WorkPuzzle

5 Tips for Networking at Conferences

There are many businesses that still depend upon face-to-face networking for generating new prospects.  Obviously, most real estate companies rely on this important business strategy, but there are many others as well.

While some believed that the rise of online social media would cause face-to-face networking to decline in importance, this has not happened. The traditional techniques for networking are as relevant as they’ve ever been.

I was fortunate to read some invaluable information on this topic back in 1987 as I began to build my clinical practice. By putting into practice the principles I discovered, I was able to reap the benefits that well-executed networking activities consistently provide.

For my work at Tidemark, many of the same networking concepts have applied and produced predictable results.  However, there was a new wrinkle to the process that I didn’t anticipate—the art and science of networking at conferences.

I’ve developed some methodologies in this arena, but I still have a long way to go before tapping the full potential of the conference venue.  This is why I’m always on the lookout for good articles written on this topic.  I ran across such an article last week. 

The article is written by Dave Kerpen.  Kerpen is the founder and CEO of Likeable Local,  and the best selling author of Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business.   Here are some of his thoughts on the topic:

1) Research speakers and attendees ahead of time - and reach out. A week or two before the conference, look at the speaker list and, if available, the attendee list. Research the people you'd most like to meet and spend time with, and then reach out via email, Twitter or LinkedIn. Figure out how you can truly help them - and then offer your help. By showing your friendship first, you'll be differentiating yourself from everyone else, who just wants to get something from them. Set up a 10-15 minute meeting over coffee or a drink. That way, you won't have to scramble and compete to get their attention once at the conference.

 2) Use social media to connect with and compliment the speakers.  Chances are, you want to meet and network with speakers even more than with fellow attendees. But so does everyone else. One of the best ways to grab a speaker's attention is to engage with him or her on Twitter before the conference, and pay him/her a genuine compliment before or during the speech. I'll often then send a private message on Twitter to set up a meeting, so that I don't have to fight through the crowd after his/her speech for 2 meaningless seconds of conversation.

3) Skip a panel or two and hang out in the break room. As valuable as the content of a conference can be, if you're there to meet people, it can be more valuable to hang out outside the panels, in the break room, trade show floor, or by the coffee or snacks. There, you'll have more time to meet people - a speaker who's just arrived, or an attendee who stepped out to take a phone call, or a sponsor you might be able to partner with. Most conferences have built-in breaks and networking time, which can be very valuable. But consider making more of this time for yourself - you can always get the notes from that panel later.

4) Forget just giving out business cards - collect them. The traditional thinking for conferences is "Bring lots of business cards to hand out to everyone you meet." I bring my business cards to conferences. But I'd rather be in control of who I connect with - collecting cards from the people I most want to stay in touch with. So, do ask each person you meet for his/her card- and then, do connect with them on LinkedIn - either after the conference, or right then and there. Always include a personal message when connecting.

 5) Ask meaningful questions of the people you meet. Everyone else is asking, "Where are you from?" and "Where do you work?" and other small talk at conferences. Larry Benet taught me to ask better questions, such as "What are you most passionate about?" and "What charity do you care most about?" and "Who at this conference would you most like to be connected with?" That way, you get people talking about something they really care about, and you can form a more meaningful relationship faster. Of course, the most important question you can ask of someone is, "How can I help you?" When you ask these questions, listen well, and be genuinely interested. This will make a difference for you."

While I don't personally connect with the questions Kerpen recommends asking, I do think the questions need to be personal and different.   I would also add that questions should be genuine.

If you are a naturally inquisitive and thoughtful person, utilize your gift for reaching out and connecting with new people. In looking back on my career across multiple domains, it may be the most valuable thing I have ever done.

Question:  In what ways could you increase your value to others and your business by being more proactive about face-to-face networking?

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Is Requesting a Resume a Good Idea for a Real Estate Agent Interview?

Over the last few years, we’ve worked with several real estate hiring managers who insist on seeing a resume before meeting with a candidate. When our account managers ask for an explanation, the conversation usually goes something like this:

"My time is valuable, so I want to make sure the person is both serious and qualified to become a real estate agent.” 

One manager recently said:

"If they can't send me a resume, I don't want to waste my time on them." 

Is this a good policy?  Let’s investigate the pros and cons of this stance.

First consider that every business practice is an expression of various underlying assumptions.  From that premise, let’s try to surmise what possible assumptions are being made in the “resume first” stance and then assess their validity. 

Assumption #1: Any candidate worth interviewing will have a resume handy and be eager to show it to me before a meeting. 

I want you to consider the best people who have entered and thrived in your organization. How many of them would have sent a resume or even had a resume handy when they were first hired?  How many of them would have come to an interview if you asked them for one?

It appears to me (for reasons I will go into below) that only the most desperate (and perhaps confused), would feel compelled to bring a resume to the first interview when considering becoming an independent contractor within the real estate industry. 

Assumption #2: You interviewing them is more important than them interviewing you.

This assumption is clearly communicated in the request for a resume. In many highly competitive corporate jobs where a salary, benefits, and security are provided, this is certainly to be expected. But, in the real estate industry, there is a different set of expectations. 

Most candidates know that becoming a real estate agent means signing up to invest significant resources to become an independent contractor.  From this perspective, it only makes sense that the first interview would be a two-way street of reciprocal respect.

Remember, you need great candidates as much as they need you. If, after the first interview, you have doubts about the person’s potential to perform, asking for a  resume would seem reasonable.  At this juncture, it makes sense to test a weak candidate’s follow-through or investigate their background.

But if you ask a savvy candidate for a resume, you run the risk of alienating them because they are often employed successfully and want to assess you (and the real estate career) before you assess them.  

Assumption #3 Your time is more important than their time.

Most working professionals do not have an updated resume in hand.  Most people do not prepare a resume until they are unemployed, or think they will soon be unemployed. I know many people who have never needed a resume because their reputation and professional performance speaks for itself.

How do you think the most capable candidates will respond to this request? Do you believe that they will spend the time necessary to prepare a resume just for you? They will only do so if you have earned the right to make such a request.  Instead, most candidates will interpret your request in one way:   "My time is more important than yours." 

Assumption #4: You're in the power position not them.

The very act of requesting a resume communicates a great deal about your assessment (or your insistence) of the balance of power in the relationship. You might as well be saying: "Yes... I think I'm more important than you".  Even in competitive corporate America when an important executive is being courted for hiring, the resume is not requested until it makes sense to everyone involved.

In order to attract the best candidates you must not assume this power position.  The relationship has to feel peer-to-peer, especially in the first meeting.  In my opinion, some managers who request resumes before the first interviews have issues around fearing vulnerability.  This technique may help them from exposing this apprehension.

Assumption #5 : You don't expect to interview successful candidates.

This assumption could be based on past experiences of interviewing terrible candidates. The problem with this assumption is that protecting against “wasting time” with unqualified candidates kills the chances of engaging better candidates in the future. It would be similar to a fisherman giving up casting because previous casts were unproductive.  Yes, he’ll save a lot of time.  But, the chances of catching fish have diminished to zero.

In our experience working with real estate hiring, about one third (33%) of interviews result in an engagement where the managers is truly excited about the candidate’s potential.  Of the third who fit into this category, usually one half (50%) of those candidates end up joining their team as an agent.   Working backwards on these percentages, it takes an average of six interviews to hire one high-potential “new to real estate” agent.*

If you disagree with my analysis of this problem, don't hesitate to let me know. I have been wrong before and expect I will be again. But, in my view so far, the basic rule of thumb is this: 

If you want to attract the best talent to your team, you must treat everyone, initially, like he/she might be the best candidate you've ever seen. 

*Note: The overall hire/interview percentage is higher than 17% (1 hire in 6 interviews) for most high- performing real estate organizations.  This happens because some of the “not-so-great candidates” also become agents.  Overall, high- performing real estate companies see 25% of their total interviews eventually convert to hires.  This data is based on the companies who are clients of Tidemark.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Asking and Listening: The Magic Bullet of Interviewing and Hiring

I recently had the pleasure of visiting our long time clients at Prudential Carolinas, Prudential York Simpson Underwood, and Prudential Yost-Little Realty, all under the same roof in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I had spoken to this executive team and group of managers on at least two previous occasions and have always enjoyed our interactions. 

Part of my presentation involved a refresher course on the psychology of a good interview. Most of this section emphasizes the vital importance of listening to the candidate and eliciting as much information as possible during the first interview.  The process involves asking a lot of open-ended questions about who they are, what’s their story, what’s causing them to make a career change now, what they hope to gain from working, etc.

My emphasis on the power of listening comes from volumes of research on how people make decisions concerning any important topic in their lives. To emphasize this point I used several non-hiring examples such as dating or making an important purchase.

Think back to when you were dating—would you rather hear your dates drone on about themselves or ask some thoughtful questions along the way? When you buy a computer, do you want the tech-sales-geek to expound on all the details of each machine, or would you rather he ask a few questions first and then focus on your needs?

Here is a counter-intuitive principle that is true of all human interactions:  As people talk about themselves, they will learn more about themselves and feel more attached to you (the listener) in the process. 

No matter how many times I deliver this presentation, managers continue to report how difficult it is to put this into practice.  But, the group in North Carolina is starting to crack the code and seeing some incredible results.

During the presentation, one of the managers (Player Murray) gave the group some feedback on how this technique was working during his recent interviews.

"I'm not sure that I said much of anything in my last interview, and the candidate decided to come work for us!”

He went on to say that when he finally began to trust the process of first asking questions and listening, many interviews proceed with little need to describe much of what differentiates his company from others in the first interview.

"I am convinced that this is the number one principle to practice in the first meeting, and without it, I would not have hired many of the high quality candidates who came through HiringCenter.  They feel valued and connected when I listen to them first and foremost."

Player has learned the magic of asking and listening. He has seen first-hand how people become attached to those who are interested in them. He doesn't do this to be manipulative, he does it because it’s the right thing to do—that’s why it works. 

This story has been repeated with other managers across the country. Savvy, early-in-the- pipeline candidates who know little about the real estate industry will ask questions when they are ready. Even if they do ask some questions intially, don't be sucked into talking about yourself and your company too much.  Instead, answer briefly and get back to asking and listening.

In fact, here is a good rule of thumb:  Always assume you are not listening enough. At this point, you’ll probably be at the right level, and the magic will soon start happening in your interviews.

Question:  How have you learned to become a more effective listener (in interviews or other situations)? When using these techiques, how have you noticed your relationships change?    

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

How to Stop Wasting Time--Starting Right Now

I'm writing about this topic because I just started a new exercise designed to help me avoid wasting time. I started this exercise earlier today, so I can't tell if it works well long-term. But I can tell you that I’ve already pinpointed a couple of activities that I hope to permanently discard!

I didn't wake up this morning planning to do a time study. I simply felt frustrated when I realized that I had already wasted about two hours of my day. I didn’t mean to waste the time, but combining an unscheduled time slot with a lack of purpose and ‘time-wasting” sprouted like a weed.

I know that I must act purposefully for my time and effort to contribute to my long-term goals.  It’s frustrating to realize that I’ve fallen short of this objective. 

Fortunately I turned this frustration into some positive action and discovered an article that shed some light on this common struggle.   The article I found was written by Bruce Kasanoff and I immediately set out to follow its contents.  I think you’ll benefit from this as well.

A Highly Effective Way to Avoid Wasting Your Time

"Here's a simple way to potentially save hours of your time each week, by investing a total of about five minutes.

First thing in the morning, take a piece of paper and write a column of numbers representing each hour from the time you wake up until you go to sleep. For me, the list would start 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1 and go all the way back to 12. (So far, you have invested about fifteen seconds.)

For this single day, at the top of every hour stop for 20 seconds and consider how happy you are with the way you spent your time. Did you invest it wisely? If the answer is yes, don't write anything.

But if you wouldn't repeat the way you spent the last hour, next to the number representing that hour write a few words that describes what you did. On one of my lists, for example, at 3 o’clock I wrote "pointless to talk with Ralph; doesn't listen," meaning that it was a waste of my time to meet with him.

Stick with this exercise all day; it takes very little time, just the discipline to stop every hour for a few seconds. But at the end of the day, you'll have a list of activities you wish you avoided. If the list has more than one or two items, you might want to continue the practice for a while.

If you make this a habit, you'll soon start to spot patterns. It will be easier to recognize ways in which you are wasting time and effort, and you'll do a better job of avoiding these.

You can also use this technique across an entire department to help all involved make better use of their time. To avoid offending people, I wouldn't suggest pooling the results. You can simply introduce the test and allow people to draw their own conclusions."

If you decide to implement this personally or within your office, be sure and let me know the results. And, I certainly hope that reading this WorkPuzzle edition won't turn up on your list of things to avoid! 

Question:  Have you developed any personal tactics for keeping "time-wasting" under control in your life? If so, let us know what you've learned.

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Recruiting Performance Management ™ -- The Birth of the RPM

Can you remember the last time you experienced an”aha” moment? I'm happy to say that I've had quite a few of those lately, and I've come to learn that they seem to come in bunches. A few of  my realizations would probably bore you to death, but a couple around recruiting might just be up your alley. 

An individual I know, who is well-versed in the world of business consulting, was recently describing a major shift in company language around systems used to track and manage key performance indicators and metrics.

It was once in vogue to call these systems "dashboards". Dashboards included gauges, meters, interactive charts and virtually anything that needed to be monitored and improved. Six-sigma principles fit nicely into the idea of dashboards because it was much easier to design, measure, analyze, verify and improve processes. 

Apparently someone, I'm not sure who, came up with the bright idea to rename these dashboards to describe what they truly aim to do. So, instead of ”dashboards” they became ...."Enterprise Performance Management" or EPM's for short. When you think about it, the idea wasn't all that novel--Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems have been named appropriately for quite some time. 

So, during this conversation, an obvious close-to-home parallel came to mind. Why not re-name our HiringCenter dashboard "Recruiting Performance Management" system? Or RPM for short? After all, the whole idea of a name is to describe what it does. And, for most of you who execute the RPM as designed, it works.

Here is the interesting part. We have observed, since our inception in late 2004, an interesting “black hole” in real estate industry.  Despite "recruiting" being one of the most important goals of almost every company, it seemed to be the only area where performance systems were rarely developed and practiced.

There are multiple reasons for this fact. One reason, which we learned through the early days of our development, was that it is extremely complicated and time consuming to invent a system to source, build, track and hire a pipeline of quality people. We fortunately learned that it could be done and, if executed properly, can be measured and improved. 

What I love about our clients is that they are usually the companies dedicated to developing, analyzing, and improving systems and were first in line when we went through (and continue) the development of such a system for recruiting. In the words of one of our clients:

"Yes, it can be time consuming…but if we weren’t doing this, how would we have added new people consistently?  And since every broker understands that recruiting is the lifeblood of a growing real estate company…it is certainly not something to be left to chance.  The [Recruiting Performance Management] system" takes away most of the uncertainty."

Question:  Does your company treat recruiting as a critial business system?  If so, what systems have you developed to measure its performance?

The name Recruiting Performance Management™ and Recruiting Performance Management (RPM)™ are trademarks of Tidemark, Inc.

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Meaning at Work: How to Tap a New Level of Performance in Your Agents and Employees

Dr. Robert Emmons, a prolific researcher and professor at the University of California, recently wrote:

“As far as we know, humans are the only meaning-seeking species on the planet. ‘Meaning- making’ is an activity that is distinctively human, a function of how the human brain is organized. 

The many ways in which humans conceptualize, create, and search for meaning has become a recent focus of behavioral science on the quality of life and subjective well-being.” 

A tremendous amount of research and writing on the connection between human performance and the meaning people find in their work has started to emerge because of this focus.   And, some of the heavy-hitters in the business world were quick to take notice of these discoveries. 

Here are some examples of how much attention is being paid to “meaning-making” at work:

• Research at McKinsey and Company has led to actionable strategies and tasks that help infuse meaning in the work of individuals and organizations.  These findings were based on research done by social scientists. Their full perspective and recommendations can be found in Beyond Performance: How Great Organizations Build Ultimate Competitive Advantage
• Gary Hamel, ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the world’s most influential business thinker, and who Fortune magazine called “the world’s leading expert on business strategy" is encouraging managers to see themselves as “entrepreneurs of meaning.”
• One of my favorite psychological researchers, Mikel Csìkszentmihàlyi, writes extensively about “the making of meaning” in his book Good Business.

I want to emphasize that the research being done in this area is far from the touchy-feely anecdotes or inspirational speaker clichés that sometimes sound similar. I have little tolerance for methods and insights that are not based on research.   Once you push through the surface language, there is substance behind this topic that leads to real and measurable performance improvements.

There is far too much to share with you about this subject matter in one blog edition, but here are a few examples that will get you thinking about the importance of meaning at work.  These examples were compiled by Susie Cranston and Scott Keeler at McKinsey and Company:

1.  Emerson Electric

"David Farr, chairman and CEO of Emerson Electric.... is known for asking virtually everyone he encounters in the organization four questions:

(a) How do you make a difference? (testing for alignment with the company’s direction)

(b) What improvement idea are you working on? (emphasizing continuous improvement)

(c) When did you last get coaching from your boss? (emphasizing the importance of people development)

(d) Who is the enemy? (emphasizing the importance of 'One Emerson' and no silos, as well as directing the staff’s energy toward the external threat).

The motivational effect of this approach has been widely noted by Emerson employees."

2.  Wells Fargo

"The CEO of Wells Fargo, John Stumpf, marked the first anniversary of its change program by sending out personal thank-you notes to all the employees who had been involved, with specific messages related to the impact of their individual work."

3.  PepsiCo

"Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, sends the spouses of her top team handwritten thank-you letters. After seeing the impact of her own success on her mother during a visit to India, she began sending letters to the parents of her top team, too.

Some managers might dismiss these as token gestures—but employees often tell us that the resulting boost in motivation and in connection to the leader and the company can last for months if not years.

As Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores, put it, 'Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free—and worth a fortune.'”

Don't get me wrong, working hard and expecting everyone else match your level of effort can be a powerful motivator. However, that philosophy has limitations.

As human beings, we need more.  Science is telling us that the “more” we’re looking for is meaning in our work.  Make sure your agents and employees understand and buy-into the meaning behind their tasks.  If they don’t, they’ll not reach their maximum potential and your team will suffer.

Question:  How do you help infuse your organization with meaning?   What communication techniques have you tried and found effective?

 

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Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

The Equation for Achievement

We all spend a great deal of time trying to figure out the best possible ways to predict potential success in those we recruit and interview.

And we aren't alone.

Where there exists a big question, you can usually find big research. Many people within the field of psychology spend ample time and research dollars trying to predict the same.

While reading Martin Seligman's most recent book, called "Flourish," I am, once again, struck by how far research has come in boiling down "achievement" to its primary components.

The following is an excerpt of an article summarizing the research on this topic.

 "Many people think that if you are smart and have enough talent, you will succeed in fields such as sports, music, education and business.  When we think of great people in history such as Mozart, Edison, Confucius, and Shakespeare we hear about their talent and intelligence.

But true genius is being shown to be as much a product of grit as intelligence or skill. 

A study of genius (By Dr Angela L. Duckworth and Christopher Peterson) in twenty-one fields, including astronomy, music, mathematics, Eastern and Western philosophy, painting and literature showed that only two or three giants stand way ahead in each of these fields, a few top performers outdistance the rest by a huge amount. 

For example, in the publication of scientific papers, very few people publish many papers, but the majority of scientists publish none or only one.  In golf, only three golfers have won sixty or more PGA tournaments (Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods). Greatness and high achievement are reserved for only a few. It is their grittiness, as well as their intelligence and skill that caused their success.

The equation that predicts success is: (Skill) x (Effort) = Achievement.  

Martin Seligman, a well known academic and psychologist, in his recent book “Flourish,” points to a a great deal of research that shows achievement can be understood and predicted by the following four factors.

SPEED: Seligman calls this ‘Fast’ and it is the sheer speed of your thought about a task.  This involves how much and how quickly you have access to relevant knowledge on the task. It is hard to develop this. You either have it or you don’t.

MINDFULNESS: He calls this ‘Slow’.  This is the ability to call up memories, plan, check, review and be creative in examining and exploring the task.  This can be learned through meditation and mindfulness practices such as walking, eating with attention, and breath awareness.

RATE OF LEARNING: The faster your rate of learning, the more knowledge you can accumulate about the area.  This is different from sheer speed of thought.  This occurs by being involved in new, challenging, and tight time-lined projects and through reviewing “lessons learned.”

EFFORT: Time on task.  This is the time spent on doing or practicing the task and multiplies the skill available in achieving the goal.  It also adds to speed since more time spent on a task results in more knowledge of it.

Research has shown that extraordinary achievement in sports, chess, music, writing and business is not just talent or IQ but the amount of hours you practice something.  If you want to be great at something practice it for 60 hours a week for 20 years!"

When reading the literature, I am left with questions I believe we all need to be asking if we expect to continue learning, growing, and getting better at what we do: 

1. Can you find both sides of this equation being lived out in those you know who have succeeded? 

2. Does it clearly differentiate workers who succeed from those who don't? 

3. Did the successful individuals come with one or both characteristics, or did they develop them?

4.  Do people lose either side of the equation with time? If so ,how and why?

5.  Can you teach this equation in a way where it will inspire people to develop a growth mindset and better pursue both sides of the equation?

6.  Are there components of the equation that are missing? (i.e. interests, signature strengths or innate wiring etc.)

Let me know your answers or other questions that I might be missing.

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Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

The Progress Principle

Since reading the books "Flow" and "Finding Flow" summarizing the empirical research of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, I constantly think about improving work tasks and how to keep them from being too boring or anxiety producing. 

The book, "The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work" by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, does an excellent job reminding us what goes on inside the heads of those we are responsible for and how to improve their engagement at work. Analyzing nearly 12,000 diary entries, provided by 238 employees in 7 companies, the authors explain how managers can cultivate progress and enhance work life. 

 The diaries themselves can provide insight to the inner turmoil people experience, and that alone might be worth the price of the book. However, the real value comes in their insightful recommendations. Not only are the recommendations well worth considering, but existing research also agrees with the suggestions.

 In the book, the authors demonstrate how to remove obstacles to progress, such as pointless tasks and toxic relationships, how to enable progress, using clear goals matched with autonomity, and how to nourish interpersonal events that demonstrate respect and foster collegiality. 

 The following video is rather long, at 18 minutes, but, if you have the time on an upcoming flight, it may be worth a look. 

 

  

Knowing how to get and keep your team engaged may  qualify as one of the top three tasks of being a leader. You can work on many other factors, but, if you have disengaged workers, the progress will be slow.

Question:  Are you able to keep those around you engaged?  Share the techniques that you've found effective in keeping those on your team engaged.

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

The Science and Benefit of Failure

    "Never underestimate the magical properties of failure. It rewires the brain and gets the creative juices flowing."

This quote caught my attention in an article I found in a recent edition of Psychology Today. The reason: I have lived that statement in so many ways. People who know me might not even know this,  I tend to forget my failures from time to time, but I failed a lot.

When I was in the 4th grade, I was a miserably poor reader, and was put in the lowest of the 3 reading groups. I was too active to sit still long enough to read, however, my 4th grade teacher saw something in me that led her to believe I could read better. She took the time after school, for what seemed like months on end, to get me up to speed.

When I graduated from high school, I had a 2.6 GPA, which continues to be embarrassing to admit. I eventually managed to set my sights on greater things. However, I had to spend the first two years in a mediocre college achieving a 3.8GPA to qualify for a more prestigious college.

Then, after being rejected in my application to graduate school, I found out, through some investigation, that I had been  considered  "on the bubble" for admissions due to stiff competition among the other applicants.  So I convinced the person in charge of the committee for admissions to the Psych program to an agreement: Admit me in as a provisional candidate, and, if I achieve less than a 3.8 GPA in the first quarter of school, then they can let me go. Conversely, if I achieve that GPA or more and am viewed by the professors as a valued student, then I'll be accepted to the program. I made the GPA and was voted as student representative to attend faculty meetings.

Those types of initially frustrating experiences have tended to follow me around in life. My hunch is, that if most of you who have been marginally successful think about it, you can come up with similar stories and events in your own life.

But what’s happening in our brains as these experiences occur that seem to lead, eventually for some, to success? Here is one explanation:

"With success, people keep on doing the same thing. When they fail, they are forced to adapt and change. That is not just a human characteristic but constitutes a basic feature of how the mammalian brain works.

If a lab rat no longer gets rewarded for pressing a lever that had yielded food pellets before, it gets visibly upset. As its frantic efforts fail, it resorts to all manner of strange, or novel, reactions; from grooming itself to biting the lever, or leaping into the air. It is learning that the world has changed and its brain is getting rewired, so to speak.  When one combines emotionalism with originality, that is fairly close to what most people think of as artistic creativity. Artists are not necessarily frustrated people but tend to be dissatisfied with what they have accomplished previously and try to do something better, or something new."

How do you handle failure? And...How do you view and treat others who fail?

The answers to those key questions may be two of the most important differentiators between the best leaders and the worst. Don't get stuck hiring only people who have succeeded recently. Many of those who have failed recently may have the best success tomorrow. (With the exception of people who fail at moral and character failure- we have to be more careful here).

Question:  Do you have a failure in your life that later contributed to your success?  Share your story—we’d enjoy hearing your experiences.

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Risk Averse is Life Averse--Part 2

In the last edition, I wrote about my mid-life transition that occurred 12 years ago. Reliving the details of that change reminded me of the tremendous risk I felt as I initiated my new plan.

Despite this risk, I knew that my choices were limited. I could remain burned-out and bored with the confines of a full-time clinical practice, or I could undergo some radical changes to my direction and see what happened.

One choice included no risk while the other included some risk (although it was far from financial ruin) but held the hope of freeing me from the trap I felt I was in.  

After describing the benefits that followed, I promised to tell you more about a new book that confirms the wisdom of taking calculated risks—especially during the productive years of a person’s career.

Karl Pillemer, a renowned gerontologist at Cornell University, wrote a book called "30 lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans."  This book is a gem.  It includes insight that he distilled from interviewing more than 1000 aged Americans. While no book is perfect, it does contain themes of wisdom that are truly engaging and appear to resonate with eternal themes. 

To give you a quick bit of medicine from this book, read the following "refrigerator list" of principles learned:

1. Choose a career for the intrinsic rewards, not the financial ones.

2. Don’t give up on looking for a job that makes you happy.

3. Make the most of a bad job.

4. Emotional intelligence trumps every other kind.

5. Everyone needs autonomy.

After reading this list, spend some time soaking in the value of something this simple and profound. If you think about it, each of these rules is crucial to the recruiting process—both the interview and the follow-up process. It is what’s rumbling underneath the surface in the minds of the candidates.

This is an insightful basis for asking hard-hitting questions: Are you (ie. the candidate) in a career with intrinsic rewards? Are you in search for a job you enjoy? If they doubt their smarts, do you realize how important emotional intelligence is to succeeding? And, lastly, how badly do you want autonomy? 

Don't get me wrong. A real estate career is not for everyone. But the people in your pipeline figuratively raised their hands at some point thinking that it just might be for them. Will they regret it later if they don't try? 

Dr. Pillemer says, “yes.”  At least that’s what most of his research subjects told him:   

"I can only channel to you what the consensus of the 1200 elders in the study was. From the end of life, they definitely have a "take a risk" attitude, when it comes to time versus money.

They don't want you to do something that might bankrupt you, but if there's a choice to be able to live comfortably and have more time to actually live life, they recommend trying to make it happen.

It is a balance between being financially secure and having more time, but they really encourage us to not stay longer in a job we hate than absolutely possible."

This is valuable insight because most people whom you interview will be dissatisfied with their current job.  This is often their motivation for researching new careers. 

If you can help them see the future and overcome their natural aversion to risk, you’ve done them a great service.  You’ll also do yourself some good—you’ll hire agents who are motivated to flourish in your organization. 

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.