In a recent blog post, Abdus Salam (http://better-jobs-advice.blogspot.com/) points out the importance of being ready for interviewers to ask you about your weaknesses. He says to be straight-forward and honest. While I most certainly agree with his point, my response is below.
Great advice. I happen to be responsible for hiring new associates and while weaknesses are important to know about, it's more important to understand that we all have them. If I'm asked about my weaknesses, I'll admit that I need a calendar and task list to be organized, otherwise all bets are off, but I'll also say that with those tools and my other strengths, I'm going to break records. Immediately redirecting to strengths and opportunities is a good way to keep interviewers on-point as to why they would be making a huge mistake not to hire you.
Take a loot at Salam's Better Jobs Advice blog. It's really good and he makes extremely good points.
When it comes to getting hired, always, always, always be honest when asked about your weaknesses, but do your best to keep the interviewer focused on your strengths and on the opportunities those are likely to bring to the company.
Showing posts with label human resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human resources. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Qualities of Great Leaders
Great leaders have many qualities - so many that I can't possibly list them all here. You will likely think of others. Regardless, I want you to read this list and evaluate yourself on each one. Be brutally honest with yourself and work on the areas where you are not as strong. Most importantly, build on your current strengths. These are the things that probably come naturally to you. Finally, if you find that you are the exact opposite of any of these, consider how being so detracts from your overall leadership ability.
Leaders are skillful and persuasive speakers.
Leaders have a positive attitude that is contagious.
Leaders motivate others.
Leaders have a vision of greatness.
Leaders are compassionate.
Leaders are trustworthy.
Leaders persuade rather than coerce.
Leaders empower others to make good and innovative decisions.
Leaders are ethical.
Leaders are honest.
Leaders have unyielding drive.
Leaders never show pettiness, spite or vengeance.
Leaders encourage innovative thinking.
Leaders control their temper.
Leaders are consistent.
Leaders make tough decisions.
Leaders set and reach goals.
Leaders are self-confident.
Leaders are dynamic and energetic.
Leaders frequently praise others.
Leaders plan ahead.
Leaders treat others as equals.
Leaders show respect.
Leaders never gossip.
Leaders never speak badly of others.
Leaders delegate to accomplish more.
Leaders know that good people are the key to success.
Leaders care about their staff.
Leaders identify and build on each person’s unique talents.
Leaders place strengths ahead of weaknesses.
Leaders instill confidence in others.
Leaders want to inspire others.
Leaders reject average.
Leaders listen at least as much as they talk.
Leaders give credit to others, even when it sometimes belongs to themselves.
Leaders take responsibility for problems.
Leaders focus on solutions more than problems.
Leaders solve problems before they get out-of-hand.
Leaders set consistent expectations for everyone.
Leaders use resources efficiently.
Leaders take and learn from constructive criticism.
Leaders criticize without insults or degradation.
Leaders are skillful and persuasive speakers.
Leaders have a positive attitude that is contagious.
Leaders motivate others.
Leaders have a vision of greatness.
Leaders are compassionate.
Leaders are trustworthy.
Leaders persuade rather than coerce.
Leaders empower others to make good and innovative decisions.
Leaders are ethical.
Leaders are honest.
Leaders have unyielding drive.
Leaders never show pettiness, spite or vengeance.
Leaders encourage innovative thinking.
Leaders control their temper.
Leaders are consistent.
Leaders make tough decisions.
Leaders set and reach goals.
Leaders are self-confident.
Leaders are dynamic and energetic.
Leaders frequently praise others.
Leaders plan ahead.
Leaders treat others as equals.
Leaders show respect.
Leaders never gossip.
Leaders never speak badly of others.
Leaders delegate to accomplish more.
Leaders know that good people are the key to success.
Leaders care about their staff.
Leaders identify and build on each person’s unique talents.
Leaders place strengths ahead of weaknesses.
Leaders instill confidence in others.
Leaders want to inspire others.
Leaders reject average.
Leaders listen at least as much as they talk.
Leaders give credit to others, even when it sometimes belongs to themselves.
Leaders take responsibility for problems.
Leaders focus on solutions more than problems.
Leaders solve problems before they get out-of-hand.
Leaders set consistent expectations for everyone.
Leaders use resources efficiently.
Leaders take and learn from constructive criticism.
Leaders criticize without insults or degradation.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
10 Tools for Getting a Pay Raise
Some companies give cost-of-living increases. Others give automatic pay increases annually. Still others give pay increases in the form of bonuses (that are often undeserved). When you want the pay raise that you really "deserve", you need to use these tools.
1. Most importantly - you must ask for the raise.
2. Calculate and present your worth / value to the organization. How much did you do in sales in the past year? How do you rank among your co-workers? What was the overall dollar value of your performance?
3. Present the market value for your position / job title in your geographic area. You can use web sites like www.salary.com to find a very rough estimate of your market value. A better way to do this would be for you to call other businesses and talk to others who do your same kind of job. When you share salary information with others in your industry, you give those other people tools that they can work with and this will probably convince them to talk to you about salary. This is a form of salary survey like salary.com uses - only on a smaller scale. (Note: your company probably has policies on discussing salary with your co-workers. Don't violate this policy and get yourself fired. That's why I suggested talking to people in other companies.)
4. Be willing to take on new responsibilities that will increase your future value to the organization.
5. Ask for more than you expect to receive. This gives your supervisor room to negotiate. When you concede some of the money that you're asking for, you supervisor gets to "win" when he/she gives you less that you ask for and you actually "win" because you get a nice pay raise. This is a proven negotiation technique that works. Even if it seems silly, do it anyway.
6. Don't expect to get your answer today but know that the longer your supervisor takes to "think about it", the less likely you are to get what you want. The better your presentation of facts and the more likable you are already, the more likely you are to get resolution sooner than later.
7. If you don't get an answer today, you must always ask, "what day can I expect you to have a decision on this matter?" It's important that you have a mutually agreed upon time line. The longer it takes, the less likely you are to get the result you deserve. So, get a firm deadline.
8. If your supervisor is required to take your request to a higher authority, ask them to take a stand for you. Here's what you have to say: "Considering my high value to the organization and the market rate that is above what I'm currently getting paid, will you recommend to your boss that I get my requested pay increase?" When you get the supervisor to commit to helping you, he/she will be very likely to make a strong effort to do so, if for nothing else, to remain consistent with their agreement to help. This is a powerful influence technique.
9. Ask for objections to find out what, if anything, would prevent you from getting your raise. When you don't know what the objections are, you can't change anyone's mind. You need to know what your supervisor is thinking if you want a good outcome.
10. Tell the supervisor that they already agree with your position. I love this one the most. When you are presenting all of the facts, you tell your supervisor, "You'll agree that I'm being paid less than market value, especially considering my excellent production." Or, you might say, "Our company values high performance, that's why you'll agree that rewarding my performance is the right thing to do." Or, "I'm sure we agree that high performance deserves high reward." The key is that anytime you can emphasize points of agreement with your presentation of facts, you will significantly influence your situation.
Finally, many people think that it's a good idea to threaten to quit if you don't get what you ask for. What a bad mistake! Never, ever, ever do this unless you are ready to walk out the door right now. Threatening to quit does not win you favor with your employer -present or future. If your value is not perceived as being high, you are probably punching your ticket with the threat of quitting. Even if you were previously perceived as being valuable, now you have left a bad taste in your employer's mouth and that's a devastating result for you. Threatening to quit is only going to work if your employer is short on other talented people in your position, but only in the short-term. As soon as someone else is hired, you could be fired. Lastly on this topic, never threaten to quit unless you already have another job lined up. You might just be asked to leave right then.
Don't make yourself jobless when you're just trying to get a raise. Instead, follow these 10 tools, stay employed, and get the raise you deserve.
1. Most importantly - you must ask for the raise.
2. Calculate and present your worth / value to the organization. How much did you do in sales in the past year? How do you rank among your co-workers? What was the overall dollar value of your performance?
3. Present the market value for your position / job title in your geographic area. You can use web sites like www.salary.com to find a very rough estimate of your market value. A better way to do this would be for you to call other businesses and talk to others who do your same kind of job. When you share salary information with others in your industry, you give those other people tools that they can work with and this will probably convince them to talk to you about salary. This is a form of salary survey like salary.com uses - only on a smaller scale. (Note: your company probably has policies on discussing salary with your co-workers. Don't violate this policy and get yourself fired. That's why I suggested talking to people in other companies.)
4. Be willing to take on new responsibilities that will increase your future value to the organization.
5. Ask for more than you expect to receive. This gives your supervisor room to negotiate. When you concede some of the money that you're asking for, you supervisor gets to "win" when he/she gives you less that you ask for and you actually "win" because you get a nice pay raise. This is a proven negotiation technique that works. Even if it seems silly, do it anyway.
6. Don't expect to get your answer today but know that the longer your supervisor takes to "think about it", the less likely you are to get what you want. The better your presentation of facts and the more likable you are already, the more likely you are to get resolution sooner than later.
7. If you don't get an answer today, you must always ask, "what day can I expect you to have a decision on this matter?" It's important that you have a mutually agreed upon time line. The longer it takes, the less likely you are to get the result you deserve. So, get a firm deadline.
8. If your supervisor is required to take your request to a higher authority, ask them to take a stand for you. Here's what you have to say: "Considering my high value to the organization and the market rate that is above what I'm currently getting paid, will you recommend to your boss that I get my requested pay increase?" When you get the supervisor to commit to helping you, he/she will be very likely to make a strong effort to do so, if for nothing else, to remain consistent with their agreement to help. This is a powerful influence technique.
9. Ask for objections to find out what, if anything, would prevent you from getting your raise. When you don't know what the objections are, you can't change anyone's mind. You need to know what your supervisor is thinking if you want a good outcome.
10. Tell the supervisor that they already agree with your position. I love this one the most. When you are presenting all of the facts, you tell your supervisor, "You'll agree that I'm being paid less than market value, especially considering my excellent production." Or, you might say, "Our company values high performance, that's why you'll agree that rewarding my performance is the right thing to do." Or, "I'm sure we agree that high performance deserves high reward." The key is that anytime you can emphasize points of agreement with your presentation of facts, you will significantly influence your situation.
Finally, many people think that it's a good idea to threaten to quit if you don't get what you ask for. What a bad mistake! Never, ever, ever do this unless you are ready to walk out the door right now. Threatening to quit does not win you favor with your employer -present or future. If your value is not perceived as being high, you are probably punching your ticket with the threat of quitting. Even if you were previously perceived as being valuable, now you have left a bad taste in your employer's mouth and that's a devastating result for you. Threatening to quit is only going to work if your employer is short on other talented people in your position, but only in the short-term. As soon as someone else is hired, you could be fired. Lastly on this topic, never threaten to quit unless you already have another job lined up. You might just be asked to leave right then.
Don't make yourself jobless when you're just trying to get a raise. Instead, follow these 10 tools, stay employed, and get the raise you deserve.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Management No-No's
As a manager, you must be held to a higher standard than that of those who report to you. No - you must hold yourself to a higher standard. If you don't, then how can you ever expect anything that resembles excellence from your staff? Clearly, you can't. So, let me point out some things that I have seen managers do that you should never do.
1. Don't have a personal vendetta against anyone. It is unacceptable for you to "be out to get someone". I see this mostly when managers feel insecure about their own performance or when they fear that someone under them might take their job. First of all, nobody should ever be able to "take" your job. When you chronically under-perform, you are giving your job away to someone who can do better. So, work hard, be smart, do excellent work, and treat people with dignity and respect. If you find yourself being "out to get someone," don't be surprised if it is you who is gotten.
2. Don't place blame on someone else, or as I like to say it, "throw someone under the bus". As the manager, you are ultimately responsible for everything that you are responsible for. If someone under you messes up, it was your job to have trained them not to make that mistake in the first place. If you did train them, and they continually make that mistake, then it is your job to put them in a more fitting position, or to free up their time to find a better position elsewhere. Placing blame is a sign of weakness in managers. It is unnecessary. Instead, find a solution for problems and fix bad situations.
3. Don't be messy and disorganized. I once heard someone say that if you want to know something about a manager, take a look at their desk. Stacks of paper usually mean unfinished business. Papers scattered all around the desk and office usually means forgotten and thus unfinished business. A messy work area creates a very poor image of the manager and as a manager, you want people to think highly of you, don't you?
4. Don't make excuses for poor performance. First of all, nobody's perfect. Mistakes happen. Own up to them and figure out a way to avoid them in the future. Also, instead of excuses, promote how you will make sure performance will improve. A sign of a good manager is the ability to acknowledge areas of poor performance and fix them. Don't waste anyone's time giving excuses. Just fix it and move on.
5. Don't be a sniper. I hate hearing constant negativity being thrown at people, policies, situation, etc. Managers can not constantly criticize others. They can't use meetings to "throw others under the bus". They can't constantly criticize company policy (especially to their subordinates) and they can't criticize the boss publicly. Snipers always find time for negativity. They always find time for criticism. This just makes me want to take a deeper look at them and see what problems they're causing.
Be a good manager and avoid these no-no's. If you fit into any of the above categories, there's a better than zero chance that you won't get to stay there for long. Be nice. Be positive. Be professional and organized. Be a problem-solver and not a problem-maker.
1. Don't have a personal vendetta against anyone. It is unacceptable for you to "be out to get someone". I see this mostly when managers feel insecure about their own performance or when they fear that someone under them might take their job. First of all, nobody should ever be able to "take" your job. When you chronically under-perform, you are giving your job away to someone who can do better. So, work hard, be smart, do excellent work, and treat people with dignity and respect. If you find yourself being "out to get someone," don't be surprised if it is you who is gotten.
2. Don't place blame on someone else, or as I like to say it, "throw someone under the bus". As the manager, you are ultimately responsible for everything that you are responsible for. If someone under you messes up, it was your job to have trained them not to make that mistake in the first place. If you did train them, and they continually make that mistake, then it is your job to put them in a more fitting position, or to free up their time to find a better position elsewhere. Placing blame is a sign of weakness in managers. It is unnecessary. Instead, find a solution for problems and fix bad situations.
3. Don't be messy and disorganized. I once heard someone say that if you want to know something about a manager, take a look at their desk. Stacks of paper usually mean unfinished business. Papers scattered all around the desk and office usually means forgotten and thus unfinished business. A messy work area creates a very poor image of the manager and as a manager, you want people to think highly of you, don't you?
4. Don't make excuses for poor performance. First of all, nobody's perfect. Mistakes happen. Own up to them and figure out a way to avoid them in the future. Also, instead of excuses, promote how you will make sure performance will improve. A sign of a good manager is the ability to acknowledge areas of poor performance and fix them. Don't waste anyone's time giving excuses. Just fix it and move on.
5. Don't be a sniper. I hate hearing constant negativity being thrown at people, policies, situation, etc. Managers can not constantly criticize others. They can't use meetings to "throw others under the bus". They can't constantly criticize company policy (especially to their subordinates) and they can't criticize the boss publicly. Snipers always find time for negativity. They always find time for criticism. This just makes me want to take a deeper look at them and see what problems they're causing.
Be a good manager and avoid these no-no's. If you fit into any of the above categories, there's a better than zero chance that you won't get to stay there for long. Be nice. Be positive. Be professional and organized. Be a problem-solver and not a problem-maker.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Turning Around a Failing Business - Part 2
When we took over the other office, it took about 9 months to take the office from losing tons of money every month to starting to make it into the positive. In this blog, I am going to outline all of the steps we took to turn that office into a profit machine.
1. We got the wrong people off the bus and kept the right people on. In one day, I permanently freed up time for several people to find jobs that were better for them. Note: I did all of this in one day. When you're going to do a mass personnel change, it's critically important that you don't drag out the process. Doing this will make the "right" people uneasy and some of them will quit, while others will be poor producers until the time passes. So, I got it all taken care of at once and then assured the remaining associates that their jobs were safe as long they got their act together. Making sure we had the right people on board was the critical first step.
2. The manager who was in charge of the business was demoted and subsequently resigned. I will note here that when the CEO suggested to me that the manager be fired, I opted to allow him to continue his job as clinical director instead of firing him. Does anyone think he would have extended me that same courtesy?
3. We reviewed all of their written systems, found that they weren't using any of them, and re-implemented all of the written systems that I and the CEO had created for use in my office
4. We re-trained the entire staff on all of the written systems - over and over until everyone had it down cold.
5. We created new positions that mirrored some key positions in the other office to make sure that each office operated identically.
6. We put new managers in place to operate the office locally and set up vital reporting lines to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
7. We agreed that I would be on-site at the office at least one day per week and the CEO would be there every other week. Another key manager frequently worked on-site as well to make sure some of the inner-workings of the medical office ran smoothly.
8. We identified and cleaned up the back-logs in every area so that everyone was able to work on current operations and old billings didn't get too old to collect.
9. I trained the new on-site office manager to manage the staff and their operations the right way.
10. We brought the collections operations to the home office in a successful effort to centralize billing and collections. This was a huge success.
11. We graphed everything for ongoing feedback on all business areas.
12. We continue to review their systems, technology, staff, and all business reports to make sure that everything continues to run in a way that breaks records.
So, remember - when you take over a failing business, always make sure you have the right people in place (do this swiftly), create and use effective systems, train everyone to do the right job the right way, teach managers to manage effectively, create feedback systems, graph everything, and never lose touch with the operations.
1. We got the wrong people off the bus and kept the right people on. In one day, I permanently freed up time for several people to find jobs that were better for them. Note: I did all of this in one day. When you're going to do a mass personnel change, it's critically important that you don't drag out the process. Doing this will make the "right" people uneasy and some of them will quit, while others will be poor producers until the time passes. So, I got it all taken care of at once and then assured the remaining associates that their jobs were safe as long they got their act together. Making sure we had the right people on board was the critical first step.
2. The manager who was in charge of the business was demoted and subsequently resigned. I will note here that when the CEO suggested to me that the manager be fired, I opted to allow him to continue his job as clinical director instead of firing him. Does anyone think he would have extended me that same courtesy?
3. We reviewed all of their written systems, found that they weren't using any of them, and re-implemented all of the written systems that I and the CEO had created for use in my office
4. We re-trained the entire staff on all of the written systems - over and over until everyone had it down cold.
5. We created new positions that mirrored some key positions in the other office to make sure that each office operated identically.
6. We put new managers in place to operate the office locally and set up vital reporting lines to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
7. We agreed that I would be on-site at the office at least one day per week and the CEO would be there every other week. Another key manager frequently worked on-site as well to make sure some of the inner-workings of the medical office ran smoothly.
8. We identified and cleaned up the back-logs in every area so that everyone was able to work on current operations and old billings didn't get too old to collect.
9. I trained the new on-site office manager to manage the staff and their operations the right way.
10. We brought the collections operations to the home office in a successful effort to centralize billing and collections. This was a huge success.
11. We graphed everything for ongoing feedback on all business areas.
12. We continue to review their systems, technology, staff, and all business reports to make sure that everything continues to run in a way that breaks records.
So, remember - when you take over a failing business, always make sure you have the right people in place (do this swiftly), create and use effective systems, train everyone to do the right job the right way, teach managers to manage effectively, create feedback systems, graph everything, and never lose touch with the operations.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Are You Emotionally Intelligent?
Emotional Intelligence is the ability, capacity, or skill to identify, assess, and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others. More and more research is being done on this relatively new idea, but it is becoming clear that emotional intelligence is among the top abilities required of managers.
Break down the definition. First, it requires an ability to identify emotions - to recognize and understand them. Next, to assess emotions - where do the emotions stem from, how serious are they, etc. And finally, to manage emotions - how do you deal with them in such a way as to control the outbreak of negative emotions, turn the emotions into productive actions, and determine ways to prevent negative emotions in the future or bring about more positive emotions.
In my experience, this is a key ingredient in a great manager - the ability to recognize, understand emotions and their severity, and to convert them into productive action. Very often however, I have seen managers fail completely in these areas. These managers take the negative emotions of others personally and may possibly lash out at the other person. They seek to invalidate emotions or find excuses for the person expressing emotion. They are nervous in emotional situations and don't know how to respond. They may even avoid them all together and hope the situation just goes away - weak.
That's about negative emotions. What about positive? Managers low in emotional intelligence have no idea how to capitalize on positive emotions. They don't realize that success breads success and that people want to be rewarded for success, especially with public compliments on good work.
Finally, those with emotional intelligence also understand their own emotions. These people don't take bad personal situations out on others. They don't take abuse from their low emotionally intelligent boss and then let it roll down heal (so to speak). They don't take constructive criticism personally. They understand their own strengths and those of others. They build on those and don't penalize people for their weaknesses because they know that we all have weaknesses.
This just scratches the surface for this complex and relatively new topic, but as a manager, you need to understand that such a topic exists and that when you score a high emotional IQ, you will excel. For more information, google emotional intelligence and read more.
Break down the definition. First, it requires an ability to identify emotions - to recognize and understand them. Next, to assess emotions - where do the emotions stem from, how serious are they, etc. And finally, to manage emotions - how do you deal with them in such a way as to control the outbreak of negative emotions, turn the emotions into productive actions, and determine ways to prevent negative emotions in the future or bring about more positive emotions.
In my experience, this is a key ingredient in a great manager - the ability to recognize, understand emotions and their severity, and to convert them into productive action. Very often however, I have seen managers fail completely in these areas. These managers take the negative emotions of others personally and may possibly lash out at the other person. They seek to invalidate emotions or find excuses for the person expressing emotion. They are nervous in emotional situations and don't know how to respond. They may even avoid them all together and hope the situation just goes away - weak.
That's about negative emotions. What about positive? Managers low in emotional intelligence have no idea how to capitalize on positive emotions. They don't realize that success breads success and that people want to be rewarded for success, especially with public compliments on good work.
Finally, those with emotional intelligence also understand their own emotions. These people don't take bad personal situations out on others. They don't take abuse from their low emotionally intelligent boss and then let it roll down heal (so to speak). They don't take constructive criticism personally. They understand their own strengths and those of others. They build on those and don't penalize people for their weaknesses because they know that we all have weaknesses.
This just scratches the surface for this complex and relatively new topic, but as a manager, you need to understand that such a topic exists and that when you score a high emotional IQ, you will excel. For more information, google emotional intelligence and read more.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Boost Productivity With High Morale
Do not overlook the critical importance of having high morale among your staff. People who are unhappy, for good reasons or not, do an overall worse job than those who are happy. Unhappy or dissatisfied employees will be unproductive and make mistakes - even willful mistakes. These people will be more likely to run off your customers and they will bad mouth you to the public. You will pay them hour by hour and day by day to do a poor job and hurt your business until the day that you finally decide to fire them. The worst thing about this is that if you would have done a better job of boosting productivity by boosting morale, you could have avoided all of the bad things that happened. So, the question is: "How do I boost morale in my organization?"
The first thing you must do is ask the staff what's wrong and what's right, what they like and what they dislike, how they feel about management, what they would change about the company, and certainly other questions that are relevant to your organization. You need to take these answers very seriously - especially the trends or the responses that come up over and over again. Let the staff know that you are taking their responses seriously and take appropriate actions on the things that you can change. Communicate the reasons you can't change other things so that the staff at least knows they were considered.
How can you get positive responses that are leading to high productivity and excellent results? Great question! Here are some things you can do and that you really should do right away.
1. Give consistent positive feedback to everyone and for everything that deserves it, even for the smallest things.
2. Sincerely tell people thank you for doing a good job - consistently and often.
3. Don't obsess over the negative and don't panic, especially publicly for the staff to see.
4. Reward success. Set up a reward system for reaching desired targets. These do not have to be in the form of huge bonuses. Small, public rewards and recognitions will go a long way.
5. Give awards such as employee of the month or top performer award.
6. Be super-nice to people. Let them know that you LIKE them and that you CARE about them.
7. Do the little things that cost little and mean a lot. This is different in every office. In my office, it would be something as simple as letting the staff choose different color uniforms when we purchase new uniforms anyway.
8. Train your management team to be supportive to staff and to be expert in their work areas. Expert and supportive managers create high morale among their direct reports.
9. Train employees so that they are expert at their jobs. Highly trained employees tend to have higher job satisfaction because they are equipped to do a good job.
10. Speak nicely of employees in front of their coworkers, their managers, their husbands or wives, and others. Public recognition and compliments make people feel good and want to do a good job. This is very powerful.
Do not under-estimate the power of high morale over your company's productivity. If you ignore it, do not be surprised when you miss the mark. To break records, do the right things to keep people happy and motivated.
The first thing you must do is ask the staff what's wrong and what's right, what they like and what they dislike, how they feel about management, what they would change about the company, and certainly other questions that are relevant to your organization. You need to take these answers very seriously - especially the trends or the responses that come up over and over again. Let the staff know that you are taking their responses seriously and take appropriate actions on the things that you can change. Communicate the reasons you can't change other things so that the staff at least knows they were considered.
How can you get positive responses that are leading to high productivity and excellent results? Great question! Here are some things you can do and that you really should do right away.
1. Give consistent positive feedback to everyone and for everything that deserves it, even for the smallest things.
2. Sincerely tell people thank you for doing a good job - consistently and often.
3. Don't obsess over the negative and don't panic, especially publicly for the staff to see.
4. Reward success. Set up a reward system for reaching desired targets. These do not have to be in the form of huge bonuses. Small, public rewards and recognitions will go a long way.
5. Give awards such as employee of the month or top performer award.
6. Be super-nice to people. Let them know that you LIKE them and that you CARE about them.
7. Do the little things that cost little and mean a lot. This is different in every office. In my office, it would be something as simple as letting the staff choose different color uniforms when we purchase new uniforms anyway.
8. Train your management team to be supportive to staff and to be expert in their work areas. Expert and supportive managers create high morale among their direct reports.
9. Train employees so that they are expert at their jobs. Highly trained employees tend to have higher job satisfaction because they are equipped to do a good job.
10. Speak nicely of employees in front of their coworkers, their managers, their husbands or wives, and others. Public recognition and compliments make people feel good and want to do a good job. This is very powerful.
Do not under-estimate the power of high morale over your company's productivity. If you ignore it, do not be surprised when you miss the mark. To break records, do the right things to keep people happy and motivated.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Signs of Weakness in "Leaders"
When leaders panic, business can suffer. That's why I always say that panic is not a quality of leadership. Along with panic, you could add: blow-ups, extreme furiousness, out-of-control or erratic behavior, and any of a number of other reactions of fear and anger.
With all of that said, here's how business suffers. Others will have a tendency to panic. This can range from a person's fear of losing their job and thus losing focus of doing the right job, to people quitting that you would not want to leave, to those that the "leader" lashed out at sabotaging the business, and more. Knowing these possibilities, why would a "leader" behave this way.
Of course, a true leader would never behave this way. Instead, a true leader will always take a step back from a negative situation and evaluate all of the possible causes and solutions. Solutions usually come quick and easy to a true leader. As a result, the leader has no need for panic, fear, or furious anger. A true leader is great to work for in this way. People who do a great job never fear the wrath of a great leader. The leader knows that these people are the key to the leader's success. Those who don't do a great job, also need not fear because the great leader will train poor performers or mistake makers so that those mistakes are not made again. Should they be made again, the only necessary reaction of the leader would be to find someone else to do the job. No other harm done to the rest of the business.
Never panic. Never let other see weakness in you as displayed with fear, worry, erratic behavior, or anger. These are not leadership qualities. True leaders know this.
With all of that said, here's how business suffers. Others will have a tendency to panic. This can range from a person's fear of losing their job and thus losing focus of doing the right job, to people quitting that you would not want to leave, to those that the "leader" lashed out at sabotaging the business, and more. Knowing these possibilities, why would a "leader" behave this way.
Of course, a true leader would never behave this way. Instead, a true leader will always take a step back from a negative situation and evaluate all of the possible causes and solutions. Solutions usually come quick and easy to a true leader. As a result, the leader has no need for panic, fear, or furious anger. A true leader is great to work for in this way. People who do a great job never fear the wrath of a great leader. The leader knows that these people are the key to the leader's success. Those who don't do a great job, also need not fear because the great leader will train poor performers or mistake makers so that those mistakes are not made again. Should they be made again, the only necessary reaction of the leader would be to find someone else to do the job. No other harm done to the rest of the business.
Never panic. Never let other see weakness in you as displayed with fear, worry, erratic behavior, or anger. These are not leadership qualities. True leaders know this.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Secrets Tips for Getting Hired
I have a unique insight into the business of hiring as I have done it for nearly 10 years. I have seen a lot of things that would make you laugh. So, the first thing I want to do is point out some of the very obvious things not to do if you want to get the job. Again, let me emphasize that all of these things have happened at my office.
1. Don't eat the snack food that is on the interviewers desk. This actually happened in my office. The applicant asked if she could have a piece of the fruit on the desk as she grabbed it out of the interviewers bowl. Not a very good start.
2. Don't bring your child with you to the interview AND ask the receptionist to watch him while you interview. At the very least, this gives you something to have to explain that you might not want to.
3. Don't argue with the interviewer about her interview methods, testing requirements, or just about anything else. Bottom line: you may be right, but in the end will it really matter?
4. Don't have your mother call the interviewer asking why you didn't get the job. Seriously don't.
5. If you're doing drugs - don't. If you are one of the unfortunate idiots that smokes pot or does some other really ignorant drug, don't tell the interviewer that you can't take the drug test because you don't need to use the bathroom, and don't ask upon finding out about the drug test if you can come back another time to take it. Just don't be that stupid - OK?
So, with the amusing, ridiculous items out of the way, the things that follow will give you a significant leg up on the "competition" when you are trying to get a job.
First of all, you need to understand the most important part of any interview - 1st Impressions. Kevin Hogan says in his book, "The Science of Influence," that most people form an impression of you within 30 seconds of first seeing you. This means that you don't even need to say hello. You don't even have to see them coming. Either way, that initial impression is formed and it's very hard to erase if it's a bad one.
What should you do then? Dress to impress. Even if the job requires a uniform consisting of shorts and a t-shirt, you should show up to the interview in a shirt and tie, and even a suit if you have one. You will be showing the interviewer that you're not only serious, but that you are taking them seriously. Also, don't forget to shave, get a fresh hair cut, and look and smell clean. This part seems obvious enough, but believe me when I say it is missed too often.
Next, make eye contact, smile, and give a firm hand shake. There's nothing I hate more than an embarrassing, weak hand shake - especially from a man. Practice this if you need to. It's important.
Once you're past first impressions, you had better have a concisely written resume that sells you to the interviewer. You need to go beyond the standard employment dates and job descriptions. Very important: Connect the dots between you, your history, and the job you want. Very clearly spell out how your background makes you the perfect choice for the position.
What are your Unique Selling Points? You should have 3 to 5 bullet points ready to discuss about yourself that will tell the interviewer exactly who you are and why he/she should pick you. Be confident. Be almost cocky (almost). If the interviewer asks you if you can do something, say yes and even if you're not sure, act like you are.
Prior to the interview, study the company's web site. This will prepare you to ask the right questions during the interview. A good interviewer will let you talk a lot. Don't hang yourself. Have good, pithy questions, and clear, concise answers. Use proper grammar always. Ask the interviewer what he/she is looking for in a candidate. Find a way to be that description. Knowing this answer will help you answer all of the rest of the questions asked of you.
Once the interview is over, give another firm handshake and ask for the job. An accountant once gave me the perfect line at the end of the interview (nobody else has done it since then either). He said, "I want to work for you and I'm the right person for the job." He was too. I ended up learning a lot from that guy. The point? You must ask for the job. Be confident and know that the best way to get anything is to ask for it.
If you don't get the job right then, be sure you say thank you on your way out and then send a card or email later on thanking them again for their time. This message should also reinforce the 5 unique selling points you have for yourself again.
The psychology of this process takes up whole books so I won't go into all of it here. There is clearly a lot more to getting hired, but you should remember the main points here:
1. 1st impressions are critical.
2. Have a winning resume.
3. Ask the right questions.
4. Know your unique selling points.
5. Ask for the job.
6. Send a follow up note reinforcing your USP's.
Read some of Kevin Hogan's books to get more on the very important psychology of these types of interactions. Incidentally, his best book is listed in my 5-Star Book Store.
Good luck!
1. Don't eat the snack food that is on the interviewers desk. This actually happened in my office. The applicant asked if she could have a piece of the fruit on the desk as she grabbed it out of the interviewers bowl. Not a very good start.
2. Don't bring your child with you to the interview AND ask the receptionist to watch him while you interview. At the very least, this gives you something to have to explain that you might not want to.
3. Don't argue with the interviewer about her interview methods, testing requirements, or just about anything else. Bottom line: you may be right, but in the end will it really matter?
4. Don't have your mother call the interviewer asking why you didn't get the job. Seriously don't.
5. If you're doing drugs - don't. If you are one of the unfortunate idiots that smokes pot or does some other really ignorant drug, don't tell the interviewer that you can't take the drug test because you don't need to use the bathroom, and don't ask upon finding out about the drug test if you can come back another time to take it. Just don't be that stupid - OK?
So, with the amusing, ridiculous items out of the way, the things that follow will give you a significant leg up on the "competition" when you are trying to get a job.
First of all, you need to understand the most important part of any interview - 1st Impressions. Kevin Hogan says in his book, "The Science of Influence," that most people form an impression of you within 30 seconds of first seeing you. This means that you don't even need to say hello. You don't even have to see them coming. Either way, that initial impression is formed and it's very hard to erase if it's a bad one.
What should you do then? Dress to impress. Even if the job requires a uniform consisting of shorts and a t-shirt, you should show up to the interview in a shirt and tie, and even a suit if you have one. You will be showing the interviewer that you're not only serious, but that you are taking them seriously. Also, don't forget to shave, get a fresh hair cut, and look and smell clean. This part seems obvious enough, but believe me when I say it is missed too often.
Next, make eye contact, smile, and give a firm hand shake. There's nothing I hate more than an embarrassing, weak hand shake - especially from a man. Practice this if you need to. It's important.
Once you're past first impressions, you had better have a concisely written resume that sells you to the interviewer. You need to go beyond the standard employment dates and job descriptions. Very important: Connect the dots between you, your history, and the job you want. Very clearly spell out how your background makes you the perfect choice for the position.
What are your Unique Selling Points? You should have 3 to 5 bullet points ready to discuss about yourself that will tell the interviewer exactly who you are and why he/she should pick you. Be confident. Be almost cocky (almost). If the interviewer asks you if you can do something, say yes and even if you're not sure, act like you are.
Prior to the interview, study the company's web site. This will prepare you to ask the right questions during the interview. A good interviewer will let you talk a lot. Don't hang yourself. Have good, pithy questions, and clear, concise answers. Use proper grammar always. Ask the interviewer what he/she is looking for in a candidate. Find a way to be that description. Knowing this answer will help you answer all of the rest of the questions asked of you.
Once the interview is over, give another firm handshake and ask for the job. An accountant once gave me the perfect line at the end of the interview (nobody else has done it since then either). He said, "I want to work for you and I'm the right person for the job." He was too. I ended up learning a lot from that guy. The point? You must ask for the job. Be confident and know that the best way to get anything is to ask for it.
If you don't get the job right then, be sure you say thank you on your way out and then send a card or email later on thanking them again for their time. This message should also reinforce the 5 unique selling points you have for yourself again.
The psychology of this process takes up whole books so I won't go into all of it here. There is clearly a lot more to getting hired, but you should remember the main points here:
1. 1st impressions are critical.
2. Have a winning resume.
3. Ask the right questions.
4. Know your unique selling points.
5. Ask for the job.
6. Send a follow up note reinforcing your USP's.
Read some of Kevin Hogan's books to get more on the very important psychology of these types of interactions. Incidentally, his best book is listed in my 5-Star Book Store.
Good luck!
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