Author: J. Mike Smith

J. Mike Smith is an experienced, highly effective San Francisco-based executive and team coach. Not just “another consultant”, Mike has worked first hand in the roles he coaches, with personal experience working successfully in roles ranging from a front line supervisor to a senior vice president in a variety of companies and environments. Mike’s work coaching business teams is informed and guided by the wisdom and experience of being on teams and working through many of the same challenges and issues the teams he coaches face. As the President and Principal of Back West, Inc., the name of his consulting practice, Mike brings over 30 years of business experience. His work background spans industries including financial services, high tech, biotech, and wholesale distribution. His San Francisco based consulting coaching practice is focused in three areas – executive coaching with individuals, coaching work with teams such as team start-up and team building, and group facilitation and off-site design. More information at http://backwest.com/
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Bad Sign for a Startup: When the Founder Bails

The last big tech boom – eleven years ago – had collars and handcuffs wrapped around founders and early hires.

Apart from the joy, challenge and excitement in creating something from nothing (btw – something not to be ignored or underestimated) the big financial upside was in stock. Stock which in many cases couldn’t be cashed out until the startup went public or got bought.… Read the rest

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The Dumb Stuff That Gets You Fired

There is the regular stuff that gets you fired; this is about the dumb stuff.

First the regular stuff that causes you and your job to go different ways: position different than advertised, working relationship with boss or key clients never really worked out, company reorganization, you were too good in your role (and it scared people), you were not very good in your job (and it also scared people), somebody senior just didn’t like you, someone bought somebody else (and your job went away) or your company went out of business.… Read the rest

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Cheap Shots: Easy Ways to Make a Bad Impression

There are lots of ways to make a good first impression.

Here are some ways – all which happened recently – to make make a bad first, second, and continuing impression.

  • If you’re doing a phone interview, use a clear phone line, preferably one of those old fashioned landlines. Unless you’re someplace without lots of other people, or hills (tough to do in Northern California), geography or mobile user density may impact your call.
… Read the rest
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How to Juggle – or Hope to Juggle – Multiple Job Offers

Every job candidate’s dream is to have several job prospects that meet your job specs and simultaneously produce offers when you’re ready to make a decision.

Sometimes it really does work out that way; most of the time it doesn’t. And what you’re left with, as the anonymous poster on Quora this morning noted, is a “way to extend a job offer” so they can see what other offers surface?… Read the rest

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The Best Steps to Prevent Senior New Hire Failure?

The cost to hire a good senior exec (think CFO, GC, COO, CMO, CEO  etc.)  is pricey.

The people are talented, can be really good at what they do, and the market in some sectors is seriously hot.

To compound things, talent poaching – the recruiting of a senior exec from one firm to another – is increasing and multiple offers to execs are on the upswing according to the Wall Street Journal.… Read the rest