Who's Responsible for Getting Bob Hired?

One of the Accountemps commercials just got through airing. I love the farcical nature of the ads and the creativity of the writers. The other thing is, those commercials make me think about a lot of things. They've been food for several proposed blogs that were started and lost or started and saved until I could finish later. Incidentally, Later is coming. But she still needs to finish putting on her make-up.

Back to Accountemps. There was the ad where Nerlman was looking for work for the intern. That one was ripe. There was the first one where Nerlman was calling in sick and learned about Bob. I also remember the one where the manager was taking credit for the excellent reports that were being produced. The VP was looking forward to talking with him about that. And today's gem is about Nerlman's wanting to do something important -- more than he's usually allowed to do. So Mr. [what'shisname?] tells him instead of the finance report, Nerlman can do Payroll while Bob (the temp) does the report. "What's Payroll?" Nerlman asks after celebrating the task with some significance.

But today's commercial comes on the coattail of some real life interactions where a person with excellent credentials is passed over while the recruiter continues their search for the needle in the haystack. So it's time to ask two questions (if not more): (1) How the heck did Nerlman get hired? (2) Why has Bob from Accountemps not been hired?

Nerlman is the consummate slacker. But he's been with the company for as many years as Carter has pills (or peanuts; it depends on which Carter we're talking about). He's good at supervising the intern but the intern is a whinny, sniveling teenager whose worth is stapling papers.

On the other hand, Bob knows how to do every financial function. It must be that Bob has not yet earned his certification. Or maybe he wants the independence (independence?) that temping allows. He's a commitment phobe. There was one commercial where Nerlman was moving his things into the last person's office and Mr. [what'shisname?] said Bob would be moving in there while the replacement was found and speculated that Bob may be the replacement.

So why haven't they hired Bob? Maybe Bob's agency is asking too much in the temp to perm fee percentage. But if this company that keeps calling Bob back in has such challenges and appreciates Bob's proliferate talents and skills so much, why have they not made the first step toward turning around their ROI dive by extending an offer or at least learning how to do a better job of recruiting, screening, and onboarding? Why is it that a recruiter hasn't latched onto Bob like tar on a stick and placed him in one of the Big Four?

Or maybe Bob sees the mess that exists at the company and has mentally said to himself, "Never, in a million years. That's the job from Hell," because there's so much waste and disorganization that it would take too much energy to get things sorted out and kept that way in the long run. Short-term, specific projects help him keep his sanity while driving up his worth.

That brings up another issue. Is Accountemps paying Bob a premium for all of the skills he has? Have they increased his hourly rate to reflect the amount of his demand, especially with Nerlman's company?

Here we have the consummate and elusive desirable candidate -- a qualified candidate. Yet the right recruiter has yet to pick him up and place him in the right situation. Do we really recognize qualified when we see it? Do we really understand what constitutes and what has led to being qualified?

And by the way, just exactly who is responsible for getting Bob hired?

Got Balance?

It seems this idea of having balance in life goes in and out of trend as often as we have new “American Idols”. Fast Company has been talking about balance in various forms for almost ten years. Here’s a simple chronology1:
1997 - it was about keeping everything going, the article was
“Life is a Juggling Act”
1998 - simplify is the new trend, the article was “Keep it Simple”
1999 - forget simplify and use work/life balance as a recruitment
tool, the article titled “The Way to Enough”
2000 - balance was called into question with “A Living or a Life?”
and “You can do anything – but not everything”
2001 – continuing with the trend from 2000 was the article “Slack Off” which emphasized downtime
2002 & 2003 – balance went out of fashion
2004 - balance or rather a good questioning of what balance really is has come back with the article, “Balance is Bunk”.

Apart from magazine articles, balance has been a popular topic of discussion: in books, for organizations trying to understand employee satisfaction, at conferences, and in the news. I feel compelled to add in my thoughts on the subject. I’ve come to think the word “balance” is overused and not well-defined. I don’t know that we’re all talking about the same thing. Your definition of a balanced life may be someone else’s definition of chaos.
Here is a part of the Merriam-Webster Online definition for “balance”:

1. Stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis
2. Equality between the totals of the two sides of an account
3. Equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements
4. An aesthetically pleasing integration of elements
5. Mental and emotional steadiness

I want to focus on a few parts of this definition. First let’s look at the phrases: “contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements” and “integration of elements.” These suggest that there are multiple things to balance that may not always be in perfect harmony. The pieces that need to be balanced may be complete opposites and yet you have to find a way to integrate them into your life to be balanced. When you have found the mixture that allows for all of the elements in your life to be integrated you will have “steadiness, stability, and equipoise.” When the pieces of your life, or interacting elements, are not integrated well you will not have stability. For example, Tom was exercising 3-4 times a week for the past 6 months. It all came to an end when he took the lead on pitching a new piece of business. He left no time to exercise. Tom didn’t notice the first week, but after the second week his body ached a little. After three weeks of not exercising he felt tired and sluggish. Tom was less productive at this time when high productivity was crucial. When Tom used to exercise regularly he had more energy and felt better. Tom no longer felt like his life was in balance.

I want to clarify the phrase: “by even distribution of weight on each side.” This assumes we are talking about something that is two-dimensional. If I took this literally, the article might have been titled: “Got Work/Life Balance?” acknowledging the two-dimensional aspect, but as human beings with multi-faceted lives we must look at balance in a multi-faceted way. Balance changes for each of us from day-to-day; week-to-week; and so on. Your definition of balance must move with your movements lest you become unstable.

When I help my clients assess if their life is in balance, I ask them to look at every aspect of their life. Here is a quick way to do a self-assessment. The ten areas below generally represent all aspects of life. If I am the hub of a wheel, these are my spokes. If you are a visual learner, you may want to draw this as a wheel. Put “me” in the center and from the center draw ten spokes to make your wheel. Next to each spoke indicate your satisfaction level with where you are presently on a scale of 1 (not satisfied) to 10 (completely satisfied).

_____ Health/Body
_____ Fitness
_____ Profession/Career/Business
_____ Money/Financials
_____ Friends/Family
_____ Significant Other/Romance
_____ Physical Environment
_____ Fun/Recreation
_____ Personal Growth
_____ Spirituality

This is an opportunity for you to recognize where you may be out of balance and make adjustments. We may all have different numbers on each spoke depending on what balance means to us. It may also be that you have a short period of time where you do not feel as balanced. By actively assessing where you are, you can put those short periods of imbalance into perspective. It’s when we don’t pay attention to what balance means to us that we find ourselves constantly out of balance with no end in sight.

What does balance means to you? Is it a 10 on every spoke of the wheel? Do you feel your life is balanced today? If not, what needs to shift in order for you to find balance? If so, what do you need to pay attention to in order to maintain balance?


In my coaching work, I find that many of my clients struggle to maintain a balanced life. Typically it is a result of needing to strengthen one or more of the following 5 areas of their life: boundaries, priorities, organization and time management, tolerations, and self-awareness. So you are probably wondering what these clients do to strengthen these areas and bring balance back into their life. First, you have to understand that there is no instantaneous fix that will put your life in balance. Since being in balance is constantly evolving for all of us, what you do to maintain balance must evolve as well. That said, here are definitions of and tips to strengthen the 5 areas of your life in order to help you create and maintain balance:

5 Problem areas, Causes of imbalance, and Ways to Strengthen


1. Boundaries


Cause of Imbalance: Not being able to say “no”
Over committing & feeling overwhelmed
Allowing something to go on or exist that you are unhappy about

Ways to Strengthen:
Identify what is important to you and stay committed to it; when something or someone comes up that is going to move you away from what you are committed to say no or negotiate to a place you are satisfied with



2. Priorities


Cause of Imbalance: A three or four page list of things to do that just keeps growing and growing
Don’t feel like you are in control of the list at all

Ways to Strenthen:
Move from a list of to do’s to a list of priorities. Rank and rate your to do list begin to schedule to do’s according to their priority and the time you have available. Rate and rank often as your priorities will be forever shifting.


3. Organization/ Time Management


Cause of Imbalance: Always late
Can’t find the simplest of items
Stacks of papers all around the desk

Ways to Strenthen:
If you can’t do it yourself get help from someone who can help you organize.
Schedule time to stay organized.
Keep all of your appointments (work & home) on one calendar.
Identify in advance how much time you need to prepare, travel, etc to make an appointment on time, work backwards from the appointment time, identify what you need to stop what you are doing and move to the next thing in order to be on time.


4. Tolerations


Cause of Imbalance: Items in your life you are putting up with (tolerating) that weigh heavily on your conscious. For instance: a copier at work that jams every time they use it; a report that they can never get to run the right way; or a broken knob on a drawer at home. This could be the cause of distress and imbalance and you don’t even realize it consciously.

Ways to Strenthen: Create a list of the items you are putting up with and wasting energy on for Home and for Work. Identify ways to resolve these items. You may find some to be small, simple, or easy and others that if touched will have an avalanche effect. Be aware of what you are getting into as you do it.


5. Self- awareness


Cause of Imbalance: Until doing the wheel of life assessment you may not have really thought about how to define balance and therefore didn’t have a starting point to understand what about the current situation was or wasn’t attributing to being out of balance.

Ways to Strenthen: Do the assessment on a regular basis. Continue to heighten your level of self-awareness. Do so with the positive notion that it is to ultimately improve your balance.

I once had a client say, “This seems like a lot of work. If this is what it takes to be balanced I’d rather stay frustrated and unbalanced.” Not surprising. It does take some work to create and maintain balance in your life. I would encourage you, as I did my client, to take one small step at a time. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It only leads to disappointment and a higher likelihood that you’ll stop altogether. Put a realistic plan in place to strengthen one thing that will move you toward balance and when you feel you have accomplished it take on another item. Finding balance is not a one time shot with a miracle cure. It is a lifetime evolutionary process that must be openly embraced and maintained in order to constantly keep up with what balance means for you.

Too Much Information

It was supposed to be a remedy for unprofessional behavior. It was supposed to be a straw stuck into the sand of the Sahara. It proved to be a backhoe dredging a backyard pond. These words may sound obscure. They're intended to be. While the heart of the circumstances need to be protected as private, it is possible to speak of them generically.

A while back, I spoke of a tempest in a teapot when some recruiter types refused to analogize a situation. There were shouts and screaming. There were put-downs, vast digressions from the topic, public and private threats. Some of the private threats came from people who purportedly hold distinctions from professional associations as well as completing work on advanced degrees. These same private threats came from seasoned professionals.

It became a concern that the words from these folk were so adamant in every regard. With the date of their advanced studies coming to a close, it seemed appropriate to contact their school and ask that an advisor go over some of the concepts that were being missed, especially the matters of harassment, bullying, and threats. A qualified human resources manager holding an MBA in HR Management from a distinguished school would not engage in such conduct.

There was first a call placed to the school main number. Without disclosing any names, there was an inquiry about the proper department to which to report the concern and request the counseling. The ethics line was not the right place to do this. Nor was the Human Resource Department.

Ultimately, the call was directed to the Registrar's office. The attendant was very patient. At this point, the name of the student was provided. The representative checked the records for one spelling of the name, then another, for one location, then another. The name was verified and checked again.

"We have no student by that name in our database," was the final answer and refusal to refer the call. "You mean for your main campus?" was the confirming query. "No, that's nationwide, for all of our campuses. There is no one in our database on any of our campuses who has ever been enrolled in our program." The news hit and fell on the floor like a lead tortilla. It took time to absorb it. "Then what you're saying is this person has misrepresented their credentials." There was silence.

The subject of the inquiry represents that they hold a PHR. They have a bachelor's degree from one very distinguished university, and are a candidate for yet another advanced degree from another very distinguished university. At this point, more questions arose. Is the PHR legitimate? Would a check with registrar's office where the bachelor's degree was earned reveal there was never any enrollment? Would the third university disclose the same situation? Perhaps these are the reasons why the person had difficulty interpreting the information, drawing analogies, and engaged in profoundly unprofessional conduct unbecoming an MBA Human Resources Manager.

What was supposed to be a request that a proposed MBA candidate receive counseling turned into an overwhelming amount of disclosure. Who was the professor at MIT who taught for more than 20 years under false credentials? And it was only until she self-disclosed that the fraud was revealed.

This is yet another reason why we should not take a reference check at face value from anyone. We are all human and not everything even a manager says is necessarily the truth.

E-Learning and the Power of Images

The growth of e-learning has been driven by the demand for faster and effective learning processes. Although many organisations use these technologies and processes for learning, do they really accelerate the learning process? Keith Bound explains his research journey into using imagery and technology to accelerate learning.

Most learning is focused on linguistics such as the written word and language, while other forms of learning communication tend to become secondary or additional. So has the drive for easy access to knowledge and increasing the pace of how we obtain information through modern technology clouded our vision of creating an enriching, creative and fulfilling learning process that is fast and effective?
Over the last three years Image Dynamics™ has been researching and testing new methods to create a paradigm shift in the learning experience by engaging the user at a deep emotional level through reflection, using a combination of imagery, empathic questions and animation sequences. Research supports our theory that imagery should play a crucial role in accelerated learning technologies today and in the future.

Emotional impact
Let us start with the core aspect of learning, retaining information and a study of the emotional impact of images and their connection to long term memory. Dr Stephen Hamann and colleagues at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia presented male volunteers with a series of images using the following criteria, emotionally charged pleasant and unpleasant images; interesting images with little emotional impact and the final group of images which were deemed as uninteresting neutral images.

While subjects viewed each image the researchers recorded their brain activity through positron emission tomography (PET). As expected the most emotionally charged images, pleasant or unpleasant were equal in their effects and both had the highest levels of amygdale activity with long term memory recognition being substantially enhanced. The PET scans also recorded high levels of activity in the hippocampus when subjects were shown emotionally charged images.

Based on this evidence we argue that by applying imagery to a learning process we can reinforce learning at an emotional level. Another interesting study was done by Mark Sadoski who has investigated the relationship between mental and induced imagery and the powerful impact on comprehension, memory and appreciation of text. The studies sited demonstrated that learning and memory performance improved when applying imagery in reading tests.

Imagery
For example Pressley (1976) gave one group of third grade children a mental imagery strategy to help them remember stories and were shown slides depicting good examples of images for the passages. The other group did not see the slide show and were told to do whatever they could do to remember the story. Both groups read a 950 word story with alternating printed and blank pages. The imagery group was reminded at regular intervals to form images on the blank pages while the other group were told to do whatever they could do to remember when they saw the blank pages. Although there was no difference in the reading performance on a 24 item short answer test, the imagery group outperformed the control group. Sadoski sighted other studies from Gambreel 1982, Anderson and Kulavy 1972, Steingart and Glock 1979, Gambell and Bales 1986 and Gambell and Jawitz 1993 who all found students learning and memory performance improved through the use of induced imagery when reading text.
Therefore, these studies seem to suggest that imagery can play an important role in the process of learning & development for all age groups as an effective process for storing fresh memories, accelerating the learning and maintaining long term retention of information. So from these studies we know that we can create a more effective learning experience through using imagery but what about learning styles. It has been argued that a presenter, trainer or teacher should apply a combination of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic styles to ensure they appeal to everyone's learn style. Although everyone has one preferred learning or communication style research suggests that the visual sense becomes the most dominant sense when in conflict with our other senses.

Close you eyes
This is not surprising when you consider that most of the back of the brain is devoted to visual processing and half of the cortex is involved in sight. By just closing our eyes we can alter the way in which we taste food or hear sounds like the voice of a ventriloquist. In fact our visual sense can deceive us if there is a conflict with clues from another sense which was well demonstrated by James Gibson in the late 1930's. He gave a subject a straight metal rod and asked him to feel it with his eyes closed. He feels the rod is straight; then the rod is taken away then is asked to open his eyes and look down at the rod. Unknown to him the rod has a wedge prism which distorts the shape of the rod so that the rod now appears to be curved rather than straight. Not surprisingly when the subject looked down at the rod he saw a curved rod but what was surprising when he touched the rod at the same time he felt the rod was curved and reported nothing usual or rivalry between the senses. This brief example demonstrates that visual stimulating learning programmes may provide a very powerful learning process.

Another important aspect to improved learning performance is to create an effective learning environment. Through medical research guided imagery can have a positive impact on reducing stress, anxiety, pain and blood pressure. Therefore it is likely that using imagery in a learning process will encourage a more relaxed atmosphere encouraging a receptive approach to learning.

Experimentation
Image Dynamics has approached the development of new learning technologies through research on imagery, visual processing and feedback from delegates who have been exposed to our animation techniques in corporate training. We first experimented with clients who wanted a more effective process for breaking through self-limiting beliefs. By allowing the client to reflect on an image and relate it to their situation they were able to develop new solutions - it seemed to trigger their imagination and kick start the creative process.

The next stage was to link questions with images. I found that by using an image as a background with a question on top, it reinforced the meaning of the question and the images allowed the client to explore their imagination and develop new solutions much more easily than if I was just using questioning techniques. After using card based systems with success we decided to project powerful and interesting imagery with empathic questions and keywords through a variety of animation sequences. We found that when delegates viewed the animations they were able to develop clarity of focus and create a mindset shift, encouraging them to look at a business challenge from a fresh perspective.

Based on our experience we believe that delegates maybe able to change their mindset due to the effects of the imagery and animation through possible changes in electroencephalogram waveforms. When we are awake, active, even stressed we experience the Beta wave which is12 Hz+. However as we relax and drift into the first stages of sleep, the cycle per second activity of the brain slows down to Alpha - the second level of sleep is the Theta rhythm (4-8Hz). Although both Alpha and Theta mind states can be accessed through, meditation, hypnosis or through self-reflection, it is interesting to note that children under 13 years naturally experience the Theta rhythm when they are wide awake. Based on this evidence the Image Dynamics process could also accelerate the learning process in the classroom reinforcing learning outputs in the long term memory.

Stimulation
The animation sequences can also be linked to music therefore combining common learning styles Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. The process also integrates well with the key concepts of accelerated learning from creating an effective learning environment and state setting, while the academic studies in imagery and memory demonstrate an effective method of remembering information. Over stimulation is another benefit and can be controlled through the speed, quantity of images, questions and keywords. While the animation sequences can be adapted to suit pattern spotting, learning in broad strokes and chunking, as each animation lasts between 30 seconds to five minutes long. The animation programmes even cut across the theory of multiple intelligences, impacting the following categories of intelligence interpersonal (social interaction), interpersonal (self-reflection), linguistic (words), spatial (images), music and logic due to delegates analysing their journalised thoughts after viewing the animation sequences.

We now have developed the process into miniature learning modules called Nano-Learner™ which can be tailor-made to a specific training programme or coaching methodology. Interest from corporations has been to integrate the process into miniaturised modules for e-learning, personal leadership growth, effective goal setting, developing creativity and problem-solving skills. We also believe this process would also be very effective in education making courses more interesting to children and students. The miniaturised modules would also be ideal as a learning aid for revision.

The process has been described "as a unique sensory and learning experience" by Dr. Mike Bagshaw, an organisational psychologist and director of Trans4mation Ltd who has designed leadership programmes for clients including Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Pfizer, QinetiQ, Shell, he added. "This is a revolutionary innovative perspective in organisational learning which will add a new dimension to e-learning globally. Overall the process reflects a unique orientation and contribution to learning & development.”

Explore the nano-learning approach at http://www.keithbound.com/Nano_Coaching/Nano_Coaching.html


References:

Sadoski, Mark Mental Imagery in Reading: A Sample of Some Significant Studies, Department of EDCI, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 777843-4232, USA, Source: Reading Online, www.readingonline.org

Hamann Stephen, Dr Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
Source: Nature Neuroscience 1999;2:289-293

Vilayanur S. Ramachandran and Diane Rogers- Ramachandran University of California, San Diego
Source: Scientific Amercian Mind Vol 17, number 2, April/May 2006

Tusek, Diane, R.N., B.S.N. Cleveland Clinic Foundation Study of Cardiac surgery patients
Source: Cath-Lab Digest: May 1999, Vol 7, Number 5.

Does your Human Resource department contribute to optimized costs and investments?

- and does your Headcounts help to align financial objectives? Employee costs are often the largest part of company expenses. Therefore executives seek to control employee costs and investments in various different ways. On the other side departmental managers hire to meet their units’ objectives.

Human Resources (HR) are in a unique position to seek and forward visibility to hiring decisions so that it can support both corporate and departmental objectives and accountabilities. Consequently executives, finance, and HR are looking for tools to manage headcount so that business unit decisions are aligned with corporate objectives.

Corporate headcount planning is dependent on many different business drivers e.g. sales and technology. HR needs to control on headcount so costs is aligned with what is required at all times due to the situation related to sales and new technology etc.

In turn headcount can be a driver for operational plans in other functions e.g. IT spending - like the number of computers or networks to purchase and deploy - is directly tied to headcount, which in turn drives IT helpdesk plans for staffing, infrastructure and training.

To achieve aligned headcount with business objectives at all time, headcount status needs to be updated periodically, providing an opportunity to revise headcount and others plans. This also makes sure, that costs are adjusted the best way possible continuously. Again this makes sure that key performance indicators, e.g. operational cost per headcount is optimized for maximum profit over time.

HR ensures compliance with corporate objectives via controlling on headcounts and corporate hiring policies. As HR update existing employee data, HR and staff managers must be aware of hiring policies. Business conditions may dictate an increase or decrease in headcount “predictions” or a shift in new-hiring policies, but no matter the situation the costs need to be controlled.

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) are useful for managing current and historical employee information. Many HRISystems are very useful but they need to be simple and date controlled to be able to create really value added reporting over time. Many HRIS systems do not meet this crucial requirement.

ExcelHRM.com has developed a date controlled headcount reporting tool, which calculates headcounts in any given period of time, historical, present and future, via employee hiring and resignition data. Purpose is to show development in headcounts in a given period of time or headcount on a given date.

The tool maximizes the value in company management reporting and increases effectiveness and optimizes HR- and personnel processes. The tools are easy to use and requires only ordinary employee hiring and resignition data.

No wizardry in doing the basic silo breakdown.

Had something happen to me on Friday night. My kids wanted me to go to a Harry Potter night in town. At night the main roads were closed and the town turned into Hogwarts. I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully planned the event was, considering I was under the impression that this was an add hock event. I think my town is similar to many places these days, a dying downtown due to the 4-lane highway that seems to be sprouting up fast food locations, big box stores and a flagship Wal-Mart. With a few thousand people showing up, it just seemed to have a feel of community.

Arriving at the train station that has been declared an historical site and honestly been on the chopping block for the last 30 years depending on town funding. We were handed a nice 3-fold brochure with 15 destinations to find clues in a scavenger hunt. I walked into these 15 stores, offered a free hot chocolate, read our clue and stamped our card, thumbed through books, waited outside other stores talking to friends and recognizable faces really just shooting the proverbial cooler talk, as my wife and kids looked over rack after rack of clothing. I walked into these stores recognized many faces, shook many hands and really got a chance to see what these “faces” are do for a living and no doubt what keeps them up at night. One of the stops was a candy store, the store was packed the owner actually had to ask her 70 year old father to do crowd control, letting people in as people left the store… to avoid being sardines. I made my way to the cash and I said you are having a good week today and she replied with a huge smile. I am having a GREAT month today and I really needed it things have been really slow lately.

So… for the people that have managed to still be reading this, you are probably asking. What the heck does this have to do with Human Resources. I think what happened to me was a great example on how to break down the silo’s. What I was introduced to stores and services in my town. I see them as really no different than departments in a large company. Both the stores (or departments) have roles to do in order to make the town (or company) work better. Idealistically they share the share many of the same goals. They want to be respected, do something really well…. And perhaps make a decent buck for their efforts. I had a chance to see these store keepers (department heads) show what they do best. HR talks about having a high performance workplace, sharing goals, aligning efforts for to help the company bottom line. (or a strong town) But it wasn’t until I entered these stores (departments) that I appreciated what they do and how they are good for the town. In my prior job I would often have to sit with the Accounts Receivable manager to discuss plans for a delinquent accounts it wasn’t until I understood that what that department goes through to run a 43 day AR. Or a visit to purchasing to blast them for having an A product on back order only to find that the supplier has the widget on backorder and purchasing has sourced an alternative product and the problem stemmed from a hurricane offering a poor yield months ago. Over time I got to know most of the departments (ironically hr was the only department I never visited on my weekly visits to the office). It wasn’t until I had the time to learn what the “goal” was that make me understand the passion. It wasn’t long before I would start to think about how each department in a company interweaves with the other department. Yet very few organizations take the time to understand what those departments do on a daily basis and how they help us reach our business goals.

So my idea to break down the silos would be to have each department head to create a 10-15 minute overview of what duties and responsibilities of that department…. Maybe a few metrics they track and 5 minutes on the metrics that might directly relate to that department. I can think of all the times I walked from department to department with a list of my concerns. Wouldn’t it have been great to be able to say. Cathy back from holidays, hope that you didn’t lose to many days on that 43 day AR. Or Lisa how many inventory turns last month… it seemed busy. Is it possible that in the right organizations a few minutes tacked on to a meeting might be the fundamental step towards conversation and breaking down some silos.

What have you done to help breakdown those silos…. Send them to me… or better yet post them yourself.

David Whitmarsh
dwhitmarsh@hr.com

The Magic of Building Relationships... One Person at a Time

By Jennifer Webb

Let’s assume you’re very successful at what you do, but with constantly changing rules and regulations, juggling priorities and a lot more on your plate lately, you could use a few ideas to continue taking your department to the next level.

As a speaker and consultant I am always researching smarter ways to be effective, and something I discovered years ago still seems to hold true, no matter how many new paradigms and business models are out there, when we’re looking at how to take departments to the next level it’s all about the relationships we build. These relationships are the foundation that enable us to build rapport, handle differences and work more effectively with others.

I’ve seen some people soar in business and others fail dismally, and the successful ones seem to ALWAYS start with the understanding that it’s the relationships that matter. Author Harvey McKay once said people don’t care how much you know when they know how much you care. And as we empower others and take time to build relationships, we know this is what ultimately enables us to be effective.

There’s a current statistic that says we think 60,000 thoughts a day, and 90% of these thoughts are repeats. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out we’re only using 10% of our creativity. And William James, the father of modern psychology, said that very often when we think we’re thinking, we’re just rearranging our prejudices.

So what’s my point? If we are looking for ways to do more with less, handle constant change and continue to balance multiple priorities effectively, then we must start thinking differently, focusing on techniques to create new solutions, new answers to old problems. In today’s business culture the ones who are the most flexible win, and the winners are those who are most willing to step outside comfort zones and look at the myriad of other alternatives. Here are some ideas that reinforce these philosophies:

Idea Number 1: Speak Their Language: So often we can’t build the relationships we need to work more efficiently with people because we’re not speaking their language. If we were trying to build rapport with a Russian colleague, we wouldn’t be speaking Japanese to him. Yet every day we go into offices talking to each other in a foreign language. Let me give you an example. If you have a manager or colleague who is a no nonsense, cut-to-the-chase kind of person, you would NEVER go in and chat about your weekend and give her a 10 minute rundown on a current personal problem. This would be highly ineffective and probably increase frustration all the way around. And if someone reports to you who is garrulous and always wants to talk about his weekend and asks about yours, if you’re too abrupt he will start to resent you big time, which will get in the way of morale and productivity. Obviously there’s a fine line, but the more you know about how people want to be treated and the language they prefer to speak in, the more effective you’ll be.


Idea Number 2: Visualize the results you want. It’s essential to have a clear picture of what you want and need, an understanding of what it’s going to take to make it happen and an ability to help others see your vision, if it’s going to be something that everyone on the team buys into. It’s just not possible to create what you want within your office, to really take business to the next level, unless you have a very clear picture of what that is. What seems to happen however is that as we “see” ourselves, much of the time we’re looking at what isn’t working, what we seem to be failing at or struggling with. How and what we think about ourselves usually becomes our reality.

We become what we focus our energy on, good or bad. If you hear yourself saying “I’ll never get this done” “He’s always such a micro manager” “It’s not possible to finish all this before the day’s over, so why bother” we’re talking ourselves out of creating the results we want. It’s been said we have a dialogue of 600 to 800 words per minute with ourselves, and most of the time we’re worrying about what we don’t want to happen. Since we’re the most influential people we will talk to all day long, it’s time to be aware of these dialogues and start to change the message!

See where you want to be, then add emotion (get excited, feel the thrill of getting compliance from a difficult colleague or the satisfaction of success in handling a challenging customer) in order for the subconscious mind to kick in, get involved, and make your vision a reality. This stuff works. Let me give you an example. A man named James Nesbitt played golf at a certain course, where his scores were documented. When he became a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict he was put in a tiger cage, which didn’t allow him to fully stand up. He was incarcerated there for the better part of seven years, and in order to keep his sanity, he visualized playing golf (perfect game, of course) four hours every day. When released, and in lousy physical shape he went back to the same course where he had played. He had not held a golf club in seven years, yet because of his visualization, he dropped 20 strokes off his game. Use this philosophy, it works. Many of our greatest athletes “see” themselves being successful before they ever begin to play. (Can you imagine what a clear vision Tour de France cyclist Lance Armstrong had in his mind during every leg of his journey?) And in interviewing Muhammad Ali years ago, he “saw” every fight, what round he was going to win in. This technique will enable you to start focusing on what you want out of your day, not what you don’t want. And since others learn by being led, not told, then the clearer our vision, the easier it will be for others to “see” it and follow.

Idea Number 3: When people act out, a need has not been met. One of the most challenging tasks is dealing with difficult people, which can be a catch-all for all sorts of frustrating situations. Keep in mind anytime a person is acting out, a need is not being met. Imagine a pause button in the center of your hand, and when the next annoying situation presents itself, press that button and ask yourself what’s the need that is driving this behavior. Knowledge is power, and with the knowledge of what’s really being communicated to you, you have tremendous power to build a smarter relationship with the person.

As an example, I was talking to attendees at a recent conference in Iowa, and a woman mentioned she had worked with a challenging supervisor; he was always arrogant and never liked her suggestions. He had to be right. Assessing his needs, possibly coming from insecurities, we discussed it was imperative to get his input, help him think ideas were from him and make him look good. You might never want to invite this person to dinner, but the whole idea is the more you can help people feel safe—even the obnoxious ones—and realize what their needs are, the more effective and efficient you’ll be in running your office. And a side benefit, much less stress for you!

Idea Number 4: Ask yourself how you’re limiting your own success. We all set limits on our greatness. Analyze where and how you are blocking your own success. There’s an old story of a little girl who was helping her dad water the yard, and suddenly she called out “Help, there’s no more water” Her dad looked down at her and said “then get your foot off the hose.” Let’s look at ways we may need to lift our feet and get out of our own way.

In taking charge of a situation do you doubt your ability to command respect? In prioritizing or delegating or any other task do you second guess your abilities? Look at your beliefs and where you believe you aren’t as capable or as effective as you’d like to be. Then look at where those beliefs come from, and how they are just limiting thoughts and nothing more.

Model excellence in others, those who have the abilities you’d like to create. Since we know 90% of initial communication is nonverbal, it is essential to command the visual and tonal qualities as well as the verbal ones if we’re really planning to create different habits to break old patterns.

Idea Number 5: Ask for advice, and listen to what you hear. You don’t have to take it, but when you respect someone in the industry, ask him or her for feedback/input, and then don’t close your ears to what you hear. Years ago I remember being backstage with illusionist David Copperfield after a performance, and the first thing he asked was “What didn’t you like?” At his level of excellence he was still asking what could be done differently, how things could improve. So often I’ve seen people run a meeting or handle a problem and then wait for the compliment, never once looking to see how and where there could be improvements.

Be a sponge in gathering information from others in all walks of life. Obviously you don’t (and shouldn’t) take everyone’s advice, but there’s often a lot to learn by being open, and especially by going outside your own industry.

Idea Number 6: Commit. Over the years I’ve noticed the main difference between greatness and mediocrity is really quite simple, the great ones keep on until they get where they want to be, and they still continue to learn and grow. It doesn’t matter your degree of talent or skill, if you’re determined you’ll find a way; if you’re not determined you’ll make a million excuses. I remember a conversation I once had with a client. I was new in the business, kept her in my data base, and from time to time would check in with her, sometimes sharing information I thought she would find pertinent. Eventually we worked together and when I asked her what prompted her to hire me she responded “You just kept calling.” I’m not suggesting we become pests, but realize there are so many solutions to specific issues; we just need to keep on searching.

Idea Number 7: Start Now. Knowledge without action is useless and knowledge with action gets us results. Start today. Many people wear a “Do Not Disturb” sign on their foreheads. So often the reason we don’t start is because we are waiting, waiting until we have more time, until we finish a project, until we get promoted, until we get some help in the department, and the list is endless. A little Zulu boy, Nikosi Johnson, who was born HIV positive and knew he would never live to reach adolescents, became an international spokesperson for Aids. He reminded us that we should do what we can, with what we’ve got, where we are, right now. That says it all, doesn’t it? It’s not about the waiting, it’s about the doing with whatever we’ve got, wherever we are now.

Finally, humorist Will Rogers said even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Assuming no one wants to get run over, our job is to focus on what we need to change, keep our sense of humor and our flexibility, and dare to create what we want, right now.

Model the excellence in others (saves us a lot of time, not having to reinvent as much as we go along), be open to new ideas from any direction, and you’ll be absolutely amazed at your results!

www.magiccomm.com