“Work with a mentor” is right up there with “maximize your 401K contributions” and “no more than one drink at the office holiday party” on the list of common advice given to young professionals at the beginning of their careers. Harder to find are answers to questions such as, What is the best way to build a mentor relationship? How can you make the most of your interactions? And how can you sustain a meaningful connection over time?
3 truths and a lie, career edition
I’ve titled this talk three truths and a lie, based on a game often used as an icebreaker. You share four things about yourself — three are true, and one, intuitively enough, is a lie. The goal is to guess which is which. If you ever play the game with me, watch for the one …
Why kitchen cabinets trump corner offices
When I started my career at a blue chip publisher, furniture mattered. Your career progression was reflected through office floorplans and desk hues: you migrated from low cubicle to high cubicle to office, and the final destination was a corner office replete with faux mahogany. Dream big, kids, the story went: at the end of all those 60-hour work weeks …
Five Mistakes to Avoid When Managing Digital Teams
What’s the best way to tackle management of digital teams to keep engagement and output high? I’ve been through two Internet booms and busts in corporations, nonprofits, and startups — so I’ve made plenty of management mistakes by commission and by proxy. Posted over at Harvard Business Review, five common mistakes I’ve seen or made myself.
Friday 5 — 09.13.2013
So, the iPhone 5C/5S launched and turned out to be more evolutionary than revolutionary. Is Apple more about fashion than electronics these days? Infographics are everywhere, and their stepchildren “snackables” are likely clogging your social media stream. “Get me an infographic” has replaced “Make me a viral video” as the new top-down, digital/social mandate. Here …
How to ace an interview with substantive content
Mashable recently posted a selection of tips aimed at entry-level job seekers on how to make a good first impression in a job interview. They’re reasonable tips, and worth mentioning because they aren’t always heeded. But they focus on the surface elements, like dressing appropriately and shaking hands. Let’s face it, though: those are tables …
How to Build a High-Performing Digital Team
Organizational development is hard — and new digital capabilities require some new mindsets and skillsets. Posted over at Harvard Business Review blog network: six attributes to consider when sourcing talent for a high-performing digital team.
LinkedIn turns 10
So, LinkedIn is turning 10. The Next Web ran this comprehensive recap of the pivotal moments in its evolution — complete with jazzy infographic and a fun look back at its clunky 2003 web design. LinkedIn’s main differentiator was being among the first user-generated content networks focused on expertise. As an early adopter (user 6818 …
Social sector must embrace risk
For social impact organizations to scale in the same way entrepreneurial tech companies do, investors need to increase their tolerance for non-moral failure. They need to foster a culture of innovation and risk-taking. … Most importantly we have to stop pumping support into struggling ventures because we are afraid to see them fail and be …
Are effective school behaviors harming women in the workplace?
Do Women Need to Realize that Work Isn’t School? Whitney Johnson and Tara Mohr point out in HBR that behaviors that enable young women to excel in school may serve them less well in the workplace. Johnson and Mohr argue, and I agree, that all employees and particularly women need to become more comfortable with …