Are you recovery ready?

One of my sons asked me last week if a family friend’s business was “recession proof”, and I mentally did a happy dance. It seems that all these years while I’ve been working in business training he’s been listening and that he’s also taken it upon himself to access financial information in the greater world. As a parent this thrills me; as a business coach it makes me fire up the blog.
The “experts” are whispering about an economic recovery in the United States. At the same time these same experts are also talking about troubles within the Euro zone. Fewer and fewer of us, anywhere on the planet, can get by without an understanding of what is happening in the rest of the world. Sadly, many of us don’t even understand what’s happening in our own wallets. Financial literacy in North America is pretty pathetic.
When I taught in traditional business classrooms, one of my homework assignments was to ask students to read EVERY WORD in their most recent mailing from their credit card company. They always came back to class shocked—often sickened—about what they didn’t know about something so essential. I also made it my personal mission to convince students and clients alike to never sign a contract or agreement they had not read. Here’s an organization that attempts to address the financial literacy problem http://www.rand.org/labor/centers/financial-literacy.html
None of us will be ready for an economic recovery or continued struggle without basic financial knowledge. Even those of us who are well into our careers still have things to learn. So I encourage you to build personal financial education into your day. Start with the group above OR feel free to list other resources in the comments section here.
Image from University of South Carolina

It’s that time of year…

As we move through the holiday season toward the New Year I see the same patterns emerging as last year, and the year before, and maybe that’s part of the problem.

• Self help gurus are flooding my email inbox with “Christmas gift ideas”, “end-of-the-year bargains” and other sales pitches for their books, CD’s, and webinars.

• Television broadcasts are dissecting and analyzing the holiday spending of Americans (over and over).

• Year in review commentaries are picking up everywhere. This year’s focus seems to be on the failing political systems around the world.

• Individuals are more and more obsessed with weight loss and everyone feels the January surge in dieting and gym membership building up in the wings.

So how about something different this year?

Instead of listing a bunch of unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, how about having a private conversation and agreement with a friend to support him/her in making one key change for 2012? Or how about a “self help swap”. Get together with your friends and colleagues and trade the books and CD’s you bought in all the previous years. Maybe something that didn’t quite click for you will be just the thing for a friend. Mitigate your comments with compassion. Make 2012 the year you learn to give advice, offer opinions and even disagree with civility. A different political view, idea on the “proper” diet, or belief about social issues does not does not make someone evil or stupid—just different from you.
Shake things up a bit this New Year’s Eve; go for small but meaningful changes.

 

Your extra hour

Next weekend clocks across most of the United States will “fall back” an hour as we continue the ritual of Daylight Savings Time. For many of us this will feel like gaining an extra hour, at least that first day, and perhaps the first week as our biological clocks adjust as well. So what are you going to do with that bonus hour of time? Here are a few suggestions:

• Unsubscribe from all those email lists and newsletters that have lost value. If someone has sent you the same “new” offer for six months or more or their newsletter is full of rehashed or re-rehashed content it’s time to get them out of your inbox.

• Change out the batteries in your smoke detectors and update your entire home safety plan. It’s not sexy but we all need to have security in our homes.

• Update your privacy settings for social media sites (Facebook is notorious for changing them without notice) and change your online passwords. Your dog’s name is not now—nor has it ever been—a secure password for your banking or anything else.

• Sleep late for a couple of days. Most of us are chronically sleep deprived and this will feel like a real treat. If you are already well rested…take a walk.

• Evaluate your fall harvest and start now to plan for 2012. Take that extra hour to pat yourself on the back for accomplishments and to start visualizing goals for next year.  If this past year has been especially hard for you take an hour to think of ways you could be bold, daring and step outside your comfort zone to accomplish more.

Do you speak entrepreneur?

Do you really know how to talk to an entrepreneur? These are people who will not simply be impressed by initials behind your name or the number of years you’ve “been in the trenches”. Entrepreneurs speak the language of change, progress and profit. Bury them in theory or doomsday moaning and groaning and you are sure to lose their attention.
If you’ve been reading along the last few months you know that I love working with entrepreneurs. Over the years I’ve also had the chance to speak at various meetings, large and small, about coaching and training entrepreneurs and being more entrepreneurial even if you work in the corporate world. This past week I got the chance to present at NACCE—the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. It was another chance for me to meet with like minded people and push my personal agenda for loving entrepreneurship as well as the need for clear, concise, communication whenever possible. If you want to work with entrepreneurs you need to learn the lingo.

• Want to really impress an entrepreneur? Make your dealings fast and flexible. Get to the point. I’d say more on this one…but…

• Don’t take yourself too seriously, even if you ARE the smartest guy/gal in the room. Many entrepreneurs are brilliant, educated and accomplished but they often let their actions speak for them and skip the speechifying. Entrepreneurs like to have fun. If they are not having fun but in an occasional serious moment they still like things to be in perspective—light, agile and comfortable.

• Speak about results and deliverables. Entrepreneurs want an effective process, maybe even a creative and beautiful process, but they don’t want to wallow there. Note to trainers and educators: learning objectives are not exciting to the outside world—think new strategies and skills instead, even better–competitive advantage.

• Really embrace diversity. There are all kinds of entrepreneurs and our society needs all of them to thrive. The micro business and the next big tech breakthrough are equally important. We need risk-takers and we need to encourage the reluctant and accidental entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs, who focus on the greater good before profit, are also an essential and often over looked element to a whole and healthy society. Purge your vocabulary of words that mark one “brand” of entrepreneur as better.

If you hear someone talking about opportunity, finding a new and better way, or building life, wealth and success “my own way”, you are probably listening to an entrepreneur. Lighten up, open your mind to novel ideas and join in the conversation.

Image from Princeton.edu

“Vulcanize” your business attitude

Success does not have to be selfish. It’s true; the business world can be cutthroat and we all feel the drive to be better and outperform our competitors. However the world is full of customers, clients and opportunities if we just look. There’s a lot of potential to go around.
Even if you never, ever watched Star Trek (and that’s hard for me to imagine) you’ve heard these famous words: Live long and prosper. The phrase is the standard greeting for the fictional race of Vulcans. A group of people from a far-away planet that espouses a philosophy based on logic and emotional control spend time to greet others with what is basically a modified blessing. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
In the mind of the late fiction writer Gene Roddenberry and his millions of fans it makes perfect sense that the smart, dare we say logical, attitude to have towards others is to wish them well. Perhaps it is time to apply this mindset to today’s business climate – here on planet earth. After all, success has contagiousness and your neighbor’s new promotion could be the first tiny step toward something better for everyone around him or her. If you’ve been reading along for the last couple of years you know I love specific, actionable and concrete things…so here goes.

• Attend the openings of other small businesses in your area when you can—send virtual congratulations if you can’t
• Celebrate, even if it’s with free water from the water cooler in the hall, the achievements of your co-workers
• Appreciate the education and skills of those around you (including those without “formal education”) and let them know you are thankful for their expertise
• Encourage and explore creative options to problems: flexible contracts, bartering, collaborative projects

And…if your inner circle includes Star Trek fans…tell them you want them to “Live long and prosper”

5 things you should NOT put on social media

Grown-ups should know better, but sometimes we don’t. While reviewing blogs, posts, tweets, profiles and comments for a presentation on integrating social media into marketing I realized even professionals need reminders. Social media is a great tool, it’s fun and it’s here to stay…so you better learn the (unspoken) rules that can make you look professional or foolish online. Here are the five things you should NOT put out there. (I have “examples” of all of these but decided not to include them to spare the guilty)

1. Anything posted under the influence—this includes alcohol or drugs, the intoxication of ego or anger or the fog of sleeplessness
2. Detailed complaints about jobs or projects not landed or customers lost—even worse complaints laced with profanity or “naming names”
3. Variations on “I hate my life”—we all have bad days and encounter bad experiences—this is the time to use the private communication options available
4. Graphic details of illnesses—sure it’s okay to post you have a cold or twisted your ankle on a ski trip—spare everyone the ooey gooey particulars
5. Someone else’s secrets (or photos)—don’t announce events or problems for others—some people still have a sizable private life that never goes online

If you are using social media purely to be social, mistakes like these can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. If your employer stumbles across these posts it can be financially disastrous. If you use social media as part of your overall business strategy…you simply cannot afford to make these mistakes. To connect with potential clients and customers via social media you must always be professional; your next big deal could depend on it.

Simply beautiful

Those of you who’ve followed along for a while know I have a weakness—Idol dramas from Asia. We all need a way to relax and unwind and this is one of my favorites. Right now I am watching one from Taiwan (I will withhold the name to protect the guilty) that is like bad homemade soup; they threw in everything but the kitchen sink. The writers decided to use every cliché ever known in these shows.
Birth secret-check, girl dresses as a boy-check, clingy childhood sweetheart-check, family business-check, brothers fall for the same girl-check…you get the idea. Sadly, using every single trick in the book has not made this program good, kind of interesting in a weird way, but not good. And a good story does not have to be complex, just compelling.
Your business and career operate the same way. A simple and compelling message is far more effective than a complicated and cluttered mess that hides your identity, brand and purpose. Consider this…

• If you try to be everything to everyone—you won’t look like an expert but a fool
• You should spend time clarifying your personal brand—be able to state it simply and clearly—brand makes you stand out from the crowd
• Letting your web designer fill your website with every trick s/he knows may be good for her/his portfolio but doe it serve your customers?
• Filling your marketing materials with jargon might make you feel smart, but it won’t generate sales

Remember the appeal of the simply beautiful. Examine your business strategy, your resume, your life. Are there places where you can scrape off junk to reveal the simple beauty underneath?

Emotional Intelligence at Work

Someone asked me today…is emotional intelligence important in the workplace and how can employers get workers who can handle their emotions and relate to others? Of course E.I. is very important in the workplace. People quit work environments and not jobs—they are more likely to walk because of bullying or a lack of support than for more technical issues. See my short presentation here on this: http://www.slideshare.net/KarenSouthW/likeability-in-business

The problem is that E.I. is so difficult to quantify and therefore it’s difficult to screen new employees for something so intangible. We can go through a robust interview process, but that is not always enough to show how someone is going to develop as part of a “real life” work team. Often former employers are reluctant to reveal emotional intelligence or interpersonal information in routine reference check phone calls. So, the hiring manager or supervisor is left with their own best guess.

The biggest issue I see for job candidates and employees is one of denial. Those who lack E.I. and social skills spend too much time and energy trying to convince employers that this “soft stuff” is not important and not enough time on personal and professional development. I’ve seen this attitude result in un-employability and missed promotions.

What can employees and candidates do? Dive into the vast sea of available (and free) material on E.I. and workplace relationships. Gain an understanding of your own personality type, communication style and emotional “hot buttons”. Work with a friend, mentor or coach to constantly improve your soft skills. If you are a job seeker do plenty of mock interviews and address emotionally charged workplace issues. If you are already on the job make it clear that you are interested and invested in improving and developing your E.I. and collaborative skills.

Who’s the best?

“There is no work, however vile or sordid, that does not glisten before God.” John Calvin
Over my summer vacation I learned to install a kitchen faucet. It took me two hours (the box said it would take about 90 minutes) and I needed a bit of help toward the end, but I did it. The experience, among others on my “vacation”, gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for the work and talents of others. Sometimes I think all of us forget how to recognize and cherish the unique abilities of our fellow human beings. Sadly, I think that often college instructors (my peers and colleagues nationwide) are chronic offenders.
A super narrow definition of what it means to be “educated” is frequently the culprit. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of meeting many educated people who’ve left me in awe of their abilities. Not all of them had college degrees. [Read here for more discussion on vocational and technical education: http://nyti.ms/oxFRXM ]
As the national economy continues to languish and JOBS becomes the chant heard from coast to coast, I worry that we are in danger of missing real opportunities for success…simply because we insist on a one-size-fits-all type of solution. Why are we pushing everyone into a four-year college? Are we, as a nation, missing something important here?
The United States will need a fully functioning and diverse workforce to come out of this crisis. We need nurses and nannies. We need engineers and janitors. Of course we need employees and entrepreneurs. And we need to respect people and appreciate their contributions regardless of their educational pedigree. I work in education; I loved my own time as a student. However, I realize that the craftsman who creates handmade pottery is just as “educated” as I am—she’s simply in a different professional field.
Think about this: Isn’t the cashier who manages to smile and be friendly after hours serving customers just as valuable as the architect who designed the store? Shopping would be a very different experience if we lost either of them.

Letter to my students

Dear Students,
On May 22, 2011 Jamie O’Neill, a community college instructor at the end of his career, posted an open letter to his students in the LA Times entitled “If the dog ate your homework, read this.” This letter is a long missive directed at the students who, in O’Neill’s opinion, are wasting the second chance of community college education. While I do understand the frustration of dealing with students who won’t attend class and don’t turn in work, the letter seems like a bit more like a “parting shot” than a helpful reflection.
At the risk of jeopardizing my own career, I’d like to talk to you, my own dear students now–while I am still in the trenches.
First I realize many of you probably never read Mr. O’Neill’s letter, so here’s a link. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/22/opinion/la-oe-oneill-students-20110522 I know you may have missed his article because most of you are going to school and holding down a job (or two) and fulfilling family responsibilities.
I too would love for the few students who are “slackers” to “take your education a bit more seriously” as O’Neill recommends. At the same time I am a fan of specifics. Here are some things I’d like my students and community college students everywhere to consider.
Take the right courses: Not every available class is appropriate for every student. For example, if you know you are working weird shifts at a factory and you’re not a morning person; don’t sign up for early morning classes you won’t attend. If the course you need is not available at the “right time” ask about other sections or online alternatives. Don’t register for courses on a whim. Remember that just because a career field is “hot” and jobs seem plentiful does not make this a reality in your community. Figure out what classes you really need and want and get advice from someone besides friends and family.
Develop a system: Some classes are boring, and as fate would have it they are often required courses, or classes with only one choice of instructor. Mr. O’Neill recommends: “If you cut classes because your teachers bore you, then you should be dropping those classes, not piddling away your GPA.” I have another idea–build a strategy for getting the most out of the situation.
1. Start a relationship with the instructor right away. Find out about office hours and read the syllabus and course requirements carefully. If you have questions or concerns speak up now.
2. Get an accountability partner–a fancy phrase for having a friend who asks you daily if you went to class and did your assignments.
3. Motivate and reward yourself regularly. If you just sat through a long lecture and managed to stay awake and take good notes, treat yourself. If necessary buy yourself coffee before class.
4. Find out about support services and tutoring at your school. Sometimes a tutor or study group can make “boring” topics more interesting.
5. Remember that sometimes jobs are boring too. Learning to deal with dull but necessary tasks in an emotionally mature way can give you an edge later on. In this job market we all need an edge.
Realize that one mistake (or two or three) does not make you “the loser who squandered opportunity” O’Neill describes. If you are one of those students who skipped classes or forgot assignments or simply blew them off it is not too late to change. You can start today.
You can be a better student and I DO care whether you succeed or fail. However, I feel it’s not enough for me to tell you to show up and try harder. I want to give you more specific tools to squeeze success out of the system and prepare for your next step in life. Learning about time management and study skills will help a lot in this area. Sadly most of us don’t get this type of training in school or the workplace. If you’re in one of my classes…ask me and I will help you find the information. If you’re in school somewhere else talk to your own instructor, and if s/he doesn’t respond try the tutoring center or campus advising department.
Okay, if you ARE one of the few truly lazy students your life is going to be tough. If you feel entitled to good grades just because you put forth a little effort and have a list of excuses every week—yes, you are on the road to hard times in school and your future career. Your education is ultimately your responsibility. Work will be required. However, don’t get discouraged. Don’t suffer in silence because you don’t understand the instructions, you’re ashamed of your English, or your family commitments keep you sleep deprived. Tell me—tell someone—change your habits and change your life.