How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

Ringo Starr has educated me today, sadly though not in a positive way as yesterday he posted a video on his website informing his fans in quite a rude and sometimes amusing way of his intent not to sign anything sent to him ever again.  The cut-off date for this being 20th October 2008.  You can see this video at the bottom of this post.

The big question is does Ringo Starr not need his fans and supporters anymore?

Now the skeptical among us may say that we hadn’t heard anything from Ringo for quite some time and this is some kind of adverse publicity stunt to drive traffic to his website/store.  This could be true and certainly his site has probably had more hits today than it has ever had, however a week on and the stats could be back to normal.

Maybe he’s just sick of it all but the mixed message he gives in the video seems to suggest otherwise; in one breath he’s refusing to sign anything and the next he’s offering peace and love.

So if it is indeed adverse publicity what will be the effects long term?  Lets think of this in business terms.

A business should have lots of loyal customers, that way it has a regular sustained income that carries on regardless of any peaks and troughs.  If one customer to take offense at something the impact on business can be dramatic as customers talk to each other.  If a whole load of customers take offense the impact can be catastrophic.  Gravity is increased momentarily as people are drawn towards you through morbid curiosity but your reputation is irreparably shattered.

Going back to Ringo what this means is that if he ever wants his fans to return he will need to do something to reinvigorate their interest.  As 25% of a 50% deceased band that’s a pretty tall order.

10 ways to get noticed at work

Do you find yourself slipping into an obscure job role?  Does your opinion just seem insignificant when offered?

We often get complacent in our jobs, it is human nature after all to get your feet under the table and get comfy.

If you want to be less of a passenger and climb into the spotlight here are 10 tips to put you on the right track.

1. Increase your visibility.  Make a concerted effort to visit others in your office.  Use the first coffee in the morning productively and take it on a tour of the office everyday.  By doing this you can see what others are working on, see where you can offer help and just simply have a chat about stuff.  It doesn’t have to be the first coffee and you don’t need an excuse to walk around.
2. Dress the part.  Getting noticed can be as simple as adjusting the way we dress.  This can have both a negative impact and a positive one.  Think for a minute about your office.  Who is the scruffiest?  Who is the smartest?  Does it have an impact on their role and how it is perceived?  Do you go to the scruffy person for creativity and the sharp one for marketing?  More on this here.
3. Give your reputation a kick.  Your name needs to be seen and heard.  Try to start putting your name to more stuff.  Does your company have a blog or a forum?  If so start posting regularly.  If your company is large enough to have an internal publication start offering stories for it.  Get in touch with marketing and offer some hot stories for external press releases.
4. Step up to the plate.  If an opportunity is offered and you have the ability to get the job done then raise your hand high.
5. Learn to learn.  The world is in information overload, if you don’t know how to do something it is now as easy as opening up a new browser window on your computer and searching for the answer.  We should all be striving to learn something new every day no matter how small or big it is.  The opportunity is there.
6. Keep in tune with the world at large.  Know exactly what your company’s competitors are doing. Are you reading the right blogs? Do some market research. What opportunities are out there? Is there a gap that could be filled? When an opinion is asked for you may be just the person to supply the answer.
7. Show respect of others.  If somebody is doing a good job tell them. Also mention this to people higher up the chain.  Being fair and showing you care is a great way to set an example.
8. Be a mentor. Don’t be selfish with your own knowledge.  Sharing is a great way to be noticed. Sharing regularly with the same people may not have immediate benefits but in the long-term you will reap the rewards and so will they.
9. Find your niche.  What are you really good at?  Find out and make yourself the expert on the subject. Become the “go to” person in the office for that particular thing.
10. There is no try only do. Just like Yoda said in his syntax error filled Jedi speak, there is no 2nd best. It’s no good moaning to your colleagues about not being noticed unless you are prepared to work hard at your job and be the absolute best you can be.