What Five Years has Taught Me

Kathleen Riessen
Partner - Measured Intentions

How do you a grow a business in a bad economy? How should I find clients? What can I offer my clients? Why would I quit a perfectly good job to go out on my own? How can I juggle being a mom and a business owner?

These are just a few of the questions I asked myself five years ago as I began Measured Intentions. This June, we celebrated our fifth year in business. Read on to see the top five things I learned that could help you succeed in your career as a professional, whether or not you are a business owner.

       1.  Surround yourself with people smarter than you. Within the first few months of the business, I added a business partner that had a different skill set than mine. We did this again a year later. These partners helped define the business and carry it forward. In my case, these partners were equity stakeholders; however, they don’t need to be. They could be vendors that act as partners or they could be mentors or advisors for you.

       2.  Network. Be a well networked person. Don’t just attend events – get involved. I spent the first few years of the business attending all sorts of events both in and out of my industry. Now, I don’t have as much time so I am selective on what I attend; however, I still understand the power of networking and make time each week to maintain relationships and build new ones. Sometimes people are hesitant to talk to me at a function since I am a business owner. I was in your shoes not long ago so don’t be shy. I wouldn’t be at a function if I didn’t want to meet you.

       3.  Give more than you receive. Figure out how you can help others. They will work extra hard to help you. Often times in our business we connect people that can be mutually beneficial to each other. Most of the time it doesn’t result in any direct benefit for us but that is okay. It always pays off in some way over the long term and it makes us feel good.

       4.  Know Your Value. You must determine that you and what you offer are valuable before you can convince someone to buy from you. This takes a lot of self confidence and can easily be rocked. Trust me, it will be rocked, which leads me to my next point.

       5.  Keep going. There are days when you feel like throwing in the hat. When you wonder why you are doing this. When you wonder if you can pay the bills. Those are the days you put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

When I look back at the last five years, I see the steep learning curve and all that we have accomplished. I am sure that in the years to come, I will look back and say the same thing. If I remember the five points above, then I know I will continue to be successful.

Kathleen Riessen is a Partner at Measured Intentions, a marketing consulting firm in Urbandale, Iowa.  

Leading the Way: You may need to adjust your leadership style

Alex Taylor
Associate Director
University of Iowa
Tippie School of Management

I recently enjoyed a couple of great reads about leadership functions and styles that served as a catalyst for some introspection: What are the functions of a leader and how do they perform them?
In his book, “A Force for Change: How Leadership Differs from Management,” John Kotter lists three primary functions of a leader:

1 Strategy — A leader establishes direction by paying attention to the market — industry, customers and employees — then develops, plans and implements the mission, vision and strategies for the long term success of the organization.
2 Communications — A leader aligns people and resources by sharing and communicating the organizational plans and strategies so that employees, customers and partners understand, embrace and commit to these goals.
3 People management — A leader motivates and inspires by appealing to and tapping into emotional and rational values and needs of employees, customers and others to work toward shared goals and collaborative results.

So if these are the leadership functions, what are the styles?
John Hendry, author of “Between Enterprise and Ethics: Business and Management in a Bi-Moral Society,” identifies four leadership styles — authoritative, participative, empowering and servant — as they might pertain to Kotter’s functions of a leader.

Authoritative leaders cut through or eliminates red tape, process and politics to make definitive decisions. Their conviction and confidence can inspire others to follow and/or do as their told.

Authoritarian leaders sometimes convey a “my way or the highway mentality”, which can backfire when employees don’t believe their input matters or their voices are heard.

Participative leaders enable others to provide input, but remain the final decision-makers. By encouraging participation, these leaders gain good insight and ideas that enable them to validate and/or adjust their decisions accordingly.

This style can help build consensus to guide and align organizations. However, if input of others never gets incorporated, a participative leader risks losing the loyalty and support of employees whose ideas perceptively fall on deaf ears.

Empowering leaders facilitate and guide others to make decisions as talented subject matter experts. These leaders must check their egos at the door, trust the talents and experience of subordinates, accept some uncertainty, and be able to recognize and acknowledge the success of others.

To be effective, an empowering leader must set clear limits of authority, establish shared and measurable goals, and be able to restrain empowered employees from running amok.

With planning and management, an empowered environment can be very innovative and entrepreneurial. But left unchecked, it can spiral out of control and the inmates can take over the prison.

The servant leader often can be found in smaller organizations and not-for-profits, working side by side with others to provide direction.

When they lead by example, these leaders demonstrate they are not above doing the work expected of others. This style can garner the respect of others and can be inspirational.

However, there are some people who prefer authoritarian leadership and a servant leader might appear weak and/or ineffective.

Just as we periodically measure and adjust our organizational focus to accommodate changing economic, financial and political environments, I believe it’s equally important to measure and adjust our leadership styles to stay relevant and effective.

So, what functions do you lead, and how do you do it?

Booze, Sex, & Money

Dr. Anthony Paustian
Provost at DMACC West Campus

Booze, Sex, & Money

Three ways to focus and improve the quality of your work

By Dr. Anthony Paustian

If you’re like most people, odds are you’re swamped; so much to do and so little time to do it. We go through our days trying to balance ever-growing responsibilities, which, if done simultaneously, make us feel more productive. We call this “multitasking,” and people believe the better you are at it, the more effective and efficient you will be. We tend to view multitasking as a positive, frequently sought-after attribute. In fact, as many of you read this, you’re also responding to text messages, watching the news, eating lunch, reading the paper, and planning the rest of your day.

However, multitasking is a myth. Sure, you can chew gum while walking, listen to music while vacuuming, eat while reading, or fold laundry while talking on the phone. But these activities don’t require higher-order, problem-solving skills or much brainpower of any kind.

Psychologists have studied the concept of multitasking for a long time. What they found is the brain is unable to focus on more than one thing at a time. When people multitask, they are actually shifting their attention from one thing to another at fast speeds, and each time they switch their focus between tasks, their minds must reorient to cope with the new information.

According to Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at MIT, “People can’t multitask very well, and when people say they can, they’re deluding themselves . . . Switching from task to task, you think you’re actually paying attention to everything around you at the same time. But you’re actually not.”

There are several reasons for this, but one is that similar tasks have to compete to use the same parts of the brain. For example, talking on the telephone and writing an email are nearly impossible to do concurrently because of what’s called “interference” by neuroscientists.¹ Both involve communication skills and contend for similar space in the brain.

Multitasking doesn’t make us more productive; in fact, the quality of our efforts suffers rather than if we focus on each task individually.

Another major downside to multitasking is the negative effect it has on our stress levels, as trying to balance a multitude of simultaneous activity makes us feel overwhelmed, drained, and anxious.²

Stop the Madness!

Although I don’t claim to be a model of efficiency (I get sucked into the false hope of multitasking with the best of them), I have learned how to effectively maximize my efforts and accomplish large tasks and projects. I have also realized time is finite, and we all have the same amount of it (24 hours per day / 7 days per week). In order to maximize my productivity, I adopted three strategies that greatly impacted not only the number of positive outcomes I can accomplish but also the quality of my work.

1. Set Aside Time

It’s human nature to deal with things as they come. Our days have a tendency to fill up on their own; as a result, we find ourselves constantly “putting out fires” (to use a common metaphor), becoming regularly distracted by the constant change in events.

Therefore, to do anything of quality and significance, proactively schedule time (even if it’s short amounts of it) when you will work on ONLY one task and nothing else. To write this piece, I had to schedule four hours on a Sunday afternoon when I would do NOTHING except write. I made sure I let the dog out, I took care of my physical needs, and I had a beverage by my side prior to working. I did nothing else during those four hours. I have employed this strategy for virtually every task of significance whether it was writing a book, designing a project, preparing a presentation, or creating a strategic plan. Not only was I able to accomplish each, but also I’m certain the quality of my work was much, much better because I was focused.

2. Find a Sweet Spot

I spend the bulk of my life in some unproductive locations. Whether it’s my office at work, my office at home, or home in general, these locations are ground zero for dealing with a constant stream of distractions. For me to be truly focused and productive during the time I set aside, I must work away from the normal, daily distractions at a secondary location where I feel creative and energized. For me, those places involve local restaurants and vacation spots. I wrote my entire doctoral dissertation at Applebee’s, my first book at Chili’s, and my most recent book, Beware the Purple People Eaters: A Personal Look at Leadership, at Subway (and most of the planning, outlining, and researching for that book was done poolside in Las Vegas). For whatever reason, these places allow me to focus, energize, and be creative. Find your place(s), and go there EVERY time you set aside time to focus (in fact, as I write this I’m sitting at Subway).

3. Go Off-Grid

Like an addict goes to rehab to cut off access to addictions, productivity needs to be cut off from distractions. Even if you set aside time and go to your sweet spot, it will be for not unless you unplug and disconnect. I’m convinced distractions will follow you if permitted. The phone will ring, text messages will appear, and emails will pop into your inbox, all of which are huge temptations screaming for your attention. And like most addicts, we are frequently unable to resist (did I mention booze, sex, and money?). Turn off your smartphone and disconnect your laptop from the Internet. Short of an emergency or crisis (which seldom happen), everything can wait.

These three simple actions have a huge positive effect not only on my productivity, but also on the quality of my work. They allow me to focus intently for scheduled blocks of time while putting my best efforts toward the desired task. Although they might be simple in concept, they aren’t always simple to do. They require discipline and, most of all, frequent practice. Start by creating a routine and setting aside small amounts of time. You might be shocked at what you can accomplish when highly focused for only 30 minutes a day.

For more information on this topic, see the upcoming fall issue of Celebrate! Innovation Magazine (www.dmacc.edu/ci/magazine2013/welcome.html) available early September.  For more on this and other topics, please visit www.adpaustian.com.

©2013 Anthony Paustian. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

¹Hamilton, J. (2008, October 2). Think You’re Multitasking? Think Again. Retrieved May 9, 2013, from the NPR (National Public Radio) website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=95256794 
²Multitasking: Can It Help You Get More Done? Retrieved May 9, 2013, from the Mind Tools website: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_75.htm

Giants Among Us

Tom Cox
Vice-President of Digital Content
Meredith Corporation

Central Iowa is in a very sweet spot in the U.S. economy.  In addition to being ground zero for agricultural related industry and commodity production, our region is fortunate to be home to the corporate headquarters of the some very large publicly traded insurance, media and financial services companies, or to at least host their major operational centers.  Their campuses of gleaming buildings and manicured lawns, art installations and inspired architecture are sprinkled around downtown and increasingly around the western suburbs.

The thought of contemplating business relationships with these corporate giants is likely very appealing for many of the locally owned businesses that comprise the rolls of the West Des Moines Chamber.  It is however, important for owners and employees of local firms to remember one thing about their friends, neighbors and colleagues who work for these big firms; while these fine folks live in central Iowa and have homes and offices here, and send their kids to school here...they don't really work here.

What?

If you think about the major employers in our community, with the exception of primary health care delivery, almost none of them earn the bulk of their revenue from within the boundaries of our state.  That’s a good thing for the local economy, but it can be challenging for local firms as well.  The majority of the employees of the giants are busy all day long serving customers who live across the U.S. and around the world.  And, like all other major modern enterprises, these corporations are able to source goods and services from across the country and the world.  Personally, I take a phone call a week from any number of earnest sales representatives who would like me to outsource work halfway around the globe.

In my own case, when I go to work each day, unless I am travelling, I may sit downtown but am really in New York, or Atlanta, or Hartford, or Phoenix, or Portland, or any number of other places where we have business units or major vendor relationships.  I do occasionally get to spend budgeted dollars with local firms who directly benefit from having us in town.  But to compete for this, these small firms must continue to provide competitively priced services that go beyond having a local phone number.  All things being equal, it is nice to be able to see the people you work with without going to the airport, but it is no longer essential.

The point of all this is to remember that being near the corporate giants is only an advantage if you are either able to provide a service where relationships and closeness matter, or where your local cost is truly advantageous to the client firm.  Certainly one distinct advantage local firms have is that it is easier to get that first opportunity for a meeting with the folks who they see at school functions or rub elbows with at civic events.  And herein lies a secret... managers like me who have some small part in the overall budgeting process really do like to source locally, but proximity is often far from the top factor in play.  The billions of dollars in earnings the giants bring home each year is a lot of money, but the profits from that are not derived by spending freely or without strict observance to shareholder demands and the "strategic sourcing" of vendor relationships; locally, regionally, nationally and globally.  So when contemplating doing business with the giants among us, find your reason for why being local matters.

Tom Cox is the Vice President of Digital Content for Meredith Corporation's Local Media Group (which owns no Iowa television stations).  He resides in West Des Moines with his wife, Liz, and three children who attend West Des Moines schools. 

Young Professionals and Politics

Legal Counsel and Legislative Liaison
Iowa Secretary of State

The terms “young professionals” and “politics” often seem mutually exclusive.  Obviously the world of politics has young professionals who run for office or are employed in politics and government.  Yet, the perception is that young professionals are part of the business world and not the political world.  Some would even argue that except for voting and being part of a democratic republic, most young professionals are not even part of the political process.

  However, I would posit to you that this could not be further from the truth.  In reality, based on your occupation you are probably represented by a lobbyist or a political action committee that is giving money to politicians ostensibly on your behalf.  This link will give you an alphabetical list of the businesses and organizations in Iowa that employ a lobbyist:  http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=Matt&Service=Lobby.  This link is an alphabetical list of the current political action committees that are active in Iowa at the state level:   http://www.iowa.gov/ethics/lists/list_download/pacs.pdf.

After reviewing either of these lists, it will be clear to you as a young professional that based solely on your occupation you are indeed part of the political process.  If nothing else, you will recognize that some of your money is already being spent on political campaigns or to impact the legislative process and you did not even realize it.  As such, I would encourage you to spend some time looking through these lists.  This information is all a public record and too few people take the time to look through it.

So why should young professionals care about politics?  Remember that elected officials pass the laws and ordinances that have a direct and indirect impact and influence on your businesses, employments, and everyday lives.  Not only are laws and ordinances an issue, but state agencies and departments are able to adopt administrative rules that basically act like laws.  Several of you are in professions in which your employment activities are heavily regulated by laws and rules.  This is the major reason why your professions have lobbyists and political action committees looking out for your interests. 

Not only do you pay federal taxes and state income taxes, but there payroll taxes, property taxes, franchise fees, and local subdivision assessments.  While I am not arguing for or against these “government revenue generators,” you certainly need to be aware of them and how they impact your career.  Some of the most spirited debates in Iowa politics involve tax issues and rightly so.  Clearly it goes without saying that there are various ways in which the imposition of taxes impacts your life as a young professional. 

So short of running for office or otherwise becoming a young professional that is employed in the world of politics (and I would encourage you all to do those things), what should you be doing?  Read up and familiarize yourself on the issues.  There are plenty of social media opportunities that give you quick access to information.  It is amazing how much knowledge you can capture from a couple of blogs or who you follow on Twitter.      

Get to know people in government and politics.  Remember that they have strict ethics laws including limitations on people able to accept gifts, including free meals, but there are opportunities to interact with them.  Let them know your feelings as a young professional on the issues and how you are impacted.  I believe you will be amazed at how easy it is to access politicians and government officials in Iowa.  I believe you will be even more amazed at how much Iowa’s politicians and government officials appreciate receiving your input.

So as you can see, no matter what your current interests, politics does have an impact on you as a young professional and it is crucial for young professionals to pay attention to political issues.  Brush up on the issues, learn who the players are, and make your voice heard.  It will pay dividends throughout your career. 

Relationship Building through Networking

Lu Anne Gafford
Vice President - Bankers Trust Clive

Networking is a word that may have different meanings to different people.  For me it is an essential element to help develop my business AND personal relationships.  Notice I said personal too?  Many keep their business and personal so separated, and I do too to a certain extent.  I have developed quite a few friendships from my networking and that to me is worth something that you can’t place a price tag on like you can with a business relationship.  My friendships have also led to several new business relationships too.  The reason I believe is because I have proved to the individuals who are the decision makers that I am someone they can trust and that can speak volumes in these days we live in.

Networking isn't meant to be a situation where you gather as many business cards as you can at an event and leave it at that.  It is meant to develop a relationship to gain business.  But before you can gain the business of a prospect, you have to gain their respect.  Respect in how you behave, how you respond to follow after an event, in the integrity of your business and if they do decide to do business with you, how well you follow through on your delivery of your service or product.  You may have a great company you work for or one that has had some struggles, but if you yourself do not have integrity then you may not ever have a chance at securing that relationship or worse yet you may lose a client because of your lack thereof. 

I think it is great to see the Des Moines area business community offering a Young Professionals organization.  It is a great outlet for all to learn from one another at what may be a successful process or what hasn't worked so well.  It is a great learning environment and I am jealous that I was not afforded the same opportunity in my beginning networking days.  I challenge each of you to make the most of the different events and opportunities that your Board arranges.  Go to these events and try to connect with three new individuals.  Don’t always go looking for the same familiar faces and stay right by their side.  Find new faces to connect with.  Get to know them, I mean really know them.  Ask questions of their personal background, hobbies, families etc.  Try to connect with them.  Remember, they are a person first and the face of the business second.  I also want to encourage everyone to get involved with an organization that has all ages involved too.  This is where you can learn from someone who has had many successes and failures in networking world.  You cannot expect to have all good all of the time.  In fact, it is through the failures I think that we all learn the most from.  I know I have had my share of experiences and I think these situations have helped to develop and form me into a better networker.  Try to get to know someone who has networked for a while.  Ask them to share their secrets or successes.  Maybe they would be willing to mentor you.  I have done a little this and I have placed my own spin on some of the examples I have gained from these conversations.  We are all unique, but we have the same desire to belong or be connected, so get out there and network and I’ll see you around at a future event.  Come introduce yourself to me and let’s get to know one another. 

Happy networking and I look forward to meeting you at future events.

Finding a Plumber...

Mike Draper- RAYGUN owner

When I started RAYGUN, the whole venture seemed a little uncertain. I had never screenprinted, I had never used design software, I had never worked in retail, I had never used a cash register, and I didn’t know anyone with similar businesses. I was a 21-year-old history student at the University of Pennsylvania and only knew that I wasn’t cut out for a regular job.

Now when I look back at the trajectory of the company, since it all really started in 2004, I realize that you may need artistic talent to be a great artist. But if you’re looking to build an artistic company, being a great artist isn’t even in the top three things you need.

Number one above all else: reply to all your e-mails as soon as you can.

This really applies to any field. And if you can do that, your odds of success sky-rocket. Replying to all e-mails as soon as possible will help establish some personal discipline, which lets you slog through the endless bullshit that small businesses really face (finding a plumber, fixing a messed-up order from a supplier, find the right kind of track-light bulb). It’s a simple base of your daily routine.

Replying to all e-mails also establishes an aura of dependability with those you’re corresponding with. And dependability is the top thing  you need to run a successful artistic, or non-artistic company. Because at the end of the day, a customer doesn’t necessarily know amazing art from great art, but they do know if it’s a month late. They do know if they’ve been disrespected or not appreciated.

In the beginning, I used to do custom printing and design for other people (that side was sold in 2010), and dependability was my main business edge.

Say you’re a potential screenprinting customer, and your boss has given you a job: have 500 purple t-shirts with a log on them by Friday or you’re fired.

Now, say you have two friends: one is the Picasso + Michelangelo +  Da Vinci of screenprinting, but he only gets stuff done on time 50% of the time, the other friend is me, owner of RAYGUN, who does fine work, but has it done 100% of the time.

You’d have to be high on mescaline to choose the non-dependably guy. Your assignment is not to get great on a t-shirt no matter how long it takes, your assignment is just to have t-shirts by Friday.

There’s an upside and a downside to this business advice.

The upside is that anyone has the potential to do it. Any able bodied person can be dependable, just like any able bodied person can lose weight or control their diet.

The downside is that barely anyone can really accomplish it. Being dependable involves showing up every day. Working hard. Just like losing weight requires eating right and exercising.

The steps are simple, the implementation is hard.

But like losing weight, most people will tell you that there was one small, turning point when they knew they had to do it. For me, the most important thing was my decision that I knew I didn’t want a regular job after college. I wanted to do something creative, and I’d do whatever it took to realize that. Only then, when I was pointed in the right direction, in the direction that I cared about, was I able to muster the discipline to keep my dependability up every day for years on end.

Not So Boring...



Leslie Jasper
Group Sales Manager
Des Moines Performing Arts

I still remember the final drive of my move, from Minneapolis to Des Moines, like it was yesterday.  I was literally giving myself a pep talk as I crossed the Minnesota/Iowa border, reminding myself I can take as many weekend trips to the cities as I want and I’d see all my friends “at least once a month.”  I remember how I wanted to leave some of my things in Minnesota, in storage, just to have some sort of roots still there; to have some of my identity still within a mile of the places I once called my home.

Well, that was just over two years ago and it’s bittersweet to admit, those trips to Minneapolis have never exceeded once every three, to six, months.  I didn’t leave any belongings there (thanks to everyone who convinced me not to) and every day since that drive, I’m grateful I brought with me here, every bit of my identity that I possibly could.  It’s not that I don’t love my friends up North, it’s not that I don’t miss my Mall of America shopping trips, and not like it doesn’t cross my mind to head-up for a random day in the summer, just to lay in my favorite spot by the lakes.  It’s just that I’m busy here!  Almost immediately I was able to find new places every bit of my identity could connect with in this wonderful city, within this wonderful state, that’s become my wonderful home.  Even two years later, I feel so lucky to tell my Minneapolis friends when they ask where I’ve been, “Guess what, they weren’t joking – Des Moines is NOT boring!”

Since the early days of my move, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some wonderfully-connected (and social) people, build a career which has me exploring this city’s dynamic arts and culture scene daily, and be heavily involved on several committees that work with local businesses and entertainment venues.  All of those things combined, in addition to being a frequent user of social media, a reader of the various city guides, and a member of Iowa tourism networks, is why I couldn’t be happier writing this today. I want to remind us of – or introduce to us to – some of what’s going on, what’s worth checking out, and what activities you can fill your calendar with, so you too will find yourself one day saying (if you haven’t already), “Guess what, they weren’t joking, Des Moines is NOT boring!”

“Not so Boring” Happenings:
Because we all could use some fun activities to get us through the final days of winter!

Science Center of Iowa
A T. Rex Named Sue, through May
Mixology Night March 1st, for the 21+ crowd
www.sciowa.org

Wells Fargo Arena/Iowa Events Center
Iowa Energy and Barnstormers, Ongoing
Harlem Globetrotters, April 7
Bon Jovi, April 14
www.iowaeventscenter.com

Hoyt Sherman Place
Tracy Sherman, March 15
www.hoyshermanplace.org

Jasper Winery
Fun events weekly, check website for updates
www.jasperwinery.com

Funny Bone Comedy Club
Ongoing shows
www.funnybonecentral.com

Brenton Skating Plaza
Hurry, season ends in March!
www.brentonplaza.com

The Social Canvas
Ongoing “Paint and Drink” Classes, no experience required!
www.thesocialcanvas.com

Skyzone
Indoor Trampoline Park, Fitness Classes and Open Jump for all ages!
www.skyzone.com/DesMoines

Des Moines Art Center
Transparencies, February 22 – May 22
www.desmoinesartcenter.org

Temple Theater
The Second City, February 20 – March 3
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, May 1 – 12
www.DesMoinesPerformingArts.org

Living History Farms
Sample over 20 different kinds of micro-brewed beer at Beer ‘n’ Bread, March 9
www.lhf.org

Summerset Winery
Monthly events, including “Scrapbook and Vino” and “Sunday Tunes”
www.summersetwine.com

Val Air Ballroom
Kick-Off Colon Cancer Awareness Month with “Bottoms-Up Blues Fest”, March 2
www.valairballroom.com

Climb Iowa
Indoor rock climbing for all skill levels
www.climbiowa.com

Des Moines Playhouse
9 To 5: The Musical, March 22 – April 21
www.dmplayhouse.com

Des Moines Social Club
Always something fun going on for everyone!
www.desmoinessocialclub.org

 Des Moines Performing Arts
Jekyll and Hyde the Musical, March 5 – 10
Million Dollar Quartet, March 19 – 24
www.DesMoinesPerformingArts.org

Need to know where to find all the local “happenings”?

www.CatchDesMoines.com
www.DesMoinesMetroMix.com
www.DMJuice.com
www.DesMoinesIsNotBoring.com
www.BusinessRecord.com

And, of course, all your favorite social media pages, friends, and event listings!

Insights from New View - Young Professional Blunders in the Workplace

Everyone makes blunders during their professional careers.  As a young professional, you will be more susceptible to making mistakes due to your lack of experience in the workplace.  Nobody intends to mess up, but it is inevitable to happen so it can be helpful to learn from more “seasoned” young professionals so that you can avoid the same pitfalls.  Below are some actionable insights from the New View board members early career mishaps that are an opportunity for learning and growth in your career.

Don’t talk about it, be about it – Chris Wood, New View Board Member

My two biggest mistakes that I made early in my career was trying to do every task on my own and was confident to the point of being perceived as a know-it-all.  The reason that I tried to do every task on my own was because it seemed more efficient to complete tasks by myself.  I wanted everything to be done the “right way” which can be translated to “my way.”  It didn’t take long (about 6 months) to realize that less work can be accomplished going solo.  Also, it was alienating me from the team and wasn’t an effective way to develop my leadership skills.  The other mistake, an over abundance of confidence, was coming across to my co-workers as me trying to be a know-it-all.  I was quick to talk and very slow to listen during my first year of employment.  My manager was able to identify these mistakes and consistently coached and mentored me.  In addition, he taught me to be less competitive and showed me the value of working on tasks as a team.  He reinforced his coaching by using quotes and sayings as reminders.   “Don’t talk about, be about it” was his favorite phrase and it was a simplified aggregation of all of his training.  The saying stuck with me and is now my mantra that I use in my career as well as my personal life. 

Get agreements in writing and document important conversations.  – Brad Phillips, New View Past Chair

When I was running my old business, I made an agreement with a very large (Fortune global 500) company to produce a film.  We had a written agreement for the production and a verbal agreement that they would purchase 10,000 units after production.  We produced the film, with our budget relying on that large purchase at the end.  The film was finished in September, 2008.  Because of the economic downturn, the company had a freeze on purchases and backed out of the deal, costing me 6-figures.  If I had it in writing they wouldn't have been able to back out.  Getting large deals like that in writing is imperative, for smaller deals or even discussions; get it in writing, even if it means just using e-mail.  Whenever we have a discussion with an underwriter we do it through e-mail, and then we NEVER delete our e-mails.  That way if they gave us bad advice, we have proof of it.  We also take religious notes about our discussions with clients.  We document what they want changed on their policy and request large changes to be in writing.

Be prepared for the Interview – Melissa Heikes, New View Board Member

I went to school at University of Northern Iowa for Elementary Education. I knew that with every fiber of my being that I was meant to be a teacher and that there was no way I could not get the first job I interviewed for. All it took was passion and a desire to help kids to learn and be successful, right? WRONG. 

I was working as a Teacher's Associate at a local elementary school and it was my first year out of college. I was building relationships and getting to know the people within the school. I received the call that I was going to be interviewing for a teaching position. Again, how could anyone turn away someone with SO much passion and a love for teaching. Well, it is easy to turn down someone that literally has no clue as to how to impress interviewers during an interview. I am the prime example. 

There I was, in front of the principal and three of my peers. They were interviewing me around the table and asking me questions that were simple questions (if you prepared for the interview). Questions about curriculum and how I would manage a classroom. Questions that would seem obvious to prepare for... I dropped the ball. Not only had I just failed my first interview, I failed in front of my peers. How embarrassing?!

There is some good that came from this: I learned my lesson. When called for a second interview I prepared. Not only did I prepare, I was the second runner up for the position, beat out by a former teacher from within the district.

This is what I learned and how I prepared:

1. Practice interviewing with someone you know. 

Type up interview questions and answers so that you can become familiar with typical interview questions and how to answer them. There is a lot of information regarding typical interview questions online. 

2. Do your research!

• When preparing, get to know the company. Call people you know that may have information. I called a former professor and she gave me some great advice about district curriculum and where to find resources that could help me for my second official interview.
• Research on the internet. You can find out so much information with just the company's website. Understand their values, successes, history, etc. All of this shows the employer you are interested in their job/organization.

3. Dress for Success

Dress for the job you want. This means that even if you are interviewing for a mail clerk position to get your foot in the door and you eventually want to work your way up to upper management - dress that way! First impressions are key! It takes an employer 7 seconds to determine if they want to move forward with an interview. They could be checked out before you even start!

4. Maintain Eye Contact

Eye contact shows confidence. Don't stare them down but be sure to maintain eye contact in a professional manner. 

5. Speak Clearly and Positively

Never say anything negative about a former employer, co-worker or supervisor. This is a bad reflection on you - no matter the situation.

6. Always have Questions Prepared

If you do not have questions, the interviewer will get the impression you are not interested. I always suggest to have 5 or more questions prepared in the off chance they answer some of your questions during the interview.

7. Find out the Next Step

When does the company plan on making a decision? This helps to give a timeline of events. If you don't hear back by the time designated, feel free to follow up with the person who interviewed you. (Good idea to ask for a business card as well!)

8. Send a Thank You

So many people miss out on this opportunity. It is important to send a thank you as it reiterates your interest in the company. It is also a good idea to reemphasize your qualifications within your Thank You. Handwritten is always nice but an email will suffice!

Follow these steps and I am sure that you will be more successful in your next interview. Just don't make a fool out of yourself like I did. Just because you are a likable person doesn't guarantee you the job. Whereas, if you are a likable person that has prepared for the interview your chances increase tremendously!

That’s not my job… - Lindsey Mathews, New View Chair

I went to college and earned a degree. I felt as though that meant there were certain tasks in the workplace I would not have to do...unload a dishwasher, make coffee, clean up conference rooms.  In the beginning of my career, there were many times I wanted to say "that's not my job," but I never have. Unless it's something I'm really unqualified to do or cannot do for a good reason, I refuse to use that phrase.  Picking up slack or lending a helping hand in the office is what makes a team player and that's an invaluable quality in an employee for any organization.

These are just some of the experiences from our New View Board.  I'm sure you've had some of your own.  Feel free to leave any thoughts or tips in the comments section of this blog.  Who knows, we may reach out to you for a guest blog on blunders to avoid in the workplace!