Your Executive MBA: what you need to know

Considering an Executive MBA or graduate school?  These tips, that I recently published on LinkedIn Pulse, will help you make the most of the experience.

Recently I have found myself consulting with professionals looking for career advancement, professional credentials, and the insight that comes from an executive MBA program.  I went through the same decision making processes myself and have been happy to share advice on how to make the most of these programs.

1.        The class is the professor.  Choose wisely.

Executive education programs appeal to working professionals who have years of experience to bring to the class discussions.  As a result, you are likely to learn as much from your classmates as you are from the reading and the lectures in class.  As a result, the constitution of the cohort is critically important to the value of the program.  So, when you are deciding on a program, ask about who else will be in the class, what businesses or industries they recruit from, and what kind of alumni programs they have for graduates. 

And don’t forget the value of the post-graduation alumni network you are building.  I decided, for a variety of logistics and timing reasons, to choose to travel out of state to attend Pepperdine University’s executive MBA program, who operated a satellite campus in Santa Clara, California.  I’d fly every three weeks down to class.  Because of the location of the program in the heart of Silicon Valley, the program had a lot of technology companies represented.  This was great for me, as I had begun a career in high tech and had intended to stay in electronics.  However, I did miss out on networking opportunities with my classmates during our program and after graduation, because I lived and worked in Portland, Oregon, instead of Mountain View or San Jose.  I have kept in touch with many of my classmates, but not as closely as I would have if I had attended a program in the Pacific Northwest instead.  Some programs have well-developed alumni networks, that host events, share a job board, and offer opportunities to network and collaborate.

2.       Don’t wait to network.  Use the alumni association before you are an alumni.

One of the reasons that you are likely considering an MBA is to build a professional network outside your current employer.  It could be to broaden your business acumen to make a larger contribution where you are or possibly to make a career change.  In any case, the network of your classmates and program alumni is critical to that effort, but you don’t have to wait until graduation.

Ask the recruiter for the school for alumni references for the program.  If you are considering a career change, ask to speak to an alumni who used the degree or certificate program as a springboard to a new career.  If you are wanting to change fields (from marketing to finance, from engineering to marketing, etc), ask to speak to an alumni who found the program useful with their own career moves.  Not only will you start building your professional network now, but it will demonstrate to the recruiter your sincerity and resourcefulness and you are likely to learn valuable insights into program.  Be sure to ask everyone you meet with for their advice on how to get the most out of the degree program.  You are paying the tuition, so get the full education!

3.       Use your capstone project to further your career

Most executive MBA programs include some sort of capstone project.  Sometimes a team is asked to start a business.  Some programs have individuals or groups do a full strategic analysis of a business, along with their recommendations.  Some have projects that are presented to a panel representing industry partners, for feedback.  In any case, I would encourage you to think about your assignment as a platform for your career development.

For instance, if you are looking to make a career change to a new industry, pitch a well-respected business in that industry the opportunity to work with you on your capstone project.  They get free business consulting and you build your network and knowledge in this field of interest. 

If you are looking to gain more responsibility at your current employer, use the capstone as an opportunity to get to know different executives and leaders at the company.  For instance, if you are looking to make a move to finance, reach out to meet with the CFO and ask their advice about what finance projects might be worth your time and energy and offer to share the results with them and their staff.  You gain instant visibility, you position yourself as a go-getter, and you get valuable resume-building experience that will serve you in your next role.

When considering my capstone, I met with several from the management team at my company to get advice about where I should focus.  Looking back, I could have done more.  I could have gone higher in the organization.  I could have reached more broadly across different functions.  I could have used the project, or any class assignment or the fact that I was in the program overall, as an excuse (and a good one) to connect across the organization. At the time I was enrolled in my MBA program I worked at Intel, who had 80,000 employees worldwide, and having a strong internal network helped you get things done and find your next opportunity.  I see now, how I could have used the program to position myself as an emerging leader in the organization, even more than I did.  My advice is don’t leave opportunities like that on the table.

Students are afforded great latitude in the business community, so if you take the risk to ask for advice or for opportunities, I have found that people are generous and will join you in your efforts to better yourself and better their business.  Remember, you are helping them, while they are helping you!

An executive education is a valuable tool in your career.  The purpose of education, especially the traditional case method format that is popular in business schools, is to benefit from the experience that others gained the hard way: through trial and error.  You have a great opportunity to gain poise, confidence, to build your business vocabulary and skills, and build your network along the way.  You will be able to measure significant personal and professional growth as you progress through your program.  Identifying your professional goals is critical. Picking the right school is the start.  The rest is up to you!

The Dilemma of Mobile Technologies

Does your phone or other mobile devices give you wings or are they an ever-present, ever-connected tether?  Or both?

Get Curious

A few things that I learned from researcher, author, and TED talker, Brene Brown at the recent Inbound conference interspersed with thoughts from talks from Dharmesh Shah from Hubspot and others:

1. If you recognize emotion in yourself or others, get curious.  Seek to understand what is happening.
2. The sense of relief when you think you understand what is going on is your brain rewarding itself to having a story that reduces ambiguity.  However, reward is the same whether or not the story we tell ourselves is true or not.
3. We are great at seeing patterns.  Even when patterns don’t exist. 
4. Everyone has a poor quality first draft of explanations for the facts we perceive and the emotion we feel.  Reveal it’s poor quality by writing it down.  You might be mortified or amused by what you write down.
5. After all a conspiracy theory is nothing more than a story with limited facts filled in with beliefs, assumptions, and fear.  That is describes most of our first draft explanations, so we should hold them loosely.
6. We don’t have to look any further than the constellations to find examples of how we have stretched stories to cover an unrelated and sparse group of facts.  How did we get Orion’s Belt or The Little Dipper but someone filled in the blanks with their own beliefs.
7. Address things directly by recounting the observable facts and the story you are making up to those involved.  Get clarity and move on.

It All Adds Up

Rome wasn't built in a day.  Your lifestyle and health are the choice of lots of small choices and habits.  Your career has been built one day at a time.  One day doesn't matter, but every day does.  It accumulates.  It builds upon itself.  It all adds up.  

I know many people are practicing gratefulness this month.  The small act of counting our blessings and acknowledging our appreciation changes lives.

How to Build a Network, Before You Need One

Students and professionals alike regularly hear about the benefits of networking.  They may see it as some sort of punishment or obligatory task that would require them to introduce themselves to a stranger.  In professional circles, “network events” are often nothing more than shameless vendor self-promotion hidden under the guise of free food and drink.  This misconception starts with an improper definition of networking and a lack of understanding of how and why to build one.

A network is simply a collection of people or resources that connect for mutual benefit.  It could be the members of a club pulling together to accomplish a big vision.  It could be a work team.  It could be a group that joins up because of a shared interest or cause. A network effect occurs when there are enough members of the network to have the scale and reach to allow each member to contribute and benefit.

You build a network because you can’t do everything alone and neither can members of your network.  Even with the wealth of the internet at our fingertips, it is useful to learn from others about what college to attend, what clubs to join, or how to improve your 5k time.  It is satisfying to offer your own expertise for the benefit of others.  You don’t build a network just to take.  You must be purposeful about giving as well.

You have heard the adage, that to have a friend, you must be a friend.  The same is true to building your network.  Start by connecting to people you respect or appreciate by telling them so.  Use social media invitations or a personal invitation complimenting them and saying that you’d like to stay in touch.  Then simply do what you said: stay in touch.  Let your network know what is going on with you.  Ask questions.  Ask people to refer others who might have expertise where you need it.  Answer questions.  Offer your expertise or make an introduction to someone you know who is a relevant expert.  Be a catalyst that brings people together to discuss big ideas or practical projects to make the world a better place.

Remembering that networks are just people that are helping each other be more successful, makes it easier to build and keep your network strong.

This article was published by Saturday Academy.

How to Be a Better Presenter in 3 Easy Steps

Presentations are increasingly part of academic and professional life. Don’t bother trying to fight it. Instead, use your poised and polished presentation style as an opportunity to shine. Here are three easy techniques that will dramatically improve your presentations.

1.   Practice out loud
Whether or not you have a script, practice by reading or reciting your speech out loud. Not only will this allow you to make sure it is long (or short) enough to fill your allotted time, but it will help you memorize your speech or have it flow better. Reading words on a page might be great for visual learners, but hearing your own voice say the speech and by using your real gestures and movement, you reinforce the speech through your other senses. You will also be able to identify and correct awkward word choices, rushed transitions, or tongue-twisting sentences before you are on stage.

2.   Record yourself
An audio recording (from your phone) is helpful because it allows you many of the benefits of practices out loud without the hassle of having to find a private space. Record it until you get it the way you want and then listen to it using headphones. The benefits, however, of videotaping yourself are substantial. Practice your gestures, pacing off different points during your speech, making eye contact, and projecting. And for an advanced lesson, play back the video in fast forward. This is the best way to identify repetitive, and often distracting, hand motions.

3.   Feel your feet
Nerves are natural. The comedian Jerry Seinfeld once noted that more people are afraid of public speaking than death, which means people would rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy. If you feel this way, it is perfectly normal. Sometimes that apprehension takes the form of nervous movements or rushed pace of the speech. You literally can’t wait for it to be over and it shows as you rattle off your points too fast for anyone to understand. And some of us have a lot of “performance energy” that can make us a little too bouncy during presentations. All of these can be helped by a simple move. When you take the stage, feel your feet in your shoes. Feel the shoes upon the firm ground of the floor or platform. This simple mental move will instantly quiet your body and has a calming effect that will help you slow down and keep your nerves in check.

Follow these rules and you’ll be giving your own TED talk in no time!

This article was published by Saturday Academy. 

Generation Gaps, Millennials, and the Future

I remember an interesting and impactful article I read in college in the Atlantic magazine about the different cultural norms in the generations in the U.S.  We have added a few more named generations to the progression since that article was written and got my attention.  The business world is in a tizzy about how to attract, retain, and motivate the famously free-spirited “millennial” generation as increasingly we are losing members of the “greatest generation” every day.  We wonder about the shift in our population, work forces, and voter ranks based on these changing demographics.

I heard Perry Hewitt from Harvard University talk recently about how some corporate cultural attributes like collaboration acted as “millennial nectar,” helping organizations attract new talent like colorful and fragrant flowers would attract bees and birds to a plant.  Conversely, an insistence on fixed job structures, long-term and slow-building career paths, and corporations that act too “corporate” act something like a millennial repellant.  I suppose each generation has their own nectar and repellant.

As part of the ill-defined “Generation X,” I am intrigued and puzzled by these generalizations.  I think each generation has faced its own impactful events and infrastructure.  Some things are consistent and many things have changed dramatically from generation to generation, leaving the “young people” of each generation to find their way.  A second world war, which came to US soil, demanded that the greatest generation develop a sense of duty and a fight for the common good and we wondered by in other times it wasn’t replicated by their children or grandchildren.  Today the world’s knowledge (and misinformation, as well) can fit in our pocket and we are puzzled when children raised with any answer only a click away, might feel impatient with corporate career paths and having to “pay their dues.” 

As I think of my own children, who have never known a world without the internet, cell phones, and on-demand entertainment, I am excited and curious what they will take for granted and the implications of this to their psyche and culture.

Animal Analogy

You have heard the expression “getting your ducks in a row.”  It refers to the desire to get things organized or aligned before taking some action.  I heard Seth Godin recently talk about “keeping frogs in a bowl.”  He was proposing that it was more accurate than getting ducks in a row, since for most of us, the things that we are hoping to align before taking action aren’t exactly in our control.  They are as unruly as trying to keep frogs in a bowl.  Most action doesn’t need to wait until ducks are in rows and don’t require all the frogs to be in the bowl. We need a new animal analogy.

What animal doesn’t wait for all the information but rather does what they know to do, as soon as they know to do it and figures the rest out in a process of failing forward and failing fast?  They are my new hero.

Maturity is Curation

With experience and expertise comes the ability to choose well.  To understand better the implications of choices that you make.  To see the full landscape when the forks in the road rise to meet us.  To pick that which suits our strengths, brings us joy, and optimizes our success.  To not worry about what others think of the choices we make, realizing that they are one of the few things in life that are truly our own.

Pace Car: having one and being one

In the world of racing, there is something called a pace car.  It is out in front, setting the pace and demonstrating the angles to the curves of the course.  Especially in amateur racing or in educational driving experiences that people might do on race courses, the pace car is especially critical.

In our professional careers, we have pace cars as well.  Leaders at your company who mentor you in the ways of the business and model the pace of decision making.  Journalists, bloggers, authors, or TED talk speakers who are inspiring you with new ideas to propel you forward.  Admired business leaders about whom those authors write and who blaze new trails.

And in the other ways we are the pace car for others to follow.  We are setting the trajectory of the curve that will avoid risk and launch us into the straightaway. 

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I have often had to be my own pace car.  I couldn’t look around and see mentors or role models that were helping me navigate or modeling things for me who were like me or who had blazed the trail in front of me.  From tactical issues like how to dress for a board meeting or larger issues like finding my unique position as a leader were left for me to figure out.   This is probably why I became a self-professed professional development junkie.  This is probably why I never had a job that wasn’t created for me to a large extent.  Why I wanted to work with and for smart and capable people (generally men) who would tell the truth and I have been blessed by their advocacy.  Why I feel a responsibility to mentor women at my company (and there are so many talented and capable women at Planar) and the industry (through groups like Women of InfoComm Network, Women in CE, and others). 

So, I have come to peace being the pace car.  It no longer fazes me.  In fact, I do some of my best work quickly and under pressure.  I don’t mind the visibility and attention that comes with that position.  I don’t fear failure as much as many do (which is both a blessing and a curse, let me assure you).  I highly value feedback from those who mean it for my good.  And I am constantly trying to improve my times and those who are following in my tracks.

We should be constantly asking ourselves, “who is your pace car?  How can you be a pace car to others?” and using the results of that question to drive to new results.

See you on the track!

Be an SME

A Subject Matter Expert (SME) is a person who has experience and capability in a certain field of study or discipline.  On major project teams, they are the ones who you can in to make sure that what you are proposing is technically feasible or won't break a current process or system.  Although in today's fast-paced, mobile, technology-drenched environment, people are rewarded for broad curiosities and interests, there is no substitute for deep expertise in an area.  So, as we begin this new week, I am challenged to think about the areas in which I am an SME and how I can go deeper to learn more to strengthen my value there and how I might make that expertise available to solve problems and create possibilities.

Student's Guide to LinkedIn: 4 Things to Know

The following article was recently featured on LinkedIn.

You may have heard about LinkedIn and wondered whether it was for you.  As a student, particularly a high school student or in the early years of your college journey, you might wonder if the time is right to join this network or wait until you have more experience or your diploma and are looking to start a your professional career.  Here are some thoughts to consider.

1. You are starting your career now

The skills you are learning and the relationships you are building now, will be important later as well, so don’t wait.

2. Join LinkedIn

It is the world’s largest professional social media network at 380 million users.  A new member joins every 2 seconds.  Go ahead and list your school, major activities or awards, service organizations for which you volunteer, and list your title as “Student” (unless you want to get creative and you want to be an “Academic Technician” or “An Agent of Change”).  You’re your profile professional and focused on academic or professional work, not your preference in music or your summer vacation plans (there are other networks for that).  List out your skills and experience so others can endorse you.  Don’t forget to list entrepreneurial activities as well.  Your profile is 11x more likely to get viewed with a photo and 13x more likely to be viewed when you list skills.

And remember, it is editable, so things that are important for you to highlight today might not always be, so plan to curate your profile regularly to make sure the most important things are highlighted there.

Like any social network, don’t give out your personal information too broadly.  Things like your personal email address and the like can be hidden.  You can choose to use your first name and last initial until you are more comfortable with the system.  You should include a picture, if you are comfortable, but make sure it is professional (like a school photo or one taken when you were giving a speech or working in a lab, instead of one taking on a jet ski or at the football game).  You must make wise decisions regarding your own privacy, of course, and those are very personal decisions that you should consider with your parents and trusted advisors.

3. Connect

The whole point of a social network is to, well, network.  Start by sending LinkedIn requests to your teacher or professors.  Invite fellow career-minded classmates.  Invite your mentors and adult friends that know you well.

4. Be generous

There are several features on LinkedIn that all you to participate in a generous way, as you learn the ropes.   

First off, you can read the news feed of those you follow and like or comment on their news.  Congratulate someone on a new job or major project completion.  Comment thoughtfully and supportively on a published article.

Second, you can endorse the people you are connected to for their skills.  A few endorsements per person is appropriate. 

Thirdly, you can write recommendation notes.  Read what others have written and you can add your own.  Remember that these will likely live on the site for years to come, so keep them professionally worded and highlight transferable skills.  For instance, when writing a recommendation for a friend who was the yearbook editor, you can mention that project, but then say how you appreciated their attention to details and deadlines and how they modeled teamwork.  Those are things that future employers officers might be interested in, after all.

If you start supporting, endorsing, and recommending others, you will find that they will do the same for you and your profile and network will grow.

This article was posted on the Saturday Academy website. 

Action Creates Opportunity

We often think that opportunity creates action.  We will do something great once some external condition is met.  But the opposite is true.  Action creates opportunity.  Start making movement and see your goals easier to achieve.

"MARKETING MARKETING" ARTICLE FEATURED ON RAVE

“Marketing Marketing” was featured in a recent rAVe newsletter to the ProAV industry.

"5 Things" Article Featured on rAVe

"Five Things Everyone Should Know How to Do" was featured in a recent rAVe newsletter to the ProAV industry.

AMA PDX Guest Blog Post: Y is for You: What Google's Alphabet and Personal Branding

The Portland chapter of the American Marketing Association is featuring Jennifer Davis' guest blog entitled "Y is for You: What Google's Alphabet Teaches Us About Personal Branding."

Guest Editorial on rAVe HomeAV Edition

Jennifer's article on the "Five Things Everyone Should Know How to Do" was featured as a guest editorial on rAVe's HomeAV Edition on August 13th.  This email is distributed twice a month to professionals in consumer electronics, audio-visual equipment, and technology spaces.  Find the article here.

Y is for You: Google's Alphabet and Personal Branding

I read with interest the restructuring announcements from Google this week, as they rebrand the parent company into Alphabet, building out the letters with innovative products and business models - starting with “G” for Google, which remains a wholly-owned subsidiary.  It’s a bold move for a company that doesn’t want to be conventional.

This got me thinking about our own personal branding efforts and how we can apply Google's bold lessons to our own career paths.  

1. Your past is only part of your story

Google is known for search and related properties, but the management team saw that strong association as a strength of Google (the products) and a limitation to Google (the company).  Making that same distinction between what you do and who you are and want to be, is extremely useful.   Early in your career were you known as the person who organized events, the person who could calm agitated customers, or the person who could help someone with their Excel questions?  Although those things are useful and might still be part of your portfolio, they are not all that you are, nor do they limit you in the future.  You can delegate (as Sergey and Larry did with Sundar taking over Google or Susan running YouTube), train and coach others, and step away from what you were great at in the past, to develop new capabilities.  Reinvention isn’t just possible, it’s required, to move forward.

2. Leave room for more

Google is still a huge part of their portfolio, naturally, but with the rebranding effort, they made room for other companies, sub-brands, and initiatives to build out the portfolio.  If G is for Google, they literally have left room for 25 other multi-billion dollar ideas.  If you thought about what you do as just one letter in your alphabet, how could that shift your thinking?  How could you play bigger thinking that your career to date has just been one chapter (or the prologue) of a larger story? No one else knows what you are capable of, maybe not even yourself, unless you apply yourself to this line of thinking.

3. Good times are a great time for change

You have heard the adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  I don’t think anyone would say Google’s business model was broken.  Yet, they felt urgency and took action to change when things are going well.  Some analysts have commented that most companies don’t announce a “restructuring” when things are going well, their stock is flying and their market cap is pointing heaven-wards.  Usually, those words are reserved for companies that are struggling and require massive surgery and intervention to stay viable.  It is difficult to contemplate a change, especially a big one, when things are going well, but that might be exactly when you need to make a change. Perhaps it is time to retire the “don’t fix what isn’t broken” advice, and rather strive to be a person who is willing to give up good ideas in favor of great ones!

The First Half

I suspect this applies to more than just monster roller coasters.

Do Well by Doing Good