Another example of proof-reading being foolishly replaced by an automated spell check: Lead the development, scheduling and distribution of market/sales client tough points (new product launches, enhancement announcements, holiday cards, etc.) That is from an employment ad that, despite using lots of words, does not identify the industry beyond – manufacturing. Maybe Mickey Rourke will apply.
Continue ReadingFun From The Resume Pile
From the outstanding resume file – a resume I received yesterday for a Project Manager position: Personal Attributes I am highly enthusiastic, hard working, opinionated and motivated to work under my own initiative or as part of a team. 1. I have extensive practical experience of fault-finding… Which explains why his team wants him to work on his own initiative. In all fairness, the candidate goes on to finish item #1 with: …and problem solving systematically. Certainly a lot easier to do once you’ve established blame. There’s a sentence later in the letter that suggests English isn’t a strong suit – My team were involved in maintenance, repairing and servicing… Read More
Continue ReadingLeadership Made Simple
Remember the book, All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten? Perhaps not, unless you are a seasoned vet like I am, but the premise is still sound. Today I was reminded of the power of principle centered leadership. This morning I attended a meeting of the Manufacturers Alliance, a group of 300 or so manufacturers here in Minnesota who share best practices, lead training seminars and otherwise help their peers get better. The keynote speaker was Tom Tiller, CEO of Polaris Industries. Tom’s message was so crystal clear I need to share it. Polaris, he told us, has increased its value by 150 times in the last… Read More
Continue ReadingHow Does Your City Rank In Terms of Stress?
This article ranks 50 metros in terms of relative ”stress” and I was glad to see my metro did not make the top 10. We did, however, miss the “Top 10 Least Stressful” metros (by one place). Distressing, to say the least. Those of us who live in the Twin Cities love to brag on our quality of life, even more so than our weather. We love being in the top 10 of any silly survey. It made me think about the stress of working in sales. The constant pressure to perform. The uncertainty of the deal. The hidden power centers and arcane purchasing rules. The shifty clients and the… Read More
Continue ReadingLeading Out Of Our Status Quo
Being in the final stages of strategic planning right now with my company (following the establishment of a Vision statement last year) I just can’t leave Derrick’s post alone. He is absolutely correct with his assumption that many “visioning” exercises are empty of real meaning or impact. As any good business consultant will tell you, execution of the vision and the strategy is a lot harder than crafting the words. Most companies do not follow through and get any real value. It sounds like that’s what Derrick experienced (as I have in several previous lives). But, for a company like ours that is transitioning from a manufacturing mentality to become… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Two-Minute Warning
It’s playoff time for the NFL and I love to watch quarterbacks (and coaches) who can execute in the red zone, run an effective two-minute drill and get the job done. That may be why I get so nervous when I hear salespeople say – ” It’s in the client’s hands now, all we can do is wait.” We’re waiting on such an opportunity right now, and we’ve been waiting since before Christmas 2007. I’m nervous because there is no two-minute drill in progress to help the customer make the right decision and there appears to be a lack of urgency in our salesperson’s approach, now that the proposal is… Read More
Continue ReadingTalent Scarcity, But Plenty Of Grill Time
The recruiters conference I attended last Friday started off on the right foot – we calculated the cost of a bad hire (even for a $6 an hour employee, it can run $2400 or more), interacted with the moderator about CEOs’ perception of candidates brought in by an outside agency (79% unfavorable) and even discussed the challenge of finding “A” players in a tight talent market. But when the speaker explained their approach of grilling a candidate on each and every job back to high school (Tell me your bosses name. Spell it. Tell me your closest peer’s name at that job. Spell it.) during a 3 to 4 hour long third interview,… Read More
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