The Secret On How To Succeed At Almost Anything.

A lot of executives are out there looking for the 'holy grail' of success. They bulk up on education, they cajole and maneuver, they scheme and plan. In the end, it comes down to just one action — performed consistently. Over the past few days, I've been running a series of workshops for a Fortune 50 company. One story I tell is the one where I was a lowly coordinator in the Marketing department. One day, the senior vice-president announced that the executive team is working with a NYC agency to develop a self-running sales CD for all 1000 account executives. This CD would be a virtual brochure — showing how the company does it stuff with graphics, audio, and movies. The price tag was in the millions and it was going to 'change the way we present to clients." Candidly, the SVP was not too happy about this.

I went back to my small office and thought about what I just heard. Let me let you in on a secret . . . I am the king of Powerpoint. Back then (and today) I could do ANYTHING with Powerpoint, even cook you dinner. You have to remember — all Powerpoint slides were a series of bulleted items (and they still are today - a real crime). So I began to play around with it, developing a series of 5-10 slides that had our logos, graphics, audio, and movies (big stuff for 1995!).

After 2-3 hours (and some calls to close colleagues in sales to get their feedback), I knocked on the SVP's door. Let me say, he was blown away. He asked me to stay after work so we could talk more. When 6 PM rolled around, I was the only one in the office and in walks the CEO, CFO, and CMO of the company. My office! My VP says, "Rich, show them what you showed me this morning." So I walked them through it.

Cutting to the chase:

• They loved the idea that it was infinitely modifiable.
• They canceled the NYC agency project the next day.
• I received time, resources, and a budget to roll it out nationally.
• I then went on a nationwide sales training tour to roll it out (the most fun I ever had in business!)

I eventually received a promotion, an incredible raise, and won Chairman's award (10 out of 10,000) win it annually.

Hidden Secret? It was INITIATIVE. I didn't have to do what I did — I could've sat in my office and dutifully done my work.

But I didn't. I took a chance. I used my technical skills — I leveraged my relationships with colleagues — and I took a risk presenting it to the SVP of the department.

How are you taking INITIATIVE in what you do today? Have an idea? Make it reality. See an opening? Go for it. Most of the time, we are too tired, lazy or scared to take charge and change something. There is no special sauce to initiative — you just have to make  up your mind and do it.

So Go Do It.

Go For It. NOW.

Sunday Funnies — 11/15/09

Tips To Connect With The Executive Suite & Get That Job - Part Two.

In this climate, it’s usually a waste of time to send out resumes. They go to people who can’t actually hire you. You want to talk to people who can. Here's what you do when you finally meet them. See Part One here to learn about how to connect with them. When the appointed day arrives, keep the following in mind:

• Your goal is to begin assembling a network, not to ask for a job. You've told the person you're not going to do that, and for this to work, you really must not.
• Every supervisor is always on the lookout for talent. They never know when they will need someone, so you really are of interest to them.
• The first thing to understand is that even in times like these, PEOPLE ARE HIRING.
• The feedback you can get from each person will move you closer to a job, even if it's just a little bit, so no matter what, the meeting will be beneficial.
• Ultimately, people are hired as much because someone likes them as because they are qualified.
• Each meeting has the potential to bring you one step closer to a job.

When the meeting starts, begin by thanking the person for his/her time. Then begin by asking questions about their background, how they got to that position, how did they come up with the idea of pet deodorant?

Listen carefully and attentively to all responses, and ask follow-up questions. Ultimately, they are going to turn the table and ask about you. You now have them. Tell them what you DO, not what you DID. Answer every question with enthusiasm and always add a positive spin. They will then ask where you are NOW. You then say: “Currently, I’m in transition and looking for opportunities in the _________ area. Do you know of any?”

This is the hardest question — but after you ask it, they usually start rattling off opportunities, companies, or contacts. Let’s get real — they know the game — but you have taken a real interest in them, they will take an interest in you.

At the end the the time, make sure to thank them for their time, and finish with something like this: “Thank you. This has been incredibly helpful. I will definitely [do something they suggested.] Is there anyone else that you would recommend that I talk to?”

Take down any contact information they give you, thank them, and be on your way. When you get home, immediately write (not email) a thank-you note, and in it, mention specifically one piece of advice that was particularly helpful.

If at all possible (without awkwardness) leave the resume. Remember — it is very important that If you follow this plan and all goes well, at the end of the meeting, you've accomplished the following:

• You've made contact with someone who could, potentially, hire you.
• Your resume is on the desk of someone who could hire you.
• You've made them aware of your qualifications, and demonstrated that you are professional, motivated, and industrious.
• You've gotten another name of someone you can speak with.
• You've started, from scratch, a network of people who know you--who have seen your face and your qualifications--and who can advocate for you.

Often, however, you get more than this. Often the person you speak with will either:

• Say they don't have any openings, but they know someone who does, and put you in touch with that person.
• Say they are hoping to hire again soon, and ask that you leave your materials
• Ask if you'd be interested in some part-time work or contract work with the company.
• Start a process by which you can be hired (by asking you to fill out an application, talk to HR, etc.

Sometimes, btw, this happens after they get your thank-you note, since that is such a rare occurrence in today's world.

I want to be clear--this is not a magic potion that will land you a job immediately. But it is a significantly better use of your limited job-searching time than sending out resumes to people who have never met you.

It is scary, especially the first time you do it, but it really does work. My clients average about 1 job offer for every 5 - 7 meetings.

Tips To Connect With The Executive Suite & Get That Job - Part One.

Let's be candid — In this climate, it's usually a waste of time to send out resumes. They go to people who can't actually hire you. You want to talk to people who can. So here's what you do: Step 1: Identify a few companies (start with 3) who employ people who do what you do. Then identify people who supervise those people. It does not matter in the slightest that those companies are not hiring.

Step 2: Do some research on that person. See if they’ve been interviewed anywhere, just received a promotion, or have been connected in any way with the company’s success (new product, release, uptick in stock price, etc.).

Step 3: Carefully construct a letter to each person you identified in Step 1, writing something like this:

Dear Mr/Ms _____________

I just saw your interview in BusinessWeek a few weeks ago and was very interested in your new focus on Pet Underarm Deodorants. It’s quite a new niche for your company and it brought up a number of questions that interest me since I am in a related industry — I wonder if I might have a few moments of your time.

Please understand, I'm not asking you for a job. I'm just looking to talk to a fellow colleague in the marketplace. Your insight would be invaluable and the meeting would be very brief.

I will call your office next week in hopes of scheduling an appointment. I understand that you are very busy. The meeting will take no more than fifteen minutes of your time. I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely, [you]

Most important of all, DO NOT include a resume.

When your letter has had time to reach its destination, make the follow up phone call, and pleasantly request the meeting. Reiterate that you are preparing for a job search and are only seeking advice and feedback. Most people are willing to give 15 minutes. (My clients average well over 50-60% of the meetings they ask for.)

If they hesitate, offer to buy coffee at a nearby spot, and remind them how valuable their input would be.

It's that easy. Tomorrow, we'll cover what you do when you actually meet them. Stay tuned!

I Love Chris Brogan.

Go out and buy "Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust" right now. In fact, download it onto your iPhone immediately (via Kindle for iPhone). I just finished this book and found at least 15 new ideas that I can implement immediately into my business and work routine. Have a product or service and want to increase sales? Then buy this book. Want people to hire you or have you speak more often? Then read this book. Want your lemonade stand to rock out more then the other kids? Then get this book.

In Trust Agents, two social media veterans show you how to tap into the power of social networks to build your brand's influence, reputation, and, of course, profits. Today's 'online influencers' are web natives who trade in trust, reputation, and relationships, using social media to accrue the influence that builds up or brings down businesses online.

The book shows how people use online social tools to build networks of influence and how you can use those networks to positively impact your business. Because trust is key to building online reputations,, those who traffic in it are "trust agents," the key people your business needs on its side.

• Delivers actionable steps and case studies that show how social media can positively impact your business
• Written by authors with over ten years of online media experience
• Shows you how to build and wield influence online to benefit your brand
• Combines high-level theory with practical step-by-step guidance

If you want your business to succeed, don't sit on the sidelines. Instead, use the Web to build trust with your consumers using Trust Agents.

Sunday Funnies.

3 Powerful Tips To Energize Your Team.

It's Friday. It's been a hard week and you're looking forward to the weekend. Doesn't your team feel the same way? Here are some quick leadership tips to energize your troops and make them feel like a million bucks:

1. Call them at home. Tell them how much you value their work. Make it a quick call - no more than 2-3 minutes, no business talk. Tell them that you really appreciate their service and how important they are to the company. This simple reach-out will power them for another 100,000 miles.
2. Send them a card. Not a Hallmark card — a simple Crane stationary 4x5 card with a powerful message. Leave it on their desk.
3. Take them out to lunch. Make it a spur of the moment thing (let them know in the morning). Tell them how much they mean to you and ask them about their ideas for the company.

We all get caught up in our work and the pressures that accompany that work. Take a step back and recognize the people that make it all happen — your team.

iPhone "Blowback".

Why does everyone hate the iPhone all of a sudden? I have some ideas why:

1. The iPhone CHANGED THE GAME. People don't carry their laptops as much as they used to. It also forced all the other companies to get their butt in gear to compete. Think about it — most smartphones before the iPhone sucked.
2. The iPhone is HUGE. I go to airports and see EVERYONE using the iPhone for movies, music, business, calls, etc.
3. The Google Droid is coming out. Congratulations! I am so happy there is a valued contender to the iPhone. The winner will be the consumer when competition rears its ugly head.
4. It's the natural course of media popularity. For 2+ years, the iPhone has been the darling of all things media. Now it is time for them to drive it into the ground. Makes a good story and people buy papers/watch the news. Media today is not just fickle, it's sometimes FALSE.
5. The Tech World has always hated the iPhone. First, they picked at it because it wasn't based on Windows or Linux (techie's faves). Then they attacked it because it is a closed system and they welcome the Droid because it is an open system. Just wait - when viruses and hidden apps begin to profulgate on these open systems, they will relish in the motherload of security apps for viruses. How would you love to have Symantec/McAfee virus checker on your PHONE?

In the end, there are a lot of players with lots of hidden agendas out there. My experience? Don't ever go by what they are saying. Ask a user or play with the technology yourself — that's the best way to make an informed decision.

Sunday Funnies.

Take A Vacation From Your Problems.

The great psychologist Dr. Leo Marvin gave his patient Bob Wiley some sage advice (on a prescription pad) in the movie: What About Bob — "Take a vacation from your problems, Bob." You should too. With the economy, unemployment, increased work pressures, etc., it's hard to focus - it's hard to relax - it's hard to think and act strategically.

In times like these, we tend to think short-term and tactically. Not long-term and strategically.

In times like these, companies don't have a real handle on what's going on - so all the 'balls' are in the air right now. The smart executives are the ones who reach out and catch those balls, not hide under their cubicle desk until things get better.

In times like these, smart executives reach out to key companies and talk to influential movers within that company. They make their future — they engage their peers in the industry — and get that new job or position. I call it 'golfing without clubs'.

But most executives don't do that. They get a 'bad economy' inferiority complex. They feel that they aren't worthy.

Unemployed executives feel less empowered. Why? They are no different than executives who have jobs. They just have more time.

Employed executives are running scared. They are afraid if they stand out and do anything, they will be next on the chopping block.

Well I say - take a vacation from the bad economy. Take a vacation from unemployment. Change your mindset — click that switch that says that you're unemployed and start acting like you have a job. Go out and make appointments with key executives in companies just to talk about the industry. Don't ask for a job - you are there to have a conversation — to connect — to make a new friend. Try to figure out what you can do for THEM.

If you are employed, do the same thing. Start having lunch with key executives inside (and outside) your company. Have a conversation — connect — make a new friend.

You'll find that you will surf these rough seas and come out on top. If you're unemployed, you'll get that dream job. If you are employed, you'll expand your connections and open up areas you never even knew existed. Trust me — it works.

Why Most Executives Experience A "Crisis of Confidence".

Many of my clients have been struggling with what I call a "crisis of confidence" — where their inner guide and strong self-esteem are taking big hits during this downturn in the economy. Do you find yourself thinking this during your workday?

"My boss wants to have a morning meeting . . . he's going to fire me . . . I'm going to lose my job . . . I will be out on the street by Christmas."

"Even though we are posting good numbers, the board is never satisfied. Lately, they never warm to any of my accomplishments or ideas. I am on my way out."

"Every day I lose customers . . . and it's seems that my current ones are not purchasing as much as they did last year."

"I can't find a job . . . I don't know where to look . . . we are going to be out on the street by Christmas."

If you do, read below.

In business, there are ups and downs.

FACT #1: The ups are not as 'up' as we think and the downs are not as 'down' as we perceive. FACT #2: When we feel that we have no recourse or ability to affect the outcome, we actually do. FACT #3: All is not lost, in reality, there are many options open to you.

You just don't see them clearly. The problem is that we let the story overcome reality. Why?

Stories are fun. Stories are interesting and easy to remember. Stories are fun to develop, add characters, and grow as time goes on.

Reality is scary. It is fact-based and hard to remember. It sometimes hits you square in the face and that isn't a pleasant experience.

Example — one story (from a current client): "If I call that executive out of the blue, he is extremely busy on a project, will get on the phone and either blow me off or yell at me for wasting his time."

Same Example — an alternate story (that I made up for the same client): "When I call that executive out of the blue, he will listen to my interest in his company, and make an appointment to see me in the next week."

Both are stories — which one are you telling yourself today? Probably the first one. But you will never know if your story will become reality unless you act on it. And that's the paradox — the story prohibits you from acting on it. So I say — stop making up stories and take ACTION.

Just do it. Try it. Make that call. See what happens.

Look at the facts first and banish the story. Logically look at what needs to get done and DO IT.

What does it mean for you? That's easy — you get out of story-land and actually take positive steps to change your situation. What's the worst that can happen? You get fired. But you would probably get fired anyway for doing NOTHING.

Let's Get Rid Of Airline Service & Car Audio.

Two things I've experienced this week are airline food/service and car audio. You know what? They have to change. Let me tackle Airline Food/Service first. I just flew to Reno, Nevada to run a series of workshops for a very famous retail company. I flew first class both ways — so I was quite comfortable. In retrospect, here's my opinion — many things need to change on most continental (within the US) flights:

1. Get rid of the food & drink service. This is a hold-back from the 1940's - being 'served' in your seat. Get your own food and drink in the terminal and bring it on-board or eat before you get on the flight. Why? The food is usually bad and the service is clumsy in close quarters. I don't need a drink either - no liquor. If you can't hold out drinking liquor for a few hours, you have a problem.
2. Get rid of flight attendants. Not all of them — keep one for each flight to handle emergencies and do garbage clean-up service. Think of other forms of public transportation - buses, trains, etc. — they usually only have one driver or conductor. Why do planes need a retinue of players to make the experience that much more memorable?
3. Give me room to work/read. Even in first class, when someone reclines their seat in front of me, I can't use my laptop effectively. I almost never use the recline feature - so I would eliminate it. I can sleep and relax just fine in my seat. Also, current legroom on planes is adequate (I'm 5'11") - don't know why so many people complain.
4. Give me an outlet to plug in my stuff. I don't want to buy an adapter that might not work on all flights or short out my laptop/iPhone. I want a PLUG until laptop/iPhone batteries last for days while watching movies/doing work.
5. Give me wireless connectivity for free & let me make phone calls. I understand the security issues — but I want to make phone calls from my phone and not pay college tuition to make one using the plane's phone service.
6. Ban all carry-ons. Except for briefcases that hold laptops (it should fit under the seat in front of you). Many of you might disagree — but I am getting sick and tired of the amount and size of luggage that people bring on. In addition, if you can't lift it over your head to stow it — it's should be checked. We would cut de-planing time in half if we banned all carry-ons. We can then eliminate the overhead compartments (that I hit my head on EVERY time I stand!).
7. Give me a second armrest between seats. Be honest, you don't like touching strangers (unless you're one of those types of people) - so why do they force us to share armrests? Give us a little more space and two armrests. Thank you.

My Car Audio rant is more concise. I spend a lot of time in my car (2003 Honda Accord EX) traveling to the office, speaking engagements, and client pitches. I have an iPhone and listen to music and podcasts (Adam Carolla & This American Life) exclusively. Also I use the phone too - but I try not to - so I can focus on my driving. Get rid of the sound system. Really.

1. I don't need a radio. AM/FM is not dying — it's dead. All the info I get from my radio I can get on my iPhone. Weather, traffic, school closings, etc. - all on my iPhone. I know - it's audio and I should concentrate on driving. So check it before you leave or pull over. It's that simple. But getting back to AM/FM — it sucks. The announcers/personalities are awful — they are from another generation. And even if they are good — there are 45 minutes of commercials for every hour of talk. Put radio out of its misery.
2. I don't need a CD Player/Changer. With my iPhone, I have my entire music collection (for the moment) in my hand. Not only do they break down frequently (and are expensive to repair), every CD that ever hit my car becomes unplayable because of scratches and sun damage (I have kids).
3. Just give me an basic amplifier with speakers (and a microphone). And a connector with a small display on the dash for info. I can then plug my iPhone in and get EXACTLY what I want to hear — for a lot less money. Don't get into the PalmPre/Android/Zune argument - until they hold a 30-70% share of the market (like the iPhone/iPod) — go away.

I know that new cars have this ability - but they are still installing radios with CD players. I also know that I can have my current car set up with a connection — but it will cost a hundreds of dollars to install.

Again, this is MY opinion. But if you disagree, think about it a bit — some of the things I say should have happened years ago. But let me know in the comments section.

Have a GREAT FRIDAY!

Desperate Times Do Not Call for Desperate Measures.

As a small business owner, you will probably lose some business during the downturn, despite your best efforts, as client companies cut their budgets, shift strategy, or, sometimes, go away altogether. By Julia Rogers at Open Small Business.

The economic downturn has made client and investor retention trickier than ever. Business owners have to do a lot more to compel investors and clients to make long-term commitments and agree that investing in their services or products are essential. According to SMSmallBiz.com and the Wall Street Journal, a lot of businesses are focusing on new strategies – like diversification and re-envisioning current skills or products – that will help them reach new markets and keep the attention of existing clients.

Bernard Nneji, president of Sigma Works Group, a process-improvement agency, suggests a variety of reasons clients and investors say they have lost interest in a small business: the client contact has changed and decides to “fire” the business; budgets and timelines are no longer working for the client; the small business’ strategies and execution of strategies cease to be in line with the client’s mission or the client has outgrown the small business and needs some bigger, fresher ideas. Ultimately, losing clients or investors most often comes down to a basic relationship-building problem –business owners’ inability to identify their clients’ and investors’ real needs from the beginning and a failure to satisfy them.

Regardless of why small businesses lose clients or why interest wanes among their client or investor base, they must focus on building relationships, and there are ways to maintain solid relationships with your best clients and set the precedent for eliciting long-term commitments from new ones.

The truth is, in any economy, chances are, if a small business finds itself with a lot of clients that don’t want to make long-term commitments or leave after one project, it’s often the small business’ problem … not the clients’! The following tips can help you maintain strong relationships with small business clients and investors as you weather the recession.

Know what the sales cycle is and follow a process for bringing your clients through it. Many business owners fail to recognize that the sales cycle is a tangible, consistent process that must be followed with each and every prospect, customer and client. Basically, the sales cycle is the time it takes for a qualified prospect – someone who genuinely needs your products or services and is willing and able to invest in them – to close. The goal is to shorten the sales cycle for each client and increase their trust in you enough to sign on the dotted line. This will make it more efficient to bring in clients. According to Jeff Thull at Inc.com, a key to shortening the sales cycle is bringing clarity to your clients so they are certain you are the best solution to their problems. Figure out what compels your prospective clients and investors – and what ails them – so you can create a sales pitch and a communication style that will appeal to them and keep them interested.

Make real plans to communicate. Many small business owners lose momentum during a sale because they stop communicating with their prospects and investors … or their prospects and investors stop communicating with them. Regardless of which party drops the ball, once this happens, the sale will not close. As a small business owner, you have to take responsibility for communicating with your prospects and clients at all points of the sales cycle with diligent, relevant, planned follow-up techniques … without being a pest. Communication is at the center of any long-term business relationship. According to Denise O’Berry, a resident small business expert at AllBusiness.com, strong relationships – both those within your own company and those with others that are potential and existing clients and investors – will be the best foundation for your business.

Make sure relationships are always mutually beneficial. Facing difficult, desperate economic times and rushing towards a quick sale, many business owners fail to highlight the term “mutually beneficial” as they are proposing agreements and contracts to current and new clients and investors and building relationships. Relationships with clients especially need to take you beyond short-term solutions and center on long-term plans that help these clients better understand where their businesses are going and also help you plan your own future. Take the opportunity to show your clients that you care about their needs as much as you care about your own. Illustrate how signing a long-term agreement with you can bring clients and investors specific benefits, address the long-term challenges they face and add real value. All relationships you build should be built around benefits that keep you and your clients and investors happy and prosperous.

In order to survive through the recession, business owners have to take control of their own businesses and stick to a very solid plan. They need to focus on building solid relationships and staying strong with existing customers and clients.

There's A Talent War & The Ceasefire Is Over.

With so many companies focused on simple survival during the downturn, with so much job loss and anxiety among those who survived, it was easy to forget about the war for top talent. But the downturn was just a temporary truce; the battle is about to erupt again in full force. And ironically the companies are the most at risk of losing their best leaders are ones that responded most vigorously (but often misguidedly) during the recession. By Michael Watkins at Harvard Business Review.

Why? Because there is tremendous pent-up demand for new opportunities and advancement among high-potential leaders. According to a recent study just 10% of high-potential leaders lost their jobs during the recession (with many quickly securing new opportunities). But fewer than usual received promotions or moved to new companies. So at the first sign that the job market is heating up, many will be dusting off their resumes and seeking greener pastures.

Companies that did a clumsy job of managing cost-cutting and restructuring during the downturn are particularly at risk of losing their best talent as conditions improve. Given plummeting revenues and the need to get costs under control, many firms rightly went into crisis mode. But the way they went about making the reductions varied greatly. For some, it was a process akin to taking a meat cleaver to the organization, with rapid, often indiscriminate cuts, and the attitude that virtually anything could be demanded of the survivors (longer hours, reduced salaries) because things were so dire.

These same survivors, especially the most talented of them, understandably feel absolutely no loyalty to their current employers; they will jump ship the instant they feel it's safe to do so. In fact it's a wonderful time for strong companies to consolidate their positions and accelerate out of the downturn by cherry-picking the very best talent out of competitors who have (probably irreparably) damaged their corporate cultures. Some attention to effective on-boarding is also warranted as it will help you to retain the talent you hire.

If you are leading a company that fell into this trap, what can you do? If you aren't already highly focused on how you will retain your best talent in the next couple of years, you should be. In part, this means launching immediate efforts to rebuild the culture and restore trust. This may, unfortunately, require that you bring new top leadership that hasn't been tainted by what was done while the business was in survival mode. Beyond that, you should be looking hard for any sign that the job market is heating up and anticipate what you need to do to rapidly adjust compensation and benefits. Above all, you should have a clear view about who your top talent is, be communicating actively with them about their potential, and charting attractive pathways for them within your organization. And you should be doing these things now, because if you wait six months, it most likely will be too late.

What about companies that did a good job of managing talent during the recession? Are they in the clear? Well yes and no. One very fine company that I work with, a Fortune 100 firm, is a case in point. It did virtually all the right things during the downturn by moving quickly but deftly to reduce costs. Executives took the lead in pay cuts, job losses were managed through attrition to the greatest extent possible and then via merit. Alternatives were offered to displaced workers where possible. Above all, the company did a wonderful job of communicating through the whole organization why it needed to do what it was doing. And it continued to invest scarce resources in the development of its best leaders despite enormous pressure not to do so. The net result has been minimal damage to a people-focused culture, and the company is beautifully positioned to accelerate out of the recession.

So the good news is that this company's high-potential leaders harbor strong loyalty and are inclined to stay. The bad news for the company, and others like it, is that they will be very attractive recruiting grounds for firms that didn't do such a good job during the dark times. And the desperate need for those firms to recruit leaders to replace the ones they've lost — or are about to lose — is going to rapidly bid up compensation and benefits. As is usually the case when it comes to talent, no good deed goes unpunished.

Michael Watkins is the author of, most recently, Your Next Move.

The Problem With Cable News Thinking.

Not only the networks of all political persuasions that come to mind, but the mindset they represent... By Seth Godin (my hero) at Seth's Blog.

When I was growing up, Eyewitness News always found a house on fire in South Buffalo. "Tonight's top story," Irv Weinstein would intone, "...a fire in South Buffalo." Every single night. If you watched the news from out of town, you were sure that the city must have completely burned to the ground.

Cable news thinking has nothing to do with fires or with politics. Instead, it amplifies the worst elements of emotional reaction:

• Focus on the urgent instead of the important.
• Vivid emotions and the visuals that go with them as a selector for what's important.
• Emphasis on noise over thoughtful analysis.
• Unwillingness to reverse course and change one's mind.
• Xenophobic and jingoistic reactions (fear of outsiders).
• Defense of the status quo encouraged by an audience self-selected to be uniform.
• Things become important merely because others have decided they are important.
• Top down messaging encourages an echo chamber (agree with this edict or change the channel).
• Ill-informed about history and this particular issue.
• Confusing opinion with the truth.
• Revising facts to fit a point of view.
• Unwillingness to review past mistakes in light of history and use those to do better next time.

If I wanted to hobble an organization or even a country, I'd wish these twelve traits on them. I wonder if this sounds like the last board meeting you went to...

Have More Fun.

Great viral videos are hard to come by, but Volkswagen appears to have hit the bullseye. Their new campaign “The Fun Theory” is a series of experiments, captured on video, to find out if making the world more fun can improve people’s behavior. This video, Piano Stairs, has achieved over 1 million views on YouTube – I can’t count how many times friends have shared it this week. Among the experiments: does turning a set of subway stairs into a real-life piano encourage people to use them (answer: yes, 66% more). Another experiment asks whether making a trash can sound like a 50ft-deep well will make people pick up their trash. An upcoming experiment, meanwhile, will turn a bottle recycling center into an arcade game.

The brand placement is as subtle as it could possibly be: a simple VW logo dropped in at the end. And yet the content carries that logo all around the web, as tens of thousands of people pass around the video, along with their positive associations for the VW brand. Isn’t that the definition of a perfect brand campaign?

The Kinds of Employees You Want to Hire.

Those who are innately confident and self-directed routinely outperform co-workers, regardless of their backgrounds. By Nick Tasler at BusinessWeek.

There are two kinds of employees. Some believe they can make things happen, and the others believe that things happen to them. The first group believes that the outcome of their life and career is more or less in their own hands, and they wouldn't have it any other way. The other group takes more of a Forrest Gump approach: They sit around and wait for a bus to take them somewhere. This distinguishing feature is captured by something called a "core self-evaluation." After more than a decade of research, psychologist Tim Judge has discovered that virtually all superstar employees—from rainmakers in the field to line workers on the floor all the way to big guns in the boardroom—have one thing in common: a high core self-evaluation. Judge describes core self-evaulation as "a person's fundamental bottom line evaluation of their abilities."

Judge and his colleagues have shown overwhelmingly that employees who feel like they control the events in their lives more than events control them and generally believe that they can make things turn out in their favor end up doing better on nearly every important measure of work performance. They sell more than other employees do. They give better customer service. They adjust better to foreign assignments. They are more motivated. They bring in an average of 50% to 150% more annual income than people who feel less control over the fate of their careers. Not surprisingly, these employees also like their jobs a lot more than the Gumps do.

Better Performers In Good Times And Bad In one study, Judge and his team tracked the progress of more than 12,000 people from their teenage years to middle age. He found that core self-evaluations predicted who did and didn't capitalize on the advantages life dealt them. With only a bleak view of their capacity to handle life's challenges and opportunities, even the brightest kids born to executives and engineers failed to reach as high an annual income as their less fortunate classmates.

By contrast, the supremely confident sons and daughters of roofers and plumbers who had only mediocre SAT scores and below average grades earned a 30%-60% higher income than the smart kids with dreary views of their abilities. And those kids with all the advantages of intelligence and pedigree plus a firm belief in their competence earned three times as much money as their otherwise equally blessed peers.

It seems that the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful employees has as much to do with an employee's beliefs about her ability as the reality of that ability. Considering that this difference is based as much on illusion as on reality, you might think the employee's performance would take a serious nosedive under challenging circumstances.

After all, if you think you're special, what happens when your superior or your board tells you about the areas in which you're falling short? Worse yet, what happens when the self-described superstar finds himself laid off or responsible for a division with tanking revenues? In other words, what happens when people who believe they are capable of controlling the world find themselves in an economy that is out of control? It turns out that this is when the true stars shine. Tough times weed out both those with low self-evaluations and those poseurs who only pretend to have a high self-evaluation—the narcissists. Judge finds that only about one in five people with a high core self-evaluation also scores high on measures of narcissism. That's probably why researchers continually find that those with a high self-evaluation do so much better in turbulent times compared with those with a dimmer view of their abilities, and compared with those narcissists with fragile egos.

In a series of studies by different researchers, employees with high self-evaluations have been found to respond better to corrective feedback. They also experience less stress and burnout than other employees, struggle less with work-life balance, and persevere more when searching for a job. Rather than shattering their beliefs in their abilities, it seems that a high self-evaluation creates a mental toughness that makes these people stronger and more resilient even when the chips are down.

The Core of Your Recovery Strategy To identify these stars who can take charge of your organization's rebound, you can use Judge's simple 12-question "Core Self-Evaluations Scale." (You can learn more about the scale and download it for free on Tim Judge's Web site.) It would also be a good idea to start keeping an eye out for these positive go-getters already working for you and consider giving them more responsibility and visibility in your recovery efforts. Here is how to spot them:

• "I Think I Can" Attitude: Kindergarten never taught a lesson more supported by empirical evidence than this: People who believe they can overcome challenges are more successful in virtually every sphere of life, including work.
• In Control: Does this employee take control of his work, or does he always point to outside circumstances when his projects go astray?
• Confident, Not Narcissistic: There is an important difference between having a high self-evaluation and being a narcissist. Does the employee pitch in when teammates need help, or bad-mouth co-workers they view as threats? Are they receptive or defensive when you give them feedback?
• Emotionally Stable: Employees who aren't easily discouraged are less likely to succumb to stress and burnout. They solve problems instead of saying, "See, I knew it wouldn't work!"

You could argue that getting these winners and their can-do attitudes on board still can't do much about a dismal economy. After more than a year of watching the economy go the way of the Titanic, nobody would blame you for trying to wait out the hard times. But do you really want to spend the coming months soothing your anxieties with a box of chocolates, and hoping that your bus arrives before the wind picks up?

Nick Tasler is a writer, researcher, and organizational psychologist. Tasler began his career at Andersen Consulting, was director of global research and development for think tank TalentSmart, and has consulted for Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller public and private enterprises. His book The Impulse Factor was named Best Career Book of 2008.

Will Social Media Be of Any Help to CEOs?

Experts believe social media presents good opportunity for businesses to connect with their customers. By Fayazuddin A. Shirazi at Chief Executive Online.

Although industry analysts are increasingly advocating the usage of social media by companies, CEOs apparently are going easy on the suggestions. As against the increased usage of social media – such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and the fast growing blogs domain - by general public, CEOs are still lagging behind in adopting to such emerging trends and technologies.

Writing for his blog “My Three Cents”, Ken Makovsky, CEO and President Makovsky + Company, a NY based global investor relations company believes, CEOs are losing, what he calls, a powerful opportunity to connect with their customers by ignoring social media.

Commenting on a recent research piece which pronounced most of the CEOs to be social media slackers, Makovsky thinks social media is a rapidly growing community and CEOs should identify and align themselves with these emerging technologies.

The research by UberCEO.com, a blog watch on CEOs, found most of the Fortune 100 CEOs they surveyed were social media hermits. Out of the 100 CEOs analyzed only two had twitter accounts.

Eighty-one percent of chief executives did not have a personal Facebook page. Only 13 had profiles on the professional networking site LinkedIn. Three-quarters of the CEOs did have some kind of Wikipedia entry, but nearly a third of those had limited or outdated information, such as incorrect titles, or failed to provide sources. While some CEOs contribute to other blogs, not one Fortune 100 chief executive had his or her own blog, writes Makovsky.

However, recent research data from Nielsen revealed that people are spending more time on social networking and blog sites than ever before. Nielsen research found the number of minutes spent on social media in the United Sates is doubling over the past year. “Despite an increase (82 percent) in the total number of minutes spent year-over-year and average time per person (67 percent) year-over-years, the CEOs are still staying aloof from the rapidly growing social media community,” wonders Makovsky quoting the Nielsen and UberCEO report.

So why is that CEOs are wary about social media? Experts believe CEOs fear, their open dialogue could spell potential trouble for them as they are closely watched by the law and the governance agencies.

"No doubt regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Reg-FD make CEOs cautious about communicating freely, but they're missing a fabulous opportunity to connect with their target audience and raise their company's visibility," Sharon Barclay, editor UberCEO.com told Reuters, referring to financial reporting regulations aimed at protecting investors.

Experts feel unless CEOs are motivated to use the social media themselves, they really cannot know what it is.

“You (CEOs) can't understand Twitter, Facebook, or blogging by reading an article in a magazine or a report from your CMO. Sure, they can tell you what they are, but you won't be able to truly understand how they could change your business unless you actually use them,” George F. Colony, CEO Forrester Research and the self-proclaimed CEO Guru had observed in his recent blog posting. He says the only way CEOs can understand social technologies is by using them.

“Social is like sex. It's fun to talk about and read about, but you can't truly comprehend unless you do it,” Colony noted in his blog posting at Counter Intuitive CEO.

According to Colony, the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, uses social extensively and now has 300 customer service representatives at the company on Twitter. Why? As Tony says..."People don't relate to companies, they relate to people."  “This is important insight. You, the 57 year old CEO may not use social, but that doesn't mean that your customers don't use social. You are not your customer,” Colony points out referring to Tony Hsieh’s view.

Makovsky believes, while not every CEO has the skills, inclination or regulatory freedom to blog, it’s worth remembering that the social media represent a powerful opportunity for a company — or virtually any other entity— to really connect with its most important stakeholders.

“Yes, much of the social technology is a titanic time waster. And yes, much of the technology is crap. But there may be real value here for your company -- something that you can't grasp unless you engage with social,” George F. Colony pointed out.

Build a Social Media Hiring Strategy.

Jon Jordan got a weird feeling recently when he interviewed a candidate for a sales and marketing position. By Chris Penttila at Entrepreneur Magazine.

The applicant’s claim of double-digit sales at another company didn’t parallel with that company’s turbulent history. “It didn’t match up,” says Jordan, founder of Atlantic Business Technologies, a Raleigh, N.C. web development and marketing firm with 30 employees.

He went on LinkedIn and found a connection in the applicant’s network to verify his suspicions. The claim “was completely false,” says Jordan, 30. The applicant didn’t get the job.

Jordan’s not the only one cruising social networking sites during the hiring process. A June Jump Start Social Media survey of 100 hiring managers at small, mid-size and large companies found 75 percent go to LinkedIn to research job candidates before making a job offer, while 48 percent check out Facebook and 26 percent go to Twitter. When asked where they find talent for job openings, 66 percent said LinkedIn, 23 percent said Facebook and 16 percent said Twitter.

Social media sites have become an integral piece of the hiring puzzle; it’s how to leverage these sites most effectively as a recruiting tool that has companies scrambling. These sites are low-cost or free to join, but it takes time and effort to make them truly useful.

“Most companies aren’t doing enough,” says Veronica Fielding, president of Jump Start Social Media. “They think there’s an ROI that’s got to be associated with it immediately.”

Other companies are still trying to wrap their heads about the whole idea of social media. When Oklahoma City-based HR consultant Jessica Miller-Merrell gave a talk about social media at an HR conference this spring, some people asked her how to use “Tweeter,” while others believed social media was the domain of marketing and Generation Y, not the HR department.

“Most of the HR people there [were] not seeing the value yet,” says Miller-Merrell, who blogs about the social media/HR axis on her site, BloggingForJobs.blogspot.com.

On the other end of the spectrum are entrepreneurial firms like New York City’s 5W Public Relations, which is seeing a big payoff from its social media recruiting efforts. The 75-employee firm has a LinkedIn profile, a company Facebook page, a blog and a Twitter account with hundreds of followers. Founder Ronn Torossian, 34, posts job openings to Twitter and recently recruited a great hire with way. He’s recruited other employees through Facebook. “I think social media absolutely does work to help recruit [new hires],” he says.

Atlantic Business Technologies posts job openings on Twitter that direct applicants to the company website and the company’s Facebook page. Its LinkedIn profile offers a company overview and employee profiles. Jordan likes taking the company’s job openings viral on Twitter by “re-tweeting”-- that is, having his followers spread the word to their followers. “Many times it just takes a couple of ‘re-tweets’ to get potential candidates to review the job description,” he says. “Facebook and LinkedIn are great for networking and Twitter is better for broadcasting.”

Twitter is more than a form of microblogging; it’s also a real-time search engine. Miller-Merrell suggests using hash tags that designate a topic (i.e. #jobs) and simplify Twitter searches. “You can actually search for ‘#jobs’ and use advanced options to sort or narrow it down by zip code,” she says. Sites like TweetMyJobs.com and Jobshouts.com will let you post job openings that are fed over to Twitter. For best results, balance your marketing with links and trendy insights that position your brand as a valuable part of the Twitter community, Fielding says.

How to Build a Social Media Strategy This downturn is a great time to develop a social media recruiting strategy if your company doesn’t have one yet. Here are some basic tips for getting started:

Analyze your staffing needs. What kinds of jobs will you fill over the next year, and which social media sites will get you in front of your target applicants? If you run a small grocery, your potential workers are on the more casual Myspace and Facebook. If you need a director of sales, LinkedIn is a better bet.

Start where you’re comfortable. Some sites will feel more intuitive to you, and that’s fine. Dedicate 15 minutes to your favorite social media site a few times a week until you’ve got it down, and then branch out. Learn how other entrepreneurs use social media sites for recruiting, and don’t be embarrassed to ask other members on these sites for shortcuts as you’re learning them.

Remember your manners. Would you walk into a networking event full of people you don’t know and tell them to find the perfect applicant for you ASAP? Of course not; that would be rude. The same manners apply in cyberspace. Join some groups on social media sites and participate actively for awhile before you ask members to forward your job listings and so on. Good manners and common sense give people a good vibe about you, and your company.

Don’t do too little, but don’t do too much. Some candidates might think your company is in the dark ages if its social profile is too low, while others might get intimidated--even suspicious--if your company seems to be everywhere, all the time. Ponder the right level of exposure as you position your company.

Be consistent and responsive. Make sure employees have a uniform way of describing the company on these sites so job seekers aren’t confused, Fielding says. Designate an employee to check the company’s social media pages daily, too. If a customer posts a message to your company’s Facebook page saying the company is unresponsive, you’ll only further this perception if the complaint goes unanswered for weeks.

Realize that it’s a long-term commitment. Don’t expect a quick ROI from your social media efforts. It takes six months minimum to build relationships with people on social media sites “and that’s if you are hardcore,” Miller-Merrell says. Be patient, stick with it and be prepared to make a few mistakes as you poke around these sites.

What you do now will put you miles ahead of your main competitors in finding the right hires when the economy picks up. “If you don’t have good people, you don’t have a good product,” Jordan says. These days, you can’t have a good recruiting strategy without a good grasp of social media, either.

Chris Penttila is a freelance journalist whose work has also appeared in The Costco Connection, Oregon Business magazine, QSR Magazine, TheStreet.com and other publications. She lives in the Chapel Hill, N.C. area and covers workplace issues on her blog, Workplacediva.blogspot.com.

Lots of Enemies? Make Friends With The Press.

Part Five of a series on Ethical Leadership — many more to come. Have I lost my mind? Honestly — the idea of making the press your friend is obscene!

Hear me out — there is a logic to my madness.

When my team coaches businesses on the inner workings of their business, we ask them to develop a Mastermind group. A group that includes a tax accountant and an attorney. Why? In addition to the visionary participants (marketing/sales), as a business owner you need trusted individuals who will tell you the truth — and don't have an agenda — because they stick to the FACTS.

Now I will lay all my cards on the table — certain parts of the press are unreliable, sneaky, and downright corrupt (like all areas of business). But there are certain areas of the press who are ethical, forthright, and just. Reporters who stick to the facts and tell it like it is — whether it is good or bad news. Finally, reporters who are in it to report the NEWS and not just get the juicy story.

Those are the people that you sidle-up to and make friends. Why?

Because they are ethical. And they will keep you on the straight and narrow. It is always refreshing to surround yourself with people that will not only massage your ego, but trusted advisers who will tell you the truth AND let you know when you venture into unethical territory.

Now let's be honest — you don't have to tell them everything. But if you get a trusted editor or publisher that you meet for lunch on a regular basis, you can be assured that they will tell you what's on their mind.

And that my friends, is worth its weight in GOLD.