Failure-Lab

When someone in your network, especially a friend and collaborator, asks for help or support, you comply.  So, this past week,  I trekked down to Georgia Tech with another friend to attend Failure-Lab Atlanta.  It was a very different kind of evening listening to people describe significant failures they experienced on their journey to success.  Six personal testimonies were presented without judgment or analysis, separated by live musical performances. The stories ranged from the tragic to the hilarious. Some were more emotional than others. They included themes like a personal betrayal and ignoring one's inner voice.  Many included a heavy dose of helplessness and guilt.  Half of the stories were about personal relationships, with the balance about business failures.  One intertwined the personal with the business.  Of course, in the end, failure is very personal.  I am confident the audience could relate to many if not all of the presenters.  One can only  guess at the courage it took to share those stories with complete strangers.  It must have been a positive experience for the presenters.

My friend, Brownell,  who invited me, was the lead speaker.  She is launching a children’s book and is in the process of raising money via crowdfunding.  She really did not speak to any of her personal failures but recited a poem she had written in connection with her latest project.  Actually, the poem is the entire book.  The gist of her poem is about personal growth and development throughout one's life.  It asked the question, "what will we do when we stop?"  In other words, will you have fond memories of the life you lived or regrets for the choices you failed to take?  She set the stage for the stories to follow.

The other presenters can be described as follows:

• The Restaurateur
• The Tough-love musician
• The Lady with a start-up and a newborn.
• The Lawyer cum Politician
• The King of Pops
• The bi-polar lady

Separating the story-tellers with musicians was brilliant. Whereas these stories were mostly sad and depressing, the musicians lightened up the mood. They were awesome, like an emotional palate cleanser.  Other than a rapper who performed to recorded music, the musicians were folksier, supported by acoustic guitars. But even the performers were conveying their own messages about overcoming failure.

From the Failure Lab Website:  “FAILURE-LAB  was founded in 2012 by a group of professionals in West Michigan to eliminate the fear of failure and encourage intelligent risk taking. We showcase storytellers and entertainers who share personal stories of failure, publish crowdsourced lessons, and instigate discussion.”  "Story-tellers and entertainers recounting their most memorable brush with failure. The audience is encouraged to share their thoughts on Twitter, using #failurelab during the performances and between stories.”  The founders thought that by sharing failures, having a discussion, and investigating lessons learned people would become more comfortable taking  calculated risks. Failure-Lab is meant to be inspirational.  The  goal is to create a sense of community, learning from other's mistakes.

Failure-Lab is an interesting concept with broad application.  Shows are being performed across the country and abroad.  The message is that failure or rejection is just a step along the road to success.   Successful people understand this principle.    The owners of the concept have a consulting arm as well.  Their mission is to help organizations and individuals remove roadblocks to innovation, collaboration, and creative thinking.

People who are in a job search can certainly relate to failure, at least in small doses.  Sales professionals deal with rejection constantly.  It is just a part of the process.  Failure is a fact of life.  Learn to embrace failure as a stepping stone to success and keep moving.  Look for a Failure-Lab event coming to your community and make plans to attend.  Bring along a friend or two.  You will be glad you did.

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Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com

Job Search In The New Normal: Three Perspectives

My activity during the last two weeks has included three networking meetings with prospective candidates.  Two of the meetings were face-to-face at Starbucks, and the third was over the phone.  Their experience and individual situations ran the gamut.  The first candidate I met, Matt, is a referral from a solid networking connection which I have known for many years.  Matt had gone to school with my friend and had worked together earlier in his career. He was in town for a few days prior to leaving on a boys skiing weekend.  Matt is an established Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) professional employed in a good job with a major company.  He and his wife want to get back to the Atlanta area to be closer to their extended family.  His objective is to find a good job first and then move.   I found Matt to be very affable and professional.  Little surprise as his background included a private school education and Ivy League college degree.  Additionally, he had earned an MBA from a prestigious, top-tier University.  Matt is a very polished guy who knows how to communicate.  His intention was to establish a relationship with me and to explore some options.  Although a preliminary discussion, I enjoyed our visit and will work to help him achieve his goal.  Clearly, Matt is well grounded for a job search in the “new normal.”

My second meeting was not as positive.   John has had a difficult time finding a new job.    Also, a native of the Atlanta, he has been out of work for eighteen months. John has lived out of state for the past 16 years working in a small company.   He moved back to Atlanta to be close to family after the failure of a business venture. After earning an Ivy League Degree, he worked as a manager for established restaurant brands, later transitioning into the small company sector. In his most recent situation, he was in charge of administration for a small company which included the responsibilities of a CFO, a CIO, and Director of Construction. John was not comfortable during our meeting.  He was visibly nervous and a bit awkward.  We discussed options he has considered including consulting and project work. His references were very positive. However, his experience is not resonating with prospective employers.

Mark was my third networking encounter; this meeting was via telephone. Mark was referred to me by a CEO contact who had to terminate his employment as part of a company restructure.  Mark is a middle manager who has worked his way up the ladder to middle management without a college degree.  He has not had to look for a job for a very long time as he has been recruited from one job to the next by people who know him. Mark is well spoken, and his resume is solid.  Now unemployed, he really does not know how to look for a job in the new normal.  I suspect his network needs to be rebuilt as well.  We scheduled a phone call to trade information, but he made little effort to prepare for that call.  He did not review my background by visiting my website or checking out my LinkedIn profile.  As a result, we spent too much time on fundamental issues without learning how I could be helpful to him.  After our conversation, I made one referral on his behalf.  I need to follow up with Mark to more fully understand his needs and aspirations.

There are some interesting similarities between these gentlemen.  They are all about the same age and have enjoyed success in their chosen fields.  Their circumstances are very different, however.  Matt is in the best position as he begins the process to understand his options.  John is in a difficult position as the time between situations is taking a toll on his psyche.  He must reboot his search.  Mark will be fine.  He will need to rebuild his network, but his skills and experience are highly marketable.  I suspect that he has a suitable severance package.  He can ramp up his job search quickly and will likely be reconnected by summer.

The one thing they have in common is that they are learning to adapt to job search in the new normal.  Their ultimate destinations will take them down different paths, but each will need to engage in the same activities.  Matt and Dave will have more options to consider than Mark whose background is exclusive to restaurant operations.  Nevertheless, each must assemble and nurture an effective network, their team, to identify appropriate opportunities.  They must craft a viable personal positioning strategy to evaluate opportunities presented.  They must be able to convince hiring managers and recruiters that their experience and skills match the job requirements and that they are a cultural fit for the enterprise.  And, when employed again, they must get off to an effective start by taking ownership of the onboarding process.

Of the three, which represents the situation you would aspire to?  Matt’s of course!  He is proactively directing his career, building from a position of strength.  He is working on a plan to make a career move before circumstances force the need.  More than ever before, one must be vigilant in the management of their career.  Nurturing an effective network is the starting point.

Thank you for visiting my blog.
I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com

Onboarding Part 3 A Healthy Dose of Reality

So you’ve landed that great position.  Congratulations!  Now the real work begins. You are expected to understand your new environment. You are expected be successful in your new job.  And, you have a plan.

Throughout the interview process, you have evaluated the employer's situation (not just its strategy and performance) to understand what to expect if you join the company. You will have done as much up-front homework on the company as you could!  You would have identified challenges to overcome.  You would know where the company is in its lifecycle  and the characteristics of that stage.   You would learn as much as you could about its culture.   You would have paid special attention to the signals.  What is important around here?  You would have explored the company mythology;  who are the heroes?  Does the company have an annual rewards and recognition program?  What are the award categories?  Who have been recent recipients?   What was the genesis of the program?

You will know that an established, Fortune 500, Blue Chip company will likely be much more structured with rigid lines of communications.   A turnaround or a start-up presents its own set of predictable circumstances.    A company experiencing rapid growth will be more exciting, and fast-paced. Your background and experience are likely to match the environment you are joining.  

You probably joined a startup or a turnaround.   In these situations the culture is less clear, it may be forming or transforming.   You remember the four stages of team-building?   The forming–storming–norming–performing model of group development first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965.

As we become more senior in our skills and experience, we are given credit for “knowing”…In fact, a standard interview question is "what will you do in the first 30, 60, 90, days after you join the company?"  Or, where do you think you want to take this department?  The requirements of your position notwithstanding the employment agreement and any other hiring information you received are nebulous.  Large companies now have virtual self-help HR representatives…” if you have any questions, please call 1.800.HELP.ME” and they will give you the standard company information. As a senior manager joining the company, you are expected to know the inner workings (i.e., reporting systems) of the company when you first walk in the door.  The larger the company, especially if you are publicly-traded, the more siloed the departments.  Keep in mind, they ain’t talking to each other for the most part, as they are busy protecting their fiefdoms. The culture (it’s like learning a foreign language without a Rosetta Stone). The hierarchical structure can make or break you in the first 90-120 days because you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  Do you report to someone local?  If so, that is hugely useful.  If not, you are subject to fragmented detail that can affect your success and outcome.

You need to have an advocate in your corner.   Very important!  Create a local network of management personnel who can help you as needed.  You may be on-boarded by “locals” who do not report to your hiring manager.  If your hiring manager does not have a close relationship with these on-boarders, you may not receive credit for your contributions to the company.  Are they ready for you?  E.g., if you are in a business development role, do they have a list of prospects they want you to pursue.  If you have to create your own list from scratch, there go your first 90 days of hitting the ground running.  Are you a leader?  For your team?  Do you have skills to unite a group of people with competing egos?  If not, take advantage of any internal training offered by the company or seek outside training. Be very clear about WHY “you” do what you do!  You will need to be able to defend that every day in many ways. 

Clients buy WHY you do what you do not WHAT you do.  Regardless of the onboarding  afforded you, always keep the image of how you want to be seen in the forefront of your mind.  It will help you to create your own personal brand that will help you in the future to be known as a “_________________.”  Leadership will brand you.  Make sure you are the best original you can be, not a cheap imitation 

Remember, the successful integration into the new company is your responsibility.  You must take the initiative, even if your new employer has a structured onboarding program.  You must know the pitfalls of starting a new job. You have experience and a body of knowledge to guide you.  At this stage of your career, you should be able to anticipate when problems may occur.  Build your network.  Keep a diary. Evaluate your progress and make adjustments as necessary.  Communicate, communicate, communicate.   Be inquisitive.

Thank you for visiting my blog.
I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com