Specialization

Specialization is what made the industrial revolution possible.  Or, more accurately, its what made the industrial revolution so impactful in society.  Specialization allows people to get very good at a relatively small set of skills.  Then, combining that specialized skill set with the skills of others, you can form the Captain Planet of industry.  Working in harmony, a group of specialists can accomplish things that a group of generalists may not.

This has lead to a feeling in the world that specialists are more important than generalists.  SME, or Subject Matter Expert, is an important title in many organizations.  They have concentrated some specific area of knowledge in one person while making them available to the entire institution to spread the wealth.

There are two big problems with this thinking, though.  First, concentrating knowledge like that leads to a culture that values knowledge hoarding rather than knowledge sharing.  An SME is only as valuable as his knowledge, and if he keeps sharing and educating, he may eventually work himself out of a job.  Additionally, having more knowledge that others gives you a special status or power.  Keeping that power is another reason some people are reluctant to spread learning around an organization.

Second, specialization really impacts the ability to think critically and laterally.  I believe that the more diverse your experience, the better the skills at problem solving.  That doesn't just apply to specific fields, but also across them.  Knowledge of linguistics may help with math.  Chemistry may help with business.  Cross-training enables your mind to connect seemingly unrelated concepts into new ideas that may change the world.

So I implore you, do not overlook the importance of the broad thinkers in your organization.  If, for no other reason, than some day you will depend on them to provide the direction and leadership that all companies need.

Present-Fighting vs. Future-Fighting

In business, there are two very important sets of responsibilities.  The first focuses on day-to-day operations.  It is very important that things don't go out of whack, because no one likes change.  Your customers will be mad, your boss will be disappointed, your coworkers may be disdainful, your house plant will wilt and regulators may slap handcuffs on someone.  I'm going to call it present-fighting mode, because your job is to maintain the status quo.  Sadly, this has nothing to do with boxing gifts. :(

The second focuses on the future.  What is the future, you ask?  No one knows, and that's why it is important to think about it.  Unfortunately for those engaged in firefighting, the future will bring change and people will have to adapt.  You should be thinking about future change some of the time, so you don't get blindsided.  You're preventing yourself from being marginalized, rather than making others happy.  Here we'll call it future-fighting, because you need to find the prevent the new status quo from gobbling you up like a grue.  


At my experience level and age, most people I know are focused on present-fighting.  That is their job and there is a lot to be said for doing your job well.  Doing your job poorly, for example, will get you fired.  No one asks the lower-level people to look at anything outside the here-and-now, so few people do.  But you need to!  You need to devote at least some time, like 30 minutes per day, to thinking about and planning for the future.  As you move up in an organization, future-fighting becomes more important and can lead you as high as you want to go.

Infographic Resumes

I've just been introduced to the amazing world of infographic resumes.  I'm so impressed that people decided their resume needed a little spice, and decided to personalize and visualize them.  An infographic resume is a picture containing the thousand words that is your work history.  Of course, there are often additional words to explain the pie chart, but I'm not counting those.

From what I've seen, most of the infographic resumes are done by graphic artists.  They have the artists eye to create something visual and enticing, and the skill to make it happen.  Oh, I've seen a few from engineers or computer programmers, but the skills required definitely hide themselves well in non-artist professions.

I've thought about creating my own.  There are a ton of different graph types that would make short work of my entire work history.  But I'd want it to be representative of me, as well.  So... it would need something like a labyrinth with a single path picked out.  Or maybe a juggling club.  Or my own personal logo, which I've been working on.

These resumes are great for those who want to show off their personality and have jobs that could encourage that.  One purpose of a resume is to get an initial interview, and an infographic resume would succeed splendidly, if I was the HR manager.  Just don't overdo it, or expect that a visual resume with pictures of fluffy bunnies skipping in the meadow will get you a job as an exterminator.

Choosing a business opportunity

Having just finished my graduate degree in Business, this one is particularly close to my heart.  I am now in a position I've never had before - people are coming to me with their ideas and asking me to be a part of them.    It's exciting - because I get jazzed by other people's passions - and scary - because I'd be responsible for the fulfillment or derailment of another person's dreams.  If I want to be involved, I need to pick something and go with it.  So how do you choose one opportunity over another?

Questions to ask yourself

What you really need to succeed is the right attitude.  To do that, you need to find a path that matches you as a person.  Some introspection is required (in my case about 5 years), but these questions are well worth it.  

• Where do I want to be in 5 years?  10?  20?  
• What kind of work setting do I like?  Structured?  Unbound?  Secure?  Shifting?
• What is most important to me in life?  
• Is there anything I won't do?  Too dangerous?  Too disgusting?  Against my personal code?  
• What am I good at?  
• What do my family and friends think about my choices so far?  

Those questions above are certainly not comprehensive about planning your direction in life, but they are a great start.  Now that you have that all sorted out, you can start planning your future. 

What opportunities are available to me?  

This is really a function of your network of friends and family.  It is difficult to find a new job or other opportunity without the aid of your network.  In fact, many schools, including mine, tout the quality and reach of their network as part of the admissions process.  It is much easier to talk to people you already know than find work in a completely new geography.  

Which involve people I can work with?  

The people are super important.  Without a great team, an enterprise can't succeed.  Unfortunately, they can also kill the enterprise, if they are in the wrong positions.  Be sure (or at least pretty sure) that your partners are competent or able to learn, and good people.  You're going to be working with them for quite a long time, if things go well.  

Where can I make money?  

For me, this is one of the least important.  Yes, there are certain things you can do that won't make money.  But those are few and far between.  I know lots of people do things that I would have guessed wouldn't make poodle spit, but they have turned it into a career.  Don't be afraid to follow your dreams, because building custom cat towers can certainly be a full time job, if you do it right.  

Just do it!

Thank you, Corporate America, for reducing that awesome phrase to a tag line for shoes.  :(  But after you are pretty sure you have the right path, go for it!  Take the time to develop your contacts, try your hand at something new, and get involved.  It is crazy how easy it is to start something, if you know where you want to go in the future.  Or even if you don't know where to go, you can start something and see what it feels like.  

Best of luck in the future!  :)

Think hard before suing

Ah, law.  It is an imporant institution, but there are often better ways to handle a dispute.  I'm not trying to disuade you, but please be aware of the following items when deciding to take someone to court.

Its super expensive

I hope that everyone knows about how expensive it is to hire a lawyer.  Their rates are notoriously expensive, and can sometimes be measured in 5-minute increments.  Unfortunately, there also may be court costs associated with your suit, costs to pay off in the case of a loss, and the costs that may be passed on to you to pay for the other party's defense, if your lawsuit is frivolous.  In all, bringing a court case can cost tens of thousands to millions of dollars in fees alone.  

It will take forever

Another thing that lawsuits are notorious for is the time it takes to have them processed.  The courts are overworked, and they often have difficulty getting cases through their tight workload.  And schedule problems aside, there are a number of different motions you can make in court to get more time.  One example is the Motion to Extend Time, which allows a someone three weeks to submit an answer to an allegation.  

You have to put complete faith in a stranger's judgement

There are likely very people reading this who have a lawyer on retainer.  And hopefully very few who have so much contact with a lawyer that you would trust their judgement without a second thought.  For those of us who don't spend our time in court, we often have to trust that a lawyer has our best interests at heart and that we can trust their judgement when it comes to law matters.  I am terrible at accepting things I don't understand, so this is one of the strongest issues that might prevent me from executing a lawsuit.  

Any prospective business relationship is ruined

Lastly, there is a long-term consequence.  If you pursue a lawsuit, it is unlikely that the defendant will ever do business with you again.  You may even be on such poor terms that they begin to dissuade others from buying your product or service.  A lawsuit can be one of the most effective ways to burn bridges in history, so be sure before you do so.  

Why NOT to use business jargon

Jargon, basically, is a set of words used primarily by specialists for discussing a specific field of study.  Jargon is supposed to be made up of words that have very specific meanings to define exactly what you are trying to say.  But business jargon is often meant to confuse and mislead.

Bad reasons to use jargon

1. To sound smarter.
2. To cover that they don't know a better word.  
3. To make other people feel stupid.   
4. To fit into a group.
5. To evade difficult topics.

Why they're all terrible reasons

Because none of them is the reason jargon exists - to make things clearer!  Each of the reasons above is hiding truth for different reasons.  In one case, it is a weapon, in another a shield, and in another a white flag. Thankfully, I can keep using those metaphors because their use is too wide spread for them to become jargon.  

Words to Avoid

You can find a good list here.  Or here.  Or here.  Or any number of other places on the internet.  Personally, I despise the phrase touch base.  I think it has something to do with my dislike of baseball, though I'm not even sure that's where it comes from.  It gets more difficult when you try to avoid words that you learned had specific meanings, like I did in grad school, but don't have perfect synonyms.  ><

What you should say instead

Say Exactly What You Mean!!!  That's not so hard.  Putting your thoughts into easily understood sentences was something we learned before we entered junior high school.  Then, in the years of schooling since, we learned to be indirect when writing.  I, and everyone else, appreciates it when you say things succinctly and clearly.

Meeting Etiquitte

Meetings are a fact of life, unfortunately.  No matter what business you work in, private or public, for-profit or non-profit, people have to get together and talk.  That's all it is.  But in the business world, there are many unspoken rules about how a meeting runs and the etiquette surrounding it.

Deciding to have a Meeting

This is the most important step.  Meetings are formal requests to use someone else's time, and often require them to perform some work prior and after - making them a drain on the person.  A meeting also takes time away from other activities, so there is a very real opportunity cost to holding one.  Finally, you have to be sure that the topic of your meeting can be addressed best this way.  Not everything requires, or even benefits from, having everyone involved.

Setting up your Meeting

So you've decided to have a meeting.  There are x things you need to consider.  The attendees, time, and place.  

Choosing who you will invite involves both planning and politics.  First, be sure to invite the people who you absolutely need, such as contributors or approvers.  Without at least a portion of them attending, there is no purpose for your meeting.  The second group is determined by the interpersonal relationships and power structure.  Anyone who isn't a stakeholder and doesn't have the clout to get in the door can be overlooked.  But there may be people who may be offended if you don't invite them, even if they likely won't attend anyway.  Remember, meetings over nine people tend to be for communication, not work.  

The time and place will be determined by your attendees' availability.  When setting up meetings, first find out if someone else controls the calendars, and, second, have two or three time frames (2-3 hours) in which you can make it.  Be more flexible with your schedule the more important it is to have a certain attendee.

The Meeting

First, show up on time!  It is not hard to do, if you schedule properly.  And, in the USA at least, it is impolite to be late.  For me personally, it is one of my biggest pet peeves, and will sour me on a first impression.  

In the meeting, if you are in charge, be in charge.  Make sure to tell the group what the purpose of the meeting is.  Have an agenda, to make sure you address important points. Moderate discussions to make sure they don't run too long.  Respect the thoughts of those in the room.  Respect everyone's time.  

And if you're the attendee, be helpful and productive.  Try to be familiar with the meeting topic and agenda (if available).  When the meeting is called to order, sit down and give your attention to the moderator.  Respect the thoughts of others.  Be helpful when asked questions.  Give your best when asked to address a problem.  Don't be rowdy.  Just be well-behaved!

Post-Meeting

Responsibilities after a meeting really depend on the culture of the organization.  An emailed thank you may be appropriate.  Many attendees appreciate minutes.  Agreed action items should have timely follow-up.  At the very least, thank the attendees for their time.  Time is so valuable!