Market Yourself Smarter: Blog

102.1 - who's listening?

2008-06-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Every morning on the way to work I listen to the Dean Blundell radio show on 102.1 the edge. It is a male dominated morning show that prides itself on being raunchy, disgusting and chauvinistic. It’s mostly harmless and it can be quite funny. Today, they introduced a new female intern onto the show and in their usual banter of inappropriate questions they ran down a list of similarly inappropriate tasks that would be included in their duties, most of which included breaking wind in each other’s offices. This was all well and good until I found out that the intern is a 22 year old girl. As a female listener, I take all of their nonsense with a grain of salt, but something inside of me wonders what will happen when you throw a young girl into the mix. What role will she play? Would she be relentlessly harassed because she was good-looking, young and new to the workplace or is she there to be “one of the boys”? Clearly sensationalism sells listenership. And, freedom of speech.... yes, I get it. Hey, I’m listening! But what accountability does 102.1 have to upholding fair, non-discriminatory workplace and broadcasting practices (and frankly common sense) as it relates to gender. And, through the popularization of misogyny with their dominantly male audience, does this not just serve to build the back room alpha boy banter?

So, I challenge the folks at 102.1 to take our Walk the Talk employee survey launching July 7th at www.marketyourselfsmarter.com . Or, send us a note and tell us where you stand on this.

The Alpha female-- don't look to the Alpha male!

2008-06-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

We were recently at a friend’s home for a dinner party and shortly after arriving, their Scottie dog ‘Jacques’ came right over to me and sat at my feet. My girlfriend (the dog’s owner) looked over at me and said, my dog always knows who the Alpha female is in the room.
I laughed and took it as a compliment. Strong, independent, decisive, a leader--- these would be the qualities of an Alpha male, wouldn’t they? Then naturally, I would be all of those things in a female body. Funny in this context but how does this apply in everyday life? Or, in the boardroom?

In male business communities, Alpha males congregate and celebrate their common strengths and superstar characteristics. They join the YPO, they play golf together, they have each others’ back. As an Alpha female there is no such community. While we have many women’s associations and clubs, women are still very uncomfortable sharing their success. And why is this? 1) we were not socialized to self promote and 2) when we do, it usually isn’t genuinely received and celebrated by our female peers. So where do Alpha women toot their horns? When a strong, powerful, trailblazing woman like Hilary Clinton—the quintessential Alpha female --is still scrutinized based on what she is wearing and characterized as too aggressive, the double standard remains clear.

When you hear Alpha female, who do you think of and does it conjure up a positive impression?

The Results-Only Work Environment: Do Whatever You Want, Whenever You Want ?

2008-06-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've joked with friends a lot lately about how strange it is that we moved through a school system that trained us to be increasingly independent, given increasingly more freedom to manage ourselves and our learning, only to finish university and find this independence ripped away. Entering the grown-up, 'professional' world, suddenly you're no longer trusted to manage our work or your own time, instead relegated to function in a way you haven't had to since elementary school - your success dependent on conditioning yourself to show up on time, adhere to rules and obey authority figures, rather than producing work worth doing. And you don't even get nap time like the last time this was your reality.

The idea that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want might sound silly at first, even childish (thanks no doubt in part to memories of the "Do what you feel" festival depicted on the Simpsons back in the day when I was in elementary school). But in truth, it's been shown to not only make work suck much less from the employee perspective, but also produce far less sucky work that leads to better results for employers (hence, the name).

Since we are conditioned to follow an industrial model of quantitative rather than qualitative value, you of course need some proof. Two human resources professionals, published a book last week on Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It, as part of the quest to provide just that. They first made their ROWE, or results-only work environment, philosophy a reality for the 3,000 employees at Best Buy's corporate headquarters. The shift was so successful that it made the cover of Business Week in 2006.

In a ROWE, the person who attempts to climb their way to the top via contact reports, status reports, time-sheets, and otherwise creating the appearance of working by managing time instead of results, will find themselves falling off the rungs. It isn't about putting in hours but rather, turning out great work.

Successful people in this paradigm will be creative, receptive to changing environments, assumptions and problems, rather than simply doing what they are told. It doesn't make any sense for managers and employers to fear letting people do whatever they want, because really, how many people do you think truly don't want to do anything? There is no better way to build your personal brand than to be focused on the results of what you do, rather than where and at what time you do it. At the end of your career, would you rather say, "I worked this many", or "I accomplished so much"?

Nina DiSesa, a pragmatic approach to managing up!

2008-06-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

After all of the negative talk about the cement ceiling and our lack of progress in penetrating the senior executive ranks in North America I found it particularly refreshing to speak with Nina DiSesa, Chairman of McCann Erickson New York about her rise to the top and how she made it happen.

While some women find her choice of words for the title of her recently launched book Seducing the Boys Club, offensive, I find it refreshing. Although this is a very serious topic, we tend to take ourselves very seriously and Nina reminds us about the whole package--- wit, charm, personality, smarts, confidence, talent-- all of it. It takes all of it to make it to the top. Period.

You've got to be great not only at what you but how you do it. Nina's take is that we have been looking at this all wrong-- because clearly it hasn't been working for us at the pace we would have hoped. So, rather than following 'the rules' that people are putting in front of us, let's figure out some other way to skin the cat! This can-do determination and creative approach might be just what we need to move the needle in the next decade.

Read the article and listen to the interview (25 minutes duration). I am sure you will find it as refreshing as I did.

Find Your Favourites Faster with RSS and Social Aggregators

2008-05-27T13:24:00.001-07:00

So you have finally figured out how to build your social networks online and are starting to tap into the ways of the web for research, but do you find it difficult or tiresome to keep track of your social networking accounts and other content feeds? Here are some services that will keep you connected to all of your online favourites quickly and easily.

FriendFeed merges content from your existing social networking accounts into a single feed. Its clean layout and simple functionality allows users to access their bookmarked news articles, recent blog posts, video, and other content from sites such as Digg and YouTube on a single page – perfect for the media junkie on a tight schedule.

A similar service comes from Yahoo! Pipes giving users the ability to manipulate and merge content from multiple RSS feeds into a single feed. Ideal for organizing content from multiple news sources or blogs, Yahoo! Pipes offers a number of interactive features including feed customization, web badges, and geo-coding to display content sources on an interactive map. Go ahead and get organized online.

User-Generated Content vs. Online Advertising

2008-04-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

While companies continue to move their advertising dollars online and away from traditional media, there are growing concerns over User-Generated Content (UGC) and how it can affect the image of their brands. Studying the trends in ad spending on such sites, eMarketer projects modest growth over the next few years; but can online advertising find a sustainable presence on social networking sites originally tailored to connect and create open interactivity between end-users?

As the leading online advertising company, Google has reported better than expected earnings, while News Corp’s stock has been downgraded due to the poor performance of its property, MySpace. This dichotomy can be attributed to many marketers’ reluctance to place their brand alongside unpredictable or questionable content. Interactive technologies and online platforms continue to grow, but can advertisers seamlessly adapt and integrate their messaging at the same rate?

Nielsen Online has recently introduced VideoCensus, an online video measurement service used for demographic research. According to preliminary findings, women are more likely to visit network television websites, while men are drawn to consumer generated media. This method of online consumer measurement may prove especially useful in niche marketing, especially in terms of branded video content or communications directed specifically to women.

One model for the future of communications comes from Casaleggio Associati, which outlines the eventual transformation of the web and its effect on old and (relatively) new media. This hypothetical provides a blueprint for corporate and business communications in the developing digital frontier. Through consolidation, online advertisers may better control the manner in which their message is presented.

If and when technology reaches the point in which online advertising is determined by the end-user, it becomes the responsibility of the marketer to understand how and why the consumer interacts online. This can be seen as a challenge, but the application of emerging technologies may prove to be an important asset for companies looking to reach users.

Companies giving back with employee volunteer programs

2008-04-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

I began volunteering my time in high school through different organizations: from theatre troupes to food banks. These days, I just don’t have the time to fit everything in! Volunteering is now lower on my list of priorities. Are there other options? I am sure I am not alone in my quest to continue to give back while achieving work-life balance.

Well, fortunately, employers are now providing opportunities to volunteer on company time.

A Toronto Metro News article features companies who have adopted the practice. Accenture is on board as a “corporate citizen.” One of their programs, Accenture Development Partnerships, allows employees to work on non-profit projects in developing countries, using their skills and talents to help others. General Electric has offered tutoring programs for elementary school students - bringing them to the GE offices to do their homework with volunteers. These are ways that employees can make meaningful contact with their community in an employer-sponsored way. It’s also a great way to learn new skills, give back and move careers forward.

What are the benefits for companies implementing volunteer projects? According to New York Cares, an organization that matches volunteers with non-profits, volunteering improves recruitment, morale and retention, while creating a dynamic and positive working environment.

So if you are interested in volunteering and your company has a program – what are you waiting for? If your company still doesn’t have a program, take that initiative and start walking the talk!

See other companies that are improving the workplace for their employees in the 2007 Walk the Talk Report

Networking best of....

2008-04-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

After reading Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi, my favourite 'go-to' book on the art of networking successfully, I was struck by the conscious thoughtful process that was attached to each and every interaction that Keith had described. As one of North America’s pre-eminent relationship builders, Keith was someone I have wanted to meet for some time and was fortunate enough to interview him for our 5 Minutes With feature article in April's Market Yourself Smarter newsletter.

I have always felt that networking is one skill that most business people haven’t mastered (including myself!) and when you read Keith’s book, you will understand why. Keith had many interesting things to share in our interview but the two main take away's for me were:

the importance of connecting with transparency and generosity and with the intent of developing 'intimacy' in a relationship
looking at building a relationship as a pipeline, where technology is one medium that can be employed to connect

Keith talked about Bill Clinton, someone Keith knows, and his ability to be sincere in ever interaction and make you feel like you are the only person in the room. Hey, if Bill Clinton can do it.... (make the time for it).....

The ‘personal connection’ in the workplace. Good for employees, great for customers.

2008-03-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Creating a positive working environment can take many forms. In many ways, it is rejuvenating the personal contact that has been lost.

I was impressed to read in a recent Toronto Star article from March 25, 2008 that the Canadian Western Bank CEO, Larry Pollock, has instituted an interesting phone policy. Larry does not have voicemail, nor does any of the bank branches and he answers his own telephone. I found this No Voicemail article on a different site which elaborated on this customer-friendly practice-- "With us, the calls come through to the person you're looking for," said Pollock."Any customer can call me any time they want and complain or whatever. I surprise all kinds of people because they get through to me." It seems to be encouraging better customer service and a greater personal connection to their clients and co-workers.

Similarly, this idea of personal connection in the workplace is translated in an article on sbonline.com, CEO Bobby Yazdani of Saba Software explains that he does not have a corner office – but rather has his desk in the main employee area. He believes that he can better motivate his employees by creating enthusiasm through his availability and transparency on his everyday tasks. He highlights four key points that help to create this transparency at work.

There have been other trends that have been introduced by companies to encourage better communication between its employees.‘Email Free Days’ have been one way employees connect with each other in the real world. On Marketwatch.com, in an article from 2004, Veritas Software president, Jeremy Burton instituted Email Free Fridays at his company of 240 employees. At first they thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. Burton’s goal was to increase the face-to-face time between co-workers, strengthening the relationships within the office which would translate outside the workplace to the clients as well.

Three great “walking the talk” practices. Employers take note!

Expand your profile with Facebook applications

2008-03-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Facebook has made it easy to connect and communicate with almost anyone online, including old friends, local artists, and co-workers. Most of us who have signed up to the site are familiar with the more popular second-party applications available, and have been inundated with requests by friends to join – everything from buying virtual drinks for friends or creating profiles for your pets. After a while, the influx of requests can get a bit overwhelming, if not annoying.

Some applications, however, prove to be quite useful in building your professional profile, showcasing original work and tying together personal profiles from other sites. Do you have a blog, make purchases online, or bookmark your favourite business or news articles? There are specific Facebook applications available to showcase and integrate these elements into your own profile.

Digg, for example, offers an application that automatically updates your bookmark list every time you submit an article to the site. Similar applications, such as the Blog RSS Feed Reader developed by William Web Design, updates feeds from secondary sources, displaying recent posts from a subscribed blog directly on your Facebook profile.

Get Facebook working for you.

The Power of "We"

2008-03-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

I chatted with Barry Libert, co-author of We Are Smarter Than Me and CEO of Mzinga, about the power of harnessing community and the collective creative thought in the workplace. As we have send, employers are still struggling with how to mobilize community in the workplace as they are uncomfortable letting go of the reins. Barry says that one of the key imperatives for Employers is to let go of control. "The more you give up, the more you get in return." More on this podcast interview.

Open minded employers. A refreshing change.

2007-11-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I was invited to join Terry Walsh, CEO, Cisco Canada in a one-on-one fireside chat about top employment practices and what it takes to be a top employer. The funny thing is that CISCO Canada is a top employer! They were among our six 2007 featured employers who were awarded this year as Employers who Walk the Talk. CISCO was specifically acknowledged for excellence in their family friendly practices.

This fireside chat on Nov. 15th was broadcasted live across Canada to all Cisco employees. Terry specifically asked me not to sing their praises but instead, to share with them what we have learned from other top employers and how they can improve. This open mindedness surely has a lot to do with why they ended up in the top six for the second year running. I was truly impressed with Cisco's spirited, family friendly culture. I enjoyed being there and have found their engagement to be refreshing and inspiring. Thanks Cisco!

Are women better networkers than men?

2007-10-30T07:04:00.001-07:00

Or, could we all use some room for improvement? Barbara Moses, one of Canada's great career gurus recently ran two back to back columns in the Globe and Mail. The first, running on Oct. 16th covered Neworking Faux Pas and this last week on Oct. 26th she covered How to be the Consummate Connector. And, she is absolutely right! In our career culture we put very little thought into the connections we make. We rush to set up a meeting and then don't prepare enough to make it meaningful for both parties. Finally, we forget the follow up.

One of my favourite writers on this topic is Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone and columnist for Fast Company. He takes networking to a level of science that we should all appreciate. The best networkers out there get out what they put in. It takes effort!

So, what do you think? Are women better networkers than men? And, what makes them different?

Making an Impact on Employers

2007-10-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

We hope that the Walk the Talk message gets through to employers. And, sometimes it does! Chris Carder, President and CEO of Thin Data attended our Toronto Walk the Talk Best Practices Forum on Oct. 23rd and was so inspired with what he learned that he is implementing new best practices and employment standards in his workplace. Chris recently blogged about this on the Canadian Marketing Association site.

Walking the Talk. A key ingredient in driving employee loyalty.

2007-10-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

So, what does Walking the Talk mean and why is it important to employees? We often hear about employee engagement, productivity, retention and other standard human resource vernacular but are we measuring what is really important to employees?

With the changing employment landscape, employees are now defining their careers differently and with that comes major challenges for employers looking to attract and retain talent and staff up where shortages are now becoming more obvious as the boomer hits retirement age. Employees have more employment options then ever before and are no longer seeking the security of a full time, conventional employee role. With employees in the driver’s seat, employee retention and attraction are at the top of Employer lists of challenges to address into 2010.

So what does it take to keep employees in the game? Market Yourself Smarter conducted its second annual Walk the Talk Survey, organically polling employees across Canada on whether they feel their Employer walks the talk.

Last year’s 2006 survey ranked the Top 10 Eastern and Western Canadian Employers who Walk the Talk and unveiled that employees defined Walking the Talk as being honourable, authentic, transparent, supportive and open to new ideas (2006 award recipients . This year’s employee definition was extended to include listening and respect as key attributes.

The process:

-Employees anonymously completed a five minute online survey – www.marketyourselfsmarter.com
-Employees also had the option nominate their employer directly through an online nomination form
-To qualify for an award, employers required a minimum of 10 completed employee surveys, needed to be headquartered in Canada and have a minimum of 50 full time employees
-Survey question format included a combination of numeric ranking and qualitative, text-based answers
-Survey responses were 51 % positive, 37 % negative and 12 % neutral

The 2007 Walk the Talk survey will award three companies in Eastern and Western Canada that where voted in by their employees based on a common Walk the Talk theme. These six companies have exhibited excellence in one or more Walk the Talk areas and will be recognized with these awards to be released and announced at the upcoming Walk the Talk Employee Perspective Forum on Oct. 18th in Toronto and Nov. 1st in Vancouver. Details available at www.marketyourselfsmarter.com . The 2007 Walk the Talk report will be released later in November with highlights available for download at www.marketyourselfsmarter.com .

Oct. 1st Malcolm Gladwell on "Work is Getting Tougher"

2007-10-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Malcolm Gladwell chimes in with his perspectives in this morning's Globe sharing his take on the new workplace and what a career will look like in the future. I would be curious to ask him a few more questions with respect to what employers need to do today to embed loyalty into their culture and create a competitive employment environment.

Why do we love to hate strong, smart women?

2007-09-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Belinda Stronach and Hilary Clinton. Okay, many wouldn't put both of these women in the same sentence but they do hold a few things in common. They are strong, high profile women (in and out of politics) that many women love to hate. We have so few women who rise to the very top-- but often when they get there, we sabotage their success.

Take this weekend's spotlight on Camille Paglia, another pop culture contrarian who I enjoy, in conversation with Margaret Wente on Hilary Clinton . In this article, amongst other observations, Camille notes that Hilary "doesn't possess core values". While I love a devils advocate, isn't this going a little far?

And what about other fallen female CEO's like Carly Fiorina or Eleanor Clitheroe, left to sweep up the residue from their very public corporate exits. Who takes responsibility for the long lasting effects these negative "stories" have on their personal and professional reputations?

Who is celebrating and supporting the success of these brave women who are breaking through barriers and making a difference?

Remembering Anita Roddick

2007-09-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Sadly Anita Roddick passed away on Monday Sept. 10th, much before her time. Anita, Founder of The Body Shop, was an inspiration to all female entrepreneurs with her impassioned views and zest for life, the world, and making it a better place for all. Thank you for all of your life contributions. Anita, you will be missed!

Walk the Talk Revisited

2007-09-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the 2007 Walk the Talk survey is now open and will be until September 27th. If you have something to say about your employer-- good or bad-- we want to hear from you. If you have a good news story you can nominate your employer today. This year we will be featuring the Walk the Talk survey highlights at our upcoming Think Tank events-- The Ideal Workplace of the Future: The 2007 Employee’s Perspective scheduled for October 18th in Toronto and Nov. 1st in Vancouver.

If you are an Employer, take advantage of this opportunity to give your employees a voice.

Thrive or Just Survive?

2007-03-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Also posted on Corporate Women.

"Be distinct or be extinct. To be in business today, the most important job is to the the head marketer of the brand called you." Tom Peters has been touting the importance of personal branding for years. So, how does this apply in your world of business? Marketing yourself is less about emphasizing the one or two things you do really well and more about the marketing campaign you launch and sustain to sell yourself on a day to day basis.

Does the idea of that turn you right off? Well if you answered yes to that question you would be like most women in the corporate world, and, many female entrepreneurs for that matter. Women often feel that being a high performer and delivering in their job is enough. And, frankly, it should be given all of the extracurricular responsiblities that we have to fit into a day. But the fact is that it just isn't enough to stand out and get noticed.

So, the idea of marketing yourself seems trite, vain, superficial or below you-- right? Well, whether you know it or not, some of the smartest female and male executives in the market today have a personal marketing plan and can clearly articulate what it is if you asked them. In fact, we did just that in February in conversation with six top Canadian executives in Toronto and Vancouver at our recent "Finding Your IT Factor" events. There is an art and science to marketing yourself in today's competitive business world and it all starts with self awareness.

As a starting point, ask yourself the following 6 questions:

1. Are you aware of the way you are perceived by others you work with?
2. Do you consider yourself to be well networked externally?
3. Do you have strong office alliances?
4. Do you have a coach or mentor who is helping to guide you in your career path?
5. Do you actively promote yourself at work?
6. Can you, on demand, clearly articulate your strenghts and how you add value?

If you answered "yes" to all of the above, you are probably doing a pretty good job. If you answered "no" to one or more of the above, you have some work to do. We recently ran a poll asking women what they thought was their IT factor or key success factor. The number one response was a "positive attitude" and the second was "great communication skills". As we move up the corporate ladder or build our businesses what we learned in business school becomes less important and what we might have learned in finishing school takes on a whole new meaning. This is because the way that we present, are perceived and can relate to people around us is paramount to our success.

If you are left with any doubt, you can take a page out of the book of any of today's popular celebrities or musicians who have put countless resources behind building their personal brands. Business people have lots to learn from other industries.

Innovate or Stagnate

2007-01-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever given any thought to how business people and their marketability is like a product or a business? If you look around at today's most successful businesses and business people dawning the front covers of Fortune, Fast Company, Wired and Time, you will notice that marketability and innovation is the key ingredient resident in most of them.

As business people we need to always be thinking about the currentness of our 1) knowledge and the currentness of our 2) mindset.

1. Let's start with knowledge:

Businesses are laser focused on trying to avoid reaching the maturation and decline stages of the Product Life Cycle. Don't we all want to stay in growth mode on the way up the hockey stick? This takes a lot of good information and instincts as well as the ability to position your business as one which anticipates market changes, innovates, or is a position to be immediately responsive and adaptive to innovation in order to capitalize on opportunities as they arise. If you want a dose of business inspiration, follow Google's innovative moves. Innovate or stagnate.

Business people are on a similar life cycle in their career, seeking to avoid peaks and valleys and remain forever in growth mode while avoiding maturation and decline. Remember how it felt to get your first real career job? Remember the pace of your learning and your eagerness to immerse yourself in every little detail so as to learn the ropes quickly, get noticed and move up? Over time however, as you become more comfortable in your middle management position you may become comfortable, assimilate or not be as eager to find that big idea. Sometimes you lose touch with the pulse of the larger, outside market and slow down your pace of learning. Innovate or stagnate.

We can often forget that we are in charge of our own individual brand and responsible for our marketability.

2. Now, let's deal with mindset. Mindset is as important as knowledge in innovation and marketability. What are the qualities of a business with a successful mindset?

Successful businesses today have a few common qualities when you dig down to the basis of their executive mindset and guiding corporate values. They are open to new ideas and anticipate, rather than resist change. They have a willingness and want to learn. They listen. They find a healthy balance between risk taking and stability. They care about and support their people and their human capital. They are fair, ethical and transparent. And, they innovate-- testing new ideas without fear of failure. They "walk the talk".

Successful business people today have similar qualities. They have a high emotional intelligence and are aware of people and the world around them. They communicate well with others and are aware of their individual goals and how they map to their career goals. They take a proactive, leadership role in life and work. They are fair and open and have a want to genuinely support the people around them-- both above and below. They are adaptive and constanting learning and evolving. They innovate. Interstingly, Google makes #1 on Fortune's Top 100 list, just released.

We can all benefit by taking a more conscious look at our unique strengths and how marketable we are. On the journey of career and life take a moment to do a pulse on your innovation factor. Remind yourself that you are in a constant state of creating yourself. We are all work-in-progress. Innovate or stagnate.

The "IT" Factor

2006-12-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

Some people have it, some people need to fabricate it. But what is it? We have all heard of the celebrity "it" girl.... we see politicians, authors, athletes and companies brand themselves and invest heavily in promoting those brands, so why don't we invest the same effort and energy in branding ourselves as business people? I know what you are thinking.... I am not an entrepreneur, I am an employee. What impact could personal branding have in the corporate world? Well, in the words of Tom Peter's himself "be distinct of be extinct!".

I believe there is enough risk of extinction in the corporate, assimilating world of work. Why not resist the numeric droid default position and take charge of marketing yourself smarter? The key words there are "take charge". That is really the first step which begins with knowing yourself, your strengths, how you relate and where you fit in your world of work. Know what you want to attain and where you want to go. These are critical self assessment questions to answer before designing your brand and marketing strategy.

Next step, building your brand and emphasizing your "IT" factor.

Want to learn more about marketing yourself smarter? Sign up for our February event on " Finding Your "IT" factor.

And, stay tuned for Marketing Yourself Smarter tips and strategies to be made available on our site early in the new year.

The Female Advantage: Impressions Count

2006-11-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Market Yourself Smarter hosted an exclusive and provocative event yesterday located at the swish Toronto Street Goodlife Fitness Club for Women location. The topic? First impressions and why they count. An interesting dialogue and debate ensued which inevitably delved into the male:female communication style discussion. Are women overly concerned about gaining the acceptance of their male counterparts? Are men or other women as judgemental and quick to stereotype as some women believe them to be? Should we care? Is it important? Are there things women could and should learn from the male communication style?

Well yes, it most certainly is evidenced by the room full of women eager to discuss the topic of making a good first impression. The fact of the matter is that we do care and we should care-- at least a little bit.

Whether physical or gender-based discrimination exists or not, the perception is that it does. And perception is reality. Companies are investing heavily in this very topic. Changing the mindset and bridging the gender gap in a corporation is an important effort and will payoff in acquisition and retention efforts and hopefully in encouraging more women into the executive suite.

What was agreed on by most was that women have a distinct Female Advantage that should be emphasized and leveraged. The female advantage pays off in sales meetings, board rooms, top and bottom line results.

Alana Free, Director of People Development at Goodlife Fitness did a terrific job at facilitating this heated discussion and shared with us a list of related books on the topic listed below.

Stay tuned for more cafe events where this one came from! What are your thoughts on the topic?

The Female Advantage, Women’s Ways of Leadership
By Sally Helgesen

First Impressions, What You Don’t Know About How Others See You
By Ann Demarais Ph.D, and Valerie White Ph.D

How To Talk So People Listen, Connecting In Today’s Workplace
By Sonya Hamlin

Happiness is a Choice
By Barry Neil Kaufman

Announcing the Top 10 'Walk the Talkers' Finalists in Eastern and Western Canada

2006-10-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Top 10 Employers in Western and Eastern Canada who made the in our first annual Top Employers Who Walk the Talk Survey done in concert with The Collin Baer Group. We have released the downloadable report from our survey available at www.marketyourselfsmarter.com .

Our 2006 Top 10 Finalists are:

Western Canada

#1 University College of the Fraser Valley
#2 Urban Systems
#3 Flight Centre Canada
#4 Pacific Western Brewing Company
#5 Schlumberger Canada Ltd
#6 Rocky Mountaineer Vacations
#7 Vancity
#8 The Ethical Funds Company/Credential Financial
#9 British Columbia Institute of Technology #10 TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.

Eastern Canada

#1 Export Development Canada
#2 Media Profile
#3 Cisco Systems Canada
#4 Bell Canada
#5 Accenture
#6 Career Builder
#7 ThinData
#8 GE Canada
#9 Scotia Bank Group #10 GoodLife Fitness Clubs

'Walking the Talk' simply describes what is on the minds of career people today. Although compensation is important, employees have other aspirational expectations of their employers which employees been expressed as:

-to follow through on promises
-to mean what you say and say what you mean
-to be a role model
-to set an example
-to act responsibly, fairly and honourably

As our Walk the Talk survey was conducted in a non-sponsored organic approach many of the employers were unaware that they had been nominated. This survey was a true pulse check on the employee mindset. Those companies that made the Top 10 in Eastern and Western Canada should be very proud.

Congratulations again and stay tuned for our 2007 survey.

What we can learn from Roger Waters

2006-09-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

There are certain things that never go out of style. Rock and roll, great lyrics and social citizenship. Roger Waters used his concert last night at Air Canada as a platform to communicate a message about peacemaking and the importance of taking a stand as a global citizen.

How can we apply this to the corporate world? Being a good corporate citizen and walking the talk are two areas quickly rising to the top of employees' lists of what is important in the world of work. In order to attract and retain the best talent today corporations need to shake themselves out of comfortable numbness and re-frame their priorities when it comes to their role and ability to make a difference in the external world.