2014 – The year in preview

December 30, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

In the year two, zero, one, four,
You will make progress
And pledge to do more;
Expressing your talent, flexing your core
Beliefs, as you prepare to soar.

Be courageous and push the envelope,
Enter each moment filled with faith and hope;
And question each motive and direction,
Aware of signs of your imperfections.

In the year two zero, one, four,
Please promise to work hard, not an encore
Performance like stages in your past,
When your only goal was not to be last.

You must create the space to volunteer;
Acquire new skills and grow your career.
You have the power and authority,
To make family a priority.

Invest in friendships and relish the time
Spent with companions on the long steep climb;
For no one should attempt to go alone
Into the future, to face the unknown.

In the year two, zero, one, four,
You must work for peace and kindly explore
In relationships and community,
The work of harmony and unity.

In the year two, zero, one, four,
You’ve seen the past and must do more;
No personal blasts or persecution,
As you adhere to your resolutions.

In the year two, zero, one, four,
You must remember the days you swore
To make a difference and to be true
To the Godly purpose inside of you.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer – lessons in handling differences

December 23, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

We are often started with the commercialization of Christmas. We are reminded to not lose sight of the reason for the season. This is valuable advice for Christians and others during this reverent time of year.

We grew up with Gene Autry Christmas classic of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. It is a delightful song, but also delivers a powerful message about encountering and handling differences. This song could start meaningful conversations about accepting others.

The song begins with a reference to the reindeer popularized in Clement Clarke Moore’s, “The night before Christmas”, also known as “A visit from St. Nicholas.” It begins with a roll call of Santa Claus’ reindeer that of course omits the name of Rudolph. As you recall, Rudolph was different from the other reindeer because of the luminescent quality of his nose. His nose was so shiny that it had either reflective qualities or it glowed like a light. This was enough to make him the object of ridicule and ultimately ostracism by the other reindeer.

This lack of acceptance is seen when children and adults are confronted with someone who is different from them. Our initial response is to make fun of the person and then to isolate them because of their characteristics, traits, heredity or idiosyncrasies. Many of us recall when we were young and begged for approval. Even to this day, there is something about us that makes us stand out from the crowd and the crowd lets us know it.

At work or is school, simply being the new person, the new kid on the block, the person who is an unknown, becomes a source for teasing or isolation. We often wondered,” if they would only get to know me, they would see that I’m just like them. “Rudolph was a reindeer, so he surely had a similar appearance, except for his nasal peculiarity. But suppose he was of a different color, from a different region of the country or had a different ability. He would have manifested a difference that would have caused him difficulty until he was accepted. We usually ask the different party to fit in, when the real focus should be on them being accepted by the group.

Bullying is also a response shown toward those who are different. The song the does not indicate that Rudolph was bullied, but we can only assume that preventing him from “playing in any reindeer games” was not always accomplished in the most delicate manner.

The song does not tell us what Santa Claus was doing during the hazing or if he even knew about it. But, as a good leader, he engineered a very strategic response. He knew the talent and value of all of his reindeer. He evaluated the weather system for his next journey and realized he was going to encounter numerous blizzards. He knew that the solution to his problem existed among the ranks of his reindeer. He knew he had one reindeer that could help navigate the wintry delivery of toys to boys and girls around the world. This opportunity would be well received it if every reindeer benefited from his gift.

We can give Santa credit for waiting for the appropriate time to unveil strategy. He could have given the reindeer the opportunity to work it out amongst themselves, as so many people do in similar situations. They say such things as,” kids are just being kids, learning to navigate difficult situations will only make the recipient stronger and teach them valuable life skills and that which does not kill them will make them stronger, to paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche the philosopher. Maybe the reindeer performed similar initiation rites to others in the group that had other distinctions from their peers. Maybe they solve their treatment of Rudolph as being harmless and natural.

The defining moment came,” one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say: Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?” Many managers, leaders and parents look for the opportune moment to use the skills of their people. The right moment to show the world and the individual, that they recognize their true value and wish to share this value with every member on the team. We can only assume that in the fictitious conversation, Santa’s encouraged Rudolph and told him about the value of his difference. He made him feel that he was something special and should never feel that he was not important and did not have a place. I’m sure he made him feel like an important member of the team. He validated his value by asking him to lead the team by moving up to the front of the line.

You remember the happy ending to the song. “Then all the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history! We know that in real life, responses to differences may not always lead to a happy ending. Sometimes the individuals have lingering insecurity, damage to their self-esteem and underlying resentment from the initial exclusion. But, so often when the difference that is ridiculed or denied is used for the benefit of the group, the organization, institution, group or community becomes stronger. The people learn a valuable lesson about inclusion. We are hopeful that when the person is accepted they don’t become complicit and act in the same manner when they encounter other people who are different.

If we remember the Rudolph days of our lives and commit ourselves to prevent them from happening to others, we will maximize their future contributions to our teams, families, organizations and communities. We will perform a noble act when leading by example with the lessons learned from Rudolph the red nose reindeer.

Close strong – When there’s time on the clock

December 9, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

The year is rapidly coming to an end. You are closing the books, wrapping up your accounts and accessing progress against your goals. You may have mentally vaulted into next year. You may have a tendency to slow down and begin jogging to the finish line, after all it is December and the year is almost over. In some situations, packing it in prematurely may be a mistake.

The temptation to checkout early is present in people running long distance races. They approach the last stretch and decelerate. Whereas, coasting to the end is an option, you may still be leaving some business on the table. Take a few precious moments to look around and see if there are a few vital steps you can make to make a difference for this year or help in the future. Is it really impossible to close a deal, make a telephone call and perform a service for a client? These actions may enable you to favorably close out the year and set the foundation for a strong start in the next quarter.

As long as there is time left on the clock, you should move quickly to break the tape and not wind down to a halt. It is best to run through the tape to ensure that you keep momentum where it can do the most good. It is the beauty of the follow though. In baseball, when running to first base they suggest you run through the bag. In golf they suggest you swing through the ball for maximum results. Persistence is critical to give it all you can until the very end. Craig Groeschel, Founder and Senior Pastor of LifeChurch.tv, has a phrase that he uses, “If you are not dead, you are not done.” I suggest you keep this mind, as you sprint to the end of the year.

I was in a sales meeting a few years ago. We were looking for another way to remind the managers to work toward a strong finish, even though we tome left in the quarter. We made a list of the activities we could perform to close out the year. We asked the managers to encourage their representatives to do the following:

• Make one more call at the end of the day
• Contact their largest customers to get commitments
• Contact customers they may have missed on their last cycle
• Make courtesy calls to thank their customers for their business and support, even if it did not lead to an immediate sale

The managers also reviewed their responsibilities in holding everyone accountable.
One manager was aware of my book Leadership above the rim – the poetry of possibility. There was a poem entitled, “Time on the clock,” which was very appropriate for the moment. The poem Time left on the clock was read to the group. It was a nice way to close out the session and emphasize the power and possibility for high performance by having the right attitude to the end of the year.

I wish you a strong finish to the year and hopefully the poem, “Time on the clock,” will deliver a message that coincides with your belief in an excellent finish and a strong start to the next quarter in the New Year.

Time on the clock
When there is time left on the clock,
The cowards complain and cry foul;
The losers panic and throw in the towel,
But champions persist and hold their blocks,
For they know the score is tentative
Until the game is over, so they give
Everything, for ’til the final gun
There’s unfinished business,
Work to be done.

When there is time left on the clock,
The champions continue to play
Aggressively, to find a way
To anchor confidence so they can rock
The competition out of alignment,
As they execute their assignments.

When there is time left on the clock,
Champions cling to the fundamentals,
They stay in strategy, push potential
To higher levels intended to shock;
As warriors welded to their cause,
They are nourished by internal applause.

When there is time left on the clock,
Thoughts of surrender should be suspended;
Energy on hand should be expended,
Reserves should be exploited to unlock
The genius of skillfully fighting hard,
With valiant effort for the extra yard.

When there is time left on the clock,
You strive tenaciously, always take stock
In your motives for entering the game,
For pride, prestige or personal acclaim;
Though vanquished or victorious, heroes
Are those who fight to the end.
Zeroes on the clock is when the champions say
Is the acceptable time to walk away.

http://www.watchwellinc.com

Are you Customer Servant or Overhead?

November 21, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

I was talking to my son Brian the other day about the company he works for and the challenges he faces in selling their products. Part of their justification for pricing is linked to their ability to provide customer service. Other companies can offer lower prices, but if something goes wrong or if they have any questions they have a live person to assist you. The competition’s justification for pricing is the fact that they can sell products at a lower price because they don’t have the same overhead costs.

Built into the customer service logic is the belief that people will pay more for a product if the value in the long run makes it worth their while. If it saves time, aggravation, cost down the road and gives them peace of mind, it is a worthwhile investment.

How are you perceived at work? How do you view yourself? How do you rate in the minds of the competition? Are you a customer servant providing value for the job you occupy? Are you just overhead, the interchangeable vulnerable cost of doing business?

If you are a customer servant, people love to have you around. You have done your homework and are prepared to give them valid answers to their questions. You anticipate their needs and lay the foundation for making their job easier. People consult with you often because they know they can count on you, almost as a concierge would make valid recommendations. They know you are there for them and will recommend you and your company, because of how well they were treated. You are a GPS that knows where they are in their thinking and in their business.

If your company, customers or competitors see you as overhead, it is safe to say that your days are numbered. When the company sees you as an added expense, it is only a matter of time, in this cost-cutting era for them to find a way to outsource or eliminate your role.

If your customer sees you as overhead, they will not display the loyalty required for you to sustain profitability. Frequent purchases or repeat is questionable. They will very easily be swayed to another product or service whenever they have a choice. Customers realize that it is a buyer’s market and there are other companies courting them for their business. They do not have to accept shoddy treatment and less than the best behavior from anyone. They want enthusiastic customer servants who are thankful for their business. They want the interaction to be a pleasant experience that satisfies their needs.

Many customers have heard the old adage, “you can tell how a company treats their employees by how their employees treat their customers. If your behavior is not indicative of how your company wants to treat customers, your company can not afford to have you work for them. Your behavior is giving them a bad name. It is about company refutation and image and if you are out of line, you will be left behind.

If your competitors see you as overhead, they will work relentlessly to put you out of business. They will be more confident and aggressive in their interactions with your customers and will capitalize on the customer’s perception of you. They will be as a shark when they see blood in the water. The competition will constantly go for your jugular and exploit the fact that you are not honoring your promises or treating the customer with quality service which includes dignity and respect. The competition is already formidable in many markets. You don’t want to give them an added advantage that is linked to your weakness in being a poor customer servant.

You can look in the mirror and tell if you are a customer servant or overhead by your answers to the following questions.

1. Are customers delighted to hear from you and often go out of their way to contact you? This question speaks to the relationships that you have established with your clients.
2. Do you provide work that can easily be done by someone else or a computer or answering service?
3. Do you have a personality that is warm and connects with people?
4. Are customers dissatisfied with your encounters to the extent they complain to management?
5. Have you gone out of your way to show a client how much you appreciate their business?
6. Are you providing a service that would be difficult to find elsewhere?
7. What makes you so special?
8. Is your level of follow-up a marvel to behold?
9. Do you often anticipate your client’s needs?
10. Do you make it a habit of going above and beyond your client’s expectations?

Overhead has always been considered as part of the cost of doing business. It was a given, an expectation and something that people felt was necessary. This was part of the justification for print and mortar businesses. Companies housed people in buildings to have face-to-face contact with customers. We have seen the reduction in brick and mortar businesses as Internet businesses continue to explode on the scene. However, there seems to be resurgence in companies that have direct contact with the consumer. They feel quality customer servants play a vital role in their marketing plans.

You may speak as a realist and say that in many situations you are both. You are a hybrid person with dual functionality. You are listed on the budget as overhead, but you provide a customer service job. I won’t argue against this claim, but will add that if you are practically listed as overhead, you must not function as overhead nor allow yourself to think of yourself as overhead. Your dominant function should be as a customer servant, admired by your clients and profitable to the organization.

A company you will rarely have a competitive advantage if their people, often their number one expense, are performing as overhead rather than customer servants. Where do you see yourself? Where does your customer see you? Are you performing in such a way that your competitors are inspired to go to work every day? Are they excelling because they know that you are there competition? Where do you stand? Are you a customer servant or overhead?

Reading to children can make you a better leader

November 8, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

I was told of the benefits of reading to children. It would aid in their development, help them acquire a love for learning and strengthen the bond between parent and child. But I did not count on the collateral or ancillary advantages I would receive. Of course, I was excited and encouraged by the interaction and the way I was able to connect to my children. But, with each story, nursery rhyme or fable I began to associate their content with the people I managed in the workplace. Their content gave me new insights into executing my role as a leader.

When I returned to work I found that I began to incorporate some of the very language and concepts from the literature I read to my kids the night before. Aesop’s Fables were always good with life lessons. Androcles and the lion taught me the value of helping everyone no matter how small because you never knew when they could help you. The story was about a mouse who returned a favor by saving a lion that was caught in a hunter’s net. The Emperor’s new clothes by Hans Christian Andersen had many applications to corporate culture. The failure to speak to power brought on by fear and ego was a natural metaphor. The practice of using children literature to clarify leadership principles is widespread today with articles and books about the Goldilocks Leadership Style. There are books such as, The Oz Principle by Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman, and Our Emperor’s have no clothes by Alan Weiss and Emperor’s Clothes by Catherine Mc Guinness. They use the aforementioned classic as inspiration for their works.

Reading children stories make managerial principles fresh and exciting. Many people can relate to them and feel connected to the subject. It takes us back to our childhood and the rich and often forgotten lessons from our youth. I read the classic fable of the hare and the tortoise. I walked into work with a new perspective. The morale of the story is that “plodding wins the race,” emphasizing the value of persistence. But when I arrived at work, I placed a different spin on the classic story. I asked my managers, “Who would you rather be the hare or the tortoise?” After a light discussion, I announced that I would rather be a hare that did not sleep. In our fast paced world, a company could seldom afford to hire a large number of workers who always started and finished slowly. We needed people to get out of the starting blocks quickly, master the information around their jobs and get up the learning curve in record time. We needed speed merchants who were confident, with stamina and awareness of the danger of underestimating their competition and the needs of their customers.

Another principle that was reinforced was the idea of performing with a winning attitude, while may have involved faking it until making it was a reality. My daughter was nearly 3 years old and was at the swimming pool with my wife and her mother. She was reciting a book out loud. It was the book I read to her before bed. As she moved to the bottom of each page, she moved her eyes to the top of the next page or turned the page as appropriate. “The man was flabbergasted,” she said. A woman next to her was astonished by her apparent reading skills at such a young age. She did not realize that my daughter had merely memorized every word on every page in the book and turned the pages appropriately, on her way to learning how to read. As leaders we must sometimes show courage and strength in a positive outcome even when we are not 100% certain, until the result is achieved.

I found the following benefits from my bonding moments with my children that I used with my teams that had leadership implications.

1. I listened better because they gave me their undivided attention and asked questions. They wanted to know the why, the back story behind the story. This is similar to the teams we manage. People want to know the content and the context.
2. Children enjoy when you are enthusiastic when reading a story. I was animated and displayed passion in my delivery and interpretation of the story.
3. I had to adapt a reading style that brought each child into the moment. If one child was quiet and the other easily distracted, I had to individualize and customize my reading style, make stronger eye contact and gestures to ensure that both were engaged in the story.
4. I selected stories for them which were my favorites from childhood. This helped reinforce messages that I had forgotten. Some of the fairytales and nursery rhymes were originally written as political satire which helped explain the appeal to some adults. Looking for other ways to use the information helped broaden my perspective.
5. Reading taught me the value of play and including humor in my conversation and interactions with my children and my people.
6. The value of discipline and a set routine, along with the value of commitment to my promises by reading every night I was in town. If I was traveling out of town, I read to them over the telephone to keep my word. When there are challenges there are always ways to improvise to fulfill promises made on the important things in life.

We should look forward to reading to our children or to any children who could benefit from our time and attention. There are organizations such as Real Men Read which place adults in local schools to read to children. The men participating are receiving some of the same benefits I outlined above. The benefits are achieved whether you are reading to your children or any willing child sitting in front of you to hear your passionate delivery of a new book or a childhood classic

Additionally, we know that, “Children are born ready to learn and reading to them stimulates and satisfies their thirst for information. Children cultivate 85% of their intellect, personality and skills by age five. The first months and years of life set the stage for lifelong development,” according the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2000. Reading to them at an early age is a tremendous advantage for them. However, the returns to the adults are exceptionally stimulating. When we think of the input into the creative process that is triggered when we read and visualize the images; the reinforcement of key values and the lessons to help illustrate leadership principles, reading to children should be a consistent and mandatory part of our lives.

Tie breakers – Beating the crowd in a photo finish

November 1, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

Similarity is everywhere. Parity is another word used to describe sameness that exists among sports teams. A commodity is a perception by customers that there is little difference between the items portrayed. The common view is that all of the products under review or investigation are interchangeable and can be substituted for each other. When this occurs with your career, something must be done to give you an edge. A slight variation can be seen as an advantage. If candidates are seen as equal, something must be done to break the tie.

There are so many talented candidates applying for jobs and many have equivalent academic and professional skill sets and expertise. College admission officers receive applications from a large number of straight “A” students and others with high grade point averages. Employment offices receive resumes from people with indistinguishable backgrounds. You have to devise a strategy to stand out or “differentiate” yourself from the crowd. Some people have accomplished this in the form of a short term and long term strategy of more education. This can be achieved in the form of an advanced degree or certificate of specialization in an area of need. This can be in the form of skills and experience gained in volunteer activities on the job, in school or in your community.

Leaders are needed in great numbers. Great leadership is desperately needed. Individuals with the emotional and intellectual fortitude to inspire and lead others to complete projects, exceed sales goals and solve problems will find employment. People with the technical, social skills and emotional intelligence will always be in demand.

Old School relatives always spoke of the value of a strong work ethic. It meant working a job to the best of your ability. It meant pride in the quality of your effort. Sometimes it meant working long hours, where the pay was not worth it in the short term, but there were significant long term benefits. There were occasions when a low paying job was used as a stepping stone to a higher paying job.

What would you use as a tie breaker if you were making a decision between several comparable people? This thought process will help you imagine what the interviewer is going through. Examples of potential tie breakers may include the following.

• Unique or various experiences which sets you apart from others
• Interests, hobbies and attributes which could add to the skills of your team. What are your interests that grow you in other areas? Volunteer opportunities and hobbies in art and music can portray an interesting person. You can develop techniques of creativity which can apply to other areas of life when examined for other tangible benefits
• Sports can be a tie breaker if you reached a high level of competency and can demonstrate valuable skills acquired during your playing days. Leadership positions such as the captain of the team and how this enhanced your character.
Some people look for points of identification with the interviewer as a potential tie breaker. I worked for a manager who loved to play racquetball. In a competitive interview when all else was equal I could see him leaning toward the candidate who was an avid racquetball player.

• Working to pay for your college education. Dave was a manager who worked his way through college and paid for 100% of his education. He therefore, had a bias for anyone who demonstrated these attributes. In an interview if he discovered this information, he immediately connected with the candidate. This plays into the decision-making process. He would use this information to break a tie. Granted this information is often impossible to gather, but I want you to think about acquiring extracurricular activities and education which could prove instrumental in your career development. The more well rounded you are, the greater the possibility of breaking the tie with other candidates.

Tony Alessandra, PhD. said years ago that people should work on their breath and depth of knowledge. The depth of knowledge referred to the information in your chosen area of interest; the data, experiences and connections that formed your expertise in your area of specialization. Your breath of knowledge is all of the other things you know outside of your business, which make you well rounded and hopefully more interesting.

You don’t want to be among the less impressive resumes. But even if among the best you must have sufficient skills to set yourself apart from others. Your leadership, risk taking, charisma and communication skills and leadership practices may be exactly what the organization or institution is looking to bring on board. Your hunger, sense of urgency and a track record of achieving goals are attractive to potential employers.

People may overlook the value of communication skills in breaking a tie and distinguishing yourself from others. Many people use their communication skills to enhance their profile. Students and adults join Toastmasters and look for opportunities to make presentations in front of large groups. People take acting classes to improve their ability to communicate. Their involvement has little to do with pursuing an acting career, but everything to do with building their network and improving their skills to communicate with different people.

Your career plan should contain elements or characteristics to set you apart from others. Or you should look at your interests and skills and ask, “Who would be interested in this array of talent? Am I competitive enough? What is missing? What do I need to do short term and long term? If interviewing was compared to a horse race, there would be people scattered all over the track. However, many would cross the line in a photo finish. It is up to the interviewers to find tangible ways to separate the candidates with equivalent skills. They find a way to break the tie. Illustrating and demonstrating your diverse skills, talents, background and connections will hopefully break the tie in your favor.

Busted while looking for a new job

October 20, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

How would your boss respond if he discovered you were looking for a new job? What would you do if you were busted and caught in the act? What would you say? What would you do? This thought may seldom come to mind, however, you may want to plan some witty comebacks in case you are discovered.

There are more people available then jobs. Many people are trapped in jobs that are below their expectations. Additionally, ambitious employees want to quickly climb the corporate ladder to success. So we find ourselves in a world where individuals are constantly changing jobs or looking to change jobs. People are eager to improve their economic status and to satisfy their egos. Job seekers are using the Internet and social media, along with the traditional job fairs and newspapers. With the heavy traffic of candidates and employers, the Law of Probability predicts your boss could detect your search for a new job.

We hired a manager to help us staff a new specialty sales force. He was waiting to interview one of his former colleagues, who did not know that he had jumped ship. The colleague was waiting to be interviewed. He did not know the name of the person he was supposed to see. He sat in the hall waiting his turn. The door opened and his former colleague stepped out to meet him. The look on his face was priceless, as his knees buckled. Immediately his former colleague placed him at ease by saying that he no longer worked for the same company. The colleague uttered a sigh of relief and said,” I’m afraid that I am going to have to change my underwear.” This made me wonder if it is wise to formulate a few words to share if someone discovered your plans to leave the organization.

Shortly after a merger, I surprised many of my new employees during a session on gratitude. We filled up several pages on a flip chart listing the many benefits of our new organization, which was very helpful for the audience. I wanted them to know that we have a tendency to look at the negative side of change. I also wanted them to remember these things when they received phone calls from recruiters. I reminded them that recruiters were salespeople. The unscrupulous ones were more concerned about placement than the right fit for their clients. I stunned them when I said, jokingly,” I know you are receiving phone calls from recruiters. If you are doing a great job people should be calling you. And when they call, some of you are interested. I know this to be true, because when I call posing as a recruiter, some of you are interested.” It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. A few of the new team members could be heard asking the person next to them,” Would he really do that?”

Everyone in the workplace is technically a free agent and free to move between companies at will. However, if you have indicated a desire to move up in an organization, they may not take kindly to you aggressively shopping your services. Developing a reputation of having a wandering eye could work against you unless you are a phenomenal performer. Companies may not always seem loyal, but loyalty is demanded of their employees. It is flattering for companies to know that someone else wants to hire you. They blush at the positive impact you have on your customers and the industry. If you take a risk and decide to follow up on their interest, think of a way to respond if you are caught.

A sales representative drove outside of his territory to attend a job interview. He entered an office building and waited for the elevator. The elevator doors opened and there stood his district and regional sales managers. Needless to say, they were surprised to see him and he was shocked to see them. The morale of the story is if you are discovered, be ready with a plausible explanation. Telling the truth about the hiring lead is highly recommended. This can lead you into a very candid conversation about your career. If you lied to make room for the interview, you may have complicated the matter by your lack of integrity. It is ideal to make room for an interview during a long lunch, before or after work or on a scheduled vacation day.

Discovery Advantages
Your willingness to consider another company sometimes it is an indication that something is lacking in your current relationship. It may also speak to the power of your brand that others are heavily recruiting you. There are benefits to the word getting out that you are looking for another job. They include, but are not limited to:
• Discovery may stimulate a serious discussion around your status with the firm
• Career opportunities may suddenly develop because the company feels that they may lose you
• Discovery may enable you to discuss your interest, ambition and lack of career opportunities

Earlier, I mentioned how the company would feel if they knew you were constantly looking for job. Many companies will understand this because of the current precarious state of employment. Some companies may not understand and may terminate you. Some companies may be reluctant to hire you if you are always on the market, trolling for better options.

I met a young man and he asked for my business card.” Are you hiring?” He wanted to know.” I am always looking for a better opportunity.” I wondered at that moment about his comment. He was impressive, but should I seriously consider him? If I hired him, would he maintain the same attitude and philosophy while working for me, always aggressively looking for something better? This takes me back to my central question. If you’re looking for another job and you are discovered,” What will you say?”

You might give the response that people often give when they resign. “I wasn’t looking for a job, but they called me.” Don’t be surprised if your employer is not satisfied with this response. It will not make them feel better to know that you did not initiate the process. A company may view this as disloyalty or as cheating in a relationship. Imagine saying to a companion, “Honey, I did not chase her or go after him first. They approached me. They made the first move and I just gauged their interest to see what they had to offer.”

We search for jobs on social media sites, job boards, career fairs and networking functions. Invariably, if you are active or pursue an opening once, there is the possibility that someone will find out. Discovery may not be due to carelessness on your part. Your profile may be seen by people who have connections with people within your organization. There are haters and informers in your company who wish to discredit you or make themselves look good by telling about your interest in a particular job. The fact remains, if you are looking for another job, it may be prudent to think of your response if your activity is exposed.

Want to save the boss’s job? Perform better

September 26, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

Veterans of watching and playing sports and working in business for a living, remember countless regime changes. The owner or senior leadership brings people into a room or connects with them online to make an announcement. The current boss is being replaced, which could mean, demoted, reassigned or terminated. They inform the workers that it was time for a change. They may deliver platitudes and say such things as, “they were a fine individual and have contributed much to the organization.” This decision may not be linked to performance, but it was time to go in another section. This unleashes quite a buzz within the organization. Both positive and negative comments are made about the person and the decision.

Let’s move our focus immediately from the person making the decision and the person being removed. Let’s focus our attention on the people who work for him or her. On Sports Center and the local news media, one by one former players are interviewed.” “He was an excellent manager, a player’s coach, a person of high intellect and sports acumen. He taught me everything I know. She took a chance on me, when no one else would.” The plaudits and accolades go on and on.

In business and in athletics, there may be factors beyond the coach or the leader, which influence performance. However, one point comes out loudly and clearly, if the person was so great and instrumental in career growth to receive such high praise for their leadership,” why didn’t the people perform better?”

The best way to show a coach or a leader what you think of them is through excellent performance on the field, in the field, on the court, in the office, on the plant floor or in the classroom. Results are the measure of a person’s effectiveness. Is it logical to assume that your performance is an indicator of how you felt about them? If they are not getting the best from you and it is not them, then it must be you.

If you are not delivering up to your capabilities, are you in the wrong job or somehow being hampered by underlying issues. Are you compromising the effectiveness of your team, and placing your job and your manager’s job at risk. Bear in mind, it is the role of the manager to diagnose and treat some of these issues. It is commonly said that somebody has to take the heat and the blame when the team does not perform up to its capability. The leader or coach is usually this individual. Managers cannot fire the whole team or replace every individual over night. Somebody must take the field, sit behind desks or operate the machinery. Often it is believed that firing the manager will jolt the team into an accelerated, escalated level of performance. Sometimes this works, but sometimes it doesn’t.

What can be done?

When you bemoan the fact that, “another one bites the dust or another one got away or another quality coach leaves, think of all of the assistance they gave to you. Remember the instructions and wise counsel. There may have been working above and beyond the call of duty to get you comfortable in your job. Think of their families, as you think of your own. Then I want you to inspire and motivate yourself to give your maximum effort. Energized and engage your team members into working to their highest levels of achievement. You are doing this for yourselves, the organization and the manager you claim to admire and respect.

Performing to your highest level can be very self-serving. It enables you to have a greater role in retaining the best manager for you. If you admire the quality leadership of this individual, make sure that when they leave the organization, is because of some of the reason other than the team not delivering its best. The next person who walks through the door, on to the court or field or into the plant, was selected by you as surely as if you were in the interview making get the job offer. Retaining the manager you want may also keep you from getting the manager from Hell who may be lurking in the shadows waiting the right moment to assume the position you provide for them.

You may know him on both sides of this issue. People have come up to them and stated how unfair it was that they were no longer in the role. They went on to say they will never forget the things they taught them and how it made them a better person or manager. These comments were appreciated and well received. I’m curious; if it meant so much to them, why didn’t it show up in their performance. Why did she choose this year to deliver below prior years? Did they do everything within their power to keep the coach? Are there things that they could’ve done differently that could have led to a different result?

The manager, coach or leader is a part of the team. They set the tone for the velocity of the team and their ability to scale higher mountains of expectations. The team can be compared to a chain and sometimes the manager is the weak link in the chain and should be replaced. Sometimes, there are other individuals on the team that are not living up to their potential and the manager must develop them or remove them from the organization. Failure of the manager to make the tough calls may be an indication that they are not strong enough and should be replaced. In situations where the manager is highly regarded for their character, vision and leadership skills, it is imperative that this bears fruit in the performance of the team.

Post blog assignment

The next time you see a news story, where a person is being removed from a job, you may want to ask yourself a few questions and look for the evidence provided to justify the action.

• What did they do to deserve the termination?
• What information was given to support the action?
• What did the people who worked for them have to say about them?
• Was there evidence of being a good person, but not strong enough to make the tough decisions?
• What information was provided about the performance of the team or the department?
• Did you get a sense that the team was performing below its capabilities?

If you want to keep the manager you have, either as your boss or within the organization, you can contribute to this by performing at the highest level of your capability. This may spare you the inconvenience of complaining about the organization or feeling guilty about your culpability in the demise of your beloved leader, manager or coach.

Reputation – Working Capital in a Successful Life

September 16, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

Have you ever heard the phrase,” You are nothing like I expected,” or” You are nothing like I was told?” When you heard these questions, you probably received them with mixed emotions. They could indicate positive feelings about you or an underlying misconception or suspicion about your reputation. Why were they surprised?

If you’re like me, you try very hard to establish and protect your reputation. Your reputation is who you are, what you stand for and what you represent. Many times it goes before you and people say such things as,” Your reputation preceded you.” So it is critical that you do everything to keep your reputation pristine and positive.

Your reputation is like currency. It enables you to incur special favors and treatment, assignments, employment and business opportunities, the benefit of the doubt and information, power and influence. A poor reputation can also work against you and deprive you of many of the finer things in life. Reputation can affect what people think of you; a fine person they would like to work with or I wouldn’t work with them if they were the last person on Earth.

A Bad Reputation

A bad reputation, which could relate to a bad driving record, poor credit history or hard to work with, can haunt your work life. You may lose out on a job. Usually, losing out on a job may never be brought to your attention, but it does happen. Another tragedy is that there are times when a poor reputation, is not your fault. A director was asked to hire an assistant, who competed against her for her current job. She was initially reluctant. She had the usual concerns about this individual potentially sabotaging her agenda. But she was open to using the person’s skills to improve the overall department. She also felt that she could groom the individual to one day take her job or a similar assignment. She accepted it as a good a challenge.

Shortly after the person joined her department, she began hearing negative comments from members of the team about some of his remarks. He was undermining her authority. He secretly questioned her decisions and even went as far as to sabotage some of the marketing projects. Additionally, he was personally connected to other directors and began to influence their perceptions of her. He told them she was lazy, incompetent and ineffective, that she was in a job that was over her head. They believed him because he knew marketing and worked closely with her every day. He was eventually reassigned, but the damage had already been done to her reputation. He wanted her out of the job, so he could take her place. He could not beat her in the interview, but he was committed to poisoning her reputation.

Survey your people. Could any of them one day do your job? Assess their talent and interest and dedicate yourself to ensuring they will be ready for future promotions. The right person will be patient and welcoming your assistance and advocacy. The wrong person may try to sabotage your efforts, so do not be naïve. Prepare for any signs of betrayal, such as silent insidious insubordination, in word or deed. People will come to you in confidence. Take well meaning comments seriously, especially if they are warning you about passive aggressive behavior that is being used to discredit your reputation.

A positive reputation is crucial in validating who you are. It is a reflection of your life’s work and therefore should be guarded as you would your bank account or investment portfolio. The concept of acting above and beyond reproach is necessary to support your reputation. This should be done to establish a history of consistency. You must not cut corners where integrity is concerned. You don’t want anyone to doubt your character.

While you are working hard to protect your reputation, bear in mind, there may be individuals trying to give you a bad name. There are detractors or haters, determined to bring you down and remove you from competing with them for a current or future assignment.

A candidate was almost denied employment because his previous employer misrepresented his reputation during a reference check. The new company was so impressed with him in the interview that they allowed him an opportunity to address the malicious accusations lodged against him. He told his version of the story to address the example his employer had given, which were completely taken out of context. He also supplied the names of the zone manager and director of sales who spoke very highly of the candidate. They even went as far as to discredit his supervisor, which enabled him to get the job. This doesn’t usually happen, but the reputation of the candidate came through loudly and clearly in the interview and in the comments from the zone manager and the director of sales.

A manager was astonished to find out that an employee was interviewing his people, in an effort to gather negative information about him. She was planning to file a lawsuit against her manager. She wanted to prove that the organization tolerated bad behavior on the part of its managers. Since the manager’s reputation was beyond reproach, she failed in her efforts to link him to her lawsuit.

Failing to pay attention to integrity and your reputation is a very costly enterprise. A poor reputation may literally cost you thousands of dollars in lost promotions, salary increases, bonuses, key relationships and important clients. You must do everything in your power to keep your reputation positive and of the highest caliber. This involves monitoring and managing your personal and professional image. Just as there are agencies to monitor your credit and issue credit reports, you must find a way to monitor your reputation. You must set up a process, a mechanism or system to collect image data on yourself. There are a few simple techniques you should consider. You have heard them before and they should be repeated because repetition reinforces learning.

Reputation Feedback

Select a few trusted advisors to give you feedback on your character, image, personal and professional leadership. These all add up to your reputation, as you know it. You should gather information the old fashioned way by asking questions in a questionnaire, on the telephone, in a meeting or over a meal. Consider using the following questions.

• Do you feel I am listening to you?
• Do you feel I am treating you and others fairly?
• Have you heard anything that should be brought to my attention?
• What are things I need to change to make things better for you?
• Is there any dissent that has surfaced among your team members?
• What can I do to make you feel a greater part of the team?
• Are my actions in line with my stated values and intentions and your expectations?

Ask different people about the word on the street about you. What are people saying? What have they heard about you? If your company conducts employee surveys, they may drill down to your level to give you feedback. If this is the case, reputation information will be provided to you. If your company provides customer surveys which allow the customer to give data on the company and its representatives, you may get reputation data in this manner. Customer surveys give the perception information which contributes to the corporate image, your personal image and reputation.

360° feedback instruments are available to alert managers to how they are perceived by their people. Climate studies can also be conducted to assess the environment within a team or organization. Personally, you should always be aware of your actions because they are registered somewhere in the hearts and minds of those around you. The collection of your actions will shape your reputation and place you in high esteem or doom you to suffer dire consequences.

• The old adage of “ your word is your bond” should have meaning in your life, as you follow through on your obligations
• Treat people the way you want to be treated
• Remember you are an employee of the company and are always on duty
• Always model the company’s values
• Do not do anything that you would not like to see as a headline in the media
• Cultivate a number of trusted individuals who will advise you on matters that may affect your career
• In personnel matters, preserve the individual’s self esteem
• Cultivate advocate who will defend your reputation and alert you to any assaults on your character

You can bolster your character, image and reputation by sticking to these cardinal principles.

Interviews: Honesty Is the Best Policy

September 7, 2013 ~ Orlando Ceaser

I attended a career workshop sponsored by my church and one of the attendees asked, “How do you answer the question, what is your greatest weakness? Should I answer honestly or tell a lie?” She wanted to know if it was a trick question or did they really want to know the information. If she told the truth and it was not good, it could cost her a job? My experience confirms that the question is usually asked with the proper motivation. However you should always keep the following thoughts in mind:

• There are so many applicants for jobs that interviewers look for knockout factors
• They may want to know if you have given serious thought to self examination and self-awareness
• They may want to know if you have experiences or attributes that may not mesh with their values, beliefs and expectations
• They may use the question to confirm their intentions to hire or not to hire

There are several views circulating on the correct answer to this question.

Some experts feel the best way to handle the question of your greatest weakness is to identify an area of needed growth that is not terminal. For example, someone told me they were a stickler for details and was told they were over organized. Another responded that they were a perfectionist and their high standards were a problem for some people. The technique looks upon a weakness as a strength that’s overdone. They also phrased it in such a way that the perspective employer would love to hire someone with that problem. My personal favorite response is to present a truthful area of weakness and tell what you have done to correct it. It is no longer a problem or it has been significantly minimized. This takes guts and confidence.

You were taught from birth that honesty is the best policy. You should never discard the wisdom behind this phrase. However, you should look at your level of disclosure to ensure that you are not unintentionally sabotaging your chances at landing a job. Employers by law cannot ask you certain questions. Illegal areas include:

• Age
• Race
• National Origin
• Religion
• Marital status
• Dependents
• Child care problems
• Arrest records
• Health status

Since these areas are off limits, it would also not be appropriate for you to volunteer this information. Their questions must be limited to those areas that affect your ability to do the job.

People are imperfect and will say the most unbelievable things in the hot lights or perceived hot seat of an interview. Here are a few samples of honest comments from my archives of information collected from actual interviews, which you should avoid.

I asked a very competent graduate from a prominent university about her greatest weakness. She responded that she was a procrastinator. She would get things done, but it would take her some time to get around to it. If you are a work in progress, correct your issues so that they are not a problem. She was hired and became an outstanding employee and procrastination was not a problem.

A candidate at a job fair told me he wanted to get into sales. I asked why and he responded because friends said he had the gift to gab. I asked if he based his career objectives on everything his friends said, which startled him. After regaining his composure he said, he wanted to work for a corporation for a year and then go off and pursue his first love which was music. I translated his comments back to him saying, “You just told me that we will invest $100,000 to train you in the first year. Before we can recoup our investment, you are going to leave us to go off and blow your horn.” My advice to him was to collect his thoughts before taking that message to the other 100 exhibitors at the job fair. He took my advice and pulled himself out of the interviews to develop a better approach.

I received a request to talk to a relative of an employee. During a one hour exploratory interview I found her to be intelligent, a hard worker with a strong background and strong communication skills. I recommended her for the next interview. The next interviewer was disturbed by his interview with her, based on one comment. She disclosed that she had been a child alcoholic when she was 12 years old. She was 35 years old and he saw no reason for her to volunteer this information.

Many people are extremely honest and naive in interviews. They want to bear their souls unnecessarily in front of the interviewer. This phenomenon seems to be exacerbated when they are interviewing with a person in whom they have a lot in common.

The interview is not a confessional. It is however a witness stand and what you say can and will be held against you. Your answers to questions should be honest and truthful. However, you must evaluate the tactic of throwing ourselves at the mercy of the court, looking for forgiveness for your noble act of unnecessary disclosure. Remember, just the facts and provide information related to the job. Honesty is still the best policy, but revealing every pimple when it’s not relevant is a questionable strategy.