When Did Unresponsive Become Acceptable?

Sure- I understand. We are overwhelmed by too many emails, a multitude of priorities and unending inventory of thoughts running through our mind. So we have to respond to the fire of the moment which, in hindsight, is often not that important.

There are those who are wonderfully responsive business professionals. They follow up, respond to your phone calls, needs and communications. But for an ever growing number, lack of responsiveness is becoming acceptable and that in my book, is unacceptable. Responsiveness reflects a professional who is under control, buttoned up, has a sense of their priorities and will get back to you in due time. It is not up to the initiator to follow up, follow up again and only after two or three hits hear the reply: sorry I was busy, how can I help you? or worse, what do you want?.

Respond. Communicate. Set Expectations in the Communication Upfront. Demand Responsivess from Your Subordinates.

Responsiveness enhances respect and allows for you to be much more organized, much less overwhelmed and earn kudos from your peers, subordinates and superiors. Can some gifted business professionals overcome a lack of responsiveness? Absolutely. But they are a select few, the majority of us, must impress people with not only our skillsets, but also our sense of responsiveness, consistently to all who need us.

Your Actions Dictate Your Success (and Maturity)

“Dad I really don’t feel like doing this right now”, my 16 year old son recently said as he put his wash in the machine. A light bulb went off in my head and I replied...

“That is the difference between an adult and a child. The adult overcomes this challenge ("I don't feel like doing this") most of the time. The child only is able to do it some of the time.”

This concept can also apply to a motivated, responsive business professional as opposed to the individual who struggles.

And I will say, I find business to be a lot easier than parenting!

Age and Sex Discrimination... Really?

I continue to be fascinated by people in the 40's (or 50's or 60's for that matter) who blame their job search predicament or career woes on their age and their sex, things they have no control over. Sadly, many career counselors and professional groups often promulgate these theories rather than challenge them.

The bottom line is every human being is their own unique personal brand. If they believe they are too old to compete against people who are less mature, less managerially savvy and have a brighter upside, then they are. If they believe they are being hindered from growth in their workplace as a result of the "old boys club" which holds them down, then they will be.

Our mind, energy, confidence and motivation should only get better as we enrich our knowledge base through diversified people interactions and an attitude of positive change for ourselves and those around us, every day.

I'm 48 and still working towards my business prime. Now if you want to talk about my tennis game, that's a different story.

Business "Self-Reflection"

When we get up in the morning, we "reflect" on our exterior appearance. Not often enough do we also reflect on our interior... what's critical to our psyche.

In business, self-reflection is uber-critical. Yet most shy away from confrontation or are defensive, so we don't allow insight into our interior. Without other's perspectives (which we do get with the exterior), we wallow.

Decision Makers must collaborate with HR and Talent Management to improve their and others self-reflection skills. Though simple in concept, this is no easy task to execute.

What the Top CLO of 2010 Says about "Learning"

As quoted from Qualcomm CLO, Tamar Elkeles-2010 CLO of the Year, Tamar Elkeles designated by CLO Magazine in the September 2010 issue

"Three key learnings stand out: 1.) Hire great people, 2.) Utilize Vendors as Partners or Adjunct Staff and 3.) Learn from your Colleagues

2.) Utilize Vendors as Partners or Adjunct Staff- I have built several partnerships with local and global vendors over the years. These trainers, consultants and professors have become invaluable for me and my organization. I can’t hire all of them as employees- now would all of them want to be hired on- but they act as they are part of my team. We have the same goals, focus and commitment. Enabling true partnerships with trusted vendors allows me to have a larger staff of talented individuals who can impact my organization. Use their industry research, obtain good data, and ask vendors to help you learn about what their clients are doing. Vendors offer a wealth of knowledge and can enhance your capabilities. My learning organization’s effectiveness is a result of the highly collaborative partnerships we have with our vendors."