Tag Archives: We know next

Leaders and Mentors in Retail?

by

0

Every Christmas when I’m wrapping gifts to put under the tree I can’t help but remember the first job I ever had.

I suppose because I was working for a couple of Japanese owners in their retail Asian Import store back in Alabama and I wrapped a lot of Christmas gifts. It never fails to take me back to that moment in time.

I was fifteen and I.knew.nothing.

I was scared to death to even walk up and greet the customers and I couldn’t wrap a package if my life depended on it. This particular job and my mentor owners would be something that would help me throughout my career and life, I just didn’t know it then.

I learned to interact and come out of my “somewhat introvert” shell. I learned to wrap gits like a super-sonic ninja and they were (and had to be) perfect before the customer left the store with their gift.

It was here where I first did any modeling. (I was a still model in the window wearing kimonos) and this would later be added to my resume for the modeling I did in my twenties.

I even had to have my appearance (clothes, hair and makeup) approved by the owner or she would send me straight into the bathroom for a redo. It was insane, or so I thought at the time.

I was this pissy kid who thought “how dare she try to tell me how to dress.” But I would give in and do it. And it paid off.

I had no idea that it was preparing me for so many things for the future. I worked there until I was 18 and moved away.

This training was crucial in preparing me for the real world of work and for the 10 years I spent traveling as a professional singer and musician.  This couple would periodically take all of the employees out to the local Japanese restaurant and were the ones who taught me how to eat with chop sticks – and that was way cool.

I always wanted to be able to tell my boss how grateful I was for taking me in and grooming me for life.

I had that wonderful opportunity a few years back at a local convention we both were participating in. She was so excited to see me, and to be able to tell me in her own words how proud she was of me for doing so well in my life and career. In fact, she quoted every newspaper article that had talked of me and my success with my music and with my sales career. She acted as if I was some sort of celebrity.

It made my day. I finally had the chance to thank her and that meant the world to me.

Sometimes when we are experiencing difficulty we can’t see past it and instead think we’ve just been given a raw deal.  Often we cut and run instead of sticking with it. I know I’ve done my share of that. Perhaps if we would buckle down, persevere, and determine to get past it we would come through it all having matured.

We never know what life may be trying to teach us.

Photo Credit: WanShop

Lessons of strategic planning from a Chicago cabbie

by

2

While leaving the SHRM Strategy Conference last week, Charlie Judy and I decided to share a cab back to our train stations to depart for the suburbs. May I stop to just say that taking a cab in Chicago is like taking your life into your own hands – read more about that here.

Upon entering the cab – we noticed the Cabbie was already in a tizzy and seemed very perturbed and agitated. We told him that Charlie needed to be dropped at Union Station and then he needed to continue taking me to Olgilvee. He mumbled something in response that we tried to interpret as “No, I can’t go that way it’s Oktoberfest.” Or maybe that’s what we understood to be what he said. Then he quickly swerved into another lane to pass another cabbie and get in front of him. I can’t remember what Charlie said to the guy but I think it was something like “Man – take it easy we have plenty of time.” I could be wrong – my stomach was already in my throat and I was about to throw up.

As the guy tried to figure what route he would take to Union Station – Charlie looked at me and said “Why is this guy going this way if he knows there’s traffic?” I shrugged my shoulders thinking after all – it is Oktoberfest – he had already pointed this out to us. I had no idea because I don’t know my way around the city that well.

Needless to say we were stuck, going at a snail’s pace in bumper to bumper traffic, and what usually is a 10 minute drive took about 45 minutes total.

I laughed when Charlie decided it would be easier for him to just get out and walk the rest of the way – so he wouldn’t miss his train.

So with a few more yells from the Cabbie to other Cabbies and pedestrians he continued on -swerving in front of other cars and people on route. I finally made it to my station and paid the guy and said, “Dude, you should totally chill out and relax – next time make a better plan – or quit your job and do something else.” I was hoping he wouldn’t shoot me while walking walked away.

It left me thinking, if this guy knew that Oktoberfest was going on – shouldn’t he have planned an alternative route and could have avoided the congestion, the agitation and stress associated with it all? This would have then created an all-around good experience in getting us from point A to point B. Instead, he chose not to, to go with the rest of the crowd which created chaos and affected all involved.

Come to think of it this is what we do in life, business and the world of work. It truly affects those around us and causes us to stress out majorly. We continue doing the same things because they’re familiar or comfortable – to go in the direction of the crowd and most of the time it is totally ineffective. It makes us difficult to be around and creates chaos in our life and work.

Maybe it’s time to do something different. To take a different approach. To take a different route. Or quit – and go do something else. Just a thought.

Strategic Planning – It’s all about influence

by

0

Day three of the SHRM Strategy conference I sat in on Jason Lauritsen‘s “Strategic Planning – The Power of a Plan” session and here are some highlights.

First of all – you gotta love Jason and his style. He has a real way of engaging with his audience, and for a speaker – that’s huge! After all, who wants to sit there and be talked “to?”

Steering the Ship

His opening line was  ”The only way to steer the direction of the ship is to convince others that you’re going in the right direction -that’s influence.” Not only having a plan, but being able to relay the plan or direction to others within the team is crucial. It’s about getting others on board with the plan, helping them to get a hold of the vision and seeing their part in it – while keeping them engaged throughout the process.

Influence before Implementation 

Sometimes we get blindsided by all the other stuff going on while we’re trying to implement a plan – I’ll call them distractions.  Maybe it’s dealing with the “everyday stuff of HR” and we say, “Screw the plan – trying to get these folks together is like herding cats.”

The definition of influence is - the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others. Now let me ask you – is this you?

We can talk about our plan and strategy of “where we are going next” but the buy-in is a whole other ballgame. This is what separates the #winners from the #losers – especially in “game strategy” is not just lip service (as one of my high school teachers use to say) but being able to actually sell it to not only the C-Suite, but to the company as a whole and then implementing the plan – and seeing it through to completion without being side-swiped or quitting.

And by the way, if no one trusts you and most people hate you – you’ll have a harder time influencing them to catch your vision.

What’s missing?

Strategic planning is all in the approach and being influential in stating the benefits and side benefits in a compelling way– to really moving your organization forward. It’s got to be more than “you’re such a great guy – we love playing follow the leader” and instead about “you have really great ideas, we trust you, we’ve seen your track record – and we’re on board.” After all – you are captain of this ship!

Results of Strategic Planning and the Power of a Plan:

  1. Helps you with key relationship building
  2. Perception management
  3. Performance linkage to the business and how we support them
  4. Builds confidence within the team
  5. You’re building a community of trust and loyalty
In the end – there is no right way – figure out what works for you and your organization (for the right reasons and the right way AND for your company culture). Here’s a recap:
  1. Discovering what needs to take place– learning, curiosity, figuring out the game (what to do about it – research is key)
  2. Asking questions with a curious mind with a lack of defense
  3. Gathering info  and discovering your path (even from your employees)
  4. Putting a Plan in Place
  5. Communicating clearly – your plan
  6. Influencing others and helping them see their part in the plan
  7. Seeing it through to completion

Characteristics of Great Leaders

by

0

Today started off with a bang at the SHRM Strategy Conference in Chicago with several great break-out sessions in which I’ll be writing about later one. I wanted to start off with the keynote of Bill Conaty, former VP of HR for GE.

This session was packed full of information and I won’t try to make you swallow all of it but I do want to give you a few take-aways.

In his “Lessons of Leadership” keynote, Mr. Conaty caused all of us to really see that smart leaders put people before numbers. That of course, is a line from his book “The Talent Masters.” I can’t wait to get that and start reading and I encourage you to go out and get a copy and if you can’t find the extra change to do so, at least go to your library and see if you can check it out.

Here are a few quotes from the maestro that I jotted down and thought I might share.

1. Great leaders balance passionate leadership with compassionate leadership and it takes both to be successful.

2. Great leaders develop and assess talent once they attract them which is how you are going to keep them.

3. Great leaders become problem solvers vs. problem identifiers.

4. Great leaders know that their company and personal values must be compatible.

5. Lighten up. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Go ahead, laugh a little. Even if you must laugh at yourself (okay, I added that last part)

I had the chance to interview a few of my friends IRL after the session and here’s what they had to say.

Preview of SHRM Strategy Conference – Chicago

by

0

The next few days I’ll be attending and blogging for SHRM We Know Next at the SHRM Strategy Conference downtown Chicago. I’ll be high-tailing it on the train every day (not the highlight for sure) to the city.

I really am looking forward to hearing the keynotes such as GE’s former SR. VP of HR Bill Conaty who will be opening the general session. And then Bridget van Kralingen, General Manager, IBM North America. There are also several breakout sessions I’m looking forward to hitting such as “Building a Leading People Culture: How to Create a Flexible and Inclusive Work Environment“.

And I must hit Jason Lauritsen‘s “The Power of a Plan” on Thursday. I love hearing Jason speak and I just gotta show some love!

I’m told a lot of these sessions will focus on strategic planning, engagement, future needs of the workforce and we can’t forget culture. These words seem to be buzzing all around the HR beehive.

I’m looking forward to learning, engaging with key leaders and blogging my heart out on site.

I’m also stoked about seeing my online friends again IRL, hanging out, and getting to know them better.

And most importantly, using  my new flip cam for some key interviews for the blog. So stay tuned for some (hopefully) great interviews, session take-a ways and much more.

Here are some great upcoming conferences you might want to attend from now until the end of the year:

October 24-26, 2011 - Diversity and Inclusion Conference & Exposition,  Washington, DC

November 8-10, 2011 – Work/Life Focus 2012 and Beyond, Washington, DC

If you plan on attending, be sure to hook up with me, grab a cup of coffee or some lunch, and let’s get better acquainted. Be sure to follow my tweets @susanavello and @weknownext. Be sure to follow the hashtag #shrmstrat.

Inbreeding; The Social Way

by

0

We Southerners always get a bad rap. Whether on TV, in the movies, or some dip shit that says out loud and to your face, “Hey, don’t all you southerners intermarry? Is your uncle really your daddy?”

So to clear the air, not all southerners marry their cousins.

I was thinking one day and pondering how I came to be connected with so many folks around Cyberville and noticed a wonderful thing. Here’s how it works:

I connect to Joe Blow. Three days later Joe Blow’s connection John Q. Public sends me a connection request because he sees that I’m a friend of his friend Joe, and he respects Joe’s opinions (for the most part) or sees some comment I made on Joe’s FB or Twitter stream that he decides he too, would love to connect with me. The next thing you know, not only have I made friends with Joe and John Q. and have been engaging with them in conversations and content sharing – I have reached out to their friends Tom, Dick and Harry and they have obliged me in connecting…and so on, and so on.

I now have this awesome community with whom I engage almost on a daily basis. Shootin’ the shit, sharing their blogs and links, and just plain ole getting to know them.

A waste of time, you say? I beg to differ.

You see, I have made many friends online, many acquaintances that know about my business, what I’m passionate about, what rocks my boat. They also know how much I care about them because I share their shit too! In fact, I make a habit of it.

When the time comes that they themselves or someone they know needs my services, or they want me to blog for them about my area of expertise, they are already connected with me and have organically grown this relationship – all they need to do is ask. I’m not having to cold call them (which is so a thing of the past) but they are just about one click away from me.

If you’re not building a solid online community of engage-rs (not just those selling you their wares) you’re totally missing out. And I believe I have the coolest online friends ever – whether that turns a profit or not.

Stop evaluating this according to ROI and start building relationships.

And for Pete’s sake, stop asking me if I connect to every Tom, Dick or Harry – I just told you I do.

If you want to read more on inbreeding in America – check out “When Cousins Get Married.”

Compressed four-day work weeks

by

0

I recently came across this story and thought I would share. There is a lot of talk going on about compressing the five day work week into four.

Stacy’s Story

“I have been working a compressed four-day work week for more than two years.  I am a salaried employee and not in a situation where I am expected to log my each and every hour that I work.  As long as I get my job done — whether it takes 32 hours or 60 hours — that is what is expected of me, and that is the work ethic that I uphold. 

[However] there is still, at least in my company, the attitude that the more hours you work, regardless of productivity, the more successful you want to be.  In my circumstance, I am fortunate to have a boss who does not think in this manner.  In fact, she offered me the compressed work week without me even asking.  She values my contributions and fully trusts that I will get the job done, not matter what.

For me, the compressed work week gives me a much higher quality of life and work-life balance. I am able to be a fully productive employee and earn a full salary needed to support my family.  At the same time, I am able to spend precious time with my young children, save costs on day care, and get a few household things done before the weekend arrives.  It then offers us more family time on the weekend, something we need to learn to value more in this country.”

What are your thoughts on this issue and what are some creative ways you have come up with to help employees with flex, and how has it affected your bottom line? I’d love to hear them.

This story was written in response to the following story: http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/workweek-hours-corporate-policies-workday-flexible-employers-2714061-1.html