success teams workshop4 li 06.09

Success TeamsThe Power of Several

Developed by: Mike Simpson and Caia Brookes

And additional thanks to current and previous Cohort Success Team members who continue to search, or have graduated to employment

– we are learning from each other --

June, 2009 1Success Team Workshop (c) Michael L. Simpson Consulting

This workshop:• This workshop is largely based on the experience of one

Success Team at Experience Unlimited, based on a “cohort” of new EU members who completed the five core workshops together and decided to continue meeting based on one member’s initiative.

• Several of us had never heard the term “success team” prior to this experience.

• We became “The Cohort” Success Team.

• We did a little additional web research.

June, 2009 Success Team Workshop (c) Michael L. Simpson Consulting 2

Goals for sessionThe goals for today’s session:1.To inform participants about “success teams”

and their benefits.2.To inform and discuss different types of

success teams.3.To examine how success teams operate.4.To help participants begin to form their own

separate success teams and begin their own paths to success.


What is a “success team”?• According to: Barbara Sher at SherSuccessTeam (http://www.shersuccessteams.com/):

“SUCCESS TEAM BASICS• "The Success Team, Barbara Sher's brainstorm, is everything your

family should have been and probably wasn't."--Mademoiselle Magazine, 1977

• Barbara Sher offers the first reference that we found on the concept of “Success Teams”.

• A SUCCESS TEAM is a small, ongoing group, made up of about 6 people like you. The people on your team will help you make your dreams come true. Why? Because you're going to do the same thing for them. Your team will keep you moving until you discover and achieve your dream.

• A SUCCESS TEAM usually meets every week until everyone's reached their goals. It will help you figure out what you want, and design a plan of action to get it. It will get you information and contacts and support week after week.

• And that's the magic secret. That's why SUCCESS TEAMS work where other systems don't. Wishes and dreams need a lot of friends, because it takes more than desire to make a wish come true. You need ongoing, sustained effort over an extended period of time.”

• Note: success teams can be larger or smaller than six, but we recommend 4-8 … six seems like a good number.


Success Teams exist in job search or business

• We’ve seen references to “success teams” working within business environments, where workers self-mentor on career goals and advancement, job tasks, self improvement.

• We focus in this workshop on success teams in the job search environment.


Are there different types of success teams?

There are many types of employment success teams. Here are a few types of job search success teams: (success teams are used in other pursuits, too)

• Mixed Career Groups: members are from a variety of industries and career paths.

• Industry Career Groups: members from a single industry or type of industry (government/civil service, manufacturing, bio-tech, high-tech, broadcast journalism, not-for-profit, not-for-profit environmental org., etc.).

• Career Path Groups: members from a narrow range of career paths (sales, customer service, accounting, etc.)

• Career Level Groups: members clustered around a general level of career attainment and aspirations. (executive level, first five years in professional life, mid-career professionals in management roles, etc.).

• Age Group Groups: members clustered around same age range: 20’s-30’s, above 50, above 60, etc.

• DISCUSS: what might be the advantages and disadvantages of each type of group?


One person against the world?


OR: Harness ”the

Power of Several”?

Why bother forming a “success team”?• You can’t do it alone.

• You won’t think of everything alone.

• You don’t know everyone alone.

• It pays to have a bunch of friends with their eyes open for you.

• It’s nice to have more shoulders to cry on and blow off steam with. Your spouse/partner doesn’t always want to hear it, right?

• It’s always great to have a few new buddies!

• It’s about ACCOUNTABILITY to people you like and respect.


One Success Team: The Cohort Success Team

• We formed after the Core Workshop series completed, we liked each other, hence our name “The Cohort”. We remain a class embarked on the same journey and exploration, learning and growing as we go.

• Started with six fairly senior level professionals: a journalist, a project manager, a business analyst, a sales and market development manager, a high-tech marketeer, and a trainer/facilitator. Couldn’t be more different backgrounds!

• As each of four of us “graduated” to employment, the group replaced with someone else we invited in from EU: someone we thought “fit” in terms of professional and educational level, personality and focus.

• The replacements have been: a software engineer/outdoor educator, a fashion/design executive, and a green marketer.

• We decided along the way that five was the best size for the group.


Testimonials• Caia Brookes: IT Business Analyst, The Cohort Team Member since 09/08

– "Without the help and camaraderie of my success team, I would have devolved into hopelessness and depression a long time ago! The team helps me stay (or get back to being) focused on next steps, which helps me feel better about myself, which helps me get better results from my efforts. And when I have a question, they always have knowledge or opinions that are helpful. Knowing that I'm helping them, too, both feels good and is empowering (I'm not just begging for help).“

– Found desirable employment: April, 2009

• Jeri Pliner: Project Manager, travel industry and graduate of The Cohort Success Team:– “I'd like to add that being involved in EU and our Success Team is a really good thing because: I found

that I was not alone in the situation; it got me out of my house to see and talk with people; it helped me look at things with a different perspective; it gave me some laughs; it gave me a better sense of self-worth; I have made new friends.”

– Had one contract, returned to Success Team when contract expired.

• Jim Dowling: Director, Life’s Work Center; Coaching, Facilitation and Mediation Services, and graduate of The Cohort Success Team

– “The success team was a stabilizing keel beneath my efforts to stay in action and positive. To have supportive, cooperative and hard-working people on my team was a huge asset for my career and job search. Each week the success team meeting was the place where I got my battery recharged and my spirits rejuvenated. I urge all career seekers to enlist the support of a success team.”

•


An In-depth Success Team Testimonialan example of how people from entirely different industries … can help each other!

From Owen Edwards: “As far Dolby goes, I had seen a number of positions posted on their web site last year that seemed like a good fit for me, and talked to a recruiter there directly about my background and (unusual) career path. He was very positive, and promised to pass on my details, but for as much as I followed up by phone and email, I never heard anything back. For months!

After joining the Cohort Success Team, I specifically asked the team members if they knew anyone at Dolby; Caia knew two people, and gave me their contact information. The second one proved very useful; we talked for a while on the phone, and he gave me some useful insight into how Dolby has stayed successful and is recruiting even in the current economy, and also mentioned that he would be happy to pass on my resume and cover letter through their internal referral system (he mentioned that there is a bonus if somebody they recommend is hired, which is a win-win, but I also got the impression that he would not have referred just anybody, which is both a morale boost and feels like they'd take his recommendation seriously). I told him that I was concerned that, after having been away from technology development for a while, recruiters and HR folks tend to be reluctant to pass my resume on to hiring managers, so he sent it directly to the hiring managers for the positions I'm interested in, and let me know that both had expressed interest. Caia later told me that her contact had been impressed with me on the phone, and felt I would be a good addition to the company. A few days later, I got an email and then phone interview with (a different) recruiter at Dolby, who immediately set up a phone interview with one of the hiring managers, so the internal referral ultimately has helped me get past the recruiter's filter to the actual hiring manager (with whom I usually interview well). This is a huge advantage.”

•Owen has since landed TWO paid internships in his targeted, transitional field: Assistive Technologies (technology aimed at helping the disabled), both attained ultimately through networking, especially elevator speeches and follow-up.

•THIS IS HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO WORK!!!! ENLARGE YOUR NETWORK, FIND A SUCCESS TEAM!!!


Another Success Team TestimonialFrom Caia Brookes: Caia is an experienced Business Analyst with SAP (software) expertise. She’d been out of

work following a layoff for over a year.• “How my participation in EU/success team led directly to my current job assignment:

1. Network connections.. If I hadn't joined EU, I would not have met my success team cohort (“The Cohort Success Team”) in training there. If I hadn't joined and stayed with my success team, I would not have been referred (by Jeri from the success team) to Vircon consulting company, who promoted me for a contract position at Wells Fargo.* (Vircon supplies contractors (particularly technical contractors) to WF)2. Persistence and flexibility. Advice from The Cohort Success Team encouraged me to pursue not just jobs involving SAP, but to branch out confidently to work in a more general Business Analysis area. I originally approached Vircon to see if they had any SAP jobs, but when they didn't, I confidently (hearing my friends' voices in my head) told them I was also pursuing general BA jobs, and was able to sell myself to them in that role.3. Preparation. Discussions with my friends also gave me practice with phrases and stories which I used during the interview to explain my abilities in a more general way than just in relation to SAP.

• 4. Skills: the skills brush-up and refresher that we received in the Core Workshops really gave me the up-to-date skills needed to today’s job search. I hadn’t changed jobs in 16 years, so wasn’t prepared for this job market – the workshops and additional reading really helped.Hope this helps! I look forward to a happy hour, maybe in early June? [YES: we celebrate our successes!]Caia Brookeshttp://www.linkedin.com/in/caiabrookes

• NOTE: Success Teams work! We have “graduated” five (Jim, Bentley, Michael, Owen, Caia) from our Success Team since September, 2008. None of us knew one another prior to that. We’ve picked up replacements from the ranks of EUSF as members graduate. Form your own Success Team and get on your path!


How do success teams get formed?• Generally … some person asks one or more other people (often whom they

barely know!) to join an informal “success team”. That’s how it starts! – It can start with two or three people.

• Sometimes you are invited into an existing success team.

• EU offers a Success Team Board in the Admin Office – USE IT to form a team … – Or look at local “job clubs” for professional level people, often

coordinated through your state’s Employment Development Department or equivalent.

• Or be more pro-active (no one’s going to do it for you, are they?): – send out a message on the EUSF Yahoo Group that you’re a) looking

for a success team to join or b) you’re interested in forming a success team … with certain parameters (what sort of team?)


What does a Success Team do?How does an ST spend its time? The Cohort has some suggestions:1. Figure out how much time your weekly meeting should be. We

recommend 60-90 minutes. No more.2. Discuss common goals for the group, reach consensus. 3. Weekly roundtable: round-robin … discuss your search, prospects,

activities (10-15 minutes each). Share networking, seminar opportunities, etc..

4. Skills focus: practice behavior interview questions; review each other cover letters or resumes (use GoogleDocs or similar to post); answer “why should we hire you?” or “Tell me about yourself.”

5. Other ideas?p.s. Oh yeah: plus, drink coffee or tea and eat pastries!


Rules?• First: don’t overcomplicate it!

• Second: do have some basic rules. Come up with your own.

• Here are the rules from The Cohort Success Team, in a nutshell:– BASIC RULES:

1. Plan on coming weekly. You need it. We need it.2. Job search comes first: if you have an interview or event that you MUST DO ... Then do it, and let us know … ahead of time.3. Not cool to just "not show up". It's OK if you're traveling or interviewing ... just let us know via email or call one of us.4. We used to keep Notes/Minutes. Formally decided … that we didn't need to be this formal. We can revisit this issue if desired by anyone.5. Carpooling or public transit is recommended, but difficult because we're all ... busy and special and spoiled. But good idea if we can. :-)6. [MUTUAL RESPECT and CONFIDENTIALITY are assumed but we’ve never made a rule about these, nor has it become an issue. It might be wise to discuss what these mean to your group.]

– MEETING TIMES AND PLACES: the group needs to find a REGULAR time when nearly everyone can meet WEEKLY at a place that is inexpensive and convenient and conducive to casual discussion: Public Library meeting room (book ahead); Experience Unlimited meeting room (MUST book ahead!); a quiet café; City Hall café?

– COMMUNICATION: agree on the standard method and frequency of communication. The Cohort does email and each of us is on daily. We’re pretty prompt in responding to each other. We have each other’s phone numbers and occasionally call each other.


More rules?• ST’s should have recruitment/succession plans,

right? Why? – Because some members, if the team is successful, … will “graduate” to

employment, right?

• So: what are the rules for the group to “replenish” itself? Determine these rules by discussion and consensus.– By invitation only, presumably? Members will reach out to nominees?– At what stage should the candidate/nominee be in their job search?– Must they have completed all five Core Workshops? What if they’ve been

through all JVS’s workshops, but are new to EU – is that acceptable?– At approximately what professional level should they be? Or what

professional role are they in or seeking? Do you want/want to avoid people in particular industries (for instance: to avoid job search competition with members)?


Each Success Team Looks Different


CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES!• “Coffee, on the house!”• A cookout, pitch-in, or dinner out together.• Have a beer together.• “Chocolates around!”• A card to the member from the others.

Celebrate what? Each member’s first informational interview? Each member’s first live interview? Each member’s “graduation”? The best resume or cover letter revision? What else? June, 2009 Success Team Workshop (c) Michael L.

Simpson Consulting 18

Readings: Success Teams• NOTE: Many “success team” web sites are aimed at setting up for-profit,

“network marketing”, or “make your dreams come true” (get married, get rich, get an airplane) success teams.

• Marc Jorge Estrella shared this NYTimes article with the EUSF Yahoo Group recently: “For Growing Ranks of the White-Collar Jobless, Support With a Touch of the Spur” : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/us/25support.html?emc=eta1

• Recent SFGate/Chronicle article featuring two graduates of The Cohort Success Team (Michael and Jeri): “Job Hunters Help Each Other”

– http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/01/02/BUVJ1515OJ.DTL

• Barbara Sher’s vision, aimed at women’s empowerment, but the idea is the same. Good advice on how to find or form ST’s.

– http://www.shersuccessteams.com/

• Monster has a good article in its archives:– http://content.chief.monster.com/jobsearchstrategies/successteam/

• If you find more good ones: we’d like to hear about them!


Brainstorm and Activity session: • List a number of success teams/themes that

you might like to be a part of … – List them on wall sheets around the room.

• Go around and sign up for 1-2 you might like to be a part of, include your email address.

• We need 1-2 volunteers on each team to get things started and “own” their list.


Mike Simpson

Educational Publishing Executive

About me:My entire professional life since college graduation has been

aimed at developing, promoting and delivering innovative educational products and improving the student and teaching experience.

It started when I was a busy, award-winning high school teacher and varsity coach when I wrote a book based on original market research in the state of Indiana. I spent 2-3 years promoting that book and the teaching methods it espoused in my spare time.

I extended this passion while earning a Master’s degree in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University, a program aimed at developing, assessing, and delivering quality instructional experiences.

Since moving into educational publishing, I’ve touched and managed every phase of the product life cycle, from field and market research to product acquisition, market and product development, product and strategic marketing and the management of field and in-house sales organizations in large and small companies.

Recruiting, selection, training and team-building have been an important component of my career, having hired and trained dozens of publishing professionals.

I feel that our work at Experience Unlimited extends my life’s work into the realm of training for job-seeking professionals like you and me.

Contact me any time:• [email protected]• 415.647.3632Mike at Saltspring Island, BC


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