Being Effective at Work

Do you consider yourself to be effective at work?

Although many of us like to think that we're 100 percent effective, the truth is that most of us have strengths and weaknesses that impact our effectiveness. This is where we can benefit from tweaking at least a few of our skills, so that we can be even more effective.

For instance, perhaps you've always excelled at time management. But how much time do you put into learning new skills, or staying on top of industry trends?

Or, maybe you're adept at managing the many demands you face day-to-day. But, when things get really hectic, your communication skills start to suffer as stress levels begin to rise.

Being truly effective at work can pay off now and throughout our careers. Effective workers get exciting projects, win important clients, and are well respected by their colleagues and bosses. But how can you become more effective, and make sure that you don't miss out on these great opportunities? And what should you focus on?

This is what we'll be exploring in this article. We'll look at the skills you can develop to become more effective at work, and we'll review strategies and resources that you can use to increase your effectiveness.

Step 1: Identify Priorities

If someone asked you what your job was truly about, would you have a good answer?

One of the most crucial steps in becoming fully effective is to know your purpose at work. After all, if you don't know what your job is there to achieve, how can you set appropriate priorities? (If you don't set priorities, you'll be forever buried under a mountain of work, unable to tell the difference between what's important, and what isn't.)

To identify your job's true purpose, perform a job analysis. This will help you uncover your most important objectives, so that you can start prioritizing tasks effectively.

Step 2: Adopt a Good Attitude

Effective workers have a "good attitude." But what does this really mean?

People with a good attitude take the initiative whenever they can. They willingly help a colleague in need, they pick up the slack when someone is off sick, and they make sure that their work is done to the highest standards. "Good enough" is never quite good enough for them!

A good attitude at work will do more than just earn you respect: setting standards for your work and your behavior means that you're taking responsibility for yourself. This admirable trait is hard to find in many organizations. But demonstrating ethical decision-making and integrity could open many doors for you in the future.

So, focus on adopting a good attitude at work, and make decisions that intuitively "ring true." At the very least, you'll sleep easier at night!

Step 3: Build Essential Skills

Chances are that you have a lot of competing demands on your time. One of the best ways of becoming more effective at work is to learn how to manage your time more efficiently. Other key areas include learning how to manage stress, improving your communication skills, and taking action on career development. All of these can have a major impact.

Let's look at each skill in greater detail.

Time Management/Productivity

Probably the most crucial thing that you can do to become more effective at work is to learn how to manage your time. Without this skill, your days will feel like a frantic race, with every project, email, and phone call competing for your attention.

Start by looking at your daily schedule. Do you know how you spend your time every day? If not, the answer might surprise you! Use an Activity Log to analyze how much time you're devoting to your various tasks, like attending meetings, checking email and making phone calls. It can be an eye-opening experience to look at this objectively, especially if you discover that you're spending lots of time on tasks that don't help you meet your objectives.

Once you know how you're using your time, you need to learn how to prioritize activities. If you know which jobs are important, and which can be rescheduled or delegated, you'll be able to focus on the work that brings the most value. To keep track of everything, use an organizing tool like a To-Do List or, better still, an Action Program, to make sure you don't forget vital tasks and commitments.

Being effective at work means you use time to your advantage. Schedule your highest value work for the times of day when you're feeling the most energetic. This increases the likelihood that you'll resist distractions and enter a state of flow when working. Our article, Is This a Morning Task?, helps you identify your peak energy time, so that you can schedule work accordingly; and our Are you a Procrastinator? self-test will help you deal with a serious, effectiveness-killing habit.

Goal setting is another important element in working productively. Once you've done a Job Analysis (see step 1), you should have a clear sense of what your role is all about. Use this information to set short and long-term goals. The advantage of doing this is that your goals act as a roadmap - after all, you'll never get anywhere if you don't know where you're going!

Good organization is also important for working effectively and productively. If you're disorganized, you can waste a huge amount of time just looking for lost items. So learn how to file properly, and find out how to create an effective schedule.

Communication Skills

Think about just how often we communicate every day. We make phone calls, attend meetings, write email, give presentations, talk to customers, and so on: it can seem that we spend all day communicating! This is why good communication skills are essential, especially when your goal is to work more effectively.

Start by developing your active listening skills. This means that you're making a concerted effort to really hear and understand what other people are saying to you.

Don't plan out what you're going to say next while the other person is talking. Instead, just listen to what they're saying. You may be surprised at how much miscommunication can be avoided simply by listening actively.

Next, look at your writing skills. How well do you communicate in writing? Start with your emails. Most of us write dozens of emails every day. But there are many techniques that we can use to write effective emails - ones that actually get read!

For instance, always keep to one main topic when writing an email. Putting several important topics in one message will make it difficult for your colleague to prioritize and sort information. If you do need to bring up several different points, then number them sequentially, or split them into separate messages with relevant subject headings.

Of course, we do a lot more writing than just email. We use Instant Messaging, we write reports, and we create presentations. You'll be more effective in your role if you learn how to communicate better across all these media, and your boss and colleagues are bound to appreciate your skills, since they'll be the main beneficiaries!

Tip:
If you'd like to learn more about how to become a better writer, our Bite-Sized Training session on Written Communications will help.

Stress

A little bit of pressure can be a good thing. But when pressure exceeds your ability to cope, your productivity goes down, and your mood suffers. You can also lose your ability to make solid, rational decisions; and excessive stress can cause health problems, both in the short and long term.

No matter what you do, you're likely to experience stress numerous times throughout your career, perhaps even on a regular basis. This is why learning how to manage stress is a key factor in becoming more effective at work.

Try to get a good night's sleep every night, and do your best to avoid taking work home with you. It's also important to relax when you get home in the evening.

If you're not sure what triggers your stress, keep a stress diary for a week or two. This helps you to identify the events that cause you stress, and understand the degree to which you experience it. When you're feeling calm, you can then analyze these triggers and come up with effective strategies for managing them.

Career Development/Learning

No matter what your field is, it's important that you keep learning and developing your skills. To begin with, carry out a Personal SWOT Analysis to identify the areas that you need to work on.

In addition to the technical skills required to do your job, you also need to focus on soft skills. These include leadership skills, problem solving techniques, emotional intelligence skills, and creative thinking. Anything you can do to enhance these skills will pay off in the workplace.

Also consider if there are any qualifications that you don't have that a reasonable person would consider appropriate for your field. If so, could this be holding you back from advancement or promotion? For instance, would it be useful to have a particular degree or other certification if you want to apply for a management position? Are you lacking any specific skills?

In some roles, keeping up-to-date with developments in your industry helps you stay relevant. This will help you do your job better, especially as you climb the ranks.

Key Points

When we're truly effective at work, we manage our time well, we communicate clearly, and we have a good attitude.

Effective workers are often the most respected and the most productive in their workplaces, and they're often the first to be considered for a promotion. So it's definitely worth the effort to build skills here!

Start by doing a job analysis to discover what your role is really about. Next, learn how to manage your time better, communicate more effectively, and control any stress.

Also, make sure that you devote time towards further learning and career development. You never know how or when these new skills will pay off!

Just Lin, Baby! 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work

Lin-sanity has swept up the NBA over the last week. Now it seems like the phenomenon has gone worldwide.

Friday’s 38 point performance by Harvard grad Jeremy Lin for the New York Knicks against the LA Lakers was his greatest performance yet as a starter, since he burst on to the scene and propelled the team to 4 straight wins.

Lin now has over 200,000 followers on Twitter. He’s got over 800,000 on Weibo – including 200,000 new ones in the 24 hour period after beating the Lakers.

But there’s more to this story than basketball. This isn’t just a modern-day, real-life version of the Hoosiers movie. The Jeremy Lin story is incredibly popular because we can all see a little bit of ourselves in this man’s struggles and now successes.

What can all of us learn from this young man — and how can we apply these same lessons to our own lives when we go back to work on Monday morning?

1. Believe in yourself when no one else does. Lin’s only the 4th graduate from Harvard to make it to the NBA. He’s also one of only a handful of Asian-Americans to make it. He was sent by the Knicks to play for their D-League team 3 weeks ago in Erie, PA. He’d already been cut by two other NBA teams before joining the Knicks this year. You’ve got to believe in yourself, even when no one else does.

2. Seize the opportunity when it comes up. Lin got to start for the Knicks because they had to start him. They had too many injuries. Baron Davis was gone. The other point guards were out. Carmelo Anthony was injured. Amare Stoudemire had to leave the team because of a family death. Lin could have squandered the opportunity and we would have never have noticed. But he made the most of it. You never know when opportunities are going to arise in life. Often, they’re when you least expect them. Make the most of them. Don’t fritter them away.

3. Your family will always be there for you, so be there for them. It wasn’t until a few days ago that Lin got his contract guaranteed by the Knicks for the rest of the season. Before that, he could have been cut at any time. He had to sleep on his brother’s couch on the Lower East Side to get by. His family always believed in him and picked him up when he could have gotten down on himself. That made him continue to believe. If you want your family to believe in you like that, you’ve got to be there for them too when they need it.

4. Find the system that works for your style. Lin isn’t Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. He’s not a pure scorer. He’s a passer and distributor – who can also score very well. It didn’t work for him in Golden State or Houston – where he was before landing at the Knicks. But Mike D’Antoni’s system at the Knicks has been perfect for him to show off his strengths. You’ve got to do your best to understand what your strengths are and then ensure that you’re in a system (a job or organization or industry) that is a good fit for those strengths. Otherwise, people overlook the talents you bring to the table.

5. Don’t overlook talent that might exist around you today on your team. You probably manage people at your own company today. Are you sure you don’t have a Jeremy Lin living among you now? How do you know that “Mike” couldn’t do amazing things if you gave him a new project to run with? How do you know “Sarah” isn’t the right person to take the open job in London that you’ve been talking over with your colleagues? We put people around us in boxes. He’s from Harvard. He’s Asian-American. Not sure he can play. How many assumptions have you made about talent around you? Don’t be like the General Managers in Golden State and Houston, and let talent slip through your fingers. With all their money, scouts, and testing, they didn’t have a clue what they had in their hands. Do you know what your people (or even yourself) is really capable of? Take off the blinders of assumptions you wear when you look at the world.

6. People will love you for being an original, not trying to be someone else. You’ve got to be you. You can’t be some 2nd rate copy of Michael Jordan. There will never be another Michael Jordan. Just be Jeremy Lin — yourself. Whatever that is. That doesn’t mean you don’t work hard — it just means you find what you’re good at and do it. Fans will love you for being you, just like they love Jeremy Lin. Judy Garland said it best:

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

7. Stay humble. If you one day are lucky enough to have newspapers want to put you on the cover in order to sell more, don’t let it get to your head. It’s been remarkable watching how humble Lin remains through all this media frenzy. It makes his teammates and fans love him that much more.

8. When you make others around you look good, they will love you forever. I didn’t know how good Tyson Chandler was, until I saw him playing with Jeremy Lin. Lin has set Chandler up many times over the last week for easy dunks because he drew the defense and then passed the ball. That’s partly why the Knicks are playing so well. They are all working harder to share the ball with others. And it’s beautiful to watch. And when the media swarms Lin, he tells them how good his teammates are. Do the same with your peers and reports.

9. Never forget about the importance of luck or fate in life. Some people believe in God, some in destiny, some in luck. Whatever you believe in, be grateful for it.

10. Work your butt off. Lin couldn’t have seized his opportunity if he hadn’t worked like crazy for years perfecting his skills. There are no short cuts to hard work. Success is a by product of that. If you’ve got a Tiger Mom who’s always pushed you to work hard, great. If not, let your conscience be your own Tiger Mom! Get up early, stay up late. Nobody gave Lin any free passes. Why should you get any? You can only control what you control and that means you’ve got to work harder than anyone else you know.

I hope the Lin-sanity continues. And I hope we all can apply these lessons to our own work and family life.

There’s a great line from a New York Times article on Lin and his faith which is worth it for all of us to remember (from Romans 5:3-5):

Eight Common Goal Setting Mistakes

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it."
- Michelangelo Buonarroti, Renaissance artist

John is reflecting on the last goal that he set for himself...

Everything started well – he was making progress, he felt great about what he was doing, and he was excited about future possibilities.

But then things unraveled. The goal took longer to complete than he thought it would, and he became discouraged. And, because he didn't stop to look at what he had achieved, he lost his drive and focus. Before he knew it, the goal – and the opportunities it would have brought – were forgotten.

Sound familiar?

In this article, we'll look at some common mistakes that people make when they set goals. Learn how to recognize these mistakes, so that you can avoid making them yourself!

Mistake 1: Setting Unrealistic Goals

When you're exploring possible goals, you need to unleash your imagination and ambition, put your reservations aside, and dream big dreams. However, once you've decided on a goal, make sure that it is realistic, and that you can actually achieve it in the time frame that you have set for yourself.

For instance, if your goal is to run a marathon, it's wildly unrealistic to sign up for one next month, unless you've already done several months of training. Or, if your goal is to become CEO of a company, but you have no experience, this goal might not be practical – at least not yet!

To set realistic goals, use SMART Goal Setting strategies: make sure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Mistake 2: Focusing on Too Few Areas

Imagine that you've just written your list of goals for the next year. You've committed to increasing your sales by 15 percent, applying for a promotion, and reading one leadership book each month.

Although this is an ambitious but achievable list of goals, there's a potential problem: these goals focus only on your career. You've completely omitted goals from other parts of your life.

Many people focus solely on their work when they set goals. However, you can't neglect activities that bring you joy. Goals like writing a book, competing in an adventure race, or starting a home garden might also be incredibly important for your happiness and well-being.

So, when you set your goals, make sure that you strike the right balance between different areas of your life. And remember that "balance" is different for everyone – use the Wheel of Life tool to understand which areas of your life you need to focus on most.

Mistake 3: Underestimating Completion Time

How often has a task or project taken longer than you thought? Probably more times than you can count! You may also say the same for goals that you've set in the past.

If you don't estimate goal completion time accurately, it can be discouraging when things take longer to achieve than you think they should. This can cause you to give up.

So, use Action Programs and effective scheduling strategies when planning your goals. And always pad your timelines to account for delays and setbacks. If you add extra time into your estimate, you'll feel less pressure to rush and finish by a certain date.

Mistake 4: Not Appreciating Failure

No matter how hard you work, you will fail to achieve goals from time to time. We've all been there, and it isn't fun!

However, your failures are what ultimately determine your character. They also contain lessons that can change your life for the best, if you have the courage to learn from them.

So don't be too upset if you fail to achieve your goals – just take note of where you went wrong and use that knowledge to reach your goals next time around.

Mistake 5: Setting "Other People's Goals"

Some people – family, friends, or even your boss – may want to influence the goals you set. Perhaps they feel that they know what's best for you, or maybe they want you to take a certain path or do certain things.

Clearly, it's important that you have good relationships with these people, and you need to do what your boss asks, within reason.

However, your goals need to be your own – not anybody else's. So be politely assertive, and do what you want to do!

Mistake 6: Not Reviewing Progress

It takes time to accomplish goals. And sometimes it can feel that you aren't making much progress.

This is why it's important to take stock of everything that you've accomplished on a regular basis. Set small sub-goals, celebrate your successes, and analyze what you need to do to keep moving forward. No matter how slow things seem, you probably are making progress!

You can also take this opportunity to update your goals, based on what you've learned. Have your priorities changed? Or do you need to set aside some extra time for a particular goal activity?

Goals are never set in stone, so don't be afraid to amend them if you need to.

Mistake 7: Setting "Negative" Goals

How you think about your goal can influence how you feel about it, and whether you achieve it.

For instance, many people have a goal to "lose weight." However, this goal has a negative connotation; it's focused on what you don't want – your weight. A positive way to reframe this goal is to say you want to "get healthy."

Another example of a negative goal is to "stop staying late at work." A positive way to rephrase this is to "spend more time with family."

Negative goals are emotionally unattractive, which makes it hard to focus on them. Reframe any negative goals so that they sound positive: you may be surprised by the difference this makes!

Mistake 8: Setting Too Many Goals

When you start setting goals, you may see many things that you want to accomplish. So you start setting goals in all areas.

The problem with this is that you have a fixed amount time and energy. If you try to focus on many different goals at once, you can't give individual goals the attention they deserve.

Instead, use the "quality, not quantity" rule when setting goals. Work out the relative importance of everything that you want to accomplish over the next six to twelve months. Then pick no more than, say, three goals to focus on.

Remember, the success of your work towards a goal rests on focusing on just a few things at a time. If you limit the number of goals you're working on, you'll have the time and energy you need to do things really well!

Tip:
A good way to avoid these mistakes and to set goals effectively is to use the Mind Tools Life Plan Workbook. Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple, five-step process for setting your goals, and for organizing yourself for success.
Key Points

Living a life without setting goals is like sailing a ship without having planned a course: you're likely to end up somewhere that you wouldn't want to go! This is why you need to set goals to develop yourself and achieve your dreams.

But you need to avoid common mistakes along the way. These can cause you to feel discouraged, question your abilities, or even give up.

The good news is that you're much more likely to accomplish your dreams if you know about these mistakes, and avoid them!

30 Habits That Will Change Your Life

Developing good habits is the basic of personal development and growth. Everything we do is the result of a habit that was previously taught to us. Unfortunately, not all the habits that we have are good, that’s why we are constantly trying to improve.

The following is a list of 30 practical habits that can make a huge difference in your life.

You should treat this list as a reference, and implement just one habit per month. This way you will have the time to fully absorb each of them, while still seeing significant improvements each month.

Health habits

1. Exercise 30 minutes every day. Especially if you don’t do much movement while working, it’s essential that you get some daily exercise. 30 minutes every day are the minimum recommended for optimal health.
2. Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast is the more important meal of the day, yet so many people skip it. Personally, I like to eat a couple of toasts in the morning along with a fruit beverage.
3. Sleep 8 hours. Sleep deprivation is never a good idea. You may think that you are gaining time by sleeping less, when in reality you are only gaining stress and tiredness. 8 hours are a good number of hours for most people, along with an optional 20 minutes nap after lunch.
4. Avoid snacking between meals. Snacking between meals is the best way to gain weight. If you are hungry, eat something concrete. Otherwise don’t. Update: for clarification, I mean don’t eat junk food between meals, but eating real food it’s ok.
5. Eat five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. Our body and brain loves getting vegetables and fruit, so I highly recommend eating as much of them as possible. Five portions is the dose that’s usually recommended by many health associations.
6. Eat fish. Fish is rich of omega 3 and other healthy elements. At least one meal per week of fish should be enough for getting all these nutrients.
7. Drink one glass of water when you wake up. When you wake up, your body is dehydrated and needs liquid. Make the habit of drinking one glass of water after you wake up in the morning. Also, drink more during the day.
8. Avoid soda. Soda is often one of the most unhealthy beverage you can find. Limit your consumption of soda as much as possible and you’re body will be grateful for that.
9. Keep your body clean. I don’t advise spending your day in front of the mirror, but a minimum of personal care does never hurt.
10. If you smoke, stop it. There’s no reason to smoke anymore, and quitting is possible.
11. If you drink, stop it. Same as above. Don’t think that alcohol will solve your problems. It never does. The only exception is one glass of wine per day during meals.
12. Take the stairs. This is just a hack that forces you to do a minimum of exercise. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs.

Productivity habits

1. Use an inbox system. Make the habit of keeping track of all the ideas and things that comes to mind. You can use a notebook to do this, and then sync everything on your computer.
2. Prioritize. If you have a list of things to do, where do you start? One way is to prioritize your list. If you are in doubt, ask yourself: “If I could only accomplish one thing today, what would it be?”
3. Plan, but not too much. Planning is important, and you should decide in advance what you are going to do today or this week. However, planning for more than a few weeks is usually inefficient, so I would not worry too much about that.
4. Wake up early. Waking up early in the morning is a great way to gain extra time. I personally like to wake up at 5 am, so that by 9 am I have already accomplished what otherwise would have taken me many days..
5. Check your email only twice per day. Email can easily become an addiction, but it’s usually unnecessary to check it every 10 minutes. Make an effort and check your email only once or twice per day, see if the world will still rotate as before after you try this.
6. Eliminate unimportant tasks. Being busy all day does not mean you are doing important stuff. Eliminate every activity that’s not important, and focus on what really matters.
7. Clean off your desk and room. Having a clear room and desk is important to maintain focus and creativity.
8. Automate. There are a lot of tasks that you need to perform every day or every week. Try to automate them as much as possible.
9. Set strict deadlines. When you do something, decide in advance when you’re going to stop. There’s a rule that states that you will fulfill all the time you have available for completing a task, so make an habit of setting strict deadlines for maximizing your productivity.
10. Take one day off per week. Instead of working every day, take one day off per week (for example sunday) where you are not going to turn on your computer. Use that time for doing recreational activities like going for a walk.

Personal Development habits

1. Read 1 book per week. Reading is a good way to keep your brain active. With just 30 minutes per day you should be able to read one book per week, or more than 50 books per year.
2. Solve puzzles. Quizzes, word games, etc. are all good ways to exercise your brain.
3. Think positively. You are what you think, all the time.
4. Make fast decisions. Instead of thinking for one hour wherever you are going to do something, make your decisions as fast as possible (usually less than 1 minute).
5. Wait before buying. Waiting 48 hours before buying anything is a tremendous money saver, try it.
6. Meditate 30 minutes per day. A great way to gain clearness and peace is through meditation. 30 minutes are not a lot, but enough to get you started with meditation.

Career habits
1. Start a blog. Blogging is one of the best way to put your word out. It doesn’t have to be around a specific topic, even a personal blog will do.
2. Build a portfolio. If your job is creating stuff, building a portfolio is a great way to show what you are capable of. You can also contribute stuff for free if that applies to your work.

This One Leadership Quality Will Make or Break You

One of the most often overlooked aspects of leadership is the need for pursuit. Great leaders are never satisfied with traditional practice, static thinking, conventional wisdom, or common performance. In fact, the best leaders are simply uncomfortable with anything that embraces the status quo. Leadership is pursuit – pursuit of excellence, of elegance, of truth, of what’s next, of what if, of change, of value, of results, of relationships, of service, of knowledge, and of something bigger than themselves. In the text that follows I’ll examine the value of being a pursuer…

Here’s the thing – pursuit leads to attainment. What you pursue will determine the paths you travel, the people you associate with, the character you develop, and ultimately, what you do or don’t achieve. Having a mindset focused on pursuit is so critical to leadership that lacking this one quality can sentence you to mediocrity or even obsolescence. The manner, method, and motivation behind any pursuit is what sets truly great leaders apart from the masses. If you want to become a great leader, become a great pursuer.

A failure to embrace pursuit is to cede opportunity to others. A leader’s failure to pursue clarity leaves them amidst the fog. Their failure to pursue creativity relegates them to the routine and mundane. Their failure to pursue talent sentences them to a world of isolation. Their failure to pursue change approves apathy. Their failure to pursue wisdom and discernment subjects them to distraction and folly. Their failure to pursue character leaves a question mark on their integrity. Let me put this as simply as I can – you cannot attain what you do not pursue.

Smart leaders understand it’s not just enough to pursue, but pursuit must be intentional, focused, consistent, aggressive, and unyielding. You must pursue the right things, for the right reasons, and at the right times. Perhaps most of all, the best forms of pursuit enlist others in the chase. Pursuit in its purest form is highly collaborative, very inclusive and easily transferable. Pursuit operates at greatest strength when it leverages velocity and scale.

I also want to caution you against trivial pursuits – don’t confuse pursuit with simple goal setting. Outcomes are clearly important, but as a leader, it’s what happens after the outcome that you need to be in pursuit of. Pursue discovery, seek dissenting opinions, develop your ability unlearn by embracing how much you don’t know, and find the kind of vision that truly does see around corners. Don’t use your pursuits to shift paradigms, pursue breaking them. Knowing what not to pursue is just as important as knowing what to pursue.

It’s important to keep in mind that nothing tells the world more about a leader than what or who they pursue – that which you pursue is that which you value. If you message to your organization you value talent, but don’t treat people well and don’t spend time developing the talent around you, then I would suggest you value rhetoric more than talent. Put simply, you can wax eloquent all you like, but your actions will ultimately reveal what you truly value.

Lastly, the best leaders pursue being better leaders. They know to fail in this pursuit is nothing short of a guarantee they’ll be replaced by those who don’t. All leaders would be well served to go back to school on what I refer to as the science of pursuitology.

What’s been the best thing you’ve pursued? What pursuit has led you astray. Thoughts?

2K Millennium And The Nets Team Up For The 2011-2012 Season

2K MILLENNIUM and the Nets have agreed to a deal that would put the elite marketing firm as a distributor of game day tickets for the 2011-2012 season. Amongst other major news today, Dwight Howard has requested a trade to the Nets and it could go down as early as Friday December 9th 2011, according to a report.

Hoping to team with Deron Williams in a big market, Howard informed the Magic about his desire to be traded Friday - the same day training camp opened, ESPN reported.

Howard and Williams engaged in talks during the lockout about teaming up. There's a mutual desire to play together, Williams said, and the Nets could have the pieces and cap space to pull it off.

The move would transform the Nets into instant title contenders less than a year ahead of their move to Brooklyn, supplanting the Knicks in terms of core talent and excitement. This trade could make the Nets a big winner.


But the ultimate winner seems to be 2K MILLENNIUM; the leader in sports and entertainment marketing for sports teams in the tri-state area. Why? 2K MILLENNIUM executes face to face marketing for the Nets and sales are projected to be up in a big way especially after all the attention that has come over the trade rumors and player acquisitions. 2K MILLENNIUM focuses on creating a win-win-win strategy because, there is no front or back end cost to the client, the customer gets a great deal on the clients' services, and the marketing firm keeps the revenue generated from sales.

With game day tickets in hand for the the up coming battle of the Atlanta Hawks and Deron Williams lead Nets, this December 27th 2011 (Prudential Center, Newark NJ); 2K MILLENNIUM is in prime position to experience continued success as they execute their marketing efforts for the Nets.

2K Millennium has been servicing a variety of clients in the sports and entertainment industries. 2K Millennium pride themselves on developing and executing personalized promotions designed to raise client awareness in the community and drive new business through their clients' doors. Clients turn to 2K Millennium for their sales and marketing needs due to their ability to produce results in a way that is impossible for their clients to duplicate themselves. The amount of time, money and resources necessary to develop an in-house sales and marketing department equal to 2K Millennium is simply not an investment their clients find realistic.

2K Millennium Provides Opportunity and Internships For Recent College Graduates

For recent college graduates, hopes are dashed and dreams deferred as they struggle to kick off a career amidst the storm Americans call the economy. Understanding that the addition of jobs will give impetus to the economy, 2K MILLENNIUM recently announced that they will offer several internships to qualifying college graduates to help them gain hands on experience in the marketing and promotional advertising field. Not only will they familiarize themselves with the various approaches to marketing and know how, but also interns will learn skills applicable to every career they may pursue in the future.

"An intern's capacity to work independently or on a team widens--skill sets that every employer seeks in a candidate. More importantly, they gain invaluable leadership experience," notes Adam Targan, one of 2K MILLENNIUM's top Account Executives. "We're really looking for a candidate with an entrepreneurial spirit--someone who will go above and beyond to get the job done on time. Here at 2K MILLENNIUM, we work on several campaigns simultaneously, and we see to it that the client gets exactly what they want--results. It is essential that we find someone who has that excellent work ethic and awesome attitude," adds Keith Cherney, another top Account Executive for 2K MILLENNIUM's Promotional Advertising Department.

2K MILLENNIUM will present several college graduates with the opportunity to be a part of an exciting and energetic environment and see firsthand 2K MILLENNIUM's unique grassroots approach to marketing—the same method that has garnered them a little over one hundred clients within a two-year period. Interns will learn how to represent 2K MILLENNIUM's clients on a daily basis, and they will get a balanced dose of both sales and marketing. In the past two years, 2K MILLENNIUM has been inundated with resumes from college graduates. 2K MILLENNIUM's hiring managers make it a point to meet with all applicants, however only a small number will be selected from that large pool of candidates. "These are recent college grads--we understand they may not have much experience, so we look for people skills. In marketing, it's all about excellent people skills. Add to that an amazing work ethic, attitude, and leadership potential, and you've got our perfect candidate," states Said Gaida, an Assistant Director.

2K MILLENNIUM is the leading marketing firm for sports and entertainment businesses, and they spearhead campaigns for clients all throughout the New Jersey/New York area. They employ a unique grassroots approach that has not once failed their clients, and is also the same reason why more clients are added each month. This continuous addition of clients is largely the reason why 2K MILLENNIUM is one of the few companies that have bucked the trend of layoffs ever since the economic downturn. With more than one hundred clients and five promotions to managerial positions, 2K MILLENNIUM started off 2011 with a bang, and will continue ahead with the same momentum.

2K Millennium has been servicing a variety of clients in the sports and entertainment industries. 2K Millennium prides Itself on developing and executing personalized promotions designed to raise client awareness in the community and drive new business through clients' doors. Clients turn to 2K Millennium for their sales and marketing needs due to their ability to produce results in a way that is impossible for their clients to duplicate themselves. The amount of time, money and resources necessary to develop an in-house sales and marketing department equal to 2K Millennium is simply not an investment our clients find realistic.

2K MILLENNIUM AND THE NEW YORK YANKEES TICKET PROMOTION A SUCCESS

2K MILLENNIUM has now had the privilege of working with the storied franchise for the past three years. "This is huge for our marketing firm, because you can't have a brand in the sports world any bigger than the Yankees," says Caleb Sims assistant director of marketing. This year’s promotion offered a $1000 in savings to the fans and the option to chose from over 40 home games.

2K MILLENNIUM has serviced a variety of clients in the sports and entertainment industry for the past 3 years, including the NJ Nets; Philadelphia 76ers; and newly acquired New York Red Bull. 2K MILLENNIUM prides itself on developing and executing personalized promotions designed to raise client awareness in the community and drive new business through their clients' doors. Clients turn to 2K MILLENNIUM for their sales and marketing needs due to 2K MILLENNIUM's ability to produce results in a big way. The amount of time, money and resources necessary to develop an in-house sales and marketing department equal to 2K MILLENNIUM is simply not an investment their clients find realistic.

2K MILLENNIUM focuses on increasing foot traffic in order to drastically improve their client's incremental sales. They accomplish this without compromising the integrity of their clients' reputation and with no front end or back end cost to them. They design, develop, and market aggressive promotional campaigns in the form of print media. They target the consumer using a unique, professional one on one presentation in order to maximize the amount of business they generate for their clients.

MARKETING INTERNSHIPS WITH 2K

MARKETING INTERNSHIPS WITH 2K
CURRENT STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADS! Winter and Spring Session positions being filled IMMEDIATELY!

Program Objectives
• Understand the needs of the small business and individual target markets.
• Learn how to apply marketing skills and tactics.
• Develop presentation skills.
• Manage current campaigns and generate potential leads.
• Work with the firm’s client base in developing communication tactics.
• Understand product strategy and basic target marketing and distribution
channels.
• Develop planning, organizational and time management skills.
• Learn campaign management and delivery.
• Develop team-based work competencies.
• Develop an entrepreneurial business mentality.

Program Incentives
• This is a paid internship with college credit(s) available.
• Investigate a career in marketing and sales through hands-on experience
prior to graduation.
• Upon completion of the internship program, interns will receive a letter of
recommendation from the
Director and be evaluated on their performance to be eligible for a
full-time position.
• Manage marketing campaigns for high-end clients in the sports and
entertainment industry.
• An “MVP” cash bonus will be awarded to the top intern at the end of 2K’s
10-week program

Selection Criteria
The Director of Operations or Human Resources Manager will conduct a preliminary interview to assess the student’s qualifications and determine his/her level of competency in the marketing and sales industry. We offer positions to students from all fields, however the following majors will be considered first:
• Marketing
• Management
• Business Administration
• Public Relations
• Sports Management
• Advertising
• Communications
• Psychology
• Sociology


Submission
If an internship in marketing and sales with a leading company appeals to you,
please submit your resume and a cover letter immediately on our website www.2kinc.net, e-mail our human resources department directly at hr@2kinc.net
or call (732) 218-8375 to schedule an appointment.

Steer Clear of Interviewers' Pet Peeves

Steer Clear of Interviewers' Pet Peeves
By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

You sit facing the interviewer, feeling like things are moving along nicely when all of a sudden the interview takes a drastic turn for the worse. What just happened? You may have hit one of the interviewer's pet peeves, one of those things that automatically triggers a negative response.

Here are seven of the most common peeves provided by experienced interviewers, along with some tips on how to avoid them:

1. Smells: Too Much of a Good Smell Can Be Bad

Pat Riley, author of Secrets of Breaking into Pharmaceutical Sales, has a pet peeve story to relate: "Preparing for an interview is not like preparing for a date. I had one interview with a woman who doused herself with perfume (the same perfume my ex-girlfriend used to wear) right before stepping into the small interview booth. The perfume was overpowering and brought back bad memories."

2. Communication: Too Little Leaves Interviewers Exasperated

"My No. 1 interviewing pet peeve is an applicant who won't talk,” says Steve Jones, a manager of client services at a software company in Dallas. “I try to ask open-ended questions and prod them for longer answers, but no luck. I've even mentioned to a few that I need more information so I can get an idea of where they're coming from -- still no luck. I always end the interview saying, ‘Now it's your turn to ask questions,' and still no luck. They don't have any. Oh well -- next!"”

Jones advises job seekers to come prepared to answer questions and talk about yourself.

3. Communication: Too Much Can Be Too Much

"Candidates who ramble are the ones who get to me," says Dotti Bousquet of Resource Group Staffing in West Hartford, Connecticut. “I was interviewing a candidate and asked her one question. The candidate talked and talked and talked for 45 minutes straight. I was unable to stop her. I had to say, ‘Let's wrap this up,' and I stood up while she continued to talk. I walked to the door of the office and opened it. She left, but continued to talk while walking out the door."

The lesson? “Candidates should stay focused, and answer the question asked -- in less than two to three minutes," advises Bousquet.

4. Lack of Focus: Results in Losing the Interviewer

"Typically, candidates are simply too intimidated by the process," says Mark Fulop, project director for a large nonprofit agency. "Relating the answer given to one question back with another -- and asking clarifying or follow-up questions -- shows me that the candidate is confident and thinking about the whole picture instead of enduring an interrogation.

5. Averting Your Eyes: One Way to Avert an Offer

Incorrect nonverbal communication is a turnoff for many interviewers. People who do not make any eye contact during the entire interview irritate Gwen Sobiech, an agency recruiter in West Hartford, Connecticut. “I realize some people are shy, but to never look at me once -- they look down, around, everywhere -- but not at me for the entire interview," she says. "I find that extremely annoying. I also tend to distrust someone who will not look at me when I've asked a question."

If you are uncomfortable looking into someone's eyes, look at his third eye, just above and between the person's two eyes.

6. Slang and Street Speak: Leave Them on the Street

"Poor communications skills really get to me," says Robert Fodge of Power Brokers in Dover, Delaware. "What I mean by this is not merely their language fluency, but more about the use of language. Slang words and street speak just don't have a place in most business environments. Also, candidates who say 'um,' 'like' and 'uh' between every other word lose my attention very quickly."

7. Deception: Little Lies Leave a Big Impression

One major complaint among recruiters is when a candidate is not completely truthful; small lies are all too common in the world of recruitment. This includes not being completely forthcoming with relevant information, embellishing accomplishments, hiding jobs or leading the process on with no intention of ever following through. Building trust during the interview is key to getting an offer.

Remembering Steve Jobs

Three weeks ago, I wrote a post about the top ten lessons Steve Jobs could teach us.

I had a feeling – like I suspect many others – that he only had a few more days with us on this Earth.

He’s irreplaceable. We’ll never see anyone else like him. Edison, Einstein, Henry Ford… he has left an indelible mark on our society in the last 35 years and for many more to come.

Yet, despite his greatness, he also taught us that he’s just a man. He got up every day, like you and me. He kissed his family goodbye and he threw his heart and soul into his work – his passion — just like we can.

We all can be great. If we try, we’ll honor him.

Here are the Top Ten Lessons Steve Jobs taught us:

1. The most enduring innovations marry art and science – Steve has always pointed out that the biggest difference between Apple and all the other computer (and post-PC) companies through history is that Apple always tried to marry art and science. Jobs pointed out the original team working on the Mac had backgrounds in anthropology, art, history, and poetry. That’s always been important in making Apple’s products stand out. It’s the difference between the iPad and every other tablet computer that came before it or since. It is the look and feel of a product. It is its soul. But it is such a difficult thing for computer scientists or engineers to see that importance, so any company must have a leader that sees that importance.

2. To create the future, you can’t do it through focus groups – There is a school of thought in management theory that — if you’re in the consumer-facing space building products and services — you’ve got to listen to your customer. Steve Jobs was one of the first businessmen to say that was a waste of time. The customers today don’t always know what they want, especially if it’s something they’ve never seen, heard, or touched before. When it became clear that Apple would come out with a tablet, many were skeptical. When people heard the name (iPad), it was a joke in the Twitter-sphere for a day. But when people held one, and used it, it became a ‘must have.’ They didn’t know how they’d previously lived without one. It became the fastest growing Apple product in its history. Jobs (and the Apple team) trusted himself more than others. Picasso and great artists have done that for centuries. Jobs was the first in business.

3. Never fear failure – Jobs was fired by the successor he picked. It was one of the most public embarrassments of the last 30 years in business. Yet, he didn’t become a venture capitalist never to be heard from again. He didn’t start a production company and do a lot of lunches. He picked himself up and got back to work following his passion. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told he only had a few weeks to live. As Samuel Johnson said, there’s nothing like your impending death to focus the mind. From Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

4. You can’t connect the dots forward – only backward – This is another gem from the 2005 Stanford speech. The idea behind the concept is that, as much as we try to plan our lives ahead in advance, there’s always something that’s completely unpredictable about life. What seems like bitter anguish and defeat in the moment — getting dumped by a girlfriend, not getting that job at McKinsey, “wasting” 4 years of your life on a start-up that didn’t pan out as you wanted — can turn out to sow the seeds of your unimaginable success years from now. You can’t be too attached to how you think your life is supposed to work out and instead trust that all the dots will be connected in the future. This is all part of the plan.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

5. Listen to that voice in the back of your head that tells you if you’re on the right track or not – Most of us don’t hear a voice inside our heads. We’ve simply decided that we’re going to work in finance or be a doctor because that’s what our parents told us we should do or because we wanted to make a lot of money. When we consciously or unconsciously make that decision, we snuff out that little voice in our head. From then on, most of us put it on automatic pilot. We mail it in. You have met these people. They’re nice people. But they’re not changing the world. Jobs has always been a restless soul. A man in a hurry. A man with a plan. His plan isn’t for everyone. It was his plan. He wanted to build computers. Some people have a voice that tells them to fight for democracy. Some have one that tells them to become an expert in miniature spoons. When Jobs first saw an example of a Graphical User Interface — a GUI — he knew this was the future of computing and that he had to create it. That became the Macintosh. Whatever your voice is telling you, you would be smart to listen to it. Even if it tells you to quit your job, or move to China, or leave your partner.

6. Expect a lot from yourself and others – We have heard stories of Steve Jobs yelling or dressing down staff. He’s a control freak, we’ve heard – a perfectionist. The bottom line is that he is in touch with his passion and that little voice in the back of his head. He gives a damn. He wants the best from himself and everyone who works for him. If they don’t give a damn, he doesn’t want them around. And yet — he keeps attracting amazing talent around him. Why? Because talent gives a damn too. There’s a saying: if you’re a “B” player, you’ll hire “C” players below you because you don’t want them to look smarter than you. If you’re an “A” player, you’ll hire “A+” players below you, because you want the best result.

7. Don’t care about being right. Care about succeeding – Jobs used this line in an interview after he was fired by Apple. If you have to steal others’ great ideas to make yours better, do it. You can’t be married to your vision of how a product is going to work out, such that you forget about current reality. When the Apple III came out, it was hot and warped its motherboard even though Jobs had insisted it would be quiet and sleek. If Jobs had stuck with Lisa, Apple would have never developed the Mac.

8. Find the most talented people to surround yourself with – There is a misconception that Apple is Steve Jobs. Everyone else in the company is a faceless minion working to please the all-seeing and all-knowing Jobs. In reality, Jobs has surrounded himself with talent: Phil Schiller, Jony Ive, Peter Oppenheimer, Tim Cook, the former head of stores Ron Johnson. These are all super-talented people who don’t get the credit they deserve. The fact that Apple’s stock price has been so strong since Jobs left as CEO is a credit to the strength of the team. Jobs has hired bad managerial talent before. John Sculley ended up firing Jobs and — according to Jobs — almost killing the company. Give credit to Jobs for learning from this mistake and realizing that he can’t do anything without great talent around him.

9. Stay hungry, stay foolish - Again from the end of Jobs’ memorable Stanford speech:

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

10. Anything is possible through hard work, determination, and a sense of vision – Although he’s the greatest CEO ever and the father of the modern computer, at the end of the day, Steve Jobs is just a guy. He’s a husband, a father, a friend — like you and me. We can be just as special as he is — if we learn his lessons and start applying them in our lives. When Jobs returned to Apple in the 1990s, it was was weeks away from bankruptcy. It’s now the biggest company in the world. Anything’s possible in life if you continue to follow the simple lessons laid out above.

May you change the world.

[At the time of publication, Jackson was long AAPL]

Sports Teams' Reference Letters

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Derek Sivers: Keep Your Goals To Yourself

Job Seekers: 11 Ways To Stand Out In The Sea Of Competition

Companies report that there are hundreds, if not thousands of candidates for their job postings. More than ever, it's up to you to figure out how to stand out in the crowded sea of competition. You may meet all of the criteria for selection and get overlooked without any thought. Market yourself with information that says, "You can't afford to pass me up!"

The process of searching for jobs is easy enough. You visit job websites, find the jobs you want, send the resume, and you get magically considered for the job. It's simple enough, but your resume goes into an abyss unless you can grab the attention of the company.

But, how do you know that you will be seriously considered for the job? and are you prepared to present yourself in the best light? The answer is also simple: dazzle yourself, and unless you dazzle the reviewer, your candidacy will be ignored.

1. Get to know yourself again.

Before you conduct a job search, take a long, hard look at yourself again. Chances are that your skills have changed. Decide how to impress yourself before you present your skills to prospective employers. Research your field of interest again. Brush up on the competencies of leadership and practice those qualities and become a personal expert. Be prepared to tell employers what you would do to make their job better. Don't forget, creativity is the No. 1 competency employers look for.

2. Conduct your own personal SWOT analysis to market yourself.

To refresh your memory, SWOT stands for your personal strengths and weaknesses, and the outside opportunities and threats.

Make a critical list of your strengths. Don't expect to do this all in one sitting. Really, think this through. What activities do you enjoy? What do you do well? List your accomplishments that make you the most effective. Can you turn these strengths into possibilities for your personal growth? Take your time and you will reach conclusions that will lead you into your next move.

Your weaknesses are just as important. Again, a critical look at your attributes including the negative ones will keep you away from things you are just no good at.

Perhaps finding and weighing the opportunities are the most difficult. With the current job market's limited career choices, think about your horizons and potential creative opportunities from the pool of your chosen strengths. Keep apprised of the industries that are hiring in the chosen area and be aware of the possibility of relocating. If you want to start your own business, invest with your eyes open wide.

Threats to your success are unfortunately abundant, but choose the direction that keeps you from the areas of no return.

3. Employers are checking you out, you need to check them out too.

In an ever-changing workforce don't get caught behind the times. Spend time on prospective employers' websites. Research the current challenges of the field and be prepared to discuss your creative approach to problem solving. Ask them about their goals and priorities for the coming year. They like questions that will lead them to see that you are imaginative and eager to problem solve.

4. Scope out your competition.

Your competition includes the eager, newly degreed, the "overqualified" candidates looking to reposition themselves in the job market, and the trainee who is willing to take less money to get the foot in the door. Employers like fresh, contemporary experience. You can jump on that bandwagon by writing about your fresh knowledge and by practicing the kind of questions you will be asked. Your fresh perspective can come from research. Use the Internet to your advantage. Never forget, knowledge is power. Get ahead of the crowd. Become employed. Months ago, I lamented that employers are refusing to consider job candidates who are not currently employed. This has continued to be a problem for job candidates, but you need to make sure that you are not in the rejection pile. First of all, become employed ... somewhere, somehow. That's easy enough to say, but find a job. Head this barrier off at the pass. It's an all-too-common problem. Find local opportunities for temporary or contract work. Volunteer at a local organization that's in the field your interested in, or at a local charity. It keeps you fresh, not to mention out of the rejection pile.

5. Polish up your references.

Look at the bridges that you have not burned and use them to your advantage. Ask former bosses and colleagues to write a letter that describes your strengths. Send them along with your resume. Refrain from writing "references upon request." Of course you will provide them. But head them off at the pass by being the proactive candidate they can't refuse.

6. Glom onto a former favorite professor of yours.

Believe me, we love it when former students return to visit the classroom and ask for career advice and the latest "buzz" in the business. Listen to mentors to be able to discuss the language of the industry. Familiarize yourself with the latest news in your field. You become the source of knowledge that companies need to stay afloat and thrive. Keep that in mind when you are preparing to market yourself.

7. Make a list of the most memorable learning experiences from your education.

Don't lose those thoughts, ever. Think about how you could apply these pearls of wisdom in your job search and in your career.

8. Write an impressive and custom cover letter.

There is only one of you, but every job has unique expectations. Granted, many employers don't read them, but many do. Look at the selection criteria on the job posting and address each of the qualifications that you have related to the job. Similar to your opening paragraph on your resume, focus on your accomplished, creative projects. What have you done well, what projects have you successfully completed. Don't forget, many employers are looking for new blood and new ideas. Tell them what you have done and what you will do for their organization. Focus on your success and good things will happen.

9. Clean up your Facebook page.

You may ask, what business is my personal Facebook to an employer? They do look and seek you on social media. Many think it's illegal. Let me tell you, it is not illegal and companies do their research to look at your personality. If you have pictures of yourself with a lampshade on your head at a party, assume that prospective employers can see it. Be safe, cleanse your social media!

10. Don't let them see you sweat.

Of course you are concerned about the competition but the more prepared you are, the luckier you become. Practice your confidence by rehearsing expected interview questions. Your confidence will grow with your comfort zone. When you dance, the steps you learn become second nature to you and you can concentrate on polish and flair. The same thing applies to marketing yourself. Learn those steps well.

11. Don't trash your former employer.

Oh, you may want to do just that but refrain from complaining at any cost. Despite the fact that the prospective employer may understand your plight, the job search process is not the time for complaining. You may be negative about your experiences and employment status but don't wallow in it. You need to move on. If you don't, it shows.

One wise recruiter once told me that some of the most successful job candidates circumvent the posting process by contacting the decision-makers directly. Find out who heads up the department that you want to work for and send your resume and cover letter to that person. What do you have to lose? A job opportunity? Who wouldn't want to receive the perfect candidate wrapped up in a bow?

Don't forget: There is life outside of the comfort zone. You actually might like it there and thrive.

What Makes Steve "Steve"

The news that Steve Jobs resigned as CEO came as little surprise to those who have been monitoring his ailing health lately. But it does mark the end of one of the most inspiring careers in the history of the business world. Few people in this world will revolutionize one industry. Steve Jobs revolutionized several: computing, telecommunications, music and movies. Since he had such a profound impact on the world, I think it’s fair to ask ourselves how he did it and, more importantly, how can we learn to unleash our inner Steve Jobs to advance our business, our careers, and the world.

In my research as an author on two books on Steve Jobs I’ve identified 7 principles that drove Steve Jobs and Apple’s success.

Here is an excerpt from the talk entitled “Steve Jobs’ 7 principles of innovation” at a conference in Europe.

Principle One: Do what you love. Steve Jobs taught us that you cannot come up with new, innovative and exciting products unless you’re inspired yourself and passionate about moving society forward. Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Life it too short, he said, for living someone elses’s dream. And if you haven’t found your passion, he said, keep looking, don’t settle.

Principle Two: Put a dent in the universe. Steve Jobs believes in the power of vision. And he certainly has a big vision. In the mid 1970s when computers were relegated to a small group of hobbyists, Steve Jobs was convinced that he could put a computer in the hands of everyday people. And so he challenged his co-founder Steve Wozniak and the Apple team to create a computer that everyday people would feel comfortable using. Eventually, that led to the computer that changed everything — The Macintosh. “Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company,” said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple’s Board.

Principle Three: Connect things to spark your creativity. Steve Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. Jobs often connects ideas from other fields. For example, he studied calligraphy in college. Calligraphy had no practical application to his life. But he was interested in it and passionate about it. Later his calligraphy experience would find its way into the Mac, the first computer with beautiful fonts. Creativity is connecting things from different fields.

Principle Four: Say no to 1,000 things. Steve Jobs is proud of what Apple does but he’s also proud of what Apple has chosen not to do. Steve Jobs once said that innovation comes from saying no to 1,000 things. I believe this speaks to simplicity. In apple’s world, simplicity is the elimination of clutter. Anything that clutters the user experience is eliminated. That’s why there’s only one button on the front of an iPad or why there is no built-in keyboard on an iPhone. Apple’s products are popular because they are simple, elegant and easy to use. But it all starts from Steve Jobs asking, what can we remove?

Principle Five: Create insanely different experiences. Steve Jobs created many product innovations, of course, but he also innovated around the customer service experience and I think it’s a part of his legacy that might not be fully appreciated. The Apple Stores make more money per square foot than most any other retailer including many luxury brands and they’re packed morning to night. The average stores sees 17,000 visitors a week! When Steve Jobs first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives instead. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand.

Principle Six: Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world but if you can’t communicate your ideas, it doesn’t matter. Steve Jobs is the world’s greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation. If there’s one thing that you can today to be more “Steve Jobs like”, it’s to think visually. There were very few words on a Steve Jobs slide. It’s a philosophy called picture superiority. People are more likely to remember information when it’s presented as words and pictures instead of words alone. I think it’s impossible to watch a Steve Jobs presentation without completely rethinking your current presentation. Sell your ideas the Steve Jobs way.

Principle Seven: Sell dreams, not products. Steve Jobs captured our imagination because he really understands his customer. In 1997, when Apple was close to bankruptcy, Steve Jobs said he would reduce the number of products Apple sold to satisfy the needs of their core customers. At the time, he said, “some people think you’ve got to be crazy to buy a mac, but in that craziness we see genius and those are the people we’re making tools for.” Your customers don’t care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Steve jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you’ll win them over.

There’s one story that I think sums up Steve Jobs’ career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. Steve’s advice? Dream bigger. I think that’s the best advice he would give us today and the advice he will continue to offer to Apple as its Chairman. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas. Because it’s those ideas that could potentially change the world.

Job Interview Tips

An interview gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications to an employer, so it pays to be well prepared. The following information provides some helpful hints.

Preparation:

* Learn about the organization.
* Have a specific job or jobs in mind.
* Review your qualifications for the job.
* Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the
job.
* Be ready to answer broad questions, such as "Why should I hire you?" "Why do
you want this job?" "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
* Practice an interview with a friend or relative.

Personal appearance:

* Be well groomed.
* Dress appropriately.
* Do not chew gum or smoke.

The interview:

* Be early.
* Learn the name of your interviewer and greet him or her with a firm handshake.
* Use good manners with everyone you meet.
* Relax and answer each question concisely.
* Use proper English—avoid slang.
* Be cooperative and enthusiastic.
* Use body language to show interest—use eye contact and don’t slouch.
* Ask questions about the position and the organization, but avoid questions
whose answers can easily be found on the company Web site.
* Also avoid asking questions about salary and benefits unless a job offer is
made.
* Thank the interviewer when you leave and shake hands.
* Send a short thank you note following the interview.

Information to bring to an interview:

* Social Security card.
* Government-issued identification (driver’s license).
* Resume or application. Although not all employers require a resume, you should
be able to furnish the interviewer information about your education, training,
and previous employment.
* References. Employers typically require three references. Get permission
before using anyone as a reference. Make sure that they will give you a good
reference. Try to avoid using relatives as references.
* Transcripts. Employers may require an official copy of transcripts to verify
grades, coursework, dates of attendance, and highest grade completed or degree
awarded.

Team Management

The Core Skills Needed to Manage Your Team

Develop effective management skills.

So you've just got a new job as a manager or supervisor. Congratulations! Or, maybe you've just been given the task of pulling a new team together. What a challenge!

Either way, whether your team exists already, or whether it's your responsibility to create it, what do you do next?

This article looks at some of the key things that team managers need to do if their team is to thrive and succeed. These range from choosing the right people and deciding who does what, to communicating with, developing and motivating people. It also covers some of the most common pitfalls to be avoided.

First Things First

But before that, some definitions are useful. What is management, exactly? And how does it differ from leadership?

A good starting point is Warren G Bennis' quote that "Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right." Leadership involves creating a compelling vision of the future, communicating that vision, and helping people understand and commit to it. Managers, on the other hand, are responsible for ensuring that the vision is implemented efficiently and successfully.

Of course, these two roles overlap – and, to be fully effective, you need to fulfill both roles. However, the focus of this article is on the specific skills and responsibilities of managers, and on the tools available to them. After all, there's no point energizing people to work towards a fabulous vision of the future, only to fall flat on your face when it comes to implementation.
The Importance of Delegation

The top priority for team managers is delegation. No matter how skilled you are, there's only so much you can achieve working on your own. With a team behind you, you can achieve so much more: that's why it's so important that you delegate effectively!

Successful delegation starts with matching people and tasks, so you first need to understand fully what the team's role and goals are. A good way of doing this is to put together a team charter, which sets out the purpose of the team and how it will work. Not only does this help you get your team off to a great start, it can also be useful in bringing the team back on track if it's veering off course.

Only then will you be in a position to analyze the skills, experience and competencies within your team, and start matching people to tasks. Read our article on task allocation for more detail on how to go about this, and to find out how to deal with real-world challenges, such as managing the gaps between team members' skill sets.

Motivating Your Team

Another key duty you have as a manager is to motivate team members.

Our article on Theory X and Theory Y explains two very different approaches to motivation, which depend on the fundamental assumptions that you make about the people who work for you. If you believe that they're intrinsically lazy, you believe in Theory X, while if you believe that most are happy to work, you'll tend towards Theory Y. Make sure that you understand this article – it will fundamentally affect your success in motivating people.

You can find out much more about motivation with our quiz How Good Are Your Motivation Skills?

Whatever approach you prefer to adopt, you also need to bear in mind that different people have different needs when it comes to motivation. Some individuals are highly self-motivated, while others will under-perform without managerial input. Use our article on Pygmalion Motivation to understand how to manage these different groups of people.

Developing Your Team

Teams are made up of individuals who have different outlooks and abilities, and are at different stages of their careers. Some may find that the tasks you've allocated to them are challenging, and they may need support. Others may be "old hands" at what they're doing, and may be looking for opportunities to stretch their skills. Either way, your responsibility as a manager is to develop all of your people.

Your skills in this aspect of management will define your long-term success as a manager. If you can help team members to become better at what they do, you will soon become known as a manager who other people want to work for, and you'll be making a great contribution to your organization too.

The most effective way of developing your people is ensuring that you give regular feedback to members of your team on their work. Many of us are nervous of giving feedback, especially when it has to be negative. However, if you give and receive feedback regularly, everyone will come to benefit from improved performance.

Beyond this, our article on Understanding Developmental Needs will help you develop individual team members, so that they can perform at their best.

Tip:
If you have to bring a substantial number of new people into your team, read our article on forming, norming, storming and performing to learn about the stages you can expect your team to go through. You can do a lot to help your people through this process!

Communicating and Working
With Your Team – and With Others

Communication skills are essential for success in almost any role, but there are particular skills and techniques that you'll use more as a manager than you did as a regular worker. These fall under two headings: communicating with team members, and communicating with people outside your team. We'll look at each in turn.
Communicating With People in Your Team

As a team manager, you're likely to be chairing regular sessions as well as one-off meetings. Meeting of all kinds, and regular ones in particular, are notorious for their capacity to waste people's time, so it's well worth mastering the skill of running effective meetings.

Many meetings include brainstorming sessions, and as team manager, you'll often have to facilitate these, so you'll need to be comfortable with how to do this. There's more to it than simply coming up with creative ideas, as you do when you're just a regular participant in such a session: read our article to find out how to run brainstorming sessions. Make sure that you understand where they can go wrong, and what you can do to avoid this.

Active listening is another important skill for managers – and others – to master. When you're in charge, it can be easy to think that you know what others are going to say, or that listening is less important because you've thought of a solution anyway.

Don't fall into this trap. Most good managers are active listeners: it helps them detect problems early (while they're still easy to deal with), avoid costly misunderstandings, and build trust within their teams.

Communicating With People Outside Your Team

Your boss is probably the most important person you need to communicate with. Take time to understand fully what your boss wants from you and your team – if you know exactly what she likes, and how she prefers it to be delivered, you'll be better able to meet with her approval.

Don't be afraid to ask your boss to coach or mentor you: you can usually learn a lot from him, but he may not be proactive about offering this. If you're approaching your boss for advice, make sure you've thought things through as far as you can. Introduce the subject with a summary of your thinking, and then say where you need help.

Also, as a manager, part of your job is to look after your team and protect it from unreasonable pressure. Learn skills like assertiveness and win-win negotiation so that you can either turn work away, or negotiate additional resources.

Another part of your job is to manage the way your team interacts with other groups. Use stakeholder analysis to identify the groups you need to deal with. Then talk to these people to find out what they want from you and what they can do to help you.

Managing Discipline

However much you hope you won't ever have to do it, and however much feedback you give, there comes a time in most managers' careers when they have to discipline an employee. Discipline may be subtly different from basic feedback because it doesn't always relate specifically to the employee's work. You can give feedback on their phone manner, for example, but handling problems with timekeeping or personal grooming can need a different approach.

Obvious breaches of the law or of company policy are easy to identify and deal with. But what of other situations? On one hand you don't want to feel or seem petty. On the other hand, you can't let things go that should be dealt with.

Use these rules-of-thumb to help you decide whether you need to take action. If the answer to any is yes, then you need to arrange a time to speak to the employee in private.

1. Does the issue affect the quality of the employee's deliverable to the client (internal or external)?
A graphic designer regularly only gets in to work late, although he stays late to make up for this. Customers are sometimes frustrated by not being able to get through to him at the start of the day, particularly when he's working on rush jobs.
2. Does the issue adversely impact the cohesiveness of the team?
Individual designers tend to work on their own projects, with few meetings between design team members, so cohesiveness is not impacted. However people are noticing his lack of punctuality, and other people's timekeeping is beginning to slip.
3. Does the issue unnecessarily undermine the interests of other individuals in the team?
The designer sitting next to the latecomer is unhappy that she has to field calls from clients before he reaches the office, and is unable to give a firm answer to the question "When will he be in?"
4. The design team manager decides to speak to the latecomer because of the impact on his co-worker. They agree that coming in to work late is not a problem (he has a long commute, with heavy traffic en route) but that he will commit to being in by 9.30am every day to reduce the number of calls his co-worker has to field, and also give her a fixed time to give clients. He will work late to make up time, and will take on a task she doesn't like to make up for her extra phone handling.

When you are faced with a potential discipline issue, take the time you need to gather information about the situation, then decide what you're going to do and act. Discipline issues rarely go away of their own accord, and they usually get worse, often causing considerable unhappiness and resentment amongst other team members.

Traps to Avoid

There are a number of common mistakes that new managers tend to make. Take care to avoid them!

These are:

* Thinking that you can rely on your existing job knowledge and technical skills to succeed as a manager. It is essential that you take the time to develop good management and people skills as well – these can be more important than your technical skills!
* Failing to consult regularly with your boss, in a misguided attempt to show that you can cope on your own.
* Approaching your boss without have thought a problem through, and without having thought about how the problem could be solved.
* Embarrassing your boss, or letting her get a nasty surprise. Follow the "no surprises" rule.
* Doing anything that requires your boss to defend you to others. This can cause your boss to "lose face" with his peers and superiors, and it makes him look bad for not "nipping the problem in the bud."
* Failing to talk to your customers (whether internal or external) about what they want from you and your team.
* Using your authority inappropriately – make sure that everything you ask people to do is in the interests of the organization.

Many of these points sound obvious, however it's incredibly easy to make these mistakes in the rush of everyday managerial life.

Key Points:

When you move from being a worker to a line manager, you need to develop a new set of skills, and make use of new tools and techniques. These will help you with the key management areas of organizing, motivating, developing and communicating with your team.

Above all, learn how to delegate effectively. However, also learn how to motivate people, develop team members, communicate effectively with people inside and outside your team, and manage discipline effectively. And make sure that you avoid the mistakes that so many new managers make!

How To Get A Job in Pro Sports

How To Get A Job In Pro Sports
Tom Van Riper, 9.11.2011

In Pictures: The 10 Best Starter Jobs In Pro Sports

Can't throw a 95-mile an hour fastball or dunk over a 7-foot center, but want to work in sports? There's still hope. Here's a look at 10 jobs to get you in the door.
Want to work in professional sports? Get in line. Larger staffs these days mean openings are more plentiful than they used to be, but the competition is intense, even if you're not a first-round NFL draft pick. Even people with advanced degrees agree to take internships to get a foot in the door.
Still, for college students or recent grads determined to pursue a career in sports management, some entry-level jobs are more valuable than others. Working in the box office, for instance, isn't likely to get you anywhere. But proving you've got sales skills--that's another story.

In Depth: The 10 Best Entry-Level Jobs In Pro Sports

Without connections through family or friends, showing a sports organization that you can sell to groups, organize events or put together media guides goes a long way toward reaching that corner office with a view of the field.
"The kids don't want sales, but that's where the jobs are," says Bernie Mullin, former president of Atlanta Spirit, which owns the NBA Hawks and NHL Thrashers. Starting at $10 an hour plus commission may not appeal to a newly minted college grad, but few things draw more notice from senior management than showing you can get paying customers to the game. Sponsors, after all, pay by the eyeball.
"They need to understand it's all about butts in seats," says Mullin, who now runs the Aspire Group, an industry consultant. Those who jump into the group-sales game be warned: The competition is as fierce as it is among players on the field. For most, it's up or out within a year. To qualify, some sort of sales track record, even selling sneakers in a sporting goods store, is a big help.
Those who succeed in group sales generally rake in $100,000 annually before age 30, before advancing into the even more lucrative role of corporate sponsorship sales.
But if sales just isn't your thing, there are other avenues. Most clubs and leagues offer entry level slots in public relations. Writing press releases and putting together media guides is often a path to bigger things. Legendary NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle went that route, starting out in public relations for the Los Angeles Rams. The pros' advice to undergrads: Get down to your school's Sports Information Department right away and start doing it for free. Almost anyone you'll be competing with for a PR spot already is.
Another popular choice: customer service. Helping to put together special events, like pregame stadium entertainment or off-site shindigs for sponsors, is a way to demonstrate the organization skills and attention to detail that management loves.
For finance and accounting types, the best bet is to forget sports right out of college. Most teams hire those folks from their outside auditors rather than at the entry level. Likewise, boutique investment banks specializing sports (generally team acquisition and stadium financing) tend to be small shops with few openings.
While a specialized degree in sports management carries a lot of importance--especially for those without connections--teams are more interested in seeing experience through internships and college athletic department work. Most clubs are also partial to athletes, at least those who lettered in high school if not college. Sales in particular requires mental toughness and an ability to overcome obstacles, qualities often associated with jocks.
"They want to see that you won't wilt like a flower," says Buffy Filippell, president of TeamWork Consulting and a former agent with sports and entertainment heavyweight IMG. Also important to know going in, she says, is that sports management is not a nine-to-five job. Between travel and various starting times for games, the hours can be crazy. For the closest comparison, think of the 24/7 hotel business.
The good news is that even through a bumpy economy, the sports industry continues to thrive. Filippell says that most teams and outside agencies are hiring even as other sectors of the economy cut back.
"There are plenty of jobs for entry-level grads or college students," she says. "The challenging part is the entry-level salary." Not to mention the cutthroat competition. If you can't hit a jump shot or throw a spiral 50 yards, bone up on those sales skills.

In Depth: The 10 Best Entry-Level Jobs In Pro Sports