a year with a new vendor, but also headache and "fit" issues that might be a lot harder to measure objectively. Has this pro earned some job security? A bonus? A promotion? It's remarkable to me how often that type of recognition doesn't happen. What would the deli owner say?
And here's my favorite: I saved it for last on purpose. Look at how you pay and manage your sales professionals. Every year, sales pros are given their "number," the target they need to hit in order to stay employed. They beat their number, they earn commissions, bonuses, gifts, vacations... They miss it, they're in trouble. Maybe even sacked.
Now, so far so good; fair's fair you say, and I agree. But anyone involved in sales knows, what most companies do is say, "Okay Bob, last year you sold $X, so we know you can do better next year. Jan, last year you sold half of $X, so you have to beat half of $X next year."
Over my career, I have known plenty of sales pros and team managers at a variety of companies that have been in a situation like this: Bob sells twice, three times, four times as much as Jan, but he misses his number and she exceeds hers. Jan is a heroine, and Bob is in trouble - yes, perhaps even fired for under-performance.
Really? Really. This may make sense in enterprises around the world, but I wonder... What would the deli owner think of that? One waitress handles four times the number of tables, brings in four times the sales, of her coworkers: isn't she worth more? Isn't she the very last to lose her job? My God, most sensible business owners would marry her in order to keep that money in the family!
In my humble opinion,* perhaps CEOs and boards of directors can learn a thing or two from the humble deli owner. Perhaps hitting one's number should be less important than, say, bringing a company actual money.
*Okay, I admit, my opinion is only occasionally humble. I'd say sorry, but I'm not.
Surowiecki also explores a number of side-issues, and he does it in the engaging style of the journalist-author, reminiscent of another of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, author of Tipping Point and Outliers.
It's down one of these thought-alleyways I'd like to take you now. Surowiecki touched on something that has been eating at me for a while now. Perhaps it bugs you as well - or if it didn't before, I hope it starts to now. He writes,
"Companies tend to pay people based on whether they do what they're expected to do. In a market, people get paid based simply on what they do. After all, your local deli owner doesn't make any more money if his sales at year end beat his own expectations. He just makes as much money as he makes. Ideally, the same would be true inside a company."
I founded my own company, and I owned all the stock: typical of many SMBs. That means when we made a sale, I got to keep every dime of the money left over after we'd paid all the bills - just like that hypothetical deli owner. Granted, I paid myself meagerly and invested heavily back into the business, but I was investing profits: some entrepreneurs buy boats and beach homes; I bought staff salaries and a cutting-edge website.
The experience has left an indelible mark on how I think about business, large and small. It kills me when companies play games with money, or with motivation, as if incenting people for desired behavior rather than results makes any kind of sense. As if paying people the same for disparate performance in the same role is anything but... um... dumb.
Many roles in business support the organization and thus are hard to measure in direct impact to the bottom line. I get that, and I respect it. But here's one that has never made a lick of sense to me: when two people perform the same role, but one outshines the other - in terms of measurable dollar-in-revenue amounts - and yet is paid the same, or close to it.
Take innovation. One of your research teams invents your company's version of the sticky pad (3M) or the iPad (Apple). That breakthrough becomes a major part of your firm's revenue for years to come. To my mind, as that deli owner, this team is one hell of a lot more valuable to the company than the other teams. Perhaps they deserve a pass on their annual reviews for the rest of their careers. Just sayin'.
Or the IT professional who guides his firm away from an unhealthy relationship with an under-performing vendor, and ends up saving her company not only millions of dollars a year with a new vendor, but also headache and "fit" issues that might be a lot harder to measure objectively. Has this pro earned some job security? A bonus? A promotion? It's remarkable to me how often that type of recognition doesn't happen. What would the deli owner say?
And here's my favorite: I saved it for last on purpose. Look at how you pay and manage your sales professionals. Every year, sales pros are given their "number," the target they need to hit in order to stay employed. They beat their number, they earn commissions, bonuses, gifts, vacations... They miss it, they're in trouble. Maybe even sacked.
Now, so far so good; fair's fair you say, and I agree. But anyone involved in sales knows, what most companies do is say, "Okay Bob, last year you sold $X, so we know you can do better next year. Jan, last year you sold half of $X, so you have to beat half of $X next year."
Over my career, I have known plenty of sales pros and team managers at a variety of companies that have been in a situation like this: Bob sells twice, three times, four times as much as Jan, but he misses his number and she exceeds hers. Jan is a heroine, and Bob is in trouble - yes, perhaps even fired for under-performance.
Really? Really. This may make sense in enterprises around the world, but I wonder... What would the deli owner think of that? One waitress handles four times the number of tables, brings in four times the sales, of her coworkers: isn't she worth more? Isn't she the very last to lose her job? My God, most sensible business owners would marry her in order to keep that money in the family!
In my humble opinion,* perhaps CEOs and boards of directors can learn a thing or two from the humble deli owner. Perhaps hitting one's number should be less important than, say, bringing a company actual money.
*Okay, I admit, my opinion is only occasionally humble. I'd say sorry, but I'm not.
4 New Rules for 21st Century Leaders
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Tuesday is guest blogger day, and today I have the honor of hosting Shawn Murphy.
Shawn is the founder and President of Achieved Strategies. Achieved Strategies is a organizational change and transformation firm that helps organizations weave together people, technology, and process and business to achieve results. Shawn is an unabashed supporter of the belief that "the business of business is people." He blogs weekly at www.achievedstrategies.com/blog. He also tweets at@shawmu. You can also contact Shawn at info@achievedstrategies or calling 888.361.5181.
Ted Coiné is a kindred spirit. We both are impassioned by the opportunity to spread the beliefs, words, and behaviors of 21st Century leaders. We see a shift away from arrogant, self-indulgent, controlling, and self-centered leaders driving businesses. Yes these leaders exist today in major corporations, in politics, in small businesses, and in our community. Slowly, however, these leaders will become irrelevant as humanity is added back into how organizations partner with employees, and emerging community-focused and driven companies become more the norm.
The 21st Century Leaders are learning from the power of social technology and the way it unites people. They are observing, taking note on what NOT to do when the company finds itself in a PR nightmare. They are learning to speak the truth when called to do so, take the resulting lumps, and move forward. These are but a few of the influences on Generation Y current and future-leaders, Gen X and even Boomer leaders.
People are more connected than ever before. They want to be heard. They want to make a difference. This is a powerful influence on leadership. The observant leader will find new ways to invite people to make a difference. In the context of business, 21st Century Leaders know how to invite people to contribute at work.
Inviting employees to contribute in the changed workplace will need a new set of “rules.” The header on Ted’s blog states, “Welcome to the new rule book.” Here are some new rules to put in your rulebook.
Transparent intentions. We’ve grown disgusted by CEOs, other executives, and politicians’ inability to speak the truth. From infidelity to corruption, we all want to hear the scandalized speak the truth, to fess up to and own their mistakes. We want to see what they’ve learned. Until then, we’re skeptical of their intentions, of their words.
For 21st Century Leaders, they know to “own” the outcomes of their decisions. And they speak openly, in public with their people, about difficult decisions and about their potential impacts. People can handle the truth. It’s time to start talking about how company’s can move forward from the tough decisions made over the past three years.
Embrace the virtual workplace. With the cloud growing in importance, and mobile technology abundantly available, leaders will allow work to occur anywhere. Why not allow people to work wherever and whenever. Employee isn’t the only role people fill in their life. Work and personal life will be better integrated to bring greater satisfaction in both worlds. It means quality and efficiencies are to be gained. The 21st Century Leader embraces the virtual workplace because successes aren’t achieved between 9-5.
Employees are first. The axiom “customers are always right” is turned on its head by leaders of the 21st Century. It’s about employees first. They get that when employees are heard, encouraged to “leave their fingerprint” on the organization’s offerings, and invited to transform the company, customers are taken care of. It’s an outcome of focusing on employees. There’s no relevance for the old saying about customers coming first. It’s a moot point. Why does this work? It’s because there is a clear purpose and meaning in the work.
Create meaning at work. It’s human nature to want to make a difference. Leaders understand that human need and find ways to maximize it. 21st Century Leaders mobilize their people to invent/improve better services and products. They encourage cross-collaboration across the organization. They allow employees to interact with customers to improve the company’s products and services. This new’ish leadership approach weaves the company’s values, mission, and vision in interactions with others. This type of leader wants to help employees succeed. When meaning is present at work, conversations about profitability become easier. Why? Because employees see how what they do impacts the success of the company.
These four rules are merely the tip of the iceberg for 21st Century leaders. The social, technical, economical, and political changes are in hyper-drive and changing how people relate to one another. And since leadership is about relating and helping people, your style of leadership must, too, change. Inspired leadership is influenced by the surrounding environment. It cannot exist in a vacuum. Today and future leaders see how their leadership and the environment are interconnected, evolving together. This is the 21st Century Leader.
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