KXAN Austin reporter Matt Flener interviewed me today for a story about networking at the upcoming SXSW Interactive conference.
See the video below
I will be speaking at SXSW on Friday, March 13, 2009 at 2:00 PM hosting a "Core Conversation" talking about the best ways to get the most out of your networking efforts at the conference.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Always Own The Follow Up
Whenever I have a stint of writers block I log onto Twitter and something interesting will pass my eyes that leads my mind back to inspiration.
Thanks to my friend, CJ Romberger, (aka @cjromb on Twitter) for pointing me to the blog of local Austin career passion coach Catherine Jewell (whom I saw yesterday at the NetworkInAustin.com "Netstorming Event"...see how the circle of life works!).
Catherine's most recent blog post was titled "Follow Up Fervently — How Often is That?" in which she reminded job seekers that hiring managers have more to do than sit around thinking about them. Thus, if they want to be top of mind, they must take action and follow up.
Good advice!
And this goes beyond just the job seeker. Anyone who would like to develop a personal or professional relationship with another person must own the follow up.
I often hear from people who say "well, they never called me back" after leaving a single message. While this may mean they were not interested in establishing a connection, it also might just be that they had many other things going on at that time.
Granted you do not want to be a stalker to every new person you encounter, and it is realistic that not everyone will like you (sorry, but some of the folks you meet will not want you as their new best friend!), we have to remember that it takes seven to ten meaningful interactions with someone before a true connection is established. Thus it takes time. If you don't take the actions necessary, then you are guaranteed nothing will ever happen.
If you have followed up several times and you get nothing in return, move on. The world is a big place, and there are lots of other people who will be excited to invest in establishing a bond with you over the long run.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Thanks to my friend, CJ Romberger, (aka @cjromb on Twitter) for pointing me to the blog of local Austin career passion coach Catherine Jewell (whom I saw yesterday at the NetworkInAustin.com "Netstorming Event"...see how the circle of life works!).
Catherine's most recent blog post was titled "Follow Up Fervently — How Often is That?" in which she reminded job seekers that hiring managers have more to do than sit around thinking about them. Thus, if they want to be top of mind, they must take action and follow up.
Good advice!
And this goes beyond just the job seeker. Anyone who would like to develop a personal or professional relationship with another person must own the follow up.
I often hear from people who say "well, they never called me back" after leaving a single message. While this may mean they were not interested in establishing a connection, it also might just be that they had many other things going on at that time.
Granted you do not want to be a stalker to every new person you encounter, and it is realistic that not everyone will like you (sorry, but some of the folks you meet will not want you as their new best friend!), we have to remember that it takes seven to ten meaningful interactions with someone before a true connection is established. Thus it takes time. If you don't take the actions necessary, then you are guaranteed nothing will ever happen.
If you have followed up several times and you get nothing in return, move on. The world is a big place, and there are lots of other people who will be excited to invest in establishing a bond with you over the long run.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Networking At A Multi-Day Conference - Top 10 Networking Tips
Marny Lifshen (my co-author for "Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women") were recently interviewed for an article in Austin American-Statesman about the best ways to get the most our of your networking efforts while attending SXSW (or any conference!). Writer/Editor Sarah Lindner wrote a wonderful piece. Read it HERE.
One of the main reasons that people site for attending a conference is the networking opportunities. Yet they often leave the event feeling they made few or no connections.
Here are 10 Tips to help you get the most out of connecting with others at a conference:
1. Have a plan. Know in advance whom you want to meet (directly or the type of people), which speakers you want to hear, and what tradeshow booths you want to visit.
2. Set appointments in advance. If you know that there will be people in attendance whom you know that you would like to see, call or email a few weeks in advance to schedule a time to meet for coffee, a meal, or a drink. Do not hope to "run into them", as your paths might not cross at a time when you can spend quality time together.
3. Do not focus on meeting the celebrity speakers. While meeting famous authors, speakers, and other gurus is fun, you are one of hundreds who will come up to them and shove a card in their hands. Instead, place you focus on meeting other people in attendance at the event. It is the other attendees who you are most likely to bond with and create real long lasting mutually beneficial friendships.
4. Talk to the people sitting next to you. When you walk into a seminar, take the time before the presentation begins to say hello to the people seated around you. I call this the "power of hello". Once you have said something as simple as "hello", it will be easier to talk with them later in the week if you see them again.
5. Ask questions of people you meet. Never lead with your "elevator pitch". People are more interested in themselves than they are in you, so ask them questions to help them get to talking.
6. Put your technology away. Do not run to your phone, BlackBerry, or laptop at every break. When you are working on electronics you send the message that you are unapproachable because you are busy. Utilize the time on breaks to converse with others.
7. Do not automatically send a LinkedIn or Facebook request. So often people immediately send social networking link requests to people they just met. However, different people have different policies about whom they link with. If they believe in only connecting with those whom they have established relationships, you make it awkward if you send them a link too early (which they then ignore). Best is to ask people if they would welcome such a link at this time. Be respectful of the fact that they might use social networking differently than you do.
Immediately following them on Twitter is okay, as Twitter does not require a mutual connection acceptance.
8. Read their stuff. Many people are active bloggers, twitterers, authors, etc... If people create the written word, seek out their work and read it. It is a great way to get to know people by reading their stuff, but they will also be honored when you tell them that you read their blog or follow them on Twitter.
9. Introduce others. When you meet cool people, be the conduit who connects them with others who might be beneficial to them. This includes others at the conference, as well as other people you might know back home. If you ask the right types of questions, you will easily spot connections that can help others. Don't ever worry about "what's in it for me", but instead just be the person who helps others. You will over time that others will help you too.
10. Follow up. If you meet interesting people and you never follow up, it makes no difference. Own the follow up after you meet people and send them an email (or better yet, a handwritten note) telling them how much you enjoyed talking with them, and plan for future discussions.
Have A Great Day.
thom
One of the main reasons that people site for attending a conference is the networking opportunities. Yet they often leave the event feeling they made few or no connections.
Here are 10 Tips to help you get the most out of connecting with others at a conference:
1. Have a plan. Know in advance whom you want to meet (directly or the type of people), which speakers you want to hear, and what tradeshow booths you want to visit.
2. Set appointments in advance. If you know that there will be people in attendance whom you know that you would like to see, call or email a few weeks in advance to schedule a time to meet for coffee, a meal, or a drink. Do not hope to "run into them", as your paths might not cross at a time when you can spend quality time together.
3. Do not focus on meeting the celebrity speakers. While meeting famous authors, speakers, and other gurus is fun, you are one of hundreds who will come up to them and shove a card in their hands. Instead, place you focus on meeting other people in attendance at the event. It is the other attendees who you are most likely to bond with and create real long lasting mutually beneficial friendships.
4. Talk to the people sitting next to you. When you walk into a seminar, take the time before the presentation begins to say hello to the people seated around you. I call this the "power of hello". Once you have said something as simple as "hello", it will be easier to talk with them later in the week if you see them again.
5. Ask questions of people you meet. Never lead with your "elevator pitch". People are more interested in themselves than they are in you, so ask them questions to help them get to talking.
6. Put your technology away. Do not run to your phone, BlackBerry, or laptop at every break. When you are working on electronics you send the message that you are unapproachable because you are busy. Utilize the time on breaks to converse with others.
7. Do not automatically send a LinkedIn or Facebook request. So often people immediately send social networking link requests to people they just met. However, different people have different policies about whom they link with. If they believe in only connecting with those whom they have established relationships, you make it awkward if you send them a link too early (which they then ignore). Best is to ask people if they would welcome such a link at this time. Be respectful of the fact that they might use social networking differently than you do.
Immediately following them on Twitter is okay, as Twitter does not require a mutual connection acceptance.
8. Read their stuff. Many people are active bloggers, twitterers, authors, etc... If people create the written word, seek out their work and read it. It is a great way to get to know people by reading their stuff, but they will also be honored when you tell them that you read their blog or follow them on Twitter.
9. Introduce others. When you meet cool people, be the conduit who connects them with others who might be beneficial to them. This includes others at the conference, as well as other people you might know back home. If you ask the right types of questions, you will easily spot connections that can help others. Don't ever worry about "what's in it for me", but instead just be the person who helps others. You will over time that others will help you too.
10. Follow up. If you meet interesting people and you never follow up, it makes no difference. Own the follow up after you meet people and send them an email (or better yet, a handwritten note) telling them how much you enjoyed talking with them, and plan for future discussions.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Hey Congress - You Don't Know JACK! Jack McDonald for Congress
Hey Congress - You Don't Know JACK! But you will.
Jack McDonald, who is exploring a 2010 run for the Texas 10th Congressional District, just launched his website: www.jackforcongress.com.
Jack McDonald, who is exploring a 2010 run for the Texas 10th Congressional District, just launched his website: www.jackforcongress.com.
Jack McDonald is the "real deal". This is the time that we should NOT allow the labels of "democrat" or "republican" fall into a race. The 10th Congressional District is what the GOP thinks of as a "safe" seat, as it was carved (yes carved, look at the crazy shape of the district on a map) out in the redistricting that took place several years ago. But everyone I know claims to look at the person, not the party.... and this will be a race watched nationally to see if the winds of change have really arrived.
(The district goes from Round Rock, scooping out part of Westlake/Davenport, and then runs along HWY 290 to Katy. What? A tiny slice of Austin and a huge Houston suburb strung together. Um, Austin and Houston are not close together - nor do they share the same issues, but when you draw it this way you encompass a lot of republican voters).
Jack is a visionary business leader who has worked hard to build a company and promote the success of the community.
To hang onto "red" vs. "blue" in this case would be a shame. McDonald would make a difference in Washington DC.... and not just be the same old thing (I am tired of career politicians). Who out there isn't sick of the status quo in our government?
He is the type of person whom we all dream about electing to Congress.....but are almost never given the chance, as we keep getting incumbents or nothing. How is that working for us? Both parties need people to vote like sheep, or they would lose their power!
There is an excitement amongst the people who know Jack McDonald regardless of party ties (I know him, and am NOT a democrat)... as he is a self made man with education, experience, character, compassion, and charisma.
Check out his website and give him some money for his campaign. It is easy to forget that it is not the big money donors that matter, but the average citizen who makes the difference. $10, $25, $50, or $100 is an important donation to anyone running for office. Do not fall prey to the misnomer that you don't matter in politics. It is only you who matter.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Friday, March 06, 2009
RISE Austin 2009 - HUGE SUCCESS!!!
In its third year, RISE Austin had 122 presentations and over 1600 attendees participate in the four day event.
The Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs began in 2007. Founded by Roy and Bertrand Sosa with the purpose of providing a free forum for entrepreneurs to connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.
Program Manager, Annie Clary Frierson, did a GREAT job of coordinating the whole week. It took a lot of dedication over many, many month to pull off the logistics of so many presentations and attendees. Nearly twice as many people attended as did in 2008.
RISE 2009 concluded with a happy hour event at The Bob Bullock Texas State Museum. Keynote speaker, John Mackey (Founder and CEO of Whole Foods) inspired the audience with his overview of how "Conscious Capitalism" would be the engine that would raise world economy.
"Great companies have great purposes", said Mackay, who counseled entrepreneurs to practice "Servant Leadership" while defining the purpose of their businesses.
I had never seen Mackay speak before, and I was inspired by his story, message, style, tone, passion and the emotional challenge to the room full of entrepreneurs to positively impact the world.
While his remarks lasted too long (by about 20 minutes), the significance of his viewpoint was not lost on the crowd. He is insightful in his belief that businesses are not locked into the negatives actions of "Wall Street Capitalism", and that the answer to our economic woes are not to be found in socialism or fascism. Instead our future is in the hands of "Conscious Capitalists" who will build businesses that provide both profits and make a difference.
I look forward to presenting at and attending RISE 2010. This program is a true Austin gem.
Have A Great Day.
thom
The Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs began in 2007. Founded by Roy and Bertrand Sosa with the purpose of providing a free forum for entrepreneurs to connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.
Program Manager, Annie Clary Frierson, did a GREAT job of coordinating the whole week. It took a lot of dedication over many, many month to pull off the logistics of so many presentations and attendees. Nearly twice as many people attended as did in 2008.
RISE 2009 concluded with a happy hour event at The Bob Bullock Texas State Museum. Keynote speaker, John Mackey (Founder and CEO of Whole Foods) inspired the audience with his overview of how "Conscious Capitalism" would be the engine that would raise world economy.
"Great companies have great purposes", said Mackay, who counseled entrepreneurs to practice "Servant Leadership" while defining the purpose of their businesses.
I had never seen Mackay speak before, and I was inspired by his story, message, style, tone, passion and the emotional challenge to the room full of entrepreneurs to positively impact the world.
While his remarks lasted too long (by about 20 minutes), the significance of his viewpoint was not lost on the crowd. He is insightful in his belief that businesses are not locked into the negatives actions of "Wall Street Capitalism", and that the answer to our economic woes are not to be found in socialism or fascism. Instead our future is in the hands of "Conscious Capitalists" who will build businesses that provide both profits and make a difference.
I look forward to presenting at and attending RISE 2010. This program is a true Austin gem.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Networking Slut
I again have encountered a person who has tried to "school me" on the correct way to use LinkedIn and Facebook. This is a person I had never met in person (but whom lives in Austin and has some mutual connections) who sent me a Facebook request, and then was upset that I ignored the random contact.
I have written on this blog several times, and stated nearly every speech I gave last year, that I have a LinkedIn and Facebook personal policy for accepting links. The policy is that I do not accept links or friend requests from anyone I have not spent an hour with (or the digital equivalent). I call it the “coffee, lunch or beer rule”. While I have made some exceptions to this policy, for the most part I have come to know everyone with whom I am connected to in LinkedIn and Facebook.
Facebook has lots of more personal friends, but I am willing to mix in those I know from business, too. As long as they don't mind my old fraternity brothers posting some party pics from the 1980s (YES, I did wear those red pants with my blue blazer to a sorority dance....this was circa 1986). Fortunately most of the photos are tame as I was sort of a goodie-goodie with a fake ID (think Richie Cunningham).
Meeting a person does not make them part of your network…it makes them someone you have met. There is a HUGE difference between one quick meeting and getting to know a person on a personal level and establishing cause to move forward with a business or professional relationship.
Think about dating. If your husband or wife proposed to you the night you met you would have thought them a FREAK. Same is true in business. You need to have established a meaningful connection before making it more permanent. An ongoing digital link to every person who you ever encounter (in person or online) would dilute the power of the links you do have to those whom you have legitimate relationships.
I don’t negatively judge those who want “Free Link” with everyone they meet (social online media / networking is still very new, so many people use the tools in different ways)…. but I am tired of those people thinking I am somehow WRONG for having a policy of limiting my contacts to people I know, like and trust. While I like to network, I am not a networking slut.
Not everyone is going to like everyone else in this world. That's okay. Why should I have to accept a link to someone who is a jerk?
I did not "dislike" the person who prompted this post when she first sent her request. However, after she told me "I just don't believe you understand how online networking works" (ummmm, no..I am not going to say what just popped into my mind), I find her to be rude.... and thus someone I would never want in my Facebook Friends List.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Verbal Victory - Improving Your Public Speaking Skills
If you want to improve your golf game, you have to practice. To win at chess, you have to play many games. Fitness coaches are hired to help people get in better shape.
Greatness in anything does not happen by accident!
To fine tune your skills you need to invest time and effort. Practice, dedication, coaching, contemplation, prioritization, focus, and more practice.
Yet I am often surprised by how little attention that business professionals give to their public speaking skills. They assume they will just do an adequate job, and prepare very little. They will regularly have their staff invest time in creating beautiful visuals and handouts, but they do not invest in improving their delivery.
Highly competitive men and women ,who tackle every area of their life with a focus on improvement, simply "wing it" when they publicly address an audience. While most of them have "okay" speaking skills, they often leave the audience with much less than a "WOW" experience.
Think about all the really great speakers you have seen at business events. Most are fine, but these are driven, high-energy individuals who would never settle for "just okay" in any other part of their life. However, for some reason they do not realize that they have the ability inside of them to take their public speaking skills to a higher level.
I recently had someone see me speak who had attended a similar presentation a year earlier. His compliment following my talk pointed out that he thought I did a very good job a year earlier, but that this time he was "WOWed". He was curious at how I had taken the presentation to the next level?
The answer was simple. In the past 12 months I had given 50 presentations. I never once "winged it". Before each presentation I invest several hours of preparation, not just in my PowerPoint presentation, but also into the words that I would use and how I would deliver them.
Additionally I have attended over well 50 presentations by other people in the last year. Any time that I see anyone deliver a presentation I treat it as if it was "Speakers University". I have seen some great talks, but mostly a bunch of dull oratory. However, I learn from everyone I observe.
Here are three tips to help anyone be a better speaker:
1. Be serious in your understanding that public speaking is a SKILL. Do not fool your self into thinking that those who are better speakers than you are "naturals". While some speakers are blessed with their talent, most who can "WOW" an audience have invested a lot of time to craft their oratory. Invest the time to make improvements to your speaking or stay off the stage.
2. Give to the audience. They call it "giving" a speech, so remember that every time you take the stage you are delivering a gift to the audience. Do not make the presentation solely about you or your company. Make sure that when you tell your personal stories that there is an underlying lesson for the audience. Personal stories are the BEST, but not if they are bragging. If you are not there to help the audience, stay off the stage.
3. Release you personality. You are not an actor, thus do not pretend to be something different than whom you are inside. If you are not funny, don't try to tell jokes. Open the kimono and let the audience see the real you. Be true. Make your stories reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly about what makes you tick. If your real personality is dull, stay off the stage.
I am often asked for advice by CEOs and other executives who are interested in being a more engaging business speaker. Thus, I have created a new hour long presentation for executives called "Verbal Victory: Outshine, Improve and Polish Your Public Speaking Skills". If your company or organization is looking for a fun and informative presentation to encourage people to embrace the power of the spoken word, let me know!
Have A Great Day.
thom
Greatness in anything does not happen by accident!
To fine tune your skills you need to invest time and effort. Practice, dedication, coaching, contemplation, prioritization, focus, and more practice.
Yet I am often surprised by how little attention that business professionals give to their public speaking skills. They assume they will just do an adequate job, and prepare very little. They will regularly have their staff invest time in creating beautiful visuals and handouts, but they do not invest in improving their delivery.
Highly competitive men and women ,who tackle every area of their life with a focus on improvement, simply "wing it" when they publicly address an audience. While most of them have "okay" speaking skills, they often leave the audience with much less than a "WOW" experience.
Think about all the really great speakers you have seen at business events. Most are fine, but these are driven, high-energy individuals who would never settle for "just okay" in any other part of their life. However, for some reason they do not realize that they have the ability inside of them to take their public speaking skills to a higher level.
I recently had someone see me speak who had attended a similar presentation a year earlier. His compliment following my talk pointed out that he thought I did a very good job a year earlier, but that this time he was "WOWed". He was curious at how I had taken the presentation to the next level?
The answer was simple. In the past 12 months I had given 50 presentations. I never once "winged it". Before each presentation I invest several hours of preparation, not just in my PowerPoint presentation, but also into the words that I would use and how I would deliver them.
Additionally I have attended over well 50 presentations by other people in the last year. Any time that I see anyone deliver a presentation I treat it as if it was "Speakers University". I have seen some great talks, but mostly a bunch of dull oratory. However, I learn from everyone I observe.
Here are three tips to help anyone be a better speaker:
1. Be serious in your understanding that public speaking is a SKILL. Do not fool your self into thinking that those who are better speakers than you are "naturals". While some speakers are blessed with their talent, most who can "WOW" an audience have invested a lot of time to craft their oratory. Invest the time to make improvements to your speaking or stay off the stage.
2. Give to the audience. They call it "giving" a speech, so remember that every time you take the stage you are delivering a gift to the audience. Do not make the presentation solely about you or your company. Make sure that when you tell your personal stories that there is an underlying lesson for the audience. Personal stories are the BEST, but not if they are bragging. If you are not there to help the audience, stay off the stage.
3. Release you personality. You are not an actor, thus do not pretend to be something different than whom you are inside. If you are not funny, don't try to tell jokes. Open the kimono and let the audience see the real you. Be true. Make your stories reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly about what makes you tick. If your real personality is dull, stay off the stage.
I am often asked for advice by CEOs and other executives who are interested in being a more engaging business speaker. Thus, I have created a new hour long presentation for executives called "Verbal Victory: Outshine, Improve and Polish Your Public Speaking Skills". If your company or organization is looking for a fun and informative presentation to encourage people to embrace the power of the spoken word, let me know!
Have A Great Day.
thom
The US Congress Is Full of Idiots
Earmarks are a bi-partisan disease and we do not seem to "get it" - John McCain (Speaking yesterday in regards to pork spending in congressional bills).
Why do our elected officials in the House and Senate not realize that the voters do not want them to conduct business in the "same old way"? We sent a message for CHANGE!
Yet they still go about adding earmarks to every bill and spending money like fools. With the current economic conditions, now is not the time for silly spending projects tacked onto important legislation.
Congress sucks.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Guest Blogger - Marny Lifshen: "Remember The Many Levels of Connecting"
Today's Guest Blogger is the co-author of "Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide For Women", Marny Lifshen.
Remember the many levels of connecting….. I don't know about you, but I am getting a lot of requests from friends, colleagues and even just acquaintances who are looking for a job to meet for coffee and brainstorm on opportunities. At first, I felt very stressed about these meetings - and all the caffeine certainly didn't help! I thought that if I didn't go into these get-togethers with specific recommendations or leads on existing job opportunities I wouldn't be able to really help these people.
But as I went to these meetings, I remembered that one of the most powerful aspects of networking is the many layers that a good network has. What I mean by that is even if I am not able to provide a particular lead on a job or access into a company or industry, I probably know someone else that can. Or that contact might know someone who could help, and so one. The connection that may lead to a new job might happen two or three or four levels down the line, but chances are it will happen. And the person looking for that new position will be building their network in the meantime, which is always valuable.
The other thing to keep in mind is that sometimes people looking for new position just need someone to vent to, a shoulder to cry on, a friend or colleague to tell them everything will be okay and give them advice. They aren't always expecting you to show up with a list of current job openings, so don't let that stop you from meeting with them. You never know when or how you will be able to help them, or how they will be able to help you down the line. And believe me, if you take the time to support them with a brainstorming session in one of the most stressful times of their lives, they will be looking for ways to help you in return.
Happy networking!
Marny Lifshen, Author "Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women"
Have A Great Day
Remember the many levels of connecting….. I don't know about you, but I am getting a lot of requests from friends, colleagues and even just acquaintances who are looking for a job to meet for coffee and brainstorm on opportunities. At first, I felt very stressed about these meetings - and all the caffeine certainly didn't help! I thought that if I didn't go into these get-togethers with specific recommendations or leads on existing job opportunities I wouldn't be able to really help these people.
But as I went to these meetings, I remembered that one of the most powerful aspects of networking is the many layers that a good network has. What I mean by that is even if I am not able to provide a particular lead on a job or access into a company or industry, I probably know someone else that can. Or that contact might know someone who could help, and so one. The connection that may lead to a new job might happen two or three or four levels down the line, but chances are it will happen. And the person looking for that new position will be building their network in the meantime, which is always valuable.
The other thing to keep in mind is that sometimes people looking for new position just need someone to vent to, a shoulder to cry on, a friend or colleague to tell them everything will be okay and give them advice. They aren't always expecting you to show up with a list of current job openings, so don't let that stop you from meeting with them. You never know when or how you will be able to help them, or how they will be able to help you down the line. And believe me, if you take the time to support them with a brainstorming session in one of the most stressful times of their lives, they will be looking for ways to help you in return.
Happy networking!
Marny Lifshen, Author "Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women"
Have A Great Day
2009 Community Leadership Award - Jack McDonald
Last night: Perficient CEO Jack McDonald (future US Congressman from Texas 10th Congressional District!) was awarded the Entrepreneurs Foundation's 2009 Community Leadership Award at the EF's annual Texas Independence Day Celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Jack is more than a CEO, he is a community leader who has assisted several non-profit organizations: He has served as vice chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the AusTech Alliance, as chair of PeopleFund, chairman of the Central Texas Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization, on the board of KIPP, People's Community Clinic & the Hill Country Conservancy and as past advisory board chair for American Youth Works and as a co-chair of EF's Austin Invitational Poker Tournament.
He is a good guy, and the type of person that we should all aspire to have serving us in Congress. When he makes his campaign announcement official, I plan to be a big supporter of the cause!
I had a great time at the party last night.
Congratulations, Jack.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Guest Blogger - Andrew Weaver: "Sitting on the Sideline"
I asked for volunteers on Twitter to be guest bloggers on The Some Assembly Required Blog. Wow, some great people stepped forward to share their thoughts, ideas and pontifications.
Today's Guest Blogger is Andrew Weaver. Andrew has spent the past 13 years in customer service and sales, both in worlds of retail and B2B. By day he is a mild mannered team leader and logistics planner in the operations department at Con-way Truckload. By night, he is pursuing his passion for photography and writing. He is focused on launching his new photography business this spring. You should connect with him on Twitter - @drewmaniac - or his blog, Leave It To Weaver.
Today's Guest Blogger is Andrew Weaver. Andrew has spent the past 13 years in customer service and sales, both in worlds of retail and B2B. By day he is a mild mannered team leader and logistics planner in the operations department at Con-way Truckload. By night, he is pursuing his passion for photography and writing. He is focused on launching his new photography business this spring. You should connect with him on Twitter - @drewmaniac - or his blog, Leave It To Weaver.
Sitting on the Sideline
by Andrew Weaver
"My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn't stand the sideline." ~ Michael Jordan
In the short term, a good way to learn any job, sport, or hobby is to sit by and observe. There comes a time though, when you need to get into the action.
Most of you will get your feet wet. Most of you will try. Most of you will put out an effort (minimal effort is some effort) to succeed. Most of you will be willing to learn something new. Some of you though are content to sit on the sideline.
The temptation to sit on the sideline is very real and you can get caught on the sideline in many aspects of life.
· If you are comfortable with the job you hate because “it pays the bills”, you’re sitting on the sideline.
· If you are content to go with the flow simply because “that’s the way it’s always been done”, you’re sitting on the sideline.
· If you are afraid to change course, even as you can see there’s a trouble ahead if you don't, you’re sitting on the sideline.
· If you are waiting to join Twitter or network in any way (as The Today Show suggested earlier this week) until you are laid off, you’re sitting on the sideline.
Whatever your excuse for not coming off the sidelines of life and getting involved in the action, it's not good enough.
The person who is comfortable in the job he hates, will never wake up one day years later and be happy he stuck around. The person who never stands for anything and simply drifts in whatever direction her friends or family takes her, will never find herself doing what it is she truly loves. The person who is afraid to make a change in his life because he is uncomfortable with change, even when he knows that change will make him a better person, will never grow to be a better person. The person who is worried about her job and possible layoffs, but is waiting to network, is going to have a rude awakening if she ever faces a pink slip.
Trust me. You don't want your first Tweet to say, "Hi. New here to Twitter. Just got laid off. Looking for a job."
Are you sitting on the sideline in your life? With the economy like it is, the entrepreneurs and the risk takers are the ones that will most likely come out ahead. There is some great opportunity all around. Do not wait until you've received your pink slip to prepare. By then, it will probably be too late and it will certainly be more painful.
Come off the sidelines and join the rest of us in the game.
Thom's Two-Cents: Andrew is right, you cannot win the game if you do not play. You have to take action. I had someone ask me "How is it you have written three books and have three more coming out in 2009?" The answer? I wrote six books. I did not worry if anyone would read them. I did not just think about writing, I woke at 5 AM most days and wrote.
No matter what you want to do, just do it. Even if you are not successful, it is better than looking back saying I "wish" I had done something.
Have A Great Day.
thom
I Believed This Time "Change" Was More Than A Slogan
It is the success of businesses that will be the engine that pulls our country (and the world) out of the current recession.
With all the government programs and the many faces of stimuli packages, we need more money to begin flowing into the treasury. This is only accomplished through taxes. However, raising the percentage that individuals and corporations pay can be counter productive, as the less money they have, the less they can spend on other products and services.
In the United States we spend a lot of time arguing about tax rates, who pays, and what we will tax. It is one of the core arrows that Republicans and Democrats fire at each other. But this misses the point.
We don't need to be focused on taxing more, but instead on raising the amount of profit that companies and people realize. In the late 1990s the economy boomed, and the government took in more money. There was no rocket science on this one. Lets freeze the tax rates.... No ups, no downs for the next decade and make everyone understand the goal is earning more money. Higher income, higher taxes.
Teach people how to create multiple streams of income. Champion entrepreneurship. Praise those who have ambition to earn more income. Companies and people who can extend their income levels year over year, and pay more to the government, will add to the raising dollars flowing into Washington and create jobs along the way.
Politics as usual and the political fights between Republicans and Democrats over taxation is so "yesterday". I am waiting for someone in Congress to become a real leader and show his co-workers how to grow up and grow past all the partisan finger pointing. Our economy is not a board game, but nobody has told this to the members of the House and Senate. We need to get business moving, end of story.
Change will never come until the people demand it. I believed this time that "Change" was more than a slogan. I expected to see Washington DC be different. So far I see the same old thing. If the people sent a message "Stop it or we will toss you out" then you would see elected officials change their tune in a minute. They would focus on solutions rather than this continued Red vs Blue bullshit that trickles down into every discussion.
Have A Great Day.
thom
With all the government programs and the many faces of stimuli packages, we need more money to begin flowing into the treasury. This is only accomplished through taxes. However, raising the percentage that individuals and corporations pay can be counter productive, as the less money they have, the less they can spend on other products and services.
In the United States we spend a lot of time arguing about tax rates, who pays, and what we will tax. It is one of the core arrows that Republicans and Democrats fire at each other. But this misses the point.
We don't need to be focused on taxing more, but instead on raising the amount of profit that companies and people realize. In the late 1990s the economy boomed, and the government took in more money. There was no rocket science on this one. Lets freeze the tax rates.... No ups, no downs for the next decade and make everyone understand the goal is earning more money. Higher income, higher taxes.
Teach people how to create multiple streams of income. Champion entrepreneurship. Praise those who have ambition to earn more income. Companies and people who can extend their income levels year over year, and pay more to the government, will add to the raising dollars flowing into Washington and create jobs along the way.
Politics as usual and the political fights between Republicans and Democrats over taxation is so "yesterday". I am waiting for someone in Congress to become a real leader and show his co-workers how to grow up and grow past all the partisan finger pointing. Our economy is not a board game, but nobody has told this to the members of the House and Senate. We need to get business moving, end of story.
Change will never come until the people demand it. I believed this time that "Change" was more than a slogan. I expected to see Washington DC be different. So far I see the same old thing. If the people sent a message "Stop it or we will toss you out" then you would see elected officials change their tune in a minute. They would focus on solutions rather than this continued Red vs Blue bullshit that trickles down into every discussion.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Newpaper Industry Should Try Networking
I was once told by a reporter from a major city daily newspaper, "I don't need to build relationships with people in the business community. I work for [paper name withheld], which means that people need to kiss my butt.... NOT the other way around". (that is not the exact quote, but you get the idea).
This guy had a chip on his shoulder the size of Mars, and did not think he or his co-workers should stoop so low as to attend community business events unless they were chasing a story. Making friends was a waste of time, as he was "a reporter", and above the standard rules that impact the rest of the business world.
Ummm....how is that working out for the industry? In the end, all businesses face the same issue of the need for profit. When cash is flowing in fast, they can rationalize all day long that they are under some other set of "rules", but when the money gets tight we all learn that business is business, regardless of industry.
With few exceptions, I do not know of major daily newspapers where the corporate culture actively encourages building and cultivating relationships in their business community. Yet, daily newspapers have a great advantage that they ignore.... they employ an army of professional people in a variety of roles. Thus, if they worked on establishing a philosophy that encouraged their reporters, editors, publisher, sales staff, and the executive office team to network and establish mutually beneficial relationships in the community -- I believe they would find more success.
(I do have to give kudos to some of the folks at my local daily newspaper, the Austin American-Statesman, as Kirk Ladendorf, Lori Hawkins, Dan Zehr and Omar Gallaga (and others) do participate in the communities that they cover. But I do not see more of the team being aggressive in their looking to establish real connections in the business community (to be fair, they might be... and are just not at the events I attend. But I attend a lot of very good events full of local professionals and rarely see them!).
These reporters I mentioned above are not just meeting people for story ideas, but they have successfully established themselves as part of the ecosystem of this business community. The American-Statesman is also at the cutting edge with their online social media involvement. Their effort is being lead by Rob Quigley who is doing amazing things, including hosting their own "Tweet Ups" for local Twitter users).
I am sure every city has examples of reporters who actively network, and all show up from time to time -- but I am always hearing from people all over the country who cannot figure out how to even meet anyone at their local paper. This means that papers are not actively being visible. They are making it hard for anyone to become part of their network. Those that are seriously networking are the exception, not the rule.
Law Firms used to be the same way.... they avoided everything to do with marketing, branding, advertising, and networking. However, the smart firms realized that they could win more business if they were more visible at a street level in their community. Now most successful firms are active at all of these things (or try to be at some level). I think the newspaper industry could benefit by putting a human face on their brand, too.
Here are my suggestions for any daily newspaper who wants to try and see if having a networking culture would help their business. Try this for 6 months and then let me know if it worked:
1. Identify all of the business, civic, political, and networking groups in your city. This should be easy, as the best ones most likely list their events in your newspaper's print or online calendar. While you do not want to or need to participate in EVERY organization in the city, identify a large variety of groups that are attended by the influencers in your town.
2. Assign two people from your staff to each organization. Each person should have two or three different organization assigned to them. Now make attendance and participation in these organizations a priority. If two people from your organization attend each event, it will not take much time before the community starts to notice your participation. "Drop In" networking (just showing up at events on occasion) will not allow you to establish any real relationships. Meeting someone does not make them part of your network - It makes them someone you have met. It takes time to cultivate real bonds with other people.
3. Educate your team about the purpose of networking. Remember that networking is not just about helping the paper or others, it is about finding ways to bring value to the other people who are part of you network. While you cannot write about every person or company you meet (nor should anyone expect you too), you can bring value in other ways. If your people are good, they should have amazing contacts. Being a connector (one who helps people meet others in the community who could be useful contacts to each other) will make your individuals shine. If your networking purpose is selfish, you will fail.
4. Have a consistent message. Make sure that everyone, no matter their job title, is describing your company in the same manner. While sales and editorial have different goals and purposes, they should both be able to convey a message about why your paper is a valuable business in your community.
5. Regularly discuss the events your team has been attending, the quality of the programs at the events, and whom they are meeting. Champion those who are taking the networking program seriously and have talks with those who seem not to care. If you want to change the industry you need to have your people engaged. Those who are stuck in the "old ways" or who believe journalists (and anyone else who works for the paper) are exempt from the changing aspects business social networking (online and offline) should not be allowed to spoil the success of others.
6. Adopt an online social media strategy. Many newspapers are already doing this, and I see more and more reporters who have blogs, utilize Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc... These mediums are new, so there is no "best" strategy yet.... so be the ones who are trying out different methods. Do not just sit on the sidelines and wait for another paper to figure it out. If you are a follower you might just be the next daily to go out of business.
I have no idea if any editors, publishers, or sales managers from daily newspapers will read my advice. I do not work in their industry, thus many will dismiss my ideas without consideration. But I think I am right. Papers have large staffs, and if each person just showed up at two events a week they would suddenly be seen as heavily engaged in the community, as opposed to hiding in some ivory tower.
I do know that in this recession that most companies are very interested in the topic of "the power of business relationships and networking". I know this because they are buying my books and hiring me to speak to their teams. I cannot imagine that this message would be any less useful to a newspaper.
Have A Great Day.
thom
This guy had a chip on his shoulder the size of Mars, and did not think he or his co-workers should stoop so low as to attend community business events unless they were chasing a story. Making friends was a waste of time, as he was "a reporter", and above the standard rules that impact the rest of the business world.
Ummm....how is that working out for the industry? In the end, all businesses face the same issue of the need for profit. When cash is flowing in fast, they can rationalize all day long that they are under some other set of "rules", but when the money gets tight we all learn that business is business, regardless of industry.
With few exceptions, I do not know of major daily newspapers where the corporate culture actively encourages building and cultivating relationships in their business community. Yet, daily newspapers have a great advantage that they ignore.... they employ an army of professional people in a variety of roles. Thus, if they worked on establishing a philosophy that encouraged their reporters, editors, publisher, sales staff, and the executive office team to network and establish mutually beneficial relationships in the community -- I believe they would find more success.
(I do have to give kudos to some of the folks at my local daily newspaper, the Austin American-Statesman, as Kirk Ladendorf, Lori Hawkins, Dan Zehr and Omar Gallaga (and others) do participate in the communities that they cover. But I do not see more of the team being aggressive in their looking to establish real connections in the business community (to be fair, they might be... and are just not at the events I attend. But I attend a lot of very good events full of local professionals and rarely see them!).
These reporters I mentioned above are not just meeting people for story ideas, but they have successfully established themselves as part of the ecosystem of this business community. The American-Statesman is also at the cutting edge with their online social media involvement. Their effort is being lead by Rob Quigley who is doing amazing things, including hosting their own "Tweet Ups" for local Twitter users).
I am sure every city has examples of reporters who actively network, and all show up from time to time -- but I am always hearing from people all over the country who cannot figure out how to even meet anyone at their local paper. This means that papers are not actively being visible. They are making it hard for anyone to become part of their network. Those that are seriously networking are the exception, not the rule.
Law Firms used to be the same way.... they avoided everything to do with marketing, branding, advertising, and networking. However, the smart firms realized that they could win more business if they were more visible at a street level in their community. Now most successful firms are active at all of these things (or try to be at some level). I think the newspaper industry could benefit by putting a human face on their brand, too.
Here are my suggestions for any daily newspaper who wants to try and see if having a networking culture would help their business. Try this for 6 months and then let me know if it worked:
1. Identify all of the business, civic, political, and networking groups in your city. This should be easy, as the best ones most likely list their events in your newspaper's print or online calendar. While you do not want to or need to participate in EVERY organization in the city, identify a large variety of groups that are attended by the influencers in your town.
2. Assign two people from your staff to each organization. Each person should have two or three different organization assigned to them. Now make attendance and participation in these organizations a priority. If two people from your organization attend each event, it will not take much time before the community starts to notice your participation. "Drop In" networking (just showing up at events on occasion) will not allow you to establish any real relationships. Meeting someone does not make them part of your network - It makes them someone you have met. It takes time to cultivate real bonds with other people.
3. Educate your team about the purpose of networking. Remember that networking is not just about helping the paper or others, it is about finding ways to bring value to the other people who are part of you network. While you cannot write about every person or company you meet (nor should anyone expect you too), you can bring value in other ways. If your people are good, they should have amazing contacts. Being a connector (one who helps people meet others in the community who could be useful contacts to each other) will make your individuals shine. If your networking purpose is selfish, you will fail.
4. Have a consistent message. Make sure that everyone, no matter their job title, is describing your company in the same manner. While sales and editorial have different goals and purposes, they should both be able to convey a message about why your paper is a valuable business in your community.
5. Regularly discuss the events your team has been attending, the quality of the programs at the events, and whom they are meeting. Champion those who are taking the networking program seriously and have talks with those who seem not to care. If you want to change the industry you need to have your people engaged. Those who are stuck in the "old ways" or who believe journalists (and anyone else who works for the paper) are exempt from the changing aspects business social networking (online and offline) should not be allowed to spoil the success of others.
6. Adopt an online social media strategy. Many newspapers are already doing this, and I see more and more reporters who have blogs, utilize Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc... These mediums are new, so there is no "best" strategy yet.... so be the ones who are trying out different methods. Do not just sit on the sidelines and wait for another paper to figure it out. If you are a follower you might just be the next daily to go out of business.
I have no idea if any editors, publishers, or sales managers from daily newspapers will read my advice. I do not work in their industry, thus many will dismiss my ideas without consideration. But I think I am right. Papers have large staffs, and if each person just showed up at two events a week they would suddenly be seen as heavily engaged in the community, as opposed to hiding in some ivory tower.
I do know that in this recession that most companies are very interested in the topic of "the power of business relationships and networking". I know this because they are buying my books and hiring me to speak to their teams. I cannot imagine that this message would be any less useful to a newspaper.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Friday, February 27, 2009
Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas Host Corporate Social Responsibility Conference
As part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, they hosted their first annual Corporate Responsibility (Opportunity!) Conference today.
When they launched the idea for the event they had hoped to have around 50 attendees. Instead over 150 community leaders showed up to participate in the dialogue about the importance of companies being engaged in philanthropic and community efforts. When done right this is win/win ... as it impacts the social well being, but also helps the company's reputation and brand with customers, employees and the community.
Corporate Social Responsibility goes far beyond what some might think. Many perceive such programs being part of large, multi-national corporations. While the "big checks" that large companies write are part of the equation, it is not usually the money alone that has the power. Enlightened organizations know that the world is changing, and people want to be affiliated with companies that have a cause. Making money, while very important, is not enough, especially to the younger generations of workers and customers.
"Giving back" is not exclusively for big companies, and it is not just about some PR motives. Organizations of all sizes can benefit from being engaged with their community. Aligning the culture of your company with the interests of consumers, employees and beyond creates the seeds of a sustainable organization.
All organizations can benefit from having a cause that they support. But to have a successful program you must have buy in at all levels of the company. Many CEOs are visionaries who desire to impact the greater good, but they do not do an effective job at making sure that middle management and line employees are part of the CSR team.
A company can have the best results if they focus on one thing rather than trying to their charitable attention up into too many directions. Look for ways that your expertise and skill sets can have the greatest impact and work together with organizations that serve those areas. When corporations and non-profits can establish long-term partnerships and alliances then more can be accomplished.
Most important is to realize that it takes time to create meaningful results. Doing volunteer work one day a year will not solve big picture issues. It takes years to make a sustainable impact on causes you support. This is why you must make this part of your culture.
Congratulations to the team at the Entrepreneurs Foundation ( Eugene Sepulveda, Amanda Chiampi, marion Cimbala, Shobie Partos and Peter Frey ) for putting on a great conference that made people do more that listen.... it made people think!
Have A Great Day
thom
When they launched the idea for the event they had hoped to have around 50 attendees. Instead over 150 community leaders showed up to participate in the dialogue about the importance of companies being engaged in philanthropic and community efforts. When done right this is win/win ... as it impacts the social well being, but also helps the company's reputation and brand with customers, employees and the community.
Corporate Social Responsibility goes far beyond what some might think. Many perceive such programs being part of large, multi-national corporations. While the "big checks" that large companies write are part of the equation, it is not usually the money alone that has the power. Enlightened organizations know that the world is changing, and people want to be affiliated with companies that have a cause. Making money, while very important, is not enough, especially to the younger generations of workers and customers.
"Giving back" is not exclusively for big companies, and it is not just about some PR motives. Organizations of all sizes can benefit from being engaged with their community. Aligning the culture of your company with the interests of consumers, employees and beyond creates the seeds of a sustainable organization.
All organizations can benefit from having a cause that they support. But to have a successful program you must have buy in at all levels of the company. Many CEOs are visionaries who desire to impact the greater good, but they do not do an effective job at making sure that middle management and line employees are part of the CSR team.
A company can have the best results if they focus on one thing rather than trying to their charitable attention up into too many directions. Look for ways that your expertise and skill sets can have the greatest impact and work together with organizations that serve those areas. When corporations and non-profits can establish long-term partnerships and alliances then more can be accomplished.
Most important is to realize that it takes time to create meaningful results. Doing volunteer work one day a year will not solve big picture issues. It takes years to make a sustainable impact on causes you support. This is why you must make this part of your culture.
Congratulations to the team at the Entrepreneurs Foundation ( Eugene Sepulveda, Amanda Chiampi, marion Cimbala, Shobie Partos and Peter Frey ) for putting on a great conference that made people do more that listen.... it made people think!
Have A Great Day
thom
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