Clearly I’ve crossed the chasm over to ancient sage as recently a member of the Devon team suggested that I start to share the tips and techniques accumulated over the years. On one level, I can appreciate her observation. Being able to run a high-tech PR firm for almost 20 years means one is either as tough as nails, an über-people pleaser, or as nutty as a fruitcake. The reality is that most days involve balancing all three, as well as being able to wax eloquently on a host of topics extemporaneously, handle the unexpected highs-and-lows that come with working across global business and media communities, and remain incredibly organized.

So, the first part of this series focuses on getting organized. This isn’t a skill where the nature versus nurture argument comes into play: anyone can increase their productivity by learning how to prioritize and organize. That said, being methodical across everything you do is a multi-faceted endeavor. There’s no silver bullet here; you need to cultivate a series of behaviors that will enable you to chip away at the piles of paper on your desk and be able to truly leave the office at the end of a day.

The first tip? Start each morning by swallowing the bullfrog. Swallowing the bullfrog means that regardless of how easy or appealing other projects are, tackle the hardest one first. Cycling through your email for an hour might seem practical but it pales in comparison to writing the 2,000 word article that’s been languishing on your “to do” list. Standing in line at Dunkin Donuts for 30 minutes might seem like an appropriate morning ritual (a big sorry to our New England friends), but skipping the trip and taking that time to return yesterday’s voice mails is far more valuable. Locking yourself behind a closed door and delving into that three hour research project that is now three days overdue will mean that you can move onto easier, more pleasurable projects knowing you’ve satisfied a commitment.

Swallowing the bullfrog extends to other parts of life. Faced with the choice of watching TV, dining with friends, or tending to the now grossly overdue oil change and tire rotation, guess which one needs to come first? We all have our preferences and priorities but by tackling the toughest first means it becomes history. A sense of accomplishment aside, you’ll be alleviating anxiety, management and peer pressure, and potentially unhappy customers. Just do it: figure out what your bullfrog is today and make it go away.

Persistence Pays Off – In the days before the dot com boom of the late 1990s, Jeff Bezos struggled to secure funding for his concept of an Internet-based bookstore. Investors were skeptical of the idea and of the amount he was asking for. Still, he believed in his vision and didn’t give up. Using a business plan he developed on a laptop during a cross-country car trip, he was eventually able to secure the $1 million necessary to launch Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer.

Bezos teaches us the importance of not giving up. If you have an idea that you think will change the world, you must do everything you can to convince others to believe in it. And if the idea doesn’t sell at first, there’s nothing wrong with taking some time to improve the plan and try again.

Every Penny Counts – Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA with the purpose of offering consumers ready-to-assemble home furnishings at affordable prices. Kamprad realized that selling furniture items unassembled would reduce shipping and packing costs, and thus minimize costs for customers. Cost control remains crucial to the company’s operations today, and IKEA has been able to lower its prices by 2-3% over the past decade as it expands around the world.

While it’s certainly true that you have to spend money to make money, paying close attention to costs, and determining where they can be reduced, can mean the difference between profit and loss. By looking for innovative ways to reduce costs for both the company and the consumer, the organization can be more cost-effective and develop a loyal following.

Let Nothing Stand in the Way – As Oprah Winfrey may be in the spotlight much more than the others on this list; it’s easy to overlook just how much she has accomplished behind the scenes. Routinely listed as one of the most powerful women in business and media, Winfrey knows how to achieve results and continuously build her business empire. What’s even more impressive is how she overcame poverty and abuse in her childhood to become one of the most successful people on the planet.

Winfrey demonstrates how important it is to not let adversity hold you back. Whether challenges stem from personal life or hurdles in the business climate, it is important to never back down from the dream and to do everything possible to achieve success.

Love What You Do – As a young adult with a love of music, Richard Branson started selling records by mail-order out of a church basement. This successful business led to the establishment of a chain of record stores and the creation of a record label. Since those early days, Branson has created more than 400 businesses under his Virgin brand, many of which are based on his interests: airlines and rail companies, a mobile phone company, a comic book label, a video game company, and even a space tourism firm.

The key lesson learned from Branson is that it’s important to let your passions determine your pursuits.  Without a firm interest and understanding of whichever industry you’re in, it will be difficult to develop a prosperous and thriving business.

If You Build It, They Will Buy It – As people are still in mourning over the loss of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, his contributions to the world are clear. Listed as either the primary inventor or co-inventor of nearly 350 patents, Jobs certainly knew how to think outside of the box. And, based on the excitement and fervor with which each new Apple release has been welcomed by the public, Jobs’ ability to create innovative products that people wanted is apparent.

While not everyone has Jobs’ keen sense to develop products that consumers didn’t realize they need, Jobs still teaches us the importance of building a brand. By thinking differently, you can develop unique solutions and products that set your company apart and build customer loyalty.

Although replicating the success of these five business leaders may be tough, it isn’t impossible. Each person on this list started from humble beginnings, but they all ended up creating some of the most loved and recognized brands in the world. So, whether you’re browsing Amazon or IKEA on your iPhone, or reading O magazine on a Virgin Airlines flight, remember the lessons you can learn from the pioneers behind these products in order to create your own success.

As we take time to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this week, this Carnival also focuses on the need to respect and nurture diversity. Diversity of gender, thought, skills, ethnicity, cultural background, language and talent contribute to more than just an inclusive place to work. Our experiences, culture, religion, sexual orientation and work history, among other factors, come with us to work each day and affect how we contribute to our organization’s success.

While Dr. King led the climb to the mountain top, all of us are an integral part of the journey. In this diversity-themed edition of the HR Carnival, the industry’s always-prolific thought leaders share a range of experiences, perspectives and progress. The Devon Group is thrilled to host this edition of The Carnival and appreciates the range of topics and posts that were contributed.

Without further ado, we present the latest HR Carnival:

Naomi Bloom, at In Full Bloom, shares Ruminations on Being Overweight and Smoking, reminding us we’re all a work in progress.

Prasad Oommen Kurian, at Simplicity @ the other side of Complexity, is busy Decoding the ‘IR mindset’ and provides 10 defining features of the IR mindset.

Mark Stelzner, at Inflexion Point, draws an analogy from travel to one’s career path in 5 Career Lessons from the Road and reminds us it’s important to know where we are going and to have a plan for getting there.

Ian Welsh, at Toolbox.com, asks whether organizations benefit from diversity in the workplace. He answers the question and provides practical advice in Diversity is Simple – Objectivity Essential! – The Benefit is Clear!

John Kotter, guest blogger at Great Leadership, invites readers to consider the danger of getting too comfortable in Success: A Breeding Ground for Complacency. He explores the value of diversity in thought and recommends bringing the outside in by listening to customer-facing employees.

Ben Eubanks, at UpstartHR, touches on diversity in his review of Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing and Retaining Veterans and uncovers different ways to better meet the needs of employees who are former military service members.

Paul Smith, at Welcome to the Occupation, notes that each of us individually has to strive for equal rights and opportunities on our own terms. He advises readers to become the Captainess of Your Own Ship by deciding our own definition of success and power.

Mike McCarty, at SafeHiring Solution, discusses Pepsi Employment Background Checks and the adverse affects background screening can have on minorities.

Chris Young, at the Human Capital Strategy Blog, checks in on the progress of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Dream – Changing Company Culture and reminds us that employers should choose employees based on their character, qualifications, and job fit – and that skin color not be a factor.

Through this edition of the Carnival of HR, we are treated to not only to some of the best advice HR professionals have to offer, but the community’s commitment to advancing the dream and creating inclusive workplaces where individuality and respect thrives. Thank you for stopping by. Come again soon and be sure to follow us on Twitter @devongroup, @melissaprusher and @jeanneAchille.

are influenced by online interactions.

Arguments such as “Our CEO doesn’t have enough time” or “All content needs legal approval prior to being posted” no longer fly in today’s transparent business climate. And, with the rapid rate of change, even organizations with well-defined social media policies should allow for appropriate caveats.

Besides being swamped, CEOs tend to be most interested in those initiatives that contribute to the bottom line. As social mediums continue to mature, tracking and analyzing social content can deliver up-to-the-minute feedback on a brand or company reputation, allowing CEOs to see exactly how social media influences product development and corporate strategy and strengthens customer relationships. But, organizations that dig their heels or wait for legal to approve every single tweet, blog post, or comment will never be able to execute a successful social media strategy.

Delivering fresh content from the company’s leaders benefits an organization in multiple ways. CEOs that share the company vision in an authentic and real way can increase customer engagement and attract high-quality talent to the organization. Content written by high-profile members of the organization can help put company-sponsored information on the first page of search results, as Google and other major search engines continuously “crawl” for new content. CEO blogs can also demonstrate thought leadership, increase credibility and showcase the capabilities of the company – all elements that not only look good from the customer’s perspective, but also help keep employees engaged and in tune with their own organization.

Conversing in the digital arena is a powerful tool for telling the company story and driving brand engagement. But, for those worried about giving away trade secrets or freaking out their legal counsel, take a look how some CEOs have made blogging work: 

Showcase a human side. David Kirchhoff, Weight Watchers International’s CEO blogs at Man Meets Scale. He lets readers know that the blog contains his personal views on weight loss and fitness, and not necessarily his perspective as a company employee. Yet, the blog taps into the vital components of successful business: making emotional connections, demonstrating an understanding of the customer’s pain points and offering solutions.

Communicate company progress. Blogs don’t have to reveal sensitive information, but they can provide customers with insight into new developments or strides the company is making to deliver better products or service. Comstock Mining’s CEO uses blogging to answer customer inquiries and provide status updates on company initiatives.

Connect with colleagues. Forrester’s George Colony uses his blog to share opinions and analysis on events of interest to other CEOs. High-level networking can help executives share experiences, fine-tune strategies, stimulate innovation and drive competition.

One key, no matter what your approach: understand that executive time is valuable and should be used on moving the needles that matter – whether it’s customer engagement, bottom-line sales or other metrics. Rather than a general approach to blogging, start out with an analysis of what you’d like to accomplish and build an editorial calendar based on your CEO’s pet projects and topics. With the right infrastructure in place, blogging can be systematic, achievable and increase interaction and loyalty with business stakeholders.

The worlds of sports and business have a lot in common: pressure to always be the best, the need to take big risks for high rewards and the constant battle to remain ahead of the competition.  Despite the cutthroat nature often associated with both realms, there are plenty of valuable lessons corporate leaders can learn from athletes and coaches from all different sports.  What follows are some proven methods for success taken straight from the field (as well as the court, track and pool) that can be applied in the office environment.

Give it your all – Legendary long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine was known for the famous quote, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”  With a career record of winning 78% of the races he entered, including being undefeated in NCAA races at the University of Oregon, Prefontaine certainly knew how to put his best into everything.

Each member of an organization has a unique skill set and experience that they bring to their job.  To remain competitive, it is important encourage each member of the company to apply their individual gifts to achieve the common goals.  When everyone is committed to giving their best, the company will thrive.

Dealing with setbacks – When an attempt to tackle an opponent left a college football player paralyzed, it’s easy to consider this a tragedy.  Yet, for Rutgers University’s Eric LeGrand, the accident hasn’t crushed his spirit or defeated his will to succeed.  With intense determination and a constant smile on his face (as seen on the cover of Sports Illustrated), LeGrand continues to make astounding progress in his recovery.

Every company will encounter setbacks along the way.  While they may vary in scope and significance, it is important to work through these obstacles.  As LeGrand demonstrates, going through an unforeseen crisis and having the ability to bounce back will just make one stronger and better able to face the unexpected.

Never give up – In the 2004 American League playoffs, the New York Yankees had a commanding three game lead over the Boston Red Sox.  While it was assumed the Yankees would easily win a fourth game, it proved to be elusive.  The Red Sox were able to beat their long-time rivals by winning the next four games, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven game series from a 3-0 deficit. 

Whether it’s making a sale, renewing a contract or even hiring that perfect job candidate, it is integral to believe in oneself and never assume that anything is impossible.  As unlikely as a particular win might be, it is never completely out of reach.

No “I” in team – Retired NBA coach Phil Jackson knows a thing or two about teamwork.  He was able to transform the Chicago Bulls from a group of talented players who didn’t perform well together into a cohesive team, leading them to six NBA championships.  Jackson then used the same formula with the LA Lakers, who won three championships under his leadership.

On the court or in the office, teamwork is essential for any organization to thrive.  Though it’s great to have a number of star employees, the organization won’t get ahead if they aren’t working together.  By following Jackson’s example and focusing on teamwork, organizations can ensure they don’t just have great employees, but a great team as well.

Overcoming adversity – Most people would think that someone born with only one hand would never be able to play baseball, let alone professionally.  Well, Jim Abbott could prove them wrong.  In addition to being a star pitcher, Abbott was able to play the field by quickly switching the glove from arm to arm in order to catch and throw the ball.

Abbott’s example is great for any individual trying to start a company, or for a small company looking to play in the big leagues of their industry.  No matter how disadvantaged your situation might seem, determination can help remove the doubt.  As Abbott showed everyone, if there’s a will, there’s a way.

(Perfect) practice makes perfect – Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi is quoted as saying “Practice doesn’t make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.”  Though he expected a lot of out his players, Lombardi’s philosophy had proven results – as a head coach in the NFL, he never had a losing season.

Learning through experience is a great way for each employee to achieve their full potential.  Companies can channel “perfect practice” by providing their employees with a thorough training program, ensuring that they are well prepared for the job at hand.

Experience counts – While it is hard to find professional athletes in their 40s, there are several athletes who have continued to play, or come out of retirement, well past what others would consider their prime.  Michael Jordan, Martina Navratilova, Dara Torres and Brett Favre are just a few examples of athletes who have come back from retirement for successful second winds.

As the above athletes prove, experienced performers can bring a lot to their teams.  Companies leveraging employees with years of know-how and experience can benefit from their industry expertise.  Moreover, chances are good that these employees know firsthand the other lessons on this list, having even more valuable insight to share.

All of these athletes and coaches come from different backgrounds and different sports, but they share the similar qualities that brought them to the top of their games.  Whether success is measured in touchdowns, homeruns or gold medals, each example proves how dedication to one’s work, determination to be the best and the fortitude to get through life’s biggest challenges can help anyone achieve victory.

Kathi Graham-Leviss is author of

Your new book, The Perfect Hire, provides a tactical guide to hiring, developing, and retaining top sales talent.  What can readers expect to learn?

The Perfect Hire identifies the biggest mistake that companies make when hiring sales leaders and executives – hiring mainly based on technical skills and experience – and outlines a hiring methodology that will help them avoid making that mistake.

In the absence of a selection strategy, most companies rely on resume screening and an applicant performance review to make hiring decisions. As a result, their interview processes are unstructured and can result in loose discussion that focuses on a candidate’s personality and/or listed experience, rather than their soft and problem solving skills. For example, an extrovert may engage interviewers quickly and be charming without having the critical thinking skills needed to succeed in a position.  Ultimately, businesses lose a lot of time, money and other resources when they hire poor-fit candidates.

How can sales leaders leverage this information to solve challenges in their own business?

There are five steps that should be included as part of the hiring strategy. The first step is defining the job.  You can only attract the right fit and later create a plan to develop and evaluate performance when you have a clearly defined position. Next, benchmark the job.  Using assessments to benchmark the job will increase the accuracy of your job definition and match the best candidates to the job.

The third step is screening and interviews. Screen candidates before face-to-face interviews, and prep interviewers with the job description, performance standards you developed, candidate résumé, based on the job profile. A good benchmark should provide interview questions based on the soft skills and problem solving skills that are important to the job. Next, assess your top candidates. In the same way you develop interview questions that cover many different aspects to determine a person’s qualifications and fit for the position, you want an assessment that provides multiple perspectives and measurements.

The fifth and last step is developing your sales talent. Hiring isn’t complete until the new hire has a development plan that’s part of the organizational ongoing development process. Understanding the attributes you discover through assessments can better position managers to adapt the work environment to best support and retain top performers.

What should a hiring manager look for in a candidate when assessing fit?

The Three C’s can help predict on-the-job success and also enable managers to create development plans that help sales talent thrive.  Core Values identify the type of work and work environment that will be most motivating or rewarding to an individual. They help to understand how individual values may align or differ can improve communication. Competencies measure the underlying skills, knowledge and characteristics that predict behavior and performance on the job.  They assess competencies can provide valuable data in determining individual areas for focus, growth and development.  And critical thinking measures an individual’s ability to solve problems, be innovative and analyze information. Critical thinking provides insight into an individual’s aptitude for: solving problems, learning a specific job, understanding instructions, applying knowledge to new situations, communicating clearly, reasoning logically, financial acumen, and comprehending relationships in a business setting.

 You’ve worked with many companies over the years on their hiring methodologies. Can you tell us about an ineffective interviewing style you’ve come across?

I once heard a story where during an interview, a senior leader asked a candidate to solve a fairly complex problem, told her she had seven minutes to complete it, and then actually timed her. I assume he was trying to gauge her knowledge and abilities to work under pressure, but in reality there are more effective ways to do that.  Those seven minutes could be much more productively spent getting to know the candidate, asking for examples that illustrate her experience and problem-solving skills, and understanding their communication styles more thoroughly. The most successful hiring strategies not only focus on identifying candidates who are qualified, but also those that are well matched to the position, the team and company.

As the agency of record supporting one of the industry’s largest and most exciting events, The Devon Group has the distinct pleasure of managing The HR Technology Conference & Expo press room and its activities. Year after year, the energy found between its four walls can be inspiring, electric, exhilarating, and yes, at times, exhausting. This year’s press room – sponsored by OneWire, to whom we extend our most sincere thanks – delivered on all fronts. Busy and buzzing from open to close, each of its many tables and designated overflow rooms were filled with registered press, analysts and the blog squad who engaged in highly interactive briefings, demos, discussions and deals each day.

As careful observers, whose ears were perked for feedback, we’d like to highlight several tools and techniques for effectively getting news and messaging out at the conference, especially as your competitors attempt to do the same:

• Press Kits:  Your press kit is an opportunity to share information about who your company is and what it does, as well as any big news it has. Include company overviews, press releases, and major success stories.  Shoot for relevant and surprising content that highlights benefits and tells a story. Kudos to Peoplefluent and HireVue, whose press kits stood out among an array of folders with their creative delivery – branded USB kits attached to Jelly Bellies, and a digital interviewing mini storybook, respectively.
• Press Releases: Have something compelling to announce at the show, and do it officially in a release that tells a story rather than describes a product. Members of the press request news releases as resources from which to write stories. So include major announcements in your press kits and don’t forget to leverage the opportunities allotted by the conference, including the annual new product announcement press release.
• Briefings: Direct, face-to-face interaction can be the best way to deliver your message.  When meeting with press, analysts and bloggers, do your homework and understand the points that will be relevant to each person.  As most meetings last from 30 minutes to an hour, don’t expect to do a deep dive.  Remember, there’s always time to provide additional demos and information on specific solutions after the conference.  Approach individuals with whom you’d like to meet a month or more in advance, as their dance cards are likely to fill quickly. For example, if the press room were a ball, this year’s belle (or male equivalent) would be HR consultant, speaker, blogger, and DriveThruHR co-host, William Tincup, who was booked for back-to-back-to-back meetings with the industry’s emerging and top HR technology leaders.
• Focus: Take a break from tweeting and your iPhone while you’re in the press room.  The time you have at the conference and in the press room is a unique opportunity to directly interact and build relationships with the people you’ve been pursuing via email, phone and social media all year. Take full advantage of that opportunity while you’re there and make a positive impression; you can always tweet about it later.

But, social media is no field of dreams. The content has to be pull-worthy. If every message shared through your social media channels are a typical push messages, you’ll fail to build credibility and visitors will dwindle.  Don’t think of social media outlets as websites numbers 2, 3, and 4, but rather use them to provide research, create company spokespeople to blog and vlog, and generate meaningful conversations about industry news and trends. This doesn’t mean your social media channels should be devoid of push messages, but they shouldn’t be dominated by them if you’d like fans (READ: sales prospects) to participate, share information – both yours and theirs – return and build a direct relationship with your company. Part of the appeal of social media outlets are (ironically) their humanizing aspects.

With that said, there are a few elements that make for more successful inbound marketing techniques:

Push SEO. If it’s on the web, it needs to be searchable.  Be sure to pepper blog copy; Facebook descriptions; and image, video and page titles with your company’s keywords. Link to relevant and popular sites. When tweeting, the @ and # keys will keep you searchable and present in others’ feeds.

Pull Metrics. Monitor traffic, leverage Google analytics and Facebook Insights and adjust your content accordingly. Understand who your followers and their behaviors. Give your audience what they crave when visiting your sites and content they enjoy sharing.

Push Participation. A little encouragement goes a long way.  Create corporate social media policies that ask employees to ask responsibility and with common sense, but that also empower them to take stock in posting content, monitoring sites and followers, and positively reacting to conversations.

Pull Sales Leads. Once sales members begin effectively monitoring social media sites, they can leverage LinkedIn special interest groups, your Facebook page and Twitter feeds to serve as industry experts, start conversations, build relationships with potential prospects for targeted lead nurturing. And don’t underestimate the power of search – build contact lists within companies on LinkedIn and use hashtags to find interest on Twitter. Remember social is the keyword here, and connections made are why these channels are so valuable.

While premiums primarily drive booth traffic and create band awareness, your event team should tie giveaways with larger goals and pre- and post-event communications for a cohesive campaign.  Consider event priorities: Are you gathering names for nurture in a new sales territory? Are you announcing a new product? Are you a show regular, attending to maintain momentum?  These factors can determine what types of premiums you leverage to build brand, draw attention and create buzz. Combine those goals with the following tips for maximum mileage:

• Make it Relevant – Understand the audience and select accordingly. Where a technical crowd appreciates gadgets, HR professionals might prefer charitable or wellness-based take-aways.
• Make it Useful – Perhaps the most useful giveaway received to date is a screwdriver set (which I use regularly), but don’t ignore other obvious useful items: food, drinks and snacks.  Brownie points if they’re branded.
• Make it Memorable – It’s a good idea to provide notebooks and pens to presentation attendees as a courtesy, but they’re lackluster booth premiums. Select unique items that tie with broader messaging.  We’ve seen custom superhero action figures, magic tricks, and other unique items – and, more importantly, we remember the companies and solutions with which they’re associated.
• Make it Visible – Swag won’t drive traffic if no one knows what it is. Let it do its job and keep it out in the open. Also, think visible on the floor – there’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing a sea of reusable tote bags in your company’s colors during the show.
• Make it Portable – Luggage space is prime real estate, and if you want attendees to take your swag home, be sure it’s convenient to pack.  Steer clear of mugs, umbrellas, and anything too bulky for lasting brand power.
• Make it Easy – Work with a rock star vendor who will help you brainstorm, give feedback, work within your budget, and send samples. They should understand your brand and goals, and make suggestions based on popularity, quality, availability and audience.

So, get thinking now – it seems like all the best premiums have the longest lead times. With a little creativity and planning, you can make a significant impact with tradeshow loot that’s much more than just “free stuff.”

Companies like Social Intelligence create dossiers based on the last seven years of Internet activity: party pictures from college, off-hand remarks or comments, anything illegal, and more. Providing clients with this information can make or break the hiring process for a candidate.

The New York Times reported that Social Intelligence’s service is the newest tactic HR departments have in screening applications. The process may seem like a violation of privacy rights but Social Intelligence already passed an FTC inspection, and it seems that the Terms & Conditions of many popular websites help make the company’s research legal.

Recent statistics show that some 75% of recruiters do online research about candidates and that 70% of these recruiters admit to rejecting candidates based on online activity.

If you can’t remember your password to that MySpace or Photobucket account, now would be a good time to find out and do a little research of your own. You never know what is out there, or who is looking to find out.