I know, I’ve been out of pocket for a few months and here’s why:

Have you Missed me?

I’ve been consulting with a new start up group and that pulled me away from you – my most valuable friends.  I do apologize for that and hope 2012 so far for you is moving along nicely.

Today I want to share myy experience and Entrepreneurial Lessons I’ve learned when forming a major start up venture.

1. Having an idea for a start up is great but it is only the first step.  You must clearly be able to articulate what it is you want to do, what you are striving to accomplish, why your niche needs you.
2. Then you need to be able to state this reasoning within 90 seconds!  And, this statement needs to be clear, concise and compelling. Visit the most recent Success Magazine for an article from the Shark Tank, my favorite show to learn how to, and how not to articulate your entrepreneurial vision.
3. The next major lesson is giving unclear expectations to your workforce, whether this is your family members volunteering for you or paid employees.  You can see how steps 1 and 2 lead to step 3.  If you get this right step 3 takes care of itself, get it wrong and you will be out of business before you start.
4. Be transparent!  People can smell when something just isn’t right.  Some will take longer than others, but they will all figure out if you are not being forthright with them.  From investors to employees it is very bad business to withhold information.  Withholding information is a form of lying!   Nobody wants to work with or be involved with someone who lies.  Trust is earned not given automatically for your title.
5. You can’t do it alone – you’ll need partners.  Make absolutely certain that those you partner with are on the same page as you.  There should be shared vision and this should lead back to number 1 and 2 above.  Partnerships are like marriages, some are good and some are not!  You have to work at making them good.  Picking the right partner in the first place, just like picking the right employees in the first place – makes a world of difference.
6. And, the number one lesson is to research your niche and idea.  Testing your idea out before you jump feet first!  You cannot research enough.  You must be the expert in your industry, your job, your niche.  You have to know your customers and competition better than they know themselves.  Otherwise you can’t create marketing that will be compelling enough for those individuals to even pay attention to you!  And, if you should capture a client – how are you going to keep them if you know nothing about what makes them tick?

I’m hoping you find these suggestions helpful.  Being an entrepreneur is the most rewarding “job” you can ever be blessed to have.  Making sure you do it right, reaching out for the help you need – that will be the difference between success and failure.

And, thank you for being a part of my vision.  I do appreciate you very much.

Start Up Entrepreneurial Lessons - Robin Harpe

Success!

As we move into Fall, we will begin to think about our goals for 2012. That might seem like a long way off right now, it will be here quicker than we realize. Why wait until 12-31 to make out your goals; start now. Here is a summary from my good friend, John Spence on what it takes to have Business Success and I’m sharing with you to remind you of the key areas to concentrate on while you think about 2012, and now. Why wait start today on improving your business and your life.

The John Spence Formula for Business Success
Check out more from John here

I wanted to kick the New Year off with something powerful, a message that I felt would be truly helpful to you and your business. So, after more than 15 years as a management consultant and reading upwards of 1,500 business books, this is what I feel is at least one of the main keys to building and sustaining a highly successful business:

T + C x ECF = S

T= Talent. Let me make this as awesomely simple as possible: the success of your organization (or career) is directly tied to the quality of the people you can get on your team. Period! Whether you lead two people in a department, 8,000 across the globe, or are a solo-practitioner… you must understand that your future depends on your ability to attract around you a large group of highly talented people who are invested in your success. Be they employees, mentors, advisers, colleagues, board members, books, seminars, audio books, DVDs… you need a massive network of top talent – and then you need to be really good at going to them and asking for HELP! I cannot possibly overstate how critical this is.

C= Culture. Once you surround yourself with talent, the next step is to create a culture that will allow those talented people to grow, flourish and contribute to your organization’s success. To me, the key elements of such a culture include:

Superb communications: lots and lots of open, honest and transparent communication throughout the entire organization. Tell the truth – all the time, and share as much information as you possibly can with anyone and everyone that might be able to help you.

Continuous Innovation: a culture where every single day,  every single person in the organization is looking for ways to increase efficiency, improve the product, drive down costs and deliver more value to the customer. These don’t have to be game-changing monumental innovations (although those are good too!) but there must be a relentless focus on continuous incremental improvement by every member of the team.
Sense of Urgency: not 400-mile-an-hour craziness, but rather an energy and drive by everyone in the organization to make the important things happen… now! A sort of restlessness that keeps everyone on their toes and looking for the next thing to get accomplished, the next project to get completed.

Fun: I am not talking about total laughs all day long, what I mean here is that people enjoy the work they do and the people they do it with. As you walk through the place people are smiling and look like they are having a good time. If it is hard to imagine your organization like this – you have some important work to do in turning it around.

Meaning: this may be the most important element of all. The ONLY way to attract top talent to your team is to give them the opportunity to make a difference. To do challenging and important work; be treated with fairness and respect as they do that work; and be shown genuine appreciation for their contribution. You give them tons of this (and a fair salary) and you can absolutely get and keep the best-of the-best on your team.

ECF = Extreme Customer Focus. It is my firm belief that whoever owns the “Voice of the Customer” owns the marketplace. Here is the sad truth: most organizations actually know very, very little (or nothing) about their customers! So the goal here is to take the first two elements (Talent & Culture) and focus them on deeply understanding and connecting with your customers at a level that no one else in your industry could even come close to. If you can do this you will have created a sustainable competitive advantage this is exceedingly hard to copy or combat.

So here you have it, the John Spence formula for business success:

Talent + Culture x Extreme Customer Focus = Success

As always, it is one thing to say that you understand this formula… and it is something entirely different to know that you live it every day in your company!

Success by John Spence - Robin Harpe

He quickly, thinking this is the answer I wanted, said an emphatic – YES!

I asked again, telling him this is a trick question, and said are you sure? He again said, “absolutely Yes”!

ok, maybe I was being a little manipulative in my questioning so let me explain my thoughts on this question.  The old question about your weakness and strengths is just that old and tired.  Interviewees today are very knowledgeable an skilled at answering and anticipating questions.  They practice way before they get to your office – or at least they should have.

Asking this question gives you insight into how aware the person is in terms of getting the most out of others when supervising them.  I don’t even like that term, that’s another rant for another day.

Leading people is about helping them develop in my opinion.  The more you help them develop the stronger your organization becomes.  And, everyone needs development, everyone can improve.  Nobody can know everything!  Communication is king.

The answer I was looking for is an understanding, an awareness that you cannot motivate anyone – that motivation comes from them, internal.  I can’t make you jump out of bed in the morning to run off to life — I can Inspire you – I can’t motivate you.

It is a subtle difference, but a major difference.  If you are hiring you want people who are already motivated!  Otherwise they are not going to be A players, you’ll constantly have to be pushing them……

I’d rather have an organization full of Pull employees than Push employees.  I’d rather have to pull you back, calm you down just a bit – than try to push you!  Pushing an unmotivated person to be motivated just never works.  You either internally have that “self starter” gene or you do not.

I came up with this little saying so you can remember this the next time you are interviewing for a job or you are interviewing candidates.  How would you answer questions about your philosophy for these areas / what question can you ask a candidate that gives you a good insight into their value system.

MIRA

Motivation – what motivates you?

Inspiration – what inspires you? how do you inspire others?

Responsibility – do you accept total responsibility for your life events – what does that actually mean to you?

Accountability – do you hold yourself accountable?

Another favorite interview question of mine is to simply ask, “What is your philosophy of life”?  How they answer will give you insight into what their true values are – you can tell when somebody has never thought about this and is making it up right before your eyes!

I look forward to your comments and hearing about your results.

Post your comments here.

Can you motivate employees? - Robin Harpe

Push People Up!

How you do anything is how you do everything!

When no one is around, and watching you – what are you doing – how do you act?

As a keen observer of human behavior, it has been my lifelong passion, I find it interested why people do the things they do, why they say the things they say, why they believe the things they believe.
When working with groups this becomes even more interesting.

When you get right down to it you can tell immediately everything you need to know about someone just by observing their behavior and actions – reactions.

I’ve made up the following list of questions for you to think about the next time you are observing behavior, striving to determine a person’s true values:

1. Do they return your phone calls, emails?
2. Do they honor their commitment to you?
3. Do they do what they say they will do?
4. Do they send you information, give you things that will help you without you asking?
5. Do you continually have to ask over and over for something?
6. Do they ask questions that shows they have been actively listening?
7. Do they only talk about themselves?
8. Do they always ask for favors, and then disappear when you have a need?
9. Do they demand things of you, giving off the impression they are better than you?
10. Do they apologize when they are wrong?
11. Do they blame everyone else, never accepting responsibility for their part?
12. Do they talk a good game but no follow through?
13. Do they accept total responsibility for everything?
14. Do they speak about themselves in third person?
15. Do they constantly say, “I could never do that”?
16. Do they constantly say, “I wish _____”?
17. Do they tell the same stories, over and over and over – nothing new?
18. Do those stories come from the glory days of their life?
19. Do they talk positively or negatively?
20. Do they subscribe to WOW customer service by giving you more value, went out of their way and way above what you expected?

Armed with these answers you can tell if a person is proactive, reactive, negative or positive, someone you would like to get to know better or someone you need to run away from – quickly.

Whether you are looking for a job (new career), hiring a team, working in a team, working with clients or customers stopping to observe behavior can help you tap into your intuition.  Everybody has intuition – not everyone listens to it.

To exercise your intuition faculty; every time that little voice in your head gives you a thought impulse – act on it.  If it says, “did I leave the coffee pot on” – get up and go check, if it says, “not sure I believe this person” – check them out, if it says, “that person is fun and a delight to be around”, get to know them better!

Of course, I know as you read through the list you were also thinking, “Do I do those things”.  If you did not like your answers then we need to talk because I can help you achieve more and transform your passion into “better” performance.

I look forward to your comments and how you will use these 20 questions. Contact me for a free consultation.

Determine Values in 20 Questions - Robin Harpe

How do you stand out?

Here is a picture for you, candidates are all lined up on a shelf in a store to be chosen.  What is your packaging saying about you?  Would you pick you off the shelf?

I just read a very detailed outline about Recruitment 3.0 by the Journal of Corporate Recruiting (crljournal.com June 2011 and ERE Media, Inc.) This is a summary of that article.

What makes you chose one product over another?
This article is for anyone in the job search mode, and for recruiters it should give you some great ideas.

Over the last couple of years the recruiting earth quake has changed the landscape. The old ways of recruiting, we will call this 1.0, no longer work.  So what does work you ask?  Here are some facts to keep in mind:

• There is a Global War for the best talent.  The experienced talent pool is shrinking.
• The most effective Recruiters have abandoned the job boards and have migrated to social media, especially LinkedIn; 96% of them in fact are using one or more social media sites to recruit.
• Companies, today, want candidates with the right amount of direct experience, exact formal education, connections, innovation with technology and a “can do” attitude for the role they have available.

Right amount of experience we will call Goldie Locks experience; just the right amount – not too much and not too little – Just right.

• Top Recruiters know that building relationships are key to their success!  They also know that everyone is either a potential candidate or brand evangelist.
• Top Companies are building employment brands.  These cannot be created and basically they are real comments by current staff about what it is like to work for the company.

Enter you, the candidate.

Job Searching 1.0 had you posting your resume on the Huge jobs boards, setting back and waiting on someone to email or call, sending out hundreds of email resumes to the recruiter@company name.com.  You waited, someone called or emailed and you were off to the audition.

Job Searching 2.0 we just added targeted industries and we added cover letters to our resumes.  We began teaching to network your way into an invitation to the audition.  And, with our targeted industries we chose the companies, researched a bit and actually learned who the hiring manager or at best the internal recruiter’s name.  That way our cover letters were targeted to a real person.

Job Searching 3.0 is all about connecting.  Connecting is different than networking.  Connecting is having a real two-way conversation where I learn about you and share information with you that will help you.  Here are the new rules of engagement for Job Searching 3.0:

• Knowing exactly who you are, what you value and what type of environment / job you will really enjoy performing.
• Creating a very specific targeted resume toward this goal.
• Adding and optimizing this information to your LinkedIn profile.
• Creating a strategic marketing plan for your job search, including who you will connect with and why.
• Visiting your top targeted company’s social media employment branding sites and communicating.  This will get the attention of the internal recruiters. This is either their career page on their web site or their social media profiles.
• Only posting things socially that you would not mind seeing on the front page of the news.
• Adding value to these sites by giving away your expertise without sounding arrogant, asking questions to foster engagement and connecting off line.
• Always sharing information about companies you like with your list, those companies and sites that are interesting / informative / entertaining.  Sharing in this way builds your positive reputation and can create you as a subject matter expert.

Job Searching 3.0 and Recruitment 3.0 takes longer to develop.  The core of these methods is connecting with real people, having real conversations and genuinely caring about each other’s success.

For the Job Seeker being able to articulate how your skills, abilities and experience relates to the job role available is critical.  Just like any marketing campaign your message must be clear, concise and consistent.

For the Recruiter really knowing the job you are recruiting, what type of person will really fit, and the difference between what the hiring manager says they want and what they are actually looking for is key to your success.

Both are looking for the same outcome, a successful job search / recruiting event that builds a long term positive relationship of mutual benefit.

Need help developing your job search marketing plan – give me a call or send an email.

Leave your comments below on how you will use this information for your job search or in your recruiting. I love reading your comments. Let’s share this post with everyone you know who is in the job search mode – let’s help them get back to work.

Your Coach, Robin

Job Hunting / Recruiting is an Audition - Robin Harpe

Hope Kept Her Alive

This week we were given access to Jaycee Dugard’s back yard and how she survived.  We learned how she kept going even in such a devastating environment.

I watched the interview and it brought me to tears.  Thoughts of the horror she must have been experiencing everyday and how she endured them.  Jaycee’s message to all of us came through loud and clear – you can survive anything – through Hope!

I believe all of us are or were stuck, held captive by something and it is holding you back from achieving your greatness today.

In most cases our problems are not nearly as great as Jaycee’s experience.  They are, to us in any case, just as devastating.  Whether your issue is the loss of a job, being underemployed, loss of your home, an abusive partner/spouse, a failed business, failing health, depression, or the feeling you are not good enough (head trash talk).  These are only a short example of what could be going on for you and the talk in your head!

None of these issues, None of these issues have to keep holding you back!  Try this exercise to change your point of view:

• Visualize a circle in front of you
• Place Yourself on a line of the circle closest to you
• Now see yourself walking around to the other side of the circle
• Look back and see the issue from this “other side”
• Answer this question – what good will come of this situation you are in?

People become employed, create another home, lean from what happened to the failed business, the breakup, health improves, they find something that makes them feel good about them.  Things Improve – they have to it’s a natural law!

In other words, there is always HOPE for any situation.  What is the worse thing that can happen — really – the absolute worse thing?  Is that really going to happen – probably not!   Hope is believing in the unknown – unseen.

Our fear comes from loss of HOPE and being afraid of the unknown.  The darkness.  Without the darkness we would never learn to enjoy the light when it comes.

Let’s take Jaycee’s message to heart and have HOPE for a better tomorrow.  Let’s make her ordeal mean something – you’ll feel better and we’ll all make a better world.

That’s what I’m working on right now.  I believe in the good of others – the good in you.

For me HOPE is Having Only Positive Expectations – expect the best – make everyday count and keep hoping.

Post how you are going to put Hope back in your life?  I look forward to seeing your post.

Held Captive - Robin Harpe

The New Careers

I love history and totally believe if we do not study history we are doomed to repeat it.  Interestingly enough I’ve had the conversation with several career coaching clients lately.  And, it got me thinking about the following:

What do these job titles have in common?

• Telegraph Editor
• Bone Crusher (used in manufacturing)
• Lamp Lighter
• Check Writer (for business)
• Hands Inspector (watches and clocks)
• Sponge Harvest Diver
• Banana Ripening Room Supervisor
• Elevator Operator
• Asbestos Shingle Roofer
• QuarterMaster (steers ship)

All of these job titles have been listed by the US Labor Department as extinct.  They no longer exist as they were replaced by technology.

What about these?

• Chief Risk Officer
• Chief Blogging Officer
• Chief Diversity Officer
• Network Systems and Data Communications Analyst
• Computer Application Software Engineer
• Database Administrators
• Technical Writers
• Network Architect
• Meteorologist
• Bio Medical Engineers

These are some of the hot jobs tending right for the 2008-2018 time period.  What does all this mean for you?  Well if you are a Bone Crusher you are probably having difficulty finding suitable work.  Personally I like the Banana Room Supervisor – but that’s another story.  And, if you are a network architect you probably have many offers on the table with recruiters calling you day and night.

It’s all about timing…

Change is not bad, in fact, it is good.  The only thing we can count on is change.  I just watched a very compelling video about how the Internet as we know it is dead.  Another video talked about how consumers are now driving technology.  As consumers we want to communicate directly and immediately with our providers.  And, we are demanding!

This demand for immediate customer service, response and connection is driving the technology world at an alarming pace.  Then again maybe we have always been demanding – information just travels quicker these days.

Think about how things have changed, cars replaced the horse and buggy, radio came along and crushed newspapers, TV came along and crushed radio programs (remember the War of the Worlds radio show), now social media and the Internet is taking more and more of TV’s market share.  Certainly something will come along and beat the Internet.  And, that change is happening right now.

If you happened to be a horse drawn buggy salesman you had to learn how to sell automobiles!  The radio program performers moved into the new media television.  The newspaper editors and writers now blog.

What that means is if you are in one of the professions being affected by the new technology now is the time to learn new things, change direction and really think (maybe for the first time) what you are passionate about.  Business has changed!

If I have a hobby, it is watching career trends and choices people make.  A couple of jobs that have evolved in my lifetime include the once called Secretary which became the Administrative Assistant and is now the Virtual Assistant! The other one middle manager, general industry.  As a recruiter I’m noticing this job is disappearing unless it revolves around the technical field.  As Administrative Assistants are being asked to do more and more of the typical middle managers job tasks and the higher level duties are being pushed up to the Director levels.

Electricity replaced the lamp lighter!  What is trying to replace you?  Now is the time to discover your transferable skills and see how they match with the current new exciting careers available.

Let’s talk and examine what your next 10, 20 or even 30 years are going to look like.  You know the old proverb, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail”. Nothing will ever replace the human touch, and people need your skills.

If you’d like to chat about your career leave a comment, or fill out our contact us form so I can give you a call.  International calls are through Skype so leave your Skype ID.

You are standing at the shore and have a choice, which side are you going to be on?

Kiss Your Job Good By - Robin Harpe

Success!

My clients are passionate, forward moving, unique and exciting!  They take strategic risks, enjoy challenge and embrace change.

They seek me out to help them smooth over rough spots in their career and business which affects their entire life. They all have one thing in common, to enjoy living!

Many of these are job seekers who need help with the new job search mechanics (social media recruiting, cover letters, resumes, electronic apps, networking).

I’ve noticed a trend of some of the job seekers I come into contact with that has meaning for developing your own strategic life skills, no matter where you land on the career path!

Before I explain, this quote sums up some of my thoughts and observations of the matter.  By Mack Brown, “Take experiences and move forward don’t be a 40 year old and still talking about what you did when you were 19.”

This is great advice to get a better job, better career, better business, better life!  Employers, clients, customers want to hear about what you have done for them lately!

I champion the solution to take responsibility for everything you do, your performance which is your results.  But, then life happens and we fall back into all those old habits!

Those habits which have us reliving the Glory Days, remember that song?

The solution is easy, really set down and review where you are, where you are headed and think about what you have always wanted to be doing.

Then analyze this, are you where you thought you would be 15 years ago?  Do you have a plan and you are following it?  Are you reviewing this plan at least monthly?

We can’t predict the future, well maybe we can.  There were certainly indicators of our economic mess, and that means there have been indicators you were heading in the wrong direction too.  We just don’t take the time to find out how to see these trends before they happen.

You know innovation is obvious after the fact!  People who change the world try more ideas than those who do not.  They are strategic risk takers and they understand the numbers game.  Since you can’t predict what will work, then you have to try many many ideas.  The path to innovation is reviewing how your ideas flow.

Most entrepreneurs start out with an idea, they implement the idea and along the way the market and their passion drives which path they follow.

For job seekers there were indicators, if heeded, which would let those affected see the writing on the wall.  People know when they are a good fit for the organization and they know if they are doing the job they were hired to do and they know when the organization is in trouble and they know if they like the work or they don’t!  There really is no gray area here.

Being persistent is a valuable asset, yes.  But, at what cost to you if you stay at an organization or keep your business open when all indicators show you should leave or shut down operations?  Timing is everything.  Change is the only thing we can count on.

So, you must be wondering what that trend was I talked about in the beginning.  The theme is that many of us walk around life wishing our lives were this way or that, wishing that product existed, wishing about the shoulda, coulda and woulda’s.

My Dad always told us kids that if you say that “somebody” ought to fix that, ought to put that store there, ought to stand up for that issue…….then what are you waiting for — be that Somebody!!

And, this works for “they” should as well!!  So you guys are not off the hook either.
Fear is ok, being complacent will kill you!  A boring life is no life at all.  Don’t fear dying — fear not living.

Here is your exercise to help you move past this setting on the sidelines mentality, just doing what you need to do to get by, get moving and make better decisions for you and those close to you.  You will surprise yourself as your results will flourish!

• Ask yourself these questions:
• When I’m at my 70th birthday party (if you are already past 70 then pick the next big number 75, 80, etc.) – ask yourself, what would make me cry?  Would it be no one remembers your birthday, no one shows up, that no one cares that you are gone?  If that is what you say, then what kind of legacy are you really leaving — and better yet how are you right now going to start living your legacy and being the example you have always wanted to be.
• What do you want people to say about you when you’re not in the room?  Maybe it’s “they are such a lovely person” or “they are so passionate about ____”.  How can you start today to make sure what is said about you when you are not there – is what you want people to be saying and not the opposite…
• What did you love about your upbringing?  What did you hate?  This will give you a clue into your authentic self and how you can start living.

And, remember that having pictures to remember events is great — just don’t live through those pictures.  Get out and do something!  Invite someone to join you.  Point is give a ‘Rats Butt” about something important to you, get in the game and finally enjoy living.

I look forward to all your comments.  How are you going to use this information to better your life, career, business?

P.S.  Don’t give a Rats Butt (I did change this a little for posting purposes) means basically “I don’t care”; in my suggestion above I’m reversing this — so that “I do care” becomes your motto!

Glory Days Not a Strategic Solution - Robin Harpe

Choose Your Platform!

Social Media has gone mainstream.  And, for businesses it represents an unprecedented marketing opportunity that transcends traditional middlemen and connects companies directly with customers.  This is why nearly every business on the planet is exploring social media marketing initiatives.  Integrating a Social Media Policy can seem daunting, fear not as I’ll give you some tips below to create a solid social media policy.

Today it is not “if” you participate with social media it is now a question of “how” effective your message, where you place your message and how often – that will determine your success.

As an HR professional the social media craze does offer the benefit of supporting the business brand while creating concerns over what is uncovered when utilized for recruiting or how employee’s utilize social media when airing their opinions about their work.  With all things HR you’ll need a policy to cover these situations and outlined below are a few things to consider.

First, I am not an attorney – nor did I sleep at Holiday Inn last night; please take these ideas and work with your attorney to create a social media policy that meets your business’ needs which can be upheld and applied consistently across all levels of employees.

What is Social Media (SM)?  It is more than just a fun way to connect with others.  From a business perspective SM is a type of media where you can incorporate every area of the business for marketing, advertising, recruiting, branding, public relations and customer service or simply stated-  to give the business a voice. If SM is a form of communication then the platforms we utilize is just the room where we are holding the conversation.

Before we can develop our SM strategy and policy we first must answer these questions:

1. How is SM aligned to the business
2. What controls do we need in place
3. How do we measure and reward

The ideal best practice is to have all departments consistently utilizing social media according to the organization’s goals and objectives. That can be a very scary thought for any HR pro!  Why?  Just consider these potential issues:

• The NLRA (National Labor Relations Act) states that expressing one’s views about working conditions is considered a “protected concerted activity”.  The business could receive an unfair labor practice by the NLRB if an employee is disciplined for something they have shared, which is their feelings, about working conditions, benefits, and/or management for example.
• The Federal Trade Commission could fine the business when a customer purchases a product and says it was because an employee posted information about how great the product is and the employee should know since they work on the line that produces the product.  The customer then complains the product is defective and your advertising was misleading. The business could even be liable if they didn’t know the post existed!
• Title VII harassment claim due to posted protected class slander or worse.
• Confidentially – how will you protect company intellectual property, key formulas, unique processes, or strategy should it get posted and goes viral?

HRCI defines strategy Planning as “Where the organization is now, where it wants to be, and how it will get there.”

SM is a strategy and should be aligned with the business objectives.  For the HR department determine how and why you are planning to utilize SM.  The answer to this question will help you decide where to participate.  The most popular platforms are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  Each have a distinct target market and now that you are armed with why you wish to participate in SM you’ll be able to determine from these platforms the insight into where your target market is located.

For example, you want to recruit a hard to fill management position.  Instead of posting your job on the unreliable top job boards why not go to LinkedIn and post a status update that you are hiring this type of manager.  Or, better yet – if you do not want to hear from everybody – then perform a search for those people who have listed the management title as a key word; then send these people who match your ideal candidate an invitation to connect.  You’ll want to have a fully optimized personal profile and a company page to maximize results in LI.
Best Practices for SM Policy:

• Create Fan Pages in LI, FB to drive traffic.
• Train all employees on the policy and make sure you keep a record.
• Offer training to all employees to help them set up their personal profile pages and learn how to participate.  This strategy gives you buy in from the employee and can lessen potential negative comments about your company and encourage positive comments.
• Policy should be written and communicated, thoroughly, across all levels of the organization.  This may mean more than the initial roll out or adding to orientation; this strategy needs to be an on going conversation on how the company expects the employee to behave when communicating about the company.
• Remember this IBM strategy; Business Model + Corporate Culture + Desired Value = Solid positive SM strategy.
• For Best Practices:  www.SocialMedia.org/disclosure/
• For Policies: http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php

Finally thoughts.  When possible do not block Internet access – employees today have Smart phones making this irrelevant and may actually give you buy in by allowing access even if on a certain computer during break times.  Make sure you can monitor this computer, you want to know the pages which were visited and an auto return mode to a neutral page when it is not in use. Review your current IT policy and make appropriate changes, you may not need an entirely different SM policy. There is no such thing as a perfect policy, review at least annually. The policy needs to match your internal policies, goals and culture.  Enforce policy equally.  Create a cross functional campaign strategy.  Establish a strategy committee made up of employees who are interested in this technology to drive the campaign, respond to issues and monitor business accounts.

Other strategies include outsourcing to a Social Media Manager / Consultant, hiring a Social Media Manager, adding SM to someone’s existing job duties, or take on the tasks yourself.

With just a little planning and strategy you will have a solid SM policy which will enhance your business’ brand while raising your level of influence.

Jeannette Baer and Robin Harpe offer SM courses at Santa Fe CIED in Gainesville, FL and can bring these courses to your location, for more information give them a call at 352.474.6297.

Do you need help with your social media policy?

Social Media Policy for HR Pros - Robin Harpe

Seth is called by BusinessWeek, “The Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age”; here are my notes and thoughts from the Chick-Fill-A Leadercast held in May 2011:

Push People Up!

We all grew up with an attitude that people are interchangeable.  That we can get rid of this one or that one; another one will come along or someone else is just as good as the next one.  This gives us factories that are making average products for average people.  That’s just not smart!

You want irreplaceable people!  No longer can we just have people who do what we tell them to do; remember what John Maxwell said about this (see last week’s blog for more) If this is your attitude then you’ll be treated that way as well.

For example, in a law office there are long hours that is considered normal.  Seth stated that Hard work should be a connection to what you love.  Hard work was described by Napoleon Hill in Think & Grow Rich, “If you are one of those who believe that hard work and honesty alone will bring riches, perish the thought!  It is not true!  Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the results of HARD work!  Riches come, if they come at all, in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”

I believe what Seth is sharing with us is the idea that if you love what you do — you truly are not “working” as we know the sense of the word.  You’ll be doing what you love for long hours at a time but it will not seem like work.  Think about this, when you set down to do a task and you watch the clock — that’s an indication this task should be outsourced. Why?  Because when you are in the Zone — you forget about time.

Remember when you were growing up and playing outside and forgot all about what time it was — as your Dad whistled for you to come in it was time for dinner and getting dark!  We all crave “work” that gives us that same feeling — the feeling that time is standing still.

Oh, and Seth said this which I find very profound, “Don’t get ducks in a row; what are you going to do with the Duck?”

Management makes sure there are no fires.
Leadership is aligned with their people and then get out of the way letting them do what it is you hired them to do in the first place.  The goal is to be surprised by what your people do (in a good way).

For example, I coach many people in career transition and the number 1 mistake I see them make is that they put down what they have been responsible for in a job and do not list what they have done; it’s like they have no accomplishments.  If you are one of those people (and You know who You are) who do not have many accomplishments, please start today — and think about how you can implement an innovative idea or come up with innovative ideas that will increase your department, business or industry’s bottom line!  You’ll be noticed, get promoted in most cased, be in high demand and never have to worry about a slow economy!!  What a fabulous place to be.

Become that human being that solves problems.  Find out from your Boss what his/her number 1 or 2 problems are — then go off and find a solution.  Your job is to step up take responsibility.  The are huge opportunities to stand out, do work that maters.

Internet is a connection machine.  Ask yourself will they miss you when you’re gone? The Internet gives you the opportunity to touch many more people than we had before, social media makes this even easier.

Do something no one else is willing to do, go to the location no one else is willing to go, take on the task no one else wants to do.  Volunteer for these activities and you will stand out.

John Spence broke down Seth’s talk into these take always:
Scarcity of attention and trust make things simple

I love these two quotes by the host, “Stop yelling at people and earn the right to whisper to them” and “Give yourself away for the benefit of other people”

In summary, Be responsible for your career and life, Do something, Get moving. What can you do at your work that will WOW your Boss, Co-Workers, Clients, Customers, Partners.  Make sure nobody has to think before answering, “What have you done for me lately”.

Be the leader and change you want to see in others.  And, my favorite saying,

• Success demands Change
• Change takes Courage
• Courage requires Persistence
• Persistence brings Results

How can you use this information?  I look forward to your comments.

Interchangeable People - Robin Harpe