We think there’s another way that may solve those challenges and even prevent the pink slip. We call it the “know-the-need” basis. The concept is simple. Your people can’t help solve the problem if they don’t know what the problem is.

With know-the-need you don’t have to go into every detail of the daily operation. It should never be a distraction. But it can be a very healthy team building and problem solving exercise when done with the right attitude. Think of your people as your most valuable asset, view them as such and never as “labor” or worse, as a “cost center”. They know your business, your policies, your procedures. They have an interest in seeing your business succeed, not just for their own security, but for their reputation. They want to work for a business that has its best days in front of it, not behind it. Changing jobs is traumatic and unsettling. They want stability. And they will participate to make that happen.

At Barefoot, we would have regular meetings between the non-sales staff and the sales staff. During those meetings the sales people would outline their challenges with the market, the competition, or with our own support. Folks who were apparently far removed from sales like accountants and receptionists would step up to the plate with suggestions. Many were completely off the wall, impractical, or down right crazy, but they all knew they had permission to say anything. Often, it got others thinking and innovative, disruptive, and practical solutions would bubble up. Everyone was thrilled when we hit upon something that worked. The folks who came up with the solutions were publicly praised. Others were thus encouraged to participate. It was actually great fun. We solved many of our biggest challenges as a result of some of these know-the-need brainstorming sessions.

In one of these sessions, our top sales person announced, “Well, we’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news. The good news is that we just got Barefoot into 400 stores in Florida. The bad news is that they put us on the bottom shelf.” This was the worse place to be in a retail set. Nobody looks down. To the bottom shelf, especially for an unknown brand.  And if we didn’t make a certain number of sales in a certain number of days, we would be discontinued … forever! What were we going to do?

One person piped up in jest, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to go after the “foot traffic” then. Everybody laughed because our name was Barefoot. But then, someone else said, “Wait a minute! That’s not so crazy. Why don’t we have wine stained footprints decaled to the floor and lead the shoppers step by step down the aisle and turn them into our products on the bottom shelf!” it worked so well we used it all over the county. And that idea? It came from the receptionist.

Showing your people that you respect their intelligence, team spirit, and ability to handle challenges apparently outside of their area of expertise, gains you solutions, teamwork, and an element of trust. Let your people help you solve the problems that ultimately affect their jobs. You may be surprised at what they come up  with … when they know the need!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Best Source of Good Ideas Are Your Employees appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

Many students chase the courses that seem to align with a particular profession hoping that their formal education in a specific area will attract an employer all by itself. It won’t!

Many students who put themselves through school with borrowed money face double jeopardy. First, the payback on the loan they’ve taken out is sometimes 3 and 4 times the amount borrowed, and because they had funds from the loans, they didn’t feel pressured to get a job while in college. So they pass up the opportunity to get real-world experience. Yet that experience is one of the qualifications an employer is seeking.

Here’s our short list of what employers are looking for today:

1. Experience. It is better if it’s in your chosen profession, but even if your experience is not, it demonstrates that you can and have held down a job. Hopefully, your boss provided you with a great recommendation you can put on your résumé. So, while you are going to college, consider working your way through, even if it makes your curriculum extend beyond the typical four-year standard.  That job gives you a big edge over the students who just borrowed their way through school. And if you do borrow, you’ll be in a much better position to pay it off.

2. Entrepreneurship. Yes, employers are now starting to hire grads with entrepreneurship education and experience over those who don’t have it. Why? Because they want to hire folks that understand that all the money- including their salary, benefits and bonuses- originates from the sales of the company’s products or services. They want folks who understand that sales and customer service is the key to maintaining and growing cash flow. They basically want to hire people who really understand how their position fits into the big picture of the company.

3. Stability. Probably the first thing employers do when confronted with a ton of résumés is to eliminate the ones that look “unstable.”  Instability is easy to spot because it’s measured by how long you have held onto each job. If, for instance, you have been jumping around from job to job with less than one-year tenure at each, it makes them question, “Why should I hire this person? The training alone will take 3 to 6 months.” It’s difficult for a college student to demonstrate long-term tenure with an employer, but holding on to a part-time job for two years or more speaks volumes.

4. Ethics. What was the biggest mistake you made working for an employer and how did you handle it? No, it’s not a trick question. It’s all about whether you cover up and blame others, or whether you take responsibility for your own behavior – and sometimes, for the behavior of others. Employers want to hear that you are honest and can take responsibility. So, if you can, demonstrate what you did to make sure you, or anyone, wouldn’t make that mistake again. It may be that you rewrote the policies and procedures; checklists and signoff sheets; or even put a new clause in a contract or a sign on the door! Employers want to hear how you added permanent value to your last employer’s company.

Remember, when all the résumés are lined up, you want yours to stand out. Employers are looking for employees that will justify their investment in time, money, and training. Your resume has to say, “I’m worth the risk!” So make sure your resume distinguishes you from the rest. We wish all the grads good luck landing that all-important job after graduation!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post How to Get a Job in Today’s Market – Part 1: Your Résumé appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.