January, 2005
I thought it would be useful to record some of the observations that are evident at the end of the second full year of operation for JWF Advisors. Having just completed another terrific year, both in measurable results and working with very interesting clients, the business remains working with individuals on career strategies, with some time also spent on tactics and execution. While I initially resisted the label Career Coach, it does in fact describe broadly what I am doing.
CREATIVE HIRING
The number of distinguished leaders in any segment of human endeavor is very small. As institutions are increasingly under scrutiny on governance issues, there is a downside already apparent. Boards of Directors in screening for top leadership positions are less and less inclined to “think outside the box”, to accept a stunning record of success which may be from a somewhat different segment of business. Two such Fortune 500 CEO’s were denied even initial screening interviews due to the lack of precisely similar industry experience. I fear that this increasing lack of creativity will limit the level of ability of people chosen to run companies. The pool of leaders being considered is thereby even further diminished and often diluted with less talented people. While perhaps an understandable development, it is alarming.
INTERRUPTED TENURE
CEOs who have an interruption in their tenure, often for worthy publicly-oriented purposes, are penalized when they reenter the market. Some clients have heard repeatedly, “you have been out of the CEO chair too long” to be a viable candidate for a job comparable to what they previously occupied. A former CEO of a Fortune 200 company, after running for public office, had trouble getting the attention of recruiters. This is certainly a disincentive to consider public service by our top business leaders. It also probably means there are fewer “statesmen” CEOs, those who with the disposition and experience to consider the greater public good, role of government, and social/humanitarian issues, all while maximizing shareholder returns.
CAREER STAGES
As baby boomers transition from top operating jobs to more advisory, often governance roles, I have found a wide range of reactions. Some miss the intensity, focus, and authority of their former position. Others find it hard to go from focus on a single organization to thinking about multiple institutions, both profit and non-profit, multitasking. Others enjoy the increased flexibility of this stage of life invigorating and liberating. Adaptability is a distinguishing and very important characteristic. As the former head of an IT company and now on several corporate boards put it, “life is a journey and every day we learn as we go”.
RECOMMITMENT
A number of clients who have sought my counsel with the initial hope of changing career direction have found themselves reignited in their existing careers. This often follows a process of intensive self-examination, and a realistic look at career options. A partner in a prestigious global professional services firm, initially very frustrated, is now happy, with added responsibility at his firm. The moral of these stories appears to be: if losing interest in what you are doing, don’t move too far, too fast.
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Surprisingly, and on a more tactical level, there is a profound lack of self-awareness on the part of many executives about their own style of presentation. It is clear that many of them have never received adequate feedback. Using video recording technology to film mock interviews has been important and in some cases life changing for my clients. Seeing oneself on a video is much more conclusive that the observations of an outside party. A typical response has been, “Wow, I really need to ramp up the amount of energy and enthusiasm I am projecting.”
NETWORKING
Curiously, the art of networking or “working a room” is mastered by few. Once the strategy stage of our work is finished and the execution stage of entering the job market begins, a surprising number of successful people feel uncomfortable promoting themselves through broad exposure at public events. There can be no more important element to conducting a job search than being around and seen by the appropriate decision influencers and decision makers. One individual, now a senior executive in a top health services firm, made a strenuous effort to be seen and meet as many people as he could in several months. To his astonishment, he found it stimulating, productive, and even fun. Interestingly, the people who seem to be effective in this area are those who learned early in their career, at a young age, the imperative of networking when they were forced to conduct their own job search.
INTERMEDIARIES
Many executives still don’t understand how executive recruiters work. Rather than trying to imagine the life of the recruiter, and design an appropriate approach, they tend to want to be introduced, talk on the phone, and have a meal with the search person. They fail to understand that no successful recruiter has time to meet or have a phone conversation unless the individual is a very probable prospect on an existing search. Similarly, the best way to be remembered by a recruiter is not by buying him lunch but by giving him a good idea for a candidate for one of his active searches.
Perhaps most happily, the individuals who have heard of and contacted JWF Advisors have been outstanding individuals. All those with whom I have worked have a great deal to offer. The word of mouth marketing seems to work well in self-selecting the people who call. It does not always however assure a steady and even level of work.
These are high class issues that my clients are dealing with, as virtually none is driven by a financial imperative. These are people for the most part experiencing a degree of freedom which can at times be startling, even disorienting.
Having navigated the shoals of my own transition about two and a half years ago, I find the work uplifting, important, and sometimes hard. This work has provided a very positive chapter in my professional life. I look forward to expanding the business to the point when I can seek the counsel of other experienced colleagues. Please feel free to visit my website www.jwfadvisors.com.
Thank you for your trust, support, and referrals, and may 2005 be good to you.
Sincerely,
John W. Franklin, Jr. |
