The Guru Nation Blog

Building social capital is just as important as building muscle!
And yet, most professionals spend more time on their gym or health regime (aka workout) than their social capital workout.  Building a network of authentic connections and strong relationships (muscle) is the key to a healthy professional body.

When The Guru Nation talked to Jason Lauritsen, co-founder of Talent Anarchy, he
spelled out the value of social capital like this:

1.    Social capital provides access to unique sources and resources
2.    Social capital is a build of value from real relationships
3.    Most people start building too late the game, so begin now!
4.    Build social capital before you need it
5.    Be intentional about your connections and building your capital
6.    Networking may seem daunting but building social capital is not

In this excerpt from Newstalk 1430 AM Radio, Amy Kopelan, co-creator of The Guru Nation, talked with Financial Advisor Peter Dunn, aka “Pete the Planner” about building social capital so you have a wide network of contacts in this ever-churning job market…

With Green Candy’s Pete the Planneron “Skills Your Dad Never Taught You”

Building Social Capital:

We are halfway through a generational change in senior leadership explains Guru John Beeson, President Beeson Consulting. This shift and subsequent war for talent, however, is largely masked at the moment by the economic downturn. However, the search for leadership will become more readily apparent as we ascend out of the economic doldrums. So, you query, if I want to be a contender, what must I do? Are there 10 characteristics of good leadership, for example, that everyone in the queue should follow? What develops senior leaders? What serves as the foundation for moving forward successfully?

Here’s the roadmap on the 10 characteristics of good leadership:
The general headline is this: senior leaders are born from rich careers in which they have a variety of assignments and consequently a broad perspective; which is contrary to what happens organically in most companies not skilled in developing leaders internally. The road more frequently traveled  is one in which people tend to come up through one functional area of the company. This marks a philosophical misunderstanding of leadership development. John Beeson explains that the troubling trend inside of companies is for promotions to seem arbitrary and political. Moreover, HR is frequently discouraged by a lack of C- suite talent. One of the predominant causes of this trend is an aversion to delivering constructive criticism, as John titles it, “feedback that counts.” So the first of the 10 characteristics of good leadership is the ability and drive to solicit this feedback that counts. As in to find out candidly from the decision makers, “If I want to get to the next level, what do I need to do?”

The second is a track record of performance. Lets face it, to become a leader you need to merit the responsibility and to stand out as a top performer. The third in the 10 characteristics of good leadership is this:  ethics, integrity and character. Do not let your personal agenda get ahead of that of the business. Seek to align the two. The fourth and fifth require you to be aware of derailers; factors that could result in your being “de-selected.” These factors include insensitivity to others which results in loose loyalties and is evidence of weak interpersonal skills; and secondly, a narrow, parochial, perspective on business.

A capacity for innovation and change is essential to leadership and is therefore number six in the dissection of the 10 characteristics of good leadership. Seventh is the capacity for strategic thinking; the ability to connect the dots. Eighth is the talent for selecting a good team which leads directly to number nine: implementation. This is the ability to “get the wash out the door.” Can you delegate and work well with your team to produce results? The ninth characteristic is lateral management; the skill to get things done within your organization; to manage bureaucracy and coordinate well with other departments. The tenth seems obvious but may also prove the most challenging. It is the capacity to grow and develop as a leader; to adapt and to change.

Some argue it’s politics that launch leaders forward but in fact, there is a “method to the madness” for identification and promotion deeply rooted in these 10 characteristics of good leadership. John Beeson’s Guru Nation interview called Decoding the Unwritten Rules of Corporate Advancement (see archives from April 2009) decodes in more depth and discusses these 10 characteristics of good leadership from his vantage point as a specialist in succession planning.

Guru Cathy Dixon-Kheir explains in her segment, “Take Charge of Your Career in Turbulent Times” that the best sample professional development plans one can use to guide them in making career decisions are career self assessments. Rather than model your plans on a template created for someone else, there are several questions to guide you that instead cater to your strengths and aspirations in order to create a sample professional development plan. Career paths are complicated. In the words of guru Nancy Widmann: “Build Your Career on a Lattice, Not on a Ladder” - that is to say, thinking of your professional development as a series of simple tiers is an antiquated and flawed plan for advancement. The career path best suited to your success may require steps to the side, or even slightly downward in preparation for an even greater leap forward.

So, the first question to ask yourself in creating your professional development plan is, “what do I want personally and professionally?” This may sound obvious, but the majority of people have not taken charge of their careers by asking these questions and are missing out on opportunities to advance, falling too comfortably into a professional routine. The next question to ask: “In which ways do the two align and in which ways do they conflict?” The sooner you can reconcile any divergence, the clearer your professional development plans become. And most importantly, “what are my strengths?”

It is essential to remember for this last question, that the question does not refer solely to your strengths in your current job or last job (if you’re one of the many, many feeling the bite of hard economic times.) It is also important when creating sample professional development plans not to allow your title to limit your assessment of your potential. An executive assistant may have managerial aptitudes.

The last step in the creation of your now very personal, no longer sample, professional development plans is to “know your network.” It’s an indisputable truth of the professional world; while hard work and skill lead to success, networking gets you in the door. Without a personal touch, you are only a resume, no matter how well qualified, amongst a pile of other well qualified resumes. Not only does networking provide the personal touch that sets you apart, it is also a critical means of discovering avenues for advancement that would never have come to your attention without a strong network. So take stock of your network, grow it, and this is critical: keep good record of your connections or all your efforts can be very literally lost.

Whether right off the campus or in transition, choosing careers involves a process of self-management, discipline and exploration. The good news is that many people can help you. More importantly, there’s a mentoring process you can engage in while choosing careers. It can provide a sturdy and secure path and a way to tap into others for guidance. Choosing careers is more about “you” than the career, and whether the “you” ends up in the right place and within the right culture. Here’s sound advice from Joanne Mealia, senior executive at IBM Canada, who has been advising young professionals for over 30 years:

“In choosing careers, don’t just stumble! Don’t just let it happen. At IBM, I had to take control in the beginning. I was at a large company but still in the process of choosing my career because I didn’t know where my talents would best fit. For me, choosing careers is like doing a gap analysis. Even if you’re in a company, you need to fill in the gaps; the gaps between what you’re currently talented at doing and the skills you want to develop to move to other arenas. Or, it’s the process of seeing a role you want, knowing what skills you may be missing, and taking steps to fill in the gaps.

I think in choosing careers you can find a mentor who can make all the difference but you have to choose and match wisely. Find a mentor who believes in you, but someone
who perhaps you can mentor or guide as well. A mentor relationship works better if you as the protégé can also teach something “new” or provide new insight in return.
At IBM, we saw that young professionals were talented technologists and they could mentor more seasoned workers.

Choosing careers becomes an easier process if you can arrange cross-cultural opportunities. At IBM we often refer to this as “re-invention” or continuous learning.
If you’re inside a company, seek those cross-cultural opportunities. If you’re still deciding what career is viable, consider cross-cultural assignments that can afford you the opportunity to experience business on different landscapes. Be bold. Be experimental.

While you’re choosing careers, ask questions. Ask of yourself and ask of others. What am I good at? What am I known for? What do you remember most about me?
Self-query and friend/colleague query will bring your talents to the foreground.
Then, choosing careers becomes a safer and more comforting process.

Yes, we have all blown an interview. And on the way out of the interviewer’s office we are mentally kicking ourselves for saying or doing just the wrong thing. Truth is, landing a job is not a lost cause if you make gaffes! Honest.
It certainly depends on the industry, but most hiring managers won’t throw you overboard if you can repair your mistake with a clever hand.

Candor, humor, and confidence are still the three things that can save you.
Consider these four common snafus and what you can quickly do to remedy:

1.    Did you show up late? Not a death sentence if you called in advance and offered a very reasonable excuse.

2.    Did you submit your cover letter with a typo? Not tragic if you resend in bright color and call it “Revised Version”

3.    Did you spill water or soda on the interviewer? Uncomfortable but not deadly. The following day, send a note and a gift certificate from a dry cleaner.

4.    Did you call someone by the wrong name? Or address your letter to the wrong person? It can almost work in your favor if you play on the error wisely.  Send an interesting book about names (from a classy bookstore) and use the opportunity to stand out in the crowd of other interviewees.

Influencing customers and clients is on everyone’s mind today! In order to do it well, and create the results you want, you should listen to some of the experts and their perspective. According to Lee E. Miller, an expert in negotiation and the art of influence, there are three C’s that can inform your approach: Convince, Collaborate and Create.

How do you start to influence customers and clients? Let’s dissect the three C’s and see how to apply them. To “convince” you have to rely on psychology, rhetoric, body language, purposeful questions, and active listening. To “collaborate” you have to work together to achieve a common goal, work together through problem solving, and find the win/win. To “create” you have to take a fresh look, not just at your structure of interaction, but also at new ways to achieve your objectives and use your unique brand or style of communication. The challenge in influencing customers and clients is to decide which approach and when, and to be more aware of the context in which you’re influencing.

Listen to our interview with Lee:

ASK OUR GURUS

“I am a consultant who is new at bidding contracts. I have a potential client who wants to outsource their exit interviews. This would be an annual contract and would be for this particular service. How do I determine a price?”
Submitted by Ashley, Guru Nation Member

Answered by Lanny Goodman
CEO, Management Technologies Inc.

I had to determine how to give a good speech when I was 15 years old and running for class president. I was the only young woman trying to get the nod and the slate boasted 6 young men and me. I asked my professors if there were rules for how to give a good speech so I could stand out, and all graciously cheered on my candidacy but didn’t offer anything different than the familiar “stand up straight and smile” sort of advice I had already heard. I kept wondering if I had to show up in provocative clothing in order to be remembered or conversely had to wear a “suit” so I would seem more serious.
When it came time to take the stage, I decided that how to give a good speech was ultimately about clarity. Could I deliver a message that was clear, concise, and easy for my “public” to understand? I did. I won.

As a professional, I believe it is essential to deliver a message with clarity, but
there are nuances that help you perfect your presentation. Here are three:

1. Don’t Bury the Lead

Sometimes people who are well-prepared to deliver a speech or presentation forget to make clear their central message. Stories and anecdotes pepper a speech and may warm the crowd, but if you don’t get your main thought center stage, you have done what journalists warn against. You have buried the lead. Outline your points before you present publicly, and test your message in front of a “sample private audience.” Ask them to feed back the main point of your talk and see if it in fact is what you intended.

2. Follow the “18 Minute Rule”

What is the 18-minute rule? It’s pretty direct and easy to remember. After 18 minutes, you will lose the attention of 18% of your audience! What that means for you as a presenter is that you have 17 minutes – maximum – to get your initial message across. After that, you might pick up coughing and seat shifting. What are your choices at the 18-minute mark? There are many depending on your delivery style, but here are just a few:
Hand out a quiz, bring a display onto the stage, hand out cookies. This is your chance to be creative!

3. Be Your Audience’s Tour Guide

Don’t force your audience to connect the dots. They want your message to be very clear. It sounds so easy, but most presenters confuse their audiences by never providing a sequence of ideas that the audience can follow. Your information may be stellar, new and exciting, but if the audience can’t follow your train of thought, you are letting them down. What’s worse, they won’t tell you. Commit to be your audience’s tour guide. Make sure they can follow you. Even though you’re not standing outside the Lincoln Memorial with a whistle and Tour Guide sign, you are solely responsible for leading your audience where they should go.

Pay attention to the essential need to always deliver clear messages and you’ll know how to give a good speech. Practice the nuances and you’ll deliver a stellar presentation every time!

As businesses and large corporations look at their global and domestic marketing challenges, one of the issues that will demand front burner attention will be language. Effective global and domestic marketing will require a “cross-cultural linguistic hybridization” as coined by Edie Weiner, futurist and trend guru. New types of languages and new global identities are emerging.

We may not see a universally accepted language any time soon, but the manipulation of languages across our cultures and borders is creating an alphabet pot pie, or type of communication, that may bridge the gap between the language barriers. Add to that the
reliance on technology which has created a new language based on “texting” and instant messenger, and you get a new frontier for global and domestic marketing.

At a recent trends meeting with the company Weiner, Edrich, Brown Inc. some interesting examples were cited:
a)    In universities across the UK, the teaching of English must adapt to reflect the use of text messaging and communications through new technologies.
b)    The contemporary English version of the Bible has been translated into the abbreviated language of cell phones and texting language.
c)    Hinglish, a form of Indian English, is growing in use and popularity and playing a significant role in the evolution of the English language.

Since different language is used to reach and target different audiences, companies intent on an effective global and domestic marketing strategy will have to adapt to the new forms and hybrid versions of language. Marketing to people in a trendier “shorthand” may be a more effective way to reach certain populations or audiences. Symbols will take more of the global and domestic marketing stages for the purposes of clarity and impact. Emoticons, for example,
Provide an opportunity for businesses that market globally to communicate via a commonly established graphic.

In working to overcome language barriers and communicate effectively on the global and domestic marketing stage, marketing executives and international companies will find it essential to understand linguistic and cultural subtleties in order to keep a competitive edge.
Not only will the eyeglass be on language, but also on the use of color, images, and phrases.
The key is finding a more universally  understood language for borderless commerce.

How you say something is just as important as what you say! If you are intent on selling your ideas or branding yourself effectively, then how you deliver your message… to a boss, an employee, a colleague, or a partner…is critical for your personal success.
There are so many tips on public speaking but not all tips are easy to follow. The best tips on public speaking are the ones you can understand simply and plainly and then actually practice in the company of a mirror.

Here are three “straight talk” tips on public speaking that everyone can master:

1. Resist Your Use of Semaphore

Unless you’re sending ship-to-shore messages with your arms or with flags, please limit
your use of hand and arm gestures to get your point across. When in doubt, don’t!
Exaggerated arm and hand movements are just that – exaggerated. The more effective presenter does not signal the audience from the beach or traffic ships into the harbor.
Practice more natural movement for your arms, hands, legs and head. The more comfortable and natural you are, the more so your audience.

2. Lead With Your Eyes, Not With Your Chin

We have all done it. We want to make a point, either on the stage, on camera, or in an interview, so we unconsciously push our chin (and mouth) forward as we deliver our message. We think it gives us a better sense of control. The truth is, it diminishes our impact and weakens our delivery. What we really should be doing is leading with our eyes. When you let your eyes lead, you appear more in control, you command attention, and you grab your listener.

3. Project Your Power but Maintain Your Intimacy

When you present to an audience, your team, the Board, or even a group of friends, your power, and your “believability” come from a sense of intimacy you create with the audience. The intimacy comes from your ability to focus on them as well as on the core of your message. So many presenters believe that power equals “big-ness” in front of the listener. It doesn’t! Power comes from control, and the control creates the intimacy that your audience is seeking. Find what an athlete might call “spotting points” so your eyes have distinct places to focus. Wandering eyes do not create intimacy.

Follow these tips on public speaking and you’ll begin to feel a composure and control.
Then watch others speak publicly. Determine if they are following these tips on public speaking and see what else they are doing to “hold the audience.” Experiment with your mirror!

So why is public speaking so important? Well, the truth is, everyone is on stage. In business, that stage is usually a meeting or a presentation.
How well you speak or perform on that business stage will identify you as a lead performer or chorus member. So why is public speaking so important? In short, your ability to speak well, or perform, allows you to have greater impact and influence.
Most successful professionals know why public speaking is so important so they spend a good deal of time mastering their presentation skills.

Strong and effective public speaking begins with the practice and mastery of three
key rules of good speaking. Here’s what to concentrate on:

1. Have It, Don’t Show It

The moment you feel a need to “show” how much you know or how entertaining you can be, or in some cases just how much you are energized about your message, curb your enthusiasm. The stronger and more effective presenter does not over-deliver, over- enunciate, over-gesture, or over-play. Instead, have it…the composure, the knowledge of your material, the confident but relaxed voice, and the grace of movement.

2. Focus on Your Best Friend in the Back Row

If you’re on the stage in front of a large audience, you may see the faces in front of you as a “sea of expressions” with no one person to serve as ballast. When that happens, whether you’re aware or not, you lose the ability to engage the people in the audience. What’s the trick? If you pretend your friend is sitting in the back row, your delivery will
be warmer, your connection greater, and you won’t need to shout. By connecting to your best friend, you will connect to the entire audience.

3. Don’t Swallow Your Punch Line

A good presentation can end up with an arrow in the heart if the punch line, or key concluding message, is lost. It happens too often. After addressing an audience, presenters can lose their energy when they know they are near the end of the speech. It’s akin to an amateur runner who slows down just when the finish line is in sight.
Do not lose your last word. It can often be the most important message that will remain with your audience. Make sure you can be heard. There is a tendency to let your voice trail off when you hit your last sentence, and that’s just a giant no-no.

When you are asked why public speaking is so important, you need simply recite this mantra: What is the point of communicating if you can’t have impact on the audience?
Practicing these rules will get you there!