If you want change agents, hire pirates with passion

An HR Lesson From Steve Jobs: If You Want Change Agents, Hire Pirates

Why? Because pirates can operate when rules and safety nets break down.

[The following is an excerpt from What Would Steve Jobs Do?: How the Steve Jobs Way Can Inspire Anyone to Think Differently and Winby Peter Sander (McGraw Hill).]

“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.” This quote, made back in the days of the original Mac development team, says a lot about how Steve viewed people and selected them for teams. It also speaks to the kind of team and team behavior he admired. To build a team, all organizations seek the best and the brightest people, particularly for their innovation and new product development organizations–that’s not what’s in question here. By seeking out the pirates, Steve took the idea a big step further.

Why pirates?

A pirate can function without a bureaucracy. Pirates support one another and support their leader in the accomplishment of a goal. A pirate can stay creative and on task in a difficult or hostile environment. A pirate can act independently and take intelligent risks, but always within the scope of the greater vision and the needs of the greater team.

“I ask, ‘Why are you here?’ The answers aren’t what you’re looking for. It’s the meta-data.”

Pirates are more likely to embrace change and challenge convention. “Being aggressive, egocentric, or antisocial makes it easier to ponder ideas in solitude or challenge convention,” says Dean Keith Simonton, a University of California psychology professor and an expert on creativity. “Meanwhile, resistance to change or a willingness to give up easily can derail new initiatives.”

So Steve’s message was: if you’re bright, but you prefer the size and structure and traditions of the navy, go join IBM.

If you’re bright and think different and are willing to go for it as part of a special, unified, and unconventional team, become a pirate.

Pirates With Passion

Steve looked for the pirate in all his team members. But it wasn’t enough just to be brilliant, and it wasn’t enough just to think different. Steve’s pirates had to have the passion, the drive, and the shared vision to want to delight the customer with a perfect, game-changing product.

Steve was constantly worried that as Apple grew, it would become like other big companies: tied up in bureaucracy, with a hundred reasons why something couldn’t be done.

Pirates with passion would not let this happen. In keeping with this idea, Steve wanted his pirates not only for the product development organizations, but also for routine business functions like accounting and even his administrative assistants.

As Steve told Fortune editor Betsy Morris in 2008: “When I hire somebody really senior, competence is the ante. They have to be really smart. But the real issue for me is, Are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because if they fall in love with Apple, everything else will take care of itself. They’ll want to do what’s best for Apple, not what’s best for them, what’s best for Steve, or anybody else.”

Well-Traveled Pirates

Steve Jobs placed a lot of value on having a diverse organization, and on choosing individuals with diverse backgrounds and sets of experiences, like his own.

Steve never finished college–not even his first year. But he was able to synthesize his own interests and experiences, from electronics hacking to Zen Buddhism to calligraphy, add three heaping scoops of passion, and become what he became. He felt that others should do the same.

When selecting team members, Steve looked for the same breadth of background and experiences.

A good technologist is a good technologist, but one with interests in philosophy, the arts, literature, and such really moved the needle.

He also liked entrepreneurship and signs of success at other endeavors. People who show the ability to get things done in other fields, to synthesize their experiences, and to take a broader view of the human experience are more likely to be the pirates that Steve was searching out.

In a March 2011 iPad event, Steve told us: “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. That it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.”

You Can Find a Pirate Anywhere

Not surprisingly, as Steve Jobs looked for people with diverse backgrounds, he would look everywhere. He was known to recruit the friends and acquaintances of his existing team members, feeling that they were most likely to fit with the team and share many of the same values.

Apple doesn’t do a lot of outbound recruiting–these days it doesn’t have to, but even in the old days, people were just as likely to be found through happen-stance and connections as through formal recruiting efforts. Even John Sculley was brought to Steve’s attention by two of Steve’s early Stanford recruits.

A good techie is a good techie, but one with other interests really moves the needle.

Once a contact was made with a prospective pirate, the interview was likely to depart from the norm. It wasn’t your typical engineering interview. Diverse, seemingly off-task questions often bring diverse answers, and Steve was known to rely not so much on what people said as on how they said it, and on the meta-data that came in around the actual answer.

Again, from the Fortune interview: “Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. We do it ourselves and we spend a lot of time at it. I’ve participated in the hiring of maybe 5,000-plus people in my life. So I take it very seriously. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview. So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I feel about this person? What are they like when they’re challenged? Why are they here? I ask everybody that: ‘Why are you here?’ The answers themselves are not what you’re looking for. It’s the meta-data.”

So, in Steve’s book–recruit a team of diverse, well-traveled, and highly skilled pirates, and they’ll follow you anywhere.

Source: Peter Sandler cited in http://www.fastcodesign.com

What love, passion, addiction, you name it, any obsessive emotion, can mean for you

 

 

I’ve been thoroughly enthralled by actress Adrienne Corri’s remarkable quest to unravel the truth behind a portrait she, and at the time, no other believed to be the authentic creation of mater painter Thomas Gainsborough. Pursuing her passion let her to find her life purpose. What has it or could it do for  you?

 

“I knew without doubt what love, passion, addiction, you name it, any obsessive emotion, meant to me.

Everything else in my life up to then had led to that moment.

All the mistakes, the stupidities, the failures that nay person goes through – had they been in one event different, I would not have been in that car with that picture. I could never say again, “ I wish  I had not done that.”

To have all regrets swept away in one afternoon, all reservations and doubts wiped out, all mistakes vindicated, is an extraoridnary feeling, but that is what he discovery of young Thomas Gainsborough had done for me. One perfect achievement had made sense of it all – and if nothing else happened it was enough” ~ Adrienne Corri, The Search for Gainsborough

 

You can learn more about Adrienne’s personal quest here>>

You can read more about Gainsborough’s  self-portrait here>>

 

How to attract life-enhancing relationships

Yesterday I received the following email from Robyn in Dunedin, who asked me to share my thoughts on relationships.

“I’ve been following your writings and evolution (!) for a number of years now and never cease to find you inspirational and motivating. I have sent links to your newsletter and blogs to many people that I have worked with within the context of my various guises of HR professional, business coach and therapist. Now, I reckon, I would like to hear Cassandra on relationships. How about it? Isn’t this an area we haven’t’ heard from you on? I’d love to hear your thinking on this topic “

At first I didn’t know what to write. I’ve been so focused on talking about creativity, helping people with career and work issues, business and leadership coaching, and writing my historical romance in my spare time. But then it struck me. All these threads carry the same theme – developing and maintaining positive relationships.

Thank you Robyn for reminding me of this central theme that underpins everything I do. Hands up I don’t always get it right. But then show me a perfect person and I may just see a pig fly across the moon. At least I’m committing to trying. Isn’t that all anyone of us can do?

It’s clear that the quality of our relationships is very connected with our level of happiness.

Deep relationships are based on openness, truth and respect. That allows meaningful communication between two human beings, not of two humans playing roles. To create a truly satisfying relationship not only do you need to truly know thyself but also the deeper nature, values and traits of those you with whom you want to relate.

If you are both committed to relating deeply, instead of on superficial characteristics, true connection can flourish. If neither is committed to achieved shared common ground then there’s nothing to be gained.

All too often competition takes over, and no one takes the time to clarify their shared goals and visualize the win-win outcomes and benefits which inevitably flow.

re·la·tion·ship? What does it mean?

noun

1.a connection, association, or involvement.

2.connection between persons by blood or marriage.

3.an emotional or other connection between people: the relationship between teachers and students.

4.a sexual involvement; affair.

Of all the definitions above the two words that speak most loudly is emotional connection.

Let’s think about the emotions that may be involved. Positive ones like love, happiness or fulfillment or  negative one’s like anger, despair, fear

The need for change
I am powerfully reminded of the need for change by yesterday’s newspaper headlines (a brother and sister fearful their Mum and Dad will be released from prison and kill them),  a year of working in a culture with an enduring reputation for dysfunctional, highly conflict based relationships, and a world exploding with conflict.

Perhaps if we all made an intention to work towards constructive, not destructive,  relationships there would be more prosperity. Perhaps if there was a higher sense of community, and individuals who want positive change were given a bigger voice laws would be more supportive.

I’m thinking of New Zealand’s liberal alcohol laws which in my view erode life for so many. One only has to realise that approximately 75% of the prison population offended while drunk for compelling evidence. One only has to read the headlines to see the destruction.

I wonder, as Nelson Mandela once did, does evil flourish  because the world, and we who live upon it,  isn’t angry enough to do something about it? Or is it because we have allowed ourselves to be disempowered?

Is it only when the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of changing, growing, evolving  that humanity  will strive for excellence.

As one manager I am coaching confirmed, “I’ve put up with the abuse for so long but now I’m angry. Angry enough to push-back and say, “This is wrong.”

I’ll be thinking more on this important theme but in brief I believe positive, life-enhancing relationships involve:

1. Working on our own self-confidence and self-esteem. A positive self concept is the founding stone of healthy relationships. This often takes work and an ongoing commitment to self-improvement. Not easy when so much of societies messaging is negative. Not easy when people easily point out flaws but struggle to appreciate strengths.

Harder still when you work or live  in an environment that is poisonous. As much as possible surround yourself with positive people and stay away from cynics, critics and other forces of destruction. Don’t buy into others negative messaging. Instead actively solicit feedback from people who value who you are and what you do. If recent positive feedback is thin on the floor, delve into the past. You’ll be encouraged by what you find.

If you or someone you know could do with a boost my Boost Self Esteem Fast eBooks and/or The Big Con is packed with helpful tip to boost confidence and self-esteem. For deeper issues I highly recommend seeing a professionally trained counsellor – smart people don’t go it alone. They get help from the experts.

2. Intentionality. What kind of relationships do you want to attract? What do you value most? Least? How do you want your relationships to be? What supports this vision? What gets in the way?

You may already now how 4 years ago, after spending over 18 years raising my daughter as a single parent I created my “ideal man” on paper – jotting down the important qualities and traits I needed to feel emotionally richer not poorer from a relationship. We’ve been living together for 3 years now – changing and growing, ridding ourselves of baggage, and stocking up on new ways of being in the process.

Attracting this life-enhancing relationship began with my intention. I no longer wanted to be on my own. I no longer wanted short-term flings. I wanted something more. Something deeper.

Love isn’t always easy.  But when you have someone to share life with things are easier  – assuming you both want to be balloons – soaring upward supporting and cherishing each others dreams whilst committed to your own personal development, growth and change.

See how you can “create” your ideal partner by watching out this clip when I was a life coach for  Television New Zealand >>

3 Being prepared to change.

We can’t change others but we can create a climate for change. We can be the change we want to see. We can change what is working against us by making decisions and choices that are life-enhancing – this may be a change of attitude, changing the way re react. Or making a physical change by walking away from things, people, events, life-styles that don’t serve who we are and who we want to be. We can walk our talk and be a positive role model, inspiring others  to follow our lead.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the quality of my workplace relationships – particularly in the wake of inheriting a new “team leader,” as I work toward the completion of a fixed term contract. I can’t go into too much detail at the moment suffice to say that this person and the one they report to have a reputation for bullying, as does the wider culture. Creating my own intentionality for what I will stand for and what I won’t empowers me to make changes, including insuring those at the top of the organization commit to positive change.

For me part of this modeling in this toxic culture involves empowering others to feed-up to senior manager cases of bullying and harassment rather than silently put up with it. I’ve also taught people skills to deal with aggression assertively. In turn these are skills I model in my interactions with others. These are only a few of the strategies I’ve put in place. But an over-arching strategies has been to work with senior management on transformational cultural change to create a positive workplace where people have pride and can flourish.

4. Being real. Honest feedback constructively given, is critical if you are going to be free to be you and truly authentic. As is mastering the art of listening – not listening to respond, debate or justify but really listening to the feedback from others. In both cases it requires a willingness to partner in our relationships to work honestly, collaboratively, and healthily.

5. Giving up always having to always be right. Sometimes the hardest words are “I’m sorry” and/or “I was wrong.” Yet most times they are the most effective in resolving conflict. It doesn’t mean to deny the truth but acknowledging how someone might have unintentionally received your message or felt is effective.

Only yesterday I apologized to someone who completely floored me by saying to others he thought I was bullying him. What I realized is that my desire to help conflicted with the extreme stress he was suffering due to conflict with his manager and his need to reflect. We both apologized and now we are once again friends. But for 4 days I was so hurt I didn’t talk to him. See how a misunderstanding can easily escalate? Imagine if I never said “sorry first” or attacked him for taking things the wrong way.

6. Learning when to stand up and knowing when to walk away. Was it Kenny Rodgers who sung those lyrics? Anyway – some people are toxic to positive relationships. No matter what you do, no matter how much your change, no matter how many excuses, justifications or chances you give them, they’re on another path. Often one of destruction. Have the courage of your convictions, know what you deserve, have faith that everything is working out for your highest good and walk away. Mastering the skill of managing up. Trouble with your boss? Learn how to get on the same page here >>

7. Don’t shy away from conflict – recognize the positive aspects opposing forces can bring. In fictionalized drama – movies and novels conflict is the central element that drives the story forward and engages audiences as they root for their characters to overcome the odds and flourish in the wake of diversity. Dealing with conflict successfully often means leveraging off your talents, minimizing your flaws, and persevering. Yes folks, it means growth!

8. Be positive – If you’re struggling to get along with someone chances are you’re focusing on their negatives. In situations like these many people struggle to name anything positive about the person. Try harder – you’re not that perfect!

9. The big C – commitment. I’m reminded of this critical factor by a song by Sade playing on iTunes as I write.

“For heaven’s sake why are you walking away? Why do you play these games? It’s so easy to walk out. So if you want to get stronger you better not let go. Got to stick together hand in glove. Don’t fight. Don’t give up. You’ve got to hang onto you love.”

This love you are about to given up on may be the passion you have for a job you love – diminished perhaps by bullying, politics, lack of positive feedback or any one of a raft of passion killers.

Or it may be the love you once felt for a child who has hurt or disappointed you. Or the love you once felt for a partner.

Too many people only want the good times. That’s like saying I only want summer. Life is what it is. The sun can’t always be shining. Winter makes us appreciate the sun and like photography, we often need life’s negatives in order to develop. What matters is you know how to deal with life’s realities – for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in the summer of early love or in the winter of discontent.

But what really matters is what was the quality of your love and was anyone a richer person because you lived.

Take time out to replenish

As a coach specialising in transformational change I’ve seen way too many positive relationships turn destructive due to excessive, unmitigated stress. One of the best cures I know is to take time out to replenish. Find out how here >>

Relationship quotes to focus and inspire

Here’s a few of my favourite relationship quotes I have drawn upon in my work as a leadership coach and in my personal life. Surrounding yourself with these brief positive reminders is a fantastic way to keep your thoughts, feelings and reminders focused on what you want and far, far away from those that are sabotaging to your success.

“We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us.” ~ Barack Obama, 44th President of The United States of America

“Positive relationships take ongoing generosity.”

“Negative thoughts are like weeds – they flourish unattended. Positive thoughts are like flowers, they need to be nurtured everyday.” ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“Transparency is a wonderful thing if you have nothing to hide.”

“I think genuine friendship between a father and a mother and making sure the children get maximum affection is very important.“ ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“If you can’t love someone – don’t hurt them“

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~John Wooden

“Always put yourself in others’ shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.“

“I can’t give you the recipe for success but I can failure – try to please everyone.”

And this one which is the theme for my current historical novel….”following your truth sets you free.“

Know what you want,  know what you need,  and don’t settle. Commit to the empowering words, thoughts and actions  that will help you to attract life-enhancing relationships that allow your soul and those you interact with to flourish.

I’d love to hear your thoughts:)

The three ladies – the heart of making change happen

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Three Ladies

I recently had the pleasure of attending both a dinner & a lunch where the guest speakers were Jenny Shipley, a previous Prime Minister of New Zealand & first lady to achieve this. Secondly, Rachel Reece is a City Councillor, previously Deputy Mayor in the previous term, @ Nelson City Council. Ignoring politics & putting any such views to one side, I was, & still am of the view both ladies are extremely capable, plus they had some immensely valuable contributions (still) to make in their respective roles.

 

Jenny covered a myriad of issues effecting business today, significantly more than I have space to cover. However, in summarising her address, I would say these were to me the salient features:

• Business complexity is increasing
• Time frame for making decisions is reducing
• Doing what we have always done is going backwards
• As leaders we need to be speaking with our people, rather than speaking at them.
• And, we need to be engaging with the next generation(s) – X & Y
• It is not what you know today, it is what you do NOT know.

 

Whilst Jenny concentrated on addressing issues facing business Rachel concentrated on those facing Local Authorities. Again, to summarise, extremely briefly:

• The need to becoming better communicators through better listening
• Is the humility to arrogance radar currently right?
• When a local authority becomes perceptively the ‘enemy of the public’ it is time for an attitudinal change.

 

A recent article in the National Business Review discussed the need for men to have female brains & think more like women to succeed in business in a newly chaotic economy. Quoting Ann Herrman-Nehdi, the term VUCA is being used to describe today’s economy & stands for: volatile, uncertain, complex & ambiguous. “We have a fallacy of being able to manage & predict change, but now I think the gig is up. We now recognise the weight of change has come to the point, in this new VUCA world we are in, there is absolutely no way we can predict what is going to happen.”[1]

 

This type of environment could encourage individuals & companies to be reactive, rather than to anticipate changes. “The key thing was to be adaptive. Mental dexterity was the key to keeping ahead of the game.” “Women are able to adapt the way they use their brain, finding creative solutions to challenges. In contrast, men often just keep trying harder rather than changing tact.” The good news guys, is: “Men are really good at doing one thing at a time, which means they are very good at focusing; & we can lift our game, we just need to work at it more than women do”

So, what is at the heart of making change happen? If we could narrow it down to a few fundamentals what would we focus our efforts on or at least aim never to lose sight of? Sometimes a simple message is the best clarification. Perhaps a quote by Javier Bajer (Munro & Forster) on the topic of culture change:

The way to change temperature is by opening the window or by turning the heating up or down. You don’t ‘do’ temperature, you do something else & a change in temperature is the outcome. It’s the same with culture. You can say ‘be more innovative’ – but it doesn’t just happen. Humans don’t change because you tell them to. You need to create an environment to make things happen.

Something we should all consider going into the New Year with our forthcoming challenges?

 

www.kennbutler.com

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[1] Full copy of the article can be obtained from Charlotte Woodfield & NBR December 2^nd – cwoodfield@nbr.co.nz

Five hottest jobs for 2012- 2016

by Leah Gibbs on November 18, 2011

in Career

If you’re considering your career options and want to know what jobs show the best prospects, you might be interested in a recent IBISWorld report revealing which Australian industries are expected to demonstrate the strongest employment and wages growth in the years 2011 to 2016.

You might be surprised by what IBISWorld’s analysis has unveiled.

Child care services

The child care sector is expected to experience the greatest employment growth in coming years, with a projected 27 per cent growth by 2016.

The increased demand for child care workers will be driven by staff shortages, coupled with new government legislation requiring greater staff-to-child ratios as well as greater child care worker qualification levels (for example, a minimum Certificate III in children’s services). This will create increased demand for skilled workers and force wages up.

‘These legislative changes will come on line progressively over the next five years, increasing wage costs as operators will have to employ more staff – and pay higher rates for staff with further qualifications,’ says IBISWorld’s General Manager (Australia), Robert Bryant.

If you’re interested in getting into child care, check out a range of childcare and children’s services courses.

Veterinary services

Nowadays, being ‘treated like a dog’ isn’t such a bad thing if the range and popularity of veterinary services is anything to go by. Growth in the industry resulting from increased diversification and a wider array of pet services such as animal chiropractic, ophthalmology, dentistry and dermatology will create 26 per cent employment growth over the next five years.

‘We’re seeing a strong and ongoing trend of people spending more on their pets and it seems we just can’t do enough to improve their lives and prolong the time they’re with us. As a result, both veterinarians and veterinary nurses are in high demand, with wages growth tipped at around 4.5 per cent per annum,’ says Robert Bryant of IBISWorld.

This trend explains the popularity of DIY animal care courses as people seek to take better care of their pets – and perhaps save on vet fees in the process.

Integrated logistics

Transport and logistics is a $100 billion industry in Australia and is expected to expand by another 23 per cent by 2016.

Transport and logistics experts manage the transport, storage and distribution of goods into, out of and throughout Australia – from produce to minerals and manufactured goods for industry and the wholesale and retail markets.

‘This is a sector which has slowly been transformed from dusty warehouses and casual truckies to a sophisticated, hi-tech industry with integrated logistics networks employing around 370 000 Australians,’ says Bryant.

As the industry becomes increasingly complex, more sophisticated training is required. ‘Growth in international trade has reshaped these networks, which have become increasingly complex and therefore require highly skilled and well-trained logistics managers. Limited tertiary courses in this field and strong growth in demand has resulted in an undersupply of skilled labour,’ says IBISWorld’s Robert Bryant.

If you want to get in on the action, check out our tertiary transport and logistics courses.

Health

The ageing of the population is putting immense pressure on health services as a result of both increased demand and the ageing of the healthcare workforce. Of all sectors, health care is expected to experience the greatest wages growth – over 20 per cent by 2016 – and employment growth of almost 17 per cent.

There will be ongoing demand for qualified surgeons, anaesthetists, occupational therapists, medical technicians, radiologists, paediatricians and ambulance officers. Allied health professionals such as physiotherapists will also enjoy strong demand as their services become increasingly popular with the elderly. Assistants (such as physiotherapy assistants) will also be needed to help free up and better utilise practitioners’ skills.

‘Physiotherapists are in particularly high demand to manage conditions that become more prevalent with age, such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, arthritis and musculoskeletal problems; growth in household disposable incomes will further promote growth in this industry,’ says Bryant.

Browse health care-related courses.

Finance

The finance sector has rebounded remarkably since the economic downturn and rounds out the top five hottest industries, with expected growth of over nine per cent by 2016.

The area of greatest expansion in this sector will be the securitisation industry, with projected employment growth of 29 per cent between 2011 and 2016, and annualised wage growth of 20.8 per cent, according to IBISWorld.

Opportunities will also abound in share registry services, mortgage broking, foreign banking and superannuation fund management. Uni grads looking for solid career prospects would do well to seek jobs as business analysts, dealers, bankers and risk managers in these areas.

 

Cited at: http://www.yourbalance.com.au/five-hottest-jobs-for-2011/

20 great ways to find a job using Linkedin

Looking for a job – Using LinkedIn will be your goldmine!

by Karalyn Brown on September 9, 2011 in Job Search

Thinking of using LinkedIn to find a job? It is an absolute gold mine of information on jobs, and, as far as I am concerned, a real game changer in the business of online recruitment.

Companies like Rio Tinto have signed deals with LinkedIn to directly target their passive pool of candidates. LinkedIn will promote Rio Tinto jobs through their network.

I recently received something similar in my inbox from Hudson, a global recruiter, suggesting I might like a consulting job. While I wasn’t interested, I was interested enough in having a look at what they were offering.

LinkedIn is a game changer for job seekers as well. Using Linkedin can put the power back into the hands of candidates and out of the hands of recruitment consultants.

There are plenty of ways you can be proactive, rather than reactive in your job search.

Here are my 20 top LinkedIn job hunting tips, in no particular order.

1. Get a decent profile. There is no point being half-hearted. This point is my big bandwagon point for Australian professionals and job seekers.

2. Connect with people. Look up people from your past and find out where they work now. Use the connect email to invite people for coffee and find out what they are up to. Show some interest in them, and what you are looking for, job wise, will inevitably come up.

3. Join groups of interest and participate in discussions. I know of one person who did little more than this. He was approached by a recruiter about a job, based on the thoroughness of a question he answered.

4. Find a role model networker who is working in your desired area. Look to see which groups they belong to and join those.

5. Start a group around your area of interest and expertise. Invite people who can add value to join. Welcome them to the group and ask them a question directly. You can build up your knowledge of their organisation, any problems they may be facing, and approach them with a solution in mind (you).

6. Look to see who has viewed your profile, and add them to your network. If they are recruiters, see if they have jobs coming up in your area. As a carrot to see you, mention that you may have useful contacts for them.

7. Look to see where people with your background are working and what their responsibilities are. That way if you want to approach a company directly about jobs, you are making an informed and targeted approach. 8. Invite people out for coffee to find out what they do. This is a good tactic if you want to change careers. You can find out the good, bad and ugly about their jobs, and whether that might be an area of interest for you.

9. Add value to your network. Be known as someone helpful. You often have to build trust with people before you can ask them for favours. If you see someone asking a question, then answer it. Be proactive and send them an email with a link.

10. Update your status with recent information of use to your network. You’ll give people a reason to contact you if you do that.

11. Link your LinkedIn profile to your personal emails.

12. Read recruiter Stacy Donovan Zapar’s post on how to make it easy for people to connect with you.

13. Put your LinkedIn link to your Facebook profile. I have seen jobs come through friends, and Facebook is one place people tell their friends if they’re looking for staff. You want to make it easy for people to check you out.

14. Target people with big networks. That increases the pool of people you can search to make contact with if you are looking for jobs. Invite me to connect. I have over 8000 first degree connections.

15. Go along to social events that are organized via LinkedIn. There is only so much you can achieve online. Trust is better built face to face.

16. Ask a connection for an introduction. That’s kind of one of the big points of LinkedIn.

17. Ask for recommendations. A strong recommendation from a former manager carries a lot of weight. This is one big area recruiters and employers focus on when they look at your profile.

18. Find out what a job really requires. Job advertisements often have a lot of woolly wording. If you can, find a company insider to give you the insight into what the company is about, or even what the job requires. They may even pass on your resume, and save the company a recruitment fee.

19. If you’re actively looking and public about it, join the job seekers groups on LinkedIn. You’ll find heaps of great tips. Mine is InterviewIQ You can ask me a question there and I’ll answer it.

20. Hire me to optimize your profile to hit the top page of your profession when headhunters search. I can give you tailored training to network effectively and mazimize your chances of being found by employers and headhunters.

“It is never too late to become what you might have been – but why wait?

A recent post by a blog I subscribe too  reminded me of the time I was at university, aged 27, and a lecturer told me that people tend to pursue the things they loved when they retire.

At the time I was struggling through economics papers and quantitative analysis (I’d heard on Kim Hill that this was the way to go!)

I started to wonder, why wait? In fact it strike such a chord with me that after I finished by Commerce Degree  I began to study design.

Sometimes there are so many obstacles in the way. For me, I was raising my daughter (then aged 4) on my own, money was super tight, and my family were extremely discouraging of creative careers.

As it now happens, I’m hired by companies and individuals for my creative approach to business issues as well as enjoying creative success in painting and creative writing:)

What I learnt is obstacles don’t have to stop you. That being said, the post from thedaybrightener  illustrates it’s never too late to become what you might have been. The main thing is to begin! Get inspired here:

Grandma Moses

Posted on September 7, 2011 by thedaybrightener

“It is never too late to become what you might have been” George Eliot

Today is the birthday of not only of a much loved artist, but a truly amazing woman.  Her name is Grandma Moses, and she is an inspiration, and shining example of how it is never too late to do what you love.

She was born Anna Mary Roberston in 1860 in Greenwich New York, and lived a hard life.  She married when she was 27 and bore 10 children, sadly five of which died in infancy.  In addition to caring for the children and running the house, she also worked on the farm with her husband.  She lost her husband when she was 67, but continued to work the farm with her eldest son into her late 70’s, when arthritis made the work unbearable.

The arthritis also made her beloved embroidery difficult, and so Grandma Moses turned to painting in 1936 when she was 76.  She used whatever she had around, including masonite boards and house paint, and did it to help her reminisce and show others the way things used to be.  She gave the paintings away as gifts to her visitors, and sold others in a local drug store.  Two years later a New York engineer and art collector, Louis J. Caldor, who was driving through her home town saw some of her paintings, priced from $3 to $5, depending on size. He bought them all, drove to the artist’s home at Eagle Bridge and bought ten others she had there.

The next year, 1939, Grandma Moses was represented in an exhibition of “contemporary unknown painters” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She did not remain unknown for long. Soon her exhibitions were breaking attendance records all over the world, and her works were being captured on stamps, Christmas cards, tiles and fabrics. She was celebrated with awards, honorary doctorates, and regularly invited to functions by the President.  On her 100^th birthday was recognised by NY Governor who proclaimed the day “Grandma Moses Day” in her honour.  In 2006 her painting Sugaring Off sold for $1.2 million.  All this from a painter that was completely self taught!

What people love about her paintings is their simplicity, both of subject and style.  They take us back to a time when we lived close to nature, and enjoyed simple pleasures.  The bring people a sense of hope and comfort.

“There emanates from her paintings a light-hearted optimism; the world she shows us is beautiful and it is good. You feel at home in all these pictures.”

Grandma Moses painted just for the love of painting and the joy of creation, but her love brought brightness to many, and still does today.  She is a true inspiration and a reminder that it is never too late to do what you love, and to make your life exactly what you want it to be.  So, in tribute to Grandma Moses, start painting, exercising, writing, cartooning, meditating, horse-riding, dancing or whatever your passion may be.  Find a way to do it, and enjoy the wonderful things life has to offer.

“I look back on my life like a good day’s work, it was done and I feel satisfied with it. I was happy and contented, I knew nothing better and made the best out of what life offered. And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.”

A Beautiful World – Grandma Moses

For more inspirational artworks go to: The Day Brightener Gallery

Managing upwards for career success

Managing upwards

 

HEADS UP: Managing upwards is not about manipulation or sucking up, but making sure you do the best job.

OPINION: In the workplace, we assume managers manage and workers work, but in the real world things are rarely that straightforward.

Think about all the people you know who have progressed far in their careers. In all likelihood, they have known how to work the system and manage their bosses.

It was a point explored many years ago by one of the world’s most revered management thinkers Peter Drucker in his book The Practice of Management.

“You don’t have to like or admire your boss, nor do you have to hate him. You do have to manage him, however, so that he becomes your resource for achievement, accomplishment and personal success,”  he writes.

The success of that relationship, Drucker says, is your responsibility. And whether your boss is a good manager or an appalling one, they are there to help you launch your career. Drucker also provides two other bits of advice for managing upward. First, be mindful that nobody likes surprises-especially the boss, so you need to keep them in the loop. And second (and this is probably the most important), you might think they’re stupid, but there is no harm in overrating their ability.

Finally, if your boss is a reader, give him or her reports in writing. If they’re more a listener, talk to them instead.

In one of the most often quoted pieces published in the Harvard Business Review, John Gabarro and John Kotter say it’s not only about knowing all about your boss but also having a very clear understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses and personal style.

“The boss is only one-half of the relationship,” they write. “You are the other half, as well as the part over which you have more direct control. Developing an effective working relationship requires, then, that you know your own needs, strengths and weaknesses, and personal style. You are not going to change either your basic personality structure or that of your boss. But you can become aware of what it is about you that impedes or facilitates working with your boss and, with that awareness, take actions that make the relationship more effective.”

Just say, for example, you and your boss run into problems when you disagree. The boss hardens his or her position, and you raise the ante. When that happens, the falling-out can become toxic and, at worst, career-limiting.  Now let’s say you become aware of your own impatience. So you might suggest taking a break and discussing it again later. When you come back, you have both given it some thought and you find that you are both heading, more or less, in the same direction. The relationship has changed.

Alison Green at US News & World Report suggests several strategies. One of these is to pay attention to the kind of things your manager asks or talks about so you have a better understanding of where they are coming from. You can also make your boss’s job easy by suggesting solutions and focusing only on the things you can control.

If you want to speak up when you’re unhappy, she says, do it at the right time, not when the boss is under the pump or feeling frazzled. She reminds us not to forget the boss is human, with all the vulnerabilities and moments of grouchiness. And she says we should listen to feedback with an open mind without getting defensive. That means we also need to learn how to handle criticism, without getting emotional and, at the same time, taking it on board in your own terms. And finally make sure your boss only has to ask you to do things once so they know you can be relied upon.

Jenna Goudreau at Forbes presents five tricks to manage your manager. The most important of these is to try to understand them and see the world from their perspective. She says you should try to stay three steps ahead so that you can anticipate their needs, and be the better half so you can complement their weaknesses with your strengths. This means if they are visionary but disorganised, you can keep everything together, and if they have terrific ideas but are vague on detail, you become the one who communicates clearly.

She also recommends you speak up for yourself and ask for more responsibility or offer to head up initiatives while making sure you avoid the kind of conversation where they might feel attacked.

Still, you can take it too far. As Steve Tobak points out in BNet, you shouldn’t try to manage their expectations, tell them what you think they want to hear, make excuses, try to get too chummy or make everything about you. Don’t forget, your boss has got to where they are by playing the right political games so it is likely they would see right through you.

In the end, managing upwards is not about manipulation or sucking up, but making sure you do the best job, not only for yourself but for your boss and company.

Most of us don’t realise how much our boss depends on us. It’s a mutually dependent relationship, so it’s about knowing about where your boss is coming from and understanding your own strengths and weakness so that you can adjust them accordingly. It also means being prepared to get feedback and respond to it, if necessary, in your own terms.

 

– Sydney Morning Herald

LEON GETTLER

reviews are just part of the modern job

Check out the recruitment section of the Dompost today

interesting and affirming article re a best-practice approach to performance management.

If you are a manager of people it would be a good one to scan and send to all staff to reinforce the message.

It also stresses the need for partnership and ownership by staff of their performance by tracking achievements as they go along – along the lines of what I suggest to my clients re documenting  your own achievements  in your  role in case others miss them when judging your performance

This way performance is specific, balanced and timely and not coloured by the most recent event at time of appraisal

Launching a new mindset

I received this insightful commentary from my good friend Kenn Butler this morning. It got me thinking!

As he points out, successful people are always rethinking their mindset. Reinventing once self, and questioning what we do and why we do it is a critical part of continual improvement and vital in this constantly changing world.

Here’s Kenn’s article:

Wherever you are, whatever business you’re in, however you do business today, I promise you, everything has already changed so dramatically everywhere in the world; no matter what you want to believe, no matter how you do business, no matter what business you believe you’re in, you must immediately rethink everything you do & how you do it.

Wow!  Did I really just say all this?

We must rethink & redo everything?  And we must do it immediately?

Yes, I did. Immediately.

This means, now.

Not in ten minutes.

Not tomorrow.

Not tonight, or in your next management meeting.

Not later on when you take a break, or go to lunch, or do your meditation.

Not when you’re accustomed to doing these kinds of things which have seemingly nothing to do with all the stuff you have to get done just to stay alive.

Do it now.

This is what “immediately” means in what Michael E. Gerber calls the Age of the New Entrepreneur™.[1]

So, what is the purpose of this?

To provide you with a platform – call it your immediacy platform.
Get it?

This means you must embrace an intense, paradigm-busting frame of mind, which brings you right here, right now, right this very second.

It speaks to a part of you which normally operates out of fear, or threat, or danger.

This is exactly the opposite of what this “immediate” mind-set is driven by.

This leads to the subject of time.

Believe it or not, there is no time any longer.

Which means, what is GOING to happen has ALREADY happened, IS already happening, at this very exact, specific, look-at-your-watch-right-now-moment, in climes, places & minds which would shatter your beliefs, your hopes, your attitudes, your understanding, your knowledge, your skills, your products or services, your plans, beyond belief. And, even worse… beyond your present ability to do anything about it.

This brings us to the platform. Here it is:

The Explicit Pattern for Being Present When There Is No Time™.

Step One: Stop. Breathe deeply. Stop.  Breathe deeply again.  Now do it again.

Step Two: Ask yourself, “What happened?”  Now do it. (Ask yourself, “What happened?”) Now do it again. (Ask yourself, “What happened?”)

Step Three: Answer the question: “What happened?” Now do it. (Answer the question: “What happened?”) Now do it again. (Answer the question: “What happened?”)

So, that’s it.  The Explicit Pattern for Being Present When There Is No Time™.   This is the platform for pursuing the presence necessary for you to awaken the New Entrepreneur within you.  The first step to pursuing The Five Essential Skills of Extraordinary People™, which is the name of the third Michael E. Gerber book (now available on:    http://www.michaelegerbercompanies.com/library/bni_workingonit/).

What are those five essential skills of extraordinary people?

They are:

• concentration,
• discrimination,
• organization,
• innovation,
• & communication.

And they will be yours, as we go to work on it, on the way to transforming your life & your business.

(You can get more of Kenn’s wisedom here: www.kennbutler.com

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[1] Michael E. Gerber has been named by INC magazine as “The World’s #1 Small Business Guru.”  His NY Times Bestselling E-Myth books rank among the top ten business books worldwide for all time.  His Michael E. Gerber Companies have coached, mentored and trained tens of thousands of small business owners in 145 countries to transform the way they work and grow.  His mission is to transform the state of small business worldwide. Read more about Michael Gerber on http://www.michaelegerber.com/