My friend called me last week to co-commiserate on the economy, real estate values, and our general disgust at the malaise of integrity in the system. As usual, the conversation quickly blossomed into dark humor as we laughed in the face of disaster, including several satiric scenarios surrounding the anticipated appointment of the 'Car Czar' ("The business of government is to keep government out of business- that is, unless business needs government aid." Will Rogers)...and an interesting solution for the foreclosure crisis proposed in Barron's by Jonathan Laing (at least it covers those of us who continue to demonstrate financial integrity).

When the dialogue got serious, talk turned to the need to re-invent oneself in anticipation of where one is going, and how much time one will be in no-job travels...and that the essential first step is personal transformation before public transformation.

Consider: a person develops levels of skills, competencies, and value over a lifetime (whether it's 8 years or 80) that define their public persona, their worth to others, whether as friend, lover, employee, teammate, leader. We become overly comfortable in this presentation as we receive reinforcement that we fit in (or don't fit in, as the case may be), and often fail to recognize the same-old stagnation that may very well be apparent to others--and a detriment to ourselves. Often it takes a revelation, a cosmic charlie smack upside the head, for us to realize that change is due. Time is filled with extraordinary examples of phoenixing the new from the detritus of the old, some celebrated, some notorious: Paul, Augustine, Copernicus, Newton, Napoleon, Garibaldi, Marx, Hitler, Schweitzer, Wojtyla, Hussein...

Knowing that we are, for the most part, not extraordinary, nor are we likely to experience a cathartic bolt from beyond ala Alvin York, transformation remains a more subtle task for us. 

One way to re-engineer is the Renaissance way: strive to become a polymath "whose knowledge is not restricted to one subject area". Find a science to complement your art, or an art to fill out your science. Adopt eclecticism: appreciate Bach and Garcia, Picasso and Hopper, pierogies and oysters. Learn how to read a balance sheet. Write a marketing plan. Set a mindbending goal and go for it. 

My attempt is to be a business leader who cooks, writes, reads (my mindbender is to read all of the Pulitzer prize-winning novels), watches athletics (all kinds, even rodeo), and is equally comfortable at a rowdy black tie or a philosophical tailgate. 

Expand, insert your polymathy in a subtle way at your next interview, look for The Other One, ROUNDING is a good way to put it, and remember, the faster we go the rounder we get.  

This has been a productive holiday week, but a non-productive no-job week. Cookies are baked, ready for mailing, we'll get the tree up tomorrow, and the house will be Christmas ready by Sunday night. This is particularly important because we are entertaining my wife's associates at our house on Monday evening. She felt it was a more reasonable approach to the traditional office party, and I agree, having done this myself for my own teams in the past. It's just more homey and warm, compared to say, Dave and Busters. Of course, I'll be doing the cooking, assisted by an able-bodied sous-chef, my oldest son. Brisket will be the main course: at least one day before serving, place the raw brisket in a large pot, cover with water, add an onion, two large carrots, two stalks of celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, beef base or bouillion cubes, couple of dashes Worchestershire and steak sauce. Bring to a boil, and simmer for a few/three hours, or until meat becomes tender. Place the cooked brisket on a plate or sheet pan, and cool uncovered in the refrigerator for at least a day. Strain the broth, and discard the vegetables. Cover in a plastic container and cool along with the meat. Two hours before serving, trim the fat off the brisket, slice 1/4 inch pieces against the grain, and place in a large frying pan. Discard the hardened fat on the top of the broth, and cover the brisket with the broth. Simmer gently until heated through. To serve, spoon broth onto small crusty rolls, pile high with brisket, and always have horseradish and plenty of napkins on the side.

You can serve brisket with onion soup potatoes or latkes (with sour cream, of course). 

Now for drinks: how about this, from my bartending grandfather's bar-guide, How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant's Companion, by Jerry Thomas, published 1862...

"Egg Nogg is a beverage of American origin, but it has a popularity that is cosmopolitan. At the South it is almost indispensible at Christmas time, and at the North it is a favorite of all seasons. In Scotland they call Egg Nogg "auld man's milk".

Baltimore Egg Nogg

(for a party of fifteen)

Take the yellow of sixteen eggs and twelve table-spoons of pulverized loaf-sugar, and beat them to the consistency of cream; to this add two-thirds of a nutmeg grated, and beat well together; then mix in half a pint of good brandy or Jamiaca rum, and two wine-glasses of Madeira wine. Have ready the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, and beat them into the above-described mixture. When this is all done, stir in six pints of good rich milk. There is no heat used.

Egg Nogg made in this manner is digestible, and will not cause headache. It makes an excellent drink for debilitated persons, and a nourishing diet for consumptives.

Now that's my kind of medicine!! I suppose I'm just and auld man...

I spent Thursday and Friday doing something I have been putting off for five years: cleaning up my office. 

I call it my "office" only in the broadest sense, since it houses my desk, PC (memory recently upgraded, amazing how 2 gigs solves those multi-tasking issues), files, books, memorabilia, and artwork. There is an N.C. Wyeth "Cream of Wheat" print, framed old money (e.g., a fifteen shilling note issued in Pennsylvania under the auspices of King George, 1773), and an aberrant art  limited lithograph of Original Sin (395/950) by Barry Kite. I also have a train hand-carved from one piece of Pennsylvania coal (legacy from my father-in-law), a color photograph of one of Grania's castles (this one one Achill Island, County Mayo), and a painted birdhouse and brown-glazed decorated pot, both made by my artistic better half. A golf-themed wallpaper border tops the walls, and a brass golf-bag circling music box ("In The Good Old Summertime"), legacy of my father, reminds me that it is never too cold for golf. 

All of this buried under the detritis of five years of the empty nest becoming full again, and my procrastination in pitching old files, from the last time I was in the no-job dillema. 

So I gritted my teeth, took several Advil, and proceeded to shred (my stuff) or box (family stuff), until I papered three bankers boxes and confettied six forty gallon trash bags, as my venerable straight-cut shredder finally gave up the ghost.

As I looked through the resumes, cover letters, and presentations (oh yes, I did create several presentations which I used in interviews!), it was clear how inadequately I approached the task, by trying to sell my skills and competencies rather than the value I would bring to the right organization. This feeling was driven home when I found the rejection file...a depressing and impersonal anthology of cards and letters, many of which I would never have received if I hadn't been persistent in follow up. 

Memo to self: you will be an afterthought in the mind of a hiring manager who selects another candidate...don't take it personally. Remember, "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." (Wilde)

One other revelation: there is no better gauge of how the business has changed considerably over the past seven years, than to look at the research of that time, the era of the Internet  explosion and subsequest deflation as the unsustainable bubble burst. When I look at the infrastructure of business today, it is jamais vu all over again. 

Well, this has been an invigorating week, fighting gray weather, senior traffic, sales pitches, and the common cold. Several positive conversations, some discouragement, and a whole lot of homework to get done.

Homework comes from the first of what should be many meetings at the no-job agency, part of the separation agreement. Around the conference room table, several faces I knew, many that were new, with as many feelings as faces, as varied experiences as seats. Having been through this before with another agency, I was pleased that this time around the process seems more interactive, with clear expectations set that this is a full time job, and that there is a proven methodoly that improves chances for success.

Nevetheless, there were few attendees under the age of forty (my guess), and that seems indicative of the times. Some folks had been in their positions for 30 years or more, and the culture shock of having to create a positioning statement was evident as some had never had to describe their value before...let alone create a resume...

One another note, it's time to get the Christmas lights up!! My neighbors are putting me to shame with new displays (one has a really great electric penguin), which reminds me of the story of the cop on the beat who sees a man walking a penguin down a busy city street. Cop says "Hey mister, you better take that penguin to the zoo" and the man says "Ok officer, I guess you're right, I'll do that right away." The next day the cop sees the same guy walking down the street with the penguin, pokes him in the chest with his stick, and says " I thought I told you to take that penguin to the zoo!", to which the man replies, " Officer, I did, and he had such a good time, today we're going to the ball game!"

This coming week is one of many introductory emails and follow-up phone calls. I spent time organizing my contacts into specific groups, and received many referrals from family, friends, and associates over the past several weeks (for which I am very grateful, keep the cards and letters coming in!). Many of these new contacts are in the business or the supply chain, but I have also received generic lists of recruiters and headhunters, and I have been busy on LinkedIn.
Also, this week marks my orientation at the outplacement agency. I'm a little wary of this, as I have been through it before and had to dig deep to find the value, but here it is: you need to get out of the house and into a setting that forces you to work at the job of finding a job. There may also be opportunities for networking in industries you are not necessarily considering for the future. One thing to be careful of: don't expect them to do the work for you.

Watch and wait for you do not know the time or the place, and it will come when you least expect it.

What have we become, when an early morning trampling marks our progress as the compassionate, intelligent family of man? What are we thinking? The essential paradox is that we do not. We act, individually and as groups, with a herd mentality. Like cruel Jonas Chuzzlewit, we vicariously live by the Dickensian "...rule for bargains: Do other men, for they would do you. That's the true business precept." A murderous doctrine. Unconscionable.

This was the week of the headhunter. Not the turkey kind, though some 50 million birds were chopped, bled and plucked for November 27 alone, but the other kind that sets up shop to find you a new head after your own gets axed. Don't assume for one second that they are working for the job-hunter, as they are paid by the employer, but as long as you accept that, they provide another alternative for keeping your resume fresh and your interviewing skills honed.
They are in as dire a situation as the companies they represent. Dire straits indeed, as I contacted ten recruiters this week, and spoke with one of them...and felt their discomfort...

"May I speak with Mr. Ramar please? Yes, this is Willy-Willy following up on an email I sent him on Monday. Thanks, I'll wait."
"Hello, Mr. Ramar, yes, thanks for taking my call. I'm following--I'm sorry, you can't locate my email? Yes, Monday, I got your name from Lord Greystoke...that's right, you placed him on an escarpment in darkest--right, the fellow with the limited vocabulary but great leadership skills."
"That's right, Willy-Willy, I forwarded my resume and would like to know if I can clarify any information for you, and find out--no, I wasn't aware you only specialize in recruiting C-level swingers, that really doesn't fit my--sure, I'll hold..."
"Oh, you found it, great, can we review some of my qualifications--yes, I'll keep it to ninety seconds---'
"I started my career in the west basin of the---I'm sorry, I can't hear you, what is that annoying drumming sound that keeps getting louder and louder---? Yes, I can hear you much better now, as I was saying, I trained under Charlie and Zahir, and picked up numerous accolades for my--yes, Charlie with the parrot Walter--oh, you've heard of him, it's a small world---no, he had an unfortunate incident with a rope bridge...right, he was one of a kind."
"To continue, wait, can you hold a second Mr. Ramar, thanks..." Babette, Babette, come back to Willy-Willy, I make you nice banana soup..." sorry, had to put out a quick fire here...anyway, I hope you can run my qualifications through your database to see if there might be a---yes 'guide' would be a good description, I'm comfortable taking the lead and cutting through the--that drumming again, Mr. Ramar, I can't hear a word you--Mr. Ramar? Mr. Ramar! What the---yes, hello? Who am I speaking with...?"
"The White Goddess? Oh, you're an associate of Mr. Ramar---I see, you've moved into his camp---well, maybe you can help me..."