The e-mail read: Can a job applicant alter their personality style profile to influence the results so that their style appears to be more like the style we’re looking for to fill this position?” The rest of the story: This small company hires customer reps who must be creative, friendly, but also detail-oriented. The company [...]
I’m going out on a limb here: The ability to listen well is the most important tool you’ll ever put in your leadership tool kit, or for that matter, your tool kit for living well. There. I said it. What do I mean? When you listen well, you’re also learning to communicate well. When you [...]
We all make bad decisions. Sometimes the consequences of those decisions are inconsequential. Other times they can be devastating. A few years ago Blockbuster Video had the opportunity to acquire a little start-up (Netflix) for a paltry 50 million dollars. They decided not to. Really Bad Decision. Netflix has recently been valued at 32.9 billion. Yes, [...]
Bored? Looking for a little excitement? Try googling, “Compliment Sandwich.’ You’ll find a few posts that define it and a bunch of articles on why you should NEVER use one. So, what is a compliment sandwich? It’s placing critical feedback between two positive statements about a person’s performance to lessen the pain or discomfort of [...]
When front line workers are promoted to leadership they must learn a new set of skills in order to be successful. There are four challenges that will derail a leader at any level if they aren’t addressed. In my consulting business I have witnessed a lot of train wrecks that could have been avoided if [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTHL-wsU68o (Four things that Making Polenta and Developing Leaders have in common) Today I made polenta for the first time. It’s an Italian version of grits, only better. A few weeks ago I enjoyed osso buco; It’s the Italian version of roast beef, only better, served on polenta, at my favorite Italian restaurant. It [...]
---- Ruthie Hast, M.Ed., LPC Expectations are how we hope or anticipate life will be. They encompass all areas of our lives—our work, our relationships, the way our life will unfold. They play a major part in how our goals and general life direction are formed. They're how we are able to envision our [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2C7Mfft9OY (From Mona Earnest, Speaker, trainer, HR consultant and partner at Encore Life Skills) Yesterday, I taught a course on Cultural Intelligence for the State of Oklahoma Office of Management & Enterprise (OMES). Just as your own Intelligence Quotient (IQ) can be measured, so can your Cultural Quotient (CQ). Harvard Business Review defines [...]
I hate Emotional Intelligence. Well actually, I dislike the term, “Emotional Intelligence.” Why? Intelligence is something you are stuck with. You get your quotient, your share, and that’s it. Done. Experts say you can stretch it a little bit, but not appreciably. Mental push-ups won’t develop a cerebral six-pack. Vitamins won’t make you any smarter. [...]
Conflict. Some of us really don’t like conflict. We would much rather get along than get cross with each other, and a workplace where people are nice to each other is a good thing, right? Well, actually not. Being “nice” feels comfortable but may not be a very healthy or productive place to work. “Nice” [...]
