The Social Network World

Over the past few months I’ve become much more informed and aware of the new virtual world that authors and journalists have been writing about for eons. But because of my vintage (a nice way of saying my age) it’s been easy for me to overlook how it’s changing the way we do things, how we stay connected with each other, and from a work perspective (being an HR guy) how we attract and recruit new professionals! I haven’t recruited outside of filling HR positions in my own teams for at least 10 years. And wow, have things changed! Read on.

Now I consider myself to be reasonably adept and in touch with the newest generations (X, Y, millennials) entering the workforce. And yes I have a Facebook account, yes I have a couple of blogs, and yes I have a LinkedIn account. I’ve participated in webcast, blog casts, live meetings, Skype and video conferences. I’ve even participated in a Fantasy basketball league started by one of my brothers. The only large and obvious gap in my repertoire is that I don’t have a Twitter account.

So this new virtual world isn’t entirely foreign to me. But I have to say, I have underestimated its prevalence and how these tools have transformed the way people find a job, and how recruiters find those who want to find a new job. The capabilities of these massive databases are incredible. My figures may not be entirely up to date, but I believe I was recently told that there are around 200 million LinkedIn users (the most prominent professional network) and about 900 million Facebook users. As a basis of comparison there are 300 million people in the United States! So the power of any database of professional and personal information this large is hard to imagine. And these networks span language, country and continental borders. Perhaps the most amazing fact about these social networks is that participation and sign up has been entirely voluntary.

What’s easier to recognize is the power of having such large databases that are completely searchable so that you can easily identify candidates who fit your ideal employee profile for particular positions/jobs within your company. You can target your recruitment campaigns directly to the most likely sources of qualified candidates. And all this is at your fingertips with little more than an internet connection and some training about just how to make use of these databases search capabilities. Monster.com is soon to be the dinosaur of our time, like print ads before it. The strategy of broadcasting your job openings, employer brand and hoping the right people read it and respond – well, is dead. Figuratively, It’s a buggy whip for a Ferrari.

So if you don’t have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or social network account you better think about dipping your toe in the social network waters and getting one. Just one is as a start. While these tools have their distractions and annoyances, they are being adjusted and honed continuously improved. You will likely be left in the dust if you don’t adapt and learn just how powerful and useful these tools can be for your professional networking and development. And if you’re an HR guy like me, or worse yet a recruiter these days, understanding and leveraging these tools is an absolute must to win in the “war for talent” that we all know is upon us.

Mentoring

If you’ve ever had a mentor (informal or formal) you know the positive impact a guiding mentor can have. Most people think about mentors in a very traditional way - Yoda to Luke Skywalker – an old, wise and all knowing person who can see things you cannot, provide a wealth of knowledge and understanding, and provide a broader vision and perspective on matters you are struggling with in the present and likely to face in the future. And while this is extremely valuable I want to flip mentoring upside down and challenge some of these traditional views.

I’ve had many mentors over the course of my life, personal and professional. Most fit nicely into the Yoda/Luke format with my mentor playing the part of Yoda and me the young Skywalker. But I’ve also had the privilege of having less traditional mentors who have had equally positive impact on guiding me. The first was a formally established relationship to guide me professionally through some new challenges I was facing. And I can remember him saying in our first meeting “I cannot do anything other than guide you, you must decide whether you want to commit to change and continuous improvement”. He immediately put the monkey on my back. That’s important because I was under the false impression that he would keep me from trouble, guide me around obstacles, and make the path easier. Nope.

The second mentor experience I had was perhaps the most unique. It came about based on my attendance at a conference where one of the breakout sessions was on mentoring. The audience that day was told by the speaker “to find someone at least 10 years your younger, and ask them to mentor you”. Wow, that left the audience in quite a stir. So I took that advice and found someone I liked and enjoyed in the business I was working in and asked if they would be willing to get together informally once or twice a month just to chat about each other’s work challenges and happenings. We typically met over lunch and while our meetings were very informal I always seemed to leave that lunch energized and with some new ideas and approaches to challenges I was facing professionally. Very rewarding!

I just posted a blog about the social networking world that I continue to be blown away by. How advanced, capable and mainstream social networking has become and how important it is to know, understand and participate in these networks. And how valuable it can be as a business tool and how you may just be left behind if you don’t play. Having a mentor at least 10 years your younger will most certainly ensure you know more about what’s new and coming, get perspective and knowledge that will surely help guide you and ensure your future success regardless of the position you hold.

So the next time mentoring comes up remember those two key points. First, your mentor will guide you but you’ll need to do the work to be successful. The mentor (if they are worth their salt) won’t be your crutch. And secondly, consider getting a mentor that is 10 years younger than you. They will have perspective and knowledge on things you will need to know and understand to be successful in the future.

May the force be with you.

Get Brad Baldwin to Join Facebook

My brother is resisting. Resisting societal progress and the relatively new and forever altered means by which we communicate, network and stay in touch with our family, friends, business partners, vendors, and work colleagues. And yes, even strangers that somehow have found themselves as “friended” during a weak moment. But hey, that’s the way it goes.

I’m pushing him. Pushing Brad to the inevitable future that is social networking. Like it or not.
Now I’m not suggesting that Facebook won’t be replaced. In fact, it definitely will. Who knows when but surely there is some bright insightful software genius out there right now developing a more capable and intuitive social network, without all the negatives. Facebook will someday be the equivalent of MySpace … RIP. But for now it’s the biggest and baddest social network on the planet. Time to climb aboard the train Brad.

So if you’re out there and know my brother, please join this group and convince him to join. I know his wife (Sheila Frein Baldwin) is a Facebook member, so I’m certain she’ll relay my grass roots effort to persuade my brother. And I’m also going to put this post on our blog, Brothers3areWe.

He means well. Brad actually has some practical and reasonable rationale for not wanting to join this network of 900 million members. But he’s missing the point. Social networking is here to stay. Like color TV, cars with power windows, rolling luggage, cellular phones and the internet.
Social networking isn’t like pegged jeans, pet rocks or Lady Gaga. It’s here to stay. So c’mon brother, check it out. You just might like it more than you think!

Ed on Simplicity Parenting

Brad, I admire your persistence to keep your kids free for creative time, but at ages 1 and 3 I can tell you it will only get harder. I'm not saying you won't keep your commitment, just that it will get tougher and tougher. Unfortunately, the world is racing and free time is viewed by many as wasted time these days. I don't agree with that view, but it is a prominently held view.

Your recollection and memory of us as boys "being kicked outside to go do something" should also be complimented with my memory of our parents giving us a healthy urging to "get involved in structured activities that filled our spare time with something other than mischief". As with most things, I think it's a balance. Everything in moderation, but that doesn't seem to be our societal urge. Quite the opposite, really.

Holly and I have received periodic sighs and groans from some family members who surely believe our kids are too busy. But we don't believe that to be true. We believe that having busy and active kids keeps them engaged in activities other than video games and promotes a healthy lifestyle. They are learning invaluable time management skills and the learning through experience what can be achieved from committing their passion, energy and commitment to something. They are in team and individual sports. They are learning to play piano, and even composing their own music! Competency and skill development comes in several forms. And the competencies I've mentioned above are equally important to success in adult life as the competencies you are promoting with your parenting strategy.

My point is, I don't think there's a simple answer or formula for success - in parenting or in life. And that's why thousands of books from thousands of authors have been written on this topic. The solutions, perspectives and tips are nearly endless.

So the only parenting advice I would offer is this ... BE A PARENT and be engaged in your kids lives. Don't sit on the sideline. If you don't parent your kids may make bad choices, and you'll regret not being more involved in guiding them.

And one other key point - no one is entitled to tell someone else how to raise their kids. I've learned this from seeing the best kids come from completely different parenting approaches. Everyone gets to raise their kids the way they believe is best. Spank or timeout. Pay for college or make your own way. Car or bike. Busy or not. When others start to give advice to parents about how to raise children I believe they've crossed the line. Our kids are our kids, your kids are your kids, so the decisions we make as parents as to how to handle our parenting duties are up to us.

Simplicity Parenting

A long overdue response to Marc’s post re: Starbucks, I am most interested in the concept of “simplicity parenting”. Sheila and I made the decision before we were kids and have thus far been successful in creating a childhood free of cluttered schedules for our kids. A quick judge may say that the girls only being one and three has made that easy. I disagree, we have plenty of neighbors and friends that have 1 year olds in an activity year round and 3 year olds in multiple activities weekly. For the Iowa City Baldwins, we spend a significant amount of time playing at home. There is lots of wrestling, tickling, just general horsing around with the girls. They also spend time playing without adults (us) involved. We see them have to resolve conflicts between themselves. It also makes for some pretty incredible and creative games, ideas, and stories when they aren’t limited by our organized and rational thought processes.

I believe that many children don’t know how to be creative today because they are always being engaged and entertained by external stimulus like video games, movies, dance classes or baseball games. The engagement through an externally generated activity basically allows them to only have to think reactively to the stimuli present, no proactively creating their own environment of engagement. I’ve told the story hundreds of times about how Mom would basically throw us out of the house and tell us to go find something to do, just be back by dinnertime. Because of that we did all sorts of creative games: weapons making, invention of 3 base, making boats to race at Redgate park. Would we have gotten that same level of creativity (and subsequently enjoyment) if Mom and Dad had allowed us to have video games in the house and to play asteroids all day?

Maybe you agree, maybe not. But regardless, why does creativity matter? I think forcing creativity at an early age enables kids to hone their creative skills that prove very useful within the more restrictive constraints of an adult world. If kids today are constantly entertained through video games, activities, and other entertainment that doesn’t force their active participation, it drastically limits their ability to be successful as adults. In a business context, there are fewer and fewer people able to think beyond the current borders of relationships, policies, and business paradigms. These self-administered limitations restrict their personal and their organization’s success in a wildly dynamic global business context. How often have you heard the cliché of “thinking outside the box” to describe a successful leader or company? Why are the most admired companies in our country also the most creative (think Google, Microsoft, Facebook)? Why are the most admired leaders globally also the ones with a unconventional approach to their business (think Warren Buffett, Colin Powell, Carlos Ghosn, Jack Welch)? I think the parallels between childhood creativity and professional success are telling, which is why autobiographies of great leaders are best sellers.

Have you ever bonked?

Read the link HERE to an adventure blog which I follow. It discusses the sensations of "bonking". I think most people have never been to this physically depleted state where the body revolts and starts to shut down.

I am perpetually disappointed when I hear people say stuff like 'Oh I could never run a marathon'. In most cases that isn't true, rather they don't want to commit to the training necessary to prepare the mind and body for running that far.

Similarly, I think people believe they are done, tired, out of energy, spent. But in most cases this is purely a mental trick, and the body is capable of much more. I contend that if you haven't bonked, you have no idea how far you can push your body, where the outer limit of your body really is. A favorite and relevant quote:

"The mind is too fickle. Optimistic one minute, pessimistic the next, pitching back and forth like a rowboat on big seas. Not the body. the body doesn't exaggerate or self-deprecate or play mindgames. The body is a machine, a realist...The body is an animal. It moves and lives only in the present."

Mark Jenkins
A Man's Life

Have you ever bonked? (Marc I don't mean the over the handlebars at 30mph kind of bonk). Do you really know how far you can push yourself? If not, the next time you run, swim, bike, or hike go until you can't go any further...then go further. Maybe 2 more laps in the pool. Perhaps another lap around the block. That one extra mile in the saddle. I guarantee you can do it, then you'll have to figure out how much further you could go the next time!

You don't know it...

... but you're actually a Facebook fan!

Brad, I've given you a lot of crap about your short posts on the blog, and you've given me crap about my tomes (you'll have to look that one up). So I finally figured something out: You use the blog just like the rest of us use Facebook! Your lament over the lack of cell phone coverage in LA would have been a perfect Facebook post. A link to a video with the question, "Thoughts?" is another standard Facebook posting.

So, you may not believe it, but you are a perfect fit for Facebook. Since you don't have that outlet (like the rest of the civilized world) you use Blogger instead.

Busted!

Why?

Why is it that I can be in one of the most populated places on earth (Los Angeles) and not have reliable reception on my cell phone. AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!