The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur

Self-Reinvention: Becoming Your Own Disruption

After seven years of blogging here at The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur it seems like the right time to move on.

I launched my first business blog out of curiosity, registering to attend the BlogHer Conference and hoping that it would jumpstart my blogging efforts. It did.

Over the years I've shared business tips, career advice, and views on creativity, risktaking and innovation and pretty much everything in between. I've blogged at conferences and local (and not so local) events.

My book was published last fall, which drew from early ideas, concepts, and comments from this blog. Innovation in a Reinvented World reminds me that there's no such thing as a wasted experience!

My blog's vision has been to shine light on the importance of embracing entrepreneurial thinking inside the workplace. My mission has been motivating professionals to trust their risktaking instincts, and for providing the building blocks of success via practical tips and process how-to's, while offering advice on designing resilience and support nets for rebounding from setbacks.

I believe that entrepreneurship--formal programs and grassroots efforts--benefits businesses for the long haul through creativity and disciplined disruption. Employees who innovate not out of fear but because they have the right stuff become motivated contributors and collaborators. They adapt to the twists and turns of business and possess "sweet spot" capabilities for reinventing themselves and the organization.

Even disruptions associated with job transitions--voluntary or involuntary--become less onerous and more manageable for people with entrepreneurial capabilities as part of their DNA.

 

Reinvent Before You Must

Today, we find ourselves living in a new reality where the old world of business no longer defines success in how companies operate and how careers play out.

Leaders and professionals who recognize the optimum time to reinvent their organizational units and who possess the courage and discipline to innovate earlier in the cycle, will discover a demand for their skills along with more interesting, creative choices to consider.

We must embrace the entrepreneurial mindset, think like project strategists, and redefine career success as not how long we remain in the same role, but what we contribute during each transition cycle (we're always in transition, even when we're stationary).

It's the aggregate value of your contributions--your folio of expertise--a mix of portable knowledge and transferrable skills that differentiates you in the new world of business.

Designing flexibility into your career strategy, knowing when and how to dismantle and rebuild before you need to, and recognizing when to invent solo and when collaborative partners play a role in your success, will keep you limber for thriving in this new reality. 

 

Shedding a Skin

I truly want to thank my many readers for engaging with me during these seven years. I've met fascinating people here in the U.S. and around the world from Europe, South Africa, Armenia, Egypt, Australia, China and Japan and I've enjoyed and have appreciated your stories and comments (even the tough love ones!).

But in order to make way for the new we need to let go of the old; and although one door is closing for me as I retire my flagship blog, a number of exciting doors are opening to keep me on point with my vision and mission.

You can find out what I'm up to at my Facebook fan page at Facebook.com/TheReinventedWorld and the blog posts at my book's website InnovationInAReinventedWorld.com. You can also stay connected with me via Twitter @DeeMcCrorey.

Of course, I'll catch you online if you've purchased my book and signed up for 1 or all 10 of my complimentary webinars in 2012!

 

P.S. I'll retire my blog; however, I don't have plans at this time to let it go dark. So, if you're visiting for the first time there are still plenty of practical tips, career advice and business recommendations to keep you engaged!

Navigating Business Disruptions: Build A Surplus of Customer Trust

Waiting for my flight in the lounge area of San Francisco airport, I wondered how American Airlines will fare with the disruption of operations following their Chapter 11 announcement and the loss of their CEO who quit for moral reasons following the board's action.

In Innovation in a Reinvented World I compare four industries operating in the old world of business versus the new world of business--transportation being one of them--and how the U.S. has slipped behind the innovation curve. Ironically, I list American Airlines as the only major U.S. carrier to avoid bankruptcy proceedings while still performing its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) work in the U.S.; unfortunately, another potential disruption to operations in a Chapter 11 world.

Although quick to appease skittish customers that it would be business as usual, American Airlines must keep in mind that two types of customers exist: the external customer--the buying public--and the internal customer--the innovating workforce.  

Not only is it going to be tough managing day-to-day disruptions associated with shifts in business, AA will need to parallel-manage disruptive innovations within the company. The only way to do this successfully is with a surplus of trust with both customers.

 

Trust Deficit vs. Trust Surplus 

Much of my 25-year career and business has focused on two sides of the same coin: disrupting the status quo via innovations and helping others navigate their way through organizational disruptions.

Innovation catalysts can weaken customer confidence when they disrupt daily operations, and if they fail to account for this ahead of time they risk creating a trust deficit. You'll want to bank enough customer credibility to tie you over a self-induced business disruption. Your goal is to approach a disruptive situation with your customer accounts in good standing, thus creating a surplus of trust. 

A bigger challenge--and one that many businesses find themselves in today--is successfully managing market driven disruptions, customers' demands, and an organization's needs to fast-track internal innovations. Businesses that didn't pace themselves throughout the Great Recession are scrambling coming out of this economic slump. 

This is where alignment of your internal customer base, i.e., your employees, along with your external customers, partners, and suppliers becomes critical. Product, service and process innovations don't happen by accident.

 

Assessing Your Trust Quotient

Let's begin with your internal customers and business partners. How loyal are your employees? How engaged in the company's reinvention strategies have they been during the last three years? Did they channel their energy into fear-based activities, e.g., fear of layoffs, instead of creative endeavors plus personal risktaking that fully engages them in the innovation process?

According to the Q4 2011 Randstad Employee Attachment Index, employees have mixed emotions about 2012:

• 56 percent of surveyed workers think they would not be able to find a job they would accept 
• 47 percent plan to explore other opportunities as soon as the job market picks up
• 74 percent feel optimistic about their organization’s future
• 73 percent feel secure in their current jobs

How loyal are your customers? Continuing to nurture the customer relationship through economic ups and downs--whether they've placed recent orders with you or not--is key to retaining trust. 

What about your strategic partners and suppliers? How engaged have they been in aligning themselves with your economic recovery strategies? Have you ignored them or did you use the anemic economy to renegotiate existing agreements that squeezed more out of them at less cost (win-lose)? Do you know whether they're using this down time to build new partnerships that could potentially impact your business in the next three years?

 

Call to Action: Reinvention Readiness

Do you know your organization's reinvention sweet spot?

As a business leader, you'll want to know whether you're facing 2012 with a trust deficit or trust surplus with employees, external customers, strategic partners, and suppliers.

Keep your surprises for the holidays. 

The Art of the Exit

This past year I've experienced "transitional speed-up" while writing Innovation in a Reinvented World, a reminder that embracing the ebb and flow of disruption is the norm in this new reality.

The speed of change and the degree of complexity in solving big problems in the new world of business requires a faster regeneration of our innovation DNA. Our ability to manage beginnings and endings, entrances and exits with agility, speed and finesse will become enhanced skill sets in the coming years.

Unfortunately, institutions--business, education and government--waste far too much time preparing and keeping people in place instead of educating and rewarding them in the art of the exit.

Embracing a life of transition requires that we prepare people for three things:

1. When it's time to let go of the old (the release)
2. How to release (the transitional process)
3. What to leave behind or bring along to enhance the next entrance (the reinvention)

Learning to see our lives as cycles of transition helps us to accept endings as a pathway to new beginnings, creative opportunities, and innovations. 

Pain Comes from Hanging On

I've suspected for some time that pain comes about when we hang on too long to outworn ideas, products, services, processes, and even relationships we've outgrown. By ignoring the early warning signs that "something" is stale and must either be rejuvenated or released, we miss opportunities for embracing disruption and innovating in front of the curve. Mediocrity becomes the norm by which we measure our lives and our relationships, our career or business, and our products and services.

In today's (still) sour economy there are plenty of people hanging on to toxic jobs that they hate and unhealthy relationships that they outgrew years ago. Leaders and managers do the white-knuckle-grip of fear, hanging on to the old way of doing business because disrupting an organization comfortable with the status quo is too risky. Companies continue to reward false distractions that deflect real change and transformation.

Our anemic economy requires executives, business leaders and professionals with the courage to shake up their fear-based mindset and embrace disruption with a clear objective towards innovating.

Creating Bridges

Transition can be a fearful thing for many people. The pace of transition in our lives is happening at such a fast clip that we're seeing this anxiety play out in societies around the world.

For years, as a reinvention readiness consultant and innovation catalyst I've helped people navigate and embrace change; teaching executives, business leaders and professionals about connecting the dots--"reading" and recognizing endings--in prepartion for new beginnings.

Exit Strategists, Transition Specialists

Today's businesses require navigators, guides, mentors and coaches for a reinvented world--transitioning us from the old world (old thinking) to the new world (new thinking).

We need people who are comfortable with recognizing and leading disruptive change and innovating in front of the curve. We also need people who can identify those who, in general, struggle with change and who will serve as bridges for these individuals who must learn to adapt and thrive in this time of transitional speed-up.

Business leaders must move away from punishing workers for not keeping up and, instead, reward them for assuming ownership for their own disruptions--career, business, and personal--providing various types of safety nets as they step out and design transitional accountability into their lifecycle plan.

Preparing people for a lifetime of transition also means allowing people to cycle in and out of roles (and the rigid titles that often accompany them); removing the "position stigma" that often comes when someone steps back to strengthen a skill or to lend their expertise where needed. Organizations will need to reinvent how they recognize and reward people for their contributions when continuous learning at any age and at any stage in someone's career is now a requirement.

[You can learn more about my 10 complimentary webinars and download a free chapter by "liking" our new Facebook page.]

 

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.

 

Grace Hopper 2010 Wrap-up: Show Up Like You Mean It

The Anita Borg Institute does a lot of things right. They sold out this year's Grace Hopper Conference during one of the worst recessions since WWII and attracted 2147 attendees--undergraduate and graduate students, industry professionals, sponsors who also participated in panels and workshops, along with 436 speakers over a four-day period of which I was fortunate to have been one of them. 

When you have these many people showing up like they mean it, e.g. ready to engage, contribute and learn, the amount of creative energy generated has the potential to shift perspectives, open minds to new possibilities, and encourage personal risktaking.

Of course, things didn't always run perfectly (including my own workshop) and, yes, there were a few logistical glitches here and there, but I like to stand back and view the bigger picture and assess the total value which, in this case, was well worth the investment.

Now that I've had a chance to digest things a bit, below are my key takeaways / learning from this year's Grace Hopper Conference (+ and ∆).

Confidence Boost - Celebrate Your Stepping Stone Successes

A recent road trip gave me a chance to gauge the mood of people across the U.S., chatting with folks in coffee houses, restaurants, hotel lounges and at roadside stops along I-40.

I asked people to share with me one thing they were proud of having done differently the day before. Most folks struggled to identify even one small success, overlooking the single, most effective action they could take in building positive momentum.

What triggered me to ask this question? Before the road trip, a dear friend wanted me to take him through one of my "reinvention exercises".  We're talking about a highly accomplished man with more "success peaks" in his past than a mountain-climbing Sherpa, So, I really thought that "Richard" would home in on his success patterns by the time I returned with our lattes.  

But as it turned out, my goal-oriented pal had trouble deconstructing his past successes because he had rushed past them while they were happening.

Cultivating the Art of Celebration

High achievers often suffer from a "celebration complex". Overlooking opportunities that serve as motivation touch points for the long haul, they focus on reaching their end goal and then going on to the next challenge. The thought of celebrating non-milestone achievements may seem like a waste of time.

I learned the importance of celebrating small achievements when I worked for a company that valued results over efforts. When taken too far in one direction, this emphasis results in workers judging themselves harshly for not being good enough--not receiving "enough" recognition and financial rewards--in comparison to others. As a leader, I found it difficult keeping members of my staff motivated when their achievements were incremental instead of Type A style wiz bang results. Even more challenging were annual performance reviews, along with the ranking and rating of individuals, in a culture that rewarded results over continuous improvement efforts.

What were the key takeaways for me from this experience? High achievers who were not driven by external rewards and recognition were more likely to self-pace their work and use small celebrations as an intrinsic reward system. They were also more likely to discover the "gems", i.e., innovative opportunities, lying by the side of the road that others missed by driving too fast. 

Without the small self-acknowledgments along the way, we risk rushing ahead to the next thing on our list without truly valuing our contributions and appreciating our unique skills and abilities. 

There is an art to cultivating every day celebrations. A high achiever myself, it took me years to learn how to integrate incremental celebration into my life. Thanks to a goal-oriented mentor who had discovered the same thing for himself years earlier, I began acknowledging one thing that I did differently each day. You'll note that the emphasis is not on what I did well, but what I did differently. So, it became less of a good/bad thing and more about recognizing a creative shift or a stepping stone improvement.

This is why Richard had so much difficulty identifying his past incremental successes, because he only noticed the external peaks and missed the nuances of his personal development and career evolution. He discovered that success comes in different flavors and that the only way to recognize this over time is by acknowledging your daily dose of "nice job".

Try it for Yourself

There's no need to make a big production out of your daily recognitions. It could be as simple as stopping for a moment and giving yourself a pat on the back for trying something different that day, e.g., different messaging in your PowerPoint slide deck or communicating differently with others.

Over the course of a few days or weeks, you might decide to "celebrate cumulatively" by doing something special for yourself. For me, a cumulative celebration means heading over the hill mid-week to Santa Cruz or Monterey--solo or inviting a pal--walking along the beach, reading a non-business book at a seaside cafe, or just people watching. This serves two purposes--a celebration and a means of refilling my "creative well".

For the next 30 days try keeping a log of your stepping stone successes. Connect the dots after a month and look for the common threads: did you find yourself working a "new muscle" or strengthening one you've been using for a while, but decided to use in a different way? Maybe you took a chance in mixing things up a bit by adding a new "flavor" to your repertoire.

Building (or rebuilding) your confidence is as much about the everyday recognition as it is about the milestone achievement.