Although the debate about the cause of The Great Recession rages on, you can’t help but recognize that life is being conducted differently. Large organizations continually push productivity measures and try to do more with fewer human resources. Individuals are spending more time at work constantly striving for the mythical place termed “work-life balance”. Constant [...]
Poverty of Attention
“What information consumes is rather obvious. It consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. “ – Herbert Simon, 1970 I love this quote because Simon said it decades before the introduction and explosion of the World Wide Web and the various devices we use to access [...]
The Think Global, Act Local Personal Brand
The creation of the “think global, act local” concept is commonly attributed to Patrick Geddes, a late 19th – early 20th century Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist, and forward-thinking town planner. Similarly, the Japanese were the first to develop the concept of “glocalization”, the practice of conducting business in accordance of both local and global considerations. [...]
The 21st Century Job Interview
A few months back, I blogged about entrepreneurship and its value in a society with more distaste of corporate power and cradle-to-grave employment. Read it here. In a separate post, I argued that the Millennial generation is struggling with 20th century constructs of leadership and are fighting for a more meaningful career where they can [...]
Steps to a Successful Interview
I can’t tell you how many executives I know that are content in their work who still interview with other organizations regularly. They don’t do it because they want to change employers, they do it because they want to ensure their interviewing skills are current. In an economy where 84% (according a recent Manpower survey) [...]
Management By Absence
You’ve heard of management by walking around (MBWA), but have you heard of management by absence (MBA)? Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, uses the MBA approach to manage his ever-growing employee base. In a direct assault on Milton Friedman’s idea that companies should never get involved in charitable efforts and being socially [...]
We’re Becoming Individual Corporations
Late one night last week, I was browsing available movies on Netflix when I came across The Corporation, a film by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, and Joel Bakan. The story begins with a retelling of how the corporation became a legal entity and eventually emerged as a legal “person”. Even at that point in time, [...]
The Right Attitude
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, [...]
Stay Motivated During a Prolonged Employment Search
Keeping a positive frame of mind during an extended search for meaningful employment is difficult. However, there are a variety of strategies that you can employ that will mitigate negative feelings as you search for the next wrung on your career ladder. Ten things that will help maintain hope, positive thought, and motivation: 1. Set [...]
W.I.I.F.T. Networking
The 21st century job search is evolving. We can no longer simply review job boards and company websites. Approximately 75% of the available positions are never posted electronically. If they are posted, human resources or the hiring manager already has a candidate selected and your application will be overlooked. My suggestion is to look at [...]
Where to Gather Information about Your Dream Employer
Prior to the start of the Great Recession, there was significant demand for labor, so individuals simply had to apply online to a company’s website to be considered for an interview. It’s no secret that the job search has evolved over the last two and one-half years. The changes to the labor market have forced [...]
When the Writing’s on the Wall
“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” – Harold Wilson I’ve talked to a couple of people recently about the change process and why they struggle with it so much. One said, “I wish someone could have warned me about the financial collapse [...]
Management by F.E.A.R.
“You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.” - Eric Hoffer I have had my share of bosses that manage with fear. I’m sure you have to. The thing that irks me is how those individuals don’t see how destructive it is. Managing through fear rarely leads [...]
Delivering Exceptional Public Presentations
How many times have you, or someone you know, talked about not wanting to speak in public? Giving presentations in public can be a scary thing. In fact, it’s commonly referred to as glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. People experience anxiety prior to delivering their content, will attempt to avoid the event altogether, or [...]
Generational Differences and Improving Communication
In 2007 Jennifer J. Deal, research scientist for the Center for Creative Leadership, wrote a book about the various generations in the workplace and how they were similar. She called the book Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground. She found that all generations are similar in the following [...]
The Job Skills Mismatch
It is no secret that the unemployment rate has remained high during the recession and the recovery because of a mismatch between the jobs needed for the 21st century and the 20th century skills currently available in the workforce. There are a variety of events occurring that are fostering change, but the change is occurring [...]
The Glorification Nation
While spending time at a friend’s house yesterday, I couldn’t help but to hear the cheers coming from the television in the living room. A few people were huddled watching the NCAA basketball tournament and after watching the end of one game and the beginning of another, I couldn’t help but wonder, how many Americans [...]
What Story Does Your Hyphen Tell?
I got to thinking about legacy the other day. What am I going to be remembered for? The end of a human’s physical existence on earth is often wrought with grief as friends and family pay their respects and come to grips with life without the departed. But, if you think two or more generations [...]
Your Relationship “Bank Account”
I have talked at length about the development of community and a sincere focus on the triple bottom line. Our world seems to be lacking a bit in both. So what can you do daily to focus on developing meaningful connections in your community that will respect the planet, people, and profit? Think about your [...]
The Blue Ocean Strategy Career Search
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne wrote Blue Ocean Strategy as a way to describe how organizations could simultaneously pursue differentiation and low cost. The aim being not to out-perform competition in the existing industry, but to create new market space, thereby making the competition irrelevant. The authors believe that current competitive strategy is a [...]
Building Your Community
I sat down with a friend recently to share stories about the holidays and how the new year has started, but also to talk opportunity. He talked at length about how his professional environment was impacting his personal environment in a very negative way. His comments didn’t surprise me as many of the people I [...]
20th Century Leaders vs. 21st Century Connectors
Greg Smith, former Goldman Sachs employee, wrote a scathing letter about the cultural change that had occurred at his former employer. In it he stated that the culture of the firm switched from being customer-centric to money-centric. He described meetings where no time was spent brainstorming about how to help clients, rather the entire meeting [...]
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