Direct Your Career - The Professional Guide to a Better Career

The power of words

March 24, 2012

Being a writer, I have been awed and humbled by the power of words. “The pen is mightier than the sword“ coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lyttonin 1839 has been something that writers, revolutionaries, and underdogs have lived by since it was uttered. Words like Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech have inspired millions worldwide. Recently, several celebrities have used the “N” word and the “R” word (retard). I am comfortable that neither intended to inflame or hurt anyone, but the fact those words have meaning, people were hurt and inflamed. I have a relatively simple rule. If what I say I can say in front of your spouse or my mother, in most cases the word is probably ok. The rule is nothing more than a guideline to remind me to keep my filter in front of what I say. If I do that, I am probably going to avoid stepping on a verbal landmine and suffer the consequences. Feel free to leave a comment or email your comments to mike.anderson@directyourcareer.com Mike

Most managers have no right being in management

March 23, 2012

Many, if not most of the managers that I have ever met do not belong in management. Most people have some sort of shortcoming in their personality ranging from moodiness to flat out moon howling. When those people are then empowered to be entrusted with the livelihood of others, those shortcomings come shining through. So much of what is wrong with business today is based on this problem. A middle manager, with tremendous authority can affect the performance of the entire business because of the affect he has on his team. Sexual harassment, idea stealing, low productivity, creativity crushing managers normally fly so far under the radar that they can operate this way for years before being found out. And, during that time they surround themselves with people just like themselves so that when they are found out and replaced, their replacement is often as bad as the boss. So what can be done? I think what has to be done is for businesses to undertake a military style leadership program where leaders are continuously evaluated for their fitness to lead. The military trains their leaders in a never-ending quest to weed out weaker leaders, and to promote strong ones.

Raving fans vs detractors

March 22, 2012

Several times in my career I have had to take over what are called “turn around” opportunities. In a nutshell, that means that the organization has been poorly run, ignored or just messed up in some way, whereby its reputation is not on solid ground. I get the unenviable opportunity to go into those organizations and assess the problems, create a plan to address those problems, and execute that plan. Turn, Turn, Turn There are many things that need to be done when taking on a turn around opportunity including coaching, evaluating budgets, assessing staff, and addressing morale problems. One thing that I have found to be of the utmost importance is talking to customers. Customers come in many forms, but they are basically anyone who consumes your service. Whether your customer is defined in a classic sense, or they are internal to the organization, they are your lifeblood. For example, if you are a salesman, then of course your customer is an outside entity who pays for your product. But, if you are a computer programmer, then your customer might be an internal user who requires some new functionality that they look to you to create. If you are

How to Be a Turnaround CIO and Bring Your Ailing Co. Back Into the Black

March 21, 2012

Some years ago, I was hired to turn around a failing IT department at a midsize retailer in the Midwest. The company had an IT budget of $10 million and more than 50 IT associates, but there was no CIO or IT director; the most senior IT person was a homegrown senior programmer with no professional technical training or experience. So the company hired me as a temporary CIO, which was a pretty radical concept back then. Unfortunately, as is common among growth companies, this organization had charged its controller with making the critical IT decisions and setting strategic direction. I say unfortunately because, while sometimes necessary in a pinch and occasionally effective, that strategy usually doesn’t work for long. Sure enough, the enormity of the responsibility soon overwhelmed this controller. IT problems abounded. Senior management blamed everyone from “prima donna programmers” to vendors who could not be trusted. Finally the company recognized that it needed some outside help. My original agreement was for six months, but it ended up being a year at the client’s request. It was an interesting assignment, to say the least. Let me share what I learned about being a turnaround CIO. Survey the Beast

One “aw $hit” wipes out ten “attaboys”

March 20, 2012

I was taught not to take compliments, nor criticism too seriously. What does that mean? Well, basically it means that when people are criticizing you, you should really let it roll off your back as much as you are able. Most criticizm is done in a such a way that it does not really improve the situation, or the performance of the person being criticized, but just makes the target feel badly. Compliments are no different. When you are complimented it feels very good at that moment, but is nearly as short lived as the criticism. When being complimented, simply learn to say thank you and move on. If you try too long to revel in it, it will be much harder when you come down from that high. One important point to remember as well, is that all it takes is one bad moment, what I call an “aw shit” to wipe out ten compliments, or what I like to call “an attaboy”. Why is that? I think it is because mistakes often invoke anger, and an air of superiority over the person having made the mistake. The idea that people make mistakes is a known fact, but for

Should you go back to school for your MBA?

March 18, 2012

Many of my career clients often ask me if they should go back to school for an MBA. Most of the time they are asking as a result of some negative experience they just suffered. It usually comes while they are looking for a job and aren’t getting offers, or even interviews. Probably Not Generally, my answer is no, don’t go back. Why would I discourage someone from getting more education when the conventional wisdom might say otherwise. Well, it is because you must examine your motives whenever you do anything. If you are going back to school because you feel the additional knowledge will make you a better employee, then yes, you should go. But, if you are using it to add a pedigree to your resume, then forget it. The MBA might get you in the door and could possibly get you to the finals, but your work experience and the chemistry you create with the hiring authority is what will get you hired. I am not a big fan of the industry of higher education. College is a business. The business of college is to collect tuition, turn out graduates, and recruit new ones. There are two

Birds of a feather – why we hire who we hire

March 17, 2012

Many years ago, I attended a business seminar in Florida. In between the major speakers, were small “break-out sessions” where like minded people could discuss topics of particular interest to them. These sessions were called “birds of a feather” meetings. For my younger readers, there used to be a common saying that went “birds of a feather, flock together”. Basically, it meant that like minded people always seemed to hang out together. I never forgot that concept, because it is the basis for social order, even in business. That is flocked up! Managers and employees seem to “flock together”. Most managers hire people with whom they are comfortable. They seem to have the same values, work ethic, and general overall view of the world. In general, they are usually not much smarter or less intelligent than the boss either. Basically, most managers hire themselves into key positions. Normally, if not taken to the extreme, this concept works out fine. It is especially effective if the boss himself was a good hire by his boss. But, what if he was not a good hire. Well, then all hell can break loose. I was employed by a company once where several of

Managing Projects with a “Honey Do” List

March 16, 2012

Have you ever heard of a “honey do” list? It is the much maligned list of chores that your spouse compiles each week for you to do on Saturdays, as in “honey do this” or “honey do that”. The term implies a nagging spouse who simply won’t tolerate her lazy, beer slugging husband doing nothing all day. Well, I would disagree with that characterization. The honey do list is a wonderful tool. It is an opportunity to set expectations with your spouse, or your business partner. It is a written contract between her and you that says “If I do these things for you today, I will have been deemed successful in your eyes.” The only demand I have of the honey do list is that my wife put it in the order that she wants me to do them. In the past, I would work the list in my order, only to find that we were not on the same page in terms of importance therefore creating disappointment in her, and a feeling of frustration in me. Once the honey do list is done for the day, and assuming you have a healthy relationship (and a strong heart) the

Respect for your new company’s history

March 15, 2012

Any time I have changed jobs, I have made it a priority to demonstrate my respect for my new company’s history and culture. What I mean by that, is that I believe it is very important to assimilate yourself into your new company, and to show respect for the successes that your new company has had to get it to where it is today. That respect for the company shows respect for the people who built it. So often I have seen new employees, brimming with enthusiasm continually refer to their previous employer. How often have you heard someone say “well, where I used to work, we …”, or “at Acme Company, we would never…”. Everyone does that on occasion, as the experience gained at prior employers is what you probably got you the new gig. But, if you wear out the phrase “where I used to work”, you will begin to isolate yourself and irritate your co-workers. I have the co-workers mumble “well, if Acme is so great, why don’t you go back?” Where I used to work, we did it this way! If you need to refer to your past to make a point, a very innocuous, less

Quote for the day

March 14, 2012

“The amount you laugh in your relationships with others is the true measure of the health of your personality.” –Brian Tracy

How can I negotiate a higher salary?

March 13, 2012

Brad Karsh, Yahoo! HotJobs Question: I just received a job offer, but I feel the salary is too low. How can I negotiate a higher salary? Answer: More money. Let’s be honest, we all want it. So how can you get it? When it comes to negotiating your new job offer, you walk the fine line between coming off like a savvy employee looking to maximize your worth and being greedy. Here’s what you do. 1. Know what you’re worth. Knowledge is power. It’s much easier to negotiate if you know where you stand relative to others in your field. Your first stop should be the Yahoo! HotJobs salary calculator. Also check with friends and family who may work in your field or at your level. See what they make. Once you have that information in hand, here’s what you might say: “From the information I’ve pulled from salary surveys, a financial analyst with four years of experience in Cleveland makes between $65,000-$75,000. I feel that your offer of $62,000 is low. Based on my experience and accomplishments, a salary of $70,000 which falls in the middle of the range would be more appropriate.” 2. Think beyond salary. Salary may

Do you have gratitude in your attitude?

March 12, 2012

A young, 21 year old college student asked to meet with me yesterday. He was ending an internship and wanted to ask me several questions that might help him when he entered the real work force next year. He asked me all the normal questions about how I achieved my success. He wanted to know about my family, and if I considered myself successful. I answered those questions with rather stereotypical responses which seemed to satisfy him. Then, he asked me something which surprised me a little bit, and my answer seemed to surprise him too. “So Mike, I really appreciate your time today. You’ve really helped me. I have one more question for you. What life lesson or advice would you give a 21 year college student?” he asked. I sat for a second and said “Be grateful for everything you have and don’t waste time wishing for the things you don’t. Celebrate your health. Appreciate your family, friends and the love you have in your life. If you have a car, be grateful that you do, and don’t waste time being sad it isn’t better. If you take the time to be grateful for what you have, God,

Lead, follow or get out of the way

March 11, 2012

“Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” - — Thomas Paine I heard that phrase for the first time in the 1980′s. It was on a plaque in the office of Ted Turner, the founder of CNN in Atlanta. Those eight words struck me as the basis for nearly every work relationship I have ever had, or would have in the future. Lead Lead – 1. To show the way to by going in advance. Some people are truly born to lead. They have natural personalities that by their mere presence inspire people to do something, namely follow them. They are comfortable in the role that they are asked to play and do so willingly. In many cases, I believe it has to do with their birth order as a child. The first born is often required to lead the rest of the children in the family in the absence of their parents. They often get the other kids up, get them fed and ready for school, and are substitute parents at a very young age. The first born is often required to give permission to the younger ones before they are allowed to do something. That early training

No one can make you happy….

March 10, 2012

I had a pretty normal childhood. I lived very middle class in a nice house in the New Jersey suburbs. I had everything I needed, although we were far from spoiled. Growing up at the Jersey Shore, I loved summer. I loved the beach, the sunshine, the freedom and pretty much everything about summer. I still do. Conversely, I hated the end of summer with as much energy as I loved summer itself (I guess I still do). Every year on Labor Day, my father would winterize our swimming pool. He had to bleed the water out of the filter, drain the pool a little bit, add some winter chemicals, and put on the pool cover. He also had to gather up all of the pool toys and put them in the storage shed until spring. It was the ceremonial end of summer, and it depressed me greatly. One such Labor Day at the ripe old age of 12, I was surprised to see my Dad outside in the backyard performing his ritual version of the Aztec Autumnal Equinox – also known as closing the pool. It hit me very hard that summer was actually over, and I would be

Career and Management