Are you Indispensable?

The New Normal: Intentional Hiring

5 Minds for the Future

Every New Year’s Eve I think about the year – the good, the bad and even the ugly in order to plan improvement strategies for the coming year. I have been curious, lately, about the changes that this economy has brought to the workplace. What kind of employee will be the most desirable as the recovery ensues? The answer isn’t a simple one, but it is exciting.

Howard Gardner, a psychologist and Harvard professor, defines what kind of intelligences will thrive in the 21st century of speed and information in his book, 5 Minds for the Future. This is the kind of book that will not only shape your new year; but shape how you think about yourself as an employee. It will also shape your views on who you are looking to add to your team in the near future. This book, however, is not a bit of fluff to read with half of your mind while you watch TV. You will need some time and space to read this piece of work, and absorb its contents. However, it is well worth it.

I have a question for you. Where were you on New Year’s Eve in 1999? That was the year of the “Y2K” scare. Did you have a fully stocked pantry for the potential “techno-crisis”? Were you partying the night away? Did you watch with family as the ball dropped in Times Square? What was your demeanor? As I sit here writing this review on my laptop while with my iPhone, I can’t help but laugh. This book is made for those of you who looked past the world-ending scare in 1999 and into the technology driven future that was ahead. This book is the kind of book that will keep you in that visionary place. It will keep you looking toward the future (your future) and the possibilities that lie in its path.

Howard Gardner believes there are 5 minds that will thrive in the future. I can see myself in a little of each of them, and see the importance of each. After reading this book, I am committed to fine tune each kind of mind described in the book during 2010 and beyond.

The Disciplined Mind
The first mind examined by Gardner is the Disciplined Mind. When reading this I couldn’t help but to think about people like Mozart, Michael Phelps and my favorite college professor. While certainly different, they share one thing in common: discipline. They trained their mind to practice a skill, and they became an expert in their field. They excelled through discipline.

The Synthesizing Mind
The second kind of mind probed in Gardner’s book is the Synthesizing Mind. When I read about this kind of mind, I thought of the most organized people that I know. I could literally see the step-by-step process this type of person goes through to make decisions and live. They gather, analyze, compute and translate it all into layman’s terms. Examples of this kind of mind are great professors, pastors, or instructors. They gather information, study it, and analyze it in order to deliver it to the rest of us in a clear format consisting of digestible pieces.

The Creating Mind
The third type of mind inspected by Gardner is the Creating Mind. I immediately thought, “Oh, this is the one everyone wants to be and be thought of, creative.” I do believe, though, after reading about this mind-type that there is a lot more pressure on this sort of person to be out-of-the-box and distinctly original. They certainly deserve much more respect than they get. These are the people among us who actually discover new problems, new questions, and phenomena . . .and new ways to approach them. These people have a truly beautiful mind.

The Respectful Mind
Gardner, next, defines the Respectful Mind. What a great mind to have. This person is the one some people may call a “saint”. This type of thinker looks at every situation, person and idea without a preconceived notion. They go beyond being diplomatic and really strive to understand all human groups. These people are able to form and maintain good relationships with people. In this interlinked world, this type of mind will be invaluable.

The Ethical Mind
The fifth mind that Gardner explores is the Ethical Mind. This mind is essential to every aspect of our lives. We live in an era in which scandals like the AIG fiasco and the Enron debacle have made cynics of us all. This kind of person doesn’t just do what is required; they go above and beyond. This is the person who goes the extra mile in a project at work, the friend that not only picks you up from the airport, but brings you your favorite beverage – this is the person that is truly considerate of the needs of their employer and the people in their lives. While I was reading about this mind, I could hear my dad telling me, “Amanda, the way to get noticed is to be a degree above average.” He always encouraged me to go beyond average expectations and mere requirements to step beyond my own self-interest, and reach into others’ true needs. This kind of person will do this for their employer as well as their personal relationships. This person knows their responsibilities to their fellow human beings they are mindful of their duties as citizens of the world and workplace. Incidentally, this person is the one who got you what you really wanted for Christmas . . . not their perception of what you needed.

I hope my experience with Howard Gardner’s book encourages you to start off your new year with this book. It is a great tool, not just for HR Managers, but for everyone who is looking toward the future of the workplace with excitement and anticipation. The future will always be unpredictable, but with this book, you can face it with tools to thrive in the new economy.

Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em

Brain Training

Ah, the holiday season is upon us. This is the time of the year that everyone seems to be smiling, the weather is crisp, the holiday decorations come out, and everyone at the office just seems happier.

Yeah, right. We are in a recession people! Unemployment is high, it’s flu season, retail shops are suffering, and no one feels like decking the halls. Fa-la-la-la-la.

If you relate to the latter paragraph (like most people do), I believe that John Maxwell’s book, Thinking for a Change could significantly improve your current methods of operation. (It helped mine!)

Mr. Maxwell begins by defining what “thinking for a change” entails. The book is about approaching both your work and personal life in a new way. Mr. Maxwell purports that we learn from a very young age WHAT to think, but not HOW to think. He proposes that we can change our “negative Nellie” way of thinking. John Maxwell skillfully breaks down both the purpose of thinking and strategies to become a better . . . thinker! A good thinker, a positive thinker, a creative thinker. . . and stay there. (I hope that you’re getting excited about reading this! If you are not excited about the possibility of stronger thinking skills, you might want to check your pulse.)

I have to warn you, though, the road to strong thinking skills is long. It isn’t something you achieve overnight, but a process. It’s not automatic, and it is not easy, but it is worth it! Here is how the process works:

First, change your beliefs about thinking.
Thinking, real thinking, can be hard work. However, if you view this hard work as an investment in your life, you will experience the benefits immediately. Changing your beliefs about thinking will change your expectations, which, in turn, will alter your attitude.

Next, change your behavior.
It’s never easy to change repetitive behavior, but if a negative mindset or an unengaged cerebellum has become a lifestyle for you - you need to drop that habit like a burning coal. Changing your behavior will change your performance, your results, and ultimately - your life.

Calgon for the Mind
To begin on the road to successful thinking, you must find a “thinking spot”. When I read this, my mind immediately went back to my hometown. When I was a child, I had a secret place, a field that I would go to in order to sit and think. It was an open field, and it seemed as if I could see every star in the sky. I am sure that many of you remember your own childhood haven - most of us had some kind of little getaway growing up. It seems instinctive. When did we forget that we needed time to process? I have already started to look for my new thinking spot, and I encourage you to do the same. John Maxwell stresses the importance of keeping your “thinking spot” to yourself and making sure there are no distractions. Let your family know that your cell phone will be (gasp) off for an hour or so, and get away from any distractions that will keep your mind from flexing.

In the final portion of the book, Mr. Maxwell gets practical. He reviews the 11 skills of successful thinking, and asks you to evaluate yourself on each skill. Don’t worry, Maxwell admits that no one person can be a master of all the skills. You will be asked in the book to rate yourself regarding each skill on a a scale from 1-10 (10 is the highest). Interestingly, Maxwell says that you should focus 80% of your time on the types of thinking in which you score an 8 or higher, 20% of your time on the thinking styles in which you score a 6 or 7, and 0% on the skills that you score a 5 or less on. Here are the skills he focuses on:

John Maxwell’s Keys to Successful Thinking

1. Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking
2. Engage in Focused Thinking
3. Harness Creative Thinking
4. Employ Realistic Thinking
5. Utilize Strategic Thinking
6. Explore Possibility Thinking
7. Learn from Reflective Thinking
8. Question Popular Thinking
9. Benefit from Shared Thinking
10. Practice Unselfish Thinking
11. Rely on Bottom-Line Thinking

In order to break through barriers in this life, it is imperative that we develop our thinking skills. This recession is the perfect opportunity to put these techniques to use. I see it happening at my office…and the results are amazing. This economy has been a challenge for everyone, but this year I have seen my teammates and managers get creative. Our team has pushed through many of the challenges in this economy with strong shared thinking and creative solutions to problems most of us have never faced before. As a result, I can see my own skills being honed. The challenge has become an opportunity rather than a burden.

Getting Things Done

It’s summer 2009. I am sure that your New Year’s resolution is long forgotten. Each January, like most people, I promise myself that this will be the year that I get organized. Organization has been a life-long struggle for me, but finally, it seems, there is hope on the horizon. An acquaintance of mine recently encouraged me to read David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I agreed, mentally getting ready to slam it in this book review and toss it into my “Half Priced Books” pile when I was done with it. I was wrong.

Mr. Allen changed my mind. He has a clear and concise approach to organization and effectiveness that leads to a stress free life. Notice that I didn’t say work life. Mr. Allen’s approach to organization includes ALL of the thoughts, tasks, and lists that are floating around in your head.

The Zone
In The Art of Getting Things Done, David Allen details the steps you need to take in order to get into what he describes as the “zone”. The zone is the optimal place in which you are getting things accomplished effectively and with clarity. Mr. Allen suggests that we can enter the “zone” by moving past the symptom and getting to the root problem: our own minds. He encourages us to get our “stuff” (any list, thought, idea) out of our cluttered minds and onto paper in order to get organized and to think clearly. The concept of physically writing and organizing every thought sounds a little overwhelming, but it could bring relief.

As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think of Chef Machiba on Iron Chef. If you have not seen it, Iron Chef is a TV show in which top chefs have exactly an hour to create a full menu of courses for judges to taste. Iron Chef Machiba was skilled in calligraphy, and used precious minutes at the beginning of each competition to write a menu. He explained that he wrote out his menu to clarify what he wanted to present and to communicate with his team. With his menu on paper, he was able to clear his mind and win. In fact, one time he forgot to write a menu and he lost.

Application
The most intense section of the book is about Practicing Stress Free Productivity. Notice that he calls it practicing. This is not a magic system to pick up overnight and skip away to organizational Nirvana. It is a process. It is teaching your mind a new way of living and organization. You start out with gathering every piece of paper in your office and home and sorting them into different piles. It will be a little overwhelming, but this process is essential to your mind shift and to your lifestyle change. Sorting clears the way for clear thinking. Mr. Allen says it best: “You increase your productivity and creativity exponentially when you think about the right things at the right time to capture your value-added thinking”.

Onward and Forward
Finally, in The Power of Key Principles, you learn how to keep the system that you have worked to develop in place. Much like maintaining a weight loss goal, it has to be a way of life. You must press forward with positive thinking and a mindset that is always looking for the next action. This style of thinking will keep you moving forward and focused, in essence, training your brain.

Getting Things Done in 2009
At the end of this book I felt refreshed and motivated; I think I will actually be successful this time in the organization of my life by applying David Allen’s methods, with some modifications. This book was written in 2001, and since then, there have been major advances in technology that have changed the way we work. Today, many of us work completely from our smart phones and laptops. So instead of having your filing system at work on paper alone, it may be best to store your system electronically. Today, your system needs to be as mobile as you are. For now, my system is a blend of both; only storing the most urgent things on my computer and phone. I can see though, eventually, I will store most everything electronically, and I am working toward that goal.

It’s 2009, and it’s imperative that we sort through the chaos in our minds. Not only that, but today we have to do it quickly and incorporate the technology that has replaced the paper we used in 2001. I look forward to getting clear this year, and getting things done with David Allen’s principles.

Amanda Stark is an Executive Recruiter with Delta Dallas. Reach her at astark@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

The Seven Hidden Reasons Employees Leave

The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave

Book Review by Tabitha Woods

No one likes to talk about why employees leave. Most companies give people a cursory exit interview if they give one at all, and almost no one actively tracks exit responses of departing employees. We usually believe exiting employees when they say that they are leaving because of a better opportunity, or more money . . . but what if they are lying to us when they leave?

They just might be. Recently, I had the opportunity to read The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave by Leigh Branham. In his book, Mr. Branham observes a survey which states that “89 percent of managers said they believe that employees leave and stay mostly for the money.” However, Branham’s own research as well as other studies that have been done on this topic show that “80-90% of employees leave for reasons related NOT to money, but to the job, the manager, the culture or the work environment”. Wow. These are all internal reasons that can be addressed and improved. So what is a company to do if their exiting employees are not telling them the truth about their reasons for leaving?

Disengagement

The first issue that needs to be noted and addressed in any organization is disengagement. Any HR manager will tell you that employees disengage before they quit. Even worse, when disengaged employees stay, their production suffers, and they can affect the morale of their teams as well as customer perception. In his book, Branham refers to a study by the Gallup Organization that indicates U.S. workers may be more disengaged than we thought. The study indicated that a full 75% of U.S. workers are disengaged to some degree in their jobs. Clearly, no one is immune to the perils of costly employee disengagement, but Branham details 54 practices to help engage employees and keep them bonded to your organization.

 

The 7 Deadly Reasons

The next step in lowering your employee turnover is to understand the top seven reasons people choose to leave, and identify which ones are an issue in your organization. Branham breaks them down as follows:

Reason #1 The Job or Workplace Was Not as Expected

Reason #2 The Mismatch Between Job and Person

Reason #3 Too Little Coaching or Feedback

Reason #4 Too Few Growth and Advancement Opportunities

Reason #5 Feeling Devalued and Unrecognized

Reason #6 Stress from Overwork and Work-Life Imbalance

Reason #7 Loss of Trust or Confidence in Senior Leaders

Branham goes over each of these reasons and breaks down the intricacies and causes of each one. He skillfully delves into the psychology of loyalty, the importance of being valued, and engagement. Most importantly, he brings practical suggestions for change and has structured the book so that you can skip around and build a plan based on the needs in your company. He has done a great job of gathering data, interpreting that data, and translating it into useful information and tools for retention. This book is a must-read.

The current recession has been an eye-opener for all of us. In fact, it seems a bit counter-intuitive to focus on retention during world-wide recession. Eventually, though, the economy will get better, and at that point, talent will be a deeper commodity for businesses than it has ever been. If you haven’t already, it is time to start building a reputation as a great company to work for. Take the time now to build a culture that supports employee success and retention, and you will not only keep the key talent that has remained at your company during this economy, but attract additional top-tier talent when the recovery begins. Position your team now for high engagement and employee loyalty, and you will be ahead of the pack when the momentum of economic recovery ramps up.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at twoods@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

 

 

 

Women Leaders: Influencing the Future

Recently, I took a quantum leap and did something I had not done before.  I asked my 95 contacts on LinkedIn to “Recommend Me” as a leader in the staffing/recruiting industry.  Many of the comments came from people I had worked with more than 10 years ago, and to say the least, I was awed and humbled by their comments. The most interesting comments, though, were submitted by the people who have worked for me.

I was interested to find out how others viewed me as a leader. Their comments compelled me to stop and think about the very nature of leadership and the role of women as leaders.  How do we lead? Do we lead differently than our male counterparts? What are the most desirable traits in leaders, and how do women manifest these traits?

Continuing on LinkedIn, I took a few minutes to view the recommendations of women leaders that I admire. As I read the recommendations for these female leaders, I began to notice commonalities. There were a few characteristics used to describe these women that came up over and over again.  They were:

Professional
Creative/Solutions-Oriented
Mentor/Trainer
Inspiring
Caring

To see traditionally masculine qualities like “professional” and “solutions-oriented” listed next to conventionally feminine qualities like “mentor” and “caring” was extremely satisfying. It made me think that we are beginning to view some feminine qualities as leadership qualities.

Male and Female Leadership:  Is there really a difference?

I asked some colleagues of mine that are currently working for women about their experiences with women in leadership. I wanted to see what they would say. Here is what they said:

“One of the female leaders that I admire partners her intelligence and heart in making recommendations and decisions.”

“…the ability to delegate is important. There are times when women are more focused on doing than delegation. Often times [women leaders] get a reputation for being tough…but actually if they are comfortable in their role, they make excellent leaders.”

“When I have worked for a woman, I find that they are more interested in what is best for me, whether that be about work/life balance issues or even opening the doors for promotional opportunities.”

“The kind of leader I like is one that gives clear direction, has vision, guidance, mentor/coach, confidence in the team to deliver and doesn’t micro-manage. What I have found is that women are more motivating and a guiding influence. Men as leaders are more political in their decision-making and often leave you to figure it out on your own.”

The women leaders whom I have known have had three distinct qualities: dedication, passion and compassion – not necessarily in that order. They have cared about the people on their teams, and are always eager and ready to assist those people in achieving their success.”

These are varied opinions, to be sure, but everyone I spoke with thought that women have, in general, learned to utilize their unique characteristics in order to lead. Today, women are using the very qualities that were previously considered strictly feminine to influence personal performance in their teams.

The Challenge

The challenge of incorporating women into leadership comes from our collective corporate past. Corporate America has been built and led with the perception that soft (feminine) skills are less effective. In her book, Disappearing Acts: Gender, Power, and Relational Practice at Work, author Joyce Fletcher asserts that soft skills and business skills are inextricable. It makes sense.  In my experience, employees who feel respected and cared about are more productive. They’re happier.

Have you ever seen the happy cow commercials? The cows in these commercials are happy, and RealCaliforniaMilk.com is asserting that happy cows make a better product. Women are skilled at relational management. They let their employees know when they are doing a good job, and create company cultures that are productive. I have seen it happen. When employees feel significant, they have a tendency to catch the company vision and produce higher-quality work. Women are also skillful when conflict arises. Emotional intelligence is a benefit to subordinates, superiors and production.

What the Experts are Saying

The Harvard Business Review published an article called “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership” by Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli. They assert that “Women occupy 40% of all managerial positions n the United States.  But only 6% of the Fortune 500’s top executives are female.  And just 2% of those firms have women CEO’s…Women’s leadership style – characterized by innovating, building trust and empowering followers – is ideally suited to today’s business challenges.” They note, “Leadership style issues:  Many female leaders struggle to reconcile qualities people prefer in women (compassion for others) with qualities people think leaders need to succeed (assertion and control).”

Obviously, we still have ground to cover in the percentage of leadership positions women hold. Joyce Fletcher in Disappearing Acts asserts that women are being overlooked for leadership roles because of the types of skills they utilize in order to achieve success. It is not that those skills are any less effective than the masculine traits their counterparts are utilizing to produce performance. Our present corporate culture has put limits on how female leadership is perceived and how far women advance.

Where Are We Now?

There is hope, though. It looks as if the new economy is having an effect on corporate structure.  We could soon have less “tiered” structure models and more team-based structures. Just the place for women to thrive in the future!  We are all becoming more and more interconnected, more collaborative, and the ability to communicate is paramount. In this new economy, women who are able to utilize their emotional intelligence, communication skills, and ability to mentor…just might lead the way!

Social Networking: Your Online Brand

Working for a staffing company is never boring. We are a people business, so daily I hear tales of great candidate successes and every once in a while, shocking defeat. Last month we had to navigate a social networking snafu with a candidate. For most employers and employees, this is new territory.

Employers and recruiters are increasingly using social networking tools to sort through potential job candidates. CareerBuilder recently conducted a survey about employers and their relationship with social networking. The survey was telling. Twenty-two percent of employers said they used social networking sites when they were looking for or evaluating potential job candidates. Thirty-four percent of those that use social networking sites to screen candidates found content that convinced them to remove a candidate from their search. Ouch.

The internet is a public place. It is a permanent record of sorts. There is no doubt at this point, that usage will grow and employers will view a person’s online image as a part of their personal branding.

Here are a few basic guidelines that we give to our candidates when we advise them about social networking:

Strong Hiring Strategies in a Weak Economy

During economic rebounds it is essential that companies acquire or retain high performers to thrive. Right now, companies need top-tier players in order to perform at optimum levels. The question is, “How do you get those players?” Perhaps you already have them on your team. With intentional training and effective leadership to motivate them, you might witness even greater productivity and creativity from these key players.

However, this also might be the time to look outside your company for fresh talent and experienced wisdom.  If you haven’t already, restructuring your hiring strategy can bring you the high performers that your company needs to survive.

1.  Be Patient

Take time with your hiring decisions. Build a plan for the time it will take to find the right candidate you are looking for.  Securing a top-tier performer for your position may take time as you communicate with the candidate and develop the position into the right opportunity.  The good news is that in this economy higher-end applicants are more accessible, but recruiting them may be tougher than you anticipate. A-players are hesitant to make a move in a down economy. If they are truly an A-player, they will ask about the financial situation of the company. The opportunity will attract them only if it aligns with their vision for success.

2.  Define the Process

Develop a process for hiring. The biggest mistake most companies make is having only one or two interviews and rushing to a decision. To make the right hire, your candidate needs to be introduced to the entire team. Senior management, managers, and potential co-workers are an important part of the hiring process. They need to be able to elaborate on their vision for the role and offer insight as to how the candidate will interact at all levels.

Once everyone has had an opportunity to meet the prospective candidate, you must decide how the information will be processed. Create a plan to gather the feedback and rate the candidate based on each member’s meeting. Again, your existing A-players will expect to understand how the prospective role will interact with the organization.

It’s not always an easy process, but thoughtful preparation pays off in the long run. My goals when I work with my clients are to create a realistic timeline, prep the interview team, and develop a clear career path in order to win the candidate for hire. This process promotes open communication internally as well as with the prospective candidate and establishes clarity for all involved in the hiring process.

3.  Make the Call

Who will make the final decision? Too often, I consult with companies who have made poor hiring decisions, and it ends up costing them 1.5-3.0 times the salary for the position.

Jack Welch has said, “Hiring great people is brutally hard. New managers are lucky to get it right half the time. And even executives with decades of experience will tell you that they make the right calls 75% of the time at best.”

At least twice a week I speak with clients that have wasted time and money on a process that was not successful. It’s painful to let the new employee go and face the hiring, onboarding and training processes all over again. (It’s also expensive.) To make solid decisions you need to base them on verifiable information. Game changers will have the testimony of references, test scores, background checks, and a proven track record to verify their value.

4.  Consider Contract Employees

After careful consideration, you may decide that you are not ready to hire. More and more companies are turning to contract employees during this rebound time. Several advantages come with contract workers. First, you have the ability to manage expanding headcount by bringing in a more talented workforce on an as-needed basis. Second, contractors can bring a specific skill set and diversify an environment with outside ideas. A contract worker is also immediately available and can quickly fill a void.

5.  Make an Offer They Can’t Refuse

Should you still decide to hire, and an  A-player has been identified, the company must put together their best possible offer. When my clients are struggling to attract top talent and salary is an issue, I suggest they offer other forms of compensation. There are a variety of possible solutions, but a lot of the compensation packages we put together include additional vacation time, flex time, 4-10 hour day work weeks, and remote access. Candidates find time to be an attractive selling point as it allows for a better work-life balance.

Tough economic times are the perfect time to re-model your hiring strategy.  You have the opportunity right now to acquire top-tier talent that was previously unavailable. A company with high-performance employees can thrive in any economic situation. Most importantly, if you build your strategy around acquiring and retaining these game-changers, you can have the team required to press through these times and lead new employees when the recovery begins.

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