What's your Z: Thinking Backwards to Move Forward

Right now I am working on my executive MBA, and a colleague asked me recently why I wanted an MBA.  "Because it was there" didn't seem to satisfy him, and I was forced to look a little critically at myself and realize I don't have a very good long term plan.  Yes I want to lead a company someday, and an eMBA offers a lot of the skills that would be helpful.  But as I didn't have a good answer for that question at hand suggests I'm entirely too short-termed focused and need to change they way I approach decisions.
I've always liked the story of One Red Paperclip.  In 2005 blogger Kyle MacDonald bartered one red paperclip into a house over the course of a year.  This is the modern version of the Straw Millionaire of Japanese legend who barters his way from poverty to prosperity.  For me the story isn't about what you start with, but where you want to end up.  I often think too short term, trying to get from point A to point B where the view is a little better or the grass just a little greener (spoiler alert: it's just painted).  I have decided to try a new method, and that is thinking backwards from the perspective of future me.

If you imagine yourself right now, you are a collection of skills, experiences, personality, strength, intelligence, and availability.  Call this state A.  Now think about what you want.  It could be the perfect job, or that hobby you always wanted to get involved with.  That is your Z.  Figure out what your Z is, then work back.  This is also known as Backcasting, and some info (and the borrowed image) can be found here.\

One of my recent business ideas was to start a company to fundamentally change the way we hire and develop talent.  I think the way firms do it now is broken and results in people who are unhappy at their jobs, and companies who are less profitable than they could be (more on that in future posts).  But to do this, my company would need to create a lot of software that doesn't exist right now.  Given I haven't done programming in a really long time, it's very intimidating to think of that all at once.  So break it down, but from the end point backwards.

Z = Successful, profitable company
Y = Turn profit after 1 year, Customers and users happy
X = Product launch
W = Complete 1.0 build
V = Debug
U = Beta launch & testing, open community and begin formal marketing

And so on till you get back to where you are today.  Then, put dates on everything going from now till Z.  By 5/1/15 I want to have B done, by 5/30/15, C, etc.  And for most of these steps, you are going to need some help.  Someone in your network probably has the skills or lessons for you to take advantage of.  This is very off the cuff, and I've never started a software company so use at your own peril.  But the best reason for doing this process?  You will have the hard part (process steps and the timeline) of your business plan done.
If you think about it, your network is very similar to this barter system.  You connect with others, offer advice or consume the advice they offer.  You provide value in the stories you share, the lessons you have learned.  You stay connected and build up credit with them.  And when it's time, you cash in some of that credit during your job search or when you start a business.

Is your Z running your own company like me, a house like Kyle McDonald's was, or something else?  Do me a favor and comment below: what is your Z?

W.

Cross posted on LinkedIn

How To Ask For Recommendations

When you are ready to spice up your profile on LinkedIn to gain your next opportunity, one of the most effective ways is the recommendation.  And one thing many of us are not very good at is marketing ourselves.

There is a large body of work in organizational theory and behavior, primarily focused on marketing and how to sell, about how recommendations from connections are one of the most important piece of data we use to make decisions.  So to impress a potential colleague, having targeted recommendations is key.  For your most recent positions, you should have 2-3 recommendations each.  And ideally, each recommendation should highlight a different key aspect of your performance.  This provides a blanket of skill coverage which any potential hiring manager can find what they are looking for.  Here is the recipe I am starting to follow.

First, potential employers care about what you can do for them, which boils down to your accomplishments.  Answer these four questions (which should be on your profile and resume already):

1. What was the problem?  
2. What did you do?
3. What was the outcome?  
4. How was it measured?

Do this little exercise for every significant problem and accomplishment you had at the firm.  Second, for each one, identify 5-10 people that could provide a recommendation for this accomplishment.  You may need more or less as not everybody will respond.  

Third, send your request for recommendation.  You can do this by editing your profile, and hover the mouse over the down triangle next to the Edit Profile button, and select Ask To Be Recommended.  When you write your recommendation, you want to help your connection out by suggesting the targeted accomplishment or skill you wish them to highlight.  You will have a chance to review their comment before approving, even send it back with suggestions if necessary.  But some suggested highlights to focus on I have found are usually welcome.

Lastly, you need to approve the recommendation.  LInkedIn will send you a note when it is received, and you can approve or reject it at this time.  Don't feel you have to show a recommendation that doesn't show you in the best like.  Send it back, or simply don't put it on your profile.  A lack of recommendations is better than a poor or average one.  Also, don't be afraid to show multiple recommendations for the same targeted accomplishment.  I haven't found this to be a detriment to my profile quality.

The only other thing to discuss is office politics, which play an important role in recommendations.  At one of my prior firms there was a significant culture of fear where my connections said they wouldn't provide recommendations for concern on how the company would view it.  Each situation is individual, but be sensitive to the office politics.  And should you leave the firm for a new opportunity be sure to resend the recommendation request.  That colleague may be more willing after your separation.

Good luck!  And any additional advice or suggestions please comment below!

W.

Learning to Learn: 3 Methods (Part 1 of 3)

One of the biggest barriers to learning is having the confidence and drive to start. We all learn differently and this article won't cover everything, but there are several strategies you can try including a new method I just learned. 

This week I challenge you to pick something you've always wanted to learn, and start learning.  If you're unhappy in your current job find a job you want, look at the requirements, and pick one of those to learn.  And it doesn't have to be only for the office; the first two goals I picked were in sports.

Step 1

First, you need to understand what type of learner you are.  There are many resources online, but a quick free quiz from How to Learn can give you a 2-minute assessment of your style.  If you focus your learning through information channels you prefer, you will be much more efficient .  

Method 1: Dive Right In
For those of us that like to build the parachute after we jump out of the plane, then this method is for you. But you should know the Internet offers a wealth of information for free which may help you avoid costly mistakes and save time and frustration.  I actually learned how to play hockey by watching YouTube videos before even hitting the ice.  This worked for me, slowly, but I think I found a better way.

Method 2: Structured Learning
For some, structuring learning can seem frustrating up front.  Taking the time and effort to plan how you are going to learn seems counterintuitive.  But just like being a Program Manager, if you take the time upfront to set your goals and lay out the process, you can actually save time and effort over the duration.  

On the advice of a colleague, I just finished listening to The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything . . . Fast!  If you can't get over the "I don't know how to start" symptom, this book will give you a framework by walking you through the process of learning something quickly to basic proficiency.  I recommend you pick up a copy at Audible.com or a copy of the book; and you can get it for free with a trial membership at Audible.  And to help you along, the collaborative method is an add-on to either method 1 or 2.

Method 3: Collaborative
Engage your network, chances are one of them either has or knows somebody that has the skills you are looking to acquire.  Their advice is invaluable, and you can get peer feedback on the goals you have set and waypoint corrections as you go.

Go!

Subscribe to this post or comment below on what skill you want to add and I'll either help you or try and find a resource in my network that could mentor you.  Then, come back as you make progress and let everybody know how you are doing.  

Mentor!
Ever want to mentor someone but didn't know how to start?  Drop a comment below with a list of skills you offer.  You don't have to be an expert, the goal here is for your potential mentee to obtain basic proficiency.

W.

PS - This is part 1 of 3 in a skills acquisition series of posts.  Comment or subscribe below to be notified when the second and third part are posted in a few weeks.