Onpoint Coaching

21 Things Hiring Managers Wish You Knew

Article: 21 Things Hiring Managers Wish You Knew

Here is a great article from US News & World Report http://yhoo.it/9hdm2H

How To Keep Your Top Performers

According to Talent Management magazine, April 2010 “Preventing Exit Interviews” (http://bit.ly/bBb4sL), here are the most common reasons people stay with their employers . 91% of the respondents surveyed listed at least one of the first two items among the top reasons they stay:

1. Exciting work and challenge

2. Career growth, learning and development

3. Working with great people

4. Fair pay

5. Supportive management or a good boss

6. Being recognized, valued and respected

7. Benefits

8. Meaningful work and making a difference

9. Pride in the organization, its mission and its product

10. Great work environment and culture

As I often do, I tested that thinking with my own experience. Just why did I leave my last job? Was the work exciting and challenging? Exciting yes, but not challenging anymore. Was there growth for me, could I learn and develop? Yes, but it was very hard to navigate through the huge organization to know just where I could look for new opportunity. 

I am sure it was there if I really pushed, but we were going through reorganization after reorganization, and career growth and development seemed to be low on the priorities list year after year. Next, I looked at the “working with great people” and I realized that is why I stayed as long as I did. The people at HP were bright, innovative, practiced the “HP way” and set the bar very high from which I would judge other potential employers.

So, it was true for me that without challenge and career growth, development and learning, I became disengaged and left.

If you lead people, or work in Talent Management, ask yourself how many of your top performers are retention risks because they are not getting what is on the Top 10 list.

 

Kill The Problem

In my coaching practice with engineers, physicians and other highly technical people, I have learned that being a good software designer, MD or financial analyst requires the competency of identifying problems, figuring out cause and effect, evaluating solutions and then killing, or getting rid of the problem. These people are wired to find what is wrong (not what is right) with your code, your throat or your IRA portfolio.  Then, when they propose a solution and options, after your OK, they proceed to kill the problem so that it goes away.

Now, if that highly technical person is given the opportunity to manage a project, work as a team leader or manager, a new way of problem solving must be learned.  It is called collaboration. That involves slowing down, asking for other team members’ input, weighing options, gaining buy-in, discovering that other stakeholders want to put their 2 cents in, and only days, weeks or months later can they finally “kill the problem.”  It can be really frustrating to have to slow down, listen to others, get their opinions, and gain consensus.

So the career path from individual technician to manager of technical people is not one that everyone can successfully master. Organizations need to carefully select potential managers for those positions through assessments, projects, task forces and small leadership assignments which allow the technical person to discover if they can blend their deep technical knowledge with more people skills, in order to take that next career step.

It is hugely satisfying for me to see and foster this blend of deep technical skills and strong people collaborative skills. A person with this blended skill set will have a lot of latitude in their organization, and consequently they have many more career options than those with only technical - or only people - skills. 

All that said, it is reassuring that when I need a highly technical person to fix my computer, they can kill that virus quickly, without any hesitation.

 

The Dangers of Venting

Last week an article caught my eye in the Dallas Morning News. The title was ‘Venting To Boss Can Hurt Your Career.”

I eagerly read it because some of my clients still feel compelled to vent to their managers and do not realize the potential danger they step into.

What happens after venting? You feel better, yet the boss will tag you as a whiner, trouble maker, immature or get the impression that you are not up to the job. Worse yet, they will put you on the list to “manage out”. Think about how many times you bring problems to the boss without solutions, vs. opportunities, ideas and positive news?

The boss will quickly get either a negative or positive impression of you based on your approach.

Find a safe place to vent, preferably someone who will listen and not judge you, yet who will hold you accountable to affect change and take action on the issues that are bugging you. A friend may listen, but not if it becomes a regular pattern of you dumping and them listening. Offer to hear them out with their work issues from time to time. 

If you have a coach, all the better, coaches are trained to listen, help you see different perspectives, gain awareness on the situation, what role you may have in the situation and in the problem solving. If not, join a group who gets coaching from a certified group coach. It can be a way to get help for a smaller investment, connect with others, and learn in a politically safe environment. Save that precious time with your boss for showing your strengths, progress, issues you did solve and strategizing together on business initiatives.

 

Going Slow To Go Fast

Sometimes a slow pace can be downright infuriating. In our instant-solution, instant-communication society, many love to drive fast, walk fast, talk fast, and act fast. But as a leader, taking the time to proceed more slowly can sometimes be the secret to being more effective.  In any leadership role, there's a choice to make: jump to the answer alone and save time (which may entail facing roadblocks in the future), or take the time and effort required to bring the team along, so that they are more efficient and can get the job completed. 

In order to build relationships, a leader must ensure that his/her people are on board. Leaders must get to know their team members and learn their motivations. An effective leader explains the vision, the reasons for action and their people’s roles in that plan or initiative. Great leaders seek to win the hearts and minds of their constituents; although this takes time and it does slow them down, paradoxically, without going slow, the team cannot execute fast.  

As an example, I am a member of our home owners association landscape committee. Last year the committee had great intentions, but then jumped in too quickly, without consulting any experts, had a short term approach, got mired in the details. They executed on a few things, but did not look at the bigger long term effects of their decisions.  They needed to slow down, gain consensus, and get necessary stakeholders on board with a master plan, all of which was necessary to go fast later.

Sometimes a 'going fast' approach will work, i.e. making a quick and dirty fix to a problem, or cutting corners when necessary. For example, sometimes a software patch is all that is needed vs. a complete rewrite, feeding the kids what's on hand vs. creating an entire meal from scratch, or charging ahead in an emergency situation with a less than elegant solution to plugging the hole. But when it comes to leadership, the speed of execution is about being effective, credible, patient and willing to listen to all the options, and helping each member of the team define his/her desired outcome in order to gain buy-in and commitment.

When starting a running regimen, you train your body at a slow pace in the beginning to prevent injuries, and then increase your distance gradually so that you can speed up the pace on a conditioned body that is injury-free. Similarly, taking a project in small steps will help the team get on board. This means getting their true commitment to the plan vs. simple compliance to your wishes.

Even though going slow can be infuriating at times, working effectively with others often requires 'going slow to go fast.'

Appreciation

After finishing the short book, “The Power of Acknowledgment” by Judith Umlas, I realized how simple yet profound her words are.

Most managers fail to show appreciation for the work their teams deliver out of fear that it will come across wrong, or that it is not necessary.

In a few chapters, Umlas shows how a heartfelt appeal really works to acknowledge others’ accomplishments, talents and wisdom continually, and how it  can transform lives and the workplace!

When we get busy and fail to show appreciation and gratitude for what our teams do, we miss an opportunity to motivate them for even better quality performance, inject energy, get great results and improved feelings. In these times of information overload, managers are searching for simple tools they can apply at work and in their social lives and at home.

The great thing about acknowledgment is that we can practice it everywhere, at the coffee shop, with customer service on the phone, with our families, neighbors and of course, at work. Check out her book and read it in a short sitting, you will be changed!

Ever get stuck? Know someone who is stuck?

Could be stuck in the job, a relationship, stuck on a project with no clear path through?

Susan Stageman, a master practitioner in NLP, taught me the steps to help someone get unstuck.

1. Discuss the issue with them. Then state, “It sounds like or looks like you are confused about (name what it is.)"
2. Ask them, “What part of (it, the problem the situation) are you clear on?”
3. Then ask, “ What is confusing about (it)?"
4. Ask them “ What is missing?” or, “What parts are missing from the puzzle?”
5. They will tell you and then you will discuss the parts that are missing from the view or parts missing from the puzzle. Then ask, “What are you curious about?”
6. Once they tell you what is missing, their mind will start connecting things and it should be easy for them to tell you one or 2 things they are curious about, or that they don’t know but need/want to know about the situation.
7. Then you will ask, “What is clear to you now?”

This process is called “Stuck to Clear” and it is a useful tool for helping others get clear on any issue.

Top 10 Delegation Tips

Most of my clients realize that lack of delegation is killing them. They want time to build relationships, think, plan, work on strategic projects, yet can’t dig out from their huge workload. The answer is to delegate. Once you get better at delegating, small tasks stop falling through the cracks and things start getting done more efficiently. 

Here are the top 10 tips for successful delegation:

1.  Describe the outcome you desire

Speak in terms of the results you expect. Explain if you need a 100% job or if 80% will work. Maybe a quick and dirty solution is what is needed. Be specific and clear.

2.  Develop your People

If you don’t trust your person has the skills necessary to do the delegated job, ask, “Where can you get assistance or resources on this project?” Do not take the monkey back and do it yourself. Your goal is to develop that person so they can do more work for you next time. You are hurting yourself in the long run if you do the work yourself. By training your extended team you are expanding your group’s value and contribution to the organization. By developing your people, you gain their insight, contributions and good work. 

3.  Determine who is best for the job

Always ask yourself, “Who is best suited to doing this specific work, me or someone else? If I do the work myself, when I need it done a second time, will I have missed a chance to develop someone else’s skill which could help me long term?” 

4.  Frame it

It’s important to determine how to frame your request, and tie it to an overall vision or goal.  You also want to tie your request to an individual’s personal motivators.  If you don’t know them, find out what their motivations are!

5.  Be Clear

Be crystal clear with your expectations, and expected outcomes. Show examples of what you expect. For example, say “The report should look like this template…..” and show them the template.  Remember to ask questions to gauge a person’s understanding of your request, and be clear when you assign tasks.  Tell them, “I want you to do this” not, “We need to do this.” This includes clarity with regard to milestones (i.e., “This is due Monday, but give me a look at the proposal Thursday by email at 5pm.”)  Be sure to ask questions and request that they summarize their understanding of the assignment or their role.

6.  Hold others Accountable

An IT manager client recently told me she used the word “we” too much and after a meeting, no one took the action items since the word “we” was used. Everyone assumed she was going to take the action! A simple switch to “I want you, Joe, to do this” solved the problem of accountability.

7.  Negotiate

Understand what your team members need and expect, ask questions, be up front and be a role model for transparency - all this while being open to creating win/wins. Be open to give and take.

8.  Match skills to ability

Finally, praise good work in public, and critique work in private.  Ensure that the skill of the person you are assigning to the task matches the job that needs to be done.

9.  Give Constructive Feedback

The best time to give constructive feedback is right before you need the person to work with you again (eg: “Dave, last time you gave the proposal to me a day late, please send it to me by Wednesday this time and if you have questions, can you ask me earlier so together we can figure it out? Thanks.”)

10.  Use your newly found time wisely

Improving your delegation skills means you have more time to do what you do well, allowing you to do higher level work, think, analyze, learn, strategize, plan and build relationships.

How to Make the First 2 Minutes of Your Interview Impactful: http://ow.ly/1gd7T

How are Your Communication Skills?

The teenager’s emergency surgery, A gut wrenching lawsuit, a life threatening disease?

 

How these real life stories are remembered:

 Communication and Service

 

 

There are plenty of great books, articles, blogs and consultancy practices built around the teachings of effective communication skills and how that leads to a better customer service experience.  What is amazing to me is how every day there are examples in front of us to learn from and apply to our leadership at work.

 

The other day, a friend’s teenage son came down with a very serious condition which required emergency treatment. His son had to have emergency surgery to stop a fast growing tumor. The boy had to withstand difficult testing procedures, surgery and recovery procedures, and what amazed me is the Dad’s glowing report in an email update to friends and family telling us about the excellent communication and service skills of the hospital staff and all the professionals his family came in contact with through the ordeal.  At the crux if it was how they communicated effectively and it was a first rate experience. He was truly appreciative of the professionalism and superb communication skills of those Doctors and staff who told them what was happening every step of the way.  All of that while he was witnessing his son’s critical condition get worse. He by the hospital professionals communication skills and great service they delivered.

 

Another gut wrencher is the client who had a huge legal battle which ran on for 2 years, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The amount of legal bills she paid were horrendous, and while that sucked a lot of energy out of her, she kept talking about how professional her attorneys were, how smart and thorough they were, their professionalism and how they had superb communication skills when they interacted with her and during all the procedures.  This won the trust and respect of my client. She spoke so highly of them in the midst of a torturous litigation process.

 

A third example is the client who finally faced facts with her serious health issue, which could be controlled by exercise, eating better and medication. While finally facing the tough exercise and nutrition and lifestyle changes required, she said in an email to friends and supporters, the Doctors, Nurses, Dietician and Trainer at the gym are all so clear, and the experience with them so positive because they are giving me the information I need in a professional way so I can get healthy and strong again.

 

I am not saying the injury of a child or legal battle which wipes out your net worth is pleasant, but isn’t it interesting that in these examples, the professionalism and communication competence they experienced was superb. No question the technical skills of Doctors, Lawyers, Dieticians and Emergency Technicians are critical, but what these three people relate later to friends and family is how the soft skills of communications, emotional support and customer service are sustainable and memorable.

 

How can we apply that to every day at work? The soft skills of service and communication may be downplayed in times of economic downturn and cost cutting, yet that is what the customer/client/patient is remembering from the life threatening or gruesome experiences. What does that tell you about the criticality of working on these skills; rewarding great service examples at work, teaching and modeling solid effective communication skills, teaching ways that crucial conversations lead to successful outcomes, coaching employees on how they can take steps to make customer service and better communication skills second nature?

 

So lets think again about reinforcing these skills with your teams, give them the tools for effective communication, let them work with a coach or get training on these critical skills. The medical, legal and personal training staff mentioned above did and look what it did for their patient/client experience.

What are the signs an employee will be successful?

In the Dallas Morning News Community Section, “How do you know a student will be successful,?” appeared on October 25, 2009.  Local teachers were polled for their opinions. This provocative question pulled me in because I have a very high regard for teachers, and wondered how it related to leadership issues I deal with everyday as an executive coach, and coach at UTD working with  EMBA students. The eight Dallas area teachers’ perspectives can help managers in all industries and levels see what attributes stand out and will make someone successful. As a parent, many times I reminded my children that their “job” was to be a good student. Well, a good student will make a good employee. Here I have summarized their stories into the top attributes along with how managers can spot the same in their teams.

Curiosity: Questions like “Why?” and “How?” from a student tell you they are intellectually stimulated.  Those unexpected curious questions signal presence of a vision.

Leaders usually are stimulated to learn as much as they can, and are learning agile. Their quest for knowledge propels them to greatness.

Belief: Parents and teachers who have an unbridled belief in their child can and will succeed are the foundation. Just as the manager who believes in his/her employee. The students believe they can do it even if it means more work and diligence. They discover that success breeds more success.

Awareness: Students will be successful when they are aware of their capabilities and limitations and work to move forward beyond those levels. A confident student has a leg up. How does one get confidence? Self awareness and achievement in small steps, not blind general praise. As a coach, I do a lot of strengths work with clients. The first step in personal development is to be aware of your strengths, then to be motivated and off we go! Do you know your team’s strengths? Are you helping them gain awareness? Are the motivations in place to maximize their talents? If your team lacks confidence, how can you help them gain self awareness?

Initiative: When the student gets the assignment and does more or goes further, this signals a successful work ethic and engaged learner. How engaged are your people? Who takes initiative? Have you recognized that, or at your organization, does the initiator get pounded down?

Problem solver: Takes failure or mistake in stride and creates a solution that moves him or her forward. Perseverance and creativity are used to solve problems as they see varied facets of an issue. As an adult, having various perspectives on issues will help enormously, especially when dealing with conflict, misunderstanding or trying to persuade others.  Another huge point is that kids start out very creative, as they grow up and conform to society, this spark may go out. As a manager, it is your job to challenge people to get creative, and think outside the box. Remember creativity and innovation is not just for artists and designers. All workers can demonstrate problem solving and innovative ways to get the work done better.

Engage others: To reflect ideas or solicit physical help or brainpower. The students who reflect with others or ask for help and approach problems in a team fashion get it. In the business world a favorite tactic of interviewers is to ask how the candidate solved a problem. They are listening to learn the thinking style, approach and attitudes of the candidate. Did they do it alone? Did they reach out and collaborate for best ideas? Did they ask their boss what to do? How independent or dependent are they?

Reflection: Plays a big part in these students’ lives as they build on challenges they conquered or even at which they have failed. When is the last time you asked yourself or a team member what they learned from their success or failure? How can you integrate reflection and the insights gained from that thinking into your management style?

Take action: One teacher mentioned the responsibility he has is to provide opportunities for success.  Once given the opportunity, it is up to the student to act on it, show up and do the work. As a manager, are you giving everyone a chance to succeed? Do you know your team members’ strengths? Do they know them? Are you matching the right person to the job requirements? Have you given the opportunity and challenged your team? They will reach or exceed results, but only if you set the bar high.

Focus, Drive, Responsibility, Commitment: These all combine to make up for deficits in other areas. Teachers and parents see this all the time in the classroom. A student with average intelligence who makes up for that with tremendous drive or commitment to succeed, will succeed in the workplace. As a manager, how are you developing your people who have the natural talents such as these? Or, are you only rewarding those who have the highest IQ?

 

Keeping your valued team members

This article will give you easy to implement talking points on how to broach the subject of team contentment. You want to keep your people motivated, and stay close so that you understand what is worrying them and if they are at risk of leaving. Many organizations have “at risk” plans and programs, yet a simple conversation may be all you need to do to keep morale high on your team.

Click here to read.

Revamp Yourself with These Tips

Great website by WSJ. Many of my clients get value from this site. Whether you are revamping your entire career direction or just looking for useful daily tips, check this out.

Coaching can help you define who you want to reinvent yourself into, as well as help build a concrete plan, challenge you, help you discover things about yourself, maximize your strengths and hold you accountable on the way. Contact us today to learn how Onpoint Coaching can help you.

Read more here.

Are You Being Paid Well?

Determine if you are paid well. Check out these websites.

Leadership Tips

Weekly video of leadership tips from Fast Company Magazine. Check it out.

Recipe for Maintaining Inspiration

The following article explains how you can create and maintain your inspiration even in the most difficult of times. Click here to read.

Why Coaching?

The following article was published in The Wall Street Journal and it explains why the executive coaching is always a good investment in any economy. Click here.

Crafting Your Elevator Pitch

Here is a great site and  and expert, Barbara Lopez, on creating your what is called your  elevator communications/networking commercials/elevator speech or elevator pitch:
http://www.brightfarm.com/Pat.htm

Tips to Better Productivity

Productivity tips which will help you get home earlier each night, and make you a better leader.

Click here to read.

How to Make Conversations at Work More Productive

Joseph Grenny, author of “Crucial Conversations” speaks on how your conversations at work can be more productive.

Click here to read.

Free classes at Collin College

Free classes at Collin College on Career Strategy, Marketing yourself, social media and blogging

Check it out

Register by calling 972-985-3711.

The danger of over valuing smart people

The following is an article from Manage Smarter magazine that looks at finding the full potential in an employee.

Click here to read it.

Take a break and laugh!

There is always a Dilbert Cartoon for everyone’s crazy work situations. Take a break and laugh! It will add years to your life.

http://www.dilbert.com/

The importance of recognizing achievement

The following article has thoughts on the importance of recognizing achievement, and giving feedback, by David Novak, Chairman, CEO and President of Yum Brands.

http://tinyurl.com/l88pg3

Excellent tools for managing your career

This website has some very helpful tools for helping manage your career:

http://www.mindtools.com/

Why we need to fail in order to grow

Click here to find out why failure is so important in personal growth.

Is matrix management in vogue again?

Is matrix management in vogue again? Here are some tips to make it work:

http://www.interactionassociates.com/ideas/
 

 

Building Trust is Crucial in Leadership

This is a quick read on how building trust in business is crucial, and is correlated to leadership and collaboration. 8 page study by Interaction Associates is preface of longer study due out soon.

Click here to read.

Lessons in Leadership

The following link has videos that cover lessons in leadership gathered by the Wall Street Journal's interviews with CEOs.

Click here to view.

Acing the Phone Interview

Phone interviews are more increasingly being used for in-depth questioning rather than preliminary interviewing. This article explains what to expect and how to ace the phone interview.

Click here to read it.

Silencing Your Inner Critic

How self critical are you? Is it holding you back or helping?

What is  your inner critic telling you. Does it sabotage you? 

Take this short quiz and learn more.

Advice for College Grads

The following is a video by Suzy and Jack Welch that explains to recent college graduates what to expect from the real world and why you should truly love your work no matter what.

You can view the video here.

Productivity in Multi-Tasking

The following article discusses how multitasking truly affects productivity:

Click here to read the article.

Meditation and It's Health Benefits

The following is article discusses the health benefits of meditation and how it can improve your life.

You can read it here.

Improving Assertive Behavior

The following article gives you tips on how to improve assertive behavior.

You can read it here.

Achieve Your Goals

Many of you may not need to do this, but the act of stating your goals out loud to a trusted friend, or partner is powerful. First write the goals down, Second, post them where you can view them everyday, Third, tell someone about them so they can hold you accountable. A coach can help you with this accountability piece.

Read an article that discusses this practice here.

How to Keep Your Motivation

The following is an article that discusses how to keep your motivation after the initial excitement of your task or goal has dwindled.

Read it here.

30 Days to a Better Man

The following is an article that discusses the basic practice of shining one's shoes. A lot goes into your executive presence, and something so small like clean, shined shoes can go a long way when portraying the leader you want to be.

Read it here.

10 Answers to Know Before Your Interview

This is an article that showcases 10 common interview questions that are asked and ideas on how you should answer them to make the best impression.

Read it here.

Reaching Your Potential

The following is an article published by the Harvard Business Review that discusses the journey to reach your full potential.

Download ReachingYourPotential

Coaching High Achieving Women

The following is a presentation on coaching high achieving women given at the 2008 ICF Annual International Conference.

Download CoachingHighAchievingWomen

Suzy and Jack Welch from Business Week

The following is an article published by Business Week Magazine that discusses how to manage your emotions at work.

Download ManagingEmotionsAtWork

How To Build Your Network

The following article was published by the Harvard Business Review. It discusses how to build strong professional relationships.

Download Relationship building hbr article

Meeting Tips

The following is a list of tips to help you run a successful and productive meeting.

Download Meeting tips and preparation

Adapting to Your Boss' Style

The following is an article that discusses how you can adapt to your boss' style so you don't drive yourself crazy.

Download Dealing with the boss' style

What Coaches Can Do For You

The following was an article released by the Harvard Business Review that explains how an Executive Coach can help in your success.

Download What Coaches can do for you HBR

Make First Impressions Count

The following document lists key components that people notice during first impressions.

Download Make First Impressions Count

How to Deal With Problem People

The following document has a list of common problem people in business meetings and gives advice on how to handle that personality type.

Download Meeting management how to deal with difficult people in meeting

Teams on the Way Up and Teams on the Way Down

The following is an excerpt from Jim Collins' new book How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins, featured in Infoworld. Which category is your company in? Up? Or Down?

Cick here to find out.

Travel Expenses - What Won't Fly

The following is a slightly humorous, yet realistic, look at what companies are no longer allowing on expense reports. What's considered a stretch? Find out here:

View this photo