Data Predetermined the Real Winner in the Latest US Election

2012-11-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

I along with the rest of the world were held hostage by the American election cycle for the past few months, if not the past year. Personally I cannot let the 70 billion dollar election expenditures go by without at least a bit of commentary – the campaign budgets make the auto bailout look like a shrimp cocktail and they can't even say they saved any jobs in Ohio! From where I sit politically, it all ended exactly where it started 24 months ago, less 70 billion, EXCEPT for one big difference: The Obama campaign broke the mould in data harvesting and changed the game permanently.

The world was fascinated as CNN's John King dissected all the voting patterns and historical data at the large touch screen. He made the results look logical and hinted very early in the evening that it was going to be an Obama victory. No question, the demographics of the Obama victory were interesting, but what was even more intruiguing was how the Romney campaign got completely blindsided. What happened?? Data mining is what happened. Time magazine broke the “inside story” of a group in the Chicago Obama headquarters that revolutionized data harvesting:

http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/07/inside-the-secret-world-of-quants-and-data-crunchers-who-helped-obama-win/

A group of PHDs and scientists (that were kept entirely separate from the regular campaign staff) began working nearly four years ago on the data management issues they encountered during the 2008 campaign. The first Obama campaign was lauded for its revolutionary use of social media to get the youth vote. This time around the Democrats built an incredible database of information to form the most sophisticated data mining model ever used in politics or most likely in any other organization. The use of data is how Romney got blindsided. Read the article, it was amazing how they used the data to fundraise and get people out to vote.

In one of their quarterly publications McKinsey also wrote about the importance of data mining and its powerful future:

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/technology_and_innovation/big_data_the_next_frontier_for_innovation

In addition, a relatively new extremely creative entrepreneurial firm called Price Metrix has revolutionized how the the world manages their investment advisors. With this article they explain why you should seriously worry you if you are not on this data directed train:

http://www.pricemetrix.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/PriceMetrix_Insights_Moneyball-for-Advisors_English.pdf

You see it's politics, businesses and probably more industries than you can even think about that are harnessing the value of data to make critical decisions. This has been going on in the sports world for ages and now technology has allowed everyone to harness its power.

So my question to you is, "are you capitalizing on all the data that is available to you at the workplace??"

Or do you have client information scattered about in different databases that should be consolidated (that was one of the big tasks of the Obama brain trust)?

Are you paying too many different sources to provide the same information (that is why the Bloomberg terminal became so popular in the cost cutting 1990s)??

Do you have managers who comprehend the new world dynamics and how to harness the data to understand what is really going on out there? Or are you stuck in the old horse and buggy decision making process that has sent many a businesses slowly move along the curve of extinction?

Technology is and will be the ultimate disrupter, spreading its influence into every aspect of our lives. Apple, Google, Facebook and YouTube have being doing it for years. But you thought it was just about social media. Wrong, it's all about the data, who has it, what do they do with it and what does it mean for you.

Take heed everyone, the future is here and there is nowhere to hide. If you are not taking advantage of the data, your competitors will! Just ask Mitt and the Republican Party, since they and everyone else had no warning of the tsunami that hit them on election night. Strike yet another victory for technology!

What side of the disrupter world do you reside in? Are u the disrupter or the one being being dirsrupted??

Ryder Cup thoughts, a little late...

2012-10-16T16:50:00.002-04:00

Why was the Ryder Cup such an incredible event? Was it the agony and the ecstasy? The agony of a less skilled European team falling way behind to a narcissistic American team… And then, the ecstasy as the Europeans took the Americans down one by one in head to head competition?

I will tell you why I thought it was so riveting; everybody loves the underdog, the come from behind victory, the David vs. Goliath imagery. The unpredictability and drama of sport is why we watch. If the most talented teams won all the time, who would care? Those with the biggest pocket book would always be the winner.

Regardless of how sad we are when our teams lose, we still admire the magnitude of the feat by the underdog . There is some quiet comfort that if our teams do lose, somehow it is acceptable to be beaten by a team that is inferior in talent but somehow pulls everything together to do what had on paper seemed impossible.

Now, that I have gotten you thinking about the joy of come from behind victories, I want you to think about your workplace and what you can learn from the Ryder Cup event. Doesn't it feel great when someone beats the odds? Someone decides to take a different path, risk it all and makes it work with blood sweat and tears? Do you ever cheer for the underdog at the office? Do you ever help clear the path for someone experimenting with a different strategy?

The Ryder Cup Captain Jose Maria Olazabal knew that he was overmatched but took risks with his choices of people and the order in which he played them. Notwithstanding, his odds sure looked insurmountable when they sat down for dinner on the eve of the final round. Yet there was something in the air that night.

I can tell you from experience that Goliath does not always win in life and that includes at the office. When Goliath loses, it is so much more satisfying because the unexpected has occurred. What I have seen in my coaching practice often is the “Davids” talking themselves out of challenging the “Goliaths” by saying "Oh, that will never work” or “They will never do that." I always ask "How do you know?” The answer is - You don't know until you try!

Cheering for the underdogs is always more risky, prone to ridicule and definitely more lonely, but so much more fun when it works! In reality, the underdogs are usually the agents of change, those people that are different, not marching to the same beat, those that did not read the pre-game write-ups that said they were to be defeated. They are the ones that forge ahead without fear. We should be cheering these people forward, helping them clear the the way for progress.

My wonderful American wife always asks me why I love the underdog in every aspect of life so much ( fyi just a few tense moments during the Ryder Cup disintegration of her team). I answer because I spent a lifetime of people telling me "Oh, you can't do this and that”. In reality, it seems to me you can do anything you put your mind and energy to; otherwise, we would still be running around with clubs and loin cloths. Nothing wrong with that if you are a caveman but most of us have progressed!

So my challenge to you is be an agent of change in your office, support those taking the road less travelled, cheer for the underdog whether it’s popular or not. You never know that change may just make your life better, its sure worth a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, just like the Europeans did on the night before the last round of Ryder Cup.

Be bold and support your local underdog.

The World is an Incredible Place

2012-10-03T15:08:00.000-04:00

I recently had the good fortune to visit parts of the world with my wife and her family that were truly spectacular. Where and why do not matter, but what I saw and experienced as it relates to the world of work and entrepreneurism does matter and it concerns you.

During the trip, we were lucky enough to drop anchor in a totally remote area of the Aegean Sea. As this was occurring, a man in a small skiff headed towards our charter. The crew sprung to attention fearing the worst, but upon closer observation, we realized he was an ice cream salesman with Ben and Jerry's products. We had to rub our eyes, but there he was along side the boat pitching ice cream in broken English - complete with marketing tools - a large picture board of products.

We had just finished lunch and dessert, but this guy needed to be rewarded for both his entrepreneurial gusto and salesmanship. So, we bought a large quantity of Ben and Jerry’s andonce again we pushed back our diet plans. We enjoyed the banter back and forth with this true salesman learning about his motivation and his business. He told us that if anyone asks about him, we refer to him as being " chubby but good looking.” What a perfect description!

Adversity is the mother of creativity and invention. This gentleman came from a small fishing village that offered a limited amount of ways to earn a living. He had a wife and children to clothe and feed. For him to seek out and capitalize on this ice cream venture was truly remarkable. I am sure someone said to him “are you kidding, selling ice cream to all those boats as they pass by?" But undeterred, there he was making the sale. Somehow, I doubt it was his first rodeo.

Steven Jobs was once quoted asking the question whether Alexander Graham Bell ever had a focus group. It appears to me that the world is truly short of risk takers, I know in the Financial Services industry there are a few brave ones left, but the increased regulation and the more conservative board governance have tied everyone’s hands (for the good or the bad). But, what about the rest of humanity? Is the World Wide Web the only frontier of creativity and opportunity?

I would argue that all great inventions are the convergence of these concepts. It all starts with two musings, "There must be a better way to do.... " or "I wish I could…..” How many times have you seen a new product and thought, “Now, that makes sense?” Not every solution is an earth shattering invention (but some definitely are), most of the time it is just a better mousetrap.

Steven Jobs and his friends at Apple probably said I know we can improve on the original Sony MP3 players to revolutionize the world digital music in an iPod.

But I digress, you see most established organizations want to study, poke and prod and find every reason to not change the original blueprint. I am not talking about the gazillion dollar purchases - those decisions seem to be made easier than the day-to-day tactical decisions of who to hire and what business to build opportunistically (cheaply) and quickly.

Today’s businesses need a good healthy dose of the old-fashioned entrepreneurial spirit – just like the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream salesman in the Aegean Sea. Forget the full-blown studies and foot dragging, a little plain hustle and some get up and go, just might make you some money.

So the questions I ask each of you is “Are you or is your firm in the practice of encouraging the creative entrepreneurs?” I don't mean market risk taking, I am talking about encouraging people to come forth with new ideas and new business prospects to improve the bottom line either through better efficiency or brighter ideas. Remember creativity and opportunity are the mother of all profitability!

Or are you and your firm destined to clip the same old coupons, to stick to the mundane assembly line way of producing and to maintain the same mediocre pace in place because it's just a heck of lot easier than swimming up stream? If that’s the case, you are destined for a boring life of mediocrity. Bring some passion and some new ideas to your work place, they may not all be iPods but remember the silver lining “chubby but good looking”!

As some of you know, I am the first generation from my family to have been born in North America, immigrants have distinct characteristics by their very circumstances. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and boat rockers, it is in my genes, I have never seen a boat that I didn't want to rock. My wife says that I cannot even walk into a restaurant without telling them how to improve the place (so much for a relaxing date night). This “personality trait” has cost me tens of millions of dollars having been fired twice by two Canadian banks’. You see for me it's never been a conscious decision because I am always thirsty for change. It drives my wife and kids crazy (as well as a few others), but I could not run my business today without my rocking skills! In fact, it drives my business.

So, who are the shakers at your workplace? Do you, yourself have it in you to step up and offer the new ideas and take ownership? Surely, when you look around and ask “Is there a better way to do this?” The answer should more often than not be a resounding YES!

So I ask, What’s in your GENES????

MENTORING

2012-09-05T20:23:00.000-04:00

Who Inspired or Mentored You??

Following the Olympics and all those "who inspired them in their lives " clips, it got me thinking about my own life. Who was it that inspired or mentored me during the school days and work years that made me the person I am today? I don't mean people that I found inspiring for what they had accomplished; but, those that directly mentored and taught me more than just about the job at hand. You see I ask the question because in my coaching practice, I realize it is a lost art, and yet, so many people need it today.

Inspiration comes in many forms; the most lasting is to be mentored by someone who takes time, a genuine interest and leads by example. Real mentoring helps you become a better person professionally and personally because it forces you to truly examine your actions. It is always helpful to have someone force you to look into a mirror.

I often wonder if my experience is like others, I can count on one hand the people that have mentored me in my life. Is it the same for you? Who were they and what impact did they have on your life? Did you say “thank-you”?

I had a wonderful teacher in high school that counseled me above and beyond the course curriculum. He was an old bow legged rugby player who taught English or so we thought that was the curriculum. I was fortunate to have him for a number of years. He opened our eyes to learning by having us write poetry and short stories on any topic. How novel is that? He wanted us to be engaged on what we put down on the paper (yes, it was paper back in those days). He used our work to foster conversation about life as a high school student – what was our motivation and what we were really trying to say about life? When I reflect back on my life, I can see him vividly standing at the front or sitting with each of us. He always made us feel like we were the only people in the world. I can hear him and remember almost everything he taught us – he is one of those voices that run through my mind daily. His name was Peter Jocelyn and I owe him a huge debt of personal thanks.

The second inspiring person I met was a brilliant man named Peter Campbell. He became my boss in 1982 at Wood Gundy. Peter taught me more about business, leadership, responsibility and safe guarding the welfare of those that worked for you. Peter was a gifted man who had been dealt a terrible card, a stellar athlete who was struck by polio in his high school years. He had two canes and steel bars for his legs but what he had lost physically was more than made up for in his brilliance both professionally and personally. He was the first truly gifted man I had ever met and he was my new boss. He became so much more to me and to so many others, especially my dear friend Wayne Deans.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Peter wasn't everyone’s cup of tea, but then again neither am I! What he did possess was an unbelievable ability to understand how to lead and how to make people better on a daily basis. He had a heart that always understood that if you took care of those that worked for you first and foremost, that the rest would all work out. That is an art that has disappeared over the years as people have clawed their way to the top of the corporate ladder. He also challenged us to take on our fears constantly and not be satisfied or complacent. A day does not pass without me using one of the tools that I learned from his genius. As I said, he wasn't everyone's cup of tea; he ruffled some in the old guard because he detested favoritism and cronyism. As they say you can always tell the pioneers, they are the ones with the arrows in their backs.

For those that know me well, you know that I love to coach and mentor. My wife says that I coach and mentor whether the service has been requested or not - it is just my way of showing you that I care – she just hopes it does not come across as barking or harping on my friends and clients. Seriously, I do love the mentoring aspect of my days probably more than anything else I do. Upon reflection, I realize I built my career on mentoring people and I owe all that to Peter Campbell. Maybe one day, I can master the nuance of Peter’s mentoring by listening more and talking less, believe it or not, it is a goal of mine. Yes, my wife puts me in front of a mirror every once in awhile as well! We can all learn from a little introspection.

So here is what I want to ask each and every one of you who reads my blog:

1. Who inspired and mentored you in your life? (Parents not included in this survey.)

2. Who are you mentoring with purpose and deep heart felt desire to truly help? (Children not included in this survey.)

I hope you have some examples of both. If not, look around, there are people that need your time and interest to improve. You never know, helping someone else just might make you look better in the process!

At the end of the day, we are all better for getting and giving help. It makes a work place more fun and if people love where they work, doesn't that usually make a place more productive and financially successful??

So as they say in the commercial, "GET CRACKING"!!!

Apple Should Run the World

2012-07-30T14:52:00.001-04:00

YES....PLEASE!!

After the last two frustrating weeks dealing with everybody from Rogers to Shaw, I have come to the conclusion that Apple should run the world. I know that they did not make as much money as everyone expected last quarter, but that's not what I am talking about, I am referring to their well-oiled customer service machine.

In the spirit of full disclosure, my wife has often said I was born in the wrong time period; I should have been born into the feudal system with plenty of serfs to handle all of life's inconveniences. Unfortunately, I am a mere mortal of non-royal lineage and I am stuck dealing with all of life's aggravations. In reality, things do not always work as advertised or – I know this is hard to believe - I do not know how to do everything; it is under these circumstances that I need to contact a Customer Service Department. These dealings – with people that are well paid to provide me with customer service – make my blood boil and me ache for the guillotine of centuries past.

Has customer service become an oxymoron?

The run of the mill service providers do horrendous jobs of making us feel good about paying and using their products. In fact, most of them send us off the deep end regularly. Switching products/providers doesn't seem to make a difference either; there just aren't enough companies who make customer service a priority. A friend of mine, who was a senior person at one of the Telcos, once told me that his particular company could care less about their customers, it was all about the cash, the monster needed to be fed, new business ruled.

In my short life, I have seen a few great examples of customer service companies, but none of them have shown the staying power or global reach of Apple. My Customer Service Hall of Fame includes Virgin, Body Shop, Disney, McDonalds and Ward Air. I would add, West Jet, but all that goofiness when you fly is just too much hokey pokey for me. I am sure you have your own list, but, is there any one of your service providers that you actually feel as good about as Apple?

Apple is in a class all by itself, not only from a product perspective but also from an overall experience - from purchase, to use, to upgrade! It begins with a wonderfully efficient on-line purchase (would you like that engraved for free?) or in one of those stores filled with hundreds of overly eager polite sales people (easy to identify in their matching shirts). What is better than the after market support when you have an issue with any of their products? How about all of those software updates to help make everything work better? Not to mention, Apple is constantly coming up with ways to make our lives more pleasurable and increase our ability to work more efficiently. I cannot wait for the iPhone 5!

I recently had a “One to One” tutorial with a “Genius” in an Apple store for Final Cut X - I'd like to be better at making home movies of my kids. It was one of the most enjoyable hours I have spent learning - my speed, no attitude and teaching me what I needed to now. None of that "Oh, I am way too cool to be doing this attitude" that you usually get from some technophile or sports dude. It was just a great guy who totally understood what I was trying to accomplish. He was just like every other person I have met through my relationship with Apple - truly outstanding.

As if all of that great service is not enough, whenever you call in to Apple for help, they send you a survey asking for your opinion on how they did. It helps them track the good service and plan on how to exceed my expectations next time. That's a real acid test - to have the nerve to send out questionnaires on customer service and then publish the results. It really separates the men from the boys!

I was recently in China; they had a survey machine right in front of the Customs agent. It required your opinion after you passed through an agent – wow – Can you imagine how our Customs agents would score?? I related that story to a Customs agent back at home and he suggested that on a scale of one to ten, Canadian Customs would average a two. How long do you think a Chinese Customs agent with a score of two would be around??

Since, I should have been a lord of my own manor in another time, I have been on a personal campaign to improve the plight of others, if not by riches than at least by improved customer service. However, I am tired of writing letters to nowhere... It is not uncommon these days to be unable to reach a person within these large companies, for example neither Air Canada nor Rogers have a person you can complain to, it's an email address to nowhere. Reminds me of a bridge! And you can forget about receiving a response to your customer service complaint and there is definitely no survey to register your opinion!

So let's get back to Apple, how can we get them to take over every aspect of my life? Imagine just for a brief beautiful moment that Apple ran all government services and the entire education system. And, that each and every service provider that we pay our hard earned money had to follow the Apple customer service model. We might actually live longer, stress levels globally would drop dramatically, a population explosion might occur because people would have less headaches and more time for the pursuit of life's pleasures. The world would be free of stress and functioning efficiently at every step.

You see there is absolutely nothing that stops companies from adopting Apple’s service model except us. Here comes the rant, yes, us!! As long as we continue to support poor customer service organizations there is no need for them to change. In fact they are probably laughing, it's like sporting teams, unless fans stop showing up to the ballparks or arenas, the team owners let the teams languish in the standings. So why do we keep showing up to be treated poorly and with disrespect? Do we feel we are not worthy of great customer service? Have we thrown in the towel and said "Oh, what's the use, there’s nothing little old me can do"? In the end, maybe we just don't care about being treated well for our hard earned dollars.

Well I do and I challenge you too, like the guy said in the movie Network "I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore". Let's stop letting these companies treat us poorly, let's demand better service or switch providers, let's reward those that really do a great job with our loyalty. Even if we have to pay a little more, let’s stop sending our hard earned cash to those that continually abuse and take us for granted.

The world has evolved from fiefdoms to democracies, maybe there is hope for customer service. Long live Apple and may one day all companies and governments follow its model!!!!

What took you so long?

2012-07-16T15:57:00.001-04:00

Nobody was surprised; “Why did it take so long?” Is a question that I have heard more often throughout my business life than any other. People in an organization know who should be let go, under most circumstances; people in an organization have been shocked that the “slackers” or “troublemakers” have been allowed to keep their jobs for as long as they have. Keeping the problem employees around a firm creates a real disincentive for all the others on many levels.

Recently a friend of mine took over a company that was down and out, truly on its last legs. He was brought in by the Board to "turn it around". It was pretty clear to him right from the start who the keepers were and those that were “destined for other opportunities”. Even though he knew what had to be done, it didn't stop him from foot dragging because he wanted to be sure, he did not want to rock the boat too much after all, he was the new guy.... Hello!! This company was on the verge of going broke!! Brought to you by the same people that you just inherited!

Ok, I think you get the idea, so let's move along. There is always one person that stands out among the rest when you come into a new situation, usually they strut around with a feeling that they are untouchable, they didn't get the memo or don't care that there is a new sheriff in town. They actually believe that you can't touch them, they have some special relationship with someone or knowledge that can't be replicated. In short, they believe the firm cannot function without them.

So my friend goes on and on about this guy, how he is passive aggressive, but that he keeps promising that a big transformational deal is just a few steps away; meanwhile, he constantly does everything to keep my CEO friend out of the loop. My friend keeps hoping that this gentleman will quit, realizing that he does not belong anymore. In the end, there was no deal, just a ton of smoke. My friend followed the smoke for a while, wanting to believe. He knew in his heart of hearts this guy was a fraud and bad for him and the company. Yet he did nothing, day after day, week after week, month after month, doesn't make sense does it?

Why, when we know intellectually, in our gut and in every one of our bones what has to be done, can we not bring ourselves to do it? Is it that we just aren't that sure – that we have let these people into our psyches and therefore doubt our own instincts? Is it fear of what happens if I do fire them? Could it be all of the above? Is that what separates great business leaders from mere mortals? Is that why it really is tougher to be the boss vs the Monday morning quarterback? Is that why trading on paper is much easier and more successful when done without the emotions of real dollars?

Back to our story, finally something happens that is so flagrant that my friend can no longer ignore the obvious, he had to step up and fire him. Hooray!! He did it and every single person in this small company came to my friend and uttered those true words spoken over generations..."What took you so long to get rid of him? He was really bad for the company."

My friend felt good, proud that he had done his job, just took him 16 months and it's exactly what he knew after 30 days of being with the firm. My question is, “How much damage was done during those 16 months??” Did the others see the new boss as decisive or weak? Did the Board care about the firing, or were they just worried about the long-term financial results of the organization?

Firing people is not easy, most of us take no pleasure in it. Personally, it is hard to do; on one level, we want to believe that we are such good managers that we can turn people around. On another level, we become involved in people’s lives around our work place, we hate the thought of affecting someone’s families with our actions. Just think of George Clooney in “Up in the Air”, who wants to be the cold, callous grim reaper?

The troublemakers that need to be fired are easy to spot, maybe difficult to finally follow through as my friend experienced, but obvious. What about the more subversive ones? We know they are out there, but have a harder time pinpointing them. Those are the tough ones, everyone else in the company knows who they are. The troops are asking themselves whether you have the gumption or power to get rid of these dark forces. In either case, the rank and file sees all and knows all. They are the ones that have to deal with these subversive forces on a daily basis. So why don't we trust them more?

In my previous life I saw this all the time and as I rose through the organizations, I may have even fallen prey to that unwillingness to act on what I believed. Did I get too complacent, was it much easier to just turn away and move on?

I had already “made it”; it wasn't like I was still trying to impress others with my managerial skills. But, had I lost a bit of my drive? I can think of a time, when I went to work at a new firm that I knew someone should be fired but chose to look the other way since it was easier. It is hard to be diligent at every turn but, that is why great managers excel. These are questions that you should ask yourself. Or do you know the answers and are just too afraid or lazy to make the changes you know you need to make? It's much harder to always keep culling. That's what great organizations do.

So ask yourself the question, “Do you have people that you know need to go? That everyone knows should go?” I bet someone came to your mind immediately. So, what's stopping you? I've have had people tell me if they had one card to play they would use it on someone in their group who everyone knows should be gone. So? They can't make it happen, the company deems it too expensive to let the person go regardless of the damage and expense it is doing to the firm. The real question is, “How can they afford not to have the most loyal, competent workers possible in the organization?” Corporations use money as an excuse all the time but it's a poor one.

Everyone is better off when a non-performer or troublemaker is let go, including them. At the end of the day, it's about the whole team not just one person. Do your review, you're the only one standing in the way, the rest of the people are right behind you. Go ahead, make your team’s day, get rid of the dark forces!

Stealing Part Two

2012-07-05T21:36:00.003-04:00

Stealing Part Two Following up on my last blog about governments stealing efficient ideas from other countries; it begs the question, "Are you stealing best practices from other companies around the world?" I wonder, do you even know what the best practices other companies have in place? In some cases, you may have some best practice policies but unlikely that your entire business is run that way.

How would one go about finding out who does it best, especially when it comes to their employees and customers? You could always call on McKinsey, they are so well plugged in globally they actually do know who does it best in every category of every different sector of the economy. Just read one of their Quaterly Reports. However, McKinsey may be out of your snack bracket, I am sure there are others that may not be as global, but could fill the spot adequately.

You see in this day and age there is absolutely nothing stopping anyone from figuring out how to improve. There are plenty of self-help books, management consultants and market research analysis in all fields. I am pretty sure even if you just typed into Google " how do I ....better" it would be surprising what would come up. But that's not what I am talking about here, I mean real deep down commitment to truly improve the quality of life for both employees and customers, which in turn should take care of the shareholders quite nicely wouldn't you think?

Since the core of every business is their army of evangelists spreading their message, aka, employees it follows that a review of best practices or company efficiencies, management should start with their employees. If they are all inspired, believing in their products and full of confidence in the management team, shouldn't that somehow come through to the customers? If customers are met daily with a high level of enthusiasm and service, wouldn't you expect that given a reasonable choice the customers would choose your company and products? Seems pretty intuitive to me.

I remember years ago when I had just been made President of CIBC-Wood Gundy and we were hosting the new Chrysler management team after they had gone bankrupt the first time. What was amazing was their enthusiasm for their products, not selling but truly marveling in what they were producing and fighting over each other to tell the story. It was a unique view into a group of people that believed together in what they were building and selling. Damn it was exciting, so exciting that I went and bought the stock the next day at $8 only to watch it goes as high as $45, I was out in the 30's.

Are your employees that excited about your company and products? Do they rave about what a wonderful place your company is to work? Would they recommend to their children that they build a career at the company? Isn't that the acid test of how good a job you are doing as CEO, Division head or any other level of leadership? Are those following these principals being publicly rewarded so that other people know and trust that those doing the right things will succeed. Alternatively are your employees looking at your leadership team and asking the question, " How did they get that job and why do they still have it?

It's hard work to be best of breed, class or whatever you want to call it. But, it appears to me, that if you concentrate your efforts on your employees the rest should actually sort itself out. Concentrate on having the right people in leadership positions who are both encouraged and compensated on both performance and collaboration with others. Do those that work well with others and continue to work collaboratively rise to the top or is it the others? The others that worry solely about their personal advancement? We all know who the others are don't we? What type of culture exists within your firm? Do you even know?

My wife tells me my blogs sound a bit rantish. That's always been a bit of a problem for me, I believe in things passionately. I have a tendency to sound like I am preaching whether I am speaking or writing. Particularly in this case, I probably sound a bit rantish, I feel very strongly that the success of organizations management is so intwined with employee satisfaction and success that I start every business assignment with a round of employee interviews. In fact, that is when I really find out what kind of company, division or department has hired me. The troops always know what the real deal is, they live it every day on the front line. I can't tell you the number of times my assignment has changed after interviewing all the foot soldiers and not just relying on management's interpretation.

For example, one assignment that we had was to hire a replacement for a very senior person who was soon retiring. The head of the firm gave us a long speech and even a job description of the characteristics they wanted. They even had us meet the individual so that we could find his clone. Fortunately, because of how we run our business, we did not begin our search for that person until we did our round of employee interviews; otherwise, we would have hired the entirely wrong person for that job and the firm. After interviewing all the other senior people we learned that while the incumbent was great and had done a fabulous job, but at that point what they actually needed was the total antithesis. The situation had changed and the firm needed a different skill set going forward. It actually happens quite regularly, surprised ? We are not any more.

So, I would suggest you take some time this summer to honestly review your business efficiencies and employee situation. I believe that people in leadership positions should always be striving to run this kind of "happy employee"organization and if you have to steal an idea or two from somewhere, it's all just part of the learning curve!

It just makes good business sense, doesn't it?

Stealing, when is it appropriate?

2012-06-27T21:39:00.002-04:00

Stealing, when is it appropriate?

We know that stealing people's personal property, money, ideas and inventions are all illegal where ever you are in the world. But what about stealing a better way to do things? Aren't we always doing that as we grow up? We don't call it stealing, we call it learning since its done with permission or in a free place (through books , Internet, examples of watching others or taking lessons directly). So if we go through life trying to figure out ways to do things better, why is it that governments at all levels don't learn from each other?

I know that everyone has been on a trip and seen something work significantly more efficiently and ask themselves why can't we do this at home; especially in places that many North Americans would not consider as advanced as home. It is a wonderment to me that our governments either have no desire or are stuck with the "not invented here" attitude and cannot see that other parts of the world are making the day to day working grind of life far easier for their citizens.

Now, I am not talking about welfare or political programs, I am talking about all the things that impact our daily lives: Mass transportation, airport efficiency on all levels, refunds on our credit cards, using our mobile phones to purchase items.

Having spent the last week mostly in Scandinavia it has shocked me how smoothly these places run. I will admit that the tax structure here is quite onerous, with a 25% VAT and a high income tax structure. But man, if we could make things work as well as they do here, it would be awesome. Why not adopt some of these excellent ideas and i know I would be happy to pay for them.

The problem as I see it back home is we have a pretty high tax structure but our two biggest expenditures health care and education both work poorly, in addition we have very high University fees, our roads are jammed packed , the transit system is left over from early 60's, our waiting times for hospitals are ridiculous and getting through the airport requires a herculean effort of multi hour proportions.

So why don't our governments steal the best ideas from the best in the world in every aspect of health care, education, infrastructure, mass transit and airport efficiency? Surely there has to be some savings in doing things better through efficiency? It would allow "us the people" to have more time to work happier or play which appear to be woefully on the decline.

Unfortunately we have zero confidence in our governments at any level to manage their way out of a paper bag. We doubt their ability to accomplish something as simple as a train from the airport to the city in any one of our major cities, which btw is a staple in most cities around the world. Our governments below the federal level are mired in bullshit politics which makes it effectively impossible to actually get something done. Or worse, the projects that do make it to fruition are mediocre, filled with inefficiencies and cost overruns. If you live in Toronto, the project that comes to mind first is the St Clair street car project.

Seriously, is that the best we have, does anyone actually believe that has improved anybody's life on a daily basis? Of all the things we could have spent over a 160 million on that was the at the top of the pile, really, give me a break...incompetence or stupidity, in either case it's a bad use of our tax dollars. Ask yourself the question, what is first class that your tax dollars are going towards at any level if government??...still thinking?

I know there are lots of things that people in Scandinavia and other parts of the world admire about our life, but what I am talking about here is the day to day pain in the ass stuff. The stuff that has a huge impact on our frustration and in turn leads to higher anxiety and anger - traffic, poor public transit, dirty streets, etc... A more user pay society is how they manage the vast population in Asia, from higher taxes on cars, a downtown tax and smart cards for everything from parking to mass transit.

Northern Europe has the most efficient airports I have ever seen in all my travels, from check in, baggage drop off on thru security, polite and efficient...hmmm what an interesting concept. Mass transit, no drivers for the trains, machines at every station that take credit cards and get you from the airports to the center of the cities. I realized this was transit nirvana and instead of the usual daily frustrations that comes with living and working in Toronto I had entered a zen state of bliss. Some might say "ya, that happens when you are on holidays" but I would argue that's a time when inefficiency actually makes you more angry since you have much a short period of time to enjoy.

Now, I don't want to be like a friend of mine who says everything is better somewhere else, usually where he is living at the time. But, what I want to know is why can we not steal the best ideas from places around the world and bring them back to Canada - making all of our cities a melting pot of efficiency in addition to just culturally.

Is that too much to ask for, given all the taxes we pay? Yes, unless we begin to demand it and elect the right people...

P.S. Sometimes life provide bitter sweet irony. We arrived at Pearson after am 8 hour flight and an aborted landing, we were met by snarly customs officers at the door of the plane checking everyone's passports. Followed by the long long walk since none of the moving sidewalks were working, only to be capped off by all the screens showing where your bags were to come we're not working.

Life is always better than fiction, welcome home...lol

Travels to St Petersburg

2012-06-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

When they asked John Dillinger why he robbed banks , his response was "that's where they keep the money". So in the same vain, instead of hearing third hand about the reports of the economic demise of Europe, I decide to come and see for myself if it was better or worse than I was hearing and reading A friend of mine had recently been to Portugal and sent me a note saying that everything that we had been hearing about Europe was false. It was far worse than we could have imagined. At the time I had a vague idea about what he was talking about. However since having arrived in Europe I now realize that it is far more complicated than just the dollars and cents issues we faced in the bailouts of the USA and UK financial system.

At the heart of it all we are not only looking at a possible wide spread collapse of financial institutions and governments but underlying it is a wave of nationalism and an unwillingness by the everyday person to help neighboring countries who have either mismanaged or misappropriated monies in their own interest, stupidity or probably a bit of both. While the world leaders meet in the beautiful Venice of the north, St. Petersburg, to discuss Europe's on going plight, it appears that against a nasty world economic climate from China slowing down, USA lacking growth, commodity prices staring to show signs of weakness and the people of the bankrupt countries showing no willingness to accept responsibility for their fiscal mismanagement let alone their lack of tax paying. Buying time maybe the only saving grace for Europe. That is if if they can get some acceptance of a shared bailout concept by all the tax payers of Europe.

Not a particularly good deal if you are your average responsible taxing paying citizen of one of the few countries that didn't run wild with abandonment over the last twenty years like numerous institutions and countries have done. So they ask, tell me again what's in it for the Germans to bail out Greece and the other rag tag countries of bad management and in some cases they say here, just pure theft, oh ya to save the euro. Well I can tell u being here at the World Economic Forum that may be the party line for the leaders but unfortunately the common man and woman don't feel the collective responsibility for all of Europe. Quite honestly why should they, the Euro is an economic union not a melting pot of nationalities into one European nationality. The situation here is significantly worse and with far more individual agendas than the Fed and Treasury had to deal with in 2008.

In Europe there is no one person either the elected or appointed with a mandate to do what is in the best of everyone. While Merkel is trying her best she must also be mindful of balancing Germanys needs and stand on whatever deal she does for her re election. Recently the press has been reporting how the youth of Germany have no interest in paying for the likes of Greece , Spain, Portugal or any of the other failing Euro institutions or countries. Not so simple right. We are already staring to see the European flu impact not only themselves but the earnings of North American companies, while also seeing the countries that have benefited from the commodity boom are starting to get a little jittery too. So it begs the question , " who is left in good shape around the world?". While it is difficult to appreciate the full extent of what is happening in Europe thru North American news in little snippets, it is totally different when you are here and talking to local people, who quite honestly don't have a shared feeling of collective responsibility.

In reality it's probably a good thing that we don't quite realize how bad it is otherwise we would all be even more shit scared about what's happening and the potential impact on our lives going forward. You see the reality is the common European doesn't care about bailing out his neighbor in Europe, in fact they aren't particularly fond of each other unlike the UK and the USA, the bailout saved their own citizens, I repeat their own citizens. I have realized long ago that prognosticating about situations like this are dangerous pastime, however what I do now know is that this is long term game with a delicate balancing of politics, nationalism and trying to steer a course that give plenty of room to all the people with competing agendas to get on board in a reasonable time frame.

There is clearly no easy, ready made or singular solution for Europe nor will it or should we expect it to be solved quickly. What is important for all of us to understand is that it is the ultimate game of Jenga with nobody speaking the same language and possibly not having the same desired outcome. Pretty scary if u ask me ? Stay tuned, we are just at the shrimp cocktail stage, the main course has yet to come.

Be back soon.

I am back after being away for too long

2012-05-10T13:10:00.001-04:00

As many of my followers have commented that I have been negligent in keeping up my blog. In fact many including recently my son Ed has suggested that I either get back to it or take it down from my website. In my own defense this has been an incredibly busy year both from a professional and personal basis.
However as many of you that know me excuses are not my cup of tea, if you commit to something, do it especially if involves putting yourself out there.

As I sit on a plane to Houston to work on one of the most difficult assignments that I have had since I founded my company I was watching one of my favorite TV shows, "No reservations" with Anthony Bourdain who happens to be one of my favorite hosts. The reason being it comes through in every show he does how passionate he is about what he loves, "food" and the search of all the great places in the world. In this show he is in Costa Brava Spain at El Bulli with the world renowned genius chef Feranadria, who is brilliant, bold, fearless and is living everyday with passion about what he loves, the creation of Avante Garde dishes. It is not without it ups and downs but every step is a piece of his soul and he not only loves his life but he devours it..

An old mentor of mine once said to me, " you know Beqaj, most be go through life just sniffing at it, the thing about you is that you want to take take a huge bite out of it". I thought it was a great compliment but I really didn't appreciate what he meant till I had built my own business and had the time and experience of figuring out and deciding everyday on the shape it would take. Responsible to my coworkers,family and most importantly to my clients, because without all of their support I could never have achieved as much as or enjoy what I do like I have never done in life. My wonderful wife often asks me "where did u come from", I have no answer but do know that something drives me instinctively to look at life differently and not be afraid to challenge everything.

Speaking of TV, it as splintered into many facets with reality TV dominating the line up. Yet for me it is the shows about people's passions, like the food network that makes for enjoyable watching, not because I will ever cook as well as they do ( I leave that to my daughter the chef) but because e there is something beautiful and fulfilling about watching someone do what they love and are passionate about it. There is no acting, it's the reality of someone who has found their perfect fit and loving it every single day. So we as innocent bystanders share vicariously their life's effort and bask in the glow of their passion and pleasure.

Can you say that about your life, do you love what you do everyday, do you love working with the people you work with and when you come home, do you say to your self...damn I am so lucky to do what I am doing. It is not the impossible, it can be achieved and the more people that I coach the more I realize how attainable it is and that I am going to use this blog to speak out, continue to help people find their way by debunking historical myths.
I am sorry to say for some , I feel inspired and ready to begin the next leg of my journey in helping people find their inner voice of who they are and help them find what they love doing.

I realize now this while I have been on this journey all my life it really began 10 years ago in starting Beqaj International which allowed me to try all my theories without interference or judgement by anyone, I would live and die by my own decisions, frightening but exhilarating and rewarding throughout despite some fearful times. I was to succeed or fail based soley on my decisions, what a wonderful way to figure out if u can do it!

In addition to the recruiting I continued to expand my coaching, which in turn led to my book, however I now realize, I may have mis-titled the book, it really wasn't about finding the perfect employer, it was more about finding and not being afraid to use your inner voice. It was about finding what you love and getting to do it every single day that you are on this earth whether you are 20 or 60 years old. That should be our mission.

Stay tuned !

Book Review: How to Hire the Perfect Employer

2011-04-26T09:15:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned Janet Graham’s excellent blog babesonbaystreet.com. I did an interview with Janet which is covered in a series of blog posts.

In addition to the interview, babesonbaystreet.com posted a great book review on How to Hire the Perfect Employer. I’ve shared a selection of quotes from the review below.

"In his book Beqaj says: “I want to help you determine:

-- What you enjoy doing most (this will reveal what you’re good at)
Who you work best with, and why (this will reveal your wiring, or personality type)
-- Your preferred method of resolving conflicts
-- Your Target Rich EnvironmentTM (TRE)TM – the types of employers who fit you and your goals – companies where you should therefore concentrate your search

Armed with this information, you can then script and present a powerful Personal InfomercialTM”."

"The book is quite concise and most chapters include exercises for the reader to complete for example, a Personal Balance SheetTM which helps the reader find the common denominators in the things they enjoy the most and least, are good at and not good at and provide evidence that demonstrates their three strongest “good ats”. Beqaj uses his personal version of the completed exercises as a teaching template for the reader."

"It took a lot of courage to share the learning gained from some profoundly challenging life lessons and Beqaj has it in spades. The concepts presented are straightforward and simple, in fact, once you have read the book and worked through the examples you might think the approach quite obvious. On the contrary, I think this is his gift to the reader. He explains these concepts in simple terms, using simple exercises which once completed offer rich data and a powerful means of communicating to the world who you are by way of your Personal Infomercial."

To read the full babesonbaystreet.com book review click here.

The Secret to Achieving a Happy Working Life: Part 2

2011-04-18T19:46:00.000-04:00

Last week I introduced the topic of personality, or “wiring” as I call it, and how it essentially determines two things: 1) what you are good at, and 2) who you work best with.

I have already shown that knowing how you’re wired, and choosing jobs accordingly, is vital if you’re going to avoid bouncing from one job to another, never doing what you’re good at, or what you truly enjoy.

Understanding your wiring can help you end up in the right place. (It took Colonel Sanders of KFC fame half a lifetime to figure this out!) But ending up in the right place is only one side of the coin. There’s another major benefit that comes with knowing how you’re wired -- ending up with the right people.

The fact is that our personality plays a huge part in determining not only what we enjoy and do well, but who we work best with. Sure, we can adjust here and there, but there are tangible reasons we get on well with certain types of people.

If you stop to look at what kinds of people your closest friends are -- the people you get on with best -- you’ll probably notice that, while they’re unique individuals, they share a certain core that makes compatibility with you very easy.

I want to put it to you that the same dynamic applies to your professional life. There are probably bosses or colleagues you really enjoy being around and working with. But there are others who you don’t enjoy working with -- you can’t quite put your finger on it but something is off.

The result is that your work life feels heavy and laboured, you come home each day feeling frustrated and every week is a countdown to Friday. If this sounds familiar you may well have an issue with incompatible wiring.

Many people apply for jobs even though they know instinctively that they’ll be surrounded by people who are wired very differently from themselves, but they think that somehow things will just work out. Let me tell you, if the wiring is off, it won’t work out.

A large percentage of the clients I work with have come (or are quickly coming to) the conclusion that their wiring means they are a bad fit for the job they’re in. This explains why their work relationships haven’t been good. It explains why they’ve felt under-appreciated, and exhausted by a job that has become a daily grind.

I say instead of wandering into the wrong jobs again and again, why not seek out workplaces where you do have compatible wiring? Why not follow your instincts, and steer clear of jobs that will land you in working environments that won’t suit your personality traits and strengths?

Sounds obvious doesn’t it? But I always find it ironic that so many people complete a personality test, nod and say, “Yup, that’s me all right -- that describes me to a tee”, and then do nothing about it. Very few people take it to the next level and resolve to consider only those jobs where their wiring is a fit. … Please do me a favour by not being one of those people.

If you’ve never done a personality test before my challenge to you is to complete an online test today. Do it on your lunch break, after work, or before you go to bed. Get to grips with your own personality, then get to grips with the kind of work and people that are compatible with you.

Because knowing how you’re wired, and factoring that into your search so that you’re able to find a good fit is the first big step to achieving a happy working life.

Photo credit: lululemon athletica (via flickr.com)

The Secret to Achieving a Happy Working Life: Part 1

2011-04-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Having a job pays the bills and puts food on the table. But my experience tells me that most people want more than just to be employed.

Most people, deep down, want to be in a job they find satisfying, challenging, and enjoyable. They want to be stretched, to stretch those around them, and to have working relationships that are not just functional but fruitful. They want to go home at night feeling that they’ve made a difference, that their work has been appreciated, and that they actually can’t wait to get back to work tomorrow.

If this doesn’t describe your working life at all my next two posts might just tell you why.

I want to talk to you about the importance of personality, which I also call “wiring.”

-- What do you know about your own personality?
-- Have you ever stopped to think about what kind of person you are?
-- What makes you tick?
-- What energizes you?
-- What deflates you?
-- How you resolve conflict?

Most people have spent at least some time thinking about these things, and many have used personality tests like Myers-Briggs (which I highly recommend by the way) to help them identify what their wiring looks like.

Your wiring essentially determines two things: 1) what you are good at, and 2) who you work best with.

This week I’m dealing with the first of these two sides of the coin (next week’s post will focus on who you work best with).

It’s a fact that thousands of people aren’t in the right job into their thirties and beyond. For example, did you know that Martha Stewart was a stockbroker before she launched her career as a home-making and lifestyle guru? (Hindsight suggests that her subsequent decision to remain in stocks was questionable!) Or that Colonel Sanders was an insurance salesman, steamboat pilot, railroad fireman, and farmer before he found the recipe for success?

People who hop from one unhappy job to another, even one wrong field to another, (Colonel Sanders being one of them!) are probably doing so because they feel unfulfilled in every job they have (or because they fail or get fired as often as they get hired!) These people don’t know how they’re wired and so they keep ending up in jobs and companies that clash with their personalities. Quite frankly it’s no wonder they’re jumping or being pushed if they don’t enjoy the work they’re doing, and/or are simply not good at it.

You need to know how you’re wired and you need to know as early as possible if you’re going to go on to achieve the happy working life you long for.

Do you know what your personality type is? If not, then go do a test now! If you do, which jobs and companies might suit you?

Stop by next week. I’ll be looking into how wiring affects your working relationships and who you work best with.

Photo credit: lululemon athletica (via flickr.com)

An Interview with Janet Graham of babesonbaystreet.com

2011-04-04T13:28:00.000-04:00

Last week I was honoured to be featured on babesonbaystreet.com, a wonderful blog founded by Janet Graham. Janet, who worked on Bay Street from the early 1980s until the mid 1990s, is passionate about telling the inspiring stories of women like herself --women who ventured into a work environment that was dominated by men, and were incredibly successful.

I had a great interview with Janet and this week she posted the first in a series of blog posts covering the highlights.

Here’s the first question and answer from the interview:

JG: What is your impression of the difference between the experience of a male and female in the securities industry today?

JB: “Well the best way I could probably put that would be that I found that women made better sales people and, in fact, the women that traded for me were extremely good at trading as well. I found that the essential difference between men and women was that women had a great ability to actually build friendships and relationships with their clients. If you think about it, at the end of the day, if we’re all selling pretty well the same commodity, what makes someone pick that button versus someone else’s button? I believe price is a red herring. People don’t do business on the basis of price. Women were far more adept at doing that, both with females and with males. Also, I think that a big difference was that they didn’t have the same sort of ego. Or if they did have the ego they were actually able to put it in check and they didn’t have that same sort of over-aggressive, competitive, “I have to win, you have to lose” mind set. They were more collaborative. They were more compromising in their approach to people.

I think that with some people competitiveness works well but if you take a broad cross-section of clients and people that you interact with in the industry, there’s no question that being more collaborative and more compromising makes you far more effective at what you do. All of the women that ever worked with me who I had hired or inherited were all extremely good at that. In fact, the only ones that weren’t very good at that were the women who weren’t being women, who were trying to be men, and I was like “don’t be like a man” because [men are] not very good at this. They’re not as good as you at doing this and bringing what being a woman brings to the table, to tell you the truth. But a few of them just couldn’t get that, right? They just couldn’t get that.”

JB: “I think the other thing about women that I think distinguishes them in the industry is that they, in general, think multi-dimensionally in terms of their interactions with people, whereas men are very linear in their relationships with people; it’s very sort of cut and dried. The best example I have about someone thinking like that is when I brought in the Dale Carnegie program for the entire trading floor because I wanted people to improve not just their presentation skills but their interpersonal skills with everybody in the room and outside it. And while everyone went to their Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday sessions, it was a woman who said, “hey, why don’t we invite our clients?” and she reached out and invited her clients. Can you imagine the impact of sixteen weeks of seeing your senior clients up there telling you their problems, their woes, their ups and their downs? In the end, who are they going to do business with? It’s that kind of thing that I think really highlights the difference between men and women.”

To read Janet’s own thoughts check out the full original post. You can read more about her story and philosophy here.

Why Finding Your Target Rich Environment Will Land You the Right Job

2011-03-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

“Do not labor with bigger nets, fish where the fish are.” -- Greek fisherman’s proverb.

 A key component in my approach to helping people to find careers that fit them is showing them that rather than looking in more places, they need to start looking in the right places.

I call those places you should be looking for career fit your Target Rich Environment™. I introduced you to the concept of a Target Rich Environment in this post, but now I want to take that introduction a bit deeper.

So what is a Target Rich Environment, and how does it apply to your job search?

Well, your Target Rich Environment is made up of the type of work, people, company, and industry where you fit. Your TRE is the environment in which you have the highest probability of finding an employer that fits you. To refer back to the Greek fisherman’s proverb -- it’s where all the fish are waiting to be caught.

How do you find your Target Rich Environment?

The key is first to acquire a thorough knowledge of yourself – that is, your own commercial value, your skills, what you can offer an employer, who you work best with, and what kind of work culture you thrive in. This is a process I take my clients through at length. Once they are there, they use their newly gathered knowledge of themselves to pinpoint companies that fit them. My book takes readers through this same process, one step at a time (click here to read an excerpt).

What might your Target Rich Environment look like?

One defining characteristic of companies and organizations in your TRE is that they both need you and your skills and want you and your skills.

They will be companies that:

-- have the same philosophy, and culture as you
-- are staffed by people likely to be compatible with you
-- have a conflict resolution process that fits your natural conflict resolution style
-- meet your criteria regarding size, growth, and opportunity

It’s time for you to start work on mapping out your own Target Rich Environment.

If you don’t know where you stand on these criteria, now’s the time to figure it out -- you can’t expect anyone else to give you the answers.

Sure, it takes a bit of introspection and some hard work, but once you have a clear grasp of who you are, and which companies are in your Target Rich Environment, you’ll be in a much stronger position to start applying for the right jobs the right way.

For more detailed information on how to find Career Fit check out my book How to Hire the Perfect Employer.

Photo credit: viZZZual.com

How to Hire the Perfect Employer featured on CBC

2011-03-01T16:49:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a lot of fun being interviewed on The Lang & O’Leary Exchange on CBC Newsworld. Here is a sampler from my interview with Kevin O’Leary and Dianne Buckner, who was filling in for Amanda Lang:

DB: So you begged for a job, did you?

JB: Begged for a job

DB: And did that work?

JB: No. Didn’t work.

DB: And what was the problem? What is your theory about hiring an employer?

JB: My theory about hiring the perfect employer is that you need to have two things. First of all you need to be looking in the right place for the right employer. And [second] you need to find someone who needs you and someone who wants you.

What I found was that there were a lot of people that needed me but there weren’t a lot of people who wanted me. One of the bank CEOs at the time said I’d love to hire you but I’d have a difficult time explaining to my board that I hired someone who had been fired by Canadian banks twice.

KO: So isn’t the whole game in the banking business not what you can get from them, it’s what you can give to them in terms of driving cash flow into whatever unit you’re involved in?

JB: That’s probably the case if you work for a private enterprise, but within a banking culture or conglomerate or multi-national organization at the end of the day it’s about fit. You have to fit the corporate culture.

DB: So this idea of how to hire the perfect employer ... I mean, generally speaking we don’t think of the job hunter as being in the driver’s seat. How are you turning it around that somehow we are hiring the employer?

JB: Well, one of the first things I talk to people about when they come to see me and I’m helping them find a job is that you have to understand what you’re really good at. You’d be amazed how many times I say to someone, “So what is it you’re good at?” And they say, “Oh, I’m a vice president” or “I’m good at sales.” I say, “No, no, what should I pay you for? What should I pay you to do for me?”

So in my particular case when I make my infomercial I tell people that I’m very good at hiring people. I’ve hired over 900 people in my career. I’m a good judge of fit, talent, person. I’m good at looking at businesses strategically, and lastly I’m very good at coaching and mentoring people. So if you’re interested in any one of those three items, I’m very good at that and you should pay me to do those things. So in the same way I say to people, “Figure out what you’re really, really good at.”

The second thing I tell people to do is figure out which kind of people you work best with. Make a list over your lifetime of all the people you’ve worked with and you’ve worked with some more efficiently and happily than others. Look for those [kinds of] people at the organizations you’re going to interview for a job.

All organizations resolve conflict in different manners. Some of them have a benevolent dictator, some of them are accommodative, some are compromising, some are competitive. You have to understand what yours is and [whether] it fit[s] within an organization, because if it doesn’t it carries over to how people see you. So if you’re competitive and in an organization that’s accommodative or avoidance, you not only don’t get anything done, but people say, “You know what? He’s not a team player.”

This last point I made about conflict resolution is key when it comes to finding an organization that wants you. A person with the right skill set might get fired by one organization because their direct communication style rubbed people the wrong way. But that same person, with the same personality and skill set, can end up in a new organization where their communication style is effective and is considered a strength, not a weakness. I’ve seen this dynamic at work many times – nothing changes except how good the fit is.

If you’d like to watch the interview in full, here it is on CBC’s website.

What’s the worst thing you can do in a job interview? Rely on Your Résumé

2011-02-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I was on a radio show on KLOO-AM in Eugene Oregon. I was there to talk about my new book, and we got into an interesting real life practical application where I was able to show some of the concepts in the book at work.

My host Bill Lundun told me of a situation where a new sports store was looking to hire 80 people from a group of around 1400 applicants.

He asked a great question: "what is the worst thing these applicants could do in the job interview?"

My answer? Simple. The worst thing they can do is to rely on their résumés.

I can’t begin to express how strongly I feel about this -- it’s so important to be able to stand out from the crowd, and you’re just not going to achieve that by sliding your résumé across the table.

So looking at this particular case study, how would someone stand out in a crowd of 1400 applicants? One word. Infomercial.

My concept of a personal infomercial™ allows you to cut through the crap and show yourself for who you really are, so that it’s crystal clear to an employer whether or not you’re a good fit. And you’ve equipped the interviewer with a short, effective speech for her to tell her boss why they should hire you.

I’ve helped many clients craft successful infomercials for high-level corporate positions, but the great thing is my approach is effective no matter where you’re applying for a job.

Let’s say one of the 1400 applicants for this sports store job is Sarah Jones. Sarah has done her homework. She has read the company site and annual report thoroughly; she is familiar with its core values; she has found and read as much press coverage as possible; she’s called her network to find employees, customers, suppliers – anyone who’s had contact with the company to see what they can tell her about it.

Sarah knows she is good at dealing with the general public, and that she is energized by contact with people. She has a great customer service personality. She has a strong knowledge of sports and sports equipment built up over a number of years playing a number of sports at various levels. She loves to work in a sports-oriented environment with other people who are obsessed by sports.

Sarah knows that she has found her fit, a target rich environment™. This is half the battle. But knowing that herself is not enough. The next step is for her to gather that information into a well-crafted personal infomercial that communicates exactly who she is and why she is perfect for this particular sports company.

If Sarah goes in and communicates her infomercial to the interviewer effectively, she’s going to have a huge advantage over most of the other applicants. She shouldn’t wait for the interviewer to ask her questions to draw these things out -- it’s her job to show her why she is what the company needs and wants.

So whether you’re applying for a top executive position or a job in a sports store, don’t leave it to chance. Have your infomercial ready and present it quickly and early … And let me know how you got on!

What’s the Best Way to Find the Right Job?

2011-02-03T09:41:00.000-05:00

The tried and true method of finding a job has always been to send you resume to as many places as humanly possible while contacting as many people as possible, either directly, or through other contacts.

I like to call this approach the “let's throw as much bleep at the wall as possible and see if it sticks” approach. Tried and true? I’m not so sure about the true part.

In effect many people say “I’ll just let everyone else figure out what I am good at, how I might fit, and what I can do for an employer just by glancing at my résumé.” Then, if that’s not enough, they move on to plan B, which is “I’ll get my past employers or references to weigh in with their own descriptions of me and why they think I should be hired.”

I don't know about you but if I’m the employer doing the hiring, this approach doesn’t say to me that you’re taking responsibility for you own job search, or that you’re making sure that you’re being properly represented as a person, and an employee.

What that says to me is that you’re on a wing and a prayer. There must be a better way.

In fact, there is a better way, and the first step is to decide that you are going to be responsible for how the world sees you, how the world understands you, and where you’re going to look for a job.

You’re probably asking, “OK wise guy, how do I change how I do things?”

Well, first of all stop thinking about “looking for a job” and start thinking about finding the right match for you. Stop thinking about winning the job that happens to be in front of you, or figuring out how to answer the interview questions correctly.

Instead of relying on sending out résumés I recommend that you create your own “infomercial" -- an infomercial that really is about helping you find the right fit for you.

You see a résumé is really nothing more than a trip itinerary showing where you have been. It does a bad job of distinguishing you as a person and an employee.

As if that’s not enough of a problem, there’s the fact that there is no standardization with résumés. Each one looks and sounds unlike the next one, leaving the reader to try and interpret exactly what it tells them about the applicant -- other than where they have worked in the past.

Lastly, I have never known anyone to “under-fluff” their resume. Interviewers know this and they will usually take what's in there with a very large grain of salt.

Apart from all of these drawbacks the résumé is a pretty useful document!

So, back to the infomercial.

Your personal infomercial™ addresses the need to create a crystal-clear understanding of who you are. It summarises what you are good at, what types of people you work best with, and it makes it completely clear what you want to be doing everyday of your working life.

It’s so simple and so unambiguous that the interviewer is able to say whether or not you have the skills they need, and whether or not you are the type of person they want. There’s just no need to wade through all the other crap.

Clear and succinct. Easy to understand.

You’re thinking “OK, Jim, so how do I create my infomercial?”

Well, probably the best way (shameless plug here) is to pick up a copy of my book "How to Hire the Perfect Employer." Alternatively you can subscribe on the right hand side of the page to take advantage of the many free tips I’ll be giving you right here on my blog in the coming months.

Just promise me one thing -- that you’ll stop throwing stuff at the wall hoping for some of it to stick, and that you’ll start to think long and hard about the process of actually finding the right fit for you.

Look for a Career that Fits in Your Target Rich Environment

2011-01-31T13:50:00.001-05:00

“Target Rich Environment™.”

What the hell is that? That's a very good question. The first time I remember ever hearing that expression was in the movie Top Gun. Maverick and Goose are standing outside a bar filled with women and Maverick says "Now Goose, this I what I call a target rich environment." ... I digress!

No, I’m not talking about a bar full of good-looking women, or men for that matter.

I’m talking about career fit.

I’m talking about a concept that defines the type of work, people, company, and industry where you fit. Your Target Rich Environment™ consists of a grouping of jobs and companies where you have the highest probability of success in finding the right fit for you.

These are workplaces where they need the skills that you possess -- workplaces populated by the types of people that you work best with, and where you can be doing what you enjoy doing every day. These are companies and organizations that are the right FIT.

So my question to you today is “are you guilty of looking outside your TRE (Target Rich Environment)?” If so, I suggest you take a step back and start doing your homework on which of the companies out there need the skills and qualities you possess.

Stop pointlessly sending your resume all over town, asking people to set you up for “a chat.” (You know what I mean, those meetings where they really know very little about you, or you about them, and that always starts with the over-worked "So what are you looking to do", which is code for “I have know idea of who you are, what you are good at or how and why you would fit here.”)

Don’t waste your precious time on random networking – be targeted.

In order to successfully find your TRE you must first understand what you have to offer, so you need to put together what I call your own "Personal Infomercial". In my new book "How to Hire the Perfect Employer" I help you understand how to build your infomercial and, once you’ve found your TRE, how to use it to find a job that represents your perfect FIT.

Changing Jobs in 2011? Think About Career Fit Before Making a Career Move

2011-01-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

I mentioned a couple of weeks back that 84% of North Americans interviewed in a recent survey said they will be looking for a new position in 2011.

The fact is that in North America there is a high level of job dissatisfaction and that means it’s likely that you are, or soon will be, looking for new opportunities yourself.

But before you update that resume and start applying for jobs, let me ask you an important question.

Are you thinking about career fit?

An astounding number of people let their past job titles direct their career paths rather than factors that really matter. Maybe you’ve been reasonably successful in sales, or marketing, or accounts -- but that doesn’t mean those job titles should define you.

So what criteria should you use to direct your career path? Well, there are a number of important factors that I explore with my clients. Here are some questions you can start with:

-- Why are you unhappy or unsatisfied in your current position?
-- What is it about your work that gives you satisfaction and what makes you unhappy?
-- What are things you really enjoy and what do you dread doing each day?
-- Who do you work well with and who do you dislike working with and why?

Make a note of your answers now and start to create your Personal Balance Sheet™ as you consider what your next career move might be.

At the risk of over-simplifying things, you need to find a job that involves doing the things you enjoy (by the way these are almost invariably the things you are good at) and does not involve doing the things you dislike.

It makes sense to take the time to know how you are wired. This might seem like a no-brainer but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve encountered who have allowed other factors to direct their career paths without questioning them.

If you’ve been unhappy in a previous position it’s vital to work out exactly why you were unhappy. Was it the people you worked with? Were you in the wrong field? Were you in the right field but the wrong company?

Figure these things out and you’re in a much better position to start looking for a job and employer that will fit. And you’ll be in a much better position to find happiness at work.

How to Hire the Perfect Employer: Book Launch

2011-01-13T15:22:00.000-05:00

I am delighted to announce that my book How to Hire the Perfect Employer: Finding the Job and Career That Fit You Through a Powerful Personal Infomercial has just been published. This book has been a long time in the making but finally having a copy in my hands makes it worth the blood, sweat, and tears it took to finish it.

I’m proud of this book and I believe it’s going to change people’s lives.

If you asked me why I wrote the book, I’d have to say it was for two main reasons.

First, because the process I describe in it—how to find your best fit in a job and career—has had such a major impact on my own life. For so long, I felt out of kilter in my work. Not only did I not fit my work, I didn’t think it was even possible to fit. (Ever felt the same way?)

I had some successful and exciting days in corporate life, but I also spent time on the outside looking in. I went through the painful process of taking responsibility for my life and figuring out why I didn’t fit and how and where I could fit. I emerged from a dark period to create a business that makes me so happy each and every day. If only I had discovered this earlier!

And my second reason? Because I’ve seen this process make such a genuine difference in the lives of the many people I have coached. It doesn’t matter whether they’re inside or outside the finance industry, already in a job or looking for one, new to the workforce or toiling at the most rarefied of senior levels—it works. My process is helping people take responsibility for themselves and their careers and for how the world sees them.

My book holds out hope to people caught in the very sad reality of work life today, the reality that only the tiniest percentage of people are actually doing what they truly love to do. My overall message for everyone reading my book (and this blog) is: You can find your fit and love what you do.

I hope you’ll order a copy of the book, and please stick around on the blog to glean as much as you can. I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and comments, and I’d really hope that I can help you move toward a career that really fits.

Employed, Unhappy and Looking for a New Job in 2011?

2011-01-07T14:18:00.000-05:00

If so, you have a lot of company. CNN recently reported that 84% of people who are employed plan to look for new job this year. A survey of 1400 workers in the United States asked the question “do you plan to pursue new job opportunities in 2011”? An amazing 84% answered yes, an increase of 24% from 2009.

It’s clear that there are a lot of people who are employed but are unhappy in their work and think they can do better. But will they just jump at the first opportunity that comes along, or will they look for a job that really fits?

One thing I've realized since my own career changed direction is that you have to take responsibility for your own happiness and, as the above figures show, simply having a job is not the way to happiness. Real happiness and true career success come when you find career fit, a job and employer that really are a match for you. And that requires some work before you start applying for new jobs.

In my book, How to Hire the Perfect Employer, I show you how to start with a good look at yourself and ask: “what you are good at? Who do you work well with? What employers are right for you?”

If you’re concerned with real career success, simply landing a new job should not be your goal.

You need to land the right job -- the job that fits you.

Defining Career Success: Making Money or Finding Fit?

2010-12-30T09:10:00.000-05:00

I always highlight the importance of taking a non-traditional approach to finding a new job or career. My advice is that you should not waste time playing the “résumé lottery” (passively sending résumés to multiple companies, then waiting by the mailbox with your fingers crossed). Here’s why.

Sure, the résumé lottery approach could land you a job. Eventually. But my experience tells me that it’s highly unlikely to give you career success because there’s every chance you’ll end up in the wrong place.

If you do end up in a job that’s not a good fit, you may find that you do well -- you may even make a lot of money. But if the job isn’t the right fit, your working life will be uncomfortable, uninspiring, even painful. You’ll dread certain parts of your day and you’ll hate working with certain people. You’ll come home frustrated, drained, stifled. Tell me -- is that really your definition of career success?

Here’s a definition I like much better:

“There is only one success—to be able to spend your life in your own way”

— Christopher Morley

It took me a long time to realize that a career in investment banking was not the right fit for me and the process of coming to this realization was extremely painful. If I had known then what I know now about the importance of career fit, I could have avoided that pain. It’s my aim to share my experience and to help you find your right fit now by taking you on a journey that will help you determine:

-- What you enjoy doing most (this will reveal what you’re good at)
-- Who you work best with, and why (this will reveal your wiring, or personality type)
-- Your preferred method of resolving conflicts
-- Your Target Rich Environment™ (TRE™)—the types of employers who fit you and your goals—companies where you should therefore concentrate your search

The result? You will find a job that you love doing and you’ll wake up every morning looking forward to the day ahead. Now that’s true career success.

Convinced? What needs to change for you to find success in your career?

A Message of Hope this Christmas

2010-12-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas is the time of year when everybody is supposed to be happy, secure, and safe. Christmas songs filled with sentiments of hope and joy occupy the airwaves, and the glitzy images in shopping mall windows show us what Christmas should look like.

But the reality is that, for some, this Christmas will be a harsh reminder of the absence of happiness, security, and safety in their lives.

For the unemployed, Christmas can be an unsettling time. Rather than seeing the new year in with warm, fuzzy optimism, many of them feel a sense of foreboding at what might lie ahead.

But despite the bleak outlook, there is always hope. I’m a firm believer that adversity is the mother of invention, and I spend a lot of time helping my unemployed clients to see this period in their lives in a new light. Often, when they take a good look at themselves, and at the job they’ve lost, or left behind, they find that it was simply the wrong job for them. This is so important.

I know from experience that losing your job is not easy, but the time of introspection that often follows is absolutely necessary if you are going to build something better.

Today, I thoroughly enjoy every single day of my work. I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled -- and perhaps it won't be long before you'll be saying the same.

My very best wishes to you and your family at this holiday time.

Do You Really Want the Jobs You’re Interviewing For?

2010-12-16T15:04:00.000-05:00

There is a standard approach to searching for and interviewing for a new job. It goes something like this:

You browse a number of job listings, selecting several on the basis of a short blurb and/or the advertised salary. You then passively send out a résumé to selected companies. You proceed to wait by your mailbox for an unlikely acceptance letter.

Let’s say you get an interview and you find yourself sitting there under the microscope trying to convince your interviewer that you are perfect for a company you know almost nothing about. Even if you get the job, the question is do you really want it?

It may be a couple of years or (as in my case) decades before it becomes apparent to you that you’re in entirely the wrong job. Only then will you realize that what you did in your interview was convince yourself and your employer that you (a square peg) were a perfect fit for the position (a round hole.)

I have news for you -- there is a much much better way.

Imagine a different scenario. You’re considering interviewing for a list of companies, but this time, as you’re looking at each company on your list, you’re thinking:

Why should I apply for this job?

Will it give me the opportunity to use and add value with my skill set?

Will this organization’s work environment fit with my personality type?

Will this employer fit me and my goals?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then -- let me be clear -- you shouldn’t be interviewing for the job. Square peg. Round hole. It’s time to reconfigure and begin looking for a job that fits who you are.

That’s what my approach (and this blog) is all about -- understanding the importance of the Fit Factor™. It’s about knowing who you are and what you have to offer. It’s about understanding why you and a particular company are a good fit.

Thinking of a career change? Does your thinking need to change first?