Manager Tools Blog

Reaching Out

wendii — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:12:37 -0400

One day last week, someone asked me if we'd heard of an author with a new management book out. I hadn't, so I downloaded the book to read on my Kindle and replied, I'll let you know when I've read it. "Wow, you rock" came the reply. To be honest, I was a bit shocked, since I didn't think I'd done anything special. (I've started it, by the way....).

Later Mark and I had a conversation about a phone call he'd had that day. One of our previous attendees had had a problem and emailed Mark. It wasn't the kind of thing that could easily be discussed by email, so we set up a 15 minute phone call. The attendee was astounded that Mark would take the time to talk to him and promised to follow up.

Maybe, we thought, only 10% of executives would give someone who asked a genuine question the time of a reply. But we offer Mark's email address at every conference, and you know, only a tiny number of people take him up on the offer. Even less follow up - and we love the people that do. We talk about them as our friends. We look forward to going to the towns where they are. There's some people who send me an email every now and again, and I think of them as my friends - even though our friendship started as them asking me a question they thought I could help with.

If you have a question and you think someone you admire could help, ask. I'm sure you'll be surprised at the response. And don't forget to follow up. If someone asks you a question, try to help. And, if you want to be friends with someone, reach out. It won't happen if you don't.

Continuous Improvement

wendii — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:43:37 -0400

In his book, 'Why We Make Mistakes', Joseph Hallinan describes an experiment whereby volunteers are given a logic problem involving cups of water. There is a solution, but it's relatively complicated. In a second experiment, they are given more jugs and cups of water and this time the problem can be solved in two ways: a replication of the first problem's solution and a second, far simpler, solution. The people who participated in the first experiment nearly all followed the solution they'd found previously. But 95% of a second set of volunteers who hadn't seen the first problem found the simpler solution.

Hallinan summarizes: "People in the initial experiments had become so set in their ways that they were blinded to the newer, simpler solution. But to those who came to the problem fresh, the simpler solution was obvious." That is one of the problems with the continuous improvement meme - in your company, you might make a 1% improvement each year. But a new company who is coming to the problem fresh may be able to come up with something completely new. Incremental improvements in laptops are nothing next to the ipad (depending on what you want to use the device for :-) ).

One of the ways to get out of the space you're in mentally is to explore paradigms outside of your company, industry or country. There's an article on the BBC website today about the application of the 'no-frills' airline business concept to the hotel industry. How many people in the hotel industry thought, when they got on a budget airline, how does this apply to my industry? How does it apply to yours? How does Starbucks or Apple or Amazon or Dell or Expedia apply to a legal firm or a plant manufacturer or a papermill? It's asking questions like this that allow for more than incremental improvement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11114802

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Make-Mistakes-Without/dp/0767928067/ref=sr_...

Great Managers

wendii — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:40:44 -0400

Manager Tools believes that the key to great management is knowing your people better than average, constantly talking about performance and asking for significant improvements in that performance. The Trinity (One on Ones, Feedback, Coaching and Delegation) are designed to operationalize those key behaviors.

In 2006 Gallup released a follow up to 'First, Break All The Rules' called 'The 12 Elements of Great Managing'. The authors summarize their list of 12 as being the workers saying "If you do these things for us, we will do what the company needs of us". No Manager Tools member will be surprised that the 12 elements directly and indirectly reflect the Trinity. For example: "I know what is expected of me at work" and "In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work".

At conferences we also talk about the need for managers to professionally care about the people who work for them. Management isn't power, or a payrise. In order to be a great manager, we've got to genuinely care about our team and want to see them grow and develop. The Gallup research bears this out too: "My supervisor... seems to care about me as a person". Lucky us, that we know this, and we know what to do every day to make it happen.

http://gmj.gallup.com/content/25390/Gallup-Publishes-LongAwaited-FollowU...

2011 Conferences

wendii — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:43:37 -0400

We're excited to announce our plan for conferences in 2011. The good news is, there will be even more opportunities to join us. Attendees tell us that even when they've listened to every podcast, the opportunity to ask questions, practice and meet fellow managers is priceless.

In order for us to achieve this, some of our conferences will be conducted by our friend Michael Swenson. Michael has been working with Mike and Mark for 15 years and is an accomplished presenter in his own right. He's been helping us with bigger conferences ever since we started them, and we're excited that you'll get to learn from his knowledge and experience with the Manager Tools methods.

We will hold both an Effective Manager Conference and an Effective Communications Conference at all our dates in Newark, Chicago, San Jose, LA, Washington DC and London. At all other locations there will be an Effective Manager Conference only. These dates are tentative pending our negotiations with hotels, but we hope to see you at one of our conferences in 2011.

Date	Location 1	Location 2
January	San Jose	London
February	Newark	Chicago
March	Seattle	Atlanta
April	LA	Washington DC
May	Newark	San Jose
June	Chicago	Houston
July	Tampa	Dallas
August	LA	Newark
September	San Jose	Chicago
October	Washington DC	Minneapolis

Job Search Trends and Actions

wendii — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:11:08 -0400

In our recent Career Tools cast Resume Update 2010, we recommended you use the available information to conduct a strategic job search. Whilst we realize that not everyone is in a position to relocate, temporarily or permanently, for those of us able to consider it, one website has developed a Job Search Difficulty Index which may prove useful. By comparing the Bureau of Labour Statistics information on unemployment with the available jobs, they are able to give us an understanding of how hard it is to get a new job by state and city. Of course, we need to remember that this data is for the whole of the market. There is always a shortage in certain roles and specialisms, and often a surplus in others. But when developing our job search strategy, more information is better.

Another website has surveyed 600 recruitment and HR professionals, and their results are very representative of the trends we are seeing and the guidance we've given you. This survey found 36% will spend less on job boards and 38% will spend less on third party recruiters in 2010 than in 2009. Companies are reaching out directly to the market, and that means different behaviour for job seekers. 92% of the respondents plan to recruit via social networks with 86% of that group using Linkedin. 89% of the respondents had hired at least one person from Linkedin, with another 27% having hired from Facebook. Our guidance to be on Linkedin, tidy up your Facebook page (and other social networks) and go directly to company websites all comes from these trends.

Even if you're not thinking about changing jobs this year, take action now. Part of a recruiter's job is to know the people with the right skills who currently aren't looking but who might be in six months to a year, or who might be promoted and therefore a client, or who might know someone who is looking. Recruiters (including in-house recruiters and HR departments) aren't just interested in available candidates. They're interested in the whole market in a particular skill. That means even if you aren't looking, they might still be looking at your Linkedin profile or your Facebook page. Don't think that you can have something inappropriate on them now, and tidy it up just before you start looking. It may well have already been seen and your reputation set.

http://www.manager-tools.com/2010/08/resume-update-2010-part-1

http://www.job-search-engine.com/press/Juju-Releases-Job-Search-Difficul...

http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite%202010%20Social%20Recru...

Good Ideas

wendii — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:57:18 -0400

Rereading Getting Things Done last week, I was struck by what David Allen says about ideas. He says: "If you're waiting to have a good idea before you have any idea, you won't have many ideas". When Mark talks about brainstorming with conference groups he asks: "If you have a small pile of ideas, and a big pile of ideas, which pile of ideas is most likely to have most good ideas?" Both of them are saying the same thing: in order to have a good idea you need lots of ideas.

Mark also tells groups that a manager's role is generally to reduce: to make a decision between x and y and z, and to go forward with one. That's why brainstorming is hard. It's the opposite of what we normally do - it's increasing our scope instead of reducing it.

If you ask Google how many thoughts we have a day, it gives numbers from 12,000 to 60,000. However many we have, it's many many many more than we're conscious of. Most of them are fleeting, because our 'reducing habit' dismisses them. If you want to have more ideas, start writing down your random thoughts. Don't be instantly dismissive. Follow the rabbit for a few more thoughts and see if a good idea turns up.

Instructions

wendii — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:16:49 -0400

Traveling to around new cities on public transport is an interesting experience for a multitude of reasons. I spent several minutes yesterday standing in front of the ticket machine in Seattle trying to understand if I wanted an ordinary return ticket or an e-purse. (The machine issued my change as 15 $1 coins which caused every shop assistant I paid later in the day to say: oh, you've been on the light rail today!).

There was no explanation as to what an e-purse was and no staff to ask, and yet the machine required me to make that decision. I'm sure the people who made the machine, the one who designed the screens, the one who designed the instructions all thought there was sufficient information for customers to make a good decision, but they were wrong.

Whenever we create instructions or directions, we need to work with the people who will need to understand them. Whether it's members of the public, or our directs when we're delegating, it's no use us being sure that the instructions make sense. It has to be clear to the people who need to enact our instructions.

Are You A Communication Lightweight?

wendii — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:49:59 -0400

In an article in August Wired magazine, Clive Thompson says that the phone call is dead. Apparently, the number of mobile phone calls we make each year is falling, since hitting a peak in 2007. Thompson says that phone calls are inefficient and deserve to die. However, the most interesting part of the article for me was this: "This generation doesn't make phone calls because everyone is in constant, lightweight contact in so many other ways: texting, chatting and social-network messaging".

It reminded me of the managers who say, I don't need to do O3's, I talk to my people all the time. The problem with that is, as Thompson says, it's a lightweight contact. It's 'how are you doing?' as we pass, with the expectation that the answer will be the socially acceptable, 'great' or 'fine'.

It isn't until we have 30 minutes of concentrated, one on one, uninterrupted time that the answer to 'how are you doing?' becomes 'I've got something to tell you', or 'Actually, I'm really struggling' or 'I have great news'. No one starts a meaningful conversation in passing. That's what O3's are for.

What's Your Leading Indicator?

wendii — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:07:47 -0400

An article on Inc's website discusses a not-commonly-known leading indicator of economic growth. Brake pads. If you think about it, their logic, that more brake pads are sold as the economy increases is obvious: "When trucks are wearing down brake pads faster, it means the trucks are being driven more. More trucks on the road means more goods being sold.”

It got me to thinking about other not-commonly-known or less obvious leading indicators of an improving economy. Recruiters know that temporary staff are hired back first, and that permanent staff come after. Once companies start having more work to do, they need more staff, but the scars of an economic downturn remain, and they don't risk hiring permanently until they know it's going to last.

We have a wide variety of industries represented amongst our members and we'd like to you to share. What is the well-known or not so well known, leading indicator of an improving recovery in your industry? So far, we have brake pads and temporary staff. What can you add?

http://www.inc.com/lewis-schiff/the-brake-pad-economy-.html

Are You Obsessed?

wendii — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:31:24 -0400

In an article in Inc Magazine, Jerry Murrell, founder of the Five Guys burger chain, discusses potatoes: "Potatoes are like oak trees -- the slower they grow, the more solid they are. We like northern potatoes, because they grow in the daytime when it is warm, but then they stop at night when it cools down. It would be a lot easier and cheaper if we got a California or Florida potato."

I was amazed that anyone would know where the best potatoes grew for their business. But then I started thinking about other people I know who are really really good at what they do. I remembered interviewing a guy, two years out of college for a role that involved understanding the international political scene. He knew the ruling government and how stable it was for every country we wanted to discuss. I remembered an interviewee for a media role who was a former journalist, and who had a strategy, worked out over time by trial and error, for getting them most out of interviewees when she doorstepped them.

People who are really good at what they do, are obsessed with the details. Their knowledge is deep in a few subjects, often, rather than broad. They work at getting better. It may get you laughed at by your family, that you're bringing home more books on business, but that obsession will get you ahead.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100401/jerry-murrell-five-guys-burgers-and...

Old Problems / New Problems

wendii — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:30:35 -0400

In an interview with Wired Magazine, Fred Brooks talks about a book he wrote 35 years ago called "The Mythical Man-Month". He is asked if he expected the book to be read by non-programers, and he replies "No, and I've been surprised that people still find it relevant 35 years later. That means we still have the same problems".

There are many new problems in businesses today: how to deal with telecommuting and dispersed workforces, how to keep up with the competition halfway across the world, and how to get your calendar right on your iphone. But many of the problems are the same: the resources need to be fewer in order for profit to be higher and people are people and don't always work well together.

Anyone who has listened to more than a few Manager Tools casts has heard us talk about Peter Drucker. The Effective Executive might have been written 40 years ago, but the issues it addresses are the timeless ones, those of too little time and too much to do. It might be a little sad that we still have the same problems we had 35 years ago, but it means that we don't have to find new solutions.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/07/ff_fred_brooks/

Feedback

wendii — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:35:14 -0400

According to some widely quoted recent research, one in three job seekers make over 100 applications. For 48% of those polled, 100 applications has resulted in less than three interviews, and for 31% none or one. Whilst these statistics could be indicative of the still struggling economy, it's unlikely.

When anyone carries out an activity 100 times and has only a 3% success rate, one has to wonder whether they are hearing the feedback the system is giving them. For spam email, a 3% response rate might be really good. But when you're looking for a new job, a 3% rate is a signal to change what you're doing. Every system has built in feedback - whether it's the reports which get rejected because they are in the wrong format, the look on your boss's face when you present your idea, or the complaint calls from the customer.

The problem is that many of us don't hear the feedback, and if we do, we pretend we didn't, or we leave it for another day to do something about it. And soon, we've done something 100 times with only a 3% success rate. Far better to respond to the feedback and continually adjust.

http://www.recruiter.co.uk/one-in-three-jobseekers-make-over-100-applica...

What does the web say about you?

wendii — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:07:12 -0400

According to an article in Recruiter Magazine, the era of candidates causing themselves to not get jobs by having inappropriate Facebook pages is over. The research they quote says: last year only 0.01% of candidates whose CVs impressed potential employers, failed to secure job opportunities due to questionable social networking profiles, compared to 0.1% in 2006.

However, another article on money.cnn.com suggests that we may have cleared up our Facebook pages, but not gone far enough. It explains how employers are doing deep web searches which show up absolutely everything you've posted on line, from forum comments to your Amazon wishlist, as well as declarations of bankruptcy and other personal information.

Understandably, some people are alarmed at the amount of information employers can gather. But in some ways, we've just come full circle. Years ago, the blacksmith you were apprenticed to would have known you since you were born, and your family since before that. And, even if we are alarmed, we can't do anything about it - except make sure that what we post is appropriate and information is accurate.

http://www.recruiter.co.uk/era-of-facebook-slip-ups-ends/1006343.article

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/14/news/economy/employers_creepy_web_search...

How Do You Steer The World's Longest Cruise Ship?

wendii — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:30:46 -0400

An article in this month's Wired magazine shows pictures of cockpits of various high speed, high performance vehicles. It's fascinating to see all the knobs and dials in the fast jet and a submersible. What interested me most though, was the the captain's station of the Oasis of the Seas - the world's longest cruise ship. The picture looks as I would imagine it, with lots of displays and things to twiddle and turn. In the article which accompanies the picture, the captain says "The port and starboard command chairs have built-in joysticks for controlling the ship" The article goes on to say: Those are typically operated by other officers.

It turns out the captain's job is not to steer the ship at all. How many times are managers and leaders compared to 'captains steering the ship'? How many times are new CEOs of companies in trouble described as needing to "turn the ship around"? How many times are articles written about staff "going overboard after their captain"?. And now it turns out, that captains don't steer ships at all. So what are they doing?

The captain's job, according to the captain of the Oasis of the Seas says is "mentoring and teaching". In Manager Tools terms he's delegated the steering of the ship and now coaches his staff to do it well. He manages the ship - he doesn't actually do the work himself. That's how you steer the longest cruise ship in the world - not by doing it yourself, but by delegation. Does that make you reconsider a job you didn't delegate, now you know how big the jobs are that are delegated?

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/06/ff_cockpits/

Coordination

wendii — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:56:02 -0400

In their column in this month's Fast Company, Dan and Chip Heath talk about the American men's 4x100 team at the Bejing Olympics. Despite being a team of stars, they were disqualified because they dropped the baton during handoff. Despite hours of practice by themselves and with others, the limited amount of time they spent practicing together meant they found it impossible to perform when they were required to.

At conferences, we sometimes ask the audience to think about a team they were in which accomplished something extraordinary - a sports team, a charity team or a work team. We ask what their overriding feeling about that team is - how they felt about each other. The answer is always 'trust'. In working together for a common goal, we develop a relationship in which we are certain that if we fall, someone will catch us; if we fail, someone will help us; if we lack, someone will pick up the slack.

Those relationships are based on communication. They don't develop without us listening to one another. They don't develop without us talking about the problems we're trying to solve. They don't develop without us getting to know each other. No matter how much we might wish it, people don't just go together to build teams like so many lego bricks. We have to start communicating.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/147/made-to-stick-blowing-the-baton-...

Getting Used To It

wendii — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:04:25 -0400

Standing in line last week, I overheard someone say 'it's hard, but you get used to it'. How many times do we say or hear that? I used to start work at 6.45am. Previously, I'd been a student. Starting at 6.45 (and getting up at 5 something) was hard, but I got used to it. In another job, I had to give a weekly presentation to new starters. That was hard, but I got used to it.

It's amazing what we can get used to. When we talk about delegation, we talk about how the things you're delegated get smaller over time. As you get used to the work, it gets easier. Initially, though, it's hard - and it's hard to see how it's going to get easier.

Be assured, that if you're delegating something, and getting pushback, they'll get used to it. If you've been delegated something, you'll get used to it. And, if you've got a new role and you need to get up at 5 something, you'll get used to it.

Like for Like

wendii — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:07:58 -0400

A sentence in this article (http://www.recruiter.co.uk/plan-talent-now-for-future-growth/1005916.art...) struck me as particularly alarming. It said "in the past, when one person left there was a rush to replace the individual on a like-for-like basis".

Hopefully, this has changed. Every time someone leaves it's an opportunity to consider the balance of skills in the team, what needs to be done in the future, everyone's growth. It may be that higher level skills are required, but equally, we may be able to save some money by using a new employee with less skills.

It's hard to predict skill requirements across an entire company, which is why companies generally do it very badly. But it's easier in a small team. And, if all the team managers did it well for their team, it would make it easier for the company. Nothing wrong with that.

How To Get A Job

wendii — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:41:01 -0400

In an article in Real Simple magazine, there are nine suggested routes to getting a new job, from writing a killer cover letter to posting a resume on Craiglist. (You can read all of them here: http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/job-career/how-to-fi...).

Whilst some of the suggestions seem a little odd (speed networking?) the article demonstrates that there is no one way to get a new job. It's not enough to have a great resume and a great cover letter and hit the job boards. It's not enough to know some recruiters and have a good interview style. It's not enough to research your industry and location.

We need to do all these things and more. We need to use every opportunity to speak to people, to meet people and impress them. We need to leverage technology. So many people complain they can't get a job because they are going about it half-heartedly. It is often said that finding a job is a job. It's true.

Planting in Fertile Ground

wendii — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:29:00 -0400

In an article in Recruiter magazine, Steven Rolls, the head of HR at Deloitte says: "Recruiters should recognise the limitations of selection through assessment. "You get just as much if not a bigger effect" through great induction, on boarding as well as coaching and mentoring, and generally helping people find their feet, he says. "Assessment and selection is about identifying the good seed, but you have got to place it in fertile ground"".

It occured to me that this applied to more than recruitment. Whether customer relationships, supplier relationships or relationships with other departments all new relationships benefit from a great introduction and both people in the relationship 'generally helping people find their feet'.

In fact any relationship, new or old can benefit from a review, and new effort made to make sure that the ground is fertile. There are good seeds being wasted, because we let the relationship decay and don't renew it periodically.

Get Good Grades

wendii — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:03:27 -0400

One of the first Career Tools casts, launched in December 08 was 'The First Rule of Higher Education - Get Good Grades'. At the time, we had some feedback that university wasn't just about grades, but about life-learning, meeting new people and having fun.

It's taken some time, but research released last week in the UK shows that companies with graduate schemes (management development schemes where graduates are rotated through divisions and departments) are reacting to the large numbers of applicants and limited scheme places by increasing their requirements. 78% of the companies surveyed will only accept applications from candidates with a 2:1 or higher (UK university grades are divided into four: 1st, 2:1, 2:2 and 3rd, with 3rd being the lowest). The Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters who carried out the research, is urging employers to reconsider, concerned that students with the right skills and attitude will be missed unnecessarily. However, when the applicant pool is large, it's an easy weeding out method for companies, and one they're not likely to change.

Much as it's possibly unfair, the best way to ensure that one is eligible to apply for the schemes, is to balance fun with getting good grades. That's a good life lesson in itself.

http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/12/career-tools-cast-2-the-first-rule-...
http://www.agr.org.uk/Content/Class-of-2010-Faces-Uphill-Struggle-for-Jo...

If Harrods Can Do It....

wendii — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:47:12 -0400

Harrods has just released new guidelines for career paths, development and performance expectations for it's retail managers. In addition, they now have an opportunity for sales staff to earn a two-year BA honours degree in sales. Anyone who thought working at Harrods was just being a 'sales assistant', even if it was a very posh sales assistant, is wrong. Sales assistant is a path to a real career at Harrods.

Harrods is showing a real commitment to their frontline, most junior staff. Someone has taken time to design the curriculum, find accredited tutors and will probably need to give their staff time off in order to study. Far from leaving their junior staff to the confusion of their first job, they are showing them how to learn, what to learn and leading them on a career path.

We often receive emails from junior staff saying: I don't know what my targets are, I don't know what we're trying to achieve, I don't know what my accomplishments should be. Taking time to give clarity and meaning to the most junior jobs isn't a waste, it's an investment. Not only is the person in that role more likely to perform if they understand their role better, but they're more likely to stay with the company in the long term. If Harrods can do it, so can you.

http://www.recruiter.co.uk/harrods-recruiters-learn-its-new-career-guide...

Achievement

wendii — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:05:49 -0400

One of my friends posted online how proud she was that she'd set up a wireless network in a new home. She isn't the most technically minded and it took her some time, but once it was done, it was a great achievement. Inspired, she looked for something new to learn.

Her pride reminded me of one of the hidden benefits of delegation. It takes some time for managers to teach their direct how to do a new task initially, and some more time to check and correct their work, and then to check it's done properly, before a task can be handed over for good. It can be easy to think of all that time as wasted on the way to a new normal.

But during that time, a direct goes through some trepidation and some frustration, and finally, they find pride in having learnt how to do a new thing. If the delegation wasn't learnt the hard way, if we could just skip to the new normal, the pride wouldn't come. Being proud of ourselves gives us energy to learn the next new thing. It's part of the onward momentum. Delegating to our directs builds their momentum and is yet another good reason to delegate more.

Messages

wendii — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:01:16 -0400

An article on ERE.net, a website for recruiters, discusses two reasons why it's important to give all employees business cards. Firstly, it makes them feel important. It's a welcome to the company and a message that the new employee is worth at least $50 in discretionary spend.

Secondly, they argue, it's a word-of-mouth enabler. In recruiting, a great deal of importance is put on recommendations as a source of hire. It's cheap and tends to be better quality than other channels. When everyone in your company has a business card, and can keep in contact with the people they meet, the company increases potential hires via this channel.

This article made me think about other tools we use or don't use within companies, which have or could have wider benefits than what is obvious at first glance. Is the corporate, sharp look of branded notebooks worth more than their cost when your staff are seen in hotels or traveling for example? One of the companies I used to work for had particularly good branded pens for their graduate scheme. Those pens traveled far and wide, as people discovered they were better than average, spreading the message that the company had a graduate scheme and invested in it. Have you had an similar or opposite experience?

http://community.ere.net/blogs/recruiting-is-more-fun-than-you-think/201...

Thinking Differently

wendii — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:56:27 -0400

In the last couple of Manager Tools podcasts we've talked about common wisdom that's just not right. Whilst Praise in Public, Criticize in Public can be defended logically, the argument is based on a false premise and falls apart when we think about it really carefully.

There's a couple of parts of our conferences where we think about some similar arguments. For instance, when we talk about delegation, the scenario is that we're already busy, and the new activity just can't be fitted into the week. There's always someone who suggests refusing the assignment. It's a good thing in that context, because we can use it as a teaching point. It's not the right answer.

When the logic is explained, or the right answer given, it seems so obvious. Of course, PIPCIP doesn't work. Of course, there's a better way of handling new work. It can take some new suggestion or thought pattern though, for us to see the new way. That's why exposing ourselves to books or podcasts, or new people is important. Only by having new inputs do we begin to think differently.

Something New

wendii — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:45:49 -0400

Several times in the past few days we've been asked: what do I do when I send a peer an email to ask them to do something for me, and they don't do it? You might guess our answer, based on the importance we place on relationships: don't send an email, go talk to the guy.

There's a bigger lesson here though. When you're in it, it's hard to see, but from the outside it's easier. If the thing you're doing isn't working, try something else. There is no reason to stick with a strategy which doesn't work for you. It's the most obvious advice, but as the question we got proves, it isn't obvious to those struggling with the situation.

So this weekend, think about some different ways to approach the problem you're having. Better yet, don't struggle alone. Post on the forums and see if someone outside your situation can help. By Monday, you could have a whole new perspective.

Secrets of Success

wendii — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 02:32:01 -0400

There was an article in May's Fast Company about Mike Mullen, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff which included his itinerary for a 'pretty generic' day, which is interesting from a number of perspectives. Firstly, just how hard he works. His day begins at 4.30 with the gym and ends at midnight. Many of us would like success, but just aren't willing to work that hard for it. It's ok to decide that your family needs you there more than four and a half hours, or even that you need to sleep more that that, but never kid yourself that just doing what you're supposed to is enough. It's enough to earn your salary in most places, but not to get ahead.

Secondly, his staff regularly review his diary to ensure that his days match his priorities, and not to a rough two or three priority level. 2% of his time is dedicated to the President. 9% of his time to outreach to the general public. 6% to the media. That's an incredible level of detail to which to know your priorities. The article says as a result of the last calendar review, they know he only spent 8% of his time on outreach. I'd call that success. Apparently, he doesn't.

Thirdly, he starts his day with standup and ends it with end of day, just like we do at Manager Tools. If you have an assistant, and you're not doing standups, you're missing out. Between the benefits of checking in each day, getting the little things off your plate and moving, and freeing up time in your O3's, standups are the oil which keeps the machine running smoothly. Every day we miss one, is a day which could have been better.

Like lots of what we teach, these are simple, regular tasks. The hard thing is doing them every day. The rewards are longer term, and the difficulties daily, a combination which seems to be incredibly hard for humans to get on with. If you want to be successful though, you have to be one of the people who gets past that difficulty.

Guess Who?

wendii — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:22:59 -0400

Once a week, I drive 20 miles up the nearest motorway (freeway) to visit my niece and nephew. Like motorways everywhere, there have been roadworks for months and months and months, slowing the traffic down to somewhere between crawl and 50 miles an hour. Frustrating as it is, it does give me an opportunity to actually read what's written on the side of the lorries (trucks).

A couple of weeks ago, I came across 'Supermarket Trolley Repair' on an enormous articulated lorry. Yes, that's an entire company dedicated to repairing shopping carts. Who knew. This morning there was 'Pipe Organ Air Flow Monitoring'. Apart from pipe organs in churches, I can't think of another kind, and I can't imagine how many you'd need to need a van going round monitoring their air flow. On the way home today, there was 'Race Car Preparation'. When I googled it it turns out, there's an entire industry for preparing racing cars. Preparing them for what I wondered? Do they give them little pep talks before they race?

When we ask children what they want to do when they grow up, they talk about policemen and firemen and ballet dancers, because those are the people they see in books. I imagine if you surveyed college graduates now, they'd talk about Google and Apple and a hip clothing store. There is so much more to the world of business than consumer brands. There are fascinating companies like these, fascinating roles you've never heard of. When you're looking for something new, don't just consider the places you've heard of and the jobs you know. Do the research to access the whole market, because if you do, you increase your likelihood of finding a new role, and you could end up with a fascinating new job, like giving pep talks to racing cars.

Resumes and Secret Meanings

wendii — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:39:31 -0400

One of the sentences we see on resumes quite often, particularly on IT manager resumes, is "Coded..." or "I still code". Other managers are just as prone to this: sales managers who still sell, executives who still manage, call centre managers who still take calls. What the writer thinks it says is: I keep in touch with my core skills; I help my team; or I'm in touch with what my team do.

All of which are noble and respectful reasons to work in this way, at least occasionally. But there's another way of looking at this. The manager is being paid to manage. He's being paid to have higher level thoughts, to make sure code is up to standard, to ensure his team answer enough calls and meet the quality standard. The oft-quoted law of management economics 101 says that the least paid person who is capable of doing a job should be doing it. And the person reading your resume worries that perhaps you like coding too much, you never wanted to be a manager and stop taking calls, or you're out of your depth as an executive.

There's other examples of this too: resumes which say someone developed something, but don't specify that it was implemented for example, imply that the person has ideas but not ones the company want or need to use. Every time we write something on our resume, we need to think, if the most cynical person was reading this, what could they imply? Your resume needs to leave the reader with no doubt that you're working at the level they need. If there is any negative implication possible, we need to eradicate it

What's your goal for the week?

wendii — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:49:55 -0400

Monday mornings - or better still - Friday afternoons are great times to take some time to plan your week. This was the best lesson I ever learnt as a recruiter and one I still use today. On a poster on my wall I have a list of the things I need to achieve each week (including 3 x blog posts).

I also have a daily checklist which includes clearing my email and spending time each day on project work. it's easier when your role is more structured, but even having a list and thinking about it helps. It certainly stops those unproductive moments when you think 'what shall I do next?".

Maybe there are people who can do without to do lists and an idea of what they want to achieve but I don't believe that they are successful as those that do. What's your experience?

Resumes and Accomplishments

wendii — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:24:35 -0400

I've noticed a trend recently in career advice on resumes to recommend that job candidates include accomplishments. Consider this from Forbes: "Have you increased revenue or profit? Have you decreased costs or minimized risk? Tell concise success stories of how you met these goals and you'll make yourself an exceptional candidate". It's only taken 5 years for the rest of the world to catch up to what Manager Tools recommended in http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/10/your-resume-stinks.

Gratifying as it is that the world of career advice has recognized we were right all along, some of the advice you can find, even on a seemingly reputable site like Forbes is still not only not useful, but a little odd. Further in this article, the author recommends "I have offered employers a slide show with pictures of me working, just so they can visualize me effectively laboring in their behalf." We hope this is a joke, but fear for the prospects of anyone who takes it seriously.

It is the demonstration of success which is most persuasive for hiring managers and recruiters. This simple advice may not provide enough humor or excitement for an article in Forbes, but the emails we receive crediting our guidance with new jobs and revitalized careers is enough for us.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/09/job-recruiters-pointers-leadership-care...

Tolerance

wendii — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:04:09 -0400

One of the benefits of working for a small company is you get to do a bit of everything. The downside of course, is sometimes a job has to be done, and it doesn't play to your strengths. One of my jobs is the creation of our newsletter. Every fortnight I spend some time frowning, grumbling and looking at my notes in order to replicate on the screen what I have in my head.

Those of you who code HTML in your sleep are probably wondering what the problem is, but for me, this job is really hard. I've noticed a side effect though - I'm much more tolerant of mistakes I see on webpages or newsletters I receive. I know that stuff is hard for me, and I appreciate more the work that's gone in to it.

It's easy to dismiss other's work as being inconsequential or easy, especially when we're waiting for something we need. It's not until we find out exactly what they do and how it's done, we discover that it's harder than we think. Some of the most valuable hours I've spent have been sat next to someone whose work I rely on, understanding what they need, what they do, and what it takes to get the result I need. It can seem like wasted time when you're busy, but I'd urge you to find time. It can help you keep your cool next time you're waiting and it's a great investment in your relationship.

Salary Negotiation

wendii — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:56:40 -0400

Those of you who have the interviewing series will know we do not recommend negotiating on salary. It's a pointless exercise: if they only offer you 90% of what you want, are you only going to give 90% effort? It's unlikely.

One of the things that astounded me as a recruiter was candidates who would try and negotiate over £1000 or £2000. They'd tell me the number they wanted at the beginning of the process and then when they heard the number the employer was willing to pay, try and increase it by £2,000. After tax, £2000 is £125/month. They would tell me this was their dream job, that it had enormous potential, that they really liked the hiring manager and the team, that they saw their long term potential there, and then risk it all for £125/month.

Junior candidates were far more likely to do this than senior ones. Senior candidates start with a number in mind and they'd state clearly upfront. If the number that was offered was not what they wanted, they'd do a clear analysis of the benefits, the role, the future prospects and say yes or no. They were willing to walk away, but it was always based on the opportunity, never the money. I've seen senior candidates cut £20,000 from their salary to work a role they really wanted.

You might say, well, they can afford it. However, we rarely offered junior candidates less than they were currently earning. They could live on their current salary - they had been for the last year or two. Many senior people say 'I just chose the role or project which looked most interesting at the time'. They didn't have 'career plans', they didn't change jobs to increase their salaries, they went after interesting opportunities. If you want to get where they are, then don't negotiate over £2000 - evaluate the opportunity.

Perspective

wendii — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:40:03 -0400

Someone recently asked me about my 'female perspective' on some Career Tools guidance. I have enough input into the Career Tools casts that you hear my perspective, even though you only hear Mike and Mark's voices, so I didn't have anything different to add.

I was interested though that someone would think I have a 'female perspective'. I'm a high D, so many of my behaviors are traditionally masculine: competitive, loud and willing to fight with you. But even if they weren't, my perspective isn't a female one, it's a Wendii one. Similarly, I'm sometimes asked 'what do the British think' of some political or historical event. I don't have a 'British' viewpoint - I can't speak for the whole nation - only a Wendii viewpoint.

Be careful of asking one person to represent their gender, their nationality, their ethnicity, their age group. In order to get good data, you need hundreds of samples, not just one. Especially, if your product, process or plan depends on it, do the work to ask many, not a few.

Umbrellas

wendii — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:43:34 -0400

Sitting in my local coffee shop waiting for inspiration to strike, I looked up at the ceiling. I already knew there was a replica airplane hanging there, but to my surprise, it's been joined by dozens of hand-painted umbrellas. It looks like they were painted as a part of a school project. I come here most days - it's part of a shopping complex that houses daily necessities - and I thought I knew what was going on here. Apparently, I missed the announcement about the umbrellas.

This happens all the time in business. Even though you talk to your boss every day, has he ever been surprised when you remind him about a doctor's appointment or vacation day? If you want him to hear your questions, your briefing, your successes, you need to make sure you have reserved time in his attention. That's what O3's are for. Time for managers to pay attention. If your manager doesn't have O3's with you, follow the protocol in our Boss O3's podcast (http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/11/boss-one-on-ones-professional-updat...).

The umbrellas are pretty and engaging. It would have been a shame to miss them. Equally, it's a shame when your boss misses something important because you didn't ensure you had his attention first.

Upgrading Your Linkedin Profile

wendii — Fri, 28 May 2010 08:06:05 -0400

In the last few weeks Linkedin has released new jobseeker upgrades to compliment those which have been available to businesses for some time. We looked carefully at the benefits that these upgrades afford Linkedin users. At this time we don't recommend upgrading.

The biggest benefit according to Linkedin is that your name will come to the top of search results. However, we know from our own behavior with searching on Google that is not a paid advert at the top of the results page which is always the most relevant. If a recruiter is searching for an IT project manager and the search picks out your engineering project management experience and moves you to the top of the list, the recruiter is still not going to contact you. Being at the top of the list is not more advantageous if your skills do not fit.

You are able to send additional forms of communication using the upgraded profiles. However, the numbers are still very limited and will not take place of being able to contact people you already know and who respect you and your work when you're looking for something new.

We will continue to watch for innovations in Linkedin and provide you with our thoughts on the services they provide and how you can use them.

Visibility

wendii — Wed, 26 May 2010 10:25:33 -0400

An article I read this week said that the banking industry's demand for talent in finance and IT is approaching that of 2006. The new regulations and increased compliance requirements are forcing companies to increase staffing in these areas. The article says "these departments are just getting bigger and looking for better people. It's not the most popular job, but it's more high profile".

I used to work in a multinational business in the top 10 in its industry worldwide. The business was made up of a number of business units. The production units were seen as “sexy” and photos of the goods they produced were seen all over the world. But it was the people in central functions such as legal and audit and HR who understood how the business as a whole worked, who knew hundreds of people across the business units and who had the highest profiles.

There is a trade-off to be made sometimes, between working on something "sexy" and the visibility gained from working on something less "sexy". It is the challenge of the product that excites you then working on the product is obviously the way to go. But if you want to climb the ladder, sometimes, as the article says, the less popular but more high profile roles might be more appropriate.

Talking Their Language

wendii — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:38:55 -0400

Those of you who have been listening to podcasts for some time will know that we think DiSC is the best communication tool there is. If you haven't yet used the learning that you can gain from this tool, you'll find it gives you the most significant improvements in your communication ability that you'll ever experience.

For those of you who are using DiSC I was reminded of another facet to “use the listeners language". In an article in Recruiter Magazine the Head of Resourcing at Network Rail said that the credibility of his team was boosted by “using terminology such as ‘meeting objectives, order fulfilment and making efficiencies’ ... because we are talking about delivery," he said, "we are talking the language they understand".

This isn't just using the same communication style, it is translating your work into the language of the work of other teams. For those teams which struggle with credibility - often staff roles which do not contribute directly to the bottom line - this is an incredibly useful technique.

Reflection

wendii — Fri, 21 May 2010 08:36:45 -0400

There is something I’ve noticed from interviewing hundreds, if not thousands, of people in everything from minimum wage to board reporting positions. The best people are not only able to tell you what they did in certain situations, but they can tell you why they chose that course of action and more importantly, why it worked.

This isn’t reserved for the most senior people. Two of the most impressive interviews I ever lead were for a secretary and a college graduate with only a year’s experience. What they had in common was their passion for their work, and their willingness to think deeply about it in order to be more effective.

Look at two relationships you have: does one work better than another? Why? What do you do differently with those two people that results in a better relationship? Look at a good day and a bad day at work. Break it down: what did you do hour by hour or even minute by minute which changed the course of the day? Look at a task that seems easy and one that’s difficult. How do you approach them differently? Will changing your approach make the difficult task seem easier?

Google It!

wendii — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:25:35 -0400

When we go through the coaching model at conferences, we ask groups to brainstorm a list of resources their direct could use to improve their skills at a particular subject. It’s a fascinating exercise to watch. The first time the groups brainstorm, they rarely get above 20 ideas. When told the highest number ever achieved (which goes up regularly), suddenly many more ideas start flowing.

Invariably, ‘Google’ is one we have to give a hint on. I was reminded of this by an HBR article, in which the author begins “Simple. Smart. Easy. Makes you look good. So what’s stopping you?”. He talks about the value of Googling colleagues, prospects and clients before you meet them.

However, ‘Google it’ can be applied to anything. When I worked in a corporate setting, I had a reputation for knowing everything. I didn’t of course, I just had an open web browser and a Google bookmark . “What time is in Saudi Arabia?”, “What does PMI mean?”, “Where are our main competitors based?”, “Does someone from Hungary need a work permit?”, “Do we still have an opt-out on the working time directive?” and “What does a student work visa look like?”, are all questions I’ve answered using Google. A lot of the time you can type in the question as if you were asking it to a friend, and you’ll find the answer: you don’t even need to construct a fancy query.

As the Michael Schrage says: “Makes you look good. So what’s stopping you?”.

http://blogs.hbr.org/schrage/2010/05/how-not-to-impress-in-the-age.html

All Your Jobs Have One Thing In Common

wendii — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:38:02 -0400

I read this quote (I don't know where now) and kept it, written it on a post it note. It is "all your jobs have one thing in common: you". After a couple of months of contemplation I think it can be read several ways, but the way that comes back to me again and again relates to resumes.

When I worked in an agency, we were taught to go through resumes with candidates for an hour or even two. We would ask for a thorough job description, lists of accomplishments, what they liked and didn't like, and importantly why they left, for every position. There were candidates who left every position because they couldn't get on with their manager, or their manager was unreasonable. There were sales people who found that the market always dried up and they were let go. There were accountants who always found that the systems and processes the company used were unsuitable or archaic.

We've all had one manager who was unreasonable. Many of us have had a job where the market crashed and we were let go. Many of us have had one job where the processes were ridiculous. If you're interviewing candidates though, be very cautious if the same reason is given for leaving all the jobs: it's probably not the jobs, it's the candidate. Or, if the reason for leaving is always negative, never moving to a bigger job or taking on a new area, it's probably not the jobs, it's the candidate. Whatever negative or positive the description of the jobs have in common: it's probably not the jobs, it's the candidate.

Technical Resumes And Business Accomplishments

wendii — Mon, 10 May 2010 06:03:25 -0400

Many technical resumes focus on the systems and processes used in particular roles. IT professionals often list the program and version number of both systems in a migration for example. When we review resumes, we often tell the technical professionals to remove those details. (I imagine them reading those sentences with a look of horror on their faces).

There's two reasons why we give this recommendation. The first is, if we're applying to a particular role, the systems required will be specified in the advertisement, and we respond to that specifically in our cover letter. If it asks for Oracle 9i, we say in the cover letter: "I have used Oracle 9i in the development and implementation phases of projects. I have also migrated to it from 8i and from it to 10g". There is then no need to have this detail in the resume.

Secondly, the most powerful accomplishments follow the 'verb, result, method' formula. This forces us to find the business results of our activity. The business result (reduced cost, increased revenue, projects delivered on time) appeals to more people than just the technical manager who will review your resume. Project managers, career managers, HR, sales people and account managers may all be involved in technical recruiting and they understand 'delivered on time and on budget' not 'migrated from 9i to 10g'. By removing the technical detail from resumes, we make them more appealing, not less.

"Until the different started to feel normal"

wendii — Fri, 07 May 2010 07:57:46 -0400

An article in Fast Company, adapted from Dan and Chip Heath's book, Switch, quotes Jerry Sternin: "Knowledge does not change behavior. We all have encountered crazy shrinks and obese doctors and divorced marriage counselors". The article continues, talking about mothers of malnourished children: "They'd have to act differently until the different started to feel normal".

Knowing intellectually that one on ones, feedback and coaching work, is not enough. We have to make changes in our behavior. For a while, acting differently will make us feel like we're standing out. It brings back the feeling of being a teenager and wearing the sweater our mother picked out, not being cool and feeling like the whole school is looking at us. Of course, the truth is most people are too busy worrying about themselves to be looking at us. After a time, and it's usually a shorter time than we expect, different becomes normal. And when we reap the rewards of our new behavior we wonder why we did not make the change earlier.

We often get feedback that validates this. After a member carries out their first round of one on ones, they say "It was ok, but it felt a bit awkward". Inevitably, we comfort the manager, letting them know that this awkwardness is normal, and that one on ones will start to feel much better after a month or so. And often, we get another email, a month later, saying "I'm so glad I persevered".

What change are you going to make?

Leadership

wendii — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:31:08 -0400

I recently read a piece in Success Magazine which quoted Pat William's book American Scandal in which he discusses Eisenhower's actions prior to D-Day. He says:

"A leader can give up everything but final responsibility. In the hours prior to the attack, as rain splattered on the windows outside, Eisenhower sat down at a small table and wrote out - by hand- a press release to be used if the attack should be repelled. He wrote: 'Our landing has failed.. and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.'"

Of course, we now know that the landings were successful. However, Eisenhower prepares himself to take all the distress of the situation upon himself if they fail. By describing the situation so simply and factually, he creates a calm place to ask 'What do we do next?'. I can imagine him saying this paragraph at the beginning of a briefing and all of the emotion draining out of the room. By taking all the responsibility himself, he allows others to work on solutions and next steps unemotionally.

We've all been in crisis situations where the dramatic telling of the situation and blame attribution heightened emotions and prevented solutions from being found. How would those situations have been improved if someone had said: "I take responsibility for where we are. Whatever decisions were made and actions taken, were with the best of intentions and with the best information we had. What options do we have now?".

Don't Burn Bridges

wendii — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:33:53 -0400

A recently released Careerbuilder survey found 57% of surveyed workers who had found work again after being laid off had gone back to former employers. The lesson from this finding is that despite our feelings of distress at involuntary separation, not keeping our cool and or showing grace under pressure may be something we regret. It is unlikely that any of the 57% are those who took the opportunity to tell the boss 'what I really think' or tell the overdemanding customer what he could do with his 15th order change.

The desire to do those things is totally normal. But research shows that our actions don't follow feelings. The two are a feedback loop to one another. Acting out our anger makes us more angry. By acting cool, we tend to find ourselves feeling less stressed about the situation.

We might think we'd never want to go back to an employer who treats us so badly. I have felt that way. What I found, after I was separated from them, was the negatives faded away and I remembered all the positives. It's easy to gripe when the alternative is a mysterious ideal, and harder when it's a less positive reality. Even if you do think you think you'll never go back, stay cool. The people you know might move to a new company, and if you're the person they remember as putting the chair through the conference room window, they're unlikely to read your resume.

Have you gone back to a former employer after a layoff? What was that like?

http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=p...

Productivity

wendii — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:15:29 -0400

A study by Alexander Proudfoot found that productivity fell between 2007 and 2008 amongst the surveyed companies. In fact, unproductive time rose to 34.3%. Yes, 1/3 of the work week was wasted! One of the reported causes of this unproductivity was the poor quality of supervision. In fact, they found that supervisors spent only 10% of their time on a combination of active supervision and training. (18% of their time is available - time not currently allocated - so it's not a case of not having time).

Increasing active supervision reduced the unproductive time of staff. Dare we suggest that one on ones, feedback, coaching and delegation would constitute active supervision and that if supervisors delegated more their staff would have less time to be unproductive?

Just 10% higher productivity would probably radically change the perception of your department and the profitability of your business. There is no reason to only review your department or your personal output once a year when the planning cycle comes round. It's a new month next week. What are you going to do differently to reduce your unproductive time?

http://en-us.alexanderproudfoot.com/Publications/Productivity-Report.asp...

Email Backlash?

wendii — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:09:03 -0400

An article in the Wall Street Journal discusses the 'Email Backlash' and an apparently increasing trend for companies to impose 'no email' days and weeks. The idea is, apparently, 'to encourage more face to face and phone contact between co-workers'. In most cases the problem does not need this kind of legislation. Each of us are quite capable of monitoring our own email use.

If we communicate by email 100% of the time, it's too much - even if our co-workers are in a different time zone or otherwise difficult to communicate with. Making the effort to come in at a different time, to walk down to the shop floor or to wait in reception to speak to a busy receptionist will improve our relationships. It's not only the additional quality of the conversation, but also that we made the effort, which improves our relationship.

If we never communicate by email, it's too little. Email is great for asynchronous conversation, or for broadcast communication. The issue is not email. It's choosing the appropriate communication medium for the conversation we're having. With a little thought, and admittedly not turning to email as our first port of call every time, we can all choose the right medium.

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2010/04/28/email-backlash-builds/

Weird Results

wendii — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:30:45 -0400

Every now and again, I notice that the penultimate result on the first page of a google search is "News from Iceland in English". It seems to come up whatever I search for. I don't know how the news from Iceland is relevant, but apparently Google believes it to be so. Like the day when you decide to buy a red car, and from then on you only see red cars on the road, every time I search on Google, I notice when this result appears.

I'm never going to crack the Google algorithm. But, it does pay to be looking out for odd results. Oftentimes, I've noticed a couple of candidates coming from a particular local company - maybe two in a month, where the norm is less - and later found out that company has announced layoffs. Those candidates had sensed the change, and got out early. A couple of duds coming off the line might be an indication that the machine is about to break, or at least needs maintenance. A drop in the sales growth rate of a quarter of one percent might be a blip, but it might be the beginning of a trend.

Jumping to action too fast is not advisable, but nor is waiting till one or two is a trend. Make a note of odd data, and make sure to look for it again next time the results come out. Sometimes it's nothing. Sometimes it's nothing you can do anything about (like Google results). Sometimes it's a head start on your competition, the economy or notice to take preventative measures. A month headstart might be all you get, and taking it might be enough to keep you ahead. It's not all bad either. If you can get a headstart on hiring as soon as you know your recovering is coming but before it really sets in across the economy, you could catch some of those great candidates on the market before they all disappear, or get a great deal on product before prices go back up, or catch the consumer and get them to change their habits before they go back to their old 'good day' habits.

What odd results have you seen and been able to capitalize on?

Working on Client Sites

wendii — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:12:48 -0400

In a short piece about references in Recruiter Magazine, a director HR & Training at a law firm in the UK is quoted as saying "As an alternative to employer references, we take client references". This is the first time I have heard of this, but it makes sense. In organizations where the majority of the work is completed for clients, or where consultants are based primarily at the customer site, managers often don't have a really good sense of how their directs are doing. There is a good deal 'out of sight, out of mind' and 'no news is good news'.

There's two lessons to learn from this. One, as a manager, what does it say about you if you do not have enough information about your directs to give a good reference? When I worked on site in this type of situation, colleagues 'going native' was a serious concern. Once they identify more with the client than they do with their employer, the employer is almost certainly losing actual or potential revenue. Keeping in touch is a necessity.

Secondly, as an individual contributor what are you doing to make sure your manager back at mothership knows what you're doing and how well you're doing it? There is nothing wrong with sending a weekly check in email to your boss letting him know what the progress is on your projects and what other opportunities there might be. Never let your professionalism slip. You never know who might be asked to be a referee.

For those of you with directs on site or on site yourself, what do you do to keep in touch?