Whether you are looking to hire people or looking to be hired, if an interview is on the horizon you should be thinking “behavioral.” Behavioral based interviewing is a structured process that seeks to better qualify candidates and results in the best team member fit for the organization.

The interview is more structured than most, complete with a defined flow and set of predetermined questions. During an effective interview, the interviewer typically speaks no more than 25% of the time, while the candidate speaks 75% or more. The key is that most of the interviewer’s speaking time is spent at the end of the interview, not the beginning! Most interviewers are terrible because they spend the beginning of the interview talking and telling the candidate all about the organization and the position. This makes it quite easy for the person being interviewed to simply regurgitate important points and sound in-synch with the organization.

One last tip: gain behavioral examples. The examples of real-life events provided by the candidate can then be used to assess the relevance of job related skills. If you want more information about terrific interview structures or techniques, contact us for a consult or to purchase one of our interview guides.

You read that title correctly. Last week Amazon announced that for the first time e-books outsold paper books. The week before was probably the last time in history (Amazon’s at least) that paper books outsold e-books. So my friends, e-books are here to stay and will continue to gather traction. A fact: we are in the process of turning Leadership Simplified into an e-book. Bought that Kindle yet? Anyway, e-books are just the first incarnation of prose read electronically. What does the future hold? In the not too distant future, Vooks will hit the scene in a big way. What the heck are vooks? Well, they are a fine blend of text, high-quality video, and hyperlinks. Just picture that you are reading your favorite business resource book, Leadership Simplified, and you click on a word and, voila, I appear in a video and explain the concept that you were reading about. Similarly, in another section you would click on a hyperlink and suddenly be transported to a section of my website or another reliable information source. Sound spiffy? Hold on to your hat. It is coming, and it’s game changing!     

A while back Colin Powell wrote a nice piece about leadership. In it, he included a list of certain “rights” that leaders give up when they take on a leadership position. You may or may not agree with Powell’s list, but I believe a review of it from time-to-time is healthy.

Once you become a leader, you give up certain rights: 

0. The right to lose your temper. 
0. The right to be "one of the crowd." 
0. The right to shut the door.  
0. The right to bring problems to work. 
0. The right to speak freely. 
0. The right to be against change. 
0. The right to pass the buck. 
0. The right to get even. 
0. The right to choose favorites.
0. The right to think of yourself first.
0. The right to ask a staff member to do something you would not do.
0. The right to expect immediate reward for your work.

Last week the U.S. Senate voted to include a proposed $30 billion lending program in a small business aid package it will be examining soon. If approved, the measure would enable community banks to provide an abundance of SBA loans to small business. Approximately $12 billion in tax breaks for small businesses, as well as the beefing up of several other government lending programs would also be included.

Here is my take: 1. A large pool of available funds is welcomed news since lenders have been very tight with approving loans. 2. There should be some concern because in the government’s haste to push $30 billion into a flailing economy, an abundance of bad loans may be generated. 3. Doesn’t it seem odd that only community banks will be allowed to lend these funds? Non-community banks have the kind of market share and geographical scope to push these funds into the market more quickly and, perhaps with better controls. Why not let all banks participate?    

On a recent return flight from a business trip, I sat next to a wise man. Let’s call him Howard. Well, that was his name, Howard. He is a retired corporate executive and a negotiation expert. During the blizzard of our conversation, one of the topics we addressed was negotiation best practices. In this regard, Howard shared several stories with me. The sentiment of one of them is encapsulated below.

We have all heard that when one of our senses is injured or compromised, the others rise to the occasion and become stronger. While at dinner one night with a colleague, Howard noticed that with eat bite of delicious food, his friend would close his eyes and savor the collage of flavors. Howard asked him what he was doing. His friend’s immediate reply, with eyes still closed, was that he wanted to focus all of his attention on what he was doing – what he was enjoying. Howard embraced the habit and not only began closing his eyes while consuming tasty meals, but he expanded the technique’s use. For instance, during important conversations and critical negotiations, Howard would inform others that he was closing his eyes so that he could focus, and hear, and taste their message. One can only imagine the unusual facial expressions that Howard’s technique must have caused. He wouldn’t know, his eyes were closed – and his mind was open. He must have done something (many things) right, because he was and is one heck of a successful guy. If you ever meet him, you will like him. Here is my point: In this sometimes crazy, fast-paced world, develop listening modalities that work for you. If we were all to stop rushing, and texting, and stressing for a moment we would realize that people have amazing things to say. Listen. And open your mind.        

Recently, a group asked me to be their keynote business speaker. I am always honored to speak to leaders, and this group was particularly lively and astute. They also chose a location that was beautiful and rustic. As I drove through the beautiful setting I had to stop my car. I mean literally stop, because a group of three Sandhill Cranes were sauntering across the street and I had no desire to tangle with them. For those of you not familiar with Sandhills, they are the size of storks, with large, pointy beaks. In addition, they are territorial, confident, loyal, family-oriented, and combative if provoked. I respect and admire these beautiful birds.

After they had safely passed and I had moved on, it struck me just how incredibly adaptable these birds are. We are constantly encroaching on their natural habitat, and they refuse to be defeated. Instead, they adapt. In other words, they are not happy about man’s presence in and proximity to their world, yet they deal with it and flourish. Sandhills continue to stalk their turf, frequent their ponds, cross barriers (i.e., paved roads), and raise their young in a changed world. Sandhills even coexist with our pets – it is sometimes amusing to see just who chases whom.

So the next time you are assessing your strengths or areas of needed improvement, ponder your level of leadership adaptability. Are you a Sandhill, or something else? During your assessment process answer these questions:

0. How do I behave when I perceive that someone is encroaching on my turf?
0. How do I treat hurdles: as a nuisance or something that occurs naturally during the course of progress and growth?
0. When thrown into uncomfortable situations am I still confident? Why or why not?
0. Am I constantly reinforcing and building the concept of team in the workplace?
0. If my team was driving and I stepped into the road would they stop and patiently wait for me, or would they run me over? Why?

Often times being a great leader involves reflecting on a handful of questions that keep your fingers on the pulse of your performance. Sometimes life is enhanced by stopping and admiring the grandeur in something seemingly simple. Be well my friends. And be adaptable. 

A lot of change is going on out there. I certainly don’t need to tell you about that, do I? What you might be interested in though, is discussing just how leaders weave changes into their existing culture. That’s the trick. So, let’s touch on a foundational action plan that leaders can use to exact the kind of change they are looking for, with minimal disruptions to workflow.

First, determine what areas/items/behaviors/procedures you want to change. Use free thinking here and open everyone’s mind to what could be different. Second, designate a point person who owns each particular item to change. Third, project by what date the change will commence or be completed. Note: be specific on the due date (i.e., third quarter 2010 does not cut it). Fourth, measure the results.

Once the above stated steps have been completed, you can follow the same drill with one subtle difference: determine what areas you do not want to change. This action is critical, and where most leaders blow it. Often times, leaders are so busy changing things that they do not communicate what items and behaviors they want to stay the same. 

If you want help with leadership facilitation, a professional facilitator is a good way of moving change forward, thus allowing you to participate in the process as part of the team. If you prefer to lead the charge, go forth. And remember to focus on action. 

Do you have a leadership library? No, no, not a room or a bookshelf that contains volumes of thought about leadership. What I am referring are ready resources that can help you today, right now, as you lead your team.

Most good leaders I know are voracious learners. These life-long learners typically read a book on leadership, then move on to the next book or topic – always searching for golden nuggets to learn to share. There is nothing wrong with this. I have a different prescription though. Here it is: re-read. That’s right, read the best business books multiple times and let their concepts and motivation thoroughly soak into to your leadership being. You know, most business books are nothing more than a memo done good, or some story, that while intriguing, contains merely four concepts to embrace. As such, focus on three business books at a time. Learn them. Read them again and again. Bathe in their knowledge until you have seamlessly woven their concepts into your behaviors and language. Only then, move on to a new set. What are the three books I recommend most frequently? I thought you would never ask. Here they are:

-          Good to Great

-          Now, Discover Your Strengths

-          Leadership Simplified      

Have these books readily available near your desk. Use them as field guides. Review them frequently and on the fly. Consume them thoroughly and then, don’t forget: implement!

One of the terrific benefits of my job is that I get to frequently coach top performers. It is simultaneously a pleasure and a challenge. The pleasure comes from interacting with people who are at the top of their industry and, at the top of their game. The challenge comes in the form of helping them unlock even more of themselves and their talent. The unlocking of jewels that top performers have tucked away usually present themselves after interesting questions have been asked. That is one of the big functions of leadership and coaching – asking great questions. Another item to consider is how you will connect with your top performers. By this, I mean finding out if they prefer formal or informal coaching; do they want in person or tele-coaching – or both; are they game for preparing written summaries of the formal coaching sessions after they take place? Wanna become a better coach for top performers? Tell less, ask more.

“Sounds great, go ahead and send me a proposal.” We have all heard these words. Most sales professionals obediently follow up on their prospect’s request. Big mistake. You don’t even have to ask why it is a mistake because you know the answer: your proposals are rarely accepted. And on those occasions when they are, it is only because you offered the lowest price. This information is frequently verified by participants at our performance sales training events.

Without going into a diatribe about proposals and all the evil nuisances associated with them, I offer an alternative strategy on which to consider:

The word “proposal” connotes comparison. Thus, if you supply a proposal, you will be compared with other vendors. That’s right, you relegate yourself to nothing more than a vendor. Does that label fit nicely with your marketing model? Answer: I hope not. Here is my tip: in lieu of a proposal send a Statement of Work, or a Memo of Understanding, or a Commitment Letter, or a Contract. For goodness sake do NOT send a proposal. Bonus tip: avoid future tense language in the document you send. Instead, speak in present tense.

Bottom Line: Seek to shrink the sales cycle and move towards doing business. Do not elongate your selling process and engage in the time-suck of preparing a proposal.

This information and more is covered during our Sales Simplified Boot Camps. Consider setting one up for your team.  

The ability to make a decision and subsequently stick to your guns is a completely undervalued quality in the business world. Now, that is not to say that sometimes rethinking an issue, or acquiescing to a better idea is not valuable, but the bottom line is that good leaders make decisions. When a leader shows some level-headed decisiveness it: 

0. Conveys strength.
0. Shows conviction.
0. Sets the expectation that when a decision is necessary, you (the leader) will make one.  
0. Enhances decision “stickability.” In other words, once you have made a decision, people know it will stick.
0. Provides direction. Even if the leader chooses the wrong direction, and we are all wrong sometimes, at least team members know what is going on and where they stand. This reduces the allure of the grapevine and often helps boost morale.

So take a step back and evaluate your decision-making. Could you be a little more decisive? Take the plunge. Typically, the benefits of decisiveness far outweigh the drawbacks.

Is it me or is the world getting more and more complicated? Faster pace? You betcha – in just about every aspect of our lives. So I would like to suggest a new mantra for all of us: “Simplify the Complicated.” That’s right, seek to simplify those seemingly complicated items in your life. It is easier than you think. Let’s examine the odd example of someone who desires to speak as though they were an expert on that wonderful flightless bird, the ostrich. Just work with me people. Yes, the ostrich. Now, you may be thinking, “Okay, for me to be an expert on ostriches I will need to do research – that will take time. I will also need to practice what I will say – that will take time as well.” How about if I simplify the complicated for you? Here is how: to speak as though you are an expert on ostriches, simply remember the number “40.” That’s right. Answer these questions please:

0. How fast can an ostrich run?
0. How long can an ostrich live?
0. How long does a female ostrich sit on her egg before it hatches?

Feel more like an expert on ostriches? See how simple (and fast) it was. Trust me, we all have many opportunities to simply various pools of information, tasks, duties, obligations, etc in our work and personal life. The easiest way to simplify your life is to simply use your noodle. Think creatively. Think strategically. And in the process: simplify the complicated.       

The United Kingdom is jubilant that they chose not to enter the Euro sweepstakes. Their ability to somewhat control fluctuations in the Pound has enabled the U.K. to better weather a prickly economic storm. Germany, on the other hand, rues the day they abandoned their beloved Mark in favor of the Euro “experiment.” With Greece in virtual default and Spain and Portugal not far behind, the strong economies of the European Union (think Germany and France) have little choice but to bail out their EU buddies. This will exacerbate the dulling of the Euros luster.

The Euros folly breathes a sigh of relief for the United States. The Euro is, in fact, not going away, however, it places the Dollar at center-stage again with regard to the world’s currency of choice. And with trillions of Dollars being held by foreign benefactors such as China and Saudi Arabia, it reduces the possibility, and the economic strategy of these countries dumping their Dollars in favor of the Euro. While the U.S. does not desire for the Dollar to gain significant value strength (this could impede its ability to drive increases in exports), it does relish the position of being the only game in town.         

A recent study showed that we sleep 22% less than we did 100 years ago. This results in lower productivity, more mistakes, and lower sex drive. The average person requires seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Observations show that leaders who sleep five hours a night do not accomplish more than peers who sleep seven. Quite the contrary, a little bit of sleep results in, well, better results. Plus, a high percentage of people who are sleep deprived are drowsy or fall asleep while driving and drink lots of caffeine – both of which can be hazardous to your health.

Here is the bottom line: get adequate sleep. It is better for business and it will enhance the quality of your life.   

0. A business plan, complete with an action plan
0. An emergency recovery plan
0. Wills, Living Wills, and Power of Attorneys
0. A buy/sell agreement if you have a partner(s) 
0. An emergency briefcase. Okay, it’s not a document, but it contains copies of your important documents, databases, accounting system, and recovery plan. Importantly, in case of an emergency you can grab it, leave, go buy a laptop and be back in business within one hour.