Success = Complacency. Antidote = Urgency

Billy Joel has song called Second Wind…here are some lyrics,

“We’re only human, we’re supposed to make mistakes –So take it from me you’ll learn more from your accidents–
Than anything that you could ever learn at school”

The reality is that we reward people who are ‘successful’ and think that ‘failure’ is bad. If babies thought that, they would never walk!”

In an excellent article titled, “Success: A Breeding Ground for Complacency“,  John Kotter reminds us…

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” Bill Gates

I live in Rochester, NY, home of Eastman Kodak; another great American company that has filed for bankruptcy. Why? Because we (yes I worked there for 17 years) became arrogant. We stopped being hungry for change. Success spoiled our drive.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com CEO has a mantra, “every day is day one.” In other words, whatever we did yesterday isn’t enough to ensure success tomorrow.

Look at your organization or your job search or your family goals? Is there a sense of urgency (that’s different from desperation, exhaustion, hamster wheel running)? Be clear and energetic. It’s contagious.

Photo credit: http://fashionrunher.com

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?

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

Spectacular Failure – An Aspiration

When was the last time you had a spectacular failure?

I don’t mean “oops”— I mean whoa, that did not work out the way I thought.

No one likes failure –  BUT, I know if I’m not occasionally failing and — failing fast, then I’m not taking enough risk.  Most of the good stuff in my life came to me because I could not get what I needed or wanted via  ‘the safe road.’

But remember this. I’m a Capricorn; the goat. We do not leap or pounce; we plod.

So for all you who are thinking… yeah, it’s easy for her.  STOP RIGHT THERE.  Taking risks is hard, scary, unsafe at any speed.

Here’s what helps me take more risk:

– My mentors are in their 20′s & 30′s.  I am eager to learn from them & they are patient and generous.

– I gravitate to people who are trying new stuff and look for opportunities to associate with entrepreneurs.

– I try to read books that challenge my thinking. (I know, books are long and take a lot of time to read but I skim.) I visit the library. You can add your review to your Linked In profile. Here are a couple of suggestions that I’m going for:

Thomas Friedman’s new book, That Used to Be Us or Burg and Mann (Go-Giver), It’s Not About You.

Change is good, timing is everything, patience is the key. However… the good Lord helps those that help themselves. If you always do what you always did… you’ll always get what you always got. How’s that working out for you?

Then: Get Thee to a Classroom — Now: the Teacher is Waiting…Online

Ok, I’m an old dog and everyday, I have to learn new tricks. I don’t like it but…  I like to eat so…

Here are I a few things that work for me.

– I read Mashable everyday. A daily news brief that talks about tech in business.

–I use Tweetdeck/Seesmic (Twitter application) to search for an article that I think would be of interest to my network. Then I post the link with a comment to Linked In. I do this 3 times a week.

–I talk to Millenials (20’s somethings). I am a digital immigrant (a Baby Boomer) and I can’t think like a digital native no matter how hard I try. They give me perspective and ideas and are most gracious about helping an old dog.

– Video. I use it everyday.

1. Want help with your job search? Or social media training in general? Check out Grovo.com
2. Over 50? The Encore Career Institute offers retraining & certifications.
3. The world’s leading universities have put hundreds of courses (+ audiobooks, movies, etc.) online FOR FREE! Check  out Openculture.com
4. Workforce training and continuing education:   The e-Learning Center.com
5. Don’t forget to look on  YouTube   or Vimeo for a tutorial of whatever you’re interested in learning. It’s probably out there!

Now go have some fun!

Photo credits: IELTS in 30 days 

Go Ask Alice – She Followed Directions…

The world of marketing is full of musts.  You must tell the story, you must use a powerful image, blah, blah, blah.

Well, one must that many people ignore is the ‘CALL TO ACTION’. Yes, that’s right. Once a customer comes to your website, store, whatever… you need to tell them what you want them to do. Sounds pushy, maybe… but any good sales person will tell you that asking for the business is one of the most important parts of closing the sale.

Typical resumes do not include a call to action but why not? Do we make it a ‘no-brainer’ for someone to contact us, either by email or by phone? Do you put a QR code on your resume that leads to your website, blog, or a video of you describing your fabulous skills? Is your email link live? Are each of your company/organization links live?

Here’s a very cool article on 10 effective ways to build web-based  ‘calls to action’ that can really make a difference.

Remember, don’t try harder, try different. Make your resume stand out.You can do it.

photo credit: Web Design tuts+

(Other) Stuff to Do While You Look for Work… You Lucky Dog

When I was on unemployment, I was really happy. Don’t get me wrong, I love having my own business but getting paid to meet people, learn new things, think about my potential, help people and so on was great.

If you are unemployed, do you see yourself as lucky? Are you having fun? Are you showing your children how to thrive in times of change? (Believe me, whatever changes you have seen in your life will be child’s play compared to what they will go through.)

I found this  terrific article written by Tim Tyrell-Smith titled, “101 (Other) Things You Can Do While Looking for a Job.”  Here are a few of Tim’s suggestions

• Pick one person in your network and find them a job
• Put on an elaborate puppet show for your kids (fun, colorful socks work great)
• Join (or start) a book club and actually read the assigned books
• Write a thank you note to an inspirational high school or college teacher

You may or may be surprised at all the “yes buts” I hear everyday. “I would join a book club but when I go back to work I won’t have time.” ” Why should I help someone else,  I need help!)” blah, blah, blah. Just do it, you lucky, lucky dog.

Insanely Cool Resumes

Ok, you need to have a resume if you are looking for a job and all those things the ‘experts’ tell you about resumes are true.

-Tailor your resume to the job

-Don’t ANNOUNCE that you are dinosaur (older like me)  or just out of school

But you don’t have to use the same old format that everyone else uses. You can (and should) be creative with your resume.  For instance, make sure that you have live links in the electronic version so the person reviewing it can easily  link through to company websites or other content.

Orange resumes is a cool site that helps you create resumes that show a potential employer how you are different. As you look through the samples, you’ll see that you can create something “different” that is also very good, appropriate and even enhances your positioning.

I know you’re saying, but those resumes are for creative types and I’m an

enginneer/finance person/blah blah

Let’s go back to the goal of your resume… hmmm… The goal is to get an interview.

If you create an interesting, results-oriented resume that also shows you are creative and the organization doesn’t want to talk to you, then maybe you don’t want to work there. Just sayin….

Photo credits: Orange Resume

Oh Those 20 Somethings… um 50 Somethings

Stereotypes are not usually helpful. In some cases, however, examining our own attitudes about them may teach us some important lessons.

Executives teams often complain to me about their 20-something (Millenials- born between 1980 – 1995) employees.  They claim they are:

- Obsessed by their phones, lazy, distracted, self-absorbed and entitled

I don’t happen to share those attitudes but I can see their point. I work with, teach and constantly learn from Millenials.  I find them hardworking, thoughtful and eager to learn.  Technology (phones etc.) are part of their DNA.

Here’s what I hear from those Millenials about their Boomer (born 1946 through 1964) bosses. They say Boomers are:

- Rigid, rude (poor listeners), afraid of technology and unable to adapt to changing times

I don’t happen to share those attitudes either, but I do see their point.  I suggest reading this article to learn more about the issues of the generations working together, “How Has the Recession Shaped Career Attitudes…”

My hope is that by having the generations share ideas and help each other, we can compete effectively not with other Americans, but with the global workforce.  I’m interested in your stories about effective cross-generational work environments.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/455111587/ Notice in the photo that despite their differences; they are riding on the same train… heading in the same direction.

Getting (Or Staying) Creative

Creativity is like soap. Just when you’ve got it in your hands and it feels good – it slips away. Many people don’t understand that creativity needs to be nurtured; others think that creativity is just for “artists.”

Creativity is an important component of a happy life. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in the kitchen, the garden, the classroom, the boardroom or the cocktail party. It’s really more of an attitude and a skill combined.

How does a creative person behave? How do they think?

Who do you think is creative? Watch them, listen to them, support them.

Not sure how nurture your creative side? Try this – 29 Ways to Stay Creative.

Photo credit:  Funky Downtown (Fascinating Fashion)