Perspectives

Hit them where it hurts

A coffee conversation last week with someone who asked to meet me, almost always an indication they’re looking for a job, which is fine by me. Senior professional with nearly 30 years work experience, and in his current role for nearly 4, he was indeed looking to make a move soon, ideally to a similar…
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Cold cold heart

I do headhunting, but seldom speak to other headhunters, and when I do, it is muted conversation; we are a very proprietary group, lone wolves.. The only way I know the style or behaviour of other headhunters is from candidates I interview, as they are often courted by search firms. And I have heard enough…
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All in favour say “Ay”… uh-oh..

When senior management gathers around the meeting room table, the focus is often on decisions to be agreed upon, short-term or long-term, the impact on corporate performance and direction, all fairly standard stuff. A decision is always a choice-usually between not-so-good and potentially good ones, hardly ever between a great and awful choice. No guarantees…
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The job description–made to last

I look at job descriptions and at people’s CVs through the day. I assess their skills, work history, presentation and aspirations, how they compose and formulate their CV, their reflections, aspirations, ability to listen, how the articulate and market themselves, sometimes with a dollop of self awareness.. I usually (after an hour or so) understand…
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Facebook’s challenges

In the next year–two years maximum–Facebook will face new challenges. My voice may be a rather quixotic one, with their march towards a billion users, half way there already, and it may not be the behemoth it is today. Here are three challenges as I see it: History. Being the biggest of anything makes one…
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No talent in Asia??

Ah, the never ending drum beat on the “war on talent”… In the 21 June issue of Newsweek, Mac Margolis writes of all doom and gloom for Asia, no good talent to find. “Executives Wanted” is the titled article. Read it yourself. His premise is that companies are wringing their hands because in Asia there…
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High drama Obama–How about you?

In my last blog I mentioned a confrontational leader who made people uncomfortable with his selective anger. A [successful] boss will know how to be–only at times–unpredictable in order to achieve an end result. It is an essential component of strategic leadership, knowing when to dip in to one’s repertoire and pull out the right…
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Strike without warning

At lunch last week, a senior exec (regional VP) was telling me about a more senior exec within the organisation (SVP and regional MD) and how his style was confrontational–with everyone. He continued, “At first I couldn’t stand him–all he would do was pick pick pick at everyone, me included. And our turning point was…
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Never outshine the master

My lunch partner last week is a senior business executive. with regional (AP) scope. The conversation was long, engaging, and fun. At one point, it turned to hiring practices. He looked at me and said, “My boss and his boss [at global HQ in the US] just did a telephone interview with someone out here…
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To thine own self, promote

Had a coffee with a friend of mine whose has a pretty good life; not working in a corporate job (was a CEO in his last role), has a retainer from a previous company for a couple of years, steady income off of rental property, now works on deals to make equity shares, picking and…
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