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According to the United States Department of labor, in January, the number of unemployed persons decreased to 14.8 million, and the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point to 9.7 percent. Bottom line, these numbers are too high.

Having recently experienced a career transition, I decided to dedicate the next blog posts to things that I found useful in managing my search campaign. I certainly hope some of my experiences prove useful and beneficial to others.

When I first started my career transition I looked at it as both a challenge and an opportunity. In our home we believed in the mantra that you may not be able to control what happens to you, but you can control how you choose to respond. While my career transition was not a planned event, I did decide to use this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape my next set of experiences. It brought with it a wide range of emotions that included anxiety and excitement. My search campaign ended up being a remarkable experience. While I would not wish that experience on anyone, I choose to believe that I am a better person and a better leader as a result of my experiences and growth during my search campaign.

Following are some of the ideas that I found worthwhile. I will explore these ides in more details in future blog posts, but for now I just want to acquaint you to some of the ideas. Note; the ideas are not necessarily in priority order nor are they in sequential order of steps you should take.

1)  Work hard at your search campaign but make certain you also take some time off to feed your soul.

 2)  Structure your search campaign. Create a marketing plan that provides the direction for what industries and companies you want to pursue and update it weekly as you are progressing forward in your campaign and discovering new information.

 3) Know your value proposition – companies are interested in people who can help them solve business problems. Position yourself in this capacity and don’t just be a job seeker. The real value proposition is the results that you can deliver  – it becomes how you lead you way into the job so lead  with your strengths

 4)  Use a Multiprong approach in your search campaign. While networking and conducting informational meetings is how I spent the majority of my time, I also employed other techniques. I developed relationships with recruiters and I used the power of the internet to conduct my search campaign. I did not use any fee based services.

 5)  Conducting informational meetings. Learn from others and use the information to further direct your search campaign.

 6)  Do your homework before any informational meeting and especially do your homework before an interview. Research the industry, company, and the people you will meet with.

 7)  Make it easy for people to help you. If you want someone to make an introduction on your behalf, send them a brief script that they can use. I used a variation of my 30 second commercial.

 8)  Have a 30 second commercial!

 9)  Be sure to say thank you and never miss an opportunity to help them out. As an example, someone I had met was working on an initiative to create a global virtual team. I had just read an excellent article on that topic so as part of my thank-you I shared the article with them.

 10)  Be online – LinkedIn is a must.

 11)  Track the details. I tracked my contact information, follow up, leads, etc. It is not unlike the tacking a Sale representative would do for client prospecting, meetings, etc.

 12)  Attend seminars and other forums for learning and networking with others.

 This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope some of these ideas are helpful. If you have other ideas that have worked for you, please don’t hesitate to share. In future posts, I will expand on some of the details and samples that I found useful.

Tomorrow we celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday in the US. I just love this holiday as it is a time spent with loved ones and offers us the opportunity to pause and reflect on all the things we have to be grateful for.

I want to personally extend my gratitude and thanks to all the people that have touched my life is such a positive manner. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends around the globe. So on this special holiday, I wish you all enough good things in life to sustain you.

In classic Gladwell fashion, he has done thorough research and has raised some thought provoking perspective an what contributes to success. It is not the brightest who succeed,” Gladwell writes. “Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities — and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.”

He begins by revealing the role that birth date cut off can have on sports. The sports or schools that tend to select, stream, and differentiate end up giving a huge advantage to the small group of people born closes to the cutoff date. The consequence of this is we miss opportunities to lift others to the top rung and we make rules that frustrate achievement. A key question then is; how do you not squander talent based on arbitrary things such as birth date cut off? Gladwell begins to share some of this thoughts on this topic, but clearly it is an area worth additional creative thinking.

He also talks about other concepts relative to the notion of outliers. He brings forward the 10,000 hour rule as the needed amount of time to practice in order to master the skill necessary to be at the top level.

He talks about rice farmers and the three components of meaningful work – autonomy, complexity, and connection.

He talks about “culture of honor” – a world where a man’s reputation is at the center of his livelihood and self-worth. He brings forward the notion that in the back country violence wasn’t for economic gain, it was personal. You fought over your honor. I thought this idea could have merit when trying to identify strategies for reducing the level and amount of violence perpetrated by gangs.

All in all, I found the topic of interest and the ideas presented intriguing to read about. I am still trying to translate some of his concepts and ideas into the world of business where we can use our understanding of outliers to better position people for success. I would be curious to hear your thoughts and ideas on this topic.

First of all, thanks to everyone that sent me gentle reminders on where is your next post? I am glad to know that a number of folks find these blog posts interesting and useful!

Today I am writing about an aspect of decision making. Making decisions and executing to these decisions is a critical component to  driving improved change and making forward progress towards your objectives. However, too often companies and people struggle trying to make “the right” decisions. Elements of a good decision often include the decision quality, implementation effectiveness, and timeliness. Recently I attended a webinar on making better decisions faster. There were a couple of ideas that really resonated with me and the experiences I have had when trying to drive decision making and executing to the decisions made. The ideas presented below really speak to the implementation effectiveness aspect of decision making.

1) Treat decisions as a project not a process. While a decision making process such as Kepner-Tregoe Decision Making can be useful in providing a framework for making balanced decisions, the key is to use the process to help you make the decision. When you treat a decision as a project it will have a beginning and an end.

2) Don’t reopen a decision unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Any decision will run into bumps in the road as you execute it. When you make the decision, also specify what would need to change to cause you to reopen the decision. The military uses the Commander’s Critical Information Requirements (CCIR) to deal with this issue. Once the decision has been made take time to talk about what are the 4-5 critical points that would trigger a conversation about changing a decision? If none of the CCIR’s change, the operation goes ahead as planned. This is extremely valuable for teams to be able to know when they should escalate or engage in further discussion as they are taking action on the decision.

3) The presenter did not mention this directly, but I think it is absolutely critical that once a decision is made that you define the next step of action – the action should be an activity that drives you closer to achieving the results of the decision made. I once worked at a place that really excelled at making decisions, however, they did not always define the next set of actions and as a result we kept re-visiting the decision. A word to the wise, keep the momentum of the decision making moving forward and define the next action step.

There are obviously many other factors that play in to making good decisions faster, but the above 3 are not always mentioned and I think they are important components.

Since the school session has recently started again, it made me think about  how I have always marveled at students that are involved in extra-curricular activities. It takes dedication, focus, persistent, passion, along with many other attributes to successfully balance the demands of studies and dedication to your sport or activity. (Along with having a social life ). I was always grateful that my children participated in multiple activities in High School and college. Being involved in extracurricular activities  offers the opportunities for some of life’s greatest lessons.

1^st – Time Management   These student athletes learn how to balance the demands on their schedule between practice, game time, studies, work, family, faith,  and friends.

2^nd – Hard work    Extra-curricular activities teaches them that achievements are not always easy and quick. It takes hard work and much time to achieve our goals. We earn them piece by piece and step by step. In the sport of football you can gain 8 yards and then loose 2. But as long as you don’t give up, the effort and patience can indeed pay off!

3^rd – Choices   They learned that with every choice there are consequences. This skill will help prepare them to make choices that will have a positive consequence on their lives.

4^th – Winning and losing with grace   How you win is as important as the win itself. Players represent their school, community, and family. The integrity they show in their actions and how they play the game – win or lose – shapes their character.  We always had a saying in our house; don’t get too high and don’t get too low.

5^th – Have fun  You have to be able to enjoy and have fun with what you do. Hard work can be fun! In fact, often times the things that we have to work the hardest at are the things that bring us a great deal of joy.

6^th – The power of teams   Many extra-curricular activities  are team sports, so is life. It takes all players each with different talents and skills willing to work hard and work as a team. Even the player who scores the touchdown didn’t get there by himself. Each person has different gifts and talents. Even when we achieve our greatest goals, it’s not alone. There are people supporting us in various ways all along the way. Life is a team effort.

7^th – The power of support The game is not played in isolation. The crowd cheering on the sidelines is a significant part of the game. It’s family and friends encouraging you to do your best, consoling you when you fail and celebrating when you succeed. We all need those voices of encouragement on the sidelines. We need someone to cheer us up when things don’t go well and friends to celebrate with when things go great.

8^{th –} Friendship While they share a mutual interest in the same activity they also develop a sense of loyalty, respect, and caring for each other. In many cases these friendships will last a lifetime. As a parent of kids involved in extra-curricular activities we were fortunate to have developed lifelong friendships with other parents, how fortunate we were to have that opportunity! 

Yes, these lessons are valuable indeed, in fact, they could be applied to many of life’s situations!

Dr Jill Bolte Taylor is a brain scientist that experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain at the age of 37. She provides a us a rare glimpse of her observations as she is experiencing the stroke along with her insights during her eight year recovery period.  When she had her stroke and her left brain was rendered non-functioning and quiet, the brain chattered stopped and the normally silenced right brain found its voice. It was life-changing because what she found was that this happens to be where nirvana resides. She thought if she had found nirvana and was still alive, then everyone can find nirvana. She thought, what a stroke of insight this could be in how we lead our lives.

Dr. Talyor starts with a bit of science. I found this very valuable and was able to more deeply appreciate her observations related to her stroke along with the details provided on her recovery.  She helps us to better understand how the right and left hemisphere of the brain function. Let me share one of the factoids presented:

• The limbic system functions by placing an effect or emotion on information streaming in through our senses. Our limbic system functions throughout our lifetime, it does not mature.  As a result, when our emotional buttons are pushed, we retain the ability to react to incoming stimulation as though we were a two-year-old. It is so easy to get caught up in the wiring of our pre-programmed reactivity (limbic system) that we live our lives cruising along on auto pilot. Here is the catch, although there are certain limbic system (emotional) programs that can be triggered automatically, it takes less than ninety seconds for one of these programs to be triggered, surge through our body and then be completely flushed out of our bloodstream.  If you choose to remain with the automatic trigger after 90 seconds, it is truly your choice – you have chosen to let that circuit continue as Dr. Taylor would say.

How interesting is this! I am an advocate of “Choose your attitude”, while you cannot control what happens to you, you can control how you choose to respond. Her explanation of the limbic system resonated with me and our power of choice.

She also states that our minds are highly sophisticated “seek and ye shall find” instruments. We are designed to focus in on whatever we are looking for. I now better understand why visualization and imagery can be so powerful.

In closing, she viewed her stroke as a wonderful  gift as it permitted her to pick and choose who and how she wanted to be in this world. She states that by recognizing who is who inside our cranium, we can take a more balanced-brain approach to how we lead our lives. Creating a healthy balance between our two characters enables us the ability to remain cognitively flexible enough to welcome change (right hemisphere) and yet remain concrete enough to stay a path (left hemisphere). We have the power to chose moment by moment who we are.

If this topic is of interest to you, I would recommend watching this 18 minute video, not only is she an excellent writer, she is an engaging presenter. Jill Bolte Taylor video

When I started the blog posts, I had indicated that the posts in my blog will span topics of business, leadership, technology, and tidbits of general interest. The following is one of general interest. I love trying new recipes (especially when we are spending time with family and friends at the lake). This is a new one that I discovered and adapted this summer. I think the combination of family, friends, laughter, and food feed the soul. I hope you enjoy this creation – it is simple to make, healthy to eat and delicious to taste.

Shrimp Salad Canapes Recipe

Makes about 36 hors d’oeuvres

• 8-12 Large shrimp cut into small pieces (Add more or less depending on your taste and how it looks)
• 1- 2 thick seedless cucumbers (usually plastic-wrapped; at least 1 3/4 inches in diameter), cut into 36 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño chile (including seeds)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup finely diced peeled mango
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Garnish: thinly sliced fresh cilantro

Whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, jalapeño, salt, and a pinch of pepper.

Add shrimp, mango, celery, onion, and cilantro to dressing and toss well.   

Slice cucumber (if you have a scallop cutter you can use that to make it more festive)

Top each cucumber round with 1 rounded teaspoon shrimp salad.

As the economy starts to recover and companies position themselves for the upside opportunities of the recovery, it is imperative that Managers and Leaders of organization focus on what is needed to attract and retain key talent. Many years ago I ran across a book by Buckingham and Coffman titled First Break All The Rules. The ideas and concepts have stuck with me and I believe many of them are very relevant for today’s environment.

The book presents the findings of in-depth interviews studied by the Gallup organization. The Managers who ultimately became the focus of Gallup’s research were those who excelled at turning each employee’s talent into performance. The Gallup poll searched for those special questions where the most engaged employees – those who were loyal and productive answered positively, and everyone else – the average performers – answered neutrally or negatively. Furthermore, the surveyed analyzed employee feedback with business unit outcomes – productivity, profit, retention, customer service. It provides a link between employee opinions, business results, and employee retention. The concepts are tools that can be used to elevate performance.

Following is an excerpt that I hope you find useful. They use an analogy of a mountain climb to describe the critical focus needed to turn talents into performance.

So Where to Start

Think about what it would take to climb a mountain. You know the climb will vary, sometimes steep, sometimes gradual. You know there will be gullies to negotiate, terrain that will force you to descend before you can resume your climb. But the you think of the summit and how you will feel and you start to climb.

Base Camp

When you first start a new role, your needs are fairly basic. At this stage you are asking What do I get?

These two questions measure Base Camp

• Do I know what is expected of me at work?
• Do I have the right materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

Camp 1

At this stage you are focused on your individual contribution and other people’s perceptions of it – you are asking What do I give?

These questions measure Camp 1:

• At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
• In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
• Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care?
• Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

If these questions remain unanswered, all of your yearnings to belong, to become part of a team, to learn and to innovate, will be undermined

Camp 2

At this stage of the climb you really want to know if you fit – you are asking Do I belong here?

These questions measure Camp 2:

• At work, do my opinions seem to count?
• Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
• Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
• Do I have a best friend at work?

Camp 3

This is the most advanced stage of the climb. At this stage you are impatient for everyone to improve, asking, How can I grow?

These questions measure Camp 3

• In the last 6 months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
• This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

At this stage, people can innovate effectively (Invention is novelty, innovation is novelty that can be applied)

You can innovate and apply your own ideas only if you are focused on the right expectations (Base Camp), you have confidence in your own expertise (Camp 1), and you are aware of how your new ideas will be accepted or rejected by people around you (Camp 2)

Summary of Camps

The longer your lower level needs remain unmet, the more likely it is that you will burn out, become unproductive, and leave. Inexperienced climbers might suggest that if you have lots of money and not much time, you could helicopter to Camp 3 and race to the summit. Experienced guides know that you would never make it. Mountain sickness would sap your energy and slow your progress to a crawl. During your ascent you have to spend a great deal of time acclimating between the various levels. The more time you spend at these lower levels, the more stamina you will have in the thin air near the top of the summit.

Focus your time and energy on Base Camp and Camp 1. If your employee’s lower level needs remain unaddressed, then everything you do for them further along the journey is almost irrelevant

In Conclusion

If you are uncertain as to the current state of your team, I would suggest the following:

• If you have a company survey that has been done recently. Try to map the company survey questions to the 12 questions identified in the various camps. Typically, most company surveys will include  a close variation to these questions.
• If you don’t have recent company survey data or the questions don’t map, then take the time to initiate the survey. It is important that people understand the purpose of the survey and what they can expect from the results. Therefore, if you really don’t plan on taking action based on the results of the survey then I would not ask people to take the time to give you their perspective.

Remember, the more individuals you can move up the mountain place, the stronger the workplace.

Good Luck and enjoy the journey!

There have been a lot of terrific comments and perspectives offered in the post on Leadership Definitions. If all the comments provided were put together it may say something like:

• Leadership is developing a vision, establishing direction, and guiding and aligning people to meet that vision. Leadership is motivating and inspiring others to be the best they can be. Leadership is about being aware of your surroundings and understanding the climate of your team, your customers, and your company. Leadership is knowing how and when to initiate change that enables the company to remain competitive and profitable while providing customers with innovative, high-quality products and services.

Following are some of the attributes I think are important with great leadership. I tried to keep this to a top 10 list. It was not easy to do and in some cases I may have merged a couple of like ideas.

 I have tried to embody these in my approach to leading teams and organizations. Sometimes I hit a home run and sometimes I strike out, but these are some of the things I strive to incorporate into my approach, in a way they are my compass. I also believe that leadership happens and should happen across all levels of people in an organization.

1. Know your customer – understand their needs and expectations. It is not enough to do things right, you must also do the right thing. Understanding your customers needs and expectations is a foundation for doing the right thing.
2. Know your team – take a genuine interest in the issues and concerns of your team. Listen and ensure that people feel listened to. Make time for people when they need you no matter how busy you are. Display confidence and trust in people to make the right decisions.
3. Lead with vision – let people know expectations, priorities, and objectives. It is not enough though to just have a vision. It needs to be underpinned by a plan, there needs to be clarity in goals and metrics so that people can take action towards the vision and see how their day to day contributions fits in with attaining the overall objective.
4. Invest in your employees – develop the best talent, and put the right people in the right jobs (this is casting). Casting is everything – Draw upon the strengths of others – Don’t bring out the best in employees by focusing on fixing their “weaknesses”. Focus on each person’s strengths and manage around their weakness.  By developing talent within your team you really elevate the performance of the individuals and the collective team.
5. Invest in yourself – Know what you don’t know – continually keep learning, but leverage the talents and knowledge of others. Share the wisdom – pass your knowledge on to others.
6. Integrity & character – How you accomplish something is as important as what you accomplish.
7. Be decisive and flexible – make decisions, but be willing to admit when you are wrong. Honor your commitments – keep your promises.
8. Let others shine – need I say more.
9. Work with passion, energy, and enthusiasm – Attitudes are contagious.
10. Be agile and adapt to the environment – respond to new opportunities quickly.