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Look to public sector for private sector leaders |
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Attracting Talent
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By Dr. Rebecca Schalm
Many baby boomers who have been successful in the private sector actively seek ways to bring ‘meaning’ to their lives by translating their skills into other sectors, such as non-profits.
In fact, there has been a definite trend in the upsurge in corporate executives pursuing significant leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector. There are even a number of organizations which are dedicated to helping them make a successful transition into the not-for-profit world.
I have spent time with these leaders and, while their desire to make a difference in the world is genuine, they often find the transition between sectors to be challenging or downright frustrating.
I recently had the privilege of spending a couple of days with a few senior public-sector executives who were in competition for a CEO role in a venerable and critical institution. To say I was left with the acute impression that I am an under-achiever in life would be an understatement. At the end of the two days I couldn’t help thinking that we should forget how to get private sector leaders into the not-for-profit sector and look at how to get public sector leaders into the private sector.” What did these leaders have that left me so awestruck?
Motivation to serve the greater good
Most private-sector executives are motivated by power or commercial interests. They like to be in charge and they want to make money for themselves and the organizations they serve. Public-sector leaders have a completely different set of drivers. They are motivated by altruistic concerns – the desire to make the world and their community a better place. The desire to serve is a core, enduring value that governs these leaders.
Managing competing and inter-related priorities
It is hard to find a private-sector executive who has the breadth and skill set required to address the myriad challenges facing an organization. Top-drawer leaders in the public sector understand the multiple dimensions by which an organization is measured. They speak of financial viability and cultural vibrancy within the same sentence. They understand the importance of connecting in a deep and personal way with the people whom they lead, and serve. Culture transformation is right up there with increased productivity. They find a way to balance competing demands.
Sophisticated political savvy
To be effective in the not-for-profit and public sector requires a profound ability to know and understand a multitude of stakeholders – many more than any private company CEO has to deal with. The leaders I met have some of the keenest instincts around stakeholder management I have ever observed. They are not elected officials, so politicking is of no use to them. To be successful, they need to engage a diverse and extensive community. And they do so with aplomb. Where others would become jaded or frustrated, they see opportunity. They maintain perspective, optimism and resilience. They deal with BP oil spill-like crises on a regular basis and respond with a cool and collected calm. They always find the right words to soothe and convey the importance of an issue.
Uncommon compassion and insight into others
Understanding the views and perspectives of others is a key success factor for any leader. To be truly compassionate and understanding while maintaining high standards around vision and performance is masterful. Those who choose to serve the greater good are often, coincidentally, more compassionate and insightful by nature. This often serves them well as they look to build relationships and coalitions with others. What is particularly interesting about these leaders is that none of them is a pushover – they all retain high standards and a dedication to the cause of organizational excellence over concern for any one individual. Leaders in the private sector are often trapped by the obligations of long-term relationships with people who are not serving them well, but whom they are uncomfortable confronting or dealing with.
The gender thing
The four people I met were women. The reality is, women are attracted to the not-for-profit and public service. And they are good. Really good. Women are under-represented in the private sector at every turn, from junior executive to board member. In the service profession, women dominate. Their style, motivation and approach seem to be more congruent, and they seem to be more interested in playing a significant role. That is a shame. Every one of the women I met could run a private sector organization without breaking stride. But they don’t know it. They probably aren’t interested. And that is our loss.
SOURCE: Troy Media
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Attracting, retaining tomorrow’s top talent |
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Attracting Talent
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By Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman
Kendra is majoring in Finance in of one of the top universities in the United States. With one semester of schooling to complete, Kendra spent the summer as an intern in one of the leading high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. That company just made her an offer for full-time employment after graduation, which Kendra will accept – unless she gets the counter offer she’s hoping for, from one of the world’s most prestigious management consulting firms.
Kendra is an example of “top talent” – one of the best and the brightest of a new generation of workers who are the future of your organization. Your ability to attract, retain and engage the Kendras (and Kenneths) of this generation will, in a large part, determine whether your organization will continue to thrive or must struggle to stay competitive in the years ahead.The best and brightest of Gen Y are ready for you. Are you ready for them? When I ask young workers what they most want from their employers, four categories – collaboration, relationships, feedback and development, access to information – are always at the top of the list.
Want #1: Collaboration and teamwork. Gen Y comes with a collaborative mindset, partly because they are the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, social-networking generation and accustomed to sharing ideas, exchanging knowledge, and working collectively. They don’t want to work in pyramid hierarchies, but rather in flatter, networked, flexible, and more collaborative organizations. They would also prefer environments in which people spend less time in separate offices and more time coming together to socialize and work collectively.
Want #2: Great working relationships. Members of this generation want leaders who will get to know them personally as well as professionally and leaders who care about them as individuals. They want to develop strong personal relationships with their peers as well. Millennials thrive on social connections, and are more reluctant to leave companies where they have friends. They see the workplace as a place where they mix and interact. For them, work is about being with people, and that’s one reason they might choose to work in a company, rather than as a solo entrepreneur. In short, they want to be a member of a community.
Want #3: Frequent feedback and personal development. The days of annual performance reviews are over. Or they will be shortly. Gen Y employees want constant, informal assessment of how they are doing — are they doing it fast enough, are they hitting the mark? If possible, they want this information on a daily basis. Not telling them how they are performing makes them feel left in the dark, and they will most likely stop contributing or chose to leave the organization.
Just make sure your feedback isn’t all about what they need to improve. “Catch people doing things right” will become more than a leadership mantra, it will be a necessity for this “everyone-gets-a-trophy” generation whose abilities and achievements as children have been constantly reinforced. Recognition, reward and appreciation from their managers will be paramount in engagement and retention.
Gen-Y’ers also put great store in education, and they want to be encouraged and supported to create personal growth and development plans. They want the challenge and excitement of getting on board and getting up to speed quickly. They want to build their reputations within the company. The worst thing you can do is leave them sitting around waiting for something to happen. Instead, give them a task or responsibility they can own and offer a wide range of projects to work on.
Want #4: Access to information. These are the cyber kids who grew up with the Internet, so speed and access to information is something that they automatically expect. Computers have given this generation the experience of always having information “at their fingertips,” and they are adept at using different data and technology to blend seemingly unrelated elements when solving problems. To a Millennial, the idea of cascade communication (where information flows through organizational levels, starting at the top) seems like a quaint concept – and a completely ineffective business practice. There’s more you should know about them: They work to live, not live to work. Younger employees want control of their time, whether it involves organizationally structured arrangements such as flex-time, flex-place, contractual work, or management philosophies and practices that stress results over “face time.”
They’re also looking for meaning in their lives, so is helping new employees make a “values match” between their personal values and the organization’s vision/mission is key. As is letting individuals know specifically how their work fits in and contributes to the goals of the enterprise.
And forget about issuing orders. Millennials were raised to express themselves, and their opinions were regularly sought in family decision-making (especially when it came to buying and setting up the latest technology). In organizations they want to be included in decisions that affect them – not simply told to drink their milk and go to bed. Responding to this generation’s demands for inclusion, one high-tech CEO observed, “There’s nothing wrong with command and control leadership. It’s simply irrelevant in the 21st Century.” Competitive salaries and benefits? Of course they’re part of the equation. But as another executive told me, “If they come just for the bucks, they’ll leave for the bucks.” Retaining Gen-Y’ers will depend more on building their engagement – with challenging work, collaborative leadership, and a nurturing environment – than it will on salary.
But isn’t that usually the case with top talent?
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is an executive coach, consultant, and international keynote speaker at corporate, government, and association events. She’s the author of “The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work.” Her new book, “THE SILENT LANGUAGE OF LEADERS” will be published by Jossey-Bass in the spring of 2011. Contact Carol by phone, 510-526-1727, or email CGoman@CKG.com. View video clips on Carol’s websites: http://www.NonverbalAdvantage.com and http://www.CKGcom. You can also follow Carol on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CGoman.
SOURCE: Troy Media
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Attracting Talent
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By Bob Weinstein
Contrary to popular belief, low salary is usually not the primary reason for quitting a job.
Statistics predict that most career-builders won’t be working for the same company a decade from now. They’re likely to have at least two more jobs.
Even though frequent job changes often have a lot to do with variables beyond your control, such mergers or acquisitions and economic or market uncertainties, there are common reasons why people change jobs.
Gregory P. Smith, author of Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from High-Turnover to High-Retention, says that most employees take new jobs because of management problems. He lists five common management mistakes:
1. Demanding that one person do the jobs of two or more people, resulting in longer days and weekend work.
2. Cutting back on administrative help, which forces workers to use their time copying, stapling, collating, filing and performing other clerical duties.
3. Putting a freeze on raises and promotions.
4. Not allowing the rank and file to make decisions, or denying them pride of ownership.
5. Constantly reorganizing and changing direction.
Constant management changes also contribute to high turnover. Companies that have been sold or absorbed by a larger company often go through frequent management changes, which cause confusion and poor morale – reason enough to jump ship for a more stable organization.
The real culprit: bad bosses
But the biggest management problem of all is an intolerable boss. That covers a plethora of horrific boss problems, from sheer incompetence to deceitful, manipulative, dishonest and neurotic or even psychotic behaviors. If you’re saddled with an intolerable boss, the trick is learning how to get along with him until you land another job.
Says Smith: “Employees don’t quit their companies; they quit their bosses.”
Take the hint and do your homework before taking a job. Of course, there are always surprises, but the more you know about a prospective employer, the better your chances of making a good decision and holding on to your job for more than two years.
If you’ve done your fair share of job-hopping, this is the time to start asking questions about turnover, stresses Mark Mehler, a principal of recruiting-technology consulting firm CareerXroads, in Kendall Park, N.J. A former HR executive, Mehler and partner Gerry Krispin published the respected annual guide CareerXroads, a compendium of the top career sites in the United States.
There are many causes of high corporate turnover, according to Mehler. High on the list are corporate financial troubles, uncontrollable economic or cyclical factors, poor management, outdated technology and inferior products.
What should you do? A combination of leg, phone and intelligent detective work – and lots of research, says Mehler. “It takes time, but it’s well worth the effort.”
Mehler lists some strategies to consider, along with tips on where to find information:
1. Put the word out. Speak to colleagues, friends, co-workers and former bosses. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you turn up.
2. Find out about the company’s corporate culture. You’d better take the culture thing seriously, urges Mehler, because it could make your stay at a company either an exciting challenge or a trip into corporate hell. For example, companies across the country have different rules and ethics about how to behave in meetings, he says. “Midwest companies don’t appreciate workers who challenge their co-workers and ask very pointed questions,” he says. “Yet many Northeast companies expect their workers to challenge, argue, question and put their colleagues on the spot. And then there are the fast-track Silicon Valley companies in Northern California that expect their workers to be hard-driving, workaholic warriors who will work around the clock to find answers to tough problems.”
3. Plug into some of the better career blogs. There are plenty of them. It’s worth the time and effort to search or browse the blogs in your industry. Learn how to read between the lines and ask good questions.
4. Finally, ask managers at the company you’re considering about turnover in their organization. I’d take what they say with less than a grain of salt. But you never know. They may surprise you with honest answers.
That should keep you busy. Follow these leads, and you’ll have more information than you need.
SOURCE: Troy Media
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Talent management – World Cup style |
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Attracting Talent
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By Dr. Rebecca Schalm
I have never really paid attention to soccer but I made a conscious decision to commit to the World Cup. My adopted team made it to the quarter finals and then had a spectacular flame-out. I discovered there is a football fan inside me – the twists and turns of the game and drama on the pitch sucked me in completely.
I am not a fan of the much over-used sports analogy but watching the World Cup did cause me to reflect on what we might learn by observing how sports teams manage talent. Professional sports teams are in a unique position – their sole purpose for being is to win championship cups and their only significant advantage is people. How does that affect how teams manage their human resources? What if companies approached human resource planning and management in the same way?
1. Business, and society, would think about talent over the long term. A professional team is built on the top of a large amateur and professional base. Owners know they can’t wake up one day and have team full of high performers without investing in a farm system populated with players who are developing their skills in hopes of one day making it to the big leagues. You need to cultivate interest in the sport early and widely, support children’s camps and youth programs, and encourage a love for the game. Science camp should be as popular and widely attended as hockey school.
2. Organizations would scour the earth for players who show promise. Franchises know that teams with the best players are more likely to win. They send out scouts to spot talent early and recruit it into their farm teams.
3. Leaders would review their org chars on a continuous basis. Coaches and owners are constantly reviewing their player roster. Do they have the right people in the right spots at the right time? When the answer is no, they are quick to make changes.
4. Companies would invest in heavy hitters when it is going to make a difference. Teams on the verge of a breakthrough strategically acquire and leverage talent to increase the likelihood they will win.
5. People would be put in positions that play to their strengths. Coaches don’t decide one day to switch up the pitcher and the catcher just to see what will happen. Messi or Ronaldo can probably competently play anywhere on the soccer pitch, but there are spots where they outperform their peers and give their teams an advantage. That is where their coaches put them.
6. Poor performers would be shed at the earliest opportunity. Coaches bench players who aren’t performing. They send them down to the minors. If things don’t improve, they trade them. And they don’t wait years to make these decisions and aren’t paralyzed by their own discomfort.
7. Business units would prepare people for the big leagues. Coaches know that you don’t put someone in the spotlight before they are ready. Instead, they train and develop their talent and gradually move them up through their organization.
8. Leaders would give people exposure in low-risk situations. Sometimes a coach will put a player in a game when there is nothing at stake, to give the youngster exposure to what it will be like when they do make it to the big leagues.
9. Individual performance results would be public. In organizations, performance reviews happen once a year behind closed doors. On a professional sports team, a player’s performance statistics are posted during and after each game. Everyone knows where they stand.
10. People would choose by whom they want to be led. On a sports team the captain is selected and supported by team mates. They are not necessarily the coach’s favourite. They are not necessarily the best performer. They are the people who can galvanize the team. They are the ones about which their peers say ‘I would work for her’.
Lessons learned on the playing field have shaped many a business leader. These experiences have helped them develop the skills and mindsets required to lead and manage people and they are often cited as an important training ground for success in business. Perhaps there are greater lessons to be learned and applied by what happens on and off the field – not just how we become individual leaders, but how we think about and manage talent.
SOURCE: Troy Media
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