Friday, December 28, 2012

Let Me Tell You How It Will Be...

We survived the end of the world last week, oddly enough Yaakov in this week's parsha says he will tell his children about the end of days.
 Chapter 49
1. Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.   א. וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא אֶתְכֶם בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים:

Impressive thinking here by Yaakov. He is dying any day now and in order to get all of his children to visit he decides to lay the "I can see the future" line? Must be more to it than this, otherwise we would end up with all types of people saying the end is nigh.

Could it be Yaakov was trying to say that dying is not the end? Maybe he was trying to bring closure to some of the projects that got lost along the way? He brings up Simeon and Levi's problems with authority and anger management, he compares numerous kids to animals and shows his obvious liking for certain children.

All in all, not much different than most people's end of year reviews. You get the good, the bad and the ugly sometimes to come out. Contrary to how it seems, many people have a very long memory, especially when slighted however harmlessly it may have been meant at the time or circumstances.

If however we go through life always harping on the things people did wrong, one may never have any friends, or employees. Perhaps it is this inability to forgive and forget that prevents world peace or at least some peace. 

Sometimes in the "bad" reviewed items there is another side to the story and there are more possibilities to move along. Just because someone else has fewer items to dwell on does not make them better people or employees. 

You love your children, no matter what they do or say or how they act, even at the worst of times. They however truly never understand this until they themselves have children. This was part of what Yaakov was saying, as a parent to his kids and how employers should think about their employees.

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Parsha Vayechi in the book of Bereishit, 47:28-50:26 It is said that the Torah or Bible
could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, December 21, 2012

Tactical Pre-Meeting Planning

Did you ever go on a sales call and let the other people in your team know they should not say anything? Or be more specific and say to them to only mention X not Y? Naturally we all do, this is how we set expectations, control our meetings and staff and also train junior employees.

The most common reasons are because you are running the meeting but also because sometimes other leaders should not be afraid to talk to you or do business with you. It happens, really.

One of the earliest references for this comes in this week's parsha when Yaakov and his whole family, all 70 people plus their households, go to Egypt. Yosef tells his brothers to say they are shepherds so they would stay away from the Egyptians who hated shepherds. 
46:31-34
31. Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and I will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. לא. וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו וְאֶל בֵּית אָבִיו אֶעֱלֶה וְאַגִּידָה לְפַרְעֹה וְאֹמְרָה אֵלָיו אַחַי וּבֵית אָבִי אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בָּאוּ אֵלָי:
32. The men are shepherds, for they were [always] owners of livestock, and their flocks and their cattle and all they have they have brought.' לב. וְהָאֲנָשִׁים רֹעֵי צֹאן כִּי אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה הָיוּ וְצֹאנָם וּבְקָרָם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הֵבִיאוּ:
33. And if it comes to pass that Pharaoh calls you and asks, 'What is your occupation?' לג. וְהָיָה כִּי יִקְרָא לָכֶם פַּרְעֹה וְאָמַר מַה מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶם:
34. You shall say, 'Your servants have been owners of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our ancestors,' so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, because all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians." לד. וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה הָיוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ מִנְּעוּרֵינוּ וְעַד עַתָּה גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אֲבֹתֵינוּ בַּעֲבוּר תֵּשְׁבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ גּשֶׁן כִּי תוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל רֹעֵה צֹא

Yosef maybe was afraid Pharoah would think his brothers were army like men and be afraid of them. In fact Pharoah says if you have some stronger brothers, make them managers over the cattle and shepherds. Yosef maybe had no reason to worry, but he wanted to play it safe and make sure all went according to plan.

Either way, this was not lying. they were shepherds all along. But since yosef had not seen his family in 20+ years it was possible they were no longer shepherds but traders or merchants which would imply different information. 

If you never think ahead of your meetings, you may end up in the wrong end of the discussions and that never helps anyone.
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Parsha Vayigash in the book of Bereishit, 44:18-47:27 It is said that the Torah or Bible
could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, December 14, 2012

The Earliest Referral Marketing?

Do you have visions? Do you need help seeing the future? Struggling to picture what or how to get control of your organization? 

If this sounds like you, then you probably need a consultant, an adviser or someone that can interpret the ideas you have and turn them into reality.

This parsha is one of the first examples of not only referral marketing, but the consulting market at it's best.

In 41:9-13 the Wine Steward of Pharaoh remembers Yosef who is still in prison 2 years later. Evidently the right time to remember Yosef was now. As the steward relates what Yosef did, he also denigrates him somewhat because if he failed, the steward would be blamed. Setting expectations started early in the world.

After convincing Pharoah to try out Yosef, Yosef succeeds beyond Pharoah's expectations and assigns him to be his right hand man.
:
37. The matter pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.לז. וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל עֲבָדָיו:
38. So Pharaoh said to his servants, "Will we find [anyone] like this, a man in whom there is the spirit of God?"לח. וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל עֲבָדָיו הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בּוֹ:



39. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has let you know all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you.לט. וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יוֹסֵף אַחֲרֵי הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אוֹתְךָ אֶת כָּל זֹאת אֵין נָבוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמוֹךָ:
40. You shall be [appointed] over my household, and through your command all my people shall be nourished; only [with] the throne will I be greater than you."מ. אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל בֵּיתִי וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל עַמִּי רַק הַכִּסֵּא אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ:
41. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Look, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt."מא. וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יוֹסֵף רְאֵה נָתַתִּי אֹתְךָ עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:


That was a great pitch and it set up Yosef for the next 14 years! A huge contract if ever one was granted.

Have faith in your ability to interpret your client's dreams and as Pharaoh and Yosef said, God should be on your side. How can you lose?

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Parsha Mikeitz in the book of Bereishit, 41:1-44:17 It is said that the Torah or Bible
could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, December 7, 2012

Do your own Marketing not via proxy

You can not solve a problem and get credit for it usually when working with clients. They expect the most from you and you should in turn provide it. But at what point do they recognize in you more than you provide?

Often times during a project there are points of failure that become success stories later. Sometimes it's a group effort and other times it is because one person could do what no one else could accomplish.

Many times the one person would like credit for their effort but it is a team effort and their benefit comes later, hopefully.

This week's Parsha Yosef, Joseph, finds himself in an Egyptian prison performing dream interpretations for the baker and wine steward of Pharoah. While he explains each man's dreams he also asks of the wine steward to remember him when he is set free. The common discussion is around why did he not have faith that Hashem would protect him and take him out of prison. 

Chapter 40:14
14. But remember me when things go well with you, and please do me a favor and mention me to Pharaoh, and you will get me out of this house. יד. כִּי אִם זְכַרְתַּנִי אִתְּךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לָךְ וְעָשִׂיתָ נָּא עִמָּדִי חָסֶד וְהִזְכַּרְתַּנִי אֶל פַּרְעֹה וְהוֹצֵאתַנִי מִן הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה:

However, if you understand business you see the nature of people is not to bring up their failures to their leadership. Thus the wine steward would not remind Pharoah of his time in prison for Yosef's benefit because it may lead to bad tidings for himself. Put your trust in others when warranted but think about the situation and if it would help you or hurt you to ask for the help.

Instead look to help yourself in your own way. Produce a document with your name on it,send an email explaining what you did, in your weekly meeting raise the awareness of how you tackled the issue. It will get noticed more often in this way than if you rely on others to do your marketing for you.
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Parsha Vayeishev in the book of Bereishit, 37:1-40:23 It is said that the Torah or Bible
could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom