As an almost life-long Saturday Night Live fan, I’ve seen many comedians come and go.   I was watching SNL tonight recently and as the opening credits rolled, it struck me that they open by listing all the “regulars”, then they follow that with their “featured” performers.  These featured performers are the up and coming cast members on the show.  I love that SNL actively demonstrates their succession readiness by showing us who the next generation of SNL stars will be.

Now, some will not make it because they won’t resonate with the public or they have other behind-the-scenes issues, but for the most part, we can get a little glimpse each week of the new generation of comedians and see how they are developing.  Do you remember when Will Ferrell first took the screen?  Probably not.  How about Jan Hooks, Martin Short, Chris Katan, Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey?  Nope.  What you do remember is that they ended up being really successful on the show and they made it funny. We also know that they joined on as young featured performers who eventually came to be key players in the success of the show.

Here are some key takeaways from the SNL Succession Readiness model:

• Actively feature your up-and-coming talent
• Give them opportunities to shine in front of your clients
• Give them opportunities to fail and learn from it “live”

The best part about how SNL handles succession is the way that they prepare us, their customers, to accept the change. They manage us all along the way and when the time comes for a big name comedian to leave, they have already made us love the person that moves from “featured” player to “regular”.  Brilliant!

As we age, there are many things that the younger generations can do that we cannot.  I’ve experienced it on the other end of the spectrum too, where someone more senior to me may be resistant to my help or expertise.  It’s human nature to want to do things for ourselves, in the way that we are used to doing them.  However, by doing this and not capitalizing on the skills of others, we are only limiting ourselves.

Benefits of allowing others to teach you

• Learning new skills to aid in your job or personal life
• Exposure to new technologies to improve inefficiencies you experience
• Allowing yourself to be inspired by the “spark” or passion that another person can share when they teach you something

It’s well known in the business world that if you find a mentor who is more senior to you, they can share their experience with you.  This leads to improved skills and knowledge and ultimately to higher level positions or pay increases as you develop.  Lesser appreciated is the reverse, when a younger, less experienced individual shares their knowledge with you, it can also lead to increased skills, revenue or higher level positions.

My point today is open yourself up.  Regardless of age, having teachers and mentors of all ages will help you become a more well-rounded leader.  Do you have people in your life who mentor you?  Does their age or experience level impact your development?  Share about them in the comments.  I’d love to hear some great mentor stories!

WomenOfHR.com

It’s been a busy week with the start of a new job, but I started out by doing some writing over at Women of HR.  Check out my latest post on how working parents are using technology to help manage household duties.

Will Your Smartphone Help Manage Your Household

Several of us jumped up and ran to the front wall.  I could see a woman fall out of the car to the ground.  I knew I had to get involved and help, so I quickly asked if there were any nurses or doctors in the restaurant as I began looking for towels to put under the victim’s head.  We all ran outside as one customer called 911 and three of us cared for the victim who was in and out of consciousness.  We were able to determine she had family to call, so another customer did that.  We all held her hands and told her we were with her as we waited for the ambulance.  It was cold and we did not have a blanket but we tried to keep her sheltered and as warm as possible.  She was taken away and I may never know if she made it, but I’m hoping and praying she did.

She was by herself and had she not been able to tell us, in a brief moment of consciousness, how to reach her son, we would not have known who to contact.  I thought of myself in that situation and realized that unless someone tried to go through my phone and guess who to call, I would be alone.

I wrote last year about being prepared for emergencies in the home and in the workplace.  I now add to that list that it is critical to be prepared for an emergency in your car.  

• Place emergency contact information in your glove box in case you are in an accident and cannot communicate with rescuers.
• Have a blanket and gloves in the trunk
• Carry a first aid kit

*Now, from the archives of January 2011…

Stillness, and the house is quiet.  Faintly in the distance, the sirens begin to wail.  The volume increases as the wind is picking up.  My heart rate picks up a little bit too as I glance out the window and see the trees beginning to sway.  Without scaring the children, I quickly call them to me.  I tell them to put on their shoes and winter coats and grab their favorite “baby”.  I gather the house phone, my cell, and a flashlight and we all head to the basement.  We sit through the hail, the thunder, and driving rain.  Then, as quickly as it began, it’s over.

A few minutes later is when I first hear about the tornado that touched down on the other side of the city, approximately 30 miles from my house.  Not far from my childhood home.   The tornado hit areas with the precision of a scalpel. One house would be blown away while the house next to it was virtually untouched.  The city of St. Louis was hit by eleven tornadoes New Year’s eve, one of which was the F3 twister I’ve just described.  It makes the danger of the storm real and justifies my emergency preparedness plan for my family.

Preparation In the Workplace is Just As Important

I know organizations have fire drills, tornado drills, and other emergency preparedness drills.  Often I see employees going through the motions in a daze, not taking it seriously or sometimes, refusing to participate.  The danger is very real though and sometimes you have to pull out all the emergency preparedness stops.

• Practice fire drills and other workplace safety drills as if it is a real emergency
• Keep a few bottles of water in your office or work area
• Bring a small flashlight and extra batteries to your workspace
• Invest in a small first aid kit for your work area
• Be familiar with the fastest way to evacuate
• Make note of colleagues who may need help evacuating should an emergency occur

These are just a few tips to get you started.  It really can save your life.

How To Win Friends and Influence People

If you have not read the famous book by Dale Carnegie,  the basic premise of the book is that if you are nice to people, if you listen more than you speak and if you praise and help others keep their dignity, you will have successful relationships.   Written in 1936, the advice still largely holds true and has even been updated recently to how to win friends and influence people in the digital age.  It’s been many years since I read the book but it was one of the books my father recommended for me while I was still in college and had not started down my career path.

If you read this blog, you have likely been working for some time.  As you think back over your career, what books have inspired you or helped shape how you interact with other people?  What is the main message of the book?