How Craig Fisher Helps Businesses Build Human Connections

How Craig Fisher Helps Businesses Build Human Connections Craig Fisher is the Head of Global Marketing and Employer Brand Strategy at Allegis Global Solutions, and founder of TalentNet LLC events and consulting. He helps employers, job seekers, sales organizations, and even HR tech firms brand themselves to build stronger human connections. We chat with Craig to discuss how he has reached the top of the recruitment industry by focusing on empowering people, but we also delve into the most common mistakes he sees recruiters make, the hardest lessons he has learned along the way and more! Whats your key to success? With over 30 years of industry leadership, we have been successful by focusing on people and caring. We believe in supporting the communities where we live and work through volunteerism and philanthropy. Our Allegis Group Foundation helps causes that align with our mission: Providing individuals with life skills to reach their full potential. Strengthening the Workforce through career development and access to employment for underserved adults. Employee Engagement by supporting causes that our employees are passionate about. We also invest heavily in our people through: Extensive training courses, employee awards, and recognition programs. Actionable employee engagement programs. Diversity and Inclusion Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Councils. Volunteer days to support local charities that are important to our employees. What can we do to build better connections with candidates? Brand yourself!  Make it easy for job candidates and customers to find you when they search for a recruiter to partner with. Be Human!  Dont be so buttoned up that your audience cant get to know you. Share something personal about yourself even on places like Linkedin to ensure you are memorable and personable before someone ever has to decide whether to call you back. Share great content in social places! Part of having good personal SEO is being a good network citizen because of search engines like fresh content. Give more than you ask. I suggest a 5:1 give-to-ask content sharing strategy that emphasizes sharing personal stories, helpful 3rd party articles, and fun content more than asking for referrals or job applicants. Give often and every once in a while let your network where youve built trust know that youre hiring. What are the most common mistakes you see recruiters make? Recruiters often either rely too much or too little on automation and technology. The balance is critical. You cant automate every task and rely on your tech to do all of your communication and relationship building. Job candidates still prefer high touch over high tech. At the same time, you must utilize the systems at your disposal consistently for proper tracking and nurturing of your talent pool. Finally, when in doubt, pick up the phone. It never hurts to have a live conversation with a candidate or hiring manager. We sometimes can rely too much on emails and text messages. What hard lessons can you share with us? Stay steady and dont put all your eggs in one basket. Its great to land big clients or make multiple placements. But the economy is fickle. Ive been through multiple recessions and boons. You cant get too excited about either situation. Recruiting is up and down, so you have to remain centered with your mindset. When Ive had losses, Ive learned that they are to be expected and to have my business spread out to many industries or customers. If you get too up and down, you will burn out, bottom line. Whats your best source of hire? Referrals are still the best source of hire. If you treat customers and job seekers right, they will refer their friends and colleagues to your organization. We have a rich referral community because we foster great relationships with employees and clients. What’s your tech stack? Personally, I use Hootsuite and Crowdfire for sharing and monitoring, the Adobe Suite and Camtasia for creating, my iPhone and lots of Google and Chrome apps for searching  and sourcing. At an organizational level, we are an Office 365 and Salesforce shop with strong partnerships with companies like Smashfly, Olivia (by Paradox.AI), Enboarder, Ideal, and of course HiringSolved to power our clients talent strategies. What’s up next for recruiting? AI and automation will become second nature just another tool like the internet or smartphone. But the app economy isnt the passing fad much thought. Cloud workers are making 2x-3x what their full-time counterparts are earning. Recruiting will have to adapt their contracts and hiring strategies to incorporate the next wave of talent, which is very on-demand and not locked into one organization.

Recruiters 5 Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd

Recruiters 5 Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd Lets face it there are a lot of recruiters out there. I mean, a lot. You might think there a lot of possible sandwich combinations at Subway (over 2 million according to Subway themselves), but that is nothing compared to the number of recruiters there are. So, amongst all this noise, how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? Recruitment is a strategic activity, and yet a recruiter is rarely treated as a strategic partner by their clients. Here are five tips to develop better relationships with your clients, and become a partner to your clients, rather than just a vendor: 1) Specialise: How many times have you seen an agency that claims they are experts in IT, Mechanical Engineering, Sales, Medical, Legal and Telecoms recruitment? Newsflash, folks a generalist is not an expert. To use a comparison, when you visit a Doctor, your GP is a generalist: they have a broad overview of a range of different areas. A GP is fine if you have a minor complaint, but for anything more complicated, you go to a specialist consultant because they have spent years studying one particular part of the body to become an expert in it. If you are working a PHP Developer role at 9am, a Paralegal role at 12pm, and an Anaesthetist role at at 3pm, the odds of you doing a good job on any of those roles is zero. Focus on a single industry, and learn everything you can about it, so when you talk to a Hiring Manager, you sound like an expert not a clueless generalist. 2) Find a Focus: This leads on from specialisation. Even focusing on a single industry, there is a huge amount of variation within it. Working in IT recruitment, I worked a range of roles for a number of companies, but over time I found a niche area to focus on. I was fascinated by digital agencies (companies that provide digital services, such as website and application development), and focused my business development heavily on that area. It meant that I got a really good feel for how digital agencies worked and what the culture was like, so I knew what type of person they looked for. I won a number of clients within The Drums registry of top 100 UK digital agencies, and I could then use this, and the reputation I was building with my existing clients, to find new clients and new candidates. I was often told how much more knowledgeable I was than other recruiters the agencies used. The upshot? Clients began to consult with me on their recruitment, rather than simply treat me as a vendor. 3) Be Exclusive: In a sales job, business development is king: you cant rely on your existing clients for all your work, and, for a healthy pipeline, you do need to bring new clients into the fold on a regular basis. However, where many recruiters go wrong is to focus simply on winning the business, rather than thinking about what type of client they want. As I have argued time and time again, you want clients you can build relationships with. The best clients I had would work with me on an exclusive, or near-exclusive, basis. This gave me the time to get to know them and their business, and work far more consultatively with them. One of the worst clients I ever had was one of the first I won; I didnt realise it (because I didnt ask newbie error!), but the client in question handed out the job spec to every single recruiter who called. Recruiting for them was a nightmare; every candidate I spoke to had been approached at least 30 times about the job (which pissed off the candidate), and it was impos sible to actually speak to the client in any meaningful way. We probably all have, or have had, clients like this. Be exclusive fire clients you dont want to work with. 4) Creative Sourcing: Most contingency recruiters operate in a pretty standard way: get a requirement in, post jobs on the job boards, search your database for matches, and hammer LinkedIn and job boards for candidates. But, recruitment is (and always has been) a job about making connections. Sure, you should be doing those things, but you should also be doing the things that your competitors arent: take candidates to lunch to get to know them better. Sponsor or set up a local conference in your area of speciality. Help set up a user-group, with regular meetings, for candidates with particular skills. Dont just be a recruiter at the end of the phone! Find a way to get face-to-face with people. It may be a cliché, but people do business with people: find ways to make face-to-face time happen and it will pay dividends. Ultimately a recruiter will be judged on how well they can deliver on providing great staff. The better your network is, the easier that will be. 5) Be Proactive: As a recruiter, your remit is pretty clear. Work with the client to help find them the best candidate for their vacancy. However, the best relationships arent business-only; this is why so many deals are brokered on golf-courses! Be proactive in your relationship with your clients. Whilst organising some corporate hospitality for your clients is a great way to do this, it can be expensive and time consuming. Even simple things help; as an example, I saw on one of my clients websites that they were planning a staff outing to York, where I live. I called the Hiring Manager, had a chat about their trip, and suggested a few places for them to check out, which he was grateful for. The next week I was the first person he called when he had a new role come in. Keep an eye out for opportunities to be proactive. For example, hiring legislation in the UK is constantly changing. When a new law comes in, why not call the client and offer to run them through the key details, and what you are doin g to comply? This is a great way to show your worth and act as a strategic HR partner, rather than just a vendor. Conclusions: One of the key pieces of advice I was given when I started was to treat your desk as your own business. That means taking responsibility for the way you operate. The best recruiters I know all do the things Ive detailed above, and more. They are highly successful, and feel pride in their relationships with their clients. If where you work doesnt let you operate the way you want to, then its time to find a new job or, better yet, start your own agency.

Four Tips to Disconnect on Vacation to Improve Your Mental Health -

Four Tips to Disconnect on Vacation to Improve Your Mental Health - In today’s fast-paced society, the constant stress and anxiety of juggling demands in our personal and professional lives can take a toll on physical and psychological health. To maintain a mentally healthy work-life-balance, its crucial to take a break and disconnect on vacation. The problem we often have on vacation is disconnecting and leaving the office work behind to enjoy ourselves.   Ultimately, this behavior could result in returning from your time off still feeling tired and not refreshed, Research studies have shown that our brain function is negatively impacted by the flow of our stress hormone, cortisol[1]. Chronic stress can lead to many medical ailments, including blood pressure,  glucose regulation disorders, sleep disturbance and cardiovascular disease. A proper vacation can allow individuals to relax long enough for the cortisol levels to decrease, which, in turn, increases mental energy, happiness and life satisfaction, improves interpersonal skills, and decreases burnout. In fact, simply planning a vacation can have a significant positive impact on an individual’s happiness. The actual vacation then further assists with de-stressing, rejuvenating, and healing the mind and body However, while vacations can be helpful in creating a happy employee and work environment, many employees are hesitant to take vacation time. Often, they wrongly assume that their supervisor would not appreciate them taking time away from work or that their work will be overwhelming once they return. Conversely, most employers  actually appreciate  the benefits  that time off  provides their organization by the way of increased productivity, creativity, engagement, and morale boost. Side Effects of Burnout As a licensed mental health professional, I have counseled individuals and couples for more than a decade. Often observing directly the side-effects of burnout either intrapersonally or interpersonally. Individuals who place pressure on their work performance, never taking time off, often experience higher levels of anxiety, lower self-confidence, and suffer from many different physiological conditions. My suggestion is to always take your vacation time and use that time to improve your mental wellness by disconnecting.   However, for many of us disconnecting while on vacation is easier said than done. Are you running late to every activity because you have to return just one more work email? Do you find yourself distracted on vacation because you are posting and reading comments on social media? If this sounds familiar, you may not be getting all the health benefits of vacation. Here are four tips to make your next vacation more enjoyable for you and your travel companions. Determine the proper vacation length The question always arises, “How long should I take off?” It is important to determine the right length that will help you effectively disconnect and rejuvenate. Typically, the first day of vacation is focused on travel and settling in, and the last day on preparing to get back. The true value lies in the days in between. Some people report that vacations lasting five to eight days seem to produce the best health and wellness outcomes.[2] Others prefer two weeks.   However, longer vacations can create a sense of anxiety for some vacation goers. Consider your budget, responsibilities and preferences when you are planning the length of your vacation. Prepare for your vacation state of mind Vacations can take a lot of preparation time, but prepare yourself mentally, too, to ensure that you take a proper vacation. Recognize your mind and body need a break, so you can fully engage in activities that bring you happiness. Make a checklist to prepare your home before you leave. Meet with your work team and delegate priorities before you leave. Then let it go. Work both at home and on the job is ongoing, but vacation time is limited. Make the most of it. Live in the moment of your present surroundings Ideally, you want to leave your work computer at home, uninstall any work apps and turn off your notifications. If you absolutely cannot do that, commit yourself to only working a short time once a day and having at least one or two tech-free days on vacation. Limit your social media posts as well, so you are not missing little moments. Constantly worrying about Wi-Fi strength or connectivity takes away from your enjoyment and the enjoyment of others around you.  Be less reliant on tech tools Vacations are a great time to try new things and meet new people. Turn off your GPS and ask for recommendations from locals rather than relying on online reviews. Often, the best part of vacation is discoveries that were never on your itinerary. Keep an old school travel journal to unwind at the end of the day and to capture your thoughts and feelings.   When you return home, do not forget to print out and frame a few photos. Often, vacationers take photos on their phone and never look at them again. Looking at a physical picture can help remind you of those stress-free times long after your vacation ends. Before your next vacation, consider these tips to determine the best way to disconnect so your time away brings you joy. Ultimately, disconnecting on vacation can you help improve your overall physical and mental wellness. This guest post was authored by Dean Aslinia Dean Aslinia, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, is a licensed mental health expert and counseling department chair for the CACREP-accredited counseling/mental health counseling program at University of Phoenix. Since 2007, Dr. Aslinia has been engaged in professional trainings, clinical mental health practice, graduate higher education teaching, psychological assessments, research, writing, and advocacy for greater mental health access for all Americans. He joined University of Phoenix in July 2018, where he oversees the University’s CACREP-accredited counseling/mental health counseling program, preparing students with the skills needed to become confident, competent and reflective clinical mental health counselors.       Dr. Aslinia’s educational background includes a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston, and a second master’s and doctoral degree from Texas AM University-Commerce. His doctoral specialization was in marriage and family issues. Post-graduation, he obtained additional training and certifications in grief counseling and sex therapy. For more information about Dr. Aslinia, visit deantherapy.com. [1] N Engl JMed 1998;338:171-179. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9428819 [2] de Bloom, J., Geurts, S.A.E. Kompier, M.A.J. J Happiness Stud (2013) 14: 613. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9345-3

Personal Branding Interview Linda Bustos - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Linda Bustos - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Linda Bustos, who works for Elastic Path Software and is an award winning blogger at the Get Elastic eCommerce Blog.   In this interview, Linda talks about inbound and outbound marketing, why personal branding is important to Gen-Y, shares her avatar advice and more. What does it mean to get elastic? Though we dont talk about our company in most posts on Get Elastic, the blog is actually a property of Elastic Path Software an ecommerce framework for enterprise companies that have unique requirements that arent served by out of the box features of other platforms. Elastic symbolizes our flexibility value proposition. The blog is really a thought leadership project. I try to cover the tips and tricks in ecommerce and marketing that will help all online retailers stretch their capabilities. So whether you are an Elastic Path customer or not, we hope you can Get Elastic by reading the blog. Do you think inbound marketing is the new way to be successful? I think both B2B and B2C companies need to have both. Many folks consider outbound as archaic and expensive and blogs, social networking and viral campaigns as the holy grail for success. Without SEO, youre missing a huge opportunity through search engines. Without social media participation, youre not meeting the customer/prospects demands for transparency and customer service on their terms. For some industries, the absence of a blog hurts you because others in your industry have strong blogs that demonstrate the companys expertise in the industry. I know its a recession and inbound has the reputation for being cheaper (although its really not when you consider it takes time, people and sometimes a lot of money before your inbound is running successfully), but outbound still has value. Prospecting is still crucial to B2B. Advertising costs are coming down because of the recession, and email has for many companies provided the best ROI of all campaigns. You may need to scale back on outbound, but not eliminate it completely. How can Gen-Y use social media to market themselves and their personal brand? Keeping a blog is a great way to market yourself because its like an ongoing resume of what you know. But not everyone enjoys writing or can find the time. So Twitter is an alternative, but not as effective at personal branding as publishing your knowledge online in more than 140 characters. If you dont want to blog, find another way you can contribute something to the online world. (Ill let you get creative with that). If everyone is using social media to promote themselves, the ones who will be noticed and appreciated are the ones that are contributing the most without expectation of return. I also recommend getting out there in real life, meeting people at local marketing or tech events, then using social media to stay connected. Do you place a lot of importance in your personal brand? I definitely am conscious of my personal brand online. My networks are a mix of business contacts, co-workers, friends, family, acquaintances and strangers. Who I am on each social network, each blog post or comment I write, each tweet etc will live on the Web forever and reflects not only on myself but also the company I represent through Get Elastic. I always think about the impact of what I say on myself and those Im connected to. You wrote a blog post about avatars. What are your recommendations for an avatar that expresses your brand? I dont think there are any hard rules on choosing an avatar I think there are many different ways you can make your avatar stand out (use an interesting angle of headshot, a bold color behind your photo, a humorous object like a wingnut or your company logo). What I would stay away from is cartoon representations of yourself like Simson-izing or South Park-izing your face. Too many people do it, so you get lost in the haystack of cartoon faces. Id also stay away from avatars that make your head too tiny so you cant be recognized as well. If possible, use the same avatar across as many networks as you participate in. This helps your recognizably. If you can always use the same handle, thats even better (though sometimes its not possible). If I could go back in time, I would have chosen lindabustos as my handle everywhere. @Roxyyo is an old handle from my college days, a made up word. I never thought Twitter would take off and registered with that. Before I knew it I had over 1000 followers and many backlinks on the web to @Roxyyo it was too late to change. Avoid marrying yourself to a corporate brand, in case you ever leave or that company re-brands or ceases to exist youre tied to the brand and may have to start from scratch. Linda Bustos is an Emerging Media Analyst, eCommerce consultant and chief blogger at Elastic Path Software.   She shares her knowledge daily on the Get Elastic eCommerce Blog, has been quoted by Fortune Small Business Magazine, eCommerce Guide and has contributed articles to ProBlogger, Marketing Pilgrim, Site Pro News and Duct Tape Marketing.   Get Elastic was recently named by the Wall Street Journal as one of 15 entrepreneur blogs worth reading.   A member of Canadian Women in Communications, Linda has served as faculty for the Banff New Media Institute’s Career Accelerator Program. This year, Linda was named as one of Vancouver’s Tech Women to Watch in 2008. She is also the winner of Marketing Pilgrim’s 3rd Annual SEM Scholarship for her entry 8 Stupid Things Webmasters Do to Mess Up Their Analytics.

Turning a Writing Hobby into a Full-Fledged Career CareerMetis.com

Turning a Writing Hobby into a Full-Fledged Career â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comSome people go through life and never find what they’re truly passionate about. Others are lucky enough to be able to turn their passion into a career, and I am happy to count myself as one of the lucky ones.My parents used to own a bookstore back when there was no Amazon.com, so it did well, which meant I spent quite a lot of time there surrounded by thousands of books. It was heaven.My fate was pretty much set at that point: I was going to become a writer.evalWhen it came time for me to go to college, despite my parents objecting, I chose to become an English literature major. Somehow the bittersweet prospect of becoming a struggling author appealed to me, despite the obvious material downsides.My talent for writing came in extremely handy, as I was writing essays for other people. First for my friends, then for paid customers. It was then when I began to think about more practical ways that would allow me to make a living as a writer, which is how I go t the idea to create Topaussiewriters, a professional writing service dedicated to helping both students and other authors.Instead of going on about it, I’ve decided to share a step-by-step instruction of how I actually did it, just in case anyone wants to go down a similar path. Here it goes:1) How to Get Your Website OnlineevalAlthough I took a stab at designing my own website, and it looked good aesthetically, it was clunky and slow. Being a jack of trades wasn’t going to work this time, so I chose to stick with my guns, and let someone else use theirs to whip my site into shape.If you are thinking it set me back quite a bit, it did, but you may be able to spend less.Lots of web designers run their own websites for the purposes of content marketing, which means they need content, and if you’re a writer, you can probably create it for them, and in turn, they will help you in getting your website online.evalAnother thing a programmer helped me with was registering a domain an d choosing an appropriate platform for it. Currently, my writing service website runs on WordPress, and I would strongly suggest the same for you, as about 20% of the Web uses it.2) How to Make a Living until Your Business Gets off the GroundThe initial process of setting everything up took months, and if you are fond of eating and having a roof over your head like I am, you will need to find the means of supporting yourself throughout the entire ordeal. You can tend bar, for example, or, you can do what you are passionate about: write.First, create an online portfolio containing your best published work, both in printed and online publication. This will help you score better clients and higher paying gigs right off the bat.While content mills such as Upwork, Freelancer, or Elance should usually be avoided, with the right portfolio, you can find some regular work there from reputable clients, which is great, because you’re going to need a relatively steady income in order to pay t he bills and put food on the table.evalPlaces like ProBlogger, All Indie Writers, or BloggingPro have very active job boards which can help you find more work.Remember that this is just a stepping stone on your way to setting up your website, so money shouldn’t be your primary objective.Of course, if you really hit it out of the park in terms of clients and cash, then by all means stick with it, but this is about being your own boss and growing your business at the same time.3) How to Promote Your ServiceYou may be the next Hemingway, or you may run a writing service like my own, but in order to let people know, you need to spread the word. There are many ways you can go about doing this: social media platforms, forums, paid ads, blogs, or newsletters. I suggest all of those, since there are no strict rules for success when it comes to internet marketing.Additionally, your freelance experience can help your site grow by offering your clients not just writing, but editing services for their websites. Trust me, good editors are really hard to find, which means clients will be lining up to work with you.As you can see, turning your writing hobby into a career is not easy, but it is entirely possible, and you don’t even have to spend too much time getting sidetracked on learning new skills you’re only going to need at a certain point of developing your business.The only obstacle you have in your way is fear, but now that you know some of the ins and outs of carving out a niche for yourself, it seems a lot less scary, doesn’t it?

Why Women Build The Best Businesses

Why Women Build The Best Businesses Photo credit: Fortune Live Media on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Not some of my returns, all of my returns were coming from companies either owned or run by women. Kevin OLeary (Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank) Investments in companies with at least one female founder performed 63% better than their investments in all-male teams. VC Firm Report Shark Tanks Mr. Wonderful to men: Run your companies more like women So the other day I was listening to a podcast with Kevin O Leary on it and he was talking about how all his profits came from his women owned businesses (after they completed an audit of all his businesses). That was a curious finding. But what I found even more interesting and fascinating, as he dove in below the surface, was that the WAY women ran their businesses, in terms of how they set goals, was radically different from the way men did. So what was the difference? Before I go into that lets discuss the current political climate. Just prior to, and now continuing after, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, there has been a resurgence in the focus on the empowerment of women.   An almost second womens liberation and womens rights movement. Whether it was addressing the pay gap between men and women in comparable jobs. Or continuing to hammer against the glass ceiling in management, executive roles or business founder funding. Or pulling back the shades that hide the well-known sexual harassment, casting couches, and even worse treatment that women dealt with in order to   progress in their industries (whether media, politics, or business). This transitioned into a full-fledged and viral response that led to the Me Too! sharing that started to take down media moguls, political leaders and the dominoes are continuing to fall. Now what does this have to do with women and business? A recent podcast by my sister, Annie Rogaski, had an interesting interview with Unraveling Pink Mona Sabet, Managing Director of  Tribal Ventures.   They discussed the challenge of the #MeToo movement and acknowledging how men have helped them progress in their careers but also how to address the wrongdoing aspects that often are tied into the good in a single man.   Is it wrong to celebrate the man if they have the negative aspects. As a man looking in, I cant claim to have a full comprehension of the challenges these women face. From my perspective being a man, it is hard when there is a lot of push against men these days.   Particularly the straight-white-male.   Where it isnt politically correct to be one.   So as one, where does that put me?   How can I take the realities women face, particularly in business, and help drive solutions or awareness of how to progress to a better future where everyone wins? So my feeling is at this point in our world, were still dealing with the cleanse.   Getting the negatives out.   And cleaning house.   It is kind of like the tell me about your childhood question when you go into the therapists office.   You cant build until you uncover the issues at the core. I believe that is happening now. So where do things go as we emerge from the pain, hurt, and real challenges that go with being a woman in what has often been a mans world? It has already started. First is to recognize that the base level groundwork has already been laid.   Women already dominate men in academia more degrees are going to women than men. According to  data  from the Department of Education on college degrees by gender, the US college degree gap favoring women started back in 1978, when for the first time ever, more women than men earned Associate’s degrees. Five years later in 1982, women earned more bachelor’s degrees than men for the first time, and women have increased their share of bachelor’s degrees in every year since then. In another five years by 1987, women earned the majority of master’s degrees for the first time. Finally, within another decade, more women than men earned doctor’s degrees by 2006, and female domination of college degrees at every level was complete. For the  current graduating class of 2013, the Department of Education estimates that women will earn 61.6% of all associate’s degrees this year, 56.7% of all bachelor’s degrees, 59.9% of all master’s degrees, and 51.6% of all doctor’s degrees. Overall, 140 women will graduate with a college degree at some level this year for every 100 men. The article is from  AEI Ideas and is summarized by Carnegie Foundation.. Its a new work world. Secondly it is the change in the work environment. No longer do people work at a company for life.   So the need to put up with shit as you climb the ladder takes the pressure off.   You have options to address it or go to another company where you are treated better. There is the gig economy.   You can have a side hustle or be a freelancer or startup a company.   And then you set the rules.   Technology has made much of that possible. Sexual harassment laws and a public attitude that now supports women who come out of the shadows, are giving more protection to women that previously existed. Women are differentand in this case better. And finally, it will be the recognition of what women bring to the workplacea skillset, mindset, and way of doing things that is different from me.   And that can be the base to grow a truly empowered womens movement in business.   One that is based on true competitive advantage rather than coming from a place of being a victim (even when that victim label is often accurate). So back to the Kevin OLeary story.   What is it that women business owners and managers were doing that was driving profits that Mr. Wonderful was not finding in him men-run businesses? Goal Setting. He found his women leaders were doing goal setting differently than men. Men set aggressive goals but often miss the target. Women set more achievable goals and nearly always hit their target. Now you might say that setting achievable goals doesnt drive the company forward enough.   That it accepts good enough and that complacency might set in. What achievable goals are better goals. And like when Ive trained my kids or dogs (no, Im not equating them) Ive had a similar quandary.   Should I reinforce close?   With dog training when youre trying to train them to do something you can use click training where when they move toward achieving the correct result, you click the clicker and give them a treat.   And over time you move the bar so that you reward them only as they move in the right direction.   And eventually they achieve the correct action fully and you reward them for it. With goal setting by setting achievable goals, you develop a success mentality.   This is different from just giving everyone a trophy that they havent earned.   They are earning it.   And you will move the bar so they achieve progressively more and more toward the companys shared vision. Morale boost. The unintended consequences of taking this approach is people dont feel defeated.   Often the case when goals (or bonuses or commission structures)   arent achievable.   And because they are more positive, morale is better.   And turnover of staff is significantly reduced. And anyone in business knows that turnover is a killer of productivity, profitability, and the long term viability of a company. Where we go from here. So what can you do as a man?   Find go-getter women who want to achieve, and put them in positions of power so they can drive results.   Or invest in women founders and women-managed businesses.   Or just help them by clearing roadblocks.   Sow that good Karma. What if youre a woman?   As I always tell my daughter, you can achieve anything you put your mind to and are willing to put in the work towards.   At 10 years old she recently passed the million word level in school in her book reading and is #1 in reading in 5th grade in her school.   She is a fast and voracious reader.   And as I   tell her, Readers are Leaders.   So as a woman, dont let anyone hold you back.   You do have options.   Whether that is by leveraging womens organizations (like The Club) or developing your own women support group.   Or accepting the help and guidance of men who want to see you succeed, or connecting with investors who just want a better return on their investments.   You have what it takes. If you benefited from my rant, please share this with your friends, coworkers, or someone you think would get something from this (or on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter). Want to learn more about career, business or life topics?   Check out my free reports  and subscribe to my weekly e-newsletter. Thank you. Other posts you might like Uncovering Womens Awesomeness (And Lessons In Advancing Your Career and Business Results) Are They Conspiring Against You? 10 Career-Killing Landmines Theyll Never Tell You Viral Video Marketing Hack

Being Connected Trumps Being Exceptional In the Working World -

Being Connected Trumps Being Exceptional In the Working World - Earlier this year, Penelope Trunk invited me to write  a blog post  for Brazen Careerist. My article recently appeared  on her site, and I  thought I would share the post with my readers who might be interested  in sharing feedback!   There is a  Ã‚  lot of pressure to be exceptional.   Entrepreneur and author Seth Godin caused a stir when he claimed that, if you are remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular, you dont even need a resume. (You do, but thats a subject for another blog.) Understandably, a bias that being exceptional is the key to career success is engrained in most professionals. Take a step back What really predicts success in the working world? Is being extraordinary the answer? No one gets an A at work. You may earn a strong performance review, a promotion, or even a raise. No doubt that these require quality output, but evaluative characteristics tend to be subjective. (There are no multiple-choice tests.) In reality, your ability to promote, communicate and connect your value to colleagues and superiors is more important than the actual quality of your work. If you dont believe me, read this study from a Harvard and Duke professor explaining that personal feelings often carry more weight than competence in the business world. (Hat tip: Penelope Trunk) At a very basic level, if you are contributing, but no one knows, your lack of connectedness hampers your success. However, while being a connector leads to the ability to self-promote, connectedness isnt about self-promotion. In his book, The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell defined connectors as people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. He goes on to describe how these unique individuals make a habit of introducing people in different circles to each other. Gladwell notes, We rely on them to give us access to opportunities and worlds to which we dont belong. In our digital, Web 2.0 world, success will depend more and more on our ability to broaden our professional circles and to reach out to a diverse socio-economic group of people representing a mix of opinions and beliefs. Professional connectors who habitually introduce people who otherwise may not meet earn goodwill and reputations as valuable resources and colleagues. In his book, Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi says, Community and alliances will rule in the twenty-first century[success is] dependent on whom you know and how you work with them (291). He asserts that living a truly connected life is a prerequisite to success. For example, Ferrazzi mentions that Crains 40 Under 40, a list of rising stars in an array of fields, arent necessarily the best businesspeople. Instead, he suggests that they are probably the best connected businesspeople. The value of connectedness is never more heightened than during uncertain economic times. Anyone who has been reading the recent how to recession proof your job articles and blogs will realize that they inevitably share one common piece of advice: Network for career success. Dont wait until you are desperate. Networking is about building relationships. Author and blogger Thom Singer said it well: All opportunities come from other people. Your success will depend, not on what you know, how many hours you work, or how much money you make, but on your ability to build and maintain a band of people to share ideas, opinions and contacts. The people you know and their willingness to support you will determine your fate in the working world. Building trust and relationships with colleagues and associates inside and outside of your organization is something every professional should consciously manage. Dont assume that you will wake up one day surrounded by mentors, supportive colleagues and friends. The only way to attain success is to drive your own career bus. Successful people are willing to give without expecting anything in return. Successful relationships (in life and in business) dont keep score; each partner contributes. Being a connector takes this idea to the next level. If you intentionally broaden your circle of influence and consciously and generously add value to others by introducing them to contacts in your circle, you open the door to untold numbers of opportunities. Hold the door open for others and you may be surprised at the number of people who will rush to hold it for you. If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you! Visit Keppie Careers online for free advice and information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.