If you haven't checked out Slideshare yet, do it. It has an incredible variety of user-created presentations on EVERYTHING. Here's one about creativity in the words of Bob Dylan.
Oh, and standard Powerpoint is dead. Way, WAY dead.
Below is Guy Kawasaki's presentation on using Linkedin. Everyone is on Linkedin. Using it well? Not so much.
Showing posts with label LinkedIn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LinkedIn. Show all posts
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Kill First, Investigate Later
The controller in one of my clients is originally from Mexico.
At a management off-site the other day, when discussing leadership styles, he explained that in Mexico they have a saying, born from years of brutal leadership - "kill first and investigate later". It was pretty funny.
We've all seen companies where that's the leadership style. Something goes wrong. Shoot somebody.
It's highly ineffective. It just about guarantees that no one in the organization but the leader will make a decision or take action. Progress, trust, teamwork, initiative are pretty much all out the window in those organizations.
Lots has been written about how organizations and employees have changed...about the lack of loyalty shown by either side any more.
It's true.
I still find it bothersome based on years of observation, how acceptable and easy firing one, several, many employees has become. OK fine, the business is well managed, the bottom falls out for whatever reason and survival is at stake - then I get it. I've been there.
But too often what I observe is that's not the case. Hirings are done poorly and without proper planning. Lack of training ensures the employee never reaches their potential. Strategic planning and day to day leadership are haphazard. The organization staggers from trouble spot to trouble spot. And employees get shot.
When companies are hiring, if they know what they're doing and to avoid mistakes, they do their homework on the potential hire.
Employees jumping to new organizations should do the same.
Sure the job sounds great but do some research! Find out what the leadership style is. Find out how the company is managed. Figure out what people in the organization think about their organization.
Here's a simple tactic - don't take the job without interviewing at least 3 people in the company at or below the job level being considered.
Get on Linkedin. Hook up with past employees.
Sure it's a pain, but it could save some serious job grief down the road.
At a management off-site the other day, when discussing leadership styles, he explained that in Mexico they have a saying, born from years of brutal leadership - "kill first and investigate later". It was pretty funny.
We've all seen companies where that's the leadership style. Something goes wrong. Shoot somebody.
It's highly ineffective. It just about guarantees that no one in the organization but the leader will make a decision or take action. Progress, trust, teamwork, initiative are pretty much all out the window in those organizations.
Lots has been written about how organizations and employees have changed...about the lack of loyalty shown by either side any more.
It's true.
I still find it bothersome based on years of observation, how acceptable and easy firing one, several, many employees has become. OK fine, the business is well managed, the bottom falls out for whatever reason and survival is at stake - then I get it. I've been there.
But too often what I observe is that's not the case. Hirings are done poorly and without proper planning. Lack of training ensures the employee never reaches their potential. Strategic planning and day to day leadership are haphazard. The organization staggers from trouble spot to trouble spot. And employees get shot.
When companies are hiring, if they know what they're doing and to avoid mistakes, they do their homework on the potential hire.
Employees jumping to new organizations should do the same.
Sure the job sounds great but do some research! Find out what the leadership style is. Find out how the company is managed. Figure out what people in the organization think about their organization.
Here's a simple tactic - don't take the job without interviewing at least 3 people in the company at or below the job level being considered.
Get on Linkedin. Hook up with past employees.
Sure it's a pain, but it could save some serious job grief down the road.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Checking out LinkedIn
LinkedIn, the business oriented social networking site is up to 7 million users and is even making money. My question is what's it doing for me?
Like a lot of people on the site I signed up based on someone's invitation. From there I did nothing. Actually, less than nothing - I'm pretty sure I managed inadvertently to create multiple identities by responding incorrectly to invitations and I know there's people I invited who said yes but don't show up on my contacts list. Not sure how I lost them. I'm just afraid if I go looking hard enough I'll find another me with another list. That would make me a LinkedIn bozo - not a category I've seen on the site.
So what's LinkedIn's value? Most people I know are like me. They just know they belong. LinkedIn's greatest value seems to be in recruiting. Recruiters and managers doing recruiting seem to have the best stories about the value of LinkedIn - which suggests that there are some happy recruitees out there too.
LinkedIn is also a decent way to stay touch. Try updating your profile. When you do, a communication goes to your contact list letting them know about the update. Don't lie. They will know. And you will get emails from long lost contacts getting back in touch to tell you that it was a crappy job anyways and you're better off unemployed and on the street. They're lying.
LinkedIn and social networking in general is evolving. There are more tools and services that have and will be introduced to enhance the site's functionality. In the meantime, check this out - http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcrocker- it's one of my identities. If you check out Google here you'll see there's likely another?
Like a lot of people on the site I signed up based on someone's invitation. From there I did nothing. Actually, less than nothing - I'm pretty sure I managed inadvertently to create multiple identities by responding incorrectly to invitations and I know there's people I invited who said yes but don't show up on my contacts list. Not sure how I lost them. I'm just afraid if I go looking hard enough I'll find another me with another list. That would make me a LinkedIn bozo - not a category I've seen on the site.
So what's LinkedIn's value? Most people I know are like me. They just know they belong. LinkedIn's greatest value seems to be in recruiting. Recruiters and managers doing recruiting seem to have the best stories about the value of LinkedIn - which suggests that there are some happy recruitees out there too.
LinkedIn is also a decent way to stay touch. Try updating your profile. When you do, a communication goes to your contact list letting them know about the update. Don't lie. They will know. And you will get emails from long lost contacts getting back in touch to tell you that it was a crappy job anyways and you're better off unemployed and on the street. They're lying.
LinkedIn and social networking in general is evolving. There are more tools and services that have and will be introduced to enhance the site's functionality. In the meantime, check this out - http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcrocker- it's one of my identities. If you check out Google here you'll see there's likely another?
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