Archive for Workplace
August 5, 2010 at 8:23 am · Filed under Leadership, America, Workplace, Australia
I met a former boss of mine for lunch yesterday. He’s originally Australian but lives in New York, and I reported to him when I was in Hong Kong (confused yet?). It was great to spend time and hear what’s happened in the ensuing 10 years since we worked together.
Over the years he’s had a plethora of titles - Vice President, Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President, CEO, Chairman of the Board. Clearly he’s been a success.
Yet as the business card holder was filled and refilled again and again by increasingly posh cards with weightier titles, the glamour of the card began to fade. When he approached retirement he quipped to his wife that he’s had every title known to man - spare one.
Today as a retiree he carries a card with the title, “Chief Tribal Warlord.” To those who had the good fortune to work for the man, he’s not that fierce (unless you missed your margin for a month!).
When I did run the business in Hong Kong one man had been with the business forever. In his latter years he wondered who no one had the title “Queen of the Nile” anymore. Can you guess what the brass plaque presented for his birthday read?
I also did an assignment for one of the smaller European nations. The Prince visited and as a thank you gave me platinum cufflinks that featured the royal seal. We had to address him as “His Most Serene Highness.” Yet he was much like any other businessman.
Corporations run amok with grandiose titles. What are the more extreme you’ve seen? And if you could have any title on your card, what would it be? Twitter away and use the hashtag #mytitle.
May 28, 2010 at 9:22 am · Filed under Workplace, Public Relations
Running a professional services firm is a constant guessing game of “What If?” While a vast majority of our clients are on retained programs, with set fees month after month, some are project-based. We are uncertain how the business will fluctuate month to month.
And as a growth business, we’re also engaged in a number of new business discussions. These are companies we’ve not worked with who wish to retain our services - or those of another firm. We need to plan the resources for each.
Our resource is the time of our professionals. And like any resource it is finite. There are so many hours int he day, and so many people working here. The math is quite simple. And before long, you run out of people and hours.
Like manufacturing, I can search for efficiencies. Less double-up in meetings. Smarter allocation of work from senior to junior professionals. Use of technology to suicken repetetive processes, whether that’s a report on the day’s newspaper headlines of a summary of work in a month.
But unlike manufacturing, I cannot pre-purchase machinery in advance of work orders. People aren’t as readily available and if they aren’t busy with clients, it’s a squandered resource. Yes, everyone can help with running and promoting the company. But that’s not the most effective use of valuable skills.
So most of the time managers in charge of an agency play “What If?” What if we secure the new client assignment? What if our existing client delays or cancels a major project? What if we have several people out sick? (Last week we lost seven people simultaneously to a virulent flu.)
Lately I’ve been silently planning for a major piece of new business. We’ve been preparing our strategy during the days, evenings and weekends. And initial signs are encouraging. That’s forced me to look at office space, technology, people, resources. In quiet I’ve found space for eight new desks, interviewed ten people and prepared a capital plan for new technology. And that’s all without the certainty of success.
The problem is, if you don’t play “What If?” then later down the track you’re forced to deal with “What Now?” In almost every instance I would prefer to be prepared. So it’s back to planning - but don’t tell anyone.
April 22, 2010 at 8:46 am · Filed under Workplace
The CEO of an automotive components manufacturer shared with me it was easier to shrink than to grow. When business is contracting you know what to do and when - you understand how many people you need for a certain level of business. If you used to have revenue of $800 million and contractions brought you down to $500 million you just referred to your game plan from that stage of development.
Growth is a lot harder to manage.
When your business is growing you’re unsure when and where to hire. Which team needs resources first? Is the business permanent or a short-term spike? Can teams manage with a little more focus?
Since October 2009 the revenue at Fleishman-Hillard in Sydney has doubled. We expect a 50% increase in the next two months. The team has gone from restless to overworked in a short space.
Thankfully the last months I’ve focused on setting in place the senior team, with a good tranche of mid-level executives. Today we need starter professionals. We have capacity for two interns and two junior professionals (2-4 years experience). For all roles you need to have the right to permanent residency in Australia - a short-term international visa won’t help, as we try to find interns capable of full time employment at the end of their term.
Our internships last three months and require a minimum of three days per week - with a preference for full-time. These are paid at a nominal level ($100 per day to defray expenses).
For Account Executives and Senior Account Executives, our greatest need today is in healthcare, consumer health/wellness and fast moving consumer goods. While we do have practices in corporate and technology, those are both fully staffed at present.
Please note this is for our Sydney office - learn more here: http://fleishmanhillard.com/careers/internships-scholarships/
I look forward to hearing from you!
April 6, 2009 at 4:21 pm · Filed under Globalisation, Workplace
The French are…different. When there’s a dispute at work it’s quite acceptable to kidnap the boss. This month the head of Sony France was held captive - as was a colleague - as staff were upset over benefits. There’s a pleasant photo in “The Economist” of him sitting in his a meeting room in shirt and tie dining on take-away. Apparently he was treated humanely. They gave him Internet connection so he could update his Facebook status (”Je demande liberte!”).
Apres La Revolution: Sony employees locked Sony France execs Serge Foucher and Roland Bentz in a meeting room for a night because they were upset about getting fired and not getting the same relocation package as other workers. After the CEO agreed to continue negotiations, the workers set him free. (Source: CrunchGear)
It appears “le kidnapping” is a popular technique “en France”. It’s seen as a useful way to demonstrate disappointment in management’s actions. It’s hard to imagine, though, what the first “All Staff Meeting” is like after the boss is let free…?
March 13, 2009 at 8:07 am · Filed under America, Workplace
In their award-winning film “Fargo”, Joel and Ethan Coen start out showing a small time car dealer facing financial problems. William H. Macy has been selling cars for cash and keeping his antics from the auto finance firm.
After leading global communications at Ford Credit for five years it rang true. Dealers borrow from manufacturers to finance their showroom inventory of cars. Whenever one’s sold the loan is repaid and the financial responsibility is transferred to the new owner. Congratulations! You bought a car loan!
But William Macy found it hard to hide from the car company. How do you hide a stolen car other than sending it to a chop chop for parts? Macy’s problem was he didn’t try hard enough. His scale was wrong. One car? Think big! In Nebraska they did just that. Employees emptied the car lot then emptied their desks. Sadly this wasn’t a “made for Hollywood” ending. They were all caught a few days later. It was hard to hide 81 stolen vehicles.
Can you see Nicolas Cage playing a Nebraska auto dealer? Hmmm…..I can!
July 30, 2008 at 11:55 am · Filed under America, Workplace, Australia
I met this morning with a former client from my days in Hong Kong. Then he led marketing at a funds management firm. Today he’s CEO for Australia of a major mutual fund company.
Sydney has so much going for it. It’s one of the best cities in the world with beaches, parkland, restaurants…you name it! It’s a great city to raise children with low crime and few social issues of concern.
Yet it isn’t Hong Kong, London or New York. For a career it can mean a step sideways (or backwards) versus the global opportunities in other cities. My friend had led all his company’s international business from London. When I was in the USA I led global communications at Ford Credit ($210 billion in 40 countries).
Australia is far removed from the major global markets so most Sydney roles are national in scope. While the USA has a market of 300 million people, Australia is 1/10th that size. This lack of density allows the quality of life. But if you’ve cut your teeth in a bigger market some days Sydney feels slow. For family that’s a blessing. For the career that’s a “road less travelled.”
April 27, 2008 at 8:19 pm · Filed under Leadership, Workplace
Leadership is covered extensively in news publications and this week two contrasting examples are highlighted in “The Economist”.
The first is a positive case study of Disney, showing how creativity and profitability have flourished under CEO Bob Iger. Iger opts to release the reigns and allows creative leaders the freedom to develop new ideas. He’s axed “junk” production (straight to DVD sequels) and is building franchises around new concepts (”High School Musical”) that attract new audience segments (”tweens”).
The second is a negative review of the performance of General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt. Finance unit GE Capital missed performance results leaving the CEO in the embarassing state of missing financial forecasts - that he’d committed to a few weeks earlier.
On Saturday The Sydney Morning Herald had an excellent column by Ross Gittins on the common mistakes of CEOs when managing staff. I heartily recommend the article and especially liked the advice on information sharing. Gittins says the more the better. Companies that keep information from staff create resentment and a sense of distrust.
I’ve witnessed it recently, when a company was undertaking a massive and complex project. The leadership team felt it best to keep all information from staff yet occasional slips led to information “haves and have nots”. Those not entrusted to the information felt excluded. Their trust in leadership was not reciprocated - if they can’t trust me, why should I trust them?
Leadership is the hardest task for any CEO, and recent articles point out good lessons of leadership. Trust, delegation, empowerment, sharing - all words we’ve heard before. But it’s great seeing the lessons supported by success (Disney’s Iger and creative empowerment) and failure (GE’s Immelt on missed promises).
Read the Gittins article - it’s required reading for any leader.
April 22, 2008 at 9:50 pm · Filed under Workplace, Public Relations
This morning I had an email from a discouraged university graduate who is having trouble landing her first job. She knows herself well enough to aim for an in-house position with a corporation’s public relations department. Seems the rough and tackle world of consulting isn’t for her.
How do you land your first job after graduation? I’ve had the question enough times. It is hard to get experience when you don’t have any - and few companies seem keen to take on fresh recruits.
First and foremost you have to network. Too often graduates mass mail CVs to employers looking for work. If I get your application 99% of the time I don’t have an opening just then. And while I may file the details too often it rests forgotten in a drawer full of other candidates.
Instead, ask for information interviews. While few people may have a job opening when you apply almost everyone is free to share their viewpoints. Pen a smart, targeted note to people in your preferred industry and ask for a half-hour of their time. You should prepare questions tailored to them that will help you better understand their background. Some examples:
- How did you land your first role in public relations?
- What were the most important lessons from your first job?
- How well did university prepare you for your first role?
- What advice would you give recent graduates seeking their first job?
- Are there other people you know who I might approach for information interviews?
Don’t just approach the old nuts (folks like me who have been around forever). Sometimes the best interviews come from recent graduates who are in their first jobs. And the younger workers tend to have contacts who know where new roles are opening. Best way to start is to approach your university’s alumni office or career development office.
I can’t stress enough the importance of doing every step right. Send a tailored letter with the correct spelling, title and address of the person. Follow up four days later with a telephone call - and if need be, leave a concise and precise voice message (”Good morning this is Mary Calm following up on a letter I sent last week requesting an information interview. I can be reached on 123-456 and I look forward to hearing from you.”).
Then send a prompt thank you letter - reflecting back one major idea you heard that made sense. You might want to have personal business cards printed (small batches at any print shop or online). And if you see an article a month later that reminds you of what that person said, then clip it and mail it with a short “thought this would be of interest” cover slip.
It is all about the details. Employers are easily impressed by someone with a good grasp of all facets of meeting and correspondence etiquette. Sadly it will make you stand out from the shocking number of people who don’t get the basics right.
Network with one person, they’ll recommend another and in time you’ll have a dozen people who know about you and are keeping their ears to the ground for possible roles. In time one will call with an opening suited to your interests.
Now - get started!
November 13, 2007 at 9:24 pm · Filed under Workplace, Social Media
What is the cost to businesses of social media? How many hours are lost toggling back and forth between MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and all the other networks?
Bacon was already described as the friendly version of Spam - instead of being unfamiliar and annoying (Spam), bacon is a message from a social media site alerting you to news - someone sent a message, or bit you as a werewolf, or sent you a hug, or posted a video, etc.
Not so bad if everyone you know is hard at work like you. But add the global impact and it’s always happening somewhere in the world. New Facebook friends have been made in Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Connecticut, Sydney, Taiwan, London, Kuwait, South Africa - get the drift? So while I’m hard at work they’re kicking back ready to engage.
“POS” was early texting code for “Parents Over Shoulder.” It alerted teens not to get smutty on instant messaging because Mom or Dad were in the room. Is there a “BOS” for when the boss takes that spot? Leaving the corner office every boss sees screens toggled back to Outlook so employees look assiduous in their efforts.
But that Inbox may be clogged with Bacon. Meredith sent you a hug. Connie bit you. Aswani wants to be friends. I’ll have to calculate the cost to Australian business later. Someone just voted me as a Hottie - gotta go!
September 18, 2007 at 11:56 am · Filed under Workplace
Michael C. Hyer is a former publicist who now leads a human capital firm, Novations. He is also co-author of a book, “The Power of Inclusion.” He is to address the issue of leading with authenticity in a global work environment.
Arthur Page principles he wants to stress are:
- Listen to the customer
- Manage for tomorrow
- Realise a company’s try character is expressed by its people
Peter Drucker said leaders spend more than half of their business day in communications situations. Business days are basically communications situations that have an impact on people. Yet before today very few leaders have taken that seriously. Yet an organisation cannot perform to its maximum until people fully understand the company’s mission, vision and strategies. It’s all about moving people to action.
Insights into today’s workforce:
- 21 year olds today have played 10,000 video games, spend 10,000 hours on the phone and have received 250,000 emails or text messages.
- MySpace visits in 2006 exceeded 100 million and it started only in 2003.
- Today’s leaders will have 10 to 14 jobs by their 38th birthday.
- 50% of 21 year olds in the USA have created content on the web.
- 1 of 2 workers have been with their current employers for less than 5 years. (Source: Did You Know Video)
Companies are driven by cost efficiencies and that’s leading to a true global economy. Skills required that enable you to work and communicate effectively with people whose world views are unique - you need to meet the localised needs of people, while remaining true to yourself.
When trying to nurture people in the workforce, we see through generational filters:
- Traditionalists (Born 1922 to 1943)
- Baby Boomers (Born 1943 to 1960)
- Generation X (Born 1960 to 1980)
- Millenisals (Born 1980 to 2000)
This poses problems for companies - as Baby Boomers are retiring and plan to retire. How is the intellectucal capital these people have being saved and passed on? This is crucial as clients are more and more demanding.
Lots of insights into the differences between the generations - one of interest is that Baby Boomers believe work comes first and socialisation/relationships come second. For Gen X people the most important is the relationship. Work is a social connection and the task is secondary.
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