Kent Blumberg

How a congratulations email works

2009-08-24T10:21:18-05:00

I read the "People in Business" section of the paper with great interest. My local paper puts the names in bold font, making it easy to spot people I know.

Why do I bother? Because people love to hear they have been noticed.

This weekend, for example, I saw a notice about one of my former University of Phoenix students. The announcement said she had been promoted to Branch Manager of the bank at which she works. (Another Phoenix on the rise!) I scanned the notice into my laptop and emailed it to her, with a note that said:

"Congratulations once again! In case you missed the notice in today's paper, here's a copy."

She had already told me about the promotion some weeks ago, and I had already sent my congratulations. There was no need to congratulate her again. But here's the cool thing: she had not seen the notice in the paper. Without my message, she might never have known it was there.

She sent me the following reply:

"Thank you Kent!! I was receiving phone calls and text messages yesterday and had no idea what they were talking about. I didn't know there would be a clip and a picture, so I got a newspaper last night. Thank you again!"

What a great payoff for both of us. She received the joy of seeing her name and picture in print. I received the joy of her joy. Will she remember that? Of course. Is that why I did it? No. I did it because I love to acknowledge my friends' achievements. But that response of hers makes it even better. It makes my day to put a smile on a friend's face.

Don't assume that folks have seen all the accolades that have been sent their way. Read the business people section of your paper, and when you spot a friend there, pass it along. You'll be glad you did - and so will they.

Reduce your FOPP* time

2009-08-19T15:45:44-05:00

Time is the only thing you cannot create, borrow, steal or buy. If you waste your time Fixing Other People's Problems (FOPP time), it's gone. Gone for good. If you own or run a business, FOPP time, time spent doing things your subordinates should be doing, keeps you from focusing on the growth you so earnestly desire. If you'd like to spend less FOPP time and more Growth time, try these suggestions.

First, try to get clear why you feel the

need to do what a subordinate could be doing. Here are some possibilities. Please add your own thoughts in the comments section.

Cause: Perhaps your subordinate doesn't know how to do the task, so you do it just to get it done quickly.

Solution: Teach that subordinate how to do the task, watch him do it a few times and then let him loose to do it on his own. If you think you don't have time to teach the task, think again. Yes, it might take you longer to teach the task than to do it yourself. But once it is taught, you don't ever need to do it again. My guess is that the ROTI (Return On Time Invested) on teaching that task will be quite high for you.

Cause: Perhaps your subordinate does not clearly understand what you expect.

Solution: Spell out your expectations quite specifically. Tell her what outcome is required, by when and at what quality level. Ask her to repeat the assignment back to you, and correct any misunderstandings. Whose job is it to ensure that each of your subordinates understands what you expect? Is it theirs? Nope. That's your responsibility.

Cause: Perhaps the subordinate doesn't have enough energy, drive or motivation to get it done.

Solution: It's not you job to energize and motivate your subordinates. Yes, you should do all you can to help each one see how his role and how this task link to the bigger mission of your organization. Yes, you should do all you can to find and recognize good work. But in the end, if a subordinate continues to lack the energy and urgency needed to get the work done, you are probably going to need to find someone else.

Cause: Perhaps the subordinate doesn't know everything you know, and that lack of knowledge will hurt the outcome of this task.

Solution: Give her access to all the information and knowledge she needs to get it done right. Don't hold back on information. Share it freely. Knowledge may be the only commodity that multiplies when it is shared. The more you share it, the more you have.

Cause: Perhaps you expect perfection.

Solution: Get over it! This is an imperfect world. It's easy to let the quest for a perfect outcome prevent us from getting any outcome at all. An organization can grind to a halt while seeking perfection. Decide what's acceptable - the 80 percent solution - and communicate that standard. Then let people go out and make things happen.

Cause: Perhaps you haven't given your subordinate authority to match the task.

Solution: Always carefully match authority to accountability. Perhaps nothing is more demoralizing than accountability without the appropriate level of authority.

Those are my thoughts. What about you?

Don't wait!

2009-04-18T18:49:52-05:00

In four years, I lost three jobs…and discovered my calling.

The first 25 years of my post-college career were high speed, high excitement and high growth. At 27, I was supervising a crew of 41 men, all of them older than me. At 37, I was running a $200 million paper manufacturing plant. And by 42, I was COO of a $350 million division of New Zealand’s largest forest products company. I was flying high, living large, and certain that I was indestructible.

I spent my days striving for excellence in

my current role, and looking up the ladder at the next opportunity. When I felt any nagging doubts about my industry, or my career, I let the excitement of the moment burn those doubts away. When I wondered about my future, I remembered the retirement statement I received six months into my first job out of college. The statement told me how much money I would get each month after working 41 years for that company. In those days, 41 years at one company would not have been surprising.

I cruised along like that for a quarter of a century.

Until I lost my job in early 2002.

I had been in New Zealand for six years. I told the CEO of our US parent company that I was ready for a transfer home. He nosed around the company for a few weeks and then called me.

“We just don’t have room for you here in the states,” he claimed. “And…we don’t really need you in New Zealand any more, either.”

Bam! I had not looked for a job since graduating from college in 1977. Now, 25 years later, I was on the streets, and in shock.

No problem though. By January 2003, I was back in the saddle, this time as CEO of an $85 million company in Thailand.

“Hah!” I thought. “That’ll show him how good I really am.”

15 months later, the owners sold that company and I lost my job again. Still no problem. Within two months, I had landed a role in the States running a $350 million division of another forest products firm.

That lasted two years. The CEO and I disagreed over staffing cuts and he invited me to be the next person out the door.

April 2006. I was 51. I had no job. I had no team to sustain me. Having lost three jobs in four years, I felt like a pariah. I was frightened no one would hire this fat, middle-aged ex-CEO, scared I would not be able to put food on the table, and wondering who I was.

My identity, you see, had been wrapped up in my title. I was my role, and little else. Without a role, I felt erased.

For months I wandered in that wilderness, chasing after jobs and searching for my mission. I scored a few interviews, and went to them full of hope. Every time, though, I returned with my tail between my legs. Either I didn’t like them; they didn’t like me, or both. Usually both. Most of the time, I was secretly glad it had not worked out.

As summer faded into fall, my hopes of returning to the corporate world withered and browned. Inside me, the lights of my manufacturing career dimmed toward dark.

But as the nights lengthened toward winter, and the lights in our house came on a bit earlier every day, new lights began to glow within me. I began to see that I was not a senior vice president, a COO or even a CEO. I was not a title. I was something much more unique. I was, and am, Kent M. Blumberg. My struggles to present a clear picture in my cover letters, my resumes and my interviews had forced me to cut away all the fluff and expose my core.

At the core, I realized that I am an outstanding learner, that I can achieve anything I set my mind to, and that I am able to win others over to my point of view. I discovered a talent for asking probing questions, and for listening to the responses deeply and completely. Even better, I discovered that people would pay me to do just that – to coach them toward personal and business growth.

In short, I discovered a new calling.

Discovering that calling wasn’t enough, though. Mastery is my middle name. I will not be satisfied becoming “a” coach. I am driven to become “the” coach. I set out to learn what it takes to be a truly masterful coach, embarking on an educational journey that I hope will last for years to come.

Three years after losing my last real job, I am energized, climbing the ladder to master in my new profession, and eager to start each new day.

The only thing I don’t understand is why it took so long. Why did it take 51 years and three job losses for me to realize that I wasn’t following my calling? Why didn’t I discover and pursue this path earlier?

The answer is that I was so caught up in climbing the traditional ladder of success that I stopped listening to my heart. I wasted a lot of my precious time working at something I didn’t really love.

Time is our only non-renewable, irreplaceable resource. You can’t buy more of it, you can’t barter for more of it, and you can’t steal more of it. You’ll get what you get and that’s all, folks.

Don’t wait until you are 51 to follow your dreams. Don’t wait for someone else to force a change on you. Start right now to figure out what your gift is and to take charge of your career. Start now to explore your passions, values and beliefs. Start now to inventory your skills, talents and experience. Start now to discover the behavioral style that fits you best.

At the intersection of those three, pitch your tent and get to know the territory. Get to know yourself and get to know the callings that fit you. You might find that what you are doing now is perfect for you. Super! On the other hand, you might find something entirely different is waiting for your embrace and passion. That’s super, too.

Whatever you find there, take the next step today. Take another step tomorrow. And a third on Saturday. Each day, from now on, take a small step closer toward your dreams.

Your life’s work awaits you. Don’t wait for it to come to you. Go out and find it.

In life, you don’t get to rollover your unused minutes. Ya gotta use each one as it comes. Use yours wisely.

Paul Chaney on maximizing your marketing dollar via the web

2009-01-17T14:20:31-06:00

Just a quick link to a recent post by Paul Chaney on Five Ways to Maximize Your Marketing Dollar Via the Web. I heard Paul speak on this topic last Thursday and loved the simplicity of his approach. Great stuff here for any business in 2009.

Air Force Blog Response Assessment

2009-01-08T09:34:00-06:00

Through Twitter, I found Joey deVilla's post on "The Air Force's Rules of Engagement for Blogging."

As Joey points out, the Air Force has produced a thoughtful approach to deciding how and when to respond to blog posts about you our your company. Worth a read for anyone or any company who is ever blogged about by others.