Smart Savvy

In our business we deal with a wide variety of ‘bosses’. We thought the following BNET post summed up ‘crummy’ bosses nicely. See if you recognize anyone.

Right now millions are looking for work and millions more are working for firms undergoing reorganization. Luckily, two of the biggest names in the business blogosphere are offering a checklist to help those in a position to be choosy avoid signing on with a crummy boss. Developed by Bob Sutton along with blogger and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki along with the folks at LinkedIn, here are ten questions you should ask before you sign that contract:

1. Kisses-up and kicks-down: How does the prospective boss respond to feedback from people higher in rank and lower in rank?
2. Can’t take it: Does the prospective boss accept criticism or blame when the going gets tough?
3. Short fuse: Are co-workers scared of getting in an elevator with this person?
4. Bad credit: Which style best describes the prospective boss: gives out gratuitous credit, assigns credit where credit is due, or believes everyone should be their own champion?
5. Canker sore: What do past collaborators say about working with the prospective boss? A$$holes usually have a history of infecting teams with nasty and dysfunctional conflict.
6. Flamer: What kind of email sender is the prospective boss? Email etiquette is a window into one’s soul.
7. Downer: What type of people seem to work very well with the prospective boss? Pay attention to responses that suggest “strong-willed” or “self-motivated” people.
8. Card shark: Does the prospective boss share information for everyone’s benefit or hold cards close to his chest?
9. Army of one: Would people pick the prospective boss for their team? Use this question to help determine if the benefit of having the prospective boss on your team outweighs any asshole behaviors.
10. Open architecture: How would the prospective boss respond if a copy of Sutton’s book: The No Asshole Rule appeared on her desk?” Be careful if the answer is, “Duck!”

I read an article this morning on BNET that tackles the issue of attitude vs experience. 

Experience tends to equate with baggage. Behaviour is learned. We do what we do on the basis of it having led to success in the past. We’ve all been annoyed by people who insist on telling us how things were done in their last company or last job. There are benefits to learning how other people do things, but the underlying message is that what we’re doing is no good, and that can be demoralising.

So what about hiring on potential? This, too, comes with some small print.

For “potential”, read “lack of directly applicable experience”. That means giving the individual time to learn, which implies training, coaching and the provision of development opportunities.This one of the reasons many companies fall back on what they hope is the quicker-fix solution of hiring so-called experienced people — it takes less effort.

I think we can add one more identifier- process. Attitudes can be fleeting and short lived. Experience can leave large blind spots. But a person’s process (how they look at problems, deal with conflict, persaude) is consistent.

The right people have processes in place that allow them to adapt to different situations- and those are the people you want to have on your team.

Link to full article

“Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-colour boxes, but what you’re really looking for are the 64-colour boxes with the sharpeners on the back.”
John Mayer, Singer-Songwriter

I’m perpetually surprised by how few companies know “who” they need. Some can identify a needed skill or two but even those are the exception rather than the rule. And the temptation in a tight job market is to take a narrow set of skills, a beating heart and be damned to the rest.

Mistake. Potentially costly. Possibly fatal.

The adage, “hire for character, you can always teach skill” is a useful framework particularly when hiring someone who is responsible for critical intangibles like media relations, artistic direction or marketing strategies.

A great character hangs from the solid framework of a balanced ego – all the positive “self” qualities: self-aware, self-motivated, self-restrained, self-confident. The balance is maintained by a reasonable sense of judgment or perception – an ability to gauge yourself in relation to others in diverse situations - and a desire to self-correct. You don’t have to be right 100% of the time (because you wont be!), but you should always be willing and able to correct yourself when you’re wrong.

On the other hand, an imbalanced ego creates a framework with potential weaknesses – all the negative “self” qualities: self-centred, self-seeking, self-righteous, selfish, and sometimes self-conscious. Unfortunately, these are often compounded by a lack of perception and an unwillingness to self-correct.

With a balanced ego to anchor them all, desirable characteristics like curiosity, creativity and eloquence, become further assets for your company. The curiosity of a balanced ego is inspired by ideas and plans generated by others not just themselves. They are capable of focusing their creativity on other people and their projects, not just their own. They bring their communication skills to bear as fluent interpreters between client and customer, or product and consumer.

A person with this kind of character doesn’t just work for your company they are your company.

Let’s face it. Vancouver has never been a big marketing town. I moved here from Toronto in 1985 to study business at university. With degree in hand and high hopes of building a marketing career I booked myself some information interviews with key Vancouver marketers. Much to my surprise it seemed each prospective mentor would lean in close and say, “If you really want to build a career in marketing, move back to Toronto”. Naively, I persisted. I am glad I did.

Right now is an extraordinary time to be a marketer in Vancouver. I can’t recall a time when marketing opportunities have been more abundant and marketers in higher demand. Chalk it up to… 2010, a bustling technology sector, Canada’s user friendly immigration policies, a growing entrepreneurial verve, spill over from Alberta, quality of life, a construction boom or boomer trickle down… marketing career opportunities are on the rise.

Hence, the arrival of Smart, Savvy & Associates. — a company solely focused on connecting the best marketing talent in the city with companies that need them. We’re looking to build strong relationships with companies who will value their people and people who will make significant contributions to their companies. We’re small, focused and resourceful and we’re all about fit.

I am often asked about our name. Most commonly, in the form of a tongue in cheek (sometimes slightly caustic) question – “So which are you? Smart or Savvy?” To which I reply (always with a smile as I am quite used to people making fun of my surname), “There is really only one answer to that question. The name refers to the characteristics of the individuals we look to represent. Our ‘Associates’ are the additional, custom-ordered characteristics our clients are seeking in their people”.

Happy marketing!