The Extraordinary Power Of Teamwork.

Yesterday morning, a good friend of mine, Bill Erickson, told a very powerful story that hit me right in the heart.  This week, a Japanese woman was rescued from being squashed by a train after she did what we all fear and fell down the gap. Dozens of passengers were quick to react and together pushed the 32-ton train carriage away from the woman in her 30s, and she was able to get away with minor injuries.

With the right people, focused on a single strategy, can do almost anything. I hear so often about dysfuntional teams and people who are unable to get anything accomplished. The real truth is — it's the manager. They haven't done the requisite work to get their team motivated and focused. That's why they are dysfunctional. So let's break down why the actions of the people at the train worked:

They were focused.

They had a common interest and all pushed at the same time to allow the woman to wiggle free. Are your people focused? Do they get distracted easily? How do you keep them on target — how to you regularly ensure they stay on target? Too often, team members are distracted by actions by others or management's changing priorities. Ultimately, they either don't deliver or miss deadlines regularly. Get them focused and keep them on track with regular updates.

They were committed.

They had a life or death situation to deal with and nothing was going to let them fail. They were all in and every little bit of their hearts, souls, and minds were determined to MOVE THAT TRAIN. Have you captured the hearts and minds of your team? As inconsequential as your work may seem, you need to light a fire under your team and keep them committed and motivated to do the extra-ordinary.

Everyone on your team needs to know and understand what is at stake if they fail and for you to show them how to succeed in a spectacular fashion. Most managers don't do this. They deliver the work and just expect their people to deliver. Show them how to WOW you. Give them the tools, direction, and resources to deliver in a powerful way.

They were energized.

The passengers demonstrated extraordinary strength to move a 32 ton train. These weren't bodybuilders or Olympic weightlifters, they were people just like you and me. What gets each of your team members fired up? Are they fired up right now?

Good managers know exactly the right motivators to push at the right times to get super-human strength, endurance, experience, and performance from their people. All by just using words. Find out what fires up each of your people and ensure you regularly make the same circumstances occur on a regular basis. It can be as simple as a compliment, a positive email, or a pat on the back.

001: Psycho Career Career Psycho

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How To Present To Deliver The Best Clients.

This is one of my favorite scenes from Mad Men where Don Draper not only grabs Kodak, he delivers a one-two knockout punch. Pay attention to his rhythm and cadence during his talk.

How to Handle An Insubordinate Employee.

This is one of my favorites — insubordination is a recurring problem in corporate life today and many of my client sessions center around how to deal with these situations in the right way.

How To Handle A Skeptical Client.

Second in my series of Mad Men management videos - this lesson is critical on how to handle a recalcitrant client.

How to Handle An Employee Seeking A Raise.

I love Mad Men. It's not only the story and characters — it's the business behaviors and practices which permeate every scene. This is the first of a series of Mad Men scenes providing a managerial learning backdrop — Enjoy!

The Real Reason Why People Aren't Getting Hired.

I'm angry. VERY ANGRY. But I'll try to maintain my composure during this post. Over the past month, I've coached a number of clients and have presented to an even larger number of out-of-work executives. They have all been out of work now for 6-12 months and have little-or-no direction moving forward. When I keynote my workshop or coach them one-on-one:

1. I help them target exact companies that they want to work for.
2. I show them a strategy how to reach out and touch decision-makers.
3. I follow up with them on how they are progressing.
4. WASH - RINSE - REPEAT. It's that easy.

And guess what? Many of my clients immediately get interviews and some get offers (like this morning!).

But there is another group of clients. They've done NOTHING. No phone calls, no meetings, no real opportunities.

All they do all day is send out a few emails, check the job boards, tighten up their resume. That's it.

Here's a dose of REALITY folks: If I haven't said it enough — YOU NEED TO GET OUT AND MEET PEOPLE.

• If you are searching for a job in your sweats, YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB.
• If you are not getting out DAILY and meeting key movers and shakers, YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB.
• If you spend your day surfing on the web, sending emails to a few friends, and watching TV all day, YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB.
• If you are landscaping your yard, shopping for groceries, driving the kids to and from school, YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB.

YOU ARE AVOIDING GETTING A JOB.

I honestly think that many of these people have worked so long in one company or one vocation, they've "COCOONED" themselves into a mental corner that they are unable to get out of. Even when they are given a map and shown the way out — they still stay in the corner waiting for someone to come along and give them a job.

Here's the TRUE REALITY: That's never gonna happen folks.

Get 'real' with your situation. If you've been unemployed for more than 3 months without a viable interview or job offer, something isn't working. You need to change your strategy. Unfortunately, for many people out their, many of their obstacles are in their head.

Sorry about the vitriol today — but sometimes people just need a good kick in the butt to see reality.

Image provided by Family O'Abé at Flickr.

Fire The CEO! That Will Never Happen.

Read this today: "IBM Corp. this summer will lay off  hundreds of workers in the Hudson Valley region as part of a $1 billion company restructuring that could cut as many as 8,000 jobs worldwide." (link) The truth: Bad management decisions by the top impact the hard workers under them.

It happens time and time again - when the same cast of characters - The Board, Chairman, CEO, President, CFO, CMO, CIO, COO, CSO, (and many others) make decisions which are either good for Wall Street (to get that pennies per share price up) or good for them (so they can hold onto their jobs for another year).

It's the typical corporate country two-step - instead of innovation and growth - they focus on swaying to the gyrations of factory/office closings and staff reductions. Make a bad decision? Time to start firing up the guillotine! Instead of realizing that THEY (management) have made serious miscalculations of the market/their customers/their competition, they continue on in their role (with HUGE bonuses) while they slowly eviscerate the organization from the inside out.

Think of what IBM used to be (i.e., the Watsons) where they took bold ideas, acted upon them, and led the industry. They picked up on the PC, Laptops, Operating Systems, Enterprise Solutions, etc. What happened?

Why isn't IBM in mobile computing? They used to be a leader. Answer: Short sighted vision and watching-their-butt management. What can benefit management in the short term (just to get another year or two of outrageous bonuses) or playing the market so they can leave and land at their next gig (and do the exact same thing over again). I would love some news organization to start up a Bad CEO database so we can see where they turn up next — we can track them like Lo-Jack for executives.

And before I begin receiving rebuttals . . . I know . . . there are companies who are doing it the right way, IBM and other companies are reacting to industry changes, etc. I just find it's sad to see a leader in American technology lay off 8,000 workers. That's a LOT of good people. Also, I don't hate CEO's — I just hate BAD CEO's. And we all know who they are.

Got A Great Testimonial Today.

Over the past year,  I've worked with an influential CEO of a major financial advisory company in NYC. During that time, we got A LOT accomplished and we had a lot of fun. He requested in-person meetings with Skype follow-ups and I modified my services to provide what he needed (the team at the Rich Gee Group aims to please!). So without further ado . . .

“Rich has been instrumental in the growth and success of my career and organization. He has a unique ability to inspire you and think outside the box to deal with challenging situations.  I would highly recommend Rich to anyone.”

It's been a great ride and I hope to remain friends forever.

Is It Safe?

From Drive4Show at Reddit.

How Samsung Got Big.

"The cellphones were stacked up high in the Gumi factory yard and more were coming out every minute. Phones, TVs, fax machines, and other gear shattered as it hit the concrete and Samsung CEO Kun-hee Lee and his board cracked the screens and cases with heavy hammers. Then they lit a bonfire and threw everything in." Chris Velazco from TechCrunch takes us behind the curtain to show us HOW SAMSUNG GREW SO BIG.

Spin A Wheel To Talk To Strangers In NYC's First Conversation Salon.

The Talk Shop in NYC:

A Startup Job Is The New Office Job.

Alex Payne brings a powerful manifesto to all recent grads who want to jump onto a startup:

"If you’re in your late teens or early twenties, you’ve grown up in a world that has come to idealize startups, their founders, and the people who go to work at them."

"If you’re in school, maybe you’ve felt pressure or been incentivized to drop out and join or start a company. If you’re already out in the working world, perhaps you feel that your non-startup job is in some way inadequate, or that you’re missing out on valuable experience and potential wealth."

One of my favorite lines from Alex: "Startups are part of the system, not a rebellious wrench in the cogs."

Read it here.

Why Businesses Die A Tragic Death.

A Kodak engineer constructed the first digital camera in 1975.They didn't want to go digital. They went bankrupt in 2012.

Here's the article on Kodak's first digital camera. Here is an incredible report on how Kodak died.

I used to believe in Kodak and bought their products right up until their digital video camera (The Playsport - it was waterproof!). It's so sad when management, the engineers, and most of the company (not all) stuck their heads in the sand and hoped for the best. Short term thinking at it's best.

Are you doing the same thing?

It's happening right now in music, publishing, newspapers, TV, movies, cars, etc. Keep your vision out 5-10 years - don't get caught and cry your never saw it coming.

Perfectionism — The Killer Of Thousands Of Entrepreneurs.

"The thing to realize that having a failure, does not make you a failure."

"One of this biggest things that can kill a persons hopes and dreams is being a perfectionist. It’s that little voice in your head saying that you are not good enough… that the product is not good enough to ship, that the book is not good enough to finish, that you are not good enough for the promotion, and many more."

Another great post from John Cooper on what ails many entrepreneurs today.

Traditional Rewards Aren't Always As Effective As We Think.

Suggested by my close and valued colleague, Margo Meeker, here's a powerful and informative TED presentation by career analyst Daniel Pink on the real secret of motivation and rewards:

Dan examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories — and maybe, a way forward.

How Much Of Your Success Would You Chalk Up To Luck?

Billionaire GoPro CEO Nick Woodman:

"Dedicating myself to actually following through was my single biggest achievement."

Read Nick Woodman's full answer to this question.

Microsoft Once Again Fails To Understand.

Microsoft’s new Windows 8 vs. iPad campaign:

"They're so afraid of letting go of past success that they'll take future failure instead. They'll refuse to compromise on anything other than making the user experience horribly, needlessly, compromised.

In most cases, they've touted the advantages of a more desktop-like experience, and Windows is, perhaps, the most desktop of desktops. And it's precisely what mainstream customers have resoundingly said is the absolute last thing they want on a tablet."

Read Rene Ritchie's full article from iMore.

Top 8 Critical Articles You Should Be Reading TODAY.

I've been blown away with the level and caliber of magazine articles lately. 

Instead of puff pieces, they are cutting right to the chase with powerful, informative and critical information executives, business owners and in-transition people need to succeed in today's marketplace. So here goes:

Inc. Magazine

The 25 Most Audacious Companies

Inc. 's first annual Most Audacious list features entrepreneurs who are original, ambitious, and totally uncowed by impossible odds.

Why Everyone Is an Entrepreneur Now

Job-hopping might ruffle a corporation's feathers, but employers need to accept it's a way of life.

Fast Company

The 100 Most Creative People In Business 2013

Data Geeks, World-Changers, Actors, Rappers, and all types of innovators prove the value of creativity at a crucial time in business.

The Future Of Technology Isn’t Mobile, It’s Contextual

It’s called situational awareness. The way we respond to the world around us is so seamless that it’s almost unconscious. Our senses pull in a multitude of information, contrast it to past experience and personality traits, and present us with a set of options for how to act or react.

Bloomberg Businessweek

In The Future, We'll All Be TaskRabbits

The temporary workforce in the U.S. is looking increasingly permanent. In April, 2.66 million people took on temp work, making up almost 2 percent of the country’s overall workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Boomers Plan to Delay Retirement. Then Life Intrudes

If you’re one of those aging boomers who’s counting on extra years of work to save your nest egg, keep in mind that relatively few people end up doing it.

Entrepreneur Magazine

Entrepreneur's 100 Brilliant Companies for 2013

We talk a lot about ideas: what inspires them, how to act on them. But it's really quite simple: The best ones come from just going about our lives -- encountering, then attempting to resolve, both major obstacles and quotidian annoyances.

10 Habits College Entrepreneurs Should Forget at Graduation

You've made it. The finish line. With that degree in hand, now you can finally start the business you've spent years planning, right? Not so fast. After years of cramming for exams and attending class in your pajamas, you may have picked up a few bad habits.

I've tried to mix it up a bit for all readers of my site — please pick up all of these issues — they are chock full of POWERFUL ARTICLES.

3 Tips To Take More Powerful Notes During Meetings.

Meetings stink. You know you have to have them — status update meetings, quarterly reviews, client updates, investor relations, customer feedback sessions, etc. They stink because:

• They are usually not well run.
• They frequently go over their schedule.
• Work usually doesn’t get done — just talking/pontificating.
• It’s not all about you (probably the most important one).

One technique I use to combat "meeting-itus" is to take great notes. Stick with me.

The process of taking notes produces a number of pleasant side effects:

• You retain not only a mental record of the meeting, but also a physical one.
• You are engaged in the meeting, your mind doesn't drift off to other areas.
• You show your peers, customers, and superiors you value their time and input.
• It keeps your professional mind sharp at a time when you are might be drowsy and punchy.
• It delivers a jumping-off point for new ideas, strategies, and directions - which you can bring up during the meeting and look good.

But most people don't take good notes (or they don't take any at all). Usually because they still take notes like they did in school. Two different environments. So here are my three ways to take better notes:

Structure

A lot of executives use fancy and expensive leather books to take their notes. It's usually small, with a binding, and blank (or with lines). If you had to take a lot of notes, the physical structure of your book would probably work against you. Here's what I look for in a good note-taking platform:

• Ability to spread out - no bindings, large rings, or encumbrances to deal with. Nothing in the structure should impede my note-taking.
• Lots of space - don't use a 4" x 6" book - you need 8.5" x 11" to be able to draw, make arrow connections, and add/modify sections.
• You need to have some type of structure designed into the pages (see Format). These are usually flat.

Format

This is critical. Use my template (pdf) if you would like to see what I use. It's a simple format allowing me to list basic info at the top (date, meeting title, attendees) and adequate space between the lines to add graphics to my thoughts.

In addition, I have a 2" left-hand rail to allow me to list overall ideas, positions, and directions, so I can easily read down the left side of the page and understand what exactly happened during the meeting.

At the bottom, you'll see a large space for next steps or action items from the meeting. That's the most important part.

Behavior

Be engaged. When you sit down, prepare your notes — set the title, date, and attendees. There usually is a lead person who sets the stage for the meeting and hopefully delivers an agenda. This will give you a good idea of the purpose and structure of your time, hopefully well spent.

During each section (or person), break out each note area with a sub-title and think what's being covered, what are the elements, and what are the decisions/next steps. If you are tapped in any way to do something, make a defined, regular, and recognizable notation next to each element (I use two asterisks). This tells me I have something to do and to quickly inquire when it needs to be delivered.

What do you use to take your notes in? How successful are you in taking good notes? I would love to hear your techniques!