Polly Pearson's Blog

A Tipping Point for "People" at Work?

Something is going on. I feel it.

Business people, journalists and professors are suddenly eager to discuss -- for real -- "Employees" as "People."  And I'm not talking about HR-focused execs.  It is happening with, and among the BUSINESS LEADERS.  You know, those folks who care about the sale, the customers, the EPS, the share price, and about public image. 

Why do I think this?

Well, I couldn't help but notice the media, consultant, talent search, and author interest which continues to grow like snow on a windshield on a winter New England day. (Sorry about the analogy. It is getting really cold around here lately!)

Here are a few examples of some of the coverage on the work I get involved with at EMC in the realm of Employment Branding and use of Social Media / Web 2.0 behaviors and tools over the last few weeks:

*** EMC's Employment Branding Work has been featured in the following *****

Harvard Business Review and Bloomberg C-Suite:
    How EMC Maintained Morale While Cutting Costs

North Carolina State MBA Class Case Study:
    Polly Pearson Showcases EMC Social Media

FORTUNE.com, CNN Money.com:
    Watch Out LinkedIn, Facebook is Gaining on You

Human Resource Executive:
    Measuring the Value of Web 2.0

GravitySummit at Harvard University:
    EMC Case Study on Employment Branding and Social Media

**********************************

The year kicked off with a feature of EMC's work in this area in the January, 2009 book Closing the Engagement Gap, "How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential for Superior Results."

At EMC, we have in NO WAY mastered this subject. It seems we're doing something noteworthy, however. And, clearly, the C-suite is interested!

---------------- Talk Back --------------

Have you had a tipping point encounter on this subject?

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers

Career Tips, apparently by Me.

Today I was a guest at a Lunch & Learn, where people from around the company gather in a conference room over lunch to ask questions in a casual manner, and learn about someone's career.

Have you ever answered a few career-oriented questions, told a few career-oriented stories, and wondered what the audience got out of it, if anything at all?

Following is an excerpt from an email of thanks I received from one of the attendees of today's event. It recaps her take aways.

• Move around to grow your network
• The great way to grow your career is to do the job, volunteer to help others, and build relationships
• Use, read and respond to postings on EMC|One (our internal collaboration network)
• Ask for what you want from your manager - ask for the job, they aren't mind readers
• Earn your seat at every table - don't be shy, share your ideas and be passionate
• Ask your manager for their goal list, and help them accomplish their goals
• When you need help from a friend or mentor on something important to you, don’t include them on the email but instead talk to them on the side
• Characteristics that managers look for: No whining, Getting things done, Positive attitude, Proposed solutions.

I loved to see that so many people came to today's Lunch & Learn -- and that they represented so many functions at EMC.  People joined from sales, engineering, alliances, marketing, and more. Humbling. (Thank you.)

Yesterday, EMC held our Speed Coaching event (sort of like Speed Dating, but on career coaching.)  I was delayed and didn't end up coaching -- but I did check out the room. It was like a beehive on a concert sound system. The place was packed (and obviously buzzing!)  I ran into EMC's Distinguished Engineer, Steve Todd, afterward.  He was glowing and said it was the most fun he'd had all week.  I asked him was his career tip was. His reply?

"You know, my usual.  Get your job done well and early, and then do whatever you like." (Said with a giant smile, and a nodding head.)

---------------------- Talk Back -----------------------

If you happened to be in the room for today's Lunch & Learn or yesterday's Speed Coaching, what tips struck a note with you?  Please share. Spread the wisdom.

Thanks!

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com

It isn't the Smart Idea. It is the addition of "Passion," + "Connections," that Bring Success.

I spent the day yesterday with a room filled with 200-300 really smart people. Not just a little smart, but truly fabulously smart.  There were finalists from our global innovation idea contest, distinguished engineers (our elite force), a fellow (turbo-elite), a few authors, a couple of CEOs, and in total, hand-selected, innovation-minded representatives from every major functional area at the company. 

[PHOTO:  Three of EMC's tech elite Distinguished Engineers. Helen Raizen, Peter Madany, Dan Cobb. Taken during the Innovation Conference by talented EMCer, David Elmes.]

If that wasn't intimidating enough, I was asked to present.  It was all fine and good until the morning of the event when I told my 8th grader why I was rushing off so early. "My goodness," I thought to myself, "what have I done?!"

In my last blog, I shared a bit of what I discussed. The fun part of the presentation, for me, was when others joined me on the stage to share a story of something they witnessed at the company by way of an innovation. I asked them to highlight the ingredients that came after someone having "a great idea" -- the "Passion" and working toward "Success" parts.

Sometimes you have to be a bit of a Pest

The first story to be shared came from a non-engineer, Tom Broderick, a Director at EMC, involved with Business strategy and our global Centers of Excellence. His story was about a radically new pricing strategy for EMC in 2003 (think depth of recession.)  He said the team presenting this idea was shot down 2 or 3 times by the executive committee at the company. Each time, they tweaked the plan, build their network of supporters, and essentially, refused to give up. Their conviction, passion, and yes, smart work sold the strategy.  The result? It transformed the industry pricing model and, looking at EMC's dramatic rise in revenue from 2003 - 2008 (roughly $6 billion to $15 Billion!), I'd say it had an impact on the company, too.

Sometimes you have to be Master Networker

The second story to be shared came from EMC technology strategist, Barry Burke.  He couldn't list just one innovation idea he witnessed. He recited a long list of mainstream products at EMC which would never would have seen the light of day had it not been for .... "the idea generator forgetting it was his/her idea and making it the idea and passion of others."  He said it was the network of believers that drove those ideas over the finish line and into the giant product success circle that they live in today.

Sometimes you have to put yourself out on a limb in the interest of making it great

A third story came from an engineer/manager, Dave Spencer, about a work in process.  He told of an engineering team working on a stealth product. One of the members of the team suspected that something wasn't quite right and could be better.  He confided in a senior member of an engineering team not associated the project.  This senior person had a full plate, and was on an aggressive schedule managing another product release. But, in true EMC fashion, he listened, thought about it, and he, too, suspected there could be a better way.  Tireless work began to unfold in parallel. The work is still in play. We don't know how it will end.  One definition of success for sure is the opinion of the senior engineer. He said he hasn't had this much fun at work in years!!

---------- Oh that Feeling When Someone Connects -------

A highlight for me was when a senior engineer and finalist of the global innovation idea contest quoted my presentation during he panel he sat on.  He said we need more of the culture I discussed -- one filled with passion and connections. As a global and wide-reaching company it is more important than ever that we support one another, know what one another is working on to move FASTER!  He also pointed to the opportunity to eliminate waste from projects that get done, that others don't know about and ultimately get under-utilized.

----------------------- A surprise! -----------------------

Another highlight was meeting EMCer David Elmes, who works in API support for our eRoom product.  He told me he was an English major and we started talking about EMC ONE, our internal collaboration network, and how we found some photographers there recently. Ends up he, too, is a professional photographer. He asked if he could take some photos.  Ends up, he took the one at the top of this blog and many more amazing shots. He took this one of me too ...

An amazing day.  Lots of connections and inspiration, and family building.  At the cocktail hour that followed the day there was even more!

... Check out Stu Miniman's blog for a great recap and a video of the conversations at the bar!

------------------- Talk Back ---------------------------

Personal connections, uber smart people/engineers.  Do they mix?

Is more needed, or is everything just fine thank you?

Culture and Innovation

Tomorrow I am presenting on Culture & Innovation to the Massachusetts arm of EMC's annual Innovation Conference and Idea Showcase.

My message will be on the inversion of the command & control pyramid. The upside down version, if you will, invites ideas and interaction from every member of the company community to join with those at generated at the classic "top" of the company.

In a word, we all get "More."

More insights

More ideas

More context

More bullet-proofing

More engagement

More people "working for the cause"

More passion

More fun

More results!!

I recall the wisdom of EMC's founding father, Dick Egan, in what today we consider the essential ingredients of our culture:  Innovation, Passion and Success.

Dick used to "try to look beyond" the fact that some people had a ton of degrees or expressed expertise in a particular area.  His belief that if people were smart and passionate and delivered results, THEN they were worthy.  Often times, if a person was "only" smart, or "only" offered expertise in a particular area, it wasn't enough.  At the pace of a business like this, you need smart people who can adapt on a dime and always be on the look out for a break-through way to make things happen.  And that STILL wasn't enough.  You needed people who had the passion to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Example: back in the early days of the 1990s, Dick set a goal of beating IBM in the IBM mainframe storage market.  This was a CRAZY idea!  They called it the "IBM Mainframe Storage Market" because IBM invented it, and owned more than 80% market share.  When Dick came up with this idea, paired with an innovation that stood a fraction of a chance, his PASSION for the goal came in spades.  His passion led the motivation of the entire workforce.  We worked non-stop and celebrated every hair-brained idea, and every sale we came up with to make it happen.  In less than 5 years, little no-name EMC beat IBM. They've been in our rear view mirror ever since in that market (and then some!)

And that's just one example.It was my first one and I lived it intimately.  It forever changed my professional life and my vision of what success could look and feel like.

Today, EMC is moving rapidly toward to the Inverted Pyramid, the one where everyone can have an idea, be passionate about it and facilitate success.  We are transitioning from the world of one spiritual leader/mentor/motivator in a company to Many -- all joined by community, customers, and a common goal. This is our 2009 Pyramid, reflective of the faces behind the best ideas from the more than 1,400 submitted by EMCers in 19 countries this past few months.

The submitted ideas were voted on -- promoted or demoted -- by the people of the company inside of our internal social network, EMC|ONE.  The result of one such vote, the "People's Choice" award, will be shared tomorrow, along with what the CTO office deemed to be the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Here's a short clip of Dr. Burt Kaliski, from our CTO's office. Burt discusses how the idea contest and conference was coordinated, with a few stats and stunners.

--------------------- Talk Back -------------------

What do you think of this model? 

I was delighted to see the writings and thoughts of Gary Hamel, "the world's most influential business thinker" according to the Wall Street Journal, as he shared these views as well.

Let me know if you've experienced a benefit from an inverted way of getting business results. 

-- Polly Pearson

Work is Getting Personal. Calling all humans!

Who Turned the Tables?

Employees Now Setting the Agenda with Execs in Coaching Forums

 

[PHOTO: EMCers taken during a random day in the life this past year.]

Two cool things just happened.

ONE:

I was just briefed on an event where the organizers are ditching the usual podium speech, where one exec (or "expert") feels like the celebrity, and shares what s/he believes is good information -- leaving, as these types of presentations generally do, the audience to consider how one or more of these information nuggets might help their particular situation.

In this use case, I love that the organizers are turning the tables in favor of giving celebrity-level love to the individual people in the audience.  VALUE!

What's the event?  A "personal," 1x1 speed coaching program, designed by the people of EMC, for the people of EMC. It will take place later this month in multiple US locations. It has full executive sponsorship and participation. All the people had to do to get it done was to ask.

What will it be like?

Envision 50 people getting personally-relevant coaching from multiple company executives in a spirited "speed dating" format. That is, in about an hour, these 50 individual employees be able to ask their questions, of importance to their particular goals or situation, in one-on-one fashion to three different execs. Chances are, these people would not have had the opportunity, or the personal comfort level, to ask such questions of these execs in the course of their normal business routine.

Who put this together? The people in EMC's Black Employee Affinity Group. Those at EMC can learn more and register for the event here.

But Wait! There's More!

They're even going to leverage EMC's internal collaboration network, EMC|ONE to document the event, share tips, take aways, and provide a repeatable "kit" so that the event's model could be replicated anywhere in the world by any person who chooses to put it together.

TWO:

I just got an invite in my mailbox that, once again, puts the people of the company in the drivers seat in a very personal way.

A group of people in EMC's marketing group (graduates of EMC's college hire "Marketing Leadership Development Program") decided to launch a "Lunch & Learn" series with EMC executives.  They limit the amount of the people in the room to just those who can comfortably sit around a conference room table.  They invite execs in to share their story, and to take questions from the other folks in the room, with a focus on the person and the personal. No Powerpoint. No product, organizational, or other real-time business content required. The focus is on the person, their careers, and knowledge exchange of relevance to the particular people in the room on that day.

Yeah, but what executives do the people get to have lunch with?  A pretty good variety of folks, if you asked me. The invite that was just sent out has

 

[Photos:  Brian, Art, Rich, Polly]

• a division President (of our uber-cool Security biz, RSA): Art Coviello
• two senior vice presidents in engineering who oversee the innovation within multi-billion dollar product lines, Brian Gallagher and Rich Napolitano
• and me

Those who work at EMC, can connect with the Lunch & Learn program, sign up for these events and be in the know about future L&L's here.

Revolutionary?  No. Personal, yes. Cool, I think so. 

Both events leverage EMC's internal collaboration network, and enable those who attended to share stories and insights relevant to their personal worlds. 

------------------------Talk Back----------------------------

Are you getting personal career attention?

Are you thinking of ways to make that happen?

Career Growth and Development is always at, or near the top of the chart on desired factors by employees. In times of recession, employee views of career development tend to go down (or plummet!). I thought these were to interesting, free, and relatively easy ideas to put in play that can really be of value to the people. Everyone could use more love and attention, especially in times like these!

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

Information to the Brain: Interesting Reads

My kids must be getting older and more self-sufficient ... or maybe it is the bite-sized morsels found with social media communication that can squeeze themselves in the middle of every aspect of every day, but I seem to be reading more lately.

What has stood out in the last week or so?

Articles that focus on speeding information into brains, on connecting, on unleashing human power.

PEOPLE CONNECTION for BUSINESS:  New Research on Happiness and Social Networks, as found on WIRED in this featured article, "The Buddy System: How Medical Data Revealed Secret to Health & Happiness."

Sidebar: It was fun reading that this discovery was based on data gathered from people in a town just down the road from my house. I read this feature while sitting in my new gazebo (aka my second house) on a Sunday afternoon, amidst the sounds of nature.

[Illustration: Crop of WIRED's feature article on Happiness and Social Networks]

PEOPLE CONNECTING FOR BUSINESS: The modern thoughts on management models for business success by Gary Hamel as found in the Tweetstream coming out of the World Business Forum today. Here's an example of some of his thoughts (which I share), found in this FastCompany post, "HAMEL: Time for Management 2.0."

Sidebar:   I found this as I wanted to stay up on a big day for two EMCers who were invited to be official bloggers at the World Business Forum, @SteveTodd and @Stu.

[PHOTO: EMC Distinguished Engineer Steve Todd and Chief Technologist Stuart Miniman have some fun on stage at Radio City Hall while blogging on behalf of the World Business Forum]

 

PEOPLE CONNECTION FOR BUSINESS:  A book on science, leadership, the practice of management, and building a connection culture to elevate business performance.  "Fired Up or Burned Out" by Michael Stallard.

Sidebar:  I read this on a train to NYC this week. (I had my blackberry going and this book open, reading both at the same time. Every time there was a delay retrieving a web  page on my mobile, I'd get in another few pages in on this great book.  Made for smooth, latency-free brain food!) Michael kindly gave me this book months ago. I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner!!

 

CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE FOR BUSINESS:  New Research is out on how the brain works and how to have better Powerpoint connections to connect with audiences. The info is covered in this terrific post, "New evidence bullet-points don't work" on the blog, "Speaking about Presenting."

Sidebar:  I read this while looking at what has become my micro-RSS feed -- a Twitter column of my favorite thinkers.  This article was shared by an EMCer who lives in the field of technical education, and studies human behavior (that's you @GMinks).

CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE FOR BUSINESS:  Odd coincidence, I found this CIO Magazine article, "Q&A feature with the author of 'Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs,'" on Steve's art in connecting with audiences today as well.  

Sidebar:  Found this one when viewing the thought leadership quotes coming out of the World Business Forum. One of the people covering the event, had sent this article as well.

----------------------- Talk Back -------------------

What have you found interesting of late?

Adding more to my theme, today I interviewed Pat Gelsinger, EMC's new President, and asked him what he has read recently which stood out for him.  He replied with the now famed book on connecting with people in how we communicate, "Made to Stick."

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com