A sentence I just read in a laptop battery warranty statement: We are happy to send a replacement when you receive a defective item from us. “when”!?!
Continue ReadingPink Slip Parties?
I received my share of pink slips in my career so this title frightened me when I first saw it in the Twin Cities Business Magazine. However, this strikes me as rather clever: The party, akin to speed dating for the unemployed… The idea is to provide an opportunity for job seekers to mingle with local recruiters in a more informal setting than a traditional board room. Job seekers should dress to impress, bring copies of their resume, and be ready to network, Virgin Mobile and JobsDirectUSA said. The companies call the party “the most fun and laid-back job interview most who attend will ever experience.”
Continue ReadingJob Location-North Dakota
Ok, I know it isn’t an exotic port of call, but North Dakota does have one very interesting fact – 3.3% unemployment. From our local Pioneer Planet newspaper: Ziesch says the state had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation in June at 3.3 percent. He says North Dakota has about 10,700 unfilled jobs. Yes, it is a sparsely populated state, but they definitely have demand. This time of year is the right time to visit, too. 6 months from now and you will be crying through blizzards the like you have never seen. Nonetheless, count me as a fan of North Dakota.
Continue ReadingHappy Independence Day 2010
Ok, so I am a day late, but what a great day it was. Parades, cookout, fireworks all with friends and family. I think if you want to get a real slice of Americana, come celebrate the Fourth with us. I hope you are able to enjoy a day off on this Monday. Here is something I found interesting from the JustSell newsletter: Thomas Jefferson & John Adams — the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who became president — both died on the same day… July 4th, 1826 — the 50th celebration of Independence Day.
Continue ReadingHappy Canada Day
I almost forgot this, eh? I was recently in Winnipeg for a week and have only good things to say about our neighbors to the north. I ate some Tim Horton’s, drank Molson and watched a lot of hockey – a perfect week for a guy from Minnesota. We have many customers in Canada and I just wanted to give a shout out to them this fine day.
Continue ReadingWhat Color Is The Sky In Your World?
Remember that great line from Frasier Crane on Cheers? It is getting close to a holiday weekend so my mind is starting to drift a bit – my apologies. I did come across this rather entertaining test from the msn.com/CareerBuilder website – Let Your Favorite Color Guide Your Career. Take the test by selecting your favorite color from the top row and your favorite from the bottom row. Scroll down and you will get your results. I was blue-purple (can you tell from the website colors?). All these years of selling assessments…maybe we overlooked something simple here. Ok, maybe not. Still, you have to admit it was interesting.
Continue ReadingImpulse Drive
No, I’m not talking about Star Trek but rather a common drive amongst leaders that can get them in trouble. I’ve seen this drive recently in a couple of different business-owning customers. My definition of it is a fast-acting, emotionally-driven decision. I think there is some value to it especially in the early, entrepreneurial stages of a company. Start-ups certainly need to be nimble to compete against larger, established competitors with deeper pockets. However, the impulse drive can outlive its value if the owner/founder overuses it as his/her company grows larger. One example is an owner who developed an idea for a new service offering and went full out to… Read More
Continue ReadingTake This Job And
shove it…apparently. The Herman Trend offers up some stats that may catch you by surprise (emphasis mine): It is interesting to note that in the United States more people quit their jobs in the last three months than those who lost their jobs. After 15 straight months of time in which layoffs exceeded voluntary departures, it appears that the job market is finally shifting. … In a related development, one-quarter of our business community’s most promising employees are increasingly disengaged and many are actively seeking new employment opportunities. A recent study on employee engagement, conducted by the Corporate Executive Board’s Corporate Leadership Council (CLC), found that 25 percent of the… Read More
Continue ReadingSocial Skills vs. Sales Skills
If you’re talking you’re not selling. That is an old axiom I learned early in my sales career and it is always true. Talking does not equal selling. Unfortunately, people not experienced in sales hiring often have the opposite view. Their stereotypical belief is that the best salespeople are the ones who are perceived to be the best talkers. This misguided view often leads to bad hires. Here is where the mistake occurs – hiring managers assume that social skills are equivalent to sales skills. Ok, maybe that is too strong, but the assumption is that the social skills are the key to successful selling. Social skills are a component… Read More
Continue ReadingFundamental Attribution Error
Warning – psychology babble coming your way from Fast Company. I encounter this effect often with clients: That judgment is what’s called, in psychology, the Fundamental Attribution Error. Meaning that we tend to attribute people’s behavior to their core character rather than to their situation. So when somebody cuts you off in traffic, you think, “What a jerk!” You don’t think, “I wonder situation he’s in that’s causing him to drive so crazy.” Even though in those times when YOU have driven crazily, it was almost certainly because of the situation you were in—you were late for a job interview or a date. May I make a suggestion? The use… Read More
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