Should I Bring My Resume Along When I Go For an Information Interview?

In a word, NO.

Bringing your resume along and asking if they want to see it makes you look needy. If they want your resume, offer to send it to them later. You want to convey the impression that you have other things going on besides job search.

Your image needs to be one of mature business partner, not needy job seeker (regardless of how you feel).

You’re not looking for a job. You’re seeking to gain information in order to understand how you can best add value.

You’re also scoping out the marketplace to notice patterns and trends. What you notice could be of very high value to someone who has no time to do this type of exploring.

Keep an open mind. Don’t just be “looking for a job”. Look for a role you can play. Something you know you can do, given your skills and experience.

It may be something they haven’t even thought of yet. It might be a specific project for which you can submit a proposal as a consultant.

Once you figure out how you can help them, then you can figure out what your job might be.

CEO’s and other leaders are always looking for solutions to problems. Figure out the problems they face, decide how your skills can help, and scope out how you feel about them and their organization.

Treat the exploratory conversations as just that – exploratory.

Get Grounded for Growth

“Vision, mission, values”…ah, they roll off the tongue so easily.

But I find that folks tend to line up these three musketeers in the wrong order.   We need to reverse the order – start with Values and add in Purpose, before we go anywhere near Mission and Vision.

Why?  Values and Purpose tell us who we are as a business and why we’re here on this planet.  When we know the who and the why, it’s much easier to figure out the what and the how (“Mission”), and then the where of it all (“Vision”).  True, start-ups often need to fly by the seat of their pants until experience helps them more fully understand their identity. But for established businesses, a clear understanding of Values and Purpose is crucial for strategic planning and business success.

Success in business involves above all the ability to quickly decide what is most important in any situation. A deep understanding of core Values and Purpose allows us to say in a flash, “Yes, of course – it’s this, and not that”.  Strategic decision-making gives us the agility to out-dance both competitors and general market conditions.  And with an engaged and aligned work team that is also empowered to make its own decisions…the sky is the limit!

Since all decisions are based on Values, it should be easy to figure out our Values, right?

But in fact Values are not easy to identify.  We are way too close to them.  They’re like the background of a favourite painting…bringing definition and meaning to events in the foreground, but easily overlooked on their own.

Over the years, I’ve tried many methods to help people articulate their values.  I have to say that most methods fall short. Generally people work with a laundry list of abstract terms like “peace”, “freedom”, and “balance”.  Well, who on earth doesn’t want world peace?  Who doesn’t want freedom and balance?

Using the laundry list approach, people find it difficult to choose, internalize and then remember their chosen values – much less apply them in decision-making.  And the important question is always: what do these grand ideas really mean to me, right now, in this situation?

I’ve been having a lot of fun asking big questions lately with the 4-partner succession team at Menno S. Martin Contractor.  The fact that MSM is already over 70 years old tells us this business has been doing the right things over the years!

When we first started re-examining core Values at MSM, I asked the partners if they could state their company’s values without looking at the website.  When they weren’t able to do so easily, I knew we were starting in the right place.
So I asked team members to individually review a basic Values list and choose the ones that stood out for them.  We pooled our lists, noted commonalities and patterns, and reduced the joint list to about ten.

Now, 10 is way too many values to work with.  I like to see people whittle away until they come up with a top 3.   Because generally by the time most people get to the 4^th one, they’re hesitating, and by the 5^th value they’re drawing a blank. We’ve all seen this happen.

But this is not what we want to see with core Values. In fact, we want every last person in the entire business to remember the company’s core Values at the drop of a hat, in their sleep, and while they’re out of town.

So we took each of the 10 values and put it through some tests.  Business author Jim Collins has developed some highly useful questions for prioritizing Values and Purpose. Here are my personal favourites:

-       If you were to start a new organization, would you build it around this core Value regardless of the industry?

-       Would you want your organization to continue to stand for this core Value 100 years into the future – no matter what changes occur in the outside world?

-       Would you want your organization to hold this core Value, even if at some point in time it became a competitive disadvantage?

After much discussion, we were able to come up with MSM’s renewed list of Values.  While there are some similarities with the original list, the new list of values is shorter, pithier, and easier to remember:

1. Build it right.

2. With integrity.

3. People first.

We all fell in love with MSM’s renewed Statement of Values…including me : ).

ACTION STEPS:

1. Grab a list of Values from the net, or email me, and I’ll send you one.

2. Review the list and choose your Top 10.  Take your time and confer with others if necessary.

3. From there, test each brainstormed value and choose the 3 that really stand out for you.

4. Wordsmith until you resonate completely with them and you sense they really articulate what is most important to you.

5. Now post your values where you’ll see them every day and let them permeate everything you do.

Networking Tips

How can I use networking to grow my business?
• Attitude of “abundance” vs. “scarcity”.  Give before you get.
• High-value people attract high-value people and opportunities.
• Warm leads vs. cold leads – way easier and more fun.
• Longer-term vs. shorter-term solution.
• All business is built on relationships and conversations.
• Network to establish and strengthen your brand. Aim to be as visible as possible.
• Energy is money and money is energy.
• Conversations create energy, move your business forward and open up new opportunities.

How do I decide where to network, or evaluate the networks I already have?
• Clearly identify your target market and value prop.
• If you’re not clear who your target market actually is, network to get clarity.
• “Generic networking” to start (e.g. Chamber of Commerce).
• “Targeted networking” to connect with your specific market (professional
associations, supplier groups, clients’ networks).
• Conferences, trade shows – regular and reverse tradeshow marketing.
• Networking efforts should be bringing new business opps.  If not, change strategies.
• Distinguish between “high-value” (to your business), and “low-value” people.

What should I say to people?
• Even more important to listen.
• Be interested in others. Follow your natural curiosity and ask the questions that
interest you.
• Aim is to connect.  Never to sell. Selling comes much later!
• Be yourself.  If people don’t respond well, get feedback and aim to improve.
• Always ask how you can be helpful to them.  Who is their ideal client?  Who do you
know that you can connect them with?

How can I feel more at ease while networking?
• Notice and acknowledge your anxiety, but put it off to one side.  Don’t let it become the main event.
• Breathe deeply.
• Tell yourself “these people are just friends I haven’t met yet”.
• Never take it personally when someone doesn’t warm up to you. We either resonate or we don’t.
• Watch your self-talk – keep it positive.

How can I actually turn business cards into business?
• The key is in the follow-up.
• Your job at the networking event is to connect with as many people as you can, and
notice which ones you feel attracted to and might like to meet again.
• Write follow-up thank-you notes or emails to strengthen the connection.

How can I use social media to network online?
• Twitter, Linked In, Facebook.  Write your own content that answers questions and
concerns of your target market. Teach them how to think about your industry,
product or service.
• Join groups.  Start conversations with people that interest you.  Ask questions,
answer questions. Create events and use social media to invite people.  Track your
leads and follow-ups.

Growing Your Business Using Linked In

Linked In is a living, breathing network that automatically updates itself 24/7 online. What’s not to like?  If you’re a business owner or professional who is not on Linked In yet…today’s the day to get started.

Last week I was privileged to hear fundraising expert Paul Nazareth provide some excellent tips last week on how to use Linked In to grow your business. Interestingly, he was presenting at a locally-based Linked In group: Social Media Breakfast Waterloo Region.

I’ve put together Paul’s points with some of my own to come up with a Top 10 for Linked In.

1. Best Linked In resources: Linked In Log is a tiny book that takes you step by step from soup to nuts on how to plan and measure business results on your Linked In site. Linked In for Dummies is an excellent general guide and provides a helpful cheat sheet here. Other recommended marketing books: The Power of Pull,  UnMarketing,  and The Best Service is No Service.  Linked In has its own YouTube channel full of how-to videos.  Company Pages has lots of tips for organizing your business page.

2. Create both a personal page and a business page. On both sites, make sure you follow best practices using the resources above.  The most obvious basics are to make sure your profile is 100% complete, have a professional photo, and at least 3 recommendations.

3. To get recommendations, give them first to as many of your 1st degree connections as possible.  People usually want to reciprocate – but they’re busy, and it can help to shape their recommendation by offering content suggestions.  Paul’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion: “Can you just share with others that I didn’t kill you, and what you appreciated about our work together?”

4. Use the Summary section of your personal site to provide a snapshot of your personality and your value proposition. In my view, the Summary section should read like the “Professional Profile” section of your resume – so that even if a person reads no further, they still have a solid idea about why you’re on the planet. When I write these things with clients, I’m always asking “how”.  As in “Wow, that’s great – now how did you accomplish that?  How did you do it differently from someone else?” It’s a good idea to speak directly to your reader using I-statements, and to avoid jargon-y, empty descriptions like “dynamic” and “effective”.  You can also include your Vision and Mission in this section.

5. Don’t overwhelm people with your genius, or your posts will start to feel like spam.  Paul recommends maximum one status update per day, and minimum one update per week as a good guideline.  Follow updates from your network and make comments on a regular basis.

6. Include a personal note with each of your Linked In invitations.  If it’s a new connection, remind the person about how you know each other and ask for the opportunity to link.

7. Who to link to? People you already know well, people you worked with in the past, people you know professionally.  Take some risks.  Seek connections with your heroes, teachers, and other influencers who are important in your industry. Give them a reason as to why they might want to link with you. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.  You never know who might come up on your “suggested links” list.  Not too long ago I was astonished to see “Barack Obama” come up in in my own!  Talk about six degrees…!

8. Linked In Groups and Linked In Answers are excellent ways to showcase your knowledge and talents.  Seek groups where your target market hangs out and start to add value in those circles.  Aim to OWN your sector by creating your own groups. The best groups are not based around a specific company brand, but are targeted toward a sector, profession, special interest, or common problem.  Groups are about branding – establishing your reputation and getting your name out there – more than they’re about sales. One creative idea is to start an Amazon booklist, and hold meetings to discuss specific books.

9. Linked In Events is not yet the best vehicle for getting the word out about events, since not everyone is a member.  I park my own announcements at Eventbrite.com, but also list them on Linked In and Facebook, and send them out by email.

10. Use a timer.  Social media can be addictive – one could spend one’s whole day writing and talking to people, but making no money.  Set a timer to allow 10 – 15 minutes a day for social media activities to remedy this problem. After all, how long can it take to skim your network’s posts, make a few comments, post one update  yourself or answer one question?  That’s all the time you need to develop a solid reputation on Linked In.

Next:  Growing Your Business with Your Linked In Business Page.

4 Offbeat Ways to Set Goals

Feel like your website is a brochure lost in cyberspace? Scroll down for info re our October 20 Pay-Per-Click Marketing Seminar. In the meantime, here are a few goal-setting ideas to chew on….

4 Offbeat Ways to Set Goals

In life and business, it can be challenging to figure out your next move. Popular goal-setting programs urge us to set goals that are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Great. But…your first question should really be…

What am I aiming for ?

The most important thing – but often the hardest – is knowing what you want in the first place. Many people would rather just stay busy. But without a clear vision of where you’re headed, it’s tough to set the clear goals that will actually propel you and your business forward. Vision boards and brainstorming sessions are a great start. But here are 4 useful ideas that take no effort at all.

1. Start with what you DON’T want.

When I’m really stuck in figuring out what I truly want in life or business, I divide a piece of paper in half. At the top of the left side, I write “Don’t Want”. At the top of the right side, I write “Want Instead”. Mind-numbingly simple – but it works.

This year, my list looked something like this:

Don’t want: Stuff I don’t care about. Stairs. A basement that keeps filling up with junk.
Want instead: A place that other people take care of, so I can focus on what I’m best at – people and ideas.

Long story short, we’ve downsized and moved into a condo. I don’t have a basement where stuff I don’t need can collect. I don’t have stairs. I do have more time and energy. I’m happy as a clam. When I get clear about what I DON’T want – I get clear about what I DO want.

So here’s the question: what don’t you like about what’s currently happening in your business or life? What do you want instead of that?

And don’t discount it either. Too often we start to imagine what we want different – then talk ourselves out of it. “We couldn’t possibly implement that idea”; “We can’t let him go, what if he sues us?”; “I’d love to go to the islands, but we’ll never be able to afford that…” “I couldn’t possibly do that at this age…” Stop judging your ideas and just write them down. But be careful what you write…because once recorded, your ideas are going to start happening.

2. Figure out your questions – before you go looking for answers.

What questions are floating around in your head right now? You know… the things you wonder about while you’re in the shower, driving your car, drifting off at a lecture? Everything from…
“Which target market would be best to pursue?”
“Which supplier should I choose?”
“What should my tagline be?”
…to:
“What colours should I paint my house?
“Which of these three guys should I date?”
“What should I do with my life?”

Too often we ignore or discount our questions. But listening and honouring them provides the key that can unlock the door to our next move.

In her excellent book “Write It Down, Make it Happen” Henriette Klauser has a cool idea. She cuts a piece of paper into strips, writes one question on each strip, puts the whole lot in an envelope, and sticks it in a drawer. Don’t knock it – it works. I’ve done it myself. One time I totally forgot about the envelope until a couple years later. And lo and behold – through events and people in my life, every single one of my questions had been answered.

So, what questions are currently on YOUR mind about your life, career or business? Write them down, and before you know it, your next move will start coming into focus.

3. Look backward before you look forward.

In this age where everything moves so quickly, this tip goes against the grain. “If it’s not making me money, it’s a waste of time…”; “We should be pursuing the next big thing…”; “While we’re thinking, the competition will get ahead…” etc. etc.

But neglecting this step can lead to confusion and inefficiency. We re-invent the wheel because we forget what we’ve already done. We overlook what we’ve accomplished, and feel like we’ve done nothing – when in fact we’ve actually made great progress.

One easy way to take stock is to is to start with a simple 3-column chart. I get my clients to do this exercise every 90 days. On the left, record areas that are important in your life and business, like big dreams, leadership, finances, etc. Beside each area, record the successes and progress you’ve had in that area. Once you’ve noted your progress, your next steps practically leap onto the page. “Okay, I’ve got this done – great! Now I need to do that…”. These next steps become your goals. It’s a painless way to get clear on your priorities for the next phase.

4. Get some fellow-travelers.

Hey, it’s just way more fun. Every year, I form a little mastermind group of whatever favourite helpful people there are in my life at the time, and we meet regularly to clarify our goals and hold each other accountable. Because one of the hardest things about goal-setting is keeping it fun and staying accountable. Let’s face it – we can have the best of intentions to do something new, but life intervenes, priorities change, and we drift off track. Our companions can help us stay motivated and focused.

So – who in your life would you like to stay accountable with? Set up a meeting and form your own group of fellow travelers who can help you “goal for the gusto”.

Speaking of fellow travelers…watch for details of our upcoming Anticipate 2012! 1-day Goal-Setting Workshop on December 2.

Upcoming Events:

October 20: Pay-Per-Click Marketing
8-10 a.m., Your Kitchener Market.
If your online business feels like a brochure lost in cyberspace, consider using low-cost pay-per-click marketing to boost visibility and sales.
Click here for details and registration.

December 2: ANTICIPATE 2012!
8:30 – 4 p.m. Location TBA.
This 1-Day workshop will help you organize your vision into a comprehensive growth plan for life and business in 2012. Plus it’s a great opportunity to network with lots of other interesting and motivated fellow travelers.
Click here for details and registration.

For helpful daily business growth links and tips, follow us on Twitter: @lois_ready2grow

Yours in growth & learning,

Lois

Lois Raats MEd CCC BCC
Principal
Ready2Grow Associates
t: 519.883.8838 | lois@ready2grow.com | www.ready2grow.com