It’s Better to Aim High
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”
Michelangelo
Look Out For the Fear Monster
It’s that time again. It’s time when bad economic news incubates the silly little critter in our heads called the Fear Monster. I’m determined this time around to do all I can to keep this guy away from me.
Here are some of my thoughts and advice:
1) Most of us are doing the exact same thing (job, parenting, studying, running a business) as we were a few weeks ago, when the stock market was booming. Why change?
2) We know the health effects of worry and stress. Why invite those into our lives by worrying about things that we can’t control.
3) Worry and fear are the great paralyzers of productivity. Without productivity, there are no results. Without results, we can’t achieve our goals and dreams. So….make the choice to think (and act) free of fear and anxiety
4) All economic changes, up and down, are part of cycles. It’s the law of nature, and the law of the economy. It the big picture, in the long run, growth will happen….and we just need to stay the course in the short run.
5) When other people are cowering in fear, it is a great opportunity for those of us who are not to out-think, out-perform, and gobble up market share by attracting new customers who need us.
OK…back to the excitement of another new day, regardless of how the DOW does today!
Thanks – Brett Blair. Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton - Executive Search. Specialists in the placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
Opening Doors
As an Executive Search consultant, my job….and the tag line for my company, Sanford Rose Associates – Brighton, is “finding people who make a difference.” While this is certainly what I, and those who work with me do, we also pride ourselves in improving the lives of the candidates with whom we work with on a daily basis.
I am a big believer in deep, personal relationships. In spite of the techno-crazy, too much information world that we all live in today, the value of personal relationships has never been more important. I will never move away from this as a core principle in my recruiting business.
Now, for the executive-level job searcher, my role is to do all I can to help you be successful in your transition. While “Opening Doors” is important, success in career transition is affected overwhelmingly by your own attitude, your health, and your ability to control your thinking and stay positive. Also, you must “make a job out of finding a job,” and let your personal network, those people who know and love you, do what they want to do….and that is help you. It’s human nature to want to help your friends.
If you are in transition, don’t forget to let your friends and family know your situation, without embarrassment or concern, and let the threads of connections, of “who knows who,” begin to work for you. It will work! It always does.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton - Executive Search. Specialists in the search and placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
Today is a New Day
Today is a new day! It’s my new day! You have one as well.
I like to look at each day as a blank canvas. In fact, I have a blank canvas hanging on the wall in my office. People look at my blank canvas with curiosity. They think, why in the world would he have a canvas on his wall, with nothing on it?
My answer is easy, and it is intentional. This is my daily reminder that I have a full 24 hours to paint (metaphorically, that is) my masterpiece for the day.
Some key points:
1) This is MY canvas. Not yours. Not someone else’s . Only mine. No one will help me. No one can help me. What I do with it comes from my creativity, my effort, my work, my determination, my ambition, my desire.
2) To finish my canvas, I must paint in …completely, each of the corners. This is my reminder to finish my work, each and every day. A reminder not to take shortcuts, not to quit early, not to be lazy….but to DO THE WORK, each and every day, until my masterpiece is completed.
3) This is my reminder each morning that I have a brand new masterpiece to create. What a gift! What a responsibility.
OK…now time for me to get on to creating my masterpiece called “today.”
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton – Executive Search. Specialists in the search and placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
There’s Nothing Wrong With Having a Plan
Plans are great!
But missions are better. Missions survive when plans fail, and plans almost always fail.
Great thoughts from Seth Godin, one of my favorite business philosophers.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton - Executive Search.
The 2020 Workplace
I recently read “The 2020 Workplace,” by Meister and Willyerd. This is a great read for anyone running a firm or in charge of Human Resources.
The book goes into great detail about the massive changes that are taking place in the demographic of our workplaces, and gives advice on how to attract, develop and keep tomorrow’s employees today.
The authors go on to provide 20 predictions for the 2020 workplace. They are:
1. You will be hired and promoted based on your “reputation capital.”
2. Your mobile device will become your office, your classroom, and your concierge.
3. The global talent shortage will be acute.
4. Recruiting will start on social networking sites.
5. Web commuters will force corporate offices to reinvent themselves.
6. Companies will hire entire teams.
7. Job requirements for CEOs will include blogging.
8. The corportate curriculum will use video games, simulations, and alternate reality games as key delivery modes.
9. A 2020 mind-set will be required to thrive in a networked world.
10. Human Resources’ focus will move from outsourcing to crowdsourcing.
11. Corporate social networks will flourish and grow inside companies.
12. You will elect your leader.
13. Lifelong learning will be a business requirement.
14. Work-life flexibility will replace work-life balance.
15. Companies will disclose their corporate social responsibility programs to attract and retain employees.
16. Diversity will be a business issue rather than a human resources issue.
17. The lines among marketing, communications, and learning will blur.
18. Corporate app stores will offer ways to manage work and personal life better.
19. Social media literacy will be required for all employees.
20. Building a portfolio of contract jobs will be the path to obtaining permanent full-time employment.
The time is now to start preparing for these coming changes. Many are upon us already.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton - Executive Search. Specialists in placements of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
How to Get a Job With a Small Company
This is a great new blog post by Seth Godin.
Most advice about job seeking is oriented around big companies. The notion of a standard resume, of mass mailings, of dealing with the HR department–even the idea of interviews–is all built around the Fortune 500.
Alas, the Fortune 500 has been responsible for a net loss in jobs over the last twenty years. All the growth (and your best chance to get hired) is from companies you’ve probably never heard of. And when the hirer is also the owner, the rules are very different.
1. Learn to sell. Everyone has sold something, some time, even if it’s just selling your mom on the need for a nap when you were three years old. A lot of people have decided that they don’t want to sell, can’t sell, won’t sell, but those same people need to understand that they’re probably not going to get a job doing anything but selling.
Small businesses always need people who can sell, because selling pays for itself. It’s not an expense, it’s a profit center.
2. Learn to write. Writing is a form of selling, one step removed. There’s more writing in business today than ever before, and if you can become a persuasive copywriter, you’re practically a salesperson, and even better, your work scales.
3. Learn to produce extraordinary video and multimedia. This is just like writing, but for people who don’t like to read. Even better, be sure to mix this skill with significant tech skills. Yes, you can learn to code. The fact that you don’t feel like it is one reason it’s a scarce skill.
Now that you’ve mastered these skills (all of which take time and guts but no money), understand the next thing about small businesses–they aren’t hiring to fill a slot. Unlike a big company with an org chart and pay levels, the very small business is an organism, not a grid. The owner is far more likely to bring in a freelancer or someone working on spec than she is to go run a classified help wanted ad.
And many small businesses are extremely bad at taking initiative that feels like risk. They’d rather fill orders than take a chance and go out prospecting for a person who represents a risk. And that’s your opportunity.
When you show up and offer to go prospecting on spec, offer to contribute a website or a sales letter or some sales calls–with no money on the table–many small business people will take you up on it, particularly if they are cash-strapped, profit-oriented and know you by reputation. (Please don’t overlook that last one).
Hint: don’t merely show up and expect a yes. It’s something you earn over time…
The rest is easy. Once you demonstrate that you contribute far more than you cost, now it’s merely a matter of figuring out a payment schedule.
This is probably far more uncertainty and personal branding than most job seekers are comfortable with. Which is precisely why it works.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton – Executive Search
About Persistence
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
~ Calvin Coolidge
How to Be Happy
I’m a student of happiness. I like to read and study about the subject, and probably like you, I aspire to be happy in my life. This is why I am so interested in the field of Applied Positive Psychology.
I just came across this great article by Dr. Alan Zimmerman, and decided to share it with you.
It’s a fairly common practice to survey employees and survey the general population. Employees are asked what they want from their companies. And the general population is asked what they want out of life. In both cases, the vast majority says they just want to be “happy.”
Now “happy” sounds like a simple-enough demand, but in both cases, there’s a flaw in the survey question. The question tends to imply that it’s the company’s job to “make” their employees happy, and everybody has a right to expect life to “make” them happy.
Unfortunately, no company can ever do that, and neither can life itself. Happiness is not something somebody else can give you. It’s the result of the choices YOU make.
If you want to be happy, you need to make these choices.
Choice #1: Discover what interests you.
John D. Rockefeller, industrialist and philanthropist, said, “The road to happiness lies in two simple principles.” The first one, he went on to say, was to “find out what it is that interests you and that you can do well.”
And some people never take the time to figure that out. They spend their whole life whining, “I’m not sure what I like” or “I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.” They’re the ones who finish life in a state of bitterness.
Take time to discover what interests you.
Choice #2: Pursue excellence.
You could choose to do “just enough to get by.” You could choose to do the “bare minimum.” And you could choose to do work that is “good enough.” But you’ll never find happiness in those choices.
You must choose to live with passion and work with passion. You must choose to pursue excellence. As Rockefeller said, “The road to happiness lies in two simple principles.” The first one was discovering what interests you. And once you’ve discovered that, the second principle, according to Rockefeller, is to “put your whole soul into it — every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have.”
Pearl S. Buck, the American author and missionary, echoed his conclusion. She wrote, “The secret of joy in work is contained in one word — excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”
Unfortunately, some misguided fools think happiness is found in leisure or is found in doing nothing. They’ll even say, “When I retire, I’m just going to sit back and do nothing. No more work for me.”
Years ago, Napoleon Hill, the leading researcher on success, debunked that myth. He said “Happiness is found in doing.” It is not found in layed-back laziness.
And most recently, Dr. Dan Baker spent several years poring over hundreds of studies on happiness. In his book, “What Happy People Know,” Baker concluded, “Leisure is one of those luxuries that’s best in small portions. When it’s all there is to life, it’s as boring as being locked in jail.”
Choice #3: Take pleasure in the little things.
One of the most fascinating studies done on achieving wealth without work was a study of lottery winners by Dr. Ronnie Janoff-Bulman and her colleagues. They compared 22 winners of major lotteries to 22 average people and 29 victims of sudden paralysis. The lottery winners had a temporary high but soon found themselves NO happier than the control group of average people. In fact, they even lost the joy that came from the small pleasures in life.
They also found that the paralysis victims … once they got over the shock of their illness or injury … were not as unhappy as might be expected. They had a greater capacity for enjoying the little things in life than the lottery winners. And the real shocker … the paralyzed victims were more optimistic about their future happiness than the lottery winners.
As I say in my program on “Take This Job and Love It! Managing Stress, Preventing Burnout, and Balancing Life … On and Off the Job,” count your blessings. Don’t measure wealth by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money.
That statement became especially real for me this summer. I hiked to the top of a mountain in Utah, fell off, and slid 200 yards down a glacier at lighting speed. I could have died. But the whole ordeal taught me that happiness is not always found on the mountaintops of life. Happiness is more often found in the little things of life.
Choice #4: Focus on the positive.
As Anonymous wrote, “Every life has its dark and cheerful hours. Happiness comes from choosing which to remember.”
Along similar lines, in my “Journey to the Extraordinary” program, I teach the participants how to use the “positive but” to ensure their happiness. I ask them to take a piece of paper, draw a line down the middle, write the word “Problems” across the top of the left column, and write the word “Blessings” across the top of the right column. I ask them to list all their problems, but for each problem they list they must write down a counteracting blessing.
One participant wrote this: “I lost my husband recently, BUT I still have my children. I lost a lot of money when my stocks dropped drastically, BUT I have my house which is paid for. I lost a lot of my hearing, BUT I can still see very well to read. My son moved out of town, BUT he still calls me three times every week.”
Do you see the point? She could have focused on the left-hand side of her paper. She could have focused on her problems and could have been miserable. By choosing to focus on the right-hand side of her paper, by choosing to focus on her blessings, she was intensely happy. You need to make the same choice if you want to be happy.
Choice #5: Explore the wonders around you … without neglecting the things closest to you.
It’s the lesson Paul Coelho wrote about in “Ode” magazine when he wrote “All The Marvels of the World.” He wrote about a boy who set off on a quest to discover the meaning of happiness. He trekked 40 days through a forest until he reached the mountain fortress of a wise man. When he entered the compound, he saw the wise man sitting on a throne in a great hall offering counsel to many visitors. After waiting several hours, the boy finally stood at the wise man’s feet and pronounced, “I am here to learn the secret of happiness.”
“Unfortunately,” said the wise man, “I cannot explain that to you at this moment. But do this for me: Take a tour of my palace. Do not hurry yourself.” The wise man then handed the boy a teaspoon and placed two drops of oil in it. “And take this with you, but don’t spill any of it.”
The boy obeyed and began to tour the rooms and grounds of the estate. He walked slowly and focused all his concentration on the oil in the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the grand hall.
This time the wise man approached him. “So, did you explore my library? What did you think of the tapestries hanging in the dining hall? Were the fragrances and textures of the garden to your liking? It took 10 years to complete, you know.”
The boy shook his head. He admitted that he had been so preoccupied with the spoon, he’d overlooked the palace treasures. “Then you must go off again and have a better look at all the wonderful features of my home,” said the wise man.
And so the boy did. This time he focused more of his attention on the objects in the house and less on the spoon. After many hours, he returned to the wise man and told him about the many things he’d experienced while touring the estate. But the wise man interrupted, “Where are the two drops of oil that I gave you?”
The boy looked at the empty spoon and reddened in embarrassment.
The wise man placed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You want to know the secret of happiness?”
“Yes,” said the boy.
“It is simple,” said the wise man. “Happiness is being able to explore and appreciate the many wonders of the world without forgetting or neglecting the things that are nearest to you.”
Take a moment to apply this choice to yourself. Are you noticing, enjoying and appreciating the wonders of the world around you? Or are you too busy to stop and smell the roses? And are you taking time to savor the things and people closest to you? Or do you wait until you get around to it?
Choice #6: Make somebody else happy.
You see … unhappy people focus on themselves. They think happiness is all about me, me, me … doing what I want and getting what I want. But every religion and every spiritual philosophy teaches just the opposite. You find happiness by helping somebody else find it.
As the 20th century military general Peyton Conway March put it, “There is a wonderful law of nature that the three things we crave most in life … happiness, freedom, and peace of mind … are always attained by giving them to someone else.”
You can be happy … IF you make these six choices. The results will be good for you, good for your relationships, good for your company, and good for your customers. As Google co-founder Larry Page points out, “It’s common sense: Happy people are more productive.”
One final caution: Happiness is great, but there’s nothing wrong with a little unhappiness. In a survey reported in “Business Week” magazine, survey participants rated themselves 1-10 in life satisfaction, with 10 being the most satisfied. Those giving themselves 10’s generally achieved and earned less than those who gave themselves 8’s. The researchers concluded that a little discontent can give you an edge when it comes to recognizing problems and overcoming them.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton – Executive Search. Specialists in recruiting in the automotive manufacturing world.
