How to Fix a Hiring Mistake

Have you ever made a hiring mistake? The candidate looked brilliant on paper. They blew everyone away in the interviews. They were local so there as no relo cost involved. They even took your first salary offer without negotiating (danger Will Robinson!).

And then they showed up for work... And all went well for the first month. Everyone loved him. He was gregarious and got to know everyone in the organization. And one day you woke up and realized he hadn't done anything yet. Not one iota of impact. And you started to wonder...

Time went on. Less and less got done. Others in the organization began to notice and even grumble that the rock star you hired was not a real rock star but was actually a used up member of Poison from the '80s (appropriate because this guy seems to be looking for "Nothin' but a good time!"). It became abundantly clear to everyone you had made a hiring mistake. It's okay. It happens to all of us.

The most important thing about making a hiring mistake is fixing it. Fast.

There's nothing wrong with making hiring mistakes. It's forgivable. What's unforgivable is not doing something about it (remember You see it, you own it?). The best leaders I've seen quickly try to address performance (or lack thereof) with the individual. They set near term, measurable improvement goals. And if, unfortunately, the individual fails to meet them, they are moved on to another opportunity (either inside the company or outside of it).

But doing this takes a degree of intestinal fortitude that is difficult for many of us to summon. Such actions require us to first admit we made a mistake (admission is the first step to remission...).

After we come to terms with the fact we were duped during the interview process (albeit unintentionally duped) we have to do the really hard part - tell someone they're not cutting it. Ultimately we might have to have that very difficult conversation about parting ways (which will likely be involuntary). It's the "it's not me, it's you" conversation and that one is never pleasant to have.

So what's a leader to do? How can you get past these barriers to taking action?

First, realize we all make mistakes and the interview process creates a situation where they can occur frequently. Why? There's no real work to do during the interview and everyone is on their best behavior. Accept that someone got through the process without some of these issues surfacing.

Second, understand the person is a good person with a certain set of skills - they are simply not the right skills for this role. The error is one of not appropriately assessing fit for the role (it's not a judgment of the person himself). Once you accept these two points, taking action becomes easier.

During the "corrective action" phase, understand you are giving the person a fair chance to succeed (presuming you give candid feedback, set measurable goals with a reasonable chance of success, and give the person the support and coaching they need during this phase). After you do that, you've met your obligation. The accountability for performance and success lies with the individual at this point.

So it doesn't work out. Now what? Act and act fast.

There's almost nothing worse than passing a problem on to another manager and not cleaning up your own mess. You have an obligation to the rest of your team and the rest of the organization to do so. Not acting will erode morale because your team and coworkers will see the inequity and wonder why they are held to a high standard of performance while this individual is not. Such an environment is toxic. It destroys the organization over time.

As I said earlier, we all make this mistake at one time or another. I've personally made it on a few occasions (probably because I have a bias toward taking risks on people - see "Team Building: Buying Damaged Goods"). In one particular case, he looked great on paper and even better in person. Brilliant. Analytical. Everything we were looking for. I loved him and pushed hard to hire him.

We got him in the role and at first everything was fine. Unfortunately, when the problems were difficult to solve and the environment was ambiguous, he floundered. Badly. His manager and I brought the issue to his attention and laid out an improvement plan. He didn't improve.

He was becoming increasingly frustrated and unhappy with the role because he learned it wasn't exactly what he wanted to do long term. In the end, we suggested we part ways and he move on to an organization better suited to his skills and aspirations. It was actually a huge relief for him to move on (for all of us, him included). He found a role much more in line with his abilities and last I heard he's doing quite well.

At first blush, pushing someone out of an organization for lack of performance seems cold and harsh. Looking at it another way makes it a wonderful thing to do. You're not happy with the individual's performance. The team isn't happy with the individual not pulling their weight. The individual likely isn't happy because they want to succeed in whatever it is they're doing.

Your obligation as a leader is to help the person move on. Quickly. Help them move on to somewhere they can be successful. Everyone involved will thank you for it (maybe not on the day you give the person their papers but someday down the road once they've found their perfect job, they'll reflect back on their departure as a turning point in their career).

You made the hiring mistake. Admit it. Fix it. For everyone's sake.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
- Get the latest updates on my upcoming book One Piece of Paper - CLICK HERE

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4 Tips for Handling Overwork and Overwhelm

Today's guest blogger is Marlene Chism, author of Stop Workplace Drama: Train Your Team to have No Complaints, No Excuses, and No Regrets(go buy a copy by clicking the link - there's some great advice in there!). You can read more about her at the end of the post. Here's Marlene...

Are you overwhelmed with a heavy workload only to get another unrealistic request from your boss? Is it really the workload, or could it be a communication problem?

Often the real challenge is developing the courage to tell ourselves and others the truth about what we can do. What we do to avoid a conflict, or dealing with someone’s disappointment is to offer something for which we are unprepared to deliver due to time constraints, abilities, or knowledge. Instead of making a promise you can’t keep, or keeping the promise but dropping another ball, what if you could just tell the truth, and still get the job done?

In my book, Stop Workplace Dramathe third principle is “tell yourself the truth.” Instead, much of the time we make agreements we can’t possibly keep, or we refuse to ask for what we want because, “I already know what he will say.” Or we simply play the victim and complain about how unfair life is, or we regretfully drop the ball because our stamina gives out before our will, then we give an excuse about why we dropped the ball.

This leads to ineffective communication between boss and employee and spreads negativity and drama. These four tips will help you to manage a heavy workload while improving workplace relationships:

1. Tell yourself the truth
2. Identify your choices
2. Tell your boss the truth
4. Communicate responsibly

Tell yourself the truth
First you must step out of denial by pretending that you can get everything done. To deny the facts means you are either going to disappoint someone or make yourself physically ill. If you really cannot do all that is asked, you must first face the facts of the situation. Facts include project deadlines, current priorities, estimated length of time to get a project or task completed, resources available.

Identify your choices
Now that you have been honest with yourself, you can list your choices. Can you delegate some of the tasks? What if you could think outside the box and find an assistant who would charge a small amount to do some data entry? What about hiring a personal assistant to free up some of your other obligations? There may be options you have not yet considered, but beware that any choice you make sets the stage for the same level of expectation and that is why you must be honest with your boss.

Tell your boss the truth
The boss really has no idea that you are swamped. She just wants to take things off of her plate. You have to let your boss know the facts. Don’t whine or complain and don’t promise that you can deliver something you can’t. The way to approach your boss is to state the facts, and the priorities, then ask your boss to lengthen a deadline on another project, or ask a team member for assistance. The fact is, you can’t add more than 10 percent more of a workload on anyone without offering additional resources. If you are being asked to double up, something has to go, and you must be responsible for helping the boss to understand the facts, the priorities and the consequences.

Communicate Responsibly
Learn how to engage other team members or co-workers through effective communication. Again, no complaints or excuses, simply go straight to the solution. Ask for what you want. Instead of saying, “This is not fair….” And “Look what I’m expected to do…” Instead say, “I’ve been given another task that is going to take three hours. Would you be willing to…” then make your request. Offer to help out in return, then give the person credit for helping you. You will help yourself, you will show you are problem solver to your boss, and you will also improve teamwork and morale.

- Marlene Chism is a speaker, author and founder of The Stop Your Drama Methodology, an eight-part empowerment process to increase clarity and improve productivity and personal effectiveness. She is a dynamic business and motivational speaker who has the unique ability to speak across the boundaries of many types of audiences: from the fortune 500 executives, to HR professionals to front line employees. Marlene has a master’s degree in HR Development from Webster University and is the author of Stop Workplace Drama: Train Your Team to have No Complaints, No Excuses, and No Regrets.Learn more at www.stopworkplacedrama.com

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How to be a Networking Disaster

You would think with all the platforms out there that make networking so easy that people would be better at it. Unfortunately bad behavior still runs rampant and I get to see more than my fair share of networking implosions.

There are a few key areas you need to royally screw up if you want to achieve "debacle" status on networking. This post is a guide for how you can most efficiently and effectively burn bridges, annoy people, and destroy your network as fast as possible. This is NOT about how to properly maintain your network as explained in this post (CLICK HERE) - this is about apocalyptic network destruction.

Let's define the target area you're going to drop bombs all over. Your network is the sum of all relationships (personal and professional) you've built over the years as well as the relationships of those individuals with their friends and colleagues. I'm going to show you not only how to destroy your own network but also how you can best damage the networks of the people in your network. We're talking second-degree of separation destruction here folks. And for some bonus tips on how to further destroy your network, read this post too by clicking here.

So let's get on with the network nuking...

Use People

The first way to start destroying your network is to use people. Do it shamelessly. You should never reach out to anyone to see how they're doing. Instead wait until you need something for yourself then send out the emails asking for help. Subject lines like "I just lost my job. Can you hire me?" work especially well for this purpose.

Better yet, if someone in your network is dumb enough to help you when the only time you ever reach out is when you need help, mark them as a sucker in your contact database. Be sure to regularly ask them for stuff without ever offering to help them in any way. You already know picking up the phone is a key to successful networking (as described in this post). Just pick up the phone and ask them for assistance. If their assistance does help you get what you needed, be sure not to let them know things worked out and for goodness' sake, DON'T send them a thank you note.

Waste Their Time

Be sure when you ask someone in your network for help (as described above) that you make it as inconvenient as possible for them to help you. Insist on meeting on dates that are difficult for them to make work (but since they're suckers they'll rearrange their calendar to help you). Whatever you do, DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE on how to properly network over coffee.

Once you do arrange the networking meeting, be sure to show up at least 10-15 minutes late. DO NOT under any circumstance call ahead to let them know you'll be late and be sure not to apologize for your tardiness. You want to reinforce to the people in your network that you are more important than they are and you're doing them a favor by giving them the opportunity to help you out.

When you do meet with them, be sure to talk about nothing but how they can help you. Don't bother asking how they're doing or if you can help them. That's a waste of your precious time. Just be as much of a vampire as you can and leech every last thing you can out of your contact.

Don't Follow Up

When your contact asks you to follow up with them and get them details like resumes or contact info, do NOT send it in a timely manner. Heck, don't even send it at all. The people in your network are smart and will take the initiative. They'll proactively go out to LinkedIn and find your profile URL for themselves. They'll then actively send that profile out to all the other people who could possibly help you.

When they do make introductions for you to other people in their networks, it's time to go with the nuclear option. Do NOT, no matter what, reach out to the person your contact has introduced you to. Wait for that new contact to reach out to you instead. It reinforces the perception that you're busy and therefore must be in high demand.

Also, do NOT follow up with your contact either. Don't send a thank you note to express appreciation for the new introduction. Simply ignore their assistance as if they never helped you in the first place.

Mess Up Your Contact's Reputation

When you meet the new contact who is a friend or colleague of your primary contact, be rude and give off a bad impression. Talk badly about your contact so your new contact will know what a moron their friend is. Treat the new contact as rudely as possible. Be late to meetings (or better yet, miss a meeting), be unresponsive to calls and emails, and generally annoy the new contact as much as possible. These actions will inflict maximum damage upon your contact's network which is the primary objective here.

If your new contact is dumb enough to hook you up with a job or is stupid enough to become a customer of yours, be sure not to thank your original contact. Heck, all they did was put their reputation on the line for you with the intro. They really don't deserve much in the way of follow-up or gratitude.

So there it is folks. I guarantee if you follow any of the above guidance you can quickly achieve new heights of networking disasterdom. Before long you'll have no one on Earth willing to help you and you can go about your business without all those annoying LinkedIn invites, job offers, and customer inquiries coming your way. That will leave you tons of time for sleep and Bon Bons on the couch while watching Dr. Phil.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC - Get the latest updates on my upcoming book One Piece of Paper - CLICK HERE

NOTE: I know at least ONE person will read the above and miss the fact that I'm advocating the exact OPPOSITE of these actions. If you're that person and you choose to take the above advice literally and actually follow it, you deserve to destroy your network because clearly you're not very bright.

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How Mr. Spock Helps You Make Better Decisions

As leaders, we like being decisive and making quick decisions. We know our businesses well and are willing to act. Doing so without true contrarian input can be dangerous though.

You can make better decisions though simply by identifying and relying on your own personal Mr. Spock. Yes, I've been watching movies again and as usual, I can't help but draw a leadership perspective from them.

In Star Trek (the new version - which was awesome) Captain Kirk is decisive yet impetuous. He takes on huge risks and acts on emotion. Many times he's right. He has a good gut feeling and intuition. He knows his team and his organization's capabilities. He's a great tactician. But it's easy to see how his snap decisions could lead to disaster.

Mr. Spock on the other hand is brutally logical and dispassionate. He is stylistically diametrically opposed to Captain Kirk. Needless to say the two of them go at each others' throats (both figuratively and literally when Spock snaps and chokes out Kirk).

As a team, however, the two of them make better decisions. As conflict-laden and dysfunctionally painful as their relationship is at times, it works.

All of us would do well as leaders to find our own Mr. Spock. Here's what I mean...

At one point in my career I had my own Mr. Spock. I was young, impetuous, and action-oriented. My bias was to make decisions, act on them, and see what happened. Sometimes those weren't the best decisions and things kind of blew up on me (I know... hard to believe, right? ;). During those blow-ups I had my team in crisis damage control mode. We would clean things up, learn from them and move on with life.

One day, my Mr. Spock showed up - uninvited might I add. He was even-keeled. He asked difficult questions. He wanted me to articulate the logic and reason behind the decisions I wanted to make. He was a complete pain in my behind.

I avoided Spock at all costs. I made decisions without involving him. I didn't invite him to meetings where we discussed upcoming decisions. I was an immature idiot in how I related to him.

Spock, being a driven little Vulcan, often found out about upcoming decisions and in his unemotional way invited himself to participate in the decision making process. He asked great questions. He pointed out logical flaws. He made my life difficult, slower, yet oddly more insightful.

Spock's involvement in the decision making process helped the team avoid some errors and in one case prevented a pretty good sized crisis. He made us sharper and smarter. Over time I came to respect and seek out his input when I understood the value he added to the process. No, I didn't thoroughly enjoy it but involving him was like Brussels sprouts - distasteful but good for you.

So who is your Mr. Spock? Who is that person that makes you consider other alternatives? Who is the person you avoid because they ask difficult questions and force you to think through your decisions more thoroughly? Sure, they slow you down but sometimes they're the only obstacle between you and the Romulan warship you're flying into range of.

Identify the person who can be your Spock. Have an up-front conversation with them about your style and their style. Let Spock know how you would like to involve him/her in your decision making process. Be sure to agree to disagree at times and try to clarify who makes what decisions and who has the authority to make which calls.

As painful as you might find it, you might learn a thing or two. You will likely make better decisions. Sure things might be slower but wouldn't you rather take a little more time to increase your chances of success than rapidly flying into a Klingon ambush?

Find your Mr. Spock. He'll help you be a better leader because good leaders listen. Good leaders make informed decisions. Good leaders utilize all available resources on their teams. Good leaders are open to input and productive dissent. You owe it to your team and your organization to endure the pain of dealing with Mr. Spock because in the end, it's better for everyone involved - including you.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
- Get the latest updates on my upcoming book One Piece of Paper - CLICK HERE

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3 Steps to Successfully Move into a New Role

"Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in." - Michael Corleone, The Godfather: Part III

If you've ever moved to a new role in your company, you've probably felt like Michael Corleone at some point. The folks from your old role keep sucking you back in, asking for help, asking you to continue doing your old job, and basically keeping you from moving into your new role.

Combine that pull with being a new role, new organization, and needing to demonstrate impact pretty quickly and you have a recipe for a very uncomfortable and difficult work experience.

In a recent SmartBrief on Leadership poll I asked what the most difficult part of moving to a new role was. The answers are not surprising:

So how can you quickly and effectively move out of your old role and into the new one?

Step 1: Cut the Cord

Be explicit about when your assistance ends. Put in place a good transition plan. Dedicate your time to helping your replacement get up to speed. If you ditch them and leave them in a lurch, they'll keep pestering you. Put all documents and resources in easy-to-find folders.

And let them know when your support ends. It's easy to be Michael Corleone and get pulled back in because you naturally want to help your old organization succeed. Unfortunately that comes at the price of your new organization not getting your full attention. Let your replacement know "after this date, I expect you to be running the show and i cannot dedicate any more time to coming back and doing your job for you." Sure, it's a little harsh but if you don't cut the cord, they won't.

Step 2: Cram

Learning the content of your new area is a challenge. Treat it like college exams and cram. Ask for any and all relevant documents that pertain to your area and hole up for a few days studying all of them. Immerse yourself in the new content. When you cram and read all of it around the same time, you're more likely to make connections between concepts in the new area than you are if you read things one-off over time.

The cramming will also give you a sense not just of the content but of the capabilities, biases, and skills of people in the organization. The way documents are written and stored says a lot about the person writing them. Start understanding the organizational lay of the land as you're doing your content cramming.

Step 3: Find a Mentor

Find someone in that new organization who has been around for a while and can help you understand the politics and relationship dynamics of your new organization. Have them make key introductions for you. Have them explain the agendas of all the players involved.

But be careful - you need to understand your mentor's biases and agenda too. Seek a second mentor who can help you objectively assess your mentor as well. If you don't you could be assuming the blind spots and politics of your mentor which could hurt you in the long run.

The Results

If you take these three steps, you'll be able to dedicate your focus to your new role. You'll have a good sense for the content from your cramming and you'll know how to get things done if your mentor does a good job of giving you the lay of the land.

The more actively you manage the transition process, the easier it is. Set clear transition expectations and don't let yourself get pulled into old work - cut the cord at some point. Find those two or three people in your new organization who can act as mentors, help you build relationships, and understand the new areas of knowledge. You'll get up to speed faster than doing that on your own. If you do these first few steps well, you'll have more impact faster because all your time will be focused on the new role which you'll understand better and more quickly than you otherwise would.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
- Get the latest updates on my upcoming book One Piece of Paper - CLICK HERE

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4 Ways to Find Your Next Generation of Leaders

Today's guest blogger is Brendan Cruickshank. You can learn all about him in his byline at the end of this post. Here are his thoughts on finding that next generation of leaders.

When you hear the word "leader," what image pops into your head? A President? A General? Maybe a CEO of a large company? Sure, these are all leaders. But what about scientists, marketers, secretaries, and even custodians? Doesn't leadership exist in these jobs too?

Most of us tend to associate leadership with some sort of senior executive position. But in most organizations, leadership is required at all levels. At the engineering level, a leader might be the individual who assumes the lead role in the development effort for a new product. For a sales clerk, leadership can be going the extra mile in making sure the customer experience is improved and maximized. Among a group of designers, leadership could be demonstrated by a worker who puts in long hours for two weeks straight to make sure the next prototype is flawless. Leadership is needed everywhere in a truly successful organization and leadership skills are critical in every role imaginable.

An organization that recognizes the need for leadership at all levels will reflect this philosophy in its hiring practices. The challenge is to find leaders not just at the top echelons of management, but at mid-level and even lower-level rungs of the organizational ladder. What exactly is the best way to go about finding those leaders?

How do we recognize them and identify them? Here are four things you should consider as you look for that next generation of leaders:

Look for evidence of previous leadership: If you want to hire more leaders, it stands to reason that the candidate you want is one who has shown she has already taken a leadership role. This doesn't necessarily mean having a title. There are many ways of showing leadership without being called a manager or supervisor. In many cases, an individual who consistently takes the initiative to do more than required is leadership material. So is someone who has had a significant impact in making things happen. For that matter, there is no greater indicator of a true leader than one who has also been a mentor. These are just some of the things to look for in a candidate's resume. Whatever you choose to focus on, the goal is to find a pattern of behavior that gives you a good reason to believe that the candidate will become a leader in your organization.

Look for evidence of innovation: A good leader is a forward-thinker. There are many instances where effective leadership is also bold leadership. A good thing to do when hiring is to look for examples of visionary thinking in a candidate's past achievements. But such examples are not always easy to find. An alternative is to question the candidate about the direction he feels the business function should be pointed and what he thinks is the best way forward. Questions like this serve a two-fold purpose: they allow you to not only judge the candidate's vision, but also how effectively he is able to articulate it. Both of these things are evidence of leadership because a leader needs to convince others and obtain true buy-in of his concepts.

Don't restrict your search to industry "experts": There is certainly nothing wrong with hiring an expert, but restricting the search pool also may restrict your ability to find a leader. Instead, focus on candidates who are able to demonstrate an ability to solve problems. Find someone who may have created the same results you want even if those outcomes may have occurred in a completely different environment. There will always be time for a leader to learn about the widgets your company makes. The fact that he is not an expert on them when you hire him can often be more of a good thing than bad.

Build leaders from the bottom up: Change the culture of your organization. Instill within all your employees a sense of personal investment in the service or product your company produces. Plant the seeds for leadership growth within your corporate structure. Institute leadership training and development programs throughout the organization and make them widely available to employees at all levels. Share as much corporate information with employees as is practical. All of these things help elevate the degree of employee buy-in to the corporate effort. The more invested a company's employees are in their organization, the more likely they will become to take on an issue or problem as their own. Leaders don't always have to come from the outside; they can be developed internally.

Brendan Cruickshank (Vice President of Client Services) - Brendan is a veteran of the online job search and recruiting industry, having spent the past 8 years in senior client services roles with major sites like Juju.com and JobsInTheMoney.com. He is quoted regularly as an expert in employment and job trends in major media outlets like the Washington Post, US News & World Report, and Forbes and has spoken at recruiting industry events such as Onrec and Kennedy Information’s Corporate Recruiting Conference.

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Have You Trained Your Replacement?

None of us likes to think about being replaced in our jobs. We enjoy the security that comes with the routine and familiarity of our role. The notion of someone else taking that spot from us can be unnerving.

I submit that the best leaders out there are actively seeking someone to replace them. Whether they are looking within their own team, the broader organization, or outside the company, a good leader always has a notion of who will be sitting in their chair next. Why? Because organizations change, new opportunities present themselves, and people need chances to grow.

This is the beginning of a guest post I wrote that you can read on Mary Jo Asmus' blog.  To read the rest of the post, click on over to Mary Jo Asmus' blog at Aspire Collaborative Services where I expand on how to think about training and hiring your replacement. While you're there be sure to sign up to receive her blog too - there's some great info there!

To get a sample of Mary Jo's writing, check out this post she wrote here on the thoughtLEADERS blog last week about how to be a better coach. It's some great advice. You can read more about Mary Jo at the bottom of that post. If you haven’t read her blog yet, you should go read it and subscribe to it by clicking here.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
- Get the latest updates on my upcoming book One Piece of Paper - CLICK HERE

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Your Thoughts on 2011 - Signs of Optimism

As many of you know, I write the weekly analysis of the SmartPulse poll for SmartBrief on Leadership. If you're not reading SmartBrief, you HAVE TO (www.smartbrief.com). Great articles. Great abstracts. Anyway, we just conducted the end-of-year poll and I want to share the results with you here.

The end of year polls covered three major questions.  The theme of all three is what do you think the new year has in store for all of us:

- What strategy will be central to your effort to enhance profits in the new year?

- Which of the following is of most concern as you look forward to the coming year?

- What of the following best describes your top personal goal as a leader for 2011?

The poll results are both interesting and encouraging. From the looks of your replies, 2011 should be trending in the right direction. I know it's still scary out there but there are signs of hope. Check out the poll results and my analysis on each of them...

A eye on innovation



It's encouraging to see many of you focused on innovation and new growth, rather than cutting costs. New products and services are where you'll see the greatest return long term. Those of you not planning to make any changes to your business run the risk of being left behind. Your business is going to change. Either you can change it or the market will change it for you.

Big-picture worries



Unemployment is top of mind for many of you, which makes sense: When consumers aren't buying, your business is not expanding. There is a silver lining -- with unemployment so high you can afford to be more selective in your hiring. If your business is on stable ground, you should be out there searching for talent.

The personal side



Improving your time management skills barely beat out improving your physical health. The two are likely linked. If we don't have the time to get all our work done, how can we possibly find the time for fitness? I suggest defining a reasonable, achievable new routine and schedule that includes time for exercise. Stick to it for at least a month. Do your best to permit no exceptions to getting out of your routine. By the time you've ingrained this new schedule into your routine, both goals should be well within reach.

Bolstering skills and learning about new parts of your business are critical to your development and often fall by the wayside. Build them into your professional goals for the year. Have your boss or a respected peer hold you accountable to that goal and enlist their assistance in achieving it. Trying to go it alone is a recipe for failure.

So there are your replies (and the replies of thousands of other SmartBrief on Leadership readers) and there's my take on what the numbers mean. Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have anything to add? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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It's Time to Brush Up Your Resume

As 2010 winds down, many folks look forward to time off, vacations, and some well-deserved relaxation. During this downtime though, you have work to do. It's time to brush up your resume.

No, you're not getting fired (at least I hope not - talk about Grinch-like bosses who would can someone over the holidays). And no, the job market hasn't suddenly rebounded. There's a more important reason to brush up your resume. Now the resume isn't the be-all end-all for job search and there are a lot of myths surrounding it. Check out the most common myths in this post by CLICKING HERE. That said, it is an important document that needs to be up to date at any given time.

According to close to 70% of you it has been well over 6 months since you dusted off this document. Don't believe me? Check out the poll at the bottom of the page (and vote if you haven't voted yet). 6 months is a long time. I don't know about you but I start forgetting things after 6 hours. And that's why it's a perfect time to brush up your paper. And I'm not just talking about your .doc resume either - brush up your LinkedIn and other social networking profiles too.

Your resume should always be current and accurate. I'm sure many of you have had that frantic experience when a headhunter or company calls and asks to see your resume. You scramble around trying to piece together however many years of accomplishments since you last updated it. More often than not, it will be a long, painful process and you will miss things. There is a better way...

Why now?

The end of the year is the perfect time to do this work. Things are quiet and you can hopefully think. You can get some dedicated focus time without tons of meetings hammering away at your calendar. Writing a document as important as your resume requires good dedicated effort.

It's also a good time to write it because you've likely received your year-end review. That document is a great source of the facts and figures you need to craft a clear, compelling resume.

Why do it at all?

I don't know about you but the notion of going into my archives to piece together multiple years of performance to write an updated resume is not my idea of holiday fun. I would much rather have a document I know is accurate and up to date. To achieve that, regularly updating that resume is a good idea.

The rationale behind having it updated is pretty straightforward. When you get a call from someone looking to fill a critical role you need to have that document at the ready. Especially in hypercompetitive times like these where there are so many candidates competing for few jobs even a few days' delay can cost you a chance at a new role.

And during times of layoffs, downsizing, and economic uncertainty you're much better off having that document at the ready in case you end up a casualty of downsizing. Many times when people get laid off, their access to all company documents (including copies of your old progress reviews that you failed to download off the server and onto your home PC) is cut off. How can you expect to write a good resume without access to that base data?

Make it a habit

Every year the resume update has become a ritual. Even though I run my own business and I don't plan on firing myself anytime soon or pursuing new opportunities, it's good to catalog accomplishments, reflect on where I am at from a career standpoint, and assess my performance for the last twelve months. The downtime surrounding the holidays has become my scheduled time period for doing that.

I suggest you do the same. Put the little recurring annual calendar appointment in Outlook and remind yourself every year to go through this exercise. The result will be a good sense of where you are, the accomplishments you've achieved, and readiness for the next opportunity that comes your way. The difference between landing that next dream job or waiting in the unemployment line could be as slight as a week's delay in updating your resume. Wouldn't you rather be prepared?

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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The Best of thoughtLEADERS 2010: The Greatest Posts You've Ever Seen

2010 is almost over so as usual it's time for the year in review list of the BEST posts we've published in 2010.

We're now making this an annual event therefore the award needs a name. I proudly introduce you to The Figgies! A tip of my hat to all my McKinsey buddies who used to call me that. Winning a Figgie is indeed prestigious. Here's how it goes: this list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work as judged by you the readers (with a little of our discretion thrown in). We've also included a few hidden gems we think deserve another shot in the spotlight. There's also a kicker bonus post on the list just for good measure (it's a "wayback" - and speaking of wayback, check out the photo on the trophy... yes... that's me '80's style baby!).

Enjoy. Share. We've loved writing them. We hope you've enjoyed reading them. I don't ask a lot of you folks so here's my one request for a holiday gift - invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we get better is by raising everyone's game. Simply CLICK HERE to invite them to come read our stuff. I'm not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here's your chance to return the favor for all our hard work.

Thanks for your incredible support in '10 and best wishes for '11! We hope to be a part of your future success! A little foreshadowing for 2011 - I've signed a book deal with Jossey-Bass and my book on leadership will be hitting stores next fall. This is a REAL book (not one of those self-published vanity press jobbies). I hope you'll sock away a few bucks and save up to buy a copy. More to come on that soon.

Enough sentimentality. Here's the best stuff we've written all year:

Most Viewed/Forwarded: Critical Tips Every Traveler Must Know. This thing whipped around the web at the speed of light. I guess many of you are just as frustrated as I am with the stupidity that occurs on planes, trains, and automobiles. You might want to read it to make sure you're not enraging other passengers around you.

Most Controversial: 4 Ways Leaders Can Overcome the Fear of Conflict. I go telling people to grow up, take off the kid gloves, and deliver tough messages. Some readers rallied to the cry while other readers just cried. Was I too tough or spot on? You make the call!

Best Attack: Hate Presenting? That's Okay - They Hate Listening to You. This one is an attack on all horrible presenters. Are you one of them? Take a read and find out if you cut the mustard.


Best Employee Empowerment Advice: Leadership 101 - Leading Yourself. Before you can lead others you had better know where you're going. This is step one of articulating your own leadership philosophy. It's also a small taste of the first section of my upcoming book.

Best Social Media Bashing: It's Okay to be a Social Networking Clown. As the Joker would say - "Why so serious?" Social media can be fun and professional. And professional does not mean stodgy. This post demystifies whether or not you should tell fart jokes on the internet.

Best Guest Post: 5 Changes Go-To People Must Make to Keep Going. Scott Eblin nailed it in this post on how to continue being the go-to person while still advancing your career. Great advice on ditching old behaviors and picking up new ones.


Best Career Enhancing Advice: The Big Jump - Go From Having Answers to Asking Questions. This one really resonated with folks looking to take on higher level roles and advance their career. You need to move from being the answer provider to being the question asker.

Most Practical Business Growth Advice: Entrepreneurs Need to Bootstrap to WIN. Whether you're an entrepreneur or work at a global company the tips and mindsets discussed in this post can help you appreciate how to grow your business effectively.

Funniest Picture: If You Want to Close the Deal, Go Naked. No, I'm not spoiling the fun by posting the pic here. Click over to see it and read some great perspectives on how to ditch the PowerPoint and have a real conversation.

Best Use of a Jedi to Make a Point: If You Don't Read This, You're Going to Die. This category changed it has because monkeys in the future jedis are not. Yoda makes some great points about how important it is to never stop learning.


Best Get Ready for 2011 Guidance: 1 Simple Way to Boost Productivity by 50%. I know I want to be more productive in 2011. Don't you? Here are some simple thoughts on how changing your meeting behavior can do exactly that.

Wayback Winner: 10 Reasons Your Team Hates You (They Just Won't Say It To Your Face). This is the greatest post I've ever written. It has it all: it's a list, it feeds on fear, insecurity, and drama. Read it. I promise you'll love it.

That's all of 'em folks - our favorites from this past year. I hope you enjoy them. Again - thanks for all your support this year. I'm really looking forward to getting even edgier in 2011!

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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If You Don't Read This, You're Going to Die

As we get more senior in our organizations, we get a lot smarter. Our wisdom grows. We understand the business better than those around us. Newfangled management ideas come and go but we're now wise enough to believe we know everything we already need to know.

Then - WHAM! The world smacks us upside the head with a powerful "didn't know that, didja?" Your business is in turmoil. Chaos. Confusion. Cows raining from the sky. Armageddon.

There's only one thing I know that can prevent those kinds of moments - learning. Ever heard "the day you stop learning is the day you die" thrown around before? Yeah. That. (Or as Yoda might say "Die you will that day when stop learning you do" or something like that).

If we all know that to be true, why do we insist on not learning? My thought: hubris. We demonstrate excessive pride and believe we've learned everything we need to. That's just flat dangerous.

So how can you avoid this fate of dying due to dumbness? I'm glad you asked...

Accept You Don't Know Everything

You're smart. I know this because you're reading this blog. I also know I'm preaching to the choir because clearly you're interested in learning (that's why you're here). Perhaps you should forward this post to the office know-it-all.

If you've had this forwarded to you because you are the office know-it-all and you're about to stop reading because you really don't need to learn what's in here since you know everything, let me ask you this: what's the atomic weight of Americium? And no cheating on Google. See? You don't know everything.

If you're not sure you fall in this camp, go read this post about being Mr. Smartypants - it'll give you a few ideas on how to think about this problem.

Once you accept you don't know it all, you've opened your mind to being better at what you do.

Figure Out What You Want to Know

I'm sure most of you don't need to know the atomic weight of Americium (it's 243). But you should lay out what you do need to know. Step back from your business. Identify a few major trends that will affect it in the coming 2-3 years. Ask yourself how much you know about those trends. Target the one you're dumbest about.

You can also ask "what does my organization need to do better" and target getting smarter in that space. I had the distinct privilege of training several C-level execs recently on a topic they were very familiar with (can you say intimidating?). It was an awesome experience. Even though they were very experienced in the overall concepts, they were open and eager to learn new tools for applying those concepts. They didn't just pick up new tools and techniques in the session.  Their attendance at the training also sent a very strong signal to the organization that the concepts are important.  That signal drives the organization to learn and grow.

What do you want to know and learn about? Create a little curriculum list for yourself entitled "Stuff I Gotta Learn More About This Year" and use it as a checklist. Monitor your progress against that learning agenda in 2011.

Go Learn

Find the opportunities to amass this new knowledge. It could be a book, a training course, a seminar, reading blogs, or simply sitting down to lunch with people who are really smart about that topic. Immerse yourself in the subject. Keep your mind open to new tools, ideas, and techniques. Challenge your conventional wisdom and ask yourself how the new knowledge changes your existing view of the world.

Apply the learning too. Pick targeted aspects of the new ideas and try them out. For example, if you're a social media idiot, open a twitter account and start following and tweeting. See how you can do old things in new ways. You must apply the tools to truly learn how to use them and integrate them into your existing knowledge base.

Learning is a lifelong sport. The minute you stop, you die. What new things are you learning about right now? How do you keep yourself focused on learning and growing?

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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How You Can Stage a Workplace Bully Beatdown

We all hate bullies. I know I do. Ever since Ricky F. smashed my lunch every day of 5th grade I've hated them.

Then we get older and go to work. We think we've finally grown up and don't have to deal with bullies anymore. Then it happens - we find we're working with Ricky F. the bully (or even worse, the bully is our boss).

It's a painful and not-too-uncommon situation. So what can you do other than sit there and take it?

You can fight back. You can beat that bully up (figuratively - I am not advocating workplace violence as much as some people might even deserve a smack upside the head or a punch in the beak).

Beating up bullies has become acceptable behavior. Heck, there's even a great show on MTV2 called Bully Beatdown. My son and I love watching it (we even ran into the host, Mayhem, at LAX a coupla months ago and he is amazingly cool). The whole premise of the show is people submit bullies to the show, Mayhem invites the bully to come on and fight a mixed martial arts fighter, and invariably the bully is humbled. Awesome show.

So how can you stage your own bully beatdown at the office?

First you have to identify what kind of bully you're dealing with. Once you've done that, there are four techniques you can use to break the cycle of bullying. They are direct feedback, inclusion, professional smack-down, and frontal assault.

Bully Identification
Before beating up a bully, you have to know what you're dealing with. Bullying has its roots in insecurity. The bully feels in some way inadequate. To compensate for that, the bully chooses to push others down rather than facing and overcoming that insecurity.

Insecurities can range from physical ones (short, weird, bald) to intellectual ones (not too bright, promoted past the point of competence) to emotional ones (not loved, abused, ignored at home, excluded as a child). All these insecurities are sources of pain for the bully. The bully's desire to make the pain go away manifests itself as lashing out at others, causing pain in them, or asserting a position of dominance to compensate for feelings of weakness or helplessness. Yes, today's post is a bit of a psychology lesson.

Bullies can occupy several positions in our lives: coworker, customer, boss, supplier, etc. Depending on which role the bully occupies and the source of their insecurity, you'll need to utilize different techniques for dealing with them (assuming you want the bully to stop picking on you).

Take a moment to think of the bully. What's their role? How do they behave? What do you perceive that weakness to be that they're compensating for? Got it? Good. Let's solve your bully problem.

Technique 1: Direct Feedback

This approach can be used with all categories of bullies and for all reasons they act like bullies. It's the best place to start. Let the bully know you'd like to get some time on their calendar to talk about how things are going between the two of you and to address some concerns you have. Don't ambush them in a hallway with feedback - they'll get defensive then go on the attack. By setting aside time, you're enabling them to enter the conversation with an open mind.

In that meeting, use the classic feedback model. Describe the behavior you've observed from them, confirm they know the incident you're talking about, tell them how it made you feel, and offer how you'd like similar situations handled in the future.

Example: "Remember in last week's staff meeting when you told me 'Shut your cakehole!'? Yes? You remember. Okay. That made me feel like you didn't value my opinion and it made me not want to offer other thoughts because I was embarrassed in front of the team. When you did that and I didn't want to get yelled at again. In the future, I'd prefer you either let me offer my thoughts or if it's the wrong time for that, ask me to hold my suggestions until later."

Hopefully the bully is mature and professional enough to handle the feedback well and change behaviors.

Technique 2: Inclusion

Inclusion also works on all types of bullies. It can be very effective on bullies who act that way because they've been ridiculed or excluded in their past. They're likely bullying and attacking because they feel left out of the group.

Include them. When the team goes to lunch, invite the boss. If it's a coworker and the whole team is meeting about a project, invite them to join. Solicit their opinion on things. It's teamwork 101 people. The more you exclude the person because of their bad behavior, the more they'll behave badly. They're clearly not capable of reversing the negative dynamic. You as a leader need to take the first difficult steps in changing things. It's not hard. Invite them to join you.

When the bully feels included, they're less likely to lash out and punish you for hurting their feelings when you don't include them. Hopefully the more included they feel, the less they'll have a need to bully.

Technique 3: Professional Smack-down

This is a bit of tough love and requires you to assert yourself in a professional way. I don't recommend it for bosses or customers but it can be very helpful with coworkers, team members, or suppliers. Resort to this only after you've tried direct feedback.

When the bully acts up (either in private or in public), you'll need to be direct and forceful. "Ricky, I know you've told me to shut my cakehole. I'd prefer we elevate the conversation to a more professional level. Can we discuss the facts of the issue we're struggling with as a team rather than resorting to name calling?"

You've maintained your composure. You've defined what is and isn't acceptable behavior. You've focused everyone back on the real work to be done. Everyone in the room is probably silently cheering you on and supporting you. You've definitely earned some professionalism points with that one.

Technique 4: Frontal Assault

This is a last resort. Hopefully you've tried the other three techniques first. Unfortunately they clearly haven't worked. The bully continues to bully. Again, I don't recommend this one with bosses or customers unless you're cool with making a career-limiting move.

It'll go something like this:

Ricky: "Shut your cakehole Mike!"

Mike: "Hey Ricky, I'm sick of your bullying. It's completely ridiculous and unprofessional. I've asked you to stop acting like this before but apparently I speak at a frequency you can't hear. Your behavior is utterly unproductive. How about you shut *your* cakehole for a change so the rest of us can actually get some work done?"

Yep. Ugly. It'll be epic water cooler conversation. It will definitely end things one way or the other. Again, I don't recommend this one. It's clearly the nuclear option. That said, life is too short to be miserable at work and let bullies continue smashing your lunch.

How have you dealt with bullies in your work environment? We'd love to hear your suggestions and techniques.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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5 Changes Go-To People Must Make to Keep Going

Today's guest blogger is Scott Eblin. You can read all about him at the end of the post and also learn about his great new book that just hit shelves. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of it. Here's Scott...

If you’re a high potential leader, there’s about a 98% chance that you’re thought of or view yourself as a “go-to person.” I know that number ‘s in the ballpark because I regularly ask audiences of high potential leaders, “How many of you have been referred to or think of yourself as a ‘go-to person?’” Usually, just about every hand in the room goes up. For example, in a webinar I conducted for Government Executive magazine, 98% of the 400 plus senior managers online answered yes to the “go-to” question in a flash poll.

And what do I mean by “go-to person”? As one leader explained it to me, “I’m the closer.” You either know the type or you are the type. Go to people are the ones who make sure the job gets done. If that means taking over, so be it. If that means staying up into the wee hours, so be it. Organizations reward go-to people because they can rely on them. They’re the kinds of folks who are designated as high potentials and are promoted into bigger and bigger jobs. Great stuff, right? Well, it is until it isn’t...

We’ve all seen the cases of high performing, super achieving go-to people who are promoted to executive level roles and then hit the wall. The air is rare up there and the failure rate is high. A well known study by the Center for Creative Leadership shows that up to 40% of newly promoted managers and executives are no longer in their roles within 18 months of their promotion. What goes wrong? Ironically, it stems from that go-to person approach. With each move up, the scope of work expands. Instead of results expectations in one or two areas, results are expected on multiple fronts.

Through my work with both seasoned and rising leaders, I’ve concluded that executive success depends on a process of picking up and letting go. There are sets of behaviors that executives need to pick up and let go of when they take on bigger jobs and the new expectations that go with them. Over the years, I’ve developed and tested a model of leadership that breaks these pick up and let go behaviors into three types of leadership presence – personal, team and organizational. The model looks like this:

For the go-to person leader, picking up is the easier part of the process. The go-to folks are bright people. They learn quickly. Picking up new skills is usually a cognitive challenge. What’s more challenging is the letting go. That’s an emotional hurdle because now you’re facing letting go of some of the very behaviors that made you successful on your way up.

Over the past several years, my company has conducted a 360 degree assessment based on the Next Level model for over 500 rising executives. The aggregate results tell an interesting story about the strengths these go-to people bring to the table as well as the behaviors they need to adjust to succeed in their executive level roles.

At the high end of the scale are behaviors like having a strong desire for the team to succeed, demonstrating stamina and energy and showing mental acuity. When you consider that our database consists of assessments for high potential leaders, the high end results aren’t surprising. They’re really the baseline behaviors and characteristics of go-to people. Where things get interesting is the behaviors that are the five items that the colleagues of these high potentials rate the lowest. They are:

- Paces him/herself by building in regular breaks from work.
- Leaves time in his/her schedule for unexpected problems or issues.
- Spends less time using his/her functional skills and more time encouraging team members to use theirs.
- Regularly takes time to step back and define or redefine what needs to be done.
- Spends less time on day to day issues and more time on strategic opportunities.

When you connect the dots, you see a picture of go-to people who are running flat out until they crash because it’s hard to let go of self reliance. Many of my clients take on this challenge in a focused development process that we call an Executive Success Plan or ESP. Based on follow-up colleague feedback, the ones that are most successful are the ones that focus in on one or two key behaviors and then get their colleagues engaged with providing simple ideas for how to be better. If you’re clear about what you’re working on, tell people what you’re working on, ask them for ideas on how to improve and follow through on their good ideas, you can become a better leader.

It all lines up with what Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Successful executives learn to pick up new habits and let go of old ones that enable them to make the shift from go-to person to leader of go-to people.

Scott Eblin is the author of The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success. Scott is also an executive coach, speaker, and blogger. He is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, president of The Eblin Group and graduate of Davidson College, Harvard University, and Georgetown University’s leadership coaching certificate program, where he is also on the faculty.

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Stay Bonuses are the Worst Kind of Retention Tool

This is a wayback - almost two years ago to the day I offered this perspective and eerily it's still spot on. I must be Nostradamus' long lost great grandson.

It's been a rough year in the market. Mortgage crises. Bad corporate behavior. Bankruptcies. M&A. Hideous. Lloyd Bridges said it best: "Looks like I picked the wrong year to quit sniffing glue." But undoubtedly the most bizarre behavior I've seen this year comes in the form of the "stay bonus."

Let's hit rewind and explore some underlying axioms about business. Sure, many of these are cliche (probably because so many folks have abused and perverted them that they often ring hollow) but they'll set a context to explore this issue.

1. People are our most important resource
2. It costs much more to hire someone new than it does to keep the associates you've already got
3. People are always searching for growth opportunities

Here's the issue: those three axioms set many organizations up for a colossal form of organizational stupidity.

Imagine this situation if you will: you have a positive bull market going on and the economy is chugging along at a solid clip. Life is good. Earnings reports are full of butterflies and rainbows and puppy dogs and smiley faces (I love Frank Caliendo's impression of Pacino) and no matter how hard management tries, they can't seem to do anything other than turn a wonderful profit. Everyone's as cozy as Fonzie on a motorcycle. In this scenario, it seems like every manager and executive in the organization is the next Jack Welch given the performance they're turning in.

Then it happens - everything goes south. The economy craters. Spending tightens. Margins are pressured. But most importantly of all, leaders in the organization start making bad decisions (or no decisions at all which is even worse). Some of them demonstrate gross negligence or incompetence. Earnings reports are full of more "Biff!"s and "Pow!"s than an old Adam West era Batman episode.

Looking at things objectively, management and leadership has failed. They've failed to anticipate and prepare for problems. They've failed to steer the organization through choppy waters. And all too often, they've failed to take responsibility for their failures (once again invoking the Krusty the Clown defense of "Don't blame me! I didn't do it!").

Here's where it gets stooooopid (with FIVE O's). The same management that drove the business into the ground opens their handy "Successful Executive's Handbook" (warning: if you see this book on the bookshelf of a prospective boss, run like the wind my child!). They frantically look for the chapter on The Titanic but to no avail.

At that point, they remember the three axioms above and grow concerned that the problems in the business will lead to a "brain drain" of their talent. They read those axioms over and over wondering what to do. They worry their "key talent" will seek "growth opportunities" elsewhere now that the company has melted down. It hits them hard when they think they can't afford to lose their talent because it will cost more and make things worse. And of course, they need to do something (anything) to demonstrate their commitment to people since they are the most important resource they have. The stroke of genius strikes at that moment - the best way to prevent that brain drain from happening lies at their fingertips: stay bonuses all around!

Yes. Stay bonuses. Wonderfully (and occasionally obscenely) large amounts of cash or stock to induce leaders in the organization to stay are handed out. And guess what happens? Of course those leaders stay around. The incentive is too large not to.

I hope by now you've figured out the monolithic act of stupidity here... please tell me you have. For the benefit of one of those leaders who happened to just give out a stay bonus, I'll elaborate because I'm sure you're confused: YOU JUST PAID BIG BUCKS TO HANG ONTO MANAGERS WHO RAN THE BUSINESS INTO THE GROUND! Why on God's green Earth would you do that? That's simply throwing good money after bad.

The bigger problem is this phenomenon occurs at all levels from Directors to the Board of Directors. These "leaders" mistakenly interpret the above axioms as a mandate to pay even more money to the folks who got them in trouble in the first place.

My suggestion: look at the collapse of the business as a failure of leadership and, as I recommend doing when you make a hiring mistake, belly up to the bar and clean up your mess. Sure it's the harder road to travel but don't your associates, customers, and shareholders deserve better than management (note I did not say leadership) who has cratered a previously solid business? This is one case where instead of stay bonuses, you should be investing in severance packages and hiring bonuses...

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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Dead End Job? It's Never Too Late for a Second Career

Put your hand in the air if you feel trapped in your job. Wow. That's a lot of hands. And you've been doing that job how long? Really? You don't say.

Well I have some good news for you. There's life after that job. Heck, there are entire careers out there just waiting for you. Careers where you can once again be excited and fulfilled. The biggest obstacle is you taking the plunge and putting in the effort.

You folks know I don't mince words. I've told you plenty of times to quit your job (like I did in this post where I also told you to stop complaining). If you look at your career and see a big "Dead End" sign and/or you hate driving to the office every day, perhaps it's time you give a second career a second thought.

I know. It's daunting. And I'm speaking from experience. I've changed roles/careers many times (left the Army, McKinsey, Capital One, and Scotts Miracle-Gro). All departures are hard. They're scary and confusing. But there is life on the other side.

The most important questions to answer are:
- Should I stay or should I go?
- If yes, where and how?

Let's figure these out, shall we?

Should you stay or should you go?

Stealing shamelessly from a prior post (mostly because it was awesome guidance when it was first given to me and it's still awesome today), here's a way to answer the Clash's question:

- If you wake up one day and dread going to work, you have a bad meeting coming up.
- If you wake up for a week and dread it every day of that week, you're on a dog of a project.
- If you wake up for a month and dread it every day of that month, you need to polish your resume.
- If you wake up for two months and dread it for those 60 consecutive days, what the hell are you thinking?!

For the purpose of this post, you also need to take a longer look at your potential growth curve. If it looks like the world before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, you need to consider departing.

We all want to grow. If the opportunities to do so aren't present at your current gig and you think that situation won't change anytime soon, you might want to consider bailing to find the next next.

Where to find the next next and how to get there

This is the easiest and hardest question of all. The easy way to handle it is:

What do you love to do? Okay. Go do that.

The hard part is finding "that" and in a manner that enables you to pay your mortgage.

My cousin loves to cook and brew his own beer. He's (apparently) awesome at it (Matt - you owe me dinner and beer). We spoke a few months ago and he was wondering what to do with his life and where to take his career. I of course kicked him in the pants to go do what he loves.

Now he cooks at a Mexican restaurant (no, it's not Taco Bell which would be sweet because then I'd get free extra baja sauce on my grilled stuft beef burrito). The thing is, while he's there he's learning how to open and run a restaurant. The location he's at is brand new and the owner is a great mentor/coach. Matt is learning a ton and enjoying cooking while he's at it. He understands there's a financial trade-off for chasing his dream. He's willing to do it and is paying his dues.

As you think about your next next, begin with a list of things you love to do. Interview and network with people. Ask them what they do for a living. Don't get locked into stereotypes as you think about new opportunities. Really listen to them. When someone starts talking about a bunch of things on your list, you might have found your new home.

If you can't find that place that enables you to do the things you love, perhaps you should start it yourself. It's called entrepreneurship. And almost every entrepreneur I know shares one common trait: passion. We do what we love. We bend the world to our will to enable us to continue pursuing our passions. Yes, there's risk involved but if you make it work, you'll never work another day in your life because it's not work when you love what you do.

As far as how to set off down the entrepreneurial path, you can do so with little risk. Seriously. Read this post to find out how.

I know I'm being flip about a weighty topic. The thing is, at some point you have to take action or succumb to inaction. My great-grandfather loved to say "you're gonna be a long time dead." That's about the best motivation I can think of to go out and do what you love instead of being trapped in a job you hate.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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6 Executive Presence Failures You're Exhibiting

Many of us aspire to be a senior executive (and many of you already are). Sometimes you might wonder why you're not getting picked for the role.

You're a solid performer, your work is great, and you've exceeded every goal yet still you don't make it to the big leagues. Can't figure out why? You might be exhibiting silly little behaviors that are easy to fix but no one has ever pointed out.  In short, you sometimes come across as a clown.  Now, I know I've previously said it's okay to occasionally be a clown in the social networking arena but this post covers the flip side of that coin.

When you exhibit these little quirks, other senior executives (and your team members) question how polished you truly are. In a day when people are risk averse, they're not going to take a bet on you if they believe you might embarrass yourself or the organization in front of the board, customers, partners, or large groups of associates.

The good news is I'm more than happy to point out some of these little failings that are extremely easy to fix. Yes, some take time to implement while others require but the click of a few buttons.

If you're serious about playing at the next level (or if you want to ensure your performance at that level isn't lacking credibility), read on, take a hard look at what you're doing, and modify behaviors accordingly. It's the little things that can make a difference. And here they are:

Email Etiquette

With the prevalence of electronic communication, you just have to nail this one. Your embarrassing emails are being forwarded and ridiculed whether you know it or not. A few things they're making fun of:

- You're using comic sans as a font. Unless you work at Marvel Comics, you need to be using Arial or Times New Roman. Using comic sans makes you look like a clown. Don't believe me? Check this out: http://bancomicsans.com/
- You have multiple colors and inspirational quotes in your signature block. Stop. If I need a quote pick me up, I'll go find it on twitter. If you want people to think about Joseph's technicolor dreamcoat when they read your email, continue.
- You hit reply all. Stop. 99% of the time there is NO REASON to reply all. Focus your messages.
- You CC EVERYONE (rather than BCC). When you do this, you expose everyone's email to every other recipient. In an age where people try to avoid spam, you're enabling it.

We've talked about some of this before when we discussed 5 reasons nobody reads anything you write. Go check it out again.

Attire

You never get a second chance... Your dress says a lot about you. Here are a few things to watch out for:
- Blue suit, black shoes. No. Stop.
- Black shoes, brown belt (or vice versa). No. Stop.
- Flip flops, jorts, t-shirts, and other nonsense. No. Stop.
If you're unsure about how to dress, go find an image consultant or a clothier. They can help.

Word Choice

This one drives me nuts. If you're not sure how to pronounce something, ask (or listen carefully to someone with impeccable speaking skills). Buzzwords sound dumb enough. They sound even dumber when you mispronounce them. A few of my favorites:
- Strategery (yes, I've heard it)
- Creditability
- Levered

For some of my favorite word choice challenges, take a look at this post.

Humor

The vast majority of us aren't funny. Unfortunately many of us think we are. If you crack a joke in a meeting and hear crickets or see eyes rolling, you're in the unfunny club. It's not endearing. People don't enjoy your jokes and they cringe at the notion of you telling them in front of important clients, business partners, or associates. Leave the humor to the comedians.

Hygiene

Yes, I'm going here. Halitosis. Dirt under your fingernails. Sneezing and not covering it appropriately. B.O. Stains on your clothes. Unless you're an auto mechanic we don't want to experience any of these issues. Come to think of it, we NEVER want to experience these issues. Go clean yourself up. Seriously. It's embarrassing.

Complaining and Oversharing

People don't want to hear about your personal issues. That's why they're PERSONAL. Keep it out of the workplace. If you come to be known as the guy who's always regaling the office with tales of his kid's misbehavior, his marriage issues, arguments with in-laws, or problems with his lawn mowing service, pretty soon no one will want to talk to you.

Keep it personal. If someone pointedly asks you how your kids are doing, it's fine to share. If not, they're likely more concerned with their own work (or kid) issues to be burdened with yours as well.

Look, I'm not trying to be mean here. I'm simply giving some of you a wake-up call. And yes, I've been guilty of several of these items at times too. Fortunately I've had friends, colleagues, and family members let me know about my problems and I've done what I can to fix them. Go take a hard look in the mirror. One of the stupid little things on this list might be exactly what's sabotaging your advancement and credibility.

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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