I grew up with horses — starting with casual riding, then playing cowboys & Indians (on real horses), and showing hunter/jumpers when I got older. One of the first things that was drilled into my head when learning to jump…
Years ago, I tried reading and implementing David Allen’s Getting Things Done system, with hit-or-miss success. Although I gave up on much of the David Allen GTD system, one of my favorite books is by him. “Ready for Anything: 52…
Handling leadership changes can be unsettling at best, and frustrating and emotionally draining at worst. If you’re a leader helping your team stay focused during these times, composure (the ability to handle stress) and empathy are critical for navigating changes…
Your hiring process should look something like the photo to the left, with two additional steps – assessment before the interview (to provide feedback to deepen your interview), and reference checks between the interview and offer. Hiring decisions should take…
You’ve just hired a candidate who you feel is perfect for your vacant position. Now what? It can be easy to make the mistake of waiting until the end of a probationary period to formally evaluate someone recently hired. But…
“By themselves character and integrity do not accomplish anything. But their absence faults everything else. Here is an area where weakness is an absolute disqualification.” – Peter Drucker To some extent hiring is always a gamble, but all too many…
A very important distinction to make when using behavioral assessments within organizations for hiring or employee development is the difference in approaches between external candidates (those being considered for positions) versus internal personnel (those already employed). Whenever you’re adding to…
I recently experienced another hand-to-the-forehead moment. Here’s what I overheard: “We’ve hired him; now let’s assess him and see what we’ve got!” All I could do was shake my head and sigh. I understand that hiring can be one of…
Asking if succession management is necessary is like asking if the sun is hot. Of course it is! Even if your future appears to be all sunshine and unicorns, succession management is an essential component of a successful business strategy….
For those of us who aren’t clairvoyant, let’s peer into our Magic 8 Ball for best ways to improve employee engagement levels among millennials. Bad idea! The Magic 8 Ball keeps telling me to try again. So, what IS the…