by Karen P. Katz on December 3, 2009
Check-out the “Made to Stick” column that appears in the monthly publication, Fast Company. Brothers Chip and Dan Heath write cutting-edge commentary on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the integration of Web 2.0 tools. The November 2009 contribution “caught my fancy” with an irreverent approach to solving marketing problems.
The Heath brothers describe an intractable problem faced by a Procter & Gamble business unit. The group director may have invoked the famous words of Albert Einstein, who said: “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Unable to solve a problem within the P&G domain, the group director took the team on a field trip to the San Diego Zoo – looking for answers on another turf!
Observations of plant life and animal behavior sparked eight fresh approaches to the CPG problem, driving home the point that “…someone else may have a different perspective…problems that are difficult in one domain may be trivial to solve from the perspective of a different domain.”
The work of the Heath brothers promotes innovative thinking and problem solving strategies. Their clever and slightly irreverent metaphors drive home the point that solutions to problems may be “in-your-face,” and yet not visible through your own mirror. Clearly, the message is to search outside our own borders, beyond our own companies, and outside the paradigms created by our industries. Maybe it is time to bring back my own irreverent metaphor for those in career transition: the unicellular paramecium.
by Karen P. Katz on January 7, 2009
Passing on news that that Gallup Press has released another title in its series of self-assessment books in collaboration with Tom Rath: Strengths Based Leadership. The new title promises to build on the results of the Strengths Finder 2.0, which is itself an extension of the popular title, Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham.
Buckingham is a business guru whose perspective has always appealed to me, on several levels. Like me, he was once a stutterer who found that his strength is actually his ability to communicate clearly and convincingly. Secondly, he has been a proponent for an intuitive and healthy attitude about personal and professional development. I think he would endorse my self-description as a career strategist, not a counselor (illness) nor a coach (no fruits and nuts). Marcus started a "Strengths Revolution," by asking what is most likely lead to the achievement of goals: building on your strengths or fixing your weaknesses?
As a career professional, I totally embrace the emphasis on strengths assessment. Many traditional psychological assessments leave the client and coach communicating through language that I call "psycho-babble." The Strengths Revolution encourages a coaching dialog that uses easy to understand terms; the terms relate to the business world, not to the theories of a psychologist. (An earlier strengths-based tool was developed by Timothy Butler, & James Waldroop; it is still available through the Harvard Business School).
The new book seeks to build on research conducted over 10 years, focusing on what it takes to be a leader. Tom Rath has collaborated with Barry Conchie to identify themes and provide specific strategies that should help you to build a stronger team. This post is not a book review, as I have only learned about the new release today. (Note that few reviewers have recommended the new book to those who have already taken the Strengths Finder 2.0; it is suggested as a substitute rather than an addition to the original assessment.)
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by Karen P. Katz on December 31, 2008
I've been waiting to use this quote for months… The New Year and our stalled economy seem to offer the right context for some words of wisdom from Albert Einstein:
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep
moving."
What appeals to me is the goal of "balance," and the basic law of physics that is recommended: "keep moving." These are great words to keep in-mind, especially if you feel unsteady at this point in your career or your life.
Your personal anecdotes
about maintaining balance and momentum would add greatly to this post…
Karen P. Katz
Career Acceleration Network (CAN), LLC
<http://www.CareerAcceleration.net>
by Karen P. Katz on December 21, 2008
Thanks to Sanjay Doshi for this self-reflective and forward-thinking "guest post." I think it says a lot about his evolution while working through his Acceleration Plan. Please feel free to comment via this blog (Career Acceleration Notes) or directly to Sanjay – sanjaydoshi@gmail.com.
When I was first laid
off in October, it took me over a week just to figure out what exactly
had happened. Then, I mapped out a plan to help me organize my search
to determine the next step in my career. The first step I took to
guide me? Hiring a career counselor. When I explained to her where I
was looking to go and what skills I had that would be attractive to my
target companies, she mentioned that I needed to start thinking outside
the box. In my head, I thought 'What box?'
I soon realized it meant
that in the process of one's active job search, employed or unemployed,
one should strive to cast a wider net to find their next opportunity
and look beyond the traditional job searching/networking methods. In
one of the toughest economies the U.S. has seen in decades, taking a
fresh approach may pave the future. After all, who doesn't want to be
the purple cow in a meadow of white and brown ones? Here are a few of
things I've learned:
1. When it comes to networking, whether it be with family, friends,
or co-workers, focus on giving, not receiving. When you do the first,
the latter will come in time. Growing those relationships and
occupying a space in their minds can pay off in the long run.
2. While it's important to select your ideal job/career and spend most
of your efforts on getting there, take time to consider other fields.
Tapping into segments of
certain industries that are growing (from my research, this includes
education, health care, oil/energy, social media) could be fruitful,
especially in a
contracting economy (at present, most segments of financial services,
pharmaceutical, retail, advertising and print media are
restructuring). Leverage the industries you have experience in
and revisit them. In my case, I consulted for a city government for
nearly 4 years and while I've been out of touch since 2004, I now bring
a broader skill set than before – more creativity supported by
analytical and strategic thinking. I plan to reach out to a few of my
old colleagues and get a sense of how the landscape has changed,
network with people in other branches of the government and ultimately,
see if there is a match. The very reasons I left could be the same
ones to return.
3. Remember it's about the companies' needs that you are trying to
fill, not yours. Once you know that, you can position yourself
better. Think about what their challenges are in the marketplace and
how you can perhaps provide solutions to them.
4. Consider volunteering. After all, who can't use an extra pair of
hands? Ideally, if you can find one that fits your interests, you can
not only make an impact on the community, but also gain credibility for
future interviews showing your commitment to making a specific career
transition.
5. Part time work can be beneficial. Even a few days a week can help
keep your skills up to date, you get to meet people, stay active and
build your network.
Seeing
as how I'm still working on each of the strategies above, I'm slowly
crawling out of the proverbial box. Actually, I probably have my left
hand and foot out.
posted by: SanjayDoshi@gmail.com
by Karen P. Katz on December 18, 2008
Now I know what a fly feels like when it hovers over people who are working fast and furiously. Instead of being the one on the hot seat to guide new users through the elements of LinkedIn, I was like a "fly on the wall" during Jason Alba's 90-minute teleseminar, held 12-17-08. The program was sponsored by Experts Connection™
and hosted by Kathy Simmons, President and CEO of NETSHARE.
The program was structured well, with accompanying slides that were clear and not distracting. Jason moved through the content quickly, but paused frequently to check for understanding and questions. Targeted toward executives who may not have fully embraced social networking tools, Jason offered a few key learning points:
- Social networking is key to marketing your brand. Clarification of your brand is essential to career management. Not sure about this? Not convinced? Think about Barack Obama, the most successful job seeker in the land and winner of Ad Agency's Marketer of the Year
- Online networking tools can make it easier for those who are not natural "schmoozers." The Internet can make it easier to reach-out to new people, reacquaint yourself with former colleagues, and step outside your comfort zone to build new connections. The big "but" here is that online networking should make it easier to conduct the warm networking that is still key to your success, e.g. association meetings, breakfast with colleagues, lunch with people in related fields, etc.
- Of the tools available, all have value, however, LinkedIn.com is not optional for anyone who is serious about career management. Jason is also a huge fan of Yahoo & Google Groups (find those whose interests are similar to yours and join); Twitter (the fast-growing micro-blog), and blogging in general (my suggestion – individuals might try the new application, Google sites)
- LinkedIn.com's value proposition is to facilitate connections with those you know (and may have forgotten) and those you want to know. An effective profile is key to increasing your odds of being found by colleagues and recruiters; it may be wise to hire a professional to help create the profile and learn the ropes of social marketing.
This Experts Connection program included Jason's thoughts about Facebook, no longer a tool reserved for college students or Friday night plans. Some key points:
- There are no 2nd or 3rd degree connections through Facebook
- It is more casual, personal, and intimate
- While job seekers and recruiters have made inroads into Facebook, it is still more social than its business sibling, LinkedIn.
To offer the greatest value to participants, Jason focused on LinkedIn and talked about many of the features and new applications available to members. To learn more, contact a career professional or look for
the 2nd edition of Jason's book, I'm on LinkedIn, Now What.
Those who have worked with me and/or readers of my blog and website will recognize Jason Alba – he is the self-made social marketing guru and author of books and blogs: I'm on LinkedIn, Now What and I'm on Facebook, Now What. A software engineer by training and experience, he founded JibberJobber.com in response to his own frustration with a job search. JibberJobber.com has evolved into the "go-to" career management tool for those conducting a passive or active job search. In the name of full-disclosure, I am honored to be one of Jason's partners in JibberJobber.com
