Are You Easy to Work With?

Please let me buy your product or service? How often do you hear clients saying THAT?

Sounds ridiculous don't you think? BUT ... it appears that this must be more common than you would think. Let me tell you a couple of stories:

Story #1. Most months for probably two years now, I get a call from a sales person who works for a software company. He is very persistent without being obnoxious and he keeps in touch with the hope that some day we may go from "prospect" to "customer". I don't actually talk to him every month, in fact its probably more like every three months that either he catches me live or I call him back.

So ... he called yesterday, I called back today.

Here is how the call went ...
"This is XYZ company, how can I help you?"
" Hi ... can I speak to Joe Blow please?"
"Can I get your name and company?"
"No."
"Mr. Blow likes to screen his calls"
" Mr. Blow is a sales guy ... doesn't he want to talk with potential customers?"
"Mr. Blow likes to screen his calls"
"OK I guess I'll pass thanks." And I hung up.

Perhaps I was being unreasonable ... or perhaps my expectation was that a salesperson should WANT to talk with people who are calling him.

"Please Joe can I buy from you?"

Story #2. Our company wanted to do a technology upgrade, it meant buying probably 80 or so desktops and a few notebooks. Our tech team identified a shortlist of potential suppliers and we wanted pricing from them to be able to make our final decision.

We got our pricing from two of three but we know a lot of people at the third company (a large company) and wanted to give them a shot at the business.

We phoned our contacts and they "opened doors" ... but the "doors" led to voicemail and email, that was never returned! We tried going direct through their "sales channel" ... no response.

It went on for a couple of weeks and it was last ditch pushing and a whole lot of effort that eventually found the right person who actually wanted to give us pricing. It should NOT be that hard! We shouldn't be begging to buy their "stuff".

• You can have the best product;
• You can have the best service;
• You can have responsive salespeople;
• You can have competitive pricing;
• You can be the biggest, the best, the nicest ... BUT

IF YOU ARE HARD TO DEAL WITH, YOU WILL LOSE BUSINESS!!!

The Entrepreneur Within!

I always enjoy spending time with people who own their own businesses, people who started them and went through the tough times to make them successful. I enjoy spending time with the people who battle through adversity to get success. I enjoy time with people who are trying to figure out how to get to the next level, people who are struggling with their challenges right now … but are determined to “get there".

As a new contact coined it … people who “fight for the inches”.

Entrepreneurs are not always the easiest people to get along with. They are driven, they can be single minded which doesn’t necessarily make them “sensitive” and they can be pushy … but I do enjoy them! What I enjoy is their energy, passion and drive. They believe in what they are doing and they are driven to “make it happen”.

We are not ALL entrepreneurs … in fact I think entrepreneurs are a relatively rare breed. However we can all learn a little from these people … especially when it comes to making things happen.

I recently received my regular newsletter from Kit Grant … another driven individual who always gets his audiences galvanized and encourages them to action. His latest newsletter suggest that we NOT be patient, in fact that we “do some pushing” … just like those entrepreneurs.

Here is Kit’s newsletter …

"The door of opportunity will not open unless you do some pushing."

Have you ever heard people say ... "Just be patient, things will probably get better."? Well that might be nice advice if you have forever as your target date for reaching your goals. If not, then you consistently have to be pushing, or at least looking around the edge, of those doors of opportunity. Thousands of great possibilities present themselves every day and most people miss out. They either believe that nothing good will ever happen to them or that it would require too much effort to make a move towards success. Ever wonder why so many people don't come lose to their potential? It's certainly not lack of opportunity. The biggest roadblock you'll ever have to overcome is the person you see in the mirror. Go on ... NOW ... push on some doors. You deserve it.

If you really want something, and you should, then make it happen! People will always be quick to tell you why you “can’t do it”, why “it won’t work” or just that “you are nuts”. So ignore them, get a little “fire in the belly”, “don’t be patient”, push to get what you want and just maybe you’ll uncover that Entrepreneurial spirit within!

Get Organised ... To Maximise Your Potential

I thought I would stick with the theme of personal productivity and share some thinking from David Allen, creator of GTD (Getting Things Done). This article is from a recent newsletter of his, and I recommend that you subscribe.

David tells us that "getting organised" is not. in itself, going to make us successful but it will "clear the decks" so that we are actually able to apply knowledge in a meaningful way.

He makes sense, as usual ... I often attribute good time management practices as being a big part of any success I have had, but it alone doesn't get you there!

Of course if you don't manage your time you make your life that much more difficult.

DAVID'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Success doesn't come from getting organized

Let's get something really clear: success doesn't come from getting organized—it comes from following your heart. Or your intuition. Or the seat of your pants. Or your gut. (Pick the words you like or that you're not allergic to.)

Getting organized (a la GTD) won't in itself solve the bigger issues and creative challenges that we all face from time to time. What it will do is help clear the decks internally, and create a more open space within which to do the real knowledge work—making the decisions about allocation of resources to make things happen that won't happen by themselves. (It also gives the skills and tools to ensure that things actually happen once we've decided to do them.)

I was reminded of all this as I just finished working with a client. He is a CEO with lots of responsibility to a family company board, a deep company and family tradition and desire to maintain it, high standards, and quite a moving target for a market and product line definition.

His pain was his perception of "stuck-ness" in some of the bigger projects that he thought he should be clarifying and moving on. He was laboring under the self-judgement that he should be doing more than he was doing. In truth, he was doing exactly what he should be doing—rehearsing various scenarios and exploring all the ins and outs of each one, generating internal information and perspectives until critical mass is reached and the hunch factor will take over.

Many projects are waiting on more data to make the next level of decision, or waiting on others to deliver their delegated pieces. As long as the action steps about getting that data and the "waiting for's" are clarified, recorded, and tracked, the executive work is (and rightly so) the inner conversation you will have with yourself about the best choice about what to do.

Clearing up the static is an important and often necessary factor. But tuning your station and listening are the critical elements to success.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

-Winston Churchill

Too Busy to Help Yourself? Think About It!!!

Every now and then I write about “time management” or “personal productivity” related topics … and this topic is a classic!

Follow the link here if you want to see some of the blog entries that I have written on Personal Productivity … of course, only if you have time! Those reading this who see the irony in that statement have some hope. Those who don’t? Well let’s just say you are beyond hope!

I come across people ALL the time who are extremely busy, they are SO busy that they are metaphorically running from the minute they start their day until the minute they leave. I am as guilty of this as many. I run my own company and am very involved in a number of other industry and charity related activities, which keeps me very busy ... but NOT TOO busy to help myself!

So what is the point?

If you let your day drive you then inevitably you will be as busy as you want to be but you will NOT be as effective as you could be.

You MUST take control of your time.

I meet CEOs running companies with (a) serious problems; (b) potential huge opportunities; or (c) just other things they should be doing … but they are too busy to help themselves!

I meet salespeople who spend their days “doing stuff” … I don’t know what they are doing but they are in the office all day! How can you be meeting clients and winning business if you are in the office all day? They are too busy to help themselves!

I meet people who are new on the job and they are extremely busy, but they are just “doing their job” from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave … without applying any thought, like automatons. They are not learning and progressing … because they are too busy to help themselves.

I see companies in every sector that are doing things the same way they have always done them … because they are too busy to help themselves.

OK … HOW can YOU help yourself?

1. Understand what is important to your success … and MAKE time for THAT.
2. INVEST in yourself … MAKE time to LEARN and get better.
3. Recognise that the world is changing at an incredible pace … so you MUST change too!

Examples:

1. Sales people (one of my favorite subjects). Getting out in front of clients is CRITICAL to your success. If you are not having MORE meetings than your industry average then you are AVERAGE.

MAKE TIME every day to set up meetings into the future (the big rocks parable) … all the other work WILL get done around the meetings.

2. Business Owners. MAKE time to work ON your business rather than IN it. Get away from the office to THINK and PLAN; ask your staff for input; get a coach/mentor; join a peer group and go to the meetings! MAKE TIME to help yourself!

3. Everyone. Set aside some time to READ; to LEARN; take advantage of EVERY training opportunity that you can. THINK about what you do. Set aside some time to think about how YOU can be better at what you do. MAKE TIME to help yourself!

If you are too busy to help yourself then you are doing yourself AND your employer no favors! Take a little time and help yourself!

Happy St Jean Baptiste Day

Continuing with my theme of celebrating diversity and "spreading the word" about different holidays, and celebrations, that not everyone might be familiar with ... today I am talking about Saint Jean Baptiste Day.

I know that when I talk with people who are not that familiar with Canada, they often seem to know about some of the historical differences between the French and English Canadians. Yet the essential nature of Canada is its diverse cultures that have both, come together to create this great country, and yet also retained their independent customs.

Its pretty cool to visit different Canadian cities and experience these cultural differences ... and yet still all be Canadians. Montreal is very modern European in its feel and Quebec City has an old world feel to it ... as examples.

The people of Quebec join together on June 24th of each year to celebrate their Fete National (National holiday), Saint Jean Baptiste Day. This day is a public holiday in Quebec where post offices as well as most stores are closed. St. Jean Baptiste Day is celebrated with large public celebrations such as concerts, sports tournaments, parades and fireworks.

How did Saint Jean Baptiste Originate?

The event originated more than 2000 years ago, in pre-Christian Europe, as the pagan celebration of the summer solstice. It was originally held on the 21st, but with the arrival of Christianity, it transformed into Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, and moved to the 24th. The two events did have several things in common after all. Both celebrated the symbol of "light"; the sun of the summer solstice and Saint-Jean-Baptiste who opens the way for the light of Jesus-Christ. The ancients used to light a great bonfire on the evening of the 24th to honour the sun, a tradition that continued into the Middle Ages. Today, the holiday has lost its religious meaning but has kept its traditional name.

In 1834, Ludger Duvernay, a journalist of the time, visited the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Montreal. He was inspired to create a similar event for the French Canadians and in 1843 he established the Saint Jean Baptiste Society to promote the celebration of Saint Jean Baptiste. In 1925, the Québec legislature declared the 24th of June a national holiday.

Symbols

One of the symbols of Saint Jean Baptiste Day is the fleur-de-lis and in 1948 Québec adopted their current flag as seen above. On St. Jean Baptiste Day many people choose to wear blue and white clothing to the celebrations to commemorate their Fete National, Quebec's history, it's heros and it's people.

Present Day

At the end of the 70s, the Fête takes a political twist. Leaders of separatist parties join the festivities and the issue of Québec independence becomes central. More recently, after the 1995 referendum, the event adapts itself once more to the new realities of Québec. Members of Québec's many ethnic groups join the celebrations and the Saint-Jean parade is now a wonderful mix of Caribbean music, of Scottish bagpipes and of traditional Québécois melodies.

Just like so many times in the past, this millennia-old celebration has evolved just like the people who's unique identity it celebrates.

Dealing with the Negative Influencers (whiners)

I have written more than a few blog entries about attitude, about being positive and about the affect of negative people.

I think I must have been having a bad day back in March 2007 when I wrote about Miserable People ... but really I was just expressing opinions in my "out loud voice" instead of keeping them to myself! That's what blogs are about isn't it?

Even further back in July 2006 I wrote about Negative People and the affect they can have on your life ... and a few suggestions about what you might do.

Today I read one of my regular newsletters from Patricia Katz with some sage advice to managers about how to deal with these kinds of people in the workplace ... she refers to them as BMWs ... Bitchers, Whiners and Moaners (no offence to the venerable car company!)

The following is an excerpt from Patricia Katz's Pause Newsletter. You can subscribe to this weekly advice about how you might stay sane in this crazy world here ...

REFLECTION:

Nothing damages the morale of a workplace more than a collection of individuals whose response to every situation is to complain and criticize from the cozy confines of victimhood. "Isn't it awful? How dare they? What were they thinking? Someone should do something about this!"

A recent conference participant, in a session I was delivering on encouragement and appreciation in the workplace, described this group as her BMW's. Not the classic high priced automobile - but rather the folks who specialize in Bitching, Moaning, and Whining.

Her abbreviated description generated a considerable number of guffaws and knowing looks as other attendees nodded their heads in recognition. It seems the BMW problem is familiar to many. There might even be a few BMW's ripping up the streets in your world.

ACTION:

So what to do and how to handle them? Here is a four level response you might find useful.

1. Consider whether you might be an unintentional accomplice who encourages BMW behavior. Pay attention to how often you commiserate or provide a forum (a willing ear and shoulder) for tired old complaints.
2. Determine if there's a legitimate concern at the root of the BMW response. If there is, engage the individual in action that works to resolve the issue.
3. Notice if BMW behavior has simply become an habitual response. If that's the case, make the person aware of the situation. Try your hand at coaching a turn-around that steers the individual towards a more positive response.
4. Identify the business consequences and collateral damage to the team that flow from BMW negativity. Position the snide asides as the performance problems that they are. Lay out clear expectations for change and potential consequences if the BMW behavior continues.

Each of us has a right to our own thoughts - both negative and positive. We also have a choice about what we decide to express. That expression carries with it a responsibility for the impact of our words and actions. Make it clear that BMWs should be parked outside and are not welcome in your workplace.

PS - If the BMW's in your life are spewing a black cloud over your family or community group, similar rules of the road apply.

Challenging the Norms - Why host the G20 in Toronto?

Every now and then I like to look at different situations, ask why it is done that way (and often the answer is ... because that's the way it has always been !) ... and try to0 come up with different solutions.

So here I am a few days ahead of the G8 and G20 conferences and I'm working in downtown Toronto. I am told that there was a demonstration yesterday with some arrests ... and that was Monday. It is going to get worse.

The cost of hosting these events has been pegged at $1 billion or more and that does not include the cost to the hundreds of businesses that have been and will be impacted in productivity. It also doesn't incorporate the direct costs on those businesses who will have to shut entirely.

We live in a changing world ... 20 years ago it might have been economically beneficial to invite the world's leaders to your city, to showcase it and to let the world see what your country has to offer. In today's world the visit results in the city being locked down, the visitors do NOT experience the city or see what a great place Toronto is. What do they do see is security fences, heavily armed police and screaming demonstrators.

So why do we keep doing this?

How about this for an alternative?

• Take 25% of the budget and build a luxury resort on a major military air base (perhaps CFB Trenton here in Canada). Build it big enough to house all of the delegates and their entourage.
• They are already inside a secure area, but it can be beefed up with military help easily;
• It is an airbase so flights can land there directly;
• The location is away from major centres so minimal disruption to the public;
• The location is fairly remote so much easier to contain and manage the demonstrators, and less for them to damage.

Side benefits:

• The resort could be used again and again, so the investment is not lost. It could be made available for government conferences and other events requiring security or even generate some profit to cover its upkeep.
• Building the resort will generate employment ... could have been a "stimulus initiative".

Just saying ... eh!

Technology Progress, Change ... Opportunity?

I sometimes talk about the speed of change in the technology world ... it is one factor that drives the continuing demand for technology people, and will by implication be a continuing boon to the IT Staffing world. It is also one reason why more students need to be encouraged to follow technology careers!

I started to think about how technology has changed just in my world in the very recent past ... and came up with some interesting stuff.

The internet has been a huge change in all of our lives over the past 10 years or so. It has become the "backbone" network for so many businesses, that would have required their own network previously. It is a source of data that formerly we found in books, encyclopedias, indexes and libraries. It has spawned many businesses and its communication abilities particularly in a web 2.0 world have been absolutely transformational ... who would have envisioned keeping in touch with family around the world through Facebook or spreading news through Twitter 10 years ago?

I recently got a netbook and it is quickly replacing my Sony laptop ... which cost roughly 10 times the price. It can't do everything the Sony can, but it handles 90% of my requirements for 10% of the price!

I just got a "Rocket stick" ... plug it into my netbook and instant connectivity anywhere! I don't need wireless networks or even to be in a city ... I can be sat at the side of a highway (or on a cottage deck) and still be online!

I have an iphone ... I have instant information at my fingertips! I can post pictures to Facebook "on location"; I can check sports scores anytime; I can get news "real time"; check stocks; check out youtube videos; store all my contacts; manage my calendar and get my email ... oh and its a phone too. we talked about the "convergence" of technology for years ... what comes next?

There are incredible strides in techology and the application of technology being made every day. I have only talked about changes in technology, but great strides are being made in medicine, in bio-technology and other sciences. It is an exciting time ... it would be a GREAT time to be entering the workforce there is so much opportunity.

It would be interesting to hear how technology has changed your life in the recent past!

Canadian Job Market - Mini update May/June 2010

General Observations:

I think that the Canadian Staffing Index produced by ACSESS is a great indicator of what is actually happening in Canada’s employment sector. Since the start of a recovery that can be traced back to March 2009 we have seen a trend upwards in job creation and economic activity. However that recovery is not a straight line upwards, and nor is it a steep growth. Rather we have seen stops and starts, increases and decreases along the way … all indicative of a long slow, cautious recovery.

In May, Canada added another 25,000 jobs following the record 108,000 new jobs reported the previous month. However volatility in the markets saw fluctuations up and down that for instance resulted in the TSX dropping month over month. The banks have been reporting good results which should be good for the Canadian economy however the Ontario Government will be implementing HST effective July 1st which will cost the banks an extra 8% for all services it receives … including staffing! So we may see up to a 8% reduction is spending on services to offset these increased costs. HST will also affect the housing market as it applies to new homes, plus its introduction has influenced the timing of capital investment decisions, with companies waiting until after July 1st in order to take advantage of tax credits.

At the beginning of June Mark Carney announced an increase in Canada’s Interest Rate to .5% resulting in prime moving up to 2.5%. Not an unexpected increase but the first G8 country to do so. This will increase the cost of borrowing, increase the costs of mortgages and together with Ontario’s HST on new homes will cause some negative pressure on the economy.

More Specifically:

Anecdotal evidence amongst my staffing peers would suggest that the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is definitely still the most active market across Canada. More and more we are seeing the most skilled resources getting multiple job offers, clients missing new hires due to a slow hiring process and a more bullish attitude by job seekers. The financial sector and in particular the banks are very busy, the telcos are also very busy. The Ontario provincial government is fairly steady, with a reported pent up demand working through the process and the System integrators appear to be winning more business and therefore in need of resources. There is a healthy demand for both full-time and contract resources within all of those areas. The impending introduction of the HST will have an impact on the financial sector as they will not be eligible for rebates, so we may see a sharp reaction in July as the increased cost of all services comes to fruition.

Western Canada’s markets are recovering, but like most places it’s a very cautious “two steps forward, one step back” kind of process. Calgary is the hottest Western market but May was a little slow however early signs for June are promising. Edmonton is probably the second most active market but as a government town has been impacted by the various government deficits, so demand is spotty. Vancouver appears to suffering a little from a “post Olympics hangover” so spending in BC has not returned to pre-recession levels yet either. Overall the recovery is well under way, the “in demand” resources are getting very scarce and we are seeing the demand curve start to switch to a job seekers market, from the employers market we have had for the last 18 months or so.

In Eagle’s Eastern Canada region Montreal has continued to be a fairly strong market and here too we are seeing a shortage of the most in demand candidates. Like the GTA it is the financial sector, telcos and system integrators that have the biggest demand and here they will not be affected by the HST issue that will hit Ontario. Perhaps we will see work move from Toronto to Montreal … at least until the planned Quebec tax increases in the New Year? In the National Capital Region I would have expected Federal Government demand to increase significantly through May but that has not happened. Procurement concerns and the deficit appear to be stalling any increase in demand. IT firms are pointing to the Auditor General’s report and the Clerk of the Privy Council’s report, both of which call for technology investment, but the wheels of government are proving to move slowly.

The following are some facts/indicators we are watching as of time of writing:

> The price of oil is still around $77 a barrel, basically unchanged from last month … our experience with the activity in Calgary would suggest the oil sector is picking up!
> Natural Gas prices have been trending up which is more good news for the oil and gas sector in Western Canada.
> The markets have been pretty volatile of late and while the Canadian economy has done better than most the recovery is cautious. The TSX is down a little from last month at 11,937 today but that’s still a pretty healthy level.
> The Canadian dollar continues to be very strong, currently about 97.35c US. Not always a good thing for Canadian business, but a positive economic indicator.
> Prime was raised to 2.5% in June so borrowing is now that little bit more expensive!
> Canada added another 25,000 jobs in May, following the huge gain in April. Canada has now added back 310,000 jobs since July 2009.
> Alberta’s provincial government continues to grapple with its unusual situation of a $7B deficit, and the requisite cuts that go with that.
> We are continuing to see a pickup in activity in most sectors … banks, energy companies, and telcos in particular. There is also some pickup in Municipal and Provincial Government activity.
> The Canadian government, while not expected to drastically reduce its spending this year has not really “wowed” the market with its spending. There has not been a lot of new IT business and the National Capital companies are suffering a little for that.
> Canada’s Staffing Index dropped slightly this month, indicative of the very cautious and slow recovery. The staffing index is still more than 25% off the pre-recession peak of October 2008.

Summary:

Another tough month on this road to recovery. The May Canadian Staffing Index dropped slightly, the prime interest rate was increased slightly and Ontario and BC will introduce HST on July 1st. None of this will make the recovery any easier.

On the positive side we are seeing more demand for people, in the hot markets we are seeing shortages of the most in-demand people and a shift from a buyers (employers) market to a sellers (employee) market.

It will continue to be an interesting journey with as many twists, turns and unexpected results as the World Cup underway in South Africa. Perhaps next month I can present some positive economic news to accompany the right result from South Africa!!!

Making an Effort!

How many times do we choose NOT to do "something" because of the effort involved?

Human nature is such that it is often easier to just "pass" rather than (a) getting dressed up; (b) travelling across town; (c) squeezing the event in after another event etc.

Sometimes its just easier to go home and relax.

We ALL do that sometimes ... BUT is it "the norm" for you? Is your "routine" more important than doing something different? If that is the case then you might want to reconsider your position.

We only get one go around at this life ...

A good friend of mine spent time visiting a friend of his this Summer at her home in the Caribbean. He found the time (a long weekend) in his crazy schedule, made the trip and had a fabulous time. A few weeks later she died in a scuba accident! Obviously my friend was glad he "made the effort".

Another good friend of mine took time out of his crazy schedule to take my son to dinner in Sydney last night. He has work pressures, some family health issues he is dealing with and he still MADE time to look out for his friend's son. Do you think I don't appreciate that/

Last night, after two very full days of management meetings in amongst a week when there is not one evening of rest and relaxation I chose to go and help a friend celebrate his upcoming marriage. He was touched that so many of us "made the effort" in nasty weather amidst our crazy schedules. HE was very touched.

There are hundreds of these stories every day ... where someone makes an effort and someone benefits. When we "make an effort" it ALWAYS has a positive affect ... and that feels good, whether you are the one making the effort or the one receiving that effort.

Don't be a couch potato ... get out there, MAKE THE EFFORT!

PS. If you are a salesperson and you don't make the effort, for all those lame excuses we all use, then someone else will!

Read a Book ... Read the Newspaper ... just Read!

I wrote a blog entry about Reading in October last year. I had written a blog back in August 2006 called Reading for Personal Development. Both of those blog entries are worth a read ... IF you read!

1. The world is changing at an incredible pace.
2. What you thought was fact a couple of years ago is probably out of date!
3. Read the paper and find out what is going on in the world.
4. Read a business magazine and see how businesses are thinking and operating in a changing world.
5. Read a business book and go deep on issues like change, leadership, sales, marketing etc.
6. Read industry periodicals to see what is happening in your industry.
7. Read interesting articles that you can share with clients and colleagues.
8. Read a good novel and expand your brain, learn new words, understand how people write and make your brain work.

• Reading exercises your brain.
• Reading brings knowledge.
• Reading makes you more interesting.
• Reading makes you more relevant.
• Reading opens up possibilities.

Do yourself a favor ... make room in your life for reading!

People Judge You ... Fact!

Yes people will judge us every day and generally speaking it is not a big deal ... most times it just doesn't matter that much, good or bad.

Having said that ... in business, and in our professional lives it is a good idea to give ourselves every edge that we can. One of the ways to do that is to make a favorable impression.

Here are some things I notice (and yes, I admit it ... I JUDGE you!)

1. Common courtesy. I notice people that are rude. They are not people I will choose to associate with. How hard is it to treat people with a little courtesy? Read my blog entry from a couple of months ago about Common Courtesy.

2. Grooming. Maybe its a generational thing but I notice scuffed shoes, unkempt hair, poor shave jobs, clothes that are not pressed etc. I notice when people dress inappropriately for their role and I am impressed when people "look the part"! Check out my blog entry First Impressions ... Grooming from back in 2006!

3. Act professionally. this one is a little tough and can come easier to some people. I have written a number of blogs on the subject ... one very recent entry about Professionalism is worth a read. I also wrote a blog entry in February called How to Behave in the Workplace.

ALL of the above are important ... you can look like a million dollars but if you are unprofessional or just rude then it will work against you. None of the above is "rocket science" however there are enough people who don't seem to "get it" that this is an entry worth posting and by extension, if you are ambitious, I would suggest it is worth a read too.

Giving to Charity ... How Much?

For many people the concept of giving back to society is not natural, and for some it is very natural. Likely those who take to it easily come from families where their parents gave, or they were influenced by people who gave.

I have blogged about "giving" many times ... one of those was called Charitable Giving ... Your Responsibility but if you look back through my blog entries (or search) you'll find many references to charities.

The purpose today is to talk about how much ... what is a reasonable amount to give based upon your income?

When we start out in our career it is a perfect time to begin developing the habit of giving ... it doesn't need to be a lot. But if you give $5 a month ($60 a year) that can make a difference in people's lives, and it is not an amount that you will miss in your income ... particularly because you could a tax receipt for it. (So really it only costs you about $40 in a year here in Canada).

As you progress through your career you could choose to increase your donations in line with your income, so if you get a 10% raise then give the charities a 10% raise too ... here we are talking $6 a year (of which you get $2 back from the taxman). If you develop this habit then you will be contributing at a good level throughout your life.

What about people who come to the table late in life ... it can be a little bit of sticker shock to suddenly add a $5,000 item to your spending but you can work up to it AND you can rationalise it AND it IS the right thing to do.

If you have a six figure income and are not giving at that $1,000 plus level then you probably should think about it. With the tax break it will only cost you 1/2% of your income, so really 1% of income should be a "no brainer" ... give $2,000!

Go and visit the charities that get the money and see what great work they are doing.

Get involved and donate time to these charities, you'll quickly develop an appreciation for "giving" and those who give.

Be generous if for no other reason than it WILL come back to you, in some way or other. The most successful people are typically generous with charities.

Last thought ... if you have not given this much consideration in the past then make 2010 the year you start to give back to Canadian society ... its the best in the world and it needs all of us to keep it that way.

Professionalism

Professionalism means a lot of different things, it can relate to knowledge, to skill and it can also relate to attitude. One of the characteristics that I associate with professionalism is consistency. As a manager or I expect consistency in performance, and I expect consistency in attitude.

So how does this affect the average worker in today's workplace?

One of the growing trends I have noticed in the workplace is a propensity for people to just say what comes into their head. If they are in a bad mood everybody knows it and if they are upset about something everybody knows it an usually if they are in a great mood everybody knows that too.

I would contend that in the workplace we should put on what I call "our professional face". It doesn't mean you can't have fun, or joke around ... it just means that you are consistent in your demeanor.

What brand you choose is another story ... and should be one that meets the needs of you in the context of your career aspirations.

The people who are not consistent are typically affected by their moods ... and in the workplace we should all try not to be moody.

Some time ago I wrote a blog called What Kind of Mood are You In? with ideas for snapping out of a bad mood.

I also wrote a blog entry called Reasons to be Positive - A Feel Good Blog Entry. It was designed to be uplifting, the kind of thing you read if you feel a little down.

Finally I wrote a blog entry called Choose to be Happy ... suggesting that choice is in our hands.

So ... the message here is that you should decide on your professional brand, and stick to it. Click through to those other entries and find ways to feel better and to keep your moods under control. Again ... its all your choice.

Crowdsourcing

In any strategic planning session you are likely to hear the phrase "two heads are better than one" ... or the power of many minds is much more powerful than any one mind.

One of the "relatively" recent concepts being used in business and other contexts is the concept of Crowd Sourcing, which marries the above concept together with the power of the internet (typically in a Web 2.0 context). Basically an online way in which to gather input and ideas from people around the world.

It was extremely interesting to see that British Petroleum engaged this concept as they sought to find ways to (a) stem the flow of oil in the Gulf and (b) address the containment and clean-up of the spill. In fact there seem to be a number of sites offering suggestions about how to address these problems WhatShouldBPdo.com is one of those sites. I did read they had received literally thousands of responses ranging from rants about the company to very credible and interesting ideas.

BP is just one example of how this concept is working ... Innocentive is an interesting website that seeks to harness the brainpower of people with answers from around the world, to solve specific problems that they define. There is an opportunity for people to earn money for their ideas and for organizations to solve their business, not for profit or academic problems.

I looked up Crowdsourcing in Wikipedia and it was clearly written by someone looking to impress with their use of "creative" words, but as you read through the whole piece there are lots of interesting pieces of information. There is even a list of recent examples of crowdsourcing projects.

I would imagine that many businesses may take advantage of this phenomena over the years and the collective brainpower might well lead to reinvention of companies and industries.

Something to watch ... maybe even something to try out!

Everything You Wanted to Know About Sales Success

Over the course of the last four years I have written about 200 blog entries that had some relevance to the sales profession. Today I collected the best advice I could find in there to compile one blog entry with advice on how to be a success in the sales profession.

In February this year I found an entry in CPSA magazine listing the Ten Attributes of a Super Successful Sales Person. Here they are ...

1. A strong work ethic ... focuses on work during the work day (not cooler chat or personal stuff) and works a little longer than the competition!
2. Empathy for people … likes to listen, wants to hear.
3. Excellent communication skills … written and verbal.
4. An interesting person … well read on a variety of subjects, reads a lot.
5. Self motivated ... requiring very little pushing to achieve success.
6. Ability to accept rejection and not get de-motivated.
7. Excellent organizational skills.
8. Plans and sets goals.
9. Wants to learn and keep learning … about the product/service they sell, about the way clients use those services, about selling, about their industry, about everything.
10. An ability to focus all of these skills where they will generate the best return ... doesn't get side-tracked by time wasters, low return projects etc.

In January 2007 I wrote a blog entry called 7 Lessons of Great Sales People. It was an article from Kevin Eikenberry and once again I found it through the CPSA ... a great organization for Canadian sales people.

1. Listen more talk less. How can a salesperson know what you need unless they listen? If they don’t listen they are making assumptions as to your needs, wants and desires. The same is true for us. We will get much further much faster when trying to persuade or influence others when we talk less and listen more.
2. Ask more and better questions. One of the ways to talk less is by asking more questions. Great salespeople are masters at asking questions. They collect and use questions intelligently to learn more about our needs. They use questions to understand us better and to strengthen their relationship with us. Questions are one of our greatest learning tools and one of the best ways to further relationships. Whatever your work, being more skilled at asking questions will make you more successful.
3. Focus on the longer-term, big picture. The best salespeople aren’t trying to sell one car today. They are trying to sell you your next 5 (or 10) cars. They know Rome wasn’t built in a day and that they won’t reach their goals – or best serve you – by pressuring you to buy now. So it is for you in your interactions. When we think about the longer term we will make better decisions and behave more appropriately.
4. Build relationships. Business success is about relationships, and great salespeople know that. One of the fastest ways to become more successful is by building more and stronger relationships. One of the fastest ways to lose your job is by neglecting relationships. Take it from the best salespeople – business is based on relationships.
5. Follow-up and follow through. One of the ways to build relationships is to follow-up and follow through. Ever had a service provider call you and check on your satisfaction? How did you feel about that provider and his/her organization after that? How do you feel about people who send you handwritten thank you notes? How do feel when people go above and beyond to stay in touch with you and make sure you are satisfied? You feel good about them and their services, right? Apply those approaches to your work. Send a note. Remember a birthday. Mention the article you read that they would be interested in. Do what you said you were going to do. Follow-up and follow through.
6. Lose the techniques – focus on the other person. There are many helpful techniques that we can learn from training, from watching others and reading. We look for a magical formula or approach. While it is important to learn the techniques, they will only help us if we integrate them into who we are and what we stand for. For example, there is a difference between practicing active listening techniques and actively listening. When the focus is on the result, we relax and use the techniques in support of the end goal. Great salespeople learn the skills, but focus on their Customer. In an almost paradoxical way, by focusing on the Customer (remember your colleagues and your boss are your Customers too) and being sincere and genuine, you will gain the advantage of the techniques you were trying to use to begin with.
7. Help them buy. People don’t want to be sold, but they do want to buy. Just like a master salesperson, help people be persuaded to your position. Help them see the value. Help them own the decision. Help them remove the roadblocks – real or perceived.

In March 2006 , very early in my "blogging career" I wrote an entry titled Sales Success - A Secret Formula. Of course there really is no secret formula, its a common sense guide to any sales person ...

1. Know what you are selling! Whether it is a widget or a complicated solution, the sales person needs to know and understand their “product” and how to answer the common questions that are raised. This comes down to basic training from their company – good training breeds the confidence to succeed.
2. Work hard! Probably the biggest failing of most sales people. This is a tough job, and to succeed you MUST have a good work ethic. Long lunches, golf days, short days on Fridays are habits to avoid.
3. Work smart! Good time management skills, good organizational skills and an attention to detail will get great results.
4. Listen! The client will tell you everything you need to know to answer their concerns … if you shut up long enough to listen!

In February 2008 I wrote Six Resolutions for SalesPeople, refering to an article by Robert Kowal.

Here are those resolutions ...

1. Service. Make servicing customers your number one priority in 2006 (even if it seems your company’s priorities lay elsewhere). Let your customers know you truly care. If caring about your customers doesn’t come naturally, or if you are in it only for the money, then maybe you should consider another career.
2. Provide Fanatical Follow-Up. Provide your customers, suppliers, partners and your management team with thorough, proactive follow up.
3. Connect with your customers. You can’t provide great service and follow up without connecting with your customers. Teach your customers everything you know. Question them until you fully understand their needs. Spend time and build trusting and lasting relationships. You need to entrench yourself in their culture. Before long they will be calling you and you will become a valuable resource to them. The sales will follow.
4. Commit to Training. Keep yourself in continuous education mode. Company won’t train you? Train yourself. Invest in yourself. Enroll in seminars, continuing education courses and read books! Regardless of the circumstances around you (company politics, your boss, etc.) you have a responsibility to yourself and your career to learn, grow and achieve great things.
5. Technology. Still not comfortable with technology? Still not using technology as the powerful tool that it can be? Admittedly, the pace of technological change is hard to keep up with, but this is no reason to avoid it. Change is constant, progress is optional. Your company won’t buy you a notebook? Invest in one yourself. Good notebook computers can be purchased for under $1000. Get yourself connected. Isn’t you career worth it?
6. Set Goals. You have heard this many times. Still not planning your career goals and objectives? Engage in the discipline of goal setting. Not sure how? Take a course. Set daily, monthly and yearly goals. Make sure your goals and objectives are in line with the company you work for.

The last entry I will reference was written in January 2008 and I called it The Successful Salesperson. This entry listed 6 Dos and Don'ts for successful salespeople.

The successful salesperson WILL fill their days by talking with clients and prospects, understanding their needs and working to solve their problems. They will invest their time on any activity that will generate sales.
The successful salesperson WILL NOT spend time on activity that is not focused on generating business ... busy work, personal activities, excess paperwork etc.
The successful salesperson WILL be organised, have good time management skills, be a master of the CRM and religiously commit to their "to do" list.
The successful salesperson WILL NOT float through their day, waiting for things to happen, waiting for the phone to ring and an email to pop into their inbox.
The successful salesperson WILL always be looking for ways to get better at what they do.
The successful salesperson WILL NOT rest on their laurels, expecting that success to date means success tomorrow. They know they need to invest in themselves.

One last piece of advice if you are a salesperson in Canada ... join the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) and subscribe to their newsletter.

There is some duplication in the above advice, but that just demonstrates its importance. If you can understand and execute on all of the above you WILL be a successful salesperson.

The Power of Taking Notes

For today's blog entry I am going to revisit the topic of taking notes which I wrote about in March 2008.

Some thoughts ...

1. Your memory really isn't as good as you think ... you cannot remember multiple details from every business conversation that you have.
2. Statistics show that your memory retention is better when you write stuff down (ask any educator) ... plus you will have the notes to revisit.
3. Written notes are great for sharing with colleagues ... information recited from memory always makes me nervous.
4. Time will change your recall ... the notes will still be there.
5. If you have a meeting with your boss and are expected to act on several things it is much SAFER to write them all down and confirm you have everything. Memory can get you in trouble.

It is very rare for me to be in a meeting and not take notes .... usually only when someone else has been assigned the task. It is a habit I developed early in my career, was especially powerful as a sales person (clients should be talking a lot more than salespeople, so you need to write stuff down) and has been invaluable as a manager when I am expected to remember my own stuff PLUS the "stuff" my staff work on.

When someone does not take notes it is something I really NOTICE ... so if your CEO notices that you don't take notes in meetings he is going to be sceptical of your ability to recall all of the details of the meeting, especially once some time has passed. So taking notes adds to your credibility.

It is never too late to work on developing good habits ... this is a good one to work on!

IT Industry News for May 2010

This is my 30,000 foot look at events in the ICT industry for May 2010. What you see here is a précis of the monthly report I produce, which is available in more detail at the News section of the Eagle website, where you will also find back issues.

Three years ago in May 2007 there was some interesting, and big dollar, M&A activity largely involving private equity. Goldman Sachs and Texas Pacific Group paid $27 Billion for Alltel, the 5th largest cell phone company in the US, Microsoft made its largest acquisition ever (at the time), paying $6 Billion for aQuantive, an internet advertising company. The other big deal was the sale of Axiom, again to equity firms, for $3 Billion.

Two years ago in May 2008 HP paid almost $14 Billion for EDS, there was an aborted attempt by Microsoft to buy Yahoo and CBS paid $1.75 Billion for the CNet suite of web based sites. There was also much concern about the impending economic crisis.

Last year in May 2009 the early signs of a recovery were evident. Oil was well into the $60 plus range, the Canadian dollar broke 90 cents US and Canada's trade surplus situation improved. Some of the reports released were; The Global Technology Distribution Council said the downturn had leveled off; the US Conference Board leading indicator rose for the first time in 7 months; Stats Canada reported the number of people employed in Canada rose, based largely on self-employed people; and Spherion's employee confidence index was up too. There were however still bad-news stories, revenue at the large staffing companies was down 30% in the first quarter; Sony (8,000), BT (15,000), Seagate (1,100) and HP (6,000) all announced new layoffs, while Microsoft continued with its second round of planned layoffs. On the M&A front the telcos continue to feel pain with Verizon selling off 14 states worth of wireline assets to Frontier Communications for $8.6 Billion. Facebook received an injection of $200 million from Digital Sky Technologies (which would value the company at $10 Billion); and NetApp paid $1.5 Billion for Data Domain.

In May Twenty-Ten the world is in much better shape economically, but there are still plenty of concerns ranging from the financial impact of the volcanic ash on the world's airline industry, to the meltdown of the Greek economy and the lingering effects of the recession including the debts that countries incurred to help the recovery.

On the mergers and acquisitions front the big deal was SAP's $5.8 Billion purchase of Sybase, reportedly more for its mobile capabilities than its database. Google was busy this month, picking up two companies GIPS and BumpTop and investing in a third, Recorded Future (a company that claims to forecast the future). Cisco is a perennial purchaser and added a couple of more companies to its stable, Moto Development and CoreOptics. The other big dollar deal was Symantec's $1.28 Billion deal to buy the security assets of Verisign. Other household names out shopping included Oracle which picked up Secerno; IBM which bought Cast Iron systems and Yahoo that paid about $100 million for Associated Content "the People's Media Company".

Elsewhere Europe's AntiTrust regulators fined nine semiconductor companies for price fixing. There was also positive news out of Europe that the economic recovery is in progress, Statistics Canada reported a jump of 108,700 new jobs in April and online recruitment activity in Europe reached a 12 month high.

comScore reported that YouTube viewers accounted for about 75% of the 180 million internet users who watched video in March. Along the same lines UKOM reported that British web users are spending 65% more time online than just three ago!

We live in a complicated world and the last month has demonstrated that a recovery is under way, but we still have some way to go before we get "there' . and hopefully "there" is a good place to be!!!

That's what caught my eye over the last month, the full edition will be available soon on the Eagle website. Hope this was useful and I’ll be back with the June 2010 industry news in just about a month’s time.

Investing in the Future

Canada's future lies with the next generation of young Canadians, who will be joined by immigrants from many cultures to run our businesses, manage our government and ensure that the society we live in is ... Canadian.

Today we all lead busy lives, running from job to home etc. We all get the opportunity to influence that next generation of Canadians, either as parents, role models, teachers or in many other traditional ways and sometimes we don't take those opportunities, and sometimes we do.

Sometimes we restrict the creativity of that next generation with OUR ideals, OUR thoughts on what their future should be and OUR ways of doing things. In general terms teaching them based on our experiences is a good thing ... but there also needs to be the ability for young people to express themselves and to have their own dreams and ambitions.

Each year Eagle sponsors the Young Authors and Illustrators Conference in Ottawa, and 600 kids each get to spend a day with professional writers and illustrators, learning about their crafts. These are children who applied to go, they really WANTED to be there so they just "eat up" the day and if you want to see well behaved, intelligent and engaged students this a great event to see! These are kids who love to read and to draw and yet this event is unique in the opportunity it provides them.

I write about this event each year because it is one of those events that helps to keep me grounded, reminds me about what is important in life and reminds me about the pure joy that we can all have when doing something we love.

The participants all write me a card at the end of their day ... to thank Eagle for helping make the day happen and to persuade me to keep doing it! Here are just a few of this year's cards, written by children in grades 4 to 8.

Claire wrote the following note, and added some nice illustrations too ...

"Dear Kevin Dee,

Thank you for making this event possible. I had so much fun: writing, drawing. I will remember this event for ever. I have learned so many new things about writing and drawing. Thanks again!"

Bethany wrote a nice note finishing with ... "Thanks a million, I am so glad I decided to come!!!"

Julia ... "had a wonderful time".

Connor is very sad ... "that this is the last year I can come".

Izzi thanked me for funding a ... "day that helps me to become a better writer".

There are always opportunities to make a difference in the lives of this next generation ... if we take those opportunities to provide positive experiences then we are investing in the future. That's pretty cool.

No doubt Eagle will be sponsoring this event again next year.