U2, Recruiting, & Social Media 301

For my new friends from Social Media 301, welcome! If I didn’t get a chance to meet you in person yesterday I hope to have the pleasure at a future event.

You can read more about me elsewhere but the short of it is I am a headhunter and a motivational speaker. I am a recruiter who helps companies find the right people for their teams and then I help those teams get along with each other. One of the topics I talk about is the Four Generations in the Workplace and I had a brainstorm yesterday while sitting at SM301 contemplating the U2 concert on Saturday.

I was very sad when the U2 concert for Seattle was cancelled last year. When the new concert date was scheduled for June 4, 2011, I somehow missed it and didn’t put it on my calendar even though my old tickets would be honored.  Earlier this week, one of my staff members shared her excitement to be attending the concert this weekend and I suddenly remembered that I have four tickets myself! However, on Friday I still had no plans for the tickets. Doh!

I am a proud member of Generation X. I was inspired by the great content at SM301 and an idea was hatched as I sat at my table. What if I invite a Traditionalist, a Baby Boomer, and a Millennial to join me at the concert and make it a multi-generational event? We could create, #U2Sea4Gens, and enjoy the different generational perspectives on the concert. We could have a good time and I would have more material for future talks on the Four Generations.

And that, my friends, is how the following SM301 attendees were selected to join me for the concert today…

Linda Aaron, @skynnard, Traditionalist

Mike Whitmore, @mikewhitmore, Baby Boomer

Todd Martini, @tmartini, Baby Boomer

Mirriam Kelly, @littleslav, Millennial

Emily Bratkovich, @emilybratkovich, Millennial

You notice that we have more than the original four. That’s because two of the people got to me AFTER I gave away the original four tickets and I was so touched by their stories and desire to attend that I jumped on Craig’s List and was able to pick up two more tickets. The more the merrier!

And there you have it. A modest social media event was hatched in the midst of SM301 yesterday. Please feel free to tweet on #U2Sea4Gens if you are at the concert tonight. And if you would like to join us for an early dinner before the concert we are meeting at 4:30pm at Elysian Fields Pub.

Thanks everyone! I had a great time at SM301 yesterday and enjoyed meeting many of you. I hope to meet more of you soon. Have a great weekend and follow us tonight for U2 concert updates! 

Are they embraced or ignored…

One of the biggest challenges and issues most managers face when a new employee (permanent or temporary) comes on board is how to make them feel welcomed into the group. I was thinking about this the other day when talking to a new client and it reminded me of a story that I thought you might enjoy.

There was a kid in the crowd when I was in Wisconsin on a trip and I could tell that he had to be new to the school. He was sitting a bit off from the crowd, wasn’t being included and while other kids were talking and having fun, he was smiling but not engaging. Sound familiar? This is what I hear and see from many managers when a new employee comes on board. Seeing this, I decided to single him out and bring him up on stage with me – we were going to do Yo-Yo tricks together.

So there we were – me and the new kid in town. I started to do some tricks and talk about how important it is for kids to look at themselves and see all the many things they were good at and could offer to others. Then I brought Joey into the picture and in a few short minutes, taught him how to do a few basic tricks and you could immediately see his confidence rise and the audience get excited. Before long, everyone was applauding him and joking and unbeknownst to them, they were accepting him into the group. When the tricks were done, they asked him to come sit in the middle of them – he was now accepted.

Is this any different than in a business setting? I don’t think so. If a manager creates an opportunity for the new person to join them and participate in some activity early on where they can shine and show more of who they are and that they know what they are doing, their ability to be accepted into the group grows rapidly and dramatically. Take the time in the beginning to do this and you will see that just like the Yo-Yo tricks, people will accept and engage and eliminate a big headache for management.

Three Steps to My Turning Point with Social Media

As I reflect on where I am at with social media I think about Experience, Engagement, and Decision; the three steps I followed to find help and the same steps your prospects use to find you everyday. About a year ago I began to realize I did not want to be left behind the social media juggernaut but I didn't know who to trust or how to engage. Maybe that is where you are at today?

I was attending a CEO breakfast put on by my friend, John Hartman, who runs the CEOtoCEO Breakfast series. The speaker was, Blaine Millett, representing his company WOM10. He talked about social media from the perspective of strategy and not just a training session in the web tools. I was intrigued and decided to engage. I stepped out of the anonymous crowd, took his card, and called to set up an appointment. My choice to participate was based on the positive experience at the breakfast and that first coffee meeting led to a couple more meetings which led to trusting Blaine to help craft a social media plan for myself.

Experience, Engagement, Decision.  Those are the steps that led me to a trusted advisor in social media. Those are the steps your prospects will go though to find you. Having the right people on your team who understand your heart and vision are crucial because they are the only ones who will create the experiences that will lead people to engage with your organization and make a decision to trust you with their business. 

When the Speaker Doesn't Show Up

I was at a seminar with about 25 business leaders waiting for the speaker to show up. Five minutes after the start time there was still no speaker. The facilitator went to call the person and asked me if I could do some filler time. I had a yo-yo with me and did some tricks and talked with the attendees. It was well received by the listeners and the facilitator was my new best friend. 

Are you ready to seize the moment – are you ready for when these things happen? Some of the best opportunities you will ever receive as a manager/leader come at inopportune moments. This is an all too common issue and those that can rise to the occasion are the ones everyone remembers and are attracted to. How well are you acquainted with the talents you bring to the table? What is your "yo-yo" in hand and are you ready to offer it?

Everyone has a talent to use in order to seize the moment and make the show go on.  This is a talent most managers have but rarely utilize.  Be prepared to seize the moment and turn something into a positive, rewarding, and memorable session, even in the face of disaster.

The speaker showed up and stood in the back an additional five minutes enjoying the impromptu yo-yo magic. Judging by the look on his face he hated having to follow me. Two of the executives in the audience came up to me afterwards and shared opportunities to collaborate. Always be ready to step up when the speaker does not show up.

Trust the Experts...

While we all have a breadth of knowledge, we also have to learn how to sit back and let the “experts do their thing”.  I was really made aware of this while on the “Yo-Yo circuit” and did countless shows to thousands of youngsters.  When I arranged for the show, many people wanted to “rearrange” the program to what they “thought” would deliver a better show for their students.  Rarely was this the case – much like it is when I talk to business owners and executives about bringing on temporary staffing.

This reminds me of a very typical experience I would have when I was doing a Yo-Yo show at a school.  The administrators, principal and others would give me what they “thought” was going to be the best situation for the show.  “We want you to do this show outside in the courtyard instead of indoors”, they would tell me.  I knew better.  Doing it outside was full of distractions, poor acoustics, bad lighting (too much glare) and a host of other issues.  Eventually I would just as them to “trust me on this one” and let me do what I know how to do best to deliver a great show.  It always worked out to be a great show for them and they thanked me for taking charge.

I relate this story as it is almost a direct parallel to what I see in the staffing business.  Every manager has hired temporary people, “on boarded” them, directed their efforts, etc.  Yet, without question, they don’t do it generally as often as I do it – meaning I do it every day and they do it occasionally.  As such, many of the ideas they have, while not bad ideas, they just aren’t the best way to handle the situation.  I do this hundreds of times a year and they might do it several in a year. 

Like with my Yo-Yo shows, I tell them to “trust me” on this because I am the “expert” in this situation – mainly from lots of experience.  When I have built a trusted relationship, this works fabulously well.  When I am just beginning to work with someone, they are skeptical – mainly because they have been burned by someone who really wasn’t the expert.  My recommendation – find someone in the staffing area (or any business area you need help with) and create a trusted relationship.  When you do, just like the administrators, kids and parents found out, the “show” will turn out GREAT! 

This is why my focus in everything with my clients is “making hiring a non-issue so you can do what you do best”.  Find the “expert” and let them work their “magic” – it is truly magical…

Generations in the Workforce is One of Five Hot Topics for PSBJ Event

I was recently invited to speak at a trade expo and the topic requested was the four generations in the workplace.

Of the numerous speakers the expo team had to decide upon to fill the limited speaking slots for the day, I am not surprised the generations topic was chosen. I wish I could say the topic was selected because I am known as such a dynamic speaker but there were other reasons. The truth is, companies are looking for answers to deal with the unprecedented reality in America today about how to address the issue of having four generations working side by side in the workforce. Talk about a powder keg and the potential for conflict and misunderstanding!

In future posts I plan to talk about this topic in greater detail to hopefully equip you with some tools to help navigate the potential pitfalls when dealing with these four generations.  I also plan to give you some tips and techniques from other experts as well to help you see there is a great opportunity to improve team morale and productivity by talking about this issue with your team. More on this to come in the near future...

Just to help set the stage for what the four generations include, there are The Traditionalists, born between 1922-1945, The Baby Boomers, born between 1946-1964, Generation X, born between 1965-1980, and The Millennials, born between 1981-2000. What do you know about them? Stay tuned and we'll share some interesting insights and stories that should help eliminate many of the stresses management faces when dealing with a combination of the four generations.

I Have Bad News. Your New Hire Doesn’t Know Jack!

Your new hire has all the enthusiasm in the world but very little know how on the job. Anyone ever experience this gut wrenching feeling?  If you have you’re not alone.

It’s 7:00am and you get to work early and realize Jack starts today.  You quickly get your day started knowing this is going to be a major, yet necessary distraction to your day.  You’re working fast and furious when your phone rings, Jack has arrived.  You bring him into the office and start the process of showing him the basics – where the bathrooms are and where the coffee/lunch room is located.  As you walk him around, you dread the next 30 minutes, saying the same thing 20 times to all the people you will be introducing him to – what a pain.  You can’t wait to get him into his space and get back to what you are hired to do, lead the team and your people. 

But now that the excitement of the introductions and getting comfortable has worn off and you are now at a point where you need to get Jack to work, you just get hit in the gut.  You just spent an hour with him and realize Jack doesn’t know jack about what you do or how you do it.  This is when the real anxiety and stress kicks in and now you need a plan of how you are going to get him up to speed and get him productive as possible – not just for his sake but for your sake as well so you can get back to doing what you need to do.  Without a plan and without a process, this can be one of the most painful times for a leader and manager. 

The excitement will burn out quickly and be lost if you don’t implement a clear management strategy to ensure your employee learns the job quickly and develops the necessary skills to deliver your product. Many managers mistakenly interpret enthusiasm for competence and the two couldn’t be more different. It is your job to be a good steward of their beginner’s enthusiasm by telling them exactly what to do again and again and again. Model it for them. Show them what a good job looks like. Share examples. Take on a directive style of leadership for this situation and your new employee will interpret it as safe structure and guidance. This is the stage to micromanage for a season…. with the intent to make your employee self-sufficient.  But if you approach this with a process and a plan, this can help eliminate one of the biggest pains in your neck as a manager.

As a leader it is important to understand the difference between enthusiasm and competence in your employees. For further information see Ken Blanchard's outstanding book, Self Leadership & the One Minute Manager.