| We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle |
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한국 CEO는 이렇게 산다. [2008-12-08] CEO
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한 국 CEO는 아침형 인간이다. 일하는 스타일은 자기주도형이 많다. 대부분 학습에 적극적인 샐러던트(Saladent)다. 20일에 한 권 꼴로 책을 읽고, 과반수가 종교 생활을 한다. 포브스코리아 패널 서베이가 밝혀 낸 한국 대표 CEO들의 라이프스타일이다. CEO의 80%가 새벽 6시 이전에 일어난다. 평균 기상 시각은 5시52분. 포브스 CEO 패널 서베이 결과다. 가장 많이 일어나는 시각은 패널의 46%가 답한 새벽 6시다. 잠자리에 드는 평균 시각은 밤 11시51분이다. 가장 많이 답한 취침 시각은 밤 12시로 44%가 이 시각에 잠자리에 든다고 답했다. 아침형 인간이 주목받은 것은 일본의 의사 사이쇼 히로시가 쓴 <인생을 두 배로 사는 아침형 인간>이 출간되면서부터다. 그는 아침형 인간이 되려면 밤 11시에 잠자리에 들고 새벽 5시에 일어나라고 권했다. 평균적인 포브스 CEO 패널보다 50분가량 일찍 활동을 시작하라는 것이다. 아침형 인간으로 살라고 그가 권하기 전에도 아침형 CEO는 있었다. 국 내에선 고(故) 정주영 현대그룹 창업주가 대표적인 인물. 빌 게이츠 전 미 마이크로소프트 회장도 새벽 3시에 활동을 시작하는 것으로 알려졌다. 60대 이상 CEO는 50대 이하보다 기상 시간이 35분 일렀다. 또 기업 규모가 클수록 아침 기상이 이른 것으로 조사됐다(대기업 5시26분, 중견기업 5시54분, 중소기업 6시13분). CEO의 수면 시간 역시 미미한 차이나마 기업 규모가 클수록 짧은 것으로 나타났다. CEO들의 하루 평균 잠자는 시간은 5시간 57분으로 조사됐다. 응답자의 75%가 하루 평균 6시간 이하의 수면을 취한다고 답했다. 약 3분의 1은 5시간 잔다(32%)고 밝혔다. ‘한국의 사회지표’에 따르면 한국인의 58.9%가 하루 7시간 이상 수면을 취한다(2001년 국민건강영양조사). CEO의 수면 시간은 나이가 많을수록 긴 것으로 나타났다. 한국 CEO의 업무 스타일은 어떤가? 우리는 업무 스타일을 기준으로 CEO에 대한 유형화를 시도했다. 업무 스타일 유형은 ‘자기주도형’, ‘관계중시형’, ‘과정지향형’, ‘성과지향형’의 네 가지로 나누었다. ●자기주도형 : 35%(12명) ●관계중시형 : 26%(9명) ●과정지향형 : 12%(4명·관계중시적 과정지향형 2명 포함. 이 2명은 관계중시형·과정지향형 점수가 서로 같았다) ●성과지향형 : 26%(9명·자기주도적 성과지향형 6명 포함. 이 6명은 자기주도형·성과지향형 점수가 서로 같았다) 새 로운 것을 빨리 배우고 바로 적응하는(86%) 타입이기도 하다. CEO들이야말로 공부하는 직장인-샐러던트라고 할 수 있다. 샐러던트는 샐러리맨(Salaryman)과 스튜던트(Student)의 합성어로 직장에 몸담고 있으면서 새로운 분야를 공부하거나 자신이 종사하고 있는 분야에 대한 전문성을 더욱 높이기 위해 지속적으로 공부하는 사람을 가리킨다. 취미 생활 내지는 여가 활동으로 CEO들이 선호하는 것은 독서(81%), 골프(75%), TV 시청(47%), 영화 관람(43%), 공연 관람(35%), 여행(32%) 등이었다(복수응답). 이들 활동은 각각 응답 CEO의 약 3분의 1 이상이 평소 꾸준히 하고 있다고 답했다. 나머지는 등산(29%), 음악 감상(26%), 수면(23%), 수영(11%), 쇼핑(8%), 바둑겴掠?5%), 걷기(4%) 순으로 꼽혔다. 독서는 나이가 많을수록 뚜렷하게 많이 하는 것으로 나타났다(40대 이하 70%, 50대 81%, 60대 이상 88%). 건강 관리를 위해 꾸준히 하고 있는 활동으로는 각각 과반수가 골프(68%)와 걷기(57%)를 꼽았다(복수응답). 헬스(40%)와 등산(28%)도 건강 관리를 위한 활동으로 CEO들이 비교적 선호하는 것으로 나타났다. 나머지 활동은 조깅(11%), 수영(9%), 마라톤(4%), 맨손체조(3%), 스포츠 댄스-국궁(각각 1%) 순으로 지적됐다. 그 부족한 시간을 이들은 어디에 활용할까? 우리는 패널들에게 평소 가정생활에서 꾸준히 하는 활동이 무엇인지 물었다(복수응답). 패널의 절반 이상이 꾸준히 하는 활동은 이런 것들이다. 배우자와의 대화(93%), 배우자와의 외식(77%), 배우자와의 여행(56%), 배우자의 건강 관리 활동에 대한 지원(51%). 패널의 43%는 배우자와 취미생활을 함께 한다고 답했다. 일 년에 읽는 단행본(정기간행물 제외)은 평균 20.2권이었다. 18일에 한 권 꼴로 책을 읽는 셈이다. 감명 깊게 읽은 책으로는 <좋은 기업을 넘어 위대한 기업으로>(5%), <시크릿>과 <삼국지>(각각 4%), <세계는 평평하다>(3%) 등이 비교적 많이 꼽혔다. <변화 리더의 조건>, <이기는 습관>, <디테일의 힘>, <인문의 숲에서 경영을 만나다>, <위대한 기업을 넘어 사랑받는 기업으로>, <생각의 탄생>, <깨진 유리창 법칙>, <긍정의 힘>, <어린 왕자>, <마시멜로 이야기>, <로마인 이야기>(각각 2%) 등도 각각 2명 이상이 감명 깊게 읽은 책으로 지목했다. 패 널 CEO 중 종교 생활을 하는 사람은 56%로 조사됐다. 신앙인 중 65%는 기독교인이라고 답했다. 26%는 천주교인이었다. 불교 신자는 7%로 집계됐다. 참고로 일반 국민 중 종교 인구의 비율은 53.1%다(2006년 사회통계조사보고서). 종교인은 나이가 많을수록 뚜렷하게 많은 것으로 조사됐다. 60대 이상 CEO의 경우 74%가 종교 생활을 하고 있다고 답했다. CEO 들은 몇 살에 은퇴하고 싶어 할까? 이번 서베이 결과 평균 67세로 조사됐다. 전체의 61.5%가 여건이 허락한다면 65세 이후에 은퇴하기를 바랐다. 은퇴 희망 연령은 나이가 많을수록 높은 것으로 나타났다(40대 이하 62.6세, 50대 66.0세, 60대 이상 71.8세). CEO들이 은퇴 후에 가장 하고 싶어 하는 것은 29%가 답한 사회봉사 활동이었다(복수응답). 이 어서 여행(27%), 강의(9%), 저작(7%), 공부(6%), 신앙 생활-컨설팅(각각 5%), 연구·개발 활동(4%), 후진 양성(3%) 순으로 꼽혔다. 여행을 제외하면 은퇴 후 사회에 일정한 기여를 하고 싶어 하는 것으로 해석할 수 있다. |
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Besides needing the help of your mentors, you'll also need great people who know you well and can vouch for your strengths and achievements in MBA recommendation letters.
The right mentor is someone who is a few years older than you and has a job you covet. You can approach potential mentors either in person, by e-mail, or with a phone call, briefly explaining that you were hoping to snag a few moments to pick their brains about their job. Tell them you'd like to set up a quick meeting to discuss how they ended up taking on their role, what their job entails on a daily basis, and any tips they might have for you. Accommodate their schedule; they're doing you a favor. In the end, you should be able to use their career paths as a guide for your own.
Don't think the process ends when your meeting does. You have to keep up with these contacts and develop real relationships with them. The relationship goes two ways. You also have to contribute and help them. "You get what you give," says Abraham. In fact, you might even consider mentoring those who are younger than you by offering advice on the job search and looking over résumeés.
Getting to know people is the hard part. You don't have to limit yourself to the team with which you always work. Look around the cafeteria at work, sign up for professional organizations, and get involved with any conferences or special meetings your company offers. Consider talking to people outside of your function in jobs that might interest you to make sure you know what job you'd like to be doing in the future. Many people earn their MBA because they want to change fields or functions altogether. That's O.K. The important thing is that in five years, when you write that application, you know exactly what you want to do. Now is the time to start making those decisions—and talking to others will help you make informed ones.
The office is not the only place you should be getting acquainted with new people. You should also be getting involved in community service and activities that ignite your passion outside of work. While it's true that business schools want to see a track record of service, it's also healthy for you to have a life that is well rounded and full. In those first days after graduating from college, you might feel down or closed off from the world. Essentially, you are a freshman again—and getting involved will give you a renewed sense of self and some purpose.
Consider this your chance to act on your passions. Think about what you really enjoy doing and choose a relevant activity. You don't have to be involved in a 100 organizations, but you should truly be involved in the activities you choose.
These extracurricular activities, besides being fun for you, offer an opportunity for you to show off your passion and personality to admissions committees. "Schools want something substantive, not a list," says Dan Poston, the assistant dean for the Masters Program at theUniversity of Washington Foster School of Business. He adds that you should be able to enthusiastically discuss your participation in these activities during admission and job interviews.
Tutoring and Habitat for Humanity are not the only kinds of activities that admissions committees will find appealing, so don't feel limited. Shrum says he wrote half his application essays about his involvement in an improvisational comedy troupe. The important thing is that you take on responsibility and leadership in any of the groups you join. The good news is that if you're starting to get involved five years away from the MBA, then you are ahead of much of the competition, who often wait until the last minute to perform a few deeds in order to have something to write about.
One advantage you have in Year One is that you are still in the student mindset. You've only recently completed your undergraduate degree, and you're still used to reading lots of material, taking exams, and listening to lectures.
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Now is the time to make these disciplines a habit. "Deciding to be a business leader means you're committing to a lifetime of learning," says Chicago's Martinelli.
If you had weaknesses in your academic life—writing or especially quantitative skills—continue studying those subjects. Buy books or take courses to sharpen your skills. Read, read, read, adds Martinelli. Pick up books and periodicals that will keep you up to date on business and the industries that interest you most. Stay abreast of current events, particularly those that influence your business. Pay attention to what's going on in the world around you. This will help you to be a better leader, and genuine intellectual curiosity is a must for admission committees to see.
Consider taking the GMAT— the main business school admissions test—now. While it sounds premature, since the GMAT score is good for five years, it makes sense to get it out of the way, when you're still used to studying for exams. On the other hand, some MBA admissions consultants, such as Shrum, say taking more time to study for the exam at a measured pace is an argument for waiting. Either way, you can take the test more than once.
By now you know your learning and test-taking style, so you know what's best for you. If you think you'd do better by taking the test now, then do it. If not, take extra time to study more. If you're not sure, you can always take a practice test from a book or online and see how you do before deciding the best time to take the actual test.
Times are tough enough these days. While it's good to have a five-year goal, it's also important to have a well-rounded life now, when you're free of many of the responsibilities that come when you're older. Plus, MBA programs want to see that you are physically and mentally healthy and that you can contribute to society and perform well at work. Find ways to de-stress and unwind. Of course, don't be crazy and irresponsible. Explaining why your name showed up on a police blotter to a business school admissions committee isn't an easy task.
You're already staying connected with friends and family through Facebook and Twitter. More professional networks, such as LinkedIn, could be useful to your career (more on that in Year Two of this series). But you have to be careful about the image you present online. Five years from now, Google will still find your Facebook and MySpace profiles. Therefore, do yourself—and your future— a favor by making responsible decisions on- and off-line.
Consider using social networking to do some good. Kenan-Flagler's Murray once had an applicant use her Facebook and My Space pages to market a nonprofit organization that she launched. In her application, she was able to use this material to demonstrate her passion, leadership, and initiative, which the admissions committee ate up. Help some people now, and it might help you five years from now.
BY THE END OF YEAR ONE…
•You should have:
•Begun developing your skill set
•Found a few mentors who have given you a better idea about the jobs you might like to do in the future
•Found a way to translate your passions into a couple of activities in which you'd really liked to get involved
•Decided how you can make an impact at the office and in those extracurricular activities and start implementing a plan of action to do just that
•Kept your mind on business by reading relevant books and articles
•Made a decision about when you'd like to take the GMAT
•Started building a satisfying, well-rounded life and career
Di Meglio is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in Fort Lee, N.J.
The idea for "Six Tips to Help You Land a New Job" came from Colleen Paulson, an executive resume writer who created theRecession Job Search topic on Business Exchange.
Just months ago, Citigroup's (C) plan to eliminate 53,000 jobs (BusinessWeek.com, 11/17/08) would have been shocking. That was then. Within the past few weeks, Ford Motor (F), Starbucks (SBUX), General Motors (GM), Washington Mutual, and other big-name companies have announced similar cuts, pushing the civilian jobless rate to a 14-year high of 6.5%. Today, more than 10 million Americans are searching for work. Many have college degrees, management skills, and white-collar work experience; in a stronger economy, they'd be gainfully employed. But for the immediate future, an all-important question looms: What now?
Given the wave of job cutting this year and the likelihood of further losses in 2009, BusinessWeek queried prominent career gurus about how skilled job seekers can best position themselves during the credit crunch. Following are their six top tips:
1. Stay positive.
Among the recently laid-off, there's a tendency to assume the worst. But for many, pink slips come with a silver lining, says Maureen Anderson, author of The Career Clinic: Eight Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love. A recent Gallup survey found that 77% of Americans dislike their jobs. Using your newfound downtime to self-examine—"What do I really want to be doing for eight to 10 hours every day?"—could push you toward a more satisfying career path, or at least offer an intriguing change of pace. To an extent, Anderson explains, "it's best to think of [unemployment] as an adventure."
Of course, such "adventures" are tough during a recession: Your dream job might be less accessible than in years past, and you'll probably face stiffer competition. But if you're pursuing something you love, it's easier to stay driven. "Enthusiasm is like fuel," Anderson explains. During a prolonged job search, "it'll carry you farther than you think."
2. Establish a professional blog.
Employers are constantly scanning the blogosphere for "go-to guys," says Marty Nemko, a longtime career coach and host of Work with Marty Nemko, a weekly show on National Public Radio's San Francisco affiliate. And if you're writing about a specific industry, there's a good chance you'll get noticed. Stay abreast of trends, offer insightful commentary, and engage your readers, much like Kerry Kerstetter does on his accounting blog, The Tax Guru. That way, says Nemko, "you won't be seen as an 'unemployed dude.' You'll be seen as a powerhouse in your profession."
3. Join a job site.
If you haven't yet created a profile on LinkedIn or registered with such online career hubs asCareerBuilder and Monster.com (MWW), you should. On LinkedIn, more than 30 million professionals "exchange information, ideas and opportunities," according to the site's home page. And roughly 300,000 employers post jobs on CareerBuilder, where overall traffic has increased 4% since last month's Wall Street meltdown, says Jason Ferrara, the site's senior career adviser. Translation? The more contacts you make, the more jobs you can access. And during rough economic times, social networking can streamline your career search. Adds Nemko: "I'd even try posting on a Yahoo! forum."
4. Pursue an "Obama industry."
On his Web site, President-elect Barack Obama promises to "save or create" 2.5 million jobs by January 2011. Among the industries likely to benefit: infrastructure, energy, education, and health care. Job seekers should seize the moment, says Nemko. "Dovetail your strengths to fit [an expanding field]," he says, adding that extra schooling is not imperative. "Ride the wave of Obamania."
5. Get creative.
In today's saturated job market, standing out is more important than ever. So feel free to be "a little unconventional," says Anderson. When you're meeting career contacts—or even just schmoozing at a party—try carrying self-made business cards, she says. You can give yourself a straightforward title, such as "experienced advertising executive," or try something more humorous, such as "professional job seeker." Explains Anderson: "It's important to be talentedand likable. Before hiring someone, employers usually ask themselves, 'Would I want to grab coffee with this person on a Tuesday morning?'"
Another way to get noticed is to create a video résumé, which you can upload to such sites as Monster and CareerBuilder. Beyond displaying your personality, the video supplement proves you're willing to embrace new media—a crucial trait in today's Web-savvy business world, Ferrara says.
6. Fix your flaws.
Most employers say recessionary layoffs aren't personal. But more often than not, there's a reason you were let go and other employees were not. Ideally, you should figure it out before starting a new job search, says Nemko. He suggests asking yourself some basic "introspective" questions: Did I ever slack off? Was I properly trained? Did I get along with my colleagues? Was I on time for work?
If you find shortcomings in your professional self, resolve to resolve them. Otherwise, says Nemko, "you'll probably get laid off again."
Macsai is a writer for BusinessWeek.
