Ignore Crabs in Barrel Advice

Ever notice how crabs in a barrel pull, step, lean, push and rest on each other to get to the top opening?  Hiding under the blanket of caring about you, does it ever feel like some family, friends and associates do the same thing to you?  According these people, no matter what you do, it's never good enough or you're always wrong with the outcome you wish to achieve.  Crabs in a barrel advice can hold you back and stymies personal growth.  

Mentally keep a distance  between yourself and anyone who provides so called advice, which constantly makes you question your self worth.  This keeps your mind clear to receive positive counsel from mentors and advisors. Associate with people who truly encourage and guide to help advance your goals.

Associations with positive, like minded people, are part of the blueprint for achieving success.  Never take advice from anyone who isn't doing better than you. 

• How can a person making less than $50,000 give advice on making $100,000 or more?

• How can someone out of work for a time give advice on how to perform a successful job search?

•  How can a coworker who blindly accepts scheduled company raises give advice on asking for a raise?

• How can a team member who does not speak up at meetings give advice on presenting new ideas or solutions at a project status meeting?
  

•  How can someone in an abusive or unhappy relationship give relationship advice?

• How can someone who only had a job all their life give advice on starting a business?

• How does a boss who communicates ineffectively give advice on effective communication?

• How can a business owner with a negative attitude give advice on growing a successful business?

• How can friends still hanging out on the street corner give advice on how to get ahead in life?

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 Carl E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

Edification; The Super Glue of Power Networkers

In "The Serving Leader" authors Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert provide 2 key leadership responsibilities. Leaders teach others the knowledge, skills and strategies they need to succeed. Leaders also work hard to get obstacles out of the way of others so they can make progress.

Edification is a powerful technique for helping others develop confidence skills, while removing obstacles created by lack of confidence. Very few organizations promote the encouraging art of edification. Power networkers understand how to leverage edification for developing powerful trusted relationships.

Webster defines edification as “the act of edifying, or the state of being edified; a building up, especially in a moral or spiritual sense; moral, intellectual, or spiritual improvement; instruction”.

Edification can be learned by anyone in just a few minutes. It does take practice intertwining edification into daily life. It immediately builds confidence for the person being edified and the person [leader] doing the edification. 

In networking terms, edifying another person shines a 10,000 watt spotlight on him/her, which reflects doubly back on you. People will naturally want to be around you when you edify others.

Edifying others is the glue for making people stick with you and be associated with anything you are involved in. Edification empowers you to create your own following. When you tell your network "I'm going to be at this event, fund raiser, conference, etc.", people willingly make it their business to be there.

Here are some suggested approaches successful networking leaders use to instill confidence and develop rock solid trusted networks, through edification:

RING LEADER
So you put an event together. Always introduce the speaker so a connection is made with the audience. While presenting the speaker's bio, speak from the heart about your association. Even a known returning speaker should be edified, through the introduction. This sets the stage for engaging attendees to listen more closely to the speaker.

DAISEY CHAIN
This is one of my favorite edification approaches. It creates a chain reaction of networking self empowerment. If a few people have put an event together, ask someone on the team to introduce another team member who knows either the speaker or most of the attendees. Then have that person introduce the speaker. This allows 2 team members to edify each other, just in case the speaker knows nothing about edification. This makes a powerful impression on attendees. Making introductions is an excellent way to practice public speaking skills, especially for new team members.

TAG TEAM
1. You are going to an event with a friend. Give each friend a few of your business cards. As you meet people edify the other person by talking up each other's skills or business. Then give your friend's business card to the person you just met.

2. Let's say 2 people are talking at an event. You know one of them and s/he introduces you. Edify your friend by highlighting their skills, business or good qualities.

FAMILY TIES
Nothing improves family relationships better than edification.

1. Edify your children with your friends. This builds better relationships between child and parent, while instilling confidence in children, tweens and teenagers. Some examples . . .This is my daughter / son . . . s/he is a wiz at math - on the football team - is studying hard for the SAT - is a terrific person . . .
2. Edify your spouse. Elevate your spouse with augmented introductions. Some examples . . . This is my wife and business partner - This is my husband who is a top notch expert in the technology field - This is my life partner who is very successful in the health care industry . . .
Always edify your spouse in front of your children, by supporting each other's decisions. Settle child rearing issues with your spouse in private.

3. Saying "thank you", "please" and "can you do me a favor" are also forms of edifying family members. It develops respect and trust, while getting family members to more willingly accomplish tasks.

PRIVATE SESSIONS
Use one on one personal conversations to encourage and support a friend, by focusing on their strengths.

Although it may be hard, even highlighting good qualities with a difficult co-worker may help project them to the space where they need to be. Building confidence, through edification, is sometimes all it takes to get a foe on your side of the table.

POWER BROKER EMAIL CONNECTIONS
Providing an associate with just an email address or telephone number referral is for amateur networkers. This still provides a cold connection. Position yourself as a power broker by personally connecting 2 people. A much warmer connection is established, when you copy both people in an email.

Edify each person to give reasons as to why they should connect. In the email talk up your personal association with each person. For example, "Joanne is a trusted friend and business associate . . . we worked previously at . . . s/he possesses business savvy / sold technical skills that helped me / company XYZ achieve . . .".

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 Carl E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

Use the Internet to Squelch the Age Issue

In the Careers section of the Wall Street Journal there is an interesting article Hearing ‘You’re Overqualified’ Again and Again. In response to this article I posted the following comment on the WSJ page, to share how to overcome and squelch the "too old" stigma many face, which makes it more difficult for older baby boomers to get hired:

The direct approach is best in staying focused on what you bring to the table with both skills, experience and being an expert in your field. Submitting just a resume means the Interviewer only has one narrowly defined aspect of your skills. Overcome the age barrier by positioning yourself prior to the interview.

It’s a new game now, with many human resource professionals, recruiters and hiring managers using the Internet to identify talent that makes a better company match. The key is to develop a positive Internet presence, which highlights your skills beyond a resume.

Leverage the Internet to establish yourself as an expert in your field and pump up the volume of the skills presented in your resume. Make it your business to be exactly where HR professionals and recruiters look. When they receive your resume, many jump on the Internet to Google your name. Type your name into Google right now. What shows up about you? Do you have a professional profile on LinkedIn.com?

Start a blog to write about how you have used your skills to contribute to the success of previous companies. Share success stories about projects you worked on and how you made a difference in the outcomes. If you don’t like to write, then comment [in a positive way] on articles others have written, related to your skill space. The goal is to make the Internet sell your skills, which increase your value above and beyond your resume. By the time you sit for an interview, the hiring manager is now more receptive in focusing on your skills, with age being a much more minor point.

Developing an Internet presence creates demand for you and your skills, because you increase the chances of more people finding you and identifying you as an expert in your field. Keith Ferrazzi says it best, in terms of networking, [I'm paraphrasing] “It’s not who you know. It’s more important who knows you”

Carl E. Reid, CSI
Chief Operations Officer, Empowering Today’s Professionals (ETP) Network
Business Career Coach, Social Media Consultant and Developer of Career Management Swiss Army Knife Toolbar

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

Sabrin named Business Development Manager at Resource Group Staffing & Consulting

West Hartford, CT -- August 11, 2009 -- Max Sabrin of Old Saybrook has been appointed Business Development Manager of staffing and recruitment for Resource Group Staffing & Consulting, responsible for staffing solutions for clients throughout the northeast as well as selected nationwide assignments.

Sabrin, who has more than 30 years of experience in the executive search, recruitment, marketing and public relations fields, had served as managing partner and senior executive recruiter for the AMESGroup, a New York City-based executive search and placement firm.

Sabrin has provided executive placement and recruiting services for a host of Fortune 1000 clients as well as small- to mid-sized companies in the areas of information technology and information systems; data communications and telecommunications; e-commerce and new media; banking; finance, sales and marketing and executive administration.

The West Hartford and Atlanta based Resource Group Staffing & Consulting has been providing temporary, consulting and permanent professional staffing and recruitment solutions locally and nationwide since 1987.

For more information, contact Max Sabrin, phone 860.561.4970, extension 24, or email:
msabrin@rgroupltd.com www.resourcegroupstaffing.com

###

Volunteer is a Real J-O-B

"Just like a diamond, a person's net worth is based on the perceived value" - C. E. Reid

The only difference between being a volunteer and performing a job is free vs. fee. An intern or volunteer fills real job roles that organizations need and realize benefits. Give yourself credit on your resume for performing a "real" job, as a volunteer. Potential client companies may tend to offer a lesser salary [aka net worth] to anyone that is not working. A volunteer position provides the perception of working, which maintains or increases net worth.

2 things happen when identifying "volunteer" work on a resume:

1. The organization gets some premo free publicity and marketing on YOUR resume
2. A person's net worth is reduced by identifying a valid job role as being a "volunteer".
   

How come doctors, lawyers, management / political consultants and other select careers increase their net worth by volunteering? A doctor at Bellevue Hospital volunteers at a free medical clinic in Harlem. A corporate lawyer volunteers at the "Legal Aid Society" representing people charged with a crime. Both professionals get credit from their peers and augment their income at their next job. What's up with that picture? How come they get ahead?

The answer is these types of professionals validate their volunteer work as a "real job".

1. Blasphemy is never committed, as it relates to their net worth, by referring to free work as being a volunteer. They use the word "pro bono" (Latin for the public good).
2. Not all, but most these professionals list their "pro bono" work as another job in their curriculum vitae (another type of resume used in these circles and other countries).

How to Validate Your Volunteer Work as a Real Job?

1. Understand and be convinced your volunteer work is a real job.
2. Consider moving a volunteer job into the job experience section of your resume, especially if it directly relates to current skills required for a potential job opportunity. This fills a gap, if not currently employed.
3. Ask for a reference letter from the CEO, Executive Director or person of influence within the organization.
4. Request a recommendation on LinkedIn from senior management of that organization.
5. Consider adding the company you're doing pro bono work as a "current" company you work for within your LinkedIn profile.
   

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

Life and Networking Go Together

The trip wire for networking outcomes is separating it from everyday living. Life is an event. Any type of human interaction is an opportunity to network. We mentally stress ourselves by segregating when, where and how we are going to network.

Many years ago I replaced the word "networking" with "enjoying life". Oh sure, I refer to it by its given label when talking to people. Mentally I'm just "living in the moment". I bask in the sunlight of another person's presence. As I listen to the person, I also ask how can I help them achieve their goals. This keeps me at ease. There's no mental prepping. There's no undue pressure to get ready to be ready to network. Each person tells me what s/he wants. Then I try to meet people at their needs, by leveraging my network.

When I took my daughter to the circus or I'm having dinner at a restaurant with my wife, networking opportunities appear or they don't. It doesn't matter. I'm just "enjoying life". My all time favorite is family gatherings. My family gets on my case about it all the time. They each hate it when they see me exchanging business cards, when it's just a simple birthday party. I've been challenged with words like "what do I have to do to make you stop giving out business cards at family gatherings"? My response is "give me a referral or give me the obscene amount of money for 1 month that I pay to rent a 4 bedroom house". So far no one in my family has met either challenge. So I continue to enjoy life.

Below are examples of everyday social interaction meeting technology. Each has its own separate value, but all have one common denominator.

People Interaction	Formal / Business Venue	Social Activities, Family Gatherings, Going to the Beach, Barbecues or Vacation	Everyday Conversation or Per Chance Meeting
Internet Category	Business Networking	Social Networking	Microblogging / Forums
Platforms	LinkedIn	Facebook / MySpace	Twitter / Yahoo News Groups
Common Denominator	Opportunities to Network (Enjoying Life)

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

Use "Leverage"

We use computers. We use calculators. We use power tools. We use a Kleenex tissue to blow our nose and discard it.

In personal relationship development the statements "I can use you" or "we could use your organization" should be avoided. These statements deliver a subliminal message that says "when you outlive your usefulness, I won't need you anymore - next".

We leverage people. We leverage a person's position in an organization. We leverage a person's skills, experience or knowledge. We leverage a person's network. We leverage a person's authority to help us a achieve an outcome.

Every person we meet has potential assets we can leverage. People may not be aware they possess assets. The key is identifying those assets. Make the statement "I would like to leverage your [skills], [experience], [organization], [position] etc . . ." or "I have an opportunity that leverages your skills . . .". Then present (aka sell) benefits to people as to why they should align themselves with you.

Stay in touch long after leveraging a person's assets. This eliminates people feeling like they have been used. People are not a Kleenex tissue.

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

What is ETP Network?

If you've ever wanted a bird's eye view of the ETP Network, your eagle has landed. Now you can answer the question friends and associates ask; What is ETP Network?

Brand new and hot off the press, the ETP Network introduces its newest publication, "The ETP Network: An Organizational Overview" designed, written, and compiled by Editor-in-Chief Chip Hartman and his creative team.

Quick, grab your copy right now through the ETP Network toolbar > CEO Tools > What is ETP Network?

Think of the Organizational Overview as the ETP Network's elevator speech, condensing all of the most important information about the organization into one easy-to-read online document, designed for ease of use with just one topic per page.

If you're new to the ETP Network, here is your guidebook, your road map, your orientation package, and your pocket reference all rolled into one.

So get to know the ETP Network from the ground up. Download your copy of "The ETP Network: An Organizational Overview" today. It's available at an ETPNetwork.com web site near you.

Share a copy with everyone in your network - Do it Now, before you forget!!

How to Get to the Front of the Career Fair Line Quickly

Savvy Intrapreneurs are always training their eyes to spot opportunity. Embrace the current challenges in a way that positions you to adapt, improvise and overcome. In addition to job fairs, the suggestions below can be applied all conferences and events in your local area.

Can't afford to attend a $1,500 conference? Then volunteer.

I'll cut right to the chase.

1. Identify career fairs in your area.
2. Contact the sponsoring companies to see if they need volunteers to help out.
3. Get to the career fair an hour earlier than requested to meet other company representatives.
4. When you take a break, visit other company representatives you missed earlier.
   

Keep in mind, you're interviewing with every company through your volunteer actions and dress. The company "volunteer" badge gives you front line access. Plan on staying all day or as long as the company requires. Remember you're there to work and help out. Networking is a sideline activity, but take advantage of every free moment to do so.

Job Fair Listings And Companies

Carousel Expo - Career Fairs in Massachusetts & New Hampshire

DiversityJobFairs.com

JobExpo.com

JobFairUSA.com

Jobweb.com

NationalCareerFairs.com

NewspaperJobFairs.com

PSIJobfair.com

TargetedJobFairs.com

Other Job Fair Directories

Bestjobsusa.com Career Fair Directory

Careerfairs.com

Job Fair Listings - Davis Advertising

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2008 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR

Movers, Shakers and Rainmakers Are Givers

"No body cares how much you know until they know how much you care" -Zig Ziglar

Givers are the people, others remember most. Networking leaders are connectors who give, without the thought of something in return. Givers are the best marketers of their business or career skills. They understand the concept of keeping their name in front of people.

At your last business meeting, which could have been an interview, did you do the usual follow up? Yes you did. "Thank you for your time . . . yada, yada yada."

Since you didn't get the job or contract, now you have no more use for that person. Now you stop communicating with them. If you closed the deal or received the job offer letter, now you stay in touch with the person. There's something wrong with that picture. Then we wonder why do not get ahead in life.

Movers, shakers and rainmakers stay in touch, no matter what the outcome. Givers leverage relationships. They don't use people. During a business meeting the conversation provided a little insight the interviewer was into collectibles or golf or their company's community service "green" initiatives.

Movers, shakers and rainmakers key in on what is of interest to the other person. They follow up with articles, events, forums or organizations that may be of interest to that person. A year later givers are still performing this process. Movers, shakers and rainmakers are farmers that continue to plant seeds of good will. Eventually there is a harvest that bears personal fruit. When it happens, it usually produces BIG results for the givers.

Every time you send something to someone or call them, you are doing due diligence in keeping your name in front of people. This is called marketing. Have you heard the term "out of sight out of mind"? Any opportunity to share something with a person is marketing YOU. Become a living, breathing, walking, talking, writing marketing machine.

Friends, family and business associates are all part of the giving strategy that movers, shakers and rainmakers include in their selfless marketing strategy.

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2008 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR