This blog probably won’t earn me a lot of friends in academia or in the parenting world, but hell it needs to be said. No matter what profession you are in, employers are obsessed with a candidate having a 4-year college degree, and in some ways it makes sense. Now, if you ask me, a 4-year degree nowadays (such an old-timey word), is not what it used to be.

The best professors I had in college were adjuncts, meaning they had a day job but also taught on the side. These individuals were fully entrenched in their careers but also had a passion for preparing the next generation for entering the workforce. Now, take a tenured professor who has been out of the profession for 10, 15, 30 years and put them in charge of teaching public relations in the digital age, and well…you’ll have a lot of unprepared soon-to-be young professionals. To be clear, this is not true for all educators, I know plenty doing things very, very differently but they are in the minority and often get their hands slapped because of it.

This isn’t just my opinion, a recent Harvard Business Review article points out the U.S. education system is not held accountable for ensuring students are properly equipped with the skills and capabilities to prepare for a career where they can obtain financial stability. Additionally, employers continue to rely on a traditional four-year degree requirement as a primary means of determining job candidate employability. The disconnect here is obvious, and the result is nearly 15 million un- or under-employed individuals.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from pursuing an education. My point is, employers, need employees who can problem-solve, lead a meeting, be organized, hold themselves accountable and take initiative. We do not have time to hold hands or teach you the skills college or your parents should’ve taught you. A recent Cengage survey (publication forthcoming) of Americans who graduated from a two-year/community or four-year college in the past five years found that nearly one in five (19%) reported that their college education experience did not provide them with the skills needed to perform their first post-degree job.

We seldom hire first-year grads at 8THIRTYFOUR, because they have a hard time grasping full-time job responsibilities, handling pressure, and problem-solving. We have a very unique culture, one we have spent years creating and cultivating and I watched it take hit after hit due to a lack of perspective and understanding of what it takes to work in the communication field. Everyone wants to work at an agency, I mean it’s fast-paced, fulfilling, exciting and fun. Sure it is all of those things, but it’s also exhausting, frustrating, time-intensive, and hard. Colleges and parents need to prep grads not just on skills but on the industries or job settings they could go into.

Universities need to marry job skills with soft skills and realize tenure, in most cases, rewards someone for being book smart without the ongoing experience.

At 8THIRTYFOUR, we are throwing out the requirement to have a 4-year degree. If you have experience, tenacity, confidence, and the right skill set; you’ll be given an interview.

I’m also committed to launching the 8THIRTYFOUR PRep School for those about to graduate or already graduated with a degree in communications. More coming on this.

I’m well aware when change is needed, you can’t sit around and wait for someone to come up with the solution.

The definition of core values according to dictionary.com is the below:

Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. … Core values also help companies to determine if they are on the right path and fulfilling their goals by creating an unwavering guide.

Just this week we rolled out 8THIRTYFOUR core values. As we move into our 10th year, it is important that our small team is on the same page on what the agency embodies and what our approach is.

I’ve never been one that thought defining a vision or core values was important, honestly it sounded pretty cliche’ to me.

Here is why I was wrong:

1. If your staff doesn’t know what you stand for, then how are they supposed to embody it? For example, one of our core values is “We are not assholes.” That means we go above and beyond for our clients, are respectful of each other, approach each day with a positive attitude and go out of our way to make others feel welcome.
2. Our tagline is “It’s About You.” We do a great job communicating this to our clients as an outward facing message, however the message you communicate internally is just as important.
3. Core values build camaraderie. We asked each staff member to display 8THIRTYFOUR’s core values at their desk. It serves as a reminder of what is expected and what their job performance will be measured on. If an employee doesn’t live and display those core values then you know there is an affect to the overall culture.

Core values have given 8THIRTYFOUR a measurement for all future employees and clients. Once you have your core values defined then you can build the rest of your plan for a year, 5 years and 10 years.

Is gratitude lost in todays society, never to be found again? Am I jaded in thinking that younger professionals want things handed to them without first working for it? It would seem the self-worth of millennials is much higher than others perceive it to be. Is this anyone else’s experience?

I want to share a few pieces of advice for young professionals from an old 38 year old.

1. See a need and fill it. Don’t wait for your boss or work buddy to ask for help, offer. If they need something and you are able to help, then do it. Think of others before yourself. This doesn’t mean you become someones doormat, it means you make yourself irreplaceable. A well-rounded professional is self-aware and observant of those around them.
2. Say thanks. I don’t care if it is the minuscule thing, say thank you. A server takes you order, say thank you. You are praised by a colleague, boss or whomever – say thank you. Those two words are so powerful and should be the most used in your vocabulary.
3. Self-reflect. Recognize and acknowledge the opportunities that have been afforded to you. It is so hard as human beings to not take things for granted. Some of the worst bosses I ever had, taught me the most valuable professional lessons. Really reflect on where you are in your career, the culture you exist in and the other individuals around you. Being reflective and thoughtful can save you a lot of headaches in the future.
4. Learn by example. Who in your company or professional circle do you admire or wish to emulate? What has been their career path? Find out their story, the hard work they put in to get where they are and then learn from it.
5. Be patient. You will not know everything overnight and you are not going to be a leader by saying you are. That isn’t how it works, wouldn’t that be nice if it was? I have spent the last 10 years of my life growing 834 and I failed a lot and pretty spectacularly, if I do say so myself. Before 834 I had 2 great jobs and 2 really terrible jobs. I learned from both and better understood my capabilities and weaknesses.

What is most important for young professionals is perspective. Your first job out of college is your opportunity to prove yourself and work your ass off. You will not be handed anything, you will not be coddled and there will not be “safe places” where you can feel feelings.

Regardless of how great you think you are, it isn’t your opinion of yourself that matters. It is how other professionals and management see you and that, is completely up to you.

Negotiation is a part of every aspect of our life. In your personal life it could be trying to get your spouse to do a chore or run an errand. In your professional life it might involve a raise, increase in a client’s budget or a lease on new office space.

Negotiation is a bit like conflict resolution, it makes people uncomfortable. Asking for more money or a concession is not easy, what it is…is necessary and part of life.

So…how do you become a better negotiator? Here are a few tips from me and Harvard Business Review (HBR), we’ll see if you can tell the difference.

1. Use humor. Not everything in life has to be so damn serious. The first thing I do when entering an awkward conversation is admit it is awkward. This usually sets people at ease and opens the floor for an honest discussion.
2. Change the setting. Go grab a beer and review that contract. Taking someone out of their everyday setting can lighten the mood and loosen everyone up. I mean, a cocktail or two helps lessen the tension.
3. Smartness or as they say IQ. According to Harvard Business Review, people with higher IQs tend to approach negotiations in a more cooperative or collaborative way. They also have some really witty, intelligent responses. Some people are just good on their feet. For those of us that are not, refer to #1.
4. Self-awareness. HBR has this to say about those of us that are self reflective – we all have mental models to interpret other people’s behaviors, and awareness of these models is key to influencing how people think of us. What this also means is narcissistic individuals are at a disadvantage, as they have no ability to see past themselves.

The deal is you get the ability to choose how you approach the convo, what you say and ultimately how you react.

What tips do you have for negotiation?

Quitters never prosper. Don’t be a quitter.

We’ve all heard it before, but when is it time to throw in the towel?

As a small business owner, when do you know that you have done enough? When do you determine it is time to part ways with a client,  difficult colleague, or an employee? We make these decisions more often in our personal lives than we do in our professional world. Why is that?

Small business owners are very solution-focused, we have to be. You can’t cut and run at the first sign of an issue, we think things to death until we develop a plan to move forward. Just ask our significant others, they love this about us.

I am here to tell you – sometimes shit just isn’t going to work and it is ok to quit. I feel like there is a reason shit rhymes with quit. Maybe they are meant to go hand-in-hand.

You will know in your gut the decision you need to make. Here are a few reminders on why quitting is important.

1. Your health is affected. Sleep is f**ked up. If you are tossing and turning all night long and having dreams about whatever the situation is, it is affecting your health. Apparently sleep is necessary – who knew? Is your Anxiety off the charts? Constant burning in your stomach? Headaches? Pressure on your chest? Let’s just say I have been there and it doesn’t go away by ignoring the situation. If anything it gets worse over time.
2. You’re miserable. Do you dread interaction with this individual? Does your stomach do a flip just thinking about it? Why keep that in your life? What good is that doing you or anyone else?
3. The wrong reasons. Are you trying to make the relationship work for the wrong reasons? Many of us will keep at it because we don’t want to be labeled a quitter. If you are having a hard time defending or finding reason, then it is a sure sign it is time to move on.
4. Priorities or vision has changed. If you have a client that doesn’t fit where you are headed as a company, then it is time to part ways. Don’t drag it out, rip off the band-aid.
5. The future is uncertain. Can you honestly see the relationship going anywhere? Plenty of relationships run their course over time, such as college or high school friends. Why should this be any different?

It’s cool to be a quitter. Don’t let anyone tell you differently, small business owners will never be known for taking the easy way out.

When do you put the phone away for the night? When do you close your laptop?

Boundaries is something a small business owner will never have. We don’t shut it off, we don’t put it down and we sure as hell never stop thinking about.

BUT…this is should not the case for your employees and it is a lesson I learned in the last few years. I wasn’t keeping them at the office til 9:00 p.m. at night or demanding they work on weekends…but I was sending them emails, assigning things through our project management system and sometimes g-chatting them at all hours of the night.

The sad thing is, I had no idea it was affecting them and stressing them out. They felt they needed to respond immediately to my emails or take care of whatever item was mentioned. I had no idea they felt this way.  Thankfully, I had an employee speak up on behalf of other team members and I made changes in my communication.

For me, this meant drafting emails and then sending Monday morning instead of Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. I try to be much more deliberate in the way I word communication, as it can be interpreted as a bit too aggressive or blunt. Hard to imagine, am I right?

When you move from being just a business of one, the focus changes. Change isn’t easy for business owners, but it is necessary for growth.

A recent Inc. article stated that high value work is now done more by teams than individuals with “type A” characteristics. The article went on to say that to solve complex problems, you don’t need the best people. You need the best teams, and that means changing the way we evaluate, recruit, manage, and train employees. Put simply, working in a team takes different skills than working alone.

Building the best team involves the following.

1. Diversity. We hear this word often, but do we truly understand what it means or what it takes to build a diverse team? If companies only hire those from similar backgrounds, how will this add benefit in the long run? Inc. points out that instead of looking for comfort, you should be creating an environment where people expect to have their perspectives challenged by people who look, talk, and think differently.
2. Sharing the stage. The article refers to this as social sensitivity. What it means is each team member has the ability to share their ideas, feedback and feels comfortable doing so. Basically, no assholes allowed. The article also pointed out that strong team performance depends on the number of women in the group. The women of 834, find this extremely interesting…and also we told you so.
3. Interaction. Time together is key. Gathering around a table and talking, brainstorming and tossing around concepts is what makes a strong team. So often we lose the human aspect of communication and resort to email, telephone or gchats/messenger/texts, etc. High quality interaction builds higher levels of trust and produces more creative work.

Creating the right team culture means changing the way you find and recruit talent. Stop looking at degrees, schools and previous positions. Ask yourself the following questions.

• How will they fit into our company culture?
• Can they work in a team environment?
• Do they respect others?
• Is their background diverse?

Companies need to change the way they approach success and that starts at the team level.

Source: Inc. Magazine

So often the importance of company culture is overlooked. In the past few months, I have put emphasis on mapping 834’s culture out, but not all companies see the need to define their culture. Take Uber for example, they are facing a media firestorm and branding crisis due to their toxic culture.

How does company culture fail? It can be chalked up to multiple small things that continue to pile up.

• Leadership hasn’t set the tone or example. Culture starts from the top and trickles down. In our culture map, we defined what leadership looks and acts like. If you have ambiguous phrases like “embody the brand” – no one knows what the hell that means. Be specific!
• Address issues when they arise. If you see something happening that is not in line with your defined culture then have a process for dealing with it. If you ignore the issues or don’t give individuals the power to fix it, it will only get worse.
• Keep culture front and center. At our bi-weekly strategy meetings we address any issues that come up. We review 834’s culture map on a quarterly basis to ensure it is still relevant. Culture will change and evolve over time, which means you need to be aware of where you are at and where you are going.

If you reach the level of a shitshow that Uber is currently dealing with, then you need to own up to the mistakes and outline the plan moving forward. It amazes me that companies refuse to do that.

We currently have a position open at our company and I started thinking about our employee onboarding process and integrating a new person into the 834 culture. Just this year, I put together a standard operating procedures (SOP) manual to better outline our processes and client reporting. While that is all well and good, there are several other things to keep in mind when bringing on a new employee.

1. Time. Set aside time, block out 2 days on your calendar where that employee is your main focus. It is easy to get distracted by emails, meetings and phone calls but that can have a huge impact on the future success of your new employee. By taking the time you are showing that employee that they are important.
2. Buddy system. Depending on how large your company is, this may or may not work. Establish a person on your team as a mentor for your new addition. This person can show them the ins and outs of the office, little idiosyncrasies that, as the boss, you may not even be in tune with. It is also important to have someone that is the employee’s equal to establish a rapport with the rest of the team.
3. Allow time for culture. Be sure to leave time for team bonding. Order in lunch or schedule a happy hour to give the entire team the chance to get to know each other on a more personal level.
4. Outline an agenda. Mapping out the training for the first several days is crucial. Having a set agenda helps organize and prioritize tasks and will present things in a less chaotic fashion. This is also where the SOP comes in, you can refer to it throughout the training and it becomes the new employees guidebook and lifeline to understanding culture and process.
5. Assign homework. Since our agency has a variety of clients across multiple industries, it is important for our team members to research and understand each market. We ask that new employees spend time going through client strategies, websites and recent press. This helps them understand how the client is positioned within their market.

Taking the time upfront with an employee will hopefully alleviate issues down the line. By setting clear expectations and explaining policies, the new employee will feel better prepared to jump into their role.

One of the biggest issues I have struggled with as 834 continues to grow is culture. How do we maintain our existing culture when adding new employees into the mix? Have we really defined culture? I mean, in my head it is perfectly clear…but isn’t that something every business owner struggles with? Are you actually communicating the shit that is swirling around in your head in a concise and clear manner?

Culture originates from the founder, entrepreneur or business owner…that means you demonstrate what the culture is every single day.

Here is 834’s core values that feed our culture:

Be Nice.

• In the way you communicate with one another, with a superior and with a client.
• No gossiping. We take care of each other and approach issues head on.

Don’t be a jerk.

• Negativity can infest the culture of a company, by choosing to be positive, you set the foundation for success.

Get shit done.

• If a client, employee, team or the firm has an issue – how can we solve it? Not sure how? Pull another employee in and brainstorm together.
• If there is an issue, develop a solution. Complaining to complain will not be tolerated.

I thought all of this was a given, was clear to all employees…but had I every really said it? Put that shit in writing, discuss it as a team and make sure everyone has a clear understanding of what will and won’t be tolerated…oh and communicate. As a leader you need to take full responsibility for your shortcomings. If your employees are confused, you only have yourself to blame.

Craving more words of wisdom? Check out this article from Entrepreneur.com.