JUST SHAVE THE BEARS

by Seth Godin

Bear Shaving                                                                                                            

Global warming a problem? Just shave the bears.
Let's define "bear shaving" as the efforts we go to do deal with the symptoms of a problem instead of addressing the cause of the problem. A rare Japanese PSA (now long lost to the copyright gods) showed a girl shaving a bear so it could deal with global warming (here's a lesser one)...
Example: putting a sophisticated queue management system into the Department of Motor Vehicles so that people waiting in line feel like it's less of a mob. This is bear shaving. The productive approach would be to redefine what actually happens in that building so the line itself disappears.
Example: iPhones come locked so they can't be used with other carriers, so people spend hours and plenty of money to 'unlock' them. That's bear shaving. Better to figure out an easy way to pay AT&T their tribute so they can be truly unlocked...
Example: You have emotional issues associated with eating. You shave the bear by getting bariatric surgery instead of dealing with the issue that caused the problem in the first place.
Example: You have a leaky roof and you shave the bear by buying buckets.

Step one to eliminating bear shaving: call it when you see it.

From Seth Godin's Blog

The Sales Pitch is Dead

By Geoffrey James

Anybody you know still giving sales pitches? Me neither. Maybe that stuff still works for carnival barkers and the home shopping network, but in the B2B world, the sales pitch is deader than a dinosaur. Successful sales reps know that, far from being a “sales pitch,” every customer meeting is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship. Here are the 3 rules to make certain this happens:

• RULE #1: Always seek the truth. You want to find out if you really have something that can help the customer. To do this, the meeting must be a quest to discover the real areas where the two of you can work together. Quick tip: your customer knows that you’re telling the truth when you’re not afraid to say something negative (but true) about your product or company.

• RULE #2: Always keep an open mind. When you walk into a customer meeting absolutely convinced that the customer needs your product or service, the customer will sense you’re close-minded and become close-minded in return. If, by contrast, you’re open to the idea that the customer might be better served elsewhere, the customer will sense that you’ve got his or her best interests at heart and will be more likely to listen to what you have to say.

• RULE #3: Always have a real dialog. A customer meeting should be a conversation, not a mere sales call. This means that you should be listening to the customer at least half of the time that’s spent at the meeting. Furthermore, the dialog should be substantive and about real business issues, not just office patter or chit-chat about sports.

The above is based on a conversation with Jerry Acuff, author of The Relationship Edge in Business: Connecting with Customers and Colleagues when It Counts,

Harvey's Short Course in Salesmanship

Selling is not easy, even in the best of times. In a downturn like we're in right now, the sales force still has to write orders just to keep the doors open.

Professionals have mastered skills that survive tough times. I've learned many techniques over the years, none more important than learning about your customer, for which I developed the Mackay 66 Customer Profile. I've written about this many times.
You have to use your time wisely, use available technology tools and software. You need to be creative, listen, work hard, have role models, be a self-starter, set goals, plan, be passionate, personable and persuasive, use proper body language and not procrastinate.
Do all those things, and you should be writing orders all day long. But there are a few other things you need to understand in order to be a real competitor.

• The law of large numbers. In sales, if you can't be number one, the best position you can shoot for is number two. Position yourself as number two to every prospect on your list and keep adding to that list. I can promise you that if your list is long enough, there are going to be number ones who retire, die, are terminated or lose their territories for a hundred reasons. What I can't tell you is which one. That's why I say if you're standing second in line—in enough lines—sooner or later you're going to move up to number one.

• Know the gatekeeper. Any peddler worth her expense account tries to reach up as high as she can on the corporate ladder on the theory, usually correct, that orders from headquarters tend to carry the day. But those of us who use that tactic have also learned that the higher up we go, the more likely that the decision maker we're trying to reach took the same sales course we did, aced it and will have a trusted assistant trained to block our access. Make gatekeepers your friend. Treat them with dignity. Respect their power. Try and work with them to get your mission accomplished.

• There's no business without show business. No one ever sold anyone anything by boring them to death. There are a lot of similarities between showmanship and salesmanship. A first-rate salesperson has to deliver a helluva performance. Look at all the industries that rely on showmanship. Restaurants often hype their atmosphere more than their food. But what if your product isn't glamorous, like envelopes? During a Photo Marketing Association trade show in Las Vegas, our PhotoPak Division had a Black Jack table at its sales booth. The give-away? A deck of cards that said, "MackayMitchell has a deal for you."

• Yes, no or maybe. When you're selling, obviously, the best thing your prospect can tell you is YES. But do you know the next best thing? It's NO. Many times the worst thing he can say is MAYBE. The person that says NO frees you up to go on to the next prospect. I've seen a lot of young salespeople spend inordinate amounts of time chasing after the prospect that says MAYBE, when the Mr./Ms. Maybe isn't ever going to buy. He's what we call a "Porcelain Egg"—an egg that's never going to hatch. Every salesperson has prospect lists full of Porcelain Eggs. An exercise that has helped me is to review my last 20 or so sales calls. How many were closed on the first three calls? The next five calls? If my average is around five calls, and I'm still carrying some prospects that I've called on 20 times, it tells me it's time to quit calling.

• Ask for the order. Even the best hitters in baseball can't hit the ball unless they take a swing. Many salespeople excel at making their presentations but when it comes to crunch time, they have a lump in their throats bigger than a nerfball. They pussyfoot around hoping the prospect will say "yes" without even being asked. What a wonderful world it would be if that were the way it was. But it isn't, so you not only have to ask, you often have to ask two or three times.

Mackay's Moral: There are no jobs until someone sells something.

The 10 Questions Every Change Agent Must Answer

from an article by Bill Taylor

As leaders, we have no control over how fast markets grow or how wisely banks lend. But we do control our own mindsets and "animal spirits" — the phrase coined by John Maynard Keynes in the depth of the Great Depression. If all you've got is a spreadsheet filled with red ink and dire forecasts, it's easy to be paralyzed by fear and resistant to change. But if you can summon some leadership nerve, then hard times can be a great time to separate yourself from the pack and build advantages for years to come.

Indeed, when it comes to creating the future, the only thing more worrisome than the prospect of too much change may be too little change — especially in an economy where there are too many competitors chasing too few customers with products and services that look too much alike. Now is the time to rethink long-held strategic assumptions inside your company, to challenge decades of conventional wisdom in your industry, and to push yourself to learn, grow, and innovate. As Albert Einstein famously said, "Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them." Or, in the spirit of some unknown Texas genius: "If all you ever do is all you've ever done, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."

It's time to do — and get — something different. Here, then, are ten questions that leaders must ask of themselves and their organizations — questions that speak to the challenges of change at a moment when change is the name of the game. The leaders with the best answers win.

1. Do you see opportunities the competition doesn't see?
IDEO's Tom Kelly likes to quote French novelist Marcel Proust, who famously said, "The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes." The most successful companies don't just out-compete their rivals. They redefine the terms of competition by embracing one-of-a-kind ideas in a world of me-too thinking.

2. Do you have new ideas about where to look for new ideas?
One way to look at problems as if you're seeing them for the first time is to look at a wide array of fields for ideas that have been working for a long time. Ideas that are routine in one industry can be revolutionary when they migrate to another industry, especially when they challenge the prevailing assumptions that have come to define so many industries.

3. Are you the most of anything?
You can't be "pretty good" at everything anymore. You have to be the most of something: the most affordable, the most accessible, the most elegant, the most colorful, the most transparent. Companies used to be comfortable in the middle of the road — that's where all the customers were. Today, the middle of the road is the road to ruin. What are you the most of?

4. If your company went out of business tomorrow, who would miss you and why?
I first heard this question from advertising legend Roy Spence, who says he got it from Jim Collins of Good to Great fame. Whatever the original source, the question is as profound as it is simple — and worth taking seriously as a guide to what really matters.

5. Have you figured out how your organization's history can help to shape its future?
Psychologist Jerome Bruner has a pithy way to describe what happens when the best of the old informs the search for the new. The essence of creativity, he argues, is "figuring out how to use what you already know in order to go beyond what you already think." The most creative leaders I've met don't disavow the past. They rediscover and reinterpret what's come before as a way to develop a line of sight into what comes next.

6. Can your customers live without you?
If they can, they probably will. The researchers at Gallup have identified a hierarchy of connections between companies and their customers — from confidence to integrity to pride to passion. To test for passion, Gallup asks a simple question: "Can you imagine a world without this product?" One of the make-or-break challenges for change is to become irreplaceable in the eyes of your customers.

7. Do you treat different customers differently?
If your goal is to become indispensable to your customers, then almost by definition you won't appeal to all customers. In a fickle and fast-changing world, one test of how committed a company is to its most important customers is how fearless it is about ignoring customers who aren't central to its mission. Not all customers are created equal.

8. Are you getting the best contributions from the most people?
It may be lonely at the top, but change is not a game best played by loners. These days, the most powerful contributions come from the most unexpected places — the "hidden genius" inside your company, the "collective genius" of customers, suppliers, and other smart people who surround your company. Tapping this genius requires a new leadership mindset — enough ambition to address tough problems, enough humility to know you don't have all the answers.

9. Are you consistent in your commitment to change?
Pundits love to excoriate companies because they don't have the guts to change. In fact, the problem with many organizations is that all they do is change. They lurch from one consulting firm to the next, from the most recent management fad to the newest. If, as a leader, you want to make deep-seated change, then your priorities and practices have to stay consistent in good times and bad.

10. Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?
I first heard this question from strategy guru Gary Hamel, and it may be the most urgent question facing leaders in every field. In a world that never stops changing, great leaders can never stop learning. How do you push yourself as an individual to keep growing and evolving — so that your company can do the same?

William C. Taylor is cofounder of Fast Company magazine and author of Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself, published January 4, 2011.

Follow him at twitter.com/practicallyrad.

Personal Productivity / Emotional Intelligence

Why should your firm invest training dollars in a program designed to increase emotional competencies for your staff?

Psychologists understand that the traditional IQ test does not measure all of the factors of an effective, successful, happily productive person. “Book learning” is not the only, and perhaps not the most important, measure of intelligence.

Many of the factors psychologists found to be important in making people successful in their business and personal lives are included in the terms emotional intelligence or emotional competence. The more aware we are of our own emotions, the more control we have over them. The more we empathize with the emotions of others, the more emotionally intelligent we become.

It certainly seems that emotional intelligence is an important aspect of many business roles. But, business people have one dominant question: how does it affect the bottom line? Can putting employees in touch with their emotions actually make them more productive?

Emotional intelligence is not some new age, touchy-feely concept. Over two hundred studies, done in various countries, agree that emotional competence accounts for two-thirds to four-fifths of the difference between top performing and average performing employees.

When L’Oreal used emotional intelligence as a selection criterion for hiring sales representatives, they discovered that emotionally intelligent people outsold their colleagues by $91,370 a year, on the average.

The United States Air Force saved three million dollars by using emotional intelligence screening to select recruiters. The General Accounting Office reported an annual savings of $300,000 per year on a $10,000 investment in screening.

Emotional competencies can be learned. With a good training program in emotional intelligence, a firm can maximize the potential of the employees it already has, from the top to the bottom of the organizational chart.

For any business that would like to see increases in productivity and efficiency; more effective sales people; more creative teams and more responsive management, it is vital to invest in a good emotional intelligence training program.

Released by NEXT LEVEL Consulting Co., a 360Solutions Strategic Business Partner.

The High Cost of Poor Communication:

How to Improve Productivity and Empower Employees through Effective Communication
 Many employers believe the ability to communicate effectively is an essential job skill, even going so far as listing it in their job requirements. Recent surveys, however, reveal that communication is still an unresolved issue for many companies. SIS International Research discovered that 70% of small to mid-size businesses claim that ineffective communication is their primary problem. Communication issues are not just annoying; they are also costly. A business with 100 employees spends an average downtime of 17 hours a week clarifying communication. This translates to an annual cost of $ 528,443. It is not possible to underestimate the importance of effective communication skills, especially at the managerial level.
Formal communication training is often overlooked when training new managers. Seventy-one percent of employees feel that their managers do not spend enough time explaining goals and plans. On the other hand, many leaders avoid necessary communication because they fear negative results. For example, it was recently discovered that 38% of performance feedback actually hinders employee performance. This statistic could easily change if companies would invest in basic communication skills training for their managers. The principles taught and materials presented by 360Solutions help leaders understand and remove communication barriers.
 
Personal Barriers

1. How managers feel about the subject matter, employees and themselves affects the accuracy of their messages. Be aware of any personal frustration and address the issues beforehand.

2. Close-minded leaders who cut off feedback will damage relationships and messages. Avoid shutting out employee feedback.

3. Speaking in anger fosters negative feelings in the audience. It is important to put feelings aside in order to communicate effectively.

4. Hidden agendas and preoccupation with other issues diminish the presentation of information. Speak clearly and with purpose.

5. Negative body language and semantics can create misunderstandings and barriers. Be aware of body language and avoid highly charged words.

Environmental Barriers
1. Interruptions can distort any message. It is important to acknowledge an interruption and repeat what was last said.

2. Hot buttons can be words, issues, situations and personality differences. The use of hot buttons will cause people to prejudge or distort a message. It is important to identify and control personal hot buttons.

Eliminating these communication barriers allows managers to give effective feedback.

Feedback connects people and their behavior to the world around them. It gives everyone the chance to realize how their behavior influences the success of their organization. Effective feedback will reinforce positive behavior and correct negative behavior. The ability to give and receive feedback is a must for leaders who wish to have honest and direct relationships with employees.
 
The Characteristics of Effective Feedback

Effective feedback focuses on description and not on judgment: All critiques should be constructive.

Feedback should focus on behavior rather than personality: Refer to specific actions instead of personal perceptions.

One should always consider the needs of their listener: Feedback should be helpful and not vindictive.

Effective feedback is directed toward issues over which the recipient has control: Do not address personal shortcomings or physical flaws.

Feedback should be solicited rather than imposed: Ask before giving feedback this usually makes it easier to accept.

Effective feedback involves the sharing of ideas and information: Let others decide how to implement personal changes.

Effective feedback is well timed: Address any problems as early as possible.

One should consider the amount of information the receiver can actually use: Do not overload people with information. Be concerned with what and how things are said and done.

Concentrate with what is seen and not with what is inferred.
Feedback is essential for personal and professional growth. The manner in which a leader provides feedback is crucial. Listening is the best way to accomplish this.

Reflection and paraphrasing help facilitate feedback and prevent miscommunications. Listening carefully, reflecting back to the speaker and paraphrasing what was said, tells them that you understand the message. This should be done without judgment, inference or persuasion. Simply echoing the words of another prevents misunderstandings before they start. It is an easy yet effective tool for providing feedback.

Poor communication is frustrating on many levels. The financial costs caused by ineffective communication are high but easily avoided. Both parties in feedback situations need to be on the same page. The in-depth training provided in 360Solutions’ Effective Communication course equips leaders to inspire employees to action. By investing in the communication skills of managers, companies will not only increase productivity and decrease costs. They will also create a positive work environment, which benefits everybody.
 
Works Consulted

Bambacas, Mary & Patrickson. “Assessment of communication skills in manager selection: some evidence from Australia.” Journal of Management Development 28 (2009): 109-120.

Kern, Charles, “Assertive Performance Feedback,” Graziadio Business Report 10, no.3 (2007), http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/073/disc.html.

O’Halloran, Joe, “Communication problems cost SMBs up to €3,900 per employee,” Computer Weekly, March 3, 2009, http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/03/03/235103/communication-problems-cost-smbs-up-to-3900-per-employee.htm.

Currency Calculator
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html#

Leaders Guide on Effective Communication, (2009) 360Solutions course material

Threshold Communications Survey 2009 Surveyhttp://www.threshold.co.uk/Research_release.pdf?PHPSESSID=3erag052h94f5suai8j009gd11

The 5 Dimensions of Trust

Trust has long been part of the underpinnings of society, and it is often used and abused in the business world. Even though trust is a key aspect to all relationships, it is misunderstood or mismanaged in many companies, which leads to serious consequences over time.
Psychological research suggests that trusting relationships have three characteristics: Predictability, Caring, and Loyalty. A composite of dictionary definitions adds three others: Reliance, Belief, and Faith. These six characteristics of trust are present, in greater or lesser degrees, across five different dimensions.

1. Executive – Everybody Else: The predictability and reliability of executive management in the eyes of the employees will, in large, determine the loyalty of the workforce in tough times. Unfortunately, many surveys and research studies report that senior management is the least trusted group in an organization.

Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:
1. Open and honest communication to all levels of the company
2. A collaborative approach to the workforce
3. Consistent principles and behaviors

2. Manager – Employee: Research on this dimension consistently reports that employees have a greater level of trust in their immediate supervisor than any other management level in the firm. When a manager’s behavior toward employees is consistent over a period of time, employees can reasonably predict that manager’s behavior. The manager will be trusted at a high level. Managers who have difficulty demonstrating faith in others are typically not highly trusted.

Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:
1. Tell the truth and share honest information, even if it’s to your disadvantage
2. Demonstrate and foster a win-win focus
3. Actively seek feedback

3. Peer-to-Peer: Manager-Manager/Employee-Employee: Where the first two dimensions span the company hierarchy, this dimension explores horizontal interaction. Trust is a foundational piece of teamwork, and the presence or absence of trust can predict the effectiveness of a team or group of peers. This dimension can be greatly impacted by collusion, secret interactions, plots and agreements that undermine and erode authentic, constructive workplace interactions.

Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:
1. Create opportunities for social interaction
2. Take a strong line against collusion and other demoralizing and counter-productive behaviors
3. Motivate employees at all levels to solve problems by providing appropriate training, resources and rewards

4. Facing the World: Company – Market: The impact of this dimension has been apparent for some time, from the downfall of Enron to the Wall Street and mortgage banking issues that face us today. Consumers have “advertising fatigue,” and demand a more personal relationship with the companies with which they do business.

Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:
1. Strive for transparency with your public
2. If a crisis or problem arises, step up and take responsibility
3. Establish two-way communication with your market



5. Procuring Trust: Company-Vendors-Partners: Though this may be the least-reported-on dimension, the presence or lack of trust with suppliers, vendors and third party partners has a significant impact on company growth and health. This element of trust is crucial given the increasing role that outsourcing and other third party relationships are taking in today’s business environment.

Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:
1. Set up procurement policies and procedures
2. Make sure your accounts receivable management adheres to agreed up on terms
3. Avoid creating arduous partnering agreements

How does our company stack up across the five dimensions of trust? If you can ensure that the five primary characteristics are present throughout the firm, you will be in a great position to navigate economic and market challenges in today’s business environment.

Released by NEXT LEVEL CONSULTING CO., a 360Solutions Strategic Business Partner.

A $50,000.00 mistake

The Value of Employee Assessment

A friend of mine, Rob Wilson*, tells a story about how hiring an employee can be compared to purchasing an expensive copier. It goes something like this: "Would you ever make a $50,000.00 purchase on a copier when you never knew if it was going to show up and work or not, it is not going to get along with other systems, it has good days and bad days, be productive one day and not the other, and by the way, it could leave at any time. Now, how many of you would want to sign on to a $50,000 copier if that's the way it would produce, and yet that's what we do with employees all the time. We make a $50,000 decision based on 'Well tell me a little bit about yourself?' "

Michael Jordan
He goes on to ask "How many of you know the name of Michael Jordan? Yes? Great. Michael Jordan has an awesome resume. Tremendous resume. And if you were going to hire him as an athlete, there would be no question that he would be qualified... unless he showed up for the Chicago White Sox.  We all know that story, a supreme athlete, I mean the man can fly, and yet when he came to the Chicago White Sox the man was essentially fired."

It all comes down to Job Fit. Job Match.
Rob finishes by saying "Now how do we determine if somebody is going to have job fit and job match? We have to get below the surface. We have to get below the iceberg. We only see the tip and that's what they sell us. We need to get below the surface, and find out exactly what are their life interests, what are their capabilities? Maybe with our IQ test, and math and problem solving tests, those types of skills. But more importantly, where do they fall in line by matching to our people? You can be a terrific sales person in Manhattan Kansas, and fail miserably in Manhattan, NYC!  It's all based on culture and environment."

As the business environment becomes more competitive, people, not processes and technology, increasingly become the differentiators. As a result, it is more important than ever to implement the best possible assessment systems in order to select, retain and develop talented people.

The Value of Assessment   in this kind of environment is that it gets the "right people on the bus" and the "wrong people off," thereby decreasing the costs associated with bad hires and increasing revenue potential as a result of talented employees. In addition, assessment plays a vital role in employee development as it streamlines the development process by targeting KSAs in need of development.

At the Individual Level,  assessment systems increase the probability of job fit, provide a road map for development, and open the door for rewards and advancement.

Finally, HR needs to become more strategic in influencing the organization's decisions. Assessments can help in this regard because they quantify the value of HR programs and services. In order to demonstrate true value, HR needs to measure the impact of programs on the key metrics driving organizational success.

*Rob is Vice President at 360Solutions llc. Waco TX

If You Don't Own A Circus...why did you hire this guy?

The Hiring Game:

Why Gamble with Valuable Assets?

The Department of Labor recently reported that over 5 million people have been laid off since 2007, and the unemployment rate is currently up to 8.9%. With so many looking for work, employers might think that the best candidates will magically materialize. The hiring process, however, is one of the most important processes a leader will face. It is essential to invest the time, effort, and capital necessary to build an effective staff. A recent survey in Harvard Business Review shows there is little uniformity in the practices of many business executives. Unfortunately, with no basic course of action outlined, they rely on chance and instinct to fill positions. Without a clear strategy, qualified employees are difficult to attract and retain.

Successful leaders understand employees are an investment. Employees are ambassadors representing their companies, and need to be exceptional at every level. Rising unemployment might increase the candidate pool, but that does not necessarily make it easier to find good employees. It also means that qualified candidates, who are currently employed, are afraid to look for new jobs. 96% of employees recently surveyed believe that they cannot attain their personal career goals in their current positions, but 37% are unwilling to look elsewhere. These percentages change at the managerial level. Around 53% of managers report being unhappy with their jobs, but only 13% are willing to leave. With the constant threat of unemployment, people are choosing to remain in their current positions. The Strategic Hiring Program and Candidate Selection Assessment 360Solutions offers enables employers to actively seek out candidates, generate interest in their companies, and hire the right employees.

The 360Solutions Personality Profile Program provides employers with a method designed to target specific characteristics of candidates who are being considered for a position. The program is based on Hippocrates’ Four Tempermants theory, which envelops four distinct personalities by which human nature is characterized. According to the theory, we all consist of different percentages of each of the four main groups, which make up sixteen distinct personalities. Adding “E,” a fifth personality including an equal percentage of each of the four main types, there are now 17 distinct personality types.

The profile program uses words associated with each of the four main groups to determine to what degree an applicant is in each of the four main groups. Each group has a definite pattern of talent and character traits. The program reviews all the applicants’ answers and cross checks each one for inconsistencies in relation with the other answers. If an inconsistency is found, the program flags that answer and continues on with the next one. When a corresponding answer is found for the inconsistent answer, the program reviews all other corresponding answers to determine what would be the most logical answer for that word, and corrects the number. After this procedure is accomplished, the program checks for patterns of known human behavior to determine if the applicant is actually one personality type trying to be like another type. If this is the case, the answers are reviewed again, corrected to reverse the pattern, and show the true personality percentage.

Each answer is scored, by number, according to the strength of that trait after corrections are made. Points are added or deducted from a total of 15 to show a chart of character and talent traits from 1 being very weak, to 15 being extremely strong. This chart and the interview questions allow the interviewer to direct the interview based on the applicant’s weak or strong traits. The description pages explain to the novice what talents and traits they may expect to see in the applicant. There are a total of 18 traits.

The report provides consistency levels of 1 to 20. The higher the score, the more valid the report, and consistent the applicant.
• A score of less than 13 for a personality type other than the true “E” is considered invalid. This would reveal the applicant’s attempt to sway the results or ignore their personal traits.
• A consistency score of 17 or above is considered to be very good, and the report should fall between 80 to 95 % correct. Any inconsistencies may be reviewed in the interview in an attempt to reveal the truth.
• A consistency score of 13 to 16 is average and should fall between 65% to 80% correct. For example, if an applicant receives a detailed score of 4 and is applying for an accounting position, the interviewer would flag it in order find out more information during the interview.
• The applicant may be more detailed than a 4, but will never be a 10 to 15.
• A 6 to 8 might be qualified enough for the position according to his score and interview.

The profile also uses a “benchmark” system, which allows the user to compare the applicant with a current and familiar employee. This method uses the 18 different character and talent traits, plus the personality type, to do the calculations. Using this method, the interviewer will immediately know whether or not the applicant has traits and a personality similar to the benchmarked employee. This method saves time for both the applicant and interviewer.
Most professional accountants we tested were C/A or C/D type personalities. They were very patient, detailed, and analytical. To hire someone for this position who did not match these qualities would be unwise. The main problem with interviewing without testing is the difficulty in automatically knowing what kind traits and personality type the applicant has. If the applicant you eventually hire does not have the traits and personality you are looking for after all, you have unfortunately made a hasty and detrimental decision. Time and money have been spent, production lost, and if you terminate this employee, you risk being sued for various reasons.
When a profile is completed and a report run before the interview, the interviewer will most likely choose not to interview an applicant who does not come close to the benchmark. This allows the interviewer to send the report to other departments for their evaluations based on their own benchmarks, thereby giving the applicant and the company a better chance of finding the best person for the job.
Reviewing the resume and profile report will provide an interesting summary of the applicant’s legitimate qualifications. Reading the profile sheet will provide further insight into the applicant’s frame of mind. Considering the traits, “Life of the party,” “Attention getter,” “Aggressive,” “Logical,” “Moody,” and others, will allow you to determine the applicant’s core self. We have found most applicants are fairly honest while taking the profile. Current employees, on the other hand, may not take the profile seriously or are afraid to answer honestly. Applicants are fearful with reason; dishonesty may become evident in the report and hurt
their chances of being hired.
The profile program is a great interviewing tool; if used correctly, it will save time and money, and improve morale and production. Learning to read the report between the lines takes practicing with a few reports and reading the System’s Management Book, which explains the unique personalities and how to manage and enhance them. Once the program becomes familiar, you will need only to print the chart on page 2 of the report to determine the complete picture of the applicant applying for the position. In our validity studies, 95% of all applicants agreed with their reports. No one receives a “good” or “bad” report. Each occupation needs a different type of personality with certain character and talent traits. The key to successful hiring
begins with knowing which type best fits the position, which is accomplished by our benchmark program, using the best employees in a given department. Validation is determined by testing well known applicants to validate the accuracy of the system.
Works Consulted
Dickler, Jessica, “Workers saying no to new jobs,” CNNMoney.com, December 17, 2008, http://. money.cnn.com/2008/12/16/news/economy/job_hopping/index.htmFernàndez-Aràoz and others, “The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad,” Harvard Business Review, May 1, 2009, http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/05/the-definitiveguide-to-recruiting-in-good-times-and-bad/ar/1. to-recruiting-in-good-times-and-bad/ar/1United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 8, 2009. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdfnews.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

© Copyright 2011 360Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved

What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast

By Laura Vanderkam

Mornings are a mad-cap time in many households. Everyone’s so focused on getting out the door that you can easily lose track of just how much time is passing. I’ve had hundreds of people keep time logs for me over the past few years (you can see some of mine here and here), and I’m always amazed to see gaps of 90 minutes or more between when people wake up and when they start the commute or school car pool.


That would be fine if the time was used intentionally, but often it isn’t.

The most productive people, however, realize that 90 minutes, 120 minutes or more is a long time to lose track of on a busy weekday. If you feel like you don’t have time for personal priorities later in the day, why not try using your mornings? Streamline breakfast, personal care and kid routines. Then you can use 30-60 minutes to try one of four things:

1. Play, read, or talk with your kids. Mornings can be great quality time, especially if you have little kids who go to bed soon after you get home at night, but wake up at the crack of dawn. Set an alarm on your watch, put away the iPhone, and spend a relaxed half an hour reading stories or doing art projects. If you have older children, aim for a leisurely family breakfast. Everyone talks through their plans for the day and what’s going on in their lives. If family dinners aren’t a regular thing in your house, this is a great substitute.

2. Exercise. You shower in the morning anyway, so why not get sweaty first? Trade off mornings with your partner on who goes out and runs and who stays home with the kids. Or, if your kids are older (or you don’t have any) work out together and make it a very healthy morning date.

3. Indulge your creative side. Lots of people would like to resurrect a creative hobby like painting, photography, scrapbooking, writing, even practicing an instrument. What if you went to bed a little earlier three times a week? Skip that last TV show or those last emails and get up a little earlier the next morning to put in some time at your easel before the day gets away from you.

4. Think. Strategic thinking time is incredibly important for seizing control of our lives. Spend 30 minutes in the morning pondering what you want to do with your time. You could also use this time to pray or read religious literature, to meditate or write in a journal. All of these will help you start the day in a much better place than if everyone’s running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Laura Vanderkam, a New York City-based journalist, is the author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.

The 7 Traits of Quota-Crushing Sales Pros

By Tom Searcy


I’ll warn you now, you are not going to like this list. To be transparent, I don’t like it. I made this list based upon the thousands of sales reps I have met, the four companies I have run who have had explosive growth and the 200+ companies with whom I have worked directly. It is real and it is a bit unpleasant. It is full of selfish, “non-team-player,” and rather aggressive behaviors. But when I look at the real quota-crushing pros, this is often how they act.

Don’t worry, as your blood starts to boil, I’ll give you some ideas on how to maximize these pros and still keep your company’s culture intact.

1. They have no time for anything that is not their deal. They are laser-focused on what it takes to get their sale done. This often means excluding things like company meetings, technical training, administrative work, and so on.

2. They sell inside the company harder than outside. Pros know that getting the deal sold and getting the support of the company requires their personal attention. This means cajoling, hounding, persuading, and a lot of other verbs that mean pushing hard to get the organization to agree to the deal and support it.

3. They’re chameleons. Charming one minute, in-your-face the next, pros will use all emotional tools to win. Often they save the charm for the prospects and clients and the venom for your company.

4. They’re fierce client champions. What makes them great for their clients can make your company crazy. They almost always take the client’s side during the natural friction moments that occur when companies work together. And they fight hard.

5. They understand their customers’ market better than their customers do. The best players in sales are experts on their clients’ businesses. They speak their language, know the market issues, understand their clients’ competitors — they’re even savvy on recent regulation. They are experts.

6. They seek and trade information like the KGB. She who has the most information most often wins. That means that pros are tapping their networks and building new informants all of the time. To the untrained ear, it sounds like gossip. To pros, they call it “intel.”

7. They’re never satisfied…ever. These people are always dissatisfied — dissatisfied with operational performance, technology capability, personal financial rewards, the respect they receive, their own performance… This characteristic is wearing, but it is part of what makes them pros. They are insatiable. That’s why they keep selling, pushing, and winning.

By the way, I ran this list by five quota-crushing sales pros who I know. Every one of them said, “Yeah, that’s me. I’m kind of proud of these characteristics if I were to be honest.”

What to do?

1. Get used to it. I have frequent conversations with CEOs who complain about these behaviors and want to get rid of this type of sales person… except for one little problem — this person is the best. My answer is always, “This is what the quota-crushing pros are like, so get used to it.”

2. Devote the time. They are going to take your time, period. So anticipate it. They will have more complaints, more opportunities, and more information. If they are good outside, they will be good inside at getting access.

3. Stand firm. Leopards don’t change spots and scorpions can’t help but sting. With these pros, you’re going to have friction. Where you can concede, do. Where you can’t, don’t persuade or educate, (it won’t work), just stand firm.

4. Focus on what works. Sales people do what works. When you are implementing new strategies, processes or technologies the only thing a pro will want to know is, “How will this make the life of a client better and make it easier for us to sell them?” A lot of policies and procedures are about making your operations better. Sales people don’t care. If your policy doesn’t address the above question, don’t expect a sales pro to give it a second thought.

Being a quota-crushing sales pro is abnormal and dysfunctional. Normal and functional is by default defined as average. Most systems are built to favor the average, not the extraordinary. That is why your best pros rebel and chafe at your systems. If you want your quota-crushing pros to perform, you have to manage them differently. That’s okay, their numbers should merit the investment.

To learn how to get quota-crushing results from everyone on your team, not just the laser-driven sales pros reflected in this list, read more about the Big Sale Factory

Validation and the 360 Solutions Assessments -Personality profile

There are many schools of thought regarding testing and validation. Some believe that construct validity is the most preferred method, others say criterion validity is the best approach. Still others say that a combination of both is the best of all possible worlds. We believe that common sense, good business sense and concurrent validity on a local level is the best approach. Why?


First, the goal is to find the best possible person for the position. Most hiring managers will say: "If I could ‘clone’ my best employee or employees in the same or similar positions, I would achieve my goal." Therefore, we attempt to identify the best candidates by a validation method known as "Concurrent Validity". What is concurrent validity? Quite simply, this is Benchmarking.
Benchmarking is achieved by selecting people with a common job description and evaluating them using the 360 Solutions Personality Profile. By grouping these individuals into Top, Middle and Bottom thirds, based on your standard measure of performance, it is possible to build a hiring benchmark using the Profile scores. The benchmark is based on a comparison of the top one third’s results versus the bottom. Additionally, we believe you should take this approach one step further and create your benchmarks on a local level.


Why do we recommend this approach?

Because what works in New York City does not necessarily work in Atlanta. What works in Dallas does not necessarily work in San Francisco. Many testing companies develop "norms" based on national averages of the top performers in a position. You then compare the test results of an applicant against those norms to determine if they will succeed in the position. To use an analogy, if my best performers in New York like ice cream, in Chicago they like deep-dish pizza, and in San Francisco they like sushi and I average them all together, what I get is a gastronomical mess. To further prove the point, practical experience shows us a top salesman in New York must modify his selling style in order to succeed in Atlanta. Why? Different markets. The Southern prospect may well reject the more aggressive selling style of the New Yorker. The same holds true for companies selling the same products or services. What works at Ford doesn’t necessarily work at Chrysler.

Second, the selection test must meet all EEOC and American Disabilities Act requirements. The 360 Solutions Personality Profile does.

Third, equivocation. Are you getting a true picture of the employee or applicant? The 360 Solutions Personality Profile has a consistency index. If the score is between 17-20 the results are considered 90% accurate to the individual tested. A score 0f 14-16 is considered 79-89% accurate. If the consistency score is below 14 and the tested individual is not an E type personality, the report should not be considered valid. If the tested individual has low confidence as measured by the Personality Profile confidence trait, this will affect the overall scores. If the confidence score is below 5, the report should not be considered valid.
Summary


In order to find the best candidate for the position, you must assess the candidate’s personality and skills to see if they "fit" local market conditions, office culture, management practices, and selling styles. How is this done? Through benchmarking. Your top producers are "best" in their positions because they have the skills to do the job and their personality is compatible with what you are asking them to do. By using the 360 Solutions Personality Profile and creating a benchmark around these top producers, you take into account the variables unique to your company and the affect these variables have on the human personality.

Statistical Analyses Supporting Benchmarking

In early 1997, a study was undertaken to see if there was any direct correlation between the 18 personality and character traits measured by the 360 Solutions Personality Profile and commissions earned on a national level. Profile scores from 64 companies across the country were gathered. Particular attention was paid to ensure that no one region of the country was more heavily weighted. Managers were then asked to rank their salespeople in terms of top and bottom one-third producers. Only salespeople with one year or more experience were included in the sampling. The criterion for ranking was commissions earned. The following character and talent traits were analyzed:
Stress Management     Outgoing Traits               Persuasive Level


Sensitivity                     Interaction                     Aggressive Level

Compassion                  Decision Making           Stubborn Level

Patience                        Analytical Setting           Goals

Creative Abilities           Independent                  Time Management

Artistic Abilities             Detailed Traits                Confidence


A single regression analysis was conducted for each trait against commissions earned. The highest r2 value achieved was .12. Second, a series of multiple regression analyses were conducted with as many as seven character and talent traits against commissions earned. Again the highest r2 value achieved was .16. Finally, a Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was conducted with each trait against commissions earned. The highest r-value achieved was .34. All of the above values show that there is at best a weak correlation between profile scores and commissions earned. Scores obtained on a national level would be unsatisfactory predictors of commissions earned


Conclusion

Other variables, such as local market conditions, selling styles, and management practices, as well as personality and character traits affect commissions earned. To further substantiate this, the following are the sales hiring benchmarks for two different companies. Both company benchmarks were established based on the top one-third producers’ results. The first company is located in the Midwest and the second is in the Southwest. Both have twenty or more salespeople and have been in business 10+ years. Both sell similar products.

©2010 - 360Solutions
It is apparent from these results; the benchmarks based on the top one-third producers in each company are very different. Yet, the products sold and incomes earned are very similar. Thus, benchmarking on the local level allows managers to have a method of "cloning" their most productive employees based on their company’s culture, management practice, selling style and other issues unique to their environment.

Determination of Accuracy

The same 64 managers were asked to rate the accuracy of the 360 Solutions Personality Profile on the top one-third and bottom one-third agents. As stated earlier, top and bottom were defined by the criterion of commissions earned as related by the managers. Additionally, only salespeople with one or more years of experience were rated. The average company employed 22 salespeople. A total of 896 salespeople were measured. The screening question asked was:

"On a scale of 0-100% how accurate was the 360 Solutions Personality Profile report on ______ (employee)?"

This question was asked during normal business hours. The manager made this rating within 24 hours of the reviewing the report, and before a joint review of the findings.

Accuracy of 360 Solutions Personality Profile

As Rated by Managers

Test Accurate % % of Managers Agreeing


95+ 23.4

1. 53.1

1. 10.9

1. 4.7

1. 3.2

< 75% 4.7

During this same period, tested salespeople were asked to percentile rank the accuracy of the 360 Solutions Personality Profile report findings. The screening question was:

"On a scale of 1-100%, how accurate was your 360 Solutions Personality Profile report?"

This question was asked during business hours. The salesperson made this rating within 24 hours of reviewing his or her report, and before a joint review of the findings.Test Accurate % % of Agents Agreeing

95+ 26.9

1. 51.0

1. 9.0

80-84 8.0

1. 3.0

< 75% 2.1

Summary

76.5% of company managers felt the 360 Solutions Personality Profile report findings had an accuracy rating of 90% or greater to their salespeople.

77.9% of the salespeople tested felt the results had an accuracy rating to themselves of 90% or greater.

Conclusion

Both the salespeople and the managers confirm the accuracy of the test. Therefore, it is logical to assume that local market conditions, selling styles, management practices and other environmental factors, as well as personality character and talent traits, affect the amount of commissions produced. Thus, the best possible method of selecting a salesperson that will succeed on a local level is through the benchmarking of the Personality Profile scores. This method takes into account the personality, character and talent traits necessary to succeed under variables specific to the candidate’s environment.

Final Note

The 360 Solutions™ Personality Profile with its unique benchmarking capabilities is the most cost-effective selection and development tool on the market today.

In addition to the profile results, this system provides additional important features to help improve the selection and development process:

1) In-depth interview questions are provided based on the Personality Profile score.

2) Additional skills and knowledge tests, including a Sales Aptitude Test and a Custom Aptitude Test

3) General intelligence and reasoning ability tests.

The results from the 360 Solutions Personality Profile System should not be viewed as the sole decision making tool in the employee selection process. Rather, they should be viewed as guidelines within an over-all selection system. The selection and development system should meet all legal requirements and provide other screening criterion such as background and reference checks.

The 360 Solutions™ Employment Testing System, properly utilized within the above guidelines, will help you to improve employee selection, reduce hiring mistakes and cut your turnover costs.

©2010 - 360Solutions

Why Invest in People Development?

1.The cost to attract a new customer ranges from 3 to 10 times more than to retain a current customer.

A dissatisfied customer will complain to up to 25 people about your business. Quality customer service means more than just a smile. While a smile is important, a smile is a tactic. When your employees go beyond tactics and learn the fundamental principles underlying great customer service they will be able to create more than customer satisfaction, they will build customer loyalty. (Business Skills Development)

2. Studies show that more people leave their jobs because of "bad" supervisors and/or managers than for more money.
Equip your current and emerging supervisors, managers, and leaders with the skills to successfully direct and motivate their staff. Not only will this improve productivity, it will reduce turnover. (Management Development)

3. "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." Dwight Eisenhower
Leadership is not about commanding or demanding but rather influencing and guiding others to achieve a common goal. While some people are born leaders, the qualities that make an effective leader can be learned and developed. Leadership development is crucial not only to the bottom line but to the ongoing success of any enterprise. (Leadership Development)

4. A team is more than a group of people working together, it is a group of people working together to accomplish a bigger goal than would be possible working as individuals.
Building a cohesive, directed team takes work and skill. Team development is an ongoing process and requires the learned knowledge of what that process involves. A team that is more than the sum of its parts leads to increased productivity, higher employee morale, and reduced turnover all leading to an improved bottom line. (Team Development)

5."Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them toward a certain goal." Walt Disney.
In High Performance organizations all employees, working as team members, feel fully empowered and engaged in the process of achieving a clearly understood goal. This feeling of involvement leads to higher levels of participation and commitment which leads to a more flexible, stable, and productive work environment. The evolution to high performance is a guided process. (High Performance Development)

NEXT LEVEL Consulting, in partnership with 360 Solutions (a world leader in personnel training development) has created an unparalleled library of learning modules to address and solve each individual businesses' unique people development challenges. Through our team of experts, we've tapped into 30 years of research and marketplace application to breakthrough a complex issue and create a system that is easy to execute and provides quick results.

"The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer."         -- Peter Drucker

Customers are attracted and kept by a combination of product and customer service. What better way to insure you provide both than to havea committed, motivated workforce and a well functioning organization to support that key business purpose.

Many businesses fail or don't achieve their maximum potential in spite of having quality products and services. Why? Often it is because their focus on technology and technical skills is not balanced by attention todeveloping core people skills.

Our mission at NEXT LEVEL Consulting is to:
■Form a partnership with your organization to help define the employee and organizational development needs to meet your goals;

■To institute aprogram to provide those development services;

■To provide follow up and ongoing training as needed.