Keynote Speech:  The Four Ps for Success After Graduation

 

Graduate 2012:

Thank you for the opportunity to be your Key Note Speaker at the 2012 Vinh Quy Bái Tổ celebration this year.  Thank you TRUNG TÂM VĂN HOÁ VIỆT NAM for  keeping the tradition and value of our Vietnamese culture burning brightly for the past ten years.  Thank you parents for your commitment to support your sons and daughters to become the person they are today.  And most important thank you graduates for your discipline and focus to pursue your academic degree(s) in time of so much temptations to take the easy route.

I was asked to compressed 22 years of my career experience into a 15 min speech that would be most impactful and useful for the 2012 graduates to succeed in life.  After much reflection, I would like to share my four P’s to sustain success after graduation.  The for Ps stand for Plan, Prepare, Produce and be Paramount in whatever you do.

Plan – Always have a plan for something that is important to you.  Steven Covey once said “Start with the end in mind.” Know where you want to go and have an idea of what that looks like when you get there or else any direction and anything will do.  When I was 9 years old  I had a plan/goal to get a doctorial degree.  At 34 years old I finally received it and in a discipline that I inspires me.  When I graduated from college I had a plan to get married at 28.  If figured by that time I would be mature enough, have a stable income and career and be in a nice relationship.  Well that plan did not come to realization until I celebrated  my 31 birthday.  So, plans are great to have, but be agile too to work the plan.  And if it does not work in the end, have plan B and C ready.

Prepare – Be prepare for opportunities to knock at your door.  Many times I see people so unprepared that they miss great fortunes and career advancements because they were not ready (mentally, physically, spiritually or educationally).  When you are not prepared you waste time making the decision, when you should already know the answer.  Continue your education and certifications, find mentors and ask questions, because the more knowledge and experience you gain the wiser you become and more doors will open for you.  The Scout Motto is Be Prepared - To do the right thing at the right moment.   So, circling  back to the first P- plan.  Not everything you plan will go as plan, but if you are prepared it will go better than planned.

Produce – During the schooling phase, a student’s job is to learn and produce good grades.  Grades are one deliverable that  people measure to determine success.  In the working world, what you produce or deliver is the measuring stick for success.  The bigger, the more complex the deliverable the bigger the reward.  So think in terms of what am I delivering to the company, for my boss, my project and how are my result stack up to my competitors.  There is no correlations between how much time you put into your goal versus how much you produce, but there is a difference in working hard and working smart.  Chose the smart path, you will go much further up the ladder of success.  There are two type of people in this world, those that produce results and those that produce excuses for not getting the results.   What type of person are you?

Paramount – Having a plan, being prepared and just delivering results is not enough to separate you from the average.  To be successful you have to distance yourself from the pack.  Water boils at 212 degrees.  That one degree makes the greatest difference between which state water should be in.  What is that one degree for you?  So being paramount to me means doing the best you can do, putting 101% into your idea, project, or work.  You have to be above average for others to see you and to invest in you.  Discover your passion and it will endlessly power your work.

If you combine the four P’s – Plan, Prepare, Produce and be Paramount in what you do, you will have a winning combination with a greater chance for success in whatever you set your heart on.  Robert Collier once said “Success is the sum of small efforts-repeated day in and day out.”  Success is not easy or else anyone can do it, but success is not hard either because others have done it.

I wish each of the 2012 graduates the best of luck and a bright future.  Congratulations on your graduation!

John C. Nguyen

One Secret to Beating the 2012 Stock Market ROI

In 2011 investment ROI has been 6% on average and savings a mere 0.2% at best.  The greatest return for your money these days is on yourself.  One effective tool you can you use to get between 25% to 1,000% is …….. effective networking.

Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.  Networking is the key to success in business, career, and community. It helps you find jobs, recruit talent, win new customers and discover stakeholders who'll support your ideas.

But networking can be stressful for shy people and introverts. They view it as insincere at best, manipulative at worst. They shun networking for a variety of reasons including lack of self-confidence, fear of refusal and a sense of embarrassment.

How often do you tell yourself if “I could just relate to others more easily, if I just possessed more self-confidence then the world would be my oyster, and schmoozing would be so much easier.”  Networking is all about building personal, sincere relationships based on mutual generosity and seeing how you can help others.

If you're struggling to meet new people, here are some DOs and DON’Ts you can actually use at your next get-to-know-you event.

DO……

DO Pick the right events: You have to go to the events that have the type of people you are looking for.  Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.…which means the first thing you’ve got to do is identify exactly who it is you are wanting to meet, and what you want to accomplish by networking.  So pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for.

DO Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.  It is also a great way to give yourself a “free pass” to contact others and build your fan club.

DO Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how.  This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.  People love to talk, especially about themselves.  So sit back and listen.  Soon you will become a great conversationalist.  

DO Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them and evergreen on their phone list.

DO Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes you doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others. Too often people in conversations ask, "How may I help you?" and no immediate answer comes to mind.

DO Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow. Express that you enjoyed meeting them or their names were referred, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

DON’T…….

DO NOT sit around and talk to the person you came with, as a matter of fact, don’t go with anyone you know, it will be too easy to use them as a crutch.

DO NOT RUN OUT OF BUSINESS CARDS.  Carry extra business cards and have them accessible in your pocket. Find a reason to exchange cards; don’t force your card on anyone.  Find a reason for them to ask for your card. In fact, ask for their card and usually they will reciprocate.  Jot down notes on the back of the card to remind you about that person when you follow-up at a later time.

DO NOT overstay your welcome in a conversation. Make sure you provide insightful comments to the conversation and be engaging when they ask you questions, but make sure to excuse yourself if the conversation turns in a direction that is uncomfortable.

Do NOT be afraid to leave early, especially if you’ve met 3 or 4 really good people. Remember you are in it for the long haul and each event you go to, you’ll see more people you know and therefore have more entry points.

Networking is not easy, in fact it’s probably second to public speaking.  Remember the saying, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  There may be times when you need to run into the bathroom, give yourself a little pep talk in the mirror to get yourself back in the “zone”.  

If you want 1,000% ROI on yourself, remember these dos and don’ts.  To be an effective networker set your priorities, be prepared, and maintain relationships.

John C. Nguyen, Ph.D., PCC

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2012 Work Resolutions

As the new year begins with an election year, uncertainty in Europe, consumer confidence flat and unemployement floating at 9%, and major organizations existing and planning another reorganization.

How we see work influence how we see ourself as a worker.  For one employee, for the last 12 months she has been searching for a new internal role since her old role was eleminated through reorganizations at her company. It is possible to choose to be a great worker, but most people need some guidance or motivation. Below are some ideas to help you optimize your performance at work:

Take Matters Into Your Own Hands: Take initiative and always think, “What can I do that is not part of my job responsibility?"

Focus on the Job You Have: Understand your organization, your role in it, and the vision of your boss and peers.

Create a Robust Goal and Performance Contract: Make formal or informal agreements to create shared vision about what you are planning to achieve, why and how.

Know and Build on Your Strengths: Align your work with your talents without sacrificing important priorities.
Personnal Development: Seek feedback and invest in professional development to increase your skill sets.
You may have a New Year's resolution to lose weight or be happier.  How about having a resolution to excel in your job and optimize your time in the office.  I know you can do it because I believe in you.

John Nguyen