Make It Happen

The Long Game

I recently spoke at an event filled with undergraduate business school students. Before heading to the podium, I talked to a student who was to address the group after me; his topic was how to be hired as an Investment Banker. I wished him luck, and asked how he learned about his topic. (Summer job.) I then asked if he had started the field's key professional certification. (No since it was valueless.) Despite whatever he said at the podium, to me this person demonstrated both arrogance and ignorance. How did he see the certification as valueless? And how can a summer job make one an expert?

While it may have been quite some time since your student days, there is a concept -- the Long Game -- that is more relevant as your career progresses. While instant gratification is satisfying, longer-term fundamental advancement often takes much longer. Said another way, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither should your career.

Long Game activities meet three criteria:

1. an investment in time (and sometimes money),
2. the return will not be instant,
3. the results are sometimes uncertain.

Here are a few examples:

Volunteer at a not-for-profit. Initially you might work at an event, and eventually manage part of it. After several years, you might work yourself up through the committee structure, and eventually become a member of the Board. While there are short-term benefits to your participation, the Long Game benefits might include a broader skill base, a great network, and solid non-work references. Where will this lead you in the future? Unknown - but nowhere but up.

Attain a professional certification: The vast majority of certifications take (at least) several years to earn, and often require academic coursework, self-study, examinations, association membership, and work experience. While your short-term learning might help you in your current position, going through the process will deepen your subject matter expertise, build a network of others with that certification, and result in greater professional opportunities down the road.

Stretch yourself within your role: Why not volunteer to be on work-related committees or special projects? At the beginning, this will help you broaden your skills, but doing so on an ongoing basis develops your reputation for going the extra mile, always contributing to the team, and generally moving the business forward. And once again, it develops your network.

Other Long Game ideas:

* Learning a new language
* Building skills through a hobby
* Starting a small business on the side
* Seeking a transfer to a different country

This Week's Action Item: Choose two Long Game activities and schedule them into your calendar. Don't expect any recognition from others for these activities, but check back in 18 months - you'll be surprized at how far you've gone.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Meeting Magic

How many useless meetings have you attended? And how many have you been in charge of? Whether the meeting is a team status review, sales pitch, or interview, following a structured approach can make an appreciable difference. Consider this framework:

Define the purpose of the meeting: Before you even consider scheduling, define for yourself what the best outcome of the meeting will be. "The meeting will be successful if we ___________ ". At the end of the meeting, you can double check to see if the objective is met.

Plan the agenda (and distribute it). If participants understand how the meeting will be played out, they will be better able to prepare. Furthermore, developing the agenda based on the meeting purpose helps determine who should be invited.

Invite the right people. No one will show up unless they are invited. If the purpose of the meeting is to make a decision, then the decision-makers must be in the room.

Give Pre-work. Asking people to prepare - or at least review work that you have prepared - will mean that everyone hits the ground running.

Start and end the meeting on time. Keeping to the schedule shows respect for people's time and priorities. If you're late for a job interview, you probably will not get the job. Why should our mutual expectations change once we're on the job?

Set expectations and rules of order. Will the meeting be free-wheeling and informal, or be managed with Robert's Rules of Order?

Facilitate professionally. Great facilitation ensures that everyone participates, that the agenda is addressed, and that the meeting objectives are met.

Take minutes and note action-items. If you think that minutes are not required, maybe the meeting isn't either? Minutes document the discussions, decisions, and resulting action items.

Follow-up. Check with people just after the meeting to make sure they have what they need to move forward. Then circle back later to check status on their action-items.

While this framework is designed for regular business meetings, with some minor adjustments it also works for job interviews and performance reviews.

This week's action item: Look in your calendar, and commit to incorporating at least some of these items into your next meeting. If it isn't your meeting, reach out to the organizer, and make some suggestions: why not ask for the agenda or volunteer to take minutes? Or better yet, point them to this Tipsheet, and make some meeting magic.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Nickels and Dimes

If you had a choice to be paid either $50 or $100 for a service that you performed, which would you choose? Most of us would choose the greater amount; after all, if we have to do the work, why not be paid as much as the market will bear? Take the money and run!

Unfortunately, not everything may be as it appears. There is an unfortunate story about a man who boasted that his child was so "dumb" that when given a choice between a nickel and a dime, his child always chose the nickel. Later one day, someone asked the kid why they didn't choose the dime: "if I chose the dime, he would have stopped asking me which I wanted. As it stands, I've earned about ten dollars."

The father never looked at the situation from the child's perspective: instead, he made assumptions that in the end, made him look foolish. More importantly even the child knew that a continuous flow of nickels was better than just one dime. The kid knew not to kill the golden goose, so he played along.

Most people would not put up with the "dumb" label just to earn a few bucks, but the story illustrates an important point: whether you are putting together a deal, negotiating your next job, or just agreeing on your next year's performance objectives, remember that small greed succeeds. If you ask for too much, the risk isn't just that the other party may walk away, but that they will say yes - and no longer send any more "nickels" your way. On the other hand, if you ask too little, you are undervaluing your work.

This week's action item: Knowledge gives you tremendous leverage. Before you next negotiate anything, learn about the other party's motivations, investigate the market, and probe. Don't take the dime only to stop the nickels.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Secret Sauce

There is no shortage of books, experts, web sites, and computer programs that purport to tell you how to succeed in your job, and often, in life. They exist because of the public's insatiable appetite for self-improvement. When you examine them closely, the vast majority have two things in common:

- Success will be yours if only you follow "the system" to the letter.

- They know nothing about you and your unique circumstance.

Unfortunately, for both of these reasons, many of these resources are of questionable value. If you are unique, how can a generic "system" help you sell yourself? (It can't.)

No one knows you better than yourself, and no amount of generic secret sauce is going to make you successful. Instead, consider these questions about your unique selling proposition:

1) What skill do you have that is better than anyone else's, with the greatest market value?

2) What are you doing to improve that value further?

3) What are you doing to demonstrate that value to your employer, to your family, and within your community?

This week's action item: By all means continue reading, listening, and surfing - after all, you would not have found this Tipsheet article if you weren't doing so! But if you want to get yourself to the next level, it will take more than just reading, listening, and surfing - it will take action. Start by answering these three key questions.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Improvisation

Recently I had attended the Montreal Jazz Festival. Over the course of several days, dozens of bands of all styles - blues, big band, dixie, fusion, to name a few - played to thousands of spectators.

For those not familiar with the genre, most jazz follows a similar story line: a melody is played, then individual musicians improvise on that melody, then the melody is reprised.

When asked what makes a great improvisation, many musicians will give different answers:

- It is suggestive of the melody.
- It is completely different from the melody.
- It uses the same rhythms.
- It uses differing rhythms.

Despite the seeming contradictions, there is one thing in common to all improvisations. The musicians are out there by themselves (although with the support of the band behind them), creating something that didn't exist before, and connecting with their audience in an emotionally expressive, impactful way.

Ironically, we don't think of this metaphor when we do a business presentation, or when we are in a job interview, or in a tough negotiation with a supplier. But in each of these situations, we need to stand on our feet, think on our feet, and deliver our message - while at the same time "fit" within the framework of our environment.

This week's Action Item: Musicians don't magically know all of their scales, nor are they always comfortable with public performance. They build up to it with practice, with warm-ups, and with feedback from their audience. This week, identify a time when you will be called to perform. But instead of doing "improv", rehearse, gain feedback, and then do your thing.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Closing Statements: The last thing you say is the first thing they remember

Have you ever been in a sales pitch, job interview, or other important meeting, and the person you are meeting asks you if there is anything else you would like to say, or ask? How should you approach this situation?

Essentially, you have three choices: say nothing, say something new, or summarize the key meeting points.

* Say nothing: If you are at or beyond the meeting end time, you might choose to respect the schedule, and not say a thing.

* Say something new: During your interview, you may have been asked a question that you didn't have a ready answer for. This might be the opportunity to supplement an earlier answer, or to ask a question that is important to you. Especially when you ask a good question, it helps confirm that you are a thinking person. Or, if there is an idea that you wish to germinate, consider planting the seed at this time.

* Summarize: Alternatively, you can use this time to summarize the next steps or reinforce your key points. Doing this reinforces the clarity of your thinking, and closes the interview or meeting on a high note..

No matter which approach you take, the last thing you say (or don't say) will be the first thing they remember. Make sure that what comes out of your mouth speaks to your value.

This Week's Action Item: Before you next meet someone, pre-write your closing statement. This could be your three key points, your hoped-for action items, or perhaps the seed of an idea that you wish to plant. Then at the end of the meeting, when you are asked if there is anything else, update your closing statement and use it.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Formal presentations are critical to your career success: they are used during the job interview process, as a sales tool, and for key internal meetings.

When we were taught how to make a speech back in grade school, we were given the rudiments: write your notes on cue-cards, don't read your speech, and focus on the point that you wish to make. Has anything changed? Or have we simply forgotten these basics?

Probably the greatest boon to business communication is the PowerPoint program. Unfortunately, it is also the reason that so many presentations flop - or at least, why they rarely achieve their objectives. Think about it: how often have you sat through a dull, seemingly pointless presentation. Typically, the presenters hope to perk us up with snazzy transitions, animations, colorful fonts, and a strange typeface. Or they use a font that is either too big, or so small as to be illegible.

Instead of turning off your audience, before you even think about the first slide, go back to basics by answering two key questions:

1) What are the needs of the audience?

2) What are you hoping to accomplish by the end of your presentation?

The best way to engage a group is to have them focused on your ideas - and on you. Capture this focus by first crafting your presentation without PowerPoint or any visual cues. Once you've done that, consider which (if any) concepts are best presented visually, and create graphics for this purpose. Only then should you start working with PowerPoint.

Once your presentation is complete, rehearse it to check for timing, fluency, and impact. The rehearsal can be quick by yourself, or it can be with an audience. Ask your audience (or reconfirm yourself) whether your key questions are answered. If your presentation is worth delivering, then it is worth rehearsing.

This Week's Action Item: This precise technique (asking, crafting, rehearsing) works for every interaction that you have: with your colleagues, customers, suppliers and recruiters. Before your next meeting or presentation, try it - don't be PowerPointless.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

TILIS: Tell It Like It Is

hru? lol, the uv 2mi; gtg.

Does reading this text feel like reading another language? You may recognize this gobbledegook as text or instant messaging shorthand, used almost as an artform by those "younger" than you.

If you've figured it out, great, but don't count on your parent's (or grandparent's) generation to decipher it. (As an aside, you probably don't understand some of the nuances that this older generation uses either.) If you haven't figured it out, the message translates to "How are you? Laughing Out Loud at the Unpleasant Visual - too much information; got to go."

Whenever we communicate with other people, their understanding of our message will be influenced by their generation. So if you really wish to be understood, use generation-relevant expressions and style. When we don't do this, we either alienate or patronize the very people we wish to influence. This is true in a meeting with your manager, your subordinates, a sales prospect or a job interviewer.

A cautionary note: using generation-relevant expressions and style is only one part of the communications mix. In formal business correspondence - or a job interview - using informal language is often a quick route to disqualification.

This Week's Action Item: The next time you are in a meeting with someone much older or younger than you, pay attention to your words and style. But don't try to sound cool by using their lingo if it isn't your own: you'll sound inauthentic. Instead, be yourself and watch them closely for signs of comprehension and certainty: if you don't see it, adjust your message and try again. KWIM? (Know what I mean?)

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Were you ever at a restaurant when the service was really terrible? You probably promised yourself that you would not go back. And when the service was absolutely top-notch? You probably rewarded the waiter or waitress with a big tip. Either way, if you were asked about the restaurant, you would have responded with your opinion, good or bad.

While you may not work in a restaurant (or even in a service business), it is a great paradigm for your workplace. In every relationship that you have, whether it be with your staff, peers, manager, suppliers, or customers, there is always a service relationship -- just like the waiter-customer relationship in the restaurant. You do something for somebody. Somebody does something for you. But unlike the restaurant, the quality of your "service" is not reflected in a tip, but in your reputation and market value.

We forget about this service relationship concept because it gets obscured by day-to-day pressures. And it gets further obscured by some of today's business terminology: partnerships, teams, task forces, etc.

To clarify your service relationships, trace your responsibilities through any intermediary roles, to the end customer. For example, a purchasing manager serves the warehouse manager, who ships the product to the customer. A research analyst serves the broker who serves the client. Tracing this service chain backwards allows you to identify (and quantify) your impact in terms of the ultimate end client. By defining the impact on those we serve, we can then describe this impact in our annual review - or in an interview.

This week's action item: When you are next given a task, confirm to yourself who the customer is, their expectations, and how you will exceed their expectations. When the task is done, make a note of your impact: add it to your career file and possibly your resume. When you always exceed expectations, your "customer" will always have something nice to say about you - and will always give you a great reference.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Lester Thurow, one of last century's great economists, coined the phrase (and wrote a book) called "Zero Sum Society". In it, he described an economic system that had a finite limit, where one person's loss would precisely be another person's gain.

Unfortunately, many of us seem to use this mindset as we progress along our careers. Someone's promotion is our loss. Someone's injury is our gain.

Success, however, is absolutely not a zero sum game - it is additive. One of the most interesting examples comes from the automobile manufacturing business. Toyota is eclipsing the large American car companies on many different dimensions: product quality, market share, financial results, and so one. Nevertheless, several years ago Toyota sent teams of engineers to GM to help them improve their product quality. When asked why they did this, they responded that only strong competition will make them stronger.

Trainers and teachers often comment that they learn more when they teach their subject to others. When your mentor helps you with some key advice, both of you gain. And as the author of this tipsheet, I am not diminished by sharing it with tens of thousands of readers. Zero Sum Thinking doesn't work here either.

Zero Sum thinking has no place in our careers. When we see others' losses as our gain, we lose the opportunity to profit from their experience. And when they push towards excellence we are motivated to do so ourselves.

This week's action item: What are you doing to make your staff, colleagues, and manager stronger? Pick one person this week, and find one way to make them stronger. You will learn something when you do so, and they will return the favor later.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

I am writing this as I'm sitting in an airport terminal, enjoying yet another flight delay. In particular, I am sitting in a seat where I can survey all of my fellow passengers. It is very rare that I find an entire three hours (and counting) where I can spend time thinking, writing, and preparing for meetings without interruption. When I need a break, my fellow passengers provide ample entertainment. They fit into several categories:

The angry ones: They pace back and forth, upset at the delay, scowling at the gate attendants, and often raising their voices in anger. Perhaps they haven't realized that weather delays are beyond anyone's control, and no amount of anger can make the incoming airplane land faster.

The time wasters: This group of people are spending their time playing computer games, staring into space, or catching a cat-nap. They haven't realized that once the time is gone, it can no longer be recaptured. And if you spend all of your time waiting, you'll have missed most of the journey.

The cell-phone complainers: This group uses the time to call friends, workmates, and family to complain about the delay. They haven't figured out that most people aren't interested in hearing about their complaints and problems.

The driven do-ers: This is the group that is either using the time to do work, read a journal to actually gain benefit, or spend time on the phone strengthening their relationships. There is a very fine line between this last group, and the first three. It is precisely this difference that determines your success on the job - and in your relationships.

This week's action item: When you are faced with an unexpected delay or a long line-up, how do you deal with it? Why not bring something with you, so that whenever you have the "opportunity" of unscheduled time, you can use it productively.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

How can you do better at job interviews? It's not about being "lucky", nor is it about winning a beauty contest, it's about preparation, presentation, and perseverence:

1) Fish where the fish are: Only apply for those positions where you have a strong chance of success. Energy wasted with pointless applications can best be applied prepping for interviews where you're in a position to win.

2) Research the company and the industry: Learn about industry issues, the corporate structure and priorities, and the jargon. You'll look more like an insider if you do.

3) Research the corporate culture: Is it aggressive and cut-throat - or supportive and nurturing? The interviewer will be on the look-out for a match - and so should you.

4) Identify the problem that they are hoping to solve: If you know why they are hiring for the position, you will be able to quickly describe your experience to solve it.

5) Rehearse. Like any skill, the quality of your interview will get better with practice. But don't memorize your answers to so-called standard questions - customize them for the situation.

6) Know your stories: Every phrase on your resume should connect to an example story that is relevant to the interviewer. If you can't recall the details behind the words on your resume, then you have no right being there in the first place.

7) Get a good night's sleep: This will improve your processing power during the interview, and help prevent that "tired" look.

8) Dress appropriately and be well-groomed: Learn about the standard workplace attire. Don't dress too informally, or this will reflect poorly on you. Yet don't dress too formally, or you will appear haughty - and you may embarrass your interviewer. If you can, use a mirror for a last-minute check before you go in to the interview.

9) The interview starts in the elevator: It continues with your introduction to the reception, and in the walk to the interview room. It ends when you are safely out of eyeshot (and earshot).

10) Answer the first question well. Usually, the first question is "tell me about yourself", and is designed to make you feel comfortable in the interview. Don't give too detailed a history, but highlight the accomplishments that you are most proud of, which are also relevant to the situation.

11) Follow-up. Whether it be a simple thank you, a more detailed elaboration on an issue, or several questions that you need answered, following-up shows that you are engaged in the process, and remain interested in the outcome.

This Week's Action Item: Did you think that these tips only applied to a job interview? They are relevant every time you need to sell an idea to a colleague, supplier, or client. Look on your calendar for your next important meeting, then go through this list to make sure you're in a position to win.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

The latest Tipsheet has just been posted.

Ability

Have you ever had an athletic injury, and found yourself on the sidelines?

This happens off the field too: we let a career "injury" shunt us to the sidelines as well. Athletes quickly learn that a leg injury just means a renewed focus on the upper body. So should we when it comes to our careers: our focus must be on ability - not disability:

* Uncomfortable giving presentations? Focus on improving your written communication skills.
* Don't have a particular degree or professional designation? Surround yourself with those who do - and use their skills.
* Turned down for a special project? Focus on distinguishing yourself on the projects you currently have.
* Hate doing "sales"? Spend time learning about your customer's needs.

This week's action item: Have you unwittingly been focusing on your injury? Catch yourself if you have, and use this energy more productively to achieve an important goal. Focusing on your career injury defines your boundaries; focusing on your abilities defines your potential.