Archives for April 2021

Is your career suffering from being too busy?

There is a lot to say about being busy. Some good, some bad. But the important thing is to recognize a difference between being busy and being effective.

Being busy is not contributing. Sometimes too much activity results in lower performance and not accomplishing your goals.  

The last year has been full of change. None more so than the workday most of us keep.  Working from home has become the norm; most of us will soon have a scenario that will include some mix of working from home and working from the office. Change once again.

There is a lot to do. In fact, I know people who are working regular 12 hour days just to keep up. 

That’s a formula for failure! 

I’m not talking about time management.  I’m talking about about prioritizing. Knowing what is important, and making certain you accomplish it. Positioning yourself to thrive going forward. Making certain you are not too busy to be successful.

Too often we get caught up in things that have to be done. There are always things that have to be done — that’s our job. And it gets busier every day. If some people rely on you today, more people will eventually do so tomorrow.

You get busier as you help more people. That’s where the issue lies. You take care of things; you help others; you make certain everything is done right. You are busy doing. You don’t say no.   

At the end of the day (or week or month) you realize that you have ignored things that fit into the category of “the future”. This could include allocating time at work to plan, to understand  the challenges and develop a way to overcome them. It could also be something personal – learning, developing, serving, or even relaxing.

Whatever it is, it did not get done because your schedule did not have time. In special situations that may be ok, but in the long term, both you, those that count on you, and your organization, suffer.

Each of us has a limited supply of time. We also have the power to determine how to invest it. Those who don’t take this seriously give up potential, and maybe aspects of their future, by only addressing immediate demands. That’s an expensive trade off, and leads to stress, dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Know what is important by prioritizing, for today and the future, then make it happen by allocating time in your schedule.

In a recent article, Inc.com shared “the 80% energy rule”, based on the Confucian teaching hara hachi bu, which is often translated as “eat until you are 80% full”.  Use 80% of your energy each day, leaving time and energy for whatever else comes up.

Don’t max yourself out in all aspects of your life – and career. Have some reserves. The challenge going forward is not returning to normal, but rebuilding for greater resilience. Don’t be busy, be successful. 

These suggestions will help focus on things that you consider important:

1. Set aside one hour each week for “planning.”  That’s your hour. Use the time to consider the longer term – not to solve immediate issues. Focus on what you choose – business, personal or a combination. That time is yours.  
2. Write down what you want to accomplish (a study from the Dominican University in California found that people who wrote down their goals were 42% more likely to achieve them. If you share them with someone else, that percentage goes up dramatically. That’s where coaches can help.)  
3. Set a “time to accomplish by” date for each.
4. Celebrate each success.

These are simple steps which take discipline. They take focus. They take commitment. And they take prioritizing.  It’s your time. Protect it jealously. Use it wisely!

You are an executive search professional.  Your job is to find exceptional people who can lead an organization out of one of the most disruptive periods in recent history and into a new period of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity – and opportunity.

What exactly are you looking for? Learning agility ?  Innovation? Confidence?

“Resilience,” says Alejandra Aranda. “Companies are experiencing a scenario of forced transformation. Change was underway, but the pandemic has trashed timelines.  Until we catch up, the key strategic concept is resilience.

“You do not want to get stuck in the business model that made you successful.”

Aranda is Co-Founder and  Chairman of Humanitas, Cornerstone’s member firm in Santiago, Chile. She is currently heading up a search for new Directors of the Penson Fund Administration in Chile, a global leader of social security in pensions.

To transform the business model requires a Board of Directors and an administration that speaks that language. It‘s complex. We have to generate leadership capacities in the different layers that foster the relationship between the Board of Directors and the company’s management.”

In a recent interview with the Chilean daily La Tercera, Aranda addressed the necessary characteristics identified by the Pension Fund Administrators for the Directors being sought.

 “First, we are looking for adaptability and flexibility, the ability to think differently and quickly. Leaders must grasp the need to reinvent themselves, assess and diagnose the risks,”she explained.

“In this particular case, we must also look for awareness of the social role of the company.  We need an understanding of the impact that decision-making within the Board of Directors will have on the well-being of the people and the development of the country”.

Go here to read the full interview in English

So, you want to become a Board member? Here’s the bottom line.

If you do it well, being a Board member will be more work than you anticipated;  more responsibility than you may have understood; a bit more frustrating than you expected; and a rewarding joy and a privilege.

Board service is a real job — a serious commitment.  Your passion for the organization must be greater than just wanting the title of Board member. Passion is the #1 ingredient when organizations are inviting people to know and do more for the enterprise.

Know exactly what you are coming for. Don’t join a Board because you want to feel powerful. You can be powerful somewhere else. This the wrong place. 

Many organizations look to expand and diversify their Boards in order to bring in more and different perspectives to support their businesses.   This creates opportunities for  some people who may not have been thought eligible for such a seat.

A job title is often an entry point to being considered as a Board member.  But it is – and should be – more a matter of the qualities and experiences you bring to the table. This should include a mental transition to awareness of your responsibilities, rather than to your new seniority.

If you have decided that participation on a Board is for you, here are some starting points

• Work your network. This is how you will learn about Board opportunities and how companies will learn about you. Build your personal brand as someone who will provide real value and expertise to a company through Board membership.
• Demonstrate financial intelligence. One of the most effective ways to assert leadership is to accept responsibility for P&L or to learn how one group’s costs and revenue relate to the rest of the organization. It’s also important to understand business in general outside your own organization.
• Develop intercultural intelligence. This is more important than ever to the overall health of an organization. It means no group should be a silo. Make sure that you’re participating in initiatives across your company, your industry or even your ecosystem, to stay looped in on current trends. See my article on Intercultural Intelligence.
• Use social intelligence. Talk to people! Talk to people throughout your organization, your ecosystem, but especially those who already serve on the Board. It is about learning from others.

Think about what kind of Board member you would be. There are a few different archetypes of Board member styles.  You are likely to come up against at least one or more of the following types. 

The Enforcer: This person is the stickler for the rules, making sure the organization is complying with rules and regulations while trying to build strategy and increase revenue.

The Data Wrangler: there’s usually at least one of these on any given Board, and in today’s data-driven workplace, this person fulfills an essential role. Focusing on KPIs, metrics, performance, and predictive analytics can help guide organizational strategy.

The Legacy Builder: this Board member focuses on the long term, how organizational decisions and strategy lay the groundwork for the company’s future, beyond current concerns. This requires balancing immediate operational and market needs with investing in the future.

The Big Picture Assembler: this is the person who sees what information, data, and feedback are coming in from different parts of the organization, and then looks at it holistically to see how the company is doing in the grander ecosystem or sector.

The Diplomat: this is the person who tries to balance the voices and needs of all the different members, making sure that each team or representative gets heard.

There are others. If you are on more than one Board, chances are you’ll meet them all

NEXT STEPS

Target your favorite companies and think above all about how you can help them; your focus is on their need, not yours. Build your ecosystem credibility. If you have it, your voice will be even more powerful from Day 1.

Don’t forget that your authenticity is always checked.  If you want to be up front and say what you hope to get out of the experience, go ahead. But make sure you are being honest.

And then, take risks.  Train yourself, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Ask sharp questions, and openly debate new ideas. Don’t shy away from uncomfortable discussions.  Be humble and grateful for support and never apologize for who you are. 

Have passion, open doors.  And become the Board member they were hoping for!