Celebrate the holidays with our gift to you – “Gratitude” and details about the NEW “Stress FREE” iPhone Application from Deepak Chopra, on tce’s Expert Insights Academy. If you would like to contribute your Stress Free article or tips and be featured on Expert Insight Academy with Deepak, visit today and select “Teach a Class.”

The top coaches have come together in one convenient educational venue to share their courses and guide individuals and business to personal and professional fulfillment. Visit to learn or become a member of the faculty.

How many times have you come out of a conversation - particularly with an employee- feeling that it didn’t quite go the way you would liked it to? Perhaps you were too abrupt. Perhaps what you had to say did not have the necessary impact on the employee.  Let me share a couple of examples: ” I gave him all the facts but it didn’t seem to sink in!” complained one manager.  ” I was most considerate and spoke to him ever so kindly” said another. Both were right- and both were wrong.

One approach which has helped me a lot and that I advocate for you to try is what I call “FDF” -feelings-data-feelings being the sequence in which you build a coaching conversation.  If , while trying to cross the road, I am hit by a speeding motorist and am lying on the road, what do I want first? I would want assurance that help is at hand. I want to be comforted that I am ok and will be taken care off. In short I want someone to take care of my feelings.

What is the last thing I want? The last thing I want when I am groaning in pain is a lot of data. I don’t want to be told- even if it be true- that I was the 458th person to be hit in the last 379 days. 56% being hit by cars and 32 % by trucks. Or that 69 % were hospitalised for more than 15 days and 31 % for between 10-15 days and so on. Your facts may be right but I am in no frame of mind to receive- leave alone accept- them!

So we go back to FDF- Feelings-Data-Feelings. we begin with appealing to the feelings. We might say, for example, ” Hey! I know it’s tough for you to have gone through this. Is it hurting you too much? Is there something I can do for you?” and so on. Later on when I have been given medical attention, you might share data. ” You know something, it just doesn’t make sense for someone like you to cross the road over at that place. It has the highest density of traffic for the city( toss in a few figures), the biggest number of causalities ( more numbers thrown in)” etc. This will have the desired impact.

At the end, we again close with feelings- not with data. We might say ” So take care. You are in safe hands. If you want anything, just give me a buzz”. You don’t leave by throwing more data. ” See you then, don’t forget that 45 % had head injuries ” or ” Remember 35 % didn’t survive the accident”. We close with feelings again. ” If there is anything at all you need, let me know. ” or “Keep what we talked of in mind. If you need more information or help , feel free to call me ” etc.

I may add that it works in the case of irate customers as well! Try “FDF”- it works.

hit by apassinfg mtoridst in front of your office whicle trying to cross the road,

So you’re new to a leadership position? How will your followers know when you are making a decision alone or with their input? You’ve heard yourself say, “I have an open door policy” but what does that really mean?

In my executive coaching practice I make certain new leaders, this is a good reminder for seasoned leaders too, know the Four Critical Levels of Decision Making. In the book Fast Forward Leadership (Essex & Kusy, 1999) provides a great reminder for leaders when making decisions.

1. Level One – I decide with no input
2. Level Two – I decide with your input
3. Level Three – We decide together with consensus
4. Level Four – You decide without my input

Using this simple hierarchy will aid you, the leader in getting off on the right foot. Your team will enjoy the clarity too!

Scott Morrell

www-scott-morrell.com

You’ve made it to the boardroom, in fact you’ve lived there for many years. You know every crack in the ceiling, each chip on the molding, and the squeak in the door hindge when it opens. Once upon a time you were excited to be “at the table” making strategic decisions for the organization. Now you find yourself not as energized in these C-Suite gatherings as you were in the past. What happened?

You’re accomplished, the envy of many in your social and professional circles. The saying goes, “it is lonely at the top” and you’re amazed with the 1:1 identification. What might dislodge these thoughts, these unfamiliar feelings? Who might be able to process through this malaise before you make a mistake?

Be Honest

How many people woke up this morning and said to themselves, “I’m going to be completely non-productive today”? How many people went into work this morning committed to finding a way to make mistakes? The answer is nobody. Nobody goes into something hoping to fail. So, why do some people flourish while others struggle?

The answer is leadership. And people deserve good leadership.

Ivy League Stars Can Fall

Let me tell you about James. (I’m not using real names here.) James was a star student at a private prep school. He was awarded the highest honors that the school could give. He was captain of several athletic teams and received top honors there as well. After prep school he was accepted to an Ivy League college where he also excelled both academically and athletically. It seemed like James was destined for greatness no matter what he did.

At his first job out of college, James began working for Brad. Brad is a hands-off manager. In fact, his hands are so far off you might think that he is absent. James receives minimal guidance and direction. The only time Brad gets involved with his team is when his boss takes an interest in what is going on in the department. When James is given projects to work on, he does them and does them well. But, on any given workday are as likely to see him surfing the web as you are doing anything for work.

So what happened? How did this Ivy League star fall so far? The answer is leadership.

People genuinely want to do good work and to be recognized for it.

In exchange, they will work hard to do what it takes to get the job done, if only the person in charge can connect with them and will lead them. If someone isn’t doing well at work, 90% of the time it is because they aren’t sure what is expected of them or they don’t possess the competency to do the job at that point in time. In either case, it is the responsibility of the leader to address it by making sure the expectations are clear, the skills and experience of the individual align to the work at hand, and the desired outcome is reached. Ken Blanchard calls this situational leadership and does a good job of illustrating it in his One Minute Manager series of books. Specifically, in the book “Leadership and the One Minute Manger” Blanchard says,

“Everyone has peak performance potential – you just need to know where they are coming from and meet them there.”

So, did James suddenly tell himself that he was just going to coast in his career? Did his new job reveal that James is not capable of mastering the requirements of the job? Not likely.

Servant Leadership

What happened is that James came face-to-face with self-appointed authoritarian royalty. Leaders like Brad are more focused on fitting themselves with the crown of authority than they are working with their people to help them achieve great things. Sadly this is an all too common story. The most effective leaders are those who have realized that they will be far more successful if they find ways to help their people to be successful. This is called servant leadership.

Servant leaders find it hard to work with people while wearing the crown of authority because the crown tends to fall off when you bend down to help somebody.

In what ways are you a servant leader? How are you helping people achieve the performance potential of which they are capable?

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Dave Hasenbalg is Chief Operating Officer of Customized Solutions, LLC and does coaching and public speaking on Leadership and Operational Excellence.
He can be reached at dhasenbalg@customized-solutions.com

Image Source: farm2.static.flickr.com

Executive Coaching SIX DOMAINS of EXECUTIVE COACHING

1. the client’s personality
2. the client’s life history:
3. the client’s skills, competencies, abilties, talents;
4. the client’s aspirations, career progression so far and future progression;
5. the client’s current work place environent in which he/she performs;
6. current organisational role.

The six domains of executive coaching presupposes an intersection that exists between the Person, the Role and the Organisation as a system. The person’s elements refer to the client’s personality and life story on the one hand and the actual choice of professional role on the other hand. Other aspects like the client’s skills, competencies and talents, aspirations, career progression and future career options may well support or work against the role that the client plays within his/her organisation, which may interact adversely with the organisational role of the client.

What we do: together with the client we define the most appropriate focus of work. For instance if the client has a specific skills shortage or threw into doubt his/her career choice or the direction career development, then additional training might well be as appropriate than executive coaching per se. If during the coaching sessions with the client it were concluded the the client’s personality appears to be the crucial factor in her/his performance at work or the main reason behind persistent conflicts in the wrokplace then further work would require psychotherapy rather than executive coaching.

Benefits: the executive coaching:enables the client to consider new possibilties beyond the immediate executive coaching framework , such as planning a career shift, considering whether to undertake a period of psychotherapy or to abandon a particular role in pursuit of other life objectives. Whether the actual outcome, the six domains are the bulding blocks of our coaching process. The six domains are simultaneously present during the executive coaching sessions and constitute an appropriate focus of work.

Coaching for Strategic Leadership

We facilitate the coaching process by helping the client to focus of the key aspects pertinent to organisational survival and growth in the long-term. Areas of discussion and intervention may include:

- Values, Vision, MIssion
- Strategy development
- Corporate reputation

The coaching process may include:

- the client’s prganisational analysis
- Appreciative inquiry
- McKinsey 7 S
- Group narrative inquiry
- T- training group

The objectives of the strategic leadership coaching is to enable the client to develop and applying strategic thinking ,empowerment and visioning the future of the client’s organisation in the long-term.

On Friday, November 20, 2009, George Anderson presented one of his most masterful trainings to date on Organizational Anger Management/Emotional Intelligence Training. This one day training for three different types of organizations consisted of three sample requests: one, two or four hour Organizational Anger Management Trainings.

 The assignment along with two Power Point Presentations which Mr. Anderson had previously given on the same topic, was given to the participants the day before the Friday training, with the requirement that they each present a one or two page proposal, as well as a one hour Power Presentation for the attendees.

 The responses from the participants were overwhelmingly positive. This training left each participant with a useable resource/template for any type of Organization Training using the Practice of Control.

 This one day training is available in a DVD Home Study format for the yearly required continuing education as well as live at Anderson & Anderson on Dec. 7, 2009.

Additionally, General Manager, Takspa Lekdan will share his own presentation at the next training.

Anderson & Anderson, A.P.C

The Growth and Contribution Network

It’ here!  Come to the Growth & Contribution Network’s inaugural Networking meeting and transform your life.  Tuesday, December 1, at 1pm.

The GCN was created to fulfill a void left by the traditional networking groups.  We will meet at 8410 W Cleveland Avenue, 2^nd floor conference room – 12/1 at 1pm.  Our first training topic is on “Creating Direction That Drives You into 2010”.  For more details, go to http://www.gregkaroly.com/GCN.html.

The axiom “it’s lonely at the top” is often so very true. Today many top level executives find themselves in a world filled with isolation, uncertainty and challenge with no one around to lend support. Recognizing that they can’t do it alone, successful executives are turning to someone whom they can talk to and who will carefully listen–an executive coach.

Executives often find it difficult or nearly impossible to discuss certain issues with their staff. They need to speak with someone candidly, confidentially, without being concerned about what it sounds like and without the fear of offending.

As one president of a small organization told me, “Sometimes I just need a reality check…I can’t get that from my direct reports. My people are often so concerned about what they think I want to hear–and I just don’t need that! Frankly, I’m just not comfortable telling them certain things. I want to be able to formulate my ideas first and I need to be able to bounce them around…to get different perspectives, without being encumbered by the politics of the organization. As an outsider, you give me this.”

So what are executive coaches? Coaches are consultants, confidants, or friends with whom executives can turn to talk through issues, strategize on critical issues, bounce ideas off, tell intimate thoughts, or merely someone with whom they can just vent. Coaches can help executives think through problems, clarify issues, provide candid feedback, and formulate strategic goals.

Coaches help the executive to look at issues objectively. Sometimes executives are encumbered by various issues, personalities, and political agendas. The coach can help him/her to sort through the issues so that the executive can be objective and reach a better decision.

How often have you been sucked into the dynamics of your organization losing all perspective on the issues and problems? In fact, it is often the case that in the process, you become part of the very problem you are trying to solve! You can no longer see the problem–you get pulled into the day to day issues at hand and the dynamics of the situation, and your perspective is eroded. You can lose sight of the big picture–the very essence of your role. Effective coaches help executives to “step off the merry-go-round” and step back from the problem in order to recapture their objectivity–allowing them to once again to see the big picture.

The coach’s role should not be to swing an executive in a particular direction; nor to provide the executive with the answers. Merely it is a trusted individual who helps the executive to reach his/her own answers. Coaches can be tough and direct, but their role is to listen intently, ask thought provoking questions, and thereby help the executive to think through the issues in a clear, objective and unencumbered manner.

So what can Gen Y teach Boomers and Gen X? Technology! *They* are the digital natives. If you’re Gen X, you’re a digital immigrant. If you’re a Boomer, you’re the parent of the digital immigrant, still living in the old country.

Gen Y’s were born with technology; they get it. I’m not talking about asking a Gen Y colleague for help with current technology. I’m talking about letting Gen Y show you where technology will be in the next 10 years. They knew what the iPhone was before it was even invented; they also know what technology can do for your organization in the next 20 years. So let them find global best practices and show you the future of technology.

Remember, Gen Y wants to be taken seriously. They want their expertise to be acknowledged. Technology is an area where they have expertise, and a vision of what can be accomplished, that you just can’t match, because you weren’t born with it. So ask for their mentorship in the technology area, and be sure to show your appreciation. You’ll not only build innovation and morale, you’ll likely also save resources in the long run.

This is the end of my *mentoring *series. I hope you use it as a tool for creating workplace harmony—and incidentally, for running a more successful business.

So what can Gen Y teach Boomers and Gen X? Technology! *They* are the digital natives. If you’re Gen X, you’re a digital immigrant. If you’re a Boomer, you’re the parent of the digital immigrant, still living in the old country.

Gen Y’s were born with technology; they get it. I’m not talking about asking a Gen Y colleague for help with current technology. I’m talking about letting Gen Y show you where technology will be in the next 10 years. They knew what the iPhone was before it was even invented; they also know what technology can do for your organization in the next 20 years. So let them find global best practices and show you the future of technology.

Remember, Gen Y wants to be taken seriously. They want their expertise to be acknowledged. Technology is an area where they have expertise, and a vision of what can be accomplished, that you just can’t match, because you weren’t born with it. So ask for their mentorship in the technology area,and be sure to show your appreciation. You’ll not only build innovation and morale, you’ll likely also save resources in the long run.

This is the end of my *mentoring *series. I hope you use it as a tool for creating workplace harmony—and incidentally, for running a more successful business.

So what can Gen X teach Boomers and Millennials? Gen X often has something that both the Boomers and Gen Y lack: focus.

I know, I know. Boomers and Gen Y think they’re focused. But if you look at things unsentimentally (which is what Gen X excels at doing), you’ll see that a Boomer’s idea of focus is sort of like everyone sitting around a campfire taking their turn discussing the problem. The Gen Y notion of focus is sort of like everyone hanging out at a party taking their turn discussing the problem. And then when everyone has a turn, they both sort of focus on a consensual solution.

The Gen X concept of focus is more like: Problem-Brief Discussion-Decision-Done.

We can all learn from this.

We can also learn from Gen X’s perceived cynicism. They see the flaws. They see the problems. They see the things Boomers and Gen Y don’t want to see. So put them in charge of being Devil’s Advocate. You’ll learn, and your team’s work will improve. Let them be your mentors in seeing reality and finding the blind spots. Their perceived cynicism can give others an incredibly important perspective on improving business. Now that’s valuable to any team and organization!

In my next blog, I’ll discuss how Gen Y can mentor Baby Boomers and Gen X.

So what can Gen X teach Boomers and Millennials? Gen X often has something that both the Boomers and Gen Y lack: focus.

I know, I know. Boomers and Gen Y think they’re focused. But if you look at things unsentimentally (which is what Gen X excels at doing), you’ll see that a Boomer’s idea of focus is sort of like everyone sitting around a campfire taking their turn discussing the problem. The Gen Y notion of focus is sort of like everyone hanging out at a party taking their turn discussing the problem. And then when everyone has a turn, they both sort of focus on a consensual solution.

The Gen X concept of focus is more like: Problem-Brief Discussion- Decision-Done.

We can all learn from this.

We can also learn from Gen X’s perceived cynicism. They see the flaws. They see the problems. They see the things Boomers and Gen Y don’t want to see. So put them in charge of being Devil’s Advocate. You’ll learn, and your team’s work will improve. Let them be your mentors in seeing reality and finding the blind spots. Their perceived cynicism can give others an incredibly important perspective on improving business. Now that’s valuable to any team and organization!

In my next blog, I’ll discuss how Gen Y can mentor Baby Boomers and Gen X.

There’s a lot to be said about the “working in the business” as opposed to “working on the business” debate.  According to the theory, people spend so much time working “in the business” that they leave themselves almost no time to work “on the business.”

As a result, the future of the company suffers.  This is especially the case when it comes to assessing your workforce, especially those employees who are close to retirement age.  However, failing to conduct such an assessment—and to conduct it on a periodic basis—can have a negative impact on the future growth and prosperity of your company.

Gone forever

If you have employees who have worked for any substantial length of time—think 20 years or more—those employees are valuable in more ways in one.

Not only do they have the skill and experience cultivated by 20 years on the job, they also have extensive knowledge of your company and how it operates.  As a result of this combination of extensive knowledge and experience, many (if not most) of these employees form the bedrock of your organization.

And if they retire soon, they’ll be gone forever . . . and they’ll take what they know with them.

So in the interest of making sure that their departure doesn’t derail the company, an assessment needs to be conducted.  That assessment should include the following action steps:

• Identify all members of the workforce who are conceivably within the age of retirement.
• Decide which ones hold the most value in terms of their knowledge and experience.
•  Determine which employees would be the best candidates for 1.) Acting as a mentor for new employees (possibly their own eventual replacement), and/or 2.) Continuing to work for the company as a consultant or contractor upon their retirement.

•  Meet individually with these employees and inquire about their plans.  (It’s important during these discussions to convey to the employees their worth and emphasize the fact that you’re not trying to hurry them out the door.)
•  Suggest—if you believe the time is appropriate—your plans for making the employee a mentor or eventually offering them work on a contract basis following their retirement.  If you don’t believe the time is appropriate, make a note to broach the subject at a later date.

The consequences of inaction

Is this a time-intensive endeavor?  Yes, it is.  However, it’s also a crucial issue currently facing companies of all sizes, an issue that’s only going to become more urgent with the passage of time.  By addressing the issue now, and doing so in a pro-active fashion, you’ll reduce the chances that you’ll be forced to react to the consequences of inaction.

It’s often difficult to find time to “work on the business” . . . but this is one instance in which doing so will make it much easier to “work in the business” later on.

We encourage your participation and comments.

Also, please feel free to forward this blog to your friends and colleagues and to come back often.

If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact me at 212-688-9392 or via email Stacey@jerroldhrsolutions.com

Sincerely,

Stacey Jerrold

http://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyjerrold

http://twitter.com/StaceyJerrold

Visit our website at:
http://jerroldhrsolutions.com

The AJ Novick Group, Inc. is a leading global provider of anger management programs and online anger management classes. They offer business and industry several options to help employees with anger management issues.

President and CEO of AJ Novick Group, Inc. Dr. Ari Novick states, “anger in the workplace is a major liability for corporations who are not proactive in educating their employees on how to better handle their anger in the workplace”, says Novick. He further states, “similar to sexual harassment training, anger management should be part of the yearly training requirements for all employees”.  With workplace violence incidents costing corporations over 55 million dollars a year, anger management is a cost effective intervention for all companies.

The AJ Novick Group, Inc. offers several options for employees to gain skills in anger management.  First, they offer on-site trainings anywhere in the country for large groups of employees.  Second, they can provide one/one anger management coaching to any corporate employee either on-site or at their corporate office in southern California.  Last, the AJ Novick Group, Inc. has developed online anger management classes specifically designed for human resource managers to assign to employees.  These courses can be taken completely online from any location in the world.

For more information on their anger management classes or corporate programs, visit http://www.ajnovickgroup.com or http://www.angerclassonline.com.

Local news on the 2010 G20 Summit is opening the possibility that it may not now be held in Muskoka. Apparently no final decision has been made yet. Toronto has been mentioned as a possible alternative, simply because it could more easily handle the numbers expected.

We’ll have to see how this unfolds. Of course the 2010 G8 Summit, perhaps the last of the G8’s will still be held in Huntsville. Many in the area feel Muskoka could handle the numbers the G20 would generate as well.

Regardless of whether you are from Canada, United States or one of the other G8 or G20 countries, if you are looking to work with an Executive Coach or a Leadership Coach in preparation for next year, please contact us.

How do you measure success in your business? What kind of measurement tools are you using? Do you use Biblical Principles?

Does perfectionism drive you towards success or away from failure?  A recent article in Scientific American Mind (www.scientificamerican.com/mind ) suggests that there are ‘positive’ or ‘healthy perfectionists’ who are motivated towards success and, ‘unhealthy perfectionists’ motivated by a fear of failure.   Hogan’s Development Survey measures perfectionism on it’s Diligence scale.  Medium to high risk scorers are likely to demonstrate both healthy and unhealthy perfectionist behaviours with the unhealthy ones more likely to come out when under stress and pressure.   

Positive or healthy perfectionistic behaviours include organised, conscientious, striving for excellence, good organisation, striving to meet goals and deadlines.  However the negative perfectionist behaviours include anxiety, inefficiency, shying away from new challenges, critical, inflexible, pedantic.  

Intuitively I feel that the positive perfectionist behaviours are those that drive us towards success and the negative ones away from failure. However logically it also makes sense that some people may experience the reverse.  Could this be due to having an optimistic or pessimistic mindset?

Anger Managment Guru, George Anderson, will once again be facilitating the Saturday morning Anger Management Classes at the Brentwood location of Anderson & Anderson. His long awaited return will provide trainees with an excellent opportunity to learn and perfect skill sets related to: coping with anger and stress, improving interpersonal communication, and becoming more emotionally intelligent.

Lekdan Takspa,
General Manager
Anderson & Anderson, A.P.C
Trusted name in Anger Management 
Phone: 310-207-3591
Fax: 310-207-6234
http://www.andersonservices.com

Here’s a simple yet powerful approach to accomplishing your goals. Start by thinking of the word “goals.” Envision the word “goals” as an acrostic, with each letter standing for a word or phrase.

For example:

Goals
Objective results
Activity results
Length of time
Schedule

Now let’s explore what you would do in each step.

1. Goals
List a few specific goals you want to accomplish. Write them so they are clear and measurable. Now, pick one of your goals and apply the following steps.

2. Objective results
Define the results you hope to obtain as you accomplish this goal. Since many goals are large and overwhelming, break the goal down into small, measureable steps.

(A side note. . . Train yourself to think in terms of results. That is, focus first on the results required to accomplish your goal, instead of the activities needed,)

3. Activity results
Next, define the activities you must accomplish to achieve your first step. For instance, your first step may be “To develop my overall plan to accomplish this goal.” Other steps may include smaller projects, assignments to others, or “to-do” activities.

4. Length of time
It’s critical to make each goal time-sensitive. Specify both the time you will need to achieve your results and the completion date. Be realistic and allow ample time to get the job done. In addition, if your next action step requires someone else’s help, make sure you get their “buy-in” and commitment.

5. Schedule
Finally, block out the time you need on your calendar to accomplish your goals. Begin by blocking out half-hour to an hour (at the most). Remember, you still have all of your normal activities to perform, too.

Now that you have your GOALS and steps recorded, you will need to visit them periodically. I recommend reviewing them and assessing your progress on a weekly basis.

Tracking your progress is what helps you become a top performer.

You find effective leaders at the heart of every successful organization. That’s why I help business leaders improve their leadership understanding and execution.

We also talk about strategy, structure, culture, trust, communication, accountability, collaboration and measuring results. But the real payoff comes from getting better as a leader.

As strongly as I feel about the value of leadership, there is a “but,” and the but is this: If you don’t have talented, hard-working, enthusiastic people to lead, how effective can you be at leading?

Companies like to say employees are their biggest assets. Yet most companies are ill prepared to find, develop, motivate and retain a talent-rich workforce.

Organizational leaders acknowledge the problem. In a 2006 McKinsey Consulting survey, respondents said that finding talented people would likely be the single most important effort for the rest of the decade. In an updated 2007 study, almost half of those surveyed expected increasing competition for talent to affect their companies over the next five years. No other global trend was nearly as significant.

Despite all the talk and concern, efforts to better select and retain the best talent have been weak. Attempts at improvement tend to get squashed by short-term business pressure.

In a January McKinsey Quarterly article, “Making Talent a Strategic Priority,” the authors stated that “talent issues have unquestionably moved up the boardroom agenda but they have been insufficient at best, superficial and wasteful at worst.”

In attracting talent, those organizations putting best hiring practices to work today will reap the benefits for years to come. The war for talent will only get worse as baby boomers retire in greater numbers and globalization increases.

No matter the size of your organization or business, the right talent can add untold value. And best practices to attract that talent don’t have to be difficult or complicated. Here are a few suggestions based on my 30-plus years of locating executive talent for our clients. You can benefit from this expertise by following the above suggestions:

• Think marketing. You’re recruiting talent. What is it about your company that would lure the best candidates? Build your recruiting message around that. Effective branding means that you should make your organization a place where people want to be.

• Know what you are looking for. What type of skills, talents, traits, interests, experience and education best suit your needs?

• Think superior performance. In a year’s time when I am giving my new employee a performance review that is nothing short of superior, what has she accomplished? Analyze those accomplishments to determine the skills and talents needed to get those things.

• Improve the interviewing skills of everyone involved in the selection process. A critical ingredient of that improvement is a thorough understanding that a candidate interview is both assessment and sales. Balance both to attract the best talent. When you do it right, your compelling message is delivered and backed with stories of both company and individual employee successes because stories help to paint a picture in the candidate’s mind.

Remember to develop a deep understanding of what you need and combine that with a savvy approach to interviewing so you not only intelligently assess candidates but also create an air of enthusiasm surrounding your organization and the position for which you are recruiting. In today’s market for talent, motivation has to take a front seat.

When executives and even many of those below the executive rank are considering an opportunity, they first contemplate the impact they can make. Next is the opportunity for growth. Then the leadership qualities of the person they will work for followed by the growth potential for the company and finally compensation.

Because those factors influence top talent, your mission as the hiring authority is to assess, communicate and then sell the company and the opportunity based on those factors. That approach will give you your greatest odds for success.

Tom Welch, President

In the last post, I talked about Paying Attention and drew attention once again to Angeles Arrien’s work. She talks about Paying Attention to what has heart and meaning. So first we simply have to pay attention. Period. But what does it mean to pay attention to what has heart and meaning? From a leadership standpoint it means to that first we have to understand what has heart and meaning for ourselves, and then we have to listen for and understand the same for others.

I love what she says about heart: “Where we are not strong- hearted is where we lack the courage to be authentic or to say what is true for us. Strong heartedness is where we have the courage to be all of who we are in life. The word ‘courage’ is derived from the French word for the heart, Coeur, and the etymologically it mean ‘the ability to stand by ones heart, or to stand by one’s core.”

Angeles Arrien; The Four-Fold Way; Harper San Francisco, 1993 pg. 51

So the questions this prompts are:

• Do you know what is true for you? Do you know what is true for the person you are talking to?

• What are you willing to stand by? What are others willing to stand by?

• Are you paying attention to what has meaning, that is not being said?

• Are you saying all that needs to be said at any given moment?