Hope for Knuckleheads

Phillie Casablanca/Flickr

Do you think you are a knucklehead? Maybe others think that about you. Either way, I have good news — there is hope for you.

A little History...

In my late teens and early 20s, my “knuckleheadedness” was in full motion. I was irresponsible, short-sighted and somewhat arrogant. Each weekend meant consuming too much alcohol, spending too much money and usually doing something stupid.

Each week, I would have to deal with the fallout of the previous weekend. Sometimes it was as “simple” as a hangover headache. Other times it was property damage or relationship destruction.

As a member of the military during that time, my superiors did not take kindly to my antics. In fact, I garnered the nickname “Airman Screwup.”

Things came to a head when I bounced several checks at local merchants and my First Sergeant sent me to Correctional Custody (Minimum Security Jail) for the weekend. I had to break the news to my fiancee, who was more than a little upset with me.

While I was “semi-incarcerated,” a light switch turned on inside my brain. I knew if I continued down this path, it will lead to my destruction — and I would lose the most important person in my life.

I would like to say that from that point on I didn't do anything stupid. Wouldn't we all like to say that? I did, however, do fewer stupid things, and started on a path toward maturity.

During the process, “Airman Screwup” became the go-to guy in his career field, separating from the Air Force two years later with the Air Force Achievement Medal and more importantly, an Honorable Discharge.

I also married that girl who helped straighten out this “Knucklehead” and we have been together for more than 22 years.

Now for the hope you have...

People who did not know me in my “Knucklehead” days would have a hard time believing I was ever “that guy.” People tend to see you where you are today, not how you got here.

Dave Ramsey talks about doing “stupid with zeroes on the end.” Yet, today he is one of the world's top authorities on money and leadership.

Turn on the light switch. Start on the path to maturity. Don't quit. As long as you are breathing, you have hope.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  — Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Question:

What “Knuckle-headed” things have you done in the past that you have overcome?

I Went to Jail - Again

For the second time, I had the privilege of teaching job-seeking skills to a group of men incarcerated at the Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center at Camp Minden. While the group was different than my first trip out there, their attentiveness was just as strong.

One of the keys to a successful life on the “outside” is finding meaningful employment. When I asked how many of these men believed they had a skill to earn a good living, nearly every hand was raised.

The reality is that an ex-convict faces an uphill battle to obtain employment. There are plenty of job seekers out there without a criminal record.

Knowing that, I shared the following steps (along with others) with these men. These are steps that any job seeker should put into action.

1. Do your homework. Just like a great salesperson researches and prepares for a client, a job seeker should research and prepare for an interview. That means learning all they know about the company, and its leadership.
   
   
   Also, a job seeker should have a resume ready — tailored to the company who has the job they seek. We have all seen too many resumes with “To obtain a position with a company that utilizes my skills.... blah blah blah.”
   
   
2. Dress for the part. Show up for the interview in the proper attire. You don't have to wear a suit to an interview to be a welder, but you better wear the best casual clothes you have. No holes, etc.
   
   
   Don't have much money? Places like Goodwill have plenty of great clothes. You can typically put together something interview worthy for less than $20.
   
   
3. Look the interviewer in the eye, OR The ear? When interviewing a potential employee, eye contact is a major indicator. Someone who fails to make eye contact brings integrity into question. 
   
   
   Some people just have a problem looking others in the eye. To combat this, a job seeker can look at the ear of the interviewer. It can solve the issue, and the interviewer doesn't know the difference.
   
   
4. Follow up with a Thank You. People in sales know the power of the “Thank you” note. It sets them apart from others in sales. The same is true in the job seeking market. If someone is interviewing ten people for one position, a thank you note may keep your resume in the “review” pile.

These steps are no guarantee of employment, but they definitely help. As one of my colleagues says, “We are all in sales. We are selling ourselves.” And in the job-seeking market, no truer words were ever spoken.

Question:

As a leader, what things do you look for in any potential hire? What are some “red flags” you see all too often?

All Things to All People

Minden Press-Herald site - Circa 1998

I had an editor that worked for me who was as “old school” as they came. He believed in such things as the “inverted pyramid,” concise leads, and newspapers are to be printed on paper, not posted online.

At the time — the mid 1990's — he had a lot of company in his assessments, especially when it came to the online newspaper.

We went round and round about it. However, he agreed to post the day's stories on the newspaper's website — after 3 p.m. Being the boss does have its advantages.

I put a visitor counter on the page to see how many people would even care about the stories online.

Then, a funny thing happened. My editor started watching the counter each day.

He would run the numbers and see how many people viewed the website overnight. “150 last night,” he would say.

The numbers began to climb. “200 last night.”

Our site got picked up by a couple of search engines and that increased traffic. “500 last night.”

The anti-online guy started asking if we could put some breaking news items (i.e. traffic accident photos, weather alerts, etc.) online when they happened.

Of course I was all for that. It was a little more difficult to pull off in those days, as we still had to develop film and scan photographs to put them online.

As things warranted, my editor put them online — and watched the web traffic increase.

Fast forward 10 years...

I was on vacation with my family in the mountains of North Carolina. We were visiting my in-laws at a RV park near Asheville.

I woke up early one morning and ventured outside with my cup of coffee just in time to see the Citizen-Times carrier making his rounds. He must have thrown 90 percent of the RVs in that park.

As he passed, doors opened, followed by housecoats and slippers emerging from each RV. These people were anxiously awaiting their morning newspaper.

I was reminded of that “old school” editor who was so enamoured by the website traffic. His excitement turned a lot of his focus away from his “first love,” the printed newspaper.

What I witnessed that morning showed me that in our effort to stay relevant and embrace new technology opportunities, we should not forget who “brought us to the dance.”

The newspaper industry has to be all things to all people. To the baby-boomer and post-baby boomer, we need to be that consistent presence in print.

And to the up and coming generation, we need to be where they are — be it a website, mobile or social network.

We live in a time of constant change and changing opportunities. The leader who can properly balance the old and the new will thrive throughout all these changes.

Whatever happened to the "old school" editor?

After he left our newspaper, he edited his hometown newspaper for many years. He left that job and now publishes an online only news site in that same town.

Funny how things (and people) can change.

Question:
What are some ways your industry has changed? How did you adapt?