NicoleFinke.com

At this point it seems like everyone knows our economy is in a crisis (unless you’ve been living under a rock). With a $17 billion bailout to GM and Chrysler as the latest step of government intervention, President Bush stated that it was better to hand over the $17 billion than to face a worsening recession. I’m not exactly an expert, but I’m not convinced this is the answer even if I understand why it’s being done.

First, the U.S. auto industry is already considered to be a dying industry. The U.S. department of commerce released automotive industry trends, and the state of decline is not unnoticed.

• GM market share fell 10% between 1990 and 2005 (from 36% to 26%)
• Ford fell from 24% to 17% in the same period
• Chrysler holds 12.86% of the current market

Foreign auto makers have taken distinct portions of the U.S. market due to reasons ranging from reliability to price, but the bottom line is the U.S. auto industry is in trouble.

So why bail out this industry? The auto industry, from parts manufacturing to car production etc., employs 1 in 10 people in the United States. That’s incredible. In my tiny Nebraska hometown we hold true to that statistic through parts production in the area. If the U.S. auto industry would tank completely 800 out of the 8,000 people of our population would be out of work. In this worsening economy, especially in rural areas with limited options, this is unthinkable.

As difficult as it is to face though, the industry is in decline either way. Maybe it does need to be propped up now during the current crisis, but is there really any “good” time to allow 1/10 people to lose their jobs even if it’s inevitable? I think now is the time to plan ahead and figure out what can be done to create jobs that have a future for those employed in the automotive industry because unless there are some dramatic changes that a $17 billion bailout can’t provide, it looks like they’re probably on their way out anyway.

I recently read a blog post on brazen careerist about how most people are “lurkers” when it comes to blogging and social media in general. As creepy as the terminology is, I couldn’t agree more that most of us fit that mold.

Nisha Chittal, author of the piece, maintains this is because people lack the courage to blog in the first place or feel they have nothing to contribute. Though I admit at least some of my lurking can be attributed to those factors, my lack of courage (and I’m guessing a few others out there) comes from wanting to be heard, wanting to contribute, and especially wanting to be a part of the vibrant social media community online, but also being paralyzed to take the next step because the blog post needs to be perfect.

Unfortunately, with that mindset, there never will be a blog. You have to learn to be ok with people reading your thoughts and opinions; if they disagree that’s ok too because it can lead to great conversation. Maybe we’ll all learn to look at an issue a different way. As the wise Mike Sansone told me via Twitter, just mind dump! The direction will develop on its own.

It’s common knowledge that connecting with people is critical to attaining goals. Connecting within an organization is a key element to leadership success as John C. Maxwell so wisely advises in his “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” From my experience though, creating the connection without seeing “what’s in it for me” becomes a roadblock for students and professionals alike.

Oddly enough, that mentality is backwards and hinders the relationship-building. It’s easy enough to talk about yourself, but establishing a real connection is a two-way street. Most of us have people we love to be around not only because they’re our friends, but because of their genuine interest. It goes back to what my Dad always told me growing up – people love the sound of their own name – it’s simple to remember and is entirely true. If you’re genuinely interested, ask questions, and maybe even remember their name, they are more likely to be interested in what you have to say. This is the pillar many miss in the concept: Make it a conversation, not a monologue.

So I’m finally taking the plunge to start a blog and don’t even know where to begin. Over the last few months I’ve been slowly talked into blogging by some friends and a presentation by Mike Sansone finally tipped the scale.

What he said that truly stuck with me was that “If you can’t promote yourself, how can a company expect you to be able to promote their product?” It hit me that no matter how hard I work at internships, or how many networking events I go to, leaving out social media will cause me to miss countless opportunities in meeting new friends and gaining insight from more experienced professionals. So, here I am ready to take a stab at it – look for new posts in the coming weeks!