Manage Your Career Proactively

Have you spotted a few “bright bulbs” in your company?  Have you had the luxury – or the challenge – of answering a young employees request to “take on more responsibility.”  If so, how would you  – as the employer / manager – answer it?  If you are the employee how do you learn to take control of your career?  How do you prove that you are ready to take on more responsibility.

Via one of my favorite newsletters – “The Motivational Manager” – I came across an article posted on the TechRepublic website:

Nine Options for Improving Your Project Management Skills

Yes, Project Management Skills!  Why?

1) By successfully managing even a very small project, you will demonstrate your ability to achieve a tangible result – on time and within budget.

2) It is an opportunity to learn more about yourself – your skills and your weaknesses.  You may possess very deep product knowledge or technical skills but are lacking in communications skills (written and verbal.)  This becomes an opportunity to ask your manager for help to improve.  Your manager or employer may assign a mentor to work with you.  Or they may encourage you to further your education.  Enlightened firms have programs in place to fully or partially reimburse employees who seek professional development.

3) Project management involves both organizational skills and soft skills (managing people, communications.)  Successful business leaders have acquired and mastered both of these skill sets.

As a manager or an employer, here are some tips for improving the skill set of your employees.  And ways that you can demonstrate your belief in offering opportunities for promotion from within your company:

1) Pass along interesting articles to motivate your employees.  Or give them back issues of Business or Trade Journals after you have read them.  Encourage active discussion of the articles that your employees find interesting.

2) Assign mentors to all employees – but particularly to those who show promise or who take the initiative to improve their skills.

3) Be sure to “target” your training programs.  Training is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposition.  Identify the areas in which your employees are weak and offer training to help them improve those skill sets.

4) Take your motivated employees to Professional Association meetings.  Encourage them to network.  Expose them to the multiple training opportunities that Professional Associations offer.  Let them see the multiple opportunities for career advancement.  I believe that if you are serious about having a career vs. simply working at a job, you MUST become active in one or more Professional Associations!

Read the entire article – “Nine Options for Improving Your Project Management Skills” for more details.  And… be sure to pass it on to some of your employees.  And encourage them to discuss the article with you.  You will both gain from the experience.

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Don't work harder; Work smarter!

“Procrastination is opportunity's assassin.”

– Victor Kiam, entrepreneur

It has been said that if you want to accomplish more at the office, you should go out of town more often!

This is not a conundrum.  It is a reality.  Think about it – when you are planning and out-of-office trip (business trip or vacation) you tend to become quite efficient.  You:

1) Make decisions (to act on it, to delegate the task, to file it or to trash it) – There is no time for procrastination.  Nor is there time for indecision – the clock is ticking and you must decide or delegate.

2) Become better organized (the people who remain behind in the office must know what needs to be done in your absence and where to find the necessary information.)

3) Improve your communications (your write notes, leave messages, hold efficient staff meetings to communicate the priorities that you expect your staff to handle while you are away.)

Don't worry that people will get more accomplished while you are away than when you are in the office.  Yes, more will be accomplished – and that is a good thing.  You will have let go of some ordinary tasks – and given your staff a chance to demonstrate their capabilities.

I have seen this happen to me – I left on a short business trip yesterday, and I probably got more accomplished in the last 4 hours I word before leaving for the airport than I normally would have.  I made decisions; I communicated priorities to my assistant; I wrote notes and left message.  I did not procrastinate – I did not have the time; and a deadline was looming.  I became more effective.

Here is a little tip that I picked up from the February 2006 issue of “The Motivational Manager” (which I read while on the plane:)

The more time you have, the more time you waste.  If you're working longer hours but getting less done, maybe it's time to rethink.  Pick one day a week to be your short day – the day when you'll leave (the office) on time, no exceptions.  Then keep track of how much you get done on that day.  You may be surprised to find that when you can't dawdle – you don't.”

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Meetings that Run on Time

Good Morning!

I am just getting back to posting after a very intense week at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA.  There were @ 80,000 visitors to this “Trade Only” convention for the Music Products Industry.

I was working for NAMM last week – consulting for their Professional Development offerings.  More than 10,000 people attended our free Breakfast Sessions or the quick and concise 20-minute sessions in The Idea Center on the show floor.

I am pleased to report that every session in the Idea Center started on time.  And, with one exception (the speaker finished 5 minutes early) each session concluded on time.  What is the secret?  And how can you achieve similar results with your meetings?

The secret is really simple – communicate your expectations to the presenter up-front!

Since we only had 10 minutes to change sets and move audiences in and out between sessions, this communication with each speaker was critical!

The key to starting each session on time – simple.  I made an announcement that the next session would be starting in 2 minutes and that this was an opportunity for the audience to get comfortable with the volume of their headsets.  This also prepared the speaker to gather his or her final thoughts before starting their presentation.

During the break between sessions, I told each speaker that I would cue them when they have 5 minutes and 3 minutes remaining in their 30-minute presentation.  As a speaker myself, I always appreciate having someone from the association give me this warning.  It is important to end your presentation with a strong message – and a clear direction to the audience as to the next step to take.

Some of the speakers wanted to do Questions & Answers ( Q & A) and so the 5-minute warning served as their cue to initiate this portion of their presentation.

The few professional speakers that we engaged, carried special clocks or other devices to alert them as to the amount of time elapsed / remaining in their presentation.  I recommend that meeting leaders and facilitators have a clock or timer in clear view during meetings.  This helps to guide the pace of the meeting and it helps to ensure that the meeting adheres to the schedule stated on the agenda.

Once again, if you – as the meeting organizer or leader – have communicated your expectations in advance, most people will comply.  The will stick with the time limits that have been set and adjust their presentation accordingly.

A special tip for all speakers or presenters:

Time can fly by when you are giving a speech or making a presentation.  Quite often, the meeting is running behind schedule and you will find that you suddenly have less time to speak than you had planned for.

Always, have the last 3 minutes of your presentation memorized and internalized!  Be prepared to deliver your concluding remarks with power and precision at a moment's notice.  Remind your audience of you message.  Be sure to tell them what to do next.

It is easy to spot an inexperienced speaker – they always say, “Well, we are running out of time.  If I had more time I would have told you…”  Do NOT do this – ever!  It is unprofessional and avoidable.

Just conclude your presentation with a strong ending.  If you have captured their attention, the audience will seek you out later to ask questions,  Or… better yet, invite you back to communicate more information to the group.

Make a lasting impression – finish strong!

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Ready, Fire, Aim

“It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong.”

– Warren Buffett, Investor

Greetings from Anaheim, CA and the NAMM Show!  The show officially opens this morning, but yesterday was a very full day with many association meetings scheduled.  I participated in a few of them.  It is great to see how the various “sharing groups / purchasing groups” are evolving.  More retailers are realizing that they have far more in common than they thought and that there are many benefits to be realized by sharing their ideas, frustrations and experiences.  I'll be posting more about this subject later in the week.

Last evening, I had an informal meeting with a colleague who is here from The United Kingdom.  At one point in our discussion – as he was describing a new initiative that he was planning – he said, “Ready, Fire, Aim.”

Translation:  No one can ever be assured that a new product, promotion or business plan will succeed – or proceed exactly as planned.  There will be so many new products and promotions introduced here at the NAMM Show this week.  The executives and teams that put them together have high hopes that they will succeed – as planned.  And I certainly hope that they do!

Most likely, there will be some unexpected factors that may cause the product or promotion to achieve less than optimal results.  But at least the companies bought the product to the market.  And they will succeed eventually – if they dedicate energy to discovering what went wrong, fixing it and trying again.

But on the other side of the coin, there are many companies that are always “late to the market” or “still deciding” how to proceed.  These companies are suffering from “paralysis by analysis.”  They want an absolute guarantee that their new product or program will succeed; and they will not bring it to market until they have this assurance.

Over the years I have seen this happen time and time again.  Someone at the meeting will always say, “How can we be sure that this will succeed?” And then the collected doubts come to the fore.  Indecision reigns supreme.

The answer:  No one can ever predict precise results.  The marketplace will tell us if they want our new product or find our promotion compelling.  The marketplace votes with their pocket book.  But only if we actually get the product launched!

We can use our research, experience and observation to help us get “READY.”

Next, we need to “FIRE.”  Get the product out the door; execute the promotion; realize the idea.

Only then, can we we really “AIM.” 

Once we see the initial results, we need to get back to work to refine, replace or re-launch.

The marketplace gave us some great advice.  They gave us the answer – or at least a clue as to how we could redesign the product to better meet their needs.

We achieve success through our failures.  If you want to want to have more success… fail more often.  But – you need to learn from your failures – and then try again.

“Ready, Fire, Aim.”

Good luck to everyone here at the show!

 

 

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Hone Your Message

I participated in a teleconference yesterday led by Jaynie L. Smith and William G. Flannagan. They are the authors of a very important business book, “Creating Competitive Advantage.” I reviewed this book on my blog a few months ago (Click here for the review) and so I was intrigued to receive an e-mail solicitation to dial in for the teleconference. I’m glad that I did!

As many of you know, I worked in music publishing for 30 years. So, I am well attuned to watching how authors and publishers produce and promote their products. Most of the really good business books that I have been reading lately have a few things in common:

1) The have a very sharp, clearly defined message.

2) The have excellent websites set up to offer support, extended content, multimedia features and the opportunity to interact with the author(s).

3) An author who truly is passionate about their subject and is excited to communicate their message.

Jaynie L. Smith is a perfect example of this need breed of media savvy authors. The website (and now selective teleconferences) that she offers in support of her book “Creating Competitive Advantage” is first rate. Click here to check out her website – www.smartadvantage.com.

Okay – back to the teleconference. Ms. Smith talked about interviewing David Neeleman, the founder and CEO of JetBlue Airlines. Mr. Neeleman is a great leader and a remarkable innovator. Check out his personal blog – or flight log as he calls it – to see what I mean! I LOVE his introduction:

Hi I’m David Neeleman, Founder and CEO of JetBlue Airways.

Each week I fly on JetBlue flights and talk to customers so I can find out how we can improve our airline. This is my flight log.

WOW! How many CEO s or Senior Executives of any company – of any size – actually seek out their customers or experience their products as the customer experiences them? Very, very, very few.

How about you? When is the last time that you rolled up your sleeves and worked the floor? Or went out on a real sales call? Or asked your customers, “How are we doing?”

Try it – you may find that you like it. And… you might find your “Competitive Advantage” in doing so!

On the teleconference, Jaynie L. Smith mentioned something that David Neeleman said to her during the interview that had stuck with her:

“Each week, key managers and I have a three-hour conference call to discuss what are we doing, what they (competitors) are doing, and how can we do it better.”

That is a terrific strategy and it helps to pinpoint why JetBlue Airline stands out from the other airlines. Southwest Airlines also stands apart from the rest. It is worth pointing out that David Neeleman once worked for Southwest Airlines – he learned a lot during his short stay there!

1) What are we doing? – (that makes a difference for our customers)

2) What are our competitors doing? – (that is attracting some business that we would like to get)

3) How can we do it better? – ( to attract those customers now shopping with our competitor to give our product / service a try)

These are three powerful points that I am incorporating into my own consulting practice and will be sharing with my clients.

After the teleconference yesterday, I picked the book out of my bookcase to find the interview with Mr. Neeleman. It is interesting to note that when I originally read the book, I did not underline or circle these points. It took a teleconference to point them out to me. I’m glad that I responded to the invitation to participate!

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Some new features on my website

Good Morning!

With the help of my graphic artist and my webmaster – Steven Estrella – I am starting to make some changes in my website.  The first change – how my published articles are viewed and downloaded.

Click here for a look.   We should have all of the articles reformat ed by the end of the week.  Let me know what you think of the change.  And feel free to send me your comments about my website and my blog.  I want to be sure that I am providing you with the information and tools that you need to be successful in today's ultra-competitive marketplace.

I'll be working at the NAMM Show this week and plan to post some photos and articles about the professional development seminars being offered during the show.  If you will be attending the show, please stop by and say hello to me at the IDEA CENTER.  I'd love to chat with you there!

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Book Review – Treasure Hunt

I think that this is a very important business book and I recommend that my clients read it – and to take its findings to heart.  The new consumer enjoys mixing upscale with downscale products- to create their own customized lifestyle, satisfy their ever changing “value calculus,” and meet their emotional needs.

Michael Silverstein is the co-author of 2005's best-seller “Trading Up,” which showed us why consumers want new luxury goods – and find them with Callaway Golf Clubs; shopping at Victoria's Secret,;eating at Panera Bread and drinking Belvedere Vodka.  That certainly is an appealing prospect for any manufacturer or retail who has visions of higher margins and increased spending dancing in the head.

In Treasure Hunt, we learn that (most of) these same consumers “trade down” because:

“I'm a smart shopper – and highly skilled at it.”

“There's no material difference in the products”

“My Mom taught me how to be a smart shopper.”

“I can go without it.”

We have all seen these consumers (and I am becoming one of them) at Target, Costco, Lowe's and Dollar General.  The majority are female.  And it is no longer a paradox to see new BMWs or Lexus automobiles parked in from of a Wal-Mart or Target store.  People enjoy “treasure hunting” for bargains not so much because they “have to” but rather because the can and “want to.”

This is a valuable lesson to learn – the “Bifurcating Market” – where you can reach high and search low at the same time.  Just be sure to avoid the path that leads to the boring and deadly middle ground (remember Sears, Montgomery-Ward and most department stores.)

I have worked for over 30 years in the Music Products industry.  Many of my clients are in this industry.  Most bemoan the fact that retail prices are dropping and margins are shrinking.  They are quick to place blame (cheap imported products, big-box retailers, Internet retailers who don't have to charge sales tax, etc.)  But I think that they miss the point – many consumers will happily “treasure hunt” for bargains – as long as it is combined with a satisfying shopping experience – and use some of these savings to purchase the “upscale” products that they desire.

Increasingly, it is the “shopping experience” that is driving the marketplace.  “Cheap” no longer connotes “bad.”  Now, “boring and bland” are “bad.”  To succeed in today's market, it is wise to consider the words of legendary retailer Leslie Wexner:

“People are looking for emotional highs.  Winning companies invent new products that capture the consumer's imagination.”

Ignore the reality of the bifurcated market at your peril – and many companies continue to ignore it.  Instead, learn how to deliver trading-down goods at unbelievable prices or create trading-up goods with genuine differences that can – and do – command a premium price.

I like the format of this book.  It follows actual consumers to their homes and along on shopping trips to discover the reasons and motivations for their behavior.  It is fascinating.  Real people, real stories.  And, it goes a long way towards demolishing our stereotypical assumptions of the “middle-class” consumer.  Regardless of demographics or level of income, each consumer has their own story to tell.  It is unfortunate that too many retailers fail to tell their own story – and attract this new consumer.

One of the best features of this book is the website that supports it – www.bcg.com/treasurehunt.  Click on the link and you will see the real people interviewed in the book and learn more about the research that went into compiling the statistics in the book.  Increasingly, publishers and authors are creating exciting websites to support the traditional printed product.  I like this trend – it is exciting!  I hope that you can learn how to make your own store or products exciting – there is a rich pay-off when your learn how to tap into the “bifurcating” market.

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Treasure Hunt – Inside the Mind of the New Consumer

I posted a new photo to Photos.

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Communication Overload

Well, I’ve had a FUN weekend – NOT!  I had a major computer crash (my data was all backed up) and I have had to restore all of my programs.  This gave me lots of time to catch up on some reading while waiting for the programs to load.

OK – back to the subject of this post – How do we cope with the vast amount of information that comes our way on a regular basis?

The December 2006 issue of The Motivational Manager has an interesting article on this subject.  They cite a survey of senior executives and managers conducted by NFI Research that found:

80% said that they receive too much communication from both internal and external sources

33% said that they receive significantly too much communication

As with any survey there are several caveats.  Managers and executives at mid-sized companies were the most impacted – 46% – by over-communication.  Which, I suppose makes sense.  If you are a large corporation, supposedly you have “gate-keepers” to filter most of the communication directed to you.

The most telling point of the survey was a comment from one respondent:

“It’s not a question of how many e-mails, voice mails, memos, and such, or even the frequency – it’s the inability of the communicator to get to the point.  Over-communication is the difference between what I need to know and what I have to filter.”

Amen to that!  Bring back the “good old days” of the Television series Dragnet when Sgt. Friday said, “Just the facts, Ma’am.”

Here are some salient points to consider when writing your next email (I found this in the same issue of The Motivational Manager  – actually there are adapted from an article that is on the Microsoft Small Business Center website – click here for the article)

1) In your e-mail, get quickly to the point – this starts with a meaningful Subject Line.

2) Try to limit the body of your e-mail so that the message will appear (in its entirety) on one screen

3) Close your email by succinctly stating what needs to happen next

Great advice!  And not just for email – this pertains to all forms of communication (marketing messages, presentations, sales calls, even talking with friends and clients.)

No one has time to “filter out” the excess in a message.  So stop sending “CYA” e-mails!  Don’t include your entire address book in the CC portion of your e-mail.  And, if the issue is really important, put down your mouse and go talk to the people involved “face-to-face” – if you remember how to do that!

And now — back to my software installation.  Thank you for listening!

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A Great Business Resource that You Can Use

While reading one of my favorite monthly newsletters (The Motivational Manager) today, I learned about a fabulous and free business resource that I want to share with you:

It is the “Free Management Library” website – click here to enter!  And it is a treasure trove of articles, resource materials, websites, etc. that members and experts have contributed.  The website has been around for 10 years – and from my initial exploration of it, it appears to be continuously improving by adding content and categorization.

As the title says – All content on the website is absolutely free – for you to access.  If you want to reprint or re-purpose the content, they offer clear steps to take to obtain permission from the copyright holder of the individual content.

You could think of this as a sort of “wikipedia” for business and management content since it is created strictly through member contributions (of content) and it relies upon its members to update and report errors, broken links, etc.

Lately, I have been thinking about “competitive advantage”  – what is my own competitive advantage (as a consultant, trainer and speaker) and helping my clients to define their competitive advantage.  So, I was pleased to see this clear, concise “About Us” statement:

“The library provides easy-to-access, clutter-free, comprehensive resources regarding the leadership and management of yourself, other individuals, groups and organizations…”

SOLD!

I get it!  I know exactly what this resource offers (to me) right from this direct statement of purpose.

Why would I want to use this website tool when I already have invested a small fortune in resource books?  Because, I am not always near my personal (physical) library – I do travel quite a bit.  And, the trick is to be able to actually FIND the resource when you actually need it (while writing a blog, thinking of a topic to write about, citing a source) – or just plain relaxation or inspiration!

The key to accessibility is organization.  The Free Management Library Home Page is very clearly organized – and accessible.  Here are a few topics for you to link to in order to check it out yourself:

Interviewing

Sales

Leadership

I've added this site to “My Favorites.”  I hope that you can gain some benefit from my recommendation.  Please share your thoughts – or your favorites – with our readers.  Or… just drop me an email – danny@thecompanyrocks.com to let me know what is working / or not for you!

 

 

 

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