- Time to work really hard!
- Time to be a team player!
- Time to think out of the box!
- Time to be very customer oriented!
- Time to make things happen at your office!
- Time to make yourself so valuable your company can’t live without you!
With the challenging economy, a day doesn’t go by without someone I know calling/emailing saying they are now in transition. As of October 2008 new unemployment claims have hit a 16 year high! Yes, you have to go back to 1992 to see claims higher than they are now. That is an ugly thought to consider and I hope (although don’t believe) that trend will change very soon. Every day, companies are announcing major layoffs. A few weeks ago, Citigroup, Union Pacific Corp and Sun Microsystems joined the list.
As of October the unemployment rate was 6.5% which is over 40% higher than it was at the end of last year. I am sure people who are reading this are saying I always worked hard. Maybe you did and maybe you didn’t. However whatever you have done in the past should and needs to get kicked up a level.
I believe everyone has the capacity to get better at something every day! I strongly believe that people (not systems, not technology) make a difference whether a company exceeds or misses their goals!
The real question is, do most people try and do that or sit back and see what happens?
- What are you doing to make yourself more valuable to your company?
- Without giving away company secrets, what have you done to make your company more efficient?
- When was the last time you made a suggestion to improve something to senior management?
- When was the last time you showed something to a client and their reaction was "Wow, that is amazing"
I look forward to your comments.
Fee Sepahi says:
Hi Merrill,
I am fortunate to work for a great company where the president encouraged me to enroll in an MBA program to give me further tools and understanding of business, with his full support. I also have upgraded the dialogues I have with prospects about our services and we internally have analyzed and upgraded our communication skills, to be more efficient and ultimately cost effective to the end client. We constantly try and improve our processes, by taking feeds from every angle (production, sales, marketing etc.) to meet with client demands and they seem to appreciate it.
I look forward to and am confident there will be a shift in attitudes in our country and the globe, with the coming of the new administration.
Happy New Year!
Merrill Dubrow says:
Fee,
Good for you! That is fantastic to hear. I am sure your clients have noticed a difference and value you and your company more than ever.
Happy new year.
Merrill
Mike MacLeod says:
Hey Merrill,
Unfortunately, I’ve also been hearing of too many friends and colleagues that are now looking for their next opportunity. I’ve been there and I know it can really suck.
If I can help any of your readers it would be a great way to transition into 2009. Whether it’s by making an introduction or something else, I’d be happy to lend a helping hand. My network can be seen at http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemacleod.
Happy New Year, Merrill. I hope 2009 is the best one yet.
Mike
Mike MacLeod says:
OH, and I can be reached at Mike@MikeMacLeod.net.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Mike,
That is a very nice gesture. I am sure people in transition will really appreciate that.
Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Merrill
John Heakin says:
Merrill,
I too believe that people are the most important component of our industry, but I ‘m afraid that too many people think that is old school and all the answers they need involve technology. Those of us in the personal interviewing space are getting pounded by Online, and there are just too many providers and not enough demand. What I am doing is trying to find the right mix of people who can and will provide compelling value in the quality of our service to compliment the superior portfolio of properties we offer. This is very nuts and bolts, but it is the cornerstone of any service business. We have to be right sized on staff, and flexible upon demand, as we cannot carry any extra help on the come.
Jim Steber says:
There is a time in each person’s life when there is a greater challenge than usual. Most of live just move on in some fashion and we each just deal with it. We even believe that we have seen the worst and have solved it when all it was was normal life coming at you.
Now we start the real work, the real challenges and the real part. Everything up to now has just been training for this. The challenge requires motivation, positive attitude, and help. All three are either you getting help or giving help. No one can sit on the side lines anymore. Go out and get help from someone, specifically those that have helped you in the past. If you don’t need help go out and help someone.
Merrill has this sports thing he always talks about. This part of life is the biggest sports event of all time, at least in our lives. Get up get out get going it is going to be a hell of a year.
Merrill Dubrow says:
John,
Appreciate your comments. You are 100% right about not carrying extra staff on the come. Those days are long gone for awhile. Having the right staff that is flexible is the most important thing to every business right now.
Thanks for your comments.
Merrill
Merrill Dubrow says:
Jim,
Great comments! Couldn’t agree with you more. I was speaking with Steve Schlesinger this morning discussing this as the greatest business challenge either one of us has ever faced and might ever faced. Time to make things happen!
Thanks for your contribution.
Merrill
Kevin Lonnie says:
For over a year now, I’ve been reading Thomas Friedman & Paul Krugman in the NY Times predicting doom and gloom from a housing bubble and turns out, those sons of guns were right. Krugman is now predicting Great Depression II, which doesn’t sound like a ton of fun.
To Merrill’s point, time to put your head down and look up in about a year, when things might get a little better.
Fortunately, I normally work at only 50% of my potential, so I have left plenty of room for improvement. (only kidding, well mostly kidding)
Merrill Dubrow says:
Kevin,
Appreciate the comments and chuckle. Only success in 2009 and beyond!
Merrill