Recently I wrote about your Social Networking Profile talking mostly about sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Today I am taking this further to talk about how we refer to to others online as there seems to be an increasing trend towards labeling groups of people and then referring to them in demeaning or derogatory terms and this is being done by people whose business or professions rely to a large extent on their online or 'social' presence.
One person I follow on Twitter re-tweeted the following: "people who use twit validation services are lazy and don't get the point of Social Media. Brands that use it are even worse." A Business Insider contributor wrote a scathing and insulting article call "Why I will Never, Ever Hire A Social Media Expert: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-will-never-ever-hire-a-social-media-expert-2011-5. Both writers used broad generalizations and demeaning terminology to describe entire groups of people. I wish this was something that rarely happened but unfortunately it isn't and the Business Insider article was retweeted many times, it showed up in my stream 47 times in two days so one can only imagine just how viral it became.
Would you speak to a customer face to face like that? Would you speak to co-workers, your boss, your friends or family like that? If 'social media' is about relationships does it make sense to develop those relationships based on trust and respect? What do you think? What thoughts go through your mind when you read this type of article, tweet or blog?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Donations, Giving, Volunteering and Community
I am going a little off topic today but bear with me, there is a workplace mention in here as well. The topic of giving back to our community, sharing with others when we can and ensuring that when we can we help our fellow humans out is something that I find myself revisiting frequently. With the advent of Social Media the requests to help out with a cash donation, clothing or household products and your time we are now inundated with such requests multiple times every single day. It isn’t possible to meet every request and we need to sort through them all to decide which we are going to contribute to.
In one week alone I received requests for cash, goods, lottery purchase or time as follows:
Hospital Foundation- cash-via snail mail
Cancer Society – cash-via email
Cancer Fundraisers (outside the agency) – 8 requests to support various people in various fundraising events; via email, Twitter, snail mail
Heart & Stroke – cash
Lung Association-cash in the form of support for an event
Orphanage in Africa- cash plus time support for a fundraising event-via email
Big Brothers-clothing or household goods-via telephone
Lottery Ticket Purchase for a hospital foundation (different hospital) fundraiser-via snail mail
Japan Tsunami Fundraisers- 7 for cash-via Twitter, Facebook, on the street
Slave Lake Fire Fundraiser- 12 via Facebook, Twitter and email
Doctors Without Borders-cash-via email
School Fundraiser-to purchase a product as a fundraising effort for school activities
We are Just Girls-on the street (time)
Various Eco Groups-on the street- 4 requests for time
Request for cash for 2 different animal care related fundraisers; via Facebook, Twitter and email.
All that in just one week, and I did not even list the number of people on the street who simply ask for cash for themselves, the inquiry as to whether I want to donate to whatever charity the grocery store or drugstore is sponsoring conveniently at the cash register and then there is the Food bank donation boxes right at the exit from the store. A little overwhelming but this has become a fairly typical week. Even if I were to not read email, listen to voice mail or answer the phone, stay offline entirely and not open my snail mail box-if I leave home, I will be asked for money or to “take a minute to hear about” whatever organization has volunteers on the street that day. Lately several organizations have started posting 2 people on each corner at each end of a one block area where there are many shops that have a large customer base –so as you go about your daily shopping and household related errands you are asked by 8 different people to “take a minute” to listen to their pitch.
These requests also permeate the workplace: our coworkers ask us to sponsor them in runs, walks, climbs, cycles etc. in which they are fundraising. Parents bring in whatever product their child is selling as a fundraiser-wrapping paper, gift cards, chocolate covered almonds etc. The executive teams ask employees to donate to certain organizations by sponsoring the United Way payroll deduction program and offering paid time off to volunteer. In addition job seekers with little experience or who are temporarily out of work volunteer in order to gain experience and skills to show potential employers what they can do. Volunteering in many organizations has come to resemble the same process as obtaining a paid role-multiple interviews and background checks take place so you can provide your expertise and time to the organization.
It is all so convenient now-you don’t really have to make much effort to donate and then feel like you have contributed-made a difference or helped someone. Many fundraisings now include the potential to win something in return for your donation. You can volunteer your time and gain references to pass on to potential employers.
This is great –right?
How do you feel about it? How do you decide who, what, when and how much you will donate or contribute to any of these organizations or fundraiser events? Do we know how effective our donations are? How much goes to providing whatever the donation is meant to provide and how much goes to pure administration? How much of your donation ends up in the bank accounts of the marketers that set up and run the fundraising programs? Also, how much money via your tax dollars are the various levels of government giving to all these requestors?
This whole donating/contributing machine has become a rather large industry, it employs hundreds of thousands of people brings in vast amounts of cash, utilizes hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and likely is making a significant inroad onto reducing suffering, bringing education to more people, providing basic needs to those who require some assistance and more. Yet, when you consider the sheer volume of requests for funds each and every day-do you ever wonder if your contributions are as effective as you would like them to be?
In one week alone I received requests for cash, goods, lottery purchase or time as follows:
Hospital Foundation- cash-via snail mail
Cancer Society – cash-via email
Cancer Fundraisers (outside the agency) – 8 requests to support various people in various fundraising events; via email, Twitter, snail mail
Heart & Stroke – cash
Lung Association-cash in the form of support for an event
Orphanage in Africa- cash plus time support for a fundraising event-via email
Big Brothers-clothing or household goods-via telephone
Lottery Ticket Purchase for a hospital foundation (different hospital) fundraiser-via snail mail
Japan Tsunami Fundraisers- 7 for cash-via Twitter, Facebook, on the street
Slave Lake Fire Fundraiser- 12 via Facebook, Twitter and email
Doctors Without Borders-cash-via email
School Fundraiser-to purchase a product as a fundraising effort for school activities
We are Just Girls-on the street (time)
Various Eco Groups-on the street- 4 requests for time
Request for cash for 2 different animal care related fundraisers; via Facebook, Twitter and email.
All that in just one week, and I did not even list the number of people on the street who simply ask for cash for themselves, the inquiry as to whether I want to donate to whatever charity the grocery store or drugstore is sponsoring conveniently at the cash register and then there is the Food bank donation boxes right at the exit from the store. A little overwhelming but this has become a fairly typical week. Even if I were to not read email, listen to voice mail or answer the phone, stay offline entirely and not open my snail mail box-if I leave home, I will be asked for money or to “take a minute to hear about” whatever organization has volunteers on the street that day. Lately several organizations have started posting 2 people on each corner at each end of a one block area where there are many shops that have a large customer base –so as you go about your daily shopping and household related errands you are asked by 8 different people to “take a minute” to listen to their pitch.
These requests also permeate the workplace: our coworkers ask us to sponsor them in runs, walks, climbs, cycles etc. in which they are fundraising. Parents bring in whatever product their child is selling as a fundraiser-wrapping paper, gift cards, chocolate covered almonds etc. The executive teams ask employees to donate to certain organizations by sponsoring the United Way payroll deduction program and offering paid time off to volunteer. In addition job seekers with little experience or who are temporarily out of work volunteer in order to gain experience and skills to show potential employers what they can do. Volunteering in many organizations has come to resemble the same process as obtaining a paid role-multiple interviews and background checks take place so you can provide your expertise and time to the organization.
It is all so convenient now-you don’t really have to make much effort to donate and then feel like you have contributed-made a difference or helped someone. Many fundraisings now include the potential to win something in return for your donation. You can volunteer your time and gain references to pass on to potential employers.
This is great –right?
How do you feel about it? How do you decide who, what, when and how much you will donate or contribute to any of these organizations or fundraiser events? Do we know how effective our donations are? How much goes to providing whatever the donation is meant to provide and how much goes to pure administration? How much of your donation ends up in the bank accounts of the marketers that set up and run the fundraising programs? Also, how much money via your tax dollars are the various levels of government giving to all these requestors?
This whole donating/contributing machine has become a rather large industry, it employs hundreds of thousands of people brings in vast amounts of cash, utilizes hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and likely is making a significant inroad onto reducing suffering, bringing education to more people, providing basic needs to those who require some assistance and more. Yet, when you consider the sheer volume of requests for funds each and every day-do you ever wonder if your contributions are as effective as you would like them to be?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Performance Reviews, 360's, Personality Tests-What Is Really Happening?
Managers in organizations seek out ways to measure and improve the performance of employees and develop "high potential" employees for placement in the company succession plan. You likely have experienced some or several versions of performance reviews, perhaps participated in a 360 Review process or been asked to complete an assessment such as the Myers Brigg Type Indicator (registered trademark) or the Emotional Intelligence/Quotient questionnaire. So what do these have in common, how are they different and how are they intended to be used?
Traditional forms of performance review focus on the past, the manager completes a form that assigns a rating on some type of scale. Most of these reviews have a mid-year assessment and a year end assessment and some will include areas of development for the future. Critics of such reviews point out that regular feedback throughout the year has a greater impact on performance than simply completing a form twice a year that focusses on events that are too far in the past. Another common complaint about this process is that managers use these forms as the only method of communicating problems with an employees performance, often blindsiding the employee at review time. Organizations will also use the ratings from these forms to determine pay increases where merit increases are in place and in some programs they will also use them to determine year over year performance for promotion or termination purposes.
360 Reviews are best used for development purposes and not intended to be used as performance reviews or for determination of pay or promotion. 360 reviews can provide valuable information to the subject of the review as to how peers, direct reports and their managers view their performance and cultural fit. They are however, subjective reviews and can be affected by recents events around the person being reviewed. Employees that do receive 360 reports should have allocated coaching time to help them determine what to focus on and how to write a development plan for competency areas that will affect their career.
Myers Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) groups respondents into 16 different types (self-report style) which are made up of people's preferences for four mental processes and the tendency to focus more on the outer or inner world. It is important to remember that these types are preferences and do not provide any information regarding ability. The MBTI-Step II includes 40 additional facets which further identify individual preferences. This type of information is very useful for team development purposes, developing interpersonal skills and as one aspect of career planning. The MBTI is not to be used for hiring purposes as it does not provide information about ability but it is useful during employment in helping employees work effectively together. It can be used in career planning as one aspect of helping people identify what they enjoy doing and researching careers that will include those activities.
The Emotional Intelligence report reflects, in simple terms, an individuals self-report on how they manage their own emotions and respond to those around them. This instrument can be a useful starting point for people who would like to improve their relationship building skills and can be valuable in an organizational setting where one will be working with a diverse range of people.
All of the above assess an individual in some way and provide opportunities, if used effectively to improve skills or recognize when it is time to take on a new challenge or consider a change in a career path. Managers in organizations often bring such assessments into the workplace in an effort to improve productivity, reduce turnover, increase their competitive edge-all great goals.
It is important to ensure that you are choosing the right instrument, that you understand that each instrument has limits to what it can accomplish and that any instrument can only accomplish the desired goals if used effectively and if it fits into other initiatives within the organizational strategy.
I will be talking more about some of these instruments over the next few weeks, the good, the bad and the dusty shelf syndrome included.
What experience have you had with any of the above? Please share your anecdotes and what you learned from the experience. I look forward to hearing from you.
Traditional forms of performance review focus on the past, the manager completes a form that assigns a rating on some type of scale. Most of these reviews have a mid-year assessment and a year end assessment and some will include areas of development for the future. Critics of such reviews point out that regular feedback throughout the year has a greater impact on performance than simply completing a form twice a year that focusses on events that are too far in the past. Another common complaint about this process is that managers use these forms as the only method of communicating problems with an employees performance, often blindsiding the employee at review time. Organizations will also use the ratings from these forms to determine pay increases where merit increases are in place and in some programs they will also use them to determine year over year performance for promotion or termination purposes.
360 Reviews are best used for development purposes and not intended to be used as performance reviews or for determination of pay or promotion. 360 reviews can provide valuable information to the subject of the review as to how peers, direct reports and their managers view their performance and cultural fit. They are however, subjective reviews and can be affected by recents events around the person being reviewed. Employees that do receive 360 reports should have allocated coaching time to help them determine what to focus on and how to write a development plan for competency areas that will affect their career.
Myers Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) groups respondents into 16 different types (self-report style) which are made up of people's preferences for four mental processes and the tendency to focus more on the outer or inner world. It is important to remember that these types are preferences and do not provide any information regarding ability. The MBTI-Step II includes 40 additional facets which further identify individual preferences. This type of information is very useful for team development purposes, developing interpersonal skills and as one aspect of career planning. The MBTI is not to be used for hiring purposes as it does not provide information about ability but it is useful during employment in helping employees work effectively together. It can be used in career planning as one aspect of helping people identify what they enjoy doing and researching careers that will include those activities.
The Emotional Intelligence report reflects, in simple terms, an individuals self-report on how they manage their own emotions and respond to those around them. This instrument can be a useful starting point for people who would like to improve their relationship building skills and can be valuable in an organizational setting where one will be working with a diverse range of people.
All of the above assess an individual in some way and provide opportunities, if used effectively to improve skills or recognize when it is time to take on a new challenge or consider a change in a career path. Managers in organizations often bring such assessments into the workplace in an effort to improve productivity, reduce turnover, increase their competitive edge-all great goals.
It is important to ensure that you are choosing the right instrument, that you understand that each instrument has limits to what it can accomplish and that any instrument can only accomplish the desired goals if used effectively and if it fits into other initiatives within the organizational strategy.
I will be talking more about some of these instruments over the next few weeks, the good, the bad and the dusty shelf syndrome included.
What experience have you had with any of the above? Please share your anecdotes and what you learned from the experience. I look forward to hearing from you.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Professional Social Networking Profile
While conducting my research into social media last year it became clear that many people don't view their online activities from a professional or personal image perspective. Some people will post a reasonably professional profile on LinkedIn but their Twitter account too often has problematic tweets and I think most of us are aware of just how problematic Facebook postings can be. Often I have seen profiles on LinkedIn that are fine but then the owner of that profile posts inappropriate content in groups or falls into the flame wars syndrome thus lessening the effectiveness of their profile. Other people post a profile on LinkedIn that is so poorly done that recruiters will pass them by quickly and they may then lose an opportunity at a job.
I follow a few people on Twitter who readily identify with the organization they work for but some of their posts are inappropriate for an online forum which alters the opinion of readers regarding the poster but also gives a less than stellar image of the company they work for.
The prevalence of swearing on all social networks is disturbing, not only are those words losing any real impact as they are repeated so frequently but they leave you wondering if the posters lack the ability to discuss or disperse their thoughts with some sign of critical thinking.
I read the link to Justin Goldborough's blog (http://justincaseyouwerewondering.com/2011/05/08/the-growing-need-for-a-tact-counselor) which coincided with a discussion I had this weekend regarding the need to teach people how to handle themselves online. The problems cited included my points above but also pointed out that among the high school, college and university crowds social networks have become another source of bullying and the serious mental health issues that arise from this. The conversation also covered the perhaps surprising results that many well educated professionals make mistakes online as well. When I think back over similar discussion over the past year and the increasing number of workplace disciplinary actions or firings over online postings it is clear that a much stronger focus needs to be put on this topic for everyone.
Inappropriate posts on any social networking site or blog comments section can derail a career, deny you admission to the post secondary school of your choice, get you fired or find you the target of a lawsuit. In many cases you may not even know that you were passed over for a job, promotion, contract or school because of something on a social networking site as the people researching these will simply eliminate you without telling you why.
I am offering a Professional Social Networking Profile consultation (Spring Promotion is $50 or a group rate can be negotiated for groups of 12 people or less) to help registrants develop a professional profile and clean up any online data they may already have. This is not a course on how to use social networks from a technical or marketing standpoint but how to present a positive image for you online.
If you or someone you know are interested in registering for this consultation or wish to arrange a group session in the Vancouver area please email me at kwills@telus.net.
I follow a few people on Twitter who readily identify with the organization they work for but some of their posts are inappropriate for an online forum which alters the opinion of readers regarding the poster but also gives a less than stellar image of the company they work for.
The prevalence of swearing on all social networks is disturbing, not only are those words losing any real impact as they are repeated so frequently but they leave you wondering if the posters lack the ability to discuss or disperse their thoughts with some sign of critical thinking.
I read the link to Justin Goldborough's blog (http://justincaseyouwerewondering.com/2011/05/08/the-growing-need-for-a-tact-counselor) which coincided with a discussion I had this weekend regarding the need to teach people how to handle themselves online. The problems cited included my points above but also pointed out that among the high school, college and university crowds social networks have become another source of bullying and the serious mental health issues that arise from this. The conversation also covered the perhaps surprising results that many well educated professionals make mistakes online as well. When I think back over similar discussion over the past year and the increasing number of workplace disciplinary actions or firings over online postings it is clear that a much stronger focus needs to be put on this topic for everyone.
Inappropriate posts on any social networking site or blog comments section can derail a career, deny you admission to the post secondary school of your choice, get you fired or find you the target of a lawsuit. In many cases you may not even know that you were passed over for a job, promotion, contract or school because of something on a social networking site as the people researching these will simply eliminate you without telling you why.
I am offering a Professional Social Networking Profile consultation (Spring Promotion is $50 or a group rate can be negotiated for groups of 12 people or less) to help registrants develop a professional profile and clean up any online data they may already have. This is not a course on how to use social networks from a technical or marketing standpoint but how to present a positive image for you online.
If you or someone you know are interested in registering for this consultation or wish to arrange a group session in the Vancouver area please email me at kwills@telus.net.
Friday, May 06, 2011
toonlet: HR Is Fun-Right?
toonlet: HR Is Fun-Right?
Just for fun on a rainy Friday. Chris Burns http://potential-chrisburns.blogspot.com/ told me about Toonlet, so I *had* to try it out.
I am curious to hear more tales from the field-what are your experiences with HR? What do you think they do? Tell us your fun, sad, weird and odd stories-oh- and if you have some happy, positive stories we absolutey want to hear about those.
Just for fun on a rainy Friday. Chris Burns http://potential-chrisburns.blogspot.com/ told me about Toonlet, so I *had* to try it out.
I am curious to hear more tales from the field-what are your experiences with HR? What do you think they do? Tell us your fun, sad, weird and odd stories-oh- and if you have some happy, positive stories we absolutey want to hear about those.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Personal Energy Rules-What Are Yours
Rule number one: direct your energy where it is most likely to make a positive difference
Rule number two: when you feel like you are beating your head against a brick wall, refer to rule number one.
Rules one and two are one version of 'advice' I have often resorted to in my work with people over the years and in my personal life. It wasn't always well received and I was somewhat puzzled as to why - after all it seemed pretty logical to me. It was in my work with an executive coach years ago that the light bulb finally clicked on, she mentioned one day that I often don't say out loud everything pertinent to a topic, almost as if I am assuming that the other person is filling in the blanks themselves. She noted that I often defended others who do some ranting by pointing out that people often need to vent, be heard and calm down before they can move on to constructive action or problem solving. Yet when I blithely hand out rule number one and two, I just might be forgetting to mention the venting requirement. This leaves some people who receive this message with the impression that I don't understand just how overwhelming the problem they have feels to them. Years later I still have to remind myself to complete my thoughts out loud as the Vulcan mind meld has yet to assert itself.
The rather divisive nature of the political discussion in this country in the past 7 years brought another aspect of rule numbers one and two alive for me-some people are firmly hanging onto their opinions and are not open to discussion-they state in a very directive manner that their version of the ways things are is correct and not open for discussion. In this case rule number one and two stand alone-there is little to be gained from trying to engage in discussion on that topic with people who have made up their minds-you can however continue to direct your energy where it is most likely to make a difference. We have limited personal energy and resources-it makes sense to use them wisely.
Do you have 'rules' about how you spend your personal energy? Do you have any anecdotes about when sticking to your 'rules' made a positive difference? I would love to hear your stories.
Rule number two: when you feel like you are beating your head against a brick wall, refer to rule number one.
Rules one and two are one version of 'advice' I have often resorted to in my work with people over the years and in my personal life. It wasn't always well received and I was somewhat puzzled as to why - after all it seemed pretty logical to me. It was in my work with an executive coach years ago that the light bulb finally clicked on, she mentioned one day that I often don't say out loud everything pertinent to a topic, almost as if I am assuming that the other person is filling in the blanks themselves. She noted that I often defended others who do some ranting by pointing out that people often need to vent, be heard and calm down before they can move on to constructive action or problem solving. Yet when I blithely hand out rule number one and two, I just might be forgetting to mention the venting requirement. This leaves some people who receive this message with the impression that I don't understand just how overwhelming the problem they have feels to them. Years later I still have to remind myself to complete my thoughts out loud as the Vulcan mind meld has yet to assert itself.
The rather divisive nature of the political discussion in this country in the past 7 years brought another aspect of rule numbers one and two alive for me-some people are firmly hanging onto their opinions and are not open to discussion-they state in a very directive manner that their version of the ways things are is correct and not open for discussion. In this case rule number one and two stand alone-there is little to be gained from trying to engage in discussion on that topic with people who have made up their minds-you can however continue to direct your energy where it is most likely to make a difference. We have limited personal energy and resources-it makes sense to use them wisely.
Do you have 'rules' about how you spend your personal energy? Do you have any anecdotes about when sticking to your 'rules' made a positive difference? I would love to hear your stories.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Interviews-Are You Getting Good Advice?
Having read many articles, participated on LinkedIn discussions and visited interview advice websites lately my question this week is: Are you getting good advice?
Much of the advice comes from people who by their profiles would appear to really *know* what they are talking about, however much of the advice is generic or outdated and the diversity of opinions in the discussion forums make it clear that this type of advice simply is not going to work for everyone.
These are my thoughts on the topic, based on interviewing many people over many years:
What to do before the interview
(1) If you know someone that works at the organization you have an interview with ask them what the dress code is and what type of clothing people are expected to wear at an interview; if you do not know anyone then call the person who first contacted you to arrange the interview, or the receptionist or the HR department and ask them what appropriate interview wear is for their company. I read an article this morning that advised all interviewees to wear suits (and women to wear 'skirted' suits) for interviews. Yet a friend who recently interviewed with a technology company was told specifically to wear jeans; one workplace I worked in asked interviewees to wear business casual, another workplace asked for clean, neat one step up from jeans casual and another requested suits. It makes sense to ask the question of the organization you are interviewing with specifically what is appropriate for their workplace.
(2) Ask how long you should expect to be at the location for the interview so that you can plan any dependent care, transportation needs and other scheduling needs around this. Add at least one hour to the expected time frame as often these things can run late. If not you get an hour back-enjoy it.
(3) Research the organization thoroughly, read everything on their website, check their stock performance if applicable, read every news release or industry article you can find, ask people who work for the company (or have worked for the company) about the internal culture. It is not enough to spend 5 minutes on the web page, it can become pretty clear in a well conducted interview that you haven't done your homework if that is all you do. Search social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter streams and if applicable Facebook for further information. Prepare your own questions to ask, questions that show you have done your homework and are interested in the future of the organization are best. If it is a first interview asking about vacations and other benefits may not be your best choice, it often turns hiring managers off. You may be asked about salary, be ready to answer this question and try not to make it a waffle answer-if you are willing to take a drop in pay for a coveted position say so in a way that lets the interviewer know you have thought it through.
(4) Once you have established appropriate dress for the interview ensure well ahead of time that you have that attire clean, neat, ready to wear (and if you haven't worn it for awhile try it on :)). Do not wait until the day of the interview to do this.
(5) Ensure that you know exactly how you will get to the interview location, yes go so far as to try out your transit/drive route ahead of time (preferably at the same time of day that you will be going on the day of the interview); then add at least 30 minutes to your travel time on the interview day. This will allow for any traffic problems or other problems that may arise on that day-being early can be managed by going for a walk or having a cup of coffee nearby; being late is hard to overcome. If you need to make daycare arrangements for that day ensure you have a back up plan in case your arrangement falls through.
(6) Jot down notes about your accomplishments, your specific contributions to projects, dealing with difficult customers/co-workers and who inspired you and why.There is a good chance that you will be asked the weakness/strengths question so decide what the answer to those are ahead of time, and do not follow the not good advice to turn a weakness into a strength-few people fall for that. Be honest, for example if you have difficulty with meeting deadlines say so and say what you are doing to learn to overcome this. Why make notes about this ahead of time? Because all too often candidates draw a blank during the interview, preparing ahead helps avoid this. Also, ask previous co-workers or teachers to tell you what strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments and contributions they observed about you-you may well be surprised at how much you have forgotten.
(7) Prepare a list of at least three references ahead of time, contact each one and make sure to get their agreement to act as a reference. Include several forms of contact information for each reference listed if available, phone numbers, email address and snail mail address.
(8) Bring a copy of your resume with you even if the interviewer already has one, sometimes they have one that may not be current if they retrieved it from a job board and as sometimes happens, the interviewer may show up unprepared-but that doesn't mean you should.
(9) Before leaving at the end of the interview ask for contact information such as email so you can send a thank-you note to the interviewer(s) later. Some people like to send these by regular mail or to drop it off later but these days many people find email an appropriate method.
Preparing carefully ahead of time will not only impress the interviewer(s) but will help you be more relaxed and therefore able to respond to questions effectively and feel more confident.
Much of the advice comes from people who by their profiles would appear to really *know* what they are talking about, however much of the advice is generic or outdated and the diversity of opinions in the discussion forums make it clear that this type of advice simply is not going to work for everyone.
These are my thoughts on the topic, based on interviewing many people over many years:
What to do before the interview
(1) If you know someone that works at the organization you have an interview with ask them what the dress code is and what type of clothing people are expected to wear at an interview; if you do not know anyone then call the person who first contacted you to arrange the interview, or the receptionist or the HR department and ask them what appropriate interview wear is for their company. I read an article this morning that advised all interviewees to wear suits (and women to wear 'skirted' suits) for interviews. Yet a friend who recently interviewed with a technology company was told specifically to wear jeans; one workplace I worked in asked interviewees to wear business casual, another workplace asked for clean, neat one step up from jeans casual and another requested suits. It makes sense to ask the question of the organization you are interviewing with specifically what is appropriate for their workplace.
(2) Ask how long you should expect to be at the location for the interview so that you can plan any dependent care, transportation needs and other scheduling needs around this. Add at least one hour to the expected time frame as often these things can run late. If not you get an hour back-enjoy it.
(3) Research the organization thoroughly, read everything on their website, check their stock performance if applicable, read every news release or industry article you can find, ask people who work for the company (or have worked for the company) about the internal culture. It is not enough to spend 5 minutes on the web page, it can become pretty clear in a well conducted interview that you haven't done your homework if that is all you do. Search social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter streams and if applicable Facebook for further information. Prepare your own questions to ask, questions that show you have done your homework and are interested in the future of the organization are best. If it is a first interview asking about vacations and other benefits may not be your best choice, it often turns hiring managers off. You may be asked about salary, be ready to answer this question and try not to make it a waffle answer-if you are willing to take a drop in pay for a coveted position say so in a way that lets the interviewer know you have thought it through.
(4) Once you have established appropriate dress for the interview ensure well ahead of time that you have that attire clean, neat, ready to wear (and if you haven't worn it for awhile try it on :)). Do not wait until the day of the interview to do this.
(5) Ensure that you know exactly how you will get to the interview location, yes go so far as to try out your transit/drive route ahead of time (preferably at the same time of day that you will be going on the day of the interview); then add at least 30 minutes to your travel time on the interview day. This will allow for any traffic problems or other problems that may arise on that day-being early can be managed by going for a walk or having a cup of coffee nearby; being late is hard to overcome. If you need to make daycare arrangements for that day ensure you have a back up plan in case your arrangement falls through.
(6) Jot down notes about your accomplishments, your specific contributions to projects, dealing with difficult customers/co-workers and who inspired you and why.There is a good chance that you will be asked the weakness/strengths question so decide what the answer to those are ahead of time, and do not follow the not good advice to turn a weakness into a strength-few people fall for that. Be honest, for example if you have difficulty with meeting deadlines say so and say what you are doing to learn to overcome this. Why make notes about this ahead of time? Because all too often candidates draw a blank during the interview, preparing ahead helps avoid this. Also, ask previous co-workers or teachers to tell you what strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments and contributions they observed about you-you may well be surprised at how much you have forgotten.
(7) Prepare a list of at least three references ahead of time, contact each one and make sure to get their agreement to act as a reference. Include several forms of contact information for each reference listed if available, phone numbers, email address and snail mail address.
(8) Bring a copy of your resume with you even if the interviewer already has one, sometimes they have one that may not be current if they retrieved it from a job board and as sometimes happens, the interviewer may show up unprepared-but that doesn't mean you should.
(9) Before leaving at the end of the interview ask for contact information such as email so you can send a thank-you note to the interviewer(s) later. Some people like to send these by regular mail or to drop it off later but these days many people find email an appropriate method.
Preparing carefully ahead of time will not only impress the interviewer(s) but will help you be more relaxed and therefore able to respond to questions effectively and feel more confident.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
What Happened To Comments?
I linked Disqus to my blog yesterday and realized after that comments left by readers had disappeared in the process. I haven't figured out a way to get them back as yet and they are missed!
Trying new tools is fun and can be effective for accomplishing my goals, so when this kind of glitch occurs my thoughts can not help but shift to my own personal principles of change management. Overall this is a pretty small change but my response to it is a little check in as to where my resilience stands right now.
1) Change happens-accept that and dare I say, perhaps you may even enjoy it. I like trying new products and having new experiences but even for enthusiasts like me sometimes changes don't seem all that great. The key is to figure out how to turn that experience around or if that isn't possible maybe it simply isn't worth spending too much time and energy on. Perspective, as my Norwegian friend Astri likes to say, is a "leveller"-in other words if a change feels negative find a way to get perspective. For me that usually means talking to a trusted friend and sometimes it means a walk on the beach-both those activities clear my head and allow me to look at things anew.
2) Change can be good and it can be bad and it can have no effect at all-take the time to figure out what each change means to you and how you will put it into perspective, take advantage of it, learn something new or shrug it off. There are often opportunities in change that may not be obvious at first. Finding those opportunities means you have to stop focussing on what is 'lost' and discover what might be gained. Sometimes this is simply adapting and sometimes it becomes a positive gain that may not have been discovered otherwise. Complacency when life is going well happens to most of us, this is part of why change often comes as a surprise. Developing the competencies that increase our resilience on an ongoing basis is important to being able to make the necessary adaptation when change occurs.
3) If I am feeling stressed in an unhealthy way about a change, it is time to check in with the current status of my resilience-have I been taking care of this?
Those three points work for me. What works for you?
Trying new tools is fun and can be effective for accomplishing my goals, so when this kind of glitch occurs my thoughts can not help but shift to my own personal principles of change management. Overall this is a pretty small change but my response to it is a little check in as to where my resilience stands right now.
1) Change happens-accept that and dare I say, perhaps you may even enjoy it. I like trying new products and having new experiences but even for enthusiasts like me sometimes changes don't seem all that great. The key is to figure out how to turn that experience around or if that isn't possible maybe it simply isn't worth spending too much time and energy on. Perspective, as my Norwegian friend Astri likes to say, is a "leveller"-in other words if a change feels negative find a way to get perspective. For me that usually means talking to a trusted friend and sometimes it means a walk on the beach-both those activities clear my head and allow me to look at things anew.
2) Change can be good and it can be bad and it can have no effect at all-take the time to figure out what each change means to you and how you will put it into perspective, take advantage of it, learn something new or shrug it off. There are often opportunities in change that may not be obvious at first. Finding those opportunities means you have to stop focussing on what is 'lost' and discover what might be gained. Sometimes this is simply adapting and sometimes it becomes a positive gain that may not have been discovered otherwise. Complacency when life is going well happens to most of us, this is part of why change often comes as a surprise. Developing the competencies that increase our resilience on an ongoing basis is important to being able to make the necessary adaptation when change occurs.
3) If I am feeling stressed in an unhealthy way about a change, it is time to check in with the current status of my resilience-have I been taking care of this?
Those three points work for me. What works for you?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Is It Leadership?
Google ‘leadership’ and in six seconds 199,000,000 links appear on your screen. Lately, I have found myself asking the question-has the word leadership lost its meaning? Do we apply the label of leader too readily today?
Leader used to be the term applied to the few who consistently displayed competencies that motivated others to follow their vision. Gandhi and Mother Theresa still evoke appreciation from people who have only read or watched videos that told the stories that best modeled their leadership skills. It is a rare day that I don’t read an article in which someone has quoted Gandhi-what he said resonates with many even today.
So Where Did All This Leadership Come From?
Over the past decade many organizations began to send their managers and “high potential” employees to leadership training courses and many universities developed leadership specialties within various disciplines and some as a specialty in and of itself. High schools have leadership programs. Volunteer organizations recruit leaders.
Gradually the roles of CEO, vice-president, manager, director and supervisor were referred to as leadership teams.
A significant percentage of those 1999,000,000 articles advise us that there are 5, 10, 20, 30, 50…things leaders must do, competencies they must have, character traits they must exhibit; there are many articles that debate whether leadership is innate or can be developed. To my question as to whether a ‘bad or evil’ person should be referred to as a leader, one pundit firmly replied that “if a person has followers, they are a leader”; a stance that sits uneasily in my mind.
Identifying Leadership in the Hiring Process
Job advertisements sometimes include the requirement to “be able to prove demonstrated leadership skills”; candidates endeavour to convince interviewers that they should be hired because they have strong leadership skills. Identifying those leadership skills often proves to be difficult and the final assessment may be a little fuzzy at best.
What leadership skills are transferable to different situations? Does the leadership style that works at Apple also work at TD Canada Trust? Are managers really leaders?
Google ‘leadership’ and in six seconds 199,000,000 links appear on your screen. Lately, I have found myself asking the question-has the word leadership lost its meaning? Do we apply the label of leader too readily today?
Leader used to be the term applied to the few who consistently displayed competencies that motivated others to follow their vision. Gandhi and Mother Theresa still evoke appreciation from people who have only read or watched videos that told the stories that best modeled their leadership skills. It is a rare day that I don’t read an article in which someone has quoted Gandhi-what he said resonates with many even today.
So Where Did All This Leadership Come From?
Over the past decade many organizations began to send their managers and “high potential” employees to leadership training courses and many universities developed leadership specialties within various disciplines and some as a specialty in and of itself. High schools have leadership programs. Volunteer organizations recruit leaders.
Gradually the roles of CEO, vice-president, manager, director and supervisor were referred to as leadership teams.
A significant percentage of those 1999,000,000 articles advise us that there are 5, 10, 20, 30, 50…things leaders must do, competencies they must have, character traits they must exhibit; there are many articles that debate whether leadership is innate or can be developed. To my question as to whether a ‘bad or evil’ person should be referred to as a leader, one pundit firmly replied that “if a person has followers, they are a leader”; a stance that sits uneasily in my mind.
Identifying Leadership in the Hiring Process
Job advertisements sometimes include the requirement to “be able to prove demonstrated leadership skills”; candidates endeavour to convince interviewers that they should be hired because they have strong leadership skills. Identifying those leadership skills often proves to be difficult and the final assessment may be a little fuzzy at best.
What leadership skills are transferable to different situations? Does the leadership style that works at Apple also work at TD Canada Trust? Are managers really leaders?
Monday, March 14, 2011
Why Leaders Ask the “W” Questions
Phrases that make me stop and ask “why, what, who, where or when?” seem to be cropping up more often both in my online work and in face to face conversations. These phrases use the following terminology:
• “Most people…”
• “The majority of (Canadians etc.) feel (think, believe etc.) that…”
• “Everyone knows that…..”
• “No one wants……”
• “People in (Vancouver etc.) are so (mean, stupid, cold, unfriendly etc.)”
• “Never do business with (ABC), they are *the* worst…..”
• “People who (rely on technology; ride without a helmet etc.) are idiots”
• “Everyone who works here feels….”
There are more of these phrases but those examples are the ones I seem to come across quite often. The use of this terminology is likely to arise from a variety of factors (the 140 character Tweet is one of the Social Networking contributions to this phenomena) but they carry with them a sense of drama and suggest a belief that if *I* think this particular point is true, surely the ‘majority’ must agree with me.
If you are in a leadership or managerial role, or if your work involves frequent interactions with employees the why, what, who, where and when questions will often shift the discussion from an all-encompassing issue to gathering details that will assist in the problem solving process. Perhaps the difficult part of this type of interaction is quickly getting our own first reactions under control so we can ask the “W” questions from an objective position.
What phrases are triggers for you? How do you deal with them?
Phrases that make me stop and ask “why, what, who, where or when?” seem to be cropping up more often both in my online work and in face to face conversations. These phrases use the following terminology:
• “Most people…”
• “The majority of (Canadians etc.) feel (think, believe etc.) that…”
• “Everyone knows that…..”
• “No one wants……”
• “People in (Vancouver etc.) are so (mean, stupid, cold, unfriendly etc.)”
• “Never do business with (ABC), they are *the* worst…..”
• “People who (rely on technology; ride without a helmet etc.) are idiots”
• “Everyone who works here feels….”
There are more of these phrases but those examples are the ones I seem to come across quite often. The use of this terminology is likely to arise from a variety of factors (the 140 character Tweet is one of the Social Networking contributions to this phenomena) but they carry with them a sense of drama and suggest a belief that if *I* think this particular point is true, surely the ‘majority’ must agree with me.
If you are in a leadership or managerial role, or if your work involves frequent interactions with employees the why, what, who, where and when questions will often shift the discussion from an all-encompassing issue to gathering details that will assist in the problem solving process. Perhaps the difficult part of this type of interaction is quickly getting our own first reactions under control so we can ask the “W” questions from an objective position.
What phrases are triggers for you? How do you deal with them?
Monday, March 07, 2011
Learning From ‘Leaders”
I read a posting recently that was an invitation to obtain free access to a session in which “Leaders” described as great leaders to learn from, the author noted how much he had learned from observing and listening to good leaders in his career. (I failed to save the link and can't find it to properly credit the author by I did see it while reading a post by Michael Brisciana who authors HR perspectives at hrperspectives.wordpress.com).
While reading this it prompted some thoughts that recur in my mind:
not all people who are labeled as “leaders” are good, or even leaders for that matter
that we have gone from describing those ‘in charge’ in business as managers or directors to calling them leaders (perhaps as a result of the plethora of leadership training initiatives in organizations since 2000)
we learn from bad “leaders” as effectively, if not more so than from good leaders.
I was briefly engaged in a discussion in a Leadership Forum in which I asked the question-why do we call people who are bad at what they do or perhaps even evil (think Hitler) ‘Leaders’? The response was that if a person has followers then they are a leader regardless of whether they are good, bad or evil. If one accepts that definition then yes I guess poor managers can be called leaders-except I don’t accept it. A poor manager is simply that-a poor manager. Should managers in business even be called leaders? Do they really have followers in many cases? After all people are paid to be there, do what they are told and treat that manager with respect-because they are a manager.
Learning from Poor Leaders
When I think about some of my strongest learning moments it is just as often that those experiences occurred because I observed first hand a “leader” showing poor judgement or behaving inexplicably badly towards others and then observing carefully the reactions of those around that leader. Sometimes even seemingly small decisions or acts can have wide ranging effects on the people involved and the ability of those people to carry on the tasks of the business effectively.
Consider the following scenarios-just a few of many experiences I have learned from over two decades working with various management teams (or leadership teams if you prefer):
(1) A senior level manager is called by her staff to help resolve a customer request – she shows up clearly inebriated and is rude to the customer (who happened to be a long term loyal customer); her staff are embarrassed and horrified but sadly this is not the first time she has shown up drunk, just the first time a customer was directly involved. This incident was “too much” and the staff filed a complaint.
(2) A senior level manager makes a decision that affects the way many people conduct their day to day tasks but refuses to discuss the change before implementing it; aside from alienating those involved there was a financial cost to making needed adjustments that would have been accounted for had he taken the time to consult with those affected first. This behaviour was typical of this manager and created similar issues over a number of years.
(3) A mid-level manager repeatedly makes “jokes” about various people in the organization and when advised that these “jokes” were inappropriate and disrespectful, responded that it wasn’t his fault people didn’t have a sense of humour.
(4) Two members of a management team accuse an employee of theft in a management meeting; when questioned by the other team members as to precisely what happened and what proof was evident the accusation fell apart; it became clear after a very long discussion that the two managers had contrived it out of thin air. They had started out demanding that the employee be fired but ended up admitting that there was no evidence any theft had occurred.
(5) A senior level manager who was ‘having a bad day’ lost his temper and destroyed a $20,000 piece of office equipment, in front of staff.
(6) A senior level manager “goes through executive assistants faster than a speeding bullet” was the running joke in one organization. It wasn’t funny for the EA’s involved though, he was abrupt, hyper critical and a micro manager and often left staff in tears. He once stated that he had no idea why his EA’s kept transferring to other managers.
(7) A junior level supervisor bullied one of her direct reports repeatedly, making coworkers uncomfortable and delighted in reminding the employee that she was “so tight” with her boss (a senior VP) that it would not go well if she complained. The CEO’s executive assistant saw the behaviour first hand and raised the problem with The CEO, who spoke to the VP, who spoke to the supervisor. As predicted, it did not go well. The employee resigned a few days later after being ripped to shreds and threatened by the supervisor.
What did I learn from these and many other situations? The impact that these behaviours had on the organization overall was much greater than it might appear first hand.
Other members of the management team learned to work around them rather than with them
Employees learned to avoid discussing problems with these managers, often leading to cost, quality, production and customer service problems
Employee retention, development and morale suffered
Innovative thinking, project team cohesion, continuous improvement efforts slowed or stopped altogether increasing costs and decreasing sustainability
What was the most important thing I learned from these types of situations? That the ability to listen and understand the perspectives of other people affected by the actions of managers – or – leaders and to take that information to action. Oh-and that I learn as much from poor leaders as I do from good leaders.
What have you learned from a leader-good leaders or not so good?
I read a posting recently that was an invitation to obtain free access to a session in which “Leaders” described as great leaders to learn from, the author noted how much he had learned from observing and listening to good leaders in his career. (I failed to save the link and can't find it to properly credit the author by I did see it while reading a post by Michael Brisciana who authors HR perspectives at hrperspectives.wordpress.com).
While reading this it prompted some thoughts that recur in my mind:
not all people who are labeled as “leaders” are good, or even leaders for that matter
that we have gone from describing those ‘in charge’ in business as managers or directors to calling them leaders (perhaps as a result of the plethora of leadership training initiatives in organizations since 2000)
we learn from bad “leaders” as effectively, if not more so than from good leaders.
I was briefly engaged in a discussion in a Leadership Forum in which I asked the question-why do we call people who are bad at what they do or perhaps even evil (think Hitler) ‘Leaders’? The response was that if a person has followers then they are a leader regardless of whether they are good, bad or evil. If one accepts that definition then yes I guess poor managers can be called leaders-except I don’t accept it. A poor manager is simply that-a poor manager. Should managers in business even be called leaders? Do they really have followers in many cases? After all people are paid to be there, do what they are told and treat that manager with respect-because they are a manager.
Learning from Poor Leaders
When I think about some of my strongest learning moments it is just as often that those experiences occurred because I observed first hand a “leader” showing poor judgement or behaving inexplicably badly towards others and then observing carefully the reactions of those around that leader. Sometimes even seemingly small decisions or acts can have wide ranging effects on the people involved and the ability of those people to carry on the tasks of the business effectively.
Consider the following scenarios-just a few of many experiences I have learned from over two decades working with various management teams (or leadership teams if you prefer):
(1) A senior level manager is called by her staff to help resolve a customer request – she shows up clearly inebriated and is rude to the customer (who happened to be a long term loyal customer); her staff are embarrassed and horrified but sadly this is not the first time she has shown up drunk, just the first time a customer was directly involved. This incident was “too much” and the staff filed a complaint.
(2) A senior level manager makes a decision that affects the way many people conduct their day to day tasks but refuses to discuss the change before implementing it; aside from alienating those involved there was a financial cost to making needed adjustments that would have been accounted for had he taken the time to consult with those affected first. This behaviour was typical of this manager and created similar issues over a number of years.
(3) A mid-level manager repeatedly makes “jokes” about various people in the organization and when advised that these “jokes” were inappropriate and disrespectful, responded that it wasn’t his fault people didn’t have a sense of humour.
(4) Two members of a management team accuse an employee of theft in a management meeting; when questioned by the other team members as to precisely what happened and what proof was evident the accusation fell apart; it became clear after a very long discussion that the two managers had contrived it out of thin air. They had started out demanding that the employee be fired but ended up admitting that there was no evidence any theft had occurred.
(5) A senior level manager who was ‘having a bad day’ lost his temper and destroyed a $20,000 piece of office equipment, in front of staff.
(6) A senior level manager “goes through executive assistants faster than a speeding bullet” was the running joke in one organization. It wasn’t funny for the EA’s involved though, he was abrupt, hyper critical and a micro manager and often left staff in tears. He once stated that he had no idea why his EA’s kept transferring to other managers.
(7) A junior level supervisor bullied one of her direct reports repeatedly, making coworkers uncomfortable and delighted in reminding the employee that she was “so tight” with her boss (a senior VP) that it would not go well if she complained. The CEO’s executive assistant saw the behaviour first hand and raised the problem with The CEO, who spoke to the VP, who spoke to the supervisor. As predicted, it did not go well. The employee resigned a few days later after being ripped to shreds and threatened by the supervisor.
What did I learn from these and many other situations? The impact that these behaviours had on the organization overall was much greater than it might appear first hand.
Other members of the management team learned to work around them rather than with them
Employees learned to avoid discussing problems with these managers, often leading to cost, quality, production and customer service problems
Employee retention, development and morale suffered
Innovative thinking, project team cohesion, continuous improvement efforts slowed or stopped altogether increasing costs and decreasing sustainability
What was the most important thing I learned from these types of situations? That the ability to listen and understand the perspectives of other people affected by the actions of managers – or – leaders and to take that information to action. Oh-and that I learn as much from poor leaders as I do from good leaders.
What have you learned from a leader-good leaders or not so good?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
HR and Twitter-Yes You Can!
I usually stay away from writing about how to use specific Social Technology tools as there is a bigger gap in the ‘why’ to use them arena. I firmly believe that you must directly link the benefits of using Social Technology tools to achieving strategy and goals, but perhaps a little inspiration about how a tool might help you in your role is in order. My favorite HR competency, collaboration will be very useful when you are integrating Twitter with other tools.
Twitter is a Social Network tool and is used externally, meaning beyond the firewall. Twitter is free to use at this point, however, given the speculation regarding a possible purchase by Google it may change to a freemium model at some point. Twitter is primarily used by HR Professionals for recruiting purposes and depending on your target demographic it may be one of the most effective ways to connect with a great pool of candidates.
HR practitioners tend to think of recruitment as an activity that occurs only when specific jobs are open but strategic HR practices require that you develop and maintain a pool of candidates that have competencies that are critical to the organization. Go beyond posting an abbreviated job description with instructions on how to apply and use postings to attract the interest of people who may want to work for your company in the future. Becoming visible as an employer of choice can be enhanced through connecting and branding.
Resources Required
Managing a potential candidate pool is a little tricky but Social tools provide us with a much bigger reach than ever before and with less reliance on external consultants and expensive advertising methods. It does take time and you need to account for that in your schedule. You can’t rely on Social tools only; traditional methods will also be required.
Things to Consider
• At this point, Twitter and LinkedIn are the most widely used Social Network tools for recruiting in North America. It makes sense to have a company profile on LinkedIn if you are using Twitter for recruiting (Integration)
• Training is required to learn to use the tools well and as these tools are constantly being improved, ongoing learning will be necessary
• It takes time to build a network on Twitter and LinkedIn-consider who your target connections are and start following and connecting carefully. Remember that Social Tools are only effective if you engage and share with others. Figure out how much time and when in your work week to set aside for interacting with your networks. There is such a thing as “too much”, don’t overwhelm your audience
• Tools that work beyond the firewall have security concerns, liaise with IT
• The use of Twitter must be integrated with other tools, requiring planning. Once you attract candidates through a 140 character Tweet, they need a link to your application system. Does your application system reflect your brand? Is it attractive to your target candidate pool?
• Your branding must be consistent with the overall branding of the organization, liaise with Marketing
• You must be able to write well, getting someone to click on your link requires a very concise and interesting Tweet
• Mistakes made via Social Technologies are a much bigger deal than sending a dumb email to your entire office. It will take a lot of work to repair the damage done.
• Follow companies that are using Twitter and LinkedIn for recruiting -what do they do that works and what doesn’t work?
I usually stay away from writing about how to use specific Social Technology tools as there is a bigger gap in the ‘why’ to use them arena. I firmly believe that you must directly link the benefits of using Social Technology tools to achieving strategy and goals, but perhaps a little inspiration about how a tool might help you in your role is in order. My favorite HR competency, collaboration will be very useful when you are integrating Twitter with other tools.
Twitter is a Social Network tool and is used externally, meaning beyond the firewall. Twitter is free to use at this point, however, given the speculation regarding a possible purchase by Google it may change to a freemium model at some point. Twitter is primarily used by HR Professionals for recruiting purposes and depending on your target demographic it may be one of the most effective ways to connect with a great pool of candidates.
HR practitioners tend to think of recruitment as an activity that occurs only when specific jobs are open but strategic HR practices require that you develop and maintain a pool of candidates that have competencies that are critical to the organization. Go beyond posting an abbreviated job description with instructions on how to apply and use postings to attract the interest of people who may want to work for your company in the future. Becoming visible as an employer of choice can be enhanced through connecting and branding.
Resources Required
Managing a potential candidate pool is a little tricky but Social tools provide us with a much bigger reach than ever before and with less reliance on external consultants and expensive advertising methods. It does take time and you need to account for that in your schedule. You can’t rely on Social tools only; traditional methods will also be required.
Things to Consider
• At this point, Twitter and LinkedIn are the most widely used Social Network tools for recruiting in North America. It makes sense to have a company profile on LinkedIn if you are using Twitter for recruiting (Integration)
• Training is required to learn to use the tools well and as these tools are constantly being improved, ongoing learning will be necessary
• It takes time to build a network on Twitter and LinkedIn-consider who your target connections are and start following and connecting carefully. Remember that Social Tools are only effective if you engage and share with others. Figure out how much time and when in your work week to set aside for interacting with your networks. There is such a thing as “too much”, don’t overwhelm your audience
• Tools that work beyond the firewall have security concerns, liaise with IT
• The use of Twitter must be integrated with other tools, requiring planning. Once you attract candidates through a 140 character Tweet, they need a link to your application system. Does your application system reflect your brand? Is it attractive to your target candidate pool?
• Your branding must be consistent with the overall branding of the organization, liaise with Marketing
• You must be able to write well, getting someone to click on your link requires a very concise and interesting Tweet
• Mistakes made via Social Technologies are a much bigger deal than sending a dumb email to your entire office. It will take a lot of work to repair the damage done.
• Follow companies that are using Twitter and LinkedIn for recruiting -what do they do that works and what doesn’t work?
Monday, February 07, 2011
Since 2003 I have experimented by writing blogs on several different topics. I ended up with 4 blogs oriented to my major interest areas. Last year it became clear that it is time to focus-but where to focus as giving up an interest can be difficult. It occured to me that my research and writing have led to looking at collaboration as an important area that is critical to Change, HR/OD/Leadership and Social Technologies. So, starting today, this is the only blog that I will continue to contribute to and the focus will be on how each of these areas are related. As we move into an increasingly Web 2.0 or "Social" world this focus seems the most appropriate way to bring years of learning together to continue the process and share information with others trying to make sense of it all.
The current debate between Malcolm Gladwell and proponents of Social Technology benefits is interesting as some are asking if Malcolm Gladwell has perhaps met his 'tipping point'. While I tend to agree with the Social Technology flag wavers, that these technologies have indeed created the ability to effect significant change in unprecedented ways, are we possibly missing Mr. Gladwells' somewhat obscure message? Or is he missing ours?
What do you think? I look forward to hearing your views on this debate while I ponder my future postings.
The current debate between Malcolm Gladwell and proponents of Social Technology benefits is interesting as some are asking if Malcolm Gladwell has perhaps met his 'tipping point'. While I tend to agree with the Social Technology flag wavers, that these technologies have indeed created the ability to effect significant change in unprecedented ways, are we possibly missing Mr. Gladwells' somewhat obscure message? Or is he missing ours?
What do you think? I look forward to hearing your views on this debate while I ponder my future postings.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Perspectives on Leaders and Followers
My inspiration for this topic came from reading the blog article by Bruce Mol, http://www.bmidd.com/ January 4, 2010 and then the linked article by John W. Gardner, The Importance of Followers, The Futurist, May 01, 1990. http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-leadership/121760-1.html. They consider the role of follower from the individuals’ responsibilities and provide a perspective on followers for the leaders to consider.
I have also been following and participating in some online discussion groups that are debating the topic of leaders and followers. There are many perspectives and approaches to these discussions, some post from purely personal experience, some from a purely academic perspective, and some share their thinking from a combination of academics and experience.
I can not talk about the concept of followers without also considering the concept of leaders as the two are an inextricably linked system. Leaders shift from acting as leaders to acting as followers over time in different situations; leaders are also often followers at the same time as being leaders in different areas of their lives and within their workplace.
There are many different kinds of leaders and when you ask others to describe someone that they see as a leader in their life, you will get an array of responses. It seems fair to consider that while effective leaders share several important competencies, there are many valid approaches to leadership and which is appropriate at any given time depends on the situation.
This is also true of followers; one can choose to blindly follow a designated leader they believe is effective or feel they must follow unquestionably for safety reasons or in order to keep a job or other benefit that they derive from following that leader. These followers may be content with their situation and feel comfortable maintaining the status quo. They may also be unhappy with their situation and over time begin to undermine the leader or system they are in.
Followers can also choose, as Bruce notes in his blog, to accept responsibility for the experience they have regardless of what the leader provides. The choice to accept responsibility is a perhaps subtle but still valid form of leadership. By modeling this approach to being a follower one is setting a standard for others to consider. Accepting responsibility as a follower can take different forms, it can be as simple as choosing to recognize and be satisfied with the benefits of a given situation, which is appropriate for short-lived situations; it may take the form of challenging the status quo in a respectful and constructive manner; it may take the form of adopting lifelong learning as a means to eventually opting out of the current situation and into something that is better aligned with ones goals.
My inspiration for this topic came from reading the blog article by Bruce Mol, http://www.bmidd.com/ January 4, 2010 and then the linked article by John W. Gardner, The Importance of Followers, The Futurist, May 01, 1990. http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-leadership/121760-1.html. They consider the role of follower from the individuals’ responsibilities and provide a perspective on followers for the leaders to consider.
I have also been following and participating in some online discussion groups that are debating the topic of leaders and followers. There are many perspectives and approaches to these discussions, some post from purely personal experience, some from a purely academic perspective, and some share their thinking from a combination of academics and experience.
I can not talk about the concept of followers without also considering the concept of leaders as the two are an inextricably linked system. Leaders shift from acting as leaders to acting as followers over time in different situations; leaders are also often followers at the same time as being leaders in different areas of their lives and within their workplace.
There are many different kinds of leaders and when you ask others to describe someone that they see as a leader in their life, you will get an array of responses. It seems fair to consider that while effective leaders share several important competencies, there are many valid approaches to leadership and which is appropriate at any given time depends on the situation.
This is also true of followers; one can choose to blindly follow a designated leader they believe is effective or feel they must follow unquestionably for safety reasons or in order to keep a job or other benefit that they derive from following that leader. These followers may be content with their situation and feel comfortable maintaining the status quo. They may also be unhappy with their situation and over time begin to undermine the leader or system they are in.
Followers can also choose, as Bruce notes in his blog, to accept responsibility for the experience they have regardless of what the leader provides. The choice to accept responsibility is a perhaps subtle but still valid form of leadership. By modeling this approach to being a follower one is setting a standard for others to consider. Accepting responsibility as a follower can take different forms, it can be as simple as choosing to recognize and be satisfied with the benefits of a given situation, which is appropriate for short-lived situations; it may take the form of challenging the status quo in a respectful and constructive manner; it may take the form of adopting lifelong learning as a means to eventually opting out of the current situation and into something that is better aligned with ones goals.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Leadership Development: Action and Experiential Learning and Peer Coaching
Organizations searching for ways to maximize their Leadership Development programs and minimize the costs associated with these programs can consider Action and Experiential Learning and Peer Coaching as business focused methods.
Action Learning involves a group of people meeting to share knowledge with each other. Action Learning may take place either as a case study or as a current business situation that all group members contribute their expertise to resolve. Groups brought together for Action Learning will have various levels of experience, skills and knowledge.
Experiential Learning takes place when group members act on the proposals arising out of their Action Learning project. The group regularly meets to review the outcomes of these actions and will make any corrections necessary as they learn from the process.
These groups can function without a facilitator, however the experience will be enhanced by assigning a facilitator that can act as a group mentor. The group facilitator (mentor) should be a more experienced member of the organization that is skilled at ensuring that groups stay on track and can provide advice if appropriate.
This process has similarities to the Project Management process in which a Project Manager develops a detailed plan to accomplish a specific objective. The members of the group act as a team to accomplish a goal, make mid-course corrections when appropriate and conduct post mortems at the end of the project. The main difference between Project Management and Action Learning is the Action Learning group develops their plan as a group rather than carrying out the plan of a Project Leader.
Action Learning groups can also develop a Peer Coaching offshoot to provide important, though less tactical development opportunities. In Peer Coaching each participant acts as both a coach and a coachee. The participants in the group are thinking partners and provide support and knowledge to each other. It is a developmental activity based on observations. The relationships are based on trust, collaboration and accountability. A good overview of the Peer Coaching process can be found at: http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/docs/articles/Peer-Coaching-Overview.pdf
Organizations searching for ways to maximize their Leadership Development programs and minimize the costs associated with these programs can consider Action and Experiential Learning and Peer Coaching as business focused methods.
Action Learning involves a group of people meeting to share knowledge with each other. Action Learning may take place either as a case study or as a current business situation that all group members contribute their expertise to resolve. Groups brought together for Action Learning will have various levels of experience, skills and knowledge.
Experiential Learning takes place when group members act on the proposals arising out of their Action Learning project. The group regularly meets to review the outcomes of these actions and will make any corrections necessary as they learn from the process.
These groups can function without a facilitator, however the experience will be enhanced by assigning a facilitator that can act as a group mentor. The group facilitator (mentor) should be a more experienced member of the organization that is skilled at ensuring that groups stay on track and can provide advice if appropriate.
This process has similarities to the Project Management process in which a Project Manager develops a detailed plan to accomplish a specific objective. The members of the group act as a team to accomplish a goal, make mid-course corrections when appropriate and conduct post mortems at the end of the project. The main difference between Project Management and Action Learning is the Action Learning group develops their plan as a group rather than carrying out the plan of a Project Leader.
Action Learning groups can also develop a Peer Coaching offshoot to provide important, though less tactical development opportunities. In Peer Coaching each participant acts as both a coach and a coachee. The participants in the group are thinking partners and provide support and knowledge to each other. It is a developmental activity based on observations. The relationships are based on trust, collaboration and accountability. A good overview of the Peer Coaching process can be found at: http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/docs/articles/Peer-Coaching-Overview.pdf
Monday, October 19, 2009
Empowerment
For years I have had a kind of uneasy relationship with the word empowerment. When I heard management types state that they needed to “empower their people”, it brought to mind the concept of the balance of power. Was it arrogant of these leaders to think they had so much power over others that they could choose to empower them or not? It was the terminology they used when they described what this process of empowering others looked like that created the sense of alarm in me-it seemed to consist of not much more than granting very limited opportunities to make small decisions on their own. However, when I look at one of the definitions of empowerment in Wikipedia I am reminded that the word is not the problem; it is the misinterpretation that creates my unease.
“The process which enables one to gain power, authority and influence over others, institutions or society. Empowerment is probably the totality of the following or similar capabilities:-
Having decision-making power of one's own
Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision
Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no, either/or.)
Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making
Having positive thinking on the ability to make change
Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group power
Ability to change others’ perceptions by democratic means
Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated
Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma
Increasing one's ability in discreet thinking to sort out right and wrong
In short, empowerment is the process that allows one to gain the knowledge, skill-sets and attitude needed to cope with the changing world and the circumstances in which one lives.”
Successful leaders understand this definition and create an environment that allows the members of the organization to develop the competencies/skills required to be empowered. The competencies required for personal resilience are the same competencies required for empowerment and aids in a positive and successful approach to change.
For years I have had a kind of uneasy relationship with the word empowerment. When I heard management types state that they needed to “empower their people”, it brought to mind the concept of the balance of power. Was it arrogant of these leaders to think they had so much power over others that they could choose to empower them or not? It was the terminology they used when they described what this process of empowering others looked like that created the sense of alarm in me-it seemed to consist of not much more than granting very limited opportunities to make small decisions on their own. However, when I look at one of the definitions of empowerment in Wikipedia I am reminded that the word is not the problem; it is the misinterpretation that creates my unease.
“The process which enables one to gain power, authority and influence over others, institutions or society. Empowerment is probably the totality of the following or similar capabilities:-
Having decision-making power of one's own
Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision
Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no, either/or.)
Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making
Having positive thinking on the ability to make change
Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group power
Ability to change others’ perceptions by democratic means
Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated
Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma
Increasing one's ability in discreet thinking to sort out right and wrong
In short, empowerment is the process that allows one to gain the knowledge, skill-sets and attitude needed to cope with the changing world and the circumstances in which one lives.”
Successful leaders understand this definition and create an environment that allows the members of the organization to develop the competencies/skills required to be empowered. The competencies required for personal resilience are the same competencies required for empowerment and aids in a positive and successful approach to change.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Are Successful Change Efforts Driven by Authority or by Learning?
Research shows that successful change efforts are driven both by authority (top down directive) and by learning (institutional, mentoring, workplace subject matter expert trainers, teamwork, collaboration, peer coaching, personal management competencies). Change efforts require commitment and presence from top leadership and a culture of learning throughout the organization.
Personal and organizational resilience are a key to retaining valued employees and maintaining productivity during significant change projects. Often change projects have negative results because resources are focused on technology and leadership development only. One size fits all resources may be provided for members of the organization as a whole, however, such tools rarely aid in developing critical personal management competencies for all members of the organization.
Wills (2008) states that increasing ones awareness of individual styles and how those styles impact the workplace environment helps individuals to understand how they respond to change. Being aware of the concept of locus of control and how individuals can change this aspect of their personal perspective contributes to the overall development of personal management competencies. Personal management competencies are core factors in personal resilience. Personal resilience and lifelong learning are basic requirements for success during significant change. Resilient individuals develop skills that are essential to cope successfully with problems when they arise. These skills are also effective workplace skills; for example, the ability to solve problems effectively and set realistic goals and expectations. The key attributes of resilient individuals are well-developed interpersonal skills and responsible participation in their community.
Davis and Davis (2000) found that, significant learning usually results in change in performance, capacity, or attitude. Change is the main product of learning and if we don’t want to change, we probably do not want to learn either. Bushe (2001) defined learning as the outcome of an inquiry that produces knowledge and leads to change. All three components (inquiry, knowledge, and change) have to be present for an episode of organizational learning to take place.
In the current economic environment training and development is subject to the same budget constraints as every other part of the organization. The leaders that are responsible for training and development (knowledge management) need to consider cost effective methods to achieve organizational goals. Mentoring programs can be designed to resolve gaps in the succession plan competency map. Peer coaching circles can be established, perhaps held in place of some of the team meetings to share subject matter expertise among team members. Intranets can be utilized to share internal learning and training resources related to specific internal processes or product manufacturing. Online resources are available to provide current information on almost any topic pertinent to the organizational goals and can partially replace conferences. Maintaining contact and sharing resources with experts in other organizations can be managed to a large degree electronically. The actions of the Human Resources and Training and Development professionals will likely need to move away from classroom style internal and external training and towards creative in-house programs that focus directly on driving organizational goals.
References:
Bushe, G.R., (2001). Clear Leadership, How Outstanding Leaders Make Themselves Understood, Cut Through the Mush, and Help Everyone Get Real at Work. Davies-Black Publishing, Palo Alto, California
Davis, J.R., Davis, A.B., (2000). Managing Your Own Learning. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco
Wills, K.I., (2008), Change and Resilience in Organizations. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller AG & Co. KG
Research shows that successful change efforts are driven both by authority (top down directive) and by learning (institutional, mentoring, workplace subject matter expert trainers, teamwork, collaboration, peer coaching, personal management competencies). Change efforts require commitment and presence from top leadership and a culture of learning throughout the organization.
Personal and organizational resilience are a key to retaining valued employees and maintaining productivity during significant change projects. Often change projects have negative results because resources are focused on technology and leadership development only. One size fits all resources may be provided for members of the organization as a whole, however, such tools rarely aid in developing critical personal management competencies for all members of the organization.
Wills (2008) states that increasing ones awareness of individual styles and how those styles impact the workplace environment helps individuals to understand how they respond to change. Being aware of the concept of locus of control and how individuals can change this aspect of their personal perspective contributes to the overall development of personal management competencies. Personal management competencies are core factors in personal resilience. Personal resilience and lifelong learning are basic requirements for success during significant change. Resilient individuals develop skills that are essential to cope successfully with problems when they arise. These skills are also effective workplace skills; for example, the ability to solve problems effectively and set realistic goals and expectations. The key attributes of resilient individuals are well-developed interpersonal skills and responsible participation in their community.
Davis and Davis (2000) found that, significant learning usually results in change in performance, capacity, or attitude. Change is the main product of learning and if we don’t want to change, we probably do not want to learn either. Bushe (2001) defined learning as the outcome of an inquiry that produces knowledge and leads to change. All three components (inquiry, knowledge, and change) have to be present for an episode of organizational learning to take place.
In the current economic environment training and development is subject to the same budget constraints as every other part of the organization. The leaders that are responsible for training and development (knowledge management) need to consider cost effective methods to achieve organizational goals. Mentoring programs can be designed to resolve gaps in the succession plan competency map. Peer coaching circles can be established, perhaps held in place of some of the team meetings to share subject matter expertise among team members. Intranets can be utilized to share internal learning and training resources related to specific internal processes or product manufacturing. Online resources are available to provide current information on almost any topic pertinent to the organizational goals and can partially replace conferences. Maintaining contact and sharing resources with experts in other organizations can be managed to a large degree electronically. The actions of the Human Resources and Training and Development professionals will likely need to move away from classroom style internal and external training and towards creative in-house programs that focus directly on driving organizational goals.
References:
Bushe, G.R., (2001). Clear Leadership, How Outstanding Leaders Make Themselves Understood, Cut Through the Mush, and Help Everyone Get Real at Work. Davies-Black Publishing, Palo Alto, California
Davis, J.R., Davis, A.B., (2000). Managing Your Own Learning. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco
Wills, K.I., (2008), Change and Resilience in Organizations. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller AG & Co. KG
Friday, October 02, 2009
It has been a very long time since I last posted to this blog. Life has been interesting and very full and the blog dropped off the radar. While I still have a strong interest in this topic, my thinking has evolved over the years through education, work experiences and life experiences. I intend to start posting again covering a broader range of topics.
It is true that the economy has contributed significantly to the continuous changes in the world of work, and the value of ongoing learning is still a key component to success in the workplace. Ongoing learning includes academic and on the job learning. The gaps that some organizations are experiencing in succession plans can be bridged with well structured mentoring programs that include traditional experienced mentor to mentee and peer coaching teams. Mentor programs are simple to organize and inexpensive to run. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentorship
It is true that the economy has contributed significantly to the continuous changes in the world of work, and the value of ongoing learning is still a key component to success in the workplace. Ongoing learning includes academic and on the job learning. The gaps that some organizations are experiencing in succession plans can be bridged with well structured mentoring programs that include traditional experienced mentor to mentee and peer coaching teams. Mentor programs are simple to organize and inexpensive to run. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentorship
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Well, I haven't been to this blog in a while. I really intended to come in and update the Learning Journey but as usual have been sidetracked.
There isn't much new under the sun in this field lately. It seems to me that the field has found some new ways of recycling old information without anything too innovative showing up. It is more a case of adapting to technology changes than anything else.
I am currently reading the Harry Potter series (just starting book 4) and had a conversation with someone at work where we were relating the changing personalities in the series to workplace situations. One person made a comment that Hermione is (in book 5) becoming the "Human Resources" component of the group. What does it mean when we relate our so called adult lives to fantasy?
I will leave this for now and try to get back to the blog I intended to be at.
There isn't much new under the sun in this field lately. It seems to me that the field has found some new ways of recycling old information without anything too innovative showing up. It is more a case of adapting to technology changes than anything else.
I am currently reading the Harry Potter series (just starting book 4) and had a conversation with someone at work where we were relating the changing personalities in the series to workplace situations. One person made a comment that Hermione is (in book 5) becoming the "Human Resources" component of the group. What does it mean when we relate our so called adult lives to fantasy?
I will leave this for now and try to get back to the blog I intended to be at.
Saturday, November 01, 2003
I have seen instruments and been to seminars that use singular assessment tools or learning methods, while my observations suggest that we all utilize a variety of learning methods it is rare that programs are designed this way. I wonder how many trainers take that into account when designing customized programs for corporations. I have worked with trainers that say they do, but after sitting through their sessions, well, I don't see it.
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