Doing something original or new can set you apart from others; win you praise and a feeling of success achieved.
I use the word feeling because this might be the only thing that you will experience if you’re not prepared for the trial phase which your original idea goes through in order to become successful.
This is doesn’t mean I don’t want people to be successful. This is what happens naturally when success is what you seek from innovation.
When your idea/innovation is appreciated for the first time its success among a small audience—the first people who understood the innovation and praised you for it—might give you a false perception that you’re ready to present it to the Large Audience. Be careful, this is the first major risk.
If you were complimented in a small environment such as a small business, or even inside a department, you’ll have to consider some adaptations before taking it further to a larger setting.
And when making changes you run a second major risk—of losing the initial originality and eureka moment which led you to your first success.
If you have an original or innovative idea you should be ready for criticism when presenting it—be it at the company, college or your community. And the larger the audience the harsher and more diverse the criticisms will be.
To be successful when implementing an original/innovative idea, consider the following process:
1) Learn and maintain the essence of your idea. When considering further changes the essence should not vanish and lose its proposed innovation;
2) Make tons of mistakes—as long as they’re new mistakes. This is part of the creative and improvement process.
3) Consider the largest and most diverse number of opinions when testing the application of your idea, in a way mirroring the existing variety among the population targeted by your conception;
4) Resilience should be a major consideration. Introducing new ways of doing things always makes other people feel uncomfortable and anxious. You should always be ready to face them.
Even after following all different sorts of guidance and surrounding yourself by the best experts you’ll fail. Not always, but many times. Daring and innovating has a price. Ask yourself—before you set out—if you’re really willing to pay for it.
And if you are, you might achieve great success. There are countless examples of innovative professionals who have been through tough times even before reaping the rewards of their boldness and innovation. Even the famous Eike Batista has failed a few times (an off-road car manufacturing plant, a cosmetic company, an express shipping business...) before becoming a reference in the business world.
If you have an idea that you think is promising, go ahead! Apply it! Be it in your area, the company you work for, or even in your own business—have you considered opening your own business? No matter how old you are or what you’ve done in the past. Paraphrasing the late Chico Xavier* , although no one can go back and make a new beginning, anyone can start now and create a new ending.
*Chico Xavier (April 2, 1910 - June 30, 2002) was a popular medium in Brazil's Spiritism movement who wrote 412 books, ostensibly using a process known as "psychography.” His work helped to establish Kardecist Spiritism as one of the religions professed in Brazil (see more)
12/27/10
12/3/10
Learning how to be led is as important as knowing how to lead
Leadership is almost an overused term in the world of Human Resources. There are leadership development programs, future leader trainings, innate leadership discussions, etc.
But leadership concepts taught in academia are not always easy to apply in a globalized world and increasingly frequent matrix structures. The more senior the role you occupy in a company the more people you need to report to directly or indirectly. In plain English, as your leadership role increases so does the number of “bosses” you accumulate.
There are regional reports, practice reports, business unit reports, product-based reports, and many more.
In such contexts sometimes we lead and sometimes we are led. But we’re not led by only one boss but many leaders simultaneously. And in order to navigate through this new professional scenario one must know how to be led.
Knowing how to be led has nothing to do with being submissive or obeying orders. It’s about knowing how to meet guidelines and perform as an important link in the chain, not allowing it to break because you believe in the ideal designed by leadership.
This has nothing to do with submission, but loyalty. Knowing how to be led is about learning from your leader’s right decisions. But more importantly, it’s about showing solidarity and support when witnessing your leader’s mistakes (and this will invariably happen because leaders are human too). This is also a lesson for those being led.
Strong leadership is indeed a key factor in building high performance teams. However, it’s important to also highlight that good leaders prefer to work with professionals who can be their “right arm” and strong pillars to support their leadership vision.
In the new economy and business scenario we currently live in it’s essential for a professional to know how to become one of the pillars that support these diverse visions, which are simply parts of a comprehensive business plan.
Does this sound complicate? Actually, it really is! But knowing how to be led in this new context will determine a professional’s success in the new economy.
GOOD LUCK!!
But leadership concepts taught in academia are not always easy to apply in a globalized world and increasingly frequent matrix structures. The more senior the role you occupy in a company the more people you need to report to directly or indirectly. In plain English, as your leadership role increases so does the number of “bosses” you accumulate.
There are regional reports, practice reports, business unit reports, product-based reports, and many more.
In such contexts sometimes we lead and sometimes we are led. But we’re not led by only one boss but many leaders simultaneously. And in order to navigate through this new professional scenario one must know how to be led.
Knowing how to be led has nothing to do with being submissive or obeying orders. It’s about knowing how to meet guidelines and perform as an important link in the chain, not allowing it to break because you believe in the ideal designed by leadership.
This has nothing to do with submission, but loyalty. Knowing how to be led is about learning from your leader’s right decisions. But more importantly, it’s about showing solidarity and support when witnessing your leader’s mistakes (and this will invariably happen because leaders are human too). This is also a lesson for those being led.
Strong leadership is indeed a key factor in building high performance teams. However, it’s important to also highlight that good leaders prefer to work with professionals who can be their “right arm” and strong pillars to support their leadership vision.
In the new economy and business scenario we currently live in it’s essential for a professional to know how to become one of the pillars that support these diverse visions, which are simply parts of a comprehensive business plan.
Does this sound complicate? Actually, it really is! But knowing how to be led in this new context will determine a professional’s success in the new economy.
GOOD LUCK!!
11/20/10
There’s nothing more unequal than treating everyone equally
I’ve recently given an interview to a Brazilian news portal about Brazil’s current scenario of attracting foreign labor and how this is impacting relations inside companies.
As I was being interviewed by reporter Roberta Gonçalves I started reflecting upon the fact that different nationality is only one of the factors that add to the increasing diversity of the Brazilian marketplace, which is becoming more and more globalized.
Much is said about diversity and the benefits it brings to corporations, but little is mentioned about the difficulty in working in very diverse settings, in which what is “obvious” or “logical” for some is not always understood the same way by everyone, and with that comes the risk of misunderstandings (at times very serious ones).
And this is particularly difficult for professionals whose responsibilities also include management. The more diverse the team the more difficult it is to manage it.
For those who like challenges the good news is that I believe diversity in work teams will only increase!! Regardless of management models and rules that exist or might be developed I believe that in order to do a good job with very diverse professionals one needs to treat them differently in order to ensure equal treatment.
What does this mean? It means that if you treat everyone exactly the same you won’t be fair or ensure equal treatment. Consequently you’ll be creating an unexciting environment.
Of course there will always be rules and results that should be followed and delivered equally by everyone, but sometimes it’s possible to be flexible in the way you deliver such results.
A simple example is offering a flexible schedule a couple of days during the week to a professional who needs it. They might be attending an evening graduate course, or have to take their children in for treatment, or it might even be a religious issue. You can be sure that such “flexibilization” will bring satisfaction to the professional and the will in them to deliver the expected results.
Finding the right level of “flexibilization” is not an easy task and might cause doubts and create so many exceptions that the original rules might end up being placed second or even forgotten.
This is a risk! But nobody has ever said that management is simple, let alone easy.
Knowing how to manage diversity—whatever it may be—is a challenge, but also a great opportunity to deliver above-average results. Diverse teams—when managed well —are complementary, cover a wider range of competencies, and are more competitive. Not to mention that they’re a trend (or already a reality?).
Good luck!
As I was being interviewed by reporter Roberta Gonçalves I started reflecting upon the fact that different nationality is only one of the factors that add to the increasing diversity of the Brazilian marketplace, which is becoming more and more globalized.
Much is said about diversity and the benefits it brings to corporations, but little is mentioned about the difficulty in working in very diverse settings, in which what is “obvious” or “logical” for some is not always understood the same way by everyone, and with that comes the risk of misunderstandings (at times very serious ones).
And this is particularly difficult for professionals whose responsibilities also include management. The more diverse the team the more difficult it is to manage it.
For those who like challenges the good news is that I believe diversity in work teams will only increase!! Regardless of management models and rules that exist or might be developed I believe that in order to do a good job with very diverse professionals one needs to treat them differently in order to ensure equal treatment.
What does this mean? It means that if you treat everyone exactly the same you won’t be fair or ensure equal treatment. Consequently you’ll be creating an unexciting environment.
Of course there will always be rules and results that should be followed and delivered equally by everyone, but sometimes it’s possible to be flexible in the way you deliver such results.
A simple example is offering a flexible schedule a couple of days during the week to a professional who needs it. They might be attending an evening graduate course, or have to take their children in for treatment, or it might even be a religious issue. You can be sure that such “flexibilization” will bring satisfaction to the professional and the will in them to deliver the expected results.
Finding the right level of “flexibilization” is not an easy task and might cause doubts and create so many exceptions that the original rules might end up being placed second or even forgotten.
This is a risk! But nobody has ever said that management is simple, let alone easy.
Knowing how to manage diversity—whatever it may be—is a challenge, but also a great opportunity to deliver above-average results. Diverse teams—when managed well —are complementary, cover a wider range of competencies, and are more competitive. Not to mention that they’re a trend (or already a reality?).
Good luck!
11/8/10
How long should I work for the same company?
A few decades ago the idea of working for the same company for a long period of time—sometimes your entire professional life—was commonly seen as good. The idea was that companies were responsible for people’s professional careers.
This has changed. We now know that when it comes to our career we should manage it in a way that we maximize the results as we move forward.
So far no problem, right? Well, sort of. I think this “responsibility” of taking care of one’s career without anyone’s “support” has caused so much anxiety in some professionals that we’re now seeing a generation of “job-hoppers” with chopped resumes and periods of 1 to 2 years on average with each company. And this is not good either.
So what would the ideal length of time?
As far as I’m concerned, discussing only how long a person stays in the same job is as absurd as saying that a movie is good or bad based on its length. When someone recommends you an awesome movie do you ask how long it is? There are great movies that are longer than 4 hours and amazing short 16-minute films. What really matters? What drives you to recommend the movie? Obviously it’s what the movie adds to your life, the message it conveys and how it impacts viewers.
I guess we can borrow the same analogy for careers. There are 10-year careers with the same company that includes several very well managed 1-to-2-year projects while there are other professionals who work for the same company for 18 years with great success.
The important thing is to look at the complete career cycle in each job one has had. A complete career cycle means one has gathered major lessons from each stage. Simply put, I’d say that a complete cycle goes through 3 stages:
1) Initial success, or "Beginner’s Luck ";
2) Cycle of ordeals, or "Pitiful Cycle ";
3) Evidence of success (when you finally find your way around and show what you’re capable of)
Then you’ve completed the entire cycle!!
You don’t have to exit a company after each complete cycle, but leaving in the middle of it is not a nice thing.
And how do we know in which stage of the cycle we’re at? It’s not very easy, I’ll admit, but here’s a tip. When considering a new professional opportunity, think about what’s actually making you stay or not in your current job.
If the reason is the seemingly endless difficulties, remember that you might be going through the "Pitiful Cycle". If you think the execution of your plan seems impossible you might be going through the last stage of the cycle, which is about showing what you’re really capable of achieving.
Such reflection is worth going through because it takes away the immediacy and emotion out of your decision process. By thinking it through you’ll discover your drivers and the “answers” that you’re searching for your career. And of course, there’s always an ideal job for EVERY kind of profile in the market.
The ideal length of time for someone to remain with the same company is the one in which you’ll experience continuous development, achieve your goals, and more importantly, be happy at work. If it happens in 1 or 16 years it’ll depend on each one’s career cycle.
Good luck!
This has changed. We now know that when it comes to our career we should manage it in a way that we maximize the results as we move forward.
So far no problem, right? Well, sort of. I think this “responsibility” of taking care of one’s career without anyone’s “support” has caused so much anxiety in some professionals that we’re now seeing a generation of “job-hoppers” with chopped resumes and periods of 1 to 2 years on average with each company. And this is not good either.
So what would the ideal length of time?
As far as I’m concerned, discussing only how long a person stays in the same job is as absurd as saying that a movie is good or bad based on its length. When someone recommends you an awesome movie do you ask how long it is? There are great movies that are longer than 4 hours and amazing short 16-minute films. What really matters? What drives you to recommend the movie? Obviously it’s what the movie adds to your life, the message it conveys and how it impacts viewers.
I guess we can borrow the same analogy for careers. There are 10-year careers with the same company that includes several very well managed 1-to-2-year projects while there are other professionals who work for the same company for 18 years with great success.
The important thing is to look at the complete career cycle in each job one has had. A complete career cycle means one has gathered major lessons from each stage. Simply put, I’d say that a complete cycle goes through 3 stages:
1) Initial success, or "Beginner’s Luck ";
2) Cycle of ordeals, or "Pitiful Cycle ";
3) Evidence of success (when you finally find your way around and show what you’re capable of)
Then you’ve completed the entire cycle!!
You don’t have to exit a company after each complete cycle, but leaving in the middle of it is not a nice thing.
And how do we know in which stage of the cycle we’re at? It’s not very easy, I’ll admit, but here’s a tip. When considering a new professional opportunity, think about what’s actually making you stay or not in your current job.
If the reason is the seemingly endless difficulties, remember that you might be going through the "Pitiful Cycle". If you think the execution of your plan seems impossible you might be going through the last stage of the cycle, which is about showing what you’re really capable of achieving.
Such reflection is worth going through because it takes away the immediacy and emotion out of your decision process. By thinking it through you’ll discover your drivers and the “answers” that you’re searching for your career. And of course, there’s always an ideal job for EVERY kind of profile in the market.
The ideal length of time for someone to remain with the same company is the one in which you’ll experience continuous development, achieve your goals, and more importantly, be happy at work. If it happens in 1 or 16 years it’ll depend on each one’s career cycle.
Good luck!
10/15/10
Best job in the world
I’ve recently read an article that said that people who try to juggle work and pleasure are naive and live in la-la land. The article also said that work was synonymous with effort, dedication, and commitment (I agree with that), but that it wasn’t easy or pleasurable, after all it was work!
Then I remembered the TV ad below:
In the ad’s fun allusion we see a job that requires effort, dedication, and commitment, but one that can still be the “best job in the world” to many people.
The best job in the world does exist, but what we need to understand is that the best job in the world for some is not the same for others.
This may sound obvious but people tend to choose “the best job in the world” only by looking superficially for a profession and taking on responsibilities that are not always realistic (the ad’s masseur himself says that he sometimes wishes he had another job).
Many times I hear questions such as, “What’s the profession of the moment?,” “Which profession will guarantee a good future for me and my family?,” “Which area will make me a successful professional?,” “Which profession will guarantee the best quality of life?"
Do you want to know what my answer to all of them is? The best job in the world is the one in which you have fun. That’s right, in which you have fun! I’m not romanticizing, it’s true. Contrary to the article I mentioned above, for me work must be pleasurable and pleasant. That doesn’t mean that working doesn’t require effort, dedication, and commitment.
By the way, professionals who generally claim to be happy in their professions are those who show more effort, dedication, and commitment. But this is not a negative burden, precisely because it’s pleasurable.
What will guarantee professional pleasure is different from person to person, but it’s important that we identity what makes us happy, and in which profession we’ll find such fulfillment.
And remember, this doesn’t have to happen only in the corporate world or in “traditional” professions. That’s why there’s no profession of the future or the right successful career. If you look hard you’ll find “the best job in the world” in companies, on TV, at fashion runways, the circus, and many other places.
10/1/10
The Headhunter’s Radar
This is the English version of the Headhunter’s Radar blog, which is hosted in the website of Brazilian magazine “Você S.A."
This first post attempts explain two things. One of them is the reason for “another” blog and what you’re going to find in here in terms of information. The second is the rationale behind the translation of the original Brazilian Portuguese blog into English.
Let’s tackle the first one. Some time ago I was curious about searching for the number of interviews, HR events, luncheons and breakfasts with executives, and visits to clients I had participated in the Michael Page system.
My idea was to measure the amount of information I had had access to in this type of interaction with executives in the market. The number was very interesting, but that was not the most important thing. What really mattered was to be able—somehow—to gather all this type content and “give back” to the market a “synthesis” of everything I hear, discuss, and learn in my daily interactions with the business world.
So that’s how the blog idea started. In addition to that, someone’s career is an asset that very few people know how to handle properly. Everybody wants to take care of their health and invest small fortunes in gyms and balanced meals, which is very important. Likewise, taking care of your career deserves the same attention.
Our professional careers are the instrument that will provide us with not only financial peace of mind but also well being since we spend most of our time working. You’ll find in here everything that might be under the Headhunter’s Radar: discussions about career trends, HR practices, business recruiting changes, what makes people change their jobs, and other issues that will come up, including those arising from your participation and comments.
The second reason—regarding the blog’s English translation. It’s simple: discourse and practice. I always tell executives I talk to that we need to be constantly connected not only to the local market but also the global one (even I only had my blog in Portuguese!!). As of now this is different!
The most important thing is that this blog will show that apart from everything one might think CEOs, vice presidents, directors, managers, and other top-leadership professions are also “children just like you*” and this blog may help you find out “what you’re going to be when you grow up.**”
*Translator’s Note: The original Portuguese phrase is quoted from a Brazilian song by Legião Urbana titled “Pais e Filhos”. Among other things, the song cautions against blaming your parents for everything, and says that one has to remember that they are “crianças como você,” “children just like you.”
**Translator’s note: ibid.
This first post attempts explain two things. One of them is the reason for “another” blog and what you’re going to find in here in terms of information. The second is the rationale behind the translation of the original Brazilian Portuguese blog into English.
Let’s tackle the first one. Some time ago I was curious about searching for the number of interviews, HR events, luncheons and breakfasts with executives, and visits to clients I had participated in the Michael Page system.
My idea was to measure the amount of information I had had access to in this type of interaction with executives in the market. The number was very interesting, but that was not the most important thing. What really mattered was to be able—somehow—to gather all this type content and “give back” to the market a “synthesis” of everything I hear, discuss, and learn in my daily interactions with the business world.
So that’s how the blog idea started. In addition to that, someone’s career is an asset that very few people know how to handle properly. Everybody wants to take care of their health and invest small fortunes in gyms and balanced meals, which is very important. Likewise, taking care of your career deserves the same attention.
Our professional careers are the instrument that will provide us with not only financial peace of mind but also well being since we spend most of our time working. You’ll find in here everything that might be under the Headhunter’s Radar: discussions about career trends, HR practices, business recruiting changes, what makes people change their jobs, and other issues that will come up, including those arising from your participation and comments.
The second reason—regarding the blog’s English translation. It’s simple: discourse and practice. I always tell executives I talk to that we need to be constantly connected not only to the local market but also the global one (even I only had my blog in Portuguese!!). As of now this is different!
The most important thing is that this blog will show that apart from everything one might think CEOs, vice presidents, directors, managers, and other top-leadership professions are also “children just like you*” and this blog may help you find out “what you’re going to be when you grow up.**”
*Translator’s Note: The original Portuguese phrase is quoted from a Brazilian song by Legião Urbana titled “Pais e Filhos”. Among other things, the song cautions against blaming your parents for everything, and says that one has to remember that they are “crianças como você,” “children just like you.”
**Translator’s note: ibid.
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