Who Should I Hire? Part 1

Hiring new people can be a very challenging endeavor. Not only does it take a tremendous amount of time, energy and often money, but the rate of success is just not that high, based on the numerous conversations I have had with executives and managers.

In this week's post I wanted to share with you one of the most important lessons I learned over my 15-year management career...hire for attitude and train for skills.

I have shared that tidbit with many people over the years and they usually nod their head slowly in agreement, yet the look in their eyes tells me they're still not convinced. The reason is that it is counter-intuitive in some ways.

For example, you have an open position. The fact that it is open often means that there are others who are carrying the weight of the duties and responsibilities of that position until it gets filled. Many times it ends up being you, the hiring manager, who is carrying the bulk of the weight. So, what you want more than anything is relief! You want someone who can step in, take the ball and run with it. That seems to be the best answer...but only in the short-run, as too many of us have learned.

"But you don't understand," you say. "Do you know how much work it takes to train someone? I don't have time for that, " you continue.

No, you don't understand. Do you know how much it will cost in time, energy and money if you hire the wrong person? I have heard some HR experts say that a bad hire can cost six times the person's salary, or more! Can you afford that?

From my experience, most bad hires are the result of a lack of fit within the culture rather than a lack of competence. They just don't get along with the team, don't work well within the established system, don't have the right work ethic, etc. The problem is one of attitude and behavior, not skills.

More next time...

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Getting Back At It

It has been a few weeks since I posted to this blog. The Christmas and New Years holidays, along with visits by family members and the beginning of a new year have kept me more than busy.

However, I am committed to getting back to my "at least every Thursday" schedule and look forward to the opportunity of interacting with you about topics concerning leadership and life in 2010.

Today was an exciting day! I had the pleasure of delivering my "Making Great Managers" seminar in its new, expanded format (i.e. full day). I had a great time interacting with those who attended as we discussed a very practical process for performance management. We covered: 1) laying the proper foundation for successful relationships, 2) how to have a consistent performance feedback and planning session that contributes toward the success of our employees, 3) how to use S.M.A.R.T. goals to fuel significant progress and 4) how to coach for performance in between feedback and planning session.

We shared a lot of stories about how we have seen these principles at work, and the negative effects of their absence.

What kind of environment are you creating for those you lead? What is the quality of your relationships with each of them? How well have you communicated your expectations to them? And, are you supporting them in achieving those expectations?

Seize the day!

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Traditions

A number of years back my wife and I became much more intentional about creating some family traditions, especially around days and seasons that are special to us.

For example, the day after Thanksgiving we always head out to get the Christmas Tree. Watch this short video of my 8 yr old son transporting the tree to the van. My other two younger daughters are with me as well.

As it is Christmas Eve I thought I would take just a few minutes to share some of the ones we have been practicing for a while, related to this special ocassion.

Maggiano's - our favorite restaurant as as family (besides Jason's Deli) is Maggiano's Little Italy in Oak Brook. Each year we get all dressed up and head out for a great meal. We order a couple different appetizers and five or six main dishes (for our family of 10!) and usually finish up with some good dessert. And, we always have leftovers to enjoy later. Yummm.

Movies - we usually try to watch one or two of the old-time favorites together (Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Bells of St. Mary, etc.)

Sleeping out - the children and I always camp out in the living room together in sleeping bags. It is getting harder and harder on this old body, but I still enjoy this aspect of our Christmas Eve.

So, what are some traditions that you and your family engage in? What memories are you creating together with those you love? If this is an area of weakness for you, let me encourage you to start today. Don't worry about the years lost. Look ahead with fresh vision and anticipation.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Seize the day!

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Do You See What I See?

Here is an excerpt from the newsletter that I just sent out this morning. Enjoy!

Creating Hope - This Is Your Time!
PILLAR #4

"You were meant to be here tonight...This is your time!"

Those are just a few of the inspiring words uttered to his team by coach Herb Brooks only minutes before the U.S. Olympic hockey team faced the Russians in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. As most of you know, those "boys" went on to stage one of the greatest upsets in sports history. (Click here to watch the full speech from the movie "Miracle". It's only 2 minutes...and very worth it.)

Many others have inspired great hope in their followers through their words and their deeds. I think of great men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill. One had "a dream" and the other saw "their finest hour..." Read more...

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Building and Maintaining Strong Relationships

Here is another excerpt from a previous newsletter.

Simple Building Blocks
A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR RELATIONSHIP

Maybe you're thinking, “Are you kidding? Building and maintaining relationships is NOT simple." I agree that people and relationships can be dauntingly complicated when looking at the big picture. However, most successful relationships can be built and maintained using relatively simple building blocks...the smaller pictures.

Consider communication as a small picture. The most common reason for "on the rocks" relationships is poor communication. Many factors play into a relationship, but the ability to be heard and understood by one another is the ultimate bottom line. Therefore, your ability to properly engage in the ordinary conversations of everyday life with your followers will be a critical building block in your relationship with them and your success as a leader. Read more...

Seize the day!

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Why is Having an Executive Coach Helpful?

Before I get into the value of executive coaching, here's a quick personal update: Things have been really busy for our family lately. We hosted a Regency Ball on November 13 (check out www.regencyball.blogspot.com for pictures and videos). It was fantastic, and it also consumed us for a week or two beforehand. After a week of recovery we enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving day and weekend. We bought our Christmas tree, started decorating the house, played capture the flag and also went to our local Wheaton parade.

At the beginning of my Thanksgiving week I spent two days on my "Getting Things Done" implementation. I am now officially a GTD'er. If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out my last two blog posts. They are just a sliver of what I have been learning as I have read David Allen's book. I highly encourage you to check it out if you are looking for more stress-free productivity in your life.

On another note, recently one of my sons and I made a brief video clip about the value of having an executive coach. Take a quick look at this video to find out what I had to say.



Feel free to visit my website for more video clips and access to previous webcasts.

Seize the day!
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Increasing Personal Productivity - Part 2

Watch this quick video for part 2 of Increasing Your Personal Productivity. If you haven't read yesterday's post I would encourage you to take a quick peak at that first.

I thope this was valuable. I know this minor shift in thinking has been very helpful to me in the last few weeks. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Seize the day!

http://www.joedenner.blogspot.com/

http://www.alliantleadership.com/

www.twitter.com/joedenner