Are you a free bird or a butterfly?

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

I know the title is a little strange, but indulge me for a moment. Most of us really appreciate the freedom and lightness of flight. We are attracted to a stress-free environment that allows us to flow in our areas of genius and passion. We all realize that we are more productive, effective and empowered when we are work and passions are closely aligned. And when we are so aligned, we feel we are a bird in flight, floating on air, flowing where our genius takes us.

Even if 100% of our day isn’t in-flight like that; most of us have pockets. We often find ourselves in the ZONE or flowing.

Now — when we’re in those pockets or zone … are you a free bird or are you a butterfly or a combination?

Some definitions:
Free Bird: Has lots of experience and freely shares it. A bird is light, free and flowing. Consumes just enough to stay light; confident that more opportunities will become available exactly when you need it. The abundance mentality allows the bird to stay unencumbered and light. They soars, shares (drops) their experience on others and flies away. When their knowledge drops on the right flower or field, it fertilizes, feeds and energizes. When their knowledge lands on unexpected people, cars, benches; it annoys.

Butterfly: Has lots of experience and freely shares it. A butterfly is light, free and flowing. During the process of collecting nectar, some pollen sticks to their belly and legs. This allows them to continue to fly unencumbered (like a bird) but have more beneficial affect on those it touches and lands on. While they are going about their normal activity of gathering nectar, they deliberately focus on where they land; therefore, their knowledge and experience land on those that are asking.

Using this in the office:
How can we be the best of both? Maybe we want to be a hummingbird of such. Something that is a combination. What is the one thing we can do TODAY, that allows us to be an opportunity agent to others and ourselves? An Opportunity Agent collects appropriate contacts (pollen) as they go about their regular business (their nectar). Because they are building a network and contact database, they can cross-pollinate among their contacts at the appropriate time. Instead of only providing their singular experiences, they can connect their important contacts with other high-caliber contacts, resources, and networks. This provides an exponential benefit to those they land or connect with.

By deliberately and mindfully staying in contact with the significant people you cross paths with, you have the option to extend your wonderful network to others in the future.

Available free tools like Linkedin.com helps you do this almost automatically (like the butterfly or humming bird). I have a short free videos on how you can easily do this with the social media tools of your choice.

Check out http://lauraleerose.com/snapebook/ for the It’s a SNAP video
Check out http://lauraleerose.com/leveraginglinks/ for additional tips on leveraging the links you already have.

Send me your tips to staying in touch with your significant contacts.
And if you don’t already have a Business Networking Plan for 2013 — check out my Individual Networking Strategy Workbook. It is intended to help you create a networking strategy to supports and propels you toward your career goals.

In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into these things in detail.
If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.

A free ride normally isn’t….

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

Last night I saw two teenagers pushing a car up a street. It wasn’t late (6:00pm) but I was on my way to another client appointment.

I stopped my car and asked, “Need some help?”

One girl said, “Well – do you have a gas container?” Ahh – they have run out of gas.

“No – but there is a gas station not ½ a block in the opposite direction. Do you need a ride?”

The same girl said, “Yeah, we know about that gas station.” She sounded deflated.

The other young lady was more upbeat and said, “She asked if we needed a ride to the gas station.”

The first girl said to her friend, “Oh – that would be good.”

The other young lady said, “Maybe I should stay with the car to make sure no one hits it, and you go to the gas station.”

So – now one girl is standing somewhat in the middle of an intersection protecting the car, while the other one is looking for her phone and bag so that she can go to the gas station with a stranger. In the meantime, I’m wondering why the car is pointing away from the gas station instead of toward the gas station. They knew where the gas station was, but the car was traveling in the opposite direction.

The moment the first girl hopped into the car, I get hit with cigarette fumes and I open my window.

I said, “I’m sure that the folks at the gas station will fix you up. You just need enough gas to drive the car back to the station for a better refill. I’m sure they have a gas container for you.”

The girl said, “Yeah, but the last time this happened, they wanted me to pay for the gas container!” She paused, “Oh – maybe my other friend has a gas container. I’ll call her.” And she starts texting her friend.

I’m thinking … ‘Well, if you are going to continue to ignore the fuel indicator…maybe investing in a gas container isn’t such a bad thing.’ Then I realized that was ‘old adult thinking’. This is a ‘young adult’. Young adult thinking is much different. We are all familiar with this type of thinking. We’re all been through this stage of development. At this stage, we’re not developed enough to think beyond the immediate.

She probably borrowed the car from her family and tried to get the car back home without putting any gas in the car (that’s why the car was facing away from the gas station).
They probably deliberately passed the gas station hoping they could drive up their driveway on fumes (that’s why she sounded dejected when she admitted to knowing where the gas station was).
She has money for her own personal use (i.e. cigarettes) but not to refill the gas in someone else’s car that she is borrowing.
Why should she buy gas for the next person (versus the thought that she is merely paying for the gas that she has already used).
Its fine for her friend to help push the car and then stand in traffic to protect the car; a stranger to drive her to the gas station; and another friend to meet her at the gas station with a free gas container – just as long as it’s not costing her anything.

It’s common. It’s just that age. We’ve been there. And to expect young people to think otherwise (on their own) is going to be frustrating for you. They are not wrong…. they just ‘are’. So — even though we explicitly state our expectations when they borrow the car, have the house to themselves, go to unchaperoned events, etc; don’t be surprised if it doesn’t ‘stick’ all the time.

We get to the gas station and I said, “Well – I’m glad it was just gas. That’s easy to fix. And there’s even an auto parts store right there if you need more help. I think you’re all set.”

She said, “Yeah, it’s good that it was only the gas. Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem. Good luck.”

A free ride to the gas station. But what she doesn’t realize is that it is costing someone something. It may not be costing her friends anything. It’s another adventure to them and they ‘young think’. It’s totally logical to them. But think of the parent on their way to work the next day – with a car that has only fumes in the gas tank. And- in retrospect – the ‘free ride with a stranger to the gas station’ probably wasn’t such a good idea either.

Youth.

Top 3 Office Game Changers

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

Top 3 Office Game Changers

Professional development series

As a Business Process Consultant and Efficiency Coach, I am a subject matter expert in the field of Process Improvement. I work closely with the client to analyze both operational processes and financial metrics to assess project opportunities that positively impact the financial performance of the client business. In that role, I see a few misconceptions in how to make office changes (or any change for that matter). The most prevalent false premise is to “start where you are and take small steps”. That may be the resulting action – but I don’t recommend we start there.

3 Top Office Changers are:

Clearly articulate where you want to be, do and have.
Educate or review the explicit and specific foundation pieces required to get there (i.e., business plan, resources, staff, funds,etc)
Evaluate where you currently are against those specific foundation pieces.

Practice forgetting:

My recommendation is to practice forgetting how you got where you are today. Many of those processes and procedures definitely assisted you to this point. But now you are going to a different place. Therefore, you need a different map. You may find that many of your current procedures are still valid. But that is not the goal. So, forget those old procedures for the time being. Focus on putting in place the ‘right procedures’ for your new goals and destination.

Conclusion: Consider your GPS. When you have a new destination or goal, your GPS doesn’t try to force you to travel the same path as you did last week or last month. Your past paths have no relevancy to your current GPS navigations. Your GPS starts from scratch every time. Depending upon the gap between where you currently are and your new destination, there may be some roads and routes in common. But that’s not the GPS’s focus. It’s just a consequence of time and space – not the goal. Your Business Practices should be treated like that.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

Top 3 Office Game Changers

Professional development series

As a Business Process Consultant and Efficiency Coach, I am a subject matter expert in the field of Process Improvement. I work closely with the client to analyze both operational processes and financial metrics to assess project opportunities that positively impact the financial performance of the client business. In that role, I see a few misconceptions in how to make office changes (or any change for that matter). The most prevalent false premise is to “start where you are and take small steps”. That may be the resulting action – but I don’t recommend we start there.

3 Top Office Changers are:

1) Clearly articulate where you want to be, do and have.

2) Educate or review the explicit and specific foundation pieces required to get there (i.e., business plan, resources, staff, funds,etc)

3) Evaluate where you currently are against those specific foundation pieces.

Practice forgetting:

My recommendation is to practice forgetting how you got where you are today. Many of those processes and procedures definitely assisted you to this point. But now you are going to a different place. Therefore, you need a different map. You may find that many of your current procedures are still valid. But that is not the goal. So, forget those old procedures for the time being. Focus on putting in place the ‘right procedures’ for your new goals and destination.

Conclusion: Consider your GPS. When you have a new destination or goal, your GPS doesn’t try to force you to travel the same path as you did last week or last month. Your past paths have no relevancy to your current GPS navigations. Your GPS starts from scratch every time. Depending upon the gap between where you currently are and your new destination, there may be some roads and routes in common. But that’s not the GPS’s focus. It’s just a consequence of time and space – not the goal. Your Business Practices should be treated like that.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

What’s the difference between strong management and harassing behavior?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

One reader asked me: I’d like to get some insight about the fine line between behavior by a manager that is legitimately harsh and within normal management practices and behavior that could be considered harassment. For example, how do you determine whether reprimanding an employee in front of his or her peers is harassment? Questions: Are there certain criteria that apply to conduct that is considered to be harassment? Can yelling at an employee in front of his or her peers be harassment? What determines whether or not it is? How likely is it that an employee who is disciplined under legitimate circumstances will complain of harassment? How does an employer deal with this situation?

I think this issue can be greatly simplified by simply focusing on ‘appropriate behavior’.

Instead of trying to define the line between managing and harassing behavior — corporations should focus simply on appropriate behavior. Something can be deemed ‘inappropriate’ more easily than the legal definition of ‘harassing’.

If the company’s only goal is to avoid legal ramifications, then that is one thing. But if the company’s goal is to provide an appropriate atmosphere for employees to be productive and inspired — then focusing on ‘appropriate’ behavior will be more beneficial to both management and employee.

Appropriate behavior supports calm, confident, and flexible leadership.

If management is confident that he/she can handle any situation – then there is no need to yell, scream or curse at any time.

Inappropriate actions would include:
reprimanding an employee in front of his or her peers
blaming individuals or external environment for project status
defending one’s position on a particular solution against all other solutions
demanding that there is only one way to accomplish a shared goal.

If you focus on high-level appropriate reactions, then the legal line of harassment rarely comes into play.

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How do you know your employees are engaged and motivated?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

One reader asked me a series of question regarding: How do you know your employees are engaged and motivated?

You can see by the reader’s follow-up questions that their goal for an “engaged employee” is unclear.

My first recommendation is to first clarify why are you asking this question. Are you interested in “engaged employees”? Or are you interested in “productive” employees? Employees can be very engaged, charming, attending all the social company functions — yet they are not very productive toward the business goals and mission.

Next recommendation is to lead by example. If you want your employees to be engaged, you need to be engaged. If you interact with interactive and empathic listening techniques, they will feel more open to engage. If you project non-judgmental attitudes toward a variety of concepts, ideas, philosophies, technologies, they will feel the freedom of interacting without repercussions.

1. What are some body language signals that your employees are engaged with you when you’re speaking to them? Please explain.

Are they mirroring your actions? When you lean forward in a conversation, are they leaning forward. If you body is open (for instance arms are not folded across chest), are their bodies in a similar open position. When you are comfortably looking at them when you speak, are they meeting and following your gaze?

2. What are some things they might do to show they are engaged? Please explain. (Might include asking questions, making eye contact, etc.)?

Someone that is engaged might often paraphrase what you are saying to make sure they understand exactly what you are conveying (versus peppering you with questions). The problem with asking questions is that the questions are often based on their individual agenda (which may take you off your original intent). People mistakenly think that asking a lot of questions shows that you are engaged. But sometimes it is a tool to take the topic toward a different path and away from the original goal. A string of questions actually creates questions about the questions (not about the original topic or essence of the original intent). This is why so many topics get into the rat-hole or opens a whole new can of worms.

By actually paraphrasing what the speaker is saying, actually shows a genuine willingness to understand the content and intent. This allows the speaker to reflect on how the audience is interpreting the presentation and readjust if necessary.

Employees that are engaged are necessarily trying to pull the employers off his track — but simply better understand the corporate mission or overall department vision.

3. What are some clues that they give over technology (like email) that they are engaged? Please explain. (Might include responding to emails quickly, but not relying totally on technology to interact with you. For instance, they don’t email things instead of picking up the phone or walking over.)

Email is not a valid method to measure engagement. Productive employees should not be responding to emails quickly. Productive employees should be scheduling their time effectively which may mean scheduling a specific block of time to read/respond to email (versus immediately responding to email). Email (like instance messaging) can be very interruptive to productivity. If you expect your employees to immediately answer every email, phone call and instant message that pops up — then your employee will have zero time to take action on any email, phone call or instant message.

Once again — the employer needs to lead by example. The employer can set some parameters and communication expectations for the group. And the engaged employee will meet those guidelines and communication expectations.

If the employer believes something is of higher priority and needs immediate action, the employer will travel to the employees office and/or include a priority timeline in their phone message or email. Clearly articulating timelines and response expectations is the best way to measure employee responsiveness. If you don’t give the employee a deadline, then they are never late.

4. What are some signs that you might look for in social events, like a holiday party, with your employees that show they’re engaged? (Might include just attending them versus skipping them, asking about you and others rather than talking only about themselves, etc.)

I have a problem with evaluating employee performance at non-work related holiday events. People are different. Some people enjoy large gatherings. Some people enjoy using their free time with their other family and friends. By judging employees’ engagement through they decision on how to spend their ‘free time’ — is not the best choice. I believe that using more business oriented events like : the employees requests to attend a certain technical conference, requests permission to achieve a certain certification, wants to speak at a out-of-town trade show or user conference, puts in additional off-hours time to facilitate User Forum discussions — I believe those are the types of events you might look for as signs that your employees are engaged. (and not if they go to your holiday party or not). If you are paying them to go to your party (as part of their job) — evaluating them on that plain is fine. Otherwise, allow leisure to be leisure and do not penalize them for not enjoying the same type of gatherings that you do.

5. Any other signs that you’re doing a great job and are engaging your employees?

If you continually feel enthusiastic about your work, the goals that you are setting, and the team that you are creating — chances are that your employees are very much engaged. If your work is fun and easy — chances are that your employees are having fun and engaged. if you feel that you have to continually pull teeth, push things through, cajole and plead to get things accomplished — chances are that your employees are not engaged.

If you feel that you are working too hard — your employees are not properly engaged. Could be your management style — could be something else.

How do you handle a dishonest boss?

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

A reader writes: As an employee, how do you handle a situation if you know your manager is being dishonest? A few employees have already approached HR, but they didn’t take the issue seriously. What do we do next?

There is normally a hierarchy for these things in most companies. And it would depend upon the severity of the accusations. Since the question said “A few employees have already approached HR”, I am assuming that it isn’t a single incident and it’s large enough issue that affects multiple people.

My first recommendation is to take a step back and recognize that you don’t exactly know what is going on. What may seem to you as dishonest — may be something entirely different. The face that your HR manager doesn’t see it the same way, illustrates that something else may be going on. Focus on getting clarity (versus proving someone is being dishonest). If you go in with the mindset that your boss is being dishonest, everything he does will look dishonest. And everyone that doesn’t see him as being “dishonest” will seem like the enemy. Instead, focus on getting a better understanding of what exactly is going on. Once you focus on getting clarity and more information, you will see several available options in front of you.

A few things to consider doing:

1)Revisit HR and ask them the status of this situation. You may have misinterpreted HR’s interest in the matter at your first meeting. That you interpreted as “disinterest” could be HR ‘thinking’ about the appropriate next step. HR probably could not promise you anything at that time because he/she wasn’t sure how to approach the topic. Allow HR a few days to investigate on their own. Then revisit HR after a few days to get status. If you approach HR as a group (the group of employees that previously reported together), HR will recognize that this isn’t going away.
**Document this step with email to HR(and cc the employees that have already reported this to HR as well). Keeping a log of your steps through email and email notification will give your situation more leverage and credibility.

2) If HR isn’t taking it seriously, it may be a sign that you and your co-workers may not know the entire situation. There may be extenuating circumstances or a gag-order in place or legal ramifications for the manager to tell his team what is actually going on. It could be that the HR manager understands this, but is under the same legal obligations to say and do nothing. That could be the reason HR seems to not be taking it seriously. Call a meeting with the offending manager, the “few employees that have already approached HR”, and the HR manager.
Do not publish the meeting to people that are not already involved. Don’t make this a bigger deal than it should be. Limit this closed meeting to only those already talking about this. The purpose of the meeting is to clarify any misunderstanding around this particular situation to stop the rumors and innuendos. Since the HR manager is already informed of the situation, having the HR manager present gives additional professionalism and balance to the meeting. Allow the HR manager to invite and include anyone else he/she feels appropriate for this purpose. Allow HR lead the meeting, and submit your own agenda and Q&A to be covered in the meeting (ahead of time). If this is an honest misunderstanding, the manager, employees and HR (as a group) can quickly and openly clear up the issue.
**Document this step with email to HR(and cc the employees that have already reported this to HR as well). Keeping a log of your steps (including phone and hallway conversations) through email and email notification will give your situation more leverage and credibility.Keep all your correspondence regarding this matter.

3) YOU calling the meeting and openly inviting the HR manager and manager — avoids HR inactivity. YOU providing the purpose, agenda and Q&A for the meeting (ahead of time), allows HR to meet the manager before the meeting to discuss the issue privately. This illustrates that your only intention is to get clarification and not accuse or judge anyone. Setting an meeting appointment is a reasonable forcing function (for more information on Reasonable Forcing Functions, contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

The item will be discussed — even if it’s to merely to say “We understand your confusing right now. There are some exciting things happening that we are not at liberty to discuss.” At this point, HR and your manager understands that by not attending the meeting and attending to this issue — only creates more confusion and a bigger problem.
**Document the fact that HR and manager refuses to meet with email to HR and manager (and cc the employees that have already reported this to HR as well). Keeping a log of your steps through email and email notification will give your situation more leverage and credibility.

4) There is also a hierarchy in most organizations. If the HR and manager does not accept your invitation (document that), then tell them that you plan to take it to their managers or executive level — because it is affecting morale and productivity. Being up-front with your next step plans allows HR to decide what to do next. Having all your steps documented with the actual email dates and HR responses will be useful when approaching executive level.

5) Take it to the next line. If the HR manager is not providing the required service, then you request a meeting with the HR second-line manager and your manager’s second-line. Mention that there is an issue that is affecting morale on the office/production line that you would like to make the executive branch aware of. Mention that you require their consult on this issue.

Conclusion: If your attitude is one of “inquiry” versus an accusation, you will not need to take it past HR. The only thing you are sure about is that ‘you don’t fully know what is going on’. The only thing you know for sure is that you are confused. Approach your talks to solve your confusion only. Don’t approach the situation as ‘trying to prove to people that your boss is dishonest’. When you approach it as your need to get clarity — people are more willing to meet with you. When you approach it with a chip on your shoulder, people are more likely to avoid you.

Giving everyone the benefit of the doubt is a diplomatic and honest way to approach many difficult issues. Believing that everyone involved wants this issue resolved quickly and quietly will benefit you greatly.

For more information on Reasonable Forcing Functions and Handling Difficult Office Situations, sign up for my on-line laser coaching series: GoTo Academy: Soft Skills for the GoTo Professional.

Should I hire over-qualified people?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

Should I hire over-qualified people?

(or will they leave as soon as something better comes along)

Professional development series

In the recent interview with Steve Wynkoop (founder of SSWUG.org) we covered the “hiring” topic (don’t miss another professional newsletter tip—signup for the free newsletter here). This article covers the topic in more detail.

I recently received this question from a reader:

I currently have several positions open, and the job descriptions clearly outline the experience necessary. I’m drowning in applications from overqualified people. I know with the unemployment rate so high, people often have noticeably more experience than the jobs they apply for require.

However, I fear that if I hire overqualified applicants, they will leave as soon as a better job comes along. So I prefer to hire candidates ready to move up or laterally. Is it worth considering overqualified candidates? Or can we add something to the job description to improve our applicant pool?

You are in a great position. My recommendation is not worry about the future if you hire an over-qualified person. Focus on hiring the perfect person for the job. And let “what if” take care of itself. Let’s take the following examples:

Some people you feel are ‘over-qualified’ are actually looking for a lower-pressure position. They want something they can comfortably and expertly handle in 5-days/8 hour time slot. Because they are (as you describe) “over-qualified”, your position is perfect for them. They may not be looking for their ‘next challenge’.

Don’t assume you understand someone’s reason for applying for your job. They may want a slight career change. Although they may seem over-qualified for the specific task you have in mind; their interest is more in a change of industry or culture. Maybe their next challenge is getting experience in this new industry or area. Perhaps your job offers more travel (or less travel). It can be any number of things that attract.

Understand why you are hiring. If you are in a production spike and need someone that will ‘hit the ground running’, hiring an over-qualified person is your best option. If your spike is temporarily, consider contracting or temp-to-hire, until your product needs levels out a little.

To ease your discomfort around this topic, be explicit in your expectations. Explicitly announce your expectations and intentions (including the minimum length of expected stay). It’s perfectly acceptable to include the expectations to stay in this particular job for 8 months, 1 year (whatever your minimum expectations are). You can also include a contract penalty for leaving the position early (1 week, 2 week pay, whatever). This will weed-out the people that are merely using your job as a jobs-gap (bridge to another position).

Continually outline future career opportunities and advancement routes in both the technical and management ladders. This helps retain the high-performance employees.

Conclusions:

Don’t wait until the top-performers leave your company to figure this out. If you don’t invest in your current employees’ career development, then you will be left with only low to mediocre performers (which make your management job that much more difficult). Avoid offering lateral positions merely to ease your discomfort with hiring ‘over-qualified’ candidates. Offer lateral position when it comes with additional promotion or skills advancement opportunities for the employee that is making that change.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

When to hire?

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

When to hire?

Professional development series

In today’s tight economy, many employers are under financial strain. They need additional staff and resources to get the products and services out the door, so that they can expand and sell more products. On the other hand, ‘right now’ money is tight to hire new employees. Because of this dilemma, many businesses wait much too long to hire and fail because of this.

So – when is the right time to hire?

The simplest answer to this complex question is: “When the important work isn’t getting done.”

There will always be an abundance of work on our plates. But when we see that the MUST DO tasks are not getting done at the quality, accuracy or speed that our business needs to be successful – then we need to reevaluate where we are placing our resources. We need to constantly focus on the business goals, mission and vision (versus being distracted from the everyday items).

For instance – if the ‘nice-to-have’ items are getting done; instead of the MUST DO – there are several things we can do:

1) Reposition resources from the ‘nice-to-have’ items and onto the MUST DO.

2) Train inside personnel to move onto MUST DO items

3) Contract help for a short-term to close the gap on the MUST DO. This is useful if it’s a temporarily blip or gap.

4) Replace/retrain ineffective personnel (Performance Improvement Plan or PIP). This is useful if the MUST DO is fully staffed but just not being executed effectively.

5) Place ineffectual employee on a PIP plan and subsidize with a temp-to-hire personal. If PIP fails, you can convert the temp-to-hire. (For more information on how to implement a PIP, contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info )

6) Add additional staff, if you have the funds and time to interview.

7) Outsource or hand-off to business partner/affiliate, if you don’t have the funds or time to interview/train.

Hiring isn’t always the silver bullet.

Quick steps to move forward:

1) Identify the staffing gap (clarify the business goals that are not getting accomplished).

2) Outline the skill set and time frame needed for the gap.

3) Research alternative ways to fill that gap that fit your budget and time frame.

Conclusions:

Don’t wait until the last minute to hire a candidate that requires training. Merely hiring someone will not solve the problem. When you hire, you ultimately increase administration tasks, expenses and learning curves. The delay caused by the inevitable learning curve places additional financial and morale strain at the workplace. Consider your natural business cycle with hiring. If you are hiring in a spike consider more qualified candidates. If you are hiring during the slow season and are ramping up for your next spike, then you have time to train someone less experienced. If you don’t have time or money to hire, consider outsourcing or handing-off to business partners/affiliates with a referral revenue plan.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

Why do employees continue to job-search?

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

Why do employees continue to job-search?

(Even when they already have a good job)

Professional development series

Two recent surveys found that a majority of full-time workers continue searching out job opportunities, usually online and often through social media. What are the pluses and potential pitfalls of continually being on the search?

My first recommendation to employers is to not take “continually searching” personally. There are many reasons individuals window-shop. People often droop over the newest sports-car or gadget. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are unhappy with their current toys.

There are often many reasons for job-window-shopping:

1) If workers are not satisfied with their current work environment, they will continually look elsewhere.

The advantage to this is that many people can handle a ‘bad working environment’ as long as they see a light at the end of the tunnel (a potential new position in the horizon). Conduct frequent one-on-one meetings to understand what is lacking in your employees career development plans.

2) People are always curious. This is an advantage to everyone. Employees should be encouraged to bring these new desires and new knowledge to their manager to see if there are appropriate jobs opportunities in your current company that fits. Management would be prudent to hold frequent career development one-on-one meetings, so that they understand what their talented employees are looking forward to doing.

3) Excellent employees are always forward looking. If the employee sees no ‘next step’ within their current company, they will look more seriously at their next step outside of their current company. Management would be smart to continually outline attractive and progression job roles for their best employees.

4) People need to feel valued and want to be continually challenged in their area of passion. At a certain professional level, it is not ‘money’ that satisfies. The best employees are attracted toward an increase of mastery and autonomy in the areas that they are passionate about. If management isn’t listening, they are likely to lose their most valuable employees — because it is the talented that walk and the weak that stay.

5) If management uses this opportunity to negatively affect the employee’s advancement opportunities, then management is short-sighted. The employee is doing exactly what they need to do to create the most effective and efficient match between what they want to do with their careers and what they are actually doing with their careers. The employee is acting responsibly. Management would be acting responsibly by listening and reviewing current company’s opportunities to better match their employee’s talents and passion.

Conclusions:

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
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2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

Do you risk hiring someone that is under-qualified?

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Laura Lee Rose

Professional development series

This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.
If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.
In the recent interview with Steve Wynkoop (founder of SSWUG.org) we covered the “hiring” topic (don’t miss another professional newsletter tip—signup for the free newsletter here). This article covers the topic in more detail.
In today’s tight economy, many employers contemplate hiring under-qualified candidates at a lower rate. Should you take on a promising employee that you know you’ll have to spend substantial time training, but could pay off? And if so, how do you identify such a candidate?

There’s a risk whenever you are hiring. Even a very experienced employee can turn out to be a dud. Most of us depend upon our gut feel and use your best judgment on any new hire. There are a couple of things we can do to reduce our risk.

Understand why you are hiring:

If you are hiring because you are having a spike in client requests and sales, then hiring someone that is not qualified is not the best solution. The new person is not only unable to assist with the client requests right away – but other employees will be diverted from the client requests while they are training the new person.
When hiring someone under-qualified to save money and reduce your budget, you should also consider the salary/time of the other employees that are training the new person and the length of the learning curve. Figure out the money you are losing during that learning curve. If you can accommodate the temporary loss of production, than go for it.
If you are hiring the under-qualified person because they seem like a diamond in the rough, do not place them on a critical path role or project. Do not create a bottleneck in your important project schedules.

During the interview:

Ask Scenario-based, trouble-shooting questions like: “You are given a task in an area that you are unfamiliar with – where would you start?”
Ask them to tell a story about how they actually accomplished a task in an area that they weren’t very accomplished in.
Ask them their career goals and professional development plans.
Discuss a probation period. Outline expectations that within 3 months they will be doing xyz on their own, –outline performance expectations. Agree to hire them at a lower rate, and increase after the probation period if you deem appropriate.
Make sure they have some secondary skills that you can take advantage of while they are training in their primary skills. This way they are producing in an area – while they are learning another.

After hire:

Allocate a mentor or someone responsible for overseeing the new-hires progress.
Give the new-hire frequent feedback at your one-on-one manager meetings.
Make them responsible for the orientation and training materials during their training. They learn better if they are the one documenting and keeping the training materials up to date. Make the trainee responsible for the orientation and training materials during their training. They learn better if they are the one documenting and augmenting the training materials. Reduce the occurrence of them asking the same question twice.

Conclusions:

Don’t wait until the last minute to hire a candidate that requires training. The delay caused by the inevitable learning curve places additional financial and morale strain at the workplace. Consider your natural business cycle with hiring. Don’t place an unqualified trainee in the middle of the critical path. If you are hiring in a spike consider more qualified candidates. If you are hiring during the slow season and are ramping up for your next spike, then you have time to train someone less experienced.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info