In-person conversations need to happen

Last week, while discussing an earlier blog post, Downsides of Digital Conflict Resolution, with a young professional, I used the following example which really seemed to bring Tjan’s point to life and wanted to share it here.

Imagine sitting in the same room with a good friend.  You and your friend sit  back-to-back and you may only communicate by passing written notes back and forth. No verbal communication or sounds are allowed and of course, you cannot see each others face.

Think of how much communication would be missing from that interaction.  That is what happens during an email exchange.

Godin Makes the Case for “Career-ology”

In his article, “If You’re An Average Worker, You’re Going Straight To The Bottom,” Seth Godin makes the case for being proactive about your career and professional development which is what Career-ology is all about!

. . . if you’re different somehow and have made yourself unique, people will find you and pay you more, Godin says.

Instead of waiting around for someone to tell you that you matter, take your career into your own hands. In other words, don’t wait for someone else to pick you and pick yourself! If you have a book, you don’t need a publisher to approve you, you can publish it yourself. It’s no longer about waiting for some big corporation to choose you. We’ve arrived at an age where you choose yourself.

Thanks again for the wise words, Seth.

Why I Emptied my Email Inbox?

For 2012, I resolved to keep my email inbox empty.  You might ask, “Why would anyone consider taking on such a challenge?”

The reason is simple: I feel like I have been losing the battle with my email . . . and it doesn’t seem to be getting better and there is data to support this uneasy feeling.  According to The Radicati Group’s Survey: Corporate Email, 2011-2012:

The number of emails sent per day continues to increase, despite growing use of social networking and instant messaging. In 2010 users were receiving an average of 72 emails per day, and sending an average of 33 emails per day.

The data is alarming, but what is more concerning is Read more

Seth Godin’s Email Checklist

Godin’s email checklist has been around for a few years, so you may have seen it.  If not, it is definitely worth a read.  There are too many recommendations to be practically used as a checklist, however, they are all good.  Here are the most important recommendations to consider for your professional email:

13.  Am I angry? (If so, save as draft and come back to the note in one hour).
14.  Could I do this note better with a phone call?
21.  Could this email be shorter? Read more

Save Our Inboxes! Adopt the Email Charter

This is as much about your personal effectiveness as a professional as it is a benefit to the universe. The Email Charter has some great recommendations for reducing the overall volume of email at the macro-level which can be applied to the individual-level, as well.  I’ve included a few other recommendations of my own here:

  1. Schedule time on your calendar to process all of the messages in your email inbox.  Your goal each week is to leave the office on Friday with an empty inbox!
  2. Don’t mistake your email inbox for a “to do” list (or worse) a project management tool.
  3. Professional relationships are not built via email.  Do you spend time face-to-face with the people who can help you be a successful professional– clients, managers, mentors?

The Email Charter was created in response to widespread acknowledgement that email is getting out of hand for many people. It started life as a blog post by TED Curator Chris Anderson and TED Scribe Jane Wulf. The idea struck a chord. More than 45,000 people read the post and it generated hundreds of tweets, comments and suggestions. That is how the final Charter was shaped. Some of the key contributors are listed here.

The Charter is a private, non-commercial initiative, a simple ‘idea worth spreading’.

Leadership Inspiration for 2010

Happy New Year!  For the start of 2012, here is a bit of leadership inspiration from Mike Myatt, Forbes.com contributor and a leadership advisor to CEOs & Boards, and author of the book Leadership Matters.

This One Leadership Quality Will Make or Break You

One of the most often overlooked aspects of leadership is the need for pursuit. Great leaders are never satisfied with traditional practice, static thinking, conventional wisdom, or common performance. In fact, the best leaders are simply uncomfortable with anything that embraces the status quo.  Leadership is pursuit – pursuit of excellence, of elegance, of truth, of what’s next, of what if, of change, of value, of results, of relationships, of service, of knowledge, and of something bigger than themselves. In the text that follows I’ll examine the value of being a pursuer…

The conclusion of the article says. . . “All leaders would be well served to go back to school on what I refer to as the science of pursuitology.” Read the full text here.

[Editors Note: I like Myatt’s new term: pursuitology.😉 ]

Learn to Adapt

The only constant is change.

This philosophy dates back to the ancient greeks and has never been more true than it is today.

As a professional, you MUST be able to adapt to change.  Organizations expand and downsize, markets gyrate wildly, partnerships emerge and dissolve.  Adaptability is a key success factor in your career and it is a skill you can practice and develop. Read more

Everyone Has Something to Contribute

In her Wall Street Journal Online article, Reverse Mentoring Cracks Workplace, Leslie Kwoh writes about “reverse mentoring” whereby older, more experienced employees are paired with younger employees who serve as their mentors.  This approach can be especially helpful to teach older employees about the latest technology such as Skype and iPhone apps and popular social media tools such as Facebook or Twitter.  The article cites several Fortune 500 companies that have successfully implemented reverse mentoring programs including GE, Ogilvy & Mather, Hewlett-Packard Co., Cisco Systems Inc. Read more

Downsides of Digital Conflict Resolution

In his recent HBR blog post, Anthony Tjan,  CEO, Managing Partner and Founder of the venture capital firm Cue Ball and vice chairman of the advisory firm Parthenon, discusses the downside of using email for “digital conflict resolution” and highlights three of the problems that often result from pressing <SEND>.
1. It is hard to get the EQ (emotional intelligence) right in email.
2. Email and text often promote reactive responses.
3. Email prolongs debate. Read more

How to Adopt a Sales Mindset

Harvey Mackay, author of The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World (Portfolio Penguin, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2011) and the New York Times #1 bestsellers Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, offers thirteen simple rules for becoming your own sales superstar.

Mackay’s rules apply to both business owners and professionals who are managing their own careers.  Every professional must know how to sell— whether you are selling your ideas to your boss, providing support for an internal customer or pitching your policy position to a colleague.   Outstanding sales skills are essential for being an successful professional.

Here is an overview of Mackay’s rules.

1. Stay hungry.
2. Never compromise your integrity.
3. Stay positive. Read more