The importance of passion and curiosity

When I was in sales and management I realized the roles that passion (let’s just define it as doing what you love and loving what you do) and curiosity (the need to continually discover) play in any organization, in the individual people. I always wanted to be highly engaged in whatever I did and have an intellectual curiosity about business and people (and, I still do.) I observed that passion and curiosity, if they fit to the organization’s culture, tied right into effort, diligence, engagement, and taking responsibility. And, that the people who had both these elements usually were the ones getting results and moving upward in the organization and their paychecks.

I also saw that if people had passion and curiosity but were in the wrong culture they not only saw their spirit sapped but they usually ended up heading out the door. Put another way, if what you love to do doesn’t fit the organization and your interest in exploring new ideas isn’t appreciated, you’ll become frustrated. You won’t have much, if any fulfillment in what you are doing. Maybe, you’re in the wrong job. Maybe, you have something to really contribute as a result of rigorous study and you’re ignored.

When I advise and consult to business owners on hiring sales people I tell them to put together a recruiting and hiring process that includes standardized questions tied to the company’s culture (values, vision included), the specific position requirements and the character of the person being considered. I also strongly encourage the use of a personal assessment or profile. No interview of profile can be 100% predictive or accurate, but taken together they provide great insight into character. They can provide you with information as to the candidate’s passion and curiosity. I want that to show up big time in the verbal and written answers and the profile. I want someone to show me energy and knowledge and creativity. I want to be as certain as I can that the person will be highly engaged, loves the nature of the work, is up on the latest thinking and knows how to solve issues.

All this talk over the last fifteen years about developing a great culture in an organization (your organization, perhaps?) seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Every year the same results come out of corporate surveys regarding why people leave a company. Money is always 3rd or 4th. Not being allowed to do what you are best at or being able to contribute rank at or near the top. How are you doing in your job with passion and curiosity? How is your company doing in allowing you to use both?

Back to business- the business of networking

Wow, we’ve had a terrific week here in the Northwest, weather-wise. And, it’s about time after such a dreary winter. It seems that everyone is welcoming and appreciating the sunshine and gorgeous views this week!

One of the things I got re-validated in this past week was the power of effective networking. Networking is not about dropping business cards and just showing up at a lot of events. It’s not about scheduling a coffee or lunch with every Tom, Dick, or Jane you meet. It’s not about hoping that you’ll meet a client. It’s not about someone doing something for you.

What do I mean by effective networking? It’s associating with people who you like, trust, respect and hold similar values and intentions with. These are people who are clear about why they are meeting: to be intentional in helping one another to build their business and to do that by looking for opportunities to connect each other to potential clients or work together in a collaborative arrangement with a client. Effective networking is made up of people from your ‘A’ list of contacts. These are people who you feel are a cut above others you meet, real pro’s and high in integrity.

I’m in a number of professional networking groups. One has consultants and both employed and between employment executives. Another has a variety of professionals across diverse categories. Still another is made up of consultants only and acts as a consortium. And finally, one is a mastermind group where each member shares best practices and brainstorms on marketing ideas for small businesses. Is four groups too many? Probably not. But, four is probably the maximum.

So, if your networking isn’t producing the results you want, rethink what you’re doing and who you’re meeting with.

President’s Day- what does this mean for your business?

OK, I’m going to go a bit outside of my comfort zone here. Well…maybe way out of my comfort zone. I usually stay pretty safe when it comes to politics and religion. So, today I’m rambling a bit about politics.

Today is President’s Day and it always gives me pause think about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both had flaws because they were human. But, both were great leaders who understood the basic human yearning for freedom, opportunity, unity and prosperity.

Tomorrow in Washington State is the primary. In this election year it’s easy to get excited or cynical. I’m not sure where I stand. For sure, Obama is generating a lot of excitement. And I think Hillary and John are generating some real cynicism. None of them truly excite me at this point as people who can be great leaders in a messed up world. And we need a great leader. I sure think we’ve gotten off track from what this country was founded on and this detour extends to all areas of life- personal, business, etc. The political establishment is more deeply influenced by money than ever in the history of this country because this country is by far and away the wealthiest in history…and that influences everyone. Believe me, this is not a single party issue.

So I ask myself the following:

• Have we gotten to a point where constructive dialog is no longer possible?
• Have we gotten to a point where it’s Win-Lose? Where I have to win and you have lose?
• Have we gotten to a point where the corruption of government officials and influence of business leaders has become normal behavior?
• Have we gotten to a point where it’s OK to do whatever the hell you want with no regard for others?

I’m 53 years old and by now I’ve seen the best of times, the worst of times, the best of leaders and the worst of leaders. I won’t tell you where I stand politically (although one-on-one I’d be happy to, in a respectful and civil manner) because I’m not interested in creating a lot of arguments and energy over politics. I’m at a point where I realize life will go on regardless of who is in the White House and who controls Congress. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have opinions. And besides, my mission, beyond being a great son, husband and father, is “To assist and enable business owners in transforming and growing their businesses for long term profitability.” I know that my intentions are pure about helping people succeed and I sleep well at night.

I’m concerned about our kids and how they will behave in the business world and in their personal world. What are their intentions? What kind of behaviors will they exhibit and what will be deemed normal, acceptable? What have they learned from the politicians and business leaders of this country?

I guess I grew up too naive. I started getting concerned about this about 20 years ago with a neighbor of mine. He was a very decent guy, a little bit older than me, the kind of neighbor that you like to have. He was really quite fine with screwing the insurance industry by filing bogus claims, so he could collect his fair share. His comment was that “everyone does it and it won’t hurt anything. I’m just getting what I deserve.” Excuse me, but at it’s very base level it’s dishonest and if 200 million people have that attitude it drives up costs for everyone- everyone. What message was this sending to his children? Are we really all so selfish and self centered? This is just one example of how many people do whatever they want and find a way to justify it, so that they get ‘their spoils’.

So, what are you doing in your businesses about setting the right direction, about setting a proper tone, and about setting an example? What kind of message are you giving in regard to freedom, equality, fairness, respect, opportunity and prosperity?

On the edge of recession?

The Economy is looking shaky.

Experience tells us that good times don’t last forever. There is always a correction in the marketplace and we’re starting one right now. There’s an old saying, one I’m sure that you’ve heard: “A rising tide floats all boats.” Many companies have done well over the past five years of economic growth in spite of themselves. They’ve been fortunate to ride the incoming tide, with a little bit (or maybe even a lot) of luck on their side.

What’s going to happen in the coming economic downturn?

How will your company weather the storm? Will you be reactive and batten down the hatches or be proactive, looking to increase sales and market share in a downturn and not lose margin? We all know what happened in the last recession and it wasn’t pretty.

What will you do?

• If you’re in a super competitive industry (and really, who isn’t?) how will you respond to the inevitable price wars that surface with every recession?
• Will your sales team be competent and polished enough to hold the line, grab new business and actually increase sales?
• Will your marketing plan and aligned sales plan targets be met?
• Will you operate from strength or be in a state of anxiety?

NOW is the time to be more aggressive in your and marketing and sales activities.

Develop and execute a plan. Be proactive. Grab new market share.

Don’t fall into the worry syndrome- that’s a sure way to go backward.

Marketing vs. Sales

Most companies have an ongoing battle between the sales and marketing departments. Sales reps think the marketing people are out of touch, provide the wrong support materials and don’t have a clue how ‘tough it is out there.’ And worse yet, they spend a lot of money and show little return. Marketing thinks the sales reps are lazy, don’t follow through on all the sales leads they’re given and when they finally get an appointment they can’t close the deal. And, they think the sales reps are a bunch of overpaid whiners.
Whoa, what is going on here?
We have a serious case of two departments operating in silos. For all the business books, articles and seminars where managers go to ‘get ‘it, it is astounding how many Presidents, CEO’s, VP’s, middle managers and Owners don’t. They manage organizations into dysfunction. There is no coordinated and aligned strategy for the company and especially for two critical areas: new customer acquisition and customer retention. Among the managers, there is no agreement on how to reach goals. Sometimes, goals get established for the two departments that are in conflict or are unrealistic. Or, worse yet, there are none!
For real progress and real results, marketing and sales need to get on the same page. The page of specific corporate expectations and goals. The page of togetherness. The page of team.