Graduation day - when it really counts

Graduation day is upon us.  For the 400 plus students who are attending the graduation ceremony - this is a fantastic achievement.  (Note - there are hundreds of students who were successful but have chosen not to attend).

Graduation day is the time when students get to say - "I did it.  I didn't do it my own but I did it.  And it was worth it!" 

I tip my hat to the organisers and the volunteers who make days like this special and have value.

What happens now and where the students go from here is up to them.  I as a staff member have completed my role with those people at this time.  The file is closed the students are gone - time to move on.

But have the students really gone?  Has my input really come to a close?  This question resonates with me both as a philosophical question and a practical one.

What do we do when our customers have finished their transaction?  Where does the relationship between the service provider and the client/customer finish?

In my view - graduation is not the final point of contact.  Not at all.  The relationships between people their products and the suppliers should be seamless and continual.

Dress for success

One topic that I enjoy reading about and keeping a handle on is fashion and styles.  Keeping with the times and trends can be a seriously hard thing to do.  However it is worth the effort.  And keeping up with what is happening in the wolrd today need not be so hard.

I have a few blogs and websites that I keep an eye on to watch what is coming up.  Here in New Zealand we are fortunate in it that we have the polar opposite seasons to the Northern Hemisphere and we are generally 6 months behind when it comes to the average fashion trend.

Clothing styles from the US don't tend to take off too quickly here mainly due to the famboyance and OTT of some styles.  What NZ does do however is a real good job of watching what England, and in particular London, fashion trends are.

So here are the pages and people that I like to keep an eye on from time to time.

http://www.theartofdressingwell.com/

gq magazine

http://thetransformedmale.tumblr.com/

http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/

http://stylesalvage.blogspot.com/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/mens-fashion

You don't need to spend a fortune to keep it.  Watch what trends are upcoming, buy in advance, and buy in the off seasons.  Works for me.

Honor those who deserve it!

One of the best things that has been instituted within my workplace is the annual awarding of the CEO awards to those staff members that have displayed exceptional and outstanding qualities during the previous 12 months.

In the beginning a lot of staff were blase about the whole thing due to it's being so new.  Staff wondered just how long the gimmick would last.  I am proud to say that 2010 was the fifth time that the awards have been given out and the recipients this year were stellar.

Here is what is great about the awards -

• Hard workers are rewarded and honored by both management and their peers.
• There is a financial reward for continued professional development which means the business is prepared to reinvest into those people and have their success shared around.
• The ongoing awarding over the years adds an element of prestige and glamour. 

The awards are a bit like the Oscars in that those who have shown both longevity and stand out achievements become the winners.

One important aspect of handing out awards is that they must be relevant, timely and the recipients must be held in high regard.

Honor those who deserve it!

One of the best things that has been instituted within my workplace is the annual awarding of the CEO awards to those staff members that have displayed exceptional and outstanding qualities during the previous 12 months.

In the beginning a lot of staff were blase about the whole thing due to it's being so new.  Staff wondered just how long the gimmick would last.  I am proud to say that 2010 was the fifth time that the awards have been given out and the recipients this year were stellar.

Here is what is great about the awards -

• Hard workers are rewarded and honored by both management and their peers.
• There is a financial reward for continued professional development which means the business is prepared to reinvest into those people and have their success shared around.
• The ongoing awarding over the years adds an element of prestige and glamour. 

The awards are a bit like the Oscars in that those who have shown both longevity and stand out achievements become the winners.

One important aspect of handing out awards is that they must be relevant, timely and the recipients must be held in high regard.

7 tips for a great work wardrobe

First impressions last.  Lasting impressions aren't always the first impressions that you make.

The most obvious way to impress or not impress as the case may be is the way you dress.  Dressing well need not break the bank nor be that hard to accomplish.

Here are my recommendations for keeping in step with fashion and how not to break the bank while you are at it -

1. Watch what is happening as far as clothing trends go.  I recommend http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/dresser/galleries as the best place to start.  Knowing what trends are happening now and are coming shortly is important to know.
2. Start with black.  This is the easiest colour to wear clothes with.  Simple.  Don't get stuck with black or wear it too often.  Vary the colours that you wear with black and begin to expand your choice of colours.
3. Buy a great coat or jacket.  A great jacket can cover a multitude of shirts and tops.  In fact it may be a better idea to invest in two jackets.  that way you can easily alternate them.
4. Get shoes that are simple and go with everything.  One great pair of shoes looked after well can last a long time.
5. Shop online at auction sites.  Often times business people (especially real estate people) turn over the clothes in their wardrobe quite often.  So you can pick up clothes that aren't that old and still have plenty of life in them - cheap as chips! 
6. Spend good money on buying a suit.  Nothing looks quite as good as a man in a suit!
7. Accessories make a big difference. An interesting cheat that some managers use is they have a base shirt or top and then they simply vary the accessory such as the tie.  So you could invest in a swag of white shirts (e.g. 5) and then have 15 or 20 ties and you will appear to have a different look every day of the working week.

Pair up the latest style trends with what's going cheap on your favourite auction site and you can leave an impression on people that will last longer than your wardrobe does.

5 tips for a great work wardrobe

First impressions last.  Lasting impressions aren't always the first impressions that you make.
The most obvious way to impress or not impress as the case may be is the way you dress.  Dressing well need not break the bank nor be that hard to accomplish.
Here are my recommendations for keeping in step with fashion and how not to break the bank while you are at it -

1. Watch what is happening as far as clothing trends go.  I recommend http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/dresser/galleries as the best place to start.  Knowing what trends are happening now and are coming shortly is important to know.
2. Start with black.  This is the easiest colour to wear clothes with.  Simple.  Don't get stuck with black or wear it too often.  Vary the colours that you wear with black and begin to expand your choice of colours.
3. Buy a great coat or jacket.  A great jacket can cover a multitude of shirts and tops.  In fact it may be a better idea to invest in two jackets.  that way you can easily alternate them.
4. Get shoes that are simple and go with everything.  One great pair of shoes looked after well can last a long time.
5. Shop online at auction sites.  Often times business people (especially real estate people) turn over the clothes in their wardrobe quite often.  So you can pick up clothes that aren't that old and still have plenty of life in them - cheap as chips! 

Pair up the latest style trends with what's going cheap on your favourite auction site and you can leave an impression on people that will last longer than your wardrobe does.

Review: How I did it... Anne Mulcahy

Anne Mulcahy is a person whom I had never heard of before until earlier this year.  Since then I have been excited, encouraged and enthused by her and what she has achieved in the world of business.  Being the CEO of Xerox is no easy task and one that has plenty of opportunities as well as pitfalls.

In the October 2010 edition of the Harvard Business Review Anne outlines in an article the whys and how’s of both succession planning and handover.  The story and the article are very honest and very little is hidden.  There are quite a few lessons and stories shared that have a lot of wisdom about them.

I enjoyed the honesty of the situation and the way the entire process was handled.  Another interesting part to this story is the fact that not only was one woman in charge of Xerox but she handed over the controls to another woman.  The fact that both Anne and her successor were able to garner the confidence and support of the board and directors is phenomenal.

If you were to only read one article or story about business this year - this would be the one that I recommend.

 

The ability to walk away

One key to long term success is to know and understand when it is time to walk away from a responsibility, a task or a project when you have done all you can and can't do anymore.  This year I have co-ordinated a qualification (which is made up of 8 papers taught over two semesters) as well as keep on with my day job as school administration manager.

Now I am quite aware that next year the qualification needs someone better than me to take it to the next level.  Honestly, I don't have any issue with that at all.  In fact the project has launched me on a huge learning ride and has totally changed the way i see both my teams and my own approach to how we do our jobs.

So with that in mind here are a few things I will do and recommend you should do if you reach the same point -

• Give it over to someone better.  If it is your choice to pick who to hand the project over to then pick someone who is better than you are in the specific areas that the project needs work done in.   
• Have a transition plan.  Stopping dead in your tracks and wallking away without doing a clean handover is detrimental to all the work you have done.
• Continue to support your successor however you can.

My key skill is getting projects up off the ground and having the ability to get the ball rolling.  Now that we have accomplished that fact now it's time to hand over the running to someone else.

Success

Success does not come as a result of luck very often.  Rather success is the culmination of hard work, dedication. perseverance and good luck.  Good luck is the final 3% of the equation - not the other 97%.

There is nothing wrong with winning or being successful. In fact it is what each of us should aspire to reach.  And should we be fortunate enough to reach those peaks we should also practice being humble in victory.

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted”  David Bly.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/cliff_robin/2877198611/)



Quote of the Week - Ambition

“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”  Mark Twain.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronpics/161196543/)

Builing the Ideal Team

Teams don't just happen.  Teams are the sum total of a decision someone somewhere in an organisation has made.  The ideal team is one where you can start with a clean slate.  No rules, no history and no axes to grind.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to work as a part of a team of highly talented and motivated people.  So how does a team like that come about and what makes the team great?  Here are a few key points.

1. Variation of skills and abilities.  Great teams have people who are skilled in different ways.  On our team we have key players in their various organisations who have the ability to create significant change within their local organisation.
2. The ability to get along.  The team only comes together quarterly.  That means the team members never see each other at any other time or stage.  So when the team gets together there is limited time to spend mucking around.  Having people who get along on the team is vital.
3. People who know people know people.  The team we have was formed through friendships first, shoulder taps second and recommendation of others third.  Getting the right mix of personalities and skills can be hard.  My recommendation is that rather then adding someone to the team just so they can do work can be more harmful than helpful in the long run for the overall health of the team.

One team that I always think was formed well and operated with excellence was the administration team put together by John F Kennedy.  That team dealt with The Bay of Pigs affair, the Cuban Missile Crisis as well as Cold War political pressures.  JFK's team was pulled together with people of various backgrounds and with different talents to deal with the biggest issues in the world at that time.

So - what do you need a team for?  And who will you pick?

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chestertonfootball/4912484622/)

Breeaking The Rules of Old Wisdom

If any one person or business has constantly set the bar far higher than anyone else - it's Richard Branson.  He is a man is willing to take a risk and throw caution to the wind to find success.

This great article - http://www.trendpov.com/node/384 -that sums up some of how Virgin works.

I encourage you to read it.

Quote of the Week

""Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it."

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Being Successful

Once again the good folks at HBR.org took the words right out of my mouth.  So here is what they wrote -

"Success in business is not about having the most brilliant answer. It's about having a workable solution — and that requires developing an understanding of the unwritten rules of the organization.

To become more persuasive and effective, figure out who and what really matters. Ask successful people at your company what approaches and relationships help them most.

Be curious about the ways people get things done and observe the inner workings of projects and initiatives you aren't part of by building relationships with influential people. All of the information you gather can contribute to your own success in the future."

How to Decipher (and Achieve) Success at Your Company  (June 22, 2010)

Quote of the Week

"Success often comes to those who have the aptitude to see way down the road." Laing Burns, Jr.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snarl/109805050/)

Going Global

I found this today and this will sum up my blog posts for the next week -

How to Assess If You're Ready for a Global Role

Being a high-potential employee in your home office doesn't necessarily mean you can make it on a global scale. If you're looking for a job with a more international view or you're considering taking an overseas assignment, be sure you have these three components of a global mind-set:

Intellectual capital. This is your capacity to understand how business works on a global level and includes a strong grasp on how the industry operates worldwide, as well as the ability to piece together multiple scenarios.

Psychological capital. To be a global leader you need to have a passion for diversity, a thirst for adventure, and the self-confidence to succeed in a culture completely different than your own.

Social capital. You need to be able to build productive relationships with people from other parts of the world. To do this, you'll need intercultural empathy and strong diplomacy skills.

 

(Source: http://hbr.org/2010/04/managing-yourself-making-it-overseas/ar/1?cm_mmc=npv-_-MANAGEMENT_TIP-_-JUN_2010-_-MTOD0603&referral=00203)

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/global2000/4378116185/)

Quote of the Week - Success

"Eighty percent of success is showing up".  Woody Allen

Communication Lessons

When you are trying to explain a situation to a manager or another person who is joining you after the journey has already started, keep these thoughts in mind -

• Assume nothing.  Before you go and speak to the relevant people prepare your presentation and information in such a way that any person could pick up your work and work out what the main points and thrust are without anyone else having to explain it to them.
• Start at the beginning.  I mean right at the beginning.  You might know where you are up to and where things are at but for the new person it is highly likely they will have no idea what you are talking about.  So make sure you start at the beginning.
• Provide an overview. Give some guidance on what the problem/project looks like from a birds eye view.  Take the big picture into account and express the big ideas.
• Lay the groundwork.  Once you communicated the big idea then you can move into the finer details.  Avoid getting into the detail too early and thereby missing the big picture and getting lost in the detail.
• Allow time for feedback or changes.  Try to have as much time as you can so you can go back and edit or redirect your thinking before you hit the deadline or require an extension of time.  Be organised.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2595886084/)

Management Brands

Whats your brand?  And how do you define one?  HBR has a great post on this exact subject matter.

Quote of the Week

"The best asset during inflation is your own earning power.  Anything you do to improve your own talents and make yourself more valuable will get paid off in terms of apropriate real purchasing power.

If you do something well, whether you're a major league baseball player, or if you're a good assisstant, whatever it may be, you are your best asset".

Warren Buffett.

(Quote from: Warren Buffett's Management Secrets;
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samanthasteele/3983047059/in/photostream//)