tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41615165620310894572024-03-13T14:07:27.718-05:00Jaime Chambron's Impact OceansMake a Tidal Wave, Not a Splash. <br><br>Views, tips and guidance on how to make an impact - be it yourself or your organization.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-81497297512174361802010-02-14T19:19:00.002-06:002010-02-15T10:05:28.648-06:00Being Prepared for the UnexpectedThis post I dedicate to my favorite sales guru, <a href="http://www.debbiemrazek.com/">Debbie Mrazek</a>, who shares some tips on what to do when the unexpected happens. Though she tells the tale from a sales angle, the same is true for anything in life.<br /><br />Day in and day out, things happen that we don't expect - both bad, but then good for us. Are you prepared for when the unexpected happens? What do you do. Debbie thinks you may<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" align="left"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#ffffff;" ><span style="font-family: Georgia;color:black;" ><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> * Scream, grit your teeth, be a grump</span></div> <div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> * Proclaim that the world is out to get you</span></div> <div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> * Kick the cat... (you better not! :))</span></div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> <div> </div> <div>or, </div></span> <div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> * Embrace it, look for the good - make lemonade <div> * Consider it a lesson</div></span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> * Create something new</span></div></span></span></span><br />Hopefully you are on the positive side of the coin (I always tell people I look to take the high road in all situations). So here are Debbie's three tips to make sure you are prepared for the unexpected:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" align="left"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#ffffff;" ><span style="font-family: Georgia;color:black;" ><div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> 1. Be not afraid - keep positive</span></span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> 2. Be creative - stay in action - try something different</span></span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> 3. Be open to the good or even the GREAT possibility that can </span></span><div><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"> come from it</span></span></div></div></span></span></span><br />What about you - what do you do to embrace the unexpected? Anything happen to you recently you want to share?chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-86630326374248535022010-01-30T12:22:00.003-06:002010-01-31T21:50:46.734-06:00Your 2010 Core Values?<p>Either as a leader or individual, we all make choices that impact our lives, our families, our businesses. We typically make decisions based on core values we live and breathe every day. Do you consciously know what your core values are that drive your decision making process?<br /><br />In 2010, think about setting core values for you and/or your teams. Here are some examples of values you can embrace this year: </p><ul><li>Collaboration </li><li>Integrity </li><li>Quality </li><li>Speed </li><li>Innovation</li><li>Excellence</li><li>Accountability</li><li>Inspiration</li><li>Empowerment</li><li>Alignment</li><li>Teamwork</li><li>Ballance</li><li>Respect</li><li>Openness</li><li>Integrity</li><li>Unity</li><li>Agility</li><li>Commitment</li><li>Confidence</li><li>Enthusiasm</li><li>Responsible</li></ul><p>So what are you making your top three values in 2010? </p>chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-83689150093689255162010-01-24T20:02:00.002-06:002010-01-24T20:30:51.515-06:00Consider Changing Up Your Leadership Style in 2010Welcome to 2010! (a few weeks late for me - hey I'm still enjoying my 3 honeymoons)<br /><br />As I settle into the new year now and start to "pick up house" (both literally and figuratively) I begin to catch up on all the great emails, Tweets, Facebook status reports and more. I have been so out of the loop of what has been shaking (I overlook one of my great friends in Dallas has changed her status from "dating" to "engaged" on Facebook - I guess my newly wed husband can keep a secret) I find a wonderful interview of the CEO of my day job, <a href="http://www.sungard.com/">SunGard Data Systems</a>.<br /><br />Even if you don't change anything about your leadership style, you need to read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/business/17corner.html">this article</a>.<br /><br />In summary, this is what I love about what Cris divuldges in his interview with the NY Times<br /><br /><strong>1. Leadership is about Collaboration not Top Down Management</strong><br />You can't do everything yourself, and you dictating what to do will turn your team away looking for a new job. Today you have to foster collaboration within your team, no matter how small or big. Cris knew he needed an infrastructure in place to facilitate collaborate (especially since SunGard is a global company with thousands of employees), so he selected a tool called <a href="http://www.yammer.com/">Yammer </a>to facilitate internal collaboration (think of it as Twitter/Facebook for the enterprise).<br /><br /><strong>2. You can teach Skills, you can't teach Values nor Intellectual Curiosity</strong><br />I was intrigued by what Cris looks for in interviews - it's not skills but values and intellectual curiosty. While we all have a resume long of skills and achievement, we probably don't list why we choose to do what we do, nor what we love to learn about or try. To help with values at SunGard, for example, Cris and each business unit CEO communicates the values we live by to help each employee make choices. It helps to have corporate values employees make decisions against.<br /><br /><strong>3. The skills he looks for isn't Programming nor Business Planning, it's Sales, Writing and Time Management</strong><br />So while many of us list all the certifications we have - PMP, J2EE, CPA, etc. - in the end, it's not the hard skills Cris looks for, it's the soft side - sales, writing and time management. I completely agree on time management, it peeves me when someone doesn't get something back to me when they say they will or I hear a member of our team not deliver on time and comes up with a number of excuses why. Time management is very important and I learned early, especially in the role I am in today, that you can't do everything everyone expects of you immediately, so you have to learn how you work to set and communicate appropriate expectations on when you can, or cannot, deliver. Hence, time management and communication (writing) are key (and more so writing today since everything we do is over email or Facebook).<br /><br />So are you a leader tired of doing everything on behalf of your team? Missing dinners with the family? The team not making the right choices nor have the right skills? Should you update your resume to highlight your core values or what you are intellectually curious about?<br /><br />In 2010, consider putting in an infrastructure to foster collaboration, develop and measure core values to live by and work with your team on sales, writing and time management skills.<br /><br />What else can we as leaders do in 2010 to continue to deliver great things to our clients?chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-84638589931373503222009-09-06T12:16:00.004-05:002009-09-06T14:56:14.935-05:00The Seven Deadly Sins of NetworkingKevin and I were recently invited to be guest speakers for the<a href="http://www.djcc.us/"> Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce</a> (DJCC) monthly meeting. After sharing some wine with our good friends Emily Hoad and Doug Lemme, current leaders in the DJCC, we knew we wanted to help our young professionals improve their networking skills. And hence, the Seven Deadly Sins of Networking were born!<br /><br />Fortunately, other international trainers within <a href="http://www.jci.us/">Junior Chamber International </a>had already harvested educational materials and activities to help others improve their networking skills.<br /><br />So what are the seven deadly sins of networking, you ask? They are as follows:<br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Unprofessional Image</span> - Under dressed for the occasion</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lack of Preparation</span> - No goals set re: who to meet, how many new contacts to make, etc.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Staying within Your Comfort Zone</span> - Go to an event and just hang out with friends</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Talking About Me</span> - Not letting the other person get a word in</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lack of Focus</span> - Not listening and paying attention to things like Blackberry, iPhone, etc.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Poor Business Card Etiquette</span> - Giving your card versus asking for the other's</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lack of Follow Up</span> - While you may not need the contact today, you still don't try to build the relationship post the meeting</li></ol>It was great to see attendees identify where they "sin" and look for ways to improve. And, most sinning, as I would expect, occurred outside of the networking event - either lacking any preparation/goal setting for the event or following up with contacts made.<br /><br />The biggest thing professionals need to remember that "networking" is a mindset, not a skill set. Mind over matter to get out of your comfort zone, prepare and meet new people to meet your long term goals. Also remember that you need to be building your network when you don't need it as a network matures over time and won't grow over night.<br /><br />So where do you sin the most? Are there networking sins we are missing? What do you recommend people do to begin to improve to become networking saints?chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-55994970384519093942009-09-05T20:05:00.002-05:002009-09-05T20:56:14.053-05:00Shortest DistanceI guess it has been a while since I have been inspired to blog! A wedding in planning has been interfering, I swear!<br /><br />The last eight months at my job have been exciting and invigorating - new leaders, new life, new ideas to help us get to the next level as an organization. One new mantra I am taking into practice that our new CTO has brought to the table is "shortest distance". I.e. get rid of all the layers of people and bureaucracy that help turn a customer need into a solution.<br /><br />So that got me to think - am I doing everything I can via the shortest distance at work and in life?<br /><br />What about you - what layers can you get rid of to move towards delivering in the shortest distance - I would love to hear your thoughts.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-15911190143785906822009-01-11T18:40:00.002-06:002009-01-11T18:55:38.543-06:00Are You Ready for 2009??!2008 is over, thank goodness! But are you ready for new ups and down for 2009? <br /><br />We cannot predict what is to come and if we are or are not clear of the housing/finance/auto bubble and industry impact trickle effect. However, we can ensure we have ourselves prepared for any curve ball that comes our way this year.<br /><br /><strong>1. Make Sure Your <em>Personal Brand Channels</em> are Up to Date</strong><br />Is resume up to date not just on your computer but on all the job boards? Is your LinkedIn profile accurate of your recent accomplishments and what you want to tackle next? Blogging or involved in list serves that represent what you enjoy doing for a living? Get your "Personal Brand" house in order ASAP!<br /><br /><strong>2. Deliver Quality, Accountable and On Time Work</strong><br />You need to set yourself ahead of the pack. The first step to doing this is being proactive in delivering quality work that is on time and within budget. Underperformers will be the first to go when any RIFs happen.<br /><br /><strong>3. Know What Your Boss Expects of You</strong><br />When did you ask your boss if you are doing what he or she expects of you? What about doing thing that will help him or her continue to build and grow the business or team you are on?<br /><br />These are just career suggestions to keep you intact or prepared for the unexpected. People are getting RIF'd that are over achievers, so watch out for yourself in these tough times first and foremost.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-65780795203471943752008-09-28T16:04:00.003-05:002008-09-28T16:07:30.578-05:00Why Aren't You Following Your Passion?Gary's presentation at Web 2.0 should inspire you to find the time to focus on what you love most to succeed.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhqZ0RU95d4&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhqZ0RU95d4&feature=related</a><br /><br />Why aren't you following yours?chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-41543605382153200712008-09-07T10:42:00.004-05:002008-09-07T12:54:50.540-05:00Leader Selection SavvynessAs we have witnessed these last few weeks in national politics, who someone picks to lead has huge implications on the person who picked them, and if progress will truly be made.<br /><br />So how do you pick and introduce the right person or people to lead a critical project or program so you don't hurt your credibility and set a positive stage for this new leader to make progress?<br /><br /><strong>1. Already Proved to Walk the Talk</strong><br />You can't risk bringing in someone to lead a critical project that doesn't have the right reputation for execution and follow thru across your company. If you bring in someone from outside your company this person will need to show they have done what you are looking to accomplish via another company.<br /><br /><strong>2. Team Assimilation</strong><br />Either promoting someone from within to lead a new role, or bringing someone from the outside in to make progress may ruffle some feathers. Especially if there are more senior staff who feel like they deserved the lead role. Have small retreats or meetings to bring the new into the fold of the existing team and if needed bring in an outside facilitator for this "assimilation" meeting.<br /><br /><strong>3. Socializing The New Leader</strong><br />You need to let your peers and other organizations within your company know about your new leader, why they are qualified to take on the leadership role at hand, and help the new leader make connections that will accelerate getting the job done.<br /><br />Remember these aspects when you look to pick someone to lead your next big initiative.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-18605182787631688492008-08-31T14:06:00.002-05:002008-08-31T14:32:40.650-05:00Time - Over, Under or Just Right?Rambling.<br /><br />Speaking too fast.<br /><br />Letting the audience keep you off topic.<br /><br />Are you tired of delivering presentations that never make it within the time alloted? Here are some things to think about the next time you get ready to deliver a powerful punch.<br /><br /><strong>1. Plan For The Time Allocated</strong><br />As you map out your speaking points, do you note how many minutes you want to spend on each topic? You should have this outlined before you start your presentation so you can note where you want to be about every 10-15 minutes in the conversation so you can check to see if you need to speed up, slow down or cut out a topic to ensure you get to end on a high note.<br /><br />Also, as you pull together your content, make sure the content you have will allow you to stay on track of the time outline you mapped out.<br /><br /><strong>2. Getting Thrown Off the Presentation Path</strong><br />How are you going to handle questions during the presentation? You should figure out in advance if you are going to entertain questions during the presentation or at the end. What if you get a question during the presentation that could take you completely off topic - entertain it or ask for the person to come up to you after the presentation? Think about how you want to handle this before begining your delivery. Also try to second guess the questions that may come up so you can have answers prepared.<br /><br /><strong>3. Not Enough "Meat" To Fill The Time?</strong><br />You don't want to get stuck in a presentation situation where you don't have enough content to have people leaving your session asking themselves "where was the beef?". If you find you are short on content find a few ways to add in interactive components such as a hands on activity, open question for debate, or survey for the audience to go through with you to take up some time.<br /><br />It's critical to stay on time, on topic and with enough content to keep an audience wanting to come back to you for more.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-47065578996403142202008-08-24T09:22:00.004-05:002008-09-01T09:19:01.603-05:00Becoming An Expert In the Web 2.0 WorldNow that most of us obtain our information via the Internet, credible or not, versus printed magazines and newspapers, it's key that if you are going to position yourself as an expert in your field that you know how to leverage the Web to your advantage.<br /><br /><strong>1. Blog, Digg, Repeat</strong><br />It's critical you have your own blog now adays, and not thru your employer. Many people often have multiple blogs focused on different niches (for example, I maintain a second blog - <a href="http://www.serviceorientedinstitution.com/">http://www.serviceorientedinstitution.com/</a> - to focus on facilitating change in education by applying technology) Blog often, but only when you have something to say - don't force it out of you. Once you complete your blog post, digg it to obtain further exposure. Then repeat for your next great idea or piece of advise.<br /><br /><strong>2. Consistent Professional Profile on Public Social Networking Sites</strong><br />With so many "networks" to join today, I now only have 2 I maintain regularly - LinkedIn for business and Facebook for personal. Because I want to have some fun with the internet, yet don't want employers to see, I ensure my LinkedIn page is my professional, public facing presence, and my Facebook one private, only allowing friends in to view.<br /><br /><strong>3. Find Networks to Give Advice Thru</strong><br />There's more than just blog tools where you can create your own blog now. Our traditional printed publishers typically have an online presence today. Other networks and creative forums for providing information and advice now exist (such as <a href="http://www.ideablob.com/">http://www.ideablob.com/</a>). Google for either your favorite publications or topics and see if the editors of those forums will let you post as a writer, blogger or forum contributor. Many will want your time for free, but will provide you access to their readership, which could be a few hundred thousand or more.<br /><br />Remember, this is just like building a network - you build it when you don't need it, so when you really do need it it is there and ready for harvesting.<br /><br />You will never know when someone sees your virtual posts and wants you for their next great project.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-88903412191264815892008-08-11T19:48:00.002-05:002008-08-11T19:51:06.716-05:00Virtual Communication Ettiquette1. Email is still a business document. Make sure it is grammatically correct, spelling error free.<br /><br />2. Be brief and to the point in email.<br /><br />3. Call the person or hold a meeting when you can't get something resolved after 1 email exchange.<br /><br />4. If holding a conference call acknowledge who joins, even if the beep comes in after the call started - you never know if a competitor or someone you are talking about accidentally dials in.<br /><br />5. Build a rapour with someone (face to face, over many phone calls or conversations) before hitting them up with an informal communication.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-89963807371568685642008-08-10T20:20:00.003-05:002008-08-10T20:23:11.854-05:00Do You Ever Reach the Light?I can't believe it's almost 2 months since my last post!<br /><br />Between higher education system go live season (must have new portals and technology ready for the kiddos to register for classes on day one, ya know), and enjoying the HOT summer with many excursions to get out of the heat, it's time to get back to making time for blogging.<br /><br />And that's it.<br /><br />We will never reach the end of the tunnel.<br /><br />There is always more to do, more to accomplish.<br /><br />How fast do you want to go and what will you make time for?<br /><br />That's up to you - you drive your journey (or as my colleague Michelle Johnston says, you <a href="http://architectingwork.blogspot.com/">Architect Your Work</a>)<br /><br />Don't let it architect you.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-31531472637836753802008-06-22T09:01:00.004-05:002008-09-01T09:19:34.667-05:00Personal PR Inside the CorporationEven if you are not an independent consultant or run your own business, personal PR is still important to advance your career and stay in the minds of others to take on new initiatives.<br /><br />How do you go about staying top of mind in a positive light without bragging or brown nosing within the corporation? Here are some tips to help stay ahead:<br /><br /><strong>1. Be pro-active with your boss and everyone you work with, including clients</strong><br />Don't let an issue get to him or her without fair warning. Help him or her stay abreast of the great things you and/or your team is doing, and what needs to be improved.<br /><br />Also stay on top of requests from others. If you can't help someone within 24 hours let them know you can't help till X date and either set a date to help and put it on your calendar or delegate to someone else to get to it. Remember you don't always have to delegate down, but to your peers and up to your boss.<br /><br /><strong>2. Be a problem solver, even if it is not your problem</strong><br />My boss reminded our team of a book called "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oz-Principle-Individual-Organizational-Accountability/dp/1591840244/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214144976&sr=1-5">The Oz Principle</a>" which is about being accountable for not just your actions, but for the organization at large. So if you see a problem that may not be yours but indirectly impacts you or your organization, see if you can help to solve it. If anything it will get folks in other divisions see you be proactive in trying to solve problems that impact the organization.<br /><br /><strong>3. Find initiatives that synergize with your interests</strong><br />If you feel like you are not maximizing your talents, see if there are other ways to get involved in itiatives in your organization or other groups. Talk to your boss to see if he or she can help you navigate ways to connect with others.<br /><br /><strong>4. Recognize and congratulate others in your company</strong><br />Get a "congrats" from someone? Remember to thank them. See someone get promoted or rewarded for something great they did recently? Send them a person note congratulating them on what they did.<br /><br /><strong>5. Stay On Top of Initiatives to Promote Your Team</strong><br />Be it an internal recognition program to nominate members of your team for or a marketing initiative to gather case studies of wins in the field, remember, if not selected, to always submit people, artifacts and ideas.<br /><br /><strong>6. Be Professional</strong><br />No matter how laid back your company is, or stressful and finger pointing a situation may become, remember to always take the high road and look at situations via the facts for lessons learned and ways to improve. Keep out the emotions.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-59591240833854151942008-06-18T15:28:00.000-05:002008-06-18T16:10:48.629-05:00Pay It Forward<p align="center"><em>The banker reached into the folds of his gown, pulled out a single credit note. </em></p><p align="center"><em>"But eat first — a full belly steadies the judgment. Do me the honor of accepting this as our welcome to the newcomer."</em></p><p align="center"><em>His pride said no; his stomach said YES! Don took it and said, "Uh, thanks! That's awfully kind of you. I'll pay it back, first chance."</em></p><p align="center"><em>"Instead, pay it forward to some other brother who needs it."</em></p><p align="center"><em>- in <a title="Between Planets" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_Planets">Between Planets</a> by <a title="Robert A. Heinlein" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein">Robert A. Heinlein</a></em></p><p>Earlier this week I helped a friend with her MySpace page. Tomorrow I will be helping with an event's logistics. I am sure there is more to do. I get nothing in return (other than some wine).<br /><br />When was the last time you did something for someone and expected nothing from it - no reward later on, no membership in an organization due to the "obligation" of volunteering - nothing.<br /><br />Find something you can give this week and pay it forward. Need an idea? Here are a few I've either done or have seen others do:</p><p><strong>1. Provide a Free Meal</strong></p><p>Chief Viewzer (CEO) of <a href="http://viewzi.com/">Viewzi</a> Brandon Cotter provides his team lunch every Friday. He even invites others he knows in the community to join him at these home cooked meals.</p><p><strong>2. Find an Organization to Give Your Time</strong></p><p>Find a group, homeless shelter, boys and girls club, anything else that you are doing <em>just to give back</em>, not to get somewhere else in society.</p><p><strong>3. Find a Group to Donate Money To</strong></p><p>Even though most organizations need people's time to help them accomplish their mission, many are in need of additional funds. $25 can go a long way. Google on something in society you wish was better and you will probably find an organization already trying to do so. Give to them.</p><p><strong>4. Bring Someone at the Office Flowers</strong></p><p>It will brighten their day.</p><p><strong>5. Do You Really Need That?</strong></p><p>Have books, clothing or other household goods collecting dust? Donate it now.</p><p>We all get stuck in a rut to show up at work and run family errands. Do something for yourself by giving relentlessly to someone else.</p><p>But remember, those you help have to now help 3 other people versus paying you back. </p>chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-89359741799450173502008-06-17T16:19:00.001-05:002008-06-17T16:19:01.683-05:00DisappointmentNo matter how much a situation just ticked you off, don't try to get revenge.<br /><br />No matter how upset you got over not being selected for something, shrug it off and find a bigger and better project to be involved in.<br /><br />If there is an issue that is frustrating you, but you know you can do something about it, then go do something about it.<br /><br />Every day we each face something that disappoints us. Those that can roll with the punches, stay positive and see the silver lining in these occurances will be leaps and bounds ahead of the naysayers.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-887364445628638032008-06-16T16:03:00.002-05:002008-06-16T16:03:01.129-05:00What Makes You Want to Take Charge?Some who have a "desire to lead" have this desire due to having a greed of wanting more in life. If that is what you want, is "leading" the way to get you more?<br /><br />Others have a "desire to lead" to make change, solve a problem.<br /><br />So what causes you to get to a point where you are tired of following someone else to solve the problem and want to take the helm?<br /><br />Here are some things to think about the next time you are approached to take the "lead" on something new:<br /><br />1. Are you skilled to solve the problem at hand?<br /><br />2. Are you interested in the problem enough where you would do the work unpaid?<br /><br />3. Do you "gel" with the people you would be working with and leading?<br /><br />4. Do you have a vision to get from today to tomorrow?<br /><br /><br />What makes you want to take a lead on something? Drop me a comment!chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-27475545740921267442008-06-15T18:35:00.003-05:002008-09-01T09:21:48.075-05:00The BluebirdIt's Friday afternoon, 4:30 PM.<br /><br />Yup, you guessed it. A whole new file to process comes in and your boss tells you it is due before you leave today. You know processing will take over an hour and you are in a hurry to get to your son's Friday Lights football game.<br /><br />What do you do?<br /><br />1. First, set an environment with your boss when you begin to work with him or her on your normal work hours. If there are days where you need to leave early let him know at the beginning of the day.<br /><br />2. Ask your boss, or who ever gave you the file, why it is needed so fast. Will it really be a problem to get to it first thing Monday AM?<br /><br />3. Is there someone else who could complete the work, especially someone in a different timezone who still has a few more hours in their day?<br /><br />4. As a last resort, refuse with explanation and let your boss be aware of the situation. Why? You don't want to get into a habit of being a "sucker" for last minute work as this will not be the last. Set your parameters now for people to respect you later.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-43306613125085248402008-06-14T20:04:00.003-05:002008-06-14T20:23:54.886-05:00Gettin PhysicalIn preparing to deliver one of your most impactful speeches you need to remember not just what you are saying, but also, the <strong><em>physical</em></strong> parts to the speech. What do I mean by <strong><em>physical</em></strong>? Movement - hand gestures, walking around the stage, eye contact and anything else you do with your body.<br /><br />Sometimes you can have too much, or, too little physical items built into your speech. Here are some tips:<br /><br />1. Only walk to a different part on stage when you are changing gears/topics.<br /><br />2. Use hand gestures that add to the conversation and help you make a point, versus distract from what you are saying.<br /><br />3. Even though you may want to look "above" the audience, make it a point to make eye contact with different audience members throughout the conversation.<br /><br />Remember to build in these aspects to your speech so they are rehersed.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-89946856798704717942008-06-08T09:20:00.003-05:002008-06-08T09:31:55.086-05:00Meetings That MatterDo you often feel like you just lost an hour of your life when you enter a meeting that doesn't serve a purpose, bring an item to closure or help make progress for you or your organization?<br /><br />What if you held a meeting like that, would people want to come to more of your meetings?<br /><br />Here are some tips in getting through organizing what could not just be a tough meeting, but a tough meeting that could get you somewhere within your organization.<br /><br /><strong>1. Publish an agenda</strong><br />This includes purpose of meeting, goals and objectives. Make sure there are tangible things coming out of the meeting.<br /><br /><strong>2. Take notes</strong><br />Capture conversation, outstanding open items and action items. Determine when you are going to meet again and potential topics for the next meeting.<br /><br /><strong>3. Know when to cut off conversation</strong><br />Topics could get heated and dominate the conversation. Know when to "take something offline" so that you do not keep people beyond the time you set for the meeting.<br /><br /><strong>4. Don't let a meeting run over</strong><br />Stay to the schedule you proposed.<br /><br /><strong>5. Recap action items/next steps before closing the meeting</strong><br />Make sure everyone knows what is next.<br /><br />Even though we think everyone knows how to properly organize and run a meeting, we don't.<br /><br />Remember, only organize a meeting to make progress, not give status reports.chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-33690166821532727442008-06-07T13:53:00.003-05:002008-06-07T14:40:53.084-05:00Calm LeadershipWhat type of leader attracts you more to follow:<br /><ol><li>The "in your face", bold, brash, reactive, the "sky is always falling leader", or</li><li>The cool, calm and collected leader who takes everything in stride?</li></ol><p>A few of us reflected on this topic the other night as we replayed the "Clinton versus Obama" campaigns of weeks past, as we saw the more calm Obama keep a collected course through the elections. I think it is fairly obvious which side of the spectrum each presidential candidate leans (ok, maybe Hillary is somewhere in between, but I think you get the point).</p><p>Why are we attracted to calm leaders, and why more often then not female leaders in particular aren't as "cool, calm and collected" as their male counterparts? Is there something inherent to our chemical makeup or did we miss some sort of training along the way?</p><p><strong>Our Attraction to the Calm?</strong></p><p>Think about it - would you rather be led by someone who can hold their composure in tough situations or blow their top off? </p><p><strong>Why Different?</strong></p><p>This is due to nature at work - men and women have different chemicals and parts of the brain triggered in tough situations that come up as a leader.</p><p>So if you find you are more of an "on fire" passionate leader pushing the envelope maybe a bit too much, how do you go about calming your presence when your body wants to react differently? Here are some <strong><em>tips in calming your approach to leading</em></strong>:</p><ol><li><strong>Smile</strong> - Be Happy and Positive</li><li><strong>Count to 10 </strong>- Calm Down Before Doing, or Saying, Anything</li><li><strong>Think Before Reacting </strong>- Be Strategic Before Making a Tactical Move</li><li><strong>Don't Jump to Conclusions</strong> - What Does <em>Ass</em><strong>u</strong>me Do?</li><li><strong>Keep the Fire Inside</strong> - Put That Energy Towards Your Next Project</li><li><strong>Have a Coach/Mentor to Bounce Approaches/Ideas</strong> - They've Been There</li><li><strong>Align Your Actions with Your Values</strong> - Consistency Re-enforces Your Leadership Message</li></ol><p>No matter how well our intentions may be, peers and followers around us may not be ready for an "in your face" type of leader, at least, not today.</p><p></p>chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-77734125442780176882008-06-03T21:36:00.005-05:002008-06-04T08:52:22.734-05:00The Art, and Science, of the JockeyAs the democratic primaries come to a close, and a fun day of ensuring my team's hard work and thought leadership doesn't get stolen by others, I thought it was time to post on...<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">The <em>Art</em>, and Science, of the <strong>Jockey</strong></div><br />No I'm not talking about becoming a sports athlete, but a business athlete.<br /><br />What can help you stand out as a great business jockey of all time, versus just being one of the pack? Here are 10 tips to help you win at office politics.<br /><br /><em><strong>The Art</strong></em><br /><strong>1. Build Connections</strong><br />You never know when someone in your company you meet can help position you and/or your team for great things. Or, you help them.<br /><br /><strong>2. Establish Trust via Delivery</strong><br />Harvest references.<br /><br /><strong>3. Position "The Other" to Be Part of the Solution</strong><br />Don't squash the other guy, instead, take the lead on collaborating with the other.<br /><br /><strong>4. Determine Your Allies and Enemies</strong><br />Nurture the Allies. Try to make the enemies your friends even if it hurts.<br /><br /><strong>5. Guess the Counter Play from "The Other"</strong><br />Good athletes compete. Great athletes second guess the upcoming moves of "The Other" to stay ahead.<br /><br /><br /><em><strong>The Science</strong></em><br /><strong>6. Know Your Team's/Business Unit's Statistics</strong><br />How has your business grown over the last year? What are you tactically doing to continue to grow?<br /><br /><strong>7. Tout What Your Team Does</strong><br />If you have truely done something before you say you have, prove it.<br /><br /><strong>8. Calculate Your Next Move</strong><br />How will you ensure your team stays ahead? What's the plan to stay the course?<br /><br /><strong>9. Stay In Shape by Creating New Opportunities</strong><br />Or what is known as "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591396190/bookstorenow57-20">blue ocean </a>strategies".<br /><br /><strong>10. Don't Over Do It</strong><br />You need to rest and jockey in moderation, otherwise you'll burn out and lose the art and science of it all.<br /><br />Are you ready to play?chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-59863667859637130982008-06-02T00:04:00.007-05:002008-06-02T00:49:28.079-05:00Do You Nurture Or Throw Into the Fire - Or Do You Even Know?<a href="http://www.amgmedia.com/freephotos/fire2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.freefoto.com/images/11/27/11_27_4---Coal-Fire_web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>After chatting with one of my managers from a long week of trying to determine how we are going to staff all the work we have to accomplish this summer (which is a wonderful problem to have!), we embarked on a great conversation about "nurturing" new hires versus the proverbial "throw 'em into the fire".<br /><br />If you are a manager, or an independant entrepreneur getting ready to hire contract workers, do you realize and know how you bring up to speed new people working for you?<br /><br /><strong>Nurturers:<br /></strong></div><ul><li>Give new hires a plan from day one</li><br /><li>Meet with new hires regularly to ensure questions and needs are met</li><br /><li>Provide clear goals and objectives</li></ul><br /><div><strong>Fire Throwers:<br /></strong></div><ul><li>Provide a few recommendations on how to get started</li><br /><li>Expect a new hire to come to them when needing help</li><br /><li>Has the new hire create their own plan and objectives</li></ul><div>So are you more of a nurturer or fire thrower? Even if you are one versuses the other, there's a trick - it's<em> <strong>not how</strong> <strong>you want</strong> to bring someone up to speed</em>, but more so about <em><strong>how your</strong> <strong>new hire needs</strong> to be brought into your team's culture</em>.<br /><br />For example, more junior resources need to be nurtured where more senior can be let loose. Or, you have a particular project at hand you know how it needs to get done versus a new opportunity looking for someone new to look at tackling it from a different perspective.<br /><br />It's important as you grow your team, and your self as a manager, that you learn how to manage and cultivate a diverse team of talent and experience, where you are capable of <strong><em>sensing</em></strong> which type of ramp up you need to deliver and then knowing <strong><em>how to deliver</em></strong> each method.<br /><br />So when you look to bring on a new person remember to </div><ol><li>Recognize what you need to have accomplished in the first 3-12 months</li><br /><li>Understand the strengths and experiences of the new hire to tailor your ramp up style to him or her</li></ol>chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-18355199540861607262008-06-01T10:24:00.002-05:002008-06-01T10:48:10.814-05:00Did Gaming Nurture My Leadership Style?Though I'm not a millennial and did not grow up on <a href="http://www.mmorpg.com/">MMORPG</a>s (Massive Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games), I did however grow up on Atari, Nintendo and other gaming devices. As an only child and independent learner, these devices kept me entertained for hours on end, and out of trouble.<br /><ul><li>Did gaming help me hone my strategic skills?</li><li>Did gaming teach me how to be responsive, faster?</li></ul>A few <a href="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp?ml_subscriber=false&_requestid=99040&value=R0805C&referer=/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp&reason=unknown&productId=R0805C&ml_action=get-executive-summary&articleID=R0805C&ml_issuei">business professors</a> recently studied this and began to forecast how the future business world may be more like a MMORG due to the environment being more dynamic and game like, requiring tomorrow's leaders to<br /><ul><li>Have speed</li><li>Be risk takers</li><li><em>Accept leadership roles as temporary</em></li></ul>I found the last comment interesting. It means title will no longer entitle you to always take the lead, or not take the lead. It means peers/employees of the company select who will be a leader for a project or initiative, but it's not permenant and others will have a chance to lead as well.<br /><br />I believe that is already happening in many companies - for example where I am we have different types of governance and advisory councils for different types of projects and peers/others select "who" will take the lead either till the next year or when that project comes to completion.<br /><br />This made me ponder on if we are just trying to morph corporate america into a world millennials could live in. What do you think? <br /><ul><li>Should we be educating more junior colleagues on the ins and outs of the "corporate game" to help achieve what one wants to do and/or accomplish while in a career for one company? </li><li>Is the "game" a new, more modern, acceptable term for what we know as today for "politics".</li></ul>Now if only Zelda or Mario could lead corporate america...chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-17106868444582602862008-05-31T12:28:00.003-05:002008-05-31T12:51:29.559-05:00Do Your Employees Know What is Expected of Them?As a new manager, or someone jumping into a new role with direct reports, do those that now work for you know<br /><ul><li>What to deliver to you to keep you up to date on what they are doing?</li><li>When and how to raise issues to you?</li><li>What they are measured on for performance feedback/raises/promotions?</li></ul>Even if you have been leading your team for a long time, would each one of them be able to tell you that they know exactly what you expect of them? Probably not, and unfortunately, this is fairly common in business for a number of reasons, including:<br /><ul><li>There is too much to do and you don't carve out time to set appropriate expectations</li><li>The business goals or their role has changed, but expectations have not</li><li>There aren't clear expectations at your level or higher that you can map back to your organization</li><li>Annual performance reviews aren't the norm</li></ul>To ensure your team is norming and performing in a direction you need to take them, setting expectations is key to getting the job done. Here are some tips to ensure you set clear, measurable expectations to make progress, versus, expectations to check off the to do list.<br /><br /><strong>1. Have Report Take First Stab at Documenting Expectations</strong><br />Let your team be in control of their destiny, and help you understand where your team is coming from, before laying down the goals you expect.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>2. Map Corporate, Business Unit and Your Expectations to Your Reports</strong><br />How do you plan to meet your expectations if your reports aren't in some form of alignment to help you meet your goals? Areas typically mapped include<br /><ul><li>Quality</li><li>Revenue/Amount Produced</li><li>Cost Control</li><li>Responsiveness</li></ul><strong>3. What Are Your Reports Expecting of You?</strong><br />Make sure you know what they expect of you in case you need to change anything you do or convince them of something different.<br /><br /><strong>4. Behaviour</strong><br />Related to responsiveness, set expectations on returning emails and phone calls, being at meetings, and ettiquette on things like email.<br /><br /><strong>5. Review Often</strong><br />Sometimes once a year isn't enough if you are noticing issues early in the year. Have informal reviews when needed and "tweak" - expectations though a solid foundation for measuring a person's performance, can be modified through the year.<br /><br /><strong>6. Set the Example</strong><br />Do what you expect of your team. Otherwise you'll be the "pot calling the kettle black".chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4161516562031089457.post-38607202421210751702008-05-27T08:05:00.004-05:002008-09-01T09:21:00.009-05:00Surround Yourself with ConnectorsNo not technology, silly!<br /><br />People who like to help connect others.<br /><br />When was the last time someone at a networking event or meeting offered to connect you with someone?<br /><br /><em>When was the last time <strong>YOU</strong> offered to connect someone?</em><br /><br />Find groups and venues where connectors thrive!chambronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255766292166950686noreply@blogger.com0