Posts

Posted on

Side Project Stories: A Broadcaster’s First Radio Broadcast.

I was reading this story about John Strong, the lead announcer for Fox at this year’s World Cup, and loved this anecdote:

Early in his senior year in high school, Strong roped a friend from the school paper, Eric Olson, into helping him launch an online radio station. Olson helped with funding and the two split announcing duties while broadcasting their high school’s football games. This was 2002, at the tail end of the dial-up era and three years before the launch of YouTube. No one in charge of the school knew what the pair of friends were talking about, but the principal signed off all the same. A few months later, Olson and Strong were calling Lake Oswego football online, with the help of a computer whiz friend who handled the technical aspects. At the time, there were roughly ten such high school stations broadcasting online anywhere. “Do I have the first clue what I am doing?” Strong remembers. “Not really. I am taking all those years of doing it in my head or out loud at the TV and all the stuff I have heard on the TV and I am sort of trying to figure it out. We didn’t have commercials; it was just us online.”

I’ll say it again: You don’t need to wait for someone to give you permission to get the experience, skills, or opportunities you want. You’re good enough to start right now. Find a friend and launch a project. It doesn’t have to be great — just be willing to try something new.

Posted on

What Should You Ask During a Reference Check?

So you’re hiring for a new role on your team. (Congrats! That’s so exciting!) You’re interviewed candidates, had them talk with HR, and you’ve narrowed it down to a finalist or two. Now it’s time to check their references before making a decision and extending an offer.

Asking questions of a reference isn’t easy. References are usually so positive about the candidate that you don’t always get the honest feedback you’re looking for. But I’ve found a few questions that might help you get the answers you need to make the final decision about a candidate:

How did you previously work with the candidate (as their manager, colleague, etc)? — The candidate may not have explained their working relationship with the reference, so make sure you nail that down first. The more direct the relationship, the more weight you can put on their recommendation of the candidate.

How do they work best? — This gives the reference an opportunity to gush about the candidate’s skills and personality. Let them be enthusiastic — after all, you might soon be hiring this person for your team!

What would you like to see more of from them in the next few years? — If you ask a reference, “What are this candidate’s weaknesses?”, they may not answer candidly. But I’ve found that this question allows references an opportunity to discuss those weaknesses in an indirect way. Listen carefully: If they tell you a candidate could work on a certain skill or trait in the future, that’s their way of pointing out a candidate’s flaws. This question may also point you towards strengths or roles you hadn’t previously thought about for the candidate!

What can we do to put them in a position to succeed? — If you’re going to hire this person, you should find out what you can do to motivate them and help them succeed. Everyone is driven by different things — let the candidate’s former bosses and colleagues point you in the right direction before they start this new job!

Is there anything else I haven’t asked about that you’d like to tell me about them? — This is a neat trick a former journalism professor taught me. Sometimes, when you’re writing a story, a source has something they want to tell you, but you haven’t asked the right question yet to get them to start talking about it. So reporters are taught to ask this question to see if there’s anything left that’s weighing on that source’s mind. Don’t finish a reference check without asking this — ask it, and give them a few seconds to consider. You never know when they’ll open up about something unexpected.

One last rule of reference checks: Keep them short! 10 or 15 minutes is usually all you need from a reference to get the information you need.

Good luck — just a few questions might help you find the perfect candidate for this new role.

———

Sept. 2021 update: I saw this thread on Twitter recently, and really loved this additional question from Amanda Natividad: “When was the last time you didn’t see eye-to-eye?”

———

That photo was taken by by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash.

Posted on

“Believe In What Is Possible In Life.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my Washington Capitals, and their improbable run to the Stanley Cup. “It’s OK to believe,” I wrote. And because 2018 is relentless, here’s a nearly identical story from the world of sports, this time from the World Cup. This week, England beat Colombia in a penalty shootout — the first such victory for England ever at the World Cup, after three previous heartbreaking losses in penalties. Their manager, Garrett Southgate, was part of a famous penalty shootout loss, at the 1996 Euro championships, when he missed one of the penalty shots that cost England the game.

But as manager, Southgate took that experience and tried to face it head on. The Guardian explained how in an article this week:

Make no mistake, this shootout success belongs to Gareth Southgate. He is unlike every England coach who has faced a penalty shootout in the past: the only one to have missed a penalty for England, and the only one to accept that the penalty shootout is not a lottery; that taking penalties is about performing a skill under pressure; and that penalties can be trained.

Not for him the arrogance, incompetence or fatalism of England coaches past. “You can never recreate on the training ground the circumstances of the shootout,” said Glenn Hoddle in 1998. “When it comes to the pressure we are not good,” said Sven-Göran Eriksson in 2006. “You can’t reproduce the tired legs. You can’t reproduce the pressure,” said Roy Hodgson in 2012.

Southgate turned the trauma of his own experience in 1996 into a vindication of five months’ work preparing for the prospect of a shootout. Funny how we heard similar excuses from the Spain coach Fernando Hierro — “it’s a lottery and we were unlucky” — and Denmark’s Åge Hareide — “unfortunately it was decided by a lottery” — after their shootout defeats at the weekend.

Southgate talked to his players about owning the process, and he worked on the players’ individual technique and team dynamics. He even recreated “the tired legs”, with Kieran Trippier admitting that players had “practised and practised and practised” penalties, taking spot-kicks while fatigued at the end of long sessions. Twenty-eight years of World Cup penalty hurt and all it needed was a bit of practice. Who would have thought it?

They even practiced ways to avoid screwing up the timing of their routines. Here’s one wonderful nugget:

[England goalie Jordan] Pickford also handed the ball to each England player on his way to the spot. This is owning the process, and ensured that [Colombia goalie] David Ospina would not disrupt any players’ routine by making them walk to get the ball.

England won the shootout, 4-3, and advanced to a quarterfinal game tomorrow versus Sweden.

And as much as I love the preparation that Southgate put his team through, his quote after the match was just as fantastic — and reminded me so much of what I heard from the Caps this spring:

“We’ve spoken to the players about writing their own stories. Tonight they showed they don’t have to conform to what’s gone before. They have created their own history, and I don’t want to go home yet. Missing my penalty [at Euro 96] will never be ‘off my back’, sadly. That’s something that will live with me forever. But today is a special moment for this team. It’ll hopefully give belief to the generations of players that will follow. We always have to believe in what is possible in life and not be hindered by history or expectations.”

Well said. I’ll be rooting for England tomorrow. It would be an amazing thing to watch a team defy history and win it all — again.

———

That photo comes via Unsplash and photographer FuYong Hua.

Posted on

Is There Anything You Can Still Get Out Of This Job?

So let’s say you’ve decided you’re ready to leave your current job. You’re not being challenged in your role. You don’t have the team or resources to do your best work.

Being willing to say that you’re ready is a huge step. But it still might not be time to leave yet.

Here’s something I’ve observed: You typically know that you’re ready to leave a job 4-6 months before your co-workers or bosses realize. Your work is still at the same level, and you’re still showing up with good energy at the office. You’re starting to think about the next opportunity, but you haven’t moved on mentally from the current role.

Could you quit right away? Of course. (If things have gotten toxic or particularly bad, don’t wait!) But I’d also advise you to consider one other thing: Is there anything left for you to try at your current job? Or to put it more bluntly: Is there anything you can still get out of this role? Perhaps there are:

-Opportunities to take on one last big project
-Opportunities for public speaking (in public, the press, or internally)
-Opportunities to learn a new skill from your company’s L&D team

Any of those things might give you an opportunity to expand your skill set. And if that’s the case, it might be worth staying a few more months. Those opportunities for growth could help you get to a better place for your next job — whatever it is.

———

Sometimes, I throw in a piece of stock photography just because. This one’s from Dan Cook and Unsplash.

Posted on

See The Whole Field.

I’ve been watching a lot of the World Cup, and in particular, taking advantage of this unusual video feed that Fox Sports is offering online. Instead of the view from the sidelines, showing the players running left to right, it shows the entire field from behind the goal.

And if you’ve never watched a soccer game from that perspective, you’re missing out on a crucial part of the game. A single player can take over a basketball game, and a player or two can break down the defense on a hockey shift. But soccer is more like chess: It takes a series of moves involving several key pieces to achieve a desire result. The view from behind the goal lets you see the whole field, and how all 22 players fit together.

Here’s some footage from that camera angle in this week’s Uruguay-Saudi Arabia game. I’ll warn you: nothing of importance happens in this clip, but I still find it fascinating:

In particular, I’m fascinated by the movement of the ball. Every move by Saudi Arabia up the field is countered by a shift in the defense for Uruguay — the synchronicity in their movements is beautiful. With every pass, both teams shift in subtle ways, adjusting their formation to the optimal shape to try to score or defend.

It’s a great example of something I’ve been thinking about at my own work: How does my next action affect the work of the team around me? If I communicate well and launch a new product, I can set up a colleague for success. If I fall short, it can force the entire team to scramble to cover for my error. Whatever I do has a ripple effect throughout the organization.

It’s why hiring well is so important — you need to be working with people you trust, people who are going to put you in a position to succeed, and who can build off of your successes. Your actions don’t exist in a vacuum. Your mistakes, your missteps, your victories, your every movement — like on the field at the World Cup, they all matter.

Posted on

It’s OK to Believe.

In the waning moments of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with my Washington Capitals leading the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the team just one game away from advancing to the next round of the playoffs, Caps radio announcer John Walton said a wonderful thing on the radio:

“It’s OK to believe,” he said.


If you’re a Capitals fan, that was easier said than done. The Capitals had been around for 43 seasons. They had made the playoffs in 28 of those seasons — but prior to this season, had only made one Stanley Cup Finals. In 10 of those seasons, the Capitals had held either a 3-1 or 2-0 series lead in a playoff series — a commanding lead by hockey standards — and lost. No team in NHL history compared when it came to playoff collapses.

And yet, there was John Walton on the radio, reminding all of us: “It’s OK to believe.” I think we all needed that reminder — we’d been through so many playoff losses that the idea of a win seemed almost impossible.

The next game, Game 6, on the road, in overtime, the Capitals finally broke through and beat Pittsburgh.

In the next round, down three games to two, the Capitals won two in a row — shutting out Tampa Bay in both games — to secure a place in the Finals.

And then, after going down 1-0 to Vegas, against a team that hadn’t lost three games in a row all season, the Caps won four consecutive games to win the Stanley Cup.

I still can’t believe it: The Capitals are Stanley Cup champions! Caps fans have been through so much over the years: We were told our team didn’t play hard enough, or were too unlucky to break through. Whatever the case, the team always seemed to lose — until they broke through, shed their playoff baggage, and changed the narrative forever.

I keep thinking back to what John Walton said during the Pittsburgh series. You were right, John: It really is OK to believe.

It’s OK to believe to believe that you can do something great.

It’s OK to believe that all the work you’ve been putting in might lead to something big.

It’s OK to believe in the team around you — even if others have their doubts.

It’s OK to believe that your best work is still ahead of you.

It’s OK to believe that this time will be different.

It’s OK to believe in something that nobody else sees — and to be willing to sacrifice something for the opportunity to prove yourself.

There is so much that goes into being successful at the highest level. You need the team, the resources, and a lot of luck — but the Caps just proved it:

It’s OK to believe.

Posted on

That One Time I Sent An Email To Ted Leonsis.

Back in the winter of 2001, I was in 8th grade, and I went to a Caps game with my Dad and my cousin Don. Don always seemed to find new opportunities: he was great at staying in touch with people, was willing to try new things, worked hard, and found ways to open interesting doors for himself. Don had a good idea for me: I should email the new owner of the Caps, Ted Leonsis, and ask him if I could get a press pass to write an article about the Caps for my middle school paper, the Pyle Prowler. This was back in the days when Leonsis — a former AOL executive — would respond to every email from fans. (His email was [email protected].) I was a little nervous, but Don and Dad were so supportive, so I sent Ted the email.

And sure enough, Ted emailed me back to tell me that he was happy to set me up with a press pass for an upcoming game! I got to sit in the press box, eat with the other reporters, interview Olie Kolzig in the locker room, and get a glimpse of what it was like to be a reporter. It was one of those experiences that made me think, “I could probably do this when I grow up.”

It’s incredible to think what’s changed in the years since. I’m lucky enough to work in journalism. And last night, after all those years of heartbreak, I got to watch the Caps win the Stanley Cup.

So I wanted to say: Thanks for the encouragement all those years ago, Don. Thanks for the press pass, Ted. And thanks for the win last night, guys. Thanks for finally — finally! — bringing the Cup home to D.C.

Posted on

Simple Ways To Build A Relationship.

I haven’t told a story about my brother, Sam, in a long time. But I wanted to tell you one today.

Sam graduated from college a few years ago, and after school, he got a job managing a restaurant in the midwest. It was a pretty small restaurant, and a few times a week, he had to stop by the bank to make a deposit for work. He started seeing the same employees every week, and to build a relationship with them, he decided to do a very smart thing: Every time he came into the bank, he brought a new joke to tell.

Over the course of a year, Sam built a reputation as “That Guy Who Always Has a Joke of the Day.” It wasn’t a big thing, but it meant that Sam had made a personal connection with the bank’s staff. They knew him, and warmly greeted him whenever he walked in the door.

Last year, he left to manage a different restaurant, and he didn’t need to go back to the bank much. But a few weeks ago, someone from the bank came into his restaurant to buy lunch, and Sam recognized them. “Aren’t you from the bank?” he asked. “Hey, it’s the Joke of the Day guy!” the bank teller said. “We’ve missed you!”

The employee told Sam that when he left, everyone at the bank was a little upset. They actually missed all those corny jokes! So they made Sam’s replacement start coming in with a fact of the day — but it wasn’t quite the same.

Here’s what I love about that story: Going to the bank is one of those tasks that’s so impersonal these days. It’s like going to the grocery store or the airport — you have to do it, but nobody’s especially friendly at those places. And yet, Sam still found a way to build a personal connection!

There are so many wonderful, simple ways ways to start building a relationship like that:

– When someone you know does something great, congratulate them! Send them an email or shoot them a text and tell them how much you loved their work.

– Send someone a birthday card, or give them a birthday call, and tell them what they mean to you.

– Forward someone a link to a story or a video, and tell them that it made you think of them.

These actions are so simple — and yet, they can be deeply meaningful. They make people feel appreciated, loved, and respected. And if you don’t get to see those people very often, a small action like that can be a simple way to stay in touch.

It never hurts to have a lot of friends in a lot of places — you never know when you might be able to open a door for friend, or vice versa. That could all start with something as simple as a joke of the day.

Well done, Sam.

———

That page from a Joke of the Day calendar comes via Amazon.

Posted on

Before You Apply To A Job, Make Sure You Can Answer This Question.

Here’s a question I’ve been asking friends who say that they’re ready for a new job: What do you see yourself focusing on in the next 3-5 years?

You, too, should have an answer to that question.

This isn’t quite the old “What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?” kind of question. I’m not looking for you to say, “I’m interesting in being a reporter,” or, “I’d like to be a social media editor.” Don’t just give me a job title — tell me what you’re really excited to do, and why you’re passionate about it.

Here’s what you can tell me: Tell me that you’re interested in building new ways for readers to find stories that don’t involve Facebook’s algorithm, and that’s why you’re so interested in working in newsletters. Tell me that you’re excited to start conversations with readers, and that’s why you want to work in social media. Tell me that you’re curious about new formats for telling stories, and that’s why you’re trying to get a job in podcasting. Tell me that you’ve seen how important the relationship between product and edit can be, and that’s why you’re making a career pivot into product management.

Tell me why you want to do something new, and make sure the resume you’re putting out tells the story of someone who’s been working toward a job in just that kind of role.

If you can’t answer the question yet, don’t send in your resume! If you’re blindly sending out resumes, just trying to cast a wide net, you probably won’t even get to the first interview. Instead, start by trying to answer the question: In the next 3-5 years, I’m really interested in….

Yes, the path you plan to take will probably change. Who knows what the industry will look like in a few years! But by choosing a path, you’re starting to construct a narrative for your job search. You want a hiring manager to hear your story and think, “This is a person who’s been working their entire career towards this exact job.”

Answer the question, and you’ll take a big first step towards the job you really want.

———

That’s a photo of a path cutting through some incredibly pretty fall foliage in upstate Michigan. It was taken by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.

Posted on

Here, Watch This.

Former U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach gave a phenomenal commencement address at Barnard College about careers, leadership, and failure. Watch the whole thing: It’s absolutely fantastic. (And if you can’t watch it, read the transcript here.) It’s the best 20 minutes you’ll spend all day.

Proudly powered by WordPress