Winning OR Success?

There has always been a lot of discussing in the leadership and coaching fields about winning. Are winning and success the same things or are they different?

According to DICTIONARY.com, winning are defined as:

1.	to finish first in a race, contest, or the like.

2.	to succeed by striving or effort: He applied for a scholarship and won.

3.	to gain the victory; overcome an adversary: The home team won.

–verb (used with object)

4.	to succeed in reaching (a place, condition, etc.), esp. by great effort: They won the shore through a violent storm.

5.	to get by effort, as through labor, competition, or conquest: He won his post after years of striving.

6.	to gain (a prize, fame, etc.).

7.	to be successful in (a game, battle, etc.).

8.	to make (one's way), as by effort or ability.

9.	to attain or reach (a point, goal, etc.).

10.	to gain (favor, love, consent, etc.), as by qualities or influence.

11.	to gain the favor, regard, or adherence of.

12.	to gain the consent or support of; persuade (often fol. by over): The speech won them over to our side.

13.	to persuade to marry; gain in marriage.

14.	British Mining. a. to obtain (ore, coal, etc.). b. to prepare (a vein, bed, mine, etc.) for working, by means of shafts or the like.

15.	a victory, as in a game or horse race.

16.	the position of the competitor who comes in first in a horse race, harness race, etc. Compare place (def. 27b), show (def. 27).

17.	win out, to win or succeed, esp. over great odds; triumph: His finer nature finally won out.

While there is nothing WRONG with winning, I see it related to wars and battles (military), political contests, sports (at all levels), games (at all levels), fights and arguments. Winning also means there are losers (unless you believe in that “win/win” stuff!).

What about SUCCESS? Is success the same thing as winning? The same source, DICTIONARY.com defines success as:

1.	the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.

2.	the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

3.	a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.

4.	a person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.

5.	Obsolete. outcome.

Seveteen definitions for WINNING but only five for SUCCESS. And yet, there are many more personal definitions for success than there are for winning. Winning means that you did not lose and that someone else – an individual, group, team, organization or entity (such as a country or an army) – lost.

Success can apply to individuals, companies, groups or other entities. At the personal level, success does not have to mean winning. It can related to a state of being, the accomplishment of a goal, it can be financial or inner-related. Successful people sometimes define themselves by what they have done, the title they hold or what possessions they have accumulated. Others define success by experiences the have had, relationships and a condition of being such as heath or fitness. All of these are build around the individual’s definition of a goal or goals (about me) and not based on someone else losing (about them).

Whether is leadership, supervision or organizational strategy and goals, there needs to be much more focus on success and how to achieve it at the individual and group level. The talk of winning can stay on the battlefield, the political sphere and sports arena.

GEORGE F FRANKS III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group – a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Management Consultants. His web site is http://franksconsultinggroup.com.
His e-zine on career and leadership topics is http://careerandleadership.com

Five Steps to Super-Success

Successful people, whether they are in business, government, non-profit or a professional field have five characteristics in common. These characteristics distinguish them from those who are in the middle of the pack. Some leaders have displayed these since their youths. Others have learned them, in many cases painfully, over the years. With drive, passion, hard work – and a degree of luck (i.e. being in the right place at the right time) anyone can be successful.

The common traits of successful people include:

Passion for the current job or profession. Successful people wake up every day exciting about both the challenges and opportunities facing them in the day ahead. There is no “oh it’s Monday!” or “thank goodness it’s Friday”. Most work, in some way, seven days a week and do not clock in/out”. I one way or other, they are always working. Everyday single day brings new challenges and new opportunities for those who have a passion about what they do to make money.

Balance of work, family and other interests. Successful people do put how they make a living first. But they also find ways to weave their family and their interests into the way they make a living. Whether it is traveling with family, supporting a non-profit cause tied in to a personal (and professional) interest or just relaxing on the beach, successful people find ways to integrate work, family and personal interests together in a way that enhances each and is not to the detriment of their professional objectives. You can have it all.

High tech/low tech. There are super successful people who use pencil and paper. There are super successful people who use typewriters (yes, this IS getting more challenging). And yes, there are super successful people who always have the latest notebook computer, cell phone, PDA device and the other latest cutting edge devices. Does one or the other make one more successful? Wit the risk of sounding like a Luddite, I say “no”. What works for you is the right technology. Now there are some fields and some professions that demand a high degree of technological savvy and tools. That is clear. But in other, more entrepreneurial endeavors, the low tech person may be just as successful if not more so than the one checking their email and answering their cell phone non-stop.

People powered. Successful people thrive on other people. Customers, clients, investors, potential clients, employees and others energize successful people. It is difficult to be successful if your idea of a good time is being in your office or even just with a few close associates. Listening to the thoughts, ideas, needs, questions, issues and concerns of a variety of people opens up whole new possibilities for successful people. And they create situations where they can have these exchanges constantly.

Reading and learning. While there are many ways to learn: classes, TV, radio, CDs and other medium, the one that propels most successful people to the top of their field or profession is reading. Most super successful people read constantly. And they do not just read professional journals and reports. They read everything they can get their hands on. They are curious about the world and they see opportunities and tie-ins for themselves in much of what they read. They devour books, magazines, newspapers, journals and just about anything else they can read that serves to expand their mind and their horizons.

Success, while a state of mind, is also a series of behaviors. And the most successful people exhibit these five behaviors consistently. Even if one does not achieve the stratosphere of the super-success, adopting there habits into daily life will leader to a higher level of success and personal fulfillment in the future.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and the International Coach Federation. Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com George's NEW Career, Leadership and Work Life E-zine is: http://careerandleadership.com

Old Men in Coffee Shops

On any week day go to any coffee shop and you will find a relatively new and growing phenomenon. Men age forty and older sitting drinking coffee while working on laptops, talking on cell phones and reading business journals. Who are these men and why are they sitting in coffee shops?

THE SITUATION

The number of men who work for corporations and are over forty who have been either laid-off or forced into “early retirement” has grown every year over the past decade in spite of a robust economy. These men are mainly white and middle to upper middle class. They have at least a college degree if not an advanced degree. They started their careers in a variety of capacities with large corporations but invariably they found themselves in white collar management positions at some level by the time they were age forty. By the 1990’s companies were flattening their hierarchy to be more competitive in a global economy and reduce expenses to improve profitability. The people at the top rarely went. The people at the bottom were either needed or protected by unions or other conditions. The easiest targets were the white collar middle managers. More work could be shifted to those below them. And if they needed to be replaced over time, younger workers could be promoted or hired to do the work at a much cost. At the same time, many companies began outsourcing “non-core” work functions to contractors who also were selected for their low cost approach. And some functions were just eliminated as unnecessary.

The unspoken contract that these middle age white men believed in and worked for was broken when they needed a job and a paycheck the most. They had kids in college, mortgages and many had large debts from chasing the middle class dream. They were told if they went to college, got a job with a “good business” and worked hard, they could count on a job until they retired. They also were told if they did a good job they would slowly advance up the many levels of the corporate ladder. All of these implied promises proved to be false. And they proved to be false when, for many, it was too late to start over at a low paying entry-level position. Those making $75,000 to $125,000 per year in salary plus full benefits plus a pension were now left with no paycheck, no benefits and a gutted pension with too little to retire “early” on.

While much can be said about their options, the more important question is what SHOULD be done to help this great and underutilized resource?

The answers are not always the typical ones: become a consultant, become an entrepreneur or get retrained in a highly technical field. There are already too many consultants going after the same work. And big consulting firms dominate that field anyway. Many of these men went to work for large corporations for the very reason that they were NOT entrepreneurs. Contrary to the current popular myth, not everyone is an entrepreneur. And finally, many of these men studied engineer or programming or accounting while in their youth. Many at age forty plus have no desire to learn the basics of a technical field and compete for those entry level jobs with a twenty-two year old.

So what are the options left for these forty plus white men who have a life-time of business experience and no jobs?

SMALL BUSINESS

There are many existing businesses that make less than one million dollars a year. Most want to grow and be more successful. The functional and organizational skills that these men have developed over the years could be invaluable to helping small businesses succeed and grow. Many small business people have never worked for large businesses. As such they dismiss many of the good – along with the bad – ideas that make corporations operate.

TEACHING

Teaching is another option. In this case I am not talking about walking in as an elementary or middle school general teacher. Rather, the skills in business and functional areas that these middle age former managers developed over the years would be very valuable in a high school business, community college, junior college or professional – trade school environment. The key is to meet the skills and background with the need. And the need is great.

GOVERNMENT

We see in the media on a daily basis who 30-40% of those in government will retire over the next ten years. The professional and functional skills that these unemployed former managers have could be invaluable to the governments of towns and municipalities, counties, states and at the Federal level. Not to displace the people working today. And not in lieu of hiring the new college graduates. But to supplement the work force in roles requiring experience in engineering, accounting, management and administration to name only a few of the many areas of need.

MENTORING

Finally, these is the need for formal mentoring programs that take advantage of the resource that sits in the nation’s many coffee shops in lieu of a corporate office today. They have, without exception, years of experience in business plus many functional specialties. That experience should be tapped to mentor young people, struggling business people and non-profit organizations. There is a very real need to match the skills and the talent with the need in this area.

While there always have been and will be men sitting in coffee shops rather than offices, the number has grown to shocking levels. Steps should and must be taken to identify and channel their skills, experience and motivation into the areas lacking in resource and ability today. Government, small businesses, education and mentoring programs would all benefit greatly from the infusion of their experience and skills.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. His web site is:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
His hot, new career and leadership e-zine is:
http://careerandleadership.com
George can be contacted at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

A Daily Ritual for Success

Some individuals have daily rituals. So do some athletes. But very few businesses have daily rituals to improve the business and drive results. One daily business ritual that has worked for a number of companies and other organizations is the daily meeting or conference call.

“Daily!” I can hear you saying now. Yes, daily. Here is how it works.

First, identify what the most important objectives for the year are. These are usually defined in the business plan. Next see which ones are broken down by month. If they are not broken down by month do so. Then break them down by day – either calendar day or business day depending on the nature of your business.

Secondly, who owns each of the results for the company or organization? There must be an accountable owner. This is the person the Board or the CEO looks to for the delivery of the business result. The second in command for each of these people must be identified also.

Finally, the logistics. What time, where, call in bridge only for those who are not at the primary office location and a format for reading out daily and monthly cumulative results plus related issues.

The call must go on every business day which may be five, six or seven days a week. The most senior accountable owners must be on the call. The only excuse for their not being on the call is being in transit on an airplane, with a customer or sick. Every call, every day will review the result for the previous day, the cumulative result for the month and any significant issues impacting performance. These issues raised must be specific and must be assigned to an owner with a follow-up within 24 hours.

While the daily results review meeting may seem like overkill, it serves to create focus, crystallize accountability, raise the sense of urgency and improve communication across organizations. Try it and let me know how it works for YOUR company or organization.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group – a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. His web site is:

http://franksconsultinggroup.com. George’s career and leadership e-zine is at:

http://careerandleadership.com

He can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

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A Little Bit Extra

Business results like warfare and sports are often based on inches and minutes rather than hours and miles. In other words, a little bit can make a big difference. A little bit extra in each of the key areas of business can make the difference between success and failure on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.

Product Management

While great ideas and innovation are important in product management, so are developing and introducing products on time and within budget. More often than not, new products are introduced to the market late and well beyond their budget. The little bit extra in the area of product management is for each team member to commit to new product launches on or before the target date and within or below the budget.

Sales

Sales are about being in front of the customer with the product or offer at the right time and at the right price. If the customer does not know about the product, he will not buy it. If the customer does not know or see the sales person or account executive, he will not buy it. If the account executive does not follow-up or return calls, the customer will not buy from him. And finally, if the product is does not meet their needs or their allocated budget (they all have budgets) they will not buy it. A little bit extra by each and every member of the sales team in this area will make the difference between success and failure.

Customer Service

Ultimately, we are all customers. And what we want is to be able to reach someone knowledgeable who can answer our question or resolve our problem when we need them (regardless of when that is). Easy access to expertise with ownership for resolution. Sounds simple enough. The little bit extra in customer service is to build it around meeting these very simple customer needs. Resources, tools, processes and training all needs that little bit extra to create and keep satisfied customers who will never want another (car dealer, bank, phone or cable company, etc.).

Management

If product management, sales and customer service do a little bit extra that should leave less for management to do right? Wrong! Management serves many masters: their bosses, the board, the shareholders (if public) and (ideally) the employees. While there are huge debates about who serves whom and why, the truth is that for profit companies exist to generate wealth for either the owners (if privately held) or for the shareholders (if publicly held). The little bit extra is to insure that every day, ultimately every action supports those goals and objectives.

Acting in less time can win a battle. Gaining an extra yard can win a football game. And taking these steps in the areas of product management, sales, customer service and management can turn a business from a market laggard to a profitable market leader. It is a matter of a little bit extra.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Management Consultants (USA). Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:

http://franksconsultinggroup.com

See the new E-zine on career and leadership topics:

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George can be contacted at:

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The Early Career Dilemma

For those who do not jump from job to job during the first several years of their working life there comes a point – usually within the first five years when they have to decide “do I stay here or do I move on”. While gut and instinct are always important, there are other factors to consider when deciding whether to stay with an employer early in the career.

Peers

Look at the people hired a year before you, those hired at the same time and those hired a year after you. Do they have comparable responsibilities? Have they moved from job to job within the company? Have they been promoted? Do they get more or less exposure at meetings and with task forces? If you look to this group and they are ahead of your in any of these categories, then it is time to move on to the other questions.

Geography

Are you happy where you are geographically? If not will the company move you to where you want to be (do they have operations there)? Can you live further away and commute? Can you work virtual office or telecommute? If the answers to these are “no”, then continue with the remaining questions.

Lifestyle

Do your co-workers work 60-80 hours a week all the time? Does that work for you? What is the pay-off for those hours? Does everyone come in early and leave early? Or do they come in late and work late? Do the people at your office socialize together whether via softball, drinks after work, entertaining and bar-b-q's or bowling? Or do people go to work and go home and not associate with those at the office. Regardless of the situation, is it one that reflects you likes, interests and values? That is a vital question.

Challenge

Are you doing the same thing you were hired to do five years ago? How many regular jobs have you had at the company? How varied were they? Have you been trained to do them effectively? Are you on task forces? Are you on committees for business issues? Are you challenged every single day and learning and growing in both expertise and responsibility. These questions say a lot about the company and how the company views you as a resource in the future.

Fit

How does the office environment fit? Is it casual? Is it formal? Is it rigid? Is it flexible? Do you feel like you are in elementary school? Or do you feel like you are in your Dad’s office? In other words is it a good fit for your style, personality and temperament.

Education

Do your peers have the same level of education or more or less? How about your boss and her peers? And how about her boss and her peers? Are you being encouraged to get more education? Have you done so? Are your peers pursuing further education? If you need an advanced degree and you are not pursuing one, it may be trouble. If you have an advanced degree or more and others around you do not have it, you may be seen as overeducated. And finally, if additional education is essential, will the company pay for it?

Travel

Are you a road warrior? Or have you never been beyond the office where you were hired. More importantly, to either extreme or in between, does it fit for you? Do you want more travel? Do you want less travel? Is either going to be the case in the near future? Either too much or too little travel can be early career issues.

Compensation

Compensation includes salary, bonus, other pay such as options or stock, benefits and 401K or other retirement and savings plans. First, look at salary.com for your job and your area. Are you paid within the range? If you are below, then you have an issue. Do the benefits work for your lifestyle? If not, you may have an issue. Are you on commission? Does that work for you? While the amount of pay is important, you need to look at the total compensation and benefit package. Think about your lifestyle and then do some homework in this area.

Beyond the question of peers, a negative response to any one of these categories may be the sign that it is time to move on. While this decision should not be taken lightly, any one of these factors noted above has the potential to trigger great pain and unhappiness in the life of anyone early in their work life.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group – a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Management Consultants (USA). Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com

George’s new E-zine on Career and Leadership topics is at:
http://careerandleadership.com

George can be contacted at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

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George F. Franks, III
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Franks Consulting Group
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gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

How to Love a Job Than You Hate

Work is where most people spend the majority of their waking hours. Not with their family. Not with their friends. Not doing their hobbies. But doing what they want or have to do to make a living. Work. Unfortunately most people are not happy with where they work, who they work with or what they do. And some people hate work. There is hope. You can love work. It is not easy but it is better than being miserable day in and day out.

Hours

What are your work hours? 7-7. 9-5. 8-4. Whatever your “scheduled hours” are, unless you are CEO, you are probably putting in more hours than you are paid for. Start by working your “scheduled hours” and only you scheduled hours. If you find that you need to work more hours you need to step back and ask yourself “why?” if you are not being paid for those hours.

E-Mail

How often do you check your e-mail? Once per day? Twice per day? Hourly? On the weekends? In the evening? Again, unless you are the CEO, if you check your e-mail more than twice per day during each “work” day, you need to ask yourself “why?”

Meetings

How many meetings do you attend per day? Are they all mandatory or can you not pass up the opportunity to be at a meeting. Regardless of what is said about “matrix management”, do not attend a meeting unless you boss tells you to attend it. If someone other than your boss asks (or tells) you to attend a meeting – fly it by your boss first before you attend it. The number of meetings that you attend will drop significantly.

Entrepreneur

Whether you are the mail room clerk or the CEO, do you view the company as your business? How would you run it as your business? Well it is your business. View it as such every day. Make decisions as if it was your business and any expense or expenditure of time was coming from your personal account or wallet. It changes your perspective of the workplace and the company.

Leisure Time

When not at work, are you at work? Do you check your e-mail? Do you call in for voice mail? Do you bring work home? Or do you do other things such as jog, garden, white water raft or collect antiques. How you spend your leisure time is very important. It is a break from work. It is an opportunity to relax and stretch you mind – and body – in a different way than at work.

Co-Workers

Do you love or hate the people you work with? Do you socialize with them? Do you talk to them when not at work? Work is work. Outside of work is for you. Beyond those you need to work with, only spend time with those who share interests, likes, dislikes and views similar to yours. Socializing exclusively with co-workers is like extending the work day into your evenings and weekends. Again, unless you are the CEO, you are not paid enough to do that.

Objectives

Do you have specific performance objectives? If not, do not let the day pass without asking your boss or supervisor for them. Once you have reviewed and agreed upon them, post them above your desk or work surface. Look at them every day. Every time you get a project, are asked to go to a meeting or sit on a conference call ask yourself “will this help me achieve one of these objectives?” If not, skip the activity. This includes so called “special projects”. Only spend time each day on what is going to be covered in your performance review. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Training.

How many days and dollars of training are scheduled for you for the current year? This is something that needs to be specific, scheduled and committed to by your boss or supervisor. The training should tie with both your objectives and also you career goals (short or long term). The response that “it is not in this year’s budget” is unacceptable. If you get that response, see your supervisor’s boss.

Boss

Do you love you boss? Hate your boss? Tolerate your boss? Love, hate or tolerate, she is just that – your boss. She is there to insure that you do a portion of what her boss demands of her. It is not unreasonable to ask to see her objectives and understand how your job fits into her objectives for the year. You don’t have to love or hate your boss. View her as someone tasked to accomplish a job and are the means by which that will be achieved. If you see it as more than that, you are setting yourself up to be frustrated, disappointed or worse.

While following each of these points will not insure that you love your job, they will go a long way to putting your job in perspective and make it much more manageable day-to-day.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group – a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and the International Coach Federation. His web site is:

http://franksconsultinggroup.com

He can be contacted at:

gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Business is War

Much has been written over the years about business. Much has also been written over the years about war. There are many parallels between the two. The more business people from the shipping dock to the executive suite view business as war, the more the spoils of war: success.

The Troops

Armies since ancient times have not been known for selecting the best and the brightest. At times, the bulk of armies were criminals, debtors and drunks. How did these cast-offs of society become armies able to conquer huge areas of the world and win massive battles? Training and discipline. Businesses today are so enamored with the best and the brightest that they seem to forget about the importance of training and discipline. Forget this bunk about baby boomers, gen-X and gen-Y. For a competitive edge, a business would be well served to get good (not great) people and invest in extensive training and that disciplines such as good management, quality and process control.

The Officers in the Field

Battles and wars have been won as much by the officers who are with the troops – such as lieutenants, captains and majors – as by the generals back in their tents and command posts. The officers in the field have the pulse of the people who serve under them. They see the enemy in action. They also see where the orders from above become a day to day reality – including all the things that can and do go wrong. For any military force, the field officers are a competitive advantage. For business too, lower and mid-level supervisors and managers can be a competitive advantage in the same ways as they serve between the troops and the executives. Unfortunately, most businesses have gutted these resources. On a percentage basis, the field and mid-level managers have been reduced more than the workers or the executives in many industries and corporations. As such, these businesses are less attuned to their workers, competition and have few vehicles for relaying the commands (and visions) from the executives above.

Generals

Generals in history have been killed by the enemy. They have been gravely wounded by their adversaries too. Generals have been fired by their superiors – both military and civilian for a variety of reasons. Why are the generals killed? They are up front with their troops. They are gravely wounded. And why are generals relieved of command or fired? For not meeting their objectives. Often this comes down to not meeting AN objective. Generals are expected to not only provide visions, missions and values – they are expected to lead their troops. And they are expected to WIN battles and wars. Those who do not effectively lead their troops and who do not win battles are replaced by others. The same should take place on a day-to-day basis in business. The executives who demonstrate they cannot effectively lead their people, who cannot meet their objectives, who cannot win new business over the competitors should be relieved so others can step in and drive success.

Technology vs. People

The rock. The axe. The arrow. The spear. The crossbow. The gun. The machine gun. The bomber aircraft. The rocket. The missile. The nuclear bomb. Technology has changed warfare of the ages. But there is one constant - people. In spite of all the innovations and technology, wars cannot be fought without people. That even applies to the most extreme and obscene form of warfare – nuclear war. Men and women must be recruited, uniformed, trained, trained more, armed, led and put in place with a mission and specific orders to each perform their own small task within the vast machinery of war. Businesses today are enamored with technology – both as products and as tools. And yet the basic elements of business have not changed. Even on the internet. A business is only as good as their people – even in the most technical sectors. In fact, as technology expands into the products and tools of all forms of business, people become even more important. They must be trained, led, motivated and rewarded – constantly for businesses to grow and be more competitive.

Strategy vs. Tactics

In war, civilians and military leaders develop winning strategies. The winning strategies are translated into tactics. The tactics are executed at the operating level on the ground, in the air and at sea. The tactics are used to win battles and ultimately wars by the troops and their officers as they face the enemy day in and day out. Strategy is important in winning wars. So are tactics. And so is execution. All three are required to be victorious in battle and in war. So why do business spend so much time developing strategies and then spend little effort on developing tactics. Then they wonder why something always falls short in the execution. In business, as in war, all three are important. Businesses must learn to balance resource and focus to insure that strategies play out in the day-to-day tactics and that the tactics are then executed with precision.

Battles and wars have gone on since the beginning of time. So has business and commerce. While warriors have learned to be more effective at their art, businesses have often grown stale due to technology, egos and the latest fads in management. If business people became more like warriors, workers would be better led, leaders would be more accountable and ultimately businesses would be more successful against their competitors.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting, leadership coaching and speaking practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation, the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the Company of Military Historians.

George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com

Revenue: That Extra 10%

Business people often talk about given an extra ten percent. But how often do they talk about getting an extra ten percent? With some extra effort, you can turn your business planning process into a way to bring in any extra ten percent of next revenue each year.

Business as Usual

Develop the business plan with the usual rigor. This includes: market, competitors, new products and offers, take rates, pricing, discounts and other assumptions such as sales and distribution channels. Use these steps and processes to develop the gross and net revenue projections for the upcoming fiscal year. The process needs to not only involve planners but also line organizations responsible for delivering the results.

The Extra 10%

Once the business plan is complete including all the assumptions and strech for year over year growth the plan must be reviewed and approved by management. This being done, it is up to the senior leader or the senior planner to overlay an additional ten percent NET revenue on top of the total projected revenue for the upcoming fiscal period. The new uplifted figure must go back to the planners and line management team to relook every assumption and data element in the plan to achieve the high net revenue figure. Nothing less is acceptable.

Approval

After the business plan has been developed by the planners and line managers it much be reviewed by senior management. While nothing less than the ten percent uplift or overlay is acceptable for net revenue, even so every assumption in the plan must be tested and challenged. After a complete review of the plan, all line and planning senior management must approve it. If agreement cannot be reached on any of the assumptions of resulting revenue figures (by product and sales channel), then the plan must go back to those who developed it to reconcile any open issues. The importance of buy-in and complete alignment on the plan cannot be stressed enough.

Business planning is more than an annual exercise. It is the fundamental building block for future revenue in any business. Organizations must do more to challenge assumptions and go beyond "stretch" objectives. A ten percent additional net revenue growth exercise on top of a stringent business as usual plan is one excellent way to accomplish this goal for any business.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting, leadership coaching and speaking practice. Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George can be reached at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Mature Workers: An Undervalued Resource

Look at any business magazine or journal. You will see that the vast majority of “movers and shakers” featured are under age 50. Increasingly they are in their 30s and 40s. Why? Are those the real movers and shakers in the world of business? The fact is that corporations and large businesses, for the most part, value employees under 40 the most. By the time employees are in their 40s they are either executives or on they are not. Those who are not executives or at least on the executive track are viewed as being on the “pre-retirement track”. Most companies will do all they can to displace those employees with younger (and almost always cheaper) employees. Layoffs, early retirements and reorganizations confirm this fact time and again. So why should companies value mature workers?

Stability

Mature workers are often more stable in terms of their life style than their younger counterparts. Dating, job hopping, babies and post-college drinking binges are less likely to consume them during and after working hours. Workers age 50 and over view work as work and not source for dates or other social activities. Additionally, by age 50 most workers are established in their communities and are less likely to leave for greener pastures. While this is often seen as a negative, it should be viewed as a positive.

Teamwork

The vast majority of workers age 50 and over have extensive experience working as part of a team at work. Most have worked as part of many formal and informal teams. The more experience a worker has being part of teams, the more effective they are in the ever-changing environment where there are new formal and informal teams established daily. Mature workers are less likely to want to “show boat” but rather understand the value of everyone’s contributions to the team effort.

Flexibility

Since the early 1970s, the workplace has undergone huge social and technological changes. The generations age 50 and older have lived through all those changes. That has required and instilled in them a high degree of flexibility. Reorganizations, consolidation, flattening of organizations, computers, new technologies, recessions, go-go years and globalization have all forced great changes in the workplace and no generation since the Industrial Revolution has experienced that change more than the mature workers of today. Working through all those changes has enabled them to not only accept change but to embrace it.

Perspective

The more mature workers are, the more likely they are to have worked directly or indirectly in functions beyond their current primary one. Most younger workers in sales know sales. Or in accounting know accounting. Or in engineering know engineering. Mature works age 50 and over have perspectives beyond their current functions. Mature workers in sales may have engineering experience. Mature workers in accounting may have marketing experience. Or mature workers in engineering may have sales experience. The more functional and careers experiences employers have, no matter how “dated” they may seem, make them more valuable employees today.

Balance

Businesses today often hyper-focus on near term results. Employees over age 50 have experience 25+ years of business. That is over 100 quarters. Or 300 months. And more than 1300 weeks. There is a tendency on the part of younger workers to view every day, week and month as a crisis of results. There is nothing wrong with urgency. But urgency has to be balanced with the longer term. Businesses must balance short and longer term results. The ability of mature workers to see beyond the near term is one of the great strengths of their longevity in the workplace.

Expense

Finally, the media often talks about the expense of mature workers. Paid more due to their seniority and longevity. More vacations (sometimes). More medical expenses (sometimes). This is a fallacy. The turnover of younger workers, jumping from job to job for better offers and greener pastures costs companies much more overall than do mature workers. Also most mature workers put in as many, if not more, hours as their younger counterparts. When viewed on a total cost perspective, high turnover – high absence younger workers cost companies more overall than mature employees.

Business is about results. When all things are considered, companies are operating from emotion and conformity in their treatment of workers age 50 and over. The benefits that mature employees bring to the workplace including stability, teamwork, flexibility; perspective, balance and lower overall expense make mature workers a competitive advantage for any company or organization. It is amazing how few companies and organizations have taken steps to leverage that advantage to-date.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting, leadership coaching and speaking practice.

Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com

George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Summer Time is Personal Development Time

People think of summer as a time to leave work early, take vacations, visit the beach and read a good book. Summer is good for all those things. But it is also the perfect time of the year for evaluating your professional life and addressing areas in need of personal development.

Evaluate

The first and most important step is to evaluate where you are versus your career and professional goals. Are you on track? Falling behind? Ahead of your peers? These apply not just to titles and compensation but also experiences and responsibilities. Where to you see yourself in a year? Five years? Are you on track to meet those career goals? If not, identify, as specifically as possible, the gaps and what steps you must take to address the gaps.

Education

Education, whether a college degree, an advanced degree or a professional certification is one of the most common gaps identified during the evaluation process. Young professionals and junior executives are often too busy and put off taking on additional coursework. This is a huge mistake. If it is not done early in the career it is never done. And bosses and more senior executives not only are forgiving when the educational work is taken on by workers early in their careers, they often cut them some “slack” in terms of their day-to-day workload to off-set it. Find a program, register for it and start in September. If too late for September, register for the winter program.

Skills

Everyone has skill gaps. Whether it is technology, writing, public speaking or analytics and financials, evaluate your specific areas of skill deficit. Summer is an excellent time to take classes, do reading or on-line work to fill in those skill deficits. Summer is also a good time to practice your newly enhanced skills at the workplace.

Reading

Professional journals and books abound. Find those that are most directly related to not only where you are today but where you want to be professionally in five to ten years. Read all you can at the professional and technical level. White papers on professional topics are always good to have in your arsenal of knowledge for meetings too. Find out what the movers and shakers who are above you in the organization are reading. Read those books and journal and then read others in addition to those.

Networking

One of the biggest mistakes that employees of corporations and large organizations make is failing to network OUTSIDE of their company or organization. During the summer, make the time to find the top professional organizations in you field and geographic area. Many are less active in the summer but still look for new members. Talk to colleagues and also search on-line. Belonging to one or two top local professional organizations is a smart move by establishing yourself outside of your company or organization in additional to expanding your professional knowledge.

Mentor

Everyone needs a mentor. Whether you are in the mail room or the CEO's office. Find someone inside your company or organization who has more experience and is at least two levels above you (if you are the CEO, you already have mentors). Ideally the personal should work for the same company or organization although they may be in the same field or profession and work elsewhere. Summer is an excellent time to find and establish a mentor relationship. Be candid about your goals and objectives and what you are looking for from your mentor. Experience, candor and “chemistry” are crucial for the relationship to be productive.

Special Projects

Most businesses and organization have too much work and too few people due to vacations during the summer. It is an excellent time to volunteer for additional work outside of your area of expertise. The goal is to gain additional professional experience and exposure to more executives and other contacts. Business planning, new marketing plans or new product launches are all terrific opportunities for meeting these goals. But remember that special projects are almost always in additional to rather than in place or the normal day-to-day responsibilities and workload.

While other co-workers are relaxing on the beach or fishing at the lake, you can more effectively prepare for where you want to be in five years. Effectively use the opportunities provided by the different pace of the workplace during the summer to your professional advantage.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting, leadership coaching and speaking practice. George has over 25 years of experience with businesses of all sizes globally plus non-profits and other organizations. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation.

He can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com

The Formula for Success in Leadership

The best leaders I have met over the years have had several traits in common. Those aspiring to become leaders in business, government or other organizations would be well served to review these and take them to heart.

As quaint as it sounds, there is no substitute for hard work. The most successful leaders I have encountered worked hard at the beginning, middle and ends of their careers. They got in early. They left late. They took on additional responsibilities. They welcomed special assignments and task forces. They did not look for the easy jobs or to pass off the challenging tasks to others. Hard work is the foundation for success in leadership.

There are lots of generalists in all professions. The difference is when the generalists have built up their general knowledge of their profession as a result of being experts in whatever area they were working in at the time. Great leaders learn everything they need to know to do their current job and more. As they move on to the next job they do the same thing. They do not stay put for the most part. They build a portfolio of being expert in many areas within their profession. While it may be possible to “get by” through just knowing enough, the true leaders who are successful learn all they can in each job.

There are many egomaniacs in the world of business, government and other professions. While they may get most of the headlines and other media coverage, they are not the great leaders of our time (or any time). The greatest and most successful leaders are selfless. They approach problems for the best solutions. They do not care who gets the credit. In most cases, they direct the credit and the attention away from themselves and to others. This process serves to make teams and organizations more effective and more successful in turn.

Leaders young and not-so-young need mentors. A mentor is not just someone who can pull the leaders along by way of their coattails. It is someone who listens, provides advice, points out the “landmines” along the way and can tell the bad along with the good. Every great leader has had a mentor. Many have several mentors throughout their professional lives. The mentor a leader has at the beginning of their career may not be the mentor they have at mid-careers or as a successful senior executive or professional. The key is to find someone who one respects and who is willing to take the time to build a mentor relationship.

Everyone makes mistakes and has disappointments. Successful leaders in business, government and the professions accept their shortcomings, learn from their mistakes and move on. Those who dwell on mistakes or are so cautious as to rarely have missteps are unlikely to become great leaders.

The topic of personal balance has been overdone by the media and in professional literature. Most successful people are, at face value, hyper focused on their career goals or their profession. But once this is pealed back, most of them are people with varieties of interests. They take time to exercise and participate in sports. And their families and friends are quite important to them, even if the time they have to spend with them is limited. Those who can “have it all” are rare, but the most successful leaders to find ways to balance their professional lives with their personal interests, their health and fitness plus the role of family and friends.

The model of the successful leader is a dilemma today. Do we look to political leaders? Do we look to CEOs? The industrial titans of the past? The great leaders from military history? By reading biographies of the great people past and present, future and current leaders can gain insights into how they can become better and more successful leaders. Readers see time and again the roles played by hard work, expertise, humility, mentors, resilience from failures and balance.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:

http://franksconsultinggroup.com

Is It Time to Look For a New Job?

Whether working for a company or organization for a year or decades, it is always difficult to decide when to move on to another employer. There are certain signs that any individual can look for around the work place. While may of these seem like common sense, others are more subtle and are just an important, if not more so.

Time in the job

Consider how long you have been in the same job with the same title performing the same function. If it is longer than twenty-four months and a new job for the same employer is not pending, then it may be time to look for a new job. Consider changing jobs within a company or organization every eighteen to twenty-four months. Anything longer labels you as a “lifer” in the role.

Promotion

Are others around you in similar roles and organizations getting promoted and you are not. Ask yourself why. If they have similar functions, skills and background and they are getting promoted about you, it is time to move on.

Raise

Even though it is one of the last taboos, raises and bonuses are important indicators of who is valued and who is not. If others are getting raises and bonuses and you are not, it is time to change jobs. If others are getting larger raises or bonuses than you are, then it is time to move on too. Bosses make lots of excuses and reasons for disparity in pay treatment. Do not let these stories persuade you to stay in place. Follow the money as they say.

Ranking

Many organizations now rank employees within departments, divisions or other teams and work groups. If you are not ranked number one or two – then it is time to move on. The money and the promotions will always go to the top people. Being in the middle or the bottom just means you have a job – and only for the present.

Appraisal

If the six month or annual appraisal is anything but glowing, then it is time to move on. Most bosses are even more generous in performance appraisals than they are with raises and bonuses. As such, if the appraisal does not have you walking on water, then you are less than valued in your current role.

Training

Most companies, organizations and businesses have annual training budgets. If you are only getting the minimum or the mandatory training, then it is time to move on. If you are being offered extra training or special executive training, this may be a good sign when balanced with the other points raised here. Similar to ranking, extra and special training is a sign that you are valued and being developed for beyond the current job or role.

Business Trips

While business trips are often less than they are show as in movies and on television, companies and organizations usually only send the best people to meet with customers and executives. Travel is also a sign of value. If others in your department or team are traveling and you are not, ask yourself why. This too may be a sign that it is time to look for a new position.

Recognition

Beyond pay, bonuses, appraisals, travel and training, recognition is important. When was the last time you got a plaque, a certificate, a letter from one of the top leaders in the organization? If the answer is you never have or it was so long ago that you cannot remember, and then it is time to move on. If what you do is valued in your mind but is not recognized and rewarded, it is time for a new job.

Meetings

While not the sign of prestige that they once were, important meetings are an opportunity to shine in front of peers, bosses and executive leaders. Are you included in the important meetings or told not to bother to attend. If you are told to just do you work and others will attend the important meetings then it is time to look beyond your current job.

Development Programs

Most companies and organization have programs for future executives – for the “jet jobs” or “fast tracks”. If you have been with a company less than five years and you have not been asked to participate in one of these you need to know why. And if the answer is that you were not selected for it but others were, then it is time to look elsewhere.

Promotion List

Companies have “bench strength” also call leadership continuity programs. If leader A is gone then B is ready to step into her shoes. If you are not slated to slip into someone’s position by way of a succession plan after at least two years with a company or organization, then it is time to move on. Again, this is something to talk with your boss or supervisor – or her boss or supervisor – about.

The hard reality of work is some people move up the ladder. Other people stay put. And still others are the first to go when there are budget cuts and reorganizations. Take steps to make sure you are always in that first category. That will not always mean staying where you are working currently. But it will mean that you are taking care of NUMBER ONE – and that is the most important thing in any job or occupation.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com

International Business Success

There is a lot of talk today about being “global”. What does global mean? A person of the world? Every country is as different. So is every locality and city or town. The skills a business person needs to be successful in international business go beyond being global. While not comprehensive, this list based on over a dozen years of international business experience should help.

Travel

For the international business person, travel is a way of life. Long distance air travel can be especially brutal. The best advice is to arrive one day before any important meetings or conferences to adjust to any time difference. In the air, eat, sleep, work and read but do all in moderation. Air travel gluttony is common among international travelers. The on thing you cannot do is exercise on an airplane.

Lodging

Stay where your host, whether a local office or a client recommends. While cost is a consideration, so is safety, convenience to meeting locations and services provided. This is the home away from home so chose it with care.

Meals

Eat in moderation. Business travel is not the time to make up for every diet that one has ever been one. There is the temptation to eat more than usual. On the other had, when with people who live locally, whether colleagues or clients, ask what they recommend when dining together. Apart from allergies, one should be open to eating local cuisine.

Drinking

Some cultures drink more than Americans. Some drink less. And some not at all. The best advice is to drink in moderation or not at all. Similar to eating, international business travel is not the time to beat ones college drinking record. It is not healthy and it is insulting to clients and colleagues.

Dress

Most American business people, even after the business casual trend, still dress much more casually than business people internationally. Find out from local colleagues or even clients what attire is appropriate. If you do not know, dress in traditional business attire (suits for men and for women). This can always be dressed down if appropriate. Dress like you mean business but more importantly, dress appropriately. The same applies to evening dinners and functions outside of business hours.

Meetings

Be at meeting early. Do not leave until the meeting is over. Even if others leave to take calls, do not do so except at scheduled breaks. Eat in moderation if lunch is brought in. Do not drink too much coffee but bottled water is good. Clean up after yourself after the meeting. And do not sit in the meeting with your laptop and read your email. That is rude. Do make sure you bring plenty of business cards. Introduce yourself to everybody. Do not interrupt, raise your voice or swear. If you have other calls, schedule them for the evening when not meeting with the clients or your colleagues.

Recreation

In the evenings it is common to have dinner with clients or colleagues. After dinner is often a time to relax, exercise and catch up on some work before the next day. If staying over a weekend or taking a day off, visit local historical sites, museums, cultural events and also shops and restaurants. Staying in the hotel doing work is not healthy and it does not make one more internationally-minded or cultured.

Communication

Find out how your clients and colleagues prefer to communicate when not face-to-face. E-mail is common today. Conference calls are important too. Video conference calls can be very effective. Snail mail and faxes are less and less common today but are still necessary from time-to-time. Keep all communications clear, crisp and to the point. On international conference calls, listen more than talk. And do not interrupt. Ever. Take notes or minutes and make sure they are distributed within one business day of the call. Never e-mail jokes, gags, anything obscene or off-color. Do not swear or raise your voice on calls or video calls. Listening and patience are valued in most non-US cultures.

Language

While most non-US business people speak 2-4 languages most from the US speak 1 or perhaps 2 and not well. To this end, speak clearly in English. Be patient if asked to repeat or explain. This is especially true on conference calls. It is acceptable to pick up local words or phrases. Make sure they are appropriate and that they are pronounced flawlessly. Do not make a joke out of local words or phrases. This is insulting to clients and local colleagues.

While business has a lot to do with finance, technology, human resources, research and development and law, it has more to do with people than anything else. To that end, doing business internationally is about people. By traveling and working with dignity and respect for customers and local colleagues, one is taking the first step toward the extensive skills needed to be successful in international business.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Management Consultants (USA).
George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George's web log is: http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com

New Employees: How to Treat Them Right

One of the biggest challenges for any supervisor or manager is dealing with new employees. While new employees range from chronic underachievers to future CEOs, the essential activities for the supervisor are the same. Every good supervisor needs to focus on training, objectives, feedback coaching, more training and career development.

Training

Just because an employee has a college degree, a CPA, an MBA or other academic or professional credential does not mean they are trained to do a specific job. One of the first roles of a supervisor is to insure that the people on her team are trained. Some training is common for all employees such as general administrative practices. Others are specific to a technology such as a system or a tool. Finally, there is training that is role specific. It is the responsibility of every supervisor to insure that each employee is trained in each of these areas. It is best to set expectations before training, to follow-up after training and then to review how the training is being utilized after the employee has had an opportunity to use it in the job.

Objectives

Management by Objectives (MBO) appear to be making a strong comeback after a number of years in disfavor due to other management philosophies and motivational tools. It is up to every supervisor or manager to insure that her employees have objectives. The objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. The objectives need to be reviewed with the employee by the supervisor. The employee should have an opportunity to provide input and ask questions about the objectives. Finally the employee and the supervisor should each have a copy of the objective document.

Feedback and Coaching

Timely and candid feedback is one of the most important things a supervisor or manager can provide an employee. While formal feedback on performance against assigned objectives is essential, day-to-day feedback based on work activities and actions is even more vital. The supervisor must note not only what the employee is doing wrong, but also what the employee is doing right. And in the cases where the employee is doing job functions right, it is up to the supervisor to explain how to perform even more effectively. Feedback and coaching by the supervisor should be constant and done with the goal of overall performance improvement.

More Training

Observation, feedback and coaching will always identify the need for additional training. Whether to re-train areas of weak performance or to increase skills and proficiency in areas of strength (and business need), training is a process and not an end in itself. As employees are on the job longer, their training shifts from organizational and functional basic training to more in-depth functional training. Over time, broader cross-functional and managerial training are in order. The top performers are in line for specialized programs including those designed for future leaders often called “fast track” programs and the executive educations programs offered by many of the top business schools. A key point with training beyond that offered initially is that there is no such thing as “one size fits all”.

Career Development

Last but certainly not least for the supervisor or manager of the new employee is career development. While there has been much in the business press about career self-management, this reality does not relieve the supervisor or manager of her responsibility. Formal discussion periodically – at least twice per year – should be focused on the current job, the employees desired next position, the needs of the business, skills and other requirements for the next job and where the employees sees himself in several years. By supervisors having these discussions they can be prepared to provide input into training budgets, course openings, and vacancies inside and outside of their department and leadership succession plans.

Supervisors and managers often clamor for new and talented people. Among the pool of new people can be the future leaders of the business or organization. It is up to the supervisor to launch the new people on a successful path through a combination of training, objective setting, feedback and coaching, more training and career planning. While new employees can be time consuming for the supervisor, the skill, energy and commitment they bring to the workplace are vital for growth and innovation.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Management Consultants (USA).
George can be reached at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George's web log is: http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com

The Most Critical 30 Days

A new job is always traumatic, whether just out of college, graduate school or a veteran of the working world. As traumatic as it may for the new employee, this is a period when opinions and judgements are made in the workplace. These judgments are made based on observations and the comments of others by co-workers, the immediate supervisor, the supervisor’s peers and those in senior management above the supervisor. What the new employee does – or does not do – during the first thirty days can have a huge impact on all aspects of the job well beyond that short period of time.

When to Arrive at Work

Arrive the first day at the time the supervisor or Human Resources communicate officially. After the first day, arrive earlier than you are expected. Use the time to check e-mail and get organized for the day.

What to do at Work

Do everything the supervisor expects (whether they are “to do’s” or performance objectives). If any opportunities arise to participate in a task force, special study or volunteer to assist at a work-related event, do it. The military maxim “never volunteer” does not apply in the work place. Make sure those tasks assigned are done 100%, by no later than the date assigned and that the supervisor thinks you did them effortlessly – even if you had to stay up all night or work all weekend to complete them.

Lunch

If coworkers go to lunch in a cafeteria, join them. Conversation there will be more enlightening about work and the company than any meeting or conference. If coworkers go out to eat together, join them if money is not a concern. If money is a consideration, join them at least once per week. It is OK to bring lunch, just do not eat it by yourself at your desk. East with those who are at your level in the workplace or above (I know this sounds awful and snobbish but follow it anyway).

Attire

Many articles have been written about what to work – including several by this author. Dress professionally. Look to those of the same gender one or two management levels above you. Do not dress to fit in with your peers. See who is admired and viewed as being on the fast track. Dress similarly but not identically to them.

Conversations

Everyone is going to what to know everything about your personal life: your spouse, kids, boy or girl friend, hobbies, college, etc. The less you tell about yourself the better. You have a clean slate. Use that clean slate to build a great story about you as a business professional on the way up.

Work Space

Whether assigned a desk on the floor, a cubicle or an office, the work space speaks volumes about the worker. Keep it clear of clutter, neat and professional. Nothing cute. Nothing that evokes bad habits or wilder days in the past. Keep that for home. The office should tell everyone that you are efficient, serious and at the office to work.

Fitness Center

If the office has a fitness center, use it. Similar to the cafeteria, there is some great networking about the office in the fitness center. Ideally you want to go before working hours or after working hours – and not during lunch. People of all levels are friendlier and let their guards down while working out and in the locker room.

Professional Organizations

Find out what the most popular and powerful professional organizations are for your function at your company. Ideally the organization will not be overpopulated with people from your company. The goal is to expand professionally beyond your company but within your geographic area.

Out of Hours Activities

Out of hours activities range from softball to bowling to drinking at a local watering hole. Similar to attire, see what those one to two levels of management up get involved in. Also see what those identified as “on the fast track” do after hours. In all likelihood these people work later at the office rather than engage in any of these above noted after hours activities. Unlike lunch and the fitness center, these activities are usually of limited value in the work place.

Days Off

Even in the unlikely event that you are allowed vacation days during the first thirty days, do not take them. No matter what. Do not take any sick days either. Become a fixture at the office from day one.

The End of the Work Day
Observe when others leave. Consider their responsibilities and management levels. No matter what, stay a little later than your peers. First of all, your supervisor may need something. Everyone else will be gone and she will know she can count on you. Secondly, there is a tendency of more senior business leaders to observe who leaves when. Staying later than others puts your face in the category of those who “are committed”. Make sure they quickly tie that face with a name. Do not pull all nighters. If you need to pull all nighters just to get on board with a new job, your supervisor will question what you will need to do when a real crisis hits and extra hours a required to deliver the big project.

Reading

Outside of the office, read everything you can find about: the company, the leadership, the market, the competition, the products and anything else in professional journals to keep you at least one step ahead of your peers in the office. You will quickly be viewed as an indispensable expert.

New jobs are a challenge to anyone whether young or older, experienced or freshly minted MBA. What one does in the new office environment during the first thirty days sets the tone for the entire time in that office and with that company. While there is no easy road to success, following these points will go a long way to creating the image that supervisors and senior executives look for to identify those on the “fast track” to promotion, more responsibility and increased compensation.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation.
George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com/