What is your personal trademark?

Personal expression has many forms. Some paint, some dance and yet others ... blog. ;-) In the corporate world, many think that personal expression has no place. If you are a good worker and/or a "true" professional, you will hide your feelings or position, they say. Anybody who has known a Corporate Rockstar can attest to the erroneous nature of this statement.

Throughout your career, who of your managers (or peers/other managers etc.) do you remember? What do you remember about them?

Usually the memorable folks are the most expressive, those that either championed your causes, brought humor to the work place or somehow differentiated themselves. Everyone does not have to be extroverts, assertive or outspoken. Personal Expression can take the form of simply standing up for what you believe in, backing up the stance of the team (in uncomfortable situations) or simply making sure that your final output is always excellent, not just average. Being consistent, reliable and professional simply is not enough in today's competitive world. Those traits are assumed to be present if you are in the position you are in. You need something else to stick out; something else that makes you memorable - be that in an annual review or five years down the line as you find yourself in a different department or company. When was the last time you said "Oh Yeah, I remember Bob! He was so reliable!"?

Regardless of what your personal trademark is, if you want to be a Corporate Rockstar, you better have one.

Some great personal trademarks include (granted, these are "big" names, but you get the point): Oprah - The Champion of The People, Mike Wallace (60 Minutes) - Is Not Afraid of the Uncomfortable Questions, Barbara Walters - Makes People Cry, Bill Gates - Uber Billionare Philanthropist, Richard Branson - Risk Taker ...

Leadership and Courage

I had a team discussion with my team today in regard to leadership and courage. I recently had the great (mis) fortune to be "forced" to watch Braveheart for (what felt like) the hundreth time as my husband held quite firm about not changing the channel. Although I had seen th emovie multiple times before, there were messages in it this time around that I had missed when watching it (earlier in my professional life). Picking up on messages of courage, honor and integrity, I jotted down notes and thoughts as I received the movie's message. One line in particular stuck out at me:

"People don't follow titles or ownership of land. They follow Courage."

Ah, how true that is in any era, any world and any industry. Even today this line strikes a chord, with many leaders who hide behind titles, assumed prestige and credentials. Courage is not a trait we often see in today's business world or corporate culture. Courage requires sticking your neck out, taking occasionally uncomfortable stances and championing issues that are "right" and true to yourself. So many are fearful of losing their jobs, or the favor of their leaders, with expression or signs of courage. As in my previous post about speaking up for success I proclaim, you have nothing to fear. "See No Evil ..." philosophies are not courageous; they are archaic and conformist. If you are in doubt about what this type of fear can do, watch the movie Office Space, one of the greatest movies ever made about corporate culture in America today.

More to come tomorrow.

Speak up for success

There are close to 100 people in my department and on my floor alone. There are several thousand more in our corporate office. Out of all those folks, possibly 10% speak their mind or have no fear of expression. Speaking out, or speaking frankly, seems to be a relic of the old guard mentality in Corporate America. Suppression and fear of "getting fired" remains and the general employee population whole heartedly buys into this belief. "Lay low", "Fly Under Radar" and "Don't Stick Out" are popular belief sets in our cubicle (often even exec offices) rows. Dilbert is a great example of this mentality, providing us a welcome opportunity to laugh out loud and relate. "That's me!!", we think and silently wish our bosses could read the comic strips. Let me give you a heads up if you didn't know; they do and they are thinking the exact same thing that you are.

Every boss has a boss, unless you're at the very top and if so, you're probably not reading this anyway. Few remember that bosses too are human beings, with their own frustrations, challenges and obstacles. Even the most moronic and arrogant bosses have their human side, they just choose to not show it to you. As such, every boss is also an employee and I can guarantee you that they too wish their boss would change, appreciate them more or just "improve morale". How often have you not read a self-help book and thought to yourself; "I know EXACTLY who NEEDS to read this book!". How often did you think that perhaps you are the one needing to read it?

One of my favorite speakers on this topic is David Taylor, the author of "The Naked Leader". He speaks of many things, including motivation, leadership and innovation. However, one of the things posted on his site are the 7 Principles of Success, which I like to share anytime I get the chance to. Keep in mind that these may SOUND "fluffy" or "New Agey" but in reality, they are not. Read on:

1. Success is a formula, and it is simple
2. This formula does not "belong" to anyone - it belongs to everyone
3. To be successful, you need rely on no-one, other than yourself
4. Success is whatever you want it to be, by your own definition
5. Success can happen very fast, often in a heartbeat
6. Everyone has value, can be anything they want, and is a leader
7. The biggest mystery of life, is to discover who we truly are

Let me tell you why I don't think this stuff is fluffy: Success will come naturally when you simply are yourself and sit comfortably in your own skin, which touches upon my previous post. Think about the truly successful people that you know in your own life. How many of them fidget, conceal their opinions or make excuses for what they want out of life? Of those that do the above, how many do you respect and admire?

Remember, there is NO difference between yourself and that interviewer, boss or senior executive. The only difference is in your head, and what you perceive, will be. Speak up (nooo, I didn't say DUMP - see my other post on Verbal Diarrhea), and know that with your voice, comes success.

The Interview Mystery

As someone who has both conducted hundred of interviews over the years, and who have interviewed myself a few times, I can comfortably say that I know what works and what doesn't. People often ask me what the trick is and the truth is: THERE IS NO TRICK! The dating scene seems to weigh heavier when it says "Be Yourself" than any career counselors, bloggers or hiring managers. Heck, then again, some folks probably consider getting laid just a snap above getting hired so perhaps they do have their priorities right?

Go into interviews with these small factoids in mind:


1. The Interviewer is a human being who at some point in time sat in your chair doing exactly what you are doing

2. The Interviewer, or Hiring Manager, is convinced that you were a good enough fit to bring in for an interview. She has already decided that you're a step ahead of the others.

3. The Interviewer has heard it all before (probably several times that day). No matter how great of a spin you put on industry lingo or how many personal touches you apply to "I'm very detail oriented", she is still going to hear "Cliche # 243, check!".

Don't fret! You may be very detail oriented but in light of the job she has you interviewing for she is probably already assuming that you are. Don't waste valuable time with these people telling them something they already assume to know. Tell them something they don't know about you. Peak their interest. Go beyond the resume and into your heart and mind. An example could be:

Interviewer: "So what do you feel that you could contribute to our company in this role?"

Answer: "Sir/Matt/Mr.XYZ, I was hoping you would ask that question! My initial impulse is to share with you the numerous metrics and KPIs I had researched about your company, but I want to make sure that that is what you are interested in? If possible, I'd love to have an actual dialogue as to your vision and how I can assist in realizing that vision!"

The conversation can take a hundred different directions there based on the type of dialogue you establish. Being yourself is the only way to establish set dialogue. Prior to going in for an interview though there are some basic premises you have to ask yourself:

1. Do you LOVE what you do? (not just good at it but love it)


2. Are you GOOD at what do you do?


3. What exactly DO you want to do (you have no idea how many times I have had candidates come in and say "Oh uhhh, I want a job in marketing", "Me: Ok, what would you like to to", Him: "I don't know, marketing is a broad field, to learn everything basically!". Yeah, that guy did not have much of a chance I'm semi-sorry to say. Know what you want.

For some other great interview tips, be sure to check out InterviewChatter.com!

Managing my time??

There is a stack of magazines next to my desk, all needing to be read. There are piles of papers that need to be organized in detail into endless rows of file folders. There are over 55 unread emails from just today, and I managed to respond to the other 75 already. I also updated several marketing plans, had very good intentions of reading some Forrester research to incorporate into a presentation and finally, attend meetings scattered throughout the day that required my presence. Driving to work this morning I really had the best of intentions to get to all these things today; including the trade magazines and journals, which usually are a treat.

Somehow mid morning one report took longer than anticipated, an unexpected phone call arrived notifying me of an "emergency" and several well meaning folks came into my office to just "run something by me". Fast forward 8 hours and I'm staring at the same piles of papers and magazines that by now should have been tidied up. Tomorrow there will be more of the same.

Time management sounds like such a wonderful concept in theory. In my environment, and most of those that I know, where there is no such thing as a door to close, a structured and rigid schedule simply does not work. Time management is not as black and white as it lets on. It's much sneakier, testing your limits and boundaries every chance it gets.

The worst offender is the loose lipped employee who simply cannot put an end to their verbal diarrhea. Get stuck in a meeting or cornered in an office with this person and your time management skills will be put to its test. We will cover office personalities in another post, but if you want to keep your meetings on point or on schedule, you have to find a way to respectfully cut this person off and end the diatribe. "I totally understand your frustration, Laurie, let's discuss a solution after this meeting okay? Okay! Moving foward ... "

So again I wonder as I drive home, where did my day go? I'm now sitting here writing this, while simultaneously trying to power through trade journals and magazines. If I could put just a dent in that pile at least I can feel I did something productive that day. Besides, it's more fun with a glass of Pinot sitting next to me! Cheers!