leadership

Tony Schwartz: Want Productive Employees? Treat Them Like Adults

The Hired Guns on March 25, 2013

This article originally appeared on HBR.org and The Energy Project. It is reprinted here with the kind permission of the author.

For more than a decade now, I’ve struggled to define what fuels the most sustainably productive work environment — not just on behalf of the large corporate clients we serve, but also for my own employees at The Energy Project. Perhaps nothing I’ve uncovered is as important as trust.

Much as employers understandably hunger for one-size-fits-all policies and practices, what motivates human beings remains stubbornly complex, opaque, and difficult to unravel. Perhaps that’s why I felt so viscerally the shortsightedness and futility of Marissa Mayer’s decision to order Yahoo employees who had been working from home to move back to the office, and Hubert Joly’s to do the same at Best Buy. Read More →

A Love Letter to All of my Horrible Bosses

Todd Cherches on February 13, 2013

So I’m sitting at my desk typing up a memo, when all of a sudden I hear my boss’s office door swing open behind me. As I turn around to see what’s going on, I instinctively duck to avoid the object flying at my head. A box of pens hits the wall above my desk and breaks open, spraying 12 brand new blue Papermate medium ballpoints in all directions.

My boss had just thrown a box of pens at me. Read More →

POV: Weisstuch and Livingston on the Future of Women in Marketing

The Hired Guns on January 31, 2013

Julie Livingston

Mad Men’s ratings may be higher than ever, but we all know the role of professional women has come a long way since the 60s. We recently sat down with Melissa Weisstuch, Associate Director of Marketing Communications at Somnia Anesthesia and Julie Livingston, Senior Director of Client Development at CarrotNewYork to learn more about the current state of women in marketing. Both Melissa and Julie are members of New York Women in Communications (NYWICI), a 1,500 member organization for communications and marketing professionals. They were kind enough to give us their takes on the dynamic world of marketing, public relations, and communications. Read More →

13 For ‘13: Thirteen Books That Can Change Your Life in 2013 (If You Actually Read Them)

Todd Cherches on January 14, 2013

Every year it’s the same thing. We start out the New Year filled with good intentions, high hopes, and a formidable list of life-changing resolutions. And for an indomitable few, those resolutions result in positive changes and personal growth. But for the rest of us, life tends to get in the way.

Before we know it, January is over and February flies by (it’s such a short month!). Then the spring holidays come along. Then it’s summer, and… well, you know the rest. That pledge to “start tomorrow” just leads to the eventual realization that today is yesterday’s tomorrow. So, what can we do about it?

We can start today. For real. Right now.

What we need to do is go from “resolutions” to “real solutions.” And one real-life solution that really works, is easy to do, and can kick-start us into action, is to start reading. And my recommendation is to start your New Year’s reading with any one of the 13 inspirational and motivational books on this list. Read More →

The Four Enduring Lessons I Learned from Sales Legend Zig Ziglar

Danny Flamberg on January 7, 2013

Long before others turned sales motivation into a slick, multi-channel industry, there was Zig Ziglar. Ziglar, who passed away in November, carried a bag for 25 years before he started talking about it. He was able to draw relatable lessons from real-world experience and deliver them in a memorable and folksy way.

I had the pleasure of working with Zig several times. He was a humble guy who had an incredible way with people and the ability to size up an audience and tell a story like no one else. Unlike so many others, you could remember what Zig said the next day. In a world of blowhards and phonies, Zig was the genuine article. I’ll miss him.

Zig taught me many things. And while, at least on the surface, the lessons were about sales and marketing, I’ve found that they apply to almost every facet of business and life. After all, what is sales if not an exercise in human connection? Read More →

Managing Creatives: An Owner’s Manual

Danny Flamberg on December 12, 2012

Managing creative people is both the best and the scariest job I’ve ever had. On some days I feel like the luckiest guy on the planet. On other days, I feel like I’ve gone nine rounds with Sybil. To become a decent manager, I read management books, watched what my bosses did (and didn’t do), and tried to figure out how I’d like to be managed.

The common thread here is that people want to know what’s going on and where they stand. Most people want to contribute to a team and feel like they’re doing something useful, if not important. Usually people want to like their bosses and be liked by them in return, even though it doesn’t always work out that way.

This led me to write down my learnings as an operating guide for me. I share it with all my team members because it has more lasting value as a document than as a conversation. Most of those I’ve worked with will tell you that I’m about the straightest shooter they’ve ever met. I mean what I say and I’m consistent over time. I hope this can help you get in touch with your inner manager and make your working life easier and happier. Read More →

Social Doesn’t Stand Alone: Q&A with Pivot’s Mike Edelhart

Ryan Galloway on October 9, 2012

Pivot 2012 is fast approaching. So fast, in fact, that there’s less than a week left to register for the premier conference for those working at the intersection of Social and commerce. It’s going to be a hotbed of innovative ideas and prescient glimpses of the future. It’s also a great opportunity to rub elbows with all those decision makers and visionaries that you read about in Fast Company. That’s why we jumped at the chance to sit down with Pivot President Mike Edelhart to talk about the conference, the future of Social, and the changing face of business. Read More →

Why It Takes Moxie To Be In Digital

Sheryl Victor Levy on September 19, 2012

I recently spoke at Moxie Camp, a women’s leadership conference and I can say — and I think many of my digital colleagues would agree — it takes moxie to be in Digital. A lot of it. When I think of having moxie, it’s about having the courage to go into uncharted territory; being comfortable with having to say, “Let me get back to you on that,” and having serious get-up-and-go. Dictionary.com’s definitions for “moxie” are: “vigor; verve; pep; courage and aggressiveness; nerve, skill; know-how.”

Yep. That’s what I’m saying.

You’re paid to be an expert in “All Things D.” From digital strategy to CRM; from social media to product development. It’s a broad term, which has its advantages and disadvantages.

I can speak from personal experience as someone who works in an agency setting, but Ferris Bueller said it best (I paraphrase, obviously): “Digital moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Read More →

Extreme Truth, and Why You Can’t Escape It

Bruce Kasanoff on September 4, 2012

If you’ve been following the fall of Jonah Lehrer, the bestselling author and New Yorker writer and serial fabulist who got caught making up Bob Dylan quotes, you might think his tale has properly sensitized you to the perils of stretching the truth.

Not even close. Read More →

Rules Are Rules. Or Are They?

Todd Cherches on August 23, 2012

When it comes to “rules,” which of the following statements do you most agree with?

(a)   Rules are rules…period.
(b)   Rules are meant to be broken.
(c)   It depends.
(d)   All of the above.
(e)   None of the above.

While there is no one “right” answer to the above question, the way you respond says a lot about you. The way you think and feel about rules in general will influence the decisions you make and the actions you take in different situations.

Let me tell you about two controversial, thought-provoking, and emotional incidents that occurred in the past week – both of which involved “following the rules” – and see what you think: Read More →

It Takes More Than Buzzwords to be an Expert

Lisa Schneider on August 8, 2012

The other day I took part in a hysterical exchange on Facebook: After watching AMC’s The Pitch (think Mad Men meets reality TV), my friend Deb Gabor, who heads up Austin-based consulting shop Sol Marketing Concepts, posted that she couldn’t stand hearing the contestants talk about “about mind spaces, brand platforms, value propositions, empowering consumers and other sundry bullsh*t.” She followed that with a comment along the lines of, “I’m afraid I sound like this at work – please help me.” Of course I jumped in with a snappy and equally buzzword-laden response, as did a few other folks. We cracked ourselves up. (I know, I need to get out more.) Read More →

How to Build a Team That Builds Great Products

Wyatt Jenkins on August 2, 2012

Today we are pleased to welcome Wyatt Jenkins, VP of Product for Shutterstock, to the blog. Wyatt shares his insights on breaking into the product management game and how he built a world-class team.

Hiring is a topic I’m passionate about because I like to work with bright, enthusiastic people who challenge me every day. I’ve spent the last decade building teams (most recently a product organization that includes designers, researchers, and product owners), and I’ve learned a number of lessons in that time. Let’s focus specifically on product ownership — a role that many gravitate toward, but few do well. I’ve seen many different types of people find success as product owners — from former developers, English majors, designers, and project managers, all the way to former CEOs and small business owners. (I prefer the term “product owner” to the more well-known “product manager” because managers manage and owners own, and building great products demands ownership.) I want people who are technical enough to dig deep with the development team and at the same time enjoy interacting with customers to discover value. Finding the right person with the right combination of customer focus, consensus building, and technical savvy isn’t easy, so I’ve put together a few things to look for during the interviewing process. Read More →

Having It All and Yahoo’s New CEO Marissa Mayer

Jan Brown on July 19, 2012

The Exciting Game for Career Girls

I have been following with great interest the reaction to the news that Yahoo just named Marissa Mayer as their CEO. Mayer is young (37), female (now one of only 20 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies), and 6 months pregnant.

Most of the commentary I’ve read on her big break starts by acclaiming that this is a great thing. Yahoo is being super progressive! One giant step for womankind! Champagne all around!

But fairly quickly that celebratory tone dies down and the articles and posts move on to a different theme. Read More →

Listen to the Numbers, Not the HiPPO

Lisa Schneider on May 24, 2012

You’ve heard of HiPPOs, right? They’re the Highest Paid Person’s Opinions, and there’s someone with them in every group.

Whether they come straight from the actual Highest Paid Person’s mouth, or just someone who sucks up to her, or the guy who’s super-charismatic and persuasive, there’s always someone who has the last word. “I think it should be like this,” they intone. And so it shall be done. Read More →

The Good Guns: Help the Mammalfish Agency Fund Its Innovative “App Lab”

The Hired Guns on May 22, 2012

Mammalfish is a Williamsburg, Brooklyn–based digital agency focusing on family and education. They’re hoping to land a $250K grant from Chase Bank and LivingSocial, which they plan to use for a new project: App Lab. It will feature a traveling lab that will provide intensive, three-day app-development workshops for students in lower-income areas. The kids will get a solid intro to the design, development, and business of making apps.

Here’s how to vote for Mammalfish and App Lab:

1) Go to Mission: Small Business and click on “Log in & Support.” By logging in via Facebook, you add $5 to the general grant pool — Chase puts in the $5, not you!

2) School down and search for “Mammalfish” under the “Vote Local” heading. Click “Vote,” and you’re done.

Thanks for helping them out!

THG @SXSW: Crafting “Content” to Be Proud Of

The Hired Guns on March 8, 2012

Below is a profile of Jordan Burchette, one of the many Hired Guns presenting at SXSW this year. Check out our monster SXSW post for a list of other presenters and events, with links to more Guns Q+A’s.

Enlightenment Through Unemployment
Saturday, March 10, noon
Presenter: Jordan Burchette

Your Twesume
(your resume in 140 characters or less):
Writer, editor, and cultural relic, with stops at ESPN.com, Maxim.com, CNN.com, and, following the occasional layoff, labor.ny.gov.

Why did you want to speak at SXSW?
Mostly so I could say that I spoke at SXSW. But also to make a vain attempt at advancing the cause for quality content on the web. Read More →

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

Larry Smith on February 13, 2012

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. Read More →

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

Jim Hopkinson on January 25, 2012

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. Read More →

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

Todd Cherches on January 13, 2012

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. Read More →

3 Things Newbie Managers Need to Know

Danny Flamberg on January 5, 2012

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”: Read More →

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

Joel Schwartzberg on January 4, 2012

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…. Read More →

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

Todd Tarpley on November 1, 2011

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. Read More →

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

The Hired Guns on October 20, 2011

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

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. Read More →

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

The Hired Guns on October 7, 2011

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

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?

The Good Guns: Help UX Talent Get Noticed

The Hired Guns on September 1, 2011

The NYC Usability Professionals’ Association (NYC UPA) will be running a “Resume Speed Dating” event on Tuesday, September 20, from 7:45-8:15. The group is looking for talent spotters to help applicants make their resumes more targeted and useful to potential employers.

Good Gun Profile:
Are you an experienced UX hiring manager or recruiter? Want to help some talent get a leg up—and maybe get first crack at some promising workers? Ideally, NYC UPA is looking for people with at least 10 years of experience—enough time to know your way around an acronym and be comfortable estimating salaries and other aspects of typical UX jobs.

Nitty Gritty:
It’s going to be clear to candidates asking for a take on their resumes that you’re there to help, so don’t worry about getting cranky follow-up emails. That said, you’ll be able to reach out to anyone you think might be a good fit for a current or future job.

Net Net:
This is a great way to get your name (and the name of your company) out there and to connect with a deep pool of UX talent. It’s also a proactive way to help keep your industry productive and engaged. Interested? Email Jennifer Pugh at The Hired Guns.

How Not to Succeed: 4 Great Ways to Fail as a New Manager

Todd Tarpley on August 30, 2011

Hurray. The evil production manager you used to report to just got fired. Everyone on your team is happy. Even better: you’re the new production manager. Woo-hoo!

Here’s what you should do to ensure that you will fail:

Don’t learn how to manage up.

You always thought your old boss was a jerk. Your new boss will be a jerk too. You hate bosses. You never want to be a boss. Just keep doing your old job. If your new boss absolutely insists on meeting with you now and then, fine. But don’t go out of your way to communicate or—ick—try to understand his or her goals and strategies. Certainly don’t be proactive or anything. After all, the whole stupid company sucks; you’re just here for a paycheck. Share your sentiments with your team. Read More →

How to Avoid Thinking Strategically

Todd Tarpley on August 2, 2011

As a manager, you may occasionally be asked to “think strategically.” That means to consider issues that have a broad impact on the company, such as long-term revenue opportunities, more efficient competition in a changing marketplace, and securing job offers from other companies before everyone at your company realizes you’re clueless.

Unfortunately, “thinking strategically” requires time, effort, and precious brain power that could be better spent on fantasy baseball. Here are five ways to avoid it:

1. Force yourself to focus on the day-to-day.

What’s due by the end of the week? When are those reports from Cincinnati coming in? Don’t you have some sort of meeting to attend? Don’t worry about the fact that your company has no office in Cincinnati. The point is, you’re a manager. Look busy.

2. Only manage down.

Pay lots of attention to the work your subordinates do. Has it been double-checked? Would it look better with a slightly larger font? How about an emoticon on the cover page? Don’t worry about your peers in other departments. And by all means don’t bother your boss. Respect his privacy and let him do his own job, and he’ll let you do yours. Read More →

Hiring 101: Resume Red Flags and How to Overlook Them

Todd Tarpley on July 13, 2011

In between the time that you become a manager and the time you get fired, you may be asked to replace a worker who has quit in disgust. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your skills in hiring by disregarding resume-screening “best practices” and instead “thinking outside of the box.”

Although this frequently results in hiring serial killers, occasionally you will end up hiring a unique, relatively harmless individual who shakes up the status quo and whose body odor is hardly ever a distraction.

Consider these tips for going through resumes:

Does the candidate have a cool email address like badmofo@xxxmail.com? If so, five points for creativity!

How do the candidate’s qualifications match up with the requirements of the position? If the job calls for digital design skills and their most relevant work experience is working the drive-through at DQ, five more points! Candidates with all the required skills are overqualified and will become bored quickly. Eliminate them and focus instead on go-getters who can learn as they go.

Poll Results: At “The Office,” Spader’s the Man

The Hired Guns on July 5, 2011

Sounds like most of you will be happy with the upcoming season of “The Office”: a solid 53% of you want James Spader taking over Michael Scott’s job.

One dark horse was Breakfast Clubber Judd Nelson, but with only 16% of the vote, this was one contest that was never in much doubt. Below, Spader shows Dwight why he will be a boss that shouldn’t be underestimated. And the complete poll results after the jump….

Hiring 101: How Not to Read a Cover Letter

Todd Tarpley on June 30, 2011

There is one key rule in management: never hire anyone desperate or stupid enough to work for someone like you. Unfortunately, at some point in your management career you may need to replace an employee who was smart enough to quit.

If and when this happens, you will probably come across something known as a “resume” and its useless cousin, the “cover letter.”

Back when people used typewriters and an archaic delivery system known as the U.S. Postal Service, cover letters served the important function of protecting resumes against damage caused by psychotic postal workers.

Since the advent of computers sometime around 1885, resumes have been sent via email. Today, the purpose of a cover letter is to avoid attaching a resume to a completely blank email, which is frowned upon in some cultures.

You will recognize a cover letter by its adherence to the following format:

Beginning: Blah-blah-blah. Blah-blah-blah.
Middle: Blah-blah-blah. Blah-blah-blah-blah.
End: My resume is attached.

While most managers read only the resume, you should always print out and read the cover letter as well. This is a handy way to kill time and avoid doing actual work. Perhaps more important, it can serve as inexpensive gift wrap, lining for a birdcage, or holiday party confetti.

Under no circumstances should you pay attention to the following: Read More →

The Hired Guns Poll: Who Should Run “The Office”?

The Hired Guns on June 27, 2011

At the end of this season of “The Office,” Michael Scott’s job was up for grabs. And according to EW, James Spader is likely to be the new overlord at Dunder Mifflin this fall—at least for a while.

But that got us thinking—are there other Brat Packers who might do an even better job of walking in Michael Scott’s very special loafers at Dunder Mifflin?

Bullet Points: Giving Notice; Interviews to Remember; Boardroom Psychopaths

The Hired Guns on June 23, 2011

How Much Notice Should I Give My Employer That I’m Quitting My Job? [Lifehacker]
Landed an interview? Leave the bird at home.
For the journalist Jon Ronson, you may not have to be a psychopath to be a great CEO, but it definitely doesn’t hurt. [Forbes]
Stories about the huge cost of college have been around since at least the 70s. But as the costs have risen, so have expectations of what it should be able to do for students. [NPR]
Is this already a dying art form? Netflix envelope art from Doodlers Anonymous. See also: “The evolution of the NetFlix envelope.” [CNN]

“Be a Laser, Not a Lighthouse” & Other Creative Leadership Essentials

Todd Henry on June 22, 2011

Todd Henry runs The Accidental Creative, a speaking and consulting firm that helps teams do their best work consistently, not haphazardly. His book of the same name, about “how to be brilliant at a moment’s notice,” will be published this July by Portfolio. A slightly different version of this post ran on Todd’s Accidental Creative website.

A few weeks ago I was privileged to hop a plane to St. Louis to spend some time with a great group of creatives wrestling through organizational growth and how to establish new systems to deal with it. After a morning session with the large group, I had the chance to spend about 90 minutes (before hopping a return flight) with a handful of the team’s leaders. We discussed the essentials of creative leadership, and I was asked to distill down what I’ve experienced about great creative leaders as fodder for discussion.

Here are the five principles that I believe all leaders of creative teams must live by if they want thriving teams.

1. Be a laser, not a lighthouse.

Many leaders are so concerned about safety that they spend much of their time talking about what not to do versus what to do. They operate more like a lighthouse than a laser. A lighthouse can only tell you where not to go, but can’t provide any kind of precise direction or alternative. Creative teams need precise, focused direction. Like a laser. A laser is an offensive tool, not a defensive one. (Unless you’re Han Solo in the cantina. Apparently, Greedo shot first.)

Your team needs you to tell them what to do, not what not to do. Be a laser, not a lighthouse.

Bullet Points: Gilt Groupe Advice; MBA Pay; A Bounty on Headhunters

The Hired Guns on June 10, 2011

The co-founder of luxury deals site Gilt Groupe discusses the skills, temperament, and other traits to look for in other members of your startup’s team. [Bnet]
What’s the newest crop of MBAs earning? [Bnet]
The BDO accounting firm is handing out a $5 Starbucks gift card for every headhunter voicemail or email that employees forward on to HR. Caffeine bribery works, evidently: BDO got at least 200 submissions in the first part of its anti-recruiter drive. [Going Concern]
The Education for Employment Foundation works to help young people in the Middle East find jobs: “Being unemployed anywhere in the world is depressing, but it’s even harder in the Middle East,” says the NGO’s founder, the businessman Ron Bruder. [CNN]

The Accidental Creative: Are You Taking Ground or Just Maintaining It?

Todd Henry on June 9, 2011

In 2005, military strategist Thomas Barnett took the stage at the TED Conference to share insights on the state of the US Military. In his talk he said that there are two primary functions of the military: to take ground, then to maintain that ground once it’s been taken. Barnett argued that it is quite challenging for the same force to accomplish both tasks well because they each require unique skills and practices. You don’t want your advance “Leviathan” force to have to oscillate between taking new ground and administrating a system, yet that’s frequently what’s required.

As creatives, we are primarily wired to take ground. We are the Leviathan force. We love to invent things, to develop elegant solutions, to design and fabricate worlds. But those of us who work in an organizational setting or with clients know that this passion for taking ground often comes into conflict with the need of our manager or client to ensure that we’re protecting the ground that’s already been taken. In other words, they want us to be creative, but to be practical all at once. Read More →

“Every Hero Needs a Bad Guy”: Who Are You Fighting Against?

Todd Henry on May 19, 2011

My two sons are obsessed with superheroes. They asked for something very specific for their birthdays–two action figures. One is a superhero and one is “bad guy,” as they called him. Curious, my wife asked our oldest son why he wanted those two particular action figures instead of two superheroes, to which he quickly responded, “Mommy…every superhero needs a bad guy to fight.”

Word of profundity often come out of nowhere in our house. As I sat to write later that day, my son’s words echoed through my mind. Every hero needs a bad guy… I thought about purpose, uniqueness, brilliance, and the importance of doing meaningful work.

It’s easy to identify what you’re “for.” For example, I know that my mission is to bring freedom to creatives; to unleash them so that they can do brilliant work. I like to consider myself an arms dealer for the creative revolution.

But I had difficulty identifying my “bad guy.” I know what I’m fighting for, but what am I fighting against? I tried to think about the times when I’ve been emotionally moved in my work. It’s usually when I encounter a creative who is in a season of incredible productivity, someone who’s doing work beyond their expectations and is thoroughly thriving both personally and professionally.

On the flip side, I’m also moved when I first encounter someone who is living in a kind of self-imposed prison. Though the bars are obvious to those around them, they continue to live in mediocrity. I grieve their loss of freedom. In the end, I think apathy is my bad guy. My arch-nemesis. My Lex Luthor.

As a creative, it’s important to know what you’re fighting for, but it’s also important to know what you’re fighting against. This is the yang to your yin. We need two points of reference in order to navigate properly. Otherwise, we can never be certain what direction we’re truly headed in.

What are you fighting for? What’s the “why” behind the work you do? But equally as important, what are you fighting against? This is a critical question for any creative, brand, or leader to answer.

Creative work is a series of small, everyday battles. It’s an assault on the beachhead of apathy. Know your enemy, kick some butt, and take some ground.

How Not to Succeed: 5 Ways to Make Sure Everyone Knows You Have an MBA

Todd Tarpley on May 17, 2011

Congratulations on getting your MBA! You are now extremely special. No one else on the planet has one, after all. The people at your new company who don’t have one, including your boss, will enjoy hearing all about it. But they’ll need frequent reminders, especially the part about how it makes you better than them. Here are some tips to maximize your effectiveness:

1. Add “MBA” to your email signature, as if you’re a PhD. This only takes thirty seconds to do, but you’ll be amazed at the impact it has. Every single time you send an email, the recipient will be reminded of your impressive academic credentials. Don’t be surprised if complete strangers start greeting you in the hallways. “Hey, look, it’s the guy with the MBA!” Read More →

How Not to Succeed in Business: 5 Ways to Lead Like a General, not a Coach!

Todd Tarpley on April 19, 2011

“Management experts” (insert sarcastic chuckle here) are fond of saying that effective business managers lead like coaches, not generals. They point out that in today’s dynamic business world, where top employees have specialized skills as well as the freedom and motivation to change jobs to achieve their career goals, treating employees like regimented foot soldiers is a recipe for disaster. Coaching them like members of a high-performing athletic team is a more productive approach.

What these so-called “experts” fail to understand is that business is a battleground, not a junior-high girls’ badminton league. To succeed, you’ve got to crush your competitors, and what better way to instill that mindset than by crushing your own employees first?

Here are five great ways to do that:

1. Talk, don’t listen! Generals give commands. Coaches have team meetings, make suggestions, and (snicker, snicker) solicit team input. If Patton had adopted the coaching style of leadership during WWII, we’d all be speaking German. Read More →

How Not to Succeed in Business: 5 Tips for Hiring a Crappy Team

Todd Tarpley on April 5, 2011

The digital media strategist Todd Tarpley has launched businesses for A&E, Bravo, and Nielsen. Because there are already hundreds of blogs and books telling managers how to succeed, his “How Not to Succeed” series uses his expertise to help managers learn how to fail instead.

You’ve just been given oversight of a new product launch. Your first task is to hire a team. Here’s how to screw it up:

1. Hire as if it’s a mature business. That means hiring people who have been successfully doing one thing, one way, for a long time. After all, you’re trying to bring some stability to the organization. Why put a premium on versatility and general intelligence? Whatever business plan you have laid out will surely be exactly the same a year from now–no unforeseen changes, no evolution, no growth. People who have worked at the same job and company for ten years or more will fit right into a startup environment–and when things change, they’re prepared to roll with the punches. What could possibly go wrong?

2. If there’s an existing team, don’t make any adjustments or changes. Don’t even bother to interview the members of the current team to get their insights on how things might function more efficiently, or how they would do things differently if they were in charge. They’re NOT in charge, so don’t let them think they are. And whatever they do, I’m sure they do a good job or they wouldn’t be here. Right? Read More →

Last of the Heroes

Jeff Gothelf on April 4, 2011

Jeff Gothelf, a user experience designer working for TheLadders.com, blogs for us about project management and UX careers and trends.

Designers want to be heroes.

Let that soak in for a second. It’s true. Design is a hero-based practice.

To be known as the designer who conceived the iPod or the genius behind the game-changing interaction design of Mint.com is an accolade many seek. Those are product designs, but this mentality is even more prevalent inside interactive agencies. Agencies want to win awards because awards attract new business.

Hero-focused design is promoted even further because of the transient nature of employment at an interactive agency. The more successful you are as an individual designer at an agency, the easier it is for you to get that next gig or step up the design ladder.

The problem is heroes work alone. They don’t collaborate or open their work for review. They reveal work only when they feel it’s “ready,” and they typically seek to control the direction of the project very heavily. The stronger a designer’s hand in the project, the theory goes, the more he or she can lay claim to that project’s success. Read More →

Storytelling in the Age of Data

Tom Burg on March 29, 2011

Today, as always, a big part of successful marketing is about telling stories that resonate with customers and business prospects. What’s changed is that the method for telling those stories is increasingly becoming based on data. In fact, Google recently started publishing a book (with companion website) on that very subject.

Ask yourself: where has the Internet created real value? It’s mainly been in data analysis. The technology platforms for social media, music downloads, movie streaming, ad serving, and site analytics all generate huge amounts of data. Buried inside this data are valuable business insights, if you can tease them out and package them in a way that people understand. In fact, it’s this move towards data insight and analysis that may end up saving some old-school industries. The New York Times in particular does a nice job showing how the 2011 federal budget is allocated and spent. It’s a lot easier to be shown how much money is tied up in non-discretionary spending than to be told about it, and it foretells the role our most important newspapers may play in the future. Read More →

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