Category: Corporate Games

I’m currently designing some financial reports
for a security company.
I’m replacing another
very competent contract employee.

Why was his contract not renewed?

Because the internal I.T. department
wanted to do the task.
One employee told me
as he was setting up my log in’s
that there was big money in
learning that skill.

When an internal person
wants an external person’s job,
it is very likely he’ll get it.
The external person may have the skills
but
the internal person has the connections.

Will I fare better?
Perhaps
because I’m working for the finance department.
As far as I know
no one there wants my job.

In August’s PM Network,
Colin Powell says
“In the military,
there is a lot of discussion
about where a leader should be
on the battlefield.
Should the leader be up front
where it’s possible to
become a quick casualty
or
should the person be
at the rear?
The correct answer is
that you should be at
the point of decision.
You should be where
you can make the most difference.”

It is the same in business.
Are you in the place/position
where you can make the most difference?

What type of column
would you expect a newswoman named
Blane Bachelor (her REAL name)
to host?

Yep.
A dating advice column.
And she does.
(A witty one)

I know a woman named Spicy.
She writes erotica.

Charlotte Church got her start singing hymns.

My novel readers expect,
with a name like Kimber Chin,
an international flare to my writing.
I give them that.

Business inspiration can come from anywhere,
including your own name.

According to a
poll by CareerBuilder.com,
49% of hiring managers
have uncovered a lie on a resume.

What types of lies?
38% exaggerated job responsibilities
18% hyped up skills
and
10% claimed academic degrees
they hadn’t earned.

With dismissals more and more challenging
(what with the possibilities of lawsuits),
managers are really looking into
candidate qualifications.
Plus the work world is very small.

Don’t lie on your resume.
Odds are, you’ll get caught.

A good rivalry between two equally strong competitors
adds excitement and interest
to a category.
One great example is Coke and Pepsi.
The Cola Wars provide fodder for business media
and free marketing for the companies.

NBA player Chris Bosh
said on The Hour
“You have to have a rival
in sports
to make it healthy.”
That applies to business also.

Don’t have a rival?
Look again.
Your customers always have choice.

Are you a lone wolf?
Then you are a business exception.

According to BusinessWeek
(April 28, 2008),
82% of white collar workers partner
with co-workers.

The ideal group for 54% of respondents
is 3 people.

Why do they work with others
rather than go it alone?
46% say to learn from others.
30% to accomplish a specific task.

I, of course, prefer both.
If I can build a team,
accomplish a goal,
and expand my knowledge base,
I’m happy.

The copywriter I posted about yesterday
specializes in radio.
He’s great at what he does
and excels in a competitive business.

He is also blind.
This is NOT a handicap,
this is a strength.

Being blind,
focusing in 100% on the spoken,
each word, each nuance,
has helped make him one of the best.

I have a terrible memory.
I help launch new products.
Project manager buddies get worn down
by the high failure rate.
Not me.
I promptly forget my last failure
(I have a binder tracking lessons learned)
and continue on.

Every weakness is also a strength.
You simply have to find the right game
to compete in.

A common concern
of management
filling short term contract work positions
is that temporary employees are over-qualified.

That’s not their real concern.

They expect employees to be over-qualified.
My speciality is
M&A, new product development,
and system implementations.
No single contract position is going to have all three.

No, their real concern
is the employee will leave
before the contract is finished.

If you hear yourself labeled
as over-qualified,
your professionalism needs to be stressed.
Talk about the pride of finishing projects.

Preparing for the next contract gig,
I’m enjoying rounds of interviews.
One question is repeating
“How are you at handling change?”

I’m a project person
preferring short contract gigs,
does this really need to be asked?
Of course, I like change.
I love change.
I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t.

It DOES send a red flag
that lay offs are likely on the horizon
for existing staff
however.

I received an email today
with To: line
one hundred emails long.
I was ticked.

Why?

Because my email was sent to 99 strangers.
Because my connection to this person
was broadcast to 99 strangers.
Because I felt she disrespected our relationship.

She immediately got dropped from my contact list.
I will hesitate to do business with her again.

Contacts are fragile.
Protect them.