Join Now  |  Member Login  |  Recruiters
Contact Us 800-637-3126
Market Intelligence Market Insights
 

Filed Under: Robyn Greenspan

Published on: Thursday, February 02, 2012

Leadership is Transferable Across Industries

Comments (0)
 
An ExecuNet member who was trying to transition into a new industry finally networked to an interview with the president of his target company. The president was resistant to hiring this executive because he didn't have the experience, know the language or have the contacts in this particular sector.

"Where do you rank your company in this industry?" the ExecuNet member asked the president.
"We're the best," the president quickly replied.
"Then why would you want to hire from a weaker competitor?"

 

 
"Nothing is more important for our career success than making great people decisions," said Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, author of Great People Decisions at the 2011 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported. When he surveyed which of the thousands of business leaders in the audience were formally trained in this selection process, very few raised their hands.

 

 
Ever wish you had access to an executive recruiter just to ask that one question? ExecuNet members routinely email us their questions, and we tap into the minds of executive recruiters in our network to get their unadulterated feedback. "One ExecuNet member wrote: What can I expect from a recruiter when I'm negotiating salary and compensation? After all, doesn't he work for the hiring company?"

Executive recruiter Nick Corcodilos, offered his thoughts on the topic. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say:
This question is so common that I include an entire section about it in my PDF book, How to Work with Headhunters ... and how to make headhunters work for you.

 

Published on: Monday, January 23, 2012

Ben Zander Shares His 6 Secrets to Success

Comments (1)
 
I wish that I were effectively able to convey to you what a roomful of Ben Zander energy feels like. I wish I could have you hear him lead thousands of executives to sing happy birthday to a complete stranger or Ode to Joy in German. I wish you could see 350 hungry business leaders let their lunches grow cold as they sat transfixed and hanging onto his words.

 

Published on: Thursday, January 19, 2012

It’s Okay to Act Your Age

Comments (10)
 
I'm a few months behind reading the New York Times Magazine, so I only recently saw the September 8th issue with the article about the ironworkers rebuilding the World Trade Center.

One of my favorite childhood memories was of my father taking me to his job as a union plumber during the construction of the World Trade Center in the early 70s. The buildings were so unfinished that we rode the freight elevator to the top where it was nothing but steel beams and rough flooring — the windows had not yet been installed.

 

Published on: Friday, January 13, 2012

Do You Know Where Your Career Plan Is?

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, execunet, executive job search, hidden job market
Comments (0)
 
Whether you are in active job search or just keeping your options open, it's important to have a map for where you want to go. If you are employed and your New Year's resolution was to get a new job, you should visualize where you will be in the summer, as recent ExecuNet research with recruiters revealed that it takes, on average, seven months to transition.

But where to start? That's one of the most common questions we get at ExecuNet. At the executive level, you're less likely to find your next job by going online and sending out résumés; just a fraction of $200K positions are publicly posted anyway.

 

Published on: Thursday, January 05, 2012

A New Career for the New Year?

Comments (12)
 
The close of one year and the beginning of another is typically a time of assessment: analyzing what you've done and determining where you'd next like to be. That evaluation can be in the form of deep thinking and looking inside oneself or standardized assessments that scientifically measure strengths and talents, and can reveal potential new career directions.

 

Published on: Friday, December 30, 2011

Top 11 for 2011

Comments (0)
 
Thank you to everyone who read, commented, visited and shared content from Executive Insider this last year. Much of what we publish here comes from information gleaned inside our membership, with experts who interact in our executive communities, on-site at exclusive events, and the ongoing conversations we have with professionals like you.

 

Published on: Thursday, December 22, 2011

Gift Yourself a New Job

Comments (3)
 
Job seekers mistakenly slow down their searches toward year-end, but there is still hiring activity for companies that have talent needs. Further, networking and career planning are not seasonal events, and holiday parties are good opportunities to learn who's doing what where. (Keep the résumé at home when socializing!)

 

Published on: Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Secret to Happiness

Comments (0)
 
Recently, I visited a naturopathic doctor with a friend who received an acupuncture treatment. Despite a phobia to needles, I was curious to try it and challenged myself to overcome the fear. Before I could brace myself for the imagined pain, the doctor stuck one of the needles in the top of my head.

It didn't hurt, just felt a little tingly. When I asked why she chose the top of my head, she said that's a place for happiness.

 

Published on: Monday, December 12, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
"Why is help so frequently not sought?" That's the question an ExecuNet member, a C-level executive in the manufacturing industry, posed to his peers in one of the business Roundtables. He noted that, in his leadership career, he would have failed countless times had he not asked for help.

"Perhaps part of the culture in this country is that failure is just not an acceptable outcome," wondered the manufacturing executive. "Certainly nobody seeks it, but the irony is that the only way to become experienced and enjoy wisdom in business is to have a healthy mix of successes and failures. We just have to minimize the impact of failure as much as possible and learn to pick it all up and proceed forward again after it does occur."

 

 
I took this picture at Grounds for Sculpture over the summer, which is an incredible place that I'd encourage you to visit if you are nearby. It resonated with me because, I'll admit, I'm such a gadget geek that I sometimes have my head down, pushing buttons and missing what is happening right in front of me.

My rationale is that I am capturing the moment in a picture or on Facebook or I'm looking up information that I need right now! But I have to be more conscious that it's really the experience that's meant to be savored, not the documentation.

 

Published on: Thursday, November 10, 2011

Have You Heard the One About the First-Time CEO?

Comments (6)
 
There are many different ways to present information, and we've found three approaches typically resonate with our ExecuNet members:
  1. Benchmarks and market intelligence borne from our statistical research
  2. Authoritative advice from vetted experts
  3. Experiential knowledge from peer communities

When an ExecuNet member landed an opportunity at the top of the org chart, we were able to present him with data revealing CEOs' top business priorities, as well as perspectives from Board experts on what they expected from their chief executives. But the real inside information came from those he engaged in ExecuNet’s General Management Roundtable who already sat in the corner office:

 

 
Before buying your new Android, BlackBerry or latest iPhone, you probably will do some research. You'll check what's available through your carrier, read the expert reviews and user experiences; even visit the hardcore gadget blogs and communities. Maybe you even hashtag the model on Twitter or watch an unboxing and first-time usage on YouTube.

For some, a rave recommendation from a friend is enough to sway a purchase. After all, your smartphone is important to you. You heavily rely on it for email, texts, mobile web, and, even voice calls too. You probably almost feel incomplete (but secretly liberated) when you leave the house without it.

With all the information readily available, copious amounts of research is expected before purchasing a phone that will lock you into a two-year commitment – before buying any product or service, in fact. Yet, candidates still go into job interviews – and even accept offers – without subjecting the prospective employer, management team and culture to the same rigorous due diligence.

 

Published on: Friday, November 04, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
"You will eliminate innovation if you require proof of an idea in advance of trying it." – Roger Martin

I've had this Roger Martin quote on my white board since I heard him speak on The Design of Business at World Innovation Forum earlier this year, as a reminder to myself and everyone who enters my office to, as I like to say, "always be in beta."


 

Published on: Monday, October 31, 2011

Networking Lessons from the Frankenstein Monsters

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, networking, communication
Comments (1)
 
Whether he was portrayed in film or in parody, the Frankenstein monster was a man of few words: "Fire: bad; friend: good." With that limited vocabulary, it's no wonder the peasants chased him out of the village with torches.

You'll likely get a similar 21st century reaction at a networking event when you don't communicate well. You know when you're chatting with someone and they find a reason to walk away — to freshen a drink, make a call or do something more important? It's often legitimate; after all, there's limited time at many networking or business events. But if you notice a pattern of people excusing themselves from the conversation, that's your "Fire: bad; friend: good" moment.

 

Published on: Thursday, October 27, 2011

Bury Bones in Your Own Backyard

Comments (21)
 
Relocation is a less viable option for executives and companies, as home values have decreased and job security remains shaky. Candidates would rather stay put than dislodge families, so many limit their job searches to an easily commutable geographic radius.

There are strategies to mine for local leads:
  • Searching job boards and online databases by geo/zip codes
  • Networking with friends, neighbors and attending organized, facilitated groups
  • Reading regional business journals, community newspapers
  • Joining the Chamber of Commerce

 

Published on: Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Innovation and the Workplace

Comments (2)
 
There are many ingredients to innovation, and some of the most important are those that define the workplace — culture, mission, leadership and identity.

However, if today's employers view their workforces as static or homogenous resources to be dialed up when opportunity knocks and dialed down when the economic outlook presents unforeseen challenges, they're missing out on the potential of innovation and really failing to recognize all the segments of their employee population.

 

Published on: Monday, October 17, 2011

Are You Ready for the Third Revolution?

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: world business forum, robyn greenspan, brand, social media, david armano
Comments (0)
 
David Armano is on the front lines of what he sees as the "third revolution." The first, the executive vice president of global Innovation and integration at Edelman Digital said, was broadcast; the second: broadband. We're now engaged in the third revolution, which is social, whereby the main distinction is computers being replaced by people.

Armano told a small invited audience during an intimate "unplugged" setting at the 2011 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, that February 12, 2006 was a pivotal day for him. He published a blog and began connecting.

 

Published on: Thursday, October 13, 2011

Is the Shower the Final Frontier for Great Ideas?

Comments (7)
 
There are few places left to escape the growing mountain of obstacles that prevent great ideas from being created, and even more roadblocks impeding their execution. Scott Belsky, CEO of Behance and author of Making Ideas Happen, said creative people have to find "windows of non-stimulation" to focus on thinking, research and implications on strategy.

In an intimate "unplugged" setting among a smaller invited audience at the 2011 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, Belsky said "The more creative we are, the more unlikely we are to take ideas to completion," that we're suffering from "idea to idea syndrome."

 

Published on: Friday, October 07, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
A friend of mine who worked in corporate roles followed his passion a few years ago and went to cooking school. Shortly after graduating, he left the cubicles for the kitchen but couldn't really connect with the right opportunity.

About six months ago, he was hired for a position that perfectly combined his showmanship and love of food teaching cooking classes and doing new product demonstrations. He'd be perfectly happy if he wasn't so stressed about the salary reduction he incurred when he dropped out of the corporate world.

 

 
Shortly after joining ExecuNet as Senior Editor, I somehow scored a press pass for World Business Forum, an event that brought Jack Welch, Rudy Giuliani, then-CEO of Yahoo! Terry Semel, Tom Peters, Richard Branson, Colin Powell and Andrea Jung to the stage at Radio City Music Hall.

I settled in to the velvet seat for two days of reflected star power and mind-blowing leadership insight — most of it a much higher level than I had ever heard before. In those pre-iPad days, I returned to the office with a full legal pad of handwritten notes and reported thousands of words back to ExecuNet members about this stunning event.

 

Published on: Friday, September 23, 2011

Opening Innovation, Creating Opportunity

Comments (2)
 
What if you were charged with delivering $100 million per week in growth with a staff of 9,000? And the only way you could reach your goals was to add more than 1.8 million people worldwide to your team and enlist them to work for free?

That's the challenge Larry Huston faced while serving as Innovation Officer at P&G. The company needed to maintain 7 percent organic growth per year — $5 billion — but when sales started to flatten, Huston had to find solutions to what P&G saw as an innovation problem.

 

 
I recently spoke with a high-level search firm recruiter and he shared a story about an executive he called a perpetual "bridesmaid" — the one who always comes in second to the candidate who ultimately gets the offer.

On paper, this executive was outstanding and articulated his value well during the interview, however, the recruiter told me, the candidate needed to get his act together and make an effort to spiff up his appearance.

 

 
While working from home recently, a colleague called to let me know he was ready to start having our remote meetings via Skype but was having some trouble getting the app up and running on his home computer.

I immediately ran into my bathroom, fixed my hair, dusted some bronzer on my cheeks and applied lipstick — while simultaneously talking him through how to download and launch the app.

In just those few minutes it took him to deploy Skype and video-call me, I was camera-ready.

 

Published on: Monday, September 12, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
Pity the Poor Interviewer is the conversation executive coach Judy Rosemarin recently sparked among members in ExecuNet's Job Search Roundtable, reminding candidates to see the interview from another perspective.

 

Published on: Thursday, September 01, 2011

Business Secrets Your Kids Won’t Learn in School

Comments (3)
 
Kids are headed back to class, but, even in business school, few will learn the hard-earned lessons that come from years of playing corporate politics and hustling to get to the corner office. We asked ExecuNet members, successful leaders who have had the benefit of long-term real-life experience, what is the best business advice you can offer students about work that they won't learn in school?

 

Published on: Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Innovating Against Unprecedented Risk

Comments (0)
 
How would you feel if the person you cared about most was trapped a half-mile underground somewhere? That's what Greg Hall's company, Drillers Supply International, faced and what drove his high-pressure innovation to help rescue the 33 Chilean miners more than 2,000 feet below the surface.

 

Published on: Friday, August 12, 2011

The Who, What, Where, When, How and Why of Networking

Comments (0)
 
Do you recognize any of these excuses that prevent you from forging valuable connections with others?

"I don't know who to network with."
"I don't know what to say."
"I don't know where to network."
"I don't know when the right time is to network."
"I don't know how to network."
"I don't know why I should be networking."

Whether you're a reluctant networker or someone who wants to improve your connection skills, here are tips to counter all your resistance points, enabling you to find the opportunity with anyone anytime and anywhere.

 

Published on: Wednesday, August 03, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
What have you done for yourself lately?

Take a look at your to-do list. Is there an equitable distribution between what you do for others and what you do for you?

If you're like most busy working adults, probably not. Your time is mostly allocated to your job, family, and obligated to "life maintenance" tasks like dry cleaning and the dentist, which are things we have to do and are not necessarily fun.

Take a few moments today to schedule something for yourself; it doesn't have to be especially time-consuming or extravagant. Before you read on to a collection of the best information to help you advance in your current role, find a new one, gain expert insight and learn what's happening in the marketplace, please tell us:

What will you add to your to-do list for yourself today?

 

Published on: Monday, July 18, 2011

Find Your Grand Canyon

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, storytelling, passion, grand canyon, sedona
Comments (10)
 
My first visit to the Grand Canyon was early October 2001, a reflective time to be visiting a national treasure during a period of national mourning. I remember thinking that it was impossible for something so big to be so quiet, as though the rocks were observing their own solemnity.

Nearly a decade later, I returned to the natural wonder for the second time for a vacation, and I was struck by the hum of activity: tour buses, fewer open walking trails, many more people than I remembered. The view was just as magnificent and breathtaking as it was a decade ago, and I also looked forward to the next day's Grand Canyon experience that would provide another perspective and a bit more solitude: a trip to the bottom.

 

Published on: Friday, July 15, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
To be successful in job search today is to set a focused goal and mount a strategic campaign armed with a well-researched list of target companies, strong relationships that can lead you through a chain of referrals, a polished personal marketing program, an online reputation communications plan, and, of course, a sharp skill set and depth of experience.

Yet, some land in new roles through less calculated methods: being in the right place at the right time; tolerating higher levels of risk than others; conditions that stimulate promotion; family ties; etc.

Hopefully, no matter the method you took to get there, you retain the position through your merits and build your own success.

Before you read on to a collection of the best information to help you advance in your current role, find a new one, gain expert insight and learn what's happening in the marketplace, please tell us:

Did you land in your last job by choice or by chance?

 

Published on: Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Networking, As Easy as Sunday Morning

Comments (0)
 
Nearly all of my media consumption is technology driven, but every Sunday morning I still read The New York Times the old-fashioned way. The paper is so big it can't be contained in one day’s delivery; half of the paper arrives in my driveway Saturday morning, the rest on Sunday.

The signature blue plastic bag is dependably always outside waiting for me when I awake. It shone like a beacon atop piled high snow drifts this past winter, and it is easily detectable when it winds up amidst calf-high neglected grass in the summer.

Ritualistically, I spread the sections out across my dining room table, brew my coffee, program some Pandora channels on my iPad or pick the right playlist on my iPod, and prioritize first reads, what can wait, and the recycle pile (Sports).

 

Published on: Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Don’t Expect a Recruiter to Meet Your Needs

Comments (52)
 
Ever wish you had access to an executive recruiter just to ask that one question? Members routinely email us their questions, and we tap into the minds of executive recruiters in our network to get their unadulterated feedback.

One ExecuNet member wrote: "I haven't used a recruiter ever before and don't know how to connect with one who could meet my needs. I've been in the computer business for over 15 years and am looking for another senior position in a small- to medium- sized business in my area. How can I find the appropriate recruiter to help me?"

Executive recruiter Nick Corcodilos, in his usual straightforward manner, offered his thoughts on the topic. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say:

 

Published on: Friday, June 24, 2011

How to Succeed Where Other Leaders Fail

Comments (0)
 
"What you do on a cell phone is far from the most important thing of the day. What you do in front of people is far more important." That's an odd statement coming from the former CEO and president of Verizon Wireless, but Denny Strigl, as a leader, is more invested in people than technology.

In an exclusive presentation to ExecuNet members, Strigl, with co-author of Managers, Can You Hear Me Now? Frank Swiatek, shared the common reasons leaders struggle and how to deliver results without getting derailed.

 

Published on: Friday, June 17, 2011

What You Said: Leadership

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, leadership, executive, vision, employment, tony vlahos, mood, integrity
Comments (193)
 
In a recent blog post, Screaming, ExecuNet CMO Tony Vlahos shared what he thought were the characteristics that made a great leader. More than 100 of our readers responded, chiming in with the qualities they felt necessary for effective leadership.

 

Published on: Wednesday, June 15, 2011

When You’re Feeling Needy, Give to Your Network

Comments (1)
 
When you're looking for a job, the first instinct is to call your A-list and ask if they know of any openings. However, that's not networking; it's need-working. What you should do is separate yourself from your emotions; stop the impulse to collect business cards and ask yourself, "What can I do to help people in my network?"

 

Published on: Friday, June 10, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (2)
 
"Networking," in various forms, is the top response when we ask corporate leaders about how they connect to career options in our annual executive market intelligence survey, and we've posed similar questions to our LinkedIn and Facebook groups.

Before you read on to a collection of the best information to help you advance in your current role, find a new one, gain expert insight and learn what's happening in the marketplace, please tell us:

How did you find your last job?

 

Published on: Tuesday, June 07, 2011

More than Happy Feet

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: world innovation forum, robyn greenspan, culture, tony hsieh, zappos, wif, amazon, values, happiness
Comments (33)
 
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, has a simple mission: Delivering Happiness. Not only to shoe customers, but to those who buy anything from the company's growing product line, as well as Zappos' employees.

But why stop there? Hsieh wants anyone who has any experience with Zappos to be happy. Even more ambitiously, he wants to create a happiness-inspiring corporate culture that every company will want to model.

 

Published on: Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Innovation Library

Comments (0)
 
Once again, ExecuNet was invited to partner with HSM at their World Innovation Forum as key members of the Bloggers Hub, reporting the powerful insight and thoughtful commentary from the global leaders and business icons onstage — and backstage.

 

Published on: Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The More Things Change…

Comments (0)
 
If you remember waiting for the Sunday classified sections to check job listings, then you certainly appreciate the speed and ease in which information is now accessed online. But, for executives, most new opportunities are found through their connections to others, and ExecuNet CEO and founder Dave Opton points out that technology is no substitution for building strong personal relationships.

 

Published on: Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Don’t Read this Headline

Comments (1)
 






In case you hadn't noticed, an economic recovery is underway. Albeit, it's slow, but business and hiring growth is occurring. For the 16th consecutive month, ExecuNet's Executive Job Creation Index posted gains, and again, recruiter confidence is high.


 

Published on: Wednesday, May 04, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
I read this quote recently and wanted to pass it along to you:

"If you hear a voice within you say, 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." — Vincent Van Gogh

"Paint" can be a metaphor for anything we have thought about doing but have not yet taken the action. It can be a creative endeavor, a personal goal or something that feels bigger, or more risky, like job change.

Whatever it is, don't let the inner critic or external cynic stand in your way. Make a plan, take a chance, try, and see what happens. Even if you learn you learn you're a terrible artist, you might have fun playing with the colors or discover something new about yourself along the way.

With that in mind, here are the recent blog posts you may have missed that can further inspire you in your everyday decision-making. We welcome your comments!

 

Published on: Thursday, April 21, 2011

10 Tips for Texting or Talking

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, networking, communication, facebook, twitter, texting, friending, email
Comments (13)
 
Friend me, follow me, invite me, connect with me, Google me, email me, text me.

Talk to me?

I'm pretty awesome with 140 characters, and I can roll out a status update with a punch line, but actual conversation with real people in real time is starting to feel like a challenge.

 

Published on: Friday, April 08, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
It's already the end of Q1 '11! Are you where you wanted or expected to be? What will it take to get there?

For me, and many others, it's time. A few more hours in a day, weeks in a quarter, to do a couple other things, catch up, get some more done.

It's impossible for me to give you more time, but I can save you some time. Here are all the blog posts you may have recently missed gathered together in one place so you don't have to do all that time-consuming searching, scrolling and clicking.

 

Published on: Friday, April 01, 2011

Reading Between the Lines

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, hiring, interview, opportunity, candidate, job, april fool, offer
Comments (8)
 
Did you get any good pranks played on you today? Or perhaps you were the prankster?

On April Fool's Day, things are not always as they seem, and the same can sometimes be true on job interviews. (See our blog post When Bad Interviews Happen to Good Candidates and the dozens of comments for proof.) My colleague Laura Magnuson, who works closely with our recruiter members, and I were recently talking about the typical phrases said at job interviews and what might have been heard. Hope you find a few laughs ahead and nothing that hits too close to home.

 

Published on: Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Uncertainty Breeds Success

Comments (4)
 
Did you hear the story of how seven million American children vanished overnight and the IRS employee who was behind it all?

At the 2010 HSM World Business Forum in NYC, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, Steve Levitt, author of Freakonomics and a professor in the University of Chicago's economics department, asked the delegates this question. He went on to tell the story of one IRS employee's idea to require taxpayers to report the Social Security numbers of children they claimed as dependents on their tax forms that not only outed a lot of tax cheats, but also added $20 billion into the United States Treasury.

"He didn’t get a raise. Didn't get a promotion. Didn't get a parade," Levitt said. "He had a great idea…but he got no rewards, either social or financial."

 

 
While organizations should expect an estimated 45 percent of their workforce to participate in March Madness office pools and as many as 8.4 million hours watching the tournament unfold during working hours, senior executives won't be draining productivity, neglecting responsibilities or missing deadlines.

Senior-level corporate leaders have become accustomed, particularly as they've had to stretch resources during the recession, to blurring the distinction between home time and work time. In ExecuNet's forthcoming 19th annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report, "work/life balance" dropped out of the top five reasons executives stay with their employers and slipped a notch for the factors in accepting a new job.

 

Published on: Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Power of Innovation and Passion

Comments (0)
 
Can someone who pushed teams to great achievements through a demanding leadership style reform and get the same high-quality results? Filmmaker James Cameron confessed to delegates at the 2010 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, he had to adapt his leadership style from dictatorial to one that was more respectful and empowering. "I don't think I was always a good leader where I worked with people to get the best out of them," said the creator of Avatar, adding that these skills weren't innate for him, and he had to be open to learning so he wouldn't seem phony.

Now, when conflict arises, Cameron's inclination is to solve the problem, rather than make a recriminating moment out of it, he told Bloomberg anchor Betty Liu during an onstage interview. "I turn it back on myself. Did I hire the right person? Yes. Then maybe I didn't communicate it well or they didn't understand." This new leadership style lent Avatar a sense of fun, authorship and ownership in an environment where people felt like they had permission to make mistakes but were now less likely to do so.

 

Published on: Monday, March 07, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
February was a short month, but we managed to bring you a tremendous amount of information to help you reach your career and business goals in 2011. Guest bloggers shared their own special insight, along with ExecuNet experts who capture the trends and deliver the news that informs your every day professional decisions. We’ve gathered all these articles together so you can catch up on your reading.

 

Published on: Friday, February 25, 2011

Can a Job Loss Act as Intervention?

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, networking, executive job search, strategy, transition, résumé
Comments (0)
 
More than a few laid-off executives have expressed the sense of relief that accompanied their terminations. But that's just one of an amalgam of feelings that often includes anger, disbelief and grief. Self-care is particularly important during this time, with many experts saying that a short, temporary "quiet period" helps replenish positive energy and calibrate focus.

Executives in this situation have identified two specific sources of their relief: no longer stressing over job insecurity, and a new opportunity to find their passion and reinvent themselves. Many have been in careers of default, starting as a young employee in a certain industry and then moving up as skill sets and experience develops. Not many children dream about growing up to be the “Senior Vice President of Copper Widget Procurement" so some executives find their layoff to be liberating.

 

Published on: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Creating Winning Social Media Strategies

Comments (0)
 
"The key to creating winning strategies in social media is first to give up control," Charlene Li, leading analyst of social technologies told delegates at the 2010 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, "You need to give up control but still be in command."

First, leaders must realize that social media is a lot more than just Facebook, said Li, also author of the bestselling books, Groundswell and Open Leadership. Then, she advised, you need to make sure you have a direction that everyone understands and will follow. "The only way to get people to follow you is if you lead them."

 

Published on: Monday, February 14, 2011

Courtship and the Job Search

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, executive job search, interview, bradley richardson, candidate
Comments (1)
 
In a response to an ExecuNet member's question about not being bothersome to the hiring decision-makers, yet continue to show interest executive recruiter Bradley Richardson likened working with recruiters to dating.

Richardson says there is a very fine balance candidates should maintain: eager, but not desperate; "in-demand" but hard to get, particularly when it comes to follow-up. How much is too much? How long should I wait?

"What's the difference between persistent and obnoxious? — and believe me there is a difference!" says Richardson. "In relationships it is easy. Think somewhere between the three-day rule as the norm and a 'restraining order' as the outer limit. Interviews are tougher to judge, even though many hiring managers feel they are being stalked like some jilted high school crush."

Here are Richardson's general rules of thumb for following up and staying on a recruiter's mind, without driving him out of his mind.

 

Published on: Thursday, February 10, 2011

Innovating When Trapped in Hostile Territory

Comments (1)
 
"'Design thinking' bridges analytical thinking and intuitive thinking to invent the future," said Roger Martin, during his HSM Online Seminar, Design Thinking: The Next Competitive Advantage.

But finding a company with balance is rare. Companies want to be more innovative but are stymied by analysis as they search for reliability and proof. The counterbalance is intuitive thinking — "knowing" without thinking — which can't be proven and therefore can't be replicated, leaving leaders scratching their heads about what caused success or failure.

"Analytical thinking and intuitive thinking are opposed to each other in organizations," said Martin, almost preventing any movement at all. "Innovation is about advancing knowledge."

 

 
President Obama's declaration in his State of the Union address: "This is our generation's Sputnik moment," sent me rushing to Wikipedia, where I learned it was his call to action for innovation. Just as NASA mobilized resources and energy to intensify efforts and be first in the race to space, he said so should Americans take on the challenge to out-innovate the rest of the world.

In this short video interview with ExecuNet's President and Chief Economist Mark Anderson, he explains how our "Sputnik moments" can be tied to individual BHAGS, and three ways to innovate in this job market.

 

 
If you were busy getting your nachos and wings ready before kickoff and didn't get a chance to see Christina Aguilera attempt to sing the Star Spangled Banner in real time, YouTube captured the notes she wished would go away.

Whether it was nervousness, trying too hard, faulty memory or something we'll never know until we're on stage, she screwed up the lyrics. She seemed to recover quickly, although I personally don't think it was one of her better performances.

While many of us won't experience the same glare of the spotlight as Christina, we've all had situations that were equally nerve-wracking, causing communication errors and moments of regret — like when we've said or done the wrong thing during job search.

 

Published on: Monday, February 07, 2011

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
Did the year get off to a good start for you? Are there specific professional goals you'd like to achieve? We've pulled together the best information from January to help you advance in your current role, find a new one, gain expert insight and learn what's happening in the marketplace.

 

 
There were tremendous learning opportunities at the 2010 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, but, warned Joseph Grenny, the delegates were likely to confront resistance at the office when they attempted to implement new ideas and strategies.

"The challenge begins when you return to the office and have to encounter human beings," said the business strategist and bestselling author, "human beings who are often unwilling to change."

Resistance to change is such a frequently encountered problem that Grenny said he found author David Sedaris' comment telling: "I haven't got the slightest idea how to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out."

 

 
Our Recruiting Community at ExecuNet has been very active, so I took some notes from their recent meeting to report back what they're hearing directly from the search firms and corporate recruiters who source our executive members.

Sure, we bring you the Recruiter Confidence Index stats every month, with the most recent finding at the highest level since mid-2008, and then our company president and chief economist does the monthly video interpretation, but I wanted to find out what the recruiters have been whispering to our recruiting services team lately:

 

Published on: Friday, January 14, 2011

What CES Said About Work

Comments (1)
 
The Consumer Electronics Show was last week, and while it certainly was a natural event for technologists, it was also a hot ticket for enthusiasts who were eager to visit the birthplace of all the new products they would adopt in their infancy.

Since I fall into the consumer-attracted-to-shiny-things category, I spent the week vicariously absorbing the online details of the gadgets I'd add to my wish lists, culminating with my own personal CES last weekend at Best Buy talking processor speed, OS, functionality and upcoming devices with a mobile salesman while I eagerly handled an early release HTC Evo Shift.

 

Published on: Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The New Global Deal

Comments (2)
 
The 45th Vice President of the United States began speaking at the 2010 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, with a positive remark about the economy, but then he quickly put it in perspective with an anecdote from the late Grand Ole Opry comedienne Minnie Pearl of a farmer who was involved in a car accident. When the farmer went to court to sue for damages, the lawyer asked him whether it was true he said he "felt fine" right after the accident.

The farmer began to tell a long, involved story of the events of the car accident, culminating with the other vehicle hitting him and his cow. When the police arrived on the scene, they saw the injured cow and mercifully shot him. "So when the police asked the farmer how he felt, he said, 'I feel fine.' Many of us are feeling like that, said Gore."

 

Published on: Friday, January 07, 2011

Robert Brunner on Innovating Ideas into Objects

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: world innovation forum, robyn greenspan, innovation, risk, brand, design, robert brunner
Comments (0)
 
What draws diehard Microsoft users toward some Apple products? Or tempts someone with little interest in cooking to purchase a Fuego grill? Why, when we have a choice between similar products, are we often more likely to have a stronger feeling for one over the other? To Robert Brunner’s mind, it is the design. But what is design?

Design is the interface between a company and its constituents, and Robert Brunner, who has partnered form and function for Apple Computer and now runs Ammunition Group, a brand and product design firm, integrates emotional connection into his work. Brunner stressed that "Design is ideas, not objects," and reminded that while "Objects are important, there needs to be more." Design is "about an experience and what we feel." "Why do you care if Apple goes out of business? It's because of how the company makes you feel. Would your customers shed any tears if you were gone?"

 

 
Since 2010 didn't produce an exuberant recovery, many are already pinning high hopes that the economy and job market will strengthen in 2011, and while it's still early, there are positive signals. Executive recruiters are at their highest registered confidence level since the second quarter of 2008 and fewer companies are expected to eliminate jobs, which bodes well for at least the first half of this year.

On ExecuNet TV, ExecuNet President and Chief Economist Mark Anderson revealed the story behind the stats, where to find opportunities, and how to maximize success in this new business climate. Find out what he says are the things you can do right now to start your career off right in the new year.

 

Published on: Thursday, December 30, 2010

Top 10 for 2010

Comments (3)
 
Can we legitimately report the most popular for the year if our blog is only six months old? Having been a business network since 1988, ExecuNet has always been ahead of our time. Here are the articles that captured the most reader comments and attention in the short time we've been publishing:

 

Published on: Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Read Anything Good Lately? Want To?

Comments (18)
 
The number of business books published is staggering, and some wind up in my office, filling shelves, desks and every available surface. Many are quite good, and we work to bring those authors and their thought leadership to our executive members for direct interaction and knowledge-sharing. After all, when you're looking for guidance, advice and practical tactics for improving business performance and career advancement, the experts are the go-to resources.

 

Published on: Thursday, December 16, 2010

Why You Should Care about a CEO’s Sleep Patterns

Comments (2)
 
Like many, chief executives are tossing and turning at night, worried about the issues we identified earlier this year in our annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report:

  1. Economic uncertainty
  2. Consistent execution of our business strategy
  3. Balancing the demands on my personal and professional life
  4. Achieving my personal work-related goals
  5. My pay will not increase

While it may be true that the higher the thread count on the sheets, the bigger the troubles, the reasons those CEOs aren't sleeping are still of consequence to you.

 

 
"Green" is evolving from a regulatory or moral requirement to a business strategy. Companies have different drivers for adopting green initiatives, but collectively we're moving toward a third era. Joel Makower, author of Strategies for the Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges in the New World of Business, defined these eras at the 2010 World Innovation Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported for attendees.




  • The Compliance-Driven Era: Do no harm

  • The Environmentalism Era: Companies can do well by doing good

  • The Business Value Era: Green creates value by providing better products


 

Published on: Tuesday, December 07, 2010

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
The unpredictable year of 2010 is racing quickly toward a close, dragging with it a bag of mixed emotions. Some saw marked improvement over a devastating 2009, while others spent the last 12 months still trying to recover.

We're hopeful about 2011 and have had some good news signals lately. Here are all the trends, market intelligence and expert insight from November in one easy-to-read place.

 

Published on: Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Will You Love Your Job?

Comments (0)
 
A young family member, three weeks into his first job after graduating college, came home exasperated that he wasn't fitting into his new position. His boss hadn't established a formal training program; the culture wasn't conducive to his learning style; and his colleagues were products of this disorganized environment and, therefore, not helpful.

His lack of career experience led him to a common mistake that even well-seasoned professionals often make: accepting a job without also interviewing the company. His eagerness to work took precedence, and he neglected to conduct research that would enable him to assess leadership, management style, culture and the workplace.

 

Published on: Monday, November 22, 2010

Follow the Leader: Michael Porter

Comments (0)
 
Michael Porter did a Q&A session with Bloomberg TV's Eric Schatzker at the World Innovation Forum where ExecuNet was reporting exclusively for attendees.

The biggest problem on Wall Street?
"I think that fundamentally what happened on Wall Street is a disconnect between what they are doing and what we need in a real economy. Wall Street is supposed to serve the real economy. The real economy creates wealth in the long-term -- not in a year or a quarter. Most stock used to be held for a decade, and loans were held to maturity. What's happened in the last 10 or 20 years is a disconnect and shortening of horizons. The average stock is held for less than a year, and the average loan is packaged and sold to someone who doesn't even know why the loan was made. As things got more short-term, we saw more trading, more volatility, more hedging. Wall Street began creating products for itself and not its customers. It created products with little value and lots of destructive possibility."

 

Published on: Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Marketing and Web 2.0

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: world innovation forum, robyn greenspan, marketing, amazon, andreas weigend
Comments (0)
 
Andreas Weigend, Amazon.com's Chief Scientist until January 2004, is a leading behavioral marketing expert and Stanford University lecturer with some unique perspectives on the challenges of marketing and leveraging data to drive critical business decisions. "Data is the digital air that we breathe. Everyone is a publisher. Every company is a publisher," Weigend said at the 2010 World Innovation Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported for attendees.

We are in the midst of a social data revolution, he shared, and living in a world that first sought to connect computers, then to connect pages and now, increasingly through social networks, to connect people.

 

Published on: Monday, November 01, 2010

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
It seems like yesterday I was having summer barbecues, and now I'm eating leftover Halloween candy. This year seems to be moving quickly, with many who experienced the rocky economy firsthand probably glad to see 2010 go.

Before Thanksgiving creeps up on you, take some time to read the blog posts from October we've collected for you. We had some exclusive reporting from the World Business Forum, where ExecuNet hosted the Bloggers Hub, along with our proprietary market trend data, economic analysis and expert insight.

 

Published on: Friday, October 29, 2010

Networking Lessons from the Frankenstein Monsters

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, networking, communication
Comments (7)
 
Whether he was portrayed in film or in parody, the Frankenstein monster was a man of few words: "Fire: bad; friend: good." With that limited vocabulary, it's no wonder the peasants chased him out of the village with torches.

You'll likely get a similar 21st century reaction at a networking event when you don't communicate well. You know when you're chatting with someone and they find a reason to walk away — to freshen a drink, make a call or do something more important? It's often legitimate; after all, there's limited time at many networking or business events. But if you notice a pattern of people excusing themselves from the conversation, that's your "Fire: bad; friend: good" moment.

 

Published on: Monday, October 11, 2010

How Do You Text Authenticity?

Comments (2)
 
Report from World Business Forum, New York

The reconciliation of old school values and cutting-edge technology was consummated on stage at Radio City Music Hall during the two days of the World Business Forum this week. Some 30 business and policy leaders, nostalgic for times when trust, transparency and a handshake were the hallmarks of a deal, acknowledged the power of 21st century tools that connect one to millions in a moment and can shatter reputations at the press of a "send" button. Add into the mix a renewed emphasis on organizational culture and customer-centricity, and today's CEO has hands too full to barely pick up a BlackBerry.

 

 
Report from World Business Forum, New York

"Those who achieve success are not bound by their own story; if you want to predict the future, you create it," said Dow Jones & Company CEO Les Hinton during his introduction of Jim Collins at the World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported for attendees. Business is what's ahead, not behind, yet Collins' research in Good to Great, Built to Last and How the Mighty Fall: and Why Some Companies Never Give In looks back to determine the characteristics that give companies staying power.

"The answer could not be circumstance. It is first and foremost a matter of conscious choice and discipline," said Collins. "We became fascinated with how great enterprises stumble and how the mighty fall. We wanted to understand how this happens, and it was scary how far they fell."

 

Published on: Friday, October 01, 2010

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
September is when those lazy days of summer come to an end; white shoes and swimsuits get packed away; and your kids are being chauffeured to activities and helped with homework — who has time to read? No worries! We've collected all the blog postings you need to read in one place. How's that for full service?

But make sure you stop back frequently next week for live reporting from the World Business Forum, where ExecuNet is hosting the Bloggers Hub.

 

Published on: Friday, September 24, 2010

The Customer is the Driver

Comments (0)
 
"Leaders do not lead innovation. Leaders have to facilitate it. Leaders will impinge on everyone else's innovation," said Michael Howe at the 2010 World Innovation Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported for attendees. Howe, described by Forbes as one of the top 10 innovators of the past decade, believes the goal of businesses should be to create the right environments and support to foster innovation, and to align innovative ideas around business strategy and customer needs.

Howe explored the pace of innovation through the approach he mastered as chief executive of MinuteClinic, pioneer of the retail healthcare concept.

 

Published on: Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tweet All About It

Comments (0)
 
What once began as a "big, empty box to type into and post on the Internet," one few could understand the meaning behind, gave rise to millions of blogs and the force behind a continually expanding self-publishing industry. Similarly, "When we did Twitter," said company co-founder Biz Stone to Bloomberg TV's Margaret Brennan at the 2010 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, "we said, 'Here is a smaller box, and you can type into it and put it on the Internet.' People will find their own reason to use it. Everyone will find their own path to it."

That path has led to 65 million Tweets per day from 200 million unique visitors per month. Despite widespread categorization of Twitter as a social network, Stone said the service functions more like an information network or news network. "You can follow CNN, Bloomberg or three of your friends. Whatever you want to pay attention to in the world."

 

Published on: Thursday, September 09, 2010

While You Were Out…

Comments (0)
 
August may have been busy for you; maybe you were vacationing or covering for colleagues who were on holiday. Nevertheless, we gathered all the blog posts for the month we thought you should take some time to catch up on over your morning coffee, commute or business travel. Enjoy!

 

 
You've probably not accepted that as an excuse to resist change and stymie innovation from a colleague, so why use it for your job search? In case you hadn't noticed, the old ways of looking for a job have dramatically changed, but the good news is some of those old school tools are still quite useful.

ExecuNet has witnessed job search transformation over the last 23 years, and contributing editor Marji McClure and I outlined the evolution. Here are some tips to get you started:

 

Published on: Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Management Today is Outdated

Comments (7)
 
Why have there been advances in virtually every technology invented in the last 100 years, yet management is woefully out of date? At the 2009 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported, strategist and innovator Gary Hamel asked the delegates, "Could technology management change in this century the way it changed in the last century? Almost all organizations are running on 19th century management systems."

Management was created, the author and co-founder of the Management Innovation Lab at the London Business School said, to "get people to show up every day and do the same job over and over again like robots."

 

Published on: Friday, August 20, 2010

Do the Impossible - Ignore the Lizard

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: world innovation forum, robyn greenspan, innovation, marketing, seth godin, cmo
Comments (10)
 
"Innovation means doing stuff that is impossible, otherwise people would have done it already," said author and marketing expert Seth Godin at the 2010 World Innovation Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported for attendees.

Marketing, Godin said, has largely been about advertisers trying to figure out ways to get consumers to buy more, and, while never a great approach, that is even less effective now. "Mass marketing is to bombard people over and over again. That model — 'I'm going to interrupt my way to success' — is flawed and will stress you out."

 

 
I first interviewed with ExecuNet around Halloween and was charmed by the decorations until I saw the giant, purple inflatable spider standing guard in the center of the office space. Despite the combination of two big fears — job interviews and giant spiders — I performed well enough to get the offer. (The spider now appears annually right outside my office.)

This story pales in comparison to candidates who saw dream jobs turn into nightmares when confronted by interviewers behaving badly. We've collected some of the best worst job interview stories from ExecuNet members and asked some of our expert executive coaches to give their feedback. We've excerpted a few for you here.

 

Published on: Tuesday, August 03, 2010

When Failure Means Success

Comments (0)
 
In baseball, if a player averages three hits every 10 chances he's good player; if he averages four hits per 10 chances he's a first ballot Hall of Famer and the stuff of legend. Many call baseball the ultimate failure activity, but the pharmaceutical industry is much more challenging where else is a 1-in-10,000 success rate is considered acceptable?

One would think it's a challenge simply to get out of bed every morning knowing more failures surely await you in the office, but not so, said Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler at the 2010 World Innovation Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported for attendees.

 

 
In ExecuNet's July survey of executive recruiters, we asked them about their most effective resources for identifying candidates, and not surprisingly, networking — and activities related to connecting to search consultants and their firms — dominated the list.

But building relationships can't be rushed; they are nurtured over time and nourished with trust. Unfortunately, many wait until they are in job search to start connecting with recruiters, hoping to quickly develop a meaningful bond that will translate into a paycheck.

 

Published on: Thursday, July 29, 2010

Get In, Get Out

Comments (1)
 
Interest in interim executive positions has risen in the last few years; most recently, 7-in-10 senior-level leaders surveyed by ExecuNet were considering or may consider part-time roles in their career planning — up from 57 percent in 2006. ExecuNet contributing editor Marji McClure explored the advantages of interim opportunities for our member publication, CareerSmart Advisor, and found that while still more prominent in Europe, interim posts are increasingly gaining traction in the US with both organizations and executives for a variety of reasons.

 

Published on: Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Follow the Leader: Marshall Goldsmith

Comments (0)
 
"Mojo" is not among the words executives and recruiters use when we survey them about the specific attributes of leadership, yet executive coach and management expert Dr. Marshall Goldmsith claimed it for his latest book, MOJO: How to Get It, How to Keep It and How to Get It Back When You Lose It.

Goldsmith defines Mojo as "that positive spirit — toward what you are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside," and he associates identity, achievement, reputation and acceptance as the four key factors that impact personal and professional Mojo.

 

Published on: Thursday, July 22, 2010

New CEO or Wannabe?

Comments (2)
 
Who better to learn what to do in the corner office from than those who have been there, done that? The experiential advice that comes from peers can often enlighten and help solve real-world problems that research, case studies and experts don't address. Sometimes just the added support and validation is enough to power through all the critical decision-making and stress that comes along with the role.

ExecuNet members in the General Management Roundtable pooled their collective wisdom for a first-timer who needed to hit the ground running on company growth plans and funding:

 

Published on: Wednesday, July 21, 2010

To Do List: Change Your World

Comments (9)
 
Small goals first; then move on to the entire planet.

No generation, political party or movement has the exclusive on change; it can start in our very own small spaces, and you'd be surprised how far the ripples reach. Everybody at every level, in every career stage, has the ability to change their world.

 

Published on: Wednesday, July 14, 2010

BP “Needs Adult Supervision”

Comments (2)
 
There's no disputing that the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has been over-analyzed by multidisciplinary external interests, but this ExecuNet member in our Sales and Marketing Roundtable group summarized it very simply, while echoing many of the sentiments coming from other senior-level professionals that someone needs to step up and display some authentic leadership.

"Two other guys there [would] have been better with the media and in general, but it would help if there were some women in BP visible too, as women are perceived as caretakers and generally better perceived in governance and accountability," this CEO of a marketing communications company added.

 

Published on: Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Do Not Want What You Already Have

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, leadership, job search, success, executives, gps, challenge
Comments (2)
 
Like many drivers, I have a GPS in my car and, probably like some, I don't always listen to where it tells me to go. When I veer from its directions, it gives me a moment on my own and then tells me it's "recalculating" before adjusting to a new course.

While deep into our latest survey research, I thought how a perspective might be recalculated to improve how successful professionals approach job search, and even connect them to conditions that feel more familiar.

Many executives already have the skills they need to find their next opportunity, but the skills need to be pointed in a new direction.

 

Published on: Friday, July 02, 2010

Chris Rock’s Guide to Job Search

Comments (12)
 
In a recent interview, Chris Rock made reference to actors finding good roles when he said something like, "We don't find our jobs in The New York Times." It took me a few moments to understand what he meant; at first, I asked myself: Journalists talking about his job? Breaking news about his job? My epiphany arrived moments later when I finally realized he meant print classified ads, a prehistoric method for finding a new position. But if you look at how Rock reached his level of success, it's apparent he hasn't used a newspaper for a long time. His methodology can also work for you, albeit on a smaller scale.

 

Published on: Friday, June 18, 2010

Innovation Where You Least Expect It

Comments (0)
 
My head physically spins after two days at the World Innovation Forum from all the untapped possibilities that are out there just waiting for me to think of. For the last couple of years, just as we've done for several years at the World Business Forum, ExecuNet was invited by HSM to capture insights from the intellectual powerhouses on stage and produce thoughtful commentary for attendees and our members.

Without a doubt, the array of speakers challenged me to think in a different way; sometimes radically, like Michael Porter's reinvention of the healthcare delivery system; and sometimes incrementally, doing something to "earn my seat" at work every day, as Seth Godin said.

 

Published on: Tuesday, June 08, 2010

What to Cover in Cover Letters

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, finding jobs
Comments (0)
 
Unconvinced by proven research that networking is the most effective use of time for those in job search, many executives spend hours online, attaching and sending countless résumés with the hopes of catching the attention of a hiring manager or recruiter. Occasionally, the right résumé lands in the right hands. To increase the odds, cover letters should always be customized to showcase the skills and experience for a specific position.

"One of the most common mistakes that I see are generic letters that are obviously so, and sent to everyone with no modification," says résumé writer Michelle Dumas, owner of Distinctive Career Services LLC.

 

Published on: Monday, June 07, 2010

Relocation via Oceanic Flight 815

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, leadership, onboarding, job interview, succession plan, lost, tv
Comments (0)
 
So, in the end, LOST turned out to be a helluva long job interview. For those who didn't spend the last six years alternately fascinated and frustrated by the series, I'll translate it into corporate language:

 

Published on: Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Old Memories Not So Sweet

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, leadership, the economy, strategy
Comments (0)
 
Old Memories Not So SweetThose who were dramatically affected by America's Great Depression in 1929 seemed to carry the weight of that experience well beyond the following decade of double-digit unemployment. The stories of people who spent the rest of their lives saving aluminum foil or hoarding sugar packages aren't folklore, but the long-lasting results of preparing for lean times to reoccur.

 

Published on: Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Recruiters Still Digging, Finding Digital Dirt

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, market trends, identity management
Comments (1)
 
Recruiters Still Digging, Finding Digital DirtWhen ExecuNet began researching in 2005 how publicly available online information influenced executive hiring, three-quarters of the search firm recruiter respondents revealed they were already Googling candidates to find information beyond the résumé. As a result, more than one-quarter of recruiters had eliminated a candidate because of what they found online.

We've continued to monitor this trend, developing a series of reports on Digital Dirt that raised awareness of online reputation management, and our 2010 data casts no doubt that recruiters have fully adopted Googling as a best practice with 90 percent regularly conducting this activity. Forty-six percent uncovered digital deal-breakers, such as ethics violations, falsified employment history and felony convictions, which lead to eliminating candidates from consideration.

 

Published on: Tuesday, June 01, 2010

…And Network Like a Ninja

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, the economy, finding jobs, career planning
Comments (0)
 
We recently released our 18th annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report to our membership, and this year, amidst all the challenges, there were quite a few success stories. In the last decade alone, we've experienced recession, recovery, high demand for executive talent, recession again, and now, the slow climb back up. But where past recoveries have been more robust, this rebound has the spring of an underinflated basketball and not the high-bouncing SuperBall we'd like.

 

Published on: Thursday, May 27, 2010

Change at 30,000 Feet

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, leadership, strategy
Comments (0)
 
Change at 30,000 FeetYou're settled into your seat for a long airplane trip — reclined, shoes off, drink on tray table, magazine open to that article you've been waiting to read once you finally had enough time. Suddenly, the flight attendant asks you to switch seats with another passenger — your comfortable environment and mental harmony is now disrupted, and it will require some deliberate focus and nurturing to get you back on track.

Imagine that same seat-swapping scenario occurring during a period of severe weather turbulence. Not only were you already anxious and feeling unstable in your current seat, you now have to collect yourself, mobilize and get re-oriented in a new place while trying to balance and keep from falling.

Change is usually not easy, and change amidst instability is even more difficult. Yet that's how many employees are feeling lately as their companies reorganize, reallocate resources, cut costs and downsize staff while the economy searches for stabilization.

 

Published on: Thursday, May 27, 2010

Dick Bolles Hopes Job Seekers Find Real Love

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, expert insight, finding jobs
Comments (3)
 
Dick Bolles Hopes Job Seekers Find Real LoveBeignets, Bourbon Street and beads: can you guess where I was? I've just returned from the Career Management Alliance conference in New Orleans, where Dick Bolles, author of the classic job hunting book What Color is Your Parachute?, was among the keynote speakers.

Originally published in 1970, Bolles updates the book annually, and I asked him the biggest change he's seen in career management activity over the last four decades. "The heightened expectations of the job seeker," Bolles replied. "The first thing they do is go to the Internet and they think they'll have a job by Monday. The tools are easier now than they were then, but the search isn't."

 

Featured Video

Recruiter Confidence Index

Confidence Improves Among Executive Recruiters

Executive Job Creation Index

Executive Job Creation Picked up in December

Dave's Blog


Lessons learned from and about six-figure leadership and executive career management

Stay Connected

Stay Connected by Email Stay Connected by RSS Stay Connected on Twitter Stay Connected on YouTube
ExecuNet on LinkedIn

Editorial Guidelines