Marty Nemko's Blog, page 431

Do Something Big

Might it finally be time to tackle an amazing goal, your
most important accomplishment yet, maybe your first big accomplishment? 




Examples to trigger
your Big Idea

Perhaps these ideas will help you come up with yours:




Truck
adoptable dogs and cats from pounds in regions where there are too many of them to shelters in regions
where there are too few.
Create
a match.com-like website that pairs-up people for activities other than
dating: MentorMatch, Activity Partner Pair-Up, Book Club Maker, etc.
Direct
an after-school play with troubled high-school kids, for example, West
Side Story or Rent.
Mentor
someone who has much unrealized potential.
Write
a book or make a video that says something important in an powerful way. For example, whatever career you've been
in--from clerk to CEO--create something that helps people
in your field to be happier and more successful. Perhaps base it on
interviews with people in the field, luminaries and just plain folks. If
you can't sell your book to a publisher, self-publish on CreateSpace and
sell it on Amazon. If you can't get Steven Spielberg to make your movie,
post it on YouTube.
Start
a charter or private school for an underserved category of students:  kids who hate standard school, ADD gifted kids, whatever.
Invent
something. Example: a robot that would help an elder who fell to get up. 
Create
a Udemy course on what you know: from
business-plan writing to bowling to bargaining.
Raise beaucoup
bucks for your favorite charity. For a list of efficient charities, see charitynavigator.org A new book on how to pick a charity wisely: Reinventing Philanthropy.
Start
a business where there's a crying need, for example, a child care center
where none exists.


Questions to unearth
your Big Idea

What's
been your biggest success so far? What could be a bigger or more important
version of that? It needn't be something you accomplished at work. For
example, if you played in the community orchestra perhaps you might aspire
to conduct Beethoven's Fifth there.


If you
had to give away a million dollars, to whom or what would you give it? For
example, if you'd give the money to the National Abortion Rights League,
perhaps you'd want to be a volunteer coordinator for it. 


Other
than what you've already done, what would you be most proud to say you've
done? 


What societal
problem are you most concerned about? For example, if politicians
frustrate you, do you want to run for office? If you're sick of traffic
gridlock, do you want to join a local transportation committee?


Is
there a product or service you'd love to improve? Let's say you'd like to abet health
care but are intimidated by the problem's massiveness. You might become a patient advocate, helping less efficacious
patients to get the care they need. 


Assume
there's a God. What would God tell you is the most important project He or She put you on this earth to undertake? 


Sometime,s
the most direct approach is best: What's the biggest idea you could see
yourself motivated to tackle?


Succeeding

Coming up with the idea is the easy part. Much harder is developing a plan and especially executing it well. Create your to-do list and get
expert advice and hands-on help as needed. Try to treat setbacks as challenges;
don't give up prematurely. But as Kenny Rogers sang, "You gotta know when
to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em." 
If you have to toss in your cards, take solace in knowing that that gives you an opportunity to play another hand.



Dear reader, I'm thinking about expanding this into a book. If aimed at Boomers, it would be titled, "Your Grand Finale." If aimed at a general audience, it would be titled, "Do Something Big." Think that's a good idea? Suggestions welcome. 

Long-Shot Strategies for Landing a Job

For some reason, I was more uninhibited than usual in this radio interview



It's on long-shot strategies for landing a job. HERE is the link.

Five People You Better Know at Work

Monster.com just interviewed me for 5 People You Better Know at Work. HERE is the link.

The Future of Work: Next-Generation Approaches to Finding a Great Job

On Sep 5, I'm back at the Commonwealth Club of California again, this time as emcee and panel moderator for The Future of Work: Next-Generation Approaches to Finding a Great Job.

 

The panelists will include such luminaries as Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the classic career guide, What Color is Your Parachute. 



 For info and registration, click HERE. 

Finding Small Companies to Work For

It's easier to land a job at a small company but how do you find those in growth mode?



That's the topic of my USNews.com article today.

What Does It Take to Become a Great, Even Beloved Manager or Leader?

On my radio program tomorrow (Sunday, Aug 11 from 11 AM to noon), I plan to talk about what it takes to be a good manager. And to that end, I crafted this mock three-minute talk---what I'd say to my employees upon being named their manager.



Of course, the right talk to give will vary with the
situation but this mock talk embeds what I believe are best practices.





I
want to start out simply by saying I want to do everything I can do to be a
manager you'll respect and who facilitates your being your best selves.




Perhaps
you'll find it useful for me to briefly tell you my philosophy of management. I
believe in treating each of you, not equally, but fairly. You're all
individuals and so you all have different needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Some of you do best with lots of freedom, others with close supervision and
accountability. Some with very specific instructions, while others would
consider that micromanagement. I'll try to flex to meet each of your needs---My
main job is to create an environment that enables each of you to, as I said, be
your best self.




To
that end, I encourage you to let me know your strengths and weaknesses and how
we might tweak what and how you do so you can be your best self. I can't
necessarily expect you to do that if I don't. So, let me tell you about a few of
my strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: I'm good at coming up with ideas and
practical plans for implementing them., and addressing problems. I work hard--You'll
see me here early and late and not taking lots of breaks. I run crisp meetings:
I don't schedule too many, and send tight agendas in advance and keep to them. I
try to have a sense of perspective--recognizing how important something is or
isn't in the largest scheme of things. Weaknesses: I tend to be intense. I
don't expect you to be as driven as I am. Just don't be intimidated my
intensity. I'm harmless---unless you're lazy, hurtful, or dishonest. My other
weakness is that I tend to interrupt. I know it's rude but I can't seem to make
myself stop. I apologize in advance. It's nothing personal.




I'm
aware that most managers say they have an open-door policy and welcome
questions, concerns, and suggestions, but not all managers really do. I really
do. If there's bad news, I'd rather hear it early so there's time to address
it. Sure, if it's a problem that will likely be solved without me, great. But
if I need to know, please tell me. I'll respect you for that.




And
yes, sure, I appreciate self-starters---people who can get the job done without
a lot of assistance but I'd sure rather you ask for help than for you not to
get the job done on time or to get it done but poorly. Talk to me.




To
kick things off, I'm going to meet individually with each of you to hear your
ideas, concerns, and your advice for me in my new role.




Some
of you may wonder how important our work is. After all, we're just a small cog
in a very large wheel here at Amalgamated Distribution Inc. But when you stop
to think about it, we ten people are responsible for ensuring that countless
products get to stores so that people can get the things they need for
themselves and their families. Think of how you feel when you go to a store and
the item you expect to be there isn't there. Our job is to make people happy
and not disappointed. That's important and ethical work. We can go home to our
families every night and feel proud of what we do.




And
on that note, let me reiterate how pleased I am to be your manager, that I
realize that a manager can make a big difference--positive or negative in the
lives of his or her employees, that I take my responsibility to you as well as
to the company seriously and will do everything I can to earn your respect,
make this one of the company's most respected work groups, and to make this a
place you'll look forward to coming to every morning. Onward and upward.

Do We Really Mainly Make Our Own Luck?

My AOL.com article today: Does luck play a bigger role in our success than we acknowledge?



I used to think we mainly make our own luck. I'm no longer so sure.

A Brave Article on Racism, Interracial Violence, and the Media

Click HERE to see a column by Walter Williams that unflinchingly and compellingly addresses issues of racism by blacks and whites, interracial violence, and the media's double-standard in reporting.



It's sad to me that such reasonable arguments are not part of the mainstream discussion. If this column weren't written by a black person, it would likely not have gotten published even in a tiny newsletter.

KGO's Ronn Owens Interviews Me at AT&T Park

On Sep. 4 at AT&T Park, KGO's Ronn Owens will interview me for an hour on career issues as part of Putting the Bay Area Back to Work--a four-hour job fair sponsored by AT&T, KGO, and other corporate and government entities.



If you don't want to attend the the event, it will be broadcast on KGO 810-AM in San Francisco.



The event will run from 10 AM to 2 PM and the interview with me will be at either 10 AM or 11 AM. It's not yet been determined.

KGO's Ronn Owens Interviews Me for an Hour at AT&T Park

On Sep. 4 at AT&T Park, KGO's Ronn Owens will interview me for an hour on career issues as part of Putting the Bay Area Back to Work--a four-hour job fair sponsored by AT&T, KGO, and other corporate and government entities.



If you don't want to attend the the event, it will be broadcast on KGO 810-AM in San Francisco.



The event will run from 10 AM to 2 PM and the interview with me will be at either 10 AM or 11 AM. It's not yet been determined.