I have talked before about Charitable Giving and how important it is for the private sector to support their communities. Supporting charities is good business, there are enough studies, white papers and anecdotal evidence that suggest this is the case. But there has to be more to it … and for me there is a human side, a “feel good” that makes it worthwhile.

For the last several years Eagle has sponsored the “Young Authors and Illustrator’s Conference” in Ottawa. This conference is organised by MASC a great charitable organization, and lets 600 children spend a day learning from professional authors and illustrators. One of the things the conference organizers have done for the last few years is to get the participants to write a note to me personally to thank me for this opportunity. Wow … here are some direct quotes …

“This was one of my best experiences in my life” Jamie
“I learned so much that I will use later on. Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you.” Victoria
“I absolutely LOVED it and thank you so much for helping make this special event happen” Rachel
“Today was an amazing day” Emily
“I had a totally Incredible time” Lucy
“Yo Dude! Thanks 100 bundles for sponsoring …” Anon

So, when people ask me why we get involved to help in the community I can point at 630 cards written to me with this kind of enthusiasm and message. Surely this kind of energy and excitement is worth investing a little time and money!

“I feel Good … “.

Isn’t it nice when you are “surprised” by good customer service! How often do we fall guilty of not providing that great level of service and just how hard can it be to “get it right”.

Today is day two without air conditioning in our office building. It is also very hot, with temperatures in the office at more than 30 Celsius (80+ Fahrenheit). Not a happy experience when we typically wear a suit and tie. To make things worse we found out today that the air conditioner for the building is awaiting parts that will mean no cool air until probably next week!

There are a number of unhappy people in the building, but the landlord took the proactive approach. He “fessed up” to the responsibility, picked up the phone to explain things himself, offered as much information as he could and then supplied a bunch of fans. It is still not a perfect situation, but I can’t really fault him and I admire the fact that he was up front, honest and did the things within his control.

How many times have you been impressed lately? Most clients don’t have totally unrealistic expectations, they just want you to show them you care.

Give your clients a pleasant surprise with great customer service! It’s good for business!

PS. To make this a TRULY great customer experience I think the landlord should have sent some “cold beers” at the end of the day!! But hey, I’m picky!

How many of you go about your daily business on automatic pilot? Do you dread Mondays? Can you say when you last had fun?

I am a firm believer in the fact that our state of mind determines whether we are happy or discontent. It’s often hard for people to grasp this concept, and their natural reaction is to dismiss the notion. How could I possibly know what a wretched work environment they have? Or maybe what a lousy relationship they are in? Or … maybe they are miserable because they don’t have anyone special in their life!

My response is that if you drive your career, your relationships, your hobbies, your life … then you will be a much happier person! No matter what issues you have!

Most of us have to work every day … why not do it with a smile on your face? Try it! If you are consistent, you will notice that the job isn’t half as bad as it used to be. If the job truly is the issue then change your situation … but do it proactively. Get training, work hard to get a promotion, plan on a career change or actively explore your career options. Don’t just let it happen to you … that is not living!

If you are in a relationship that isn’t working … then fix it! Work at it, or work at a new one! If you want to be in a relationship and are not, then be proactive about that situation … get out, meet people and be an interesting person! (Interesting people do stuff, get out and have things to talk about!). It’s also important to remember that just because you don’t have a partner you can still enjoy life and be your own person. In fact there are very real advantages to not having to accommodate other people’s needs!

Do you set goals? If not why not … how will you know when you get “there”, if you don’t know where “there” is?
Do you create “To DO” lists? If not why not … you can be so much more effective, making use of the limited time you have to achieve more. Even if your task is to relax … doing it consciously, knowing it fits with your plan means that you can relax with a clear conscience.
Do you treat yourself? Work hard to get that sense of achievement … but reward yourself with “toys”, time or anything else that works for you.

On Friday I picked up my new motorbike … a Kawasaki ZX14, 1352cc, almost 200 horsepower rocket that makes me smile just to think about! It was a good job I had a full face visor riding it to Kingston on Friday evening … or I would have had mosquitoes plastered in my teeth!

I wrote a blog with some rules from Kit Grant … go ahead, go for it!

I also wrote a blog about the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People from Steve Covey. Its a two minute read … maybe it will change your life!

Back in March I blogged about lessons I have learned about success … maybe that will motivate you!

OK …last one! Another favorite saying of mine is Walk Fast and Smile! Try it!

Find the joy in your life … you are the only one that can do that for you!

“Every man dies … not every man truly lives!” … from the movie Braveheart

“I’m not good at detail” is probably one of life’s great excuses! Some others might say “Its just admin … it’s not important!” Well, I beg to differ!

Practically every job demands for people to enter data into systems or follow some detailed steps to complete a task. We all enter data, whether it is names and addresses of clients, the amount to bill for goods or services, the prescription drugs to be administered or a details of a meeting. We almost all have to deal with “admin” at some point or other.

It is attitude that makes the difference. Do you “own” that responsibility, or is it just an irritant that you tolerate badly? Do you take pride in your work and make sure you have details correct, or do you throw in whatever is top of mind and leave the rest for “someone” to figure out?

What if your doctor got the details wrong?
How about the guy that fuels your airplane?
Maybe your garage guy might forget to tighten something?

If you are sloppy and don’t take ownership it is noticed. If you are sloppy in the “details” then how could you ever be considered for advancement? How could you ever be considered a top performer? Worse … how could you accept a second rate performance for yourself?

In a previous blog I talked about the difference between winners and losers as being inches, fractions of a second or perhaps a goal. Maybe the difference between those who get ahead and those that don’t is detail! Maybe you better hope your nurse, doctor and mechanic pay attention to detail … but if YOU don’t, then how could you complain? Think about that next time you have details to deal with!

Independent contractors have many advantages, however they also accept risks. One of the risks they face is downtime, for whatever reason, because they are not paid. Eagle is currently going through a planning exercise focused on the very real threat of a pandemic and it occurred to me that all businesses need to look at this … including the independent contractor.

FACTS

1. We are told that there WILL BE a pandemic in Canada, the question is when.
2. When there is a pandemic workplaces will be shut, and there will be widespread disruption to the economy.

Questions to ask yourself as a one person business …

1. Can I afford to not be paid for a month? Two months?
2. Can I plan, with my current client to be able to complete some work from home if the office environment is closed?
3. Is my client working on a plan to minimize risks? … education programs, flu shots, hand washing etc.

If you are concerned about your potential financial situation NOW is the time to do something.

1. Change your lifestyle to allow you to put away some money for a rainy day. Reduce costs, put in more hours now, force yourself to save.
2. Work with your bank to establish a line of credit.
3. Create a budget that will allow you to “weather the storm” of a forced layoff.

We all hope that the flu won’t affect us as much as it might, or that it won’t happen for a long time … but the probability is that it will happen sooner rather than later and we all need to be prepared.

Here are some resources that you might want to explore …

The World Health Organization … ten things you should know about pandemic influenza.
The Government of Canada Pandemic site.
CBC Fifth Estate Black Dawn docudrama about what it could be like.
A business continuity resource site.

One of the questions I get asked from time to time is, “Kevin, you are a CEO, you run your own company, how the heck do you find time to blog?” I also get asked, how I come up with subjects all the time.

So, here is the scoop … from a personal Kevin perspective.

One of my roles as CEO is to promote my company, to raise its profile and get attention in the marketplace. In my company marketing is one of the hats I wear. Blogging has become a very accepted marketing tool these days, and its a format that I quite like. My style is quite informal and I would like to think that I am pretty approachable. The informal style of the blog fits well with that profile.

As a board member of the staffing industry association (ACSESS) I have a responsibility to raise the profile of our great industry … and the blog helps with that.

As an old “sales guy” I love to be able to share experience with others and maybe help someone to get past a dry spell, or believe in themself or maybe just give them a good tip. The blog allows me to do that too.

I did think long and hard about making this level of commitment, because that is exactly what is required … commitment (did I blog about that somewhere … it must be in my “Deeisms”?). I think the 15 or 20 minutes a day is well worth it. Case in point … my blog was picked up by CBS News today!

The subjects usually happen as a result of some event in my day, some idea from my team or one of the many subjects that I have an opinion about!

So … all in all, you make time for the things you consider important. I make time to blog … its good exposure for Eagle its good exposure for ACSESS and maybe I make some people smile now and then!

There has been much debate in Ottawa about the failure of the Ottawa Senators to meet expectations in the Stanley Cup. The team that showed so much promise in the regular season “choked” again in the playoffs. So what is it that makes a winner?

Vince Lombardi (famous football coach) suggested that “Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing”. He also said “It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men.”

In most competitions the difference between winning and losing is inches, fractions of a second or one goal … and generates a never-ending round of “if only” stories. In the game of life we only need to be inches better than our competitor to win the contract or get the job.

My own belief is that to “win” at anything requires good planning, solid preparation (training) and a commitment to the task. In professional sports the first two are “given” and the commitment is formidable in all participants but probably the difference in commitment is typically the deciding factor. The Buffalo Sabres did something better than the Sens … and that was their level of commitment to win.

In every day life you can win by being better prepared than the other team or by executing a better plan either of which is evidence of “wanting to win” more. Are you prepared to make the level of commitment necessary to win … or are you going to be saying “if only …”?

Just a few short years ago the technology world was alive with opportunity, the dot.com boom and the rise of the telecom industry created an excitement that had many positive … and a few not so positive affects. Currently the oil boom, particularly in Western Canada is creating a buzz, jobs are plentiful and wages are rising however “someone” once said for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction! The following are some of the challenges that arise in such times.

Three years ago CEOs of small companies in Ottawa were struggling to hold on to people, the “juggernauts” like Nortel and JDS Uniphase were offering such attractive packages that it was very difficult for the little guy to compete. The affect was not just in the tech industry, friends of mine in the hospitality industry had similar problems because their employees left the hourly paid shift work in restaurants to go to higher paid jobs that had “rich” benefits on the assembly line. Service industries were all struggling to keep people in an environment where everyone wanted to work for the “hot” companies.

Fast forward to 2006 in Alberta, or should I call it the “Wild West”, possibly! The oil sands projects in Fort McMurray are creating more jobs than can be filled. Companies are offering creative solutions … one company offers to pay new grads for five years, if they will work four years in the oil sands. The local Tim Horton franchise can’t keep staff despite paying reputedly $17 or $18 per hour. Some companies fly their workers in and out every day! Even in the cities there is a frustration for employers who want to hang on to their employees, let alone grow! Stories are now emerging about smaller Calgary companies relocating to other provinces because of the issues in attracting and retaining talent.

The answer should not be the ever escalating battle for a limited supply of candidates. I don’t think that the answer lies in more accessible education either, although that certainly can’t hurt as a Calgary report in January 2005 suggests. Now is the time for more creative solutions, the world is full of people that don’t have work … surely there is a better answer. One that will support the growth of this booming sector, create good long term employment and still allow everyone to play!

There has been a good deal of press lately about a company called Blue Security. This company offered a service to users designed to stop spammers, and in operating this business they apparently managed to upset some of the more powerful spammers to the point where Blue Security has been put out of business.

The company posted a statement on their website giving their reasons for folding their business, and there have been numerous articles in various publications about the demise of Blue Security.

It’s a very scary thought that any legitimate business, that relies upon the internet as a key part of its operations, can be driven out of business. In this case, Blue Security fell victim to a massive Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Since opening our doors Eagle has also experienced several such attacks but clearly not of the power and magnitude that struck Blue Security. It is a very scary thing to know that someone, with the knowledge and power to seriously hurt your company, has launched an attack. We were lucky that they got bored and moved on, but I think I will sleep a little less soundly knowing that my company, like most companies, is this vulnerable.

Not sure what the answer is, but this does not feel right!

The following is a write-up from Eagle’s three General Managers representing a look at the job market from coast to coast.

Western Canada has seen a lot of excitement in the last 3 to 4 weeks with the frenzy of NHL hockey play-offs creating a mix of significant buzz, agony and celebrations in both Calgary and Edmonton and those cities cheering them on. Most employers in both cities are welcoming and joining into the ‘spirit’ of the excitement by allowing employees and subcontractors to wear their supporting team jerseys and paraphanelia to the workplace – a very uplifting experience for those who have been a part of it all!
In parallel, the news has remained quite positive on the IT labour market side of things for all of the West, from Winnipeg to Victoria. There are two noticeable trends worth mentioning that have been making their way to the forefront. First of all, more and more IT subcontractors seem to be making the decision to take an extended period of time off over the summer – anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks on average, with a few individuals stating they will not work in any month without an “r” in it (ie. May, June, July and August). This is creating some interesting challenges for employers as they strive to lock down subcontractors for their projects and make decisions regarding their willingness to be flexible with such work arrangements. In most cases, project managers are finding that the very nature of using a contingent workforce (ie. subcontractors), provides them with a channel to solve such challenges by bringing in new IT subcontractors to hit-the-ground-running and to fill any skill gaps. On the subcontractor front, this intent to take extended time off over the summer is a solid reflection of the mid- to long-term confidence in the labour market.
The second ‘noticeable’ trend is that of the increased number of small and medium sized organisations that are now considering the possibility of having to leave some of the hot labour markets like Calgary because the actual cost of finding and keeping top quality labour (including junior resources and new grads) is skyrocketing; thereby, making it much more difficult (or even infeasible) to grow their organisations further. This is a very real and possible ‘consequence’ of extremely active labour markets, and it could mean that some cities may see some of their highly innovative start ups and small corporations relocate if conditions prevail.
That being said, the here and now reality is that the Western Canada marketplace continues to thrive – and clearly it’s a good time to be in IT!

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) recruiting market continues to heat up with multiple opportunities for contractors. Contractors are expressing a preference for longer term opportunities in cutting edge projects to provide them with financial security and ongoing professional development.
April has been a busy month for many organisations, as they continue to prepare and initiate the tactical side of their new project plans. Many companies are entertaining proactive resume submissions to ensure their projects are fully staffed with the most experienced and most qualified contractors available. Organisations are also “locking in” their contractor base for longer periods of time, in many cases upwards from 6 to 12 months, to ensure continuity within their projects and to reduce the risk of their contractors “shopping” for new opportunities. Companies are also transitioning from the “month-to-month” contract extensions to mid-length term extensions ranging from 3 to 6 months, in order to mitigate the risk of turnover within their contractor population.
Full time opportunities continue to gain momentum as companies strive to retain the industry’s top talent. These opportunities seem to be outpacing the contracting market. This poses an interesting question and we have to wonder where the balance lies ahead as companies secure IT professionals into long term, strategic positions within their organizations. By committing to full-time hiring practices, organisations have suggested the importance of a stable and consistent knowledge capital within their organisations. That, coupled with a strategic compliment of contractors for nonessential core roles, ensures that they are ideally positioned to respond to the changing needs of both their internal organisation and their external customer base.
Hot skills in the Toronto market include: Project Managers, Business Analysts, Basel, QA Testers and Technical Support roles. As we approach the summer months, we anticipate continued competitiveness within the contractor population. Many project plans are in the final preparation stages and implementation of those projects will place further pressures on the demand for skilled and experienced IT professionals. Eagle’s Recruiting Team is operating at full force and humming with activity as we prepare both our contractors and ourselves for what we anticipate to be a very busy summer!

In Eastern Canada, things have cooled somewhat since last month as many large organisations continue to grapple with a myriad of resourcing strategies that include everything from increasing permanent staff or using flexible, contingent staff right through to off-shoring projects and/or business units. Or in the case of the Federal Government, simply how to procure efficiently and effectively. Smaller sized companies have the same issues to deal with as the market gets more talent constrained. Things like time-to-market, the overall increased competitiveness in most industries and the inability to get access to skilled workers, can mean the difference to survival and success or lack thereof. It appears as though, at the moment, many companies are taking a deep breath and are resting on the sidelines for a bit. Perhaps a deserved break to assess go-forward plans or an intermission in the recent frantic activity. This remains to be seen in the months ahead.
The new Conservative government delivered a budget that was light on technology initiatives but with a bit of tax relief for everyone (GST for instance). Of particular interest was the tax relief for small businesses. The corporate tax rate dipped from 21% to 19%, with the small business tax rate reduced from 12% to 11%. The small business income threshold will be raised to $400,000. This is great news for the independent, incorporated technology contractor and may serve to attract more skilled workers to contracting as a viable and in fact financially advantageous career choice. A word of caution however, that the government seems to have taken a page from the oil companies. Most of the tax reductions will come into play in 2008 and 2009, similar to the way per barrel oil increases seem to find their way to the pumps and our pockets a whole lot quicker than decreases do! Look for continued pressure on the Feds to address the productivity gap by encouraging businesses to invest in areas like IT in future budgets.
Hot skills in the Eastern region this month include: Interwoven Architects, Remedy Developers, Oracle and Siebel resources and experienced Project Managers and Business Analysts.