Professional Skills that Really Count

Advancing your education is great.  Seminars, webinars, night classes, books... all can give you tactical skills and ideas that you can use to improve your performance.  But what skills are most relevant to success in today's competitive workplace?  It's not always the things you think.

Here are some soul-searching questions to ask yourself.  Your answers will largely dictate your ability to thrive in a new workplace reality.

1. How good am I at solving problems and making hard decisions?  Fundamental creative skills are in hot demand.  Assess your ability to attack a problem and devise multiple viable solutions.  Be honest about your adaptability and willingness to react to unseen events and unexpected barriers.
2. How good are my analysis skills?  Data is not in short supply these days.  What most companies lack is people with the ability to assimilate data and use it to make decisions.  Are you able to integrate logic with intuition and look broadly to recognize actionable trends and key indicators?
3. How good am I at presenting and communicating information?  You can't influence major change without the ability to stand and deliver a powerful argument.  Honest communication that wows people with your authenticity and smarts will get you ahead.
4. How good am I at managing conflict?  Harmony is counter-productive at times and diversity is the new watchword in business innovation.  If you can preserve healthy work dynamics and lead others through crisis and disagreement you'll find your skills in high demand in the coming years.
5. How good are my listening skills?  The ability to speak clearly and present ideas succinctly is wonderful, but individuals who can listen and adapt their responses to influence others possess a priceless gift.  Listening, not just for words but for context and emotion, is an invaluable skill to nurture.
6. How good am I at building trust?  Trusting relationships are an absolute requirement in today's cut-throat work world.  And trusting relationships naturally emerge from your ability to exhibit behaviors that earn respect and encourage open, productive interactions.
7. How good am I at demonstrating appreciation?  A lot of workers today waste a great deal of time and energy constantly telling everyone around them how great they are.  Here's a tip... if you have to tell other people you're awesome - you aren't.  Expend your energy building other people up, accentuating the positive and offering genuine gratitude to the team around you.  It will pay big dividends.

Coping with Negative Publicity Before it Strikes

It's a fact of life... you can't please all the people all the time.

Every business or individual will go through a time when they face some type of negativity in the marketplace.  It could be disgruntled customers in online forums, a searing newspaper article or a personal attack based on events long past.  The catalyst for the negativity, or the channel by which it is made public, isn't nearly as important as your reaction to diffuse the situation and minimize damage.

I'm on the Board of the Better Business Bureau in Denver, Colorado.  Our BBB office is operated with impeccable professionalism and we enjoyed more media exposure than any other BBB in the country in 2010.  Bottom line, we serve consumers, accredited business, non-accredited businesses and the community with integrity and pride - but we have absolutely no control over the actions of other BBBs around the nation.  A few weeks ago a scathing report came out on a national news show exposing accrediting irregularities, manipulative sales techniques and poor business practices in several other BBBs.  We were very worried about the impact that the negative reporting would have on our relationships locally - even though the issues highlighted were not relevant to us.

Luckily, actions taken long before the troublesome story broke diffused the impact and gave us the ammunition and forum to deal effectively with concerns.  This approach is truly the key to coping with negative publicity.  Defend yourself against negative publicity before you have to.  By the time the story breaks you must already have a framework in place to mitigate the damage or it's too late. 

Here are my suggestions for actions you can undertake today to prepare yourself to deal with a worrisome public event down the road:

Manage your external image consistently and without fail.  Everything today is 'branded'.  Individuals have to manage a public image.  Products have to build a recognizable and respected consumer value.  Service companies have to support a track record of quality, affordability and reliability.  The best defense is a good offense, so make sure that you're doing everything in your power every day to build a positive and accurate public brand image that will stand up to an occasional hit.  Our BBB is well-known along the Front Range area for providing excellent dispute resolution services, fair ratings scales, consumer alerts for scams, and taking swift action against companies that breach marketplace trust.  Strong local awareness offered an insulating barrier of protection against a single negative news story that brought to light the failings of other BBBs.  Our media partners gave us a chance to voice our response and everyone moved on quickly with the assumption that the problems of other BBBs had little relevance to the performance of their well-known and trusted local office.


Sidestep landmines and lodge preemptive strikes whenever possible.  Here's the honest truth... a lot of times we know about a potential public relations nightmare before it comes out, but we take the ostrich approach - sticking our head in the sand and hoping it all goes away.  It usually doesn't go away.  So, if you've experienced a legal challenge, a customer service disaster, or a major failing JUST DEAL WITH IT UP FRONT.  Stand behind your value claims, clarify your intent, and address questions or shortcomings with candor about how you will not allow the problem to occur again.  Have statistics and research to back up your statements.  Take charge of your message and get out in front of the problem before the dialogue spirals out of your control and falls into the hands of your enemies.  Year's ago when Tylenol had to cope with deadly poisoning attacks facilitated through their product distribution chain, they took the right approach... they took control of public information, shared everything they knew, created call centers, conducted media interviews, processed prompt refunds and changed their packaging voluntarily to discourage future attacks without Federal intervention.  As a result, the brand only suffered a temporary setback and maintained the public trust in the big picture.

Never let anyone else take charge of your message or act as a shield.  People hate cowards, and they perceive companies that hide behind PR firms, pretty front men, and uninformed CS reps very negatively.  I'm not saying you shouldn't get outside advice, but seek professional help and then allow no layers to get between you and your audience as you deliver your message.  Don't allow pros trying to shield you from liability by lying or hiding information - even if their intentions are good.  9 times out of 10 that reaction will come back to bite you, and you'll never live the hypocrisy down.  BP would have fared much better in the court of public opinion if they had been more open all the way through the Gulf oil spill crisis.  They first denied oil was even leaking into the Gulf, then they minimized the amount, then they denied the damage to coastal wildlife, plant life and people, and finally they are muddying the waters in managing payouts and lawsuits.  Claims continue to swirl that they are spraying dispersant at night and yet nothing is said to confirm or deny everyone's suspicions.  In an information vacuum people will assume the worst. 

Be prepared for challenges to unpopular or controversial moves.  I'm always amazed when a company does something extreme that will obviously generate controversy and angst, and they seem stunned when there is public outcry.  Who advises these people?  If you know something will be traumatic for the public make sure you deal with the issue immediately and convincingly.  This is a pretty mild example, but when Republic Airways bought Frontier Airlines recently they seemed confused that faithful Frontier customers were concerned about saving the Frontier brand they had grown to love.  Management eventually 'wised up' and made an announcement that they had selected the Frontier brand to operate under, but why the delay and the passenger stress?  Republic had zero brand recognition or loyalty - they were a generic discount carrier.  Frontier's animal planes, adorable commercials and passenger-focused policies were beloved by millions.  Of course they were going to bring operations under the Frontier banner... duh. And they could have leveraged that good decision much earlier on in the merge by simply stating so publicly with much fanfare and celebration.

If you're already embroiled in a PR nightmare you obviously can't employ some of the proactive strategies outlined in this post.  But, if you're just trucking along doing business everyday and hoping to avoid a problem, please take the time and energy to set yourself up for good public interactions in the future - no matter what challenges you may face.

Creating a Value Proposition

One of the questions I am frequently asked is, "How do I communicate my real value to my customers?"  It doesn't sound that complicated, but understanding what your customers are truly paying for and learning how to frame a summary statement powerfully and succinctly is actually quite a mind-bender.

So, here is a brief process outline that will assist you in analyzing your own value proposition from the comfort of your desk.

1.  What is a 'value proposition?'  A value proposition is a clear and concise communication about the core benefits your business provides to customers based on their goals (not yours). The point of having one is to provide a compelling reason for people to want to do business with you.

2.  Here is a simple exercise that will assemble the key components for a value proposition by prompting you to answer questions about your business.

• What is your core business offering?
• Who do you serve?
• What differentiates you from other competitors?
• What are the specific solutions you provide that will meet your customer's objectives?
• What factual results have you achieved in meeting your customer's needs and wants?

3.  Next, you need to compile your completed responses into a coherent statement.  Here's an example of how to structure a value proposition:

"At XYZ IT, we focus on providing cutting-edge technology solutions to health care facilities and hospitals throughout the Midwest.  The difference we make for our clients is reducing technology costs, increasing the life cycle of technology equipment, and improving the experience of employees and patients at the facilities we serve.  Partnering with us for IT solutions allows our clients to increase profits without sacrificing convenience, affordability, accessibility of information or quality of care. Over the past 10 years we've slashed IT costs by 10% or more in over 100 health care facilities while earning an average satisfaction rating of 9.4 on a scale of 1-10 from our clients."

4.  Make sure that your responses to the questions really delve into the heart of what you offer your customers.  Remember that while you have your own goals, ideals and reasons for being in business, those will seldom align with why your customers will make a purchase from you.  If you don't know what your customers are really after just ask them and find out!  Get specific about:

• What are you really selling?  A perfume is probably not sold based on the combination of floral scents assembled in the formula or the shape of the bottle.  The perfume is truly selling sensuality or confidence.  
• What are the benefits to the buyer?  Let's shift to the example of scheduling software... the benefit of buying and using the software isn't the pretty calendar layout - the tangible benefits are really organization, productivity and control over time.
• Why make the decision to buy (value)?  This is where the rubber meets the road.  Address directly the problem that is driving your customers to you and provide proof that your solution is the best option available.

One of the keys to business success and salesmanship is being able to articulate the value of a product or service to potential buyers in a clear and compelling way.  I've seen many businesses fail that built a great product or delivered a very valuable service, but they couldn't convince customers to invest their hard-earned dollars in a sale.  Take a moment to examine your pitch and make sure that the value proposition you're putting out into the marketplace is worthy of attention.

HELP! I'm An Underperformer.

By: Amy Gallo

No one likes to be an underperformer. It can be embarrassing, discouraging, and bewildering. Yet, many of us have at times failed to meet expectations. The good news is that poor performance isn't incurable. It's possible to turn it around and save your reputation with awareness, a sincere approach, and the right support.

What the Experts Say
"Usually a person doesn't realize that he or she is the underperformer," says J. Richard Hackman, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University and author of Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. Sometimes a boss, teammate, or HR representative will tell you you're not up to snuff, but according to Hackman, it happens less than it should. No matter how your underperformance is identified, by yourself or another, owning up to it is an important first step. "If you're underperforming, chances are that everybody knows it. If everybody knows it, let's acknowledge it because at least then we are all living in the same world," says Jean-François Manzoni, Professor of Leadership and

Organizational Development at IMD International and co-author of The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: How Good Managers Cause Great People to Fail. Once you've done this, follow these guidelines to improve your situation.

Accept and understand it
"We all have an amazing capability for retrospective sense-making, which allows us to rationalize difficulties as 'not my fault'," says Hackman. It's easy to be defensive about not pulling your weight, especially because the underlying reasons are rarely straightforward. There is often a complex set of causes. You may be managed poorly or have inherited a weak team. Whether there is concrete data, such as sales numbers, or consistent feedback from your boss, peers, or direct reports, it's important to balance the information. "For someone struggling, the tendency is to attribute too much to external events," says Manzoni. This is largely because of self-serving bias. For example, you may believe you have a tougher sales territory or a more difficult team.

While those things may be true, there are probably aspects of your own behavior contributing to the failure too. Manzoni recommends taking a hard look at your performance and distinguishing between what you can change and what you can't. Hackman suggests asking colleagues for their input to better understand how you are missing targets. But don't just ask: "How am I doing?"

"It's generally much more constructive and helpful to seek confirmation and disconfirmation of one's own assessment than to ask someone to respond to an open-ended question about one's performance," Hackman says.

Ask for help
"If you're screwing up, you should be open with your boss," urges Manzoni. Many bosses respond better to "I need help" than they do the various rationalizations and explanations that often accompany poor performance. Be concrete about what you ask for. "Others will be more open to helping you if you show them how they can help, and you show them you are taking responsibility for what's in your control," says Manzoni.

Involving others — peers, mentors, even direct reports — can also be helpful. Ask for feedback about how you are performing and advice on how you can improve. These discussions serve two purposes. One, they help you gain useful insight into your own behavior. Two, they also let people know you are working on the issue. If they know that, they are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt in assessing your future performance.

Decide what to focus on
Hackman recommends using a three-part checklist to assess the underlying causes:

1. Effort. Am I putting enough time and energy into the work?
2. Strategy. Am I working smartly rather than relying on routine?
3. Talent. Do I have the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to do my job well?

"Just asking one's self those three simple questions often will surface some concrete things one can do to improve," says Hackman. Use the answers to decide where to focus your efforts.

Restore your reputation
As you begin to turn your performance around, you may realize that your reputation has been damaged. "The most telling and valid signal is whether you are actively sought out for the most challenging and important work, or whether you are overlooked when something comes up that really counts," says Hackman. If this happens, you need to pay careful attention to how you appear to others. "You not only need to perform better, but you need to be seen to perform better," Manzoni says.

Once you've made some progress, share your success with others. Ask for feedback to confirm they see improvements. Hackman recommends saying something such as, "I've been doing some work to improve the degree to which I do X. Have you noticed any changes? Are there additional things you might recommend I consider?" He cautions, "There always is a reputational lag. It will take some time before improvement is noticed, and even more time before people actively seek you out for the important work."

If all else fails, consider a change
There are occasions when you might find it too difficult to restore your reputation. Even if you make objective progress, others may not recognize it as such. It's also possible that you realize that you are underperforming because you are disengaged or uninterested in the work. In both these situations, consider moving on, either to a new team or a new employer. As Hackman says, "Sometimes withdrawing really is the best option."

Principles to Remember

Do:

• Recognize what is in your control to change and what isn't
• Sincerely ask for advice and feedback
• Include others in your improvement efforts so they can see and appreciate your progress

Don't:

• Be defensive about your underperformance and try to blame it on outside events or other people
• Assume that just because you are improving, others recognize it
• Stay at a job where you've become permanently labeled an underperformer

Adaptability: A Prized Skill

"Be ready at any time to make a 180 degree turn in your business."  Emily Spencer

People who have the ability to instigate and manage change are a hot commodity right now.  Why?  More than any other time in recent history (except, perhaps, the Great Depression) corporations rise and fall on their ability to adapt to ever-shifting market conditions and fickle consumer demands.  Individuals who embrace and drive innovation are extremely valuable and enjoy compensation and job security that is envied by the change-averse masses coping with unemployment and under-employment.

What are some core traits of these amazing adapters?

Bold plans.  Adapters and innovators are masters at developing a dream and conveying it to other people in an actionable form.  They create the future through mindful thinking, envisioning a new reality through their own lens and filling it with color and texture.  They assemble players who can implement the vision and they compile data and statistics to back up their concepts.  But they never discount the role of creativity and intuition in the planning process, and that gift allows them to beautifully merge proven approaches with revolutionary ideas to achieve great things.

Market pain.  Adaptation for the simple sake of 'change' is useless.  You have to drive strategic transformations that meet the needs of the unique people who buy your products and services.  Adapters and innovators are adept at rooting out the pain in the marketplace and responding to subtle opportunities to solve problems and make customers feel good.  By listening, soliciting outside opinions, and taking direction from the marketplace, adapters can be crucial to driving wise changes that will generate huge paybacks.

Alliances.  Professionals who embrace adaptation are typically not shy about leveraging relationships and partnerships to get things done.  It harkens back to the old adage "a cord of three strands is not easily broken."  We're always better equipped to make good decisions when we're working with a team of smart people than in isolation.  By valuing diversity and pulling together advocates who understand the business, innovators can be a catalyst to take an entire company to the next level by facilitating collaboration and new ideas.

Saying 'No'.  Adaptive and innovative personality traits go both ways... they don't simply create yes-men for every cutting-edge concept - they also build individuals who are able to stand against the crowd and question the status quo when necessary.  Protecting the best interests of a business venture sometimes requires strong people to say no or force groups to rethink standard approaches to problems.  Adapters unique ability to think outside the box and challenge preconceived notions makes them priceless when a enterprise is sailing into uncharted waters.

Fight.  No, no, no... I'm not talking about people who like conflict for conflict's sake.  I'm referring to individuals who are willing to go to bat for the things they believe are true.  Allowing a team or department to develop a 'herd mentality' is a death sentence for innovation and change.  Adapters simply don't allow that dynamic to develop in the first place, because they stand up for their beliefs, defend their positions in healthy debate, and stick to salient points and lucid arguments to win the day.  The ability to take a leadership role and refuse to be derailed by change-averse peers or subordinates can be the single biggest factor in whether a great idea comes to fruition or gets lost by the wayside.

So, as you peruse this short list of adapter traits, ask yourself, "Do I exhibit these behaviors in my career?"  If not, you might want to try shifting your mindset and approaching your work from the perspective of embracing change rather than fearing it.

Six Keys to Being Excellent at Anything

By: Tony Schwartz (HBR Blogs)

I've been playing tennis for nearly five decades. I love the game and I hit the ball well, but I'm far from the player I wish I were.

I've been thinking about this a lot the past couple of weeks, because I've taken the opportunity, for the first time in many years, to play tennis nearly every day. My game has gotten progressively stronger. I've had a number of rapturous moments during which I've played like the player I long to be.

And almost certainly could be, even though I'm 58 years old. Until recently, I never believed that was possible. For most of my adult life, I've accepted the incredibly durable myth that some people are born with special talents and gifts, and that the potential to truly excel in any given pursuit is largely determined by our genetic inheritance.

During the past year, I've read no fewer than five books — and a raft of scientific research — which powerfully challenge that assumption (see below for a list). I've also written one, The Way We're Working Isn't Working, which lays out a guide, grounded in the science of high performance, to systematically building your capacity physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

We've found, in our work with executives at dozens of organizations, that it's possible to build any given skill or capacity in the same systematic way we do a muscle: push past your comfort zone, and then rest. Aristotle Will Durant*, commenting on Aristotle, pointed out that the philosopher had it exactly right 2000 years ago: "We are what we repeatedly do." By relying on highly specific practices, we've seen our clients dramatically improve skills ranging from empathy, to focus, to creativity, to summoning positive emotions, to deeply relaxing.

Like everyone who studies performance, I'm indebted to the extraordinary Anders Ericsson, arguably the world's leading researcher into high performance. For more than two decades, Ericsson has been making the case that it's not inherited talent which determines how good we become at something, but rather how hard we're willing to work — something he calls "deliberate practice." Numerous researchers now agree that 10,000 hours of such practice is the minimum necessary to achieve expertise in any complex domain.

That notion is wonderfully empowering. It suggests we have remarkable capacity to influence our own outcomes. But that's also daunting. One of Ericsson's central findings is that practice is not only the most important ingredient in achieving excellence, but also the most difficult and the least intrinsically enjoyable.

If you want to be really good at something, it's going to involve relentlessly pushing past your comfort zone, as well as frustration, struggle, setbacks and failures. That's true as long as you want to continue to improve, or even maintain a high level of excellence. The reward is that being really good at something you've earned through your own hard work can be immensely satisfying.

Here, then, are the six keys to achieving excellence we've found are most effective for our clients:

1. Pursue what you love. Passion is an incredible motivator. It fuels focus, resilience, and perseverance.

2. Do the hardest work first. We all move instinctively toward pleasure and away from pain. Most great performers, Ericsson and others have found, delay gratification and take on the difficult work of practice in the mornings, before they do anything else. That's when most of us have the most energy and the fewest distractions.

3. Practice intensely, without interruption for short periods of no longer than 90 minutes and then take a break. Ninety minutes appears to be the maximum amount of time that we can bring the highest level of focus to any given activity. The evidence is equally strong that great performers practice no more than 4 ½ hours a day.

4. Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses. The simpler and more precise the feedback, the more equipped you are to make adjustments. Too much feedback, too continuously can create cognitive overload, increase anxiety, and interfere with learning.

5. Take regular renewal breaks. Relaxing after intense effort not only provides an opportunity to rejuvenate, but also to metabolize and embed learning. It's also during rest that the right hemisphere becomes more dominant, which can lead to creative breakthroughs.

6. Ritualize practice. Will and discipline are wildly overrated. As the researcher Roy Baumeister has found, none of us have very much of it. The best way to insure you'll take on difficult tasks is to build rituals — specific, inviolable times at which you do them, so that over time you do them without having to squander energy thinking about them.


I have practiced tennis deliberately over the years, but never for the several hours a day required to achieve a truly high level of excellence. What's changed is that I don't berate myself any longer for falling short. I know exactly what it would take to get to that level.

I've got too many other higher priorities to give tennis that attention right now. But I find it incredibly exciting to know that I'm still capable of getting far better at tennis — or at anything else — and so are you.


Here are the recent books on this subject:

* Talent is Overrated by Geoffrey Colvin. My personal favorite.
* The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
* Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
* The Genius in All of Us by David Schenk.
* Bounce by Mathew Syed



Tony Schwartz is president and CEO of The Energy Project. He is the author of the June, 2010 HBR article, "The Productivity Paradox: How Sony Pictures Gets More Out of People by Demanding Less," and coauthor, with Catherine McCarthy, of the 2007 HBR article, "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time." Tony is also the author of the new book "The Way We're Working Isn't Working: The Four Forgotten Needs that Energize Great Performance" (Free Press, 2010).

Recession-Era Entrepreneurship

It might seem like a recession would be a terrible time to launch a new business, but actually there are some great arguments in favor of recessionary economies as a prime time to engage in entrepreneurship.  If you're struggling in a sagging job market, ready to change careers, or have a brilliant idea for a new company, right now could actually be a great time to act.

One of the biggest struggles when you launch a new enterprise is controlling overhead costs.  Recessions offer ample opportunities to land a great office, warehouse space or manufacturing site at fire sale prices.  Commercial real estate units see higher than normal vacancy rates (unfortunately, due to other businesses failing), and rent is typically cheaper than the square footage rates you'll see during boom times.  Equipment is another area you realize big savings.  Reasonably priced used equipment, furniture, fixtures and vehicles will be on the market, and pricing for new items is usually highly competitive.  By setting your business up as cheaply as possible and locking in low lease rates long term you can ensure low overhead during your crucial early years.

Talent is another vital component to the start up game.  In order to succeed against better funded, well-established competitors, you have to be able to pull the best and brightest into your company as early as you can afford them.  During a recession good talent is plentiful and inexpensive because people need jobs and are willing to work harder for less money.  If you can draw some key players into your inner circle for a song, they'll be appreciative for the position during a tough time and strive to make your new venture a success.  And, as the economy recovers and the job market eases, you'll ideally be in a position to pay higher wages and sweeten deals for proven performers to keep them on board long-term.

Lastly, recessions place a great deal of stress on existing businesses.  And that stress opens the door for them to make mistakes and scramble, leaving you a prime opportunity to steal their customers.  There is no better time than a recession to capitalize on a dominant market player who decides to cut customer service staff, slash marketing budgets, close locations and generally annoy their customer base.  Their stumble can become your big break, and offer a great chance to snap up customers that would never have switched to your company without a major failing on the part of the known brand.

So, while launching a new venture is never easy and you'll certainly face obstacles, there are some really great reasons to invest your time and resources in founding a new company right now.  When the market is in flux and transition is everywhere - that is the time to make your move.