Author: Scott Asai

Helping people develop their leadership skills to advance in their career

What’s Your Plank?

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There are no original ideas anymore. Instead of trying to come up with a new idea, why not build off an existing one? 
Here’s some examples:
– iPhone accessories
– Mobile apps
– Fitness videos
You may be saying, “I’m not skilled in those areas,” so take the last product you purchased enthusiastically and build off that.
It’s much easier to tap into an existing audience versus trying to create a new concept (which probably has been done before). 
Successful businesses adapt and companies such as: Amazon, Google and Apple have transformed into “platforms” because of their various offerings to the masses. Each of the offerings is considered a plank.
Ask yourself, “What companies can I be a plank for?”
Imagine the partnership opportunities. Not only do you have a shared audience, but also a context to build off of. Exposure is crucial in today’s economy and you’d be foolish to go it alone. 

Creating a plank is much easier. So what are you waiting for?

Be a Connector

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“A connector is someone with an extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances.” – Malcolm Gladwell
Simply put, connectors know a lot of people. 
Why is this important? Successful career longevity is based on who you know. 
Here are 3 ways to become a connector:
Focus on helping others. It’s not always about you. Networking becomes less daunting when your goal is to help others. Be curious. Ask questions. Listen. Figure out how you can help them.
Ask for introductions. Start with who you know, share your goals, then ask your contact(s) to introduce you to someone they know. It’s like a game of connect the dots. Keep doing this and your network will grow significantly over time.

Track your contacts. Create a system that helps organize when you last contacted someone and what you talked about. The consistency of your follow up will determine your effectiveness. The same concept that SalesForce uses to track leads can work for you.

What if building your connection base wasn’t a “means,” but the “end” (of your goal)? How would that shift your approach to networking? Think of your network as investing in relationships. It’s a worthwhile goal that will reap benefits for a long time.

Pushing Your Limits

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Recently I tried a Crossfit and Heavy Bag class that pushed my limits physically. After completing the classes, I felt accomplished and realized how the process applies to our lives: 
Ready. Prepare your mind. When facing something uncomfortable or unknown, the easiest decision is to back out (trust me, I’ve done it many times). Your thoughts trigger your feelings and how you feel determines what action(s) you take. Being self-disciplined is key. What you choose to focus on usually comes to fruition.
Set. Put it in your calendar and be accountable to someone. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Don’t let your feelings dictate your behavior. Mark Cuban, argues “Don’t follow your passion, follow your effort.” 90% of success is follow through. Will your way through it even if you don’t want to. You’ll be glad you did after.
Grow. The hardest part is the start. For example, if you’ve ever tried a spinning class, the most difficult stage is the first 15 minutes. After that it gets easier. Growth is a painful process and most people would rather avoid the discomfort than push themselves. Don’t live with regret. Try and break through your personal barriers.

Doing the same thing over and expecting different results is insanity. Successful people don’t fear failure, they know it’s part of growing. Give yourself the best chance to overcome by setting goals, having an accountability partner and willing your way to victory. When’s the last time you pushed your limits?

What’s Your Platform?

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Your platform consists of your various offerings. You don’t need to be everything to everyone, but you do want to aim for the masses. Here are 3 ways to increase your platform:
Adapt and Change. Our world moves too fast to afford to be comfortable. Grow or die. It’s not about reacting, but be ready to respond. Understand the trends and adjust accordingly. What’s relevant today, may be irrelevant tomorrow. It’s hard to stay at the crest of the wave, but you still should be paddling towards it. Are you rowing or drifting?
Partner up. Nothing great is accomplished alone. Your personal network is your greatest career asset, so grow and strengthen it. Introverts are not exempt. We are social beings and in these days of information overload, so put down your smartphone and practice your interpersonal skills. No matter how much technology improves, referrals will always be your best source of “business.” Who are you planning to meet/talk with this week?
Grow Brand Awareness. Whether personal or business, you have a brand. Do what you can to increase exposure. The worker who puts his/her head down during work gets ignored. Give people a reason to look at you. Social media has changed the game for being creative with marketing/advertising. Not having a budget isn’t an excuse. How are you extending your brand?

Open your hand and picture each of your fingers as offerings. What are your strengths? What products/services are you proposing? What solutions are you providing? Innovate with your partners and consumers and watch your platform grow.

Leaving a Legacy

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In tribute to the recent trade of Derek Fisher from the Lakers, his impact went far beyond the court. Here are some lessons to learn from his example that you can apply to your career/life:

Be “Clutch.” When the pressure is on, whatever is inside of you comes out. The preparation you put in helps pass the tests life gives you. Nobody keeps you accountable for what you do on your own time, but when it’s time to perform you are judged. This is where your mental toughness shows. Your ability to cope and deal with stress increases through practice (similar to public speaking). Do the necessary work ahead of time so when opportunity arises, you’re ready.

Be about Winning. (No, not Charlie Sheen-like) You don’t have to be the most talented or smartest, but you need to know how to make your organization better. Sometimes that means stepping up. Sometimes it means doing behind the scenes work. If you’re willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team, you’re a winner. It’s not about you, but what value you bring to the greater team. Winning is about performing, but it’s also about knowing your role and working well with others.
Be About Character. People are hired for skills and experience, but fired for character flaws. It’s not all about performance…so what do others say about you? Are you trustworthy? Dependable? You communicate more through your actions than your words. It’s about showing over telling. Integrity goes a long way in people’s eyes. Based on your actions, how do you want people to remember you?

Derek Fisher’s abilities diminished over the past couple of years, but if you listen to his impact on his teammates, he has their utmost respect. His presence will be missed in team huddles, road trips and the locker room. When he spoke, people listened. When it comes to your career don’t just do your job, strive to leave a legacy. In the end, that’s what matters.

How Do You Work On Your Weaknesses?

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Gallup states, “There are no weaknesses, just overdone strengths.” Think about that statement for a second. In some areas you’ll always be mediocre at best. Does that mean you just don’t work on them? Here are a couple of suggestions:
Delegate. You are NOT superman/woman. Know your limits. In areas of deficiencies, ask for help (novel idea huh?) If you were great at everything, you wouldn’t need to interact with anyone. You have a couple of areas you have the potential to be GREAT in. Develop those strengths and you will be successful. In other areas, you need help. What if you don’t have the luxury of delegating tasks?
Study Success. If you HAVE to work in your weaknesses, find someone who thrives in that area and analyze them. Have access to them? Meet up. Don’t have access to them? Research him/her. Everything includes a process, so learning “how” someone succeeds gives you a visual strategy. I’d caution you to copy, but it’s an example to learn from. Success spurs inspiration. Turn it into action.
Complement Others. Find people that are the opposite of you. Different puzzle pieces fit together. For every weakness, there is a strength. That means focus on your strengths because someone else needs you to. It’s easier to be around people that are similar, but leaders surround themselves with people who round out their blind spots. Put your ego aside and partner up. 

It can be challenging to focus on your strengths, but what you focus on usually comes to fruition. Would you rather fear failure or be inspired by success? You can’t fully eliminate your weaknesses, but you can choose to shift your mindset towards personal talents. Go ahead, create your positive self-prophecy.

Career Diet

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Diet’s don’t work. Lifestyle changes do. 
No matter what new weight loss schemes arise, there’s no way around watching what you eat (nutrition) and working out (exercise). Hard work and discipline are key. There are no shortcuts. Just long term investments.
So what applications do these two areas have towards your career?


Nutrition. What you put in is what you get out. Body, mind, soul, etc. Head knowledge is good, but experience is better. You learn skills through doing them. There’s no point learning something if it just stays in your head. Get out there and practice what you know. You can learn through formal teaching, reading, researching or listening to others. The key is implementation. Use those “nutrients” you’ve absorbed towards benefiting others.

Exercise. When it comes to working out, it’s not about perfect attendance, but each day starting a new streak. Begin where you are right now. Think about your personal network. Is it where you want it to be? Can it be better? (The answer to the last question is always yes, by the way) You don’t have to grow your network daily, but you should have a weekly goal. It can be quantity (size) or quality (strength of connection). Either way, get to it. Your personal network is your greatest career asset (and always will be).

Try this “reframing” exercise. As a leader you have two daily challenges: 
What new skills are you developing? (task-related)
How are you growing your network? (relationships)

Ask yourself that at the beginning of each day and I’m positive you will be pleased by the results. In fact do that, and leave your progress in a comment below!

Mastering the Informational Interview

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Why wait to hear back after applying for a job? Be proactive and set up an informational interview. There may not be a position available, but here are steps you can take to leave a lasting impression:

Seek out companies you’re interested in. Don’t aimlessly apply to different jobs. Create a target. What organizations align with your career goals? Once you identify which companies are on your radar, figure out a way to get inside and meet face to face. Tell them you’re doing some research. Find something in common to talk about. Ask to set up an informational interview. How you get in there doesn’t matter. All that matters is making it happen.
Sell yourself. There may not be a position open, so get them thinking about creating a new one for you. Focus on the following 3 areas:
1) Share your strengths and how they will help you get the job done
2) Tell them why you want to work there
3) Show them how you will fit into their organization
Don’t be a car salesman. Instead explain how your past experiences equip you to help their company. Show passion and enthusiasm. Emphasize the value you bring to their company. 

Be amiable. People don’t hire people they don’t like. Simple, yet true. It’s not so much about you. It’s about IF you fit and what value you bring to the organization. Meeting in person works when you leave a positive impression. Treat the person like you want to be treated. It’s not rocket science. It’s about your people skills (see number 3 above). We hire people we like.

Informational interviews should be treated like meeting for coffee. Sure you need to be professional, but the goal is to have the person positively remember you. Do these steps and follow up and you’ll be the first person they think of when it comes to a new opening.

How to Build a Loyal Fanbase

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This past week the PGA tour stopped in L.A. and I was fortunate enough to observe the Northern Trust Open for 4 days straight. Here are some takeaways from two of the most followed/popular players on tour, Fred Couples & Phil Mickelson: 

1) Be Approachable: Body language, eye contact & smile. You don’t have to say anything to communicate that you’re approachable. Loyal fan bases are created because you want to affiliate with them. Look around, pause and listen. Charisma is seen from afar, but being friendly only comes up close. Be visible, accessible and you’ll be approachable. 
2) Be Honest: Everything’s not going to go your way, so when it doesn’t be truthful. Perfection is overrated. Forgiveness is granted, when ownership is taken. Listen to an interview by Freddy or Phil; they’ll readily admit their mistakes. We resonate with mistakes, because we make them. Be who you are. When you screw up, admit it. People love a comeback story. Choose integrity over image.
3) Showcase your Talent: Smart individuals play to their strengths. We love to see people perform at their best. Malcolm Gladwell argues that you must practice something for 10,000 hours to become great at it. If that’s true, the faster you figure out what it is you want to focus on, the more time you can spend on mastering your craft. Talent should be developed and exposed. It doesn’t just benefit you, it benefits everyone around. 

90% of the crowd followed these two superstars the entire week. You can learn a lot from these two athletes when it comes to building your personal brand. Start connecting with people and do more of who you are. Loyal fan bases aren’t born, they’re made.

How to Handle Career Setbacks

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“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain

It’s easy to get discouraged in this economy, so how do you handle career setbacks? 
Here’s a couple of ways to look at it in a different light:
Connect Daily: Reach out to new contacts, follow up and ask for introductions to more people. Repeat. I can’t stress this enough! The days of submitting your application and resume are done. Jobs are given through referrals. If you don’t know anyone in the company you are applying for, you don’t have a chance. In fact most positions that are posted, usually are given to internal candidates or friends of friends. It’s a numbers game. You need to get on the right side. 

Keep Fighting: There’s several factors you can’t control when it comes to your job search, but the one area you can control is your effort. What are your career goals? What measurable steps can you take this week to make progress? Who will keep you accountable for action? Setbacks are inevitable. Successful people actually fail more. They are willing to take risks because without risk, there are no rewards. Giving up is easy. Rise above that. Keep pushing.

Be Innovative: Do what no one else is doing. Create you own job description and submit it. Volunteer at an organization you are passionate about. Record a video resume. Look to help someone else in need. Start your own network group. Stand out. You career depends on it.

There’s no timetable when seeking a new career. Focus on having the right process and trust it. The worst thing you can do is sulk and quit. Remember, isolation kills, so surround yourself with supportive people and keep moving forward. You’ll get there and when you do, you’ll be thankful.