It is well understood that men don’t like unsolicited advice. It is for this reason we tend not to ask for directions at the gas station. It is a macho thing driving around for hours, lost beyond hope, and yet not stopping for help. (Thank goodness for GPS!)One of our many fine traditions ...

I have never considered myself a social butterfly, but I guess for many of us financial types it is difficult to start a conversation with someone we don’t know.If you give a little thought to conversations you have had over your life with people not known to you, you will fondly remember ...

For those of you who are familiar with Kermit the Frog, you know it isn’t easy being green.In much the same way, individuals who know about our little society called The FENG have come to expect great things from us.If I start from the outside and work my way in, members of the search comm...

Just to prove to you how old I am, there used to be a show on TV called “The Millionaire.” (The show was in black and white. Need I say more?)It seems there was this wealthy man who wanted to give away some of his money and each week he would send this poor sap out into the world to hand s...

Many years ago I spent an evening out with an old friend of mine who previously had been in the search business.He is a very special friend. We first met in 1977 when I was Business Manager for CBS College Publishing and we have been close friends ever since. Since he lived nearby, our fam...

The words we use when referring to others are important in that they affect our thinking and ability to problem solve.I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but I usually refer to “members of the search community” or to “search professionals.” I sometimes refer to them as “recruiters.” A...

It is always difficult to explain why you trust someone.In our daily encounters out in the world we come across all kinds of folks. Most of the individuals we do business with on a daily basis don’t have to be our friends, and the nature of the exchanges we have with them don’t even requir...

I don’t know what it is about returning emails and phone calls. I get them by the truck load and still do my best to return them all. (Sometimes it does take a few days.)Perhaps I have a high level of curiosity, but I have found that you can never tell who has contacted you or what they ha...

It is a sad fact that most men don’t appreciate getting unsolicited advice. That said, there are even those among us who reject advice they have asked for out of hand and in a dismissive way.The giving and receiving of advice is always a delicate balance. Even though probably 75% of my mai...

I do tend to rattle on. Some night I will tell you the FULL story about how I removed my own home heating oil tank from my property. (It is a long story with many fascinating twists and turns.)The problem is that most folks really don’t want to hear about it. And even those who have intere...

One of the most disconcerting aspects of looking for a job is that you often get the feeling that people aren’t treating you with as much respect as you deserve.I could be wrong, but I think that those of us who have been senior level financial executives may have a tougher time dealing wi...

I have often noted to my friends who aren’t into boating that the difference between a power boater and a sail boater is that power boaters usually use their boats to go somewhere, whereas sail boaters are already there once they step onto their boat.In our goal driven, management by objec...

One of the most vexing problems potentially facing those who are active in their search is the decision to accept a job offer you don’t really think is right for you.The agonizing issue of turning down a job offer is only matched by the difficulty of getting one in the first place. Those w...

If losing your job wasn’t bad enough, the reluctance of business associates at your former company, as well as those who serviced your company as attorneys, accountants or recruiters to return your phone calls can be particularly disheartening.Actually, if you gave it some thought, you wou...

One of the less well recognized phobias in this world is the fear of accepting help from others.Perhaps it is primarily a guy thing and it explains why we never used to ask for directions at the gas station, but when it comes to job search it is another one of the many things that “get in ...

I’m sure there are those of you out there who remember a positively awful movie starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts called “The Mexican.” Some of you may have seen it and have been trying desperately to forget it. I don’t blame you.Anyway, there was this one scene in the movie where Julia...

With just about everyone in the ENTIRE world running around like their hair was on fire, I personally wouldn’t fault you if you too were feeling that way. Whether we are watching the news or reading the newspaper, it is impossible at the moment to find any escape from what is going on WORL...

I don’t know if you remember “Rain Man” with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, but there was one scene where Tom Cruise either hit or yelled at Dustin Hoffman and Dustin proceeded to write it down in a notebook he carried. He was very meticulous in noting the “offense” and the date and time.I...

Sometimes the phone here are world headquarters gets a little quiet. Several minutes can go by and no one calls. It is enough to get you a little out of practice in answering the phone. So, from time to time I just pick up the phone (even though it isn’t ringing) and say hello to see if my...

One of the great mysteries of this world is why consultants are expected to be over qualified for any job, but when it comes to hiring on a full-time basis, companies don’t want anyone who is over qualified. Go figure.The frequent comment from clients for consulting work is “I hope I am no...

One of the gag gifts that my wife got once was a “Stress Busters” calendar. Since she couldn’t find a place for it on her desk at work, she gave it to me. (I suppose it was one step away from the garbage pail.)Since I got it after the start of the year, I was able to fast forward through s...