Just wanted to take a quick moment to thank the folks who took the time and effort to add Kumquat to both StumbleUpon and Killer Startups.
It was a welcome–but completely unexpected–surprise.
We’re glad that you think Kumquat sounds interesting. And we’re working hard to get it out the door for you.
Hmm. Common Sense may not be as common as you’d like.
Reading over at Educated Being put this idea in perspective, and highlights a shift in expectation from Common Sense to Responsibility:
Every individual has different origin, experiences, and way of interpreting the situation. Based on which we feel that we have acquired the knowledge to act/react in a particular situation in the best possible way. In fact right now I am assuming that this is common sense by saying ‘we’ on your behalf. But of course, you might disagree with me. So it is not common sense.
Funny the assumptions we make. This in no small part contributes to the breakdown in our (ok, my) conversations and communications as well. Educated Being author Rise goes on to distinguish responsibilities (to ourselves and others) into two categories – differential (responsibility to ourselves to be develop our unique identity) and integral:
…in integral approach each individual takes responsibility to respect each others’ identity and invest in each others’ goals. This too is a must-have feature. It helps in preserving who you are together. Cooperation and compromise play important role in this.
Which, oddly, sounds alot like this idea of feedback and collaboration we’ve been hung on with the Kumquat effort. So if you’re not feeling like a valued partner, it may just be that your flavor of common sense isn’t getting through. Try switching things up with a little good ol’ fashion, straight-forward “I need you to do this for my growth” pleading and begging.
What are you willing to do when “common sense” is no where to be found? How do you negotiate your needs?
Are you a Product or a Brand?
We have repeatedly said, “Yes”, but this is worth considering when thinking about how you contemplate your Product Management versus Brand issue:
[Tom] Peters uses the word “brand†and [Chris] Brogan uses the word “product.†That’s a critical distinction in my eyes. The problem with you as a product is that there’s only so much of you. Let’s say you work 2000 hours a year. You want to make more money. There’s just two choices: make more per hour or work more hours. The first is hard and the second is harder.
A better strategy is to use your time to create products besides you that can be sold or otherwise monetized. This leverages your time and your brand. What kind of products? Software, paintings, podcasts, whatever your skill set leads you to.
So Rick thinks everything is a Product Management problem, and now I’ve been rambling on the Personal Brand issue. Are we just off base? Are the two perspectives exclusive of one another?
Not that this comes as a shock to you, gentle reader, but a recent survey by Vital Smarts provides some more fuel for the “your organization doesn’t know what it’s doing” fire.
Turns out, most folks are well attuned to the impending doom of corporate projects. But they remain silent. Allowing the project to fail. Seems they are not in an environment that “welcomes that sort of feedback.”
Findings include:
- 78% of employees say they are personally working on a “doomed project” right now
- 90% say they know early on when projects are likely to fall short
- 77% compare their failing projects to “slow motion train wrecks”
- 81% say approaching a key decision maker about the project is nearly impossible
- 81% also say that inaccessible key decision maker could have saved the project
For the compelete survey results (WARNING: Poorly executed Excel graphs that are practically illegible) feel free to download the PDF. Or visit the Silence Fails site for all kinds of data in this regard.
What was that about partnering, Toby?
(Hat tip to Val Willis at Tom Peters Company)
Marshall Goldsmith, PhD writes in “Partners, not Employees“, published in a recent Talent Management’s issue (related reflection at his blog):
Gone are the days when leaders could be — indeed, were expected to be — aloof and unapproachable, handing out orders from on high like some sort of demigod. Because of revolutionary transformations in the business world, though, the traditional relationships between employees and employers have changed.
Leaders today must see their direct reports as partners, not underlings. Successful leaders will work hard to build meaningful relationships with the people who work under them. Ideally, these bonds will be open, honest, respectful and multidirectional.
Managers of knowledge workers (that is, people who know more about what they do than those above them) must be good partners.
I am very much in like with Dr. Goldsmith’s view- time to change this relationship.
We should all be thinking about developing our newest members to be our strongest future partners. This is a foundational view of professional relationships, playing outmore vividly in this world of the highly mobile knowledge worker.
Today’s direct report or peer is tomorrow’s boss or consulting client.
I think the idea of partnering – mentoring, growing – our newest staff members would be clearer if we had a direct tie to their improved performance – think compensation. When I think about the classic partnership models that require development of new staff – accounting practices, legal firms – the incentive is clear: skilled associated bring in higher fees.
The corporate insider view might be “greater opportunity” in lieu of higher compensation (we’ll hope, but not hold our breathe, shall we?). The rub is that making your case for stretch opportunities or additional training isn’t always as easy when your manager’s compensation isn’t tied to your improved performance.
Goldsmith points to the feedback process, for employees and managers alike:
…feedback is key to understanding who we really are. People need to possess the capacity to change — that’s a fact of survival. But if they don’t get feedback, they won’t know when, why and how they should adapt to shifting circumstances.
Once you’ve received feedback, you should proceed to “feed forward.” This is a four-step process, which breaks down as follows:
1. Pick a behavior you need to change.
2. Discuss this objective with anyone who knows you well.
3. Ask the person for two suggestions to help you change.
4. Listen attentively to the suggestions.
Get some feedback. Reflect. Inquire. Act. Repeat.
Are you ready to make some intentional, personal changes? What are you doing to position yourself as an ideal partner?
Speaking of Personal Brand equity, I found this little measure of your brand, recycled (but posted!) from Tom Peters:
He offers what he calls a PBE or Personal Brand Equity Test (see below). Take some time to answer the following questions. If you’re not sure what you’re known for or what you should be known for, then ask some of your colleagues. Next, create a mini plan on how you’re going to improve your brand over the next six months to a year. (BTW- your brand equity should always be evolving and worth more as you gain more work experience.)
My favorite bullets simply underscore that future version, getting me ready for a better version of me. Note how these two should play together.
#2. My current project(s) is provocative and challenging to me in the following (1-3 ways).
#7. My principal “resume enhancement activity†for the next 60-90 days is (1 item).
Hat tip to Rebecca’s pocket.
We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude to Saurier Duval, curator extraordinaire of the Museum of the Modern Beta, for adding Kumquat to the ever-growing exhibition.
For us work-from-home types, it can be difficult to “unplug” from the office. Especially when that office sits just a few short steps away from “home.”
Web Worker Daily offers some tips for transitioning from work to home with “When worlds collide: Transitioning between work and home.”
Some of the tips include:
- Engineer a transition period
- Set limits
- Make a plan for the evening
- Stop and start again
And the comments are adding even more to the pile.
I know. Cringe-worthy isn’t it? I think actually saw you squirm as you read that.
It’s a common reaction.
Why?
Because it generally falls in the realm of hypocrisy. The realm of “methinks thou dost protest too much.” The realm of talking the talk without walking the walk.
So, Donald H. Taylor is taking a cut at improving that phrase with his post, “People are our greatest asset – you just can’t say it.”
And it’s a great post, with links to a ton of other good thinking.
I guess my question remains “Why?”
Why even try to say it?
I mean, if it’s so universally understood, why do we need something to describe it?
Do we need “I like breathing oxygen”?
I say we throw this one on the rubbish heap and let it die. Let’s not try to reinvent it. The foundation is flawed, so any structure built upon it will be equally faulty.
And if you think you need to use a phrase like this, I have some advice for you: Lead by example.
Do something. Don’t talk about it. Demonstrate the value of your employees. Don’t pander to the masses with empty-headed phrases that do nothing but make you and your company appear foolish.
But maybe that’s just me.
Every once in awhile, all my blog reading comes to fruition. Culminating in finding that one great post. That post that motivates. That shakes the cobwebs out of my head.
Often, it’s a product of Kathy Sierra‘s work.
But today…
Wow.
I think Sean Johnson may have just knocked the cover off of the ball with his post, entitled “Forget about Techcrunch.”
To wit:
Right now there are thousands of the most brilliant people in the world, Twittering their hearts out, reading Techcrunch vociferously, digging more photos of sunsets or new Ubuntu installs or whatever….and all the while a great many of them are wishing, hoping that someday in the not-to-distant future, they’ll create and launch a site that their contemporaries flock to with the same excitement.
And in the interim, they’re wasting their lives.
…
Meanwhile, there are a staggering number of niche markets out there that are being under served. Fact is, while we all think that Virb or Twitter or whatever’s coming out next week is the coolest thing in the world, most people have never heard of them. Most people don’t care.
Maybe this is just hitting a little too close to home. Maybe it’s just really good.
More than a living 