Networking Bootcamp - AWRT Event

This morning I attended a very educational event, Networking Bootcamp, put on by the Atlanta Chapter of American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT). The speaker was Debbie Rodkin, Executive Director of re:FOCUS on Careers.

Two interesting things: 1) although I was the only person NOT affiliated in any way with AWRT, they had opened it to the public which I thought was great. Next month they are featuring a meeting on “Reverse Mentoring,” which is where the younger people mentor the older people in technology and social media. What a great idea and I’d love to attend that meeting for the sole purpose of gauging its effectiveness and attendee reactions. 2) The speaker, Debbie, has a full-tie job in addition to her Executive Director job at re:FOCUS. I asked how she managed her time effectively and she said that she averages about four hours of sleep per night. WOW.

Here are some notes I took from this morning:

-show up early, act as a host and greet others coming in. Use the time to mentally prepare what you want to get out of the meeting.
-what is the purpose for being there? For every event you should know why you’re there, who you want to meet, etc.
-small talk: use this to influence the conversation; make it about the other person and have questions ready. A GREAT question to ask in the course of a conversation is “what would be a good referral for you?” I have been asked this a few times recently and it really takes the conversation to the next level and reflects very well on the person asking.
-make conversation about the other person, but talk about topics that interest you too.
-do not be afraid to go up to a group of people who are already in conversation. This is intimidating but can produce great, unexpected results.
-know when to disengage and move along in a polite manner
-having an elevator pitch is extremely important; people cannot help you unless you can clearly communicate what you do
-don’t leave the follow-up to others; be proactive and touch base as soon as possible before life and work get in the way. **** This is a crucial, much-overlooked part of networking****
-be in the know and position yourself as a resource.

To sum up, I attend a lot of events around Atlanta and network quite a bit – I highly recommend this seminar and the useful takeaways that can be applied immediately.

The Future of Organizations: Flexible Hours and Change

Working a 9-5 job? Having to sit in an office five days per week? That is SO last year.

I have been preaching for awhile now that a flexible work schedule and the ability to work remotely is going to be the future. I live it and work it and can praise for days the benefits. The new generation is not going to tolerate the rigidity of the past and talent will be hard to come by as the millennials seek to work in organizations that are flexible and offer work/life balance. As I talk to people I hear more and more that they are being granted flexibility, which is great.

Also, I was reading an article on NCR moving its headquarters to Atlanta. The article was giving some history about the company, and one specific quote caught my eye: “The first 75 years they were ahead of the curve…the last 50, they’ve been chasing.” For the giant corporations that have a lot of history, change is very difficult and slow to implement. The adaptable, nimble organizations of today’s times know that smart, effective change is a must-have. The constant evaluation of business practices is a must. After we emerge from this recession, it will be interesting to see which companies (and people) will be the trendsetters and which will still be lagging behind, struggling to keep up.

Managing Transitions/Company Strategy Meeting

Last Thursday my company held its annual strategy meeting. We brainstormed some great ideas for this year and next and I am looking forward to putting our ideas into actionable steps. Our industry is slowly but surely coming around and there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

One of my favorite parts of the meeting was having Jane Gentry facilitate our meeting. It was a great experience to have a third party motivate, moderate, and direct our strategy sessions and lead us on a few fun exercises. Jane presented to us on a very timely subject - Managing Transitions. It is one of her most sought-after presentations. Here are a few highlights and takeways:

-Many times when a change happens, focus is on the wrong place
-“change” and “transition” are two very different things. Transition is the activity of influence. A change usually means that something will be lost.
-even if a change is positive, people still have to let go of something
-a coach can help a person figure out what they “perceive” they are losing. Perceptions can be very different from reality
-many people get stuck in the “letting go” phase and can be stuck in it for years
-there are 3 main phases when a change occurs: Letting Go, Neutral Zone, and New Beginnings
-to help let go of the old way create a memorial or ritual. Honor and respect the old way to accept the new change
-in a company, high performers are the most at risk because they have the most to lose
-the Neutral Zone provides us an incredible opportunity to get creative and stand out!
-the Neutral zone can be a lonely, uncomfortable place
-Habit inhibits creativity

Much more was discussed but it was very eye opening, as this information is so applicable to life and business. Visually, it helped tremendously to see a picture of the phases and know how to work with people who are in different stages of a transition. I highly recommend reaching out to Jane if you or your company could use some help in this area.

Yowzas – Not a Good Way to Start the Morning

All before 9:00 am, today is looking like it will definitely be one of ‘those’ days. I didn’t realize I forgot my laptop power cord at home until I got into work today. I had approximately 28 minutes of power remaining. On my drive to Office Depot to buy another cord, I wanted to make some phone calls to stay productive and realized I forgot my cell phone back at the office. When I returned to the office, my phone, laptop, and desk lamp weren’t working which could only mean that my wall outlet was tripped. So we restarted every single circuit breaker in the office, causing my boss’s computer to shut down. And then I realized that the button on the power outlet was turned to “off.” Oops…

Article: "To Boost Sales, Check Your Optimism Level"

This recession is certainly the optimal time for a company to really think about, strategize, and sell what sets it apart. I enjoyed this article entitled "To Boost Sales, Check Your Optimism Level." Here is a good excerpt:

Optimistic salespeople take control. They know sales is the greatest profession to be in during a recession. They can meet with mentors who can help them look at another way of doing business in tough times. They can outwork their competitors. They can invest in learning and outsmart their competitor. Optimistic salespeople manage results, not excuses.

Good advice these days as we are ALL salespeople, whether it is in our title or not.

Teambuilding Idea: Volunteer at the ACFB (Atlanta Community Food Bank)

My husband's company, Marcus and Millichap, had a volunteer night at the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) on Tuesday night. There were 30 of us and we had a great time working in the Product Rescue Center inspecting, sorting, and packing food items for the more than 800 partner nonprofit organizations the ACFB serves.

It's very interesting the items people donate - I myself came across 2 rubber chickens, Christmas lights, and every single canned vegetable under the sun. Of course, all items of good quality are welcome and in these days, donations are needed more than ever. All the guys wanted to drive the forklift but thank goodness nobody let them!

This is a great teambuilding idea for any company, and I hope that M&M does it again soon. This is a picture of the happy group (I'm in the pink up front).

Interesting Hospitality Industry Articles...

Interesting news I read this morning...

1. City Tweets to Curb Tourist Drop-Off Good for the city for keeping up with trends

2. Rite Aid Nixes Baltimore Convention. Boo!

3. Second Life's Linden Lab Sells Virtual Realities to Businesses. Maybe the future of meetings, teamwork, and corporate communications?