Category: Corporate Games

We all have our routines. 
We buy the same coffee
at the same Starbucks
at the same time. 

But routines can be dangerous
because if all you are known for
is completing a certain type of task
or providing a certain product,
that is all you will be considered for. 

In Stanley Bing’s “Sun Tzu Was A Sissy”,
he points out…
“Your enemy is presenting you
with new options and challenges every day. 
If you respond in a wholly expected way each time,
you will become predictable,
and a predictable enemy is much easier to defeat
than one who treats his adversaries
to a surprise on a regular basis.”

A local business held an event recently. 
The press came,
the press received their goodie bags (press bags),
the press had a good time, and 
the press wrote long stories on the event. 
Then instead of using the local business’ name,
the location of the event was identified quite deliberately
as “a local bookstore.”  

A President of a certain country visited
a U.S. University recently. 
Before he even said a word,
before he could even thank his hosts
for the invitation,
he was treated to a berating of his policies and actions. 
A berating that went on and on, 
that had to be translated so
he could be insulted in his own language.  

The bookstore will likely never treat
the press so well again. 
The next guest of the University is likely right now
rethinking his or her decision. 

Being a bad guest or a bad host 
does not hurt others as much as it hurts yourself.   

Publicity hungry Kanye West has accused
MTV of exploiting Britney Spears. 
Why? 
Because the execs put her on stage
before she was “ready.” 

Back when I was young and arrogant,
I did a sales presentation before I was ready. 
Like Britney, I didn’t practice before hand. 
Like Britney, minutes into the presentation,
I knew I made a mistake.   
Like Britney, the reaction was horrible and
could have ended my career
(my manager said if I ever
pulled a stunt like that again… ). 

I also knew who to blame. 
The difference is it sure wasn’t the execs. 

A friend recently attended a
rah, rah speech by the company President
about how their number one asset
was their employees,
etc. 

She and I both agree that
layoffs/restructuring plans are looming. 
Why? 
Because the executive team 
has been focusing on that area 
(enough to warrant a speech).  

In “Hello Laziness”, Corinne Maier observes that
“The more a large company talks about something,
the less there is of it. 
Companies assert the ‘value’ of particular jobs
just at the money they are about to disappear…”

A friend of mine recently
parted ways with her protege. 

The protege asked her opinion on a project. 
My friend, taking her role seriously,
put valuable hours into her answer,
hours she didn’t have to waste. 

The recommendation was not taken,
no concrete explanation given. 

Fine. 

Then the protege asked another question. 
More hours were put into that new answer. 

Again, no action taken on the recommendation,
no explanation. 

The third time, my friend was asked,
she replied that the relationship wasn’t working. 

If someone takes the time to give a response,
the least they’re owed is an explanation for the no. 

Most of us have heard that
the average resume is looked at
for 10 to 20 seconds so
how to make those seconds count? 

First, use white space. 
White space draws the eye
to the words that count. 

What words to use? 
The words on the front page
(as most employers don’t look at the second)
must clearly address
(as in use the exact words if possible)
all the requirements
in the job posting. 

And when talking about experience,
start with a verb. 
This illustrates that you’re a take action type of person.
Take action people get hired.

I don’t mind people making mistakes. 
Mistakes happen. 
All the time. 

What irks me are lies. 
If I catch someone in a lie,
I’ll watch my back from that day forward
and second guess any future dealings. 

Leona Helmsley felt the same way. 
In a 1985 interview with Mike Wallace,
she said “If you lie to me, you’re through. 
I won’t do business with you.” 

Marie G. McIntyre, author of
“Secrets to Winning at Office Politics”
gives her top tips for catching
the eye of the new CEO. 

Deliver on your word. 
Speak clearly and concisely. 
Go above and beyond. 
Develop a relationship. 
Ask questions. 

I treat getting a new CEO
the same way I do getting a new job. 
I assume I’m being closely and constantly watched.

In Jeffrey J. Fox’s new book
How To Get To The Top,
he gives some great direction on
what to do when your company gets a new CEO. 

You “send the CEO a memo titled,
“What I Would Do
in the First 100 Days
If I Were CEO.” 
In this memo, you list your ideas,
from one to whatever.” 

“You will go on the CEO’s list
of possible impact players.”

He guarantees
and I agree
that you will be the only employee
to do so.

Dan Hill, President Of Sensory Logic,
reads faces for a living. 

A useful skill as
most reaction is subconscious.
The prospect doesn’t even realize
how she is responding to
a sales pitch, commercial, new product. 

The key area of the face to focus on? 
The eyes. 
Hill claims that individuals
have very little control
over the muscles around the eye. 
That’s why it is so easy
to spot a social smile vs a real smile.