Are you suffering from the outsider complex, a chronic complaint of HR and other staff functions, such as IT, Finance or Marketing? Perhaps you are technically proficient, but relegated to a second-tier status in your business. You aim to be a business partner, but operate on the fringes of the business, marching in lock-step with those in power. So, what’s the magical ingredient that makes someone a trusted insider? And what can you do to transform your role?
Insiders think and work differently from the rest of the organization. Insiders initiate, and insiders follow-through without being ordered. Insiders extend their role beyond widely accepted boundaries. Insiders ask themselves some very basic questions: what can I do, or what can my function do, to make a significant impact on business performance? Continue reading…
Conducting a smart interview is important for the hiring manager and the candidate. Employers need to assess an individual’s ambition, potential for growth, values, authenticity, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Candidates need to convey what makes them special and where they want to take their careers.
Reporter Willa Plank posted the five must-ask questions for companies to ask on WSJ.com. Her post is worth reading.
Here are some of my own questions: What was your biggest setback in your career and what did you learn from it? What was your biggest business mistake and how did you recover from it? How have you changed most over the past few years? What could you say about your leadership and work style that would be helpful to your colleagues? Continue reading…
FLOORED is a emotionally charged movie, a gripping look into the trading floor that few have ever seen. It’s an inside look at how computerized trading has dramatically changed the dynamic on the trading floor – wiping out jobs and leaving the incumbents with no easy alternative.
In 1997, there were 10,000 traders on the exchange floors. Computerized trading was introduced later that year. Now only 10% of the traders remain, and there’s no way they can compete. See short videos. Continue reading…
It’s time to get really serious about 2010. I’ve talked with many people who have at least some concerns about the future.
“I’m worried there will be fewer options that excite me. I’m afraid my skills will be less valuable… I know that my company will continue to go through radical change… Companies are still not in a hiring mode, and I’ve been out for a long time.”
What should you be doing? If you want 2010 to be the year of the new job, here’s a list of pointers. If you want to refocus your career or role, use the ideas as thought joggers. Continue reading…
A wave of new entrants to the wine business are bringing sophisticated capabilities to the industry. Kathryn Jones of the New York Times writes about career changers who find that as wine owners, their unique skills and backgrounds are an advantage.
As quoted in the Times: “Especially in a down economy, the pricing and packaging of wine has to be just right. It’s all about differentiating the product,” says Jon Fredrikson, a wine industry consultant. “That’s where businesspeople have an advantage, especially those with a marketing or selling background.” Read more – “Wines With Notes of M.B.A.”
Gen Y (aka the Millennials) will be invading the workforce for some time to come. I have personally discovered a few things that managers can do to successfully motivate and direct young professionals.
As businesses adapt to a changing economy, we expect the job market to remain extremely competitive. Gen Yers are feeling more pressure to get professional experience before officially entering the workforce. Roz Courtney confronted Gen Y/Millennial stereotypes in her post on September 10, daring the business world to involve us and reap the rewards. If you want to motivate and retain the best talent, perhaps it helps to understand what the Millennials need and how they think. Here are several rules of the game – Gen Y rules – which make good business sense. Continue reading…
