Instead of thinking about customers as a group of people, think about the one, two or three people who are most important and pay attention to them.

For example, Godin asserts that Apple employees had one customer only, Steve Jobs. Nike’s customers are not the people who buy their shoes but the athletes who endorse them.

I’m not sure I agree with Mr. Godin; but I do like the idea of shifting our thinking. Whether we are in a job search or looking to put some sparkle back into our lives, the idea of thinking about who we are trying to get to support us is a great exercise.

If I want to sell a book of fiction, maybe my customer is a publisher. In a way, this is like the viral sales funnel. In the “old” way of selling, we broadcast messages to lots of people. The ‘new’ way (social) of selling/marketing is to get to the key influencers and then ‘attract’ them to help you spread the word.

If we always do what we always did, we’ll always get what we always got… but the rules have changed and we have to find a way to change too.

Photo credit: Inc.com

Viral funnel credit: Socialsteve’s blog

“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

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.

-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

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)

Here she is in Gloucester, Mass. in 1929. She was a working woman (she worked for the IRS) and was the single finest human being I have ever known. Let me tell you a bit about her.

- She was kind to everyone.  No exceptions. Race, age, economic status– everyone was treated the same. With respect.

- She never passed judgment.  Dorothy was intelligent and well read and if asked, she would give a thoughtful, considered opinion but more often than not,  she’d say she really didn’t know much about x or y (even if she did).  She was open to hearing what others had to say.

- She was fiscally responsible. She had money and spent it wisely but she was also generous. She had impeccable taste. Her home was beautiful and welcoming. We often shared holidays with people from other countries who found themselves in the US.  She knew that the best gifts were time and love.

- She was helpful when she could be and knew when to keep her mouth shut.

It was my privilege to know her and be part of her family. She was gracious without being phony and always generous of spirit . If I can be half of the person she was, I will consider myself a success.

Will you tell me about your role model? I am looking forward to the inspiration!

Sometimes we get so caught up in day to day living that we forget that we have the power to change ourselves. We have everything justified in our minds about why we can’t change, why things aren’t going our way, blah, blah, blah.

Practice one of these and it will change you…forever:

Promote someone else. When was the last time you helped to promote someone else? Not yourself; someone else. A person who you think is great. Talk about him/her to your connections.  This will require you to know them well enough to help promote them. (No promoting your son, daughter– doesn’t count!)

Be brave. My favorite poet is Mary Oliver. I know you’re thinking, oh no, not poetry. Yuck. Well, I get that. I like poetry and I don’t understand most it. (Maybe that’s because it’s bad poetry!) Anyway, Mary wrote this poem titled The Journey. She talks to us about listening to our inner voice and having the courage to be ourselves. Not easy but the most worthwhile of life’s adventures.

Be here now. During your day, be fully present when you are talking to someone. Look them in the eye, smile, listen as if you were going to have to repeat back to them what they just told you. Practice this with your children, spouse, friends, parents, etc. You’ll be surprised at how much fun it is, how much it is appreciated and the joy of being in the moment.

Change is good, timing is everything, patience is the key. I’m in your corner!

Photo credit: Sharon Greene

Last week I made a presentation to the Western NY chapter of the Product Development Management Association (PDMA)  on how Social Media is radically changing the world of product development.  I have been working on the ideas for this presentation and getting to know people in the group for nearly a year. When the time came for me to make this presentation, I believed I had something valuable to share.

But some little part of me thought, uh oh. What if they disagree? What if the material isn’t interesting? These are just my thoughts and ideas; maybe I’m wrong. In other words, I knew I was taking a risk and suddenly the reality of the risk hit home.  A few minutes later, I pushed these thoughts from my mind, knew that I was well prepared and then hoped for the best. You’ll be glad to know that everything went well.

In my mind, if I’m not taking a fair number of risks in my professional life, then I’m not learning and growing. The important thing is to take calculated risks; ones that I know from experience,  have a fairly high probability of turning out in my favor. Years ago I heard this quote and decided that I would embrace the philosophy…”The best way to cope with change is to create it.”

And here’s another very interesting way to look at it… “If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevancy even less.” General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

Photo credit: http://www.jinxiboo.com/blog/tag/risks

I hate asking for help. I hate the idea that I need help or that there’s anything in the world I can’t do all by myself. But the truth is that we all need a hand from time to time. So if you are struggling, ask for help. If you don’t get what you need from the first person you ask, try someone else. The lessons we learn when we’re vulnerable are exactly what make us approachable and able to help others.  On the other hand, if things are going well for you; reach out to someone. Everyday, the world presents us with opportunities to help each other.  It may be as simple as listening, a smile, a kind word or much more.

One last thing. When we let someone help us; we give them the chance to feel good about themselves. Think of it as a gift that goes both ways. Remember: we’re all in this together.

Photo Credit:  Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration

One of my favorite bloggers, Chris Brogan, took the concept and suggested that people use the idea to come up with 3 words that will be their guiding pillars for the year. Yes, I know it’s March, but it’s never too late to get a new lease on personal and professional growth.  For 2011 — his 3 words are:  package, reinvest, flow. Not inspiring to me personally but I’ll bet they are helping Chris focus. Here are some of the submissions this post elicited:

• Smile, Fight, Create
• JUICY SO WHAT? WORTHY
• Get OUT There!
• Challenge, Empower, Collaborate
• Passion, Confidence, Balance
• Pleasure, People, Publish, Practice (Louise can’t seem to follow rules!)
• Integrity, Wisdom, Patience

My 3 words are: This One Day. My goal for 2011 is to conscious of the day, every day as I live it. That includes paying attention to my surroundings and the people I come in contact with as well as accomplishing my daily work. Looking forward to hearing about your 3 words.