Moving On

Three years, seven months, and nineteen days ago, my husband and I left our long-time corporate jobs for a well-planned early retirement.  I wanted to share my experience, keep my mind engaged, and my fingers in the business world (part-time), so we founded Haropulos Bailey Consulting.  Along with several interesting consulting assignments, we have been honored to provide some free advice and coaching for friends whose careers are still in full swing. 

Each Monday morning for the past few years I have been blogging; commenting on current events, ruminating on lessons learned from past experience, and suggesting ideas for overcoming challenges faced in a corporate environment.  There is now a library of 140 original blog postings online, which I have been pleased to discover have attracted thousands of readers worldwide.

The time has come to leave our business-focused alter egos by the wayside and transition fully and gleefully into retired life.  This will be my final posting on the Haropulos Bailey Consulting blog.  (Existing postings will remain online.)  Thank you for your interest and frequent inspiration.  We would be grateful to hear from you if we have helped or inspired you in return.

I invite you to follow my other blog, chronicling retired life:  Runaway Boomer.

Time to move on.  I have an 11:30 tee time.  Happy New Year and New Plans!

Still Exploring

Today marks two years of weekly blog posts by Haropulos Bailey Consulting. We began this journey as a means to introduce business people to who we are and how we think. It’s also our mission to share some of the professional experience we have gained over almost 30 years in a corporate environment.

Our sincere thanks are offered to the readers we have attracted over the last two years, from all around the world. I should also thank Google and other search engine companies that send people our way. The feedback and statistics we collect help us hone our subject matter, based on your interest. We can only hope we have helped you or touched you in some way.

Future blog posts will continue along the same vein, until someday we run out of ideas (my recurring nightmare on Sunday nights). We are inspired by conversations with friends and former colleagues, current events, activity in social media, and memories of good and bad corporate experiences of days gone by. Suggestions for subjects are always gratefully welcomed, and we are still exploring hot topics that may be of interest to you.

Think of our Haropulos Bailey Consulting Blog as a little bit of free mentoring and consulting, offered in the spirit of “Creative Practical Collaboration”. You are invited to contact us by posting comments to the blog or by emailing us at habaconsulting@comcast.net.

Onward into Year 3!

Leaders Need Trusted Advisors Too

Early in our career we need and easily accept direction, advice, and criticism that help us grow and become successful in a work environment. Supervisors and other mentors provide input that shapes our approach to challenges, our ethics, how we relate to colleagues, and what we decide is important. At what point in the development of our career does the need for this type of guidance end? The answer is that it never does. Everyone needs trusted advisors, mentors, and colleagues with whom they can interact and gain perspective – even high-powered leaders. How do executives gain the input they need on an ongoing basis to be successful leaders? Look at how it’s done in American politics. As soon as a new President is elected, they name a Chief of Staff and a Cabinet. These are a group of experts that the President trusts to provide advice, help make the right decisions, and execute a vision in the service of our country. One person just can’t know it all and do it all. Government is/should be a great example of teamwork. In the business world, one of the most important things a leader does is to hire a talented and trusted supporting team. A strong, committed, and diverse executive team that is responsible and accountable for their accomplishments is a critical factor in any leader’s success. Conversely, failure to develop a cohesive and effective team can truly undermine a leader’s position in a corporation. The leader must make tough decisions, and adjust the makeup of his executive team over time to meet the ever-changing demands of the business. Advisors also come in the form of peers within the business. It’s important to develop mutual respect and collaborative working relationships with other executives responsible for segments within the same organization. Frequently, leaders can help each other by providing ideas, guidance, support, and a different perspective. Some celebrities have “Spiritual Advisors” that help them examine their faith and outlook on a life that can easily be skewed by the adulation that comes with fame. Although they certainly wouldn’t put that name to it, leaders do sometimes need help focusing their vision and developing action plans. Confidential confabs with experts and objective thinkers can help executives take leaps forward in their thinking and planning. These special advisors come from networking. They may be former colleagues who have moved on and gained a different perspective. They may be representatives from businesses working in a provider role with the leader’s organization. They may be trusted consultants with whom the leader has forged a productive bond. In the best circumstances, these advisors make the leader more successful by providing ideas, honing plans, playing devil’s advocate, and assisting with some tasks. They play an anonymous role (organizationally) and provide a valuable service. When you reach a point of success and responsibility in your career, you still need trusted advisors; and the sense to consider and accept good advice.

LinkedIn - A Networking Must

Nothing gets accomplished in the business world without some form of networking. Within a work environment, the relationship you build with each co-worker is a very basic form of networking. Your professional reputation is based on your ability to interact and collaborate effectively with your colleagues. Positive relationships will grow when founded on honesty, reliability, and your dedication to successfully contributing to common goals. But Wikipedia brings to light an interesting and not always recognized aspect of networking. In their definition of “social network” they say, “Smaller, tighter networks can be less useful to their members than networks with lots of loose connections (weak ties) to individuals outside the main network. More open networks, with many weak ties and social connections, are more likely to introduce new ideas and opportunities to their members than closed networks with many redundant ties.” Consider the value of LinkedIn for professional networking. LinkedIn allows you to connect not only with direct and current professional colleagues, but also with “looser” connections, such as vendors, friends, former colleagues, college alumni, and casual acquaintances. Studies show that more career opportunities come from networking with people outside your close sphere of connectivity. It may be that people you work with have you and your abilities pigeonholed, based on their perception of your current job. Acquaintances sometimes find your experience and expertise more interesting and impressive. They can help you make additional connections with professionals with common interests and/or a business need for which you are well suited. Approach your LinkedIn profile as a self-promoting marketing exercise. This is an opportunity to brand yourself. Minimally, provide the facts, just as you would in a resume. In addition, feel free to be creative and let your personality show, by expressing your passions and interests. Take care when establishing your Profile and Contact Settings. For networking purposes, you should allow people to see your Connections, and to send you Introductions and InMail. To further flesh out your profile, consider joining Groups in your areas of interest. (Some of my best networking experiences to date have come from joining my Alma Mater’s Alumni group, and being active in Discussions.) Peruse the questions posted in your areas of expertise and provide value with substantive answers. Sign up to follow blogs that you find enlightening. Share your book reviews and recommendations, using the Amazon Reading List application. In short, participate actively and help people get to know the professional you. Today, a presence on LinkedIn is a must for anyone managing their career and/or a business. This is only one aspect of social networking, but an important first step for those looking to enhance their career profile. For more ideas, see Guy Kawasaki’s blog post: http://blog.linkedin.com/2007/07/25/ten-ways-to-use/

Reinventing Your Career

Gone are the days when young professionals signed on with a company and stayed with it for an entire career. Now, many people find that the best way to move up is to move out, trading one position for a better one with higher pay. Companies that used to value loyalty now are often are looking for fresh talent – people with proven experience who can hit the ground running and immediately produce results that add shareholder value. This environment, in our struggling economy, has left many experienced people wondering what they should do next. Some are desperately trying to position themselves to retain their jobs, while others are dealing with unemployment and job searches. If you are stalled, it may be time to reinvent yourself. But how do you do that? I left my job last year, recognizing that the company I had worked for almost 28 years was becoming a different kind of place; one in which I couldn’t visualize being successful. Fortunately, I had some financial flexibility that gave me time to think about my next steps. One book I read, called Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career (by Herminia Ibarra), truly spoke to me. The premise is that instead of engaging in a process of lengthy introspection before making changes, one should get out and try things, make adjustments, try other things, make new connections, and find new mentors and guides. Your ultimate career will surface through experimentation and discovery - over time. It’s inspiring to talk to people who have been through the process of reinvention. Among my friends and acquaintances, there are several people who are just now following their true calling in a new career. One, whose interest and strength has always been in building a work team, now works with a major career services company. Before obtaining that position, she volunteered her time with a non-profit career management and networking organization. That experience led to the connections that helped her obtain the job she really wanted. Another acquaintance, after being laid off from a large corporation, is following his passion for photography by starting his own business. If you dream of an alternative career path, find a way to tentatively stick your toe in the water, through networking, interacting with a mentor, volunteering, or using vacation time to explore possibilities. As far as we know, we have one life to live, and we should control our own destiny.

Help From A Pro

While on vacation at a resort in Nevada last week, I decided to take a golf lesson. I had been having some frustrating problems with my swing, and thought a session with a pro might help fix some of my fundamentals. Wow! What a great, productive experience! With the LPGA Pro's observations and guidance, the issues that had been plaguing my game were quickly pinpointed. Through drills and practice - within an hour - I was striking the ball with much improved results. I was so jazzed. Ah, the satisfying "thwack" that you hear and feel when you hit the sweet spot of a golf ball! Sometimes all we need to become more successful is a little collaboration with another expert. In our daily work environment, we can get so caught up in the day-to-day execution of a job we know that we don't embrace the possibility of change to make us more effective and productve. We can become so stretched and harried that we don't make time for constructive thinking. This is when a good consultant can help. Strategic collaboration with a consultant can bring a fresh perspective to your issues and challenges - a catalyst to change. Working with a consultant also gives you the opportunity to offload work, allowing someone else to add value to tasks on your overfull plate. A well-chosen, well-qualified consultant should make you look good - should make you more sucessful - should give you a boost past a rough spot. We all need a little professional help now and again to consistently find that sweet spot. Don't hesitate to search for it.

Why Consulting?

A consultant is ... ... someone who takes the watch off your wrist and tells you the time. ... a man who knows 99 ways to make love, but doesn't know any women. ... someone who is called in at the last moment and paid enormous amounts of money to assign the blame. There are lots of jokes like these that malign the worst characteristics of consultants. You may have encountered consultants that left you frustrated, insulted, or just plain wondering how they could be considered an expert on anything (let alone get paid a handsome fee). Hopefully we have all also had great experiences with consultants that have really helped out and taught us a few things in the process. They can be inspiring. So what would make me start a consulting company? When I walked away from 30+ years in a corporate environment last year, I needed a break from the day to day stress and politics. With a little time to think, I realized that I still wanted to be engaged in business – just in very a different way. Our goal is to offer the knowledge and work abilities we have to projects to which we can clearly add value. We are flexible, hands-on, hard-working, and prefer shorter term assignments where we can get in, collaborate, get out, and leave you successful and relieved of a challenge. Our only success is yours. Why consulting? It’s a luxury to have a short-term narrow focus instead of a long-term broad focus. It’s exciting to work on a variety of projects. It’s fun to work with interesting, smart people. And we still are jazzed to find creative, practical solutions to issues. We are Haropulos Bailey Consulting.

Our Guiding Principles

These Guiding Principles for Haropulos Bailey Consulting are meant to explain our commitment to doing business in a particular way. Our goal is to work with clients who have similar principles, appreciate our perspective, and look forward to collaborating with professionals of like mind. · We strive to develop lasting relationships based on integrity, mutual respect, and trust. · Work projects are accepted based on our confidence that we can add value. · Our solutions have substance and practicality, with a dose of creativity. · We love rolling up our sleeves, leveraging our experience and collaborating with you. · It’s our responsibility to bring a different perspective to your challenges. · You can rely on us. We do what we say. · Making a difference for you is what inspires us. Our only success is yours. Our approach at Haropulos Bailey Consulting is positive and optimistic. We think that being true to our Guiding Principles makes work exciting and fun.

About Us

Today’s consulting market is littered with a vast array of companies from large to small, from specialized to general, from strategic to hands-on. Haropulos Bailey Consulting is a small, personal consultancy founded by two very experienced escapees from Corporate America. We are interested in working with clients in service industries for whom we can add value to projects through “Creative, Practical Collaboration”. This blog will highlight our guiding principles, explore our passions, and outline some of our professional accomplishments. We’d like you to get to know us, and open the door to creating new, mutually-beneficial relationships. (This is not intended as a sales tool, and will not be promoted as such. Of course, if you are interested in doing business with us - great!) Haropulos Bailey Consulting has proven strengths in the following: Customer Service, Planning, Project Management, Technology Product Branding & Marketing, Communications, Career Coaching, Business Intelligence, and Help Desk Operations. Next time: Guiding Principles