SodaPDF-compressed-Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO

by dlavieri

  “Does he really not understand those policy issues?” I asked.

  “Oh, he knows the issues alright,” Brian said. “But that’s irrelevant

  because he can’t do anything. We’re going to have to find a way to let him go.”

  It turned out that Jason had enjoyed one of the last remaining old-school

  jobs, where he wrote all his papers on a legal pad. “He doesn’t even know how to use e-mail,” Brian said. “In this company, not even the CEO writes long-hand drafts for some secretary to type up. I don’t care how smart or connected he is. There’s no room here for a guy without basic skills.”

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  make social media work for You

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  The fact is that there’s no room in most corporations for a professional

  without basic communication skills. But the definition of those skills can vary widely. During the interview process, nobody at Brian’s company asked Jason

  whether he could use a laptop because it seemed inconceivable that an expert

  could operate in the policy arena without the “basic skill” of turning out

  quick drafts and distributing them electronically to the world.

  In regard to communications, “basic skills” may seem to include whatever

  technologies you happen to be using now, but not much more. Too many pro-

  fessionals seem to share the view of my client who said, “I have all the com-

  munication skills I need and I’m not going to go messing around with a time

  sink like social media.”

  Consider this statement as a SHOUT: Understanding social media is now

  a basic skil in the world of business, academia, or government. That doesn’t mean that you have to know how to do everything. But you absolutely must understand the fundamental concept and potential power of these rapidly

  evolving media. Even if you’re in your 20s, you’ll sound like a dinosaur if you make derisive comments like, “Oh, I just think Twitter is silly. Why would I

  want to see what some stranger has for lunch?”

  Every professional needs a social media strategy

  In Chapter 4 we talked about how—whether you know it or not—you have

  a personal brand that is impacting the opportunities that come along in your

  career. One factor shaping your brand is the way you show up online. And—

  whether you know it or not—you do have an online image. If there isn’t much

  information online about you, you may come across as someone not well con-

  nected in the world of work.

  You are in charge of your career, and it’s your responsibility to think about how the Internet and social networking may impact your professional brand.

  If you are just starting to think about your social media strategy, consider

  these four tips:

  1) Know who’s using it. Most businesses and large organizations

  now have some kind of social media presence. It’s smart to know

  how your employer, your customers, and your competitors are

  showing up. If you do nothing else, remain aware of messages

  flowing from the organizations that matter to your work life.

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  2) Set up a profile. LinkedIn.com, by definition, is a professional networking tool, and many people now use it as a digital address

  book. It’s a great way to gather data and keep track of most of

  your business associates in one place. But it’s become much more

  than that. Hiring organizations and executive search firms use it

  on a regular basis to locate talent. And there’s a good chance that

  anyone you meet will use LinkedIn to quickly check you out. So

  here’s a chance to tweak your brand: Create a LinkedIn profile

  that at least describes your current professional persona.

  3) Get news. Until you get the hang of it, Twitter feels like a large, random crowd of people shouting about trivia. But once you

  understand how to organize the flow, it’s a tool for connecting

  with people all over the world in real time. If you want instant

  feedback from an audience or customer group, Twitter works as

  well as anything out there. And if you want to know what people

  are talking about right now, Twitter is your tool.

  Many users never Tweet a word, but they manage Twitter

  as their primary source of incoming news. Twitter allows you

  to organize reports from all the major media companies, as well

  as the specialized journals and commentators you most respect.

  And it brings fast access to crowdsourced reporting when there’s

  breaking news like an earthquake or security breach. If you’d

  rather use Facebook or other social options for getting the news,

  that’s fine. But when there’s a crisis it helps to be plugged in to

  some kind of social media stream.

  And if you want to give Twitter a try, please follow me at:

  @beverlyejones.

  4) Don’t mock what you don’t understand. There are so many

  new channels that it’s easy to become bored or confused. Don’t

  think you have to understand it all or feel pressure to sign up

  for everything from Facebook and Pinterest to Scoop.it and

  Academia.edu. If you’re just starting out, a smart goal is to try

  one or two tools immediately, and gradually learn more about

  some of the other options. What you don’t want to do is self-

  righteously refuse to try the tools that your colleagues are using,

  or make fun of media that you’re unwilling to use.

  make social media work for You

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  Social media can help you put your best foot forward and stay abreast of

  developments that are critical to your professional life. If you refuse to even try them, you may find yourself on the wrong side of a great divide. Like today’s elderly who don’t hear from grandkids because they can’t text or e-mail, you

  might eventually be cut off from your younger or sharper friends and col-

  leagues. The challenge is to understand what is technically possible, and what avenues are your best choice for staying in touch with the people and activities you care about.

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  stress Is contagious

  and debilitating—

  but manageable

  You’re still tired from working late last night. Your commute this morning

  was a nightmare and you reached the office 30 minutes behind schedule.

  Your boss was waiting for you when you arrived, in a hurry to hand over a

  tedious project with an unreasonable deadline. And you need immediate relief

  from a coworker who’s been grouchy and uncooperative for days.

  Feeling stressed out?

  You’re not alone. Surveys suggest that work is the leading cause of adult

  stress, and a growing number of workers are experiencing physical or emo-

  tional symptoms of job-related stress. Many of my clients not only suffer from stress themselves, but also worry about how a stressful environment might be

  hurting their teams.

  For you, the modern professional, there’s bad news and good news. The

  bad news is that the consequences of chronic stress can be serious, even deadly.

  The good news is that there are many options for dealing with stress, and you do have the power to stop feeling so stressed out.

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  stress Is contagious and debilitating—but manageable

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  Understand that stress poses a serious

  health risk

  In some work circles, it seems like the symptoms of stress
carry a certain

  prestige. And occasionally when you complain about feeling stressed, you’re

  actually a bit pleased with yourself and are letting folks know that you’ve been working hard for the good of the team.

  If that rings a bell, please take a careful look at what stress can do to you and get serious about taking control of your health and well-being.

  To understand how stress operates, think of it as associated with the “fight-

  or-flight response,” which is our normal reaction to some form of threat or

  challenge. That response is a kind of survival mechanism that allows humans

  to automatically react to possible danger. In effect, stress reactions start out as your body’s helpful way to generate a bit more oomph when you need it.

  Imagine that you’re strolling along a country path and you spot a snake

  up ahead. You freeze for a moment, staring at the snake. While you pause,

  still uncertain, your brain starts sending messenger chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol that change operations throughout your body. For example, your

  pulse and blood pressure go up, and more blood flows to your heart and brain.

  Your body is getting ready to tackle the snake or turn around and run. At the same time, to free up resources, cortisol and other chemicals slow body functions that aren’t critical in an emergency, like digestion, your immune system, and your reproductive drive.

  This is an example of “acute stress”—a one-time reaction that gives you a

  burst of energy and helps you fight with or escape from something threaten-

  ing. Occasional acute stress reactions might even be good for you, strengthening your immune system and helping you to become stronger.

  Now let’s imagine that, as you stand staring at the snake, you realize that

  it’s actually just a stick lying across the path. Wow, what a relief. You now experience a “relaxation response,” which is the opposite of your “fight or

  flight” reaction. Your chemical balances return to normal, your breathing and heart rates go down again, and you’re ready to resume your walk.

  On a workday, the stimulant that triggers your stress reaction might be

  anything from a physical threat to worrisome thoughts. It could come in the

  form of aggressive drivers cutting you off on the road, your boss giving you

  that annoying project, or a nasty comment from your obnoxious colleague.

  But unlike the snake scenario, the moment of stress isn’t quickly resolved.

  Before you can relax, the first stressor is followed by a difficult client call,

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  then a problematic e-mail message, and a plea for help from a panic-stricken

  colleague.

  What you’re experiencing now is chronic stress set off by a continuing

  stream of stimuli. Instead of dropping to normal, your level of hormones like cortisol stays elevated. It’s possible to fall into a downward spiral, where stressful events trigger your physical and psychological symptoms, which in turn

  make your stress level feel even worse. The long-term activation of your stress-response system can disrupt many of your body’s processes, threatening your

  health in many ways.

  Chronic stress is associated with numerous health and emotional

  problems, including:

  → Physical aches and pains, such as headaches, back pain, sore

  necks, and shoulders, and other symptoms such as indigestion.

  → Sleep difficulties and feelings of fatigue even when you do

  sleep.

  → Cognitive difficulties, including forgetfulness, constant worry,

  and an inability to concentrate, be creative, or make decisions.

  → Emotional symptoms, including crying, anxiety, anger, loneli-

  ness, and a sense of being powerless.

  → Depression, which is magnified by stress and can also lead to

  more stress.

  → Excess weight, in part because cortisol can stimulate your

  appetite and stimulate enzymes to cause fat to be stored in your

  fat cells.

  There are many ways to address stress

  There is no single solution to the problem of workplace stress. At times you

  can address some of the underlying issues. For example, if your long commute

  is getting you down, perhaps you could arrange to telecommute a day or two

  a week. But many factors contributing to a stressful environment are beyond

  your control.

  However, even where you can’t do much to change your situation, you can

  change your reaction to some of those stressors. You can start feeling better quickly by using one or more of the many techniques shown to be effective

  stress Is contagious and debilitating—but manageable

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  in addressing the symptoms of stress. Research suggests that just knowing you have a plan in place can be enough to help you calm down and start to mend.

  Your doctor and many kinds of therapists and programs might help you

  come up with a comprehensive plan. Meanwhile, here are some of the many

  practices that can help bring your stress to a more tolerable level:

  → Exercise. Regular walking or other aerobic exercise can signifi-

  cantly reduce the physical symptoms of stress and improve your

  mood. Repetitive or rhythmic exercises, such as jogging, danc-

  ing, or biking, seem to be particularly effective.

  → Talk to somebody. The sense of isolation that hits some over-

  worked professionals can magnify the impact of other stressors.

  Find ways to have meaningful conversations more frequently.

  Beyond that, make eye contact, actually listen to other people,

  and try to connect with them in casual ways throughout your

  day.

  → Connect with nature. Research suggests that being in

  nature—or being aware of nature through something as simple

  as looking at houseplants—can reduce your stress symptoms.

  For some people, regular lunchtime walks in a park can make a

  big difference.

  → Be creative. It can be healthy to focus on something different,

  and stimulate the creative part of your brain. Try painting or

  playing a musical instrument, working in your garden, taking a

  cooking class, or taking up a repetitive craft like knitting.

  → Write about it. Keeping a journal is a great way to develop

  insights, change your perspective, and grapple with tension.

  Try writing about your stressors, describing precisely how they

  make you feel. Then write about the good parts of your situa-

  tion, and the things that make you feel grateful. Describe your

  goals, and the kind of work life you intend to create in the

  future.

  → Look at the big picture. An immediate problem can lose its

  impact when you place it in perspective. One way to do this is

  to make a list in your journal about the things that matter most

  in your life. Then ask yourself: how does the current problem

  affect your list of big-picture goals or values?

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  Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO

  → Simplify. A common source of stress is having too much going

  on. You may be able to reduce your stress by finding ways to

  streamline. Look for activities and responsibilities that could

  be reduced or restructured. And find ways to get rid of physical

  clutter; getting rid of piles of stuff can feel quite liberating.

  → Help other people. In her TED talk, “How to Make Stress<
br />
  Your Friend,” health psychologist Kelly McGonigal describes

  research suggesting that people who reach out to other people

  reduce their own stress level and build resilience. Your caring

  for others is associated with a release of the hormone oxytocin,

  which helps to heal stress induced damage.

  → Meditate. In recent years, a wave of studies has explained some

  of the physiological benefits of meditation. There’s evidence

  that it not only can make you feel more peaceful and physi-

  cally relaxed, but it also promotes cognitive and psychological

  changes that enhance your performance and bring a feeling of

  contentment. In working with clients, I find that it’s worth try-

  ing a few approaches in order to select a style of meditation that

  feels comfortable. Here’s a very simple meditation exercise to

  get you started:

  1) Pick a focus word, short phrase, or prayer that has meaning for

  you, such as “peace,” “Hail Mary, full of grace,” or “I am calm

  and connected.”

  2) Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

  3) Close your eyes.

  4) Relax your muscles, progressing from your feet to your calves,

  thighs, and abdomen, and up to your shoulders, neck, and head.

  5) Breathe slowly and naturally, and as you do, say your phrase

  silently to yourself, each time you inhale and exhale.

  6) When thoughts come to mind, just notice them and gently

  return to your repetition. You might say to yourself, “Oh well,”

  or “That’s just a thought.”

  7) Some instructors suggest that you continue for 10 to 30 minutes,

  but I find that even a few minutes can be helpful.

  stress Is contagious and debilitating—but manageable

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  Help your team by managing your stress

  If you’re thinking like a CEO, you want the other members of your team to

  feel motivated, energetic, and positive. And that requires addressing the level of stress in the environment. If you’re the leader and some of the stress is associated with a tough situation, keep your team informed about what’s going