Michael S. Robinson's Blog

For the past 24 years I’ve hired, nurtured, managed, mentored – you name it – hundreds of employees ranging in skill sets and personalities across the board. Unfortunately, there are no written text books or employee manuals created especially for each unique person to get you through the ever-changing work environment. Job descriptions are not as black and white as they were twenty years ago. You have to read between the lines to figure out what is expected of you.  With the growth of technology companies are looking to streamline functionality, spend less to make more, and improve efficiency. So what can you do to ensure that your job is safe and your talents are recognized? I’m going to tell you what your boss won’t tell you, or probably hasn’t figured out himself: Make yourself indispensable!!  Here are my 6 tips on how to do just that in 2014.

Know that everything is not written in a job description — Most people think that the employment requirements for a job are an education, skill sets, and experience. However, intuition, creativity, and innovativeness are the main ingredients to being indispensable at the workplace, regardless of what you do. You’re going to have to figure out the gaps in between the lines and step outside of the basic description.
Be your own PR firm — Let people know what you have accomplished or someone else will take credit for it. It’s okay to brag a little if you have something to brag about.
Think ahead of your boss — This is where that innovative thinking comes in. Sometimes your manager may not necessarily know what he wants and needs, but could recognize a good idea if presented effectively. Other times your manager may not know how best to communicate viable information to you, so you’re simply going to have to figure it out on your own.
Patent your world — Find that one task that only you can do and become the go-to person at work, making you indispensable.
Do your own performance review — Outline your strengths and weaknesses, figure out what your good at doing and how you can improve upon your weak areas. It’s an excellent way of motivating yourself by setting goals and evaluating your performance. The side effect is that the quality of your work improves and is recognized.
Network, network, network —Create a network of allies in and outside of your department that can build you up. It’s great when your boss gets a compliment about you from a colleague of his, but it’s also better when others outside of your department know how valuable you are.

Employers are constantly reinventing the wheel in order to make their companies more competitive. It only makes sense that if you want to grow with your job, you’re going to have to be adaptable to that constant change as well.

For more tips on how to empower yourself as an employee while at the same time creating a more dynamic workplace, or – if you are an entrepreneur – starting and growing a successful business, check out my previous blogs on this site and download my podcasts from iTunes. You can also stay up-to-date with daily posts, tips, and information on The Michael S. Robinson Show by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

Filed under: job creation, Job Interview, Job Search, News & Articles

Climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. According to the World Health Organization, the direct damage costs to health (i.e. excluding costs in health-determining sectors such as agriculture, water and sanitation), is estimated to be between US $ 2 – 4 billion per year by 2030

One must also pay close attention to the increasing severity of major storms. Katrina, Sandy, and the most recent tropical storm Haiyan, all play a part in the impact to our health. Out of the federal aid requested for New York after Hurricane Sandy, 3.1 billion dollars of it went towards healthcare damages.

The impacts of climate change on public health around the globe, according to the EPA, could have important consequences for the United States. For example, more frequent and intense storms may require more disaster relief and declines in agriculture may increase food shortages.

This photo shows just how devastating the effects of climate change can be to the world. Pictured are thousands of individuals struggling to regain solid ground after Super Typhoon Haiyan demolished the Philippines

In a 2010 paper, Dr. Christopher Portier, former Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the CDC wrote, “climate change endangers human health, affecting all sectors of society, both domestically and globally. The environmental consequences of climate change, both those already observed and those that are anticipated, such as sea-level rise, changes in precipitation resulting in flooding and drought, heat waves, more intense hurricanes and storms, and degraded air quality, will affect human health both directly and indirectly.”

A warming planet threatens people worldwide, causing deaths, spreading insect-borne diseases and exacerbating respiratory illnesses. Extreme weather will also put more people in harm’s way.

The World Health Organization believes that even the modest increases in average temperature that have occurred since the 1970s are responsible for at least 150,000 extra deaths a year.

Tune into The Michael S. Robinson Show this Saturday at 10am on AM970, as Dr. Christopher Portier and Gary Cohen joins me to discuss the Cost of Climate Change to Our Health. Follow the conversation on Twitter at @MSRobinsonNY.

Filed under: Economy, green energy, Job Market, Media, Michael S Robinson, New York State, New York State Economy, News & Articles, small business, Strategic Planning, sustainability, sustainable business, Videos, women-owned business

One of my core beliefs as an entrepreneur is that stagnation is counterproductive to growth, while change can be the catalyst for forward thinking, consciously evolving individuals. Although it can be unnerving for many we have to evolve with the times and that goes for inventors and business owners looking to create the “new next best thing” or move their business from stop to go. With the New Year fast approaching, we’re going to see new trends in 2014 as the supply and demand pivots the need for adaptation to a constantly evolving global market. Without further ado, here are the trends I see becoming prevalent as we head into the new year:

A Rise in Environmentally Conscious Consumers – 2014 will see the adaptation of sustainable (green) practices across the board. Major corporations are buying more sustainable products and services, and expect their vendors, who are often small businesses, to comply with supply chain sustainability measures. When marketed effectively, using green sustainable practices will attract a broader market share, thereby increasing profitability.

Innovation in Niche Markets –Technology driven products and services such as biotech, agrotech and nanotech will be on the rise as we seek to create the more efficient ways of managing our resources and living our lives. This is an excellent opportunity for smaller start up companies to take advantage of this niche market void.

Emerging Markets – Companies will be looking beyond our borders to sell goods and services to foreign countries seeking to trade with the United States and form mutually beneficial business alliances. Many countries such as China have seen a rise in their spending power and the need for American goods and services are in high demand. Entrepreneurs will be capitalizing on this opportunity to broaden their customer base.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) and New Industries – 3rd party health care services will be on the rise as companies seek to become ACA compliant.

 Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) – As the economy grows entrepreneurs need to form broader alliances across a greater geography. By forming the right alliances, businesses can increase profits by up to 40%. These M&A will allow businesses to access new markets and cross pollinate their products/services, while running slimmer and more efficient business operation.

Outsourcing on the Rise - In order to minimize overhead such departments as human resources, IT, accounting and payroll, social media, and sales, will increasingly be outsourced. This allows an organization to focus on its core competency without the distraction from other departments. This provides the opportunity of third party companies being created to manage the outsourced functions.

Advertising - 2014 will see an even bigger boom in a move toward social media to carry marketing further. Incorporating a model that uses social media for advertising and messaging will allow entrepreneurs to inexpensively reach a potential audience that is no longer as effective using traditional methods. As a result social media companies dedicated to providing smaller clients with hands on interactive messaging will be on the rise.

The New Year will be an interesting one for our economy. We will see a significant rebirth as new industries are born and older ones reinvent themselves in order to remain relevant in the evolving global marketplace. It’s the perfect time to exercise that creativity and evolvement to meet consumer demands. How are you adapting and evolving in 2014? How prepared are you for 2014? For more advice on reinventing yourself for the new year, follow me on Twitter for daily tips and inspiration on entrepreneurship.

Filed under: advertising, Economy, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Job Market, marketing, Michael S Robinson, minority-owned business, Misc., New York State, News, News & Articles, reinvention, reinvest, small business, social media, Strategic Planning, women-owned business

Most start-up companies begin on a grassroots level, in order to reduce the cost of overhead until the visions of a profit are in sight. The most challenging aspect for any new company is building an ‘A Class’ team to move the business forward. The employees can be the most valuable asset or an unexpected liability, so choosing wisely is key.

Kevin Scott Hall responded to one of my posts on Twitter this week. This is what he said:

 As a business owner, I find that the circumstances change when hiring a team. The first objective is to figure out what your expectations are based on goals of your company. Here are four tips to keep in mind when making that key decision:

1)   Evaluate the skills needed to achieve your goals as a start up company

2)   Create an organizational chart, with clearly defined roles, duties and responsibilities

3)   Know your personal strengths and your weaknesses. Understand how you can best compliment the infrastructure of your organization using your strengths

4)   Hire talented individuals who will bring added value to your company, with diverse skills unlike your own

Creating a horizontally tiered organization will give you greater opportunity to capture fresh ideas and attract individuals that want to be a part of something exciting. As we know, technology plays a huge role in all aspects of our lives. It certainly will have an impact on your business. The skill set and personality traits of the talent which you hire are key components when incorporating the before mentioned. Here are 6 generic traits to look for:

Fresh perspective
Flexible and open
Team player yet self motivated
Excited and exciting
Tech savvy /Tech curious
A Sponge

If you’re reading this post and find yourself thinking, “I wonder what Michael would say about that?” — feel free to ask! You can tweet me at @MSRobinsonNY, find me on Facebook, or shoot me an email to MR@mikesrobinson.com.

Don’t forget to tune in on Saturday for the Michael S. Robinson Show on AM970 at 10AM as we discuss how to live an awesome life with special co-host Grammy award winner, R&B singer, and actress Melba Moore, and Jay Forte, author of The Greatness Zone.

Filed under: News & Articles

The days of banking your money under your mattress are over. A smart investor no longer works hard for her money, but let’s her money work for her. So how do you get the biggest bang for your buck, literally? It means stepping out onto the ledge and taking a risk.

Traditional savings accounts are the next step up from the mattress but are not going to provide you with a substantial yield and certainly will not make you rich overnight. However, such accounts do provide financial security because they are backed by the FDIC for up to $250,000 per person. So the question is do you want to play it safe and yield lower returns in a traditional savings account, or venture into the world of high yielding investments, thereby maximizing on your dollars?

With over 682 million shares publicly traded every day from 63,000 companies worldwide, making the first move could be a little overwhelming. So here are some tips to get you started:

1)  Don’t  bite off more than you can chew – Never invest so much money that if something were to happen, your other financial obligations would be at risk.

2)  Start off by saving small amounts – If you are serious about seeing long term growth, save $1 every day for the next year. This will create discipline for long term engagement and give you a more solid foundation to start investing.

3)  Don’t try to “time the market”- If you are new to investing, you’re more likely to be successful if you put your money towards something that will grow over time (15-20 years).

4)  Check out sites like ShareBuilder and E-trade – These companies have little to no deposit restrictions.

5)  Diversification – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, but create a portfolio of a range of investments. In doing so you’ll reduce the risk of one investment hurting the return of your overall investments.

Tune into the Michael S. Robinson Show this Saturday at 10am, November 16th. We will be discussing the topic of Investing Wisely in the Stock Market.

Filed under: News & Articles

Companies like McDonalds and KFC are thriving outside of the U.S.

The golden arches generate 27.57 billion U.S. dollars in revenue worldwide. Think of how your business can pursue this model on a smaller scale. Welcome to the Free Trade Agreements (FTA). Imagine walking through the streets of Beijing and seeing stores like Calvin Klein, Tiffany, Coach, Starbucks, McDonalds, and KFC. This is actually a very typical scenario in international markets. In today’s society, major U.S. companies are exporting more and more overseas to countries like China, and it isn’t just for tourist purposes. There is a high demand for U.S. products and services.  Companies like KFC and Pizza Hut have over 3,800 stores in China, and plan on expanding that number to an additional 200 by the end of 2013 – coming very close in size to the U.S.’s 5,300 stores. Free Trade Agreements are legally binding agreements meant to provide a means of exchange with fewer barriers so that trade can grow from division of labor, specialization of goods, and through competitive advantage­­. Free Trade Agreements protect and establish rules for a more secure trade. How can they benefit you?

It isn’t unusual to see American companies in shopping areas for locals, not just tourists, in places like Beijing.

The U.S. exports supports over 12 million jobs in America, and trade related jobs pay an average of 13 % to 16% higher wages than non-trade related jobs.
You can develop better products and keep prices lower while maintaining high quality in order to increase your market share.
Less corruption and more accountability since everything is regulated across the board.

How can you get involved with free trade? Tune in this Saturday at 10AM to the Michael S. Robinson show this on AM970 for the answers

Filed under: Budgeting, Business Savvy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Economy, Follow up, Forbes Magazine, marketing, Michael S Robinson, New York State, New York State Economy, News & Articles, Outsourcing, small business, The Michael S. Robinson Show, trade, world news

Did you know that the United States (US) has fourteen Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with twenty countries? Take a look at the breakdown of data just collected. How can you or your business capitalize upon this opportunity? Tune into The Michael S. Robinson Show on November 16th, 2013 as we discuss this relevant topic of the USFTA.

note: infographic by http://www.mikesrobinson.com

Filed under: Economy, Job Market, News & Articles, Public Policy, small business, trade

Richard Branson’s latest LinkedIn blog How I Hire: Focus on Personality went viral last month as over one million people clicked on the post to soak up his sage advice. While Branson is no doubt an exceptional businessman whose success is a testament to the power of thinking outside the box, he was not the first nor the only employer to have acquired this wisdom through trials and triumphs. In fact, a study conducted last year showed that 88% of hiring managers look for cultural fit over skills when hiring.

So, while Branson’s vague, albeit poetic, account of his categorically fun, friendly and loving employees, make for a light and breezy blog post, it is probably best we explore the personality traits that the hiring managers (like the ones who probably sift out these bubblegum employees for Branson) actually look for:



(1) Professionalism includes everything from your resume to your manner of speech. Employers want people who are polished, prompt and, in essence, “camera ready.”

(2) Positive energy goes a long way when making a first impression. Smile and be approachable.

(3) Compliment givers will often win a few points. However, be sincere with your accolades, and make sure not to go over the top.

(4) Interesting and interesting people are great at encouraging two-way conversations with anecdotes about their experiences.

(5) Present interviewees often translate into engaged employees. Leave the texting and daydreams until after your interview.

(6) Confidence is a must when interviewing. If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t expect a hiring manager to believe in your either.

(7) Curiosity aids the cat when job hunting. Strong questions about the role you are interviewing for and the company can show that you’ve done your research, thereby making you more likeable

(8) Intuitive individuals are keen at picking up on social and unspoken cues. They are best able to gauge company culture and give an employer what he/she wants how he/she wants it.

(9) Multidimensional or dynamic job seekers are especially as today’s hiring managers are looking for talent that is inspiring beyond the job description.

Ultimately, just as no two applicants are the same, no two managers are looking for the same qualities in a potential hire. Recognize the traits above that are true to your personality and be sure to cultivate them so that you shine.

For more on interviewing and landing a difficult job tune in at 10AM EST to this week’s The Michael S. Robinson Show on AM970 The Answer as Mary Ellen Slayter of Monster.com, business strategist and author Kahain Krippendorff and Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley Carla Harris join me to discuss the do’s and don’ts of interviewing.

[Photos via 1, 2, 3, 4]

Filed under: Business Savvy, Economy, Follow up, Interview Techniques, Job Interview, Job Market, Job Search, marketing, Michael S Robinson, Misc., New York State Economy, New York State Jobs, News, News & Articles, Post Interview, research, research and development, small business, social media, Strategic Planning, Talk Radio, The Michael S. Robinson Show, world news

Did you know that every year October is dedicated to combating an epidemic that’s been proven to induce strokes, heart attacks, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and more? It is National Bullying Prevention Month.

Bullying, which is often characterized as habitual personal attacks during which an aggressor (bully) attempts to gain power over an individual or peer (bullied), does not stop at the playground or cease to exist after high school. In fact, an estimated 1 in 4 American workers is bullied on the job at some point in his or her career, with 45% of them developing stress-related health problems including but not limited to debilitating anxiety and impaired immune systems.

So, what can be done? How can you identify bullying in your workplace? And once you’ve discovered it, what can you do? Read on:

Spotting the Situation.

[1] Decreased morale and work performance. Bullies often have this effect on their coworkers. People who are bullied often report feelings of helplessness and inadequacy that can affect their productivity.

[2] Yelling, screaming and belittling. Some bullies will stop at nothing to make their victims feel disempowered. Those who are allowed to act without consequences are likely to shout at and physically threaten their employees and/or co-workers.

[3] Plagiarized work. Many bullies have no problem taking all the credit for an assignment well done regardless of they contributed to the assignment or not.

[4] Rumors, lies and the cold shoulder. Detrimental to the workplace and often hard to catch are bullies who frequently spread rumors and lies and are able to convince others to stop speaking to others.

[5] Increased sick day frequency. Workers who are bullied will often skip out on work and/or contract stress-related illnesses.

Busting the Bully.

[1] Identify the behavior and the acting parties. Before you can stop a bully, you must ID the bully.

[2]   Document the facts. Create a log of the days, times and details of each attack.

[3] If possible, find allies. Bullies can be rather persuasive and, if powerful within your organization, can often dodge any consequences. Having a person who will verify your claim may go a long way in stopping the abusive behaviors.

[4] Speak with your manager. Armed with facts, try to speak your supervisor about the bully’s behaviors and the effect it is having on you and your organization.

[5] Take it to HR. If your supervisor is the bully, or unwilling to do anything about the situation, present your Human Resources Department with the facts of the incident.

Ultimately, remember that life is not a preview. It is life. So live it in a big way and don’t let the insecurities of others damper your being. That would be a disservice to us all.

For more on anti-bullying month and why people’s perceptions of you should not matter, tune in to this week’s The Michael S. Robinson Show at 10AM EST on AM970 The Answer!

[Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Filed under: Corporate Social Responsibility, Events, Job Search, Misc., News, News & Articles, reinvest, research, research and development, small business, Strategic Planning, Talk Radio, The Michael S. Robinson Show

Scores of public parks, museums and buildings shuttered their doors yesterday as parts of the federal government shutdown. They closed at the hand of petty politicians in Washington who just couldn’t get along. Across the nation, newscasters predicted the minimal effects that the shutdown would have on the American people; Our travel would not be delayed, they advised. They also reported that the military would continue to receive its pay on time, so for most of us, it would be life as usual.

However, there is an under-reported, though equally important reality unfolding for many of America’s small business owners.  The pinch of the government shutdown is being felt in more ways than one.

Below are 5 examples of how the shutdown is affecting our nation’s entrepreneurs:

[1] Small businesses that are contracted by and operate in government offices will see delays in their payments. Many of their contracts will be affected. Some will go unpaid all together and have to eat the losses.

[2] Some government-backed small business loans will take longer to secure. Moreover, the SBA will be unavailable to business owners needing assistance until the situation is sorted out.

[3] E-verify systems across the nation are suspended. This means that employers will not be able to check to see if a potential hire is documented until after the shutdown, leading to delays in hiring.

[4] During the last shutdown America’s national parks and monuments lost approximately two million visitors. Similarly, vendors and shop owners who supply these parks and the runoff from park business have already reported losses.

[5] Construction companies, cleaning companies, medical supply companies and others that service military personnel and bases are also losing.

When our elected officials display this level of dysfunction our economy suffers, and the American worker feels the impact directly and indirectly. While we could gripe about the pitfalls of the shutdown, it is best we view it as an opportunity for us to pay attention to the decisions that lawmakers claim to be making on our behalf. We must ask ourselves today, “Are these politicians looking out for our best interests or that of a party’s ideology?” Although I can see the virtue of both sides, in the long run a compromise by which the right and left can come to center for the good of all is what we are clamoring for as a nation.

Filed under: Budgeting, Business Savvy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Economy, Events, Follow up, job creation, Job Market, Media, Michael S Robinson, minority-owned business, Misc., New York State, New York State Economy, New York State Jobs, News, News & Articles, NY, NYS, small business, Strategic Planning, The American Dream, The Michael S. Robinson Show, women-owned business, world news