Corporate Warriors

Thank You Letters are Boring: Give Yourself a Competitive Edge

2010-02-10T19:29:43Z

Thank-you letters are so boring. But you feel compelled to write one because the career books, career counselors, and HR managers tell you that is what you are supposed to do. If you don’t do it, then you failed to show professional courtesy. If you do send one, the recipient will appreciate it, but it is rarely the defining factor that gets you the job. Furthermore, they all sound alike. Yawn.

So here are a few thoughts on giving yourself a competitive edge by writing Thank You letters with pizzazz.

The Pope Gets It. Executives Don't. Mindboggling or Should that be Mind Blogging

2010-01-26T01:13:59Z

I absolutely love this. I just read a great article on how the Pope is telling his priests around the world to go forth and blog....become part of the contemporary generation and use social media to reach the masses with the messages from God. Not only that, the Vatican has launched its own channel on You Tube. So cool. Way to go Pope.

Webster's New Definition of "Consultant": Unemployed Executive

2010-01-25T23:56:56Z

For many years, when an executive loses a job, in order to show that they are still engaged in business, they create a consulting firm...albeit a firm of one. Nothing new here. However, over the past several months, with the recession and huge number of senior level executives in the job market, industries are overrun with consultants.

Unfortunately, the word "consultant" has almost become a pejorative. A common definition can be heard everywhere: "A consultant is someone who steals your watch and tells you what time it is."

Building an Internet Presence: A Story of Failure and a Story of Vision

2009-10-26T19:31:04Z

WOW, I have gotten some great stories, feedback and questions on my last post titled: Today’s Executive, Tomorrow’s Walmart Greeter.

Building a world class presence on the internet is not easy. It embodies numerous elements that few people understand.

Developing an authority blog is just one small piece of the total puzzle, but it is a key component. You can have a 12-year old build a blog for you, but driving traffic and building a community is an extraordinary challenge. In subsequent posts, we will touch on other issues in building an internet presence, and why, too often, the efforts fail. Today we will focus on building corporate or personal blogs.

Probably only about a 1000 people in the nation understand the intricacies. Almost all blogs are failures including personal blogs and corporate blogs. Even blogs at Fortune 500 companies are failures. World class webmasters, CTO’s, marketing leaders and SEO experts don’t understand the subtleties behind driving a successful blog. It is a world unto itself…..

Today's Executive -- Tomorrow's Walmart Greeter

2009-10-07T20:23:15Z

Ok, perhaps my view into the future is a little harsh, but it got your attention. And there is definitely a grain of truth in it. This post is a continuation of my dialogue on the challenges that executives face. The last three posts generated numerous personal emails from executives seeking new positions, as well as from recruiters, HR leaders and career strategists.

What is fascinating, and at the same time unfortunate, is that the overwhelming number of executives in the market still “don’t get it.” I am not certain why, but what has been true for decades is that mature executives are slow to adapt to changes and therefore are often perceived as out-of-date and out-of-touch. Today’s warp speed changes make adaptation even more critical. Or perhaps they just don’t understand the new job search paradigm (or the emerging new business paradigms). I will provide a quick overview on both concepts in this post as they are so relevant and connected. The shifts in one impacts the shifts in the other. You must understand both to succeed.

EMERGENCY ALERT: Many Executive Careers Will Be Coming to An Abrupt End

2009-10-01T22:55:25Z

WOW, sounds like a hurricane warning. Maybe a Fox News Alert announcing impending doom. But trust me, this is real. I have been in the leadership development arena for 18 years, and I have never seen anything like what is currently going on in the marketplace.

Regardless of your corporate position, whether you are currently a CEO or an emerging executive, you could find yourself without a career if you fail to heed my warning. I realize I have been hammering this in my blog over the past couple of weeks—but it is of such paramount importance I cannot emphasize it enough. I’ll warn you in advance, this is going to be a long post, but it just might save your career from certain peril….now and in the future.

Executives Should Think Like Teenagers to Drive their Careers or Lead Organizations

2009-09-26T05:35:01Z

When I was a college professor, I used to conduct creativity exercises with students, focus groups, and corporate leadership teams. The exercise was simple. I held up a paper click to the group. I asked the participants to write down as many uses for the paperclip that they could possibly think of in a period of two minutes. Two rules: 1. quantity was more important then quality and 2. don’t judge the merit of your idea.

Paralysis by Analysis: The Challenge of Going from Being an Analytical to a Visionary Leader

2009-09-17T04:15:00Z

Analytical thinkers represent a resource and value that is truly extraordinary to our society. They encompass a wide variety of careers from accountants to auditors to actuaries to programmers to market research statisticians to research scientists and many others. Their contributions to our society are priceless from sophisticated software programs to wonder drugs. Every day we enjoy the benefits they have created without ever realizing where they came from.

As a career strategist, I never cease to admire their intelligence and focus. When an analytical wants me to help guide their career into a leadership role, I face an enormous challenge. Sometimes their greatest strengths become a liability in their attempt to transition to a leadership role.

Corporate Warriors featured in an Associated Press Article

2009-08-27T21:22:14Z

I was recently interviewed by the AP for an article on video resumes. On Monday the article was sent out over the AP Wire and is being picked up around the globe. Very Cool. The first publication to run it was the New York Times in their business section.

Check it out: Video Resumes: AP Article in NY Times

Expectations and Entitlements

2009-07-23T02:33:23Z

We are in the worst recession since the great depression, and what amazes me is that a day doesn't go by that an executive, who is seeking a new position, doesn't tell me about what he/ she believes he/she is entitled to because of their past experience. And then they tell me of their unrealistic expectations in terms of compensation and other benefits.