It’s Time for a Board Meeting

When I was General Manager of a software company I was “invited” to the board meetings.  In fact, it was then that I learned what a board meeting was.  It was not a time for a bunch of business veterans to sit around, pontificating and planning.  It was a time for the leader (that would be me, as General Manager) to get grilled.

Sure, there was a bit of mentoring and brainstorming.  But I was expected to come into that meeting prepared with general snapshots of everything in the business, and able to drill down into any area with omniscient knowledge.  It was always a stressful time that required more than one day of preparation – and we did these monthly!  I envied the board members who did no preparation for these meetings, simply coming with inquisitive minds.

Perhaps you don’t have a board of directors (yet).  You are still the CEO.  Remember back in January we talked about eight things you could do in 2008 for your career?  Allow me to serve as one of your board members and let’s have an informal evaluation, shall we?  You can see the January list here, as a refresher (if you need to have your own list of things, whether they are 3 or 13, that’s fine, the point is to revisit and have accountability).

1. “Build intimate relationships.”
1. Do you have a renewed understanding of networking and the purpose of nurturing personal relationships? 
2. In the last three months what have you done to build intimate relationships with people?  Give me an example.
3. What will you do over the next three months to build intimate relationships?
2.  “Live Giver’s Gain.”
   1. Give me one example of an instance this last quarter where you’ve sent someone a book, an article, or an e-mail that had more than just a kudos – something that showed how much you cared for them.
   2. Have you established a relationship where you are giving more than receiving – become a mentor, volunteered somewhere (outside of work), etc.?
3. “Become a power connector.”
1. Have you positioned yourself to facilitate networking connections?  Give me some examples of people you have connected, expecting nothing in return.
2. Who are the power connectors who you admire, and learn from?  What are they doing that you could do?
4. “Read a book.”
   1. Tell me about the career management book you read this quarter to keep your skills sharp as a CEO.  Was it more job search or more networking?  Or was it something else?
   2. What career management book are you going to read next quarter, and why are you picking that one?
5. “Get your resume ready.”
   1. Let me see a copy of your updated resume – you’ve had three months to think about and revise it.
   2. Are you happy with it?
   3. If you needed it today, is it ready to send out?
6. “Stay up-to-date on job search stuff.”
   1. How do you stay up-to-date on job search and networking techniques and tactics? (hint: many of you will answer with at least one blog that you follow)
   2. What can you tell me about how social networking fits into your job search or career management strategy?
   3. What are you going to do next quarter to continue to stay up-to-date?
7. “Use tools to manage your career.”
   1. Describe the tools you use to manage all of the information you gather and track.  Are they paper-based or technology-based?
   2. Are you happy with your current system, and does it meet your needs?
   3. Are these tools serving you, as CEO, or are they more of a band-aid?
8. “Be nice.”
   1. What are names of peers, subordinates (I know, I hate that word, too!), customers, vendors, and people who are in a supervisory position to you, so we can ask them if you are “nice?”
   2. This last quarter, was there a time when you were rude, impatient or unforgiving to a service provider, such as a waiter or waitress?
   3. If being nice is not something that comes natural to you, what are you doing to make sure you continue to be nice?

Great! These are great things to think about for your own career. As CEO, you know that you can’t just let your career happen.  You have to have the strategy and the discipline to execute on that strategy, and your career will be “on-purpose!”

Good luck this next quarter!