Articles

Take Your Dreams Off Hold

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There will always be economic highs and lows, jobs and bosses we don’t like, and life circumstances we allow to stymie us. We believe it is just the way life is. To further complicate and prevent us from taking charge of our careers, we employ worn-out excuses of not having enough time or money, being afraid of failure or even of success. Yet none of these excuses and thought processes will move you forward to achieve your aspirations in life.  It’s time to take your dreams off hold!

First, embrace the fear! Now, blast through it by identifying and handling the most pressing issue keeping you from your dream (for example, if you need money: find additional income; if you need child care: trade services with other mothers; if you need a different job: talk with your human resource department). Second, clarify in writing what you really, really, really want, establish a short-term goal, and now create a focused action plan.  Run it by others to ensure it will produce the intended results.  Third, find or develop a group of like-minded people (family, friends, or boss) to keep you on task and provide time- and money-saving ideas. Hire a coach to keep you focused on the right things and moving forward if you are pursuing a business venture. (https://seibco.com/contact/)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Learning Opportunities Can Be Priceless

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As a leader, it’s important for you to be receptive to new ideas generated through collaboration between different work groups. They foster teamwork and can bring about cost-effective and competitive-edge systems, procedures, and off-the-wall solutions. Create a safe structure for employees to take their ideas and run them through the company’s business model – doing so enables employees to understand how business decisions are made.  Include budgetary and other market-driven concerns in their learning repertoire. Remember, some of these innovations will work and some won’t— it’s how you handle the debrief that will provide priceless learning opportunities and encouragement.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

You Are a Champion

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In many companies, employees are expected to “dummy down” and not share their accomplishments. Statistically women, more than men, have a very difficult time sharing their achievements, since most were taught as children that it’s impolite to brag. The result? Because employees don’t give voice to their successes, they don’t receive the promotions, pay increases, and business recognition deserved. Business owners don’t get the contract bids and industry reputation required to succeed because they don’t tout their accomplishments. There is an art to learning how to brag in a business-savvy manner. Get your copy of It’s Time to Brag! and complete the five simple exercises. Share your successes, and experience increased success. (http://TimeToBrag.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Peaks and Valleys

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Every business has it peaks and valleys. Instead of fighting against it, welcome them! The valleys allow you time to get in touch with the innovative ideas that can come as big waves or skim quietly across your mind.  Your mind-set is crucial to ensuring you don’t quickly dismiss an idea without discussing it with others, or grab on to “the next best thing” too quickly without proper review. Stay focused on your company’s primary stream of income and run a parallel system with your new business idea.  Stay focused on quarterly milestones to ensure both sets of plans are on track and that weekly-focused action plans are being implemented.  For additional help, contact http://SeibCo.com/contact

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Promote the best, not the ones you like the best.

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Too often we use a “halo effect “when promoting employees into leadership roles or coveted opportunities. These people looks like the right ones because we like them or they’ve done something extraordinary recently. Unfortunately, they may not have the thinking style, core behaviors, or occupational interests to get the job done in their new positions. To approach promotion more objectively, first, understand the competencies required of the job. Second, use qualified assessments to discern candidates’ inherent strengths and weaknesses. Third, promote based upon merit, not likeability. Always use the same strategic hiring system for both internal promotions and external hires. To learn how to create a strategic hiring system that works, get your copy of Hire Amazing Employees, Second Edition, http://BizSavvyHire.com.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Culture is the fall guy

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Why do so many executives fail in new jobs? While many blame company culture, I would suggest that culture is the scapegoat. Poor cultural fit simply amplifies or points out what the C-suite or board members on the hiring committee failed to uncover during the vetting or onboarding process!

Instead of blaming culture, management teams should take the time to think through and write out a strategic hiring process that works, and design it to ensure that each party explores and investigates the other. They should use qualified systems and tools, trust the process, and follow it. Remember, more conversations will be required when hiring an executive to ensure consistency of philosophy and provide deeper exploration of issues and potential solutions. If you follow a well-designed system and use it in the spirit in which it was intended, you will know that you’ve done your best to ensure a positive partnership—even though there are never any guarantees. Excerpt from Companies and Executives Need to Vet and Onboard Each Other! http://SeibCo.com/books/eguides   

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Are Your Company’s Values Meaningful?

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Everyone brings their own set of personal values into a company, whether it’s when to pay bills, if and when to respect authority or follow rules, or even what’s an acceptable time to arrive at work or an event. Some employees’ values will naturally fit into your organization’s culture, while other employees won’t align with your written business practices and unwritten business expectations. (Qualified core value assessments can reduce selection errors so you hire the right people with values that match your organization. [http://SeibCo.com/assessments ])

The purpose of having a written set of company values is to get everyone on the same page in order to create a workable structure for open communication, clarity of expectations and ethics, respect, trust, and so on. For values to have a positive influence, all employees and managers within an organization need to feel free to voice their concerns and learn how to interact without fear of retribution. Creating meaningful workplace values contributes to reducing turnover, increasing sustainable profits, and building a positive business reputation, since everyone is working from the same set of company principles.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Are your colleagues claiming all the credit?

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Learning how to brag in a business-savvy manner requires you to be aware of the metrics and results of any project. Simply saying, “I’m the one who did that” will not elicit the notoriety you may deserve! First, get your copy of It’s Time to Brag! and complete the five simple exercises. (http://TimeToBrag.com) Second, share your brag statements with your boss and coworkers. Third, understand that a coworker claiming all the credit for a project may have a different point of view—don’t dis him or her. Have a conversation to see if you can meet halfway and share the credit.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Have you hired a salesperson who can’t sell?

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Selecting salespeople who can actually sell is a huge challenge for any employer, particularly when a significant number of applicants stretch the truth or lie. When technical sales skills are required, the level of deception increases to offset lack of experience or poor results in previous positions. Even if they did well and sold the same or similar products or services for your competitor, it doesn’t mean they can or will produce the same level of results for you. 

Many times sales managers are misled when applicants:

  • Have very good verbal skills (which does not mean they have the personality and/or interests to deliver the results);
  • Appear to be good team players (many good salespeople are not); or
  • Are able to sell themselves (which does not mean they can sell your products or services).

Measuring sales metrics during the interview, not after, requires you to ask the right questions and listen to candidates’ responses. Be specific in your questions by asking for actual numbers, percentages, and increases or decreases in results. It will not eliminate the need to use valid assessments that objectively, reliably, and legally measure your candidates’ true match to your sales job.  http://SeibCo.com/assessments

©Jeannette Seibly, 2013

Emotional hiring can be dangerous!

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Many executives are good decision-makers or they wouldn’t have the title. However, many are so busy that they fail to listen during interviews unless the candidate says the right things. Then their impulsiveness and impatience kicks in and they hire people that “feel like the right ones”! Hiring based on intuitive powers may sound great, but in reality it is an excuse for not using a strategic hiring system.  

Anytime you hire someone who doesn’t fit all the necessary job requirements but has the likeability factor, you’re doomed for failure. Frequent job-seekers—people with backgrounds to hide and manipulative types—have honed their interview skills well! They know what to say and how to sell themselves to get a job. They know how to be likeable.

Infuse objectivity early in the hiring process. (http://wp.me/p2POui-nj ) This will significantly reduce the possibility of interviewing these types of job candidates and falling into the emotional hiring trap. Use a structured interview process, qualified assessments, and due diligence. Call those references! (Learn how to hire the right person. Get your copy of Hire Amazing Employees, Second Edition. It could save your own job!  http://BizSavvyHire.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013