Do You Have an Image Problem?

Be honest: Do you look the same in your professional and social media photos? If not, you have a branding problem.

                         

Here's the problem with social media: It's turned everyone into his (or her) own personal PR agent.
Think about a businessperson you know, preferably someone with a reasonably high profile. Find his photo on the company website, or the photos he uses for promotional purposes. Most of those photos look pretty good, right? (Except the ones where the person's face appears to have been cropped out of a photo taken at a party.)
Now go to his or her Facebook or Twitter profile. Or do a quick image search.
Do the photos you find look like the same person?
Not quite... and the disconnect is often more than a little jarring. The George Clooney you see in the profile photo turns out to look more like, say, me. (Now that's a jarring disconnect.)
Of course you should try to look good in your photos. The research is clear: People want to do business with attractive people.
But don't try to look too good, because people also want to do business with real people. Plus, someday you may meet your customers; even if you won't, while they're checking out your business your potential clients will probably do a quick search on you, too.
Either way, potential customers will eventually find out you're not quite as handsome, quite as trim, quite as young, and definitely not quite the focused-yet-sensitive-artist-with-a-knowing-but-whimsical-smile as your photos make you seem.
Instead:

Use personal photos that flatter but don't mislead.
Pick photos that look natural. Think about how you will look when you first meet a customer and try to match that look. Avoid disconnects between photos and real life (or website photos and Facebook photos) as much as possible. Look good but look real.
Otherwise, when customers meet you they will naturally wonder what else you're hiding or misrepresenting.

Never use stock photos.
Stock photos look cheesy. And they don't fool anyone.
The worst photos of the real you are better than any stock photos.

Don't misrepresent your facilities, either.
Ever seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Ever walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
In photos many landmarks look a lot different simply because the surrounding areas are usually cropped out. While you're at it, check out any other business-related photos. Certainly show your facilities to their best advantage, but don't over-do it.

And always remember you're not a celebrity.
Actors, musicians, and performers earn their livings based at least partly on how they look.
In most cases, you don't. You make your living based on what you do, not how you look.
Keep that fact in mind where your photos are concerned and you can't go wrong.

10 Ways You Should Never Describe Yourself

When other people use these words to describe your talents, it's OK. When you do it, you just sound like a pompous jerk.

                      

Picture this: You meet someone new. "What do you do?" he asks.
"I'm an architect," you say.
"Oh, really?" he answers. "Have you designed any buildings I've seen?"
"Maybe," you reply. "We did the new library at the university..."
"Oh wow," he says. "I've seen it. That's a beautiful building..."
And you're off. Maybe he's a potential client, maybe not... but either way you've made a great impression.
You sound awesome.
Now picture this: You meet someone new. "What do you do?" he asks.
"I'm a passionate, innovative, dynamic provider of architectural services who uses a collaborative approach to create and deliver outstanding customer experiences."
And he's off, never to be seen again... because you sound like a pompous ass.
Do you--whether on your website, or more likely on social media accounts--describe yourself differently than you do in person?
Do you use hacky clichés and overblown superlatives and breathless adjectives?
Do you write things about yourself you would never have the nerve to actually say?
If so, it's time for a change.
Here are some words that are great when used by other people to describe you, but you should never use to describe yourself:

"Motivated."
Check out Chris Rock's response (not safe for work or the politically correct) to people who say they take care of their kids. Then substitute the word "motivated." Never take credit for things you are supposed to do--or be.

"Authority."
If you have to say you're an authority, you aren't. Show your expertise instead. "Presenter at SXSW" or "Delivered TED Talk at Long Beach 2010" indicates a level of authority. Unless you can prove it, "social media marketing authority" just means you spend a ton of time on Twitter.

"Global provider."
The vast majority of businesses can sell goods or services worldwide; the ones that can't--like restaurants--are obvious. (See?) Only use "global provider" if that capability is not assumed or obvious; otherwise you just sound like a really small company trying to appear really big.

"Innovative."
Most companies claim to be innovative. Most people claim to be innovative. Most are not. (I'm not.) That's okay, because innovation isn't a requirement for success.
If you are innovative, don't say it. Prove it. Describe the products you've developed. Describe the processes you've modified. Give us something real so your innovation is unspoken but evident... which is always the best kind of evident to be.

"Creative."
See particular words often enough and they no longer make an impact. "Creative" is one of them. (Go to LinkedIn and check out some profiles; "creative" will appear in the majority.)
"Creative" is just one example. Others include extensive, effective, proven, dynamic, influential, team player, collaborative... some of those terms truly may describe you, but since they're also being used to describe everyone else they've lost their impact.

"Curator."

 Museums have curators. Libraries have curators. Tweeting links to stuff you find interesting doesn't make you a curator... or an authority or a guru.

"Passionate."
Say you're incredibly passionate about incorporating an elegant design aesthetic in everyday objects and--to me at least--you sound a little scary. Same if you're passionate about developing long-term customer solutions. Try focus, concentration, or specialization instead. Save the passion for your loved one.

"Unique."
Fingerprints are unique. Snowflakes are unique. You are unique--but your business probably isn't. Don't pretend to be, because customers don't care about unique; they care about "better." Show how you're better than the competition and in the minds of customers you will be unique.

 "Guru."
People who try to be clever for the sake of being clever are anything but. Don't be a self-proclaimed ninja, sage, connoisseur, guerilla, wonk, egghead... it's awesome when your customers affectionately describe you in that way, but when you do it it's apparent you're trying way too hard.

"Incredibly..."
Check out some random bios and you'll find plenty of further-modified descriptors: "Incredibly passionate," "profoundly insightful," "extremely captivating..." isn't it enough to be insightful or captivating? Do you have to be incredibly passionate?
If you must use over-the-top adjectives to describe yourself, at least spare us the further modification. Trust us; we already get it.

Forget Big Changes. Just Take One Small Step

If your goal--in life or in business--is so big that you risk never reaching it, scale back your strategy.

                       

If you're really not happy with some aspect of your life--your business, your career, your productivity, your health--the thought of making all the changes necessary to change your situation can seem overwhelming.
You'll never finish... so what's the point of even starting?
Sometimes all it takes is picking one thing, one small thing, and doing it. Success is rarely overnight; success is the result of a series of small, incremental steps.
So forget the long-term. Forget the end result or the exit strategy. Forget the rest of the list. Just pick one thing to do--one tangible, measurable, goal-oriented thing--and do it.
While you can't overcome every problem right away, you can accomplish one thing. Then, when you do, you'll feel a lot better about tackling whatever is next.

Here are some examples:

1. Build a better network:
Spend 20 minutes a day making connections. Pick people on LinkedIn to connect with, and then maintain those connections. Or send a note to a few people in your community recognizing their success or congratulating them for an achievement. (Guaranteed they'll respond--and they'll remember you.) Or call a supplier and compliment hiw service.
Just make sure your 20 minutes are focused entirely on giving, not receiving. Then you'll make real and lasting connections.

2. Be more productive:
Overcome your Pavlovian response to incoming email and commit to only taking glancing at your inbox three times; say at 8, noon, and 5. (You'll be surprised by how non-urgent most of your emails really are--and you won't get stuck in the multiple-replies-just-to-be-friendly-and-appear-responsive cycle that wastes tons of time.)
Or pick one task a day to see through to the end instead of multitasking. Before you start your day, add one "not to do" item to your to-do list.

3. Improve your health:
Eat one meal a day differently. Just one. Have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Replace your afternoon cookies with a meal replacement bar. Pack tuna and a small salad for lunch instead of eating out.
Making sweeping changes to your diet is incredibly depressing--it's a lot easier to just change one meal. In time you'll lose a little weight, feel a little better, and be motivated by your success to make other incremental changes.

4. Get smarter:
According to Gretchen Reynolds, exercise does more to bolster thinking than thinking does; people who walked for just 40 minutes three days a week built new brain cells and improved their memory functions.
And while multitasking is often inefficient, in this case feel free to take a walk with your significant other--the time you spend together, away from distractions and interruptions, will surely benefit your relationship, too.

5. Change your career:
Want to start your own business but the thought of going from zero to thriving enterprise is daunting? Call one potential supplier. Visit one potential location. Scout one similar business. Have lunch with one successful entrepreneur. Write one draft of your business plan.
If you really want to start a business, doing one thing will make you really excited about doing another thing... and soon you'll be a runaway entrepreneurial train.
Of course those are just simple examples. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish, no matter how impossible it seems to accomplish, just pick one thing and start doing it.
You'll be that much closer to success--and in the meantime you'll feel a lot better about yourself.

Be Graceful Under Pressure: 7 Tips

Why do some choke, while others stay cool and calm? It's all about you how prepare.

                    

You're on stage. Three hundred pairs of eyes are fixed on you. You're killing: Twenty minutes in and the audience is in the palm of your hand.
Then your slide show freezes up.
Your skin tingles. Your body tenses. You stammer. Your eyes dart back and forth from the audience to the screen to your laptop to the stage manager in the wings.
You fall apart.
As Beilock and Carr describe it, "Pressure raises self-consciousness and anxiety about performing correctly, which increases the attention paid to skill processes and their step-by-step control. Attention to execution at this step-by-step level is thought to disrupt well-learned or proceduralized performances."
Or, as those of us less learned describe it, you choke.
Still, some how, some way, in the very same situation, other people don't choke. What do they have that we don't?
Maybe it's coolness under fire. Maybe it's what the more colorful call knowing what to do when the crap hits the fan. Whatever you call that sense of grace under pressure, some people are just born with it, right?
Wrong.
Some people do seem naturally confident and poised under pressure. But poise isn't natural. Poise is a skill that some people develop.
People like you.
How? Let's start with a basic premise. When you panic, you don't freak out because you lack bravery or courage. You don't lose your cool because you aren't born with the right stuff.
You panic because you face an uncomfortable situation and you don't know what to do. You freeze because you haven't done the work to change, "Oh-my-God-this-can-NOT-be happening-to-me-right-now..." into, "Oops. That's unfortunate. Oh well. No problem. I know what to do."
That's why hanging tough when things go wrong isn't the result of bravery. Bravery is the result of knowing what to do and how to do it when things go wrong. Thinking clearly and staying at the top of your game is easy when you've actually practiced for the worst.
And that's why the key to maintaining your poise during even the most stressful situations is to gain experience. Not just any experience, though; the right kind of experience, the kind that builds confidence.
For example, say you're scheduled to do a product demo for an important customer. The pressure is high because your business is struggling and if you don't land this customer you might have to let some employees go.
Here's how to ensure you can stay cool--no matter what happens:

1. Practice the basics:
Run through your demo a number of times. Smooth out the kinks. Make sure you know it cold.
Make sure you can perform it on autopilot--in a good way--so that some of your focus can be applied to reading the room instead of wondering, "Okay, what do I do next?"
Then think about the most likely questions or interruptions. Rehearse what you'll do if the client wants to see a certain function again. Rehearse what you'll do if the client wants to know how a certain function applies to their processes. From the customer's point of view, the best demos are interactive and informal--make sure you're ready to present the demo as a conversation rather than a presentation.

2. Then rework the basics:
All your initial practice will result in a set of logical steps: 1, 2, 3... To really know your stuff, change it up. Start with step 5. Start at the end and work backwards. Skip a couple of steps.
Rehearsing a different order helps reinforce your knowledge of your material and also prepares you for those inevitable moments when the client says, "That sounds good so far... but what I really want to know is this."
When that happens you won't need to say, "We'll get to that later," and frustrate your client because you're fully prepared to get to it now.

3. Practice the "What if?":
Once your presentation is in good shape it's time to prepare for things that could cause you to freeze. What if your software locks up? Figure out what you'll do. What if your client is delayed and you only get 10 minutes instead of 30? Decide how to shorten your presentation so you still hit key points. What if you get questions you aren't able to answer? Decide how you will respond.
Go ahead; go crazy. Think of some outlandish scenarios and decide how you'll handle them. It's actually kind of fun.
Then...

4. Visualize:
Athletes mentally rehearse; they imagine themselves performing an action. It works for them--and can work for you.
There's no need to make your product fail on cue so you can practice what to do. Just rehearse it in your mind. There's no need to get a few friends to role play hijacking your meeting so you can rehearse how you'll respond. Just picture it happening, and picture what you'll do.
Not only is visualization effective, it also has a calming effect: Picturing yourself succeeding is a great way to build confidence and self-assurance.
That's especially true if you:

5. Create solution shelves:
Responding quickly is a skill that can be developed; that's why the military, police, and emergency workers train relentlessly. There's no need to think on your feet if you've already done the thinking. Stick your solutions on mental shelves, and when you're faced with a tough situation, reach for the solution.
Go back to your "What If" scenarios. If a key employee doesn't show, what's the solution? Stick the answer on your shelf. What if price is an issue before you even get a chance to start? Stick the answer on your shelf. What if the room you're shown into isn't appropriate for the demo? Stick the answer on your shelf.
The more answers you prepare and shelve, the more you can rehearse and visualize. Instead of having to think on your feet, it's stimulus-response.
Stimulus-response is easy.

6. Learn from close calls:
Say something goes wrong; your client doesn't notice, but you realize it was a close call that could have ruined the presentation. Don't just walk away relieved. Think through what you could have done--and add the solution to your mental shelf.
Close calls are like gifts, because they let you learn painlessly.

7. Rinse and repeat everywhere:
You can apply this approach to almost any situation, whether business or personal: Giving feedback, pitching investors, disciplining employees, dealing with confrontation, playing a sport, starting and building relationships... it doesn't matter.
You don't need to be brave. Just take a systematic approach to developing skills and gaining confidence.
Do the work and bravery, composure, and coolness under fire are unnecessary.
They're automatic.

6 Habits of Truly Memorable People

How to stick out in the minds of your colleagues and customers--no gimmicks required.

                      

In order to succeed, almost everyone—whether business owner or employee—must be memorable.
While you don't have to be The Most Interesting Man in the World, being known is one of the main goals of marketing, advertising, and personal branding.
Out of sight is out of mind, and out of mind is out of business.
But if your only goal is to be known for professional reasons, you're missing out. People who are memorable for the right reasons also live a richer, fuller, and more satisfying life. Win-win!
So forget the flashy business cards and personal value propositions and idiosyncratic clothing choices.
Here's how to be more memorable—and have a lot more fun.

1. Don't see. Do:

Can you speak intelligently about how clothing provides a window into the inner lives of Mad Men characters? Do you find yourself arguing about how the degree of depth lost in the Game of Thrones TV series as compared to the books?
Anyone can share opinions about movies or TV or even (I'll grudgingly admit) books. That's why opinions are quickly forgotten. What you say isn't interesting; what you do is interesting.
Spend your life doing instead of watching. Cool things will happen. Cool things are a lot more interesting and a lot more memorable.
That's especially true when you...

2. Do something unusual:

Draw a circle and put all your "stuff" in it. Your circle will look a lot like everyone else's: Everyone works, everyone has a family, everyone has homes and cars and clothes....
We like to think we're unique, but roughly speaking we're all the same, and similar isn't memorable.
So occasionally do something different. Backpack to the next town just to see how many people stop to offer you a ride. (Don't take them up on it, though. Unless you appear to be in distress, the people who want to give you a ride are the last people you want to ride with.) Try to hike/scramble to the top of a nearby mountain no one climbs. (Trust me; take water.) Compete with your daughter to see who can swim the most laps in three hours. (If you live in my house you'll lose. Badly.)
Or work from a coffee shop one day just to see what you learn about other people... and about yourself.
Whatever you do, the less productive and sensible it is, the better. Your goal isn't to accomplish something worthwhile; the goal is to collect experiences.
Experiences, especially unusual experiences, make your life a lot richer and way more interesting. You can even...

3. Embark on a worthless mission:

You're incredibly focused, consistently on point, and relentlessly efficient.
You're also really, really boring.
Remember when you were young and followed stupid ideas to their illogical conclusions? Road trips, failing the cinnamon challenge, trying to eat six saltine crackers in one minute without water... you dined out on those stories for years.
Going on "missions," however pointless and inconvenient, was fun. In fact the more pointless the more fun you had, because missions are about the ride, not the destination.
So do something, just once, that adults no longer do. Drive eight hours to see a band. Buy your seafood at the dock. Or do something no one else thinks of doing. Ride along with a policeman on a Friday night (it's the king of all eye-opening experiences.)
Pick something it doesn't make sense to do a certain way and do it that way. You'll remember it forever—and so will other people.

4. Embrace a cause:

People care about—and remember—people who care. When you stand for something you stand apart.
But...

5. Let other people spread the word:

People who brag are not remembered for what they've done; they're remembered for the fact they brag.
Do good things and other people will find out. The less you say, the more people remember.

6. Get over yourself:

Most of the time your professional life is like a hamster wheel of resume or C.V. padding: You avoid all possibility of failure while maximizing the odds of success in order to ensure your achievement graph climbs up and up and up.
Inevitably, that approach starts to extend to your personal life too.
So you run... but you won't enter a race because you don't want to finish at the back of the pack. You sing... but you won't share a mic in a friend's band because you're no Adele. You'll sponsor the employee softball team but you won't play because you're not very good.
Personally and professionally, you feel compelled to maintain your all-knowing, all-achieving, all conquering image.
And you're not a person. You're a resume.
Stop trying to seem perfect. Accept your faults. Make mistakes. Hang yourself out there. Try and fail.
Then be gracious when you fail.
When you do, people will definitely remember you because people who are willing to fail are rare... and because people who display grace and humility, especially in the face of defeat, are incredibly rare.

 

5 Traits Remote Employees Must Have

Managing far-flung employees is always a challenge. (What are they doing, anyway?) Make it easier by hiring the right people first.

             


Chances are some of your employees work from home (or from wherever they like). You probably do too, at least some of the time. If you're running a start-up where resources are scarce, that's even more likely.
And even if all your employees work in established locations, the odds are most occasionally access data and mange tasks and projects outside the office on mobile devices.
Face it: No matter what your business, at least some of the time your employees are cloud workers.
That shift dramatically changes the nature of the workplace. According to Avinoam Nowogrodski, the CEO and co-founder of Clarizen, makers of online project management software and some really cool apps, that shift also changes the way you select and evaluate employees.
Some of the qualities employees need to succeed in a traditional work environment are less important, while these traits are vital for cloud-based employees:

1. Proactively set and share goals.

It's easy for employees to get lost in the cloud. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Managers still set goals, but collaboration and water-cooler "aha!" moments are much less likely. And it's easier for employees to slowly turn into not much more than to-do list "completers."
Great remote employees actively suggest new ideas, create their own projects, set and share personal goals, and recommend solutions.
Working from home is appealing to relatively introverted people, so make sure the employees you hire enjoy working on their own but also thrive on stepping forward.
Sure, it's a tough balance, but the best remote employees enjoy the benefits striking that balance provides.

2. Stay connected—almost obsessively.

Great team players are trustworthy—and available. Web and mobile connectivity makes it easier to connect with remote employees, yet also makes it harder and less certain. (Maybe he's on a call with a client? Maybe he's on Skype with another team member? Or maybe he's just ducking me?)
It's easy for remote employees to hide behind the technology... or lack thereof.
Whose responsibility is it to try to stay connected: the remote worker's or the home office? Either opinion is correct, but great employees assume the onus is on them; that way, no matter what, they stay connected.
Great remote employees let others know when they won't be available, and why... and how they can still be contacted in the event of an emergency. They see working remotely as a trade-off: They know they have more freedom, but they also recognize that with that freedom comes the responsibility of hyper-availability.
And they recognize that hyper-availability creates trust—with employees and with customers.

3. Focus on results, not time.

In some organizations it's enough to show up and put in your time; what you actually accomplish is almost secondary to being present. (We've all known people who have a positions but don't actually work.)
That's obviously not the case for employees working outside of headquarters. Results, not presence, are everything. Great remote employees focus on accomplishing objectives as quickly and efficiently as possible. Who cares if a task "should" take a week; if it can be completed in three days that opens up time to accomplish other tasks.
Great remote employees finish tasks ahead of time—and ask for more.

4. Constantly want to learn.

Remote employees often, but not always, have very specific duties, focus on a set list of tasks, or work on well-defined projects, if only because that makes managing them easier. They don't have access to some of the same formal or informal training and development opportunities.
So they push for development and learning opportunities. Constantly. Incessantly. To their boss, irritatingly.
And that's a good thing.

5. Push to become irreplaceable.

Say business is down and you're forced to let a few employees go. Who is easier to downsize: The employee in the office next to you or the employee on the other side of the country you never see ? (Come to think of it, he seems to get a lot done, but who knows how hard he's really working?)
In an ideal world every employee is evaluated solely on performance. In the real world other factors come into play, sometimes fairly, sometimes not.
Great remote employees understand that perception and bias can be a factor. But they don't just think, "That's not fair..."
Instead of complaining they work hard to prove how valuable they are. In fact, they enjoy proving how valuable they are.
Which, of course, benefits them... and your business.

How to Make the Perfect Job Offer: 9 Tips

Now that you've found your top candidate, don't lose her. Here's how to seal the deal.

         


You found the perfect candidate for your job opening. She's clearly the best person for the job. She's awesome.
So why take a chance on losing her? If that happens you'll be forced to hire the second best candidate or, worse, have to start over.
I asked Jorg Stegemann, a recruiter and placement specialist and Director of Experis (a division of ManPower Group, how to make a job offer the right way.
Here are Jorg's nine steps to a successful job offer:

1. Move fast.

If you've made a decision, why wait? Time is always your enemy in your recruiting, even in a down economy exceptional talent is rare.
Whenever possible contact the selected candidate later the same day of their final interview. If not, make contact within a day or two at most. Not only can you ease the candidate's stress during the post-interview waiting period but you also show how thrilled you are to make them a part of your team.

2. Always call:

Some companies send emails or letters. Don't. Make a phone call; not only can you convey your excitement, but you can gauge the level of enthusiasm of the selected candidate, too.

3. Be enthusiastic:

Be professional but be enthusiastic. Tell the candidate she was your first choice out of 100 resumes. Explain how impressed others are with her background and skills.
It's natural to play your cards close to your vest during the interview and selection process, but once you've made a decision, drop your reserve. Don't worry—conveying your excitement won't affect the salary negotiation process.
Remember, the employer-employee relationship doesn't start the first day on the job. It officially starts with the job offer. Make that moment memorable for the candidate.

4. Apply the 10% rule:

Generally speaking, candidates expect a pay increase of at least 10% when they change jobs. Few candidates will change jobs for the same or lower salary (barring unusual circumstances, of course.) And if they do, they'll feel some level of resentment every time they get their paycheck.
Never offer a salary below their current salary unless there are concrete, objective reasons to do so—and even then, think hard about it.

5. Show the money:

Explain pay and benefits as thoroughly and accurately as possible. Describe the base salary, how any bonus plans work, provide a fairly thorough overview of health and other benefits, and describe any other perks.
Then follow through with a written breakdown of all salary and benefits terms.
Never give an employee any reason to feel they were the victim of a salary bait and switch—and never make bonus or perk promises you cannot keep.

6. Get a commitment—even a tentative one:

Many candidates will ask for time to consider the offer. That's natural—but that doesn't mean you can't ask questions. Say, "I completely understand... but can I ask what you think about our offer?"
Any hesitation the candidate feels indicates they may turn you down, so ask questions, without being pushy, and see if you can overcome any objections or provide additional information that will make acceptance more likely.

7. Follow up in writing:

Then put everything in an email or letter. Include all elements of the offer: job title, base salary, benefits, vacation, holidays, perks, etc.
And make sure to set a deadline; three days is typical.

8. Feel their pain:

In my experience, one-third of the candidates who refused a job offer did so because they accepted a counter-offer from their current employers.
Talk about how it will feel giving notice: "How do you feel about giving notice after working there for five years?" "How will your boss react?"
Be sensitive to the candidate's feelings; even if they desperately want to change jobs, resigning will still create stress and anxiety.

9. Ask the "killer question":

If you can't get a good read on the candidate's level of interest, if the decision-making period is dragging on, or if you just want to make absolutely sure the candidate will show up on their first day, ask this question: "I interviewed two other good candidates for this job.  Can I tell them the job has been filled?"
Few people will lie about their intentions, especially when lying might affect another person that really wanted the job.

 

7 Fatal Interviewer Mistakes

Job candidates aren't the only ones who screw up interviews. Here are seven blunders interviewers make--and how to avoid them.

                     

Job candidates make a lot of mistakes in interviews. That's bad—at least for a person hoping to get hired—but what's much worse is when you, as the interviewer, make one of the following mistakes:

1. Mistake nervousness or shyness for a lack of ability.

Some people just don't interview well. They're nervous or shy and don't make a great impression. An awkward interview does not mean a candidate can't do the job, though: Great communication skills in no way signals expertise.
When candidates seem nervous or uncomfortable, give them the benefit of the initial doubt. Help them relax. You're a leader and your job is to get the best from people—even people you haven't hired yet. You might just uncover a diamond in the deer-in-the-headlights rough.
And if the people you interview often seem uncomfortable, take a step back and consider your approach. You might be the problem.

2. Fail to go off script.

An interviewer should follow a plan and ask a reasonably specific set of questions, but the best questions are almost always follow-up questions. (Most candidates are prepared for an initial question, but questions that drill deeper are much tougher to fluff.)
Listen to initial answers. Then ask why. Or when. Ask how a project turned out. Ask what made a position hard or made a project difficult.
Not only will you get past the canned responses but you will also learn details—positive and negative—the candidate never planned, or would have thought, to share.

3. Expand on possibilities.

Candidates naturally sell themselves. Interviewers often try to sell the candidate on the job. (That's especially true when you love your company.) Before you know it you've described exciting new projects, enhanced benefit programs, opportunities for promotion due to potential expansions... lots of hopeful stuff that might happen in the future.
The problem is the candidate translates "might" into "will," and you've unwittingly created expectations you may not be able to meet.
Never describe possibilities. Describe typical career paths, for example, but only in a general sense. When you discuss future plans only share details on approved projects or efforts currently underway.
If you can't promise, don't bring it up.

4. Spring the surprise group interview.

Group interviews: Convenient for lazy interviewers, terrifying for job candidates. You rarely get the candidate's best, plus it's easy for the interview team to fall into the group consensus black hole where everyone gravitates towards the same opinion.
Of course if the position requires working predominately within a team, a group interview can provide a feel for the candidate's suitability. Tell the candidates ahead of time so they can prepare.
Otherwise, hold individual sessions. It's only fair, to the candidates and to your business.

5. Take over.

Interviews often turn into monologues... delivered, unfortunately, by the interviewer.
When that happens the candidate will rarely interrupt or try to restore balance to the interview because they want you to like them. Thirty minutes later your hiring decision is based on whether the candidate was a good listener.
Briefly describe the opening. Briefly describe your company. Better yet, make sure the candidate has a good feel for the position and the company before the interview. Explain you'll answer questions at the end. Then dive in.
The conversation should be 90% candidate and 10% you—at most.

6. Turn 10 "okay..."s into one "yes!"

It's easy to check off mental boxes during an interview: experience, okay; qualifications, okay; attitude, okay... and before you realize it a mediocre candidate with no negatives seems like a great candidate.
But do you want to hire the candidate whose qualifications and interview fails to raise any red flags... or do you want to hire the candidate who excels in a number of critical areas?
An absence of negatives is not superlative. Always look for excellence. Feel free to check off mental boxes as an initial sorting tool, but then look for the candidate who not just meets requirements but kills the requirements.
Never settle for good enough. If good enough is all you find, keep looking.

7. Ignore input from casual encounters.

Job candidates give you their best: They're up, engaged, and switched on. But how do they act when not trying to impress you?
What candidates do while waiting in the lobby can indicate a lot. Find out how they treated the receptionist, find out what they did while they waited, ask about any chance encounters with other employers... occasionally you can identify a disconnect between what they show you and what they show the people they're not trying to impress.

7 Ways to Screw Up a New Employee

Want that new hire to get off to a great start? Forget about following these nuggets of conventional wisdom.

                    

That, and long lunches with team members and plenty of water cooler small talk so they "get to know other employees as people."
Please.
The first few days of employment are critical. New employees are a lot like cruise ships: Once their course is set—especially if that course is the wrong course—it takes significant time and energy to change their direction.
Here are seven ways, in those first few days, that you can set the wrong course and screw up a new employee:

Play welcome wagon.

Strong interpersonal relationships, positive working relationships, lasting friendships... all those come later, if ever. You hire employees to work, not build personal relationships.
Absolutely be polite, courteous, and friendly, but also stay focused on the fact the employee was hired to perform a job--and jobs involve work. Let new employees earn the respect and friendship of others through hard work and achievement.
It's impossible to make good friends in a few days, but it is possible to hit the ground running.

Train comprehensively.

Many training guides say providing a broad context for every task is critical for new employees.
Wrong: Initially, a new employee doesn't need to know how they fit into the overall operation. They need to know how to perform the tasks you hired them to perform. Leave the comprehensive overview approach for later, when they are better able to put their role into context.
Besides, people best learn to master complex tasks when those tasks are broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Teach specific processes and let new employees demonstrate mastery of those processes.
Then start to introduce a more comprehensive view of job functions and how those functions tie into other operations and efforts.
Think of it this way: How can you understand how your role fits into the broader organization when you don't even know your role?

Be slow to give feedback.

New employees are tentative, nervous, and tend to make mistakes; it comes with the territory. So it may seem harsh or unfair to correct or critique, but if you don't, you lose the opportunity to set the right tone.
Unless the job involves creativity, every task should have a right way or best way to be performed. Expect new employees to do things your way at first; bad habits are easily formed and very difficult to correct.

Fail to set immediate, concrete goals.

Successful companies execute. A new employee should complete at least one specific job-related task on their first day.
When they do, not only do you establish that output is all-important, new employees go home feeling a sense of personal achievement. Whole days spent in orientation are boring and unfulfilling, and they make the eventual transition to "work" harder.
Make each day a blend of orientation and real work.

Make them wait.

It's hard to coordinate new employee orientation and training. Supervisors, trainers, and mentors get delayed or called away. (After all, they have other jobs too.)
But when that happens what message have you sent? New employees who sit waiting—we've all been in that position and hated it—decide you don't value continuous performance.
My first day at one new job I was pulled out of orientation and sent to shipping to help load trailers. All hands were on deck, including the CEO, and I learned right away that job descriptions are important but the mission is everything.

Let them immediately modify processes.

Of course there is a better way to perform just about any task. Hopefully new employees will find better, faster, cheaper ways to perform their jobs.
In the first few weeks, though, a new employee should not be allowed to reinvent your wheel until they fully understand how your current wheel works.
Be polite, but ask them to hold their ideas for now.

Talk about empowerment.

Empowerment is a privilege. Empowerment is not a right. A new employee should earn the right to make broader decisions, to take on additional authority, or to be given latitude and discretion. Earned empowerment is the only valid empowerment culture.
Give new employees the tools they need to succeed. Then let them earn greater authority and privilege. Accountability and responsibility should always precede privilege.
Don't worry: Great employees will be eager to show they deserve your respect and trust.

The 5 Most Powerful Words in Sales

Your words help you build relationships with customers--so choose them carefully.

                  

Why? Words build relationships. People buy from people.
Words can also guide your approach to sales, because attitudes are often based on words.
Change just one word and you can sometimes change your entire approach for the better.

Focus on benefits, not specifications. I wanted to cut up some fallen trees. I’m not a lumberjack and knew nothing about chain saws. At the first store the salesman went straight to one saw and told me all about the 50cc engine, the 9000 RPMs, and the 18” bar. While I understood the specs I couldn't place them in context. I had no idea whether 9000 revolutions per minute was good or bad.
I went to another store.  First the salesman asked me a few simple questions. Then he said, “This chain saw is probably your best bet. It’s easy to start, has great safety features, and the chain is easy to remove when you want to replace it. You could buy a more expensive saw but based on the size of the trees you’ll be cutting, you really don’t need one."
One salesman tried to impress me with specifications and features and in the process just made me feel stupid. The other worked to understood my needs and solve my problem.
Customers only care about specifications and features in relation to how those qualities meet their needs. Start with benefits, help the customer feel their needs will be met... and then dip into specs if they seem interested.

Focus on value, not price. Cutting prices can result in higher sales, but if you don't provide a context for a price reduction customers immediately adapt to lower prices and resist a return to pre-sale price levels.
The key is to focus on value and not just on price. Remove or replace items from a suite of services. Create volume discounts based on economies of scale. Bundle related products or services or offer faster delivery schedules.
Unless haggling is expected (like if you sell cars or furniture) try not to discount a price just because the customer asks. If it's that easy to get a discount your price was too high to begin with.
Shift your focus onto how the customer can get more, not how they can pay less.

Focus on show, not learn. My wife wanted to buy bicycle, but she was worried about getting stranded if she had a flat tire.
At one store the salesman said, “That's not a big deal. Changing a flat is easy once you learn how to do it.”
Another said, “I'm with you. I felt the same way. Come on over to the workbench. First I'll show you how, and then we'll do it together so you can get the hang of it."
Learn implies the customer has to do some homework. Who likes homework? Show means you'll help. Customers buy from people who help them.

 Focus on emotions, not reasons. We like to think we're rational and logical when it comes to making purchase decisions, but if that were the case Gucci, Coach, and Porsche would be out of business.
It’s impossible to rationally justify the purchase of a luxury item: We may want it, but we don't need it. In fact every purchase, no matter how mundane, satisfies an emotional need—if nothing else we want to feel good about the decision we made.
Emotions play a major role in most purchase decisions. Never lose sight of how potential customers want to feel: Safer, healthier, smarter, more attractive….
In some cases your customers may just want to feel good about doing business with you.

Focus on you, not I. You need revenue. You need to make a sale. Maybe you desperately need to make a sale.
The customer doesn't care; nor should she. Declining revenues, high targets, or increasing internal demands are not the customer's problem, but it's easy for those factors to creep into how you approach a sale.
Desperation is the mother of pushiness, and the average customer hates a pushy salesperson. Channel that energy and make the sales process a conversation focused on the customer's needs, motivations, problems, and emotions.
While you may desperately need to make a sale, only the customer can choose to buy—so always make the process all about the customer.

6 Ways Successful People Stand Out

Substance trumps style in the long run. Here's how to make the kind of impression that lasts.

                

Bosses spend the vast majority of their time helping other people succeed: employees, customers, vendors and suppliers... the list goes on and on.
Helping other people succeed is your job, but it's also your job to focus on yourself, at least part of the time.
Why? Your success creates success for others--and success requires, at least in part, standing out from the crowd and being known for something.
Of course there are different ways you can stand out. For example, you can be like this guy.
Okay, maybe not.
There are better ways:

Be first, with a purpose.

Lots of business owners are the first to arrive each day. That's great, but what do you do with that time? Organize your thoughts? Get a jump on your email?
Instead of taking care of your stuff, do something visibly worthwhile for the company. Take care of unresolved problems from the day before. Set things up so it's easier for employees to hit the ground running when they arrive. Chip away at an ongoing project others are ignoring. Whatever you choose, do it consistently.
Don't just be the one who turns on the lights--be the one who gets in early and gets things done. The example you set will quickly spread.

Be known for something specific.

Meeting standards, however lofty those standards may be, won't help you stand out.
Go above the norm. Be the entrepreneur known for turning around struggling employees. Be the business owner who makes a few deliveries a week to personally check in with customers. Be the boss who consistently promotes from within. Be known as the person who responds quicker, or acts faster, or who always follows up first.
Pick a worthwhile mission and excel at that mission.

Create your own side project.

Excelling at an assigned project is expected. Excelling at a side project helps you stand out. The key is to take a risk with a project and make sure your company or customers don't share that risk.
For example, years ago I decided to create a Web-based employee handbook my then-employer could put on the company Intranet. I worked on the project at home and a few managers liked it but our HR manager hated it... so it died an inglorious death. Bummer. I was disappointed but the company wasn't "out" anything, and soon after I was selected for a high-visibility company-wide process improvement team because now I was "that guy."
The same works for a business owner. Experiment with a new process or service with a particular customer in mind. The customer will appreciate how you tried, without being asked, to better meet their needs, and you'll become "that guy."

Put your muscle where your mouth is.

Lots of people take verbal stands. Fewer take a stand and put effort behind their opinions.
Say you think a project has gone off the rails; instead of simply showing everyone how smart you are by pointing out its flaws and revamping the timeline, jump in and help fix it.
It's easy to criticize what's wrong or to talk about what should be changed or could be improved. The people who stand out are the ones who help do something about it.

Show a little of your personal side.

Personal interests help other people to identify and remember you. That's a huge advantage for a new business or a company competing in a crowded market.
Just make sure your personal interests don't overshadow professional accomplishments. Being "the guy who ran a marathon" is fine, but being "the guy who is always training and traveling to marathons so we can never reach him when we need him" is not.
Let people know a little about you; a few personal details add color and depth to your professional image.

Work harder than everyone else.

Nothing--nothing--is a substitute for hard work. Look around: How many of your competitors are working as hard as they can?
Not many.
The best way to stand out is to try to out-work everyone else.
It's also the easiest, because you'll be the only one trying.

Without This Skill, You Won't Succeed

It doesn't matter what industry you're in. This is the one thing all successful people know how to do well.

                


I asked about 20 business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they feel contributes the most to their success.
What did every one of them say?
Sales skills. Without solid sales skills they all felt success is almost impossible—in any field.
Here’s why. To many people, the word “selling” implies manipulating, pressuring, cajoling... all the used car salesman stereotypes.
But if you think of “selling” as explaining the logic and benefits of a decision, then everyone—business owner or not—needs sales skills: To convince others an idea makes sense, to show bosses or investors how a project or business will generate a return, to help employees understand the benefits of a new process, etc.
In essence, sales skills are communication skills. Communication skills are critical in any business or career—and you’ll learn more about communication by working in sales than you will anywhere else.
Gaining sales skills will help you win financing, bring in investors, line up distribution deals, land customers—in the early stages of starting a company, everything involves sales.
Understanding the sales process, and how to build long-term customer relationships, is incredibly important regardless of the industry or career you choose. Spending time in a direct sales role is an investment that will pay dividends forever.
Here are a few of the benefits:

You'll learn to negotiate.

Every job involves negotiating: With customers, with vendors and suppliers, even with employees. Salespeople learn to listen, evaluate variables, identify key drivers, overcome objections, and find ways to reach agreement—without burning bridges.

You'll learn to close.

Asking for what you want is difficult for a lot of people. Closing a sale is part art, part science. Getting others to agree with you and follow your direction is also part art and part science. If you want to lead people, you must be able to close. Great salespeople know how to close. Great bosses do too.

You'll learn persistence.

Salespeople hear the word "no" all the time. Over time you'll start to see "no" as a challenge, not as a rejection. And you'll figure out what to do next.

You'll learn self-discipline.

When you work for a big company you can sometimes sleepwalk your way through a day and still get paid. When you work on commission your credo is, "If it is to be, it's up to me." Working in sales is a great way to permanently connect the mental dots between performance and reward.

You'll gain self-confidence.

Working in sales is the perfect cure for shyness. You’ll learn to step forward with confidence, especially under duress or in a crisis.
Still not convinced? Think of it this way: The more intimidating or scary a position in sales sounds, the more you need to take one. You'll gain confidence and self-assurance, and the skills you gain will serve you well for the rest of your business—and personal—life.
So if you’re a would-be entrepreneur, set aside your business plan and work in sales for a year or two. If you’re a struggling entrepreneur, take a part-time sales job. Part of the reason you’re struggling is likely due to poor sales skills.
Successful business owners spend the majority of their time “selling.”
Go learn how to sell.
It’s the best investment you will ever make.

 

12 Ways to Attack Any Challenge

Stuck in a rut? Need to accomplish the impossible? Step right up. Here's how to get started.

                    

Whenever I'm discussing a challenge—okay, fine, whenever I'm whining about a problem—my wife eventually interrupts and says, "Yeah, yeah. I get it. So what are you going to do differently?"
Her response would be fairly frustrating if she wasn't right. Discussing—okay, fine, whining—never helps. The only way to overcome a problem is to do something differently.
But there's no reason to wait until you're forced to make a bad situation better. There's a better approach. Why not be proactive and turn average into awesome?
Especially since it's easy: Just employ one of the Five As of Awesome. (Wait—did I just channel my inner Tony Robbins?)
All you have to do is pick one of the following things to do differently:

Accept

Be who you are. I would like to ride a motorcycle like this guy. Or climb like this guy. Or run a company like her. Or change the world like him.
I won't.
And, for the most part, I'm okay with that, since I can always be a better me. I can ride faster or climb better than I do now, and I can make a bigger difference in the lives of my family and friends.
Think about the people you admire and pick a few of their qualities to emulate, not their accomplishments.
You can't be them.
The cool thing is, they can't be you.
Let others be who they are. Your customers, your vendors, your suppliers... they aren't going to change. Don't expect them to.
Pick one source of frustration and decide what you will do differently, including, possibly, walking away.
When you stop focusing on negatives you may start to notice the positive qualities you missed. Rarely are people as bad as you make them out to be—and if they are, it's up to you to make whatever changes are necessary.
They won't.

Assist

Help an employee. Don't wait to be asked. Pick someone who is struggling and offer to help.
But don't just say, "Is there some way I can help you?" Be specific: Offer to help with a specific task, or to take over a task for a few days, or to work side-by-side.
A general offer is easy to brush aside. A specific offer not only shows you want to help, it shows you care.
Help a superstar. Counterintuitive? No way.
Compared to others, the best-performing people don't need help so they rarely get it. As a result they're often lonely, at least in a professional sense.
Offer to help with a specific task. Not only will you build a nice interpersonal bridge, some of their skills or qualities might rub off on you.
Help anyone. Few things feel better than helping a person in need. Take a quick look around; people less fortunate than you are everywhere.
For example, I conducted an interview skills seminar for prison inmates (after all, who needs to know how to deal with tough interview questions more than a convicted felon?) It only took an hour of my time and was incredibly rewarding.
Most of the prisoners were touchingly grateful that someone—that anyone—cared enough to want to help them. I got way more out of the experience than they did.

Analyze

Change measurements. Over time we all develop our own ways to measure our performance.
Maybe you focus on time to complete, or quality, or end result. Each is effective, but sticking with one or two could cause you to miss opportunities to improve.
Say you focus on meeting standards; what if you switched it up and focused on time to complete?
Measuring your performance in different ways forces you to look at what you regularly do from a new perspective.
Change benchmarks. If you develop apps it's fun to benchmark against, say, the success of Angry Birds. Setting an incredible goal is fine—if you don't aim high you won't reach high—but failing to hit a lofty goal can kill your motivation.
So choose a different benchmark. Look for companies or people with similar assets, backgrounds, etc. and try to beat their results. Then, after you do, choose another target.
Aim for the heights, but include a few steps along the way. The journey will be a lot more fun.

Approach

Go opposite. If you haven't reached a goal then what you're currently doing isn't working.
Instead of tweaking your approach, take an entirely different tack. Pick one goal you're struggling to achieve and try a completely different approach.
Sometimes small adjustments eventually pay off, but occasionally you just need to blow things up and start over.
Drop one thing. We all have goals. Often we have too many goals; it's impossible to do 10 things incredibly well.

Take a look at your goals and pick at least one that you'll set aside, at least for now. (Don't feel bad about it. You weren't reaching your goals anyway, so what's the harm in dropping a few?)
Then put the time you were spending on that goal into your highest priority. You can't have it all, but you can have a lot—especially when you narrow your focus to one or two key goals.
Change your workday. Get up earlier. Get up later. Take care of emails an hour after you start work. Eat at your desk.
Pick one thing you do on a regular basis, preferably something you do for no better reason than that's the way you always do it and therefore it's comfortable, and do that one thing in a different way or at a different time.
Familiarity doesn't always breed contempt. Sometimes familiarity breeds complacency, and complacency is a progress and improvement killer.

Adopt

Choose a new habit. Successful people are successful for a reason, and that reason is often due to the habits they create and maintain.
Take a close look at the people who are successful in your field: What do they do on a regular basis? Then adopt one of their habits and make it your own.
Never reinvent a wheel when a perfect wheel already exists.
Choose someone to mentor. I learn more when I teach than the people I'm trying to teach. (Hopefully that says more about the process of teaching than it does about my teaching abilities.)
When you mentor another person you accomplish more than just helping someone else. You build your network—and more importantly, you learn a few things about yourself.

The Worst Kind of Question You Can Ask

Stop sucking all the creativity out of the room. When you want ideas and feedback, don't ask for them like this.

                   


If you have kids, I bet this sounds familiar:
You're on the phone with your mother. She asks to speak to her granddaughter, your four year-old. You hand over the phone.
Your daughter gets a huge smile and says, "Hello?" in that excited I-wonder-who-wants-to-talk-to-me-wow-this-phone-thing-is-still-really-cool voice every kid has for a while.
Unfortunately, "Hello?" quickly turns into a long string of "Uh-huh" and "Nu-uh" and "No" and "Yes"
Eventually, her smile long gone, your daughter hands the phone back. Your mother says, "Wow, she certainly wasn't talkative today."
And you think, "Well, no wonder—you asked her a bunch of yes/no questions. What did you expect?"
Something similar can happen when you talk to employees, customers, vendors... anyone.
According to Phil McKinney, the retired chief technology officer for Hewlett-Packard's Personal Systems Group and the author of Beyond the Obvious: Killer Questions That Spark Game-Changing Innovation, there are good questions and bad questions.
Good questions cause people to really think before they answer them, sometimes revealing answers that had previously eluded them.
Bad questions cause people to shut down.
What are the most common answers to bad questions? In my experience, "Yes" and "No."
McKinney calls bad questions "tag questions":
Some of the most important questions to avoid are ones that don't really ask for a response at all. Tag questions are statements that appear to be questions, but don't allow for any kind of answer except agreement. A tag question is really a declarative statement turned into a question, and used to get validation for the speaker's "answer." Family members, authority figures, or executives who want to appear to care about the opinion of another person, but really want their instructions carried out without discussion, often favor tag questions... his phrasing of the question shows that he is not willing to consider an alternative point of view.
Say you ask employees questions like these:

• Don't you think our new advertising campaign is fantastic?
• Certainly you won't have a problem getting that to me by Friday?
• The project won't require us to radically overhaul our processes, right?

How can an employee answer? In each case your point of view is obvious. If he disagrees, he won't just be sharing his opinion—he'll also be saying you're wrong.
Good luck getting honest feedback.
The fundamental point of asking a question is to get information, input, or ideas. (In his book, McKinney describes a number of "killer questions" that challenge other people to find opportunities for new ideas.)

Any question that restricts people from feeling free to honestly answer is offensive; it reduces the quality of information you're going to get and makes the person being questioned feel that they are being dismissed.

Is that what you hope to accomplish?
Think about some of the questions you ask. While you might assume that asking a question instead of making a statement is more "inclusive," chances are it's not.
Never ask a question unless you want an answer—even, or maybe especially—if that answer is one you might not want to hear.

4 Vital Interview Questions to Ask

Most candidates can hack your interview questions to tell you what you want to hear. But if you approach it right, not these.

                        


Most job candidates feel interview questions can be decoded and hacked, letting them respond to those questions with "perfect" answers.
And they're right, especially if you insist on asking opinion-based job interview questions.
(Quick aside: Is there really a perfect answer to a question like, "What do you feel is your biggest weakness?" I think there is: "If that's the kind of question you typically ask, I don't want to work for you.")
Asking opinion-based questions is a complete waste of time. Every candidate comes prepared to answer general questions about teamwork, initiative, interpersonal skills, and leadership.
That's why you should ask interview questions that elicit facts instead of opinions. Why? I can never rely on what you claim you will do, but I can learn a lot from what you have already done.
Where employee behavior and attitude are concerned, the past is a fairly reliable indication of the future.
How do you get to the facts? Ask. Ask an initial question. Then follow up: Dig deeper to fully understand the situation described, determine exactly what the candidate did (and did not do), and find out how things turned out. Follow-up questions don't have to be complicated. "Really?" "Wow... so what did he do?" "What did she say?" "What happened next?" "How did that work out?"
All you have to do is keep the conversation going. At its best, an interview is really just a conversation.
Here are my four favorite behavioral interview questions:

1. "Tell me about the last time a customer or co-worker got mad at you."

Purpose: Evaluate the candidate's interpersonal skills and ability to deal with conflict.
Make sure you find out why the customer or co-worker was mad, what the interviewee did in response, and how the situation turned out both in the short- and long-term.
Warning sign: The interviewee pushes all the blame and responsibility for rectifying the situation on the other person.
Decent sign: The interviewee focuses on how they addressed and fixed the problem, not on who was to blame.
Great sign: The interviewee admits they caused the other person to be upset, took responsibility, and worked to make a bad situation better. Great employees are willing to admit when they are wrong, take responsibility for fixing their mistakes, and learn from experience.
Remember, every mistake is really just training in disguise... as long as the same mistake isn't repeated over and over again, of course.

2. "Tell me about the toughest decision you had to make in the last six months."

Purpose: Evaluate the candidate's reasoning ability, problem solving skills, judgment, and possibly even willingness to take intelligent risks.
Warning sign: No answer. Everyone makes tough decisions, regardless of their position. My daughter works part-time as a server at a local restaurant and makes difficult decisions all the time - like the best way to deal with a regular customer whose behavior constitutes borderline harassment.
Decent sign: Made a difficult analytical or reasoning-based decision. For example, wading through reams of data to determine the best solution to a problem.
Great sign: Made a difficult interpersonal decision, or better yet a difficult data-driven decision that included interpersonal considerations and ramifications.
Making decisions based on data is important, but almost every decision has an impact on people as well. The best candidates naturally weigh all sides of an issue, not just the business or human side exclusively.

3. "Tell me about a time you knew you were right but still had to follow directions or guidelines."

Purpose: Evaluate the candidate's ability to follow, and possibly to lead.
Warning sign: Found a way to circumvent guidelines "... because I know I was right," or followed the rules but allowed their performance to suffer.
Believe it or not, if you ask enough questions some candidates will tell you they were angry or felt stifled and didn't work hard as a result, especially when they think you empathize with their "plight."
Good sign: Did what needed to be done, especially in a time-critical situation, then found an appropriate time and place to raise issues and work to improve the status quo.
Great sign: Not only did what needed to be done, but also stayed motivated and helped motivate others as well.
In a peer setting, an employee who is able to say, "Hey, I'm not sure this makes sense either, but for now let's just do our best and get it done..." is priceless.
In a supervisory setting, good leaders are able to debate and argue behind closed doors and then fully support a decision in public - even if they privately disagree with that decision.

4. "Tell me about the last time your workday ended before you were able to get everything done."

Purpose: Evaluate commitment, ability to prioritize, and ability to communicate effectively.
Warning sign: "I just do what I have to do and get out. I keep telling my boss I can only do so much but he won't listen.... "
Good sign: Stayed a few minutes late to finish a critical task, or prioritized before the end of the workday to ensure critical tasks were completed.
You shouldn't expect heroic efforts every day, but some level of dedication is important.
Great sign: Stayed late and/or prioritized - but most importantly communicated early on that deadlines were in jeopardy. Good employees take care of things. Great employees take care of things and make sure others are aware of potential problems ahead of time just in case proactive decisions may help.
Obviously there are a number of good and great answers to this question. "I stayed until midnight to get it done," can sometimes be a great answer, but doing so night after night indicates there are other organizational or productivity issues the employee should raise. I may sometimes be glad you stayed late, but I will always be glad when you help me spot chronic problems and bottlenecks.
Like with any other question, always evaluate a candidate's answers to this question based on your company's culture and organizational needs.
Few candidates can bluff their way through more than one or two follow-up questions. Turning the interview into a fact-based conversations helps you identify potential disconnects between the candidate's resume and their actual experience, qualifications, and accomplishments.
And you'll have a much better chance of identifying a potentially great employee, because a great employee will almost always shine during a fact-based interview.

How to Motivate Employees? The Best Answer Ever

Effective motivation comes down to one surprising word... which might be why so many leaders fail to do it right.

                 

No business is better than its employees, which is why engaging and motivating employees is so important.
Too bad it's rarely done well.
Maybe that's because all the theorists and strategists and experts make motivating people seem much more complicated than it needs to be. Is it possible there's a simple and straightforward answer to the question, "How can I motivate my employees?"
It turns out there is, and Dick Cross, an eight-time turnaround CEO, founder of The Cross Partnership, founding partner of Alston Capital Partners, and the author of Just Run It!: Running an Exceptional Business is Easier Than You Think, has it.

According to Dick, motivating employees—or anyone—is based on one word.
Patience.
Say you want to instill a sense of urgency. The best way to get people to go fast is to let them know why there's a need to go fast, and then be encouraging and patient with their progress.
How many times has a boss or coach ranted and raved about what needs to happen by when, "Or else!" Probably more often than you like to remember.
And how often did the ranting and raving achieve the intended result? Probably less often than the ranters and ravers like to remember.
That shouldn't come as a surprise, because it's a pattern we learned to follow as children. People, including kids, don't like to be threatened. Threaten me and I'll resist. Spank me, ground me, reprimand me, put a letter in my file, demote me, and you'll fail to change my attitude. In fact, you'll increase my resolve not to comply.
Physically you might overpower me, but you'll never get me to do any more than the minimum required to get by.
And that's a huge problem, because minimum compliance efforts never produce great organizational accomplishments.
But if employees like how you treat them, know you believe in them, understand what needs to get accomplished and understand why it's so important... they'll generally accomplish great things.
The key lies in getting them to want to help you, which is only possible when you 1) exhibit an understanding of what is possible, 2) care about them, and 3) are willing to accept the absolute best they can deliver.
Under those conditions, most people will give you their all.
Do the opposite and they won't. There are few things more de-motivating than feeling you are trying your best but still letting someone down. You've been there. No matter what you did, it wasn't good enough. Eventually you decide hard work isn't worth it.  That's why there is little more motivating than the prospect of amazing a person who genuinely cares about us.
Who do we generally care about the most? The people we feel believe in us the most, which makes them the people we least want to disappoint: Moms, favorite teachers, best friends... and remarkable bosses.
Those are the people to whom we give our all; they believe in us... and we don't want to let them down.
And that's why motivation ultimately comes down to patience. Showing patience is an extraordinary way to let people know you care about them. By showing patience and expressing genuine confidence in them, your employees naturally will be motivated to find ways to do things that will amaze everyone—including themselves.
And how do you make motivation last?
The key is to understand that sometimes your employees must go slow in order to go fast.
A burst of speed that drains physical and emotional energy is not worth the effort because it's not sustainable. Speed that builds gradually, that forgives mistakes along the way, and that allows people to figure out for themselves how to maximize their potential—that kind of speed, and patience, creates a feeling of motivation that lasts forever.

Motivation? It's all about patience.

8 Snap Interview Decisions Every Boss Makes

You might interview a job candidate for an hour, but sometimes it's over in minutes.

                  


Everyone does it: We all make decisions based on a little data and a lot of experience.
Other people might call that acting on a hunch or going by gut feel--especially if they disagree with your decisions--but if you have a wealth of experience to draw from, often those quick decisions turn out to be correct.
Like where hiring employees is concerned: Over time you've learned to quickly size up a candidate, sometimes within a few minutes, based on one or two actions or comments. (If you're a job seeker and feel that's unfair, you might be right, but it's also a fact of hiring life. Complaining about the injustice of it all doesn't help; accept that interviewers often make snap decisions, and use that fact to your advantage.)
That's because as interviewers people are naturally influenced by first impressions. And they're definitely influenced by what experience indicates are key or pivotal moments.

Here are some of my snap judgments, both positive and negative:

When the candidate says she's excited about the opportunity:
You should be happy to get an interview. You should be excited about the job. You're in the pre-hiring honeymoon phase: If you're not excited now, you definitely won't be six months later.
Plus a candidate that pushes too hard into the land of "let me see if this job is a good fit" makes the interview painful for the interviewer. Even if by the end you decide you really want the job, you probably already lost me.
Bottom line, if you haven't tried to know enough about the job to know whether you're excited about the opportunity, I'm not impressed.

When the candidate complains:
Some people complain, totally unprompted: About their present employer, their current salary, their commute....
Complaints about being micro-managed are a downer; I'd much rather you say you're eager to earn more responsibility and authority. I know you want to switch jobs for a reason... but tell me why you want my job instead of why you want to escape your job.

When the candidate needs to make "car payments":
Years ago I was in charge of part-time employees at a manufacturing plant. Full-time employees were required to work heavy overtime but part-time employees were not. That made covering open slots--and, selfishly, my job--a lot harder.
When I asked part-time candidates about their willingness to work overtime, I loved the ones who said, "I want all the overtime I can get. I bought a new car and the payments are killing me."
Every job, no matter how high-level, has at least one major requirement: a particular skill, a key attribute, a specific quality, etc. Understand and meet that requirement and as a candidate you're 80% home.

When the candidate takes over:
Everyone appreciates a leader. Except in an interview.
I want you to be self-assured. I want you to be confident. I don't want you to try to take over. That's irritating at best, insulting at worst.
Subtly shape the interview and lead the conversation into areas that showcase your strengths and I'm impressed. Railroad me and I'm not.

When the candidate owns a problem:
Say you're late for the interview. I don't want to hear a long story about traffic and bad directions and no parking.
Instead, own it and then try to solve the problem.  Say, "I'm sorry I'm late. I ran into traffic. I know that throws off your schedule, so if you don't have time now, I'll be glad to reschedule whenever it is convenient for you."
Take ownership, don't make excuses, and offer ways to make things better.
Nothing ever goes perfectly, so knowing you will take responsibility and work to fix problems is a major positive.

When the candidate isn't ready:
One of my pet peeves is standing in a grocery store line and the person in front of me waits until all the items have been scanned and bagged before he starts searching for his wallet.
The same is true in an interview. Don't sit down and start sifting through your briefcase. Don't spend five minutes laying out your materials.

When the candidate asks throw-away questions:
When you're asked if you have any questions, don't make up a couple to try to impress me. If you have no questions, say so.
And don't ask about something you could have easily learned on your own. And don't ask questions designed to make you look good.
In short, don't ask what you think I want to hear. It leaves a terrible last impression.

When the candidate asks for the job:
Salespeople ask for the sale. Candidates should ask for the job.
I definitely appreciate when a candidate says, "Thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed speaking with you. And I would really love to work here."
Why should I offer you something you are not willing to ask for?

5 Reasons You Aren't a Great Boss

These common blind spots could be preventing you from being the manager you need to be.

                    

You want to be a great boss. You need to be a great boss.
But unless you overcome these five barriers, according to Edwin Miller, CEO of the cloud-based strategy automation software company 9Lenses and author of Insight to Action: A Social Approach to Business Automation, you never will be:

1. You only stick to what you know.
It's natural: If you're a programmer at heart you'll spend most of your time on technical issues and product development and little on sales. If you're into numbers you'll spend tons of time with cash flow and little with operations.
When that happens, though, you only view your business through the lens of what you know--which means you'll tend to ignore other areas critical to success, and often over-manage your area of expertise. No matter how great your product, it still must be sold; no matter how much strategic sense an expansion into new territories makes, it still must be financed.
We all have a primary skill or interest; indulge yours, but when you find yourself having too much fun, that probably means other aspects of your business are left wanting.

2. You only act on what you observe.
Of course you don't see what you can't see. But you can make choices that ensure you don't see what you could see--like if you stick too closely to only what you know.
Stretch yourself. Peek into uncomfortable places. Focus on areas where you have less experience or less natural aptitude. Go on sales calls. Work in the warehouse for a few hours. Sit with your accountant and--gasp!--ask for a thorough analysis of your financial situation.
You'll see a lot more than you normally see... and then you'll be able to act on what you see.

3. You don't know what you don't know.
You also can't know what you don't know. But you can accept that you don't know everything.
All that stands in your way is a little (or a lot of) pride.
When you're unsure, don't get defensive. Model the behavior you want your employees to display. Admit you don't have all the answers. Ask questions. Say you were wrong.
Actively seek experiences that humble you--that's the best way to learn.

4. You value your work more than the work of others.
Most of all us fall prey to this barrier. (I know I do.) Salespeople think marketing is easy; the marketing team simply creates materials and gathers leads. Your marketing team thinks the sales team has it made; all they have to do is close the leads they worked so hard to find. Operations thinks accounting has it made; all they do is count beans. Manufacturing actually makes beans.
Like sticking with what you know, it's a natural tendency: We know every decision, every detail, every step, and every ounce of effort that goes into our roles. We know it's hard.
We forget it's just as hard for everyone else.

5. You nod when you don't understand.
Do you admit when you don't "get" something? It's not always easy. Sometime it's even embarrassing, especially if everyone else appears to be in the know.
Asking questions because you don't understand may be embarrassing for you, but it's even more embarrassing for your employees, especially if they're afraid to look back in front of you. ("If I ask a question, the boss will think I don't know my job...")
Never try to save face; you lose a lot more than you save. If you don't understand, admit it.
You'll get the answers you need... and you'll signal to your employees that making great decisions based on great information is all that matters.

Boost Your Creativity in 10 Minutes.. Make Your Team More Innovative, Instantly

Make Your Team More Innovative, Instantly

All you need is 10 minutes--and some very thick skin.

                  

 Trying to be innovative feels, at least for most people, nearly impossible.
Don't believe me? Try it. Go ahead. Be innovative. Think of something amazingly new and different. I'll wait.
Give up? (Don't feel bad. I gave up before you did.)  Most of us don't have a "creativity switch" we can turn on and off at will.
Our employees don't either. Gathering your team in a room and saying, "Okay, we really need some innovative ideas... what do you have?" never works--unless you play "Kill a Stupid Rule."
Kill a Stupid Rule is one of the tools described by Lisa Bodell, the founder and CEO of futurethink and the author of Kill the Company.

Playing Kill a Stupid Rule is not only easy, your employees will think it's a hoot. Here's how it works:

1. Gather a group of employees.
Then break them down into two-or three-person teams.  If possible, pair up people from different functional areas.

2. Give the smaller groups 10 minutes to answer one question:
"If you could kill or change all the stupid rules that get in the way of better serving our customers or just doing your job, what would they be and how would you do it?"

3. Then sit back.
And make sure your skin is particularly thick that day, because many of the stupid rules employees will want to kill are your stupid rules.
"At the 10-minute mark the teams will be begging you for more time," Lisa says, "not because they're coming up empty but because 10 minutes isn't nearly enough time to write everything down. So don't stop them. You'll rarely see employees get as engaged during team meetings. Giving them more time shows how serious you are about the exercise, which is important for building your team's trust in you and in the possibility that things will actually change."

4. Ask everyone to write their "favorite" stupid rule on a sticky note.
Then have each place his or her rule on a whiteboard grid that has two axes: Y is ease of implementation, and X is degree of impact.
Your grid will then have four quadrants: Hard to implement with low impact, hard to implement with high impact, easy to implement with low impact, and easy to implement with high impact.
 Some people will automatically assume eliminating their favorite stupid rule has tremendous impact even if it doesn't. That's understandable.

5. Talk about the results.
Some of the same rules will show up multiple times. Some will be rules only one person follows. Some won't be formal rules, falling more into the, "But that's how we've always done things," category.
And some won't be rules at all: Meetings just for the sake of meeting, reports that no one reads, multiple sign-offs for purchases or approvals....

6. Let the group pick a few easy to implement/high impact rules--and kill those rules on the spot.
Prove you're willing to listen. Prove you're willing to change.
Prove employee engagement is a verb, not a noun.

7. And don't stop there.
Some rules you can't kill on the spot. A few might require first changes in process or workflow.
No problem. Make the necessary changes; anything you do that streamlines a process and frees up employees to do real work is time well spent. Then let everyone know when those rules are killed. That way you reinforce how seriously you take their input and how important it is to make positive changes.

8. Then keep listening.
When employees know you take their input seriously, you won't need to try to flip the innovation switch by holding brainstorming sessions to solicit ideas.
As long as you're listening and acting on what you hear, your employees will bring great ideas to you.

3 Interview Questions That Reveal Everything

Employee fit is crucial. Here's a simple way to know if a job candidate is right for your business.

                 

Interviewing job candidates is tough, especially because some candidates are a lot better at interviewing than they are at working.
To get the core info you need about the candidates you interview, here's a simple but incredibly effective interview technique I learned from John Younger, the CEO of Accolo, a cloud recruiting solutions provider. (If you think you've conducted a lot of interviews, think again: Younger has interviewed thousands of people.)
Here's how it works. Just start from the beginning of the candidate's work history and work your way through each subsequent job. Move quickly, and don't ask for detail. And don't ask follow-up questions, at least not yet.

Go through each job and ask the same three questions:

1. How did you find out about the job?
2. What did you like about the job before you started?
3. Why did you leave?

"What's amazing," Younger says, "is that after a few minutes, you will always have learned something about the candidate--whether positive or negative--that you would never have learned otherwise."
Here's why:

How did you find out about the job?
Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs--most people find their first few jobs that way, so that's certainly not a red flag.
But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably hasn't figured out what he or she wants to do--and where he or she would like to do it.
He or she is just looking for a job; often, any job.
And that probably means he or she isn't particularly eager to work for you. He or she just wants a job. Yours will do--until something else comes along.
"Plus, by the time you get to Job Three, Four, or Five in your career, and you haven't been pulled into a job by someone you previously worked for, that's a red flag," Younger says. "That shows you didn't build relationships, develop trust, and show a level of competence that made someone go out of their way to bring you into their organization."
On the flip side, being pulled in is like a great reference--without the letter.

What did you like about the job before you started?
In time, interviewees should describe the reason they took a particular job for more specific reasons than "great opportunity," "chance to learn about the industry," or "next step in my career."
Great employees don't work hard because of lofty titles or huge salaries. They work hard because they appreciate their work environment and enjoy what they do. (Titles and salary are just icing on the fulfillment cake.)
That means they know the kind of environment they will thrive in, and they know the type of work that motivates and challenges them--and not only can they describe it, they actively seek it.

Why did you leave?
Sometimes people leave for a better opportunity. Sometimes they leave for more money.
Often, though, they leave because an employer is too demanding. Or the employee doesn't get along with his or her boss. Or the employee doesn't get along with co-workers.
When that is the case, don't be judgmental. Resist the temptation to ask for detail. Hang on to follow-ups. Stick to the rhythm of the three questions. That makes it natural for candidates to be more open and candid.
In the process, many candidates will describe issues with management or disagreements with other employees or with taking responsibility--issues they otherwise would not have shared.
Then follow up on patterns that concern you.
"It's a quick way to get to get to the heart of a candidate's sense of teamwork and responsibility," Younger says. "Some people never take ownership and always see problems as someone else's problem. And some candidates have consistently had problems with their bosses--which means they'll also have issues with you."

And a bonus question:

How many people have you hired, and where did you find them?
Say you're interviewing candidates for a leadership position. Want to know how their direct reports feel about them?
Don't look only for candidates who were brought into an organization by someone else; look for candidates who brought employees into their organization.
"Great employees go out of their way to work with great leaders," Younger says. "If you're tough but fair, and you treat people well, they will go out of their way to work with you. The fact that employees changed jobs just so they could work for you speaks volumes to your leadership and people skills."