When networking blows back on you

What do you do when you broker an introduction as part of a networking exercise only to have it go awry?

I was in a meeting yesterday with several marketing communications colleagues. At the conclusion of our session, one of them pulled me aside and diplomatically said "Hey, that person that you introduced to me via email never followed up. I just wanted you to know."

I'm sure my face displayed my frustration as I was mortified. I take great pride in making sure that anyone I recommend for a job or that I introduce to a colleague is someone that I truly vouch for and would hire myself, if given that opportunity.

There are many "how to" posts out there on networking and relationship building. However, none that I've seen focuses on the consequence of what happens when your recommended contact fails to follow up. How will my colleague, referenced above, react the next time I send someone her way? Or, will I even feel right about sending a recommended associate to her in the future?

The lesson, if you're the recommend-er, is to carefully and thoroughly vet your introduction. And, I'd suggest that as part of the networking process and agreement to broker an introduction comes a reminder to your recommend-ee that they have to follow up with an explanation as to why - that it's your relationship that is on the line here.

As for those who get recommended, my admonition is this - follow the hell up with the person to whom you've been recommended! You've been given a gift - accept it and take advantage of the opportunity.

Can you really manage a career...or simply try to guide it?

Last week I chaired a Kansas City International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) roundtable discussion with seven other marketing communications professionals on the topic of "managing your career." As I prepared for the discussion and subsequently listened to my colleagues during our coffee talk, it became very clear that "managing" a career seldom happens - it's more a case of trying to "guide" a career.

My IABC colleagues at this discussion ranged from a young, first job professional to those who had changed professions to those who were on the last few laps of their career journey and were trying to figure out "what's next?" And, what I expected to hear differed from what I took away from our conversation.

First, I was pleasantly surprised at how many felt positive about the career guidance they were receiving from their immediate supervisor. From personal experience as well as what was drilled into us at a former employer, the most important attribute of a job for employees is the quality of guidance they want from their immediate boss. Thankfully, the majority of my colleagues last week were upbeat about that aspect of their current career stop.

Second, almost all cited the continuing phenomenon of being asked to do more and being asked to do something for which they have little to no experience. All mentioned the spread-too-thin stress that they feel coupled with the sometimes request to do something for which they are not trained and for which the requestor doesn't understand the complexity of the task.

Finally, none of the attendees were seeking the silver bullet for achieving career success. Rather, they knew that their potential for success rested on networking, attending professional enrichment events such as this, and seeking counsel from others in their profession. In fact, all acknowledged that they do less "managing" and more "guiding" when it comes to career advancement.

As for what I told them, my advice focused on the following:

• Constant learning. Your job and the future jobs you will seek are changing. Find ways, especially with new and improved online learning tools, to stay current and push for new knowledge. Think ahead - consider where you think your career is going and learn accordingly.
• Know your audience. Just as you advise clients to know their audience, so too should you know yours. Figure out how best to relate to your boss and those you work with as well as those you will meet within the future pursuit of a new job.
• Manage your brand. Your personal brand is something that you can manage. Know your personal brand authority, i.e., who you are and what you can comment on with your social media presence. Don't under-estimate the importance of marketing yourself including your appearance, body language, attitude, energy, timeliness and attention to detail.
• Be self aware. Who provides you with unfiltered, objective advice and feedback? If you don't have that person, or persons in your life, you best find them...now.
• The power of networking. Reach out, make contacts and don't think of your interactions as transactional - think of them as mutually transformational where you're not only learning and gaining value but you are doing the same for your networking partner.

I'm always energized with these sorts of discussions and inevitably find a new contact or two that plays an important role in my own career navigation. And, as is usually the case, my going-in assumptions ended up being much different than my mindset after the discussion.

Thank you, Kansas City IABC, for giving me the opportunity to facilitate this discussion and for all you do for the marketing communications community in our region!

Who holds your mirror?

Last Friday, several friends and I got together for breakfast. Not unusual, I know, but what makes this group unique is that we all started out as business colleagues and are now close friends. We meet for breakfast once a quarter and use our time together to talk about everything from politics to civic issues to what's going on in our respective businesses. Our ranks include those who have started their own businesses to those who have risen through the ranks of large corporations.

I, personally, find this quarterly breakfast to be an injection of much-needed adrenaline as I admire each of these friends, respect their achievements, and closely value their opinions. If I need advice, chances are one or all of the guys around this table are high on the list of folks I would call.

Who's your adrenaline source for your life, be it personal and/or professional? Are there those in your immediate network that you can turn to, on any topic, and know that you'll get their unvarnished objective advice?

Everyone needs a support group in their life. Everyone needs to have the mirror held up to their face by someone they respect.

Who's your mirror holder? If you don't have one, I suggest you fill that position right now!

(Editor's note: Want to know more? Let's talk - I'd welcome the chance to chat about my thoughts on networking and managing your career.)

The Godfather turns 45

I had the opportunity this week to see The Godfather - again - on the big screen. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is smartly bringing several classic movies to select theaters to be seen in the environment for which they were created - a movie theater. TCM's first offering was The Godfather in celebration of the 45th anniversary of this true classic.

The film was released in March 1972. I made the road trip that spring with a couple of buddies to the Glenwood Theater in suburban Kansas City to see this movie that had generated significant pre-release buzz. (And, remember kids - there wasn't an internet, TMZ or that Twitter thing back in '72.) My need to attend the movie had been piqued by my high school English teacher, who went off on a rant one day about the show's violence and its glorification of the Mafia. I exchanged a look with my pal in class that day that was "hell yeah, we need to see this movie!"

I sat enthralled for three hours in that massive movie theater (pre-multiplex) watching a story of family, loyalty, deceit, lies, honor and violence. I marveled at Marlin Brando's portrayal of the family patriarch, Vito Corleone, and was unsettled at how Al Pacino's character, Michael Corleone, evolved from returning war hero to cold-blooded heir to the godfather throne.

Like many of you, I've seen this movie on the small screen far too many times to count, whether through an intentional sit-down viewing to the stop-and-watch phenomenon when cruising channels and finding it on TCM. That's why I was so excited to see the film again in a theater - would it really stand the test of time in that environment?

The answer is a resounding "yes." The film captured me - again - for three hours. I was struck at how this film has ingrained itself in American culture, both through the themes that run throughout the movie and the sequel as well as the ultimate barometer - the phrases that have become a part of our language. All 30 or so of us in the theater knew that "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" was coming, and it elicited a few chuckles given the "offer" to the movie mogul that followed. I mouthed the words to "...never take sides against the family again. Ever." when Michael admonishes his brother, Fredo, after a meeting with Moe Green in Las Vegas. And, I smiled when Clemenza told his underling, "Leave the gun; take the cannoli" after whacking an unsuspecting turncoat.

The Godfather has more than stood the test of time. It was released in what TCM on-camera host Joseph Mankiewicz called the golden age of movie-making - 1967 to 1974 - when this film and Godfather II plus other classics like Bonnie & Clyde, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The French Connection, and Chinatown were made. And, it and its sequel are the best of what that golden decade of movie-making had to offer.

The Godfather is also a story of redemption. The movie redeemed the career of Francis Ford Coppola and cemented the legacy of Marlin Brando. Coppola wasn't the studio's first pick, second pick or even third pick to direct the film, but ultimately made a two-movie classic with the original plus sequel. Brando was cast as Vito Corleone only after Lawrence Olivier declined the role and Brando agreed to a lowered salary and a bond to ensure that he would not delay production, given his notorious reputation for being difficult while on set. His performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

As Joe Fox, played by Tom Hanks, says in You've Got Mail, "'The Godfather' is the I Ching. 'The Godfather' is the sum of all wisdom. 'The Godfather' is the answer to any question."

The movie has withstood the test of time. It's language is ingrained in our culture. The ensemble cast turned in performances that helped define their careers. It is shown repeatedly on classic movie channels. It is simply the greatest movie ever made.

Can any of us avoid meeting hell...?

The headline in today's Wall Street Journal made me smile - it read "The Postponed Meeting Vortex." Who hasn't been in that vortex of postponed meeting hell?

Meetings are a necessity and I realize that they aren't going away anytime soon. Can meetings be more effective? You bet - just read my blog post from last week. However, it's the postponed or late cancelled meetings that have a negative trickle down effect that can be so debilitating.

My experiences have ranged from having a boss who compulsively cancelled meetings or asked me to attend in his place, always with the latest of warnings, to situations (more than once) where I was told that a senior executive couldn't attend a meeting that had been scheduled weeks in advance with business partners who were flying in specifically for that meeting.

What can you do to avoid this vortex? Well, unlike my prior blog post about how to more effectively manage meetings, there isn't much that can be done with the cancelled/postponed meeting challenge.

The Journal's story suggested a "three strikes and you're out" philosophy - that one doesn't allow more than three reschedules or cancellations before moving on. But, how does that work when the serial offender is your boss or even further up the executive food chain?

My advice is to make contingency plans when the offender is most frequently your boss or above. Plan for the likely postponement or cancellation and don't book meetings in proximity that will be affected by the changed schedule. Alert your team in advance when you think there's the possibility that your meeting, and consequently their schedule, will be changed. If your boss relies upon an assistant for scheduling, work closely with that person to consistently reinforce why his/her attendance is critical. And, if the opportunity presents itself and you think it will help, have a heart-to-heart discussion with your boss about the effect these schedule changes have on the whole department.

If you're the offender and have to postpone or cancel a meeting with little warning, over-err on being contrite. Offer to do something on behalf on the affected person or group. And, at minimum, make sure that the words "I'm sorry" are used in lieu of some lame excuse.

Let me know if you have suggestions for how to handle this huge irritant in business life - I'll be sure and pass along your thoughts in an upcoming post. Send me a note at mgoff@goffmarketing.com - I'd love to hear from you!

Don't meet - do the work

I get quizzed a lot by friends and colleagues now that I've opened up my own consulting practice. And, the primary question I get is "what's the biggest difference from working in an environment with lots of people?"

The answer is simple - I now have time to do the work.

Meetings are the bane of corporate life. There's the misguided behavior of believing that meetings equal productivity. And, who among us doesn't know the work colleague who seems to take pride in saying "I'm sorry, I can't see you today - I'm in meetings all day." Really!? What business self-help book ever said that was the way to be productive?

I know that meetings are necessary, and I of course still participate in meetings with my clients and business prospects. Keep the following basic suggestions in mind and, who knows - perhaps then you'll be able to have time to do the work.

- The more people, the less effective the meeting. There is a rule of seven - beyond that number, the odds of coming to a quick and effective decision are lowered by 10 percent for every person added to the invitee list of a meeting. Don't invite anyone who can't meaningfully contribute to the decisions that need to be made in the meeting.

- Have a stated purpose, agenda and time limit. In my Sprint days, every meeting had to have this P.A.L. It was interesting to see how meeting effectiveness improved with this meeting mandatory. (Be sure to send the agenda in advance of the meeting.)

- Do a plus/delta at the end of the meeting. Give your meeting attendees the opportunity to provide feedback on the effectiveness and efficiency of the meeting by conducting a quick what worked/what needs improvement discussion during the final two minutes of any meeting. Take that feedback into consideration for your next/future meetings.

- Provide pre-read materials. Providing background information in advance of the meeting usually improves the outcomes and ability to make decisions...as long as the materials are read.

- 30 minute meetings. Discipline yourself, and your company, to have 30 minute meetings as the new normal. Make an hour-long meeting the exception, not the rule.

There are plenty of other meeting tips. Implementing these five, though, will immediately impact meeting effectiveness and, I would bet, your personal productivity as a result.

The Garth experience

I sat in a sold out Sprint Center last night in amazement. I looked around this ten-year old facility and saw nothing but delighted faces who were willing Garth Brooks on and on as they experienced what arguably may be the best musical performer alive today. Brooks was on his fifth sold-out concert in two-and-half days and was giving it his all. But, he was clearly spent from approximately 12 hours worth of hard charging country and rock and roll since his first show Friday night at 8:00 p.m.

I've seen Brooks twice - first in 2007 when he sold out nine shows at Sprint Center in the arena's inaugural year in Kansas City. (As Brooks stated frequently last night, "We opened this frickin' building!") And, I attended last night with about 17,000 of my friends from low places, all of who could not get enough of this marquee performer.

What struck me sitting there was the experience of a Garth Brooks concert. I've seen Bruce Springsteen, U2, and the Rolling Stones in their prime - all multiple times. Only the Boss comes close to replicating what Brooks can do live - draw in an audience, guide them and own the attendee experience.

Brooks' genuine sincerity is his genius. The audience feels it, the audience knows it, and they repay that sincerity with their devotion to performer and music. There is no other concert that I've attended where the audience sings along, with abandon, to every word of every verse of every song - even those who weren't hit singles. Only the Boss comes close, which is why I tweeted last night that there is the Boss, and Garth...and everyone else is playing for third place.

Brands would be wise to study Brooks and follow his lead. He's genuine. He's sincere. He understands his audience. He prices his experience in a way that it's affordable to everyman/everywoman. And, he gives his absolute all to every concert-goer at every show. In return, you feel like you are the most important person at his show whenever you see him in concert.

Garth Brooks is a showman. He's also a brand that understands who he is, what he delivers, and revels in the relationship that he's created with his devotees.

If there is a case study for the consumer experience worth emulating, it is this. Seven sold out shows over two weekends are proof enough of what his consumers think of the experience.

Editor's note: Garth Brooks played shows on Friday night, May 5; Saturday afternoon and evening, May 6; and Sunday afternoon and evening, May 7. He will return to play concerts at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO, on Friday night, May 12 and Saturday night, May 13. His wife, Trisha Yearwood, shares the stage with him for a portion of each show.