by Jillian Vanarsdall on January 29, 2010
I came across this video today of Bill George, a Professor of Management at Harvard Business School, who explains the importance of hiring people should be based now on their values.
He also mentions that now more than ever business owners must focus on the emotional intelligence of the company.
To fully understand the phenomenon of emotional intelligence and to create a successful business, Bill George suggests using assessments and 360 feedback on yourself as a leader and your employees.
by Jillian Vanarsdall on December 3, 2009
“Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results” -Albert Einstein
You’re hiring a new Vice President of Sales. Joe has all the qualifications, experiences, and best of all – he has a great personality. You hire Joe with the full intention that he will perform to your expectations. You spend hours, days, weeks, and even months to train him which costs you a lot of money and time.
Within three months and without an indication, Joe resigns from his position. You’re disappointed, but not shocked–why? Because Joe is the third person you hired for this position in the past year.
What will you do?
- Begin a new hiring process because maybe the “fourth time is the charm”
- Try a new approach by seeking help to determine (1) the real cause on why people are quitting, (2) make appropriate changes, (3) and then hire the “right” person for the job
But before you do the same thing and expect different results, take into consideration:
- 75% of working adults report the most stressful aspect of their job is their immediate boss
- 65% of managers that people have had they would NOT work for again
So Mr./Ms.CEO, what does that mean to you?
Take a step back and analyze your performance as a leader and ask yourself one question: Is it them or is it me?
by Terry Sarbinoff on November 13, 2009
I recently read a book Motivate Your Employees And Make Your Workplace Come Alive by Dr. Joanne G. Sujansky. Dr.Sujansky, a certified speaking professional, highlights 129 tips to motivate your employees.
I chose the top ten tips that I think leaders should know in order to inspire their team:
- Tip#1: Share your principals and live by them. People want to know what you stand for and that you are guided by your values and beliefs.
- Tip #2: Notice the little things that people do for you and say “Thank you.” Send personal notes of congratulations,
condolence, encouragement, and appreciation to your people as often as possible. We have discussed in this high-tech, low-touch world it is sometimes very hard for you to to stand out as a caring, devoted, leader with heart. Believe me you will be acknowledged for your kindness (leveraging our virtues)
- Tip#3: Acknowledge birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, promotions, awards, and community service. People feel
they belong when they are recognized and remembered.This kind of attention keeps them with you or more available to you when you need them the most. Think about this: 65% of those we test have ”Recognition” as a motivator and major driver.
- Tip #4: Express your concern when something sad happens to a person at your company. Showing your heart goes a long way in today’s fast- paced , no time for touch culture. This will demonstrate “empathy” don’t forget 85% of us have deficits relating to our empathetic skills.
- Tip #5: Try something difficult and very challenging for you. Get help if you need it. This is a useful and effective exercise to feel the pressure that we often put on others. It helps us in improving our empathetic competencies.
- Tip #6: Remember and reflect on the process you used when you accomplished previous successes. Reapply it. You and your team can and should repeat previous accomplishments.
- Tip #7: Run participatory, well planned, purposeful meetings. All the people at your company that you interact with want to be involved
and to have their time respected. 97% of upper management want and are determined to contribute during a meeting. 75% feel they do not get the opportunity to do so.
- Tip #8: Support your ideas with 3 points. Mention 3 facts, 3 reasons, 3 benefits, or 3 examples. This helps others remember your points and to attract them to your way of thinking. Try it, it works! Advertisers and Marketing experts say that 80% of us have to hear the same message three times for it to resonate once! Clarity is important.
- Tip #9: Sometimes, be happy and satisfied with less than perfect. If we wait and time passes for the perfect opportunity another team will get there first. Dr. Hogan explained this by stating, “We may stall and never get where we need to be.”
- Tip # 10: Squelch rumors, Kill the grapevine. People have enough to worry about. Think about this: 5 out of 6 of those we have tested using the Hogan have anxiety issues they deal with everyday.
by Bill Caskey on November 4, 2009
We’re constantly talking about ‘inspiring your team’ so I thought today I’d show you a video clip of an interview with Jim Collins (Good To Great), where he addresses this very issue.
by Jillian Vanarsdall on September 28, 2009
“To Understand Follower-Ship, Leaders Need to Grasp
The Survival Benefits of Social Coordination”
I recently read an article, An Evolutionary View-What Followers Want from Their Leaders, that explains the three characteristics dating back to the ancient tribes that every follower needs from their leader.
Roughly two million years ago, the hunter-gather living style did not have formal leadership roles. With tribal-warfare being the major cause of death during the Old Stone Age, tribes needed to establish leadership to survive and that’s where social coordination was formed.
“Social coordination is best facilitated by a decision-making process in which one individual initiates a plan and others agree to pursue it…In this way, leadership evolved as a resource for group success and survival”
The following explains the three core qualities that every tribe follower needed from their leader:
- Choosing when and where to move
- Peacemaking within the group
- Defending against rival groups
Leadership still continues to shape around the core values (along with many others) that will create inspiring leaders:
- Direction: When your followers aren’t sure what path they should go down
- Peacemaking: When your followers are having issues with other individuals in the group
- Protection: When your followers are threatened by competition or even bad luck
The article was fascinating because it illustrates that for the past 2.5 million years the needs of followers have not changed.
With these three basic needs in mind, the authors want you to reflect on your leadership values and ask yourself one question: Why would anyone follow me?”
For more information on An Evolutionary View-What Followers Want from Their Leaders: http://www.hoganassessments.com/sites/default/files/What%20Followers%20Want.doc.pdf
by Bill Caskey on September 3, 2009
I’ve had several conversations with VPs of Sales/Managers in the last few weeks, and it’s absurd to me how tolerant we are of mediocrity.
I recently spoke with a prospect (CEO) on the phone who was complaining about the lack of engagement with his Senior VP’s/Sales Managers. He said he had seven of them, but only one was really performing sufficiently.
That means 85% of his management team are losing. I asked him what he had done about it, and aside from “calling them on the carpet” or “writing them up,” he had done nothing. He said that even though they weren’t performing, he didn’t want to lose them to a competitor.
When will we learn to begin expecting bigger things from people?
Since when do we assume that people intend to behave improperly and get mediocre results? Do we really think that’s their hidden purpose, is to be average? Of course we don’t.
The problem is that people just don’t know how to be superior—how to excel—how to be successful—how to take their game up five levels.
The game is changing, and the skills have to change, too. When my CEO/prospect friend said that he didn’t want to let them go, I challenged him (and probably caused him never to call me back again) to determine what skills his people needed—to bring in experts to teach them those skills.
Here are the five skills I think business development/VPs need to have:
1. Marketing and Lead Generation – Why should these people not be experts at this? Do they listen to teleseminars on the topic; do they go to conferences on the topic; do they read books on the topic; do they watch videos on the topic? When’s the last time you saw a marketing book circulating around the office, with ideas in it marked up, scratched up, dog-eared, highlighted? Ever?
2. Writing – Since when are cohesive thoughts on paper not important? Do your VPs of sales know how to write a compelling sales letter; do they know how to write copy for the web; do they know how to write the intro to an audio piece that might generate thousands of leads for your company?
Or are they content to outsource that to some ad agency who has no soul for the product and doesn’t care about your product and sales, anyway?
3. Strategic Alliances – The VP’s in your organization should understand strategic alliances. Do they take courses in it; do they ask best practices of other people in your company or other firms in your industry; do they have a plan for strategic alliances, or do they do what most companies do—let it come to them?
4. Pain Finding Skills – Are your VPs really good at selling? Do they really understand a problem orientation to professional sales? Or are they merely chasing a number for quota and putting pressure on the salespeople to “get the job done; time’s running out”?
You (or your VP of sales) had better be your best salesperson, or he probably can’t coach his people to do the same.
5. Inspirational Leaders – Do your people go to school to learn to be inspirational leaders; do they read books on the topic; do they study great inspirational leaders like Churchill, Roosevelt and some of the amazing generals in the civil war?
Is there a continuous conversation on how to be more inspirational to your team? If not, why not? Do we detest that conversation because it reveals flaws in the ointment, or do we just not think it’s that important?
Do we think that “we hire seasoned veterans; it’s up to them to be inspired and get out of bed in the morning”? Good luck with that attitude.
If your people aren’t engaged (or are failing), it’s your problem.
I also submit that if you think coaching is for weaklings and losers, then you’re about ready to get your lunch eaten by organizations that see their human capital as THE differential advantage in their market.
Don’t settle for little when the world is abundant and aiming big is a necessity for you.
by Jillian Vanarsdall on August 27, 2009
“Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination” -Unknown Author
We hear it daily–in the car, at home, during work, and even at church.
The U.S is in a recession.
According to the United States Department of Labor, in July 2009, the unemployment rate was 9.4%.
An article from www.management-issues.com by Dan Bobinski states, “When unemployment numbers rise, the truth starts to ring home. All jobs are temporary and people can be let go at any moment. People suddenly realize that neither the government nor corporate America can truly look out for their best interests 24/7, so they step up to make things happen on their own.”
What does this mean to you as a leader? One simple word: Determination.
It’s making sure that you’re being the best leader you can be and looking at the U.S economy as a glass half full.
The first step in being a Determined leader is to educate yourself on ways to help your business and employees grow. The Leadership Institute’s co-founders have recently written a White Paper titled: The Painful Truth About the Uninspiring Leader-How Leadership Deficits Lead to Disengaged Employees.
The paper offers insights on becoming how to be a more inspirational leader, as well as alarming statistics that will make you more motivated to be the best you can be.
Click here access this complimentary copy of the Leadership White Paper. Within minutes, you will be on your way to becoming the Determined Leader your company needs.
by Bill Caskey on August 3, 2009
(The following article is from the magazine Going Bonkers–”Are You Listening To Me”)
“It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever-the one who recognizes his/her challenges and does something about it.” -Vince Lombardi
The Four Sins:
1. Interrupting. “I really am not interested in paying attention to what you have to say which is why I’m not allowing your to finish your sentences and telling you what I think instead-obviously what I have to say is more important than what you’re saying.”
You probably don’t mean to communicate this idea when you interrupt. Nonetheless, that’s the message you’re sending. Whatever you gain by getting your two cents in prematurely, you lose from a relationship perspective. You may be making the greatest point in the world, but the odds are your relationship partner resents your interruption even if she/he appreciates your idea.
2. Finishing the other person’s sentences. This may seem like a harmless behavior, but it conveys another message that hurts relationships: “I know how to complete your thoughts better than you do.”
When you commit this sin, you most likely do so with good intent. You may think you’re showing the other person that you’re on the same wavelength, that you think alike. In fact, finishing a sentence is even worse than interrupting. It’s one thing to stop someone from speaking. It’s something else to speak for him.If this sounds like you, next time you finish someone’s sentence, watch the person carefully. They may not say anything, but see if their eyes or body language reveal their true feelings. Do you see a slight grimace? Does the person’s eyes narrow or glare? Once you witness a negative reaction, you’re less likely to make the same mistake.
3. Lying or faking it when you haven’t been paying attention. Picture this scenario: For whatever reason, you’re distracted. Your attention wanders and you miss everything someone is telling you. Rather than admit you didn’t get everything, you attempt to fake it. You nod your head. When the person asks if you agree with him, you say “yes”. You may think you got away with it, but you’re probably wrong. When you’re really listening, people know it. You’ve probably experience this situation in reverse yourself at one time or another. Perhaps you were speaking with someone you can “feel” he wasn’t fully engaged. He may have been nodding and looking right at you, but you could sense he was distracted. Do you remember how this felt on the receiving end?
Remind yourself that other people can sense if you’re not listening, and don’t fake it. Force yourself to be honest and admit you didn’t catch everything that was said. Request that he/she repeat it. Ask for clarification or elaboration. In this way, you’re being honest rather than deceitful. Remember, honesty nurtures relationships, and deceit damages relationships.
4. Rehearsing for a conversation. You may ask yourself: Doesn’t everyone do this? Isn’t it natural to think about what you are going to say as the other person is talking? Communication is a two-way street; your responses are ideally based on what your relationship partner is telling you. A common problem in communication happens when you prepare what you’re going to say to the point that you’re disconnected from the conversation in the present time. The best way to avoid this disconnection is to focus intently on what your relationship partner is saying. Concentrate on being present in the moment, and responding spontaneously to the conversation. The more you focus on the other person, the more likely you’ll be perceived as a good listener.
Source: Going Bonkers: “Are You Listening To Me?”
http://www.gbonkers.com/index.html
by Brooke Green on May 23, 2009
With the addition of The Leadership Institute of Indianapolis
(www.leadershipinstituteofindianapolis.com) to our company offerings, I have been drawn lately to blogs (www.punkrockhr.com) and articles (www.mindtools.com) regarding leaders. It’s no accident that many catch phrases have been created about management and leadership.
* Top down leadership
* It starts at the top
* “With great power comes great responsibility” – Spiderman
* Sh** rolls downhill
They are all true. What is amazing to me is that the “leaders” are usually oblivious to how what they say and do affects their teams (and, ultimately, their business).
We work with a lot of CEO’s, presidents and vice presidents, all successful in their own right. However, there are definitely some that stand out among my favorites. Oh yeah, my favorites happen to be running highly successful, growing companies with happy employees. Go figure.
The top 3 things that I think make great leaders
Great leaders celebrate and dissect wins. They don’t beat the losses (or their employees) like a dead horse.
The really great leaders that I know realize that the learning is in the
good stuff. Why spend so much time beating a dead horse? Don’t we want to
duplicate wins? Smart leaders take time to dig into things that go right.
Duplicate it. Celebrate it.
Great leaders value their people—and they aren’t afraid to tell them.
Leaders that I admire really value their people. They would tell you they
have the cream of the crop. They hire people smarter than themselves to
keep them at the top of their game. Here’s the trick: they actually SAY
these things to their employees. That’s crazy isn’t it?!
Great leaders have a plan—they share the vision.
Remarkable leaders have big thoughts. Big plans. Most importantly, they
share their thoughts and plans with their teams. The team understands how
they fit into the puzzle. Great leaders don’t need to figure out how to
motivate their team to accomplish the vision. Great leaders have teams that strive for the vision as much as they do.
Great leadership in a word: transparency—transparency to your thoughts,
feelings, dreams. Transparency is powerful.
by Bill Caskey on April 2, 2009
In this podcast, we talk about motives and preferences. And we move through some of the Hogan Motives Inventory.
The goal here is to help our listeners understand what drives people to their behavior.
We also promised in this cast a PDF file. Go ahead and download it. Then use it to assess yourself first. Then use it with your people. Feel free to make a copy of it and ask your people to rate themselves.
High Level Leadership Assessment. (Right click and save). This isn’t quite as good as the full Assessment, but not a bad start.
This comes from the Hogan Assessment that we use in our work coaching executives. There are over 2600 Assessments, so Hogan is one of many. If this podcast helps you decide to engage with an assessment, make sure that it covers the Personal Drivers inventory.
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