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Sunday, November 4, 2007
What is the U Perspective and Why Do You Care
Someone's U Perspective is how they see the world-- what they care about. Their U Perspective will inform the way an individual sees a particular situation and how they are likely to respond to it. How someone else views what is going on may be very different from how you see it.
There are specific techniques that can help you determine someone's U Perspective. Once you take the time and effort to understand someone, you can determine what motivates them generally and what will motivate them under the circumstances. That might be money, friendship, status, helping others or any of a number of other motivators. That allows you not only to predict what they are likely to do, but also to affect their behavior.
If you correctly understand someone's U Perspective and operate from it in a non-judgmental way, you will be in sync with what they are thinking and therefore will be able to influence their actions. Their point of view - their U Perspective - lets you know what they need and want. If you can provide that to them in a way that suits my needs as well, I can create a mutually beneficial solution. In negotiating or sales terms, this is a win/win solution. In leadership terms it is how you gain buy-in from your employees. In reality it is more powerful than either of these concepts. Everyone’s values are respected and solutions are found that are expressly suited to each individual’s wants and needs.
This is especially true in terms of how a prospective boss see a candidate. If you understand their U Perspective you know which of your skills and experience to emphasize when you are being interviewed. Hiring manager's are typically motivated by the need to solve the most immediate challenges they are confronting. If you can show someone how you can help them solve the problems that are keeping them awake at night, you are well on your way to getting the job or the promotion you seek.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
The Ten Commandments of Employment Negotiations
1. Be prepared. The more you know about the job market and about your prospective employer, the better you will negotiate. Information is readily available on the Internet, at the library, from professional associations and through networking. Time spent learning how to negotiate is time well spent and will pay dividends throughout your career. Proper preparation enables you to know what is possible and to get what you want. This is the first commandment because it's the most important thing you do as a negotiator.
2. Recognize that employment negotiations are unique. While you want to negotiate the best possible deal, you need to do so in a way that doesn't damage your relationship with your future employer. At the same time, the employer's primary concern isn't negotiating the least expensive compensation package it can get away with. Keep in mind that your future employer wants you to accept the position and feel good about doing so. Remember that when the negotiations are over, you'll have to work with the person with whom you are negotiating.
3. Understand your needs and those of your prospective employer. Employment negotiations are about priorities- yours and the employer’s. What is important to you? Are you to accept a low salary in return for a large equity stake? Are you able to handle dramatic swings in income from year to year? Understanding your needs will also help you select the type of company you want to work for. While a family-owned business may be unwilling to offer equity or ownership to a non-family member, may be willing to offer a large bonus based on results. A start-up company, in contrast, may not be able to offer a market-rate salary, but will typically offer stock options. By recognizing what an employer is most willing to do, you'll be able to determine what trade offs are possible to maximize what you get.
4. Understand the dynamics of the particular negotiations. Sometimes you'll have skills that are in great demand. At other times, you may be one of many qualified candidates each of whom the company would be happy to hire. Sizing up the situation and understanding the relative bargaining position of each party will help you determine when to press your advantage and when to back off.
5. Never lie, but use the truth to your advantage. It is not only wrong to lie, but in employment negotiations, it's ineffective. If you lie during negotiations, sooner or later you are likely to get caught. Then, even if the employer doesn’t withdraw the offer, you'll be at a tremendous disadvantage, and your credibility will be forever damaged. On the other hand, total candor won't be rewarded. You're under no obligation to blurt out everything you know. You can determine what you want to say and how you want to say it, placing everything in its most favorable light. One key aspect of your preparation is recognizing potential problems so you can determine, ahead of time, how you will handle them when they inevitably come up.
6. Understand the role fairness plays in the process. Appeals to fairness can be an extremely powerful weapon. The guiding principle for most employers when they negotiate is fairness. Within the constraints of their budget and organizational structure, employers usually will agree to anything that's fair and reasonable. So be able to justify every request you make in terms of fairness. Understanding the role that fairness plays in employment negotiations can mean the difference between success and failure.
7. Use uncertainty to your advantage. The more information you convey to a potential employer about your bottom line, the more likely it will limit what you get. Employers typically ask what it will take for you to accept the position, before they make you an offer. With that information, a prospective employer can determine the minimum package it needs to offer. While an employer may not offer you as little as it can get away with, divulging too much information will likely result in a lower offer. By not disclosing your exact compensation or what it would take to get you to accept the position, you force a potential employer to make its best offer. When dealing with a recruiter, however, you may need to provide more detailed salary information. If you do, though, present that information in the most advantageous way.
8. Be creative. Consider the value of the total package. Look for different ways to achieve your goals. Be willing to make tradeoffs that increase the total value of the deal. By being creative, you can package what you want in ways that will be acceptable to the company. You'll also be able to find creative "trades" that allow you to withdraw requests that might be problematic to the company in return for improvements in areas where the company has more flexibility.
9. Focus on your goals, not on winning. Too often in negotiations, winning becomes more important than achieving your goals. It's important not to make your future boss feel as if he's lost in the negotiations. You'll have gained little by negotiating a good deal if you alienate your future boss in the process.
10. Know when to quit bargaining. The one sure way to lose everything you've gained through your negotiating efforts is to be greedy. There comes a point in every negotiation when you've achieved everything you could have reasonably expected to achieve. While most companies will want to treat you fairly and make you happy, few companies want to hire a prima donna. Being perceived as greedy or unreasonable may cause the deal to fall apart. Even if it doesn't, you'll have done immeasurable harm to your career.
This brings us to the Eleventh commandment:
11. Never forget that employment is an ongoing relationship. Job negotiations are the starting point for your career with a company. Get too little and you're disadvantaged throughout your career there; push too hard and you can sour the relationship before it begins.
Understanding these principles will allow you to effectively negotiate the terms of your new job in good times and in bad. Once you are hired, do a good job and continually seek out new challenges. As you take on added responsibilities and learn new skills, there will be opportunities to negotiate further improvements.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Motivating People Is About Recognizing What They Care About
Most people simply assume that everyone is motivated in the same way that they are. Even when we recognize that someone else might see a situation differently than we do, our first instinct usually is to try to persuade them to see things our way. The U Perspective takes the opposite approach. Its effectiveness is not rooted in the ability to convince others to change their views or adopt different values. Instead, its power comes from recognizing what others already believe and want and motivating them to help you achieve your objectives based on that information. The U Perspective allows you to get what you want by working with another person’s belief system, not challenging it. To achieve this level of understanding, you need to discover how the person you are trying to influence perceives a situation and what is important to him or her -- to learn to see things through their eyes. Once you understand how they see a situation you have the ability to construct, and present options in a way that more effectively influences what they do.
Computer scientists have used an understanding of what certain web users value to literally get them to do work that no one else wants to do and to do it for free. Impossible. Not if you understand the concept of the U Perspective. One of the most boring tasks I can think of is labeling images to enable online searching. This is a task computers can not yet do; so it requires viewers to look at the images and assign them key words that identify them. How much would you expect to be paid to do that work? Louis Van Ahn, a professor at Carnegie MellonUniversity, has figured out how to get people to do it for free. He simply turned it into a game. The game connects random players who log in to the website. Each is shown the same picture for which they type in keywords. When the words match they are awarded points. People return to the website frequently and have been known to play for hours.
When it comes to getting a new job, a promotion or a raise, understanding what the decision-maker cares about is critical to success. If you show how what you are asking for will further some goal they care about, you will likely get what you want. If you can help your boss or prospective boss look good or accomplish an important objective you are likely to win the new job, promotion or raise that you are seeking.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Interviewing Do's and Don't
1) Prepare: Find out everything you can about the company, the job and the interviewer.
2) Focus on accomplishments not responsibilities.
3) Ask knowledgeable questions.
4) Make friends with the secretaries and assistants involved in the hiring process.
5) Be enthusiastic.
6) Always be positive.
7) Ask for the job.
INTERVIEWING DONTs
1) Don't ever say anything bad about a prior employer, even if true.
2) Avoid being too deferential to the interviewer.
3) Don’t interrupt the interviewer.
4) Avoid talking about salary, or talk about it as little as possible, until you get an offer.
5) Do not assume you can’t negotiate a better deal. (You can if you know how and when to do so)
For more information go to YourCareerDoctors.com
Monday, August 27, 2007
Fall: A time to Focus on Your Career
People are returning from their vacations. Kids are returning to school. You should be focusing on your career. With the end of the summer upon us, now is a good time to focus on your career. Are you looking for a promotion, that raise you deserve or greater job satisfaction? Here are three tips to start the season off right:
1. Try a new look- one that is designed to project authority
2 Nurture your network
3. Take on a project designed to increase your visibility
Try A New Look: How a person looks and how they carry themselves forms the foundation of how people view them. Creating the right image will enhance one’s ability to persuade others. That requires you to look the way the people you are dealing with expect someone in authority to look. So dress like the people who are in the position you aspire to. Police Officers, judges, and doctors for example, all dress in a way that let’s you know instantly that they are functioning in a role that sets them apart from the rest of us and signals how we are expected to react to their directives. Different occupations have different ways of dressing to indicate your status. That will of course be different for women than for men. It will also differ depending on whether you are in Singapore, New York or Moscow. Look at how successful individuals in your field dress and let that guide you.
Nurture Your Network: Create a network of people who care about your career success. How do you do that? Build relationships with people in your field, both within your organization and outside. Stay in touch. Periodically call them and try to get together. E-mail them with information that they might find useful. Send them articles of interest. Remember their birthdays. Ask for their help and advise. More importantly, offer assistance. Look for ways tohelp them. Networking is about giving. give unselfishly. Your efforts will pay dividends many times over.
Take On a Project Designed to Increase Your Visibility: Seek out opportunities to work on projects that are important to the organization and to your boss. Good work is not enough. Your work needs to be noticed. So try to do it where people are looking. Work on the projects that people care about. do a good job and people will take note. I have a saying I use when I coach " If a tree fall in the forest and no one hears, who cares? But if you do great work and no one notices then career opportunities pass you by.
Coming into the Fall with a plan to move your career forward and you will reap the benefits. For more information go to YourCareerDoctors.com
Monday, August 20, 2007
Career Change Can Be Very Rewarding
Saturday, August 18, 2007
When is a $70 million dollar salary not enough?
So Mark McGoldrick was unhappy with his salary because his counterparts at hedge funds and private equity firms were making a lot more than he was. This should not have come as a surprise to me.
As I wrote in UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective-- The Art of Getting What You Want:" While money can effectively be used as a motivator, even money becomes significantly less useful as a motivator once you achieve a certain level of wealth. There is a significant body of research that shows that once personal wealth reaches a certain level additional wealth produces virtually no increase in one’s sense of happiness. Moreover, according to Richard Layard, a professor at the London School of Economics, peoples’ sense of their own wealth is subjective and is determined primarily by comparing themselves to others. Therefore when incomes rise across a nation there is no greater sense of wealth or happiness. For example, real income in Japan more than quintupled over the thirty years starting in the1950s yet researchers found no corresponding increase in how happy people felt. Even very wealthy people can feel disadvantaged when their friends are significantly wealthier than they are. Understanding that may cause you to propose a business opportunity to a very wealthy individual by focusing on some other benefit beyond just its profitability, such as by making it exclusively available to that individual or by allowing that individual to gain status by being able to offer it to his or her friends."
Understanding that we react in this way and that so do others is important to keep in mind if you are seeking to get hired, to get a raise or to gain a promotion. The fact that someone else is interested in hiring you makes you more valuable. It is not so much the fear of losing you that increases your value. Trust me, they will find someone else equally talented. It is losing you to someone else, especially someone they view as a competitor, that really drives people crazy. We all want what other's want and it is even better if we are the only one, or one of an elite few, that has it. Harness that knowledge to your advantage to move your career forward.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Stress and the Pace of Working in the US
That brings home the point of how important it is to take some time off periodically to refresh yourself. When I was a corporate executive I got to travel to lots of exotic places but I never got to really see them. I saw the hotels. I ate at nice restaurants. I went to lots of restaurants and bars. Then I went home. What a waste.
Take your vacation time. Most Americans don't use all their vacation. They are too busy and it is too hard to catch up when they get back. Or they are afraid if they are gone that they will miss something important. Hard work is important to success but you need to stop every once and a while to see what is going on around you and around the world, not to mention sharing time with the people you care about. It will make you better at what you do and a better person as well.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Generational Differences Can Impact Workplace Effectiveness (or why I have difficulty communicating with my son)
Boomers 1943-1964
Gen X 1961-1980
Gen Y 1977-2000
Millennials 1998-2012
Because each generation was affected by different life shaping events, their U Perspectives- what they care about and what will motivate them- differs. As a result, frequently generational miscommunication arise. If you are a boomer, you need to recognize that money and success which motivated you, may not be the prime motivator for other generations, or at least not a motivator in the same way as they were for you. Gen Xers want challenging work and work life balance in addition to money. Gen Yers also seek challenging work. While they expect to have many jobs and employers they tend to be more loyal and respectful of authority if you can win them over. Millennials, not really in the workforce yet, tend to be more relationship driven (although often those relationships are virtual), more easily distracted and better able to multi-task than prior generations. Since most of them are still being supported by their parents, how they see money and career remains to be seen.
What does this mean for the workplace. If you want to succeed pay close attention to the different U Perspectives of each generation. Gaining their support and cooperation, whether as a boss or a colleague, will require understanding the generational aspects of their U Perspective. Motivate them to want to help you by focusing on what they care about. Money alone will generally not be enough to attract and retain them nor to gain their support. Don't assume that they would do "what you would if you were in their shoes." Trust me they wear different shoes than you do. Avoid miscommunications by listening and learning about how each generation sees things, how they like to process information and how they define career success. However, do not assume that everyone from the same generation is the identical. While U Perspectives are informed by shared generational experiences, everyone's U Perspective is unique because everyone specific life experiences and values are different. Once, however, you understand an individual's U Perspective motivating them to want to help you achieve your objectives becomes a much simpler task.
THE BOOK REVIEW UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective- The Art of Getting What You Want:
"Written by experienced businessman and winner of the 2005 Seton Hall University Business School's Award for Teaching Excellence Lee E. Miller with consultant and entrepreneur Barbara Jackson, UP: Influence, Influence, Power and the U Perspective- The Art of Getting What You Want is a self-help guide to cultivating one’s ability to influence people and build lasting agreements that advance mutual goals.
Chapters discuss the "three C's" method of influencing others (Convince, Collaborate and Create), and the importance of understanding others' perspectives. "Since our beliefs and values are developed over time, on a subconscious level, most people simply assume that everyone sees the world the way they do. Even when we recognize that someone else sees a situation differently than we do, our first instinct usually is to try to persuade them to see things our way. The U Perspective takes the opposite approach. Its effectiveness is not rooted in the ability to convince others to change their views or adopt different values. Instead, its power comes from recognizing what others already believe and want and providing solutions based on that information." A top-notch guide, especially ideal for greasing social wheels in business circles but packed cover to cover with tips for more effective negotiation and team-building in personal circles as well."
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Lessons from India
Whenever I travel to speak I invariable learn as much as the students I teach. India is a very exciting place to be doing business. Opportunities abound. If given the chance to work in places like India or China or other rapidly developing countries you should take it. Business is becoming more and more global. Whether selling into those markets, outsources services to them or importing goods or services from them, no business can afford to ignore those markets. Knowledge of the culture and how to do business in those countries will be invaluable to potential employers. Careers can gain a big boost by working overseas provided you remain visible at home while making your mark abroad. (More on that in another blog). If that type of opportunity doesn't readily come your way and you are interested, make it happen. There is a tremendous shortage of management talent and needs abound. Seek out opportunities and as the old man on the train said you will never regret it.
I leave you with a quote from Harvard Professor Stanley Hoffman "I am more and more convinced that people are intensely different from country to country. Not everyone is motivated by the same things." The better you understand how different people around the world are motivated the more successful you will be.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Get a Life
Monday, July 30, 2007
Its Not Only About Doing A Good Job
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Friends of Harry Potter
What I want to talk about, however, is not the making of the movie but the moral of the story. That is not in my view that bureaucracy is the enemy of good policy although I suppose that is one theme we can deduce from the movie.
I want to focus on the real career lesson you can take from the movie-- the value of friends and mentors. After all it is Harry's friends who stick with him when everyone else thinks he is crazy or a traitor. It is his friends and mentors who support him, keep him from being expelled and save his life. He repays them repeated by teaching them and helping them when they are in danger. Early on Harry is tempted to push his friends away when he is in trouble rather than seek their help. He has to be persuaded to offer his help to them as well, feeling that he does not have sufficient expertise to offer them.
As a bright young Harvard lawyer I thought I was going to conquer the world by being smarter and harder working than everyone else. What I learned is there is always someone else who is smarter or harder working. While those qualities are important they will only take you so far.
To be successful we need to offer help to others whenever we can throughout our career, particularly to those who at the moment may seem like they have little to offer in return. We need to mentor others whenever we can. We need to build our network and help our friends without thinking about what we might get in return. If you do that they will be there for you when you need them and they will help you in ways you would not even think to ask. Most people don't understand that networking is about what you can give not what you can get.
Career success, as well as success in life, is built on the quality of your relationships. When it comes to career success it is your friends, your network and your mentors who will make all the difference. Even Harry Potter can't do it alone.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Layoffs for Employees, Dividends for Investors
We are repeating the cycle we went through in the 90s. Thanks to ever improving technology I anticipate this trend will not only continue but will accelerate. As a result no matter how hard you work and how good you are at what you do, your job is always at risk. New boss, merger, private equity buyout- all have job ending potential.
What can you do to protect yourself. Always make sure that you keep learning new skills. Stay current on what is happening in your field and in your industry. Develop a network of friends and colleagues that you can count on. Help them whenever you can. Most importantly, always have a plan ready to find a new job. If you lose your job, and statistically that is highly likely, you need to be ready.
The good news is (and there is good news), most people who change jobs, or careers, are happier after they do so. Often they are thankful that they were laid off because it forced them to do something they were thinking about doing but were afraid to do. Okay that perspective comes with hindsight only. Getting fired is painful, scary and really, really difficult. That is why it is best to prepare for it beforehand or, if you are unhappy where you are, be proactive and find something better before you are faced with the prospect of being let go.
Let me leave you with one final thought: When I was a lawyer I never imagined ever doing anything else. For business reasons I was transferred by my firm to another city and shortly thereafter, for reasons of geography, I took an HR position with one of my clients. Surprisingly I liked that work even more. After a long career in HR at several companies, after a takeover I took some time off to write a book, teach and start a corporate training and consulting firm. Surprisingly I liked that even better and felt really good because I was helping people. Each of those transitions was not without their challenges. However, I survived and prospered, leaving me to preach what has become my basic life philosophy- "There are no limits on what we can accomplish except those we place on ourselves." Remember, from the vantage point of doing something you love the view around you is always pretty good.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Expect the Unexpected
I am in Singapore at the moment. Today I was scheduled for a telephone interview on drive time radio. I am staying with a friend and gave his telephone number to the producer. I also gave the producer my cell number as a back up. Well, lo and behold, about five minutes after the interview was suppose to begin I get a call on my cell phone from the host saying that they had to cancel my spot. When the producer tried several times to call the telephone number I had given him a woman answered each time claiming not to know who I was. Why the producer did not call my cell phone is beyond me. However, when I called my friends number, sure enough the phone sitting in front of me did not ring and some woman answered. Apparently when my friend called the phone company to find out what was going on it turns out the wires were somehow crossed.
The moral of this story is that I should have called ahead of time to make sure my friends phone was working properly. (Okay perhaps anticipating that problem might be too much even for me to anticipate.) What I really should have done, in addition to giving the producer a back up number, was to get his direct number so I could have called when the producer's call failed to come through as scheduled. That way I would have been in control of the situation.
So what does this have to do with careers? Actually everything. Few of you will have my extraordinary level of impossible to anticipate (but fortunately minor) difficulties plaguing your life. However when it comes to your career all of you will have unexpected challenges. The key is to plan for them. If you have a critical meeting that you absolutely have to be at on time, drive the route ahead of time to anticipate any problems. Leave early anyway.
More importantly, statistically most people will be terminated from a job at one time or another in their life. Ask J.K. Rowling or Mayor Bloomberg. Both were fired from their jobs before they went on to be enormously successful. Everyone needs to have a plan in case that happens. Create a job search plan and have it ready just in case. Build and nourish your network. Have some money put away in reserve. Do those things before you need them. Expect the unexpected.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The One Magic Bullet That Will Guarantee Career Success or How Harry Potter Slayed the Career Dragon
International Opportunities
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The Power of Like
When it come to getting the job, getting the promotion or even getting someone to help you, it is easier if they like you. We want to work with people we like. We want to do things for people that we like. So how do we get someone to like us? Spend time with them. Show interest. Do something for them. Find out what you have in common. Compliment them. Show them you like them because, in the end, we tend to like people who like us.