| 6. Action... The Antidote to Isolation and The Key to The Opportunity Collision |
So far we've talked a lot about thinking, preparing, and adopting
certain perspectives in your mind. While it's true that the most important work is
done there, it is of no avail until you get into
action.
As I told one client recently, after he told me that God would send him
an opportunity at the right time, God might also expect that he'd be out there
doing all he could to catch the opportunity when it is sent. And the way to do that is
to get into action, doing all you can each day to uncover opportunities.
There are so many wonderful things about taking action! Probably the
best is, action displaces fear! When the World War II hero, Audie Murphy, was
asked if he was afraid when he charged enemy trenches with a grenade in his hand,
his answer was worth remembering.
He was actually shaking with fear, he said, up to the moment when he
pulled the pin on the grenade and started running toward the enemy. At that moment,
he explained, as soon as he got into action, there just wasn't any room for fear.
He didn't have to think about or fight the fear. Quite simply, he
was preoccupied with taking action, and there was no room in his mind, no time,
and no place inside him, that he had left over for fear. In his opinion, you can't
be acting and fearing at the same time, even if you wanted to.
Action
displaces fear, he said, just as when you put a ship in water,
it displaces the water. The ship and the water can't be in the same place at the
same time, and so it is with action and fear.
Now if you substitute for
fear the word anxiety, or
doubt, or immobility, or
inertia, the same principle applies. If any of those have crowded your mind
or clouded your spirits, know that part of the answer to achieving peace of mind
and feeling a sense of progress is to get into action.
Another positive is that acting
gets you past indecision. It's almost a
cliche for people faced with a problem to say, "Let's get past this thing," or "Let's
get this behind us." The one sure way to stop worrying about whether you are
going to make the right decision, and to get a problem or challenge behind you, is to
act on it.
Still another positive ..... action
feels good! Think about any time in your life when you were taking action on something you cared about or enjoyed.
Maybe it was helping someone else, building something, planting a shrub
or garden, learning to ride a bike, taking a stand on a controversial issue, or
taking steps in your job that improved efficiency and productivity.
Can you remember how it felt at those moments when you were taking
those actions? Maybe you'd thought about them for some time, without much feeling.
But when you started acting, it felt good,
didn't it?
One of the happiest things about getting into action can be
especially significant for anyone with a disability. One of the common problems for
my clients, they tell me, is that they gradually become isolated from people, and
miss the interaction they used to have with friends and people they met during
the course of their work day.
Almost by definition,
action means interacting with other people, and as
that happens, bit by bit, the isolation grows less rigid, and you begin to feel a
greater connectedness with others. Action also
creates its own energy force, and you can feel yourself uniting with others in spirit.
You can feel the combined energies of your action and theirs. The
math always works out so that 1+1 always equals more than 2, in some
cases substantially more. If you want to win a job offer or get a business started,
the single most important thing about action is, it's
The Key to The Opportunity Collision.
There's a world out there right now, where a lot of things are happening, a
lot of businesses growing, new jobs being created, thousands of people
realizing they're going to need a good person for something or other ..... but none of
that has a chance of touching your life if you're not out there
acting.
If it is not one of the universal laws of nature, then it should be classified as
a most-of-the-time law of nature, that people who are actively seeking a
specific type of opportunity will, in the course of their efforts, be presented with
at least one opportunity they never expected and weren't looking for.
I've based that "law" on the experiences of my clients, and I've long
since stopped being surprised when it happens. The world becomes a much
more exciting place when you're out there in action. Who wants to know exactly
how their life will play out for years ahead? That's boring.
Secure maybe, but very boring. When you're out there in the path
of opportunity, any day, at any moment, in almost any place, it can seem to
come out of nowhere and sideswipe you when you're not looking. How exciting!
All you need to do is to stay in action, and keep your mind open to lots of
good things happening to you and for you.
For a job search, I recommend to my clients that they use each of the
four basic action avenues geared toward uncovering opportunities. For the most
part, they apply also to people who want to start or purchase a business. They
are reviewed briefly here.
Action Avenue #1 ..... Me-Directed Contacts
These are actions you can take based on who you are, what your interests
and activities are, who you know, and who you can get to know. It is often referred
to as networking, and most people don't do it very well. They ask in an
informal manner for something that's almost impossible.
Their chances for positive results will increase if instead they ask in
a structured manner for something that's very possible.
Most people will casually approach a friend, let's call him Joe, and ask, "Joe, do you know of
any openings?"
Chances are, Joe doesn't, but he wants to help his friend, and says, "No,
but I'll sure keep my eyes and ears open, and let you know if I hear of anything.
Be sure to use me as a reference whenever you think it might help."
Joe feels bad that he can't help his friend. It's not pleasant to dwell on
what you can't do for your friend, when that friend could really use your help.
It's
painful. So about 20 seconds after lending verbal encouragement, Joe
stops thinking seriously about it.
Far better for you and Joe if the request goes like this:
"Joe, I'm looking for a new job. I want to go over my
resume with you, and tell you the kinds of positions I'm going after.
It's unlikely you'd know of anything, and I don't really expect
that you could introduce me to someone who can make a job offer.
You can still help me though."
"Could you take some time over the next few days to think
about who you know? Each of us knows people the other doesn't.
You may know some people who get around a lot and hear of things."
"One of them might know someone who knows someone
who knows the person who could offer me a job. You never
know where a series of referrals will lead."
"So maybe you can think of someone in sales or real
estate, someone who works in a bank, an accountant, a lawyer, or
some people who run businesses in the area."
"For all I know, you might even know a mechanic out at
the airport who services planes for all the business owners who
fly out of here."
"I'm not sure who you might think of, but I sure appreciate
your giving it some thought, and I'll get back in touch early next
week. I can't thank you enough, and remember, I'm not expecting
that you'll know anyone who can offer a job directly. Talk to you
next week."
Joe now feels good that he can help his friend, and he keeps on thinking.
Chances are, he'll come up with at least a few names. Now you may think
this works only for mid- and entry-level jobs. Not so.
Using this approach, a client in the midwest, a fellow who knows how to
turn around manufacturing companies, started with just three personal contacts, and
in three months was able to sit down for a meaningful discussion with over
100 people. About 25% of them were in positions where they could make a
strong referral to someone in a position to make a hiring decision.
Following up regularly with people, and letting them know about
your progress, can often help keep you in the forefront of their thinking, and
stimulate them to think about new contacts for you. Remember, the world changes
every day, and new opportunities are always arising.
Now if you don't have a lot of personal contacts to start with, if
you've recently moved to a new location, for example, that doesn't mean you can't
use this avenue effectively. That's because you can also make contacts with
people you don't know now, but can get to
know. If any of them help you, they become your friends, so I call them
future friends.
Who are they? Almost anybody. In almost any area, for example, there
will be real estate agents who often know a lot about businesses moving into the
area, accountants who handle taxes for many local companies, bankers,
local politicians, members of service clubs and the Chamber of Commerce,
and someone who's responsible for attracting new businesses into the region.
There are also ministers, priests and rabbis, local college placement
offices, building contractors, insurance brokers, and stock brokers. Be sure to think
about your interests and talents as well. Are there local clubs or groups formed
around an interest or hobby that appeals to you? Is there a local chapter of a
national association connected with your industry or profession?
When you contact these people, you have an essential part of human
nature working for you. Almost anyone feels good when they are able to help
another person, and if someone can help you just by thinking of a few names, they
are usually more than happy to do so. You may be surprised at the number of
people who are able and willing to provide a name or two.
When they do, you proceed just as you would with people you already know.
Ask for names, not job offers, and be sure to follow up with them.
Action Avenue #2 ..... Event-Directed Contacts
Every day, in almost every organization, events happen. Most of the
time, they are not a signal that a job might be created there soon. But sometimes
they are. And when they are, those events can make news. A company might sign
a lease on office space, or announce the opening of a new branch or location.
There might be a promotion or reorganization.
Perhaps someone in a company makes a speech that mentions some of
the toughest problems they are facing. Or you might read about a new product
being offered, or a division of a company being spun off as an independent operation.
You might see ads run by a company staffing up in functions different from
your own, indicating they might need to staff up in your function as well.
Whether the news is good, bad, or indifferent, it may be a signal of
an emerging opportunity. So it will help you to put a filter in your mind, and
ask yourself for every piece of information that comes your way, "Does this
perhaps signal some kind of opportunity for me?"
Use "falling domino thinking," and imagine all the potential implications
of that event, not just on the company itself, but also on its customers, suppliers
and competitors.
But you don't need to limit yourself to just passively screening
information that happens to come your way. You can also go out and
make events happen, and intentionally be where the action is.
You can take the initiative to attend conferences and shows, develop
your own product ideas or advertising campaign on speculation, or write a paper
that highlights important industry trends, which you send to decision makers and/or
to editors of trade magazines.
For the "passive" mode, where you see an event in the news, your approach
is simply that you noticed it, and figured it might be a signal they'd be
needing someone with your talents. The method of contact doesn't matter. You can
write a letter, phone, or go in person.
Regardless, when you use this avenue you often enjoy substantial advantages.
The employer will surely be impressed that you were smart enough to figure
out an opportunity might be emerging, and took the initiative to contact them.
You've obviously exhibited a lot of enthusiasm. And if they are
thinking about hiring someone, there's a chance for you to get in there and win the
job before it "goes public" through an ad or recruiter. Instead of 50 competitors
for the job, you may be the only one considered.
For the "active" mode, your approach might be the same as for the
"passive" mode, but you have some additional options. You can, for example, enclose
a paper you've written that highlights some significant trends you
anticipate, mentioning that the reader may find them interesting, and that you would
be interested in working for the company.
This is the same approach mentioned earlier for overcoming the problem
of not having experience in a particular industry. It can also work, of course,
when you do have experience in an industry.
Action Avenue #3 ..... Position-Directed Contacts
When a position has been advertised or placed in the hands of a recruiter,
if your background comes close to fitting, it makes sense to get your resume
in there with those of the other contenders.
That's also the problem, of course. When an organization has already
gone to the trouble of defining and advertising a position, or is willing to pay
a recruiter to find suitable candidates, they will draw up very tight
specifications for the job, get a lot of responses, and it's usually a highly competitive situation.
Nevertheless, if your background might fit, you certainly want to
be considered, despite the high odds. There are a few things you can do to
bring down the odds. With recruiters and agencies, recognize that they are paid
by employers, not applicants, and the chances of their having an assignment to
get someone like you, at the moment you contact them, are pretty slim.
So you can change the odds in your favor by contacting a number of them.
For senior level positions, it's not uncommon to contact 300 or more. (For
local mid- or entry-level positions, the number would be much smaller.) There
are directories you can refer to, with a lot of helpful general information, as well
as contact information for recruiters all over the country.
The best known is published by Kennedy Publishing in Fitzwilliam,
New Hampshire. They also supply specialized lists and labels of recruiters.
For answering ads, don't disqualify yourself because you don't have all
they are asking for. Employers seldom get the ideal person, and when they do,
that person may not want the job for what they are willing to pay.
And sometimes you can persuade an employer to "upgrade" a position
for which you are overqualified. You just tell them you can do all they are asking
for and more, and would like to discuss the possibility of adding to the
job responsibilities. You can point out that if they would be willing to pay just a
little more, you'd give them an excellent return on their extra investment.
A lot of people don't follow up on ads, so if you do, whether in writing or
by phone, you can sometimes give yourself an extra edge. You're
showing enthusiasm, persistence, and getting your resume on top of the pile.
Last, remember, ads are sometimes signals of other emerging opportunities.
They are themselves "events" that signal a company may soon be hiring
in functions that are not now being advertised.
Action Avenue #4 ..... Employer-Directed Contacts
In this action avenue, you identify employers who are your most
logical targets, those most likely to need someone with your talents. Usually you do
this by deciding on the types of employers by line of business or industry, their
sizes, and locations.
You then write, call or visit a decision maker in your function, who
would probably be the person you report to, or that person's boss. In your letter
you briefly get across your "selling proposition," or the reason why they would
want to hire you, and promise to follow up by phone within a week.
You normally need to contact a number of employers, sometimes 100
or more, in order to find one or two who might be interested. Your letters or
calls are essentially a form of research.
The logic is as follows. Every day new problems arise and new duties
are created in many companies. Most of the time they are handled by people
already employed, or if a new position is created, it is given to someone with a
contact inside the organization.
But not always, and if you reach enough decision makers in
enough companies, chances are that you'll reach one or two of them at a time when
they anticipate needing someone like you within the next few months.
When that happens, and you meet the decision maker before the
position actually opens up, you become the person with the "inside connection" when it
is time to hire.
As with any other action avenue, followup helps to turn the odds in
your favor. And whenever you can start your letter or conversation by referring to
a third party who suggested you contact the company, or who might be known
to the decision maker, that can often help as well.
In general, your letter or conversation should not focus so much on
your strengths, as on those areas where the employer might need help, and where
you can contribute. You can use a "high level of assumption" about your ability
to contribute, leaving it for CARE stories and a resume to back up your claims.
(CARE stories are concise stories about challenges you handled
effectively, that are similar to the challenges being faced by the prospective employer.
CARE is an acronym for Challenge,
Actions, Results,
Experience Gained. The information-surfacing forms mentioned earlier are helpful in putting such
stories together.)
Employers really aren't interested in your experience and achievements,
no matter how impressive, until they first know whether and how you can help them.
So first things first, and if you're not sure where an employer might
need assistance, point to those areas where you're best equipped to contribute,
and state that you'd like to deliver results for them just as you have for
past employers.
A Consistent Action Plan
You'll find that if you are consistently active each day in at least one of
the four action avenues, you'll eventually have opportunities coming your way on
a regular basis. An outline reviewing the four avenues follows on the next page.
It's important to remember, no matter how well or how poorly
you implement an action plan, or whether you even have a plan, for that matter,
there is an infinite difference between inaction and action. As soon as you start to
act, no matter how effectively, you will begin to enjoy all the advantages mentioned
at the beginning of this chapter.
So do it!
The Four Action Avenues For Uncovering Opportunities
#1 Me-Directed Contacts
"Present Friends"  Family
Professors Fellow Participants in civic, social, political, religious, or political activities
Neighbors Classmates
Community Customers Suppliers People you reported to,
or who reported to you, or worked with you Salespeople or
professionals you've been a customer for (car, insurance, travel, banker, lawyer, real
estate, investments, instructor, boat, clothing, accountant).
"Future Friends" People with similar interests, hobbies, circumstances
People now holding the kind of job you want
People now running the kind of business you're interested in
People whose information, contacts or influence may be helpful ...
Editors and publishers Association Officials
Elected Officials Consultants Bankers, accountants
and lawyers Business Owners Board members
University Deans
Economic development officials Local religious leaders
Trustees
Athletic coaches Real estate agents Chamber of Commerce
#2 Event-Directed Contacts
Active: Attend meetings, join societies, write papers, etc.
Passive: (news) Growth companies, new products, expansion, relocation, promotions, new technologies, excerpts of speeches, etc.
#3 Position-Directed Contacts
Ads: Identified by position descriptions
Recruiters: Identified by specialty, income level, location
#4 Employer-Directed Contacts
One-Contact: Identified by industry, product line, service, location, size
Multi-Contact: Preferred targets, using the same criteria
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Items For Preparation: printing and word processing,
groundwork with references, interview (CARE stories, handling liabilities, answering
questions, selling techniques), lists of friends and "future friends,"
reading to gain credibility mental conditioning
uncompensated service to gain current experience,
physical condition and appearance
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