Let me know what you think of this idea and the widget. IT’S FREE!!!! YAY!!!
]]>If you don’t hear right away from them....FAGETTABOUTIT!!!!!
Everyone stay off the phone - I’m expecting a call soon from my new prospective employer now that they have my application
Hmm. It’s been several days now since you submitted or updated your position application and still you haven’t heard anything from your new prospective employer. Why? They’re busy? Received billions of applications they’re pouring over? On vacation? Oh well! Actually, when you think about it, it’s been over a week now - going on two weeks and you still haven’t heard anything. What gives?
I’ll tell you what gives. Most of the HR people charged with recruiting new talent to their organization’s team are ill-equipped to do it. What do I mean?
I mean they aren’t motivated to produce quick, effective results. They have never spent a day let alone anytime at all in a customer service capacity where they would have gained a perspective on how to treat new potential customers (read: employees). They don’t understand that marketing without responding quickly to customer/employee responses tarnishes their organization’s brand, it’s image. These HR people - generally clerks and or socalled “people-learned” professionals are so busy trying to preserve their own jobs that they have created all kinds of programs within their organizations to keep themselves busy in the eyes of their Masters. Hey, we don’t need to reply quickly to an applicant, we’re in charge and they don’t know who we are anyway. Besides we’ve got campus recruiting fairs to attend to, benefits and compensation conferences to go to, Application Tracking Systems (ATS’s) to implement or learn and boy, we have so many applications to wade through. Besides we haven’t really defined all the responsibilities and reporting that this position will have. SO WE HAVE TIME!
But you don’t have time! You’ve made the decision to seek employment elsewhere and you want to get going!
Does any of the above discussion seem familiar to you? It should if you’ve done any kind of applying online or to the paper these days. Working inside a large organization as a Contractor recently I witnessed firsthand how within a few weeks I became the “GOTO GUY” for recruitment/hr functions within the department I was in. My edict is to deliver results, simply and effectively. The HR folks could have done the same thing if they wanted to but chose not to because of all the other things that they placed in front of what they said was crucial to their business - that is, hiring more skilled people. Hundreds of them that they couldn’t seem to find. But guess what? I could find them. And they found me. Some even stay in touch with me now that my contract term has ended. I still respond to them - one never knows where they’ll end up next or what they’ll be in charge of. It’s a small world.
So, how do you deal with the ineffectiveness of the career “black holes” of the internet?
GO DIRECT TO THE HIRING MANAGER
You see a position posting you’re interested in - do some homework. Find out who the hiring Manager is. If it isn’t apparent, figure out what department the role is in and phone the organization to find out the name of the department’s Manager. Ask them if they are the ones looking after the hiring for the position of interest. Can you submit your resume to them? I’m telling you folks, inside the client I was in, the people that got most of the new jobs were those who contacted the Senior Department Manager and were referred to the individual doing the hiring that reported to them.
Check with your friends, acquaintances or friendly competitors who you should speak with at a particular company you’re interested in if they are in the same field. Contact that person directly. Forget HR. Well, at least don’t let them be the only route you use to get your application in.
More ideas to be added soon.
Well, thank God 2006 is over! I’m back to reclaiming my goal of achieving running 1000 miles by year end. It’s started slow as conveniently once my consulting contract ended and I had a chance to regroup, spending 2 ice times a day in hockey rinks during the holidays gave me a viral infection that I’m just starting to get rid of. So, I’ve only run 17 miles so far but I’m determined to break through the 1000 mile barrier. Of course, I need to saddle up with some new runners as the ones I’m using have exhausted their usefulness. Anyway I’m very committed to beating this goal and will be running most days now to get a good headstart on the mileage meter.
Oh yah, I’m exploring another consulting gig - this time in Denver - hopefully I won’t let that deal effect my running schedule.
Let me know what you think of this idea and the widget. IT’S FREE!!!! YAY!!!
I’ve done some research, and also some snooping, and I have discovered that not only have you been screwing me for the past four years, you’ve also been stupid enough to leave the evidence for me to find. Your excuse for my pathetic salary has been your massive debts. But as I watch you suck as much money from this business as you can, it sickens me that your conscience does not kick in. You have told me it’s raining while you pee down my neck, you idiot. The business is being run into the ground, and you don’t care, as long as you think someone is going to buy it from you and become “your retirement plan.”
After four years of listening to your hillbilly ass go on and on about things about which you have NO freakin’ clue, I’ve had enough.
Well, you can have your business, because I am out.
And be sure that on my way out the door I will call OSHA and the FTC, as I am sure they will be very interested in learning about your business and its lack of safety and other requirements. You may be nicer than your predecessor, but that’s only to my face. Behind my back, you are taking advantage of a man and his whole family. When you’re rotting in Hell, I hope you think of all the people you’ve screwed to get yourself to the position to call yourself “The Owner.”
Bite me,
-D’
Too funny for words! If you want to read more of these types of letters go to Kiss My Freckled Ass Goodbye and give yourself a chuckle. And maybe some ideas. (Okay, I’m kidding).
]]>Silly-marketer (SM): “Hi, am I speaking with the homeowner of the house?”
Me: “No, I’m a burgler burglarizing this home...No, seriously, yes and with whom am I speaking?”
SM: “Oh, I’m with Castle (something or other) Maintenance Services and we’re working in your neighborhood.....”
Interrupting the caller I ask,
Me: ”In my neighborhood? Which house are you working at in my street?” (snicker, snicker)
SM: (starts giggling) “Heh, heh, we’re just beginning to work in your neighborhood.(names my neighborhood here)”
Me: “Oh, well there’s over 4000 homes in the area, which one?” (I ask probingly).
SM: “Ah, well (they stutter) we’re in a lot of houses in your area and in (names another area 10 minutes from mine as if I’m supposed to think that they’re my close neighbors too!) We’ve got 5 or 6 trucks in your area!” (She exclaims quite indignantly to me).
Me: (I laugh and ask) “5 or 6 trucks in the area and you can’t tell me which neighbor or house close to mine you’re in?” (Twist the knife a little deeper in).
SM: “Well no but have you had the service done before?” (Huh?)
Me: “What service are you talking about?”
SM: ”Furnace-cleaning!" (Really? After all this time on the phone with SM I now learn that the uninvited telemarketing call was for a furnace-cleaning outfit).
Me: “No, I don’t need it done because I own a furnace-cleaning company! (Not me but my family is in the heating and airconditioning business so I’d use them!) So, you see (I tell her with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek) my furnace-cleaning company is ALWAYS in my nieghborhood!”
SM: click.....unnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
I guess that was a little wasted call for SM. But, it sure resulted in a little afternoon pleasure for me.
Folks if you own a service company like a furnace-cleaning company first of all:
• don’t call in the middle of the day - chances are no one will be home - they’ll be working.
• don’t lie about being in the neighborhood. Leave a message saying you were at address # such and such today (near your house) and they took advantage of our summer reconditioning service, or fall earlybird special or spring into action sales, etc. - thought you might be interested too (leave number for them to call). Or, you could say with all the homes in the neighborhood being of similar age and this one at address close to your house getting our service done, thought oyu might be interested, etc.
• send a mailer or postcard to the homeowner directly with a call to action incentive on it.
• try marketing your service with a complimentary service, exchanging leads, etc.
• get to your point quickly and be courteous....you don’t know who you’re calling or may be pissing off at the time.
Happy Marketing!
]]>We will be discussing:
• Accountability
• Responsibility
• Ineffective Attitudes, Behaviours and Emotions (& Your Rewards)
• The Victim Effect
• Communication Styles
Come back soon.
]]>We all know the basic needs every human needs to survive such as: water, food, oxygen, warmth, sleep, health, exercise and sex (males more than females my “sex camel” wife says, but I digress). Add to those security (which I could go on about ad nauseum) and you’ve got the list of basic needs down pat. We need these needs met before we can go on to become self-actualized people, as Dr. Abraham Maslow would tell you. But they’re not driving needs.
Driving needs are those needs we consciously or unconsciously seek to fullfill in order for us to learn at a higher level, to move closer to the state of self-actualization, to feel like we’re living at the highest possible level of our existence. These needs may be framed with words like: challenge, intimacy, achievement, passion, control, love for example. It takes a tremendous amount of determination and desire to explore and learn what needs shape up our makeup; what needs drive us everyday; what needs motivate us to act or do things a certain way. Everyone has some driving needs that are being met. If you’re conscious about them, you’ll have some kind of DOS that defines a process, a way for you to be for you to obtain fulfillment of these needs in some positive, society-acceptable way. An unconscious person (someone going through each moment of their life without conscious thought about why it is they’re doing what they’re doing) still gets driving needs met even though they may not consciously choose to satisfy them. For example, I need to have challenge met in my life (according to my DOS) so a positive way for me to fullfill this need is to set a personal goal of running 1000 miles or more in a year. I might also “challenge” myself by running a half-marathon in under 2 hours. I may not necessarily accomplish these goals as I planned but the very act of challenging myself supports my driving need. I feel challenged; I feel good; I feel alive. It may even inspire others around me to do similar things. An unconscious person may choose to speed down a busy rush hour freeway, zig zagging through traffic as if she was in a Grand Prix race or something trying to get home after work by 5:00 PM. It’s a real challenge for her to get by all these slow driving morons who are keeping her from starting her evening. Her need for challenge may be met when she finally succeeds but was it very society acceptable? No, and it would definitely be a very dangerous thing to do especially if she lost control of her vehicle. Meeting needs in ways that are harmful to yourself or unacceptable in today’s society is not the way to go. The point is driving needs are deep needs and wants that a person wants fullfilled for themselves, either consciously or unconsciously, and preferably in positive ways.
And the way to get these needs consciously met is by being aware of what they are for you and then giving them to yourself.
Know this, that the simple act of sincerely choosing to give yourself or anyone for that matter, what it is that you’re looking for (whether love, intimacy, control, forgiveness, passion, respect, etc.) will help you get your own need met. And you must do this without expectation of outcomes. Why? Because you must be 100% invested in the process of giving what it is you want without worrying about what the outcome might look like. It’s the process that counts. The outcome will be what it will be; you have no control over that. Folks, particularly salepeople, have trouble with that concept. They’re lead to believe that you should expect to win every deal, etc. Whereas we know that that’s not likely. I look at things a little bit different. I’ve always believed that if I give 100% of myself, my knowledge, my passion, my understanding, my commitment to a deal I’ll either succeed or I won’t this time. Am I a failure when I don’t succeed this time? No! If my process is good, I get back on the horse and go get another deal. The chances are when I give a 100% of myself to a situation, the outcome may not look exactly like I had envisioned but it’s usually in my favor. By…
...staying “detached from the outcome of my process” I can stay open to new possibilities or avenues to satisfy my driving needs…
...if the outcome is not as expected. It’s easier to stay positive in any situation and allows me to be “in control” of me and my feelings. And when I’m positive, I attract more positive things to me. When I’m negative, I attract more negative things to me. Have you ever noticed that happen to you? How about your work environment - why have you attracted a “negative boss”? Perhaps you’re a Victim more often than you’re a Master of your own choices.
See the next blog entry Master vs Victim for the continuation of our discussion on how to deal with bad bosses.
]]>So, when it comes to evaluating any kind of relationship I’m in whether with my wife, kids, friends, clients, etc. I ask myself “am I winning in my life?” But how do I define winning? To me winning is: being in the process of creating for myself that which I deem is most important to me. And by creating what is most important to me I automatically feel better about myself. My self-acceptance improves; my outlook on life improves. My health improves. And logically, when I feel better about myself, I feel better about you (my spouse, my kids, my work, my boss, my station in life, etc.). My acceptance of you increases and improves. Cool, huh?
Sidebar: ever notice those days or moments when you’re at the top of your game (say you...earned a big payday? ...shot an eagle on the course? ...got a promotion? ...got a sincere thank you from a hard to please customer? ...had the steamiest, lovingest morning sex without even asking for it? ...everything just seemed to come together well that day?) how well you feel about those around you? How little the rush hour traffic bothers you? How that rain that came instead of the promised sunny skies doesn’t damper your spirits? It’s really all about self-acceptance.
I’m going to tell you again that all that positive energy is a direct result of how you feel about yourself at that moment. Your self acceptance. But how about creating this increased self-acceptance for yourself rather than waiting for fate, destiny, the environment, the government, your parents, your spouse, that pesky Recruiter, your boss, your company, your client to create the conditions or events that will have you winning? And how can you sustain this higher state of positive energy for a longer period of time than just this moment?
Well, after you’ve determined what winning in your life truly is, the next thing you need to do or ask yourself is: “am I being for you the way I want you to be for me?” Think about that for a minute. Being for you the way I want you to be for me!!! It’s really another way of saying “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you!” or “positive attracts positive, negative attracts negative!” Or as my Jewish friends will say “money attracts money, shit attracts shit!” When you’re a miserable, conniving, backstabbing, disloyal, living from paycheque to paycheque employee, what kind of employer do you think you’re most likely to attract? What if you’re a shy, invisible, honest, compliant, follower in a relationship - what kind of relationship partner - personal or otherwise - do you think you’ll attract? I think you know the answers in the both (all) these cases. When you are, act, behave like, sound like, believe you are, have a positive self-acceptance you are most likely to attract relationships that will give you the same back. A positive, fruitful, joyful, loving, equal relationship. If you aren’t getting these qualities in your relationships, whose problem is it really? Who needs to evaluate their situation? Who needs to make who happy? Who needs to determine if they’re winning? Right! You do! Your relationship won’t get any better, you won’t be winning until you create a positive self-acceptance of yourself and then “be” for your relationship partner the way you want them to be for you.
Which leads us to the final relationship evaluation question you must consider for yourself? It’s the biggie! “Do I want this relationship?”
Now, here’s where things get a little tricky. You’ve determined upon self-reflection what a win is for you. You’ve actively and with 100% participation (whatever that looks like both mentally and physically) created in your relationship this win for yourself. You’re absolutely confident that the way you’re being for others is how you want them to be for you. But remember at the beginning of this process we were trying to decide if we wanted to stay in this relationship or get out. We were trying to honestly answer a new employer what our level of committment to their enterprise might be. Well, in short, if you’re winning, why would leave? Put another way: if you’re winning, that’s the only time you can leave a relationship! (Why would you?) And that’s the tricky part. When you have all this self-created winning going on in your relationships, you don’t want to leave. But if, after all your attempts to create more growth in the current relationship, you’re unable to - due to things beyond your control - then you can decide to stay or leave the relationship. Example: You wanted the management position but the company has someone else in the role who has got years left to go in that position and they are unable to create another opportunity for you. You convey your thoughts about this to management and indicate you will be looking for opportunities outside the firm. Example: You’ve made yourself happy, you’ve created winning for yourself within your personal relationship but your partner seems to be getting more and more withdrawn, sullen, irated that you’re so happy and their life sucks. You show your understanding and help them to find happiness within themselves within this relationship. They can’t seem to find it but you’re still happy - at this point you can decide to stay or leave. If you’re truly as happy as you say, truly winning then you stay in the relationship. The ultimate committment.
But, what if in all the above cases you aren’t winning, not as happy as you feel you should be? Guess what? Then, YOU CAN’T LEAVE THE RELATIONSHIP! You get back to redefining winning for yourself, create the process to give yourself these wins, mirror for others the way you want them to be for you and then re-evaluate your committment to the relationship.
How long does anyone stay in this process of creating winning for themselves in any relationship? FOREVER!!!!
For those of you who want an out that’s shorter, here it is: create winning in a relationship for yourself - 100% committment to this process. At the end of six(6) months evaluate how you feel, how you’re doing? Then, give it at least another six (6) months of this process before you re-evaluate again. If you’re still unhappy or feel you could do better somewhere else, then leave. (HERE’S THE CAVEATE: the grass is usually not any greener on the other side of the relationship fence. Know that you should be prepared to go through this winning process again in your next (new) relationship. You’ll be bringing your issues with you to the new table so decide very carefully).
So, the rewards of a relationship approach like the one above allows me to be happy and stay committed to whatever relationship I decide to get into. It also always places the responsibility of my relationship happiness on me, not the other party. My employer, client, spouse, family, etc. get a real person who acts the way he wants others to act for him and they get solid committment. (No papers need to be signed). What do I get out of this attitude? Peace of mind and happiness - and I don’t need a raise to get that!!!
I do this kind of introspection work now in the blink of an eye, in almost every moment and it always seems to serve me well. Try it some time and see how much your relationships improve.
Relationships That Work
1. Am I winning in my life? (Am I in the process of creating what I say is most important to me? Have I created self-acceptance?)
2. Am I being the way I want you to be for me?
3. Do I want this relationship?
Good luck - hope our relationship will be helpful to you!
]]>Anyway, Mr. Voth has lots of great stuff in short, easy to read and understandable bits you could arm yourself with before you go to your accountant. I bought Mr. Voth’s book at Costco a while ago but I’ve also included a link to his site for you to order directly from him (didn’t see it at Costco last time I was there). Try out his book, you’re halfway to next tax season already, so don’t delay.
]]>
Gradually increasing attention to employee retention.
The rising heat of the employment market will motivate an increasing number of employees to change jobs, often responding to attractive incentives. Employers will realize, often too late, that their attrition rates have skyrocketed and it has become more difficult to hire replacements easily. Retention strategies will often be defensive, rather than preventative.
Increasing investment in older workers.
In need of a stable workforce comprised of people with wisdom, experience, and reliability, employers will emphasize retention and hiring of older workers. Seniors seeking income-full or supplemental, social relationships, and a desire to stay active and productive will continue working into their eighties and nineties. Traditional retirement will be replaced by shifting lifestyles.
Shift in retirement plans to lifetime lifestyle funding.
With the evaporation of traditional retirement, long-term wealth accumulation plans will modify pay-out options to offer greater flexibility. As people age, they may draw from savings to finance sabbaticals, pay for world travel, fund education, or subsidize other non-work activities.
Continued off-shoring of some work, coupled with return of other work.
Employers in developed countries will continue to send work to less-developed regions for cost savings. More low-cost production communities will be established around the world to absorb the demand. Concurrently, work that is sensitive to customer satisfaction, involves cross-cultural communication, or is technical with a need for quality or creativity will return to points of origin…if indigenous workers are available to do the jobs.
Larger investment in corporate training.
The need for better trained skilled workers-and managers-will drive increased investment in corporate training. More companies will grow their education and development programs, utilizing internal resources, community colleges and universities, and outside contractors. Emphasis will be placed on the development of future leaders, providing fast-tracking in those organizations that already lack competent leadership.
Growth in telecommuting.
Workers desiring more control over their time, seeking better life-work balance, will persuade employers to facilitate telecommuting options. Utilizing available and emerging technology, remote employees will be highly connected to co-workers, customers, and company leaders. Long distance and international telecommuting will increase with the growth of globalization.
Expansion of staffing industry.
The difficulty in finding qualified talent will drive more employers to rely on staffing firms to source applicants for them. Recruiters will be in high demand as firms rush to grow to meet immediate needs. As agencies compete with higher use of niche job boards for Internet job searches, technology, including sophisticated applicant tracking systems and related software, will be applied to a greater extent.
Heightened flexibility in work arrangements.
Employers competing for qualified workers will support a wide range of options of work arrangements including shorter work-weeks, flexible hours, and job-role modification. Increasing emphasis will be placed on results, with managers and subordinates becoming more equal-like partners-in accomplishing work. Even in organizations with deep hierarchies, work environments will feel more level.
Employer dissatisfaction with product of schools.
Managers will become increasingly frustrated with the low level of preparation of the workforce, particularly entry level applicants. Their complaints will be heard by senior corporate executives who will demand greater performance from public schools and technical, community, and four-year colleges. Community leaders will focus resources on improving local education to improve tomorrow’s workforce.
These forecasts were prepared by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, principals of The Herman Group, workforce futurists based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Herman and Gioia are Founding Members of the Association of Professional Futurists and Professional Members of the World Future Society. Herman is the Contributing Editor for Workforce/Workplace Trends for The Futurist magazine. The two futurists create and publish the Herman Trend Alert, a public service weekly e-advisory. The consultants deliver speeches on their topics of expertise and advise corporate leaders.