Having a "You Orientation"

Over the years, I've taken (and given) any number of training courses on presentation skills. But the one that I thought was the best was created and taught by a NJ-based businessman, author, song writer, and trainer named Robert "Bob" Max.

After a successful career, Bob started his own training company and specialized in teaching business writing and presentation skills to corporate audiences: salespeople, scientists, engineers, managers and administrative professionals.

One of the secrets to excellence in presentations is a concept of Bob's that he called "you orientation." Having a You Orientation means that you are audience-centered in your approach to the presentation you are getting ready to give. And, when you get up to deliver the presentation, having a You Orientation means that you stay audience-focused throughout the delivery.

In the years since I took Bob's course, I have often recalled and applied this idea. It's one of those simple yet powerful frames that can really make a big difference in what you are trying to accomplish.

For example, let's apply it to job hunting.

In a job hunt, the job seeker is by definition extremely Me Oriented. But to make progress, she has to develop a complementary You Orientation.

~ The Me Orientation helps the job hunter get clear about her Objective, her skills and accomplishments, and her values and interests.

~ The You Orientation helps the job hunter to research the Target Companies that she has identified; to build a mutually beneficial network with others in order to get information, advice, and referrals; and to ask questions of hiring managers that elicit the goals and needs of the organization.

The most effective tool in the You Orientation is the "you question;" for example:

- What are you looking for?
- What are your goals?
- What advice would you give me?
- Who else would you recommend I speak to?
- How can I help you?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, July 4, 2009

We Have Met The Enemy

"We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us" - Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo.

In the last blog entry on strategy, I mentioned that the job hunter's greatest Enemy is the Self.

Let's look at that more closely.

Take the following test. The twelve items below represent twelve key ingredients in an effective job search. The more times you answer Yes, the more likely you will successfully land. The more No answers, the more likely you are sabotaging yourself.

For each of the following statements, answer Yes or No.

1. My job search is my full time job now.

2. I have a clear Objective for my job search.

3. I understand that I am now in a Sales & Marketing role, and that my Product is Me.

4. I am NOT going it alone; rather, I am reaching out to others to support me.

5. I am on LinkedIn.

6. I am busy networking every day, with everyone.

7. I have Target Companies that I am researching and pursuing.

8. I am NOT waiting for the phone to ring.

9. I have joined at least one local networking group.

10. I believe in myself.

11. I know my strengths (i.e. my skills and accomplishments).

12. I am developing a strategy to attain my career goals.

How did you do? Are you your best ally? or your worst enemy?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, July 2, 2009

Be Sure You Have A Strategy

How many business people have a strategy? My guess would be: Not Many.

It's not for lack of appreciating the value of having a strategy. No, it's mostly because people do not know what a strategy really is.

There is a very helpful article called "Are You Sure You Have A Strategy?" by Donald Hambrick and James Fredrickson, published in the Academy of Management Executive, 2001, Vol. 15, No. 4.

The authors remind us that the term strategy comes from the Greek strategos meaning "the art of the general." In a war, a general has an objective and a strategy for achieving it. Hambrick and Fredrickson identify several key elements of a strategy. Here's my take on their model:

- The Arena: Where will the action take place?

- The Enemy: Who are our competitors?

- The Vehicles: How will we get there?

- The Weapons: How will we win?

- The Staging: What will be our speed? What will be our sequence of moves?

- The Measure: How will we obtain our returns?

How might this apply to a job hunter?

First, a job hunter must have an Objective. Everything else in the strategy depends upon that.

The Arena is Where the job hunter wants to land. Ideally, the job hunter has identified Target Companies to pursue proactively.

The Enemy is the Self. A job hunter will defeat himself more surely than any external competitor. (More on this in a future blog entry.)

The Vehicle of choice for job hunters is Networking.

The Weapons are Self-Awareness (especially about one's own Skills and Accomplishments), Self-Belief, and Persistence.

The Staging involves Sequence of Moves as well as Speed. The warrior job hunter does not wait for the phone to ring. Instead, she makes her own moves and makes things happen, keeping a high level of activity each week of her search.

The Measure is three-fold: Interviews, Offers, and Starts. Until the job hunter gets an interview, there is no chance of an offer, and no way to start.

Now that you know the elements of a strategy, it's time to map one out. What's your Objective? How will you attain it?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, July 1, 2009

You Are the Solution

Someone sent me the link today to a good piece on resumes by Alison Green where she asks: What is the Number One question your resume should answer?

The question Green has in mind is: What did you accomplish in this job that someone else wouldn't have?

What Green is saying is, What has made you special so far in your career? What's your differentiator?

The clue is in the word accomplish. In an excellent resume, you tell a compelling story, about your skills and past achievements, that says to prospective employers, Here's what I can accomplish for you.

So, if the ultimate question in a job search is, Why should I hire you?, the answer is, Because I am the solution to your problem.

How do you become the solution and not just another dreary job hunter? The key is a mental adjustment, from pushing a Product to presenting a Solution to a Need.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 30, 2009

What Draws You In?

With the help of sitemeter, I can view the locations of people who visit this blog. They come from all over; for example:

- Israel
- Japan
- Ireland
- Canada
- Norway
- Russia
- Palestine
- Netherlands
- South Africa
- Germany
- Spain
- India
and all over the United States

My wife asked me, What are they looking for?

Good question.

According to Google Analytics, the Top Content that my visitors look at includes:

- the series on Organization Development
- the series on Employee Engagement
- the post on 70-20-10
- the post on RASCI
- the post on "sense of agency"
- the post on the 3 things you like most about your job


What draws you in?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 29, 2009

Your Interview Dashboard - Part 2

In Part 1 of this series called Your Interview Dashboard, we started designing a "mental dashboard" that a job hunter can install in his or her head for use during interviews in order to smoothly steer through the challenging waters of the interview.

Here are a couple more gauges:

- Your Answers Part 3: Are you conveying your Skills and Accomplishments? To do so clearly, succinctly, and powerfully, tell CAR Stories, using the Challenge - Action - Results format. Start with describing the challenge or problem you faced; then describe the actions you took; then detail the results you achieved.

- Your Energy & Pace: If you have ever taken a training class on Presentation Skills, you probably learned that How you speak is as important, if not more than, What you say. This How is comprised of many facets, including Pace and Energy, both of which are important in an interview. Let's look at each element.

Each of us has a natural pace that manifests in our movement and in our speech. Some of us are fast moving, fast talking. Others more methodical, slower in moving, slower in speaking.

In an interview, it's important to find a balance between being yourself and matching the pace of the interviewer. It's like a dance and you don't want to drag your partner down, nor step on your partner's toes.

Participating in an interview is stressful, demanding an energetic performance from you. You may find as the interview goes along, that your energy level varies. If your energy is draining away from you, so will your enthusiasm. It's important to monitor your energy level so that you boost it as needed to energize your answers.

An interview can run as long as an hour or more. And it's not unusual for an employer to string several interviews together in one day. By the end, you could be wiped out. How do you maintain your energy level throughout such a grueling course?

The best thing you can do is train. Like a runner. If you are a job hunter, get in shape. Start training. Practice and rehearsal are key.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 28, 2009

Your Interview Dashboard

Preparing for an interview is critically important. It includes many ingredients, including: researching the company, writing questions that you will ask, and making a "dry run" drive to the site you'll be going to so you don't encounter "surprises" that could heighten your anxiety.

But what about during the interview itself? How do you steer through the challenging waters of the interview?

I'd suggest installing the following "dashboard" into your mental space, and keeping an eye on the gauges:

- Your Answers Part 1: Are you answering the questions advantageously? In other words, are you positioning yourself as the answer to their prayers? Since a job hunt is a sales campaign, think of an interview as a sales meeting, part needs assessment (i.e., the employer's needs) and part solution building (and the Solution Is You!).

- Your Answers Part 2: Do you know if you are answering the interviewer's question? Try asking: "Have I answered your question?" Answering is a balance. You don't want to under-answer, nor do you want to over-answer.

Remember: If you are invited in for an interview, chances are very good that you are a finalist for the opening. Don't disqualify yourself. Use these dashboard items to perform at your best. And win the job!

In the next post, we will look at Pacing and Energy.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 27, 2009

The Development Pyramid

At the ODNet listserv, OD consultant Roland Sullivan passed along a question from a student who asked:

"How would you integrate Executive Development, Talent Management and OD?"

I'd define the terms as follows, and represent them visually like a pyramid:

The Base is OD where OD is everything the organization does, as it pursues its goals, to continually adapt, change, and renew itself in response to its environment.

The Middle is TM where TM is everything the organization does to continually replenish its people assets and capabilities.

The Tip is ED where ED is the ongoing process of strengthening the capabilities of current, as well as future, senior level leaders.

Though it wasn't posed in the question, I'd add another layer, just under ED, for Leadership Development, where LD is the ongoing process of strengthening the organization's leaders at all levels.

Development Pyramid


Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 26, 2009

Marketing 101 for Job Hunters

Today's job seeker has been thrust into a Sales & Marketing role that they may be completely unprepared for. The starting point, for a successful search, is self-realization:

~ the Product is the job hunter.

The job seeker has to develop a job search campaign, containing such elements as:

- an Objective: What sort of work does the job seeker want to do?

- a Target Market: For whom would the job seeker like to work?

- a Story: What "value proposition" will the job seeker convey?

To be successful in this campaign, the job seeker has to examine and get to know:

- the Self: What skills and capabilities does the job seeker possess?

- the Other: What does the prospective employer do? What does the prospective employer need?

To find and connect with prospective employers, job seekers must develop and utilize various skills, especially:

- Networking

- Communicating

- Consulting

If there's one person who has learned a thing or two about "getting gigs," it's today's job hunter.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 25, 2009

Raising Consciousness - Donna Coulson

Recently I started a discussion on LinkedIn with this question: "How can we raise our consciousness and make the world a better place?"

I was inspired by another LinkedIn member, Lawrence Gelber, who had said:

"Consciousness can be raised in various ways, education being among the more obvious possibilities. Various meditative techniques have been found to elevate consciousness, and a committment to periodic self-review probably would not hurt. I am not a "guru" but it strikes me there are basic things we can all do to learn to accomodate each other with more grace, despite differences."

In a search for some of those "basic things" we can do, I asked my friend Donna Coulson to be a guest blogger. Donna is a coach, a consultant, and fellow graduate of Rutgers. Here are her thoughts, on some ways we can raise our consciousness, tailored for those affected by this recession.

Raising Consciousness by Donna Coulson

Although Change is in vogue and OK, you need to stop doing 32 things at once out of fear of losing jobs, losing money, and losing your self confidence.

You need to focus on Needs. Whether you’re new to a job or holding tight to an old one, be Conscious about the role NEEDS play in your life.

From a coaching approach, NEEDS are drivers -— not always positive. The need to find or retain a job is real. Is your need -—or fear-- driving you to work excessive hours or surf the net 24/7?

Key: Are you focused on the right things rather than just doing things right?

And you need Stillness. We need to still ourselves and make ourselves quiet for short stretches so we can gain insight into who we are, what impact we want to have, where we shine best at work in and in life and when we need to Say No or Say Yes to requests/work.

You need Perspective. Talk to a Great Generation person who lived through the 1930s Depression Era. They will tell you they have enough--food, money, friends and, if you will listen, they will tell you how to live through the toughest of times. 2009 is tough but this is the group that says about their youth, "We were poor and didn't know it." I find theirs a marvelous perspective and not at all insulting.

Finally, you need Direction. Are your needs driving you in the right direction? What’s your purpose and mission —-beyond finding/keeping a job-— for your life from this day forward?

Remember: You are a talented person of the universe! You didn't lose that in a Recession. Find the right place for yourself.

[Copyright 2009 by Donna Coulson. All Rights Reserved]

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 23, 2009

For Father's Day

Consultant and blogger Mike Rogers asked a great Father's Day question at LinkedIn:

~ "What kind of leader was your father?"

My father, George James Seamon, was a leader: he was a policeman. A coach. An umpire. A teacher.

He had strong principles. He loved his family. He defended his country in WW II.

He was very handy and did a lot of home repairs himself. My knowledge (such as it is) of tools is all due to watching him at work when I was a kid.

He was a great singer, who sang in choirs, which stimulated my love of singing, which has now been passed down to my son Dave.

Proud of his Irish heritage, he was a faith-filled Catholic who never missed Mass.

He never spoke much about his experiences in the war. Though he never liked camping as a result of what he went through over there in Italy.

His idealism and his experiences as a city cop gave him a very cynical view of politicians who he deeply distrusted.

Yes, he was somewhat resistant to change. But he had a very big heart, and went out of his way for his friends.

I miss him.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 21, 2009

Waiting For the Phone To Ring?

Are you "waiting for the phone to ring?"

Currently, I am working as a career transition consultant, helping people, who have been "tossed out" by their employers, to galvanize their job search.

One of the principles we try to convey is "Don't sit around waiting for the phone to ring."

It's part of a larger philosophy about change, in the context of career transition, that says:

~ Take Charge.
~ Be proactive.
~ Identify your target companies.
~ Research them and identify their needs.
~ Pursue them.

We teach our clients to craft their personal brand. To adopt a sales & marketing attitude about themselves and their search.

We say, "When you are in a job search, you are in Sales. And the product is You."

Today, I've been a participant in a conversation on the OD Network's main discussion list, called "Why Don't More People Call Us?" In other words, why is the phone not ringing?

The question itself is a symptom of what's wrong. OD consultants need to alter their outlook.

They need to galvanize into action, as my mother used to say.

They need to get hungry, like job hunters, and pursue their quarry.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 20, 2009

Fast Start to Re-Employment Part 2

Continuing the "Fast Start" series, here are a few more ideas for galvanizing a job search.

5. Objective - Do you know what you want to do next? For whom? Where?

>> Fast Start Idea # 5: Set a job search objective that includes Role, Company, and Geography.

6. Positioning Statement - There are a lot of job hunters on the market right now, some with skills and experiences that are similar to yours. Do you know how to differentiate yourself?

>> Fast Start Idea # 6: When you are asked "Tell me about yourself," be prepared to deliver a positioning statement that goes like this:

~ About You Professionally (e.g. "I am a Human Resources professional with over 15 years experience in leadership roles...")
~ About Several of Your Key Capabilities (e.g "...with key capabilities in Training & Development, Performance Management, and Change Management...")
~ About Your Objective (e.g. "...looking for a challenging Talent Development opportunity in the pharmaceutical sector in NJ.")

7. Profile - With so many people on the market right now, hiring managers are being deluged with resumes. Do you know how to make yours stand out?

>> Fast Start Idea # 7: Have a strong professional profile statement, on the top of page one, right under your name and contact information, that follows this outline:

~ About You Professionally (e.g. "Seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of leadership experience...")
~ About Several of Your Key Capabilities (e.g. "...with key capabilities in...")
~ About A Special Quality or Achievement (e.g. "Author of..." or "Recognized winner of..." or "MBA from...")

8. Business Card - Do you have a professional business card ready to go when you are networking or interviewing?

>> Fast Start Idea # 8: You can get business cards for free at vistaprint.com or 123print.com. All you pay is shipping and handling.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 14, 2009

Fast Start to Re-Employment

Yesterday, I got an urgent request from someone who just lost her job. So I offered four "fast start" ideas:

1. Target Companies - Is there a company or other organization that you would like to work for next? Several? Do they know you are interested?

>> Fast Start Idea # 1 - Go directly to these employers and communicate your interest. Identify key decision makers inside these companies and send them an introductory letter. Then call them.

2. LinkedIn - Are you on LinkedIn.com? If not, consider doing so right away. It's the world's largest online professional business networking platform. And it's free. It provides you with a way to connect with others, research companies, look for jobs, and more.

>> Fast Start Idea # 2 - Connect on LinkedIn with people you know and then connect to people they know who can help you network into your target companies.

3. Indeed - Do you use an aggregator job search site like Indeed or SimplyHired? With thousands of job boards on the internet, the aggregators are a one-stop site that spiders over all of the others and delivers consolidated results that match your search terms. And it's free.

>> Fast Start Idea # 3 - Use the refinement filters on the left side of the results pages to find your target employers or similar organizations.

4. Recruiters - Do you know a few good recruiters (aka headhunters or executive search firms) who specialize in your field and industry? If not, ask your trusted colleagues who they would recommend.

>> Fast Start Idea # 4 - Contact several specialist recruiters to find retained searches.

In the next blog entry, I'll continue the Fast Start process with a few more ideas.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 13, 2009

Give to Get

The Buddhist concept of karma says, in part, that all of our deeds have effects. These effects are the fruits of our actions. And we may not realize the far-reaching nature of these fruits.

In the West, there's an old saying, "What goes around, comes around" that I think has a resemblance to karma.

The karma of the job search says, If you want to receive something, first you must give something. Freely give your time and talent to others. Give without expectation of getting anything back.

My wife will often say, "You reap what you sow." Again this bit of wisdom has a resonance with karma.

And the lesson for job hunters is clear: You must give to get.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, June 12, 2009