Every Leader's Bigget Challenge

THEMSELVES...Most every person who has become a leader has strengths and weaknesses. In the world of In-Syncness, we realize that the weaknesses are fueled by CONTAMINANTS that sabotage us in various and sundry ways.

If you are unaware of your contaminants and how best to detect and eradicate them, then you are missing out on concepts and processes that are designed to empower you to maximize as a leader / manger. Your strengths have taken you to the top, now you can go over the top by eradicating the contaminants that sabotage you in numerous ways that negatively impact every aspect of your business—including profitability.

The following are direct quotes from any of the In-Syncness books:

• Each of us is laden with a unique array of folly/fear-based beliefs we call contaminants; when we are in-conflict, our contaminants influence our thoughts, attitudes, words, desires, and behavior.

• Contaminants are deceptions, partial truths, lies that became our truth when we failed to interpret various words or life experiences from a self-valuing or biblical perspective. All of us have a unique array of contaminants that are founded on our life experiences.

• Most of our contaminants are created during our formative years (conception to age six) when our ability to reason is not yet fully developed. Contaminates reside throughout us in our cellular memory; most likely in the meninges (membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord) as well as in the heart (sub/unconscious), and in the organ that is most impacted by the negative emotions that accompanies each contaminant.

• Each of us is blessed with a unique array of virtuous beliefs; when we are in-sync, our virtuous beliefs influence our thoughts, attitudes, words, desires, and behavior. If you are a leader, in spite of your contaminated beliefs, your virtuous beliefs have catapulted you into that position.

I am fully aware that you have learned much from your extensive on-the-job experiences as well as from various seminars, books and training you may have received through the years. In all likelihood all of that has greatly benefited you and helped shape your attitudes, perspectives, choice of words, and management / leadership style.

In spite of your success, my hope is that you are so intent on taking your leadership effectiveness to the next level that you opt to understand, identify and eradicate the various contaminants that are sabotaging you at various times, in various ways and in various circumstances. I can assure you that is a simple, painless process that yields massive dividends.

Take a minute and go to www.insyncenss.com/books immediately order the E-book In-Syncness for Leaders. There are links to Amazon and B&N. $4.99

Once you read this book and respond accordingly, your leadership-management style, choice of words, attitudes, perspectives and the manner in which you relate to others will be radically altered for the better. Then, it will be time for all of your associates to read the In-Syncness book that is most appropriate for them.

Hire the Right People part 3

All effective interviewers have a long list of each of the 3 types of questions that apply to each aspect of the job and the company. (See previous post for the 3 types of questions). Simply stated, an effective interviewer is someone who is able to explore the candidate in such a manner so as to gather the required information to make an intelligent hiring decision. An intelligent decision is one that you can support with specific information if asked why you believe the applicant will succeed at the job, align with the company culture, and mesh with the other employees.

Another important aspect in hiring the right people is the proper use of a cooperation-test before the next interview. A cooperation-test is a project to perform, which will provide you with valuable insights when the applicant brings you the completion of the project. Give the applicant minimal instructions, and have them bring their effort to the next interview.  If they fail to do the project, listen closely to their excuses, etc.  This will enable you to discover the differences between the talkers and the doers, and you will learn much about the applicant regarding how they are likely to act when they fail on the job.

If the applicant completes the assignment, carefully observe how it is packaged, the neatness factor, the degree of effort and sophistication, and much more. Obviously the scope of the project is associated with the type of the job for which the applicant is applying.

Cooperation-test options: Potential managers may be asked to describe (write-up) the management style of the best manger for whom they have worked. A programmer may be asked to write a synopsis of a certain software program. Salesperson may be asked to do a little research on your number one competitor's product. Write a review of their opinion of your website. The options are limitless.

NOTE: They way the applicant performs in relation to the cooperation-test enables you to learn the degree of effort the applicant puts into the project, the way it is laid out, the container in which in resides when they submit it you. That which you can learn from a cooperation-test is limitless, and there is likely a correlation as to how they will conduct themselves on the job.

Most people are clueless regarding the massive cost of hiring the wrong person. I suggest, if you hire quickly you also fire quickly. An unhappy or ineffective associate can contaminate others and cost you thousands of dollars. The moment you have a inkling that an associate is not performing or producing as you anticipated; it is time for a meeting to review the job description, production quotas, and performance records. Hiring with a probationary period, often makes it easier to terminate when the first 30, 60, 90 days don’t go as you imagined they would.

Terminating employees can be likened to pruning a tree; overall it is a healthy process for the tree/company. I am not suggesting a fear-based environment, or capriciously firing people. Terminations work best when the manager utilizes a clearly stated job description, along with performance/production quotas that keep the conversation from getting mired in the subjective, so you can concentrate on the objective components. When managers deal in specifics and measurables, associates know precisely how well they are doing in light of expectations. This type of environment makes terminating associates a very smooth and easy process.

This is final post of three…hopefully, you have picked up an idea or two that will enable you to make more effective hiring and placement decisions.

TO SUCCEED TO A GREATER DEGREE

WHEN HIRING and or MANAGING OTHERS,

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OUR ONLINE TEST…

Take our online test; it WILL help you determine who is the best fit for each position, and how best to manage them. Initially, use the test with yourself and verify the depth of usable information on each of the profiles. It takes 5 to 8 minutes to take the test, and the results are emailed immediately.  www.insyncness.com/resources

2 for 1 between now and July 15, 2016.

Order one profile and receive another of the same type for no charge.

The Profile is $7.95 so it isn’t about the money…there are also volume discounts. Take a look and order today.

www.insyncness.com/resources

How to Hire Winners part 2

Interviewing people is all about discovering if the applicant has the necessary personal resources along with the necessary skills and capabilities to effectively function in the proposed position.

For that to be discovered, you must know what questions to ask and how best to ask those questions. Nobody likes to be grilled, that is why an interview is really a conservation that is designed to provide the necessary data for the interviewer to make a determination about the applicant.

Before sharing some questions and possible answers, it is important to note that prior to the interview it is best to provide the applicant with adequate information about the company, and specific information regarding the demands, skills and unique traits necessary to succeed in the position.  When this is properly done, many potential applicants will eliminate themselves-- realizing they lack the necessary skills, attitudes, resources, or perhaps the demands are contrary to their desires. This data is usually on hidden links on the company website. Example: www.abc.com/sales1, www.abc.com/sales2, or www.abc.com/admin1, www.abc.com/mgm1.  

Compiling these data sheets serves several purposes: (1) it forces the company to crystallize in written form precisely what the job entails, as well as the required assets and capabilities of the ideal applicant.  (2) It enables the person doing the interview to easily create the best possible questions to ask the applicant. (3) Initially, it enables the applicant to determine if the position is of interest, as well as if they possess the necessary skills and capabilities to succeed in the position. 

There are four types of questions frequently used during interviews:

Fact Finding, Feeling Finding, Open Ended and Follow-Ups. 

Fact Finding Questions:

1.    How long have you been in sales?

A.    I have been is sales for ten years.

2.    Do you have reliable transportation?

B.    I can get to work.

3.    If selected, how quickly could you begin working here?

C. I could start immediately.

4.    How proficient are you in Office Suites (software)?

           D. I do pretty well with Office Suites.

  

Feeling Finding Questions:

1.    How do you feel about working weekends?

E. I like to go fishing on the weekends.

2.    How do you feel about traveling 50% of the time?

F. Gasoline is expensive and flying is a lot of hassle these days.

3.    How do you feel about working in an open office layout?

G. I have heard they are noisy and I like a quiet work place.

4.    How do you feel about meeting daily with your supervisor?

H. Depends on how productive the meetings are?

Open Ended Questions:

1.    How would you describe your management style?

I. I am a pretty easy going person.

2.    What do you like most about sales?

J. I like wrapping up the deal.

3.    What attracts you to this position?

K. It sounded like it would be a fun job.

4.    How do you like to be managed/supervised?

L. As long as I am doing ok, I like to be left alone.

Follow-Up Questions to Previously Asked Questions:

A.    Which of your positions did you enjoy the most?

B.    And just how will that happen?

C.    Do you feel like you have any obligation to give your current employer a week or two notice?

D.   Which of the programs are most challenging for you?

E.     Does that mean you wouldn’t be able to work weekends?

F.     How would you describe your style when being hassled?

G.   How much less work do you think you would produce in a noisy office environment?

H.   Are you only interested in doing productive things?

I.       How difficult is it for you to put someone on probation or terminate them?

J.      How do you feel about prospecting for new accounts?

K.    How would you describe a fun job?

L.     How would you feel about being managed closely during the first 3 months?

Effective interviewers have a long list of the 3 primary types of questions, for each aspect of the job. For example in sales there are several aspects to the job that spawn questions: time management, prospecting, making presentations, closing the sale, imputing and managing data, follow-up after the sale, and the list goes on.

Your objective is to discover what the applicant's responses really mean as it applies to the position. This will enable you to develop a full profile of the applicant’s propensities, resources and capabilities. This is likely to take 2 or 3 interviews.

If all of this is new to you, practice this process on your existing staff. Each time you meet with one of them, ask a question or two that you would ask a new applicant for the same position. Then do a couple of follow-up question just to practice for the next interview. There answers will also help you better understand and manage each of your existing employees.

This is part 2 of 3. Next, I will provide additional insights to help you streamline the hiring process, so you will consistently hire the right people for the right positions.

TOOLS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED TO A GREATER DEGREE…

Take our online test; it is designed to better enable you to determine those who are the best fit for each position. Take it yourself and verify our accuracy and the depth of usable information. The profiles are also an excellent management tool for new and existing personnel. Buy one test and get a second for free before June 30th. www.insyncness.com/resources

If you want to increase your management skills, read In-Syncness for Leaders & Managers for a fresh perspective on how best to lead and manage. You will not be disappointed with this read. www.insyncness.com/books

If you want to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your current staff, encourage them to read In-Syncness the State of Being. You will be amazed at what will happen to the culture and profitability of your company. www.insyncness.com/books

At the website, there are links to Amazon and B&N.

How to Hire the Right People

Unless you are strictly an e-commerce company, your greatest assets are your people. No product or service sells itself; it takes people to consummate the transaction.

In most instances, a company with average products or services and great people will outperform a company with great products or services and average people.
 
Finding, hiring, training, and managing people is key for a profitable business.

Finding: Smart companies are constantly recruiting and have a waiting list of people they can call anytime they need to add to their staff or an opening occurs. Generally those on the waiting list are currently employed and looking to better themselves. You these people while doing your life and noted that you would like to contact them when an opening occurs in your company.

Hiring: To effectively hire, you must know precisely what type of person you are looking for. For that to occur, you must thoroughly understand the key demands of the position for which you are hiring. For example, in sales, Reps must be good communicators, able to handle rejection, and be organized. In management, Managers must be good communicators, be organized, and able to defer their ego to the benefit of the team. In accounting, individuals must be organized, less into the people skills and more into the digital skills. For the best hire, each job requires a different type of personality and set of skills.
Assuming you know the demands of the job, it is now time to find the right person. Generally, if you hire fast you must be willing to fire fast. Most prudent hires will include at least three interviews and sometimes more, depending on the importance of the position, and the complexity of the job.

The first interview is generally a “knock-out” interview. As quickly as possible, you must decide who isn’t a candidate for the position. For that to occur you must have some clearly defined non-negotiables (traits the applicant must possess or not possess). Some examples of non negotiable are: reliable transportation, proficiency in typing/data entry, software, social media, ability to multi-task, ability to handle rejection, no use of drugs. You can easily create your list of non-negotiables, when you clearly understand the physical and psychological demands of each job.

Only the supervisor truly knows the traits necessary for success in the positions they manage. This is often a challenge when HR does all the screening and hiring. You will have more stellar hires when HR and supervisors collaborate on the ideal candidate for each position.

The first interview can easily be a telephone conversation, preceded by some combination of an Application, online questionnaire (e-mailed or at your website), a psychological screening test, letters of recommendation, etc.


It is imperative that prior to the first interview you have as much data on the person as possible; all provided by them. It is their initial investment for the privilege of working for your company. You cannot afford to INVEST valuable time with anybody without first knowing that their strengths indicate they are capable of excelling in the position.

This is part 1 of 3. Each week, I will provide additional insights to help you streamline the hiring process, so you will consistently hire the right people for the right positions. 

**Between now and June 30th, buy one and get a second profile for FREE.

Our online test is designed to better enable you to determine those who are the best fit for each position. Take it yourself and verify our accuracy and the depth of usable information. The profiles are also an excellent management tool for new and existing personnel. www.insyncness.com/resources

Also check out In-Syncness for Leaders & Managers. A now perspective on Leadership and Management; you will be pleased with this read. www.insyncness.com/books

If you want to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your current staff, encourage them to read In-Syncness the State of Being. You will be amazed at what will happen to the culture and profitability of your company. www.insyncness.com/books
 

There are also links to Amazon and B&N at the website.