Lawyers and Career Uncertainty

In the last month since I began working for myself I have been contacted by several attorneys to help them with their long term visibility, networking, marketing and business development plans. With the continued slow down in the economy, lawyers are feeling the pressures. Mid-level associates and new partners are especially under pressure to bring in new clients.

With little or no sales training or a history of their firms encouraging them to participate in their community, some feel abandoned in the foreign world of business development.

While I am not exclusively focused on coaching attorneys and speaking at law firms, my experience inside professional services firms (including two Am Law 100 law firms) have lead me to working with many in this profession.

In the last several months thousands of lawyers at firms of all sizes have faced lay-offs, pay reductions and the word of shrinking annual bonuses. Many who had graduated from top schools (with top grades) and landed careers inside prominent law firms mistakenly believed they were forever recession proof if they simply did good work.

Being a good lawyer is not enough, as too many have learned in recent times. Law is a business, and like in millions of other industries, owners of companies are facing tough decisions.

For those lawyers who are nervous about their job security, they cannot afford to just sit on their butts. While it is always best to have dedicated the time to create your personal brand long ago, it is never too late to take the steps to help shore up your eroding job security. While it many not save a position that is already on the chopping block, it can help you prepare for your next opportunity.

Four Ways For Lawyers (and others) to Navigate the Uncertain Economic and Career Climate

1. Have a career game plan. If you do not know what you want from your career, how can you make the tough decisions? Everyday you will encounter choices (large and small) and you can evaluate decisions on if they bring you closer to or farther from your goal. Too many lawyers (and others) just show up for work everyday with the plan to do their "job" without any concern for how they are being perceived by their bosses, co-workers and clients. In these tough economic times you are being watched and evaluated at all times. Just doing good work will not make you stand out from the crowd.

If you do not know where to start, hire a career coach to help you define what you are trying to accomplish in your career. Then develop a personal brand and business development agenda. If you are ever asked by a partner to provide a "biz dev plan" and you look like a deer in the headlights, you are toast. Instead you want to immediately produce your plan (that was put together months earlier) and show how you are executing on the the steps toward accomplishing the goals.

2. Know your numbers. How do you compare to others in your firm in regards to billable hours and client origination. When the partners are making the decisions on who will stay and who will be fired, they will look closely at the numbers. Who is bringing in the most money for the partnership and who has the most potential to do client development in the future.

While other things will factor in, those with the ability to assist the firm in overcoming the finacial crunch are valuable.

3. Communicate inside the firm. Talk to the other associates, partners, and staff members. Treat everyone with respect, and be interested in them at a personal level. If you are aloof and grumpy towards others inside the firm, you could put a target on your back when cuts are being made. No matter how good you are as an attorney, if your co-workers think you are a jerk they will rejoice in finding an excuse to let you go.

4. Network like you career depends on it (because it does). Knowing a lot of people in your business community whom can benefit the firm will make you more valuable to the partnership. A good network will help you make connections that can lead to new business, and will keep you aware of other job opportunities (should the need arise). The thing to remember about networking is that people are not there to ONLY help you. It has to be about mutually beneficial relationships and therefore to be successful you will have to make people a priority. No matter how busy you are, you can find 15 minutes a day to devote to assisting others. Too many lawyers hide behind their hectic schedule to avoid thinking of how to impact others in their network, then they wonder why nobody is helping them. You have to give long before you get.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Beshoff MotorCars Adds Style To A High School Couple's Prom!!!

I wrote here and here about my nephew's search to score a cool car to drive to his Senior Prom. Well last weekend was the big day, and thanks to an entrepreneurial Mercedes dealer, Beshoff MotorCars of San Jose, California.... He and his date went to the dance in mega style.

To find his transportation, Dan created "CoolPromCar.com" and pleaded the case of why he did not want to drive his beat up old car or his mom's Honda Pilot for this special evening. He was about to graduate and wanted to end the year with a little pizzazz.

Sure, it was a long shot.... but the kid is enterprising, and he knew that he had nothing to lose, and everything to gain if he "made the ask".

Life is full of opportunities, but they do not come to those who sit back and wait. His only chance at glory was to take the risk.

He got some local publicity from his website, and caught the eye of Ray Beshoff, President of Beshoff MotorCars.

To be a successful luxury car dealer in the Silicon Valley, Mr. Beshoff himself has to have an overdose of entrepreneurial spirit. He met with Dan and decided to lend him a car for the prom.

The rest is family history. It was a wonderful evening for Dan and his girlfriend, and they will never forget their "Cool Prom Car".

This is just a great story.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Smart Visibility - Breakfast Seminar May 28th

In today's challenging economic times, nobody can ignore their personal brand and professional network. Intelligently building your reputation in the business community and utilizing all information resources to discover opportunities is paramount to success. Competition is more intense than ever, and decision makers are bombarded with choices. If you are looking for your next customer or your next career, how you cultivate your network and present yourself can make all the difference.

Please join the Austin Business Journal and local author & professional speaker Thom Singer for this interactive and informative seminar and breakfast.

Topics will include:

- Networking
- Creating a personal brand
- Learning how to uncover business opportunities
- Following up and establishing ongoing conversations
- Making a difference

When: Thursday, May 28, 2009
Where: 111 Congress Ave 8th Floor, parking is available at parking meters or Austin Convention Center Parking Garage for $7.00
Speaker: Thom Singer
Agenda:
7:00 to 7:30 am Registration, Networking & Breakfast
7:30 to 8:30 am Smart Visibility Seminar

Reservation deadline is May 26 at 5:00 pm CST.

CLICK HERE to sign up. Space is limited.

Have A Great Day

thom

Respect For Schedules - Don't "Better Deal" People

I just got "Better Dealed" for the second time in two weeks.

A gentleman who is a very aggressive sales professional, whom I know and admire, canceled on me twice for coffee. Both times he said that he had to reschedule because "the opportunity to meet with a big prospect popped up". Thus, the importance of my time in setting up the meeting seemed to have zero value in his view of the world. I guess he figured I had nothing better to do during the time we had planned to connect.

Does this ever happen to you?

How does it make you feel?

Now look at it in reverse... when you move a meeting at the last minute, do you consider the other person's feelings? By canceling at the last minute are you showing respect to their calendar? Did you waste their time?

Moving a meeting not only pushes that meeting out into the future, but it leaves a hole in the calendar where I could have met with someone else.

The person rescheduling clearly sends a message that says "Someone more important than you has requested my time".

I understand that things come up and people need to move meetings. It happens for very legitimate reasons. Being flexible is just part of being in business. But being conscious of others is also part of the equation. If you look at time as yours to possess, that is selfish. Once you are on someones schedule, you are co-owners of that appointment.

From time to time this happens to everyone (I have done this... rocks... glass house... I know). You cannot be in two places at once. However, if the same person moves a meeting twice in the same manner within a few days, it is a red flag about the relationship. Clearly he does not see me as having much value in his circle of influence. That is okay, as not everyone will like me or value my being part of their network.

But now the awkward third meeting is scheduled. My opinion of this person now leans toward his being self-focus and not someone who would be a mutually beneficial resource. So why are we even meeting?

In establishing a network, we need to be careful, as the perception we give others becomes their reality. I am, however, an eternal optimist and look forward to meeting with this person. I hope that I can find a way to bring him value in his quest to succeed. I am fairly certain that he is "too busy" to ever read this blog, so he wont know of my frustration.

Besides, sometimes the meetings that are the toughest to pull off have the greatest long-term value. We might become wonderful referral sources that will influence each other's future.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Congratulations Lee Leffingwell - Next Mayor of Austin, Texas

While I was in support of Brewster McCracken for mayor of Austin, I would like to congratulate Lee Leffingwell on his victory.

McCracken announced, by email, earlier today that he would not be challenging Leffingwell to a run-off election (Since no candidate received 50% of the votes, a run-off between the top two would have been the next step). While only 13% of the voters showed up for the local election, Leffingwell had a 47% lead over 27% for Brewster. Success for McCracken in a run-off election would have been a difficult and costly undertaking. Even less people would have come out for yet another trip to the polls, and those would have been more of the "traditional voters" who overwhelmingly supported Leffingwell.

I am a believer that when an election ends, citizens must show support to the victor. This is how a democracy works, and to go with anything other than a hope for a united future undermines the whole process. The culture of hate and distrust that permeates politics is one of the reason that everyone stays away for politics in the first place.

I am disappointed in the fact that Austin, like most other cities, has such little participation when it comes to choosing our leaders. Our future is left in the hands of "the usual suspects" who are known to go to the polls. We need to do something to change this or we all lose.

From a city like Austin, Texas I expect more than apathy from the citizens.

Lee Leffingwell is a good man (I have never met him, but have friends who do know him) who will work hard for the success of Austin. I wish him well in his tenure as mayor and I will continue to do everything in my power to support the City of Austin.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Eric Hoffer Award For Indepenedent Books

Each year, independent publishers (academic, independent, small press, and self-published authors) release extraordinary books to little or no recognition. The Eric Hoffer Award for independent books recognizes excellence in publishing with a grand prize and various category and press type distinctions. The results are published annually.

The 2009 winner of the "Best Business Book" is "Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women" by Marny Lifshen and Thom Singer.

We are very proud of this book, and honored to have received this award.

Here is the list of other winners.

Have A Great Day.

thom honors and

Blogging As Part of Self

I find writing this blog to be very good for my soul. It allows me to voice my thoughts, opinions, pontifications, ideas, points of view, advice (solicited and unsolicited!) and observations. It enables me to share a part of myself that would not otherwise exist. It has become part of how I discover who I am.

In my youth I imagined I would have it all figured out by 40. Turns out that we are always learning -- about the world and about ourselves. I feel sad for those who do not look at themselves and seek improvement. It is through this work on myself that I discover more about humanity.

My hope is along the way my writing has an impact on others.

I never worry about if people read my blog. The number of readers continues to grow, so I assume that most of it must matter. If you do read it regularly, THANK YOU. If I ever offend you on occasion, then I AM SORRY. If I ever help you, I AM HONORED.

When someone criticizes me or this blog I pay attention. I enjoy hearing feedback (positive and negative). I see this blog as a work-in-progress, as am I as a person.

While criticism hurts, it is never un-welcomed. Life is a journey down a river that takes many turns. This blog helps me navigate the rough patches. I make mistakes and I can course correct. I want to become more tomorrow than I am today.

Thanks for reading.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Making Referrals - Just Do It

A friend called me the other day and said she had wanted to recommend me as a keynote speaker for her company's annual conference... but she did not know how to make the appropriate introduction.

As we talked, I uncovered the following trepidations that were perplexing her desire to put me in touch with someone who could hire me to speak inside her organization:

Who should she call? Should she send a link or brochure? Would the person feel she was sticking her nose into things out of her area? Since she had never seen me speak, was it appropriate for her to make an introduction? How much did I charge? (as if it was too much, what message might that send to her co-worker?), Would my message work inside her industry? How far in advance of the meeting would be ideal for an introduction? Would I be upset if they did not hire me?, etc...

Wow, I appreciated that she had given so much thought to recommending me as a professional speaker for the conference.... but she was clearly "over-thinking" the whole situation.

This made me realize that often it is not that people do not want to be a referral source for others, it is that they do not know how or where to begin. They over-think the introduction and rationalize too many reasons to not do anything.

Being a connector is easy. You can help your friends and you company when you bring them together for mutually beneficial opportunities. This could be a new vendor (like me as a speaker for an event) or hiring a key employee.

Here are five ways to refer someone into an opportunity at your company:

1. Just do it. Do not worry about the details, just reach out to the person who handles the decisions and tell them you would like to introduce them to a candidate who might be ideal for their need.

2. Do not pre-judge. Let the folks you introduce know that their areas of expertise are outside of your own, and thus you are not sure if there is a "love connection" in this meeting. Better to make an introduction that leads to nothing, than to skip it and miss a huge win / win for the other two people.

3. Do not try to sell the person (or their product or service) to your co-worker. Just make the introduction and let them work out the details. If you try to sell them you might miss the key points and lead your co-worker to having a preconceived notion (positive or negative).

4. Stay out of the way. After you have made an introduction, get out of the mix. Do not pepper your co-working or the other person with questions about their business dealings.

5. Do not over do it. If you make occasional recommendations to people when you instinctively sense a great resource for your company, you will be viewed as an asset to the organization, and you external network will be viewed as an asset. If you consistently pimping your friends as vendors or future employees, you might become that "annoying" employee who is sticking their nose in others business.

When you want to help someone else, do not over-think the process. My friend made the introduction to the sales manager who is planning the meeting. We had a great conversation. He already has a keynote speaker for his event this year, but we are going to talk later about other opportunities.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Austin Mayors Race Has Embarrassing Low Voter Turn Out Numbers- No Winner

Everyone who knows me is aware that I have been a supporter of City Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem Brewster McCracken in the race for Austin Mayor.

In yesterday's election no candidate received the required 50% of the vote to claim the office, thus the top two candidates will face a run-off election on June 13th, 2009.

It was surprising to most to see that candidate Lee Leffingwell garnered 47%, while Brewster only pulled 27% in this three way race (Carole Keeton Strayhorn got 21%) between five people on the ballot.

Leffingwell's campaign is proud of the huge margin, based on percentage of those who voted, and from the way the TV news reported this... is claiming some sort of fictional mandate of the Austin voters.

The real story here is NOT about the percentages, it is about the HORRIBLE and embarrassingly low turn out of the registered voters. In a city with over 500,000 voters, just over 30,000 people voted for Leffingwell, and over 20,000 for Mr. McCracken. Instead of bragging about the percentages who favored them, both candidates should be appalled that they were part of an election where NOBODY cared enough to show up and vote.

This is embarrassing and every citizen in the city of Austin should be ashamed. The four city council members who were elected last night should not have been having victory parties to celebrate, but should be wearing black arm-bands to signify that they really have no support of their constituency. Theirs are dead-victories.

Every elected official in Austin should be disgusted with this low turn out. (But they are not, because a small turn-out with the "usual suspects" insures the same folks repeated victories). All of them should express REGRET that they do not make enough of an impact on the lives of the people who live in the city.

"Get Out The Vote" should be the rally call of our leaders. Anyone who hopes for low turn out has no business in public service!

I want to see Brewster McCracken and Lee Leffingwell take on this cause of increasing voter turn out during the month that will now lead up to the run off election.

While I will continue to support Brewster McCracken for Mayor of Austin, I am more concerned with the real numbers of voters than I am with who wins the race.

Come on Austin. We are better than this.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Star Trek

Okay, it is true.

I am a Trekkie. I have been since 5th grade when my teacher, Mr. Moorhead, would discuss the daily Star Trek reruns on KTLA Channel 5 (Los Angeles) with the class. (Yes, see what they teach you in public schools!).

I have seen every episode of the classic Trek. Same is true for "Next Generation", "Voyager" and "Enterprise". I have seen all the movies (yep, odd numbers sucked, even numbers rocked!). Had there been action figures when I was a kid, I would have had them.

Proof I am a Trekkie? My wife (also Trekkie) and I went to see the new Star Trek movie on opening day. The IT guy at vcfo has not even seen the movie yet. Yep, I beat the IT guy to Star Trek.

I had been worried about seeing the movie, as the hype had been huge about this flick. Usually Hollywood lets me down. But the movie was great. I wont go into details, as I don't want to spoil it... but it was great. These actors did more than mimic the Shatners and Nimoys, but instead nailed the characters.

Live long and prosper....and good luck!

Have A Great Day.

thom

PODCAST - "Customer Service Means Success"

New Podcast On Blog Talk Radio

"Customer Service" is not just two buzz-words. It can make or break your company.

Dawn Mushill is an author, speaker, and customer service diva who shares her expertise on how to improve your relationships with your clients.

In today's "Relationship Economy" you cannot leave your customer service to chance. Listen to this podcast and make sure you are doing things right!

Click Here for Dawn's website and information about her book.

CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Winning In The Relationship Economy

We are living in a "relationship economy" where you need to have more than just skills to find success. There are many people with talent, as that is the currency you are expected to pay with to have a seat at the table. Talent and education are important, but they are not enough.

Hard work is good, but again, in the current global financial climate, everyone is working hard. There are still only 24 hours in the day. Time is the great equalizer in the current situation. No matter how hard you want to pretend you are working, others can match your effort.

Decision makers are facing hard choices in all areas and they cannot afford to make mistakes. Those selecting vendors or making hiring decisions are frightened as their own futures might be hanging in the balance. They are confused, as they have multiple options. They will use their heads to gather information, but will make the final choice with their heart.

It comes down to your reputation and how they "feel" about you. This can be your individual or corporate brand in the community, but in this "relationship economy" it is all about perception.

This angers some. One person I know with an MBA was dumbfounded when a promotion he coveted went to a co-worker who had never finished college, but had come up through the ranks in the company where they both worked. It never dawned on him that her relationships could trump his sheepskin in the world of the corner office.

A sales professional friend recently lost a deal to his competitor because an executive at the prospective client "liked" the owner of the other company. He did not even know how to compete in this arena, since he worked for a larger out-of-town corporation, thus he had no local boss.

The mistake that many people make is they put too much faith in the "USP" (Unique Selling Proposition) of their product or service, without regards to what the marketplace values. If you are selling a commodity (or if your clients can remotely see your product or service as a commodity.... remember, perception IS reality!), then you are wasting time in how you are pursuing business.

Relationships matter.

Do not rationalize your way around this.

Look at your competition. Do people know them better? Do referral sources like them better? Are they winning business? Are they opening new accounts that you are not aware were seeking your services until after the fact?

If you answered "yes" to the above four questions, or discovered yourself focused on the subjective nature of the words "know", "like", "winning" and "opening"...then you are in trouble in the new "relationship economy". I am not kidding. This is a problem.

With business environments changing, too many executives are hoping that the changes are not real. But the "relationship economy" is not a fad. People do business with those they know, like and trust. This has always been true, but now they know more people. The internet, social media and other technologies make introductions, communications and information more pervasive. "Like and trust" are now head and shoulders above "know". It is easy to be known, but harder to reach the deeper levels that are needed these days.

You cannot rely on prospective customers hearing what you are saying, as there is too much noise out there. You must enlist the community at large to help cultivate your reputation by making you part of the ongoing discussion. Both live and online, if nobody is talking about you, then nobody else is thinking about you. Out of sight is out of mind, and that equals death.

So what can you do? Make this a major priority NOW. There is no time to waste if you think your competition is currently engaged in creating strong personal connections with those who have the ear of your business community. Either you control the conversation or you allow others to dictate what is said about you and your industry.

For real impact you might need to have paradigm shifts. Who in your organization is leading the charge for your outreach? (in person and online). It does not need to be the CEO, but a person must be publicly acknowledged as the "face of the firm". This individual has to have the visible support of the company management internally and externally. They must be seen as the credible spokesperson and have the respect of their co-workers.

The effort to expand your reach has to be an agenda item at all meetings going forward. When a company makes their image and visibility a priority they will see results. If they are just giving lip service to the topic or think there is a short term fix, they are destined to fail.

Finally, you must make a financial and time investment in your plan. You cannot reach the highest levels of reputation prevalence without an entertainment and education budget. Hosting informational and social events for clients, prospects and referral sources are key to extending your reach. A combination of live events and online webinars along with newsletters, blogs, PR and participation in social media will all work together. A pre-planned schedule with mixed activities will allow you to touch everyone you desire in a variety of ways.

In the end, success in the "relationship economy" depends on your taking ownership of your relationships.

Have A Great Day.

thom

SUCCESS! - Lemonade Day 2009

By all accounts, LEMONADE DAY 2009 in Austin was a huge success.

My kids had a great time and learned about what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

They learned that location matters. They were set up in front of Fire Station One at 5th Street and Trinity in downtown Austin. The Austin Fire Department was very gracious and offered up their locations for children participating in the Lemonade Day program. This location was great because it was just a block away from the annual Pecan Street Festival, so there was heavy foot traffic during the girl's three hour venture.



The kids pointed out three astute observations about having their own company:

1. If you go into business with your sister, you will probably have a few arguments.
   
2. Work is hard (they were exhausted at the end of the day)
   
3. Good customer service involves petting the dogs, too! (Okay, this was Kate's observation, as she loves dogs!)

They had a lot of fun, sold a lot of lemonade, created a profit and were able to make a donation to the Dell Children's Hospital (Mom and Dad required them to put up 25% of their profits to the charity of their choice!).

The people who came by were wonderful, and one man paid $20 for his $1 cup of lemonade and told them to keep the change. That was nice, and I know that good karma followed him for the rest of the day!

Our family would like to thank "Prepared 4 Life", the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas and Trilogy for bringing this program to Austin. Also special thanks to Lieutenant Jim Baker and the whole crew at the fire station for their support!

Have A Great Day.

thom

Reconnect With An Old Friend Week 2009

Reconnecting with an old friend or business contact can often lead to amazing opportunities.

I have established this week as "International Reconnect With An Old Friend Week" (May 4 - 8, 2009).

Everyday this week you are encouraged to think of an old friend, boss, co-worker, teacher, neighbor, mentor, student, etc... and find them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc...

Once you have located them reach out and say "Hello". This can be done by email, DM, a handwritten note, or telephone. Just do it.

Tell them that they were once an important part of your life and that you miss them. Ask them to tell you all about their current job, family, hobbies, travels, etc... Do not lead with a story about yourself, make the whole conversation about them! Be clear that your motivation is just to reconnect and see what happens.

Come back and share your comments on this blog.

When many think of "networking" they mistakenly believe that it is just about making new connections. Mental images of happy hours with stacks of business cards in one hand and cheap beer in the other hand - all while trying to make small talk with strangers in hopes of finding new business clouds the definition of what it is to network.

Meeting new people and establishing mutually beneficial relationships is part of the deal (cheap beer is not!). However, it is not just about farming for new connections. To be successful in business you MUST cultivate ongoing relationships. People do business with those they know, like and trust. It takes time establish real bonds. It is faster to get to the deep levels of understanding and trust with old contacts than it is with strangers!

In our busy world it is easy to lose touch with those who have been important in the past. But reaching out to an old friend can be very rewarding. If you wait until you need their help, then you might be viewed as insincere or a "taker"... but to reach out just because you like them and miss having them in your life will fill them with joy.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Basic Respect For Others

With my job as a professional speaker and a business consultant I find myself working on the go. I often set up shop in the corner of a Starbucks, or other place that has WiFi. While I can be very productive working in a coffee shop, I am often amazed at the levels of unconcern that other people have for others in society.

A couple of weeks ago three families with young kids in tow sat down next to me and the parents chatted away while the children ran free. I was trying to read, and had been sitting alone... and not once did the parents look my direction.

Last weekend I was working in a Starbucks when a group of ten women came in and rounded up all the chairs to have a meeting. They even had a laptop, projector and screen. They were all around me and never once did a person say "excuse me". I left before the presentation began, and nobody made eye contact.

As I write this I am in a Starbucks. Seven women have appeared and taken over the table next to me. They took my extra chairs (which is fine, and to their credit, they asked before just taking the chairs), but in this small area they are nearly on top of me. They are very loud, and talking on and on about the Swine Flu (and other issues). They are making jokes about the possible health crisis and mocking the situation. The one woman is just back from Mexico and is mocking fake coughs toward her friends and laughing.

What I don't understand is how people can be so distracting in a public location and not take into account the others in the establishment. Especially those who had arrived first. While it is a "free country" and they have every right to have their gatherings in a Starbucks, basic respect for others seems to not be a concern.

I know, I am living in a glass house and throwing rocks. I am sure that I have annoyed people all throughout my life, but I try to be considerate of others. It is true that if I am put off by these people I can always work some other place (but I like working out in public, I gain energy from seeing other people going about their lives). The point is that we need to have concern for those around us or our society cannot function properly.

I am challenging myself, and others, to take a few moments to look around and notice others. If we do not see them, then we continue to live in selfish cocoons. This might make our individual lives seem better, it really does advance the common good.

As I finish this post I wont even tell you about the conversation I am hearing NOW. YIKES. Lets just say "Too Much Information" about personal stuff. Ummmm, beyond being disrespectful to those within ear shot by being loud, think about what you are talking about people.

Have A Great Day.

thom

PS- When the large group of loud women left Starbucks 25 minutes after I finished writing this post, they DID NOT return their chairs that they had moved about to their original places. They just left the seven chairs in a messy circle around the table (and they left newspapers on the table!).... and they blocked the isle. It is very disappointing to see a group of obviously educated and fortunate individuals with little regard for anyone else.

I know they will never read this post, but if they did -- I wonder if they would even recognize themselves?

Observing them made me sad in my soul.

Everything About Today is Enchanting

New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny had the privilege of asking President Obama one of the 13 questions in last night's "100 Days In Office" prime-time press conference.

He asked the leader of the free world what "enchanted" him about his short term in office.

This question has set off a ton of discussion from the right and the left on cable news and talk radio. The far right is screaming that with so few questions, the Times tossed an asinine softball query. The far left thinks that Zeleny was captivating in his intellectual choice of words and that the question was a fine example of political journalism. (Both are spending too much time on this topic)

The truth lies in the middle. While the NY Times has the right to ask any question of Mr. Obama, I think that the "paper of record" would be horribly embarrassed by this question and would reprimand Zeleny for wasting the time of the President and the American people. If there is only be time for a bakers dozen of questions, we should all expect more. But that was yesterday.

Now "enchanted" is not a word that comes up in regular daily conversation. According to dictionary.com the word means: "to subject to magical influence; bewitch: 'fairytales about witches who enchant handsome princes and beautiful maidens'."

So here is my challenge to everyone who reads this blog post. Work this word "enchant(ed)" into normal conversation 5 times today. I just asked people on Twitter "what enchants you about using Twitter"... which lead to interesting comments!

Try asking your boss how you company "enchanted" customers this week. Ask your children what was "enchanting" about school today. Inquire from the waiter or waitress at lunch if any particular meal on the menu would has the power to "enchant" your taste buds.

I am enchanted by turning something useless (like Mr. Zeleny's question to Barak Obama) into something silly, fun, and different.

The spell is cast. Everything today is enchanting!

Have A Great Day.

thom

Internal Integration

Studies show that 50 to 70 percent of mergers fail, in that they don't live up to their financial promise. Beyond that the employees on both sides of the newly formed company are often anxious about their new co-workers, and fear for their jobs.

Little things like new IT programs and protocols, without knowledge of whom to contact leave many feeling vulnerable.

It does not need to be this way.

Integration programs that have an "internal networking" component can help build bridges between the freshly merged teams.

I once worked with a client who had added a new division through acquisition. A year prior to the purchase of the new company, the parent firm had undergone a merger of equals. For 12 months the two sides had bickered and undermined each other. Then they learned what real aliens looked like when they added the newest group. All three cultures clashed and it was clear that nobody trusted each other.

The company would have been better served from the start if they had addressed the issues of internal integration up front.

I offer a half day seminar focused on internal networking and building trust that is geared toward businesses, law firms, and other organizations that are going through the M&A process.

For more information contact me at 512-970-0398.

Please visit my website www.thomsinger.com for more information on my speaking, consulting or to buy my books.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Lemonade Day

This Sunday (May 3, 2009) is Lemonade Day in Austin, Houston and several other cities. The program was founded to teach kids about entrepreneurship. vcfo is a sponsor and I have been volunteering to get the word out throughout Austin about this wonderful experience for children.

Here I am dressed as "LemonHead" at a kick-off event last weekend at the Austin Children's Museum. A good volunteer does what asked at such and event. I was asked to walk around with a giant plastic lemon on my head. I think I made some of the kids at the museum cry. :)

I don't know who made this video... but it made me laugh.



The real important infromation about Lemonade Day 2009 is at http://www.lemonadeday.org/

It is NOT too late to sign up and have your kids participate and embrace the spirit of being a real entrepreneur.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Is Your Business A "Fast" Company?

I had an interesting conversation at a cocktail party with an entrepreneur about the importance of being flexible. In crazy economic times he said it is the nimble who survive, while those who cannot change with the times that will have the most trouble. The conversation began around how individuals can adjust to changing situations in employment, work, starting their own business, etc... but it morphed into a philosophical discussion about companies and the power of corporate culture in the success of a business over the long run.

Just as a person has to be flexible and willing to reinvent themselves to deal with changing situations, a company must be able to do the same thing. He believed that a corporation is much more like a human being than most would ever admit. Similar to a person, a business has the following; a collective personality, internal needs, external desires, goals, a hunger to be fed, a strong ego, fear, self-understanding / awareness (and mis-understanding of that awareness!), vanity, and a can become very set in its ways.

He suggested that all business managers and owners look at the traits they admire in their friends (and other associates) and then look and see if their community would view their organization in the same way. Friendly, outgoing, helpful, charitable, intelligent, understanding, funny / playful, empathetic, loyal, giving, open to new ideas, and interested in others were all traits he said he admires in people and companies. I had never looked at it this way.

My friend was obsessed with "the need for speed" in regards to companies (and individuals) reinventing themselves in these trying economic times. All areas of business have to be able to bend with the changing marketplace. Marketing, pricing models, product and service offerings, best practices, customer relationships, sales techniques, advertising, networking, PR, credit/payment terms, HR policies, and any other of the business practices must be able to adjust. There is no time for anyone who says "because we always do it this way" in today's environment.

During the "tech boom" of a decade ago I loved Fast Company Magazine. The concept of a "fast company" was very exciting. Today the magazine's title is just a title, but at the time, it encapsulated everything that made the business world exciting. Those who were "fast" were cutting edge. Seems everyone has slowed down these days.

As I have launched my career as a speaker/author/consultant/publisher I have discovered that it is my ability to be flexible that is bringing me the most success. The advice I got in my cocktail party conversation was to never get so confident in myself that I lose the ability to see that others have unique (and maybe better) ways of doing things. He told me to remember not to "believe my own press", as too many accolades in the news tends to bring a false assurance. That over confidence that people would find as "stuck up" in a person translates to a business.

So now I must look for ways to be "fast" without riding that momentum over a cliff. Geeze, this stuff is not easy! But we all should be thinking about adaptability these days, agreed????

Have A Great Day

If You Want Something AMAZING, Do Something About It

Taking action is the only way to succeed. Sitting on your ass and doing nothing will never produce results.

But sometimes you have to be unique and do something "out of the box" if you want to accomplish amazing results. Sometimes you have to "GO BIG... or go home".

My nephew wanted to go to the senior prom in style. His decade old second-hand sedan or his mom's Honda Pilot were not the dream ride for he and his girlfriend. Renting a limo was too expensive and "overdone". He is too young to rent a car from Hertz.

But Dan is an entrepreneurial young man who was not going to just settle for average.

He created a website "CoolPromCar.com" seeking someone in the Silicon Valley who would lend him their luxury car for the night. He realized it was a long-shot, but that he had nothing to lose, and everything to gain from putting his dream for a sweet ride out into the universe.

The web site got local publicity in San Jose and was talked about by some bay area radio talk shows. A local paper called him to write about his attempt get a "Cool Prom Car".

His story gets better. An enterprising local car deal stepped up and will provide them with prom transportation in a new Mercedes Benz. See photo above. OH YES.... way to go, Daniel!

The Silicon Valley is a place where rewards come to those who attempt creativity and shoot for the stars. The vibe of entrepreneurial success is pervasive in the community. Those who take the risks discover the upside.

It is the soul of the entrepreneur that sees the "cool factor" in this kid trying for his dream. For this, I admire Beshoff Motorcars of San Jose for stepping up and being part of this story. Sure, they are smart, they see the marketing / PR value (CLICK HERE to visit their website...give them a ton of traffic!!) .... but beyond that they recognize the dream in a young man's heart.

I imagine after Dan has graduated from college and made his fortune that he will be a loyal Mercedes driver, but more important this smart car dealer knows that their target customer admires this kid who creates a website late one night to attempt to make his dreams come true.

I will post photos on this blog following the big Prom Night, as I am sure my nephew will send me some good pictures to share with the readers of this blog. I bet his date looks even better than the car!

Have A Great Day.

thom