The Stupidification of American Adults

Pretty soon dolphins will be smarter than people. Look at this picture, a dolphin has learned how to use a laptop.

Everywhere I go I see babies and small children using iPads.

I hear so much whining from baby boomers about technology. I was recently in a meeting and a woman declared with great pride, “I don’t text. I told my children if they want to talk to me they’ll have to call me on the phone.” Awesome lady. I later learned she’s in a job hunt. Yeah, every employer loves someone resistant to change. Not.

Look, I’m not usually one to point fingers but guys, get on the bus. I’m not saying you have to text everyday. I’m not saying you need to tweet and Google +. But I am saying if you are resisting these things — at least ask yourself WHY. You have teachers (20 somethings and younger – digital natives) all around you.

There are two levels of adults who are at most risk of stupidification. One is like the person I mentioned above. Stuck, resistant, ego-driven. The other kind is the one who knows a little bit about social or technology and goes around proclaiming themselves an expert. Frankly, there are a lot more of these people around. Their arrogance is different. They claim they are open to learning… but they’re not. They ‘teach’ others about social media but really don’t understand much about it.

How can you tell? Do they talk all about themselves? Do they say they’ll teach you how to ‘promote’ your business with social media?

If they do they’re phony. Social doesn’t promote, it attracts. So at least be as smart as a dolphin and set a goal to learn 10 new things this year. The less you want to learn it, the higher it ought to go on the list.

Thanks to Laurie Ruettimann for the title of this blog post and for always being an inspiration. Check out her blog, the cynical girl.

Photo credit: my sincere apologies to the person who took or owns the rights to this awesome picture. I found it months ago and unfortunately didn’t save the URL so I don’t know who to thank (and search of dolphin and laptop yielded zip). So this big thank you goes out to the universe.

No Thanks, I Don’t Want to Work For You…

A 30-something is in the middle of a job interview. The hiring manager is excited about the young man sitting in front of him.

From the hiring manager’s point of view, the interview is going very well. He has laid out the requirements, is satisfied that the candidate has good qualifications and equally as important, he seems to be a good fit for the group

The young man pauses and stops to think and then says,

“Thank you very much for your time today. I am very grateful but from my perspective this interview is over.”

The hiring manager is completely taken aback. “What do you mean?

The candidate continues, “I like your company, but you just finished telling me how many long hours you work. I have no objection to long hours when they are needed to complete a project. You also just finished telling me about how you miss spending enough time with your family.  I am looking for a company whose leadership is committed to work/family balance. So while I appreciate your time, I think we are not a good fit.”

Dumbfounded, the hiring manager said goodbye. Initially, he was furious. How dare that kid tell me anything about running a business. After discussing the event with a few others, he started to think seriously about the candidate’s point of view.

There are a lot of reasons why the best and brightest may not want to work for you. Check out this article by (one of my favorites) David Meerman Scott called, “How to Build a Crappy Workforce.”  Perhaps you’re not scrambling for talent yet but you will be and if you think changing your culture now is difficult — imagine what it will be like when the economy is back full steam.

Image credit: Fast Company

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Progress Not Perfection.

If a beaver really thought about all the work it would take to build a new home (dam), (s)he might never start. But since the need, desire and drive to build are innate… he doesn’t stop before he starts.

Somewhere along the way, human beings, who start out curious and driven (just watch a baby learn to walk) – we stop learning new things. How many times have you stopped yourself from trying something new because you were afraid?

Is it looking, acting or sounding stupid or admitting you don’t know something? We think that if we act like we’re not sure that we’ve somehow failed.  The older we get, the less likely we are to try something different.   We need to recalibrate our ideas so that learning new things is what’s good!

Here are my suggestions for staying hungry. Those of you who know me, know I’m already foolish (thank goodness!)

1. Everyday do something you don’t want to do… just for practice.  Don’t gripe or complain, just do it. If you say one word about it to anyone, it doesn’t count. Do it for 7 days in a row and then talk with someone about the experience.
2. If you have a chance, watch a child learn new things. Do they get frustrated easily?
3. Make a list of the last 5 things you learned. Is it an easy list to construct or did you have to think about it for a while?
4. Set a goal to learn something new and take one small step towards it.

If you want to be Steve Jobs (author of ‘stay hungry, stay foolish’ and noted perfectionist) then this  post is not for you. If you’re a mere mortal, then please tell me…. how do you stay hungry?

True Grit and the Marshmallow Test

When my daughter was in college, her softball team’s t-shirts had this saying on the back…

“Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard.”

So while this title’s post may sound like 70′s rock band, it is, in fact, the core of some research on the future of work. In “The Future of Self-Improvement:  Grit is More Important Than Talent” the notion that as work continues to  dramatically change over the next 5 years; self control will become more important than ‘talent.’

This excerpt clarifies the concept:

“More and more, we set our own long-term goals, determine our own work schedules, work at an office or at a coffee shop, decide about what we focus on today, and tomorrow. But this freedom also brings a responsibility that demands a vastly increased capacity for self-control.”

The link between grit (hard work in the face of obstacles) and self control (the test of children who successfully delay eating a marshmallow) is central to the new way we accomplish work. Hierarchical work structures, standard job descriptions  and “siloed” work areas are already becoming ineffective work practices.

So how will you as a manager adjust to this new reality? How will you as an employee adjust? Will you lead the way with your own actions?  Will you educate and train yourself and your employees in grit and self-control? Will you make sure that your hiring practices are shifted to include these qualities?

We have a choice… we can determine those skills that will allow us to compete effectively like flexibility and focus or the rest of the world will get there before us. Take Duckworth’s Grit Scale Test here.

Image Credit: Inner Light News

Interview Question… How Weird Are You?

Maybe you’ve heard of a company called Zappos. In 1999, they began selling shoes on the Internet.  I remember thinking… no one will buy shoes online. I was wrong! In less than 10 years, Zappos hit $1Billion in sales.

What’s even more amazing about Zappos is their culture. It begins and ends with customer service. I mean real service. Sad that a focus on the customer is so unique.

But the real magic of the organization, according to CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced “shay”) is in the hiring. When interviewing at Zappos you might be asked,

“What’s your theme song?” or “How weird are you?”

By asking these questions, Zappos finds out if you’re flexible, creative, funny and interesting.  So would you want to work in a place where these were the interview questions?  I would.

I’ve often said I’m a little too weird for the normal people but too normal for the weird people. So add this (maybe) to the list of interview questions to prepare. What’s your favorite interview question?

Photo credit: Miss Communications.com

Know Thyself and Carry a Big (Flexible)Toolkit

“The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Aristotle

The more we know ourselves, the better team mate we are. Why? Because we can be both firm and flexible and put the team’s objectives at the top of the list  while tending to our own emotional needs.  A mature team is one that can innovate, cooperate and have conflict all while respecting each other. It sounds so easy doesn’t it?

You only have to serve on one team to appreciate the complexity of group dynamics and the way team member self-knowledge improves its effectiveness. One person’s “vision” can make a big difference but,  as a rule, one person doesn’t get the job done; the team does.

People love to talk about their great ideas and they don’t like it when I tell them that great ideas are a dime a dozen.“Look”, they tell me, “MY idea is amazing and if I only had x,  (money, support, marketing, etc.) I’d be a millionaire.”

If I had a nickel for every ‘incredible’  idea I’ve ever heard,  I’d be the millionaire. The truth is that having a good idea is the easy part; execution is the hard part and one of the most difficult parts of execution is getting the right people on the bus.

Flexibility, technical dexterity and the ability to work independently and interdependently are the critical skills we all need to hone.

The new work motto: Know thyself and carry a big (flexible) toolkit.

Photo credit: Blue Eyed Ennis

Why Less is More

In a world of specialization and customization, it’s hard to imagine that less would be more. On the other hand, there is so much NOISE – so many messages, topics, blogs, channels, tools – it’s all a little exhausting.

So what can we take away from the new Ivory soap campaign that reminds us of its simplicity? It’s just soap. No special smells, additives, packaging. Just soap.

If you are a job seeker or even an individual looking to brand yourself, the question of how much to share is often an issue. Is a two paragraph cover letter enough or is that too short? How many Linked In recommendations are appropriate?  There is no simple answer but here’s a note from my inbox today… “We’re hiring at my company and just today I saw 3 resumes…

#1 –   was 9 pages long

#2 – was 10 pages long in 9 point font

#3 – included a 1 page summary of the books the person has read.”

The author’s advice, “Don’t do that.”

It’s hard to believe that with all the resources available that anyone is still doing stuff like this. Edit, focus, get someone to read over your material. Please remember, less is more.

Well, You Still Need to Wear Pants…

Do you believe the world of work has changed forever? I do. Whatever the root cause of our unemployment issues; big companies will no longer create the majority of our new jobs; small and mediums-sized companies will. And many more people will work for themselves or freelance.

The stereotype of a freelancer is a geek with a laptop sitting at home on their sofa in their sweats. You might be surprised that freelancers, like entrepreneurs, come in all shapes, sizes and are from many different fields. Think for a minute of consultants; engineering, management,etc.

I have a strategic marketing consulting practice that is supplemented by teaching at the Masters level and an active speaking schedule so I consider myself both an entrepreneur and a freelancer.  As more  folks aged 50+ lose their jobs (and have lost significant value in their retirement plans) — more of us will need to find work wherever we can.

This week I had the opportunity to visit NYS Senator Joe Robach with a group of freelancers and representatives from the Freelancers Union . (If you are an independent worker, you may want to check out their site. It’s free to join!) At issue is the right for freelance workers to have the same protection to ‘get paid’ as ‘regular’ workers;  83% of freelancers have experienced delayed, reduced or non-payment. Senator Robach was very supportive of the bill.

If we are going to adapt to a global marketplace, we are going to need keep up our legal and regulatory supports for new kinds of work. Are you working freelance? I’d love to hear from you.

Photo credit: Freelance Switch.com

From Uh-Oh to Aha!

Whether you are employed, unemployed or self-employed, one thing is clear; this country needs jobs. If you are someone who lost your job (uh-oh) and then started a company (a-ha!) then you, like me, are part of an exciting national trend.

I am an entrepreneur– in year 2 of my second start up. While it is a lot of work (yeah, get the work, do the work AND run the business), it’s very rewarding. I like the boss (me), the flexibility and I get to choose who I work for (the customers).

Here’s an interesting article on people who give up their full time jobs to start businesses. What? They gave up the security and paycheck of a full time job for the risks of a start up? Read on. These folks actually think working for someone else is the riskier proposition.

If you are wondering whether you’d make a good entrepreneur or want to learn more about how to get started here are a few resources.

1. Entrepreneur magazine - Even if your not sure whether starting a business is for you, start by reading a magazine like this.
2. Small Business Administration and SCORE - Free advice is available in 364 locations around the country. They provide mentoring and workshops.
3. Local college or chambers of commerce – These often have low cost programs that can teach you about business fundamentals.

Young, old, male, female — we need all the start ups we can get. For women, here’s an interesting article and resources. Go get ‘em!

Photo credit: Wilson Borough Business

Saying No, Graciously… Tonic for the OverCommitted

My grandmother taught me to say (with a big smile), “Not today but try me tomorrow” when I was turning down an offer.  I thought she was crazy but… she was teaching me to please others.

And so I thought  I needed to say yes in order to be liked. Fortunately, I got over that.

But saying no can be difficult so here are some helpful hints for saying no,

When someone starts talking about a problem and wants you to help, you could say:
“I can understand how that would be hard.”

Then say nothing more—just nod and smile while you assess what you want to do. If you can walk away without accepting any responsibility and let the person feels heard,  you have all my respect. A desire to help, curiosity and wanting to be the hero all kick in for me so I have to be on guard.

How about when you’re asked to start working on a new project, you could say:

“Would you email me the details? Once I receive that, I’ll be able to give you a more definite response.”

Maybe you’ll push the project to someone else, maybe you’ll take it on. You get time to decide on a response. And don’t forget the best ever, all purpose response:

“I’ll have to get back you.”

I have a ‘Git ‘Er Done’ mentality but I want to manage my time so I can enjoy my work and my life.  Got tips for saying no (besides change your personality?)

Photo credit: The 99% Solution.com  (BTW – an awesome website — check it out!)