Interviewing

***“A house divided against itself, cannot stand.”* *Candidate Abraham Lincoln***

I first stood at the Lincoln Memorial the day of Live Aid. It was my first trip to Washington, D.C. I almost kept going to Philadelphia to stand outside the concert event and hear the music. I decided to stay in D.C. and watch the concert from a new technology called jumbotrons staged on the National Mall. I realized I was experiencing history and that it was best I stop and take in the events.

I shared previously about Lincoln. I wondered what would be the outcome of the Live Aid effort that day in D.C. I wondered if Abraham Lincoln realized in 1858 when he explained how a divided house could not stand he would be dead in less than seven years by assassination. I stood at his memorial in 1985 and wondered why he was not buried in D.C. I concluded it did not matter where he is buried. Death is death. The best that can be done going forward is to honor the memories, the actions, and the contributions of the dead.

You, as the leader of your organization, have selected job applicants to be candidates for each role you need to be filled in your organization. You do not need to spend any more time considering the end of the tenure for those you need to move out of your organization. You have stepped through assessing each applicant’s application package, identified what seems to be a match between their application package and your role opportunity, had the screening call conducted by way of your direction, read the call outcomes, and have decided to speak with a candidate yourself. You now must decide how much freedom you will give your candidate to accomplish their work in your organization through the role they serve. You are considering death and life simultaneously as you move to care for the organization. This decision is similar to a shepherd and the flock they supervise.

A sheep has no fangs or claws. They are dependent on the shepherd to protect them by leading, guiding, and directing them. They lead by being out front of them. They guide by being beside them. They direct by being behind them. The shepherd leads them to grass to eat. The shepherd does not mandate which tuft of grass a sheep must eat. Each sheep has some degree of freedom in its relationship with its shepherd.

You are convinced bringing an antibody into your organization is a bad move. You are convinced it is bad because you do not have organization antibodies in your organization now and do not want to have your proverbial house divided by an organization antibody causing such harm. You are hoping to find out during your assessment process if you have a candidate that matches your worldview and the worldview held by your organization but not eradicate diversity from your organization. Share on XThis combination is a tall order for anyone to fulfill.

Let’s look at a formula I have studied for years to help me evaluate the possibility someone would want to purchase something from me as a means to guide your interview conversations. A buyer may want to purchase a product I am selling or my labor in the form of services. The formula has three parts to it. Each part must have enough value in the eye of the buyer to purchase whatever it is I am selling. You also need these three parts to have enough value in both your eyes and in the eyes of the candidate to proceed through your evaluation process.

INTEREST

You are selling a job by way of a compensation package. There may be fame as an outcome of the job, but no one can guarantee fame. The exchange of money in your labor budget for the total services delivered from a worker is the deal. Is this deal interesting to you as the service buyer? Is this deal interesting to the candidate as the service seller?

Now, the candidate has the same thoughts in mind but is reserved in their perspective. They see you are selling your compensation package, and they are the buyer through their services currency. How do I know this is true? Because they would be talking to a better deal for their services currency than talking to you about your compensation package. You have the best offer that has come to them. They most likely are always looking for a better deal. You most likely are always looking for a better deal. A better offer could come at any time. So, the offer from you has a boundary to it called time.

Here are some clear indications of interest on both your part and on the part of the candidate. Are they looking you in your eyes to listen to what you are telling them? Are you looking into their eyes? Are they taking notes during your discussion with them? Are you taking notes about their discussion performance? Are they able to repeat back to you any of the statements or points you make to them? Are you able to repeat back to them anything they shared during the conversation that is new to you? Are they able to provide a meaningful answer to a question you ask them about the information you have shared with them? Are you able to provide a meaningful answer to a question they ask you about the information you have shared with them? Are they involved with social networking during your conversation with them? Are you multitasking during the conversation with them?

TRUST

A buyer may want what is sold, but they do not trust the seller. If a buyer does not trust what is being sold, then they have no interest in what is being sold. Trust is the connector of evidence and faith. Evidence is clear proof. An example of evidence is the paycheck arriving to the worker every pay cycle. Faith is the assurance the evidence will arrive. An example of faith is the time between paydays. An example of trust is the inability to prove the paycheck will be delivered to the worker on payday but convinced the paycheck will come as agreed.

You, as the interviewer, may conclude the candidate has the skills, but you do not trust they will deliver those skills to you for the compensation you deliver to them. You also may conclude they are interested in doing the work you want them to do for you, but they also have an interest to go and fix parts of your organization they believe need fixing beyond the work you want them to do.

They, as the candidate, may realize you are not a person they want to walk with now. You can protect, lead, guide, and direct them, but they do not want to eat the grass you have provided for them. They may have a worldview that does not overlap suitably with yours or the organization.

Any of these reasons and more cause the candidate to stop being a candidate. You are unable to provide them the trust necessary to do their role in a manner they prefer that is also acceptable to you. Their candidacy is dead. Move on without remorse. Do not be concerned with what may occur with them tomorrow as a future applicant to another role you need to be filled.

Trust is the connector of evidence and faith

MONEY

You have what you define as a great job opening. You do not have enough money to pay someone to do the work. Stop what you are doing. You do not need to interview anyone. You need to find a budget to spend.

Asking anyone to work for less than what the work is worth demonstrates poor judgment. Your trust as a leader would be damaged by such a choice, perhaps beyond repair. It is not worth the hassles of asking anyone to take work that is not funded fairly.

Now, what is fair? That answer is between you and the service supplier. If you are convinced you have a fair compensation package, then this is all you need to know for fairness. If your candidate does not agree that what comprises your compensation package is fair to them, then you are still at a stopping point with their candidacy.

What you are seeing at this point in your evaluation process is the concept of equal pay for equal work in terms of economic equity. You do not have a pay gap, as the candidate is not being paid because they are not a member of your organization. Your best and final offer is what it is. I am not talking about job promotions, pay raises, or any other role modification. I am only discussing bringing a new person into your organization. What happens to them after they are brought into your organization is an altogether different thought construct based on the linear connection of your worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue. My hope for you is you walk out the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue with those you lead in a fair and clear manner. I hold this hope as I prefer you to be a credible leader.

RECOMMENDATIONS

I recommend you take time this week to practice your interview methodology and cadence. Go so far as to prepare the meal menu you will eat before the interview to have all parts of yourself ready to hold the discussion.

I also recommend you do not multitask during the interview discussion. There is nothing good that comes from multitasking during a crucial discussion. All that is demonstrated by multitasking during a crucial discussion is chaos is present in your organization. If you need to communicate to the candidate you have chaos in your organization, then you can do so effectively by way of a single sentence, either verbally or in writing. Then, stop multitasking and focus on having a productive conversation.

Finally, gain a commitment from the candidate during the conversation. See how interested they are in joining your organization by putting actions to their words. Ask them to write something and email it to you. Write, in the form of a researched-based effort. This action is a great way to learn quickly how interested a candidate is in joining your organization based on all they have learned to this point about you, the role, and the organization.

So, I ask you: where do you want to go? I hope your answer is to develop the plans necessary to accomplish the strategy you know you need to achieve to arrive at your desired destination. If this is the case, then let’s get to work. If not, then I wish you the best of everything.

I hope we will see each other here next week. Email me if you need to talk before then.

COMMENTARY CATALOG

http://www.shdawson.com/commentary/

Dr. Stephen H. Dawson, DSL

Executive Strategy Consultant

Stephen Dawson is an executive consultant of technology and business strategy, serving significant international organizations by providing leadership consulting, strategic planning, and executive communications. He has more than thirty years of service and consulting experience in delivering successful international business development and program management outcomes in the US and SE Asia. His weekly column, “Where Do You Want To Go?,” appears on Thursdays.

Dr. Dawson has served in the technology, banking, and hospitality industries. He is a noted strategic planning visionary. His pursuit of music has been matched with his efforts to lead by service to followers. He holds the clear understanding a leader without followers is a person taking a long walk alone.

Stephen has lived his life in the eastern United States, visiting most of the United States and several countries. He is a graduate of the Regent University School of Business & Leadership. Contact him at service@shdawson.com.

Thank you for visiting our Blog!

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

July 3, 2021July 5, 2021

Assessing

“Truth is like the Sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” Elvis Presley

Ah, the search for truth. I see the term truth as a singular term. There are parts of the truth we understand, but never all of the truth. If someone understood all truth, then they would be omniscient. We covered our understanding of truth last week when we considered the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue. Today, let’s talk about how to assess the folks who have applied to work in your organization to help accomplish the strategic planning work that you need to be accomplished by your organization.

I have encouraged during our time together that appropriate research be accomplished when considering all things. I shared research is part of how I have worked for years in a research-before-action mode. I provided examples of this belief. I cautioned against analysis paralysis. I described the differences between looking and reading. You now need to read through the applications submitted by the folks who want to come work for you. Let’s go through some of the facts you face, and see how you can best identify some qualified candidates.

ROLE CONSTRUCTION

The means to define a role in your organization begins with the job analysis. Work is performed to understand what each role needs to accomplish, how each role needs to accomplish the work, and the resources used by each role. The job analysis work is then finished and termed as the job analysis asset. A subset of the job analysis asset then forms the job definition asset. A subset of the job definition asset then forms the job announcement asset. A person is then sought to fill each role in your organization to do the job required by each role.

APPLICANT TRACKING

An applicant selected for consideration to fill a role you have in your organization is then called a candidate. The applicant tracking system is valuable for keeping track of applicant information. It alone is not valuable to evaluate applicants for their match to any role. A resume or CV can be padded with loads of terms, matched with a fake cover letter, only to waste much time. I have found no resume parsing technology worth using. The screening call must occur by telephone to know with any degree of certainty if a candidate is a potential match to a role. The screening could occur in person, but it has been my experience this screening step best occurs by telephone conversation. Meaningful applicant screening cannot occur until after the screening call when a qualified subject matter expert can speak with the candidate and find out how much truth resides in their application package.

FAIRNESS

The need to be fair to applicants is found in the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue by those who desire to also be treated fairly. Most developed nations have many laws governing the fair treatment of job applicants to protect against employment discrimination. The United States Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Prohibited Employment Policies and Practices help make many things quite clear to employers. Their Conducting and Documenting Interviews guidelines seem reasonable enough to me.

Now, all of these laws, requirements, and guidelines can be averted with ease. Person A has a job to fill. Person B applies for the job to work for Person A. Person A tells Person C to read through the many social networking options available to accomplish research on Person B. Person C then tells Person A verbally what they found out about Person B.

This plan has been around for millenniums. It provides plausible deniability to Person A that they have not violated an employment discrimination law. This plan also introduces the possibility of improper research occurring along with the possibility of incorrect interpretation of either the proper or improper research. It also furthers the possibility Person B did not maintain the necessary confidentiality of Person A. The hassles here are not worth the risks. I do not endorse this plan. My linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue would not consider this plan, but the plan is possible for anyone to perform.

THIRD-PARTY TESTING

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory are workable options to help meet your needs to understand the personality held by each candidate. The ProfileXT assessment includes an assessment of candidate’s cognitive ability. A suitable personality assessment helps to understand a candidate, but personality testing alone is insufficient to understand the potential match between each role you need to be filled and each candidate’s ability to fill each role. This testing could be used in combination with other applicant evaluation methods. I am leery of using a third-party test alone to evaluate anyone or anything. I hold this concern because there are still too many gaps in the picture to get to the truth of an applicant’s ability to join my organization and do the work I need to be accomplished.

I look at the pile of job applications and wonder if it is possible to find a candidate suitable to meet my needs. I get tired from reading the applications. I get overwhelmed by the work I need to be accomplished by my people getting further behind. Sound familiar? I experienced this pain for years. I finally said enough to this way of working and decided to gain the help of someone who is qualified to meet my needs by paying them to fill a short-term role in my organization.

COUNSELED RESULTS INTERPRETATION

A podiatrist is someone who I do not need all of the time in my life. However, should I need work performed on my foot, then I want to talk to someone who knows how to help solve my foot problem. I also want someone qualified to work on my foot. Do you remember our discussion about heavy equipment operation? The same principles from that discussion hold true to your need for help to find suitable applicants to consider.

A qualified counselor can help you find your preferred destination.

RECOMMENDATIONS

I am not a fan of shills. They wreak of impropriety. What I am a fan of is an endorsement based on credible research. Share on X

I do not see a straight line to finding a suitable applicant for any role in today’s world. There are too many changes occurring in global commerce, social, and political landscapes to plan for an organization to have any worker remain their entire work career with any organization. I cannot afford to endorse any candidate for a role unless I have credible research supporting my endorsement.

I do see the need for strategic foresight. I am both a scholar and practitioner of strategic foresight. Anyone can do some meaningful form of strategic foresight. Just ask a single mother who raised her kids to graduate from school, stay off alcohol and drugs, and stay out of jail. She is living proof strategic foresight can exist at all levels of society.

I do see the need for succession planning. I am both a scholar and practitioner of succession planning. Ask anyone who lived through the changes that occurred during 2020 to tell you their version of succession planning. This planning has a lot to do with contingency planning. Sometimes these planning efforts also benefit from the help of strategic foresight, should strategic foresight be accomplished before it was needed.

What you are trying to avoid is more problems coming to you. You cannot escape the truth your linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue combination must have a suitable overlap with the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue combination held by everyone you bring into your organization. Furthermore, that overlap must also be suitable for those in your organization now to have the inclusion effect occur productively across the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue found in your organization’s culture. Remember, your organization includes any matrix-supplied folks involved in doing work with your people, your customers, your strategic partners, and your supply chain network.

What you are hoping for is the reality of truth helping you both find and select a suitable job applicant for each role you need to be filled in your organization. You are hoping one candidate will stand out among the rest, or at least find you have no appropriate candidates. Light helps with eliminating darkness, yes?

My recommendation to help you find some qualified candidates from the job applicants you have now is to evaluate their personality and worldview. This consideration will help to diversify your organization by walking out the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue held by everyone involved in working with each role you need to be filled by your selected job applicant. You are going to face their personality and worldview eventually. It is best to understand both of them during the assessment process.

You do not need a counselor to help you interpret the skills held by an applicant. The skills form a clear set of credentials. If applicant skills are not clear, then they are not qualified to become a candidate.

A match by personality to a role is realized by also matching skills and worldview. An espoused worldview is the most straightforward means I have found to understand more about a person. Their personality and skills may help me understand their worldview, but it is not a guarantee. Personality may be situational. Worldview is often continual. Skills are often temporal.

I urge keeping the screening call bound to a list of predefined questions prepared by you. This approach will help assure the person conducting the screening call does not attempt to interject an interview approach you do not approve of. It will also help assure all applicants are evaluated fairly.

If I were you, then I would select someone who can prove to me they can help me accomplish the candidate assessments and interpret the results of each assessment by their provable work history along with the education and certifications they hold. I would check their references. I would ask for examples of their already accomplished relevant work. I would also take their assessment of the first person they assess and run it by some other qualified professionals. I know the second person will want to do their own assessment, but it is worth an objective review by an objective person. If the second person refuses to interpret the first person’s work results, then I would not ask for any further help from the second person. I know my family doctor and podiatrist share their research and findings. So, other qualified professionals can do the same sharing of materials they are qualified to interpret.

I recommend you take time this week and consider how you desire to gain a deeper understanding of the personality and worldview of each applicant you are considering for each role you need to fill. The best means I have found to understand a person’s worldview is to ask them the following question: what is your worldview? I also recommend you select some third-party personality testing sources to use with your applicant after they pass their first interview with their potential boss.

I hope we will see each other here next week. Email me if you need to talk before then.

COMMENTARY CATALOG

http://www.shdawson.com/commentary/

Dr. Stephen H. Dawson, DSL

Executive Strategy Consultant

Thank you for visiting our Blog!

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

June 15, 2021June 29, 2021

Living and Working with Mexicans – Online Course

The Chief Culture Officer Academy is pleased to announce the launching of its online course Living and Working with Mexicans. The Mexican culture is rich in customs, traditions, and intriguing behavioral patterns; and this one-of-its-kind short course offers you the opportunity to dive into the very roots of the Mexican way of life.The curriculum and practical activities are carefully designed for:

- - Expats (retirees, executives, diplomats)
  - Foreign students
  - Foreign investors and import/export professionals
  - Travelers
  - Mexican culture enthusiasts
  - The program content includes the following topics:
  - Culture and human behavior fundamentals
  - The roots of the Mexican cultural identity
  - Values and attitudes in the Mexican society
  - Mexicans behavior in the workplace and business
  - Other key features:

Completely online. You can access the modules from anywhere: the living room, your office, the cafe; and using the device that best suits your needs, your smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.

Your schedules, your pace. The estimated time to complete all the modules is 3 hours, which you can organize at your convenience as it is available 24/7.

Natural voice and closed captions. Our video lessons are English spoken and created with a native speaker’s natural voice. They also include closed captions to enhance your learning experience.

Certificate of completion. Get your digital training certificate when all the lessons are completed.

Course instructor: Francisco J. Santana

Francisco Santana is a cross-cultural expert who conducts training sessions for business professionals who are involved in intercultural duties. He specializes in cross-cultural communication, negotiation, and business etiquette; virtual team management, as well as in culture shock.

For more information and enroll in this course please click on this link:

https://academy .thecco.com.mx/courses/mexicans

January 13, 2021January 16, 2021

Gather the Troops

Today I’d like to chat about the different types of support staff you need and what makes them so important.

There are essentially three key roles that need to be filled to set your business up for success:

- The Technician
- The Manager
- The Entrepreneur

All of these roles need to be played simultaneously by different people with the right talents. It’s all about balance.

The Technician

This person represents the present and all that needs to be done for the physical aspects of the business-building process. They are the “doer”. This is usually the most visible person in the entire operation.

The Manager

This person represents the past and works to fix problems through learning from past mistakes. They are on the practical side of the business and is in charge of putting together the business and overseeing the planning.

The Entrepreneur

This person represents the future and the vision for the business. They are responsible for the creative side of the business and are always considering ways to enhance products/services, business image, branding, and more.

Adrian is offering a complimentary coaching session to focus on what you can do to drive more business in 2021

All three of these characters are essential in the success of any business and to build a solid foundation from the start, you need to work harder to find the right people to put in these roles. Obviously, you need to be one of these key people, but ensure you find the role that fits your skills and talents, not necessarily what you THINK you should be doing.

This may be a hard process for you as you will need to relinquish some control over the business and instill trust in people to allow them to do their jobs.

Most business owners are aware of the daily burden people in the wrong key roles create but aren’t capable of diagnosing it themselves. Share on X

After all, change is HARD. A business coach becomes not only your mentor but your accountability partner during this process.

Michael Gerber, in his book “The E-Myth”, explores this concept deeply. For more information, or to set up a discussion with a coach devoted to helping you grow a profitable business, visit http://www.salesmarketingresults.com/

Helping businesses isn’t one thing we do. . . It’s all we do!

Adrian Sasine is a Business Coach and a Marketing & Sales expert! From Start-up to Sale – Adrian delivers customized, results-based coaching for every business owner! With over 20 years of hands-on experience, Adrian offers a proven ability to increase profits and drive business growth. His clients receive invaluable business knowledge and insight from his own successes, failures, and thirst for business knowledge. What began as a hobby consulting with entrepreneurs, has turned into an undeniable passion to help serious business owners generate more clients, close more sales and increase their overall revenue and profits >> quickly and inexpensively. His expertise is as diverse as his resume, which includes having owned and exited several small businesses and leading the marketing division of a Fortune 500 company.

Adrian Paul Sasine
Tel: 470-839-4769
Email: adrian@salesmarketingresults.com

URL: salesmarketingresults.com

Thank you for visiting our blog.

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

January 9, 2021

Looking Back to Move Forward

Planning Requires a Learning System

I began 2020 with a great sense of optimism. However, within weeks of my New Year’s post, the world was in lockdown. Was I ever surprised! I did not anticipate the Covid-19 Pandemic. Honestly, we were all surprised. Sure, we knew it was a possibility. The concept had been discussed in the culture, complete with dire warnings mostly ignored.

I had just completed a COO search when the lockdown began. My placement’s start date was March 16. I was sure that my client would rescind their offer. But I was wrong. The new COO became an integral part of their organization, helping them navigate through the challenges created by the pandemic.

Great companies create a learning culture that guides their planning. Share on X

My first blog post of the year is meant to establish a theme for the New Year. It is somewhat different this year. It seems appropriate to put 2021 into greater context, given our experience in 2020. As we begin 2021, we are into the second flair-up of Covid-19, tracking the normal influenza cycle. The residual effects of 2020 will be with us for a while, certainly through 2021. Companies are still looking for a handle on the situation. They have learned much but need more time to adapt and thrive.

My ‘beginning of the year message’ of 2020 was a typical opener, The setup spoke to the importance of planning and goal setting. I wrote that companies are more likely to achieve their objectives, whereas individuals abandon their New Year’s Resolutions within a few short months. I observed that the difference might be due to a lack of systems. Goal attainment requires a system that incorporates learning. Creating virtuous habits is the key to success. That was my thinking at the beginning of 2020.

A chronological review of the topics for my 2020 posts is revealing. In the first quarter, I was writing about making a productive start to the new year. Pre-pandemic thinking. In the second quarter, I was writing about situation awareness. I wanted to understand the effects of the pandemic and assess the needs of our clients. By the third quarter, I was writing about developing strategies to reconnect with customers. The fourth quarter was the setup for 2021. I wrote about the need for a clear positioning statement, supported by a communications program.

My 2020 Blog Themes by Quarter

- !st Quarter Planning and Strategy -Typical Start of New Year Message
- 2nd Quarter – Understanding/Responding to the needs of clients – Communications.
- 3rd Quarter – Reconnecting Strategy-Communications
- 4th Quarter – Positioning Strategy-Communications

A catalog of my 2020 articles is listed at the end of this post.

The lockdown made it clear that business models need to adapt to a new paradigm. Many trends already working their way through the economy accelerated. Remote working and internet shopping are obvious examples. Other changes were not expected, especially health protocols surrounding Covid-19 mitigation. There was a noticeable impact on the supply chain due to bottlenecks at the manufacturing/production node. The service sector was hard hit as ‘high touch’ retail concepts collided with social distancing, PPE, and sanitation protocols. Our clients struggled to adapt. My goal was to help them understand, adapt, and reposition themselves for success. This is still my focus. Find a defensible niche, organize around that strategy, and market your brand (communicate) accordingly.

My take-away from 2020 is that most companies are not investing in strategic threat assessments or developing contingency plans. This leads me to believe that their planning systems are not generating information to protect their flanks. Actionable information is the foundation for planning. A robust strategic analysis discipline will validate strengths, mitigate weaknesses, identify opportunities, and surface threats. This approach to planning creates a learning culture. An effective planning system is a learning system. Good companies employ a planning system. Great companies create a learning culture that guides their planning.

A Fresh Approach to Strategy!

Beginning a new year is still exhilarating. Maybe even more so this year. We face a fluid situation as the second phase of the Covid-19 Pandemic takes its toll. And a new Political Administration will soon be in place. We know that further change is coming, but its size and scope is unclear. The challenge is to gain clarity to ensure our continued survival. This requires more experience and solid analysis.

My 2020 articles in reverse chronological order.

Write an Impressive Cover Letter, Dec 28, 2020

Your Bio – Why it’s Important, Dec 19, 2020

Position Yourself for Success, Dec 12, 2020

Is Your Job Search Strategy Working, Nov 21, 2020

The Turning Point, Oct 24, 2020

A Crisis Averted, Sept 29, 2020

When Opportunity Presents (Public Speaking) Aug 15, 2020

Job Search in the “Latest” New Normal – Know Your Options, Aug 1, 2020

Job Search in the Latest “New Normal” – Recruiting and Selection Dynamics. July 25, 2020

Job Search in the Latest New Normal, July 18, 2020

A Compelling Story Is Your Launchpad, July 11, 2020

Job Search – What’s Your Story, May 31, 2020

Things Will Change – New Habits Will Be Created, March 21, 2020

Starbucks Meets WeWork at the Automobile Service Center, March 7, 2020

Part IV – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You! An Interview with Susan Knox of Corporate Connections, February 29, 2020

Part III – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You! An Interview with Susan Knox of Corporate Connections, Feb 22. 2020

Part II – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You! An Interview with Susan Knox of Corporate Connections. Feb 15, 2020

It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You! An Interview with Susan Knox of Corporate Connections, Feb 8, 2020

Identify Toxic Entanglements: Adapt or Disengage, January 20, 2020

Don’t Become Entangled in Their Pathology!, Jan 11, 2020

Do You Plan to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions, January 4, 2020

Thank you for visiting our blog.

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

December 31, 2020

A Fresh and Effective approach to Strategy

How many hours are spent every year in meetings conducting strategic planning sessions only to find the plan ignored? Or, in today’s Agile approach to business, the confusion reigning with a lack of effective and timely communications of shifting priorities. The human element cost can be tremendous with employees left confused with engagement levels constantly fluctuating, impacting output.

Two very successful entrepreneurs have combined forces providing your organization with access to a fresh and effective approach to strategic planning and execution:

Dr. Stephen Dawson is a strategic internal or external consultant who provides exceptional-business building outcomes in the United States and Southeast Asia by utilizing his visionary abilities to design and deliver the next generation business productivity tools to assist regulators in accomplishing economic development. He has maximized his postdoctoral work in ways to blend his exceptional education with his outgoing personality and strong communication skills. He is also an Adjunct Professor with Regent University, serving with the Department of Business, Leadership, & Management.

Dave Daniels (BA/MA) is an accomplished senior business, human resource, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) executive. Having held leadership positions throughout the country, Dave’s business approach is intended to exceed financial objectives by inspiring exceptional capabilities on the part of all team members. He is an accomplished facilitator and leader of results-oriented cross-functional teams. Additionally, Dave is a Certified Coach of the IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory) process, the most respected Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) assessment in the world. While he brings a wide range of experience, Dave’s expertise in the D & I space provides for full integration of this critical piece in our approach.

What we do:

- Troubleshoot (assess) current plans and levels of communications and results
- Create “real” alignment and commitment to the best actions
- Become a trusted advisor to the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
- Define/refine desired outputs and impact

How are we different:

- Identify and solve key pain points, immediately
- Provide a strong and relevant D & I lens to every aspect of your organization
- Access to the IDI process, as a value, add
- Flexible and Agile customization

Contact Information: Stephen and Dave may be reached via phone or email:

Dr. Stephen H Dawson	David Daniels, Daniels Consulting
Dr. Stephen Dawson		David (Dave) Daniels (BA/MA)
Executive Strategy Consultant		Diversity & Inclusion Consultant
Phone: 1.865.804.3454		Phone: 1.972.269.3400
service@shdawson.com		dave@davedanielsconsulting.com
www.shdawson.com		www.davedanielsconsulting.com

December 21, 2020

The DDC Systematic Approach – Part 5 – Mentor/Sponsor Programs

Do Mentor programs really work? How do they differ from Sponsor programs? How do you select candidates? And how does an organization introduce these programs? These critical questions need to be answered proactively and thoughtfully before embarking on this part of the Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) strategy. Like any good business decision, there needs to be a predetermined Return on Investment (ROI = measurable results).

First, let us dive into the first question posed, because if your answer is “NO,” then usually you won’t pursue it. Here is my challenge to you, the CEO. How many times in your career have you witnessed a really good idea die on the vein due to several possible reasons? If you are like me, you file these ideas away to be utilized at another time when you can directly impact the outcome of the initiative. Examples of those failures could harken back to poor leadership, inadequate planning and/or funding, conflicting communications, or lack of commitment, to name a few reasons.

Allow me to explore the difference briefly and simply between Mentor and Sponsor programs. A standard Mentor/Mentee approach effectively establishes roles with the Mentee driving the process within well-defined parameters. A Sponsorship program should be reserved for the best of the best high potential employees, as identified by the organization’s Succession Planning process. This process is designed to be far more formal and structured with key checkpoints along the way. Unwavering commitment, communications, and accountability is a must to optimize success. While the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) member is key, I strongly recommend a central point of contact that both parties can draw on when needed.

These two powerful concepts can drive real change in your organization if you commit to the following steps:

1- Have the right person leading these processes. Competency and respect are paramount.

2- Use Succession Planning to identify the right high potentials pared with the right ELT.

3- Clearly define each program and the desired outcomes.

4- CEO commitment, follow-up, and regular involvement are a must.

5- Strive for continuous improvement with both processes. Learn from the past.

Determining the correct level of transparency will be critical to success. I work closely with CEO’s to determine what’s right for their culture. You guard current proprietary info closely. I believe that the Succession Planning process should follow this template. As a key part of this process, Mentor and Sponsor programs should follow this line of thinking.

Should you decide to implement and/or enhance Succession Planning in your company, I am available to guide you through the nuances. Next up: Diversity Councils and Resource Groups.

David Daniels, Daniels Consulting

Dave Daniels is an accomplished Senior Business and Human Resource executive with a proven track record of developing, implementing, and delivering upon both short and long-term results. He has held management and executive-level positions with companies large and small throughout the United States. Dave has managed his career in a way that provides him with an exceptional breadth of experience and capacity to contribute to improving brand and financial results for his employer in every capacity he has served.

Thank you for visiting our blog!

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

September 6, 2020September 12, 2020

COMPANY RESTORATION IN THE NEW NORMAL ©2020 Donald H Turner – PART 3 – 5 C’S RESTORATION STRATEGY – THE FIRST 3 “C’S”

From the mind of Don Turner – “Creating Clarity in a World of Complexity”

In Part 2, we discussed the underlying factors of the New Normal that will force a more intense way of looking at “fixing” companies that have been broken by this global calamity. Building off of “Restructuring” and “Turnaround” approaches, we identified the increased difficulty and complexity associated with the New Normal and introduced the concept of “Restoration.” Restoration efforts will require fixing distressed businesses in an environment where not only they themselves but their entire marketplace – Customers, Suppliers, Lenders, etc – are distressed also.

We suggested this will require an evolution of traditional “Restructuring/Turnaround” perspectives and approaches to successfully restore a troubled business back to prosperity.

With this third part of our series, we introduce the first three of five activity topics we suggest should be addressed when “restoring” business in the New Normal. These topics – Cash, Customers, and Culture – are shown in the following exhibit:

5 C Restoration Strategy

Before we go into further detail for each of these topics, a couple of important thoughts: First and foremost, these activities don’t happen in isolation – there are strong interrelationships and interactions between them.

Secondly, given the interrelationships, they must all be executed simultaneously with an eye to integrating and balancing focus and resources
Thirdly, are there other activities to execute? Certainly, however, I believe they can all be covered under one of these 5 C’s

Let’s take a look at the first three:

CASH

Cash combined with courage in a time of crisis is priceless ~ Warren Buffet

The proverbial “Cash is King” saying is never more relevant than it is today. For a company to “restore” itself and survive they must determine how much liquidity runway they have at the current burn rate – most likely under various pessimistic to optimistic scenarios.

These scenarios take into account your entire value chain – from Suppliers to Customers – and are based on the multitude of creative cash optimization tactics one can employ.

Not enough runway? Then obviously some hard decisions must be made. The point is that as we enter the first phase of the New Normal, we need to determine how much runway the company has. The length of the liquidity runway dictates both the urgency and types of decisions to be made.

Anybody who has done turnarounds knows the endless variety of decisions that can be made to improve liquidity. We won’t go through all of them here but suffice it to say your initial Restoration decisions will almost always involve prioritization and retraction. You must prioritize those activities and resources that are MUST HAVE to restore the business. Based on that prioritization you need to identify where retraction makes sense – at least in the short-term. As mentioned in Part 2 of our discussion, this retraction might include determining what Customers you can’t serve, what products or services you can’t offer, what delivery channels are superfluous, what resources – both in personnel and facilities – are not absolutely necessary.

Remember this retraction requires focus and that focus is on the “Delivery Cycle” – those activities directly associated with selling, delivering, and servicing your offering. These activities are all Customer-facing and have a direct and immediate impact on your revenue. Longer-term activities like identifying and creating new offerings associated with the “Development Cycle” can wait.

A final thought on Cash is that it is also important to identify creative ways of extending or even using non-cash transactions. Again, mentioned in a previous part of our discussion, some of the obvious ways are bartering and consignment. However, I also expect to see in the early stages of the New Normal businesses negotiating concurrently with both the Supplier and Customer side of their business to ensure optimal cash flow. Remember, EVERYONE is in the same boat and has a common objective of survival! If there ever was a time to conduct creative transactions now would be the time.

CUSTOMERS

Without Customers, there is no business to restore.

In the New Normal, you will find yourself engaging with your Customers more honestly, period. Restoring your business concurrently with your Customer restoring their business will require a new level of transparency and openness in your discussions.

In the New Normal, Customer communication will take on an entirely new level of importance. Embrace it, this is a good thing in the long run!

My personal and professional hero has always been my Grandfather. He started me off in the world of business by reading Horatio Alger to me as a child sitting on his lap (ED: while listening to Eddie Cantor records, I remember the time fondly and well). He had me work in his real estate and construction office before I was ten, driving our supply truck to deliver material to the crews as soon as my feet could reach the gas pedal, clutch, and most importantly, the brake. My fundamental view of business, hard work, and dealing with people, in general, all came from him. Ahhh, but that is another story.

I remember one of the most profound things he ever said – and Grandpa had a lot of them. After meeting with someone in his office where I was allowed to sit in the corner, keep my mouth shut, listen, and watch, he once said, “You know Donny, 95% of all the problems you could ever have with a Customer are based on poor communication. The other 5% is a rounding error.” As I said, Grandpa was a wise man.

In the early stage of Restoration, you cannot over-communicate with your Customers. Yet, in the New Normal, you should do be doing more than just communicating. You should be interacting, engaging, finding new ways of working together, new definitions of mutual benefit. In the New Normal, your Customers will exhibit a level of vulnerability that you’ve never seen before. Use this time to strengthen your relationship with them.

Evolve the value proposition between the two of you. How can delivery costs be reduced? Can packaging be done differently? Can services be bundled? These and many questions should be asked in an attempt to creatively increase the real value between you and your Customer.

Of course, in the New Normal if your business offering is not as important to your Customer as it was before, or worse yet, no longer relevant to them than you have a fundamental “going-concern” problem. Remember, without a clear value proposition you simply aren’t relevant to your Customer – they are restoring their own business with the same intense concentration on prioritization and retraction.

CULTURE

Collectively, people are your culture and it is the culture that helps drive business success.

Yes, your people are valued individuals. However, even more importantly, as a group, they represent the culture of your organization, and in the New Normal that culture will require a new perspective on how to effectively manage.

It is your collective culture that creates the “Customer Experience” as it defines, creates, and delivers your offering to the marketplace. Better culture, better offerings, better delivery, better Customer loyalty (ED: I have strong opinions of loyalty versus satisfaction, for a GREAT read “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless” by Jeffrey Gitomer, it will radically change your view of “satisfaction”).

Firstly, let us get the unpleasant stuff out of the way. You may have to downsize – in fact, you most likely already have and will downsize even more as you restore your business. One strong suggestion is to cut as much as you think you need for the foreseeable future. Nothing destroys culture like a Damoclean sword over everyone’s head. Once you conduct a reduction-in-force (“RIF”) you need to start rebuilding the Team culture.

Yes, part of this RIF from the reduced level of your present business. However, it is hoped that during this current isolation phase of the New Normal, you are learning how to “do more with less” via the effective use of technology and processes. This is an unpleasant reality but if you haven’t already figured this out, you haven’t been paying attention.

That brings us to our second point, defining the “New Normal Work Environment.” If your management style hasn’t in the past, I hope it is now evolving to focus on deliverables, not hours.

Yes, there are certain jobs that are fundamentally based on “hours” – e.g., Customer Service Representatives. Yet, there are countless other jobs where the number of hours you put in is not as important as the deliverables you produce. That is a fundamental change in perspective for a lot of Managers who must learn to manage in that environment. The bottom line, I envision remote working to be a seminal change in the New Normal. Do we still need offices? In many cases, the answer is “yes”. However, do we need as much space, and do our employees need to be in there five days a week, eight hours a day? I don’t think so.

Technology will help enable a significant amount of the New Normal. Remote Team Management tools have been around for a while and continue to grow in their adoption. Video Conferencing will evolve. Electronic whiteboards will be the norm for Team brainstorming. Workflow Management solutions will increase the velocity of deliverables through an organization. We will find that the effective use of technology will not only enable business in the New Normal but evolve and enhance it like never before.

One positive of the New Normal is that there will be shorter, more focused interactions – particularly in the use of meetings. I have had several executives tell me of late that what would have been an “in-office” meeting of an hour to an hour and a half was done via a video conference in half an hour – and they felt more was accomplished.

When I worked in major corporations, I always told my Team that independent of “emergency meetings” that are occasionally required, they had my permission to completely ignore any meeting request that did not include an Objective, an Agenda, and an Expected Deliverable twenty-fours in advance of the meeting. It is amazing to see the increased meeting productivity simply having those items identified ahead of time. Maybe even include “prep work” prior to the meeting (ED: it may worth your time research the meeting culture of Amazon via Jeff Bezos – something to be said for it).

By the way, unless it is a general presentation, during a working meeting anybody that hasn’t had anything to say probably shouldn’t have been invited anyway. They can read the meeting summary later – don’t waste their time. Remember, this is “live or die” focus time.

During this same time, you should be looking at how you “re-engineer” your processes – i.e., simplify, streamline, make more efficient, more effective. The best time to reengineer processes is when you have to because that is when the organization puts up the least resistance to change.

The critical question going forward is how to compensate employees when cash is limited. You will likely have to be creative with the employees you retain. Some form of reduced pay with a clear game plan for making them whole sometime in the future through future cash flow or equity. However, no “creative” payroll strategy will work without a new level of transparency into the financial realities of the business. That said, you would be surprised how many employees when given the “naked truth” of a Company status will nod their heads and say, “okay, I understand, let’s make this work.” Who knows, you might build an even stronger, more cohesive, more dedicated, more productive culture as you continue your Restoration.

There is a bond that is created between those who suffer together. Between those who face life-changing events together. Who lay it on the line together. They call it Foxhole Friendships.

At this point, I’m hoping that there are no surprises on what will be required for restoring business in the New Normal. Yes, it will be difficult – most likely excruciatingly so. If there is any consolation in what we all will be facing it is that: a) we will be doing it together; and b) for those of us who successfully restore our businesses and survive we will be undoubtedly stronger for it.

Okay, we looked at Cash, Customers, and Culture. Tomorrow, Community and Commerce.

Don Turner

don@turnerworld.com

678.361.3313

www.turnerworld.com

Thank you for visiting our blog.

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

April 25, 2020April 25, 2020

The Isolation of Ownership

Bottomline First: Owners don’t really have anyone to talk to about their problems. Reach out to those in your care.

Outside of a preacher in a small church, I don’t know of a more lonely calling than a small business owner.

I will often ask them, “Do you know what your friends think of you?”

They look at me with stunned incredulity since I had only met them a couple of hours earlier and know none of their friends.

I proceed to tell them, “Your friends think they have it made, they think you come and go as you please, hire people to do what you don’t want to do and write it all off on your taxes!! They think you have the Life of Riley!”

Then they say, “You know, you are absolutely right!”

And I assure them if they try to convince their friends just how hard it is owning a business, they think you are pulling their leg!

And THIS is during the GOOD times! The loneliness is only getting worse in the economic environment of the day!

Many times business owners will become overly friendly with their employees to cope with their isolation knowing they get the day-to-day stresses with which the owner is dealing. But that becomes a management problem within the business and makes it almost unthinkable to furlough them when times get tough.

Business owners are seen as “having it all together” not only by their friends and the public at large but also by their families. I can’t tell you how many times I have interviewed a business owner during an analytical survey of their company who was showing a loss on their P&L only to discover he (or she) had not told their spouse. And let’s be honest, men, we are more guilty of this than our sisters-in-business. That stinkin’ EGO of ours gets us in trouble and then cuts off the support we so desperately need!

So to you advisors of these stalwart but hurting heroes of our economy, reach out to them! They need to know there are people and places that can be safe for them to unmask their pain.

Bankers, attorneys, wealth advisors, CPAs, insurance agents, consultants, accounting firms, HR firms – any trusted advisor in their life can just BE THERE for them and let them know it is OK for them to share anything that is bothering them.

If you are in a role they might not feel comfortable due to the business relationship (like their banker), try suggesting they might want to talk to a friend of yours.

As Charles Dickens wrote in the Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of time…” We have been brutally snatched out of “the best of times” and forced into what is arguably “the worst of times.”

As a man of faith, I would that all men and women would seek guidance from the Creator of us all to lean into Him and His wisdom for our individual and corporate deliverance.

Let’s all be there for each other as we walk through the valley of shadows.

Ralph Watson has a varied and extensive career spanning 45 years of increasingly responsible positions in both sales and operations in a very diverse mix of industry specialties, including food processing, textile and apparel, financial services, and professional management consulting.

Ralph served as a Senior Executive Analyst with a number of international consulting companies focused on the family-owned, privately held market where he distinguished himself as one of the top analysts in a highly competitive field. In early 2014, he personally coached 10 businesses in Europe.

Ralph C. Watson, Jr. 404.520.1030

Ralph.Watson@BeGreaterFaster.com

January 20, 2020

Identify Toxic Entanglements: Adapt or Disengage

‘Show me a good crisis manager, and I will show you someone who creates a crisis to manage.’

It’s Saturday morning. I just received a text message from my friend Faith. She forwarded a message from a colleague she calls ‘Hair-on-fire.’ The text she received was sent at 4:45 PM yesterday, Friday, surfacing another crisis. ‘Hair-on-fire’ strikes again! Fortunately, Faith was engaged in another activity, so she didn’t see the text and wasn’t drawn into a last-minute waste of time. As I mentioned in my post last week, this colleague has a habit of creating a commotion late on a Friday afternoon. Just imagine, it‘s the end of the workweek and you’re ready to ease into the weekend. You may have plans for the evening, anticipating some well-deserved fun and relaxation. As you’re making the transition to ‘personal time,’ you’re assaulted with an urgent issue that requires you to revert to ‘working mode.’ Instant psychological whiplash. I call foul! This behavior strikes me as manipulative and narcissistic. It appears that “Hair-on-fire” uses this tactic as a control mechanism to manage her matrix team. From my experience, she probably believes that being a good crisis manager will result in recognition by senior management. Early in my career, I learned something about crisis management. My most important takeaway was: ‘Show me a good crisis manager, and I will show you someone who creates a crisis to manage.’ This topic is of great interest to me.

A thesaurus search of “toxic” reveals synonyms related to poison, something to be avoided. As with any poison, exposure to toxic people should be minimized whenever possible. How do you know you are dealing with a toxic person and how does one cope? Exploring this matter further will help us become more productive and effective. It will help you create a healthy workplace. The starting point is to identify toxic people by their behavior.

ATTRIBUTES OF A TOXIC PERSONALITY

Takes no responsibility for their actions – puts the blame on others
Manipulative
Never apologize
Judgmental – highly critical, will negate your self-esteem
Make you defensive
Will not support you
Inconsistent
Narcissistic – Must be the center of attention
Do not listen
Negative outlook – never a positive word, project their emotions on you
Never admit defeat – never wrong
Will not go out of their way for you
Present a victim’s mentality – emotional blackmail
Always have ulterior motives
They are mean – say things to hurt you

If you label someone as a ‘Drama Queen’ you’re dealing with a toxic personality. They don the victim role to manipulate you into doing things for them. You dread being with them as they drain you of your energy, creating mental exhaustion. These encounters make you feel bad or disappointed by your inability to cope. Toxic people are like vampires sucking the life out of you. The best advice I’ve heard is to be empathetic but don’t necessarily hang with them. Set boundaries. Don’t feed the beast by becoming engaged in their drama.

I find it difficult to understand why anyone would let toxic people into their life. I must be blessed as I cannot think of any truly toxic people that are part of my business or social circle. Sure, there are people I know who may exhibit one or more of these traits from time to time, but I cannot say that I have any toxic entanglements. It may be due to my experience, or maybe it’s my filters. However, there are people close to me who frequently deal with these personalities. Fortunately, I can help friends, family members, and associates work through and detach from these people.

Faith, for example, has no choice but to work with ‘Hair-on-fire,’ as they are members of the same team. Faith must adapt and cope with the situation.

Although it’s not the focus of this article, it must be very difficult if the toxic person happens to be a family member. They might not be able to change but you can do things to minimize the stress they create. Limit your time with them or end the relationship.

It is said that you become the average of the people with whom you most frequently associate. This refers to your behavior, your physical condition, professional success, etc. If you understand that toxic people are made, not born, you know their behavior may be contagious. I am fortunate that I attract people like me. I am generally a positive, and optimistic person by nature. Although I don’t have toxic people in my circle, I do interact with them from time to time. My experience is my shield, my intuition is my internal warning device. Toxic behavior is a big red flag. I find that life is too short to become entangled in their pathology. If you recognize any of these attributes in your behavior it might be wise to seek help to nullify them.

For Further Information:

Dr. Karl Albrecht. He has a short diagnostic you can access online which will help you determine if you were in a toxic relationship.

“Nine things toxic people always do and what to do about it” Coert Engles – IDEAPOD

“Six traits of highly toxic people“ Dr. Samantha Rodman, Talkspace, April 19, 2018

Thank you for visiting our blog.

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners

“A house divided against itself, cannot stand.” Candidate Abraham Lincoln

INTEREST

TRUST

MONEY

RECOMMENDATIONS

COMMENTARY CATALOG

Share this:

ROLE CONSTRUCTION

APPLICANT TRACKING

FAIRNESS

THIRD-PARTY TESTING

COUNSELED RESULTS INTERPRETATION

RECOMMENDATIONS

COMMENTARY CATALOG

Share this:

Share this:

Thank you for visiting our blog.

Share this:

Planning Requires a Learning System

My 2020 Blog Themes by Quarter

A catalog of my 2020 articles is listed at the end of this post.

My 2020 articles in reverse chronological order.

Thank you for visiting our blog.

Share this:

What we do:

How are we different:

Share this:

Share this:

CASH

CUSTOMERS

CULTURE

Thank you for visiting our blog.

Share this:

Share this:

For Further Information:

Share this:

***“A house divided against itself, cannot stand.”* *Candidate Abraham Lincoln***