Many times there is a big gap between what you expect out of an employee and what you actually get when you hire them.

In fact, almost every business owner, manager or HR professional has experienced a very common regret…hiring the wrong person. They did great on the interview. They said all the right things, wore the right clothes, and had a great resume. What went wrong? They didn’t identify the gap and they don’t know why their business has become a revolving door.

Our assessments provide INFORMATION for business owners and executives that enables them to make better decisions regarding their people issues.  To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

Focus:Forward, Inc.
Tel:                          972-991-8081     
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com

Thanks to Bill J. Bonnstetter at  TTI Performance Systems, Ltd.

The current recession has had a major impact on management’s decisions. It starts with concerns for survival. Now management is confronted with both good and bad information. Some still talk about a double dip recession, while others see light at the end of the tunnel.

We offer assessment solutions that enable organizations to select the right people for the right job and develop them to their full potential.

We work with clients across the employee life cycle to enhance the productivity and performance of individuals, teams, and organizations. Our solutions can help clients screen-out unsuitable candidates, match others with jobs that fit their inherent capabilities, understand the strengths and limitations of successful onboarding, and identify opportunities to enhance performance and maximize their long-term contribution to the organization.

To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

If this free offer isn’t something that would benefit you and your organization right now, please pass our information on to your colleagues and associates.

Focus:Forward, Inc.
Tel:                          972-991-8081    
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com

When it comes to identifying the personality traits they want in candidates, I’ve noticed most managers are quick to zero in on assertiveness. I often hear, “What I need is a real go-getter, someone who’ll take charge.” There’s no doubt this quality can be a real asset in employees, allowing them to work independently and avoid being derailed by setbacks. Yes, it’s great to have a team of highly assertive individuals who can make things happen.

Except, of course, when it isn’t.

When can it be a problem? Well, for starters, when the job doesn’t lend itself to taking charge. Lots of positions don’t offer many opportunities to assert yourself, especially those where the person works mostly in support of others or doesn’t have much authority. Sure, a moderate amount of assertiveness can be helpful in pushing forward to get results, but high levels pretty much set employees up for frustration unless they’re in a role that allows them to be directive, make decisions, and change course as necessary to accomplish tasks.

And then there are situations where a group of people needs to work closely and cooperatively to achieve an outcome. It’s fine if one member of the team is highly assertive and can assume the role of leader. But two or three assertive individuals all trying to run the show? That’s a recipe for power struggles and turf wars in many cases.

Finally, let’s not forget that those with micromanagement tendencies usually struggle to work effectively with assertive employees. Most micromanagers are loathe to admit they need to be in control pretty much all the time, but they don’t exactly gravitate toward letting their people do whatever they deem necessary to get their jobs done. Ironically, the ones I see most frequently insisting they want the “hard chargers” are the first to complain that they have to work too hard to rein these people in.

I think the key to determining just how assertive you really need your employees to be is to take a long, hard look at three key things:

• The job they’ll be doing
• The team members they’ll be working with most closely, and
• The way you’ll realistically manage their day-to-day activities

Once you’ve settled on the ideal range, you should be able to calibrate your interview questions and your assessment tool to help you determine how your candidates fit. This is definitely one of those instances where you need to be careful what you wish for and make sure you can really use it if you get it.

To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

Focus:Forward, Inc.
Tel:              972-991-8081
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com

Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers… they possess a wide range of easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities.

A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.

Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:

1. They ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

When a key customer’s project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there’s a problem and jump in without being asked—even if it’s not their job.

2. They’re eccentric… The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

People who aren’t afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

3. But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun… until it isn’t. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

4. They publicly praise… Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.

Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

5. And they privately complain. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.

Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.

6. They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what’s going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don’t, and they’re afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”

Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

7. They like to prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn’t have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.

Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

8. They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can’t help it.

Thanks to Jeff Hayden for this great article! 

To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

Focus:Forward, Inc.
Tel:              972-991-8081
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com

Thanks to:  Bill J. Bonnstetter is Chairman and Ron J. Bonnstetter, Ph.D., is Vice President of Research & Development, both at Target Training International, Ltd.

How useful would it be to identify the problem-solvers within your business? They’re called entrepreneurs, and not all of them are created the same. The ability to identify entrepreneurs empowers organizations to effectively manage their workforce. Through research, we’re beginning to learn more about spotting star performers who would otherwise become disengaged and flee — taking their new ideas with them.

Identifying these individuals is possible long before they enter the workplace. In fact, 42 percent of entrepreneurs have determined they want to own their own business before the age of 12, according to an ongoing study run by our company, Target Training International, of engineering students from 18 major U.S. universities.

Early findings from this research describe two types of entrepreneurs emerging:

Entrepreneurial-Minded People (EMPs): They tend to work well in teams, have an organized workplace and enjoy consistency. These individuals are happier within organizations or within a group of people working together to achieve a goal.

Serial Entrepreneurs (SEs): The second group is made up of potential serial entrepreneurs who have a desire to own their own business. Serial entrepreneurs tend to be more individualistic, have a greater sense of urgency and a desire to control. They have demonstrated an ability to sustain a business past the first year, into the higher growth job production years of a young firm.

Both entrepreneurial types are identified by a distinct challenge-orientation and improvement-focused mindset. But they differ in their attitudes towards control. EMPs are less concerned with the amount of control they can exert. They are happiest when they work collaboratively on a task, in a team, striving for solutions to complex or recurring problems.

The SE wishes to have ultimate control over her life and business. While happy to set direction for a company or team, serial entrepreneurs need to feel that their employer is not limiting their destiny.

Once you identify certain performers as SEs or EMPs, it’s your job as a manager to retain them.

Make sure they have a forum where their ideas can be heard. When an SE shares his vision and is met with rejection, he will become disengaged and will likely resent the organization. He is also likely to not only plot his exit, but how to redress the rejection he experienced. That can translate into taking their ideas to a competitor or becoming a competitor himself. Similarly if an EMP is not allowed to engage in the problem-solving process or is asked to work independently, the same is likely to occur.

But how do managers identify entrepreneurial types? It’s often helpful to put these questions to use, especially during the hiring process or a performance review.

1. Describe your career goals. The EMP’s answer would more likely indicate he could care less about being in management and is happy where he is or where he is applying for. The SE will tend to say she is looking for advancement.
2. Describe your professional strengths. An EMP will focus on strengths directly related to the job in question. An SE will talk more about leadership and personal identity.
3. Describe things you’re not good at. Honesty is important for both. Listen closely: If she claims to not have any weaknesses, she is likely more SE-driven. The more weaknesses he confesses to having, the more EM-driven he is.
4. What activities do you do to keep current in your profession? The EMP is interested in keeping up within his profession and industry. The SE is more focused on keeping up on broader scope, going beyond just her career and may discuss things she is reading, experiencing or sharing.

Entrepreneurs — whether EMPs or serial — already possess the behaviors, attitudes, and values to build successful businesses. Finding out whom within the workforce possesses the traits of an entrepreneur — and which type they are — will allow business leaders to work with their unique approach to business. Recruiting and retaining entrepreneurs will pay big dividends not just for individual companies, but also for the economy as a whole.

To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

Focus:Forward, Inc.
Tel:              972-991-8081
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com

For decades, Zig Ziglar has motivated and inspired millions of people to be better at whatever they do for a living. Zig’s ideas about creating a sense of urgency are exemplified in his “Day Before Vacation” story. This technique can have a tremendous effect on your productivity, and the ability to motivate employees.

Think about your last day at work before you went on your most recent vacation. Didn’t you get as much done in that day as you would normally get done in two, three, or even four days? Have you ever considered how this could be used to motivate employees? Look at what Zig says you probably do on the day before your vacation:

Two nights before your vacation, you likely sat down with a piece of paper and listed all of the things that had to get finished the following day – your gottas (“I gotta do this and I gotta…”). Then, you committed to completing them all before you left the office the next day. These principles are essential to motivate employees.

On the morning of the day before your vacation, you arrived at the office on time -maybe even early. But you didn’t head for the coffee machine. No, you headed straight for the first gotta on your list (the sign of a motivated employee). You probably also did things out of order. You took your least favorite, most distasteful task on your list and got it out of the way quickly, instead of having it hanging overhead all day long (the way you normally would). With that tough one out of the way, you were feeling pretty good, and so you tore into the next task on your list, and then the next one after that. When someone came to chat about last night’s game, you politely but firmly informed that person that you were just too busy – and then you got back to business.

As you completed each of your gottas, you felt your energy rising, so that by halfway through the day you were buzzing with a sense of accomplishment that drove your enthusiasm level ever higher. Your obviously energized and enthusiastic demeanor began to motivate employees and colleagues around you. They started to ramp up their efforts and became similarly enthusiastic. The atmosphere in the office got a little extra spark, and this lifted you even further. At the end of the day, you had all of your gottas completed. Let’s have a look at the principles behind this focus, and how you apply it to your employees’ performance and implement it in your employee development program.

Determining which option to pursue depends heavily on supply and demand, but also on your past experience and internal resources. If talent supply is abundant and demand is light, then the job should be easier to fill than jobs that require unique skills or expertise that is difficult or expensive to find.  However, if you don’t have the proper resources to support the hiring process, then you may need some outside help.

First, Create a Vision

When your employee’s vision gets knocked offline by events around him, he’s like a $10 billion guided missile without a target. He can fly around in circles looking pretty impressive, but eventually he’s going to run out of fuel and crash and burn. Motivate employees in an organized way that will make them more productive. Help him envision his target clearly in his head and then paint it in front of him every day so that you are maximizing productivity.

Second, Formulate a Set of Clearly Defined Goals

Having a great vision is useless unless your employee formulates clear, achievable goals to ensure that his vision becomes reality. He must plot a course to take him from where he is now to a target with checkpoints along the way that let him know when he has gone off course. Successful employee motivation is rooted in meaningful goal setting.

Third, Make a Commitment

This is the most common stumbling block; even if its victims are used to creating compelling visions and formulating achievable goals, they fail to commit. If he has ever made a New Year’s resolution he failed to complete, he knows what happens to plans that aren’t backed by commitment. If there’s no commitment, then his vision simply isn’t compelling enough. Otherwise, the commitment naturally would follow. He knows that his vision is right when it has the same sense of urgency. A real commitment will immediately motivate the employee to get him off the ground and in search of his target. Before he spends one more day out of focus, motivate the employee to stop and look carefully at his goals.

To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

:Forward, Inc.
Tel:              972-991-8081
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com

What can you do to resolve coworker conflict? Each situation will be different, but here are some ways to deal with feuding employees and try to avoid it in the future: 

• Meet with the feuding coworkers to see if you can remedy the situation. Do this quickly to avoid letting it fester and spiral out of control.
• Alert your boss to the situation so that they’re not blindsided by any necessary disciplinary actions now or in the future.
• Involve HR as necessary, which could be as an independent mediator, to put difficult employees on notice or probation, or to begin the process of transferring the troublemakers to another department or location.
• Advocate an environment of respect, tolerance, and civility in the office.
• Maintain an open dialogue with your employees. Freely sharing information and updates on the company and department will quell the need for gossip and rumors.
• Review your policies on use of company email and social media sites. Some disgruntled employees will take their rants online either within or outside of the company. Know your company’s electronic media policies and communicate them with all employees.

To get objective, engagement studies on current employees, and/or to take the guess work out of correctly building your team, contact us today to learn more.  FREE complimentary demo.  Absolutely NO obligation!

 Focus:Forward, Inc.
Tel:              972-991-8081
Email:  nocostdemo@focusforward.com