The Perfect Fit | 6/14 | The Perfect Fit

The Rumsfeld Chronicles

How nice are you when you don’t have to be?

Anyone involved with the ego of public figures and CEOs has likely been on the receiving end of a scream-a-thon or PBO — polite brush-off –depending on the day or mood.When Donald Rumsfeld published his memoir, Known and Unknown, politicians and media types weighed in with their own personal accounts of eruptions and slights.

Here’s a post from Katie Couric’s blog, written by veteran CBS News Correspondent David Martin, who covered the Pentagon for decades. An excerpt:

One of his close aides once jokingly referred to him as “a freak of nature.” He can be irresistibly charming and stunningly rude. Once when the former Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge was ushered into the Defense Secretary’s office, Rumsfeld left him to stand in silence while he finished reading whatever document he had before him.

But flash back to Rumsfeld.

I was a young, PR plebe in Midland Mich., handling media and logisics for his speech at a local business luncheon. It was a month or so after the Carter inauguration and Rumsfeld was newly the former Secretary of Defense.

Rumsfeld’s reputation as a stern taskmaster had filtered to Midland — complete with insider anecdotes by way of Grand Rapids, hometown of Gerald Ford, the president he served. All in all, a bit daunting. Very important to be organized and prepared.

Midland is a pocket of influence, the corporate headquarters of Dow Chemical. But the Executive 100 audience was not the magnitude of, say, the Detroit Economic Club, a priority whistle stop for any politician or business leader in that era.

He could have done a perfunctory drop-in just to earn the speaker bureau fee, but Rumsfeld graciously and sincerely accommodated every request proffered. He agreed to an off-the-record, no-press-admitted speech — to preserve the aura of exclusivity of the luncheon forum — plus Q&A; with the audience. He participated in a separate press conference with the local Midland/Bay City/Saginaw print and broadcast media. He attended a private dinner with local leaders the night before his talk. He was only contractually bound to do a 30-minute speech.

He flew commercial into the local airport. Very unassuming in the terminal, but with the spit-and-polish patina of power — and a huge dose of suave. It was definitely the irresistably charming side described in the CBS blog. More Don Draper-esque than you would believe.

He peppered me with questions on the way into town. Sought insights on local color and perspective of the luncheon audience. And, of course, wanted to know the moment-by-moment timetable prepared for him. I reviewed it line-by-line, ending with the return drop-off at the airport, where a private plane would take him to Detroit so he could connect with a commercial flight home.

I promised to complete his itinerary by a certain time, as I was driving to Detroit to catch up with other locals for a function at the Adcrafter Club.

C’mon down on my flight, he invited. They can just add you to the manifest and drop you off. Perfect.

So, politics aside, this was a small slice of Rumsfeld in his post-Ford career phase. He delivered a high level of value to multiple audiences — with excellent content and smooth delivery. He was compelling, knowledge-packed, candid and respectful. A world player on someone’s local turf. Plus, he was polite and proper, with prompt thank you notes of acknowledgement on makeshift notecards from his transition office before becoming CEO of G.D. Searle. What a nice guy, one would say.

All this and a private plane at his disposal — which he was willing to share. On that day, Rummy could have extracted a swoon from Maureen Dowd herself.

February 8, 2011 by Nancy Keene

Super Bowl XLV: A Networking Guide for Newcomers

Welcome Super Bowl visitors! ! ! Maybe you’ll like Dallas/Fort Worth so much, you’ll want to stay.

You won’t be alone. Texas is teeming with new transplants these days. No surprise. Folks are attracted to our open and welcoming culture, attractive cost of living, favorable economy and promising future. In fact, Dallas leads the nation in job creation, according to this impressive graphic from SMU’s Michael Cox, former economist at the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank.

The Texas Superstate cover story of Newsweek, above, was the eye-opener and impetus for me. Here is the complete story, as recounted in D Magazine’s 119 Reasons Why We Love Dallas issue. Soon, my two sisters followed and later, even my mother.

It was fertile ground for pursuit of successful business careers, for which we are very grateful. Not to mention the side benefit of meeting tall, handsome Texas husbands. Dallas has been very good to these girls from Altoona, PA!

If you’re new in town, here are some orientation tips:

1. Cultural context. Rent the movie Giant to catch the pioneering spirit of Texas. Scope some episodes of the TV show Dallas. J.R. Ewing is a bigger-than-life oilman. Note the shoulder pad fashions of the 80s and the changing skyline of the city. ESPN’s Pony Excess covers the SMU football scandal, against the backdrop of local business, media and politics.

2. Media coverage. Peruse the websites, blogs and archives of Dallas Morning News, Texas Monthly, D Magazine and D CEO. Note the new neighborhood video channel You+Dallas.

3. Daytime beverages. At a weekday business lunch, you will likely order iced tea or Dr Pepper (regular or diet). As a corporate even planner once noted, “Dallas doesn’t drink at lunch, but these men expect their glass of wine at 6 pm.”

4. Gotta have Art. Take in an arts event at the venues of our internationally renown Arts District — DMA, Nasher, Wyly, Meyerson or Winspear. And, yes, we have sports, too. Two pro team owners have Pittsburgh ties — Mark Cuban and Chuck Greenberg.

5. Find a tribe. Join something. Whether it’s a neighborhood group, professional organization or non-profit initiative. Take on a leadership role. Women In Communications was my port of entry. I became the Job Placement chairman, an excellent way to meet others and match them with new opportunities! (Program chairman is another productive and visible role in an organization.)

6. Team up. Don’t go it alone. Find another newcomer and network together. One of my first friends in town was NYC transplant Erika Sanchez, then a reporter at the Dallas Morning News. We would do a regular lunch during those early days and both invite a new person that we thought the other would like. We’re still friends and members of an excellent book club!

7. Fashionability. You will notice how attractive the women and men are here. The weather is warm much of the time, so people are outdoors and less bundled-up than in the North. Not to mention the Neiman Marcus influence of beauty and style. Fitness outlets also abound.

8. Be nice. People are friendly and happy here. Smile! Relax! Be polite! Say please, thank you and excuse me. No elbow-jabbing or pushing.

9. Go blonde. You will note being surrounded by beautiful blondes. At some point, many brunettes give into the temptation and, at minimum, experiment with highlights. Go ahead, give it a try. You can always go back to your natural color. Live the life of a Dallas blonde. Even the senior citizens do. (My mother included!) You can count the number of gray-haired women here on a single hand.

10. (Bonus tip for single women.) Take up golf. We have a nice long playing season here and, as the realtors say: Location, location, location. It’s where the men are. Even if you only go to the driving range, it provides an excellent venue. It works. I can tell you of a particularly noteworthy tournament that yielded two weddings out of two foursomes. Do you need a more compelling testimonial? I didn’t think so.

So, to all….Welcome. Enjoy. Go Steelers! ! ! !

January 29, 2011 by Nancy Keene

Synergy

Christine Breck, founder of Texas Wall Street Women, called one day with an invitation to present at a meeting of the Dallas chapter.

We brainstormed critical topics to address: leadership, career management and networking — all wrapped up under the umbrella of busy career time constraints. How does one cope with work, home, family, fitness, a touch of social life and still find time to sleep???

It’s risky to have all of one’s eggs in one basket. A byword of career planning is to network before you need to. And advancement often requires relationships and outreach in industry circles beyond one’s immediate department, according to author and career expert Dr. Helen Harkness. Yet, in a post-downsized world, bandwidth is limited. It’s not uncommon for an individual to be doing the work of more than one.

What’s the solution? Women in particular need a career and relationship strategy that delivers efficiencies. It’s all about synergy — mixing business and personal realms.

Men have been doing it for years. Drinks at the 19th hole after a game of golf. Football and baseball outings. Poker groups. We now have executive women golf initiatives. But you don’t have to undertake sports if you’re not athletically inclined. There are many other paths.

Here are some points that I will address:

1. People do business with those they like. Become friends with your clients.

2. Saying no is an important as saying yes. Don’t get saddled with commitments if they are not going to give you an effective ROI. Or if they’re not enjoyable.

3. Delegate and outsource — don’t try to be the homemade cupcake goddess if you are a time-crunched road warrior.

4. Seek alliances that can deliver multiple outcomes.

5. Find fitness outlets with friends.

6. Target organizations where your customers are — and your competitors are not.

When I was single in my 30s, I always built relationships with the wives of male clients. My pro bono community work was always in support of their special charities. When I married, my husband and I became friends as couples with many longtime clients and co-workers. We are trusted advisors to one another. We network. We refer business. We help each other.

My Saturday fitness regime always includes a class that is also populated by friends and colleagues from various social and business circles. We come to class early, stay late and catch up!

Texas Women Ventures Fund has been highly rewarding. We are a mezzanine fund that invests in women-led businesses. It’s an impressive network of professional women — and some men, as well — who provide funding as well as expertise and connections, as needed, by the portfolio companies. It’s a for-profit organization for the investors, but one which also does good, as the companies are creating hundreds of jobs in their local economies. Many friendships and business relationships have been forged, as the group prepares to raise a third fund this year.

The key is to find The Perfect Fit of outreach initiatives that work for you and your career goals.

January 7, 2011 by Nancy Keene

Copyright!

If you have a creative bent,you likely have a storehouse of content — ditties you’ve written or drawn. If you are in the professional services sector, it might be a backlog of thought leadership.

It’s the New Year. A perfect time to try something new! Dig into the archives. Take a fresh look at your output. Maybe you can package, leverage — or simply share — something that might be of interest and value to others.

Here’s a wonderful holiday song inspired by our little family dog.

Children love it. It’s easy to sing — with a nice story about untapped skills that lie within. There are product extension possibilities. I’m storyboarding a picture book. And, of course, it would be an adorable plush toy — or even screenplay.

Don’t hesitate to shoot me an email regarding commercial possibilities. It’s my creative side project of the year.

I’ve changed the name of the little dog. Sending it off for copyright approval via LegalZoom.com. Enjoy!

Noelle’s Merry Christmas

There once was a dog….

And her name was Noelle.

She went with her family

Where some trees they would sell.

They all got so excited

About the Christmas tree.

They got into the car.

“AND THEY FORGOT ABOUT ME!!!!”

Poor little dog!

Left all alone!

So far away from home…..’

Just to wander and to roam.

She walked along the highway…..

She went from street to street.

When daylight turned to darkness,

THE LITTLE DOG BEGAN TO WEEP. (Oh noooo….)

Then what to her teary

Little eyes should appear

But Santa and his little team

Of merry reindeer.

They said, “Come on and join us!!

“We’ll travel through the sky.

“You’ll see your Mom and Dad again…”

“BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FLY!!!!”

She practiced and practiced….

Tried to flap her little paws.

With Santa and his reindeer

Looking on with applause.

She said, “I’ll never do it!”

Her ears turned ‘round and ‘round.

The next that she knew it….

SHE WAS LIFTED FROM THE GROUND!!!!

(Touch your fingertips together and raise them above your head!)

With Dancer and Prancer

And the rest of them she flew….

Up in the air

In the winter sky so blue.

They landed on the driveway.

She scampered to the door.

Noelle’s back with her family….

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERMORE!!!!

January 5, 2011 by Nancy Keene

Where Will the Journey Lead?

It’s a New Year. Will you continue on the same journey? Or will the journey inspire a new path?

This was a theme of many presenters at the second TEDxSMU October confab – all high achievers in pursuit of a worthy goal. But pay attention to the views along the way and open your mind to new possibilities. Voila! The goal becomes a means to a new end.

Nature photographer Frans Lanting was on a mission to photograph distant animals and scenes. Along the way, he realized an ecological outcome. He was really a time traveler with a camera. Thus, he could tell the story of an earlier life through his lens — capturing primitive forms of nature in their pure element. He took the audience back thousands of years through views of life that still exist in remote global outposts.

Baba Brinkman is an actor and rap artist, who wrote a tongue-in-cheek hip-hop song on The Canterbury Tales. This prompted an overture by The Darwinian Society to commission a musical on the anniversary of the theory of evolution. “We want you to do for us what you did for Chaucer.” His research unearthed serious findings on youth gangs and violence.

Majka Burhardt is a writer and adventurer who traveled to Ethiopia to scale unexplored sandstone towers. Amidst the frustrations of the climb, she experienced the bounty of local coffee varietals and visioned the economic power of promoting the more than 10,000 Ethiopian specialty brews as a unique and prolific natural resource, the economic engine for future growth and quality of life. This became a new, productive mission that superceded the outcome of the climb — telling the story through a book, Coffee Story: Ethiopia.

But the standing ovation of the day went to Rabbi David Stern of Temple Emmanu-El on the topic of round-trip spirituality. Life is a journey, he said. We go up the mountain in search of knowledge and experience, but then it’s time to take what we’ve seen back to a world in need. He spoke of self-transcendence — feeling connected to something greater than self; the awe of nature; the wow of musical inspiration. We need something to pull us beyond ourselves.

And so the journey continues for all of us. Where will we go this year? More importantly, how can we share what we’ve learned with others — for the greater good?

It’s a bounty awaiting harvest — well worth celebrating.

Happy New Year to all!

January 1, 2011 by Nancy Keene

Celebrate the Season: A Different Kind of List

Forget the Bucket List. (with apologies to Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman…) Too much focus on I want…Gotta do….Wouldn’t it be great.

And don’t even get me started on the New Year’s Resolution roster. Too much focus on I’m not a good enough person yet…Gotta lost 10 pounds…Get up and work out every morning…Why does my list look the same every year????

Quick. Grab a sheet of paper. Or send yourself an email. Make a Celebration List. All the things you DID accomplish this year. Don’t skimp. Include the biggies and any small victories.

Special moments that made you — or others — smile. Making things better for the people who matter most. Helping or recognizing others. Learning something new. Sharing something you know with others. Slogging through something you didn’t want to do but did. Re-connecting with special people from the past. Making new friends.

(Think of why Facebook has zoomed to 500 million users. It’s an easy and compelling outreach platform!)

Many items on the list are due to wonderful friends and colleagues who generously give time, expertise, confidence and support — to enable our progress. Here’s a seasonal toast. You know who you are!!!!

As the economy continues to limp along, the list might not be as robust in revenue-generating accomplishments as in earlier boom years. Here’s the big benefit of a downturn. It forces us to focus on the little things that really matter — maybe more than the big material things that are elusive for many in this market. Maybe your list has more focus on personal, health, family. How perfectly fitting!

So give yourself a little credit this holiday season – the kind that doesn’t show up on a MasterCard.

Priceless.

December 17, 2010 by Nancy Keene

U.S. Human Capital Effectiveness Report 2010/2011

Some highlights from the annual survey, as presented by PwC Saratoga HR consulting group. To access the Executive Summary, click here. Note: Many of the 300 responding companies are global, but the results are for U.S. operations only.

Retention rates are high. In a severe downturn, keeping talent is easy. There are few new jobs for employees to consider. Voluntary separations have decreased 30% since 2006 and more than 20% in the past year. First year of service turnover rate is dropping from 31.7% in 2007, 28% in 2008 and 23.6% in 2009.

But productivity is dropping. The recession is taking a toll on those remaining after waves of job cuts — with many doing the work of 2 or more people. People only have so much bandwidth and they are stretched to the max, as revenue per FTE has dropped from $413,690 in 2008 to $387,993 in 2009 — the first year-over-year decrease since 2005. This has a material impact on employee satisfaction.

With recovery, prepare for musical chairs. As the economy improves, historical trends suggest that turnover numbers will increase.

Prioritize retention targets. Should companies try to keep everyone, post-recession? It’s not practical, according to survey participants. What if the A Players bolt and the B Players stay? Instead, market leaders are identifying pivotal roles that are mission-critical to corporate performance/profitability and focusing employee engagement on a selective basis.

Emphasis on top-line growth. The major downsizing initiatives have already taken place. Companies are moving from cost-cutting to selling. Market leaders are looking to HR to drive sales/revenue. This is not managing the head count. It’s a strategic assessment of talent to increase output and corporate performance.

Cost per hire rising. Hiring new employees, while becoming faster, is certainly not less expensive. Maintaining a consistent trend over the past three years, employers continue to spend more per hire. Last year’s 26 % increase brings the average per-hire cost to $3,375. Note that this is in an extreme downturn, so the dynamic will become more acute in a more active hiring environment. It will cost you more to replace departing talent, thus the emphasis on employee engagement/retention.

Retirement issues still looming. Businesses need to plan carefully to confront a potential ”brain drain” as the economy recovers ad more key workers retire. According to the report, more than one in ten employees are currently eligible for retirement. In five years, nearly one third of executives and one in five managers will be eligible for retirement.

Succession planning moving to forefront. Succession planning depth as measured by the percentage of key roles that have a succession pool of at least one or more unique candidates is at 56%, a decrease from 2008 results of 61% and represents a 12% decrease since 2007. Additionally, the extent to which companies are filling leadership positions with internal talent declined by 4% between 2008 and 2009 to 56%.

While we all await an element of uplift in the economy, be forewarned that underlying talent issues are looming for organizations at every revenue level and stage of growth. The bar has been raised. The goal is to gain a sustainable competitive advantage through human capital. Time to be proactive and deploy a plan!

November 21, 2010 by Nancy Keene

Talent Roulette: Which Way to Hedge?

I overheard an interesting scenario recently.

At the onset of the downturn, a professional services firm made a strategic decision to avoid layoffs. The goal was to create a competitive advantage in the recovery. This, in comparison to competitors who took the butcher knife to the meat as the economy plummeted, trimming fat and and some even cutting deep into the bone.

At the point when business demand picked up, the Non-Layoff firm would immediately be able to deploy a rapid response initiative — to swoop in, capture and service new business without delays in hiring people to staff the work. They would be billing new business as competitors would be focused on hiring to rebuild their ranks. This would deliver a significant, sustainable edge in gaining and maintaining market share. A bonus effect might also be achieved.

This would deliver a significant, sustainable edge in gaining and maintaining market share. A bonus effect might also be achieved. The Non-Layoff firm could benefit from client defections — even before recovery — as Layoff firms struggle to service business with more skeletal teams, thus triggering levels of dissatisfaction and quality issues in existing billable relationships.

Definitely a legitimate, albeit aggressive, business strategy. But, who could have predicted the depth and length of the recession?

Eighteen months later, the Non-Layoff firm, which started the recession on stronger footing than the Layoff competitors, is feeling a high level of pain. They have been carrying a higher expense load for a protracted period of time in comparison to the Layoff firms. The balance sheet has been impaired. Retired partners are concerned about pension fund payout rates. Now they are evaluating various scenarios, unfortunately, from a defensive rather than offensive position.

Which way do you weigh?

Cull the top end. Get rid of expensive, non-producing partners who are not delivering the income needed to support the premise of the downturn plan?
Keep the top end — to some extent. But re-structure partner compensation to reflect contribution to billings and profits — with less entitlement?
Counsel out the career conflicted. Be creative in creating sabbaticals or part-time involvement or “of counsel” arrangements for those who might want a break from the grind but not a complete plunge into a new career path?
Purge the lower-pay, low-utilization ranks. Why pay for the double whammy of down-time and training/development of early career low-performers?
Assess the “stickiness” of non-partner personnel. There are high levels of unhappiness throughout many organizations during these frustrating times, but people stay put because there’s nowhere to go. Who is likely to stay or go, once business picks up?
Engage all levels in the hierarchy in all-out new business campaign. Test the chops of young up-and-comers who might show promise when unleashed?
Offer free assessment, pre-planning of consulting for desirable targets — with option to execute on billable basis when the upturn hits?
Target pro bono assignments for non-profits — particularly those with clients or key targets on the Board? Or those with whom team members have a special affinity?
Musical chairs option. Let people shadow account teams in different functional or industry areas so they can learn on the job and deliver extra value in high-opportunity sectors that can absorb/use new teams in the future?
Temporarily assign billable team members to non-billable staff positions in HR, marketing?
Generate new, compelling thought leadership that can utilize research teams throughout the organization for high-impact deployment in the recovery?

It will be interesting to monitor. Is it more painful to backtrack and retract a bold strategy? Or to think and act at an even higher level of out-of-the-box — and flex into a new way to navigate disruptive up-and-down times?

Welcome to the new normal.

November 18, 2010 by Nancy Keene

Spark & Hustle — Dallas

With Election Day results looming, you don’t have to be a Republican or a Democrat to know that the economy is our top-of-mind concern.

Tory Johnson, the brilliant workplace contributor for Good Morning America, hosted a cozy gathering of local women business leaders last night — with some solutions. She is bringing Spark & Hustle — a practical and intense 3-day ”boot camp” — to Dallas on March 24-26, 2011 to help women with an entrepreneurial bent succeed faster. It’s part of a national road show.

Tory built her business Women for Hire as a series of highly-successful career fairs. In an era where fewer jobs are being created, Spark & Hustle is a natural progression. Create your own job by building your own business.

It’s a way that enterprising women have monetized their talents around the world.

I will never forget visiting Budapest several years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. You could still see ominous, bleak traces of the communist regime – gray prisons, forbidding walls and blacked-out windows. But there were also signs of commercial innovation – and a szalon on every street! The Hungarian women weren’t waiting to learn new business skills. They were building businesses doing what they already knew how to do – hair!

According to those who participated in the pilot program, Spark & Hustle will be an intense series of workshops with a focus on what works best and what to avoid in the world of doing it yourself — instead of in someone else’s company. Expect lots of known local female entrepreneurs sharing their success secrets.

For a special FOT — Friend of Tory — conference rate, please shoot me an email and you will receive a code which will provide special pricing for on-line registration. See you there!

November 2, 2010 by Nancy Keene

High/Low Impresarios

The irony is too delicious to resist.

We’ve had a festa of fabulosity in Dallas. The high-minded, help-the-world extravaganza of TEDxSMU events throughout town. And on the eve of the main Saturday TED session at the Wyly Theater, the impresarios of low-brow humor taking the stage at American Airlines Center — i.e., the Blue Collar Comedy team of Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Richardson H.S. alum Bill Engvall.

So what’s the common ground with these seemingly polar opposites?

It’s the very best in stand-up. Just different topics and purposes. Foxworthy and Co. provide an always welcome dose of comic relief. And TED presenters deliver real-world stories of hope, exploration, achievement and learning.

With TED, your head hurts from a day of information and inspiration intake. With the Blue Collar Comedy boys, your ribs hurt from two hours of non-stop laughter.

It’s all fast moving. Precision timing. Content with a pow!

Both ends of the spectrum convey an impressive element of creativity — with massive numbers of fervent followers.

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. There are three major TED Conferences held annually and more than 750 TEDx programs held thus far in 60 countries — plus other initiatives celebrating global thought leadership.

TED Conference speakers have included notables such as Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, authors Malcolm Gladwell and Elizabeth Gilbert, Nobel Prize winners, etc. Our own Dallas native Melinda Gates kicked off the TEDxSMU activities this fall with a simulcast of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s TEDxChange, coinciding with the gathering of the UN to review the Millennium Development Goals. You get the picture.

Blue Collar Comedy is a genre of Southern redneck-inspired humor captured by Jeff Foxworthy, an IBM corporate dropout who is one of the most successful comedians in the country and the largest selling comedy-recording artist in history. He is a brilliant talent aggregator who recruited other comedian friends to tour with him, popularizing the genre and building the multi-media Blue Collar entertainment brand, one of the most successful franchises in the history of humor.

Beyond the redneck aspect, Foxworthy explores humor in family situations and human nature. Engvall focuses on his everyday life and observations of comments he finds to be stupid. Texan Ron White is a good ol’ bad boy. And Larry follows a stereotypical redneck style filled with one-liners and the signature comment, Git-R-Done! There is an unabashed lowball aspect to the genre — and they delight in it.

Here’s a big difference. TED afficionados wear their affiliation proudly. Very overt. Blue Collar Comedy is held by some as a secret vice. Somewhat covert. Shhhhh.

October 19, 2010 by Nancy Keene