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OMAHA, NE - Well, it's here: Warren Buffett's annual letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. While you can read for yourselves Mr. Buffett's sober predictions of the economy being "in shambles throughout 2009 - and, for that matter, probably well beyond," job seekers can learn something about how to create real value for their current and potential employers -- now and forever.
It's no secret that stocks took a severe beating last year, and Mr. Buffett's Berkshire holdings were not immune. Yet according to Mr. Buffett, "In good years and bad, Charlie Munger [his long-time business partner] and I simply focus on four goals:
The proof of this approach is in the pudding: Over the last 44 years, Berkshire Hathaway's book value per share has grown from $19 to $70,530, a rate of 20.3% compounded annually.
Question for you job seekers: Specifically, HOW have you done these four things in your previous jobs? Can you quantify your contribution in each of these four areas?
You are making a terrible mistake if you think these things are "too high level and abstract" for you to impact! Over the last five years, I have made a small fortune pulling executives out of Dell Computer.
Why Dell? Because a long time ago, Michael Dell was smart enough to tie every Dell employee's bonus to Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) -- the single metric that mattered most to Dell's customers, and therefore, to its stock holders. By aligning his employee's behavior to the expectations of his customers and stock holders, Mr. Dell created a perpetual motion machine fueled by the self-interests of every single stakeholder. That's not a bad thing. That's a great thing!
According to Mr. Dell's book Direct from Dell [which I strongly endorse] ...
ROIC became a focusing device. We introduced it in 1995 with a company-wide push to educate everyone about the benefits of a positive ROIC, with articles in the company newsletter, posters, talks by managers, and "Messages from Michael" devoted to the topic.
We explained specifically how everyone could contribute: by reducing cycle times, eliminating scrap and waste, selling more, forecasting accurately, scaling operating expenses, increasing inventory turns, collecting accounts receivables efficiently, and doing things right the first time.
And we make it the core of our incentive program for all employees. We decided to to reward employees around a matrix of ROIC and growth and higher performance directly attributed to higher ROIC -- which came back in the form of higher compensation.
BOTTOM LINE: Dell executives know how to create value for ALL company stakeholders -- both internally and externally, up and down the value chain -- and that's what today's employment market will pay for. That's what it needs now more than ever! You can stick a Dell executive in just about any company and they will find a way to organize their teams and activities around those things which create value. Clients LOVE this trait, and I have the check stubs to prove it.
So candidates, here is one job search rule that you must obey:
Your value to employers has to be obvious. It has to be easy to explain, understand, and verify. Trust me, business owners are scared to death. They are afraid of President Obama's approach to taxation, and they have NO idea whether the business environment will recover this year ... or the next ... or ever. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt dominate the current climate. Business owners have a bunker mentality.
Accordingly, you MUST make business owners understand why they are better off investing their hard earned cash in YOU rather than keeping it under a mattress.
You are at great risk if you fight me on this one. This is the new reality. It's a cold as hell world out there, and whether you work for a company or not, you are in business for yourself. It's time you started thinking of yourself as someone else's investment.
ATLANTA - Topgrading guru Brad Smart has a great post on his blog called Topgrading in a Down Economy - a Good Time to Hire!
Simply put, Mr. Smart believes that a down economy is a good time to Topgrade, because there is more talent available, often at lower comp levels.
Mr. Smart, a renowned expert on hiring, thinks that all companies "talk the talk" of hiring A-players, but very few of them "walk the walk." Mr. Smart quotes a McKinsey article that stated "... too many firms still dismiss talent management as a short-term, tactical problem rather than an integral part of a long-term business strategy ..."
Yet just like beaten down stocks that are a bargain in the current market -- A-players are available right now for less than they normally would be. I have seen this happen in my own VP-level marketing and ecommerce recruiting practice. More talent is available at lower comp.
According to Mr. Smart, "This happens in every economic downturn -- more people are out looking for jobs, A players can be attracted more easily, and you have the luxury of being able to get more talent cheaper."
Like my dad used to tell me: "You gotta buy your straw hats in the winter."
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PHILADELPHIA - Yesterday, I was flying to Philadelphia and reading the latest issue of "Success" magazine on the plane (Dec '08).
Several different, unrelated articles caught my eye, primarily because of a common thread running through each one. The magazine issue itself did not have a theme, per se, but I spotted one. It lunged at me. Jumped off the page.
See if you can nail it in these five stories. The same critically important "leader skill" is embedded in each one.
And you need to have it.
First...
Steven Spielberg's creative genius got an early start. When he was just a kid, he created little stories as he filmed family trips, pets and friends.
To encourage him, his parents brought home a projector, rented movies and showed them to neighborhood kids on summer evenings. Enterprising young Steven charged each kid 25 cents admission, and he donated all the money to charity.
This launched his movie career.
At 13, he created a 40-minute film, "Escape To Nowhere". At 16, a 140-minute sci-fi adventure, "Firelight". And when he was a Boy Scout, he borrowed his dad's 8mm camera and made a 9-minute film called "The Last Gunfight", to earn his photography merit badge.
Second...
TV cook Rachel Ray was shocked the day The Food Network handed her a $360,000 contract -- barely 24 hours after she did a brief food segment on the "Today" show.
And she's done very well since, parlaying that into broadcast stardom and guest shots on TV shows all over the dial.
All the while proclaiming she's a good cook, but not a chef, and has no formal culinary training.
She never BS'd the network, nor her audience. Her "everyman" quality, frankly, is just what the TV execs were looking for, and she hit a grand slam with viewers.
Where'd she get that honest streak? From her mother and mentor, who taught her "Decide who you are and don't try to pretend that you're something other than that."
Third...
Advertising mogul and host of TV's hit show "The Big Idea", Donny Deutsch tells of a talent producer for his show who had a dream of starting an image consulting business, but was befuddled on where to start.
Rather than kick her butt out the door for announcing she'd rather be doing something else, he helped her instead. Advised her to take the next 10 weeks to shop for 10 different friends...for free... all so she could build a portfolio of satisfied clients. Then beginning with #11, start charging. A lot.
Twelve months later, she left to start her own company. Deutsch's farewell gift? A segment on his show that rocket-launched her business.
Next...
Mitch Albom, sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press and weekly contributor to ESPN-TV's "The Sports Reporters", has written three books.
Each became a worldwide best-seller. Each got made into a TV movie.
And each one is about his mentors.
He wrote "Tuesdays With Morrie" about Brandeis University sociology professor Morrie Schwartz.
"The Five People You Meet In Heaven" included the protagonist, his Uncle Eddie.
And "For One More Day", his own mom served as the inspiration for the mother character. His two most profound mentors, he says, were his mom and dad.
And finally...
NFL football star Warrick Dunn is considered one of the most charitable athletes in professional sports. He buys homes for single mothers working multiple jobs -- and to date, he has put a roof over the heads of 78 single parents and 205 children.
Wow. That'll activate the tear ducts.
He says none of his sports accomplishments can match the feeling of giving the keys to a home to a woman who has worked her whole life and never been able to afford one.
His inspiration?
His own mom, a Baton Rouge police corporal, who was shot and killed in an ambush while working a second job as a security guard -- leaving Warrick, the oldest at 18, to become man of the house to five younger brothers and sisters. His mother's humble soul and proud spirit guided him in her absence.
She never owned a home. Could never afford the down payment.
He's now fixing that for women just like her.
There. That's all five.
Did you spot it?
Did you see the common thread running through the lives of those five leaders?
It's mentorship.
It's a leader helping someone less skilled, less able, more junior, more unsure. To find her way. To fulfill his dream. To deal with the difficulties of life. Guiding. Teaching. Encouraging. Caring. Setting the table for success. And providing a sympathetic shoulder when plans go south.
Spielberg, Ray, Albom and Dunn each had mentors. And enjoyed the benefit of aid and counsel from a master.
And Deutsch is a mentor. He dramatically improved the life of a colleague. In fact, his TV show has mentorship as its underpinning -- sharing stories of success that encourage others to break the shackles of their own lethargy.
It doesn't get any more personal than mentorship.
It's one-on-one, baby.
I contend that, in all my years on this planet, my greatest personal growth and development, in business and life, has come -- not from books or CDs. Not from seminars or workshops. Not from listening to speeches, sitting in training classes, or attending webinars.
Oh, make no mistake, I'm a high-volume student and user of all those. Have been for 30+ years. And every one has provided me an unending wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and actionable data.
But my greatest leaps in learning...
That's where the gold is.
How about you? Take a look at your own life. I'm sure you can point to one or two people who have blessed you with their love, encouragement, and caring guidance.
But let's shift gears to something even more important.
LESSONS & ACTIONS FOR YOU:
What are you doing to actively mentor others?
To inspire their self confidence. To help them identify and live their dreams. To launch them into action. To be their rock of Gibraltar when they stumble and fall.
There are few gifts so precious you can give another. And as a leader, frankly, it's not just a nice thing to do.
It's your obligation.
It comes with the territory of leadership. In my world, if you're not mentoring, you're not leading.
Here are seven suggestions for effective mentoring:
(1) Listen more than you speak. Listen for where the pain is. Listen for where the dreams are. It'll help you make it all about them, not about you. Listening builds trust, and you can't be a successful coach without it.
(2) Emphathize. When your mentee has a setback, it's helpful to share a story of when you faced a similar experience. And how you rebounded. When we hear that our heroes have failed too, it serves as inspiration to get back on the horse and ride again.
(3) Help them find their passions. Not just what they're good at, but what electrifies them with excitement. Lots of people have a talent, but don't enjoy it. You can help them two ways. Find what REALLY turns them on. Or realize the passion they already have for what they do, but just didn't see it. Hold up the mirror.
(4) Show tough love when it's called for. Good coaching requires delivering bad news, too. Holding firm boundaries. Pushing them into uncomfortable terrain. Saying what needs to be said to move them past their roadblocks. Taking the risk they won't come back.
(5) Lead by example. If you recommend one thing, but do another yourself, you're done. Credibility shot. Game over. Walk your own talk. That's the definition of integrity.
(6) Formalize it. Schedule regular time to be with your mentee(s). Don't let it happen by chance -- it won't. We're all too busy. Schedule consistent, regular time each day or week or month. Block it on your calendar. Treat it as one of the most important meetings you'll have. I recommend all leaders have coaching meetings -- not less than monthly -- with each direct report one-on-one. Unplug the phone, take no emails, allow no interruptions.
(7) Make them write it down. Their passions, their values, their goals, their actions, their deadlines. All of it. Don't accept the flimsy "It's okay, I'll remember it" excuse. That's BS. Winners write down their plans and commitments -- it shows laser-focused intent. I've told clients for years "If you don't write it down, you're just screwing with yourself. Get serious, commit it to paper, or let's move on and talk about something that IS important to you."
Like all tasks worth doing, mentorship -- done right -- involves a disciplined, structured process. It ain't happenstance.
Put that structure in place for those YOU mentor. Your employees. Fellow team members. Friends. Children.
Yes, leadership from a distance has value. But limited.
Have the guts to get up close and personal.
__________________________________________________________
Rick Houcek is a regular contributor to MarketingHeadhunter.com. Rick facilitates off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution and get successfully implemented. His Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick by phone, fax or email. Visit his web site at Soar with Eagles.com. Ask about his 100% No-Risk Guarantee.
NEW YORK CITY - Here's a Friday funny: A friend of mine from NYC has just sent me these updated financial terms. The ones for Value Investing and Bull Market are a sad commentary. Sad but true. Wait, that's not funny!
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ATLANTA - Unless you're living under a rock, you've seen, heard, and felt the torrential media bombardment about the so-called Wall Street bailout.
It has dominated the news for several weeks. Maybe you've felt the sting of the financial crisis in your pocketbook. I hope not.
Anyway, there's a burr under my saddle about this whole bailout thing. And it's instructive for leaders. (No, it isn't the final decision. As I've said repeatedly, I don't use this blog for personal politics. It's about leadership. Period.)
Here's what's enraging me:
A high-integrity leader must make difficult and controversial choices every day. And in the end -- especially in times of crisis -- Job 1 is to make unselfish decisions that serve the greater good. Even if they anger small pockets of people. Even if they piss off influential supporters. Even if they get a carton of eggs thrown at their picture window at 2 am.
And the one thing the high-integrity leader never does is act in his own personal best interest at the expense of the greater good. That's hugely taboo in integrity circles. Oh, to be sure, leaders violate that every day. But I said "high integrity" leaders.
They ... don't.
Yet once again, some of our law-making politicians -- who should be the highest integrity leaders in the land, don't you agree? -- have shown their true colors by doing what's best for themselves, even if it's not best for the country and the citizenry. They proved it with their bailout votes. No, not their actual yay or nay vote ... but their reason for the vote.
Let me explain.
Last week, after the first House vote that killed the bailout package (before the Senate vote that approved it and the second House vote that approved it), USA Today reported that one of the reasons for the "no" votes was... ...political fear.
Four USA Today staff writers collaborated on this front-page story (dated Sept. 30). These reporters did some digging, computed some numbers, made a disturbing discovery, and arrived at a profound conclusion.
Here it is.
Specifically, despite the urgings of their own party leaders -- both Democrats and Republicans who were called to the White House to create a bipartisan bill that would serve the needs of BOTH party interests AND the American people... ...even then... ..."political fear" drove 75% of House members who are in close races in the Nov. 4 elections to vote no.
The important wording there is ... in close races. (The next 3 paragraphs are quoted directly from USA Today.)
"Republicans facing tough re-election challenges deserted their leaders in droves. 32 of 37 Republicans listed as endangered by the non-partisan Cook Political Report voted no, compared with 18 of 29 Democrats in the same category.
On the flip side, 22 of 29 Republicans who are leaving the House this year voted for the bill. 2 of 6 retiring Democrats voted against the bill. (...meaning 4 of 6 retirees voted for.) 'There aren't many vulnerable members who voted yes,' said David Wasserman, House editor for the Cook report. A yes vote, he said, would give 'every opponent a new blistering ad to run against you.' "
Now it's clear.
Wasserman and the 4 USA Today writers came to the same conclusion. That since a high percentage of those in tough races voted no ... and a high percentage of those retiring voted yes ... then it sure LOOKS like many of those in tough races voted in their own self interest, to preserve their re-election bid, and not have to deal with voter backlash.
That's a lousy reason, and it boils my blood. Doesn't it yours?
Further, maybe (just maybe) more of them would have voted differently had their re-elections not been so rocky. Yes, I'm sure one could argue the opposite, but on appearance anyway, that's the conclusion they're drawing. Frankly, it looks the same to me. So how they voted is not in question. But why they voted the way they did, is.
And it's of grave concern. Looks like a case of a vote for "me" rather than a vote for "we".
Translation: they served their own personal self interest, not the greater good, which they were elected to do.
Therein lies my anger. And mistrust.
We elect our leaders with the faith that they will study the issues deeply, then make intelligent decisions on our behalf, not theirs. Why is that so much to ask? Oh sure, I get that there will always be disagreement over which is the "greater good" choice.
Politicians and voters argue that daily. On every issue. But what voters can universally agree on is ... the choice that is clearly NOT greater good is the one that serves only the politician's election status. I also get that this in nothing new.
Since time began, in governments the world over, there has been public outcry against self-serving politicians. And now, in this bailout vote, those House members facing close re-elections seem to have brought the white-hot light of scrutiny on themselves again.
Two key questions:
Lessons & Actions For You:
In "Good To Great", the best-seller by Jim Collins, one of the characteristic traits of a Level 5 Leader -- the pinnacle position you should be shooting for -- is the willingness to make self-less, rather than selfish, decisions.
For leaders well known to have little or no integrity, we expect them to take the self-serving way out. No surprise. Thankfully, only a small percentage of leaders fall in here. At the other end, the high integrity leaders always decide in favor of the greater good, even when it's not best for them as an individual. No surprise here either. Sadly, this group too is only a small percent of the whole.
But what's maddening -- and deceptively unpredictable -- is that dangerously large group in the middle. The ones who proudly proclaim to be of high integrity, but then occasionally or frequently make selfish decisions -- violating the very ethics they purport to live by. We never know when. We just know we can't trust them. They are consistent only in their inconsistency.
Bottom line to all this is simple. Or should be. Always take the high road.
Here's a simple litmus test. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask: "If I make choice A, who will benefit and who will be hurt? If I make choice B, who will benefit and who will be hurt? If I make choice C, who will benefit and who will be hurt?"
Make three columns on a sheet of paper, one each for choices A, B, C (more if there are additional options). Now divide each of the columns into two, one for Benefit, one for Hurt. Then, start writing.
Want a couple examples of folks who do it right?
Peter Ueberroth, who ran for California governor in the mid-term election a few years ago, bowed out of the race with four weeks to go, behind by a wide margin, rather than engage in the only election tactic that could give him hope of closing a large gap in a short time. Mud-slinging at opponents. As easy as that negative choice is for others, Ueberroth was only interested in running a clean, positive campaign. In dropping out, he decided in favor of the greater good rather than personal interest. A noble choice.
Another... Last week, a client and former Marine told me that in the chow line, Marines with higher rank always eat last. Soldiers who fight the battles eat first. If they run out of food, too bad for the officers. It's part of their code. That's a "greater good" decision, and one I admire.
The question for you is: Which side of the ledger do your decisions fall on? Greater good? Or self interest? If you got fidgety reading all this, squirming in your seat, maybe it's time for an ethics check.
If, on the other hand, you can honestly say you always make greater good decisions ... and a majority of your constituency would agree (heck, there are always a few who won't) ...
Congratulations!
You're in a small fraternity of the highest integrity Level 5 Leaders. We need a whole lot more like you.
__________________________________________________________
Rick Houcek is a regular contributor to ManagementRecruiter.com. Rick facilitates off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution and get successfully implemented. His Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick by phone, fax or email. Visit his web site at Soar with Eagles.com. Ask about his 100% No-Risk Guarantee.
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ATLANTA - You can read all the "how to interview" books and articles you want, but my favorite three questions are ones I made up more than 20 years ago, that I've never seen written anywhere, and I've never been coached to use.
And if, by chance, they ARE written somewhere, I promise you, I've not seen them. (Though truthfully, it would shock me if no one else has ever thought of them.)
They stem from my ever-growing frustration over the pitiful lack of "new learning" that's going on in this world.
Seems the vast majority of two-legged, upright Homo sapiens are quite content with whatever level of knowledge they acquired from their last class in college or high school -- and haven't attended a workshop or seminar, cracked a self-help book, or even peeled the shrink-wrap off an educational CD -- since their final school bell rang way back when.
And it pisses me off.
I have no empirical data on what percent of people willingly and routinely self-engage in new learning tools after leaving school -- although the data likely exists somewhere -- but I'm certain it's a discouragingly small number.
Has to be. The visible evidence surrounds us daily.
Just look at the staggeringly high number of people who have lousy people skills. No leadership ability. Weak managerial skills. No business acumen. Little common sense. An inability to negotiate effectively. No drive, determination or tenacity. Little self esteem or confidence. Don't communicate well. Can't manage their own money.
And are taking no action to acquire the skills or obtain the knowledge on these topics that could turn their life around and improve their job status.
When lo and behold, it's all immediately available to them -- from a vast range of sources. In multiple learning media formats. Compiled by experts with hands-on experience. At very reasonable costs.
In short, it's plentiful in supply, easy to get, cheap to buy.
Yet they don't seek it out. Won't buy it. Or choose not to use it.
Instead, countless numbers of low-achieving drones spend inordinate amounts of time thumbing video games, watching mindless TV, drinking at bars ... well, you get my point.
From all this visible data, you have to reach the same conclusion I have -- that the majority of world inhabitants have some knowledge gained through formal school education -- but once school gets out, mindlessly transition into "life idiots" with no additional learning. With each passing day, they gain in age, but remain static in brainpower and initiative.
Treading water.
And sooner or later -- whether at age 18 or 23 or 41 or 56 or older -- DING DONG! -- they show up in a business suit at your company's door looking for a job.
Some of them interview like a champ, mask their ignorance well, and get the job.
Then suddenly, their lifelong lack of self-initiative for new learning becomes your new performance problem. Congratulations.
So...
I got fed up. Sick to death of it. And did something about it.
In the late 1980s, I overhauled my entire interview style, format, and questions. To flush out who is -- and who isn't -- a self-starter and lifelong learner.
It's too long to tell all of it here, but I do want to share three killer interview questions that can help you avoid this epidemic problem.
LESSONS & ACTIONS FOR YOU:
As company president -- and the final authority and chief steward for making sure we invited only high-flying eagles into our nest -- I started asking job candidates this question:
"Tell me the names of your five favorite self-improvement authors."
Yeah, you guessed it. I wanted to know if a candidate freely engaged -- on her own nickel -- in her own time -- in ongoing, repetitive self education.
Frankly, I didn't give a horse's hind end if the authors they named wrote books on stamp collecting, paper training puppies, or building model trains in your basement -- as long as they could name five.
I just wanted tangible proof they were constant seekers of new learning. I figured five was enough. That if they could name five, they probably knew a lot more.
Sure, I admit, I was most impressed if -- and was hoping -- their choices revolved around learning that was applicable in the workplace. But I would accept it if not, because the HABITUAL BEHAVIOR was there.
The result of asking this question was downright frightening. Mind-boggling actually.
Even today, I shudder remembering the early days of asking -- and seeing blank stares, glazed eyes, and speechless mouths.
Stutter. Stammer. I stumped 'em.
After enough rejections, I realized most people had never before put the two words "self" and "improvement" together in the same sentence -- let alone next to each other.
To be fair, I did get several who rattled off names like Napoleon Hill, Dennis Waitley, Les Brown, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Earl Nightingale, Ken Blanchard, Deepak Chopra, Roger Dawson, Paul Meyer, and more.
Not many, but some. These were the people I was looking for. The cream.
But then, I realized the flaw in my own question: Even of those who do read, few actually apply.
I needed to go deeper.
So I expanded my favorite ONE question ... to THREE questions. In addition, I changed the first question -- expanding it beyond just authors.
So, here are my favorite three interview questions -- in the sequence they are asked:
(1) "Tell me the names of five people in your life from whom you learned the most valuable life lessons."
Allow them to answer, then ask...
(2) "Tell me one life lesson you learned from each one -- five in total."
Allow them to answer, then ask...
(3) "Please give me one recent example -- five in total -- demonstrating your use or application of each of the five lessons."
Then sit back, shut up, and watch 'em squirm.
And now I'll reveal a secret: Their answer to THAT question -- the last one -- is the only answer that matters. Ignore the first two.
Why?
Because the first answer shows only that they listened.
The second demonstrates only that they remembered.
But the third ... it shows they applied.
And that pattern of behavior -- applying what's learned -- is worth gold to you as a leader.
By the way, as you may have surmised, if you get no answer to Q1, nix the next two. They become pointless. Likewise, if you get no answer to Q2, nix the last one. Again, pointless.
Would you be surprised to learn that I actually terminated interviews if they had no answer? It's true.
Think about it. Why would I want someone whose work would directly or indirectly impact our valuable clients ... who has to be told to learn? I didn't. I wanted people for whom taking the initiative to learn was already an integral part of their everyday behavior -- even outside the workplace -- at their own expense -- with no nudging, prodding, begging or forcing. It was already who they were.
Isn't that what you want too? A pre-established pattern of self-learning?
Well then...
Stop settling for mediocre. Why not give the three questions a shot? Just be prepared for disappointment in a high percentage of candidates.
Remember, eagles don't flock. You find them one at a time.
__________________________________________________________
Rick Houcek is a regular contributor to ManagementRecruiter.com. Rick facilitates off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution and get successfully implemented. His Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick by phone, fax or email. Visit his web site at Soar with Eagles.com. Ask about his 100% No-Risk Guarantee.
Not a week goes by that I don't get a call from a VP of HR looking for a VP of Marketing who is a "servant leader." Servant leadership seems to be all the rage these days. Every company wants servant leaders, but few seem to know much about it. They talk the talk, but walking the walk is much harder.
Humility: The Core of Servant Leadership
Most people, if they really knew anything about humility, wouldn't like it. That's why so few people are humble. Humility involves dying to oneself -- sacrificing oneself to a higher good or legitimate authority. Quite often it means doing what you don't want to do. Sometimes it means going down with the ship so that others may live. And always, it means killing the egotistical, self-centered person inside all of us who wants to be comforted, petted and admired.
For the truly humble servant leaders, everyone has dignity. Everyone is a child of God. Everyone is the best in the world at something. Everyone deserves respect. Everyone deserves to be elevated and encouraged to improve. Everyone deserves to be perfected, and servant leaders perfect those around them by nurturing everyone and and setting a benchmark example.
But here's the paradox of humility: If you think you have it, you don't. Imagine someone bragging about how humble they are. That's an oxymoron, isn't it? You can never be too humble.
I'm not talking about the "awe-shucks" false modesty that most of us have. I'm talking about putting others first always. That is absolutely antithetical to our secular, me first, he who dies with the most toys wins society. I can't tell you how to gain humility. Usually one has to fail (and fail spectacularly) before one discovers how much one needs others. But barring that, here are some signs that you lack humility:
I could go on but I won't. You get the idea. Zig Zigler has long said that you can have anything you want in life as long as you make sure that others get what they want first. That's a hard truth to recognize -- and an even harder truth to live.
ATLANTA - Yesterday, I was watching a grainy old, black-and-white, gun-fighting western on TV. I'd forgotten how much fun those were.
There came a point in the story where a man -- an outsider -- was walking down main street in a rough new settlement, when he was spotted by a local, who shouted at him "Hey, your kind is not wanted in this town." Then he turned to other townfolk and yelled, "We don't want him, do we? Let's show him what we do to foreigners."
At that moment, the townspeople who, up until then, had been going calmly about their business, angrily erupted into a loud, snarling mob. They grabbed rocks, picked up clubs, drew guns, and charged hastily toward the unwanted man. He was pelted and kicked and pounded and cursed -- when suddenly amidst the impromptu lynching, the sheriff appeared and saved the day by calling off the dogs, then locking the man up for his own safety.
It all happened in a matter of seconds.
I thought for a moment. Not one of those townspeople knew anything about that man. They didn't know what kind of husband or father he was. Whether or not he was a law-abiding citizen. They had no knowledge of his family or upbringing or job or values or contribution to the community.
Nothing.
They just knew one thing.
That a fellow townsman had angrily shouted at the top of his lungs that he should be gone. Pronto. That fellow townsman ALONE had passed judgment on the outsider. HE ALONE had rendered a decision that the man was unfit to walk among them. HE ALONE had decided the man must be taught a lesson.
And in a split second, he was able to convince a group of peaceful, mild-mannered citizens to join in his anger and maliciously punish the outsider.
How?
Mob rule.
It's that instantaneous moment when a group of people -- otherwise calm, decent and civil -- turn into an enraged, destructive mob by the violent urgings of one loud, infuriated person who rallies them into explosive action.
Hollywood loves to insert these volcanic moments into movie storylines. I laugh at the silliness and the quickness of the fickle masses to join in. It's fiction, after all.
But hey, mob rule is not always make-believe. Happens in everyday real life, too.
I saw it happen live on Dr. Phil. Unlike the movie, it was non-violent, but it was mob rule nonetheless.
Here's what happened. A few months ago, right after New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had resigned in disgrace, awash in a prostitution ring, his scandal was the topic of the day on the Dr. Phil show. Shortly before, Spitzer had resigned his governorship in a news conference while his dejected-looking wife Silda stood beside him. The question being discussed was: Given the gravity of the situation and how he disgraced his wife, should she have accompanied him to the podium?
Robin McGraw, Phil's wife, said she would never accompany Phil under similar circumstances. No way. She was firm, decisive, and crystal clear in her words and tone. To her, the dishonor and disrespect of his actions would cause her to let him take the heat alone. Her support, her love, and her respect, at that point, would be gone. The audience, mostly women, erupted in thunderous applause. As a viewer, it sounded like the full audience -- or close to it -- was agreeing with her.
This is a tempered, non-violent example of mob rule. An articulate person states a clear, sound position that makes sense, and listeners are persuaded to stand in support. Regardless of what they may have thought beforehand.
But wait -- then something else happened. Bishop T.D. Jakes, spiritual leader and author, who was a guest on the show, then said this, and I'm paraphrasing: We're only seeing a small portion of their marriage on camera. We don't know what their marriage is like without cameras. She accompanied him for her reasons and we can't pretend to know what those reasons are. We just have to respect them.
Hmmm. Makes sense. Then, more thunderous applause from the audience.
More articulate persuasion. More mob rule.
But hold on a minute. This, too, sounded like the full audience applauding. So how can two opposing viewpoints be supported by the very same people?
Answer: That's how mob rule works.
It plays on the fact that the large majority of people are followers -- waiting for a leader to establish a direction, announce a cause, or express an opinion they can agree with -- so they can jump on the bandwagon and follow it. And they'll sway in the breeze, leaping from one viewpoint to the next, if each sounds good enough. I do not mean to suggest that Robin McGraw or J.D. Jakes had "mob rule" in mind as an intentional outcome when they voiced their opinions. But even so ... it happened.
Some most certainly DO intend it. Others certainly do not. But it happens anyway.
Lessons & Actions For You:
What can leaders learn from this?
Plenty.
Let's go back to the McGraw-Jakes example. They had different views -- so who was right?
For my purposes here, it doesn't matter one hoot. That's not the point of this piece. (It's personal preference anyway. In my view, heck, they both made good sense.)
The point I wish to drive home is, like most "tools", mob rule too can be use for both good and evil. And as a leader, you have the position, title, and authority to use it either way. Your choice.
The late Cavett Robert, founder of the National Speakers Association, said "Most people are walking around, umbilical cord in hand, just waiting for someone to plug it into." Sadly, he's right. Most people just follow the crowd. Largely without opinions or viewpoints, they wait to see which way the majority will swing -- then go with it, assuming it must be right.
Unscrupulous leaders -- and there are plenty -- use this fact to their sinister advantage.
Honorable leaders use it too. But for dignified, principled, virtuous means.
Please do not misunderstand me. I do not mean to suggest that an honorable leader should NOT use the principle of mob rule to gain advantage. On the contrary, any sales presentation, any persuasive speech, or any morale-building rally you've ever given is intended, most definitely, to sway people to your viewpoint, to your product, to your cause. Hopefully in large numbers.
And that's a good thing.
As long as it is grounded in integrity, in truth, in ethics.
Rallying a crowd into a frenzy to storm a building and murder its defenseless inhabitants is one thing. Rallying a crowd into a frenzy to storm a building and save a child's life is quite another.
Both require the same skill of persuasion to gain mob rule. But one is for evil intent, the other for good.
I'll summarize with two thoughts.
Always walk the high ground.
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Rick Houcek is a regular contributor to ManagementRecruiter.com. Rick facilitates off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution and get successfully implemented. His Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick by phone, fax or email. Visit his web site at Soar with Eagles.com. Ask about his 100% No-Risk Guarantee.
ATLANTA - Last week, I wrote a post on MarketingHeadhunter.com called "Do you need a resume? Google thinks so" in which I took marketing author Seth Godin to task for stating that "great people shouldn't have a resume." You can read my post to see what I wrote, but the reader comments were especially thoughtful.
Of particular interest were the comments of search engine expert Alan Rimm-Kaufman and Richard Millington of "I want to work with Seth Godin" -- a great blog, as it turns out. Richard wrote ...
"Anyone who clicks through to my URL will spot my obvious bias here, but I think Seth's comments are meant as aspirational. It's the difference between looking for a job and being the first guy that comes to mind when looking to fill a position. It probably works better at the higher levels, but it certainly doesn't hurt. For the record, I don't have a CV anymore - but I have had offers through my blogs."
That's a lucid argument.
Seriously. I don't fence with Seth Godin much -- mostly because I'm too busy agreeing with him. And you will notice that I spend hundreds of hours blogging and NO time at all tweaking my resume.
But if I were going to apply for a job anywhere (no matter how I generated the job lead), I'd submit a great resume that highlights what I have done with my blogs, my "brands," my recruiting business, etc. The resume would be a compendium of my accomplishments, which is why you need a resume -- despite what the experts might have you believe.
Rule #1 in a tough job search: "Don't buck the system."
My point in writing "Do you need a resume?" was that there is a recruiting process and a hiring protocol, and HR executives are NEVER going to migrate to a less standardized system. There are simply too many candidates out there.
A move away from a standardized system would be like a move back to the days of barter without paper money: There is no way to objectively compare the "value" of one candidate to another unless there is a common currency, and a resume is a proxy for that currency. Which is why Seth says not to use them. But that's a dangerous idea, at least if you want to land a job.
Think about it: A company needs a star executive who can deliver X, Y, and Z. It gets the names of ten candidates who have no resumes. Now what? Most hiring committees have a tough time agreeing on what goes into a job description to begin with.
Why make their hiring decision harder by not having a resume that is mapped to their job posting? That's poor marketing on the candidate's part. The best marketers know to sell how the customer buys. I know Seth knows that because I learned it from him.
All due respect.
In the event that we do move away from a resume based system, my bet is that dozen of software companies will emerge with products to quantify the "worth" of candidates whose accomplishments and online bios are scattered all over the web.
In fact, Broadlook Technologies already offers "candidate information aggregating" software, and let me tell you -- it's extraordinarily powerful. Check out this quick demo featuring Broadlook's founder, Donato Diorio.
And ZoomInfo offers a similar service, though the major difference is that Broadlook sells software, while Zoom sells a database. But either way, it's all about compiling and "templatizing" candidate information.
Just like Facebook and MySpace.
ATLANTA - On Saturday, I was listening to "Costas On The Radio" the weekly program of one of my all-time favorite sportscasters, Bob Costas, who has now ventured into non-sports broadcasting.
He was interviewing Darrell Hammond, long-time cast member of Saturday Night Live. Costas asked Hammond a thought-provoking question that -- as I thought about it -- had implications for leaders everywhere.
Costas was discussing Jimmy Fallon, a fellow SNL cast mate of Hammond, having just been named by NBC to replace Conan O'Brien on The Late Show in 2009 when Conan takes over for Leno on the Tonight Show.
"You've worked with Jimmy Fallon for years," Costas said, "Why do you think he's the right choice to host that show?" Hammond didn't miss a beat. "Because he's a total performer," he said. "I'm not. I'm good at a couple things. I can do good sketch comedy with an ensemble team. And I can do impressions. That's it. But Jimmy Fallon -- he can do it all."
Hammond went on to say Fallon can do sketch, he can do impressions, he can do dialects -- young, middle age, and old -- and he can write comedy too. He simply does it all. He's multi-dimensional. For a comedian, that list is the full monty. When you realize the breadth of Fallon's comedic talents, it's no wonder he got the nod over others.
Simply put, he's a safe bet to nail the laughs and reel in the ratings. It reminded me of a corollary in baseball -- the 5-tool player -- a rare bird indeed. He's the guy who can run, throw, field, hit for average, and hit for power. In the major leagues, he's on the Most Wanted list. Highest paid too. There aren't many.
Most players are lucky to have two or three in their bag of tricks. But to excel at all five is to be the sought-after needle in the haystack. Now ... shift to leaders. And to you.
How many leadership tools are on your peg board? What Jimmy Fallon is to comedy ... and what a 5-tool player is to baseball ... YOU must be to leadership. Multi-dimensional. Multi-skilled. Multi-talented.
Lessons & Actions For You:
Let's say you're highly effective at presentations. Pretty good at working a room. And not bad at leading meetings. But those are pretty much all the arrows in your quiver. You're in trouble.
Or let's say you're the new business closer and exceptionally good at it. You're a planner and organizer to beat the band. And you've got a genius for marketing. But that's it. You're in trouble.
See where I'm going with this? Let me be more specific: A handful of leadership tools on your peg board ain't gonna cut it. Want proof? Some of the greatest leaders of all time have spoken out on the subject. John Wooden, famed UCLA men's basketball coach, who still today owns more national championships than any other coach living or dead, diagrams 17 critical leader traits in his success pyramid from his book "Wooden on Leadership".
As you read the book, you then realize he's burrowing down even deeper into mini points that, if you're counting, could tally over 60 or 70. Colin Powell, former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- in his book "The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell" -- has 16 chapters, each one digging into an important leadership quality. And inside each chapter, you can flush out more sub-points, for a total of, I'm thinking, maybe 50 to 75 traits.
Jack Welch, legendary CEO of GE, has spoken of more than 30 must-have attributes of effective leaders. In "Robert E. Lee on Leadership", written by H. W. Crocker, there are 11 chapters. Each one ends with a bullet-point list of "Lee's Lessons" that summarizes the content. I counted. Total of 52 behaviors, traits and lessons for leaders.
I could go on, but you get the picture. There's an endless list of books, CDs, courses, workshops and seminars on leadership -- and every author has his or her list of traits. Go ahead. Read, listen to, or attend any one of them. I challenge you to argue with their logic. They ALL make sense. Watch any sporting event. Then watch the post-game interview with the head coach.
In a 15-second sound bite, the astute viewer/listener can grab two or three tidbits of leadership wisdom -- each one a profound lesson on its own.
Bottom line: Leadership is multi-dimensional. And by "multi", I don't mean three or four. Or eight or nine. Or 22 or 23. I mean dozens and dozens. Like courage. Initiative. Integrity. Loyalty. Enthusiasm. Vision. Honor. Serving others first. Trustworthiness. Hopefulness. Goal-oriented. Inspirer of others. Delegator. Risk-taker. And on and on and on.
I've only scratched the surface. If all this scares you -- and it should -- you may want to re-think your leadership role. Make sure you're up to the task, up to the challenge, up to the responsibility. Your followers -- whether they number only one or two -- or as many as 10,000 or a million -- all deserve you to be effective at all the many facets of marketing leadership.
No, not a few. Not just the ones you like. Not just the ones that don't upset you. All of them. And the ones you're not good at? Work on them until you are. It's not an option to ignore them. The more you study leadership, the longer will grow your list of critically important traits you must embrace.
Leadership is not for everyone. It's not for the squeamish. Not for those with wobbly knees. Nor the feint of heart. And certainly not for those who intend to just eek by with a couple of key skills, and zero interest in developing the rest. If the pressure of having to be proficient at such a long list of attributes troubles you, get out now, before you embarrass yourself and topple the enterprise.
If, on the other hand, you're energized by it all, you seek to learn more every day, and you're on a non-stop quest to improve yourself and acquire the marketing knowledge and skills to lead with honor, dignity and daring ... then you are in the rarified air that the world's greatest leaders have breathed.
Which are you? Let this be your wake-up call to decide. You can't be an effective leader by going at it half-hearted. Wherever you are on the "leadership continuum", you will always have more to learn.
Will you? Will you start today?
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Rick Houcek, President Soar With Eagles, Inc. To subscribe to his newsletter, please visit Soar with Eagles.com and fill in your name and email address in the upper left of the home page.
SAN FRANSISCO - This weekend, the WSJ had a great interview with Reed Hastings of Netflix. Mr. Hastings has been a keynote speaker at Shop.org, DMA, eTail, and Internet Retailer events, and he's always a hit. Buried in the third paragraph of the WSJ article was a gem about Mr. Hasting's genius as a marketer ...
"... [Mr. Hastings] has already convinced 7.5 million Netflix subscribers that their local video store is too far away and that late fees are evil."
I have not seen a marketing premise that good since Domino's used "Fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes or less or it's free. Guaranteed." Mr. Hastings' premise is actually two premises in one (a real rarity): "Long distance + late fees = You're crazy to support Blockbuster." It tacitly slams the incumbent while building a case for Netflix. Sweet.
And it's not like Blockbuster didn't see it coming. It's that vested interests within the Blockbuster organization did not want to disrupt their existing business by pursuing initiatives that would ultimately cannibalize it. A classic Innovator's Dilemma.
Frankly, there's not much missing from the Netflix sales appeal. It ...
Boom. If you can offer a risk-reversal proposition (# 28) on top of that, you've got it made.
Peter Drucker used to say that "only two things matter in any business: marketing and innovation." Therefore, your business had better be your innovation -- and the thing that you market consistently across every single customer touch point.
What's the premise behind your business? Is it as good as Netflix's? Is it innovative? Is it so disruptive that your largest competitor's CEO would kill it if it were bubbling up inside his own company?
Extra credit: Click here to see Mr. Hastings on Charlie Rose. Notice how Netflix was built on the back of a single story: "I got hit with a $40 late fee on a rented video -- and I was so embarrassed that I didn't want to tell my wife. And I thought to myself "There must be other people who have this problem...""
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SEATTLE, WA - Following is an email exchange between me and a new fan of my weblog 97 Job Search Tips. I thought you job-seekers might enjoy it ...
Dear Harry:
I came across your blog "97 Job Search Tips" while surfing the net this afternoon. In 2006, I came to work for a small aerospace company and loved it. Unfortunately, I fear that I have until September before they decide to close the doors. Our VP of Marketing was let go last December -- and the writing is on the wall for the rest of us.
I know I have to market myself and I wanted to tell you that your article was really good. I'm sending it home to study and try to work through all of the steps. I'm in the Seattle area and am having a hard time identifying other jobs in my current field.
I have a very strong background in marketing that goes back 10 years. Your article made it very clear to me that my resume is a big glob of information that isn't specific enough. I'd like to consider taking a new direction with my career, leaving the aerospace industry -- but I'm not comfortable pursuing something in which I don't have specific experience.
I have great analytical skills for example, and I'd like to get a position as a web analytics manager, but I'm lost on how to link my experience to the job requirements.
Can you give me any advice?
Signed,
Nervous in Seattle
Dear Nervous,
The best thing to do is follow 97 Job Search Tips step-by-step. I'd also do a little work and try to target companies in a particularly hot industry. A rising tide raises all ships -- even the bad ones.
Look at the tools at http://online.onetcenter.org/find/ and see how much of what you're good at is transferable to other industries. Then go to http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/ind_index.html and get the report for this industries that are relevant to you. Start your search there.
It's a ton of work -- but you're worth it.
Kind regards,
Harry Joiner
HOUSTON, TX - This holiday season, I thought I'd give my readers a gift: Marketing guru David Frey has graciously agreed to let me publish his fantastic primer on the most important marketing concept ever: The Unique Selling Proposition. All marketers should understand this concept. No exceptions. Marketers who plan to interview in 2008 -- I encourage you to visit David's wildly popular website, MarketingBestPractices.com
Differentiate or Die
What do all three of these slogans have in common? They are powerful statements of uniqueness that helped to propel their respective companies to success.
Your Unique Selling Proposition
Each of these slogans is their respective company's unique selling proposition (USP). A USP is something that differentiates you from all your competitors both local and industry-wide. It's what makes you so unique that people will choose to do business with you over any of your competitors. Your USP states your distinct advantage.
One of the deadliest mistakes small businesses make is not being unique. Now more than ever you must differentiate your small business.
Explosion of Consumer Choice
Today there is an explosion of choices for consumers. During slow times the same amount of small businesses will be vying for a diminishing amount of prospects. When this happens the competitive landscape gets tougher and choices for consumers gets more difficult. If you want to survive during the slow economy you must differentiate yourself in the eyes of your prospect. Your USP is what states to the world why you are different.
Factoid: The origin of USP comes from a man named Rosser Reeves, considered the 'high priest of hard sell.' An advertising agency chairman back in the 60's, Reeves wrote a book titled, 'Reality in Advertising' which was translated into 28 languages. It was Reeves who introduced and defined the concept called Unique Selling Proposition. In fact, one of Mr. Reeves most successful USP's was "Melts in your mouth -- not in your hands."
Why is Your USP so Important
To be successful in business you don't have to be the best, you just have to be unique. Identifying, developing, and incorporating your USP into everything you do is challenging. But the reward is worth every effort. It will differentiate you, distinguish you, and give you an advantage over everyone in your marketplace.
'Me too' businesses rarely survive. They usually end up in price wars because they don't have anything unique about them to establish value in the minds of their prospects. They are left with only one weapon with which to compete, price. And unless you have a significant cost advantage over your other small business competitors, you will lose.
Make Your USP Crystal Clear
The more clearly you announce your USP, the more often they'll choose you over your competition. You must use your USP to dominate your local market. When a consumer thinks of buying a product in your industry, your name must be the first one that pops into their mind.
Your USP must create a real and perceived advantage in your prospect's mind. For example, Dominos made a very bold guarantee that if they didn't deliver your pizza within 30 minutes of ordering, it would be free of charge. Dominos put their USP into action.
Be Specific
How many small businesses do you hear saying, 'The Best Selection in Town' or 'Service with a Smile.' I have to tell you that these phrases are worn-out, tired renditions of a 'me too' business. Be specific with your USP. When Domino's stated that your pizza would be, (1) fresh, (2) hot, and (3) delivered within 30 minutes, it was specific and measurable. Likewise, 'Buy it today and install it tonight,' that's specific and measurable.
How to Identify and Develop Your USP
You shouldn't rush or hurry the decision of your USP. You will spend thousands of dollars on advertising and promoting your USP. Once you've made your impression and then decide to change it you begin to confuse your prospect and it will cost you even more money to re-implement a different USP.
If your USP is a promise or guaranteed you must make sure that you can fulfill your USP promise. Domino's had a very bold USP. To get a pizza to anyone's house in their marketplace within 30 minutes was sometimes a difficult feat to consistently accomplish. But the rewards were fantastic.
How do you pick a USP?
You need to first identify which needs are going unfulfilled within either your industry or your local market. These are called 'performance gaps.' Many businesses that base their USP on industry performance gaps are successful. Here are some examples in different small business industries:
Example # 1 - Auto Repair Industry
Example # 2 - Dental Industry
Example # 3 - Real Estate Industry
You can see how a performance gap can lead to a powerful USP. You can also have local performance gaps that will give you a great USP as well. For instance, if you are an electronics outlet and you have more inventory than anyone else in town your USP could be, 'We Have 10 Times the Selection than Any Store In Town. Go Visit the Rest, Then Come Shop at the Best.'
Your USP Doesn't Have to be Unique
Although a USP is a statement of your uniqueness it doesn't always have to be something that is only unique to you ... if you proclaim it first!
For instance, if you were a furniture retailer and you proclaimed your USP to be 'Buy today, we'll deliver it tonight.' Most other competitors can do that too, but because you were the first to proclaim it, it is yours exclusively. This is sometimes called 'preemptive marketing.' You can preempt your competitors if you take a strong benefit, whether or not it's unique, and put your stamp on it first. All others who come after you will just be strengthening an advantage that you have already placed in the minds of your prospects.
Live Up To Your USP
Be bold when developing your USP but be careful to ensure that you can live up to your USP. Your USP should have promises, guarantees, policies and procedures, employee evaluations and other reinforcing processes to make each USP come alive. Having a strong USP can make your business super successful, on the other hand, having a USP that you can't live up to is suicide.
I'm sure that Domino's had to eat the cost of a lot of pizzas when they didn't arrive within 30 minutes, but they developed a system that allowed them to deliver on their promise consistently.
Integrate Your USP into Everything You Do
Once you have put some careful thought to your USP and have developed it, you need to integrate it into everything you do.
You can't over do or wear out your USP
... especially if it's powerful. The nation's most successful furniture dealer is based in Houston, Texas. You can't turn on a radio or television without hearing the furniture store's USP, 'Saves You Money!' across the airwaves. It's everywhere.
If you stopped someone on the street in Houston and said two words, 'Gallery Furniture' and asked them to finish the sentence, nine out of ten people would say, 'Saves You Money!' That's why it's the most successful furniture store in the United States.
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BOSTON, MA - We all have our favorite TV shows. I happen to love Boston Legal.
It's part drama, part social commentary, part comedy and a huge dose of zany, wacky farce.
Denny Crane is the Chief Executive Farce. He's by far my favorite character, and I can't imagine anyone playing him better than William Shatner. His lightening-quick humor and razor-sharp jabs that come out of left field combine to make him, in my view, the funniest character on network television.
If you watch the show, you know the character. If you don't, I'll sum it up in one long, run-on sentence:
Denny Crane is an aging partner in a Boston law firm who's completely lost touch with reality, openly chases every skirt in the office (clients included), has slept with many and brags about it to anyone who'll listen, puts the firm at risk each week by violating every ethical code of workplace conduct, routinely embarrasses himself, the other partners and the firm, has an ego bigger than Boston's Fenway Park, has pulled a gun and shot two people for ridiculous reasons, has been arrested more times than some of the firm's seedier clients, is allowed to stay because his name is on the door, and in last night's episode fired a junior lawyer because she's fat, told her so, and then hurled no less than 8 to 10 demeaning "size" insults at her while doing it. (Whew, I need air.)
The character is masterfully written and brilliantly acted. I tip my hat to the writers and Shatner.
Leadership: What it's not.
You may be wondering: How can a steward of high integrity leadership and frequently speak out against the liars, cheats and thieves. So how can you love a leader who's a disgusting slug like Denny Crane?
Great question. Simple answer. Because for 60 minutes I tune out reality, put the real world aside, and enjoy pure fantasy. It's Hollywood at its entertaining best. (And that's the ONLY part of it I like.) Same reason I love Homer Simpson even though he's a certified, card-carrying buffoon.
It's entertainment. A funny and temporary escape from the real issues of the day, something to laugh my fool head off at.
But the other part of the Denny Crane character? Well, that's my target for today.
Leadership Lessons For You:
Now let's put fantasy aside and re-engage the real world.
Truth is, there really are some Denny Cranes running around in leadership positions. I hope not as lecherous and despicable as the TV character, but yes, possessing several of his not-so-admirable qualities.
Denny Crane on TV is funny. But in your company, he's anything but. He's a boil on your hind end. A lawsuit waiting to happen. A horrible example you don't want any of your other leaders to see, let alone imitate. He's the worst possible person to occupy a position of high authority. In short, he's cancer to an ethical organization.
And an even bigger crime than his behavior itself is when there are no consequences for his atrocities and he is allowed to stay. All because he's the owner, a partner, and has his name on the door. So the other partners make excuses for him. Give him a free pass. Scold him gently behind closed doors but take no real action to end his unacceptable and illegal behavior. Making them just as guilty as he is.
Other employees in the firm are seldom shown, so we don't see how they're impacted. But it's no mystery that they would be disgusted about a partner who is continually allowed to violate every principle the firm stands for.
Yes, I've got a real problem with leaders who let their fellow leaders get away with murder. Not just partners, but anyone up and down the line who occupies a position of authority -- owners, CEOs, senior execs, managers, supervisors, team captains, department heads, and so on. To see infractions and do nothing about them, is to be an accomplice.
Like the leaders at Enron, who got away with their illegal shenanigans for a long time before someone finally blew the whistle. Or any manager who won't deal with offenders and draw the line.
And the most heinous of all: a parent who knows the other parent is abusing the kids, yet does nothing, says nothing, tells no one.
Responsible, ethical leaders step up and do what's right. One of any leader's chief obligations is to ensure that leadership throughout the organization is of the highest integrity at all times. Anyone unwilling to walk that line should rip the stripes off his own sleeve and clean out his desk.
The Denny Crane on Boston Legal is funny because he's fiction. But when I turn off the TV and go to bed, I don't want to wake up in the morning and find him working in my company.
Got a Denny Crane at your place? What will you do?
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Rick Houcek, President Soar With Eagles, Inc. To subscribe to his newsletter, please visit Soar with Eagles.com and fill in your name and email address in the upper left of the home page.
ATLANTA, GA - My 11 year old son's Boy Scout Troop is holding elections this week for its 14 leadership positions. Some of the positions seem like small potatoes: Troop Bugler, Troop Scribe, and Troop Historian jump out as a way for a rookie Boy Scout like my son to cut his teeth in troop leadership.
But some of the positions seem like they'd be great fodder for a college application.
Take the position of Senior Patrol Leader, for example. This Senior Patrol Leader is the alpha dog of the troop, and according to BSA founder Robert Baden-Powell, “The best progress is made in those Troops where power and responsibility are really put into the hands of the Patrol Leaders.” Kind of like a multi-national corporation or franchise operator that pushes responsibility and accountability down to the local level.
Good command skills
We have a family friend who served as a Senior Patrol Leader, and this young man ...
Basically, the kid was a leader -- and his leadership skills only sharpened with practice. Without trying to be the Great Santini, I'm encouraging my 11 year old to pursue an elected role.
It's kind of a big deal.
This morning I received the application form to determine which boys will go on the voting ballot. Should my son decide to run for one of these positions, he must complete the form. The form was less than one page long. At the bottom of the page was a text box, not nearly large enough to answer the question it contained:
Use this space to tell why you want this job, how you would do the job, and why you are the best choice for this position.
There is clarity in brevity -- and there is power in clarity. I especially love the red part. Any candidate who can answer this question in just 100 words has really thought through the issues, don't you think?
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Candidates: Check out 97 Job Search Tips
ATLANTA, GA -- Monday is Labor Day in America -- a day set aside to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold", to use the words of Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. McGuire was the first to suggest holding a "Labor Day" in 1882, though it's argued whether or not he was the actual founder.
I agree. We do need a day to honor those hearty souls who bend steel, ship mail, plant seeds, paint buildings, fly planes, mill paper, bake bread, build cars, and on and on. But while Labor Day initially focused on members of labor unions, today it goes far beyond that.
It now constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions all workers make to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Blue collar and white, hourly and salaried, factory workers and office, night shifters and day, weekends or weekday. Everybody!
I'd like to take it further. In my view, it ought to be a worldwide celebration, not just American. We should honor every human being who helps churn the economic engine of Planet Earth by being gainfully employed and doing honest, respectable work.
So my hat's off to each and every one. That said, let's switch our focus to you -- the leader -- in 3 primary ways.
You have important responsibilities on Labor Day.
First: You too are a laborer. Those at the top of the pyramid -- owners of businesses, managers of departments, and leaders of teams -- are also logging hours of toil. So please accept my thanks and congratulations for your contribution of blood, sweat and tears to the productivity of our beloved planet.
Second: As a leader, you guide the efforts of others. I hope you'll take pause to ask yourself, with brutal honesty: Am I doing all I can do to improve my effectiveness as a leader? And assuming you're not (c'mon, there's always more you could do), let me suggest you commit, right now, to 3 profound actions before the end of September to take your leadership game to a higher level. Maybe it's reading books, listening to CDs, attending workshops, spending one-on-one time with a mentor, a combination of several ... or whatever.
You choose. Just do something. Your followers deserve you at your best. (Hey, it's back-to-school month -- so jump on the learning bandwagon with all the kids.)
And third: You absolutely must not let this holiday pass without saying thanks to those who work for you. No, it doesn't have to be Monday, the holiday itself. You could declare that 4-day week to be "Honor Our Staff" week. Or designate all of September as "Celebrate Our Hard-Working Employees" month.
You could pick one day next week and order lunch pizza for your employees. Or pick any timeframe and give it any name. People are grateful for being recognized and appreciated -- they'll take it any time and frankly couldn't care less what you call it. (But do tie it to Labor Day somehow, so you don't miss this opportunity.)
Lessons & Actions For You:
I'd do 2 things: First, I would take immediate action on suggestions 2 and 3 above. Get the ball rolling. And second, I'd log those same 2 ideas into my calendar for next Labor Day ... September 1, 2008 ... so I don't forget them. Labor Day is more than just a day off work. It's a day smart leaders acknowledge their staffs.
Before I started my own business in 1991, I was an employee of other companies up to that point. In all my "employee years", I honestly cannot remember one owner, CEO, VP, supervisor, manager or boss ever saying thanks to me on Labor Day. To be fair, I'm not sure I ever said it to anyone who reported to me either. Blood on my hands too.
You have a chance to be smarter than that. What you do is up to you.
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Rick Houcek is President of Soar With Eagles, Inc. He specializes in facilitating off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution (the single biggest cause of plan failure) -- and get successfully implemented.
Rick's dynamic Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick at www.SoarWithEagles.com.
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Candidates: Check out 97 Job Search Tips
ATLANTA, GA -- Last week I heard a speaker at a conference tell a touching story about her 5th grade teacher. Seems this speaker, when she was a little girl, was shy, lacked confidence, and had few friends. Her teacher took her aside one day while her classmates were at recess, and gave her very encouraging, inspiring words she has never forgotten. To this day, she vividly remembers the moment -- and how her spirit lifted, her shoulders squared, and an ear-to-ear smile became etched on her face.
By her own admission, it was a turning point in her life. One, she says, that she recalls fondly and frequently when she needs a jolt of motivation. She added: "Those sterling words, on a day no more significant than any other, gave a lonely kid a bright future."
Wow. As I listened, a thought flew through my mind: I wondered if this lady had ever told her 5th grade teacher how her uplifting words on that day long ago had altered the course of her life every day since. Did she ever return to the school to tell her in person … pick up the phone and have a conversation … send her a card or note … or maybe (today) an email.
Or, did she, like most of us, never again make contact with her source of inspiration?
I was too curious, so I approached her after the speech. And I asked. Turns out, she had not ever gone back. Hadn't called. Sent no card or note. Never said thanks.
Hmmmmmm.
And somewhere, in some city, sits that 5th grade teacher today. Maybe she's still teaching young children. Maybe she changed professions. Maybe she's long since retired. Or maybe she has passed on.
But wherever she is, she has no idea that her words that day more than 40 years ago -- words I'm willing to bet she forgot saying soon after -- created hope for a struggling young child. A child who today is a noble, worthy adult, who influences others, who has raised a fine family, and who has built a life on the very words the teacher doesn't remember saying.
We frequently tell stories about people who made a difference to us -- parents, teachers, coaches, bosses, co-workers, ministers, best friends. At times, it's even someone we've never met -- like the author of a book, actor in a movie, a pro athlete, an average person we read about in the paper, someone we saw on TV, or a person from centuries ago.
But even when it's someone we know, how often do we pick up the phone and tell those people we shared a wonderful story about them, and what they meant to us? We don't -- we just tell the story. And they never know.
Mother Teresa said "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." How true. And they'll have even more meaning if we will just tell the person who uttered them the power and influence they had on us.
What about you and your influence over others? Have you ever wondered: "Gee, have I ever done anything so noteworthy, so meaningful, so exceptionally wonderful … that right now, at this very minute, someone is telling a story to another person about that very thing I said or did?" It forces you to take stock of whether you're setting a good example for others … or bad. Assuming good, wouldn't you like to be told?
Lessons & Actions For You: There are two.
First, it's time to say thanks. Sit down and make out a list of all the people who positively influenced you the most. Think back to childhood, through your teen years, your young adulthood, and beyond … right on up to the present. This will take more than one sitting. Keep a running list and add to it when a new name and story pops to mind. Zig Ziglar tells about his "Wall of Gratitude" that contains pictures of all the people in his life who have helped shape him into the person he is. (Got an empty wall in your home?)
Then commit to yourself that you'll endeavor to contact each one and tell the story that touched you most, the one from which you draw inspiration, the one that gives you the boost you need. Don't be surprised if they don't remember it. Is there a greater gift you could give them? (How would you like to receive a phone call or letter with such a message?)
If you're like me, the number will be quite large. Don't overburden yourself to do it all in a few days or a week. Plan it out over several months or a year, if you must.
Second, commit right now that your decisions and behaviors going forward will be the kind that others will want to tell positive stories about well beyond your years. Commit to making whatever changes you need to make to stay in integrity, to live your values, to be respected by others, to inspire those who need it … and to be worthy of following, of quoting, and of being talked about in a positive light. If you're not sure what you need to change, go to the person in your life who is the most brutally honest with you and will tell it like it is, pulling no punches. Fasten your seat belt -- we all have some things that need fixin'.
To say thanks to others … and to behave in a way deserving of thanks yourself … are two of the most noble acts of life. Isn't that the kind of leader you want to be?
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Rick Houcek is President
of Soar With Eagles, Inc. He specializes in facilitating off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution (the single biggest cause of plan failure) -- and get successfully implemented.
Rick's dynamic Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick at www.SoarWithEagles.com.
____________________________________________
Check out 97 Job Search Tips
One of our clients has an opening for a "Web Analyst"
This position is responsible for conducting strategic analysis and day to day fulfillment of web and business metrics to aid decision-making within the organization.
Primary Responsibilities:
Skills:
Work Experience:
If you feel you have these skills and would like to be placed in our industry-leading database for confidential consideration of online retailing and ecommerce opportunities, please send your resume in WORD format to Harry.Joiner@Gmail.com
Please reference “Web Analyst” in the subject field of your email.
____________________________________________
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This is a little freaky: For years, direct marketers have known that one of the best predictors of buying behavior is called recency. Recency means that how recently a customer has purchased often dictates how likely they are to buy again in the near future.
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My friend Rick Houcek (pronounced "HO-check") is an amazing leadership development and strategic planning facilitator based in Atlanta. Today Rick sent me his following article which I thought was outstanding. I thought you might enjoy it too.
How Will You Be Judged In The End?
A Dose Of Reality About Excellence For People In Charge, And Those Who Aspire To Be.
Two days ago, Sunday July 29th, all seemed right with the world. Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, poster boys for consistent stellar performance and non-stop integrity, were inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
I'm a baseball fan extraordinaire. Watching these two guys play (20 seasons for Gwynn and 21 for Ripken) was as good as it gets. They gave you every ounce of their best every game. And as a fan you knew you were witnessing immortality right before your eyes.
How does that translate to leadership? What kind of leaders were Ripken and Gwynn?
I could devote space to a dozen or more admirable leadership attributes that both showed with consistency, but I'll hit on just four where I think these two guys were over the top. And it's important to take pause and reflect on their examples. They taught us so much.
1. They played within the rules of ethics and integrity. Too bad the sports page today is littered with stories of illegal performance-enhancing drug use, illegal and despicable off-field activities, recruiting violations, game fixing, and on and on. Gwynn and Ripken played the game the way it was meant to be played -- with honor. They were stars on their own merits -- using only their own natural bodies, talent and hard work. They violated none of baseball's codes of conduct. They respected their teams -- and the game of baseball -- with integrity 24/7, on the field and off. Gwynn said, "Fans felt comfortable enough with us because they could trust us, how we played the game and how we conducted ourselves -- especially in this era of negativity."
2. Winning was more important to them than money. Greenbacks seem to rule the day in sports. While I'll never knock someone for improving his or her financial position by seeking new employment, it's nonetheless refreshing to see two superstar athletes -- already multimillionaires early in their careers who could have significantly increased their wealth by jumping teams -- choose to stay home for less.
I've heard pro athletes proclaim "I want to be the highest paid at my position." (or "...in my sport.") If I'm a teammate bent on winning a championship -- that's what the games are really about aren't they? -- that angers me. We've got an ego-driven superstar more concerned with "me" than "we". But not Ripken and Gwynn -- they came to play and win. And if they did well, they believed, they'd be rewarded. They were, handsomely. Without jumping on the free agent bandwagon.
3. They never cheated their teammates, the fans, or the game. In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Ripken told of his regret when hearing that a family saved their money to come to Baltimore and see him play, and he was ejected in the first inning and the little boy cried the whole game. He realized, kids see everything, and he changed his ways. How many others would care about that? Or alter their behavior? Ripken and Gwynn left it all on the field, every game, giving 100 percent effort. They saw their every move as an "example" for someone else.
4. They were always humble winners. Ever hear either of them brag? On any day of their playing careers? I'll challenge anyone to dig up an old interview transcript where either of them is pontificating of personal achievements or degrading others undeservedly. Bet it doesn't exist. I'll stand corrected if found, and I'll be shocked. In their speeches, both gave more credit to their teammates and the game itself than they accepted themselves. Ripken said, "It's easy to pound your chest and say it was about me in some ways, but it was not. We play a small part, a small role."
Lessons And Actions For You:
Not sure I have to spell it out anymore than I already have. If you just added those four traits to your bag of behaviors -- or enhance them if they're already in your bag -- you'll win the hearts of your followers. You could look long and hard and not find two better role models. If any of us could be judged in the end like Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, it would have been a pretty good life.
Bravo, Rick! Well said.
To learn more about Rick Houcek, click here.
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A friend of mine is interviewing for a new sales job. Today he received the following instructions for his upcoming interview:
Instructions to Candidates for Sales Presentation
Assignment: Select a product or service you know well or have sold before. The product need not be related to our product or industry. It is best to select a topic that enables you to demonstrate strong product knowledge and confidence.
Prepare a 15-minute presentation intended to educate and convince prospective customers about the benefits of using your product/service.
As part of our selection process, you will deliver your presentation to an audience of 2-3 members of the Senior Sales Management Team, who will play the role of your prospective customers.
Note: Please come ready to present. You will not have time to prepare for this during your visit.
Objective: This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skill at presenting product or service information in small group settings. You will be assessed on your performance in six dimensions:
Try to close the deal.
Guidelines:
Your presentation cannot exceed 15 minutes, so carefully select and narrow your topic. Your presentation will conclude at 15 minutes, whether you are finished or not. There is no separate Question and Answer period, so you will want to build some time for this into your presentation. Seek opportunities for give-and-take with your customers rather than a straight presentation.
At a minimum, please provide your audience an agenda for your presentation. You may use a product sample if demonstration is necessary to your presentation. You may also prepare and use up to two handouts (e.g., related notes or charts) if you wish. Other materials, such as flipcharts or professionally printed brochures, are not allowed.
You may NOT use Power Point presentations.
As the CEO of a fast-growing paid search agency that’s hiring regularly, many resumes land in my in-box each week. These are resumes at all levels: entry, mid, and senior folks.
One of my current hiring pet peeves is getting resumes in Office 2007 format. That is, we’re seeing an increasing number of inbound resumes coming in “.docx” format.
I can’t open these resumes with one click, so I am tossing them straight into the trash. Not even considered. Sorry, but true.
Now, I happen to have Vista and Office ’07 at home (ugh), but I do not have these at work. Our IT folks are holding our firm on XP and Office 2003 as long as we can hold out. On the OS side, Vista isn’t baked enough, our IT gurus believe. On the apps side, I fear the productivity hit of switching to Office 2007, when our amazing crew of power Excel users on our analyst staff suddenly won’t be able to find anything anymore. (Want to pull out your hair? Find pivot tables in Excel ’07. Or try to format several graphs in parallel. All the menus changed! Argh!)
Candidates: You know hiring managers are moving fast. Hiring managers are looking for reasons to cull your resume. If you want to be considered, make things easy for the hiring manager.
Sending your resume just in “.docx” comes off as rude to me. Seeing just a “.docx” resume makes me wonder if the candidate is clueless (because she/he doesn’t realize Office 2007 isn’t broadly adopted yet), not technically savvy (because she/he doesn’t understand file types), or self-absorbed (because she/he assumes that everyone should be using the latest-and-greatest out of Redmond, just like them). Actually, I don’t spend much time wondering, as I’ve already hit “delete” on the email and moved on.
My suggestion: Send your resume in multiple formats.
Plain text, in-line in the email below your sig, is always good. (I also like to see a resume well-presented in plain ascii – that suggests the candidate will be able to compose good-looking text emails.) A PDF attachment is also good -- it shows the candidate cares enough to control the page layout and typography. (Hint: if you use PDF, don’t PDF an ugly resume – ugh.) Use Word if you want, but be smart and use Word 2003 (“.doc”, not “.docx”). 2007 Word can read 2003 Word seamlessly, but not the reverse, so use 2003.
Just please avoid ".docx" as your sole resume format.
Landing your dream job requires executing lots of small details right. Choosing the wrong resume file format can derail the train before it even leaves the station.
Alan Rimm-Kaufman leads the Rimm-Kaufman Group, a paid search and web effectiveness agency located in Charlottesville Virginia. Find Alan online at http://www.rkgblog.com
Lots of times when I deal with online marketing executives, I feel a little like a sports agent. I mean, if you are reading this blog, then you are either a hiring manager or you are "the talent." Being the talent is fun -- especially these days, when great internet marketers have so many options.
So as your agent, allow me to get preachy for minute.
Do you eat fast food french fries? C'mon. Who doesn't? I'm a father of four kids and my wife is due with our fifth in June. I steal my kids' fries like they are going outta style! In fact, today, I swiped two chicken nuggets and ~20 fries from the massive grocery bag of Wendy's I bought the kids after church.
For some reason, when the food is for my kids, it's easy to lull myself into thinking that it doesn't effect me -- as if sneaking junk food from four small orders makes it better for me than if I had simply ordered my own. So I grab a my "fry tax" as I pass the food into the back of the van where my progeny maul it like lions. But I digress ...
Watch this video. If you never eat another fast food french fry again, it will allow you to lose weight and think more clearly. I could link to a bunch of research to prove my point, but we both know it's true. But watch this anyway. And eat like an athlete. That way, when I send you out on an interview you'll look and feel better about yourself -- and you'll probably get an offer. Ka-ching!
As my long-time blog readers know, before becoming a marketing recruiter I owned a B2B inside sales consultancy called "Reliable Growth." Essentially, I taught companies like NCR and Aflac how to research, identify, and develop new business with a phone, an internet connection and a fax machine.
Telemarketing was the lynch-pin of my campaigns.
My campaigns always involved tightly choreographed, sequential steps and sought to establish permission-based relationships with highly targeted prospects over a 6-8 week time frame. Each interaction was like a chess move. You can see the gist of the method in this page from my old manual. This small portion of my process is based on the un-improvable work of Jim Cecil -- the father of nurture marketing.
Needless to say, I know a thing or two about cold calling. Indeed, I have made many thousands of ice-cold calls in my life -- and if the telephone were a slot-machine, I would be waaaay up in my winnings.
But there's rejection -- and lots of it.
After all, a cold call interrupts the prospect's day. It's an intrusion, and most folks don't like to be intruded on. The cold call loser focuses on this element and takes the rejection personally. The cold call winner simply "moves through the target" (as they say in the Navy SEALS) by regarding cold calling as a numbers game.
Here are five basic truths about cold calling:
Which brings me to the point of this blog post:
Today on iMedia, Sean Cheyney, VP of Marketing for AccuQuote, has a nice piece called 5 Ways to Screw up a Cold Call. His tips include ...
Sales reps get hung up on cold-calling (no pun intended), but an old sales manager at Aflac had it right when he told his reps "I don't care if your own mother refers you to a prospect: If you have never spoken to the prospect before, then your first call is always a cold call." Truer words have never been spoken.
So given the above, here's my question: "Is cold calling an effective part of your company's marketing mix?" Why or why not??
I dunno why, but I love tough questions. Not because I can solve them, but because I can't. There's something really cool about the unanswerable question, and even cooler about the first person to answer it.
Anyway, tonight for some reason I'm trolling the Forrester Research site, browsing all of their upcoming marketing and ecommerce seminars for 2007. Forrester, btw, is teaming with brainiacs. And they all get paid to answer big, hairy, audacious questions. Sort of the intellectual equivalent of Evel Knievel.
Here are some of the sphincter-tightening marketing and ecommerce questions they will be examining in '07 (modified slightly to read as job interview questions):
If you are a C-level hiring manager looking for a new marketing VP, why not trot out some of these babies during your next round of candidate panel interviews? And please: Let me know if there are any colossal wipe-outs.
It sounds like a late night infomercial biz-op:
Today's Washington Post has an interesting article about about click fraud -- and what Google and Yahoo are doing about it. Google estimates that less that 10% of its Adwords clicks are fraudulent, while some industry experts peg the problem at 15-30%. Regardless, it's big money for professional click fraud artists -- and even the FBI is said to be getting involved.
The article tells of a lady in Iowa getting addicted to earning a half-cent for every ad she clicks, reporting that she makes $300 a year. By my math, that's 60,000 clicks a year -- or 164 clicks per day. In America, you can make more than that flipping burgers. But in India, where much of the click fraud is originating, $300/year might be good money. Whatever. Fraud is fraud.
Two things for marketers ...
Thing 1: Until this mess gets straightened out, you marketers RELAX. It's not like most of you know what you are doing in the area of paid search, so is click fraud really the source of your problems? No. Remember, this problem effects everyone, and marketing effectiveness is relative. Your job is to outrun your competitors, and the PPC track is slick for everyone. So shaddap.
Thing 2: Regarding his company's advertising nearly a century ago, John Wanamaker commented "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." At least with paid search, even the most dire prediction is that 70% of of your advertising is working.
Try that with a space ad, a TV spot, or a blimp.
Are you a Sales Manager? Do you know a Sales Manager? Good! Send them this post. They'll be glad you did.
Now then: If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you might know that I was a frozen food trader throughout the 1990s. A "trader" is basically a sales rep who does much of his own buying.
I learned more about the nature of negotiation, price competition, manufacturing, intermodal logistics, and international trade while working at AJC International than at any other time in my life. It was awesome.
In 1997, I bought more than $14 million worth of frozen beef and pork for my own account -- and I sold almost $32 million in frozen food to more than 17 countries throughout the pacific rim. Have you ever haggled with a beef packer in a falling shortrib market? Me too!
None of this makes me a hotshot. It simply means that AJC forced each trader to think like a small business owner, and it paid its traders based on two metrics: Booked revenue and invoiced revenue -- which was "booked revenue adjusted for actual storage, handling, inspection, shipping, insurance, interest accrued on inventoried product, bank surcharges, customer credit, and quality claims." Whew!
One of the great things AJC required its traders to do was "cost out" every trade on a spreadsheet. For example, a trader couldn't simply buy a truckload of frozen chicken legquarters for USD 0.135/lb FOB from a packer in Fort Smith, AR and sell them to a Chinese distributor for USD 0.2425/lb CIF Qingdao without accruing (and sometimes negotiating) the costs listed above.
Once the costs were known, the trader would write up the sale on a 3-ply form resembling the spreadsheet -- with one ply going to Accounting (who would tie back to the trade any ensuing bills), one ply going to Logistics (who would manage the movement of the load), and one ply being kept by the trader (who would constantly review his portfolio of deals with Logistics to make sure that they shipped in accordance with the terms of the contract).
As each load moved through the international supply chain (the transit time was usually 40-50 days), each trader had to actually approve the vendor invoices that got tied back to their individual trades.
Just like in real life.
It was not uncommon to get hit with a "lumping" or "box stamping" bill on an odd pallet of product taken from inventory to make weight in a container. If mis-accrued, those charges came out of my paycheck as they were tied back to my trades. Ouch. Loads that arrived late were deemed "out of contract" by customers and short-paid (or "marked to market"). Those costs were also deducted from my trading P&L.
There was even a political and currency "risk premium" that each trader had to accrue, depending on the product's destination. Products sold to Iraq carried a higher premium than the same ones to Singapore.
From 1993-1999, I wrote up more than a thousand trades, and I knew my costs cold. It just wasn't kosher to wing it.
A Temple of Self-Interest
There was very little random motion in AJC's organization. Everyone from the traders to the shipping clerks showed up to make money. To this day, AJC remains a temple of self-interest. So effective was the AJC costing system that one of my first engagements as a self-employed marketing consultant was to introduce the system to a local importer of vitamin raw materials.
AJC's training is so good that its competitors call it "Atlanta Junior College" because so many of its traders have left to start their own niche trading companies. Very successfully, I might add.
Reality Check for the Sales Staff
So it was with great interest that I read Jaclyne Badal's article "A Reality Check for the Sales Staff" in today's WSJ. The article states that "squeezed by global price pressure and customer demands, companies often strike deals that generate revenue but not profit."
But companies are getting a clue: Dow Chemical just implemented software to analyze the profitability of deals. One tactic Dow uses to cut transportation costs is to consolidate shipments (AJC did that eons ago).
From Revenue to Profit
Many companies are trying to boost the bottom line by weeding out products and customers that generate revenue but little profit. According to Ms. Badal's article, sales managers and sales consultants suggest:
Sales Manager Job Search Tip:
If you are a sales manager who is looking for new career opportunities, please take a look at your accomplishments in light of these suggestions.
What are you waiting for? Do these things NOW -- and by all means make sure they are accurately reflected on your resume. You'll make more money and enjoy a shorter, more effective job search for your efforts.
DID YOU KNOW ... that only 12% of the Internet's content is reachable by search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. The other 88% of what's on the web is behind log-ins and registration fields -- so the major search engines cannot "spider" it. Simply put, Google only gives you the tip of the iceberg.
As an executive recruiter and executive search firm owner, I use special software tools that enable me to access much of what's on the "Deep Web." Very often, my candidates are the most thoroughly prepared candidates in any given executive search.
My approach to executive search is simple: Find, recruit, and motivate a small, diverse handful of previously successful, business-oriented candidates -- and educate the hell out of them. Mostly, I use my powerful web search tools to help my candidate's prepare for job interviews.
However, sometimes I use these tools just for fun. For example, today I used one of my tools to dredge up 16 freely accessible articles from the Harvard Business Review. See for yourself ...
If you're pressed for time, marketers MUST check out articles # 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, and 15. If you are in HR, be sure to read articles # 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, and 16. Notice # 8 is on both lists. I have bolded in red my personal favorites.
What's the difference between online retailing and online media? Don't look now, but for fans of Home Depot -- the line just got more blurry.
In an unusual move to subsidize its online business, Home Depot has begun to offer prime product placement on its homepage. Click here for a demo.
According to Nielsen NetRatings, Home Depot's website is visited by 4 million shoppers each week, nearly 90% of whom own their own homes. And now "Vendors can communicate their stories via video," according to HD's Director of Online Marketing, Greg Foglesong.
Three things are interesting about this:
It makes Home Depot a media company -- allowing it to compete with Martha Stewart and HGTV. This is right in line with Todd Herman's recent comments on Beet.TV. Pay very, very close attention to what this guy is saying -- and consider thoughtfully how this trend might effect your company (and your job) in 5-7 years.
It takes CPG multichannel merchandising to a whole new level. In the past, CPG companies like Heinz, Colgate, Coke, and Rubbermaid were unable to reach their end users in a way that could measurably and immediately stimulate demand for their products. Yes, they could run newspaper ads or feature coupons in the retailer's store environment -- but they couldn't actually tweak their promotions on the fly. This changes all of that. Shorter customer feedback loops will increase product development velocity, and that will change the nature of how products are launched and sustained.
It enables new entrants to make inroads into a competitive category much more quickly. For example, two weeks ago I had a dream that I became rich after inventing a curiously strong, Altoids-like toothpaste called "Bully." If copied by the likes of Publix and Walmart, Home Depot's move would allow similar niche consumer products to find a wider audience almost immediately. And the clickthroughs of niche product ads will provide real-time market research to the retailer that there is a strong demand for high-intensity products like Bully or Jones Cola. Retailers always follow the money, and rolling waves of colorful, clutter busting, here-today-gone-tomorrow niche products could easily impact our society in new and unforeseen ways.
I agree with Rupert Murdoch, who thinks that we are in the top of the second inning of the Internet era. These are exciting times to be a marketer, and that excitement will be a good thing for marketing candidates who take the time to understand how the latest web apps can interplay with traditional marketing strategies.
I received a resume today from a guy who's a former NFL player with the NY Jets and Oakland Raiders. I freaking love that. Why? Because it shows that ...
What about you? Are you like this former ball player? At what activity have you excelled in your own life? Is it on your resume? Are you approaching your own career with the same level of passion -- for the love of the game? Or are you living in the past?
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"If you wish to be considered (passively and discreetly) for a significantly better career opportunity, simply upload your resume into my database. Your information will not be shared without your prior knowledge and consent." -- Harry / (678) 795-0900
This is Zoë Goldring here, one of the JobGals over at JobSyntax with the honor of posting on Harry Joiner’s Marketing Headhunter for this week's Recruiting Blog Swap.
The big kerfluffle made by Apple and Google recently to protect their brand names (thanks for the lead Heather), got me thinking again about personal brand and protecting your name – and reputation – in the digital age. We’ve blogged before about combatting your digital dirt and the idea of personal brand, but have you ever thought about what (or frankly who) might be out their tarnishing your personal brand and how you can protect it?
Here are a few quick thoughts on how you can keep your impeccable reputation untarnished:
Understanding what information is out there about you as well as what others might be saying can go a long way in protecting your personal brand. Just like G.I. Joe said in those great cartoon PSA’s of yesteryear, knowing is half the battle!
Here's a story about employee retention: I received a call this week from a friend-of-a-friend.
My friend is a famous search engine copywriter, and the friend she referred to me is a smart, friendly, business-oriented 29-year old internet marketer with an unblemished 8-year track record of success with the same Fortune 500 direct-to-consumer company. Four of those years were in web development. Within the last four years, she has single-handedly built her employer's organic SEO programs with amazing success. Her resume is a work of art.
Anyway, this young lady (let's call her "Susan") is looking for new opportunities.
Here's why: Eight years ago, Susan signed on with her company for an annual salary of $60K plus a $2500 discretionary bonus. Despite several promotions, "company policy" has held Susan to cost of living increases at 6% per annum, while the discretionary bonus has never changed. Today she makes $95K + a $2500 bonus. Her performance reviews have been nothing less than exemplary.
So last week Susan gets reviewed, and -- as usual -- her boss raved about her performance. All of her KPI's are through the roof. Yet when Susan mentioned to her boss that people with her background are making $150K base + bonus on the agency side of the SEO business and $125K base + bonus on the client side, her boss said ...
"Susan, if you can get that kind of money elsewhere, go for it. Your employee status allows me to pay you $95K + a cost of living increase. Take it or leave it."
Less than an hour later, Susan was on the phone with me.
Note to HR Managers: Your employees do not operate in a vacuum. They know what the market is for their skillset. In particular, SEO programs are very profitable for both agencies and clients. Simply put, there is a ton of money washing around in the SEO space. Most top-flight SEO consultants are being billed out at $150/hour -- and everyone knows it.
The best way to keep your recruiting costs low is to not lose good people.
Susan's defection is totally unnecessary. She's trained. She has solid intercompany relationships. She's well-respected by her peers outside of the company. And her desk is very cash-flow positive. Replacing Susan will be a costly hassle if the company does it without my help. And if the company does it with my help, I'll charge them 20-25% of the replacement's base salary -- which will likely be $125K + bonus. The total cost to clean up this mess will be $60-70K.
The worst thing a company can do is to motivate their stars to look around. Trust me, if I get an unsolicited call from one of your A-players, I will remind them that you don't appreciate them. That's my job: I'm a management recruiter, and I'm pretty good at it.
And if you want your company to go from Good to Great, for each employee under review ask "Would I hire this person again?" If the answer is yes, then keep in mind the total cost to replace that person and assign their bonus accordingly.
In the meantime, if you are a corporate recruiter who's looking for a highly-skilled organic SEO program manager (single, home owner, no kids, easy relocation), call me at (678) 795-0900.
The August 21 issue of Fortune magazine asks an important question: "Have You Outgrown Your Job?"
According to Fortune publicist, Erin Clinton, "A generation of younger workers can’t get ahead—because the boomers above them won’t budge. Twenty-, thirty-, and even forty-something managers are in trouble. Fifteen-hour days have become the norm. Untethering oneself from one’s BlackBerry is, in many fields, considered high treason. All this might not be so terrible if that big promotion—the one that catapults an up-and-comer out of middle-management hell and into the senior ranks-were around the corner."
"But increasingly," says Ms. Clinton, "younger workers are finding that no matter how many hours they put in or how much their bosses rave about their work, they’re just plain stuck. An entire generation is bumping against something no amount of youthful vigor can match. Call it the Gray Ceiling."
One 36-year-old finance manger states: "I'm under so much pressure here, but the rewards just aren’t coming. I have to get out." Click here to read the article.
Few marketing mediums are as powerful as a well-crafted reference letter, which can shorten sales cycles by “proving” your value proposition to your prospects while simultaneously reinforcing the loyalty of your current clients who write them. Moreover, they’re free for the asking. Yet according to marketing guru Dan Kennedy, references and testimonials are among the least leveraged marketing mediums out there. That’s insane! This resource by reference expert Paul Johnson explains the six elements of a perfect reference letter – which I guarantee will help you win new business.
Action item: Mail order pioneer Joe Cossman (remember Ant Farms?) used to say “If you can’t change it – promote it.” As you read Paul’s excellent article, ask yourself “How can I use reference letters to address my prospects’ objections right up front?"
For example, if your architectural design firm has famously long project turnaround times, have your testimonial letters mention that because of the long turnaround times, your work has fewer mistakes, greater attention to detail, and so on. Again, if you can’t change it – promote it.
Candidates: How can you apply these concepts to your job search?
By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900
Have you ever had a voice mail ignored? Has your snail mail ever been trashed? Have you ever been told by a receptionist that "we don't give out email addresses?" In B2B selling situations (and in management recruiting), it has never been more difficult to get past the screeners of the real C-level decision makers.
If you want to send an email directly to your C-level prospect, candidate, or hiring manager, simply visit Whois Search and enter the URL of the firm you wish to solicit. After entering a special onscreen code, note the format of the email address of the firm's Webmaster. Try sending an email to your contact using that format. See example. This trick is especially effective for Hoover's users, who can lookup the names of the firm's officers and copy multiple recipients in on the same email.
And if you really want to increase your response rate, simply call your recipient and say, "Hi, ____. This is Harry Joiner and I was just following up on an email that I sent you this morning. Do you have a minute to talk? ….etc…." Studies have shown that telemarketing behind a direct mail or email promotion will increase your response rate by five-to-ten times.
This is Steven Kempton of the Asia Pacific Headhunter. With the Recruiting Blogswap I have the honor of writing for Harry on his blog. This is really a treat for me because Marketing Headhunter is a one of my favorite blogs.
Blogs are an interesting phenomena where it is easy to get sucked into the noise and get very little of real value. But as Harry writes here, one of the best ideas for a blog is to "treat it like a Cookie Jar. Give the reader something tasty and nutritious. Tell them something that they didn't already know. Or give them a new way to apply something that they already know."
Harry follows his own advice and has built a blog with some outstanding resources and information for readers involved in marketing, job hunting, and business in general. Here are my choices for top 5 most nutritious posts from Marketing Headhunter. It took me some time to narrow this list down.
1. "Before You Apply for Your Next Job..." - Just GREAT career advice for all of us.
2. "What's a Good Marketing MBA Dissertation Topic?" - I hadn't fully appreciated the value and empowerment of good copywriting until I read this. This is a great resource on becoming a better writer and marketer. There is enough value in this post alone to keep you busy for months!
3. Jay Abraham's "Stealth Marketing" - Free e-book from marketing guru plus a great story of how to get in touch with that CEO who will NEVER return your calls.
4. How to Recognize a Big Idea - Link to a free article which defines a core change in the workplace and business from the greatest business philosopher of our time. PLUS, great marketing stories and advice.
5. Getting Paid What You're Worth - Spot on advice on how to get paid more as well as what you are worth. Plus a link to a free article on how sports agents get big deals done for the stars!
If you haven't read through this blog before then I highly recommend those above. But, this list isn't definitive and there are plenty of other gems there as well.
By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900
Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick is on the cover of Bass Player magazine this month. This I know because I went to the Publix up the road today and saw the magazine on the newsstand.
Now, I'm not a bass player. But I am a Cheap Trick fan. Plus, I'm a drummer and I found it perplexing that Publix did not stock Modern Drummer. Why, you ask? Because circulation analytics for retail distribution is a science -- and I'm sure Publix stocked Bass Player based on the historical sales of that title at store # 12365 in Roswell, GA. From this one can surmise that there are more bass players in my store radius than drummers. I guess that makes me a hot commodity.
As I thumbed through the magazine, I wondered how I could reach the twenty or so bass players who would also thumb though those pages -- and the handful who would ultimately buy those five copies. Who were they? What kinds of music do they like? Would they like to have a beer and possibly jam some time? After all, we're local -- and we have in common an appreciation of Tom Petersson.
Then it hit me: Why not come back to the store and insert post it notes into the pages? "Roswell-based drummer seeks Tom Petersson sound-alike for jamming and possible gigging. Call (678) 795-0900." Ethics aside, it's certainly targeted -- both psychographically and geographically. And that's what you want in your advertising.
Question: Who's your target employee -- and what do they read? Where do they hang out? How can you reach them? Put yourself in their shoes, and walk through an imaginary day with them. Then go to those place and advertise your open position. This is called Guerrilla Marketing -- and it's worth knowing how to do if you are a specialty retailer in need of hourly employees who belong to a certain niche or subculture.
By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900
This is great. I rarely blog about what's on someone else's blog -- but in this case it was hard to resist. Peacock Capital specializes in solving the cash flow challenges of Small/Medium Businesses (and more), and their blog -- called "The Cash Flow Blog" -- is amazing. Recent posts include
But as helpful as these posts are, be sure to check out their page of free Excel spreadsheet downloads. Having taken several advanced classes on corporate finance in business school, I can assure you that Peacock has done a lot of work for you here. It's all excellent. And it's all free.
Tell your CFO or Controller to check it out. She'll be glad you did.
By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900
Did you know that an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain? Yep. And they probably have a better eye for management talent than many companies.
All management recruiters are in the business of trying to help companies get their arms around what Peter Drucker believed was the final frontier in competitive advantage: Attracting, hiring and growing great people. So much has been written on the subject -- yet so many companies get it wrong, which is why it's still a reliable source of competitive advantage.
And it's not like I have all of the answers. But I do read old-school management books by guys you may have never heard of. Like Richard Sloma -- who wrote "No Nonsense Management" way back in 1977. Mr. Sloma had a cult following among management students who enjoyed his clear, unvarnished way of handling issues. In particular, Mr. Sloma had a knack for distilling complex issues down to one or two key points.
The World's Greatest Interview Question
For example, Mr. Sloma had ONE, single job interview question that he used for learning almost everything you need to know about an interviewee's managerial competence. Are you ready? Here it is ...
"What was the worst mistake you ever made; and what was the worst damage you did to your employer's P&L and balance sheet?"
According to Mr. Sloma, you immediately learn four critical things about a candidate from his or her answer:
All of this makes perfect sense. Executives who get great results often lead great, big projects -- and the bigger the project, the bigger the risk. And sooner or later, even the most successful executives are bound to taste failure.
It's like my dad used to tell me: "Sometimes you gotta go out on a limb because that's where the best fruit is."
By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900
As a management recruiter, I interview lots of people. And though most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their resumes don't always reveal their problem-solving abilities. Yet all of my management recruiting clients want to hire problem solvers — people who can walk into an operation and make the problems go away.
According to Scott Armstrong of The Wharton School, few MBA students — even at the top schools — know when and how to apply specific problem-solving techniques. And all problems are contextual, which means they present difficulties relative to a given ideal solution.
A good hiring manager will start the requisition of a new employee by asking,
The best resumes and cover letters demonstrate that the candidate has addressed similar problems before. I recommend reading resumes in chronological order — from back to front — starting at the beginning of a career and ending with the most recent position. Look for trends and patterns, and discount the style of the resume.
Ask yourself: "Is this job going to broaden the candidate? How will this position add to where the candidate wants to go?" Any candidate who interviews with you presumably will have researched your company and your industry, making it fair game for you to ask the candidate questions about the strengths and weaknesses of your company, as well as the opportunities and threats facing your business given its operating environment.
Finding problem solvers
How does one actually find a problem solver? As a management recruiter, I make 75 to 100 calls every day, and my average daily connect time is almost four hours. Having made thousands of cold calls in my life, I recommend finding problem solvers in the following way:
1. Write down the primary area of responsibility for the new hire. For example, if you're the CIO of a growth-oriented company that intends to expand primarily by solidifying customer relationships, you might want to hire someone with experience in CRM technology.
2. Go to Yahoo Finance to peruse a list of target industries from which to recruit. Click on any industry, and you'll see the Industry Center for that industry. At the top left-hand side of the Industry Center page, you'll see "more on this industry." Click on the company index for a list of target companies, complete with phone numbers, addresses, and a brief description for each.
3. Call the candidate. Often you'll need to leave a voicemail message. That's fine. Simply say "Hi, ______. My name is ______ and I'm with ______. We're looking to hire an A-player for a high-growth position in our ______ area, and your name was given to me as someone we should be talking to. It would be an outstanding career opportunity for you or someone you know. Call me at (555) 555-1234. Again, my name is ______ with ______, and I look forward to hearing from you soon."
When the candidate calls you, have a brief outline of the position, the compensation, the relocation-package details, the hiring process, and several selling points about why the candidate would want to tender a resume for your consideration. If the candidate isn't interested in the position, always ask "Who's the best person you know at (name the key area of responsibility for which you'd like to hire)?" Try to get referrals on every call.
A final suggestion: For at least 30 days, add the following text to the signature file of all of your outgoing E-mails: "P.S.: "Who's the best person you know at (name the key area of responsibility for which you'd like to hire)?" Most white-collar executives send between 15 and 30 outgoing E-mail messages each day. You'll be amazed at the referrals you'll get.
Probing for problem solvers in interviews
After you've lined up several well-respected candidates to interview, it's time to ask them how they solve problems. When someone solves a problem, it's important that they show they've followed a logical process.
Most business problems go unresolved because people don't clearly define the real problem. You can gauge the strength of a job applicant's problem-solving ability by walking him or her through the following seven-step framework while having the candidate describe how he or she solved a real-life problem in a previous job. When discussing that scenario, the applicant should demonstrate the ability to:
Define the problem: Have the candidate identify what went wrong by including both a cause and an effect in the definition of the problem he or she solved.
Define the objectives: Have the candidate explain the outcome he or she wanted to achieve as a result of solving the problem.
Generate alternatives: How many alternatives did the candidate generate? Did the quality of the alternatives vary greatly? Was there a significant difference in the hard — and soft — costs associated with each idea? This is the area in which the candidate can demonstrate creativity and resourcefulness as a problem solver.
Develop an action plan: Have the candidate recap a detailed action plan. Most action plans for tough problems involve taking several steps over a period of time. In his or her recap, does the candidate specify who did what? And by what dates? The devil is in the details, and detailed problem solvers are usually more effective than generalists.
Troubleshoot: This is where the candidate can recap the worst-case scenarios. What could have gone wrong in this plan? What might have been the side effects? How did the candidate ensure that this plan would work? Were there unintended consequences?
Communicate: Getting information to the right people is key in getting buy-in to make any change a success. Have the candidate address which individuals or groups affected the success of his or her action plan. Does the candidate explain who was impacted by it and who needed to be informed about it? How did he or she communicate with relevant parties?
The most effective executives are those who can leverage their time and talents by getting things done through other people. This is your opportunity to build your company's management bench.
Implement: Have the candidate explain who carried out the plan and monitored its implementation. Who was accountable for each part of the solution? What were the consequences of failure to meet the plan? Try to determine: As a manager, will the candidate be hard on the issues and soft on the people?
Drilling down on how a candidate solved problems in the past will give you a good idea of how he or she will solve problems in the future. Think in terms of the quality, consistency, and costs of these solutions. During the interview, you must get the candidate to be specific about his or her problem-solving experience. Minimize the chances of being duped by getting the candid to recap in vivid detail exactly what happened in a given situation.
Think like a little kid: Ask "why" or "how" to everything the candidate says. If you don't challenge the person during the interview process, you may pay a steep price later for your lack of persistence.
Copyright 2006, Harry Joiner, All Rights Reserved. For reprint permission, please click here.
By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900
What goes around comes around. According to marketing expert Phillip Lay, the most successful business developers in today’s economy are smart, self-starting, non-conformist thinkers who are determined to go through walls to achieve their mission.
Sound familiar? Companies are rediscovering what sales legend Tom Hopkins said about selling nearly twenty years ago: Due to the nature of selling, you’re in business for yourself. Deal with it. You are a company.
Given today’s dynamic business environment, it has never been more important for companies to hire entrepreneurial people who can proactively operate within the context of the firm’s mission and values to anticipate customer needs. To that end, the Business Career Interest Inventory allows respondents to assess their interests and learn how they compare to established entrepreneurs. The test takes 30 minutes to complete, will score automatically, and provides interpretive materials on-line. Incredible.
Action item: For companies who prize a high level of entrepreneurship in their employees, this free resource is a MUST bookmark. HR instruments like this usually cost hundreds of dollars to administer professionally. Of course, if you don’t have the time to wade through this test, you can always take the one offered by Zero Stage Venture Capital.
Either way, make a friend: Send this resource to your HR director so that job applicants can take the BCI Inventory and print the results for their interview file.
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