I Am Not A Cheerleader

A long time ago, at a company far, far, away, I was passed over for a promotion.  Why?  Because I was told it didn't seem like I wanted the job. That I wasn't a "cheerleader" for the company or the position...and I guess they were probably right.  I've never been a sales person or manager who was "in your face".  I've never been a high energy guy, instead I've always had a pretty mellow disposition, but I'm still competitive as hell.  In fact, if you ever seen me play a sport, and I mean any sport, you would be scared at how crazy competitive I am.  But in this case, I just wasn't into the interview process.  I figured I had the position sewn up and I was more annoyed than honored that they had to interview me before they promoted me.  What a cocky bastard I was?!

So last week, I ran into the same issue.  I was contacted by a company, and they wanted to speak to me about helping them with their sales process and possibly training their sales representatives.  When I first walked into the offices of the Regional Vice President, I thought for sure it was going to be an easy sale.  He already like what I had to say over the phone, he'd perused the website and saw all that we had the offer, and we had met previously at a conference.  Naturally, I thought the deal was all but done.  I was dead wrong.

Here's how my visit went:

VP: "You have a great list of clients, and you've shown improvement at every company you've worked with, but why should I work with you and not some of your competitors."

Me: "I think you've just answered your own question. You said I have an impressive list of clients and have shown improvement at every company I've worked with.  If you need a list of references I can give them to you.  Is that what you need?"

VP: "No I'll take your word for it. But what makes you so good? You seem very unassuming.  Almost humble.  I need someone who's gonna set my hair on fire! Why should I use your firm as opposed to me sending my people to a Dale Carnegie or a Miller Heiman seminar.  Those companies have been around for years and they have great reputations. So why should I use you guys?"

Me: "Do you want to be like everyone else?  Because if you do, then send your people to Miller Heiman or Dale Carnegie.  Or do you want to be different?  Better yet.  Do you dare to be different? If you want to differentiate yourself than you need to get out of the box.  Not think outside the box but actually get out of the damn box!  That's where my company's at, and that's what we teach.  We don't think outside the box, we LIVE outside the box. So where do you want to be?"

VP: "I want to be different but going with your firm is a big risk.  You're good but I don't know you that well.  Like I said, I need someone to set the world on fire. How will you inspire my team?"

Me: "First of all, I am not a cheerleader.  If you're looking for someone to motivate your team and get you excited, don't come to me.  I am not Tony Robbins. I am not the guy from "Rudy". I am a teacher, a trainer, and I am an entertainer.  I'll keep your people engaged, focused , laughing, and get them to see things differently. But I am not a cheerleader. You said over the phone you wanted something different.  I am here to offer you something different. That's what you want isn't it?"

VP: "It is. Absolutely. I am just afraid your firm might be too different. I need someone to motivate me and my team. Not just be different. "

Me: I chuckled a bit, "Listen, as I said before. I'm not a motivational speaker.  I teach sales leadership and sales techniques. And think about it.  If you need someone to motivate you and the team then maybe you've got the wrong team."

VP: "I've got the right team, but I need them to improve...NOW. So you're not a cheerleader?  You're a teacher? Again why do I need you?"

ME: "I am a teacher.  But more importantly...I'm an innovator.  Do you want a cheerleader or an innovator. A cheerleader did not invent the telephone.  A cheerleader did not develop the iPhone.  A cheerleader did not invent the pacemaker. So do you want to a cheerleader or an innovator?"

VP: "I want an innovator.. Absolutely."

ME: "I am an innovator! Let me teach you and your people how to be innovators as well."

VP: "Okay. Let's do it."

And he shook my hand and we made the deal.  I have never been a "rah rah" guy.  I am low key, smart, hmmm modest, and I inspire people through my actions, not my words. Talk is cheap.  You don't need to be a cheerleader to lead. You don't need to be a cheerleader to develop people.  And you definitely don't need to be a cheerleader to be a trailblazer, a creator, or an innovator.

You just need to be...

Success Or Failure? What Are You Focusing On?

Copyright: fredex8 / 123RF Stock Photo


Tonight was a complete failure.  I was working with my wife to try and get her to go to bed early, because she had a big meeting early in the morning.  I made her cookies...yes I made cookies, believe it or not. I also tried to get her to drink warm milk, and I even made her take a sleeping medication which helps her fall asleep. But it's now past midnight and she still hasn't fallen asleep.  Why? She may hate me for writing this but it's because she's not focused on falling asleep, she's focused upon what will happen if she doesn't fall asleep.  Big difference.

All the stress and anxiety she is feeling is because she is set on the wrong goal.  Her goal is to avoid missing her meeting in the morning, which has negative connotations associated with it, rather than setting her sights on falling asleep early which will bring only positive things to her life.  People will say "what's the difference?  Both goals are the same...get to sleep early and make the meeting on time."  But the routes to the end are vastly different in nature.  This is why she can't sleep.  She's focusing on the negative aspects of missing the meeting and what will happen if she over sleeps, as opposed to working on the positive aspects of falling asleep, making her meeting on time, well rested, and the good things that will come about as a result of her efforts.  There is a major difference between the two perceived outcomes.  The goal is the same but her mind is racing a million miles a second, thinking about all the consequences of her missing the meeting, that she can't relax and fall asleep.  It's pretty sad.

When you have a big project or meeting do you focus on the negative aspects or the positive opportunities? I know this all sounds like power of positive thinking bullshit, but in practice the theory is not that crazy.  What should motivate you is not fear, but rather the joy of knowing something good may happen.

When I was younger, my managers always preached "positive discontent".  How stupid is that?  That was our company philosophy and actually I still think it is part of my old employer's philosophy.  I believe the idea was to push people to be more than average.  To rise above everyone else and that is a good thing for sure.  But is it good to always be discontented?  I don't believe it's a healthy maxim. Why? Because then you'll never, ever, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and it will drive you crazy trying to seek perfection. I could never see the point in not being satisfied with your efforts.  It's okay to be proud, just not too proud. And it's alright to be happy with your work.  It might actually be a good thing...

Which brings us back to my question, what do you focus on in those key moments in your career?  Success or failure? Your choice can make all the difference.

Have a good day!







 

Thank God Steve Jobs Never Wrote Code



Copyright: avisdemiranda / 123RF Stock Photo

I was asked to speak at a company meeting this past week, and I am always interested in what the CEOs, CFOs, and COOs are trying to convey to their people.  What is their message? First of all, there are a lot of clichés and war room messages.  "Circle The Wagons", "Stand And Deliver", "Take Ownership", and "Be The Best" are just a few of the many themes I've heard from these meetings.  It seems odd to me that many of these themes are based on movies or phrases from the current lexicon or business jargon.  It's never something visionary or different, just an old term rephrased or changed to suit the needs of the company executive.  I never feel like the company officers are really invested in the term or the theme, because they're not.  The terms are stale, the executives are stale, and they create no motivation for the people in the room. Basically, a lot of these meetings are down right BORING.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies are led by "bean counters", or "numbers guys", who care only about the company financials and not the company vision.  They are simply trying to survive but not create something great.  In this particular meeting the company message was "Grow It And Own It", which meant the sales people needed to expand the business which would give them an opportunity to acquire more ownership in the company with stock options or grants.  The CEOs vision was to grow the company 30% in the next year.  30%! Granted the company was the smallest in its market but it still had revenues near $100 million.  Moreover, the overall market was only growing at a rate of 4%! WTF?  I was listening to the CEO speak and I remembered him telling me about his history with the company. He had started as an engineer in the company and worked his way up through the ranks.  However in this instant, he was still thinking like an engineer!  He had no idea how he was going to grow 30%, he just knew that in order to reach his goal, the company had to grow 30%, even with a market growth of just 4%.  I'm not an engineer, but I was curious as to how he was planning on making this plan work, because statistically it didn't add up.

The room was filled with about 10 sales managers and 50 reps all trying to figure out how they were going to grow at a rate of 30%, and they were looking to him for the answers.  There was palpable tension in the air when he revealed they were going to bring a new product to the market.  People were stirring in their seats and getting excited about the big reveal, and I thought back to when Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone to the world.

The year was 2007, and the cell phone market was booming.  Ericcson, Motorola, and Nokia all were big players in that space and it appeared no one was going to overtake them any time soon.  Cell phones were clunky and cumbersome and people wore them with clips on their belts.  You had to flip them open and pull up the antennae in order to get a good signal and none of them allowed you access to the Internet, or if they did it was limited access. You couldn't access an app because there was no such thing as an app! It's hard to believe this was just 8 years ago.

So what did Steve Jobs and Apple do?  They took a market that was closed and opened up a whole new market space.  It was new and exciting and people told him that he was crazy for entering into the cell phone business.  Apple was a computer company not a cell phone company.  Yet he had been successful with the iPod, why not change the cell phone industry.  Steve Jobs was not a coder, he was visionary.  He wasn't an engineer he was a conductor, orchestrating changes on a global scale.

So when this CEO was about to show this revolutionary new product, even I got excited.  As he went through his presentation he talked about how it would change the industry. All the reps were on the edge of their seats.  I could see the anticipation building as the CEO talked about all the qualities this product would bring and the benefit it would provide to customers. Some of the sales reps seemed to actually be salivating, like dogs waiting to be fed.  And when a picture of the product finally flashed on the giant screen, I thought they would all leap out of their seats and shout "hurray", but instead they slumped.  It turns out that the revolutionary new product wasn't new at all, nor was it revolutionary. It was a product that had been on the market for 5 years already that the company had purchased along with all the patents and IP that came with the product.  The CEO was planning on re branding it and selling it in other markets.  Collectively the entire room heaved a sigh and the energy and excitement was gone.  I could here the managers and reps frustration.

"If they couldn't sell it, how the hell are we gonna sell it?"

"I swear I thought he was going to introduce the new iPhone and instead he gave us a flip phone."

"Great! A new product to sell that doesn't do anything new or different."

" How is this going to revolutionize the industry?  It's an old product."


I don't think this was the reaction the CEO was hoping to get.  I think he was hoping they would stand and applaud, but they remained in their seats, heads down, contemplating their future and the future of the company.  As he stood there on the stage, a man alone, I felt sorry for him.  He was an engineer, not a visionary.  He was deep in a forest of formulas and codes and he couldn't get himself out.  He couldn't see beyond his computer screen to the bigger picture; changing lives, changing markets, or changing the world.  He didn't need to think outside the box, he needed to stand outside the box.  This is how you change the world.

Thank god Steve Jobs never wrote code.

Too Much Emotional Intelligence? Is That Possible?

 

Photo courtesy of 123rf.com

 

If you're reading this to feel good and looking for a happy ending with peace, love, and rainbows, then stop reading now.  If you're reading this to understand how the corporate world can sometimes "throw you a curve", than continue reading.  The more you understand, the better off you are in managing the corporate culture. In fact, this story is about how love and understanding is unappreciated in the corporate environment.

 



Last week, a friend of mine who is incredibly successful in medical sales was being interviewed for a VP position with a very large company.  He had been working at the company for over 6 years, his team was #1 in the country, and he felt like he was more qualified than the rest of the other candidates to win the position. 

The position was overseeing an entire team of people who would be selling and cross selling a variety of biomedical devices.  Since my friend had experience in selling and managing a team he thought for sure he had a good chance of being promoted.  Compare to the other candidates, he had more experience in the field, better sales numbers, more tenure, a better reputation in the company, and he had sold all of the biomedical devices being offered so he could relate to any of the 100 or so sales reps he would be leading.  It seemed like a "no-brainer" to me.  But then again, I was being objective and assuming the people making the decision were intelligent, but of course I was wrong.

After 2 weeks of interviews with 12 different people it came down to 3 candidates, and I apologize to all the women out there that who were probably qualified but didn't make the final cut. But that's another issue corporate America needs to work on.  I've listed the final 3 candidates below and their stories:

1.)The Outsider - It is so typical of companies to bring in an outside candidate to lead their team because they want to "shake things up".  However, what happens is this type of hire usually shakes things down, and I mean specifically employee morale.  The message being sent is "none of you are good enough to be our VP".  I'm not saying don't hire candidates from another company, but I would recommend if you, meaning CEO's,  have internal people who are more than qualified than promote them for God's sake!  The Outsider had a wealth of medical experience but in an operational position, and why was he even being considered for a sales VP?  No idea, but then again, I'm thinking rationally.

2.)The Insider - Too often, people hire someone in their own image.  Someone they like, simply because, "she reminded me of myself at her age", or "he's a lot like me, self made, tough as nails, and takes no prisoners." How narcissistic is that?!  Well candidate number 2 was with the company a little over a year, and he came from a different medical device company.   He had already turned over 4 of his reps in less than a year and he was floundering at number 15 out of 30 in the country.  However, my understanding from my friend was that he was hired to assume this VP role because the CEO had made a "suggestion" to hire him a year earlier.  What is interesting is that my friend liked him, and was rooting for him, if he himself didn't get the job.  Can you imagine that?  My friend was big enough to support a decision for a candidate with less experience and poor performance.

3.)The Right Stuff - So this seems like the obvious candidate to promote to the position.  He had come through the ranks and moved up the ladder because he was able to motivate people in a positive way.  Even during the interview process, one of the panel had said to him, "you seem to have such a great reputation in the company, great numbers,  and you really know how to rally the troops. It seems like your the ideal person for the job."  Now, when he told me after all the interviews that this panel interviewer had said this to him, I immediately knew he wasn't going to get the position.  Why?  Because no one tells you that you're the ideal candidate in the interview process unless they are trying to find a way NOT TO GIVE YOU THE JOB! That's a preface for them to start picking you apart and finding any reason they can not to give you the position.

Needless to say, he wasn't awarded the VP position.  When he asked some of the interviewers for feedback on what he needed to work on, if this opportunity ever again presented itself, they all seemed to respond with similar answers:

• "You do a great job of working with your people to get results but can you make the tough decisions."
• " Your ability to engage your employees might influence your decision to fire them or lay them off."
• " When you have so much invested in your people, it's not always easy to let them go. Some of the panel wasn't sure you'd be able to do that. "
• " You do such a great job of getting people to work together, but how well can you lead them when they aren't unified? And will you fire people who aren't working out?"
• " Your emotional intelligence is very high and that's great in the field, but at a VP level it's almost a liability, rather than an asset."

He told me this, and my response was, "are you f#$king with me?  One of them actually said you might have too much emotional intelligence?"

Keep in mind, my friend had laid off a lot reps when the company had downsized and he had hated doing it, but he did it anyway.  Despite his high emotional intelligence, he had made the hard decisions, and he told me that it made the lay-offs easier.  Because without a relationship with his employees it may have become a volatile situation in some cases.

My friend was confused by the answers and the decision but he still has a good job, at a good company and this opportunity may come again soon.  But still it really sends out the wrong message to the field, particularly when a person so well respected, with great numbers, is passed over for a promotion.

So I guess the message he received from this corporate sleight of hand was this:

"Care about your employees but don't care too much."

Have a good day?

A Misconception About Millenials...

Photo courtesy of 123rf.com

I met with a long term client yesterday and for the whole day he complained about his work force.  He owns a small tech company, so most of his employees were millenials.  Young people, who were very smart, worked very fast , but also worked very hard.  But he didn't see what I saw. 

He saw, "A bunch of kids trying to get ahead without putting in the time. Just working here until they can put out their own app or start their own company."

"Yes but they can help your company even if they're only here a short time.  Why do you think they want to leave?"

"Because their stupid parents filled them full of pipe dreams about how they can be anything they want to be or start their own company, or be the next Mark Zuckerberg.  They've all watched 'The Social Network', way too many times."

"So you think they all want to start their own company? Is that it?  And why would they want to start their own company?"

"Because they think they know everything and won't listen to a damn thing I say.  They're a bunch of  know it alls and they're straight out of college.  It's annoying."

"So they won't take direction?"

"No I didn't say that. Some of them are very good at taking direction.  In fact Robert, is great!"

"Well what is it?  Do they question your judgment?"

"All the time! It's so annoying.  It's like every assignment we give they have to ask why they're doing it.  They won't just do it without throwing out a ton of questions.  I can be assured that if we implement a change in development, I get about 30 emails asking, 'WHY?' "

" Well, this is the year 2015, and they aren't in the military so people have a tendency to question authority...and also their parents taught them to question everything."

" They shouldn't.  It wasn't that way when I was starting my career at Microsoft."

" Oh my god, now you're starting to sound old.  These damn kids!  I used to commute to work in snow shoes!", I said and just laughed at how absurd it all seemed. Every generation seems to complain about the young people coming up through the work force. Now that's annoying.

" Well not snow shoes, but sometimes snow tires.", he answered and I chuckled a bit.

" Do you wanna know what I think the problem is with your employees?"

" Yes I do.  Please remind me again why I hired you as a consultant?"

" You hired me because I'm good, and your my friend so you're getting friend prices.  Basically you're cheap.  But the problem isn't with your employees, it's with YOU."

" What?!  Are you crazy!  Me?  How could I be the problem?  Can I get my money back please?"

" You're the problem because you aren't trying to work with them.  You're just blowing them off as millenials.  Let me ask you a simple question. Do you like millenials?  Or do you think they're spoiled little brats, who all received participation trophies, and never had it tough like all of the Gen X'ers or even Baby Boomers?  What's the deal?  Are they spoiled?"

" Absofreakinglutely.  They're all spoiled little punks.  Trying to get ahead without actually putting in the work. I started this company after a lot of hard years, putting in long hours and learning the business.  Half these little bastards want to have their own start up before they're even finished with college!"

"Well at least they have goals and dreams.  I didn't know what I wanted to do straight out of college.  I thought it was banking, but here I am working with you and consulting.  And I love it."

" Right now, I don't like your consulting so much, but go on. What do you suggest I do to fix MY problem?"

" Let me ask you something.  If it's not too personal how much did college cost you."

" Well I went to Berkley, so I was maybe $20,000 in debt when I graduated?  What does that have to do with my employee problem?"

" And how long did it take you to buy your first house?  I've known you a long time so I know you have a nice house.  How long did that take."

" 10 years I guess.  Give or take a year.  Again, what does this have to do with my millenials?"

" And how hard was it to get into college, to find a job after school, and start your career?"

" I see where you're going with this crap.  I got very good grades and got hired by Microsoft but it wasn't easy if that's what you're saying. And I worked my butt off to get where I am."

" I never said you didn't.  But I want you to keep in mind how much it cost to graduate from a good school nowadays.  Especially Berkley, and what's the cost of a home in California?"

" The cheapest price for a decent home?  $500,000 probably.  Again, I see where you're going with this and the cost of an education and home has nothing to do with the way my employees act.  This is ridiculous.  Do you have a point here?"

" I do.  Here's my point.  Millenials usually come out of school with a huge debt, and no prospects to buy a home in the next ten years.  So why do they want to make it rich quick with an app or a start up?  Because they're already behind the eight ball.  They are in debt, with a decent paying job, but no chance to pay off their loan in the next ten years and buy a home.  So what choice do they have?  The don't unless you offer them one."

"What do you mean? I'm not paying off anyone's student loans or giving them a down payment on a house.  Screw that!"

" I'm not asking you to do that. That would be stupid.  I'm asking you to give them a chance.  To offer them a future which they can buy into, and that will make them and you more successful.  Do you think Zappos is offering to pay everyone's education or pay for their house?"

"Zappos?  No I'm sure they're not. Is that the shoe place?"

" Yes it's the shoe place.  But what Zappos is offering is a future and a chance for them to have the same opportunities we've had.  Plus Zappos is very interested in their employees contributing to the direction of the company and offering their opinions."

" But we're not Zappos!  We don't have that kind of money."

" You don't have to be Zappos.  You just have to listen and you have to give a damn.  If you show an interest in their future and offer to help, then people won't be as prone to leave and start their own company. If you give a damn, then people will respond and give a damn about your company and do their best to contribute.  The problem is right now your blaming them, when really the only one to blame is yourself.  Remember good leaders take responsibility for everything."

"Oh that's right.  Let's blame me for everything and coddle them just like mommy and daddy. Then I'm stuck with a bunch of overpaid, entitled, cry babies."

" I didn't say coddle them, I just said listen to them, and show you care about their future.  Right now the reason they don't want to stay and they don't want to help is that you're not treating them like people  You're treating them like kids."

"I don't treat them like kids.  I treat them like adults."

"Oh really? I just heard you tell Frank, one of your inside sales guys,  that he should learn to speak more clearly and either take the marbles out of his mouth or go outside and play with them at recess."

"I thought that was funny! I was trying to make a joke."

"Well it came across as demeaning and could be demoralizing to poor Frank.  I heard the other sales people snickering."

"He does speak poorly, like he has gravel in his mouth.  What am I supposed to say?"

"Why did you hire him for inside sales then if he doesn't speak clearly? That's on you dude. And you could call him into the office and have a discussion about speaking slower and more succinctly, instead of making fun of him in front of the other employees.  How would you feel if I made fun of you in front of your employees?"

"That's easy, I would fire you.", he said and then laughed out loud. "No I wouldn't, but again that's funny."

"It is funny.  But not everyone get's your sense of humor and if you're in a position to affect their careers, that can be pretty scary...to them. I know you think they're spoiled but they're not.  They're screwed."

"What? How are they screwed. They make more money than I did straight out of college."

"Oh please! When you graduated, Lincoln was still in office.  With inflation, the cost of education, and the high cost of housing, these kids don't have a future as bright as their parents told them they did. They were told they're great, they're the best, and they're all special.  Well imagine the shock when some of them realize none of that is true.  That they're just normal, everyday people.  They've got a lot of issues to overcome."

"Oh boo hoo, hoo. I feel so sorry that they didn't get all the presents they wanted at Christmas time.  Excuse me if I don't shed a tear that their dreams didn't come true."

"You're a dick. I can tell you that cause I've known you for a long time, but seriously I bet that's what all your employees are thinking.  That you're a dick. And you wonder why they're leaving?   You need to understand that things have changed and that you need to get people to buy in to your vision, in order for your company to be not only successful ...but great."

"I should definitely fire you.  But I'm still listening."

"It's not the same as it was when we were young, and if you want to get the most out of your employees you need to do two things. Number one, you need to care about them, and number two you need to give them a career path.  Especially in the tech industry, otherwise good people will just leave and go somewhere else."

"I have had a lot of turnover in the last year.  It's almost 40%.  I'm not going to change everything, but I do think you may be on to something.  What do you suggest I do, since I'm such a dick?"

"Stop being a jerk, and start caring about your employees.  I know their 'kids', and you think they're spoiled but they're really not.  They're disillusioned, they're over confident, overly skeptical, and in debt.  They don't trust you with their future and right now you're not doing anything to change that.  I would suggest you start by being more supportive and not so demeaning.  Talk to them for god's sake."

He laughed, "Now you're just talking crazy. Actually speak to them?", he said and then we both laughed.

"Yes actually speak to them.  There will be a few who still want to leave and start their own company but if you can keep the rest, and get them to buy in to your vision, then you'll be way ahead of everyone else. "

"Alright I'll give it a shot.  I can't believe I pay you to tell me this crap.  I think you need to give me a discount since all you did was tell me I'm acting like a jerk.  My wife could have told me that."

"Yeah, but she would have have charged you more than I do."

"True."

Have a good day out there and treat everyone with kindness and respect!

Ways To Survive: Practical Advice In An Impractical World

Copyright: nomadsoul1 / 123RF Stock Photo

I've noticed that most of the commonly read posts on LinkedIn focus on how beautiful everything in the work place can be, and that life is filled with candy, popcorn, unicorns, sunshine, and rainbows.  These posts relate how wonderful it is to work with people who are wonderful, and how glorious it is to be alive and what you should do to make your life equally magical, just like the author.

They offer advice about how to tactfully confront your boss and get that promotion you've sought for years.  How to ask for a raise, or what successful people do every single day, and how you can be just as successful as Steve Jobs. Seriously?  How you can increase your bottom line 30% if you just do this one thing the author recommends. Really? Well unless you live in a vacuum, it's not all sunshine and rainbows out there in the business world.  And if someone is preaching that if you do what they suggest, your life will be sunshine and rainbows, well they're full of sh#t.

The business world is cold, dark, damp, and it's wrought with terrors.  It is like a lifelong trip to the NCAA basketball tournament, the FA Cup, the NFL playoffs, or a never ending episode of "Game Of Thrones". Survive and advance.

The most practical advice which anyone can really offer to you is "stay in the game".  Don't let your peers, your manager, or your friends take you out of the game, unless that's what you want. Listed below are 5 ways to keep your head above water and how to survive and with luck, thrive, in today's competitive business climate.

1. Trust No One - People have their own interests at heart.  Gandhi or Jesus are not working alongside of you, so don't think that anyone will support you and sacrifice their own career. If a friend or coworker screws up and asks you to cover for them, don't do it.  Chances are that when management tries to find out what happened, your coworker will blame the mistake on you. If your boss asks you to do something that you know is wrong, you're better off reporting it to HR. Most likely, he/she will point a finger at you if their career is in jeopardy...just read my last post.

2. Avoid Gossip - It is really easy to get drawn into a conversation about people in and around the office, warehouse, station, shop, or any business enterprise.  Listen but don't add fuel to the fire.  No one can get mad at you if you say nothing.  The only thing they can say is you're boring.  I once made an off hand remark at Happy Hour about how my boss was managing the team and what a surprise the next day he called me in to his office and threatened to fire me.  If I had kept my mouth shut, none of that would have happened.

3. Be Prepared...For Anything - I know that people always say be prepared. However I'm saying don't limit yourself to just your job functions. Be aware of all that is going on around you and with your company.  I had a friend who worked for a medical device company for years, and once she found out the company's patents were running out, she prepared herself for the worst; unemployment. She contacted recruiters and fortunately she landed another job before the company laid off 300 people. 

4. Create Allies - It's hard for anyone to be successful by themselves.  Even brilliant inventors like Thomas Edison and Steve Wozniak, needed allies to help them survive.  Choose wisely who you ally yourself with and you may not only survive, but advance in today's competitive marketplace.  Where would Steve Jobs have been with out Steve Wozniak, or Thomas Edison without Edward Hibberd Johnson? Most of you at this point are wondering who the heck is Edward Hibberd Johnson, but that's not the point. Align yourself accordingly to ensure your survival.  

5. Be Invaluable - I once had an employee who took on so much responsibility that my branch couldn't function without her.  I realized immediately that she was not only loyal, but she took on all this extra work for a reason. She could never be fired.  She knew, that if she were irreplaceable than I could never get rid of her. Whether she was a pain in the ass or not, and she was a major pain in the ass.  She did a wonderful job, but she was grumpy all the time, and she clashed with a lot of the employees. Yet she was an integral part of our business and so she survived despite her unruly temper. We address the anger issue and she became well liked and more important, invaluable.

These are just a few tips to help you along the way, but there are many more to come in future posts.  A few of you, might have some of your own to offer.  Experience is a great teacher, and any advice to help all of us along the way will help.  Remember, the road ahead is not always paved with gold, and we all need help to avoid the potholes. 

Have a good day. And stay in the game...

What's Wrong With Me?

Copyright: andreypopov / 123RF Stock Photo

My first job out of college, after a year,  I was fired.  I remember it vividly, because it left an emotional scar on me for the rest of my life. I felt like a complete loser, even though I was fired by the manager because our branch had been audited, she had done something against company policy, and then she had laid the blame on me. I didn't steal any money.  I didn't swindle our customers.  What I did was follow her order, and I held off returning a bounced check from a customer just to make our branch loan numbers and collection numbers look good. She told me it wasn't really wrong, but rather...untimely.

"If they audit us, tell them you left it in your brief case. We won't get into trouble for being absent minded."

She knew this was wrong, and I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to show her I was loyal.  And for my loyalty, she fired me.  The only real thing I had done wrong was trust in her. A common mistake by a new college graduate who assumed everyone in business will do the right thing.  WRONG!

The truth is everyone in business does try to do the right thing...the right thing for themselves, but not necessarily for everyone else. People will serve their own interest because this is what comes naturally.  When confronted with a choice between letting another person go, to save her own butt, she did the right thing...for her.  And she left me with a big professional and emotional scar which obviously I still have, since I'm writing about the incident years later. 

After being fired, I kept thinking, "what's wrong with me? Why did I listen to her when I knew damn well that what she was asking me to do was against policy?  Why did I let myself get pulled into her little scheme to fix the numbers for our branch in order to make her look good." Heck, I was an idealist at the time.  I should have turned her in to corporate immediately.  But I didn't.  Why?

Because what was wrong with me, what is still sometimes wrong with me, is that I acted out of fear.  I did what she asked, because I was afraid she would fire me if I didn't.  Although I protested a few times that I didn't think it was within policy guidelines, I still let her convince me to follow her plan.  I was afraid that I would get fired and yet I was still fired.  But what's even more interesting is that I didn't realize that I was acting out of fear.  I thought I was being loyal.  I wasn't.  I was being a wimp.

Fear is what was wrong with me, and is still wrong with me.  When I let fear influence any decision, I find that my judgment is not always sound.  It is clouded by thoughts of failure, loss, or pain.  Most of the worst business and personal decisions I have made were influenced by fear.  Here's just a few:

• I took a job I hated because I was worried that I wouldn't find a better one, and I would run through my savings.  That was two of the worst years of my life. 
• I stayed with a business partner too long because I was afraid I couldn't run the business on my own.  That partner embezzled money from the business and me.  The business went bankrupt.
• I sold a business that had a lot of potential only to realize later that I was afraid I would not get a sound return on my investment. I missed out on a big opportunity.
• I kept an employee around for too long because I was afraid she would sue the company, and in the end she sued us anyway.  But by then the rest of the staff was upset we hadn't acted earlier.
• I stayed in a relationship too long because I was afraid of being alone.  In the end, I ended up alone anyway.
• I was afraid to get married to someone because I didn't think she was the right person.  Instead, she went and found the person right for her and for years I regretted not marrying her.
• I took a long term lease for way too much money because it was a prime spot in Los Angeles and I was afraid the landlord would lease it to someone else.  That cut into my company's profits for years.

Fear has dictated a lot of my life decisions, but it doesn't have to dictate yours.  When you're faced with a tough decision, take a step back, be objective, and make the best decision even if it hurts.  The pain will be temporary, but your happiness may last a lifetime. 

There may be something wrong with me, but at least I know it's repairable. Have a great day!