WorkPuzzle

Julia and Julia and You

My wife is allowed to drag me to one chick flick every two or three months.  With the exception of a few Academy Award winning films, I usually forget these movies fairly quickly.  On last night's occasion, my wife coaxed me into seeing Julia and Julia, the story of both Julia Child and Julie Powell.  To my own surprise, I quickly became very engaged.

Why would I write about this?  Because it is an example of just about everything we've ever discussed in WorkPuzzle.  Both of these women demonstrate ignition (motivation), deep practice, tenacity, grit, confidence, focus and attention, and several characteristics of survival.

At its core, it reminds me of the importance of finding excitement in your work...even the most mundane work.  (Certainly cooking can go either way...)  For both Julias, it took time in absolute obscurity, before receiving any accolades or financial reward for their efforts.

Additionally, it reminds me of the importance of finding ways to help others discover this level of commitment and challenge, and then coaching them to be patient in waiting for the rewards that eventually ensue.  It reminds me that a person's work often reveals a great deal about the person.

Julia and Julia were giving their best.  Are you?  Are your managers, agents, and new recruits?  It's your job to help bring this out...

Recruiting With Social Networks (Grab Your Calculator!)

The last couple of days, we’ve spent some time talking about how the dynamics of Facebook are changing.  From a recruiting perspective, these changes may be difficult to leverage in your efforts to source candidates.

However, don’t throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water...  Social networks (both online and traditional networks), from a word-of-mouth perspective, can be a power component of a sourcing strategy.  More specifically, gaining access to the social networks of your existing employees multiplies your sourcing efforts.

 

EE = (1-N) X (R/P)

I want to point out an article written by Raghav Singh in the Electronic Recruiting Exchange last week.  Singh figured out a way to measure the effectiveness of a hiring manager’s social networking candidate sourcing efforts.

“Like prospectors during the gold rush, recruiters everywhere are flocking to social networks in search of hires.  But like the experience of many during the gold rush, getting results is not easy.  Reaping the benefits of social networking requires engaging with those networks.  There’s plenty being written about how to do so, but to know if what you’re doing is working, consider the following metric:

EE = (1-N) X (R/P)

Where:
EE = Effectiveness of Engagement, expressed as a percentage

Engagement, in this context, means getting ready access to employees’ networks, regardless of the mechanism for doing so.  Virtually 100% of employees have social networks and connect to them using different means (networking sites are not the only way to do so), but only a certain proportion of employees may be willing to give an employer access, by either making the contacts available or agreeing to forward job postings to them.

N = The proportion (%) of employee networks that an employer or recruiter has engaged with.
R = The average number of qualified referrals received per month per employee
P = The average number of postings accepted by employees to their networks per month

So if an employer is engaged with 10% (N) of employees’ social networks, and on average each employee accepts 3 (P) postings per month, and produces 2 (R) qualified referrals:

EE = (1-10%) X (2/3) = 60%

If the same results are achieved by engaging with 50% of employee networks, EE = 33%

Engagement is more effective the larger the number of qualified referrals received for the same proportion of employee networks an employer is engaged with.  However, this is not a bottomless pit.  Research shows that beyond a certain threshold of postings, the volume of qualified referrals starts to flatten out and even reduce.”

Before you gloss over this and nod off like you did in math class, take a minute to plug some of the numbers from your own organization into this formula.  It’s not as hard as it looks.

Try tracking the effectiveness of your engagement (the EE %) over a few months and see what happens.  If the resulting percentage is consistently low, then you are missing a major pool of the most qualified candidates available. 

It should cause you to ask yourself some questions:  Do your existing employees not trust you enough to give you referrals?  Are the job opportunities you’re pitching compelling enough that people would naturally want to share them with others in their network?  Are you afraid to ask your existing employees for their help?

Metrics help illuminate problems and find solutions that are not otherwise obvious.  Get your calculator out and give this a try!

Facebook Is Going Gray - Part 2

As the demographics of Facebook skew towards an older crowd, will the catalyst that allows businesses to better engage the Facebook masses change?  There are some people who think so.

Jefferson Graham wrote an article in USA Today last week that highlights two ways that businesses are now engaging customers via Facebook.

1.  Fan Pages - Fan pages are free Facebook sites that allow a Facebook user to “follow” a company.  Originally, these pages were created for celebrities (ex. You can identify yourself as a fan of Shaquille O'Neal), but companies soon joined suit and created their own fan pages. 

Some small businesses have had success with these pages.  Graham highlights a nightclub in Hermosa Beach, CA that has a “fan base” of 650 Facebook users.  The nightclub sends its fans frequent information regarding specials, discounts, and events.

However, while there are more than 100,000 small business fan pages on Facebook, not many companies are successful at using this method to promote business, (although the article does highlight several exceptions).  The common thread for success with this strategy is consistently offering something of value to the end user.  If you expect people to engage with your business out of goodwill or to gain a sense of community, you’ll be disappointed.  It’s like feeding a stray cat...If you continue to feed it, it’ll stick around. 

2.  Targeted Advertising - This is where it gets interesting.  Graham reports:

“Advertisers can now choose pay-per-click ads similar to Google's auction-based ad program, bidding on words and paying when someone clicks on their ad, or traditional ads based on 'impressions,' or the number of times an ad is presented.”

That’s not too exciting in and of itself, but think about the information Facebook has about its users—much more than Google could produce in a random internet search.  

“Marketers increasingly are gravitating to Facebook because they can advertise to a targeted audience, says Emily Riley, an analyst at Forrester Research.  She says marketers can pick and choose consumers based on public information they share on their Facebook profiles, such as the city they live in, the college they attended, their group affiliations and their fan pages.

‘You can literally find a book lover in New York who is a fan of Stephen King,’ says Riley. ‘That is gold for a local book seller.  Brides tell their friends they're engaged, and wedding vendors can run ads specifically targeted to them.’”

This type of targeting is remarkable (and a little scary), but must be applied correctly if it is going to benefit a given business.  The types of products and services that are easily promotable in Facebook are those which are transactional in nature.  More specifically...the things that you can buy over the internet after viewing an advertisement.

This is where the demographic changes will have the largest impact.  Older users are able to buy a much wider range of products and services, and they have more money to spend.  Also, they feel less awkward about buying things within the framework of a social network.  After all, they did not get involved in Facebook for the same reasons younger people got involved.  Therefore, they will not feel the same level of annoyance when someone tries to market to them.

Where does this leave the hiring manager or recruiter who is trying to leverage the power of Facebook in their business?  With regard to soliciting candidates, it would be difficult to apply either of the two previously mentioned methods of engaging Facebook users... However, social networks are a natural support to traditional word-of-mouth marketing.  This will continue.  But, unfortunately, marketing on a large scale basis to candidates via this channel will probably remain uncomfortable and expensive.

Facebook Is Going Gray

Over the last couple of years, there has been a large number of marketers, business owners, and even recruiting professionals, who have been trying to figure out how to leverage social networks to their advantage. 

It’s been an awkward exercise.  Business professionals are attempting to take a tool that was created (and became wildly popular) for a specific purpose, and manipulate it in a way that will produce a result that is much more self-serving.  The participants in these social networks sense this, and often turn a deaf ear to these sorts of efforts.

However, change may be on the horizon... Not because the young people in these social networks have suddenly become tolerant of marketing messages, but because the make-up of the networks is changing.  Take a look at what the San Francisco Chronicle reported last week:

“Long a hangout for college students, the social-networking giant has morphed into a virtual parlor for the middle-aged, according to a new study.

People 35 to 54 are now the biggest age group on the Web site, accounting for 28.2 percent of all U.S. users as of July, according to iStrategyLabs, an online marketing firm.  Following close behind are 24- to 34-year-olds, who represent 25.2 percent of users.

The 18-to-24 age group accounted for 25.1 percent of users, down from 40.8 percent in January, the study found.  Those 17 and under made up 9.8 percent of the Web site's users, down from 13.5 percent.”

The shift in populations using these networks is remarkable.  Notice the research documents this change has happened “since January.”  On the surface, it would appear that there has been a major exodus of young people from the network, but this is not the case.

“The findings reflect a major evolution at Facebook, which until January was dominated by young adults, some of whom famously festoon their profiles with photos of beer bashes and belly buttons.  Although their numbers continue to grow on the service, younger users have been overtaken by their seniors, who are joining at a faster rate.

Since January, the number of new users between ages 35 to 54 grew 190 percent, to 20.2 million, according to the study.  New users 55 and older grew 590 percent, to 5.9 million.”

Tomorrow, I’ll share some more regarding how businesses are already using this shift to their advantage... It doesn’t take long for people to innovate on these types of changes.  In the meantime, don’t be afraid to invite your parents to be your friend on Facebook - It may not be long until they’re showing you how this social networking thing is done!

Today's Hires May Be Tomorrow's Leaders

There are many companies across the country that, given the state of the economy, are choosing to postpone hiring new talent at this time.  I sincerely believe this to be a grave mistake.

Here is why: 

When times are good, the best talent is already heavily engaged in their careers. They are the ones leading the charge in innovation and growth among their industries.  It is very difficult to dislodge these high performers during periods of growth.  Although you can always count on a certain amount of good people at any point in time, as there are always people who are languishing, many of those you are able to dislodge during good times are those looking to make an easy buck.

Look around your office... I know for a fact that some of your top producers and best managers came on board during the tough times of 1979 to 1984.  They were the few who said, “Of course I’m going sell homes with mortgages of 15% interest rates!”  Many of them are your leaders now.

In tough times people are shaken to their core.  The wisest and healthiest people, reexamine their lives, their values, and their vocation.  It's during these times that people question the trust they had in what they thought was "stability,” and entertain the possibilities for change.  You likely did this at some point yourself, before entering your current position.

It's during this period of “reexamining” where you can most effectively dislodge the best talent from their current occupation and get them to mindfully consider working for you.

These people will be the innovators of tomorrow's real estate industry.  They will twitter their way to selling homes in ways we can’t even imagine.  Don’t waste this period of time in history.  Your next wave of talent is out there, just waiting to be discovered...

The Best Laid Plans - Part 2

Hopefully, you’ve had some time to consider yesterday’s questions about the differential that sometime develops between the plans we make and the actual results that we achieve.  Picking up from where we left off yesterday... In her work, would it be better for my wife to lower her expectations to ensure she meets her objectives, or continue to set expectations that are high, with the knowledge that she may fall short?  Under which set of circumstances would she be farther ahead in the end?

Dave Mashburn and I spent some time on a plane yesterday traveling to the midwest for business meetings and had some time to discuss the topic.  Fortunately, there is quite a bit of research on the topic of expectations, so there are some principles that can be applied to this question.

Mikaly Csikszentmihaly, the researcher who discovered and writes extensively on the topic of psychological flow, has documented that humans experience a higher sense of engagement in their work when they push themselves to reach goals that are not easily attained.  Putting together a plan that can be quickly accomplished with 100% certainty will only produce boredom—psychological flow is not achieved in this state.

On the other hand, setting objectives that are so far above a person’s ability to achieve them, creates a sense of anxiety and despair.  We’ve all been put into “no-win” situations that quickly frustrate our sense of well-being and ability to achieve.  Without a way to work ourselves out of a situation, the only choice is to give up and succumb to "failure."
 
There is a balance that must be attained between these two options in order for my wife to consistently experience psychological flow in her work.  The best position for optimal accomplishment is right at the edge of anxiety.  Crossing over this mark by setting goals that are unattainable, would put her in a constant state of anxiety.  (As if having six kids around the house wasn't enough to do this!)  Consistently operating below the edge of anxiety would trap her in a state of boredom or complacency.  In addition to accomplishing much less, this level of effort will not lead to a sense of fulfillment.

Don't worry, you don't need to take up home schooling to apply these principles to your life!  In your work, attempt to set goals that force you to operate at the edge of anxiety.  These goals will stretch your abilities and cause you to make the greatest contribution possible.   

The Best Laid Plans

If you are a consistent WorkPuzzle reader, you know how passionate we feel about developing a plan, working that plan, and then measuring the results.  This simple formula is the basis for success and effectiveness in many realms of life and business.  Last weekend, my wife gave me some additional insight into this principle that is worth sharing.

About ten years ago, my wife and I made the decision to home school our children.  At the time, we committed to try home schooling my oldest son for a year, and see how it went.  Each year, we re-evaluated this decision in an attempt to determine if it was the best educational option for our children.  Maybe we became delusional along the way, but my oldest son is now a junior in high school, and my wife is home schooling five of our six kids!

One of the reasons that she has been successful at home schooling is because she develops a plan each semester and then does her best to follow the plan in her daily activities.  To help in this process, she takes a few days each summer and a few days each winter to develop her plan for the upcoming semester.

Last weekend, she locked herself in a hotel room for three days to develop her plan for this fall’s semester.  During these planning sessions, it is my job to watch our kids and make sure she has uninterrupted time to put her plan together.  No deaths or major injuries over the weekend, so I accomplished my part of the mission!

As we debriefed from the weekend’s activities on Sunday evening, my wife expressed a frustration that surprised me.  I always thought the difficult part of her job was conceptualizing the academic plans for a set of children at diverse ages and developmental levels.  Or, I thought perhaps her biggest frustration might be trying to figure out a daily schedule that allows her one-on-one time with each child to teach lessons.  I was wrong on both accounts.

The most frustrating part of her job is coming to terms with the differential that naturally develops between the plan that she puts together each year, and the actual results that she accomplishes.  I’m not trying to suggest that she does a poor job of executing her daily activities.  She is one of the most tenacious people I’ve ever met, and she does a wonderful job at following through.  However, she sets very high expectations and therefore does not always meet all the objectives in her plan.  This is, by far, her largest frustration.

As we talked through this issue, we wondered which was more effective: 

(1) Developing a plan with high expectations and then falling short during the execution phase of the plan. 

or...

(2) Developing a more reasonable plan and ensuring that every objective and task associated with the plan is accomplished. 

Which frame of reference would put her further ahead in the end?  Also, which philosophy is better for maintaining the long-term motivation required to be successful over time?

We’ll discuss this more tomorrow.  But, in the meantime, try to answer these questions for yourself.  As you put your plans together and attempt to execute successfully, are you falling short of your goals or consistently meeting/exceeding them?

Relationship Farming

Whether you manage, recruit, or sell, there is nothing more important than your ongoing task of building relationships. 

My 24 year-old son, who is a an account manager at a Seattle radio station, recently sent me a very  good article.  The article, Relationship Farming Starts With Creating A "Wow" Experience, helps remind us all of the importance of relationship building through the analogy of farming.

Terry Brock , president of Orlando, Florida based Achievement Systems says:

"Building quality, profitable relationships in business is much like farming, or what I call relationship farming.

Like the farmer who keeps us all alive, you have to study the soil (know what is happening in the world and environment of your customers), plant the seeds (send your message in a positive, respectful way), nurture the plants (provide continued benefits), allow for ample moisture and fertilizer (keep providing what the customer needs) and be around for harvest (have systems in place to process sales).

Then when all the work is finished, it is time to begin for next year.

But how do you keep those wonderful, delightful people who pay our bills (call them customers, clients, members, guests — whatever) happy?

Keep creating experiences that make customers say 'wow' when they deal with you.

See customers’ experiences from their point of view.  What do they have to deal with in your business?  In the market you serve, what are the major problems people encounter?  Why are they buying from you?  What problems are they seeking to solve?

Once you’ve nailed that very important first part, you want to sit down with your people and lay out your plans.

Find out where you can make experiences pleasant and easy for customers.  What can you do to ease their pain?  What can you do in your business to create that wow experience?  Here are a few ideas to get you started and to use as a check-up on what you’re doing now:

• See the world through your customers’ eyes.  What is causing them pain?  Where are they hurting?  What can you do to help relieve the pain?

Don’t just assume you know, talk with them and listen.  Find out from them what is going on and what they want solved.

• Do the hard work of thinking.  Yes, it is hard work as you struggle with options.

• Provide important extras.  Find key areas that add that wonderful new dimension that brings a smile.  Not so much huge, expensive additions but little, important-to-the-customer touches that keep bringing them back.

• Automate as much as possible.  Make the systems around your business fine-tuned and bullet-proof.  Yes, use technology but think in terms of systems and developing better systems all the time.

• Constantly review and revisit what you’re doing on how to tweak and make it even better.  Be so focused on their problems that they would complain if you weren’t around to help them!

Make it your goal to become indispensable in the minds of your customers.  That is what relationship farming requires and that is the benefit for your long-term business."

Have you ever noticed what the common denominator is with articles (like this one) that resonate with what we know to be important?  It's that they always represent the "right thing to do."