Random Bits from Walter's Life

Confused? So, what’s new?

I gotta tell ya, it seems true that what was old is new again. And nowhere does this seem truer than with popular music.

Recently, I heard For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, and it gave me pause. My reaction basically was that not a lot had changed in the 40+ years since it’s release.

Still, I think the award for relevance goes to the Temptations. Not only is their music well produced, but the lyrics are amazingly relevant – as you see if you took the time to watch the Ball of Confusion video above.

It’s hard to imagine side stepping the truth of “the more things change, the more they remain the same.” Yet, any real hope of change means asking tough questions and getting specifics. Great questions start with the word “specifically” preceding words like “what,” “who,” “why,” and “how.”

You should be asking tough questions of lots of folks – from politicians to senior leaders in organizations to friends and family. If we’ll have any hope of change, we simply can’t respond to slogans and glossy sound bites. Dig in and get the details.

Start today.

Yup, sometimes you gotta say it...

Risky_business
Not matter what, most of us want to stay within prescribed bounds.

We look around to see what others are doing. We may occasionally look for the slight edge we can get to compete more effectively – but without straying too far from the fold. We’re often all too ready to respond to pressures to do things the way others want us to do them. We follow our job description at work; and if out of work, we take the prescribed path to find a new position. We’re ready to go to Princeton, or another destination chosen by someone else, without ever experiencing the opportunity to pursue more “risky business.”

Unfortunately, the world increasingly holds less rewards for folks who memorize the policies and procedures or who follow the template. Yet, if you always follow the rules, how do you know what you can truly achieve? So, if you sense you may be playing it just a little too safe, go ahead and say it… Open the door to the freedom that brings opportunity, because opportunity makes your future.

If you can’t say it, you can’t do it!

You can be like everyone else. Just follow the template.

Recently, a hiring manager told me personal brand means little to average jobseekers. He went on to say that when he needs his next employee, he puts up an ad and receives thousands of candidate resumes in a few days.
 
It occurred to me that he is following the template for hiring. It also occurred to me that all those job seekers are following the template for finding a job. It got me thinking that following a formula has a downside. It promotes a monotonousness that tends to blur individual instances. At some point, many of those thousands of resumes create a blur where no one stands out – much like dull reports on the evening news.

In thinking about templates and dull news reports, I recalled this video.

Personally, I’d choose standing out. But hey, if you’d rather blend in, and risk that no one is really listening to what you’re saying, follow the template.

Video: Seth Godin on the tribes we lead

Frankly, it was not until I read Tribes that I realized what a profound thinker Seth Godin is. Since then, I've paid attention to his blog, and also read Linchpin. Recently, my friend Mohammed Al-Taee ran a two-part interview with Seth. On it, he has this video. The concept discussed here, tribes, is profound and is really a key to career management in today's world. Perhaps you'll still need a resume, but you don't need to run your career in an unfocused way. Find your tribe, or your people, and lead them. It's where your power is. Enjoy the video!