The Way Ahead

Finding and Keeping Great People

2011-07-18T18:03:00.000-05:00

There are two basic reasons why you might be thinking about hiring someone. Either you're planning to replace someone who left (or was fired!), or you've created a new position and want someone to fill it. Whichever situation you find yourself in, these next couple of articles are intended to help you find (and keep) the best possible person for the job.

So, before you rush off and start creating job ads for Monster.com or wherever, let's take a few minutes to think about the process.

Step 1 is to design the job - which means thinking about what it is that you want done, and how you're going to know whether it's been well (and what you're prepared to pay for those results).

Step 2 is to define the ideal candidate - which means thinking about the skills, knowledge, personality, values, and qualifications they're going to need to get the results you want.

Step 3 is to "go fishing" for applicants - which means you need to think about which "pool" you should "cast the net" into to maximize your chances of attracting a good number of suitable candidates.

Step 4 is to select the best person for the job from among the applicants you have attracted in step 3 - which means thinking about how you're going to compare each person with the spec you created in step 2, and

Step 5 is getting your new hire on board and up-to-speed as smoothly and quickly as possible - which means thinking about how you're going to provide them with access to all the information they'll need to become high performing member of your team.

So, now we need to look at each step in more detail. First up, step 1 - what's the job?

Achieving Your Goals

2011-07-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

One of the keys to achieving your goals is momentum.

Many people will tell you that you need to have goals, and that you need to plan your path towards them.

What they don't tell you is that, unless you gain a little ground EVERY SINGLE DAY, you are likely to begin to stumble on your path to success.

For example, if your goal is to write a book, write a page (or even a paragraph) every day. If you want to run a successful business, tell one new person about your products or services, every day.

Complete a little task every day without fail and you'll start to pick up momentum.

Ask yourself:

How can I break my goal down into daily tasks?

It's easy to get discouraged if your goal seems farther away than ever after just a couple of weeks. It's the classic mistake of most dieters.

Q. How do you eat an elephant?
A. One mouthful at a time!

If you know that you are moving forward one little baby step every single day - then you will also know that, if you focus and stay on track - then you WILL achieve your goal!

There's no time for doubt

2011-05-05T18:45:00.000-05:00

Time spent doubting is time spent in paralysis. "Should I? Shouldn't I? What if I make/have made a mistake? To be or not to be, that is the question...."

You can't be fully alive, seizing the day, pursuing your goals, if you get locked in the doubt trap. Remind yourself that a bad decision is always better than no decision at all. If you find yourself agonizing, you have to do some relaxation exercises, breathe, close your eyes, and listen. Listen to your heart. Then take that decision and move. Move one way or the other. Your heart knows which is right, but whatever you do, act... and move on.

Time is too short. Life is no dress rehearsal. Stop agonizing and get on with it!

You Can't Always Get What You Want

2011-04-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

Ever got to the end of the day and wondered what on earth you accomplished? Or, worse, ever got to the end of the day, and been sure you'd accomplished absolutely nothing? Zip. Zero. Nada.
It's a pretty depressing place to find yourself. Dwell on it, too long, and it'll take you down roads where you end up questioning the whole meaning, purpose and direction of your life.

Don't get me wrong: a little self-analysis, every now again, is no bad thing. We all need to check where we are and where we're headed against where we want to be, once in a while. But the end of a long day of spinning your wheels is not the time.

So. If you find yourself in this situation, what should you do? And how do you avoid getting to this place in the first instance?

The Ultimate Bucket List

2011-01-26T13:13:00.000-05:00

What you can do if you set yourself some goals...

clipped from johngoddard.info

John Goddard's "Life List"

John Goddard is most known for his amazing
“Life List” of accomplishments. At the age of fifteen John Goddard listed
127 goals he wished to experience or achieve in his lifetime. The list is
impressive and audacious, but the results have been truly incredible.

Things to do to keep the engine running...

2008-01-16T09:34:00.001-05:00

I've never managed to keep doing EFT on anything like a regular basis. When I did it with Katherine's direction, it produced results, but I never followed through. Well, here's something to attack those limiting self-beliefs... Like, I'm not good enough, or I'm incapable of follow-through...

clipped from www.emofree.com

EFT for faulty beliefs

By Cristofir K. Aven

Here is an example of a client's limiting belief and some of the EFT phrases we used: "If someone else has written a best selling book on my subject, then I can't." (The belief that I have to be the first one to do something or be the best at it.)

Even though I believe there's not enough fame, money, customers to go around…

Eyebrow: All these limiting beliefs

Side of Eye: Fears that are underneath my beliefs

Under Eye: Fears I'm not good enough

Under Nose: Belief I'm not good enough

Chin: Proof my beliefs are true

Collarbone: Fears about my capability

Under Arm: Belief that I don't deserve success

Top of Head: My old limiting beliefs

2nd Round:

Even though those beliefs have been with me my whole life and form my self-concept, I choose a new more empowering self-concept.

Even though those beliefs are embedded in my mind and body and I have proof I'm not good enough…

Under Nose: I choose courage, confidence in myself

Chin: I can't let go of old beliefs

Set Course!

2007-09-01T10:26:00.000-05:00

"If you don't know where you're going, then any path will take you there".

Is there anything in life you've always wanted to do? Do you find yourself coming back to the statement "I wish I...."?

Write these things down.

What's the Value of College Education

2007-08-28T08:58:00.001-05:00

The following is an extract from a blog by Tamara Erickson posted on Harvard Business Online. The full article is entitled "I've Got a Job Offer! Placing a Future Value on College Degrees".

clipped from discussionleader.hbsp.com

I caught an interview with Simon Cowell on Good Morning America recently (June 6). In case you’ve somehow managed to insulate yourself from popular culture over the past five years, Simon is the hard-hitting judge on American Idol. He is also #21 on the Celebrity 100 list Forbes compiles of the most powerful and highest paid stars, has launched half a dozen shows, and is worth an estimated $200 million. After commenting on his success, the interviewer asked him if he had any regrets for having dropped out of high school as a teenager and never having gone to college. His response caught my attention to the degree that I replayed it on TiVo often enough to write it down word-for-word.

Here’s what the wise one said: “Absolutely not. Because there was nothing I could or wanted to learn in school; it was just a complete waste of my time. What I did have, and I've always had, is that I'm a hard worker. The secret of my success is that I make other people money.”

Isn't it "basic human nature" that those of us that went through college - at least if we consider ourselves even a little 'successful' - are going to take the position that "a college education is a prerequisite for a balanced, fulfilled, and successful life", whereas those who didn't - and consider themselves even a little 'successful' - are going to take the view that it's not.

Too often, it seems to me, people are encouraged to do the right thing according to someone else's set of values, rather than to work out what their own values are and then do the right thing according to them. "Above all - to thine own self be true".

The fundamental question, it seems to me, is not whether it is more 'valuable' to have a college degree than not (those whose interests lie in 'selling' college education will, of course, attempt to quantify its value in terms of dollars and cents), but whether young people have the opportunity and the mentors to help them a) establish what their life goals are, and b) find the best ways - inside or outside of formal education - to equip themselves to achieve those goals.

Finally, I can't help but wonder at how 'success' is defined. Simon Callow - as far as I can make out - is a bitter, vindictive, publicity hound, a bully whose "talent" lies in his ability publicly to ridicule and humiliate people without shame or remorse.

Hands up all those who want their kids to grow up to be like that!

Get Smarts

2007-03-28T07:56:00.001-05:00

What could possibly go wrong?

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk

Doing 'brain exercises' such as watching Countdown, playing Sudoku or taking a shower with your eyes closed can make us all up to 40 per cent cleverer within seven days, according to research by a BBC programme this week

THE GET SMARTER GUIDE

Saturday

Brush your teeth with your 'wrong' hand and take a shower with your eyes closed.

Sunday

Do the crossword or Sudoku puzzle in your Sunday paper and take a brisk walk.

Monday

Have oily fish for dinner, and either cycle, walk or take the bus into work.

Tuesday

Select unfamiliar words from the dictionary and work them into conversations.

Wednesday

Go to yoga, Pilates or a meditation class, and talk to someone you don't know.

Thursday

Take a different route to work; watch Countdown or Brainteaser.

Friday

Avoid caffeine or alcohol; memorise your shopping list.