Career Talk JDR

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This week, I met and had a glass of champagne (or maybe two) with British Actor and Concert Director Charles Grant. Charles is a really talented singer, actor, television and radio producer.  He is currently the Concert Director at the Actors’ Church in St. Paul’s Covent Garden, London England (my hometown).

Charles presented “Chopin in London” at Winston Wolfe’s home, Loxley Hall, in Memphis, with the lovely Rose Cholmondeley, a Steinway Artist and Chopin recital extraordinaire.  Rose played music from Chopin’s last public concert at the Guildhall.

Recently, I took a day off to celebrate with my Dad for his 89th birthday.   As we are originally from London, but are both now US Citizens, I thought it might be fun to give him an “English Day” in Memphis.  Somebody asked me – how on earth do you spend an English Day in Memphis?  My response was, “easily”- here’s what we did.

We started out with lunch at Crumpets.  We had a very English fare – Cornish pasties, strawberry tarts and Earl Grey Tea!  We ate properly and slowly with our knife and fork and took our time to savor the atmosphere.

The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that J D R has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Employment agencies category.

The SBCA Best of Business Award Program recognizes the best of small businesses throughout the country. Using consumer feedback and other research, the SBCA identifies companies that we believe have demonstrated what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports . Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.

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I’m always looking for fun things to do for my parents, so I bought them tickets & went yesterday to see the Dalai Lama!  His Holiness the14th Dalai Lama, visited Memphis yesterday to accept the 2009 Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum.  I took my parents to his public talk at The Cannon Center on developing peace and harmony.  He was very entertaining and interesting; here are some of the media quotes from his speech:

Today, companies have employees both on and offsite, which brings the challenge of managing teams they can’t always see.  Virtual teams are potentially cost effective, providing that the company has the right structure, leadership, motivation and, most importantly, communication in place.  This is where technology can really pay off by substituting for in-person communications.  Organizations have a lot to choose from: email, text, conference call, video conferencing, Live Meeting, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.; but too many variables lead to a lack of coherency and make tracking difficult.  The bottom line is that the manager needs to know what team members are doing, and that it aligns with the vision and mission statement for that project.  In my experience, weekly (or sometimes daily) phone calls with all of the team members together make a huge difference in the success of a project.

Leading technical employees while inspiring commitment and engagement without the guarantees of job security, raises or promotions in the near term, may seem like a daunting prospect.  However, great leaders accomplish this all the time.

Keeping technical people energized and focused can be challenging, even in the best of times; right now it’s imperative to have great leadership, which I believe stems largely from constant and honest communication.  Typically, technical people tend to be very dedicated, hardworking individuals who frequently work crazy hours to achieve objectives.  If you get employees to remember why they joined your organization, reinvigorate their minds, and make them feel good about your business, human nature will inspire them to feel proud of the work they do.  Reaffirmation of the larger vision is always relevant, but is often not communicated frequently.  Now is definitely the time for management to be leaders.

There are tons of self-help books and tests to determine which career you are most suited for.  Personally, I still like “What Color Is Your Parachute,” which has been a New York Times bestseller each time it has been updated and revised.  There is also a pretty cool quiz you can take:  http://quiz.ivillage.co.uk/uk_work/tests/career.htm

A well written thank you note is a common courtesy and an appropriate follow-up to every interview.  Consider this step to be an important contact with your prospective employer, as well as, an additional presentation of your skills.  If your interview was set up through a recruiter, ask that person for the email information of all of the interviewers you spoke with.  If you are on a direct interview, it is a good practice to get business cards before you leave so that you will have sufficient follow-up information.  Content is crucial beyond the standard “thank you for your time”.  Each note should be uniquely written for each interviewer, referencing something that transpired in the interview.  Reiterate why you are uniquely qualified for their opportunity. 

May1st is May Day!  This is always great fun if you are in the UK.  Aside from a day off and the beginning of the Summer Holidays, it’s a traditional day of festivities including swinging on Maypoles, dancing and jigs in the parks and the crowning of the Queen of the May.  Many homes decorate with flowers and everything looks so pretty; you are supposed to kiss anyone who has great flowers.  Schools put on plays and display artwork with tons of flowers and pretty Summer scenes.  Since being in Tennessee, May Day seems to go by completely unnoticed, so I thought I would let you know what you could be missing!  The US does honor May 1 as Law Day to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of the country and to recognize its importance for society; all important stuff, but doesn’t seem to conjure up quite the fun we had in England!!!