One of the things I've spent the most amount of time contemplating and working on has always been; what do I love to do and how do I do more of that in my career? Those two questions are rolling around in my head every single day. I'm relentless about it.
I know most people would say they've spent time contemplating what they like to do and are trying to find jobs that match that, but I'm talking about going after it with a passion and narrowing it down like it's your job! Your number one job, identifying what you love to do and then creating the opportunity. You absolutely must first create that position in your head. Thinking about what it looks like, what it feels like to get up every single morning and go do X. Being so freakin excited about it time just flies by. Wouldn't that be awesome...to get to be one of the lucky people who loves what they do.
The bottom line is this; it's not an accident those people have those jobs. Those people were relentless about finding and creating the dream job. Very rarely does it just fall out of the sky. So how do you get there?
Start by identifying the little things in any given day at your work that gets you excited or empowers you or fires you up. Notice them and then write them down right away. Don't wait! Every day notice these things as well as the little things that totally bring you down, drain you, irritate you, etc. Notice them and then write them down as well. Do this for a few weeks and I promise you'll start to notice a pattern. Start to identify two or three things that keep coming up that make you feel strong, empowering your day. Then find ways to continue to do those activities. Find ways to add those to your job description. One of two things will happen; you'll either create a new job from your current one and current employer or two, a job will open up some where else that matches your vision. Either way you're doing more of what you love and in the end, isn't that what's it all about anyway.
Stay relentless in your pursuit of your dream. Start to use some of these techniques and I promise it will happen for you.
Keep Pushing.
Cheers.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Just Jump!!
It's been almost exactly 5 months since my last post and I'm excited to start writing again. It's a been a crazy few months for me with major changes in both my personal and professional life. Both Challenging and exciting times.
I made a big career change from the management consulting world to the media and advertising world and I've been trying to decide the direction I wanted to take this blog. The truth is, instead of waiting for the perfect theme or the perfect transition to come to me before starting again I should have just pushed through and forced myself to write. Just start and the words and ideas always seem to find there way.
Even now as I'm writing these very words, I'm not completely clear as to the direction this blog will go. I know I want to maintain the them of Millennial Leadership and how the things we bring to the table are impacting and effecting the world of advertising and media but exactly where that will lead, I'm not sure. The point is, just go for it.
Tom Peters and Seth Godin spoke a few weeks back together at a conference sponsored by American Express and they both said that blogging was and has been one of the most important things in their careers. Just write and as you write, you'll get better. I hope so.
I'll begin to dive into the new world I'm creating in today in the posts to follow but for now I just needed to put the pen to the paper so to speak and jump back in. I'm excited to be writing again and I look forward to shedding light and perspective on new media and the power of niche portals and let's not forget the challenges and opportunities facing the Millennial generation.
Good to be back.
Cheers Mates.
I made a big career change from the management consulting world to the media and advertising world and I've been trying to decide the direction I wanted to take this blog. The truth is, instead of waiting for the perfect theme or the perfect transition to come to me before starting again I should have just pushed through and forced myself to write. Just start and the words and ideas always seem to find there way.
Even now as I'm writing these very words, I'm not completely clear as to the direction this blog will go. I know I want to maintain the them of Millennial Leadership and how the things we bring to the table are impacting and effecting the world of advertising and media but exactly where that will lead, I'm not sure. The point is, just go for it.
Tom Peters and Seth Godin spoke a few weeks back together at a conference sponsored by American Express and they both said that blogging was and has been one of the most important things in their careers. Just write and as you write, you'll get better. I hope so.
I'll begin to dive into the new world I'm creating in today in the posts to follow but for now I just needed to put the pen to the paper so to speak and jump back in. I'm excited to be writing again and I look forward to shedding light and perspective on new media and the power of niche portals and let's not forget the challenges and opportunities facing the Millennial generation.
Good to be back.
Cheers Mates.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Fresh Start - Doing the right thing 100% of time
It's been exactly a month since my last post and over the last four weeks a lot has happened. Major life altering decisions and choices have been playing out and all the while I've been contemplating the direction I wanted to take this blog. It's been a struggle to really get my arms around what this blog should be about and the direction to take it. I've struggled with maintaining the common theme through out every post when my interests and passions within the Millennial Leadership landscape are so broad.
There so much talk about building a consistent personal brand across all of our social media platforms and sticking to a common theme with in our blogs. As much as I'm interested in helping companies attract, manage, and retain our millennial generation, there are a lot of other topics that impact young leaders that I feel need to be talked about and I've decided I'm just going to start writing from the heart and if a topic seems to stray from the over arching theme..forgive me.
With that said lets begin again.
The last month has been extremely challenging and the common theme through out has been about doing the right thing 100% of the time. A very dear friend of mine said it well, "the down fall of most people is thinking that doing the right thing 90% of the time is enough". We have to be consistent in every single relationship both personally and professionally. Even when the truth hurts you absolutely must be 100% honest and open and things will work. First and foremost we have to be honest with ourselves. If your relationship with yourself is rocky, how can you expect any of your other relationships to be solid. Take the time to go within. Take the long hard look in the mirror and decide if you like what you see and if you don't, make the choice to start today being the person you know your capable of being. Simply choose.
Being a leader means doing the right the ALL the time.
There so much talk about building a consistent personal brand across all of our social media platforms and sticking to a common theme with in our blogs. As much as I'm interested in helping companies attract, manage, and retain our millennial generation, there are a lot of other topics that impact young leaders that I feel need to be talked about and I've decided I'm just going to start writing from the heart and if a topic seems to stray from the over arching theme..forgive me.
With that said lets begin again.
The last month has been extremely challenging and the common theme through out has been about doing the right thing 100% of the time. A very dear friend of mine said it well, "the down fall of most people is thinking that doing the right thing 90% of the time is enough". We have to be consistent in every single relationship both personally and professionally. Even when the truth hurts you absolutely must be 100% honest and open and things will work. First and foremost we have to be honest with ourselves. If your relationship with yourself is rocky, how can you expect any of your other relationships to be solid. Take the time to go within. Take the long hard look in the mirror and decide if you like what you see and if you don't, make the choice to start today being the person you know your capable of being. Simply choose.
Being a leader means doing the right the ALL the time.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Work/Life Think Tank (Part 1)
Im Back! Travel and work as pulled me in all directions these last two weeks but I'm back just in time to talk about a really cool experience I had today. I was invited to a luncheon today put on by the Twin Cities chapter of Work/Life Think Tank group. The group consists of executives from some of the biggest and most well known companies around the area who gather to discuss issues affecting the lives of their workers.
At today's event the think tank had asked my dear friend David Stillman of Bridgeworks to come and speak about his book "When Generations Collide". Sort of an ask the author luncheon. I had the wonderful opportunity of sitting at the table with some of the biggest decision makers in the city and hearing about the challenges they face with four generations running around in their companies.
I think one of the most interesting topics that came up was about how many millennial parents are getting involved with their kids careers. I mean parents are actually calling bosses to ask what their 25 year kids need to do to get a better evaluation and why they received the one they did!! I'm sitting there thinking "never in a million years" and I started to ask myself. "am I alone in this thought or are there other millennials who think its insane to have a parent that invovled?"
My question goes out to all of the Millennial Leaders out there. Would you have your parent call your boss for you? Would you have your parent come with you to your interview? If yes, what is this telling us about our ability to stand on our own, let alone lead anyone??? To many years of t-ball where everyone gets a ribbon and if we didn't do well at something, our moms called and complained for us! We have to get over this!!
At today's event the think tank had asked my dear friend David Stillman of Bridgeworks to come and speak about his book "When Generations Collide". Sort of an ask the author luncheon. I had the wonderful opportunity of sitting at the table with some of the biggest decision makers in the city and hearing about the challenges they face with four generations running around in their companies.
I think one of the most interesting topics that came up was about how many millennial parents are getting involved with their kids careers. I mean parents are actually calling bosses to ask what their 25 year kids need to do to get a better evaluation and why they received the one they did!! I'm sitting there thinking "never in a million years" and I started to ask myself. "am I alone in this thought or are there other millennials who think its insane to have a parent that invovled?"
My question goes out to all of the Millennial Leaders out there. Would you have your parent call your boss for you? Would you have your parent come with you to your interview? If yes, what is this telling us about our ability to stand on our own, let alone lead anyone??? To many years of t-ball where everyone gets a ribbon and if we didn't do well at something, our moms called and complained for us! We have to get over this!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Non Financial Rewards to motivate Millennials
1. More control over their work schedules. To be able to decide when and where they are going to get the work down. Flex-time. I know it's always been done 9 to 5 because that way you can keep an eye on us and make sure we're doing our work. Change the focus to be results oriented and then it doesn't matter if the work got down at 10pm. The focus is, did it get done?
2. Relationships. Control over who they get to collaborate with on projects. We are extremely social and we love to do everything with our friends, including work. We're capable of doing both.
3. Tasks. I don’t want to do the grunt work. I want to do the really choice tasks. Give the really choice tasks to those who earn it. Use it as a reward tool.
4. Training. Marketable skills / Mentoring. We absolutely love mentoring and anything that helps us get a leg up on new skills and productivity. Leverage this as a tool to get more out of us. This is a total win / win
5. Location. I don’t want to work in Chicago. I want to work on this side of the building. If I have to work over here, I want to bring my dog with. Be flexible in where the work can be done and you'll see retention dramatically increase.
As managers you have control over these areas. They cost you nothing. The questions is….are you taking advantage of them?
2. Relationships. Control over who they get to collaborate with on projects. We are extremely social and we love to do everything with our friends, including work. We're capable of doing both.
3. Tasks. I don’t want to do the grunt work. I want to do the really choice tasks. Give the really choice tasks to those who earn it. Use it as a reward tool.
4. Training. Marketable skills / Mentoring. We absolutely love mentoring and anything that helps us get a leg up on new skills and productivity. Leverage this as a tool to get more out of us. This is a total win / win
5. Location. I don’t want to work in Chicago. I want to work on this side of the building. If I have to work over here, I want to bring my dog with. Be flexible in where the work can be done and you'll see retention dramatically increase.
As managers you have control over these areas. They cost you nothing. The questions is….are you taking advantage of them?
Friday, April 18, 2008
Hard Work and Maintaining your Vision
I know it sounds so simple but I think we take for granted the fact that no matter how smart you are or how well networked you are, you simply can not replace hard work. I've written about this before but I think it's worth repeating as everyday I meet highly ambitious people with lofty goals and visions of where they want to go, that are some what disillusioned as to the effort it really takes to achieve what they're going after. When it comes right down to the nitty gritty of getting stuff done and grinding through the sometimes mundane tasks, they loose it.
We all want to do the sexy and the meaningful/impactful work, but the reality is there's going to be times when you just have to put your head down and grind through some of it. This can sometimes be difficult for Millennials when for most of our lives we've been fortunate to find rewards that aren't directly tied to our work effort.
In my opinion, the only way to pull through the difficult and challenging times is to find a way to keep a clear vision in your head of what the end result both looks and more importantly feels like and it's up to managers and executives to help paint that picture for their people to get them through those times. If you can constantly remind yourself of WHY in the work, the HOW will find it's way to you.
We all want to do the sexy and the meaningful/impactful work, but the reality is there's going to be times when you just have to put your head down and grind through some of it. This can sometimes be difficult for Millennials when for most of our lives we've been fortunate to find rewards that aren't directly tied to our work effort.
In my opinion, the only way to pull through the difficult and challenging times is to find a way to keep a clear vision in your head of what the end result both looks and more importantly feels like and it's up to managers and executives to help paint that picture for their people to get them through those times. If you can constantly remind yourself of WHY in the work, the HOW will find it's way to you.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
7 tips to Attracting Top Young Talent
A few things to think about when looking for new ways to finding top young talent for your organization:
1. It should always be about outcomes.
-Concern yourself only with the benefits associated with your product for the end user and communicate that to your potential new hires. Live your brand. Make sure your main marketing message is built around that and not the fact that you've been around for 100 years. Who Cares?
2. Leverage Millenials to understand Millenials.
-Sometimes the best way to find out what your customers and or potential employees want is to go out and ask them. Get out and engage them and not in a freakin focus group and ask them. Then use this for number 1.
3. Use Millenials to communicate with Millennials.
-There are few more powerful endorsements than peer recommendations. Use your Millennials to attract Millennials. They understand things about their peers that no textbook or focus group could ever help you understand.
4. Market to Millennails where they hang out. Both in the community and the online community.
-If you want to catch a crook, you need to go undercover and hang out with the crooks. If you want to appeal to Millennials, I would suggest you go and market where we are. Including the online community. Engage in conversations on their blogs. You must find a way to create the dialogue and have genuine conversations.
5. Integrate everything online.
-To the latter point in #4: Nothing beats the internet and its power to build buzz for you and your product. Millennials can communicate with thousands of people across the globe almost instantly. From text message to Im to facebook and myspace, they will amaze you at the speed of information. Use this powerful tool to help market and create positive messages that spread through out their peer networks.
6. Use the power of association and the non-sell.
-Stop Selling! Millennials have BS detectors built into their system and marketing that seems like a hard sell will cause them to switch off instantely. Start having authentic conversations with this group and you'll see big payoffs.
7. Be authentic.
- If you have to say it's cool, it's not. Stop trying to be something your not. If you have to make stuff about about your company and product, or get some celebrity to endorse it, it's usually not authentic. Work on the product. If it's world class, you don't need the flashy hype. Real conversations from really authentic companies will get the best of the best.
Just a few thing to try and implement. Try and see how the conversation changes. Think about it.
1. It should always be about outcomes.
-Concern yourself only with the benefits associated with your product for the end user and communicate that to your potential new hires. Live your brand. Make sure your main marketing message is built around that and not the fact that you've been around for 100 years. Who Cares?
2. Leverage Millenials to understand Millenials.
-Sometimes the best way to find out what your customers and or potential employees want is to go out and ask them. Get out and engage them and not in a freakin focus group and ask them. Then use this for number 1.
3. Use Millenials to communicate with Millennials.
-There are few more powerful endorsements than peer recommendations. Use your Millennials to attract Millennials. They understand things about their peers that no textbook or focus group could ever help you understand.
4. Market to Millennails where they hang out. Both in the community and the online community.
-If you want to catch a crook, you need to go undercover and hang out with the crooks. If you want to appeal to Millennials, I would suggest you go and market where we are. Including the online community. Engage in conversations on their blogs. You must find a way to create the dialogue and have genuine conversations.
5. Integrate everything online.
-To the latter point in #4: Nothing beats the internet and its power to build buzz for you and your product. Millennials can communicate with thousands of people across the globe almost instantly. From text message to Im to facebook and myspace, they will amaze you at the speed of information. Use this powerful tool to help market and create positive messages that spread through out their peer networks.
6. Use the power of association and the non-sell.
-Stop Selling! Millennials have BS detectors built into their system and marketing that seems like a hard sell will cause them to switch off instantely. Start having authentic conversations with this group and you'll see big payoffs.
7. Be authentic.
- If you have to say it's cool, it's not. Stop trying to be something your not. If you have to make stuff about about your company and product, or get some celebrity to endorse it, it's usually not authentic. Work on the product. If it's world class, you don't need the flashy hype. Real conversations from really authentic companies will get the best of the best.
Just a few thing to try and implement. Try and see how the conversation changes. Think about it.
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