Small and Do-able Ideas

Great, you’re thinking, lots of people are writing about that topic with big ideas and plenty of criticism to go around.  Not Professor Kanter, her ideas are small and do-able, and instead of criticism, helpful observation and positive, applicable ideas.  Granted, she still doesn’t share how someone without an income can make it while they work to find work, but I at least appreciate the attitude!

Advice for the Jobless Middle Manager

Here’s Kanter’s advice for the well-educated manager whose job has disappeared and is no longer even counted in the unemployment statistics because they’ve given up.

“What do I tell these jobless professionals who are holding their lives together with duct tape? I can say: Hang in there. Don’t give up hope. Develop a big idea to use later. Start your venture. Volunteer at a community organization. Find partners. Think internationally. Befriend immigrants with ties to an emerging market. Restore your sense of purpose. Remember what truly matters”

In the meantime, I think that there is other good advice out there for those in the well-educated middle:

• Now is a time to try that thing you never thought you would try.  What do you have to lose?
• Focus on some other aspects of your life.  Are you using this down time to exercise, eat right, learn a new skill, language, or perspective?
• Remember when you dreamed of working a shorter week or part-time?  What were you going to do with those hours?  Can you do that now while you keep working your “job” of finding a job?
• Take advantage of what your community has to offer – use the library, visit local sites, go to a park, find a new local diner, get to know the world that is right around you that you’ve never had time to experience before.
• Meet people – reach outside your first circle to your second or third.  Have a cup of coffee and broaden that network.  It may be more and more tangential to your job search, but sometimes the innovative idea is on the periphery, not in the core.

Asset Maps for Middlers

And another idea for “middlers” — I don’t mean those related to Bette, but those in the middle of their job transition and maybe even tired enough to be approaching things now in a bit of a middling way — draw your “asset map.”  You’ve probably already thought about the assets you are bringing to your job search, but what about the assets you have to offer to others?

Kanter mentions small ideas that collectively could build jobs.  She’s calling for a movement of small ideas based on all our assets – what do you have that you can offer to the solution of job growth in America?  “Imaginative small actions could aggregate to bigger impact. Underutilized office space can become an incubator for others starting a business. Shared work and living spaces are becoming more common for recent graduates working on new ventures; communities should encourage and facilitate this. Those with international business ties can encourage business partners to invest in the U.S.; good people and cost-reducing incentives are available now.”

I like Kanter’s small ideas and I hope more individuals and organizations will embrace them.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could see a movement across the United States, a movement of both workers and the organizations who hire them?  I am hoping that organizations — companies, foundations, associations, universities, government, nonprofits — will get creative and think about different ways to do things.  It would be a wonderful thing to see a boom of creativity and diversity in how we do things – our work, our products, our services, our decision-making, our politics, our day-to-day lives and our perspectives.  Thanks Professor Kanter.

Yes! You may use this article by Barbara Demarest in your company newsletter, blog or website as long as you add the following bio box:

Barbara Demarest (www.barbarademarest.com) received her MBA from the Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest University and her BA from Duke University. After 20 years at the Center for Creative Leadership, Barbara launched a strategy consulting practice focusing on people leading change in associations, foundations, universities, nonprofits and knowledge businesses.  You can find Barbara’s executive coaching profile on www.thecoachingassociation.com.

The topical index for the site includes:

• Architecture/Planning
• Arts
• Biotechnology
• Defense/Military
• Economics
• Education
• Engineering
• Environment/Energy
• Exploration/Travel
• History
• Innovation/Invention
• International Affairs
• Business/Leadership
• Media
• Medicine
• MIT
• National Security
• Public Policy
• Science
• Technology

Browsing through the videos, I found several that caught my eye:

• Linda Mason, Chairman of the 1.3 billion dollar Bright Horizons enterprise talking about how she and her husband came to launch and build their business during a tough economic time.
• Timothy Brown, from IDEO talking about “Innovation through Design Thinking”
• “Innovation Leadership during Economic Crisis” by Emmanuel Maceda from Bain and Company

What a rich resource of learning and all so easily available by downloading the videos whenever you are in the mood for a little knowledge or inspiration.  Looking through the list, I also saw Thomas Friedman, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama.

Here’s how the site describes itself and its mission:

“MIT World™ answers that question by publishing key presentations by the MIT faculty and guest speakers who are shaping the future. These free, on-demand videos, available 24/7 to viewers worldwide, reflect and extend MIT’s educational mission—to provide the best education in science, technology, and related fields—to engaged learners anytime, anywhere.

More a publication of thought leadership, and less a news site, MIT World aims to capture the pulse and excitement of the range of ideas discussed at MIT every day and share them with the world. A growing archive of more than 585 works offers insights on topics ranging from architecture to innovation to technology and sustainability. Cumulatively, these presentations by world-class thinkers and doers map great ideas in the making.”

So, when you need a little brain boost, check it out!

Yes, you can use this post in your newsletter, blog, or ezine as long as you post the following bio box with it:

Barbara Demarest (BarbaraDemarest.com) received her MBA from the Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest University and her BA from Duke University. After 20 years at the Center for Creative Leadership with executive roles in global marketing, new product development, knowledge management, and fundraing, Barbara launched her own executive coaching practice.  She helps executives, entrepreneurs, and individuals in career transition to leverage their ideas and position themselves, their products, and their organizations.  Barbara is also the co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job.  You can find Barbara’s profile on TheCoachingAssocation.com

- 80% felt there were unspoken rules about mobile technology.

- 52% would be offended if someone secretly used an Internet-enabled device at the table during a holiday party.

- 62% said mobile devices are part of our daily lives and society needs to adapt accordingly.

- 62% would send an ecard instead of a traditional card.

- 88% would not be offended to receive a thank you email instead of a handwritten card.

- 30% would be offended by an online gift wish list from a friend or family member.

- 87% said the use of mobile devices is inappropriate at religious venues.

- 60% said using a mobile device on a date was inappropriate.

Over the age of 18 is a pretty broad age range. It would be interesting to see how attitudes break down according to age groups. Or, would a more metropolitan or tech savvy area (like Silicon Valley) be more tolerant of mobile activity? Fortunately or unfortunately for us, though, the holidays cut through geography and generations. So, happy early holidays, everyone! You’ve had fair warning. Now put away yer phones!

By Noelle Chun