leadership

THG @SXSW: Using an “Army of Interns” to Kick Your Business into High Gear

Larry Smith on February 13, 2012

innovation, internships, leadership, SXSW, THG@SXSW, work politics Comment

We have a bumper crop of Hired Guns presenting their ideas at next month’s SXSW Interactive. Over the next few weeks we’ll be profiling them, so that you can get a taste of their ideas — whether or not you’ll be making it to Austin yourself.

Marshalling Your Army of Interns
Tuesday, March 13, 3:30
Presenter: Larry Smith

Your Twesume
(your resume in 140 characters or less):
Mine is just six words: “Tell your story, that’s my story.”

Why did you want to speak at SXSW?
I’ve learned so much in the years I’ve gone to SXSW, and I’m thrilled to offer any knowledge I can back. This year I’m leading a “Core Conversation.” It will be a nice change of pace: rather than doing a panel or fancy presentation where I’m the “expert,” I’ll be leading a discussion in a room of very smart people sharing tips and experiences together.

Career Rehab: What You Can Do Now to Get Paid Later

Jim Hopkinson on January 25, 2012

negotiation, salary, salary tutor Comment

It’s still the beginning of the new year, and you’re determined that this is the year it all comes together. You’re going to lose that last five pounds, go on that international vacation you’ve always dreamed of, and get the raise or promotion you deserve (how else are you going to pay for the trip?).

The path to the first two goals is pretty straightforward. Every gym worth its salt is running a “New Year, New You” promotion, and a trip to any bookstore will overwhelm you with the latest diet books. While you’re at the bookstore, skip over to the travel section and pick up a guidebook for the country of your choice and keep it at your desk for motivation.

For the last goal, here are six building blocks for strengthening your career in 2012.

1) Build your network. There’s a common saying that “you need to build your network before you need it,” and it definitely holds true. Waiting until you need a new job and then suddenly contacting everyone you know is akin to waiting until the night before a big test to begin studying.

The Leadership Journey: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words, and Hours of Discussion

Todd Cherches on January 13, 2012

creativity, leadership, visual learning, visualization Comment

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And that leadership is not a destination . . . but a journey. I’m not exactly sure who “they” are, but regardless of who said what, there’s something moving and memorable about the power of a beautiful, colorful visual image like this one — and a simple, thought-provoking metaphor.

In my leadership workshops, as well as in the NYU graduate course I teach on “Transformational Leadership and Team Building,” we spend almost an hour discussing — and pretty much an entire semester referring back to — the single, powerful metaphor that we refer to as “The Leadership Journey.” “An hour on one simple picture? How can that be?” you might be wondering.

3 Things Newbie Managers Need to Know

Danny Flamberg on January 5, 2012

leadership, management, work politics Comment

We’re glad to welcome to the blog today the digital strategist Danny Flamberg, who writes about marketing, advertising, and culture on his blog, Manhattan Marketing Maven. In his new series with us, he’ll be covering the tools, tricks, and ways of thinking that managers must have to help their staff do the best job they can.

Most first-time managers have specific tasks they need to get accomplished, and often their first job is to change their mindset from “How can I do this?” to “How can I help my team do this?” They must work to change their actions and attitude from that of an individual player to an effective coach and supervisor.

To succeed at this, focus on the three crucial “W’s”:

How to Succeed on Panels and Q&As: Make Yourself a “Point” Guard

Joel Schwartzberg on January 4, 2012

interviews, panels, public speaking, speeches Comment

I give an annual presentation for members of a religious group about how to ensure that their faith is presented fairly in the media and in the rest of society. What they most want to know is what to do during panel discussions, TV interviews, and other unscripted scenarios in which participants aren’t in control and are sometimes taking unfriendly fire. Here’s what I tell them….

How Not to Succeed: 5 Fun Ways to Make a Meeting Last 2 Hours

Todd Tarpley on November 1, 2011

how not to succeed, management, meetings, productivity Comment

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a manager is the power to waste other people’s time. A great way to do this is by transforming short meetings into endless morale-sucks in which nothing is accomplished and big chunks of the work day are blown.

Here are some helpful hints for pulling this off effectively:

1. Do it on short notice! Impromptu meetings disrupt whatever work people were already doing. Everyone loves a surprise, especially in the middle of a busy day. An unplanned two-hour meeting not only shakes up the same old boring routine, it teaches patience, discipline, and time-management skills. Your employees will thank you a thousand times over.

Bullet Points: Managing Perfectionists; The Habits of Bad Hiring Managers

The Hired Guns on October 20, 2011

bullet points, hiring, job interviews, managing Comment

How does Google Ventures decide which startups get part of its $200 million? [Mashable]
Comparing “workaholics” in various countries. [Jezebel]
Liz Ryan looks at 4 of the worst hiring managers she ever met. [Businessweek]
This week in viral promotions and digital marketing: Take This Lollipop, a creepy, Facebook-soaked video to make you even more worried about online privacy than you were already. Or maybe it’ll just remind you to find a better head shot and update your status once in a while. [More on it from The Next Web and Slate....]
There’s a downside to excessive detail orientation: how to manage a perfectionist. [HBR]

Avoid Timelines, Plan Accordingly, and Change Everything: How Agile Product Managers Work With Management

Matt Smith on October 19, 2011

Agile, management, project management Comment

One major misconception about Agile product development is that there’s no long-term planning, and that everyone just does that they think should be done in the moment.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Successful Agile shops are ones that put a strong focus on strategy and know exactly where they want to go. Being Agile means that you outline your high-level business goals first, that you think about the six-month and twelve-month plan, that you focus on problems over solutions, and, ultimately, that you abandon timelines and allow yourself to adjust priorities as you go.

Unfortunately, this is where most executives struggle; “How can you not have a timeline? When will things get done? How will we plan?” It’s understandable that executives want to know how time and money is being spent, and timelines and Gantt charts have their place in certain kinds of businesses: see my previous post on Waterfall vs. Agile approaches. But in the world of web development, timelines equal compromise, and compromise equals failure. When you commit to the dates on a timeline, you might as well let everyone know right off the bat that you will either miss the date, or that you will compromise the product to hit the date.

But what’s the right way to do long-term planning in an Agile environment so that executives (and everyone else) feel comfortable with the plan? The answer is a road map based not on deadlines and wants, but on priorities and needs.

Bullet Points: When (Not If) Your Employees Move On

The Hired Guns on October 7, 2011

Apple, bullet points, hiring, leadership, productivity Comment

Your employees WILL leave you. How to deal with one of the facts of modern-day corporate life. [The Next Web]
Why aren’t all those newly available jobs helping push down the unemployment rate? [PRI]
11 weird tips for being a great public speaker (OK, maybe they are more “unusual” than “weird.”) [Altucher]
10 steps to get more done at work, from Forbes.
Steve Jobs “did what a CEO should: Hired and inspired great people; managed for the long term, not the quarter of the short-term stock price; made big bets and took big risks.” — Walter Mossberg
The Metropolitan Museum recently emerged from an extensive redesign of its website, with new itineraries and lots more coverage of its holdings.
Purdue University has dropped out of the running for opening an applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island. This project, estimated at costing at least a billion dollars, is one that the Bloomberg administration is supporting through a promise of up to $100 million in infrastructure funding from the city — Purdue said it wasn’t enough, given the likely total cost. Roughly 26 other schools are still interested in the proposal, including Cornell, Stanford, NYU, and Columbia. [WSJ]

Three Great Ways to Get Sued for Discrimination After an Interview

Todd Tarpley on October 3, 2011

discrimination, how not to succeed, management Comment

Now that you’re a big, important manager, you’ll probably be called on to interview job candidates. Despite what the experts in Human Resources and Legal say (cough — who cares — cough), the whole issue of what constitutes legal and illegal lines of questioning is blown waayyy out of proportion. Some people are just too uptight.

Nonetheless, here are a few things you might want to say to reassure job candidates that you’re “in sync” with HR and Legal on those touchy topics:

Age

I just want to let you know that we wouldn’t mind hiring a really old person such as yourself. Your generation has done so much for our country, particularly in World War I. The fact that you even showed up today is pretty amazing, when you think about it. I mean, your kids are probably on Social Security by now, right? Ha-ha. No, but seriously — I know you probably didn’t even get that joke, and that’s okay, because I know you’re a little slow mentally. I just want you to know that we’re willing to sacrifice productivity a bit by hiring you. Can I call you Grandpa?

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leadership

THG @SXSW: Using an “Army of Interns” to Kick Your Business into High Gear

Career Rehab: What You Can Do Now to Get Paid Later

The Leadership Journey: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words, and Hours of Discussion

3 Things Newbie Managers Need to Know

How to Succeed on Panels and Q&As: Make Yourself a “Point” Guard

How Not to Succeed: 5 Fun Ways to Make a Meeting Last 2 Hours

Bullet Points: Managing Perfectionists; The Habits of Bad Hiring Managers

Avoid Timelines, Plan Accordingly, and Change Everything: How Agile Product Managers Work With Management

Bullet Points: When (Not If) Your Employees Move On

Three Great Ways to Get Sued for Discrimination After an Interview

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THG @SXSW: Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You
by Jim Hopkinson

Why Modern Marketers Need to Do More Than Just “Love Data”
by Tom Burg

THG @SXSW: Revealing Design’s True Power
by Jeff Gothelf

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