In This Issue
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Leadership: Some Strands
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The Intern's Perspective
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Suggested Reading
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DecisionPoint Events
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Word of the Month
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DecisionPoint Events
SEMINAR
Managing Your
Career Transition:
-Finding work in an
economy without jobs
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Tuesdays, September 22nd &
September 29th, 6pm - 9pm
at John Carroll University
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Presented by:
Advantegrity and DecisionPoint
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Career Triage Seminar:
a short program for difficult times
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In this seminar you will identify your career profile & evaluate alternatives for repositioning or advancement. A two-session seminar format will clarify personal and professional development needs and career issues.
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To be held at the DecisionPoint office
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September
Wednesdays, September 16th &
September 23rd, 6pm - 9pm
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Saturdays, September 12th &
September 19th 9am - 12pm
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Click here to learn more about this seminar
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Click here to register for this event or contact Chris Kuwamoto at ckuwamoto@mydecisionpoint.com
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Trip to the Monastery
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Join Chris and Vic on a retreat to the Genesee Monastery in New York for a weekend of reflection and meditation.
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November 20th - 22nd
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Call now to reserve your spot!
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Word of the Month
Syzygy
\siz-i-jee\
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Syzygy is used throughout many disciplines including medicine, mathematics, music and zoology. Below are just a few of the numerous definitions of the word.
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-Webster's Definition
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Definition 1:
Latin- an alignment of three celestial objects
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Definition 2:
Greek- union, paired, yoked
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Definition 3:
Russian- unity, friendship, community
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DecisionPoint's Definition
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yoked together; lashed together; connected
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Contact Information
-DecisionPoint
North Ridge Annex, Suite A
20033 Detroit Road
Rocky River, Oh 44116
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440-356-2952
mydecisionpoint.com
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Principals: Vic Pergola and
Christine Kuwamoto
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-Science is organized knowledge.
Wisdom is organized life.
-Immanuel Kant
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Some Strands of Market Realities and Practices
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A recent report in Consulting Psychologist Press makes the following observations on leadership across the globe:
- Unskilled labor is relatively easy to find; skilled labor is increasingly difficult
- Sales/marketing positions are difficult to fill now and will be more so in the coming decade
- Top executives continue to be difficult to find
- Hiring good leadership is a key to economic growth
- Formal leadership planning does not exist in 60% of companies
- Executive coaching is just over 40% utilized in companies across the globe
- Knowledge retention is a critical issue
- Keeping people excited, learning, and motivated is crucial
- Generational differences are having a significant impact on leadership plans
- Leadership development and succession planning will require proactive efforts
In moving the global patterns down to our own daily level, we can receive some help from several decades of research that have been stranded together to present a picture of the necessary elements in leading. Interestingly, only two functions tend to be fundamental in the effectiveness (success) or ineffectiveness (derailment) of an executive. They are: Relationship Building and Cognitive Complexity.
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Relationship building refers to those skills many would deem as "soft," namely, showing interest, caring, fairness, trustworthiness and understanding. These skills rate as the highest factor in a successful executive yet, when they are lacking, executives derail at a nearly 50% rate. Anecdotally, it would seem that the emergence of large percentages of women in the workforce in all professions and occupations dovetails with this singular competency. It's not about hard or soft but about the engendering of trust in selling, managing, and directing. Gallup, in their polling, indicates that 70% of all workers leave due to poor supervision/leadership.
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Cognitive complexity is all around us and perhaps we need to slow down our pace just long enough to absorb the impact of what it means. Increasingly, today's executive must manage ambiguity, creativity, diversity, and system complexity. System complexity comes in many forms, financial, social, managerial, technological, psychological, not to mention the plethora of products and services that flood the market. We need bright people who can learn and also mentor/teach.
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We like to emphasize a few simple points with our clients:
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"Lashing" ourselves together is fundamental to success
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We believe in strength, speed, and sacrifice
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We act as though everything is at stake
So what does our new leader look like?
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Sacrifice begins with us
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We are humble and courageous
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We share
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We have heroic care: our people, our customers
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We have a focused singularity
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We have fixed purpose and intent
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We measure and are disciplined
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We leverage intellect and technology
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We take care of today
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We build for tomorrow
We are interested in your commentary or the sharing of material you have found useful.
The Intern's Perspective: My Summer at DecisionPoint
By: Jenn Cahill; Intern at DecisionPoint
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While desperately searching online for a summer internship last December, I came across an advertisement for an Internship Fair to be held in Cleveland the following week. I attended, searching at that time for a Human Resources internship. At the fair I met a lot of people, shook a lot of hands and was just about to leave when I decided to stop by just one more booth. The man at this booth said he didn't need a Human Resources intern, but he knew of someone who might. This man happened to be a client of DecisionPoint; he connected me with Chris and Vic, and later that day I set up a meeting with them. I knew I was in for an exciting summer when Vic ended the interview with his usual incisiveness and flair: "I hope you're ready to drink from a fire hose." I was.
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I had heard horror stories of friends who had to file or shred papers every day, five days a week, all summer long. Or had to make coffee runs or dust and organize shelves. Though they certainly can write the company name and the dates they worked on their resume, I ask myself what information or experience have they really gained from that summer of monotony. So honestly Vic's metaphor of drinking form a fire hose, while meant to prepare and perhaps scare me a little about the work ahead, appealed more to me than sipping from the seeping faucet of repetitive busy work I saw in my friends' futures.
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When school ended in May, I began work at DecisionPoint. Vic and Chris trusted me with a great deal of responsibility from the moment I arrived. I was delighted to have real work to do and an opportunity to use my own judgment to make decisions. The very first week, I was given the assignment of choosing a website to host DecisionPoint's E-Marketing campaign, since then I have been working to design and edit this newsletter and hope to continue to do so after returning to school in a few weeks.
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From putting together a corporate mailing, to helping DecisionPoint switch phone companies and use PayPal more effectively, I have had the chance to study many different aspects of the business. I have also had the opportunity to observe the planning and assist with the behind the scenes work of a seminar they delivered.
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Aside from the experience of working at DecisionPoint, I have obtained a great deal of knowledge from Chris and Vic, including a plethora of information about Myers-Briggs personality types. I was extremely lucky to get to sit in on many conversations between these two masters on this topic, and through these discussions, have gained a much better understanding of personalities in general, and a greater appreciation for my own personality.
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In a few weeks, I will be heading back to school. I have gained invaluable experiences this summer, have had a lot of fun along the way, and, as promised by the fire hose, have kept very busy (and well hydrated) working as an intern here.
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My Plans for the Fall:
This fall I will continue at Wittenberg University as a Junior Psychology and Management double major. Wittenberg has become a great home, and the many activities available on campus keep me busy and entertained. I am a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and currently serve as the Panhellenic Delegate for my chapter. I also serve as the Vice President of Wittenberg's Circle K, an international community service club, and work as a tour guide on campus. This semester one of my Management professors has also asked me to assist her with research on group behavior.
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A Note from Chris and Vic:
Vic and I want to thank Jenn for doing a tremendous job for us on so many levels and for supporting us in critical ways with both marketing and systems administration. She is a highly talented and marvelous young woman and it was a pleasure to work with her.-We are also delighted that she will continue helping with the production of our E-Newsletter throughout her school year. Jenn has a very bright future in front of her!
-Chris
Suggested Reading:
Three Books Worth Your Consideration
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Business Books:• Enough by: John C. Bogle
• How the Mighty Fall by: Jim Collins
(author of Good to Great and Built to Last)
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Book of Short Stories:
• My Father's Tears by: John Updike
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Note: The contact information for Bill Steinbrink given in the last edition of this Newsletter was incorrect. If you would like to contact Bill, author of last month's client contribution, you can do so at:
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216-272-6986 - billsteinbrink@unstuk.com - www.unstuk.com