FOOD FOR THE SEARCHING MIND

The Golden Rule? Not so fast!

Yes, I am talking about the same rule that you have heard thousands of times and what you learned as a good boy or girl way back in your childhood days. It is the rule or thought that transcends religions or basic human preservation across the globe. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”.

All that being said I don’t write this to change your thinking or in any way say that the Rule or Thought above is wrong.  No, not in any way am I saying that the Golden Rule is wrong, but what I am saying is let’s consider what it really means in the world of business in regards to caring for our customers. Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of reading a few great books that have a consistent theme to them, as with many ‘business books’.  Side Note: Is it me or do 90% of the business books out there say the same thing in 1000 different ways? Ok, back to the topic at hand. The great books of Napoleon Hill and many of the books today all show us ways to stop thinking of our own goals and look at those of our customer. AKA: Self vs. Customer.

This brings me to the topic of the Golden Rule. If we look at the words in the Golden Rule, they make great sense if we are looking for self-preservation and self-satisfaction. To a person and in our own personal happiness the rule holds true and we can live it and be fine. But, now consider this from a business perspective, where your “customer/client” is the one that must be satisfied. If we take the Golden Rule in its current wording we can’t help but see the selfish attitude that may come from this. Do we really think that our customer is thinking about what is best for us before they know how much we care or what we can deliver for them? Not so fast. You can get to this point to be sure, but this takes time, caring and trust. But, if we really do (Care and Respect) our customer and their best interest and truly believe that we can add value to them with our product, we need to change the wording of the Golden Rule.  The change may go something like this: “Do unto others as they would like things to be done to them”.

This change puts the Focus, Care and Respect not on us but on our client/customer. I don’t take credit for this thought as there are many books that speak to this point including: 1. “Wired To Care” 2. “Emotional Intelligence 2.0”, just to name a few of my recent reads.  I highly recommend both of these books as they walk you through how you can better see the Golden Rule from your clients  point of view.

A few sample questions that may help you see the Golden Rule from a Client Perspective:

1. Do our processes help make your job easier?
2. How would you like us to proceed?
3. Is there anything that we can change to make doing business with us more fun?
4. What can we change in our process to help you meet your targets?
5. Are there things in our process that you would like to know more about so that we can be more Transparent?

At the end of the day, the world of business is changing. Our thinking on the Golden Rule must change as well if we are going to meet the needs and desires of our customers moving forward. Care about your client first and make their life easier and you will have a client for life.

 GP.

Who Cares?

There are time in life when all you can do, is do what you are doing… I am not sure if that makes much sense to anyone but if you are like me there are times in life when you are working so hard, so fast and with so many crystal balls in the air that all you can do is just keep doing what you are doing for fear of if you change even one small thing, you will drop that proverbial crystal ball and the whole world will fall part! Scary isn’t it.

Now, if you don’t know what I am mean that is another story. That could mean one of two things or maybe three or four. It could mean that you are in a place in life where you have all of your ducks in a row and you don’t have any stress. You may have everything in both work and family taken care of and well, you are just on cruise control. If that is you, congratulations, on the other hand if you are like the other 99.9 % of us that are in the fun game that is called, real life we are not in that situation. We are all running at different paces to reach different goals, if we know what those are, and we are all doing it for different reasons.

My question for all of us and with the big finger of life pointing at “Myself”, is WHY? Why, do we run so hard, work so many hours and put so much stress on every decision in our lives? I don’t have THE AWENSER to this question so if you are waiting for a big punch line or something to underline then you are going to be sadly disappointed. What I do have are a few ideas on why I think this is actually a good thing that we CARE so much. Again, if you don’t care then you better be in that .0001 % that does not need to care.

We have all worked with those in our lives that don’t seem to care as much as we do for a specific cause or business,  those that don’t have, what is commonly called, the same “Sense of Urgency” as we do in specific situations. The problem with this logic is that, we all, me included, measure everyone else based on our own feelings, goals and desires. This is human nature and in and of itself is not a bad thing, but just something to be aware of before we judge or put our desires and goals on other people.

So, to the WHY of the hard work that we do… I think it comes down to the question of, Who Cares? Who cares that you have worked so many hours on a project to complete it before the deadline? Who cares that you have worked all weekend long to make sure that the project or presentation is just so for Monday morning at 8am? Who cares that you have done, not just your job but the job of 5 others to make sure that your office or project is a success? And, who cares what it took to produce the result that you promised?

All of these questions about “Who Cares” go back to the WHY of what we do. The answers to this question of Who Cares must be deeply rooted in the person asking these questions and that person must be you and me.  The fact that you are willing to do all of these things and go above and beyond in your mind has to do with the fact that You and I as a person seem to care or need to care more about the result than our Client, Peer Group, Boss or just about anyone.  There must be something inside each of us that seems to say “I Care”.

Now, can this “I Care” statement come from a place in each of us that wants to do good, be the best, not look bad in front of others? Sure it can, and I don’t think those things to be bad at all. But, what I would say is that in the beginning, before we can be “Great” or make anything a Success, the End Game or should I say that Beginning Game of Who Cares must start with you and me.

I don’t know if you work in a field where you actually do care about what happens? I don’t know if you have enough skin in the game for the result of your every day actions to really matter to you? What I would say is that if you don’t have that skin in the game or you feel at the end of the day that your actions, no matter how hard you work or how much you care, don’t matter in the end… Then you may need to think about why you are sitting, standing or running in the place you are right now. Being able to say “Who Cares”, and come back very quickly, not out loud but in your mind with “I DO”, is a great way of knowing if you are in the right place in just about any situation.

Again, this is not the answers to anything but just something to think about. Enjoy and I hope that you Smile and “Care” just a bit moreJ.

GP.

The Speed of Trust ( Book/Audio Book Review )

By: Stephen M.R. Covey

http://speedoftrust.com/new/

When running around as fast as we all do in this modern age of work, relationships, and life in general it is quite appropriate that a book, movie or song have the word “Speed” in the title. Good job Marketing Department. It worked on me this time hitting on both my need for Speed and the fact that they hit on another buzz word of the day and time “Trust”. Enough about my thoughts on the marketing of this book and the title and on to my thoughts on the book in whole.

In short, I am in the process of passing this on to everyone on my team and making it “highly encouraged” listening. Trust is a word that we may not say on a daily basis but it is certainly something that we all must live in and work through every time we interact with anyone in life. Trust is not just something that we can put in the Business Section of our vocabulary or thought process, but something that is mandatory to work through in all areas of our life. Mr. Covey starts this book off right where Trust must start and that is with “Self Trust”.  I won’t spoil the whole book for anyone but let’s just say that if you don’t Trust yourself or build “Self Credibility”, then who do you think will ever believe or Trust you? He also gives a great Trust Equation that will really excite anyone like me that may be an Econ Grad;) Let’s just say that Trust impacts Speed and Cost. Please read/listen to the book for more on the math.

Mr. Covey gives you the standard 5 Waves of Trust then another 13 things that we must do to build, gain and re-gain Trust. I am not a big fan of the “100 Things to Do” lists in these business/personal development books but the lists in this book actually have some good meat behind them.

Again, I highly suggest this book to everyone. Trust is something that everyone can benefit from learning more about and really thinking about on a daily basis. Mr. Covey does a great job putting a bow on this book in just over 1 hour on the audio book and a great website as well. I hope you and your team benefit from this book as I did.

All My Best,

Glen Phares

 

Good Boss Bad Boss ( Book/CD – Review )

First, let me say that I did not “Read” but did “Listen” to this book. I have found that in the busy world that we are in plus the copious amounts of time that I spend in the car, that ( books on tape, ha, CD’s on tape ) are a much better way for me to spend my time and put good things in between my ears.

Second, to my entire set of old Boss’s out there or to anyone that I have ever come close to managing, the Bad Boss is not you nor is the Good Boss me YET. This book’s overall premise is in the title; “How to be the best, and learn from the worst”.  The end game is that this book does do a good job in sharing countless stories on some of the worst and best boss’s in the world. He also makes some very controversial statements that some of my friends and co-workers have said are just false. I tweeted or face-booked the other day a quote that Bob makes in his book,“Give your employees more credit/praise than they may deserve “.  At face value, yes this statement can be taken in many directions but if you are anything of the optimist, like me, you will see, after reading this book that this statement does hold true. Another way of looking at this is from an employee stand point, how many times have you wished that your boss would take this approach towards you? Bob goes to the lengths to say that Boss’s should shield their employees from the bad and give almost all the credit away to his or her employee’s/team. I really enjoyed this book and would suggest it to any manager, boss or any employee that has ever worked for a boss. After reading this I would suggest taking a chance and discussing it with your current boss. If you can’t discuss something like that with your boss, well then it seems that we know “What Kind” of boss you currently may have.

This book gives some great insight and leads me to want to read another book that Bob has authored called “The No Asshole Rule”…. Let’s just say that sounds like a great idea before even turning the first page!!

Bob Sutton’s Blog:

http://bobsutton.typepad.com/

Happy Readying or Listening!

Glen.

 What Motivates You?

In the ever-changing work place of 2010, wait 2011 now, we all need to ask “What Motivates Us”. If you are anything like me you don’t have much time for self-evaluation or even the chance to ask such introspective questions. But, as more and more thought leadership is required for jobs in the US and in Technology, we all need to take some time and look inward just a bit. What better time than right before the Christmas Holiday and the New Year.

I was lucky enough to run across a great book that helped put much of the “Motivation” question in to perspective that I have never had before.  I don’t normally recommend many books but this one really hit home not just on personal motivation and “Drive” but also corporate on an Enterprise scale. Dan Pink’s book ,“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”, takes the reader on a journey from the start of the study of Motivation, carrot’s and sticks, to the new and unique way of looking at, Intrinsic Motivation. He also touches on the sometimes mundane subject of “Management” and even questions the need or the value in certain aspects of modern day management and some of the outdated and unfounded practices that many large and small corporations employ today.

If you are a person like me that finds themselves working long hours for no other reason than you love what you do and desire to do a great job for each and every customer, including yourself; or, if you are like so many of my friends that work only because they are told to work and have no other choice but to be “Managed”, this book may open a new perspective that will give you one of those so rare “YES” moments in life.

In the end I want to thank Dan for taking the time to research and write such a valuable book that opens the door to the end game for each of us that is intrinsically motivated, the ROWE – “Results Only Work Environment”.

( I recommend Dan’s work to anyone that is in a Management, Sales or even Individual contributor role in any organization from Non-Profit to Large Enterprise )

Link to Dan Pink’s Work: http://www.danpink.com/drive

Link to ROWE: http://gorowe.com/

Calling All Candidates! “Do You Know”?

In the fast paced world of IT Recruiting, candidates these days are bombarded with many more calls these days than say a year or two ago. As positive IT Job Growth continues upward candidates need to be more educated than ever about Who, What, When, Where and How  prospective Recruiters are presenting their Professional Story and personal information.

One of these points of interest comes in the form of a question that every candidate should ask him or herself as they speak to Recruiters about prospective jobs.  Actually there are multiple questions that all work together to make sure you have a positive Recruiter/Candidate and Client Experience.

The Questions:

“Do I know?

1. Who submitted my resume? (What firm/individual/ what is their history)

2. Where my resume has been submitted?  (Client/Company/ Hiring Manager or HR)

3. When my resume was submitted? (Today or Next Week)

4. What information was submitted? (Resume, Pay/Salary, Availability to Start, References)

5. How my resume and Professional Story was communicated to the client? (E-mail/Face to Face)

 Over the years I have heard a very common conversation when speaking to candidates and from my recruiting team. I have been told by countless candidates that “X Recruiting Firm is submitting my resume to a few companies”.  This statement on the surface is a good thing, meaning that there “May Be” more jobs in the market and thus more opportunity for employment.  But, as we take a step back or look deeper this statement opens up many more questions those candidates should be asking as we move into a very fast and sometimes furious job market that we are seeing today around the country.

We all understand that we are coming out of a time when the IT Job Market has been a bit, ok, quite a bit down and that IT job’s were not as plentiful as a few years back as they are today.  That being said it is a bit scary when we hear candidates accept the offer from a Recruiting Firm to “Submit Their Resume to a Client”, without sharing the client’s name and very detailed job description with the candidate and did I mention getting “IN WRITING” a Permission To Submit.   As a candidate today you should be more aware than ever about what information Recruiting Firms are sharing about you in the open market.  Most candidates would never allow their Credit Card Company or Doctor to share their address, phone number and possible other personal information with unknown companies, so why would candidates do this with something as Personal and Valuable as their Resume and Professional Story.

In the end as a Candidate you should take great care and pride in where and how you’re Story is being told.  First it is very important to know (Where and What Client) a Recruiting Firm is submitting your resume.  There are many reasons for this not the least would be Location, Culture, Industry and the list goes on and on.  Second you should actually care how a Recruiting firm presents your resume and professional story, not all Recruiting Firms “just send a blank resume” (Shocking I am sure). 

One way to make sure that you know where your resume is submitted is to Request a Written Permission to Submit from every Recruiter that you work with moving forward. This Permission to submit should include the Client Name, when you are going to be submitted, your Salary and or Pay Rate information as well as the Job Description and Duration of the position.  Any solid Recruiter will appreciate that you Care about this process and be happy to get this information in writing to you.  I would also suggest that you ask the Recruiter what their Submittal and Candidate Presentation process looks like. Again, any respectable recruiting firm will be more than happy to walk you through the process to make sure you are happy with the presentation and actually ask for suggestions as to how you would like to be presented.

In the fast paced world we are in today these suggestions should lead to a better Recruiter/Candidate Experience, and less of the dreaded double submitted resume or backend problems that can occur from the “Blind Submittal’s” that I have seen through the years. Make sure to build a great relationship with your Recruiter and take the lead on knowing Who, What, When, Where and How your Professional Story is being told.

All My Best,

 

IT Job Market is Growing! Is your company ready?

Over the past few months actually since November of 09 the IT Job Market has been changing drastically from the overall “DOWN Market” that we have been in since late 2007.  Across the IT recruiting world we have seen an increase in overall Job’s posted on sites such as Monster, Dice and the like. We have also seen an increase in the number of Perm and Contract positions that are not posted, but are filled through word of mouth or through agency / corporate recruiters. All of these trends seem to continue to tick upward as we move through the mid part of 2010.

These trends are all wonderful changes from what we have all experienced over the last few years.  Because of these changes companies today must take a New and In-depth look in how they view their current full-time employees, contractors and prospective employees.  

I can’t tell you how many times over the past few years I have heard the phrase “I am just happy to have a job”.  Or the from a managers perspective, “My team should be happy to even have a job right now.  These phrases may have been true statements a year ago but today these words just don’t ring as true as before. Today with the changes in the IT job market we are seeing more contractors and full time employees open to leaving their current “secure” roles for better pay, or a more challenging, productive, and fun workplace.  In short the companies that think about, care about and put their employee’s satisfaction high on the priority list are the ones that are going to keep their best talent.  Keeping the “Best Talent” in a company is one area that must be looked at and bought into from the Top-Down in every company. 

Keeping the best talent is a challenge to be sure, but in the market today companies must also take a hard look on how they are positioning themselves to “Seek and Acquire” the Best Talent in the market today.  I have been amazed at how many “Great Companies” that are growing very rapidly don’t take a moment to speak with anyone outside of HR on how to “Sell The Company”.  For those of you who are Recruiters and or HR Professionals you know what I am talking about. We in the Recruiting business are masters at selling our clients/companies and or managers. The unknown or fear for us comes when we pass on an “OUTSTANDING” candidate that we know is great for the company to a manager that only knows the “Technical Skills” that he or she may be looking for to match a job description. How many great culture fits have we lost to managers that are only concerned with (Checking Boxes ) based on the job description.

It pains me to realize over the years how many candidates that I have spoken to after an interview that have said; “I feel like I answered all of the technical questions but I don’t really know why I would want to work at X company”. To which I reply, “ So did the manager tell you much about the company and his/her group and what interesting projects that you would be working on”?… You see my point. 

Along with the other duties that come with our role as Recruiters/HR Managers we must continue to educate our Hiring Managers on the fact that many candidates today have multiple job offers on the table at the same time. We are all competing for the “Best Talent” in the market today, and that includes the Hiring Manager.  It is a great time to be in the IT recruiting space and I trust that I will do a better job at educating my managers on how critical it is to be a “Salesman/woman” in order to obtain the Top Talent for each organization.

At the end of the day it cannot be said enough: People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care!

All My Best,

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Wise Words from a Wise Man

I received this years ago from a great friend of mine and one of the best Strength and Conditioning Coaches in the world Mr. Keith Gray. Please read this below and keep it in eye-shot of your desk. You will need it just as I do as a reminder.

I am only one man,but I am one.

I can’t do everything,but I can do something.

That which I can do,I ought to do.

What I ought to do,by God’s grace,I will do.

  

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Great Quote Today for the Searching :

” The only thing that you can control is your Attitude and your Attitude will be what controls you”

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Recruiting Vs. Golf:

 What a combo- Two things that I really enjoy and yet I don’t think of them as things that are so similar in the way you go about each of them.  I would love to be great at both but because of the nature of my J.O.B I seem  to be only getting better at one of them.

  In thinking about the way that Recruiting and Golf go together I could not help but think about each stroke that I take out on the Course and how that compares to my daily Call Log to candidates and clients as well as each Search that my team and I engage.  I must say that my “Strokes” on the Golf Course would add up to quite a few more than the # of calls that I make on a daily basis (Sorry Boss:).

 So, I have been told that when you hit a bad shot in Golf  you have to evaluate that shot learn from it then “Forget it” very quickly and move on to the next one. You have to think of the Next Shot as if it is the most important one in the world and it could be your last. You plan for the shot taking all outside and internal factors into consideration. PGA Pro’s even have caddies to help them see things that they may not see themselves and evaluate a solution to the problem at hand, “THE NEXT SHOT”. Once all of the factors are taken into consideration they pick a tool for the job and let their Natural and Practiced Talent take over…They have FUN!!

Same in Recruiting: I see so many times that we get caught up in what might have been.  We let our whole day go to waste just thinking about what happened yesterday or even last week.  We need to take a page out of some of the PGA Pro’s in golf ( NOT really the latest Great One ) and appreciate the last conversation or placement for what it was, learn from it and move on..So next time you have to speak to a candidate or a client,  think of it as your “Next Shot” on the golf course…. Do all that you can to plan, consult with your team “Caddies” and pick the right TOOLS for your search, then just be yourself and have FUN! (Remember when you where new to Recruiting, get that feeling back!! )

 On another Golfing Note: Not all Golf Shots are perfect, actually, even the PGA Tour Pro’s say that they on avg. only hit about 2-3 “Great Shots” per 72 holes and the rest are just very “Good Misses”. 

If you are like me you understand these ratios in your daily calls with Clients and Candidates. You have to have some “Good Misses” in Recruiting to realize what the “Great Shot’s” look and sound like.

All My Best, All The Time

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New HealthCare Bill And Staffing ( Interesting Thoughts from Mr. Boortz )

( Is this a great time for Temporary Staffing Firms / workers?? )

http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2010/03/businesses-government-will-fin.html