There was a time when the words used in job ads actually made sense.

These days the words used seem to have little relation to either the skills needed or the opportunities offered.

For example, courage

Courage is mentioned in a variety of job postings for minimum wage retail and service work. Companies like JCPenney (where an ideal employee will “show the confidence and courage to do what’s right“), Ann Taylor (in which one “has the courage to know who she is“), and Lululemon (wherein a worker “leads with courage, knowing the possibility of greatness is bigger than the fear of failure“) ask for it specifically in job ads.

Does that mean the employee can expect a positive outcome if they have the courage to report their boss, another executive or a customer for harassment?

Then there are the companies looking for passionate workers.

Lisa Cohen, an associate professor of organizational behavior at McGill University’s Desautels School of Management shared that passion is a common attribute that companies she’s spoken with want, but they struggle to explain why.

“They haven’t defined the term,” she said. “They don’t know why it matters and probably what they’re looking for—and they’ll put this in not particularly nice terms—is somebody who’s going to work like crazy for long hours, right?”

Hiring for intangibles is smart, but it should be for traits that actually matter, as opposed to smoke and glitter.

Image credit: Robert Nunnally

A Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here.

Obviously, opportunity and entrepreneurs go together.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of opportunities that could serve as the basis for a company.

It is a wise entrepreneur who at least tries to consider the long-tern implications of the opportunity they choose.

Not just the financial potential, but the possible effects on society and the world.

While no one can see the future, there is one thing you can count on happening.

Humans will act the same way online as they do in the real world — only more so.

More so, because they can indulge their worst thoughts/desires with little-to-no chance of repercussions and a much broader reach.

Anything that has ever been done offline will be done — more so.

Political dirty tricks will get dirtier,  bullying will be more vicious, the haters will be more active, and on and on.

Could Mark Zukerberg have foreseen this when he started Facebook?

Maybe not.

Did he try?

Probably not.

Did he even stop to think?

Unlikely.

Does he think about it now?

Only to deny it.

Image credit: HikingArtist

Yesterday focused on the constant opportunities that surround us as we move through our lives.

But in order to take advantage of them you need to be willing to move outside your comfort zone.

It’s always easier to coast than it is to climb.

In the same way, it’s easier to play it safe with what you already know than to put yourself in the position of being uncomfortable and having to learn new stuff — and possibly look foolish or fail

So what if you do?

The world won’t stop turning, nor will a lightening bolt materialize and strike you. Oh. And the sky won’t fall.

I promise.

What will happen is you’ll learn, grow, get braver, and your interests will expand.

And practically a guarantee that you’ll go further in life than you would have otherwise.

Opportunities.

Grab ‘em while they’re hot.

Image credit: Jennifer C.

Poking through 11+ years of posts I find information that’s as useful now as when it was written.

Golden Oldies is a collection of the most relevant and timeless posts during that time.

Long after I wrote this I read something that says much the same thing, only far more memorably.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” — Hunter Thompson

Read other Golden Oldies here.

I’ve always thought of life as a corridor with dozens of doors opening, each one representing an opportunity.

You may open one or pass them by—it’s your choice.

Each time you do open one and enter that door closes forever and you move down a new corridor full of doors.

The door you entered is sealed because whatever lay behind it changed you, so you can’t go backwards, only forward.

Some people to through life opening as few doors as possible, changing as little as possible and staying as safe as possible.

Others launch themselves through the most interesting doors with gusto, taking advantage of whatever opportunities are concealed and then on to the next door.

In honor of all those who are, or lean to, the latter description I dedicate these two Rules. They are especially apropos today.

Watch for big problems—they disguise big opportunities.

Welcome the unexpected! Opportunities rarely come in neat, predictable packages.

You can’t open every door and you don’t have to stay long if you don’t like what you find, but if you pass straight through never opening any doors you’ll stay in pristine condition and you don’t really want to arrive at the end as untouched as you were when you started — do you?

Image credit: (no longer working)

As you’ve probably already guessed, Ryan is leaving Mapping Company Success.

His writing time was squeezed with his new job, but adding a new kid to the mix made its impossible.

I’m sorry to see Ryan go, I think he contributed a lot.

His take on culture has been interesting, since he is a leading edge Millennial, a former Marine and has six years of work experience under his belt.

But anytime something ends it opens opportunities for new things to start.

I’ve been talking to a pair of tail-end Millennials about becoming contributors and they’ve decided to do it. Yea!

I’ll be introducing them next week. I hope you’ll give them a warm welcome.

Image credit: Randstad Canada

As I was going through my plans for a post this week, I realized a great one had already been written. My company promotes our employees both internally and externally. They shine a positive spotlight on my team mates and I wanted to highlight someone I work with everyday.

Below is a link to her story.

Endless Opportunities

Image credit: Gayle Nicholson

I have small children who have deemed that it is acceptable to say no a lot. At first, we thought it was a bit cute, but my wife and I learned quickly that we needed to put a stop to it.

We would tell them to pick up toys or wash their hands, the answer was always the same, no!

We found the fastest way to stop that behavior was to send them to their room or have them stand in a corner. It works but it’s a lesson that has to be applied almost daily.

I sometimes wonder if, as adults, we find it hard to say no to things because our parents tried to get that word out of our vocabulary as children. Perhaps we get it drummed in our heads that we should say yes to things and all of a sudden we are overwhelmed with commitments.

I went to a Tony Robbins event a few years ago and one theme of his message was, “just say yes!” His idea being that if you say yes to things and eliminate your fears then you will progress in life. (This is a very distilled version of his message of course).

I came away from that event with two ideas. One that I knew I could walk on hot coals, because I did, and two being that I should open myself up to opportunities. If Tony saw me today he might say I was a lapsed disciple, but I did find the event to be worthwhile.

That leads me to my final point.

Are we over-committing ourselves and doing harm to our lives? Have we made too many lunch meetings, too many side hustles and too many extracurricular activities to really live life?

I have a successful friend who has five children. I asked him what his secret was as he always seems well rested and is able to exercise.

He said it’s simple, he doesn’t enroll his kids in a single sport or activity. They are not barred from them, but he just doesn’t encourage it, he prefers math and music for them to be involved in.

His catchphrase is, “Nerds rule the world, not jocks.”

Image credit: marc falardeau

A Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here.

Regular readers know I have a thing for CB Insight’s co-founder Anand Sanwal and the newsletter he writes. The great data is a given, but the real draw for me are his common sense and wicked sense of humor, both of which infuse his prose creating an irresistible combination.

Monday’s newsletter shared a contrarian view of failure taken from his presentation at last year’s at SaaStr.

Acknowledging and being ok with failure is one of the best things about the startup community. We now celebrate the act of writing a startup failure post-mortem as courageous. (…)  Most are vapid puff-piece post-mortems that talk about being too early to market or suggest investors weren’t committed or offer up trite discussion of why they’ve joined a “larger platform” whose vision aligns with theirs.

Once again Anand is my hero by saying stuff out loud that needs to be said.

I’ve always believed that failure is a learning opportunity, but I never thought it should be enshrined and lauded.

Any more than Mark Zukerberg’s “move fast and break it” should have become a startup mantra.

Anand ends with this comment.

Now, even when you fail, you are a success.

Yup — in Startupland, everyone is a winner.

It reminds me of today’s “everybody gets a trophy” attitude.

Jean M. Twenge, author of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. “But the ‘everybody gets a trophy’ mentality basically says that you’re going to get rewarded just for showing up. That won’t build true self-esteem; instead, it builds this empty sense of ‘I’m just fantastic, not because I did anything but just because I’m here.’”

That attitude permeates everything else, so why should Startupland be any different?

Image credit: HikingArtist

The holidays are fully upon us and we are immersed in responsibilities to friends and family, at least I am. My family is spread all throughout the country and, as a result, it can be quite an orchestration to have more than a few people in the same geography.

I tend to be a people-pleaser as well, so, if there are multiple parties involved, I find myself pulled in various directions, all to keep them happy. I will tell you that this is not fun and does not benefit anyone.

The capstone holiday, of course, is New Years. It is a chance to renew and rebirth yourself into the desired image you have set forth.

My desired image would include not worrying as much about keeping people happy and more focus on my long-term goals.

Which brings us to the question, why wait? Why wait ’till that magical stroke of midnight to enable us to be our best selves?

In one regard it can be easier to wait until the tide of society is on board with us when making good decisions. I made a decision some time ago to no longer drink alcohol; I realized I could be a better version of myself by cutting it out. I will tell you that it can be a lonely walk when you are the only one making a decision like that. It wasn’t a New Year’s choice, but done during an off time of year. As a result, I really didn’t have anyone to share in the decision.

So perhaps that’s it?

Do we like the positive peer pressure of making informed choices together? It is a lot more fun going to the gym when out of shape if other folks in the same boat are there. It can also be fun to indulge in that extra piece of chocolate during the holidays’ guilt-free in the knowledge that next week you will be your best self.

How do we apply this to work?

Do you sit at your desk on a Friday and think, “I’ll get to that next week?” I know I do and it can be destructive if left unchecked. Or perhaps you are the type of person who embraces all tasks with gusto and will work to solve that problem regardless of time.

First off, I want whatever you have, and secondly, how do you sustain it?

Either approach has its benefits and risks, but which can lead to our best self.

What is your best self?

Flickr image credit: BK

I recently switched jobs to a company that is smaller than my last but where I have the ability to truly achieve success or crash and burn. It’s slightly terrifying but I try to follow Richard Branson’s example of just saying yes to things first and then figuring it out as I go along.

One thing I realized after taking the role is I am the one that must set the cultural standard. It’s not that the company doesn’t have one, but most of the employees are remote and we rarely see each other.

As a result there is not really a zeitgeist in the office that tends to guide everyone’s actions. It took me a couple of weeks to reach this conclusion, but once I did I sought out some resources on how to set a standard.

I was not blessed with an iron will. For me I must work every day at maintaining discipline and work ethic. It’s not a battle, but it’s something I am very much aware of and I take steps to ensure I set myself up for success.

One way I do this is through emulation of others. I realize this may not be groundbreaking but I think it’s important to remember.

When I was growing up I would see people at the top of their game or profession and a lot of times not think about the work it took to get there. As I have matured I realize it takes great effort to achieve success and we must make it a priority. There are several people I follow on LinkedIn that hold influence. I try to emulate what they have done to form my own identity and culture.

I have also sought out mentors throughout my career. Some of these are formal, but some are not. I reach out to them for specific needs or learning opportunities.

What do you use for guidance when setting a culture? Is it a company, ideal or person?

I believe all can benefit when creating an identity, as long as we are choosing the right example to emulate.

Image credit: Ron Mader