Why is it so hard to be a Linchpin and why is there so much really bad marketing out there ?

1. Some,mes
it’s
really
hard
to
Linchpin
be
a
Linchpin
!
Richard
Meyer

2. Help
!?
• How
can
I
be
a
Linchpin
when
the
resistance
is
so
strong
in
my
organiza<on
?
Linchpin
• How
can
I
be
willing
to
be
unloved
when
I
am
reviewed
on
“how
well
I
get
along
with
others?”

3. Working
in
corporate
America
today
• Endless
mee<ngs
Linchpin
• People
afraid
to
make
decisions
• Cube
farms
• Mangers
who
can’t
manage
• Poli<cs
are
oIen
more
important
than
knowledge
and
capabili<es
• Processes
revolve
around
the
company
not
customers.
• OIen
do
not
have
<me
to
think
about
what
you
are
doing
because
volume
of
work
is
overwhelming.

4. Endless
Mee<ngs
Symptom:
• You
don’t
even
have
<me
to
sit
and
think
because
you’re
oIen
booked
in
mee<ngs
Linchpin
from
morning
to
night.
Treatment
• Decline
mee<ngs
that
you
don’t
need
to
be
part
of
with
an
explana<on.
• Suggest
one
day
a
week
there
be
no
mee<ngs.
• Keep
mee<ngs
small,
issue
notes
with
ac<on
items.
• Ensure
that
all
mee<ng
have
an
agenda
with
specified
<me
allotments
for
each
item.

5. People
are
afraid
to
make
decisions
Symptom:
• Managers
are
afraid
to
make
decisions
without
geSng
input
from
too
many
people.
Linchpin
Treatment
• Linchpins
take
risks.
• Quan<fy
the
result
of
delaying
key
decisions.
• Use
your
authority
to
make
decisions
based
on
your
posi<on
descrip<on.

6. Cube
Farms
Symptom:
• How
can
I
think
when
I
have
no
peace
and
quiet
?
Linchpin
Treatment
• Work
at
home
if
your
manager
will
allow
you
but
ensure
that
you
answer
and
send
emails
so
they
know
you
are
working.
(yes,
they
don’t
believe
you
are
actually
working!)
• Pick
up
your
stuff
and
go
to
a
mee<ng
room
even
if
you
have
to
book
it
in
advance.
• Schedule
some
“quiet
<me”
to
clean
up
you
desk.

7. Managers
who
can’t
manage
Symptom:
• There
are
a
lot
of
managers
who
can’t
manage
people
or
<me
which
means
you
are
oIen
on
the
receiving
Linchpin
end
of
more
high
priority
work.
Treatment
• Learn
how
to
manage
up.
• Ensure
that
your
successes
are
seen
by
senior
managers
by
sending
out
emails
with
what
we
learned.
(show
them
you’re
a
Linchpin).
• If
your
manager
won’t
promote
you,
you
need
to
promote
yourself.
• Your
manager’s
boss
should
know
about
your
past
successes.
If
not
this
is
a
warning
sign
that
your
boss
is
not
on
your
side.

8. Ten
Habits
of
Incompetent
Managers
• Bias
against
ac<on
• Secrecy
Linchpin
• Over-­‐sensi<vity
• Love
of
procedure
• Preference
for
weak
employees
• Focus
on
small
tasks
• Allergy
to
deadlines
• Addic<on
to
consultants
• Long
hours
• Does
not
give
you
reinforcement
and
only
remembers
the
nega<ve
when
it
comes
to
review
<me.

9. Poli<cs
is
oIen
more
important
than
knowledge
and
capabili<es
Symptom:
• The
people
who
seem
to
get
ahead
in
your
company
are
oIen
the
ones
who
are
well
connected
and
liked
vs.
the
Linchpin
people
that
get
things
done
and
are
indispensable.
Treatment
• Don't
get
trapped
in
someone
else's
game.
• Establish
affilia<ons
of
mutual
advantage
with
important
people.
People
will
always
be
able
to
refer
you
to
other
jobs.
Be
the
good
guy
who
does
your
job
well.
• OIen
the
rules
of
office
poli<cs
are
unwriaen.
You
learn
them
as
you
go
along

10. Processes
revolve
around
what’s
best
for
the
company,
not
customers
Symptom:
• Processes
revolve
around
people
in
your
company
not
your
customers.
There
is
very
liale
value
added
to
your
brand/product/
Linchpin
customers.
Treatment
• Ask
“why
are
we
doing
this?”
and
“what
value
is
this
going
to
have
for
our
customers?”
• Don’t
just
point
out
the
problem,
recommend
solu<ons
and
ask
“why
don’t
we….?”
• Lead
don’t
follow

11. Volume
of
work
is
too
great
Symptom:
• You
don’t
have
the
<me
to
do
good
quality
work
because
you
have
too
many
Linchpin
deliverables.
Treatment
• Manage
up:
go
to
your
boss
and
tell
her
that
you
have
priori<zed
your
workload
and
as
thus
you
want
her
to
help
you
manage
your
deliverable
dates.
• If
your
manager
disagrees
you
are
being
set
up
to
fail
so
beware
of
her/his
mo<va<ons.
• What
projects
deserve
100%
of
your
quality
<me
vs.
what
projects
need
75-­‐50%
of
your
quality
<me
?

12. Hey
!
Nobody
said
it
was
going
to
be
easy
Linchpin
But
it
can
be
done
!!

13. Linchpin
The
best
changes
are
oIen
evolu,onary
not
revolu,onary

14. Don’t
take
what
you
read
too
literally
• I
love
Seth
Godin’s
books
but
take
what
he
as
wriaen
and
ask
yourself
“how
can
I
apply
what
I
learned
within
my
environment
to
make
it
beaer?”
Linchpin
• Change
is
oIen
easier
said
than
done,
especially
in
today’s
matrix
organiza<ons
where
you
have
to
have
a
lot
of
mee<ng
to
arrive
at
even
minor
decisions.

15. Step
1:
Understand
your
environment
• Iden<fy
the
key
influencers
within
your
organiza<on.
– What
makes
them
<ck
?
– What
are
their
issues
?
Linchpin
• How
can
you
gradually
win
them
over
to
your
side
?
– Not
all
baales
are
fought
in
one
area
.

16. Step
2:
Start
small
• Seth
energizes
all
of
us
and
we
want
to
go
full
speed
ahead
but
oIen
organiza<ons
are
not
built
for
hard
charging
Linchpins.
In
fact
they
fear
them.
Linchpin
• Develop
an
internal
ac<on
plan
to
implement
your
Linchpin
ac<vi<es.
• Your
objec<ve
is
to
“become
indispensible”
but
others,
especially
senior
mangers,
also
have
to
see
you
as
insensible.

17. Step3:
Learn
from
mistakes
• Acknowledge,
to
yourself,
that
you
are
going
to
slip
up.
• Don’t
make
the
same
mistakes
twice.
Linchpin
• Ask
yourself
“what
did
I
learn?”

18. Step
4:
Always
move
forward
• We
must
become
the
change
we
want
to
see.
• If
you
don’t
always
move
forward
you
risk
rever<ng
back
to
where
you
started
and
losing
all
your
great
work.
Linchpin
• Share
what
you
learned
and
document
your
accomplishments
with
your
managers.

19. But
keep
in
mind
your
situa<on
• Speed
is
a
compe<<ve
advantage
today.
• The
longer
you
wait
to
implement
change
the
more
customers
you
could
lose.
Linchpin
• Priori<ze
the
things
that
directly
add
value
to
your
customers
and
to
consumers
not
necessarily
to
people
within
your
company.

20. Final
thoughts….
• Work
to
live,
don’t
live
to
work
even
if
you
love
your
job
take
<me
to
appreciate
the
aspects
of
life
that
we
take
for
granted.
Use
ALL
of
your
vaca<on
<me.
• Never
stop
learning.
A
Linchpin
always
moves
forward
and
Linchpin
knowledge
is
a
great
way
to
stay
indispensable.
• Don’t
get
frustrated
look
as
barriers
as
challenges
to
be
overcome.
• Don’t
be
naïve
and
think
that
everyone
wants
what’s
best
for
the
company.
Too
oIen
people
want
what’s
best
for
themselves
not
the
company.
• Be
aware
that
a
lot
of
people
are
afraid
of
losing
their
jobs.
• A
lot
of
companies
oIen
want
the
“cheapest”
person
to
fill
a
chair
not
the
best
person.
• Never
underes<mate
your
abili<es.
Keep
a
file
of
your
successes
and
pull
it
out
when
you
get
down.

21. About
me
Richard
Meyer
• My
resume
hap://www.richardameyer.com
• My
marke<ng
BLOG
hap://www.newmediaandmarke<ng.com
Linchpin
• MY
DTC
BLOG
hap://www.worldofdtcmarke<ng.com
hap://www.twiaer.com/richmeyer
hap://www.facebook.com/richardameyer
hap://www.linkedin.com/in/richardameyer