Tag: leadership

To add exceptional team members, ask great interview questions

To Add Exceptional Team Members, Ask Great Interview Questions

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

You’ve pored over dozens of resumes, scoured social media accounts and, finally, narrowed the field to just a few candidates for an important open position in your company. Next comes the most critical step in the process: the interviews.

Managers and human resources professionals can only tell so much about candidates by reviewing their credentials. Candidates who look great “on paper” can turn out in real life to be a poor fit for your company, and interviews provide the all-important face time.

The in-person interviews with your top candidates provide you with important visual cues about how an individual may perform. How is the candidate dressed? Does she seem nervous or evasive? How does he interact with your team? When you’ve identified several candidates with similar skills, education and work experience, the interview can provide important missing information you need to make a final selection.

With interviews carrying so much weight in the hiring process, it’s critical to ask compelling questions that get your candidates talking openly. As Entrepreneur notes, asking the right questions can help you identify individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence, which includes traits like self-control, persistence and the ability to get along with others. Employees with high EI are said to be able to adjust better to change, to be flexible and to work as part of teams.

Here are eight of the top questions that encourage your candidates to provide honest, open answers that can help you predict future success.

Envision that it’s a year from now; what has our team achieved?

This question gives the candidate a chance to express her strategic vision and knowledge of your company. A thoughtful answer demonstrates that she’s taken the time to learn about your challenges and to brainstorm solutions.

Who do you consider a role model, and why?

Choice of role model can tell you a lot about your candidate’s level of introspection, and it can potentially give you an idea about what behaviors to expect, as Inc. notes. It also reveals the character and attributes your candidate wishes to emulate.

If you launched a new business, what would you want to be its three top values?

This question provides you with insights into a candidate’s priorities, notes Entrepreneur. Understanding that candidates may be surprisingly candid in interviews, you want to hear answers like “trust,” “integrity,” “empathy” and “fair play.” Values that wouldn’t be a fit with your corporate culture and ethics should give you pause.

What aspects of your past jobs have you not enjoyed?

All candidates expect to be asked about their strengths and weaknesses. But asking specifically about parts of their current or previous jobs that they didn’t like can result in honest answers. No one enjoys everything about any job, despite what applicants will say in interviews. Understanding your candidate’s likes and dislikes will help you determine if the individual will be a good fit for your specific job opening.

Tell me about a lasting friendship you’ve developed in a job

Building relationships only happens over time and with sustained effort, and it is a marker for high emotional intelligence. With this question, you learn how much your candidate values other employees as people, and it can give you an idea of your candidate’s level of commitment to team members.

What skill or expertise should you develop?

No one has mastered every possible skill, and you want to hear that your candidate is curious and has a desire to continue learning and improving in his field. If an individual doesn’t have an answer, you can take it as a sign that he doesn’t feel he has anything left to learn.

Describe a time in a job when things didn’t go the way you’d hoped

By asking about something that didn’t go well, you can gather information about your candidate’s tendencies as a self-starter and whether she views challenges as permanent setbacks or opportunities for growth. You also may learn whether your candidate is a team player or would point a finger of blame at colleagues.

What are your questions for me?

Providing your candidate with an opportunity to ask you questions can tell you how much she prepared in advance or how well she thinks on her feet. It also can give you an idea of the innovative — or potentially disruptive — ideas your new employee will bring to the table.

To uncover valuable information, ask the right interview questions

Few decisions are as important to your organization as the employees you hire. By asking compelling, open-ended questions, you can uncover your candidates’ emotional intelligence levels and improve your chances of adding strong team members.

Turning Conflict into a Positive for Your Organization

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Employees are people and, let’s face it, where there are people, there’s conflict. Managers and human resources professionals sometimes have a tendency to avoid conflict in hopes that it will resolve on its own. Unfortunately, letting conflict go unaddressed in the workplace can lead to major problems.

Conflicts arise for any number of reasons, including personality clashes, differing opinions about work tasks, questionable organizational structure, opposing values, weak management and poor communication. Whatever the reason, conflict that’s managed well can lead to positive outcomes like better solutions to pressing issues and improved business relationships, notes the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Managing it poorly — or ignoring it — can be disastrous.

The trouble with avoiding conflict

Conflict that’s left to fester costs businesses big every year in subpar performance, absenteeism, staff turnover, missed deadlines, reduced quality, lost sales and lower customer satisfaction. Employee morale also can go down the drain for the people involved in the conflict and for those forced to work with them.

Managing conflict is critical. Using it to the advantage of your organization is even better. But how?

Create managed debates

Set up regular meetings for questions and formal debate to keep discussion within a professional forum rather than around the water cooler, Entrepreneur magazine advises. Be sure to limit the scope of discussions and have a neutral party who can serve as a moderator to head off rehashing the same issues every week.

Respect all opinions

In your scheduled debate sessions and in impromptu discussions, treat all opinions with respect. You don’t want to give the appearance of favoritism toward certain staff members. Insist that employees also are respectful toward each other — and toward you — in all discussions.

Level the playing field

Managers and HR professionals understand that discussions take on a different tone when the CEO is in the room. As much as possible, drive home the point that everyone is equal in the debate sessions. Don’t let potentially beneficial communication be thwarted by the boundaries of roles and titles.

Keep it professional

Ensure that feedback from management team members is free of negative emotions, personal judgments and labels, as Entrepreneur advises. Discussions overall should be kept focused on business and should stay clear of any personal issues, which are best addressed with HR staff in private. It’s never appropriate to disparage staff or to comment on private relationships or activities.

Focus on solutions

Debate sessions can easily turn into never-ending gripe sessions that rehash the same problems without getting anywhere. Frame discussions from the beginning in terms of finding solutions. If a particular employee raises an issue or points out a problem, does she have thoughts on how it might be solved? Always work toward resolving conflict and generating solutions to problems.

Make it about team-building

Staff members — including senior leadership — are a team, and that point should be reinforced constantly. Everyone should be working toward the common goal of productivity and pleasing customers. If that’s not happening, it’s a problem. Reinforce the idea that despite any personal differences or conflicts, you are all part of the same united team.

Outside your debate sessions, plan some fun activities like potlucks or outings to let people get to know each other as people, as Intuit advises. People who know each other better are more likely to get along, or at least to tolerate each other.

Intervene when necessary

There’s conflict, and then there’s harassment and bullying. It’s critical that managers and HR team members know the difference and step in when necessary. Conflicts in the workplace often stem from personalities that simply don’t mesh well, but issues may be much more serious in some cases. If an employee is being insulted on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or other personal factors, it’s time to step in — with input from an employment lawyer.

Turning conflict into a positive for your organization

Conflict exists in every organization. How you handle it can mean the difference in a chaotic, tense workplace and one in which employees work together as a team to solve problems. To use conflict for the better, expect it and set up a process for managing it.

ready set go goal setting

Get Ready, Get Set, Goal! Achieving Success Through Goal Setting

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

 

Goals are an important part of life.  Whether working to become a better version of ourselves, desiring to improve relationships, seeking more fulfillment, or desiring greater success, goals keep us moving forward.  Few people actually take the time to set goals, and even fewer write them down.  But studies have proven that those who actually write down goals are largely successful as compared to those who don’t, let alone those who don’t have a clear sense of their goals.  Developing goals help us to attain a more desirable life, and to build self-confidence as we reflect on the concerted efforts we made to end up in a happier place than where we started.  Working to achieve goals provides a great sense of empowerment.

If you are ready to get on the path toward positive change in your life, getting those goals set and preparing to put them into action will be the key foundation to a stronger, more fulfilled you.  Are you ready?

Get Ready

In preparing to set your goals, it is important to look inward and consider what changes will truly make you happier.  The goals you make should be about you and your desires, and not what you perceive others may want out of you.  Consider what actually motivates you to be the best you that is possible.  Once these reflections are taken into account, begin by making a list of the changes or improvements that you would like to make and prioritize them.  Upon outlining the particular goals you have for yourself, it is time to set your goals, and yourself, up for success.

Get Set

In setting your goals, it is extremely important to articulate them positively. Don’t consider what you will lose; instead, focus on what you will gain.  For example, rather than stating that you would like to eat less junk-food, aim for eating healthfully. Rather than wanting less stress, focus on creating a more balanced lifestyle.  Framing goals in a positive light increases motivation, which leads to success and decreases self-criticism, which leads to defeat.

Secondly, it is important to clearly define your goals. For example, while desiring greater happiness is a great objective, to reach that end, the goal that you set must be not be vague.  What does happiness look like to you? What specific areas in your life can you take control of to create greater happiness?  Once you can clearly specify where you want to arrive at, you are nearly ready to set your goals in place.

A crucial element in setting goals is to ask yourself whether they are realistic and possible for you to attain.  Consider the steps you will need to take in order to reach those goals, and how long it may actually take for those steps to produce a possible outcome. Break big goals down into smaller ones, and set a time-limit that is possible to meet that goal so that you can measure your progress.

Once your specific, positive, realistic goals are written down, you are ready to take action.

Goal!

Achieving your goals requires action, but if you are going to continue to move toward progress, you need to have prompts and markers in place.  Displaying your goals where you will see them throughout the day will encourage, remind, and motivate you to continue toward success.  Having a support system in place, where a friend, family member, or colleague can check in on your progress is equally important to keeping you accountable in moving forward.  Lastly, it is essential that successes – even small ones – are celebrated, ensuring you that betterment is possible.

Are you ready to make changes in your life? You are the only thing standing in the way. Go for it!

Four Ways to Lead Through Failure

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

failure

“Failure is NOT an option!”

This unspoken NASA creed was in understood to be in effect during every mission, especially the Apollo 13 Houston-We-Have-a-Problem episode.

While this quote makes a great motivational mantra to build team enthusiasm, it is not reality. In fact, failure is ALWAYS an option. The Apollo 13 astronauts could have easily launched themselves on an endless journey into deep space. Whether internal error or outside occurrences beyond our foresight or control, failure happens. But what are we to do as leaders in the midst of failure?

1. Maintain enthusiasm

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

A good leader keeps her or his head up during tough times. The leader is called to stand on a parapet and look out towards the horizon, discovering possibilities. Shoegazing at the problem at hand will not inspire confidence, lead the troops, or promote outside-the-box thinking needed to find solutions. When, as a leader, you take this higher view, you can maintain enthusiasm without becoming a false, rah-rah cheerleader, and this you must not become. Your team will disregard inauthentic attempts at motivation. Instead, be honest, stating clearly, “I know things are rough,” or “Okay, we did experience failure on this project.” But quickly let them know that though this battle may be lost, there are more battles coming which are quite winnable.

Churchill, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, experienced colossal failures in individual battles, yet he kept a can-do attitude. “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” he said, as well as his famed statement on adversity:

“Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

2. Shape the story

Failure is often measured by the numbers–a poor profit statement, an abysmal product launch, or a bad department review. But know this, no data is ever perceived in an entirely objective manner. Everyone sees the data through their own colored lenses and shapes their views of the current situation within the context of their internal narrative. This is always true, no matter how analytical a person appears to be. In bad (and good) situations, as a leader you should never pitch data “neutrally” before your team without context. Recent studies have shown they won’t receive it without bias. Instead, as the leader, you must shape the context by telling the story that surrounds the data. Leaders articulate, “Here is what the data means, and here is our response to this challenge or failure.” To maintain morale, be sure to tell the story of past obstacles that have been overcome through your team’s smart and diligent efforts. Include historical stories of those who faced incredible failure and saw the cards stacked against them, yet they succeeded. (See Abraham Lincoln, Apollo 13, and the WWII Allies if you need fodder.)

3. Encourage Failure

Wait, what? Yes, good leaders encourage micro-failures to avoid macro-failures. Applying creative efforts that have a chance of failing to the smaller scope of a problem is crucial to overcoming over-arching failure at the highest levels. Encourage your team to think beyond traditional solutions while providing them safe boundaries to work within. In this way, if things go south, one area of the project is affected by the creative effort’s failure, but, hopefully, cross-infection into other areas of the project can be avoided.

Many businesses have team members who are so afraid of the reaction from on high, they become paralyzed, unable to come to any viable solution when failure or problems occur. Reward your team members for innovative efforts regardless of the outcome. Today’s botched solution may become tomorrow’s genius idea.

Have team members or departments share their failures with other team members without reprisal. Of course, before they share it, you will want to vet their presentation to help them shape the context and narrative. Good leaders are always story-shapers. Having those under your leadership hear others say, “We hit a huge pothole. The wheels came off, and here is how we are putting them back on,” is a way to ensure your team stays nimble in their thinking when failure does occur.

4. Keep a Failure Catalog

Failure is rarely an end in itself. It is simply a means for a great leader to say, “Ouch, let’s learn from that and not allow that to happen again.” Keep a catalog of your failures with the story of how you overcame each of them attached. This record will give you great hope when a new failure or problem arises. You can view a situation that seems insurmountable, and reflect back as you realize many other problems appeared to be the Mount-Everest-of-all-failures in their time. You survived and grew from those failures. You’ll grow from this one, as well.

Remember

Failure IS always an option. In fact, to fail is human, and every leader, at last check, was human. Press forward when failure happens, using your talents and skills to lead through adversity—maintain enthusiasm, tell stories, encourage failure, and keep a catalog. It is this type of leadership that will inspire your team and, should a large enough problem occur, place your name in the history books alongside other great leaders. Remember, failure is merely a means to better the story of future success. 

How Hierarchy Takes You from Surviving to Thriving

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

chain of command hierarchy leadership

Many leaders believe an effective leader’s subordinates consider them a friend. They feel uncomfortable with hierarchy and/or chain of command and feel everybody in the organization should be treated equally.

While these misconceptions aren’t entirely wrong (your subordinates should believe you respect and appreciate them and everybody in the organization is immensely valuable), when leaders adopt these trains of thoughts, their teams suffer. An established, structured, well communicated, and enforced chain-of-command can eliminate confusion and frustration when it comes to conflict resolution or employee grievances and improve morale and productivity. The word hierarchy may not be well received by leaders or staff, but its effects are positive and necessary for organizational growth.

Some of the benefits you can expect to see when you establish and implement a chain of command include:

  • Improved morale. Employees are more likely to see the direct results of their suggestions or grievances when they have addressed it at the closest level first. Leaders are more apt to follow up with their direct employees regarding their grievance. Employees trust that if their supervisor has failed to respond, they have further options for resolution, which improves morale as well.
  • Decreased legal risk. When policy outlines clear guidance for grievances, employees have an obligation to take the steps recommended to resolve complaints. When the grievance or chain of command policy is followed, the organization has increased opportunity to address issues before they reach a judge.
  • Lower turnover. Employees who see action following an appropriate grievance or suggestion are likely to enjoy their jobs and stay on board longer.
  • Increased productivity. Satisfied employees work hard and feel personally vested in the organization. They look for efficiencies and solutions and are driven by quality results.
  • Lower costs. When your turnover and legal risk decrease and your productivity increases, your bottom line goes up. That should provide the justification you need to get your chain-of-command idea past upper management.

What are the characteristics of an effective chain of command?

  • All employees report directly to somebody who has overall responsibility for their results. Supervisors who are responsible for the results of their team are personally vested in the performance and productivity of their employees, understand the processes, know the staff, and have the authority to address concerns appropriately. They also have several levels above them for support and guidance.
  • Few employees report directly to upper management. Those reporting to upper management have only one option when it comes to grievances. Only the most professional people in the most independent positions in your building should report to the president or CEO.
  • All employees are trained upon implementation and then annually and upon hire regarding the structure of the organization and the grievance process. All supervisors are trained to manage authoritatively – to take personal responsibility for the performance of their team. In order to do so, they must be comfortable directing and correcting their team when necessary (remind them to balance reward and constructive criticism).
  • Everybody must be willing to say, “Have you addressed the right person with these concerns?” before they act on concerns that do not come from their direct subordinates. This enforces chain-of-command and provides maximum opportunity for resolution.

If you choose to establish and implement a chain-of-command, it is vital that your employees understand that it dictates who has the authority to make which decisions and where they should go for help, not who has value within the organization. Employees often view authority as value and poor morale results.

Furthermore, your leaders must own their authority. Weak or inexperienced leaders often feel that they are no more valuable than anyone else and therefore should not delegate or correct. While their value remains equal, their authority makes them different – and this authority is vital in order for the organization to operate as it should. Leaders must feel comfortable correcting their subordinates.

If you are struggling with employee morale, legal risk, poor productivity or attendance, or high turnover and you are not yet utilizing an established chain-of-command, consider moving forward with a chain-of-command policy. The cost is in the time it takes you to establish and the benefits far outweigh the investment.