Except when you don’t.

Because sometimes when you hire for fit, you get clones.

Honestly, I feel a bit like a traitor throwing my friend “organizational/cultural/job fit” under the bus.  For nearly 20 years I’ve taught hiring managers and recruiters that screening for non-trainable characteristics like motivation, personality and “fit” are absolutely critical.

To clarify my position, I’m not really dumping on the concept of fit as a critical hiring criteria.  In fact I agree that “poor fit” is probabaly  one of the primary reasons why both valued and poor employees leave organizations.

The point is that ”fit” is a highly valuable assessment and selection tool that can be lethal to organizations in the wrong hands.  It should not be used without proper care, training and consideration.

In the best case, hiring for “fit” helps ensure that your newbee is happy, excited to come to work, doing things they love and feeling proud of their new employer.  In the worst case, hiring for “fit” creates group-think; an organization of people who think and act alike, who feel comfortable with each other because of their sameness.

Let’s face it.  Being with people who are different (who don’t “fit”) is uncomfortable.

But the reality is that innovation requires looking at issues from different angles.  You want the round thinker, the square thinker, the out-of-this-world thinker and the squiggly thinker on the same team to explore the same problem to get breakthrough results!

 Copyright 2012.  Phyllis Roteman, The Loyalty Group, Inc.

Except…

I was forced like a white lab rat to go through a maze of aisles.  Chips.  Gum.  Toys.  Makeup.  A bunch of stuff I didn’t need.  And I was in a rush.

Admittedly, I scurried across the linoleum a bit faster when I sensed I was getting close to the cheese.  I could smell it.  Cold-relief medicines!  Diapers!!  Ointments!!!  Could bandages be just around the corner?

No.  Just “seasonal items”.

I got frustrated and left (after getting lost in the “grocery” section”).

I’m curious about the cost/benefit of this store’s labyrinthic layout.  They think the payoff is that customers will buy more.

But do they know the cost?  How many lab rats like me quietly scurry away empty-handed and never come back?  They may never know.  Design for your customer.

However, leaders often forget that communication needs to be two-way.  While explaining — over and over and over again — the vision, goals and rationale for change, don’t forget to engage employees by asking them questions.  Asking open-ended questions, then just listening without defending, goes a long way.  It lets employees know that it’s safe to express their concerns and feelings, positive or negative, and that their input is valued.   This is how employees work through and process change.  They need to ask questions, be heard, vent frustrations and become part of the implementation process.

Below are just a few of the powerful but simple questions leaders ask during times of change.

• What are you most concerned about, regarding this change?
• What do you think are going to be the biggest obstacles?
• What do you want to know?  (Let them know that you’ll answer whatever you can.)
• How can I help you get through this?
• What are you hearing from others?  How do they feel about this change?  (It may be easier for some employees to talk about what “others” feel than about they feel.  It’s like saying that a “friend” has a problem and needs advice.)
• What aren’t we thinking about?  What should we keep in mind?
• In the past, what has caused other change efforts to fail?  What mistakes have been made?  How can we avoid them this time?
• What’s going to be the hardest part of this change for us?
• How will it really impact us day to day?  (Fear of the unknown causes huge anxiety for many people.  Thinking through the actual impact of the changes on their day to day work can help employees feel a sense of control.)
• What if the organization doesn’t make this change or keeps doing things the same way?  What’s likely to happen?
• What role do you want to play in helping implement this change in our area?  (Say, “I need your help.”)
• I know you’re skeptical and I understand why.  Let’s just assume for a moment that this is real and the change is going to stick.  Do you agree that this would be a good change?  What would be the benefits?

The last question is for your biggest skeptics who refuse to believe that the change is “real”.  The best you can do is take baby steps and change the conversation from negative (“This will never work!”) to positive (“If it DID work, it would be great!”).

Most important, don’t be afraid of what you might hear and show understanding.  Embrace it.  Thank employees for it.  When they’re telling you their concerns (however uncomfortable it may be for you), they’re doing you a favor.  Surfacing issues and emotions helps prevent them from going “underground” in the organization, which could lead to passive resistance, damaging rumors or outright sabotage of the change.

© 2011  Phyllis Roteman, The Loyalty Group, Inc. Sherman Oaks, CA

If you’re a sales manager, take this sales coaching self-assessment. Do you:

1.  Tend to jump in and fix problems for salespeople?

2. Feel like you don’t have time to coach because you’re too busy fighting fires?

3.  Spend most of your time with “problem” salespeople?

4.  Talk more than listen when with your salespeople?

5.  Sometimes take over sales calls because you miss the thrill of the sale?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone.  And while these activities may make you feel produtive (because you’re “doing” and “fixing”), they actually prevent you from being the best sales coach you can be.

We’re Making our Numbers…so Why Does it Matter?

Sure, sales managers can hit their territory numbers without being great sales coaches…if they’re lucky, when the economy is booming or if they’ve got a team of seasoned, reliable salespeople.

But what’s the opportunity cost of  not coaching effectively or consistently?

• You’re robbing your salespeople of growth opportunities.

Adults learn best through experience, making their own mistakes and thinking through issues with coaches or peers.  “Telling” a salesperson how to handle a situation — or simply closing a sale for him — may result in an immediate “win”.  But the salesperson hasn’t really learned anything (except that next time he encounters a roadblock, he should go to his manager again).

• You’re only one person.

A sales manager isn’t an octopus (you’ve only got two arms).  As one person (no matter how good you are), you can’t possibly be in every salesperson’s territory, tapping all opportunities and solving all problems.  Sure, a sales manager working 24/7 to both manage a region and do the salespeople’s jobs might make her numbers, but at what cost?  Eventually, the manager will suffer from burn-out and it’ll show in results, turnover in salesforce or other ways.

• Speaking of turnover…

Sales managers who are “super coaches” tend to have low turnover and increased employee loyalty.  Why?  When you’re coaching, you’re asking questions and listening.  You’re paying attention to the salesperson and his/her needs.  This shows that you care and that you’re willing to invest time in developing your team…which breeds loyalty.

©  2011. Phyllis Roteman, The Loyalty Group.

Tuesday:  Very excited.  Received the job offer I was hoping for.  It doesn’t pay as much as some of the other offers on the table, but the hiring manager really “sold” me on the company.  I should have lots of opportunity to grow and make an impact!  Can’t wait to start next Monday!

Monday:  First day was rough.  When I showed up, no one knew who I was.  I sat in the lobby for a long time until someone could find my new boss.  Then, no computer, no phone, no office.  I sat at an empty cubicle for several hours reading HR policies.  I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow…

Tuesday:  More of the same, except they moved me to a different cubicle.  At least this one had a window, so I could watch people pulling in and out of the company parking lot.  Cloudy today.   Saw an interesting bird.  Texted a lot to my friends who were working.

Wednesday:  Sat through new employee orientation. Haven’t talked to my new boss since the interview process.  Guess he’s busy in meetings…but still??!!! 

Thursday:  Got a temporary office, but facilities told me “don’t get too comfortable”.  At least it has a phone and a computer, but I don’t have an email set up.  The IT department says I’m “on the list” to get set up, but it’ll be a few days.  Been surfing the web all afternoon…

Friday:  Briefly met with my new boss today.  He’s asked me to put together a presentation outlining my vision for our department and what I think my key objectives should be for the year.  I’m not sure where to start.  Asked for more direction but he said he “wants to see what I come up with on my own.”  Would help to know his agenda.  Does he even have one?  Is this a test? 

Five months later:  I start my new job next week.  Hopefully it’ll be better than the last one.

Karate masters teach students to use their opponents’ strength against them in combat. They know that often, a strength can also be a weakness.

Think about yourself.

What is your greatest strength? Then consider the following two questions:

How has your strength helped you achieve success?

Examples:

• Jane Manager climbed the corporate ladder because of her in-depth industry and company knowledge. Over time, she became an irreplacable company resource and to retain her, she was promoted.

• Ted Manager achieved high levels of success through strong relationship building and interpersonal skills. He’s a great listener, networker and question-asker. He also loves helping others and cares about people.

How has your strength hurt you or held you back?

Examples:

• Jane Manager’s strength becomes a problem when she assumes she knows all of the answers and has the best ideas. No one can teach her anything, she thinks (been there, done that). She preaches and gives everyone advice, but rarely asks questions or engages people in dialogue. As a result, people avoid her and only use her knowledge when absolutely necessary. Her employees respect her expertise, but aren’t motivated because they’re lacking leadership.

• Ted Manager’s strength becomes an obstacle when, because he’s so nice and empathetic, he has difficulty having tough conversations with employees. Employees like Ted personally, but they don’t respect him as a manager. Bad behavior and mediocre performance goes unchecked in the department. As a result, morale suffers and performance lags.

Today’s tip: Be aware of your greatest strength and how it may be holding you back in a current situation. Ease up a bit on using your strength in this situation — and try using a more productive behavior that you’re less comfortable with.

“Man slaps stranger’s crying toddler in WalMart!”

These are just two of today’s news headlines. Is it me, or are there a lot of angry people out there these days? It’s not surprising, given the economy, reality TV and lack of trust in corporate America (among other things).

However — it did make me think that it’s a good time to remind anyone who’s a manager to remember that people have feelings. Emotions are running high these days. We’re all busy, so it’s easy to forget to be “nice”, say thank you or just sit and listen to employees.

But it’s more important than ever to make extra time.

The majority of employees aren’t dangerous or violent. What managers should worry about is the impact of angry employees who suffer quietly and unproductively, who badmouth your company or who subtly sabotage your efforts. That’s the biggest threat you face when you ignore feelings at work.

Now get out there and be nice. Or else! Grrrr..!

Of course he gave them corn dogs, peanut butter and scraps. That’s what he was incented to do.

It seems obvious, but there’s a good lesson here for business. You get what you reward.

In our performance management practice we often see leaders incenting one desired behavior (like cutting costs or growing revenue), while inadvertantly encouraging a bad behavior at the same time.

Here’s an example. A salesperson’s performance goals are tied soley to revenue growth. Of course that’s the key measure…but be careful what you wish for. Do you just want sales growth — at any cost? What if the salesperson cuts “bad deals” to make monthly goals?

Lesson Learned:

Metrics and incentives are a form of communication. They tell people in your organization what is valued. You get what you incent, so choose carefully to avoid unintended results.

© 2009. Phyllis Roteman of The Loyalty Group, Inc. Sherman Oaks, CA.

Corporate America has been hiding behind technology for the last five years. Why the biggest “new” trend of 2010 will be real human interaction.

Email. IM. Twitter. E-learning. CRM. 24-hour BlackBerry. Sales force automation. Online goals systems.
I propose a radical thought. How about actually talking?

Don’t get me wrong. I value technology. I’m glued to my Blackberry 24/7 like most other business people. I admit that it’s often a struggle to stop my compulsion to tap out an email (while doing other work and checking my BlackBerry) instead of picking up the phone.

However, in my consulting practice over the past five years, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. People are burying their heads in the sand of technology – diving into email, spreadsheets and technology to avoid actually having conversations with live humans. It’s an example of how something created for good can become destructive (like prescription medication or pizza). Anything good taken in extreme doses can be lethal. Similarly, overused technology can kill good communication, collaboration and high performance in organizations.

Too Much Doing?
It’s not surprising that we’ve gotten to this state. Events over the past five years have created the perfect storm that has pushed people (employees, leaders, internal partners and customers) to retreat further into their computers and often hide from real human interaction.

Increasing economic pressure has thrown many organizations into “doing mode”, where individuals put their heads down like worker bees and just get things done (whether they’re high-value or not). There’s so much activity that there is little or no time left for thinking, planning – or actually talking to each other.

In this whirlwind of activity, it seems quicker and easier to simply fire off a quick email to a colleague when you’re having a conflict or exchanging viewpoints. After all, a real conversation might take time. And what if there are real, uncomfortable issues that come up? How much time will that take?

“Y” Talking to the New Workforce is Critical
In a letter to the editor of Harvard Business Review magazine (July-Aug 2009), Emily Sawyer-Kegerreis, MBA Director at Mississippi State University, observes: “Undermanagement is at an all-time high level of crisis in the workplace. This is becoming increasingly problematic as a new generation of workers demands constant feedback and mentoring.”

I couldn’t agree more. Research shows that while the generation now entering the workforce is adept with technology, they crave direct human interaction. Teamwork, a sense of belonging, making a difference and regular feedback are top drivers for this generation. It’s true that some of these drivers can be addressed through technology – via online collaboration, regular email and company intranet sites – they’re not a replacement for talking “live” (in person, on the phone or via web conference).

My prediction is that organizations which hide behind technology and use it as a convenient replacement for conversations will suffer, in terms of eroded customer loyalty, employee engagement and ultimately bottom line results. Let’s integrate live, direct communication with technology…a recipe for business success in the future.

© 2009. The Loyalty Group, Inc. Sherman Oaks, CA.

Yesterday I received a check in the mail for $24.00. It’s restitution from an inmate at the Florida Department of Corrections.

Let me rewind…

About eight years ago an electrical contractor in Florida abandoned a job on my home — with about $4000 of my down payment. I filed a report, had him tracked down and prosecuted him. They tried to settle, but this guy was a career “scammer” with a record a mile long. I worried that the next person he’d scam would be a little old lady on a fixed income. I thought it would be better to put him behind bars.

The public defender warned me that if I pressed charges and the guy was put behind bars, I’d never see my $4000 again. On the streets, he argued, the man could earn a living and pay back his debt to me.

I wrote off the $4000 and pressed charges. So be it. I took it as a tough lesson on working with contractors.

I never expected to see a dime of restitution. Since that time, I’ve moved twice — clear across the country in fact. I’ve married and had a son.

Then, in yesterday’s mail, came an envelope from The Florida Department of Corrections. And there it was, $24.00 in restitution made payable to me. I couldn’t believe it. I showed my husband and we laughed. He said to me, “That’s the way our justice system is supposed to work, when it’s at it’s best.”

So thank you, Florida prison system, for restoring a bit of hope. For following through on your commitments. For pleasantly surprising me with your follow-through.

There’s a business lesson here too. Little things, like following up, make a big difference.