The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur

Rewriting Your DNA: Prep Now for the Post-Great Recession

What keeps people holding on white knuckled to a net that can no longer catch fish? 

Well into the third year of this economic meltdown and many unemployed professionals are still hopeful that not much has changed in the workplace since they were asked to leave.

False hope or denial?

Whatever it is, this mindset prevents people from investing in themselves by adding new skills and upgrading existing ones that foster value creation. They stop short of reinventing their careers altogether because they don't believe it's necessary.

Many companies continue to row the same boat of denial. Their "support net" for downsized employees include the standard outplacement package of a resume rewrite, classes and tips on interviewing, and if people are lucky, some mini-workshops on communication and negotiation skills. 

No one was prepared for a non-standard recession and, thus, no one noticed that the nets were frayed and ripping at the seams.

I know that no one likes reality news, especially if it makes us feel bad. But stick with me a bit longer and I'll give you something that will make you feel good.

 

Times are a Changin'

The world has gone through a fundamental shift that has forever changed how business is done. Companies and individuals capable of adapting for this reinvented world will redefine success for everyone else. Just a few examples...

• Governor Rick Snyder was elected a few weeks ago on a ticket of Reinvent Michigan

• Newspapers, magazines, libraries, and journalists are reinventing themselves

• Trailblazing hospitals are reinventing healthcare, community, and education

Innovation and value creation is for everyone and not just R&D and New Product Introduction groups. Everyone has to bring something to the beach party and you'll want to show up like you mean it--communicating, collaborating and contributing while you're there. Why?

• Innovation expands the creative output of work teams
• Innovation generates revenues from new products and services
• Innovation repurposes products and services for marketplace re-entry
• Innovation increases process improvements that sustain value over time
• Innovation improves productivity through redesigned work environments
• Innovation results in new inventions that reduce, reuse and expand offerings

 

Three Ways to Get it Right (Post-Great Recession)

So, how do you begin rewriting your DNA for this new world of work? You can't rewrite your DNA for the post Great Recession unless you're clear on how you invented yourself in the first place. You have to know where you've been before you can reinvent for the future.

Unfortunately, no one has a decent working crystal ball these days. Optimistic economists say the U.S. and many industrialized countries can expect a real uptick in employment Q3 or Q4 of 2011, while pessimists project decent job creation and employment gains to occur late into 2012 (or even 2013!).

Now that I have your attention, I'm going to offer you three low-cost opportunities before the end of the year to get it right post-Great Recession (I'm an optimist who believes that opportunities always present themselves when we're prepared to act on them).

Here's the deal:

• 1 hour, three webinars, 3 Fridays in December
  
• You'll receive worksheets for note taking
• I'll share the slides following the webinars
• No recordings will be available (you'll need to show up)
• Low cost, but not free (folks don't always value free)
• Net proceeds will go to one of my favorite non-profits
  
• No "tire kickers" please. Take a spot only if you're ready to change your status quo

Side request: Please don't take up space if you're "scouting" to see what I'm up to--I'll share the slides and if you have questions just ask.

 

Opportunity #1 for Unemployed Professionals | $3 USD | 200 spots

Fast-track Career Reinvention 

Friday, Dec 3 from 11:00-12:00 noon (Pacific Daylight)

How do you reinvent when you've spent the last year or two unemployed?

• The biggest challenge for people reinventing themselves for the first time is in knowing what to expect along the way. You'll learn how to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for developments that can derail your efforts if you're not expecting them. 

• Tips on how to take what you've done, what you enjoy, and find a match for yourself in a new direction.

Sign up here

Opportunity #2 for Professionals | $23 USD | 200 spots

Growing and Sustaining Your Career Value

Friday, Dec 11 from 11:00-12:00 noon (Pacific Daylight)

You must approach your career like a business and be prepared to attract and pursue opportunities that sustain your value over time.

• Learn how to identify breaks and weak links in your "Innovation DNA"
• Quick tips on performing corrective "DNA surgery"
• Leveraging your strongest links in the workplace

Sign up here.

 

Opportunity #3 for Managers | $33 USD | 200 spots

Redefining and Measuring Workplace Success

Friday, Dec 17 from 11:00-12:00 noon (Pacific Daylight)

It's all about adapting, but how do you adapt for a post-Great Recession world when you're not sure what dots to connect?

• Where to look for new "wins" within the status quo for the new world of business
• Tips on how to prepare your workforce for navigating the post-Great Recession landscape

 Sign up here.

 

Allyson Kapin: Fearless Advocate for Social Innovators

I met Allyson Kapin three years ago when Jill Morgan Foster asked if I would shoot some video for their After Tech party in San Francisco. Allyson and her team of movers and shakers had launched Women Who Tech telesummit to great fanfare, a virtual conference now in its third year that brings together techies from around the world looking to level the playing field for their business or in their career.  

Co-founder of Rad Campaign, an organization that partners with non-profits and social entrepreneurs in getting the word out about their passion, Allyson leverages social media in ways that others only dream about.

She has taken on tech titans using Twitter in raising awareness and visibility of women in technology, driving changes in how conference and meeting planners review and invite qualified women to participate in a male-dominated area. 

Join us this Sunday, June 20 at 6:00 pm (Pacific) for Allyson Kapin: Fearless Advocate Leveling the Playing Field for Non-Profits on BlogTalkRadio's Big Dreamers! The Reinvent Success Show.

Personal Decision-Making: Perfect Timing Doesn't Exist

Our decisions put us in the driver's seat and over time define who we become. So, why do people so often allow others to make decisions for them by choosing to do nothing? Of course, it is easier to blame someone else for not doing right by us, instead of accepting the consequences of an imperfect decision.

But when we give others permission to make choices for us, we still risk an imperfect outcome when the decision made isn't in our best interests.

I have a number of professionals in my current R.E.I.N.V.E.N.T. You live intensives who are struggling with the "perfect timing" aspect of their decisions. "What do I do now versus what do I do later?" The challenge (and fun) is helping them get clear on whether they're not taking action now because it feels safer to sit on the fence versus a real need for additional information, training, or more practice time within a safe environment. 

I used my own example of deciding to launch my online training site School of Innovation now, in the midst of the Great Recession, instead of later when the economy "picks up". I had this idea two years ago and during this time I've spent considerable time and money researching and experimenting. I even came close to launching it earlier this year, but the software solution we were using at the time still felt kluge. 

So, I decided to sit on the fence a while longer and continue with my research.

Then along came a software as a service (SaaS) solution that met our needs:

• Affordable pricing
• Ease of use
• Scalable
• Simple commission structure for paying our instructors
• Donation model where we set a % of each sale for our non-profit partners

So, off the fence I jumped, signing on with PRfessor.com and launching our site within a month. Some folks had suggested that we wait until all our "core" Guest Professors were on board and we had a full offering of ready-to-buy courses. Others said put yourself out there now and continue to build your instructor base and course offerings over time.

I made the decision to leap now. There is no perfect moment. Just a moment in time.

*Disclaimer: PRfessor.com link above is an affiliate link.

Expertise in a Jobless Recovery: Portable Assets and Transferable Skills

Whether you're looking for a new job now or prepping for a promotion or new role with an existing employer in the future, your reinvention strategy needs to bring more to the table in a soft recovery--one that some analysts and officials say could last well into 2012.

The 2009 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report based on the annual survey findings of employers and employees by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder® discovered that a full 47 percent of managers surveyed cited "a shortage of qualified applicants" as their top hiring challenge*.

They also reported that 44 percent of the resumes received are "not qualified". The characteristics most valued by these hiring managers were "multitasking", "initiative", and "creative problem solving".

When was the last time you reviewed and updated your "expertise bundle"?

Portable Assets

Portable assets are your key differentiators when you're looking to reinvent yourself. These are your areas of expertise, something defined in Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers as mastery of a skill or The 10,000 Hour Rule.  

All too often, professionals discount their skills even when they do hold "mastery status" due to a variety of reasons, but primarily because they haven't used the skill for some time. Even a one-time passion that's been buried for years, or even decades, gets a bit rusty over time.

I've had clients who were genuinely surprised by the quality of their own experience and the mastery of their skills. Unearthing their past like skilled archeologists, it's fun to watch as the layers of experience unfold before their eyes.

Reinventing is often about surfacing what already exists. 

But what if you don't have expertise or "skills that sizzle", a question I posed to Marky Stein, author and career expert, during last week's Big Dreamers show. Marky offered some great tips for college students and those with limited experience by leveraging the power of language ("knowledge of", "competent in" or "proficient in", for example).

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are "flex" skills because they cross industries and functional areas. You can take them anywhere and begin applying them just as quickly.

These are often referred to as "soft skills" or non-technical skills. Although company searches for technical positions don't always include soft skills, quite often these skills are what recruiters and hiring managers look for during their first interview with you.

Skills such as communication, negotiations, organization, collaboration, leadership, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), relationship management, problem solving, creativity, risktaking, and innovation are valued business skills in any economy, but even more so during a soft recovery that require professionals to innovate in new ways. 

Transferable skills are where you source for areas that "hum your heart", converting them to Portal Assets over time through training and practical application. 

Proactive versus reactive: isn't it time you reviewed and updated your "expertise bundle"?

•

Some other interesting points contained in the EDGE Report:

• 40 percent of employers report that when the economy improves, they expect to use money as their primary method for retaining top performers.
• 45 percent of employees plan to change "jobs, careers, or industries" when the economy recovers.
• 9 out of 10 employees "are satisfied with their current work situations"
• Nearly half of employees surveyed said higher compensation will be the most effective way to retain them after the economy improves.
• Top perks for employees? Technology upgrades (79 percent) and tuition reimbursement or subsidized training (61 percent).

R.E.I.N.V.E.N.T. Readiness: Coming Down off the Fence

Last week I spent a nice evening with Engage Her Silicon Valley Circle members describing what goes into a personal or professional reinvention.

One of the questions I often get asked is when do you know you're ready to reinvent yourself?

Well, it depends on what track you're on when you ask the question.  

Track 1: Professionals who are learning the process for the first time. 

Track 2: Professionals who understand the reinvention process recognize the timing and dynamics associated with their Personal Inflection Curve™, and how to put together a career reinvention strategy and execution plan for a smooth transition. (They know when it's time for their next reinvention.)

The biggest challenge for individuals on the fence about reinventing themselves is to not get in the way of their own success. Yes, self-sabotage. So, let's start with the reasons people use to convince themselves that reinvention is not for them.

Why I Shouldn't Reinvent Myself 

I could be labeled by potential employers as not good at anything.

• Reinventing yourself is not about scattering your talents. The process actually helps you to focus on what you're good at and what you truly care about. Learning how to bridge the past, present and future to create a seamless transition plan is part of your reinvention.
  

I'll be throwing away everything I've learned.

• You include Portable Assets and Transferable skills when re-branding yourself. So, you decide what you want to bring along with you for your next reinvention. There's no tossing out anything unless you decide the experience is not something you want to include this time around (you can always incorporate past experience in future reinventions).

I like my employer and I don't want to leave.

• Reinventing yourself is not about leaving your employer of choice. It could be that you want to position yourself for a new role or new responsibilities within the company. It's not always about leaving. Quite often it's about learning how to do something better or different in your career. 

In a down economy it's a risky thing to do.

• Actually, it becomes risky to not change or challenge yourself in any economy. But, particularly, in a down economy you need to be looking for new ways to differentiate yourself. Reinventing your career is about leveraging your existing talents, strengthening new areas, and identifying gaps that need closing (now or later) in order to keep yourself competitive in the workplace. This isn't risky business, it's a smart move.  

People may not like me any more.

• When we change and 'shed old or outworn skins', there's always the risk that you'll outgrow people, your current role or position, and even your employer. It happens. Why not bring someone you care about along for the ride? Changing in parallel (even if you change in very different ways) is another perspective for you to consider.
  

I'm not good at anything else.

• People typically surprise themselves when they discover that they're actually better at a number of things they enjoy. The glass isn't empty, it's suddenly overflowing.

I'm not confident enough.

• Believe it or not, taking a risk on your own career development and personal success increases your confidence!
  

[ONE MORE SINCE THIS MORNING'S POST]

I'm too old to reinvent myself.

• Growth, change and new beginnings are a way of life. Embracing change begins with acceptance that nothing stays the same. Reinventing yourself is learning how to navigate change for different stages of your life--it's key to lifelong success on your terms.

(My thanks to Engage Her participants for contributing to my original list.)

What Reinventing You (Really) Takes

This is what I'm looking for when I assess someone's readiness to reinvent themselves.

• Focused, mentally prepared
• Prepared to put some "skin in the game"
• Ability to trust

Big Dreamer! Rob Stringer and Youth Coach Canada

Rob Stringer probably wouldn't consider himself a risktaker.

Some folks might consider launching a new business in one of the worst economic downturns in recent history to be, well, a bit risky.

Defining success on his terms is why I invited award-winning educator and Parenting & Youth Coach, Rob Stringer BA, BEd, CPC to be my guest this evening on Big Dreamer! The Reinvent Success Show on BlogTalkRadio.

Rob's big dream of bringing low-cost or free support to low-income families has resulted in the launch of Youth Coach Canada.

His vision and passion for helping kids, teens, and adults meet with success and live lives they love has kept Rob focused the last two decades on fulfilling a dream of making professional life coaching services available to youth aged 11-21.

Published in parenting journals across North America, Rob also appears on TV and radio, speaks at conferences, and is the founder of Parenting with Intention.

Join us Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern for Rob Stringer: Giving Kids a Head Start on Success and learn more about Youth Coach Canada and the path Rob took to fulfill his dreams. He'll offer listener's tips on overcoming personal and professional barriers and share how his own key learning now helps him help his clients--parents and youth.