Are these guys crazy? Well, to me these guys are some of the craziest world changers I’ve known so far. I’ve heard stories of people making a difference but to shoot it on video and post it up…. this just went another level!

Good job guys! You guys are the heroes of CHANGE!!!

You don’t have the time or the resources to evaluate every applicant who strolls in. to guide your work, you should develop a profile of your “ideal” candidate. You may never find your ideal, but you will establish a basic framework that outlines the person you are looking for.

Developing an ideal candidate profile is similar to viewing a lineup of suspects after you’ve witnessed a bank robbery. The individual you pick out may not be the actual bank robber, but chances are the real criminal is strongly similar. Often, a lineup helps police establish the silhouette or basic framework of the person being sought. The police is clear even if the details are not. Likewise, your ideal candidate profile will give you a sharper idea of what you are really looking for, so that you can increase your odds of finding him or her.

Use the following outline to develop of profile of your ideal candidate:

1. Must have, or have done, or be able to do:
   • Experience: type and years
   • Industry: type, or specific companies, and years
   • Skills or talents
   • Education

1. Should have, or have done, or be able to do:
   • Experience: type and years
   • Industry: type, or specific companies, and years
   • Education

1. Would be nice to have, or have done, or be able to do:
   • Experience: type and years
   • Industry: type, or specific companies, and years
   • Skills or talents
   • Education

Be specific when you draft your outline. If you want someone with strong follow-up skills, say so. If you want an assertive person who can handle high stress, say so. To create a good match between job and candidate, you need to define the person as closely as you define the job.

Keep your company culture in mind, too. If your company is team-oriented and flexible, you want a candidate who is comfortable with teamwork—and not everyone is. If your department is highly structured, you want someone who works well in a structured situation. Describe the qualities that your company values so that you can find compatible candidates.

Just remember that defining the candidate is a lot like shopping for groceries: the more you toss into your shopping cart, the more you’ll pay. The cost of filling a job is influenced by two factors: how long it takes to find the candidate, and the supply of qualified candidates. The greater the number of must have items on your list, the longer it’s going to take to find that person. The greater the experience, skills, or education requirements, the smaller the supply of candidates and the larger the compensation package required to hire the person.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

The 4th chapter of Roger Parrott’s The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders gave me plenty to ponder.  I’ve been mulling over it for a few weeks now.

It is entitled Vulnerability May Get You In, but Humility Keeps You There.  He there outlines some of the differences between transparency and humility which can greatly affect one’s ability to lead a group of people.  I’m part of that transitional generation when transparency began to be advocated after generations of a lack of transparency from leaders about their shortcomings and mistakes.  Parrott writes some things to challenge this.

“But (a pastor) exposing himself in order to demonstrate vulnerability diminishes his ability to be sought after as a counselor who can be looked to for advice.”

At first I am thinking, they need to know I’ve struggled and God has been faithful.  They can’t see me as impervious to sin or above struggling with things.  I’ve talked about my struggles to put unrighteous anger and selfishness to death.  But there are struggles I’ve not shared publicly.  I may share them in private ministry, but not for everyone’s ears.

“While pride is an unattractive quality in leaders, humility is a strength that compels others to follow.  In an effort to be seen as humble, many leaders have wrongfully substituted vulnerability for humility, and in doing so turned a self-centered spotlight on themselves, laying the groundwork for leadership deterioration.”

This is the key thing, substituting vulnerability for humility.  They are not the same thing, and sometimes vulnerability is driven by pride.  Either pride in wanting the spotlight, or in manipulating others to follow through the sharing of secrets.  Parrott notes that many a vulnerable pastor had bigger secrets that lead to a public moral collapse (think Jim Bakker & Jimmy Swaggart).

“Leaders who purposefully expose their liabilities limit their sphere of influence and often forfeit their long-term viability. … Humility and vulnerability are two different things, and the first must be established without offering the second.”

Vulnerability makes you vulnerable, in the wrong way.  You are not merely accessible to others, but leave the gates open for the hordes to attack and oust you.  I’ve experienced this as some people have turned the table on my transparency.  They hide behind the claim that I will get angry and yell at them, without any prior evidence for this.  I have been yelled at many times- no one seems to be afraid to yell at their pastor.  As leaders, we must remember that people are not basically good.  Some people will use the truth against you.

Humility is the most important element of leadership.  Humility means being willing to listen readily instead of thinking you have all the answers.  They think about, and talk about others more than they think and talk about themselves.  But this humility is combined with an “intense professional will”.  This person keeps others focused on the organization and its goals, and how they fit into the plan rather than how the leader fits into the plan.  Most often, effective leaders are able to influence people without direct confrontation and exercising power.  As Mark Driscoll talks about, control and influence are inversely correlated.  The more control you exert, the less influence you will have.

One way in which humility fits in here is the teachable spirit.  A teachable spirit, a willingness to listen to one’s critics, minimizes power differentials.  Unteachable leaders maximize the power differential and reduce their influence over others.  This fits well in the longview.  To remain longterm, you must be humble and teachable.  This means you will learn to work with others in light of eternal perspectives rather than using powerplays to achieve short-term victories.

The funny thing about people is that we think we need to pick up where we left off. We tend to believe that what we did yesterday needs to be continued today and what’s done today will follow through tomorrow. The truth is…it doesn’t. We can make any choice we like. Our history doesn’t have to influence our todays and tomorrows unless we allow it. If we don’t like the direction our choices are taking us, we can choose differently and break any unwanted repetitious cycles.

We only become stuck in a habit when we choose to be stuck. Each of us has the power to change direction.

Choose up!

Large corporations are beginning to give Social Media more face time, but it’s still well down the food chain for resources and attention in most C-Suites. There are good reasons for this; no reliable ROI, potential risk, medium not fully understood, don’t see how it can scale. It’s popular to say, “They just don’t get it.” I’ve heard that a dozen times. But these people wouldn’t be in the C-Suite if they didn’t get what business was about. Playing the “don’t get it” card puts the burden on the senior managers. It doesn’t belong there. It belongs with the the Social Media advocates inside the firm. Senior executives ask the same questions of all new ideas or concepts, “Where’s the value? How much can I get? How fast can I get it?” If you are championing Social Media in your firm then it’s you that has to “get it.” Whew, that’s out of the way. A single champion or interested parties sprinkled around the company may not be enough. So get organized.

To succeed in executing an Enterprise Social Media strategy outside the organization you must have a strong Social Network inside the company.

People who excel at E-Business truly love the digital world. It changes constantly and requires one to work hard at keeping up on what’s going on. It’s not a 9 to 5 job. Social Media is the same way. Finding the social media enthusiasts in your firm and inviting them to join a Social Network inside your company will pay dividends later.

Uncover the Value

No doubt your company has a pre-approved set of drivers and metrics that lead straight to the money. That’s where you should start. It’s somewhat easier for retailers and manufacturers to show results with Social Media in familiar ways; leads, response rates, conversions. Other verticals like health care and financial services measure things over longer sales and engagement cycles making it harder to show the value.

Just because there isn’t an obvious ROI today doesn’t mean you shouldn’t nurture this medium. I was recently in a meeting with some pretty senior folks who were debating whether or not to invest in an internal social community platform. I heard these comments. “What happens if somebody says something bad? Won’t it just be a waste of time?” No doubt those same things were uttered 20 years ago as people discussed enabling e-mail across the enterprise. I am continually shocked by how previously covered ground is so quickly forgotten.

One should never tire of tagging, tracking and cracking the attribution code of Social Media efforts to determine value. Without demonstrating value, resources will not flow into the Social Media cost center. But a fresh angle can jump start passive executives into becoming willing accomplices. That’s where this post comes in.

Resources devoted to more established channels like direct mail, phone and broad media, are not going to be drastically reduced any time soon because executives can get a predictable return on investment. So you either have to get incremental money or carve out a slice from other channels to fund Social Media. Here’s potentially a new way to get senior managers to lean in.

Companies want strategic advantage and a way to differentiate themselves that can’t be easily replicated by competitors. Brand battles are at a peak. AT&T and Verizon, Wal-Mart and Amazon. “Our product is better than the other product. It keeps you drier than… Whitens your teeth better than…” The soundtrack for today’s marketing strategy should be “Step Right Up” by Tom Waits. How effective is this? Brands complain to the advertising governing bodies and then claims need to be either changed or watered down. Marketing teams then spend time looking for ways to push the envelope on copy points. Frequently without consulting the customer. Not sure this is good use of resources. Certainly it’s not sustainable and does not advance the brand in meaningful ways as these tactics have a short shelf life.

Brands are trying to win on consumer perceptions. The thinking is if people perceive your brand is better they will buy it over another one. This only works until the competition comes out with a more compelling message. Believe me, they are working on it right now.

Go Big or Go Home

Social Media is a once in a lifetime opportunity for businesses to create value by energizing and mobilizing their customer base. It’s cheaper, faster, far-reaching and most importantly, more trusted by consumers. Social Media is an Interactive Customer Engagement Marketing Tool. It works to influence consumer perceptions about a brand, as told by other consumers, not by marketing departments.

Create Leverage For Less – CPSM (Cost Per Social Message)

Direct mail tactics are one-to-one. The thinking is when you sharpen targeting and refine champion creative your response and conversion rates will rise. But the company is still operating on a per piece and per customer paradigm. Social Media can scale very quickly once a large enough social graph is created; followers, fans, readers, etc. This is a new level of scalability. It’s transformative. CPM (cost per thousand- variable) can become CPSM (cost per social message – fixed). CPSM is significantly more powerful than CPM because the message finds the consumer where they hang out (personal social networking spaces) and then pass it along within their network and across other networks.

Be a Perception Influencer

Hyundai is not perceived to be a premium auto brand in the US car market. But the company has worked very hard on their products and the Genesis was named North American Car of the Year in 2009. What would executives at Hyundai give to be able to align consumer perceptions with product reality? You can bet lots of time is spent on trying to crack that nut. All businesses have key profit drivers that have associated consumer perceptions. When a firm executes well on these drivers they experience higher business outcomes and therefore better brand outcomes (consideration and recommend to a friend). Marketing wars and dot points are fleeting. Consumer advocates are worth their weight in gold.

The Social Media Molecule – SM²

The graphic below is an attempt to demonstrate how a well executed Social Media strategy is linked to activities and outcomes within the organization, Direct mail is a tactical campaign, and such has a defined set of metrics. But the form factor is static and it’s pushed. Social Media is an Interactive  Customer Experience Marketing Tool. It greets brand advocates and invites and empowers them to take the ball and run with it. Contrived marketing dot points are expected and frequently fall flat. Social Media conversations can surge with momentum and are re-energized along the way by consumers who are trusted more than brands.

I have defined the Social Media Molecule SM² as follows.

People within a company who have organized themselves in a self-selected arrangement, held tightly together by strong, common bonds to impact business results.

I specifically chose the word molecule to set it apart from other marketing channels and evoke the unbreakable connectivity of molecular chemistry. This idea seems highly transportable to the social world of human relationships both within and beyond company walls. It’s a framework to build on.

Here’s how I can see it unfolding. Social bonds are formed by members in three areas of the company; Marketing, Customers Service and Public Relations. Each one contributes unique skills to defining and growing the social network inside the company. They use best practices and customize them to meet their own needs. Each team establishes their own metrics but all work to achieve the higher level business results of the company. Once these things are established they unleash it into the wild world of Social Media. The Social Media Molecule’s objective is to influence consumer perceptions and increase customer engagement.

• Consumer perceptions – What people gleam from other consumers is more trusted than from companies themselves. Getting validation from other consumers influences what consumers buy and use. The Social Media team can listen to what consumers are saying and reinforce it or correct inaccuracies. What consumers say is then fed back to the Marketing team.
• Customer engagement – Customers who have an opportunity to interact with a brand vs. being acted upon will be more engaged and become repeat buyers and loyal customers

Frameworks are always easier on paper (or pixels) than in real life. I realize that getting it off the ground is more complex. Frameworks are also just that. A model that can be followed and adjusted to better snap into a companies’ culture. Would love to hear thoughts on this.

In the works:  The Evolution of Corporate Communications.

So, we keep hearing loads and loads about Twitter and in particular, with the launch of our very own Tweet level, it’s importance as a tool of influence I was reading this blog post and thought it was a really simple look at influence that applies not just to twitter but also the role of the individual in the workplace or social sphere. Just like Twitter, ‘Connectors’ have power and influence in the real world by centrally positioning themseleves within an organisation/network, building relationships out in a sort of ripple. Connectors have better career success as they are more promotable and whilst social media tools like Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook can help build people’s networks, its the more personal, as the author puts it “old fashioned way” that really helps to make a difference. Link to article here http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/kanter/2009/11/power-to-the-connec…

1.3.4 Using the Influence of Well-Meaning Church Members

At times, when secret policemen do not have at their disposal collaborators who are in a position to influence or to spy on certain people, they attempt to use the influence of well-meaning but misguided church members or friends of the intended victim.

Because these unsuspecting and sincere people usually enjoy the trust of those under the surveillance of the secret police, they may do more harm to the victims than informers or the officers themselves.

Story – Upon reading through some secret police files, I was surprised to find that in many instances even the best friends and spiritual mentors of those under surveillance had been used unwittingly by the secret police to persuade them to stop being active in church ministry.

Suggestion – When freedom comes and people are given access to their secret police files, if you have any suspicion that you have been at any time the object of the special attention of the secret police, immediately ask for your personal files. If you delay, you may not be able to find all the relevant documents in them. Often the members of the former secret police will simply be incorporated into the new secret services, and they will have every interest in covering up their criminal past. Consequently, the more time they have at their disposal, the easier it will be for them to identify those documents that might incriminate them and to make them disappear.

Hello everyone,

First I would like to say thank you to all my regular readers. And to those who have taken the time to leave a comment on the blog. It might not seem like much, but to me it means a lot.  So thank you.

Now…

Once again, the power of INFLUENCE.  Here in Japan, several weeks ago, a comedy group called Cream Stew (yes, an English name) was on a television talk show and they were talking about movies that were powerful. Ｔhe movie called “The Bucket List” got a big mention. Since then that movie has been absent from the rental shops. It is still IMPOSSIBLE to get your hands on a rental version of that DVD. The rental lists are so long that when a DVD comes back to the shop they call the next person on the list right away. Therefore, the DVD goes out again in a flash to the next person on the list.

The point is…this was a famous comedy group and everyone jumped on their recommendation because of the INFLUENCE they have. Now it has been several weeks running of the DVDs being too popular to rent.

Have you seen any examples of  this?

Good luck to you and your endeavors,

Mac Bull

P.S. Comments are always appreciated, and I will do my best to respond to your posted comment.

The other day my dear friend Ian wrote a post about the ten books that shook his world. I immediately thought that was a great idea and decided to do it myself too.
After a minute I realized I was not going to do it, after all. It would just take too much time and effort of trying to remember them all, write about them as well as what they meant too me…, nah, just too much. I am not as dedicated as Ian and he wins. Touché.
But, in the process of thinking about it I did remember one of the very important books of my life, one that I haven’t been thinking about for a long long time since I read it, say, 25 years or so ago, when I was pretty young: Herman Hesse’s The Glass Bead Game.
When I discovered Hesse I read many of his novels and I loved them all: Demian, Siddharta, Journey to the East and especially Steppenwolf. By the way, do people still read Hesse at all? Anybody knows what the situation is nowadays? In my time if you were into personal growth, Hesse was a must. I believe even more so if you were male, as I remember. Which, now that I think of it, is quite interesting.
Anyway, for me The Glass Bead Game was above it all. I still remember how very shocked I felt when reaching the last page and reading something I was totally unprepared for. After everything the main characters has gone through, after finally achieving the very top of the world, he decides to let it all go. He decides to abandon it all and to step into something very simple yet meaningful, into serving. But then, finally feeling completely free and content, he suddenly dies. Abruptly. The end. No more.
I can so easily reconnect with that moment, lying in my bed with the last page in front of me, my heart pounding hard and my face staring in disbelief. It felt as if all the four existential dilemmas (freedom, death, isolation, meaninglessness) suddenly hit me in my forehead, really hard. For days my mind was pulsating with thoughts: “Everything I begin, will end. Everything I build, will eventually crush down. Nothing is permanent and whatever I may achieve, whatever peak I might reach, even if I reach the absolute freedom, it will all end in total isolation and with death I will vanish from this world. So what is the meaning of it all? What difference does anything make? Why move? Why try?“
The romantic worlds and illusions started to crush down and I kept attempting to build them up again, and again, and again. I wanted to have a nice illusion of absolute meaning, of eternity, of connectedness and free choice, yet the pictures never held for very long and there were always pieces missing. Only in the last couple of years I seem to be starting to come to peace with it all.
Well, that book definitely shook my world. I believe I would be somewhat different had I not read it. But I am totally happy I did, of course. No mourning here, just a celebration.

Hi There Everyone,

Great News I now have an official Facebook Fan Page!

Simply search for “Ashleigh Alexandra Louise Smith” on Facebook and Join my Fan Page today as that is where
photo’s and Video’s and News is being posted more regulary than at this blog.

So my advice is to join my facebook fan page and keep checking back here on a regular basis as the plan is to release
some exclusive photo’s and videos via this blog every now and again which will not appear on my facebook fan page and
then also put some stuff on Facebook which won’t appear here!

As you can see in the above video I sleep very well even when in noisy room’s, indeed
I reckon I could sleep through an earthquake I take after daddy like that : ) !

To finish for today here’s a quick video clip which daddy made by accident when he
was trying to take a picture of me on his mobile phone..

So Remeber to go to Facebook and search for “Ashleigh Alexandra Louise Smith” in the Manchester Network (England)
and join my Fanpage today!

Keep checking back as I have some important and amazing news coming very soon!

Hugs

Ashleigh

I’m not a copywriter. I’m not a blogger.

I’m no novelist, nor poet, nor songwriter…

I’m merely a writer.

Or perhaps, more to wit, especially a writer.

I don’t clock out. I don’t take it for granted.

I don’t write because they tell me to. I write because I have to.

Because it’s more than what I do—it’s who I am.

I try to transcend the cliche, the obvious.

Go ahead and draw a line in the sand, I’ll cross it eventually—I refuse to accept the limits of what’s been done. Life is more than just a copy/paste of the past.

I’m as flexible as a Russian gymnast—I’m more than any one style.

I’m more than just a funny guy. I’m not always a sentimental baby, and not every word must burn.

We’re built to process more than the surface emotion.

Sometimes it’s not a matter of what you want.

Sometimes it’s a matter of what you didn’t know you needed.

My motive isn’t always clear, and I don’t write for everyone.

I write for you, and it’s true:

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Anyone can throw a punch or pull a trigger, but action merely garners reaction.

Words can do so much more.

Someday, some folks might just realize what they’re missing.

What they missed.

What they didn’t know they needed.

As for right now, I can only write now.

And hope you keep reading.

While looking at new camera gear to add to the almighty wish list that every photographer has, I stumbled across this pretty thing. The ALPA 12WA is a completely nude setup that you have add everything from the sensor, viewfinder to the handle; it’s basically an adult version of Lego’s. With just a friendly price of £2495.00, more at ALPA

Adam Lambert from American Idol appeared on ‘The Today Show” where he was interviewed about his performance at the AMAs. I was struck by the final statement in this clip, “I’m not a babysitter, I’m a performer.” While this is true, it still bothered me. I am not completely sure why. Maybe as a youth pastor who knows that teenagers that watch this performance will be influenced by it, and in a negative way in my opinion, I am just offended by his attitude. Do I expect to much of our stars to want them to ‘own up’ for their mistakes? I feel like the attitude that Adam has taken on is the attitude of a lot performers, actors, and artists today. They don’t care what people perceive they just want their message out there, and when people take offense to their message they get all offended. Should we expect our ‘entertainers’ to have a higher standard? Or do we as mentors, and parents need to open a dialogue with our kids and teens about what the culture is throwing at them?

What stance do you take?

This week’s Kaizen Tip comes to you from Haider Imam of Kaizen Training.

No, this isn’t a tip on using a photocopier, let’s say …”creatively”.  This is part tip, part debate.

We communications specialists often point out the need to replace ‘but’ (as well as the ‘but imposters’:  ‘yet’, ‘though’, ‘however’, ‘although’, ‘except’ and so forth) with the shiny wonderful ‘and’.  The thinking is that ‘but’ relegates whatever comes before it to a position of lesser value or relevance, which can often be disrespectful to the individual or group.  I’ve noticed that people often use a ‘but’ as a crutch for transparency, as a softener before the sting comes, as a way to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings or ego.

Just for a moment, notice your experience of the following examples.  What is the point you’re left with?

• “I really like this piece of work BUT there are a couple of changes I’d like you to make”
• “We could do it that way BUT I’ve got another idea that I think will be a safer bet”
• “I’d like to go ahead BUT I’m not 100% comfortable with the terms and conditions”

Many people experience the pre-BUT parts of the sentence as disappearing into the background as soon as the BUT kicks in, which is why specialists suggest using AND rather than BUT…  (perhaps re-read the examples above, replacing BUT with AND, and notice the differences).

However (he, he) as the use of this genuinely respectful technique circulates and increases, isn’t there a risk of it becoming ’same frame, different name’?  What do YOU think?

In a workshop recently, I was listening to two people obviously clued up on this effect talking to each other.  Person A emphasised the AND very markedly, paused, then added her own thoughts.  To me, and Person B, it sounded exactly like a BUT, and generated the same uncomfortable reaction.  I guess one learning from this might be that stressing the AND runs the risk of creating a thinly veiled BUT.

The deeper learning for me was the distinction between technique and intent.

When we simply try to ‘run techniques’ on people, without intent to honour, respect and serve them, the net result is always the same.  Conversely, a strong intention breeds resourcefulness, which breeds techniques that grow all by themselves.

Call to Action:

• Join the debate… what are your thoughts on this?
• Drop us a line at tips@kaizen-training.com if you’d like THREE specialist applications of this phenomenon you won’t find easily available elsewhere

Take a small step right now and enjoy the learning!

Royal

What is your sphere of influence?

What do you want to do, and where are your areas of maximum impact?

You can discover or clarify your answers to these questions by first answering these:

1) What do you care about? What interests you, excites you, motivates you?

2) Where do you connect with people – your family, your friends, your community, your work? These are the people you see and talk to regularly, so these are the people you can most easily affect and influence in a positive way. These are your contacts, with their own spheres of influence, who can potentially help and advise you with your projects: your answers to question 1.

Your Sphere of Influence contains the things you care about, plus the network of resources you are connected with. Examine these; get the parts in balance; create for yourself a consistent, congruent, balanced and coherent whole and

Your life will have more meaning, be more fulfilling, and will flow easier with greater impact than ever before…

: : : : : : : : : :

Lots of people were following Jesus.  Most just wanted to see Him do miracles and hear some incredible teachings, but some, really wanted to be His followers, His disciples.  Jesus said to them, “Before we go up this hill, there are some things you need to know.  It’s not easy to follow me.”

I struggle with the fact that, in our American world, we are surrounded by Christians in every arena who are silent about their convictions.  I believe most are silent because they are unsure.  They are unsure, not in their salvation, but in the power of their faith. 

Why?  They are not living their faith.  One has to live it to know it.  Faith is a LEAP.  You have to Listen to God through the Word, others, and the Spirit.  Then you have to Engage and live it out in your mind, values and convictions.  Then it is important to actually Apply the Word of truth to your every day life.  And when you do, you will Produce the fruits of the Spirit.   L.E.A.P

the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  Gal 5:22

When you produce Christian Spiritual fruit you will become more confident to live and speak your convictions.  You can not convincingly present someone you are not.

Below is a video I came across done by Ronnie Bruce, a film student at Temple University.  It is a Typography Animation project for class using a poem by Taylor Mali (www.TaylorMali.com). 

I don’t know the title of the poem, but it suits this post….