Little Things Count Big in Your Career: How to Stay in Touch

Many times the most important things to do with managing your career are the easiest and the simplest: it just takes a little thought, a little planning, and a little discipline. More often than not it’s these small things that make big differences in who succeeds, and who struggles in the long run.

Today I got a contact information update note from Tom Taggart, who recently took a role as the Senior Vice President and head of Corporate Communications with Union Bank at their San Francisco headquarters.… Read the rest

[Ways to Say Thanks] “Great Articles”

There are a number of benefits from working with individuals as an executive coach, and working with start-up and leadership teams as a team coach. Some of them are financial, and some of them are pride in accomplishment.  Some of the benefits are the unexpected thank you’s that make you smile from the inside. Here’s one of the latter:

“Dear Mike,

I was referred to your blog by another former BGIer [Barclays Global Investors – now part of BlackRock].Read the rest

[Dept. of Bad Advice] How You Can Interview Well. . .

. . . and Disregard Dan and Chip Heath’s How-to-Interview Recommendations


I think Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath is a really good book. Most of the Heath brother’s content is great, both in their book, as well as in their monthly column for Fast Company. But even Babe Ruth stuck out, and their interviewing advice in Fast Company  – Hold the Interview: Why it may be wiser to hire people without meeting them – is a real stinker.Read the rest

[New Rules] The Name Game: What Job Title Should You Ask For?

Mike Latham, who I know through my work at Barclays Global Investors, is a good guy and a good

Job Titles

manager:

He gets things done, is transparent in his dealings, is funny, works hard, knows the business, and is respected and liked by the people with whom he works.

His job title – CEO of United States iShares – looks like a great example though of “paying” people with a title in order to retain them.Read the rest