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[New Rules] 4 Antidotes for “The 7 Deadly Sins of Networking”

Daria Steigman has a short post titled The 7 Deadly Sins of Networking that’s well worth the quick read.

Networking, when done well, is about four things: interest, authenticity, follow through, and reciprocity .

Avoid spending other people’s time if you’re not interested in their story but rather want to simply hijack them with your story. There is much to be learned from what other people have to offer, and a little curiosity goes a long ways in displaying an interest in how other people got to where they are.… Read the rest

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[Life Back West] July 2009 – The Road Trip

Life today seems to move ever so quickly. Though it’s likely an observation shared by people throughout the centuries, our Twitter / 24 by 7 news cycle lives seem to almost eliminate the time to pause, to think, and to talk deeply. It seems true for people, and it seems true for organizations.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Earlier this month I had a chance to catch a reunion of college friends from the small liberal arts college (“the first university in the West”) from which I received my undergraduate degree.… Read the rest

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[The Lure of “Can’t Miss” Talent] How Do You Measure Heart & Chutzpah?

Like the song of the Sirens , for some people the “right” backgrounds or the “right” personality test scores suggest “can’t miss” – the certainty that someone who comes from certain schools, certain environments, certain zip codes, or certain Meyers-Briggs personality profiles will be predictably successful.

You’d be wrong: predicting success in business or life does just doesn’t work that way.… Read the rest

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[You & the Recession] 3 Tips to Boost Your Career in Today’s Economy

The economy feels like it’s moving sideways even though data suggests it’s ever-so-slightly improving. Promotional opportunities are few for people with jobs, and budgets for developmental activities such as conferences may have been slashed.

If you do a few simple things in your job life now your career can take a better route than simply hunkering down and waiting for the economy to improve.… Read the rest

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[The Job Interview] Sonia & the Senators

The purpose of any job interview should be to answer one and perhaps two questions;

1) Does this person have the talent (background, experience, skills, abilities) to be successful at our firm / company / organization / department for role for which they’re interviewing, and,

2) Does the person likely have the qualifications for positions for which they might be considered later?… Read the rest

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[U.S. Independence Day] What Made the Founders So Special?

It’s easy in troubled times – the Great Depression and World War II in the 1930’s and 1940’s, the late 1960’s and today’s times all come to mind – to wax nostalgic for the "good old days" and the presumed leadership that guided a nation’s people through those times.

Great leadership, whether it’s community or corporate, are leaders who effectively take a community or company from Point A to Point B: Moses, for example, or A.… Read the rest