7 Tips for a Young Professional to Become a CEO

 

For a professional to jump to the senior-management level in the 21st century, it’s imperative to demonstrate seven core competencies. Consider them part of your personal branding for success.

It starts with speaking the language of a chief executive officer, and understanding the big-picture needs of an organization to get to the top. No, it isn’t necessary to perform at a Ph.D. level in all the competencies, but it’s important to excel in them.

The necessary core competencies for high performance are inter-related – they include:

Influential designing – At all times, it’s important to keep your ego in check so you don’t develop the reputation of a Carly Fiorina or Carol Bartz. Not only will you want to get to the top, you’ll want to stay there.

If a company culture needs changing to compete in the new global economy, a professional must understand the chain of command, and intuitively know how to communicate with a CEO like any senior manager, and ultimately the board of directors.

If change is warranted, successful professionals know how to astutely ask the right questions to get to the needed answers without alienating others. You can do this without being passive. An influential designer understands how to frame the questions and the solutions while appearing to be assertive, not aggressive. Learn the difference.

You’re there to implement strategies on directions of the CEO and the board. Executives lose their jobs when they’re incompetent in key areas and/or when they’re too ostentatious. To become a CEO and to be able to keep the job, it’s important to know how to make friends.

Resist claiming credit for any strategy successes in a gauche-like fashion.

Authoritative culture-change – You must understand your company’s situation and what needs to be changed culturally to solve marketplace problems for improved company performance.

To comprehend such challenges, you must understand a myriad of factors and issues.

For example, understand how your employees interface with your customers, and grasp Pareto’s Principle, the 80/20 rule, for revenue. In this case, you would have to know the top 20 percent of customers that provide 80 percent of the revenue. Determine what needs to change in your culture to keep these customers or attract better ones.

If you determine anything needs optimized, this is an opportunity for growth. Look for challenges to solve, and know the facts. So, you must understand what works and doesn’t work culturally, and what needs to be fine-tuned.

Additionally, consider the future and what needs to transpire in order to maximize profits for growth. You accomplish this by studying emerging trends – economically and politically – and having an acute awareness of how your culture is a fit for the marketplace.

Talent management – Naturally, your human capital is critical. This means knowing your organization design, your staff and what motivates them, and evaluating their capabilities and developing them. If employees are underperforming, then change is indicated.

Further, recruitment and retention of valued talent is, of course, crucial.

Marketplace strategies – Understanding the sales process and marketing are important in two ways: Improving revenue, and for human resources.

Yes, you must understand how to sell products and services. You must also know marketing and branding. This affects revenue, and it’s why talented performers are attracted to companies that outrival the competition.

Here are simple tests:

• Can you make a good sales call on a customer?
• Do you know your branding and value propositions?
• Do you understand how to adapt to changing demographics
• Do you know what’s needed in information technology?

Finance – Leadership requires an awareness of principles in accounting and finance. You must be able to read a balance sheet and know what creates profits.

You must be able to use technology for inventory management.

You must understand economic conditions and the impacts of financial decisions – what the market will bear.

You never want to suffer the fate of a Netflix. For astute outside observers, this was a no-brainer. The company hiked its prices in 2001, which led to an immediate decline in business. The CEO had to publicly apologize to customers.

Nor do you want your company to expand too fast. Problems can arise such as being spread too thin and not being able to supply your products. Or, you might encounter the same profitability issues like Starbucks. It cannibalized sales because its stores were too close to one another. This led to costly closures and layoffs.

Operations – You must learn your processes and how they work. And you must have a grasp of your technology and the role it plays. And you must understand the available tools in technology to reduce repetitive jobs.

If they are inadequate processes or there are problems, you must have a working knowledge of business-improvement processes – you must assess the reasons for problems, then develop and implement solutions.

By reducing operational costs, you will improve performance.

Trustworthiness – This means becoming the go-to person where you work, being able to form strategic partnerships, using ethical practices, and knowing how to develop business for revenue at the lowest cost – for profitability.

To summarize: You must understand your human capital, your firm’s financial situation, your company’s environment, emerging trends, sales and marketing, and what’s needed to tailor your practices in your value chain for a positive effect on customers.

To win, in other words, you must become intimately aware of how business makes profits and you must communicate well.

Good luck.

P.S. And by the way, look for a mentor, and remember your personal appearance counts. Dress the part. Starting now.

From the Coach’s Corner, here are more resource links:

Career Strategies: How to Get a C-Level Job

HR, Marketing Pros: 4 Keys to Marketing Your Ideas to CEOs

25 Best Practices for Better Business Writing

Job Hunting? Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Style, Substance

Helpful Career, Biz Tips from UCLA’s Longtime Broadcaster

“In a fast-paced world, today’s popular brand could be tomorrow’s trivia question.”

-Wayne Calloway

 

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Columnist Terry Corbell is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?

Study: Best Way to Get a Job Isn’t by Networking

 

Job experience counts more than whom you know, according to a nationwide survey of job hunters by Beyond.com. Networking with contacts was cited as most-important by fewer than 20 percent of the respondents.

The firm interviewed 1600 people in order to ascertain the insights of professionals in its April, 2011 study.

The survey results:

• Experience – 45 percent
• Education – 21 percent
• Contacts – 20 percent
• Communication skills – 14 percent

In a press release, beyond.com indicates the emphasis on experience is part of an emerging trend.

“At one time it was all about who you knew and who in your Rolodex you could connect with in order to secure an interview,” says Rich Milgram, CEO of www.Beyond.com.

“While networking is and will continue to be an important component of the job search, it can only get you so far in the process,” he adds. “Employers are looking past just ‘who you know’ and making sure candidates have the right qualifications and experience before hiring.”

My sense is the results of the study are universal. Most employers are being more careful to hire the right experience in this economy. That’s what I advise in any economy. It’s up to the job seekers to brand and market themselves correctly.

Job-hunting strategies

If you’re a jobseeker, here are ideas to create some career luck:

Research and target the companies you respect. It can be an endless cycle of career defeats – if you go to work for companies that aren’t good at what they do. You’ll repeatedly find yourself in the unemployment lines. It’s hard to network if you’re constantly standing in lines, and it’s hard on morale.

That implies the need to focus more on quality. Responding to dozens of ads on Web sites will not yield the desired results. Try to focus on the jobs you’d actually want.

Another successful strategy includes literally doing the footwork. Show up in-person at prospective employers like a cold-calling salesperson, and explain you’re looking to make an appointment. You’ll be able to size up the companies. They’ll get a firsthand look at you. And you’ll be more comfortable if you get an interview.

Be tenacious and organized. Don’t give up and keep good records for follow up.

If you really want to stand out, create a blog about your expertise. Employers will become more acquainted with your approach to your work. If you’re a good writer, they’ll appreciate your writing-communication skills.

By the way – in hiring – many employers have complained they can’t get enough talented employees with adequate soft skills in communication, teamwork and customer service.

As for timing, I’d suggest midweek mornings for prospecting and scheduling interviews.

And have fun. Treat it like an adventure. Good luck!

From the Coach’s Corner, here are more tips:

Discouraged in Job Hunting? Powerful Tips for the Best Job

15 Tips to Improve Your Odds for a Job

Job Hunting? Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Style, Substance

“I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.”

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For a complementary chat about your situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?

Your Dream is to be a Consultant? Here’s How to Develop Your Vision Plan.

 

So you’ve got the entrepreneurial bug. You have nothing against your boss, but it’s time for you to run the show. What? The budget’s tight? You know you need a business plan but you don’t know how to write it, and you don’t have a budget to hire someone? Indeed, to do it right, an action business plan with all the crunched numbers is tedious and expensive.

Strategic planning is a key to success. Although I’d recommend a strong action-focused business plan, the good news is that businesses can and do succeed without one. Yep, it’s possible.

By way of explanation, here’s a case study – mine. I fell into consulting after being laid off with several colleagues, even though I had No.1 ratings as a broadcast journalist in Salt Lake City. To stay busy, I jogged six miles every other day and I networked over coffee. One such person ran a state agency who was having personnel and revenue issues, and needed a sounding board. She was an acquaintance whom I respected, so I shared my ideas from my experience in management and marketing. A couple of weeks later, I got a surprise phone call. It was an offer to be a strategist. The projects were successful. Then, I was hired to advise a radio station. Revenue doubled in six months.

But two years later, I relocated to the Northwest to be closer to family. I had no contacts, and I didn’t really know the terrain. So in 1992, I bought a consulting firm with a focus on marketing. My new firm was struggling. Yes, from earlier in my career in Los Angeles, I had a mentor who was CEO of a successful publishing company. But he had taken over the reins of the firm. He didn’t launch it. So he graciously introduced me to his marketing consultant, the iconic Cork Platts, who was the marketing catalyst for my mentor’s success.

Mr. Platts’ advised me: “Write a one-page vision plan.”

That’s right, a vision plan.  The trick, I learned, is to create a solid, tightly written one-page vision plan. That means keeping in mind your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. As a result of writing mine, I decided to expand my portfolio — a confidential, full-service business-performance consulting firm. You see, I had kept stumbling into client problems I knew how to solve. (Another credo: Find a need and fill it.)

Here’s how to realize your vision – write a one-page strategy with these six basic elements:

Company mission statement. Explain how you will create more value in your community. The sky’s the limit. Be adventurous. Describe in two or three sentences – max – the mission you will you accomplish.

Summary. Describe the niche you plan to fill. Explain what and how your firm will look like. A very short paragraph will suffice, but allow for flexibility so you can adapt to changes in the marketplace.

Benchmarks. Explain your smart goals. Consider SMART as an acronym – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-specific.

Strategies. Write the strategies in how you will succeed. Remember, if you have a dream, it’s likely you’ll be able to draw on your experience to make it happen. The minimum you’ll need to help you is a good mentor, a coach.

Expenses. Cash is king. Cash flow is extremely important. Anticipate what your expenses will be. Detail what will be needed in resources. Be conservative. Once you determine what your resources will cost, add another 25 percent to allow for unexpected developments. Do a break-even analysis to determine when you will be profitable.

Sales. Forecast when and how much you will achieve in sales for each quarter of your first year. Then, try to anticipate what sales you will achieve in five years. Oh, and be conservative here, too. Once you’ve identified the sales numbers, subtract 25 percent. All kinds of businesses suffer from unexpected tsunamis.

Good luck. Entrepreneurship is a beautiful thing, but do it the right way. And when you have time and resources, develop your business plan.

From the Coach’s Corner: Mr. Platts is also the founder of  Consultants West, a roundtable of veteran consultants and authors. Here are his Ground Rules for Effective Client Service.

Also, here are Strategies to Build Trust with Clients.

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a profit professional and business-performance consultant. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?

 

 

Helpful Career, Biz Tips from UCLA’s Longtime Broadcaster

 

Decision-makers at the Pac-10 probably consider it a birthright to promote the conference as the “conference of champions.” Yes, some school programs are better known than others, but all the athletic programs have reasons to be proud.

The same is true off the field. Broadcasters in the Pac-10 conference are also champions.

Consider the depth of respect the longtime UCLA play-by-play announcer, Chris Roberts, pays to his peers in the Northwest:

“Bob Rondeau, with more than 20 years as the voice of the Huskies, is unquestionably one of the best and most recognizable voices in the Pacific Northwest while Bob Robertson with his 40 years calling WSU football is the dean of Pac-10 play-by-play men in the conference,” said Chris Roberts, the voice of the UCLA Bruins. “They are both solid announcers and very good broadcast friends of mine.”

Such positive comments are vintage Chris. He’s been calling UCLA’s football and basketball games for two decades on UCLA’s network. The flagship station is KLAC in Los Angeles. His employer is multi-media rights-holder is ISP Sports. ISP is also the rights holder for dozens of major college athletic programs.

Chris hasn’t changed since I worked with him at a southern California radio station.

We had monster ratings at KFXM, a rock n’ roll radio station in the Riverside-San Bernardino region, one of the nation’s top 30 markets. KFXM and its sister station, KDUO, had an astronomical 55 percent share of the listening audience. Chris was KFXM’s noon to 3 p.m. jock and I was the newscaster on both stations in morning and afternoon drive-time.

As he does now, Chris wore an enthusiastic smile, and he was analytical as the station’s music director. He had a knack for picking the right music for KFXM listeners. The playlist included artists from the Rolling Stones to the Supremes.  But I’ll always remember overhearing him in the hallway explaining why the night-time ratings were so good; he successfully anticipated that Motown tunes would especially appeal to KFXM’s night-time listener demographic.

Chris and I agree that KFXM was a dynamic, fun experience. The now-defunct station served as a springboard for other successful broadcasters.

For me, there were eye-opener incidents, such as when I spotted a pre-Rolling Stones star – former artist Freddie “Boom Boom” Cannon – sitting in the lobby waiting to pitch Chris songs from Buddah Records. Cannon had stopped recording for a while after a string of hits that had been influenced by Chuck Berry.

It suggested to me that life was tough and it was necessary to adapt in order to earn a living.

Our careers took different paths:

Chris worked at top Los Angeles radio stations before being hired for his current gig.

My career took me to different markets at various TV and radio stations before I attended the UCLA Executive MBA Program and segued to a career in business. Insights gained at KFXM helped me as a journalist and as a radio station programmer in achieving high ratings in different formats; from all news to adult contemporary.

Chris and his wife, Ann, have a son, David, and a daughter, Nichole. Nichole teaches Spanish in public schools. On game days, David serves as the UCLA spotter and locker-room coordinator. During the week, he runs his own firm, Direct-Hire Staffing Services in Newport Beach, California.

Chris and I sat down for breakfast at a Bellevue, Wash., restaurant.

Including tips for young broadcasters and businesspeople, here are his edited comments:

Q: How does it feel doing play-by-play for a top university on KLAC, a Clear Channel radio station in the nation’s No.2 market?  

A: As time goes on, there isn’t a day I don’t wake up appreciating and recognizing I’m one of the luckiest guys in America. I never take it for granted.

Q: What is your broadcasting philosophy?

A: It’s real simple – be professional in every aspect of the job. I once did Long Beach State football. George Allen gave me an important lesson about small things like providing pencils in the press room. He said you have to take care of every minute detail. If you don’t, then you’ll let other things slide.

(Allen, as a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, never had a losing season. He had the NFL’s third-best won-lost record behind Vince Lombardi and John Madden, respectively.)

Q: In addition to your sports career, you have a real estate broker’s license, and obtained it when you were on-on-the-air at our powerhouse radio station.  Why?

A: I was influenced by KFXM owner Howard Tullis at a young age. He taught me valuable lessons after I asked him for advice. He told me that when I got my first paycheck, to make the first payment to my savings account. Then he told me to save my money and he insisted that I save as much as possible.

Soon, I had saved up about $5,000. I really didn’t know what I was doing. I bought a four-unit complex for $44,000 with a $4,400 down payment and the owner carried a second. I sold it two years later for $88,000.

Q: Why and how did you get into sports broadcasting?

A: I played three sports in high school. In college, I studied at Cal Poly Pomona. While at KFXM, I started doing the high school game of the week on a cable channel, Teleprompter, which was owned by Jack Kent Cooke. (Cooke also owned the Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Lakers.)

Q: What counsel would you give a young broadcaster?

A: I enjoy helping young people. I ask them if they’re willing to work for low wages and go out to the desert for their first job. Then I tell them they can work their way up by making audition tapes and applying to stations in larger markets.

I remind them to stay optimistic and don’t get disappointed by only one person’s opinion. You have to put it aside. Don’t get caught up in that negativity.

Q: What’s your career advice for a young businessperson?

A: The first thing you’ve got to do is don’t live beyond your means. Avoid credit card debt and ask yourself if you really want to buy that big car or television. Debt is a killer.

I believe the Golden Rule is very important: do unto others as you want to be treated. Another philosophy of mine is to be grateful for opportunities.

Q: Hobbies?

A: I play golf early every Sunday morning with my longtime friends.

Q: Ron Fairly surprisingly announced his retirement from the Seattle Mariner broadcasts at the age of 68. How long do you intend to broadcast games?

A: That’s a surprise. Fairly is really good and at the top of his game. I intend to keep working as long as possible. It’s a lot of fun. They’ll have to drag me away.

Finally, in case you’re wondering, the UCLA announcer’s favorite music: Tunes by Chicago.  

From the Coach’s Corner, lessons in sports are analogous to lessons in business:

A sports team will often lose because of a lack of effort, poor strategy, failure to adapt, and mistakes on offense and defense.

Music retailer, Tower Records, was an international powerhouse when I worked with Chris Roberts. But it became a non-player after a federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of the company to Great American Group for $134.3 million in 2006. Great American liquidated Tower Records and 3,000 people lost their jobs. Basically, it’s now an online music store.

The demise of Tower Records was caused by several reasons:

• The company’s name was out-of-date. By way of comparison, consumers now know Kentucky Fried Chicken as KFC.
• Tower Records didn’t adapt its business model. Founder Russ Solomon failed to understand the viability of the Internet. He was widely quoted as dismissing it as both a threat and opportunity.
• Pricing points drew criticism from shoppers.
• The stores weren’t inviting.
• Many consumers complained about the lack of customer service.

So, you might want to consider these questions:

1. How is your company perceived?
2. How will you succeed like a championship sports team?

For strategic-planning tips, here are numerous business-coaching columns on planning.

Discouraged in Job Hunting? Powerful Tips for the Best Job

 

Few things in life are as shattering to an unemployed person’s self-esteem as the inability to draw a paycheck. In this downturn, good jobs can be difficult to get. And most job seekers are weary from their character-building trials. Under-employment is another result of this economy.

Whether unemployed or under-employed, a person needs two things: A sense of hope and the right tools to negotiate a job.

More than 100 years ago, Oscar Wilde wrote: “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.”

Unconvinced? Try the philosophy of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale: “What seems impossible one minute becomes, through faith, possible the next.”

You can get faith from the action of using the right tools in your job search.

How much money do you want to make? Take my word for it, Roy Chitwood, of Max Sacks International, has the right tools, which are worth whatever you want in a salary. He’s also an advocate for positive thinking and he’s been successfully training salespeople the art of selling for more than four decades. And now, he is providing free-of-charge, his “Seven steps on how to ‘sell’ yourself to get a new job.”

I agree with him when he says the best-selling takes place as the result of the power of listening. To help you remember the concept, think of Marlon Brando in “The Godfather.” Remember the scenes of him listening to the downtrodden folks as they unloaded all their troubles? The godfather had all the power.

To gain job-negotiating power, Mr. Chitwood provides this example:

“The typical job interview goes like this: The interviewer says something like, ‘Tell me about yourself’ or ‘What are some of the projects that you worked on in your last position that you’re proud of?’ From that point on the interview goes downhill. Why? Because the interviewer will be bored stiff by whatever you say.”

So, he advocates taking control of the conversation. “The only way you know what someone is thinking is when he or she is the one talking – not you,” he says.

He explains further:

“Think about how differently the interview would go if you responded to the interviewer’s question, ‘Tell me about yourself,” with, ‘I’d like to tell you about myself. However, could I first ask you a couple of questions regarding the position?; Now you have control of the interview and you know what the interviewer is thinking. Using this one phrase, you have put the interview on track.”

Here are Mr. Chitwood’s steps for a successful job interview:

Step one — approach: In this step, you’ll introduce yourself, smile, be engaged and interested in what the interviewer is saying. You’ll use the interviewer’s name when addressing him or her and you’ll develop rapport by using what we call the FSQS (friendly silent questioning stare). This is body language that shows you’re listening intently, inviting the interviewer to tell you more.

Step two — qualification: This is the portion of the interview where the “Tell me about yourself” question occurs. Get the interviewer talking with a response like, “Mary, I would like to tell you about myself. However, first I would like to ask a couple of questions. Is that all right?” When she agrees, you’ll ask a series of questions to gain the information you need to assess whether the position is right for you.

Step three — agreement on need: This where you’ll ask the most important question of all: “What are some of the things you are looking for in a candidate for this position?” This is how you’ll determine whether the job fits you. If it doesn’t, this is the time to gracefully terminate the interview. Say that this position isn’t what you’re looking for, thank the interviewer for his or her time and politely excuse yourself.

Step four — sell the company: This is normally the step in the selling process where you extol the virtues of your company. Since you are the “company,” share your own attributes. “John, let me tell you a little about myself.” Make sure that the things you talk about relate to the job, such as your education and experience. You could share information about your goals, travel or family situation if they are relevant. Finally, ask, “What questions do you have about my background?” to get the interviewer talking again.

Step five — fill the need: In this step you’ll drive home why you’re the one for the job. Say something like, “There are several important experiences I would bring to the company and this position such as …” and then relate how your education, experience, goals, etc. will benefit the company in a series of feature/benefit/reaction sequences. These sequences should be specific. “My fluency in Mandarin Chinese along with my five years of experience selling in China (feature) will help me increase your company’s sales in Asia (benefit).”

Then, ask a “reaction question”: “How would that help with your sales goals for this year?” Limit your feature/benefit/reaction sequences to three. Now transition to the next step by asking a release question such as, “What questions do you have?” Once the interviewer has asked any clarifying questions, this is the time to ask about compensation and estimated start date for the position. “When would you like the new person to start?”

Step six — act of commitment: This is the close of the “sale.” Make a statement such as, “If I can arrange my schedule to start on the date you would like and my references check out can you think of any reason why you wouldn’t hire me?” Unlike most interviews that end with the interviewer saying, “We’ll call you,” this closing approach allows for honesty between you and the interviewer. You’re communicating your interest in the position and if he or she is interested in you, you’ll most likely get an indication at this point.

Step seven — cement the sale: This is your graceful exit from the interview. Say something like, “Thanks very much for meeting with me. I appreciate you taking the time to give me the information on the position and the company. I look forward to starting on Jan. 15.” This confirms the specifics of what you and the interviewer discussed and it’s a friendly, professional close to the interview. Remember to shake the interviewer’s hand as you leave.

Follow up the next day with a handwritten, mailed thank-you card. The process of landing a job can be much easier when you know how to sell yourself.

(NOTE: I’m proud to say Roy Chitwood is a friend of mine. We were introduced by Gerri Knilans, who is the noteworthy president of Trade Press Services, www.tradepressservices.com. Trade Press Services gets your company in the news by writing bylined feature articles and guaranteeing their publication in trade magazines.)

From the Coach’s Corner, here are a few more ideas:

Firstly, here’s a related column: Job Hunting? Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Style, Substance.

Secondly, my sense is that the principles in Mr. Chitwood’s strategies are applicable if you want to negotiate a raise.

Thirdly, for more job-hunting power, here are two more reading sources:

• For Mr. Chitwood’s selling tips, visit www.maxsacks.com.
• Short of buying the book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” try strengthening your resilience by constantly reviewing quotes on optimism. Here’s a link to more inspiring quotes by Dr. Peale.

Keys to Economic Development: Managing Ignorance

 

Here’s a premise on which most businesspeople and educators probably can agree: the legendary Dr. Peter Drucker – as a writer, teacher and consultant – was the ultimate as a business-role model. He surprisingly had some periodic critics in education. He preferred Claremont Graduate University, www.cgu.edu, and reportedly turned down four professorship offers from Harvard.

At the age of 95 in a published interview in 2004, he was asked if he had any regrets about his work.

His response:

“There are many books I could have written that are better than the ones I actually wrote. My best book would have been “Managing Ignorance,” and I’m very sorry I didn’t write it.”

He was a voracious reader, wonderful inspiration to millions, and he lived a long, rich life. As one of my heroes, I selfishly wish he lived longer – he passed away Nov. 11, 2005. His teachings have particular significance for me.

If given the opportunity for an interview, with great delectation I would have relished the visionary’s analysis on numerous fronts regarding the economy.

That includes these four developments:

No. 1: Decrease in educated Americans. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education has issued some disturbing news in its policy alert, which is entitled, “Income of U.S. Workforce Projected to Decline if Education Doesn’t Improve.” It calls on the 50 states to do a better job in education to prevent a projected decline in worker skills in order to brighten the future of America’s economy.

The public policy group, www.highereducation.org, contends the American workforce is undergoing major change; especially the core of workers, age 25 to 64. Until at least 2020, the study shows worker wages will continue to decrease. Simultaneously, the number of workers with high school and college diplomas will decline exponentially.

Why? The number of educated white workers will drop from 82 percent to 63 percent while the number of less educated minorities will increase from 18 percent to 37 percent. (The center’s study is available at http://www.highereducation.org/reports/pa_decline/index.shtml)

No. 2: Decline in math and science. America’s expertise in science and technology is fast deteriorating, according to a study by the National Academy of Sciences, www.nationalacademies.org. The report was written by a group of top corporate executives, educators and scientists and is entitled, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.”

In essence, the panel of experts set four goals:

• Improve math and science education in grades K-12.
• A more cordial milieu for science for college and post graduate studies.
• Increase federal funding for scientific research.
• Encourage the growth of family-wage jobs in evolving industries with tax incentives and other fiscal tools.

It wasn’t surprising that the report identified two Asian countries, India and China, as among the nations that will surpass the U.S. in job creation and innovation. (The report is available in a PDF file at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11463.html.)

No. 3: The quandary over China. The U.S. is appeasing China to excess, according to economist and professor of international business at the University of Maryland, Peter Morici.

“These policies impose huge trade deficits and unemployment on the United States, create enormous imbalances in the global economy, and contribute importantly to the Great Recession,” he wrote in a commentary Oct. 8, 2005.

He is on a quest to educate America about China’s approach, as evidenced in this 2005 e-mail to me: “To secure its supply of oil, extend its influence and solidify internal security, the Chinese government is building a blue-water navy and spending massively to modernize its army

By even us advocates of free trade, it is hard to ignore the professor’s conclusions.

“That means targeted trade sanctions if China does not revalue its yuan and does not respect intellectual property, and if it exploits worker rights to achieve export advantages or otherwise breaks the norms and rules it acknowledged by joining the World Trade Organization, International Labor Organization and other international organizations,” he said.

“It’s time to face up to the fact that China, rather than evolving into a democratic society with a market economy, could just as easily morph into a fascist menace with global reach,” he said. “Appeasement didn’t work for Britain dealing with Germany in the 1930s, and it is not working for America with China now.”

Could Dr. Drucker have related to Dr. Morici’s analogy? Who knows? But when the Nazis banned and burned one of his essays in the 1930s, Dr. Drucker fled to England. He argued against the appeasement of Germany by England.

No. 4: Creation of jobs. Three-fourths of all the planet’s new jobs will be generated by just 9.8 percent of new businesses, according to a research organization, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), in its assessment of entrepreneurship in 39 countries.

While women entrepreneurs are a major force in America, most of these anticipated startups are to be launched by well-educated men aged 25-34 years with high incomes in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Ostensibly, monetary trade issues and the pressures of an uneducated workforce will apparently vex a major economic engine – the world’s startup entrepreneurs. (GEM entrepreneurship reports are available at www.gemconsortium.org.)

So, how would Dr. Drucker analyze such developments? Good question. For clues, I’ll re-read his books in my office.

For starters, consider:

In his book, “Managing for results,” he wrote: “Waste runs high in any business. Man, after all, is not very efficient. Special efforts to find waste are therefore always necessary.”

And while training the board of directors of an organization, I was reminded once again that his writings are a great resource. In answering a question about how I continually evaluate my efficiency, I told the audience that I never end my day’s work until I assess my activities. That is one of my daily efforts thanks, in part, to the management pioneer.

In “Management Challenges for the 21st Century,” Dr. Drucker suggested that it is important for a manager to know the answer the question, “Where do I belong?”

But to answer that career dilemma, he pointed out it is actually necessary for a person to know the answers to three questions:

1. What are my strengths?
2. How do I perform?
3. What are my values?

What a wonderful scholar. In my experience as a business practitioner, I know he was right.

Candidly, as a management consultant, I meet few managers and staff in the workplace who innately know to ask and answer such questions. But after they’re trained in how to accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses, they benefit from an average 30 percent increase in self esteem. As a result, organizations progress nicely as their managers and workers perform much better.

By the way, for many years in HR training classes, I’ve quoted this Dr. Drucker statement: “Arrogance is being proud of ignorance.”

In other words, continual study and evaluation will help a person to avert complacency.

If every businessperson practiced these principles, promoted education and focused on managing ignorance, the economic outlook would be brighter.

From the Coach’s Corner, 58 percent of small business managers and owners believe the economic climate will worsen according to an Aug. 2009 study by Small Business Research Board (SBRB).

Salient SBRB conclusions include:

• Fifty percent of businesspeople in the northeastern part of the nation believe the worst is over.
• The least confident – 62 percent of respondents in the western U.S. fear the worst is ahead.

To read more, visit www.ipasbrb.com.

Strategies to Advance into Management

 

Dear Terry, I’m stuck in a low-paying job after not being able to able to sustain my employment after getting a student loan for which I’m paying over $180 per month. Your articles on student loans were helpful. I was recently honored to be asked by upper management to apply for a better paying job in my company but they hired someone else instead. I really feel hurt and disillusioned.

Yes, I continue to receive numerous e-mails regarding student loans. Please accept my condolences about your company. Your employer doesn’t sound like a best-management practices company.

It might not seem like it now, but this is an opportunity for growth. There is always light after darkness.

Yes, for career advice, you have some options:

1.       Start reading inspirational books.

2.       Mount a campaign to market yourself inside your company.

3.       Market yourself externally. Go all out to find a better employer.

4.       Continue to read books, especially about subjects you enjoy for personal growth. Such footwork will energize you.

A good book of ideas is a work of art. It’s worth its weight in gold. Even in this digital age of instant communication, successful people profit from reading books.

Many years ago when struggling to jumpstart my career, I bought a paperback, “Moving Up: How to Get High-Salaried Jobs,” by Eli Djeddah. The 1971 book is out of print but it had timeless strategies and I’m sure copies are available online. My recollection is that the author presented several valuable insights on getting a promotion.

That includes techniques in one-to-one communications with bosses. In 1980, I set a sales record for a nationwide company with 34 locations and so my employer gave me a promotion. But it was in a recession. In terms of additional new responsibilities, I was given more but it was only with a minimal raise. It felt like a slap in the face. So I did some reading, rolled up my sleeves and got very busy.

As a result of reading Mr. Djeddah’s book, here’s what I did to earn more money within my company:

I looked for a problem that was marginally outside my realm of responsibilities that also needed to be solved for the overall welfare of the company. Once I solved it, I waited a couple of weeks and reported to my boss: “I thought you’d like to know what I did about a problem to increase efficiency and increase profit.”

Two weeks later, I identified another problem to solve and went through the same process. A month later, my employer began to smile at me more.

It was time to go for the jugular – a raise. I asked my boss for an appointment. When the boss asked why I wanted to meet, I said it had to do with “concerns about my career.” Much to my pleasant surprise, my supervisor wanted to see me right away. That was great because I’ve always preferred scheduling important meetings at 10 a.m. I drove to his office. As I sat down and before I said anything, he offered me a raise. But the raise was much less than what I felt I deserved. I didn’t complain, whine or point fingers at my boss. Instead, I calmly looked at the floor.

After about 10 seconds, my boss got the idea and said: “Okay, okay. I’ll review the budget. Let’s talk after lunch.”

When I returned from lunch, my boss upped the ante. That was my first lesson in detachment sales.

Actually, this floor-focused process worked for me again years later when I was negotiating my first consulting gig in radio station programming. Same thing – it wasn’t enough money. After I returned from lunch, the station manager sweetened the pot by offering to pick up my room and board for the two weeks I’d be visiting his station. That night I had steak and lobster for dinner.

It appears your company has weak management. So also putting out feelers would be productive.

Here’s what I’d suggest:

Analyze your weaknesses and strengths. Determine what you’d really like to do.  Set some goals, work daily on self improvement and hone your self-marketing skills.

What about your Internet presence? Social networking is fine but you should be listed prominently online, such as a professional in your field, chamber of commerce membership and as a community service enthusiast.

If you’ve been forced to work at a lot of jobs, dilute your resume’s focus on dates. Most people illogically put the date at the left of each job listing. The natural movement of the eye is to start on the left of a page and it moves to the right and down the right side of the page. You don’t want the dates to be the reader’s first focus. Therefore, list the date at the lower right following each job description paragraph.

If you bounced around to different industries, don’t list your jobs chronologically if it will hurt your chances. Such dates are almost immaterial. Later, you’ll be filling out an application chronologically with exact dates, so make sure your first impression, your resume, is the most-positive.

Be sure to write about the results of your work. Use third-person phrases, such as: “Jane worked her way up from…” It makes it easier for you to grandstand without being gauche – an example of SSP – shameless self-promotion.

Focus on the acronym, WIIFM. Employers will be asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” Answer their questions in advance on your resume.

Unless you’re a baby boomer with a long work history, I’m an advocate of one-page resumes. Don’t even mention the word, references, or the phrase, “references provided upon request.” Let interviewers ask for references. Realistically, boomers should emphasize their experience but not their age.

Send a well-written thank you note to interviewers after every meeting. Cite specific examples of what you enjoyed about the meeting. Give a benefit statement on why you should be hired. Thank them for their consideration. And what ever their concerns are, prevent buyer’s remorse by reminding them that you’re the person who will provide the value they seek.

Network with others. That’s the best way to find a good job outside your company. If you don’t have one, start a network.

Here’s what I did: I contacted successful people via mail and followed up with a phone call to ask to meet with them briefly to get their advice on my career. I contacted people two levels above the job I wanted. They weren’t threatened by me. But people just above my level – sometimes they are insecure as supervisors – perceived me as threat. At the end of each meeting I would ask for the names of two other people with whom I might also discuss my career. Sometimes the process led to job offers. Even as a college junior, a TV executive once offered me a job as a staff announcer and I didn’t have any TV experience, just a couple of radio jobs.

Sometimes a lateral move works well to another company, if you sense ample opportunities for advancement.

Even in this era of casual dress, if you want to stand out in a crowd, remember to dress for management success. If a company is rigidly into casual dress, you might not want to work for them. But many good companies are complaining that casually dressed workers don’t perform as well as they once did. Look ahead. Today, dress at the level you want to achieve in five years.

When you’re able to do so time-wise, focus on community service.

Good luck! When you get into management, remember how you were treated this year and set a better example for your employees.

From the Coach’s Corner, an IBM study has some interesting conclusions for employers and job-seekers, alike, regarding leadership.

The study contends online gaming prowess is a plus. The study, “Leadership in a Distributed World: Lessons from online gaming,” concludes online gaming develops leadership skills and mental agility.

To see the study: www-935.ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/ibvstudy/gbs/a1028184