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From: Center on Responsive Politics

The Center for Responsive Politics and Remapping Debate have today released the first listings in an interactive tracking tool that allows the public to explore where outgoing senators and representatives from the 111th Congress are now employed.

Whether former members of Congress are now working for lobbying firms, law practices, public relations companies or other entities, this tracking tool will keep tabs.

“Powerful political leaders often are working one day on behalf of the public’s interest, and then in the next, they’re being paid handsomely to represent the goals of special interests. This warrants monitoring so that people understand how their former officials are now attempting to influence public discourse and legislation,” said Sheila Krumholz, the Center for Responsive Politics’ executive director.

Craig Gurian, the editor of Remapping Debate, added: “As important as it is to shed light on the revolving door between government and the lobbying world specifically, it is also critical to make more visible other connections of power and influence. This joint project, which looks broadly at all the interests that former members of Congress have decided to serve, will help increase public awareness of these varied connections.”

Senators may not legally become registered lobbyists for two years after they leave Congress, and House representatives are banned for one year after they leave.

But many of them have already taken steps in that direction, the Center for Responsive Politics and Remapping Debate find. So far, 13 of 19 outgoing senators from the 111th Congress have declared their post-Congress employment plans, and five of them are working in the government relations industry.

Implementation of the tracker can be found on the websites of each organization at RemappingDebate.org and OpenSecrets.org.

The tracker will be updated as more information becomes available about the outgoing members of the 111th Congress, and the Center for Responsive Politics and Remapping Debate invite colleagues and the public to help us make the tracker comprehensive.

From: Center for Creative Leadership, Leading Effectively

Job mobility isn’t what it used to be. You can’t count on the next new opportunity to show up and provide you the experiences you need the most. Today, you need to get clear on what you need to learn and what skills you need to improve — and then seek out assignments that will get you there.

“Not all assignments are created equal — some will have a greater effect on your development than others,” says Center for Creative Leadership”s ( CCL) Jean Leslie.

Leslie and her colleagues have mapped out activities to help leaders develop the 16 critical skills that are measured by Benchmarks^®, a 360-degree assessment that was recently updated by CCL.

“When managers receive data about their strengths and weaknesses from the Benchmarks assessment, they are usually eager to set goals and find ways to build their skills,” says Leslie. “We help them identify job assignments — or volunteer roles — that matter most for them.”

The following ideas for developmental job assignments address eight of the 16 critical leadership competencies and are adapted from CCL’s Benchmarks Development Planning Guide. The remaining eight competencies will be featured in next month’s issue of Leading Effectively.

Learn more: Developmental Assignments: Creating Learning Experiences without Changing Jobs, by Cynthia D. McCauley

By Kevin B. Murphy

BUYING A FRANCHISE VERSUS STARTING AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS
As a franchise attorney who has owned and operated a successful franchise, I can say buying a franchise represents a different approach to starting a business. Millions of people dream about owning their own business. Having the independence that being your own boss brings, the security that no one can fire you, hopefully enjoying a good income – and for the most successful – the accumulation of wealth and prosperity.

Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against a new small business making it big – or making it at all. An endless stream of problems makes competition from large, sophisticated chains just too intense. Most new start-ups end as failures.

Buying a franchise business opportunity may help level the playing field. The U.S. Department of Commerce claims a opportunity is “…the best chance to compete with giant companies that dominate the marketplace.” Some statistics are impressive: it is said over 40% of all U.S. retail sales are through franchised establishments. Giants like McDonalds, KFC, 7-Eleven, H&R Block and Radio Shack are familiar, household FDD names that people think about, and franchises are available in a wide range of industries.

A CHANCE TO GET RICH, BUT ALSO A CHANGE TO GET STUNG
Just as franchising represents a chance to get rich, it’s also a chance to get stung. Everyone knows the big blue-chip names like McDonalds, KFC, Radio Shack, etc. But they’re the exception and not the rule. Many lawyers owner wannabes sign on with far smaller, lesser-known or unknown names that may not have a clue about helping operators make money.

Regrettably too many over-eager, first-time buyers leap into buying a franchise without using a franchise attorney who understands the in’s and out’s of relationships, the viability of the industry or company under consideration, and the long-term legal consequences of the contract they are signing.

FRANCHISE DUE DILLIGENCE
Fortunately, with proper planning, research, investigation and sound Fr. advice, these risks can be minimized with the proper franchise due diligence and professional advice. Don’t wait until you’ve signed the contract to begin this process. By then, the window of fr. agreement negotiation has slammed shut and it’s usually too late to do anything.

Using a franchise lawyer early on is the proper starting point. But don’t use any FDD attorney – find one who also has an MBA and you’ve narrowed the field considerably. You can Google the search term MBA franchise attorney. Now you’re dealing with someone who understands both the legal and business issues in buying a franchise. Good job, but don’t stop here. You can narrow the field even more by finding a attorney, with an MBA, who has also owned a franchise before. Buying a franchise advice is incredibly more meaningful when it comes from a former, successful franchise owner – as opposed to someone who never operated a franchise before. Try finding another franchise attorney who has owned a successful franchise.

AVOID ILLEGAL DISGUISED FRANCHISES CALLED A LICENSE
An increasing number of unscrupulous companies that don’t fly straight or play by the rules are selling licenses that are really disguised, illegal franchises. Instead of providing a comprehensive FDD Franchise Disclosure Document that meets stringent federal and state legal requirements, these companies go a different route. They present a “license agreement” or a distributor agreement” with no disclosures, no audited financial statements, no background of the principals, no investment requirement details, etc. The franchise versus license situation is one that I often consult on as a franchise expert, after clients have lost their life savings, retirement accounts, etc. investing in a license or distributorship that is an illegal disguised franchise. Don’t go down this dangerous path.

DEVELOP A FRANCHISE EXIT STRATEGY Finally, and this applies to franchise investments as well as investing in any business venture, develop a plan to succeed but also an exit plan that minimizes financial risk in case things don’t work out. Both plans need to be developed before the investment is made and contracts are signed. Be sure your franchise negotiations reflect this planning aspect. Don’t wait until problems develop to begin thinking about a franchise exit strategy, like how can I cancel my franchise agreement or get out of my lease. By then it’s usually too little, too late.
——————————————————————————
Kevin B. Murphy, Mr. Franchise, is a franchise lawyer based in San Francisco with a 30-year practice devoted exclusively to franchise law. For 20-years he has been a testifying franchise expert witness in court and arbitration proceedings, giving him vast experience in knowing where the bullets come from in franchise litigation. For 17-years, Mr. Murphy has been an Approved MCLE (Minimum Continuing Legal Education) Provider by the State Bar of California, teaching franchise law, franchising vs. licensing (franchise vs. license), and intellectual property courses to California Franchise attorney. In 2002 -2003 he started, operated and sold a very successful franchise. Mr. Franchise holds degrees in business administration and law from the University of San Francisco and an MBA from San Francisco State University. He is the author of over 50 franchise publications, including 4 books on franchising and one book on trade secrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_B_Murphy

By Andrea Herran

Imagine you are hiring for a position in your company – pick a position it doesn’t matter which one. You have done interviews and have two candidates you are considering. One is experienced and brings a wealth of knowledge however the attitude they possess is not what you would consider acceptable. The other one is “green” in their experience and would require additional training however they have the “go get ‘em” attitude and is very pleasant – would fit right into the company.

Which one do you choose? Why?

While you may think the answer is obvious – skills first – many people select on personality. This is especially common with first time interviewers or those lacking confidence in their interviewing skills. I have to tell you that it may not be that straight forward. Honestly the answer is usually somewhere in between.

What can happen if you hire strictly on skills?

A poor attitude that infects everyone else at the office.
You have to constantly “put out fires” because of what this person says or does.
If they talk to your clients – look out! You may have client issues.
It will eventually get to the point where you don’t care what skills they have and you will have to get rid of them.

What happens if you hire strictly on attitude?
You later find out they can’t handle the stress of the position.
You spend all your time training them.
They give their best effort but still can’t pick up the job.
Each task takes longer so they are not completing all the requirements of the job.

Of course these are extreme examples as more likely you won’t ignore skill or attitude altogether. What does become difficult is finding that fine line between the two.

Things to think about…

So in my usual manner, I won’t answer but give you some things to think about.

Can the job be trained or are the skills learned at a school?
How much time does the position spend with a client (in person or over the phone)?
Do you have someone to train the person or would it be you?
How long would it take to train someone with less than ideal skills?
How much can the person’s attitude affect those around them?
How tolerant are you of various kinds of attitudes? (this is a big one)
Does the candidate have skills from another type of job that translate easily into your position? (don’t toss someone aside just because they had a different job title than the one you are looking for)

Answer these questions either before you start interviewing so you know what concessions you are willing to make or after you have the final candidates to put the answers in perspective. Either way it will make you more comfortable with your choice.

Hiring new people for your organization can be one of the most stressful things you do because these are the people who will be the face of your company. These are the people who will help you grow, give ideas, provide customer service and let you go on vacation. Take a thoughtful approach, understand your needs, what you consider acceptable and don’t compromise. It may take a little longer to find the right person thats ok since it is about quality.

Create your plan and determine your needs

To ensure you have the best hire – create your plan and determine your needs before you even write an ad or interview candidates. This will help reduce the stress of hiring your next team member.

Andrea Herran is the principal of Focus HR Consulting ( http://www.FocusHR.biz ), which provides full human resources support to small business, provides a membership service through My HR Helpline for those who want expertise just a phone call away, and provides webinars and public speaking on HR topics. Subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter http://conta.cc/a98j1n

© 2010 Andrea Herran All Rights Reserved

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Herran

Stepping into a management role isn’t just a change of task — it’s a fundamental shift of identity.

“To be successful, first-time managers must make the transition from a person who gets the work done themselves to a person who gets work done through others,” says Kim Leahy, global portfolio manager of Center for Creative Leadership’s Maximizing Your Leadership Potential (MLP) program for managers of individual contributors. “It requires a different definition of success, a new level of self-awareness and an additional range of skills.”

Your definition of success must now include the success of others. Rather than focusing on your own performance, you need to be asking, “How does the group or team accomplish its work?” “Are they effective as individuals?” “Do they collaborate?” “Are team members committed and engaged?” “How are individual motivations and needs connected to the work and the organization?”

At the same time, you should take stock of your own strengths, weaknesses and patterns. “Who you are drives how you lead,” Leahy explains. “Even though the emphasis is no longer on your individual performance, you need to understand your behaviors, preferences and tendencies — and consider that the most effective way to lead others may not always be your default approach.”

For example, you might be a person who thrives on the pressure of a tight deadline and, as an individual contributor, earned a reputation as someone who will roll up your sleeves and get the job done. As a manager of others, these same practices and preferences could lead to poor planning, micromanaging or inadequate use of resources. If you assume everyone operates the same way you did as an individual contributor, you won’t see or leverage the array of talent on your team.

Build a foundation of four leader competencies

To make the transition from an individual performer to leading a team, you’ll want to build a foundation of what CCL calls the “Fundamental Four” leader competencies: self-awareness, learning agility, influence and communication.

Other key competencies for leading others at this stage of your career are:

•Delegating.
•Building and maintaining relationships.
•Resolving conflict.
•Leading team achievement.
•Coaching and developing others.
•Confronting problem employees.
•Embracing change.
•Innovative problem-solving.
•Adapting to cultural differences.

“In today’s flattened and downsized organizations, many skilled people are put into team leadership or management roles with little preparation and support,” says Leahy. “But these emerging leaders are crucial for the implementation of the organization’s day-to-day work. When they understand what is required to manage others and learn — in a practical way — how to be effective leaders, they can be powerful agents for organizational success.”

From Leading Effectively Newletter, Center for Creative Leadership

This article is adapted from “Learning from Experience” in The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development.

Career setbacks can be demoralizing but they don’t need to be debilitating.
In fact, CCL research shows that many executives look at setbacks and mistakes as turning points or important lessons in making them effective or successful leaders.

“Early setbacks represent a key developmental event that successful executives cite when they look back over their careers,” said CCL’s Ellen Van Velsor in a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. Van Velsor, a CCL Senior Fellow, has been involved in the Center’s “Lessons of Experience” research for more than two decades.

In the May 4, 2010 article, Three Who Thrived After Early Gaffes, columnist Joanne Lublin described setbacks of Jeffery Hollender, co-founder of Seventh Generation Inc.; Peter G. Peterson, the billionaire co-founder of Blackstone Group LP; and Myron E. Ullman III, chief executive of J.C. Penney Co. Each of these executives used their stumbles as learning experiences. They reflected on their missteps and mistakes and, as a result, made important personal and career decisions.

CCL’s Lessons of Experience studies show that the ability to reflect on and learn from hardships is important to the growth and success of leaders around the globe. The research, initiated in the United States in the early 1980s, looked at the key developmental events in male executives’ lives and the lessons learned from those events. Over the years, CCL conducted similar studies with women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, as well as with international executives, including senior leaders from China, Singapore and India.

Adversity can be a powerful opportunity to learn
Adverse situations — such as crises, mistakes, career setbacks and ethical dilemmas — are important developmental moments. Tangible business losses, loss of confidence or loss of control are all powerful experiences. And, while adversity is not something to seek out, it can be a powerful opportunity to learn.

Many leaders — across cultures — believe that the experience of hardship prepared them to thrive in better times. As one Chinese saying puts it, ”First bitter, then sweet.”

By Laura Smith Proulx

So you’ve written and re-written your executive resume, but it still doesn’t feel right to you? Maybe you’ve added metrics and detailed your career promotions, all to no avail. If so, it might be time to up your game; especially if you want to generate interviews.

You can find relief with S-T-A-R

To create a powerful and effective leadership resume, you can find relief from using a concept called the S-T-A-R (Situation-Task-Action-Result) strategy.

This method (aptly named for a reason) helps you to capture and sharpen the information you'll need for a masterpiece resume, starting with descriptions of leadership tasks and situational challenges, and ending with the results of your work.

“Leadership is like a muscle. The more intelligently you train, the stronger you get.”

From Center for Creative Leadership, Leading Effectively e-newsletter

John Ryan, CCL’s president and CEO, is a big believer in giving leaders a serious workout. Based on CCL’s research and practical experience and Ryan’s 40 years of leadership in the military, higher education and nonprofits, he advises leaders to step up their leadership training in five areas:

1. Teamwork and collaboration are critical for organizations in two ways. Internally, you won’t get much done without it. Externally, you need partnerships with like-minded firms that advance your strategy, whether it’s developing new products or breaking into emerging markets. But fostering teamwork is not easy. In a recent CCL study, 97 percent of senior executives told us collaboration is a key factor in organizational success. But just 47 percent believed the leaders in their organizations are skilled collaborators.

2. Managing change. In our work at CCL, we have found a few key principles for tackling change. First, view it positively and, of course, with a sense of urgency. There’s no point in fearing change since it’s inevitable and we can’t control it. Second, focus on adapting plans as necessary to external pressures. We all had our strategic plans before the recent recession hit. Some organizations stubbornly stuck with them, believing things would return to normal quickly. Others saw a sea change in the marketplace and adjusted their plans accordingly. Third, it’s important to manage the resistance to change you are bound to see in your colleagues. It’s your role and responsibility to help them understand what’s going on externally and why your organization needs to adapt. Be sure to involve others in the design and implementation of major change initiatives, whether it’s a workforce restructuring or a new product development process.

3. Communication. As an executive with a demanding schedule, it’s easy to be cut off from the rest of the organization. We can all learn a lesson from A.G. Lafley, the retired CEO of Procter & Gamble. He was a great listener, often visiting consumers in their homes or joining them for trips to the store. In addition to being P&G’s CEO, Lafley also established himself as the company’s Chief Listening Officer. He knew that getting good ideas required asking people for input and listening to it very carefully. We should all be Chief Listening Officers in our own organizations.

4. .Learning agility. To succeed in a world where our work is always changing, where challenges are unpredictable and competition abounds, we need to be agile learners. We need to apply our new knowledge. Perhaps most of all, we need to believe we can rise to the challenge. There’s a growing body of neuroscience research that says we can learn new behaviors and modify deep-set behaviors at any age. It takes hard work and real focus, but all of us really can learn new and effective behaviors — and help take our organizations to new levels of performance.

5. .Judgment is at the core of leadership. Fundamentally, it’s about getting the most important calls right — when it comes to both people and strategy. Without good people judgment, you won’t have a strong team. Without a strong team, your strategy will not be executed effectively. Look first of all for men and women who have demonstrated strong performance, integrity and the desire to assume higher levels of responsibility. Watch out for candidates who treat others insensitively and abrasively and put their self-interests above the company good.

Strategy judgment calls require leaders to find new paths. Success depends on asking the right questions, experimenting and constantly adjusting your approach. It hinges even more on your level of humility. Are you too confident in your own judgment? Do you believe too strongly in your old ways of doing business? Do you think that because something has worked many times before, it will work again now? Do you have the humility to understand that even with great collaboration you will not get everything right, and that you can’t know everything yourself?

From World Advertising Research Center

Brands managers must become “generalists” who are able to deal with the wide range of challenges that characterise the digital and global age, McKinsey has argued.

The consultancy said brand and category managers have long been the “star players” in consumer packaged goods companies, responsible for ”pulling the levers at the center of complicated businesses.”

Such was their success that the top ten corporations in the sector saw their average annual revenues climb from $13bn  in 1990 to $47bn in 2009.

However, the trading climate has become much more complex, partly because these firms increased the size of their product portfolios from a norm of 46 brands to 153 brands over the last two decades.

These organisations also currently have a presence in around 160 countries compared with just 112 in 1990, accessing new target audiences and demographics as a consequence.

Marketers control of communications has been undermined

More broadly, the “explosion” of digital and social media has undermined marketers’ control of communications at a time when retailers are demanding customised campaigns.

A global poll of senior executives by McKinsey revealed that 55% of corporations were seeking to improve their brand management at present, but many have failed to effectively realise this goal.

One reason for this is that attempts to cut costs and standardise procedures mean brand managers often have to “cede advertising authority to a global campaign” and surrender control of the supply chain.

Moreover, many companies have added layers of management, divided up their operations into units focused on specific categories and countries, and built departments focusing on digital media.

Brand managers now report to a number of different superiors

As such, 81% of CPG firms now employ “matrix” structures which involve brand managers reporting to a number of different superiors, a figure that falls to 59% in other sectors.

Many brand managers are thus required to spend 80% of their time in meetings in a bid to coordinate and direct the variety of activities in which they are engaged.

According to McKinsey, this total can be reduced to 54% when more efficient processes are put in place, such as the clear identification of overall objectives and who has ultimate power to make decisions.

Reckitt Benckiser, the household goods firm, has achieved this aim by prioritising the 17 “power brands” that deliver 60% of its sales.

It also charges staff with global marketing duties to plan worldwide initiatives covering three year periods, while their local counterparts are made responsible for implementing these schemes.

“[Reckitt's] structure is kept flat, streamlined, and nonbureaucratic, all of which foster speed in making decisions and responding to changing consumer and market conditions,” McKinsey added.

Generalist organizations deliver 2-3% higher organic growth

Elsewhere, it suggested that companies which favour “generalist marketing functions” typically enjoy between 2% and 3% higher organic growth rates than those promoting “specialist groups”.

Procter & Gamble was named as having equipped its employees with the necessary skills in this area, not least because 95% of its brand managers have worked their way up the ranks.

“To reinforce this apprenticeship model, P&G has developed a common marketing language, established an internal marketing ‘university’,” McKinsey said.

“It has also created centers of expertise through global networks of experts with shared competencies, and redefined brand management as a career, extending the time horizons of people in these roles.”