FountainBlue provides ongoing support for RAL Associates' Transitions meetings, which provide networking, education and peer-to-peer support group is designed for senior executives in career transition as well as those seeking networking and educational opportunities with fellow senior professionals. These monthly programs feature interactive discussions with an industry expert, on relevant business, technology and leadership issues facing the high-tech, clean-tech and life-science executive decision-makers in attendance. We also take pride in drawing on the collective experience of the group and making the discussion interactive and relevant for everyone. To support these monthly meetings, FountainBlue facilitates discussions about networking for senior executives, providing practical tools and advice to address the current, real life networking challenges faced by the senior executives in attendance. FountainBlue is pleased to partner with RAL Associates, our experienced and knowledgable presenters, and the leading executive transition organizations in Silicon Valley in support of RAL Associates' monthly Transitions program.
More Infofrmation and Registration Options
FountainBlue's monthly Transitions programs are held on the third Thursdays of the month from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Bay Café Clubhouse, 1875 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA. (It is just past Ming's Restaurant, on the left hand side, past the golf course, across from the golf shop.) Below is a typical agenda for the event.
Transitions Agenda -
11:30 - Networking and Registration; Please be seated by noon with your lunch.
12:00 - Welcome and Introductions in numerical order (Background, Career Objectives, Thoughts or Questions on Topic)
12:20 - Networking for Executives, presented by Linda Holroyd
12:50 - Stretch Break (optional)
1:00 - Facilitator Introduction and Presentation
1:55 - Final Questions, Meeting Review and Next Meetings
2:00 - Close/Adjourn/Networking
We are seeking venue or financial sponsors for this series and encourage you to contact us at info@FountainBlue.biz to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.
Our May 15th Topic: The First 90 Days: Positioning Yourself for Success
Whether you are just launching your job search or have landed that new executive position, how do you ensure you get off to the best start possible?
We all know the importance of making a good first impression. As a senior executive, the impression you make in the first three months of a new position is critical. Recent statistics show that more than 50% of executives fail in their first year in a new position. In this program, we’ll look at what you need to do to be ready and prepared on day one, and positioned for success. Among the areas we’ll cover:
* The pre-work you need to do before you even walk in the door
* Transitioning from candidate to company executive
* Understanding the stakes—and the land mines
* Using the honeymoon to your best advantage
* Storytelling and branding as leadership tools
Our speaker this month is Linda Popky, President of L2M Associates, a strategic marketing firm that helps organizations improve their bottom line through smarter and more effective marketing investments. Her company helps a wide range of organizations from startups and small businesses to Fortune 100 companies use their existing marketing resources as effectively and as efficiently as possible. She is the author of Marketing Your Career: Positioning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself for Success, as well as a speaker, consultant and faculty member in the Integrated Marketing Program at San Francisco State’s College of Extended Learning.
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We are pleased to share the notes from our previous events and hope that you find them useful. You have our permission to forward the notes on to others, with proper acknowledgement for our speakers and to FountainBlue. If you would like to publish the information on your web site or blog, or in other publications, please e-mail us requesting permission to do so.
The May 15 RAL & Associates’ “Transitions” event was on the topic of “The First 90 Days: Positioning Yourself for Success” and featured guest speaker, Linda Popky, of L2M Associates.
Here are some key points from Linda’s presentation:
·In today’s executive employment market preparing for the “onboarding“ process is as important as the recruiting and hiring steps in your job search
·Your job search is really a marketing campaign: you are the product and you need to identify the benefits (not features) you bring to the customer (employer)
·What is the fit between your experience and solving the employer’s problems? This thought process needs to continue when you transition into your new role
·The research you need to do during your onboarding is different than what you may have done during the interview process. In order to determine what you “are walking into” you need to know about the management, what customers, suppliers and prospects are saying; look beyond the “public” information that the company publishes to understand what is going on in the company
·Ask questions of employees and peers like” “Tell me what is really going on”; “What happened to the incumbent in this position”; “What’s working, what isn’t”; this honeymoon period is your opportunity to ask questions and probe about why things are the way they are. Your outsider objectivity will go away soon so take full advantage of this time
·Learn to master the “triage” process; there will be lots of problems and issues for you to address. Which ones can you impact quickly, and which are systemic/chronic that you may not want to tackle right away
·Building relationships early on by listening, asking people (particularly those who report to you) what they like/dislike about their job; their goals; and how can you help them be successful; appeal to their self-interest to engage them in your vision for your organization
·Through your queries and listening, find out where the obstacles and landmines lie, as well as who may be planting new ones in your path
·Become a storyteller; use stories to illustrate points you need to make with your team
·Be sure to let people know that you don’t have all the answers; include them in the development of strategies and plans to address the organization’s issues and move your agenda forward
·Be aware of your personal brand; what are the personal characteristics, attributes and qualities you bring to the position that make you credible and relevant
·Finally - remember the importance of first impressions!
The April 17 RAL Associations Transitions event was on the topic of “Developing a Leadership Pipeline”, featuring guest speaker, Nancy Monson, of Nancy Monson Coaching. Here are some key points from Nancy’s presentation: ·As a leader one of your key responsibilities is to build a leadership pipeline so that you can get your own work done ·Turnover and churn in the organization affects morale and confidence in leadership; programs to address this must be integrated into the culture and strategy of the organization ·Developing future leaders “is an ongoing process of systematically identifying, assessing and developing talent to ensure continuity for all key leadership positions in the organization” ·Retaining and recruiting new leaders must be a strategic corporate initiative and must be transparent (i.e. what is involved, who is eligible, how are people chosen, what is expected of them) ·Managers at all levels must be involved in the program, motivated to participate and own the program and make it part of the reward system ·Key is to develop a general set of competencies for future organizational needs, not to fill specific positions ·Three-stage approach to developing future leaders includes (1) determining the needs (2) selecting and assessing candidates (3) creating and executing development plans ·It is important to understand the growth AND attrition rate at every level in the organization so you know specifically what you will need ·Requires senior management commitment (this is not an HR program), oversight and support to build and sustain a leadership development program ·For you personally, having high self-awareness of your skills and how you relate to others is key to building your own leadership style and strengths ·Always be developing and honing your own leadership skills; aligning your talents and passions with the needs of the organization is the “sweet spot” for your focus and livelihood ·Be sure to ask the right questions to assess leadership development programs when interviewing with organizations (e.g. What are they doing to ensure future leadership? How do they develop their leaders? Do they promote from within or use external hires for key leadership roles?)
The March 20 event was on“The Evolving Role of C-Suite Execs – The CFO Crisis with Ken Warburton of Tatum LLC. Key points from Ken’s presentation include the following:
Many competing factors are converging on the CFO’s office today including from shareholders (expecting more value, transparency and reliability) as well as from Boards and CEOs
Turnover in the CFO ranks (major companies) remained the same from 2006 to 2007 (approx. 2300)
Factors affecting the CFO’s office include regulatory activity, financial markets, Audit Committee, operations/personnel, staff support and management, lifestyle issues; all competing for the CFO’s attention and believing they should be the first priority
Stereotypes of the CFO include being unemotional, low on empathy, skeptical, compliant, risk averse, detailed and analytical, low on trust, communication challenged.
These factors and influences have created a situation where the risk is increasing and the strategic value of the office is decreasing
Solutions include: changing how the function is viewed by senior management and also how it is managed (more resources must be deployed and deeper and more specialized organizational structure put in place to support it);the CFO has to shift his/her focus re some of the stereotypes (e.g. from being skeptical to open-minded, from compliant to independent); realizing that he/she can’t do it all – must involve peers and outside experts
This is also critical time for CFOs to evaluate their careers – are they in an industry that is growing? do they understand their value to the organization? what skills do they need to develop to further their professional and personal development?
The February 21 “Transitions” event was on the topic of “From the Layoff to the Onboarding: What Executives Need to Know to Navigate the Process”, featuring Gadi Shamia, currently VP and General Manager of Qualys and Bobbie LaPorte, CEO of RAL Associates. Here is a summary of key points from Gadi’s presentation on “Blogging for Executives in Transition”:
Why blog? to effect how you appear to others; control your presence on the web; keep your mind busy and develop your writing skills
Your blog shows up in Google results along with other mentions of you on the web but this is one you can control
What to blog about? What is your goal with blogging? What are your (professional) areas of interest? What would you like your presence to be?
For your blog: pick a clean, professional theme; decide on a general vs. specific topic
Read before your write: search for selected blogs on your areas of interest to see what others are writing; do you have a unique perspective on a topic?
Select a blogging tool/platform that will make it easy for you to manage
When you start to write: write a few posts and share with your friends; be interesting catchy and casual; decide on how often to post and stick to that frequency
Register your blog; choose a catchy title; use trackbacks and syndicate your blog
Promote your blog: send email blast to friends, add to your email signature; add to your resume and LinkedIn profile
Remember why you are writing – it is your “storefront” so be sure it reflects positively on you
These are some key points from Bobbie LaPorte’s presentation on the job search process:
This is definitely a process; you should manage it that way
Take the time up front to assess your skills, interests and talents, as well as motives and values toward work
What value does your experience have in today’s marketplace; do the necessary research to develop your job targets (job title, functional responsibility, industries and specific companies)
When packaging yourself for your search, don’t lead with your resume; adopt a strategic marketing approach to your search, understand how you (the product) meets the needs of employer (the client)
Networking: 80% of execs find jobs through contacts they did not know when they began their search. Start with your “warm” contacts (personal network) but move through them quickly to get to the people; choose your networking opportunities carefully and go to every meeting with a plan
Be proactive and vigilant about your on-line identity
Recruiters place less than 10% of all executive positions; do not rely on them in your search but do get to know the relevant ones for your industry/profession
Interviews: moving from behavior-based to potential-based; employers want to know how your experience, skills and talents will help them with their challenges
Prepare! Conducting thorough research before your interview will allow you to ask insightful questions and impress the interviewer
Onboarding: your first 90 days are critical: listen, meet key people and look for some quick, early wins to establish your credibility
Final thoughts: know there will be ups and downs in this process; keep a positive attitude; take care of yourself; and get help and support!
The January 25 RAL & Associates “Transitions” event was on the topic of “The Economic Forecast for 2008: What Does it Mean for the Executive Job Market?” and featured Mary Beth Deans. Here is a summary of key points from Mary Beth’s economic presentation:
The global economy is growing and shifting, as population growth in India, China and many Muslim countries experience dramatic increases
Financial powerhouses are being established in Shanghai, Hong Kong and the Middle East
If you are job-seeking you will need to think and act globally and build your expertise working with global teams
The Capitol Crunch: contributing factor as non financial-services companies decided to offer financial products and lenders lowered their standards to broaden mortgage applications to lower economic levels; many players still don’t know how big a problem they have. Lenders are looking abroad to the Asian and Middle-Eastern markets for money
The crunch will loosen up and businesses will start to grow again and invest; will provide opportunities for VC funding. In the meantime lending will remain tight and companies will find it difficult to raise prices. Job seekers will need to prove they can add value and increase efficiency
CPI is increasing; unemployment % (while still low) has been trending up; earnings picture is mixed and talk of recession is increasing
Bay Area in better position than rest of the country; tech is still strong, particularly green and clean tech; market will remain positive for jobs
Employers are recognizing the value of age and maturity in older workers; don’t assume there is automatic age discrimination; look for creative ways to connect
And the highpoints from ExecuNet’s “preview” of the 2008 Executive Job Market Survey:
Demand for talent continues; nationwide searches expected to be up 8%
Where the jobs are is shifting: Life Sciences and Healthcare are up; Financial Services down; the South/Southeast and West continue to be the fastest growing employment markets
Growing need for operations execs; sales, marketing and biz dev continue to be strong
There is a gap between where jobs and candidates are; more execs not interested in relocating
With the large amount of “untargeted” responses to postings more executive jobs will not be posted; the need for networking will be more important then ever
Resource: Here is the link to the Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcasts. People interested in Clean/Green energy should check out Larry Bawden's podcast. http://edcorner.stanford.edu/podcasts.html
Our November 29 Transitions event was on the topic of Trends in Executive Hiring and featured:
Facilitator Roberta LaPorte, RAL and Associates
Panelist Robert LoPresto, Rusher, Loscavio & LoPresto
Panelist Martin McMahon, Principal Consultant, McDermott & Bull Executive Search
Panelist Rita Scroggin, Director of Sales and Recruiting, Thinknicity
Panelist Sue Salvesen, STRe Solutions
As senior executives in transition, we know that it's not just about our expertise and experience, it's also about networking and who you know, as well as how you strategize to secure the right position for you. Below are thoughts about networking at the executive level as well as a recruiter's advice on how to secure the best executive position for you.
Advice on Securing the Right Executive Position for You:
Have a clear vision and laser-like focus on exactly what type of position, in what industry, at what level, in which company you'd like to work with and why.
Know the skills you bring to the table.
Communicate what you have accomplished with numbers and facts.
On your resume, describe concrete results rather than explaining your job function.
Diversify into new burgeoning industries if you'd like by leveraging your experience, connections and strengths. How are your skills transferable to that new industry?
Make sure that you have the 'must-have' skills required in a job requisition and decide whether you fit those requirements, and also have many of the 'nice-to-have
' skills you have.
Work with recruiters who focus on relationships and will treat you with respect.
Candidates are reviewed based on functional expertise, industry background, product/technology background, etc., Some roles are more easily transferable to other industries, like finance, HR or IT roles. Plan accordingly.
Create a roadmap of where you'd like to go with your career and the steps that will take you there, making yourself most marketable to the largest industry, for the longest length of time.
Our October 25 Transitions event was on the topic ofTime Management at the Executive Level, facilitated by Kristi Royse, KLR Consulting, who has worked extensively with executives and managers on the new challenges presented to them at a time when stakes are high, excellence is demanded, and time remains constant. Below notes and advice from the meeting.
As senior executives, you are expected to optimize the results generated your team - to ensure that everyone is engaged, aligned and productive. The pressure and the stakes are high, the stakeholders are varied, the communication is constant, the results are transparent to all.
For this meeting, we talked about effective time management practices for the senior executive who needs to prioritize his/her own tasklist, and ensure the continual productivity of those on her/his team.
Benefits of Time Management:
Help you increase your productivity on the job and at home.
Help you enhance the quality of your work with less stress.
Give you a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment.
Creating New Time Management Habits:
Identify old habits
Define new habits
Begin purposefully
Never deviate
Ask for help
The DISC Time Mastery Profile - Where are you weak and where are you strong? Ask Kristi for more information.
Attitudes
Goals
Priorities
Analyzing
Planning
Scheduling
Interruptions
Meetings
Written communications
Delegation
Procrastination
Team time
Ideas for More Effective Time Management
Choose goals which are SMART
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timed
…and Written
Think about what you'd like to be remembered for
Balance the 'Buckets of Life' - where do you need more or less emphasis?
Family
Career
Social
Spiritual
Health
Leisure
Wealth
Personal
Spend Time with Family and Friends
Manage your always-connected devices
Get up earlier
Use the web effectively
Look for the magical moments
Many people feel the stress of over-commitment. When you know your goals, learn to just say no
Use your schedule
Tell them why
Be honest but firm
Know why before saying yes
Don't feel obligated
When you're not sure whether to say no, consider: How much is your time worth? What could you say "NO" to and how much time could it save you? Is this the most important use of my time right now?
Scheduling Guidelines:
Flexibility
Early Start
Big Blocks of time for high priority items
Manage small jobs
Group items together
Use prime time well
Create a Master List
Gets everything out of head vs. a to do list which only includes tasks you need to complete
A master list is a spreadsheet; to do list is a single page of paper
A master list is a journal of thoughts and activities as they occur
With a master list, everything is in one place.
Try iPolipo for help schedule meetings
Email Best Practice
Filter, is it a veggie (do you need to do it?)
Set up times to check e-mail
Do it now/delete it now
Don't use your in-box as a to-do list
What to do with SPAM
Set up rules
Write E-mail that Gets Results
Improve your subject line
Organize content
Consider your audience
Make it short, to the point and easy to read and understand
Don't manage time - manage your energy
Plan and be organized
Practice consistent healthy behaviors
Three energy cycles a day
Get some quiet time with no phone calls, paging, unnecessary talking, distractions, drop-in visits, interruptions, e-mails
Conquer Procrastination
Admit it; analyze it
Consider consequences
Take small steps
Delegate it
Use pep talks
Reward yourself
Make commitments
Kristi's Top Tips
Careful Commitments
Engage in areas of strength
Go for the 'Wow!'
Leverage when possible
Plan and schedule
If anyone is interested in completing the Time Management Assessment to help themselves or their teams develop customized strategies for improving productivity and increasing efficiency" to contact Kristi Royse; kristi@klrconsutling.com or (650) 578-9626.
Our September 20 Transitions Event was on the topic of Developing a Leadership Pipeline with Bobbie LaPorte, RAL Associates.
This month, we talked about strategically building your team, including topics such as hiring, retaining, training and motivating top performers and developing your leadership pipeline overall. Specifically, we reviewed current trends in staff recruiting, hiring and training, and discussed how you can create a leadership development plan that’s as key to your success as any operational, financial or marketing plan.
Statistics on the 'Talent War':
US Job Satisfaction Declining – The Conference Board Feb ’07
less than half US workers satisfied
workers under 30 least satisfied (<39%)
less than 48% of workers 45-54 are content with work
Business Performance Mgmt Forum & Human Capital Institute – Feb ’07
98% of global execs see competition for talent increasing
85% said talent development & retention top business challenges
90% see core competencies changing
The High Performance Workforce" – Accenture Aug ’07
80% of leaders believe people issues more important today
68% say retaining talent more important than acquiring new blood
Money is not the answer
The Quadruple Whammy
Baby boomers are retiring
Mid-career workers are experiencing "plateauing"
Loyalty to companies at all-time low
Companies are willing to attract and accommodate employees like never before
Advice for Developing Your Leadership Pipeline:
In today's workplace, loyalty is more at the leader level than at the company level, so plan accordingly.
Start with your own leadership style – how do you "show up" in your new role?
Know your strengths and your weaknesses
Form your own opinions
Become known as a leader for whom people want to work…remember, as a "boss" your most important job is to get your employees to come back tomorrow morning
Set tone for your leadership
Show an interest in your employees; invest the time in your people, in ways that draws out the best in them.
Listen more than talk.
Ask the right questions.
Empower your team to give their own answers, speak their own mind, think outside the box.
Partner with other leaders to make the whole corporate environment better.
Balance building your team and meeting business bottom-line objectives.
Even if your company is having difficulties, your leadership in your group may buffer them from those troubles, and you may be able to continue developing that leadership pipeline.
Innovative Ideas for Developing a Leadership Pipeline
Companies such as Intuit, Unilever, Cisco are experimenting with a rotational development model, placing emerging leaders in cyclical rotations in different roles.
Proactively plan for transitions and strategize with the team. Transparent communication on corporate, individual and team goals can benefit everyone.
When planning a leadership pipeline, involve your staff, your HR partners
Use internal coaching, mentoring & employee development programs
Our August 17 Transitions Topic: Negotiating an Executive Compensation Package, Janet MacAulay, Chrysalis Consulting LLC and Michael Whitman, Bernstein Global Wealth Management
The word on the street is that the economy's picking up. People who have been looking for a long time find themselves in multiple interviews, with multiple offers. People who have been holding out until the economy picks up are proactively getting recruited by firms desperate for new leaders to manage a company's growth, customers, and markets.
We hope that the executives in FountainBlue's communities are benefiting from this rising tide and look forward to hosting a conversation reviewing the many elements of an executive compensation package, from salary to stock options to benefits. We hope that the conversation will assist you from both ends of the negotiating table, as a prospective employer or a prospective an employee.
Below are notes from the conversation, and we invite your questions, comments and insights athttp://fountainblue.pbwiki.com.
Tips for Effective Salary Negotiations
Spend 80% of your time researching the opportunity before going through an interview and officially engaging in negotiations.
Research the company, the market, the employer, but also your interests and needs, and your personal and professional priorities.
Understand the range of benefits you can work with, and think through how you'd like to prioritize them. You might negotiate anything from üWages:Salary and Bonus to benefits to üStock options, work schedules and locations, vesting schedule, vacation time and accrual policy, title, etc.,
Sell your value to the company. Spell your history in concrete terms, and communicate your value in specific ways.
Decide who is negotiating for you. When negotiating at the senior level, you would probably like to have a direct conversation with the hiring parties, so that you can build the relationship and so that you get direct, unfiltered information.
Always be professional and respectful.
Know your walking point (bottom line when negotiating or BATNA, best alternative to a negotiated agreement) and be willing to act on it.
Seek legal counsel in reviewing executive compensation packages. It's well worth the investment.
Be creative.
Ask key questions about career commitments.
Consult Michael Whitman with Bernstein or another firm to help you consider the wealth management implications for an executive compensation negotiation.
Our July 19 Transitions event was on the topic of Enhancing Your Leadership Presencethis afternoon, facilitated by Linda Holroyd.
Last month, we talked about the importance of knowing yourself and your unique value proposition to any leadership opportunity and started identifying the aspects of your personal/professional brand, and how to leverage it to their advantage. This month, we continued the conversation and focused more embracing and communicating your leadership brand, the way you communicate who you are in person, over e-mail, in other written forms. We will also consider ideas for enhancing your leadership presence and better position and sell their particular brand of leadership while networking, while interviewing, and while communicating in general. Below are notes from the discussion.
Thoughts on Enhancing Your Leadership, adopted from:
"Leadership Effectiveness: Past Perspectives and Future Directions for Research" in Jerald Greenberg (ed.), Organizational Behavior: The State of the Science, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ., Robert House and Philip M. Podsakoff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership#Suggested_qualities_of_leadership
Vision. Outstanding leaders articulate an ideological vision congruent with the deeply-held values of followers, a vision that describes a better future to which the followers have an alleged moral right.
Passion and Self-Sacrifice
Confidence - demonstrating the ability to state one’s views and make decisions with conviction;
Courage — willingness to stand up for one’s beliefs and to challenge fundamental assumptions; Congruence — the ability to be consistent in one’s words and actions
Determination and Persistence
Working from the Outside (interacting with others)
llInspirational Communication — communicating with clarity, persuasiveness and impact
lImage-building/Comportment — a polished, professional manner and appearance, often geared to the next level in the organization. .
lRole-Modeling.
lCredibility — being seen as credible in terms of knowledge/expertise, role and level in the organization
Connectivity — the ability to engage, energize and inspire others and to participate and contribute with and through others in a meaningful way to the company
Developing deeper and more trusting relationships with your clients
Inspiring your teammates to sprint to the finish on an important project
Persuading a reluctant recruit she has what it takes to charge up that hill
Convincing your investors to fund your next great idea
Inspiring a classroom of students to become lifelong learners
Encouraging your employees to hang in through tough times
Creating enthusiasm in your organization for a difficult change
Negotiating a complex contract that benefits all sides
Nurturing a corporate culture that engenders loyalty and retention
What is Leadership Presence? Belle Halpern and Kathy Lubar write in Leadership Presence, effective leaders are:
Present — Able to be completely in the moment and flexible enough to handle the unexpected.
Reaching Out — Able to build relationships with others through empathy, listening, and authentic connection.
Expressive — Able to express feelings and emotions appropriately by using all means of expression—words, voice, body, face—to deliver one congruent message.
Self-Knowing — Able to accept themselves, to be authentic, and to reflect their values in their decisions and actions.
Our June 21Transitions event was on the topic of Leveraging Your Personal Brand and our facilitator was Susan Schwartz of You Who Personal and Corporate Branding. Below is a compiled set of advice and attached are her notes from the session and her notes are also available.
What is a 'personal brand'?
Perception - how others see you
Reality - who you are
Identity - the combination of who you are and how others perceive you
Label - how others label you
Product - how others perceive what you do
About Your Personal Brand
You should manage your personal brand, or others may manage it for you, and not necessarily in a positive/constructive way for you.
When identifying your personal brand, remove yourself from your history to fully consider the possibilities. (For example, if you were the youngest member of the family, you might have the family brand of being the 'baby', the 'irresponsible' one, which may not be what you'd like to project to others.)
Consider how you'd like others to perceive you and why you'd like to present yourself in that manner.
Consider developing both your personal and professional brand and finding a way to align them both.
Consider identifying yourself with one word, like 'Enrich' for Oprah, 'Rich' for Donald Trump, 'Entertainment' for Martha Stewart.
Develop an alignment between:
Your heart, your passions
Your head, your fit to the needs of others (how others will get who you are and why it's important to them)
Your hands, what you do to present yourself in person, in writing, in all communications
Another way to say that is to:
Be clear in your head
Be confident in your heart
Be consistent in your gut
To be compelling and charismatic
Putting it all together:
Who You Are is your BRAND stand
What You Do is your BRANDstory
Who You Speak to is your BRANDaudience
Why Do They Care is your BRAND significance
Advice if the alignment is missing:
Be true to your self.
But do understand your environment and your fit in that environment. Can you make it work there?
Are you understanding your constituents, their needs and how best to communicate with them so that you can remain true to your self?
Talk to Susan! She's starting the conversation and we don't expect you to solve this on your own!
Our May 24 meeting was on the topic of The Competition for Top Talent - How Does This Affect You?
Demographic changes with the aging of the boomers, cultural/ethical misalignments in an increasingly global world, Generation X management challenges and other challenges are contributing to the dearth in leadership for many organizations. As the first of the baby boomers consider retirement, companies are increasingly focusing on developing that leadership bench: hiring top talent, and retaining and growing from within.
In this session, leadership and career consultant Patti Wilson from Career Company www.careercompany.com led us in a discussion about the business dynamics around the leadership development and retention question, and provided information and advice below.
Facts and more information about the competition for top talent:
The war for top talent: Top talent has never been more valuable, nor competition for it more fierce, By Geoffrey Colvin, FORTUNE senior editor at large; January 25, 2006
According to Gallup, 75% of employees are disengaged from their jobs and more than 70% are interested in changing jobs. The pool of most desirable workers aged 25-34 is shrinking. With more people nearing retirement and fewer people to replace them, retaining top talent is critical for every organization. How do we identify and retain top talent? Where does the responsibility lie? (hint: NOT in HR) Learn to identify high potential employees and increase loyalty and retention.
Advice on what you can do to be perceived as top talent:
Build your brand and be perceived as top talent (more information at next month's Transitions event)
Manage your career, relationships, network and contacts
The resume is not as important as the relationships you're developing
Profile your testimonials and references as much as you would profile your background and skills
Combat ageism by keeping current on the trends, particularly technology trends
Advice on how you can find out more about an organization or industry that's new to you:
Position yourself as an expert through your communications - blogs, articles, white papers, etc., (Typepad, WordPress might be good resources for you.)
Consider doing consulting assignments in the industry, organization you are targeting.
For more information about the Competition for Top Talent and How It Affects You:
See articles written by Patti: http://www.pattiwilson.com/land/articles.php
A Front Burner vs Back Burner Job Search
Bridging the Talent Divide Between the Employed and the Unemployed
Evaluating Working for a Startup
Finding Jobs for Creative Types
Overcoming Call Reluctance
Interviewing Without Losing Your Integrity
How to Avoid the Pitfalls of an Internet Job Search
Top Ten Secrets to Job Search Success
The Ins and Outs of Salary Negotiation
Writing a Resume if You Have Changed Jobs Frequently: 7 Tips
FountainBlue's April 26 Transitions event was on the topic of Men and Women Working in Partnership.
Women are slowly making advances into the executive ranks, even in traditionally male industries such as high tech. Men and women executives working with women as peers, as staff members, as partners, as bosses need to better understand the management styles of women in management, so that they can better lead, follow, support, and guide them. In this session, gender difference expert Bonita Banducci, Banducci Consulting www.genderwork.com shared some of the key management styles of women executives, and helped us think about how women executives affected us, and how we can better work with women managers and executives. We thought critically about our own management style and how it might be adapted to work with people who may not necessarily share our own point of view. Below is a summary of advice on the topic.
In general, men and women have different communication styles.
Understanding and acknowledging the difference in communication styles can be beneficial.
It can help you better understand how people of the other gender or other communication style are perceiving you/receiving your communications. This knowledge can help you better communicate, manage and lead.
Leveraging the best of typically male communication styles and typically female communication styles can be beneficial to all
It can lead to greater promotabilityfor both men and women
It can contribute to more effective communication and management and leadership
Embracing the differences between gender communication styles can help foster/support the acceptance of more creative, innovative ideas
It can help people take the gender-difference in communication styles less personally , as if they are being put down—or conversely, not judge others negatively or as incompetent.
Tips for women in communication with men who have more independent styles of communication:
Put your communications in a linear way which more independent, male communicators may better appreciate/understand.
When you're considering the web of factors to be considered before action is to be taken, strategically call or only one or two of them that would be most relevant to the men. They are less likely to see your contribution as an obstacle to action, and more likely to see it as another factor to consider prior to taking action.
Don't be deterred/discouraged by devil's advocacy kind of communication. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are shutting down your idea.It may be their way of supporting you to make the idea bullet proof. Ask for collaboration or "angel's advocate" if you want to build on the idea.
Tips for men in communication with women who have more relationship-based styles of communication:
Since these women are more relationship based, they really value a sincere, direct communication particularly when they are the victims of a difficult management decision (For example, in the case of a layoff, express apology.)
Find ways at times to be more an 'angel's advocate' rather than 'devil's advocate' to affirm what is valuable and build on the idea and then let them know you want to play 'devil's advocate' to bullet-proof the idea.
Allow them to communicate problems to consider prior to taking action. This allows them to act on preventing other fires as well as fighting fires.
See also the article on men and women and their value systems.
FountainBlue's March 22 Transitions event was on the topic of Using Age to Your Advantage.
Your age is one of your most powerful advantages in your job search ... if you have the right attitude and strategy to overcome the subtle and not so subtle age bias that exists in every interview.
For this event, Jean Erickson Walker, EdD and Career Management Fellow with Pathways/OI Partners Inc. and one of America's leading professional career coaches, shared her very practical and expert advice on landing that great job you really want ... at any age. Jean provided us with a step-by-step guide on how to turn your age and experience into must-haves for any potential employer. We shared our stories and challenges around 'the age question' and participated in an engaging discussion. Below is advice for using age to your advantage. See also the notes she provided:
Have a positive attitude about your age, no more derogatory remarks
Position yourself as a trustworthy, experienced, competent executive with integrity, values, and competence who will make life better for the senior executives at an organization
Talk about the big picture, don't talk about the smaller details you did in executing a project
Sell your relationship skills, not necessarily your tactical and technical knowledge
Find a job which sounds like it would be fun, exciting, rich and engaging learning and growing experience where you can make a real contribution
Jean's Top Ten things to consider in using age to your advantage:
Understand the new world of work
Become CEO of You, Inc.
Remember your age IS an issue
Stop looking for jobs and start looking for work that needs doing
Do a thorough self assessment
Take a strategic view of job listings
Learn the career search process
Focus on outcomes, create a defining statement
Pick your battles, sell your greatest asset, wisdom
Bring your friends to the party
For more information:
Contact Jean and inquire about her coaching services
Our February 22 Transitions event was on the topic of Learning from Bad Management Practices
The media is filled with books and articles about management and leadership, and a sizable cottage industry exists of advisers and consultants to teach us the best techniques. But what about *bad* management? You probably haven’t seen many books about that, though you may have seen plenty of real life examples. It’s certainly a commonplace reality. It keeps Scott Adams in business drawing Dilbert, and as Mr. Adams clearly demonstrates, it’s more *fun* than good management – as long as you’re not its victim.
In this talk, we’ll discuss bad management. We’ll cover real cases and real consequences, including failed companies and billions of dollars in losses. The intent is not to derive good management advice, but rather to observe bad management in all its glory. We may also illuminate some tactics for surviving, and perhaps even succeeding, when confronted with bad management.
Our facilitator, Jay Michlin, has served as a senior engineering and management executive within the Silicon Valley and beyond. Currently the VP of Engineering at OnStor, Jay takes pride in learning from Bad Management practices, mentoring and growing high-potential leaders, while delivering bottom-line business results. Bring your favorite bad management stories and the lessons gained from them, and prepare for an interactive and educational discussion!
Below are comments and advice from our discussion today.
Once a person becomes a manager, and especially a senior manager, no one in the organization is likely again to share the truth with him or her. Therefore, the manager must strive to be exposed and available every day to earn people's respect and have a chance to hear the truth. Without it, good decisions are impossible. And there are consequences for making bad decisions, even if the consequences are postponed. Some characteristics of bad managers:
They look at business from the '50,000 feet' level, not the on-the-ground level which is much more effective.
They impose their business standards and experience on their current business situation rather than adapting to the business challenges in front of them.
They focus on measurements rather than results.
They put the wrong people in the wrong job.
Sometimes they add unnecessary layers of management, which takes everyone away from the thoughts of the staff and the customers.
They lack the courage and integrity to lead and deliver results.
Some characteristics of good managers:
They have the courage to invite others (like customers and staff) to share the truth/provide honest feedback and to follow through on that communication.
They have the integrity to do the right thing for the company and its people.
They utilize the talent from their staff and network.
They emulate behaviors of other leaders they admire.
They focus on company results and the bottom line while also addressing strategic business and people issues.
FountainBlue's Thursday, January 25, 2007 Transitions event featured Mitchell Levy, Author of 5 books on business topics, chair for CEO networking, head of the Silicon Valley Executive Business Program, frequent speaker on leadership, networking challenges and online publishing strategies for senior executives, and founder and CEO for the book publishing company, Happy About http://www.happyabout.info.
Since 1998, Mitchell has surveyed thousands of senior executives annually on the question of what to expect for the coming year.
Here are the top 10 trends for What to Expect in 2007
#01 - Global Warming/Environmental Concerns Effect Business
#02 - Energy Continues to Take Center Stage
#03 - The Internet Continues to Grab Mindshare by Getting Incorporated into Daily Processes
#04 - The World Continues Going Mobile
#05 - Marketing Starts Moving from an "Art" to a "Science"
#06 - The US Dollar Becomes Less Important
#07 - Capitalism Continues to Spread Throughout the World
#08 - Rapid Adoption of Mass Customization
#09 - Software Continues to Morph
#10 - Online Networking Becomes a Key Business Asset Industries
Contact Mitchell if you are interested in writing a book to be published through Mitchell's company. He will e-mail you six questions about your book topic.
FountainBlue's December 14 Transitions event featured a recruiter panel:
Roy Fiebiger, Sanford Rose Associates-Silicon Valley, representing the life science management market
Jim McFadzean, DHR International, representing senior-level positions in advanced technology companies
Sue Salvesen, STRe Solutions, representing senior-level finance positions
Gretchen Sand, Skyline Recruiting Corporation, representing engineering, product management and marketing for early stage companies
Max Shapiro, PeopleConnect, representing the early stage company market
Through their comments and that of an engaged audience, we have a much better understanding of what to look for when working with a recruiter and a better understanding of what needs to happen to ensure a successful job search. Below are notes from this afternoon's session for your reference.
Characteristics of a Great Recruiter:
Relationship-based rather than transaction-based
Treat you with respect
Transparent and clear with you
High ethical standards
Partner with you and with the hiring manager
to ensure a good fit of skills and culture
to assess your interest and abilities and identify the skills, experience, personality needs of organization
Partner with candidate
to help them understand value-add and to communicate it clearly
to expedite the hiring process, where appropriate
Advice for Job-Seekers:
Leverage technology
Use resources like LinkedIn and LinkSV and Craigslist. Recruiters use them too.
Be persistent
Be strategic
Understand your own strengths and weaknesses. You may want to interview former bosses, colleagues etc., to help you better understand this. You can use this information during the interview (representing what you know someone thinks about you instead of giving a 'vanilla response') and also line up references through this process.
Practice selling to your strengths
Research and understand the needs of the hiring company
Understand and communicate how your strengths can help the hiring company
Take responsibility for your search success, don't rely on someone else to close the deal or move it along
Be particular with the people you are working with to find a job.
Be particular about the organization you're willing to work for. 'How you do one thing is how you do everything,' so if you're not treated well during the interview process, it may reflect on how you would be treated after you sign on.
If you're working with a recruiter, involve him in your search, even if you're considering applying for a job not covered by the recruiter.
Thoughts on Job Trends into 2007:
Biotech is producing more jobs, more hiring
There are never enough 'A players' to go around
The market is looking better this year than last, and last year was better than any year since 2000
There's an advantage to living in the area. Relocation costs are now seldom provided by companies
The October 26 Transitions event on Outsourcing Tales was an extension of our Connections event of the month on the topic of outsourcing and offshoring. Experienced outsourcing consultant Cindy Johnson of Make Technology Pay Consulting facilitated the session, which feature the challenges and solutions shared by attendees, as well as suggestions and advice on outsourcing and offshoring best practices and trends. To see the slides from her presentation, see the files section for the SVExecs community.
In addition, before making an outsourcing decision, consider the following:
Accurate estimated costs and budgets
Dependencies
Accurate and detailed scope for the project
Core competencies - should they be outsourced?
Infrastructure support for outside vendors
Managing expectations for cost savings and results
We are pleased to partner with RAL Associates and Bobbie LaPorte http://www.bobbielaporte.com to produce our 2008 Transitions events. FountainBlue will continue to be involved in promoting these monthly events, and also actively participate in the monthly program on the networking topic.
Meeting Date
Meeting Theme
Networking Topic
Facilitator
1/17
Executive Hiring Trends for 2008
Relationship-Based Networking
Roberta LaPorte, RAL & Associates Mary Beth Deans, Douglas Partners
2/21
From the Layoff to the Onboarding: What Executives Need to Know to Navigate the Process
Blogging for Executives
Roberta LaPorte, RAL & Associates
3/20
The Evolving Roles of C-Suite Execs
Levels of Networking
Roberta LaPorte, RAL & Associates
4/17
Developing a Leadership Pipeline
Growing Your Network Strategically
Roberta LaPorte, RAL & Associates
5/15
The First 90 Days: Positioning Yourself for Success
Trimming and Pruning Your Network
Linda Popky, L2M Associates
6/19
Hot Positions and Markets for Senior Executives
Leveraging Successes and Testimonials to Build New Relationships
Corporate Recruiter Panel
7/17
The Ins and Outs of Executive Compensation Packages
Tips for Profiling Executives
Janet MacAulay, Chrysalis Consulting
8/21
Diversity and Innovation as a Competitive Advantage
Getting Busy Executives to Say Yes
Marcia Daszko, Marcia Daszko and Associates
9/18
Leading from Any Chair
Preferred Tools for Managing an Executive's Network
Camille Smith, WIP Coaching
10/16
Building Sustainable Market Leadership in The Creative Economy
