WorkPuzzle

Risk Averse is Life Averse

About 12 years ago, I was burned out in my work-life.  At the time, I found it difficult to maintain almost any degree of excitement towards my daily routine. This was a new feeling for me. Up to this point, I had found it easy to capture enthusiasm towards my work. 

What caused this situation to develop?  There were probably several factors. Part of the issue was related to a transition at home.  I was being freed up from many parenting duties (I had one child in college and two more about to enter), and the nature of my role was changing.  

During that period (that I have since referred to as "Dave's Doldrums"), I was introduced to an exercise that eventually helped free me from those very doldrums. The task was called the "Sage Letter." 

I know it sounds a bit far out, and I usually avoid anything that remotely smells of pop psychology.  But I was desperate, and I thought I'd give it a try.

The exercise involved imagining myself as an 85-year-old man looking back at the events of my life. From that perspective, I wrote a letter of advice to myself at my current age (I was 40 at the time).  I know this sounds simple, but it actually takes some time to write such a letter.  I had to seriously dive headlong into this somewhat bizarre task of "becoming" this 85-year-old man. 

I eventually knew that I had arrived at the "right place" when I truly felt confronted with an actual 85-year-old version of myself.  I started uncovering my hidden blind spots and aversion to risk. The pure wisdom of brutal honesty suddenly poured out on the page.  I started to understand why I was experiencing these doldrums, and I could see how much self-sabotage was going on in my life.

This exercise helped me gain some much-needed clarity. The primary insight I experienced was an awareness of the risk aversion that had crept into my life. It had not been there before, but had slowly and insidiously developed.  But, it didn't stop there. The letter also revealed hidden truths about how to improve my marriage, my friendships and my spiritual life. 

Since that experience, I cut back on my private practice, began a consulting company, taught graduate classes at a local university, started leading a ministry at my Church, and helped start Tidemark and see it grow.  My energy and enthusiasm for life returned.

Why am I disclosing all this?  It's because I recently ran across some research explaining the risk aversion that I had felt during this critical juncture in my life.   It is actually quite common and typically happens during an individual’s child rearing years.  The result is a "freezing" of the ability a person has to thoughtfully make big life decisions and it later leads to a profound sense of regret. 

The research was summarized in a recent book, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans, written by Karl Pillemer, a human ecology professor at Cornell University. Dr. Pillemer spent five years interviewing more than 1000 Americans who are over 65 years old. 

In the book, he distills their wisdom into principles on work, life, marriage, parenting, and other topics. He also describes how many of these elderly people regret having been risk averse earlier in their lives. 

In the next edition, I'll share more about this research.  But in the mean time,  I'd like you to think about how this relates to the people you interview, recruit and manage. Who could you advise to use the "Sage Letter" exercise? Or, maybe it is time you give it a try to yourself.   

Question:  Are there any opportunities you missed in your professional life because you were risk adverse?  What did you learn from the experience?

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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. 

7 Reasons to Hire an Optimist

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Does it really matter? Rigorous scientific findings suggest your outlook on life directly impacts the success you experience.

You might remember me describing, from a variety of angles, the concept of learned helplessness over the last several years. Today, it dawned on me, I have never discussed learned optimism and how understanding this concept can improve you and your organization.

Whether you are an optimist or a pessimist is easily determined by the explanations you use to account for the negative events in your life.

This is part of what psychologists call "explanatory style."  Explanatory style is a psychological attribute that indicates how people explain to themselves why they experience a particular event.

There are three dimensions to every explanation that goes through a person's mind in response to an event.  And, all other things being equal (talent, environment, circumstances), the choice in the explanation will determine the level of success you'll experience in whatever you do. 

The three dimensions of explanatory style are personal, permanent, and pervasive:

1.  Are things that happen to me personal?   This involves how one explains where the cause of an event arises. People experiencing events may see themselves as the cause; that is, they have internalized/ personalized the cause for the event.

Example: "I always have problems with math" (internal) as opposed to "These math problems can be difficult for some people" (external).

 2.  Are things that happen to me permanent?  This involves how one explains the extent of the cause. People may see the situation as unchangeable or changeable.

Example:  "I always lose my keys" or "I need find a consistent place to put my keys". 

3.  Are things that happen to me pervasive?  This involves how one explains the extent of the effects. A person with a pervasive perspective would see the situation as affecting all aspects of life.

Example:  "I can't do anything right" or "Everything I touch seems to turn to gold".

In terms of explanatory style, optimists have the following perspective when things go wrong:

-they place no blame on themselves.

-they assure themselves that any setback can and will be corrected soon.

-they believe this experience was specific to a particular event and cannot be generalized to all other events. 

I know these distinctions may sound trivial on the surface, but researchers have consistently demonstrated the powerful impact of explanatory style on the lives of people. 

What impact?  Here is an abbreviated list of some of the researched-based consequences of being an optimist:

1. Optimists suffer much less anxiety and depression.

2. Optimists adapt better to negative events (including bypass surgery, and breast cancer) 

3. Optimism enables problem-focused coping, humor, making plans, positive reframing (putting the situation in the best possible light) and, when the situation is uncontrollable, to accepting the situation's reality.Optimists are capable of learning lessons from negative situations. Thus optimists have a coping advantage over pessimists. 


4.  Perhaps surprisingly, optimists don't tend to use denial, whilst pessimists often attempt to distance themselves from the problem.Optimists are not simply people who stick their heads in the sand and ignore threats to their well-being. For example, they attend to health warnings and usually discover potentially serious problems earlier, rather than later.


5.  Optimists exert more continuous effort and tend not to give up, possibly assuming that the situation can be handled successfully in one way or another. Pessimists, on the other hand, are far more likely to anticipate disaster - and, as a result, are more likely to give up. 


6.  Optimists report more health-promoting behaviors (like eating a healthy diet or having regular medical check-ups) and enjoy better physical health than pessimists. 


7.  Optimists seem to be more productive in the work place.

In the future I may share real life examples of where this has separated those who do well from those who don't. All the more reason to have a hope-filled Christmas season!

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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. 

Understanding the New Sales Paradigm

Getting new agent candidates past the stigma of "becoming a Salesperson" has always been one of the primary obstacles to a succesful hire. Most of us, some unconsciously, tend to hold rather negative views of sales people. However, the negative image of a salesmen is slowly changing.

 How and Why?

In times past, when conducting a transaction, the sales person held most, if not all, the information regarding a given product. Oftentimes, the buyer had no prior knowledge of the product. The information imbalance caused the buyer to feel vulnerable, and made it difficult to differentiate the slimy sales people from the values-based sales people. However, with the advent of the information age, that has all radically changed. Now the buyer has access to almost as much information as the salesperson does.  As a result, the image of the slimly sales person is changing as well.

 Sales people are becoming facilitators of transactions.

In the brief video (about his new book) Daniel Pink clearly outlines this change and further describes how this change has made us all sales people. I think you'll not only enjoy this, but also it will help you guide new agent candidates over their fears.

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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. 

10 Ways to be Happier at Work

It has been awhile since I have written something light hearted, and I couldn't resist highlighting a recent article I read in Inc. Magazine 

I have a special interest in the research of human well-being. It’s not surprising that the article in Inc., entitled, “Be Happier: 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now,”  piqued my interest.  Now, I don't know if the following tips are research driven, but I CAN tell you that it all rings very true.

Sometimes the route to happiness depends more on what you don't do.--by Jeff Haden

"Happiness--in your business life and your personal life--is often a matter of subtraction, not addition. Consider, for example, what happens when you stop doing the following 10 things:

1. Blaming.

People make mistakes. Employees don't meet your expectations. Vendors don't deliver on time. So you blame them for your problems. But you're also to blame. Maybe you didn't provide enough training. Maybe you didn't build in enough of a buffer. Maybe you asked too much, too soon. Taking responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others isn't masochistic, it's empowering--because then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time. And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier. 

2. Impressing.

No one likes you for your clothes, your car, your possessions, your title, or your accomplishments. Those are all "things." People may like your things--but that doesn't mean they like you. Sure, superficially they might seem to, but superficial is also insubstantial, and a relationship that is not based on substance is not a real relationship. Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll only form genuine relationships when you stop trying to impress and start trying to just be yourself.

3. Clinging.

When you're afraid or insecure, you hold on tightly to what you know, even if what you know isn't particularly good for you. An absence of fear or insecurity isn't happiness: It's just an absence of fear or insecurity. Holding on to what you think you need won't make you happier; letting go so you can reach for and try to earn what you want will. Even if you don't succeed in earning what you want, the act of trying alone will make you feel better about yourself.

4. Interrupting.

Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt someone, what you're really saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to say." Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say. They'll love you for it--and you'll love how that makes you feel.

5. Whining.

Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better. If something is wrong, don't waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually, you'll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now. Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you'll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself. And do the same with your friends or colleagues. Don't just be the shoulder they cry on. Friends don't let friends whine--friends help friends make their lives better.

6. Controlling.

Yeah, you're the boss. Yeah, you're the titan of industry. Yeah, you're the small tail that wags a huge dog. Still, the only thing you really control is you. If you find yourself trying hard to control other people, you've decided that you, your goals, your dreams, or even just your opinions are more important than theirs. Plus, control is short term at best, because it often requires force, or fear, or authority, or some form of pressure--none of those let you feel good about yourself. Find people who want to go where you're going. They'll work harder, have more fun, and create better business and personal relationships. And all of you will be happier.

7. Criticizing.

Yeah, you're more educated. Yeah, you're more experienced. Yeah, you've been around more blocks and climbed more mountains and slayed more dragons. That doesn't make you smarter, or better, or more insightful. That just makes you you: unique, matchless, one of a kind, but in the end, just you. Just like everyone else--including your employees. Everyone is different: not better, not worse, just different. Appreciate the differences instead of the shortcomings and you'll see people--and yourself--in a better light.

8. Preaching.

Criticizing has a brother. His name is Preaching. They share the same father: Judging. The higher you rise and the more you accomplish, the more likely you are to think you know everything--and to tell people everything you think you know. When you speak with more finality than foundation, people may hear you but they don't listen. Few things are sadder and leave you feeling less happy.

9. Dwelling.

The past is valuable. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others. Then let it go. Easier said than done? It depends on your focus. When something bad happens to you, see that as a chance to learn something you didn't know. When another person makes a mistake, see that as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding. The past is just training; it doesn't define you. Think about what went wrong, but only in terms of how you will make sure that, next time, you and the people around you will know how to make sure it goes right.  

10. Fearing.

We're all afraid: of what might or might not happen, of what we can't change, or what we won't be able to do, or how other people might perceive us. So it's easier to hesitate, to wait for the right moment, to decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives. Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by. And so do our dreams. Don't let your fears hold you back. Whatever you've been planning, whatever you've imagined, whatever you've dreamed of, get started on it today. If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or offer new products or services, take the first step. Put your fears aside and get started. Do something. Do anything."

I hope you and those you work with can embrace the heart of these timeless messages. Doing so will certainly bring more joy to your life.

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Why Every Manager and Business Owner Should Dream of Sushi

Very few movies come along that impact me as powerfully as the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

How can an 85 year old man, with a restaurant seating 10 people, receive the highest possible rating from Michelin, charge $365 a meal, and serve nothing but sushi? That's right, no appetizers, no desert, no side dishes, just sushi.

Sushi is all you’re getting.. and sushi is all you'll want.

Jiro has been deemed by experts to be the best sushi chef in the world. How good? A 3 star rating from Michelin is reserved for restaurants where the food is so good that it is, “Worth traveling to the country just to eat there.”

 

But that is only part of what makes Jiro Dreams of Sushi an interesting story.

How this man developed a reputation for the best sushi in the world is where this story gets very interesting.

Early in his difficult life, Jiro threw himself into becoming the very best sushi chef he could possibly be. He never set out to become the best in the world, or become rich. However, those extraneous things happened as a result of doing his very best every single day. Hence the title of the documentary; desiring to improve his skills every day led him to, "Dream about sushi."

Here are some quotes from the chef himself and one from his son:

“ Once you decide on your occupation… you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret of success… and is the key to being regarded honorably.”-Jiro Ono

“I've never once hated this job. I fell in love with my work and gave my life to it. Even though I'm eighty five years old, I don't feel like retiring. That's how I feel.”-Jiro Ono

“Always look ahead and above yourself. Always try to improve on yourself. Always strive to elevate your craft. That's what he taught me."- Yoshikazu Ono

"I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I'll continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is."-Jiro Ono

Now, to be fair, you'll see that this kind of intense striving can lead to some poor fathering. He admits that he was not a good father. However, despite this fact, both of his sons have taken up their old man's craft, and pursue it with similar enthusiasm.

Do you know anyone with a similar dedication to their craft? I do. My wife is a dental hygienist and an instructor at a college, training dental hygiene students. While she never dedicated so much time that she came close to putting her craft above her duties as a mother, she was always improving, always wanting to be better, and wanting to stay abreast of the latest research and techniques. I love this about her. I don't get it, (why someone would be so interested in teeth and the mouth with that kind of dedication)... but I love it.

Many years ago, I figured out that most of the people who turn out to be interesting are usually those who are interested in excelling at something. What do you excel at? Do your customers and coworkers perceive you to be dedicated to excellence?

Whether they do or don't, know this: It is never too late to become seriously dedicating to doing something every day, improve what you offer, what you know, or how you serve.

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

What is Crock Pot Recruiting?

Everyone has heard the saying "If it were easy, everyone would do it." A couple of years ago, Ben wrote a great piece on the difference between microwave and crock pot recruiting that closely follows this principle.

Every tool and philosophy we espouse at Tidemark is built upon this central principle. It is not surprising that 95% of our clients hold to this principle as well. They have an underlying conviction that in order to see results tomorrow, they must consistently engage in systematic and seamless steps today. It's understood that "microwave" recruiting will only obtain low hanging fruit that competitors are also vying for. Conversely, "crock pot" recruiting may take more time and discipline, but, over time, yields the higher caliber and supplemental fruit that companies need in order to beat the competition.

The differences in the conversations of a microwave recruiter and the conversations of a crock pot recruiter resemble two entirely different languages. A microwave recruiter typically offers anecdotal excuses, usually with no statistics, regarding why they aren’t achieving their goals. When asked a statistical question, the microwave recruiter will usually give you an anecdotal answer. When asked how many candidates it takes to get ten interviews...or how many interviews it takes to get each hire, a microwave recruiter is usually unable to provide numbers. What do they provide instead? More excuses. Why? Because a microwave recruiter does not track methods or results.

What isn't measured cannot be managed, predicted, or improved upon. However, recording and tracking results doesn’t come naturally to most people. I often fall into the common trap of not measuring what I do, or how I spend my time. And guess what? That’s invariably when I’m not accomplishing much.

Now, don't get me wrong...there are always factors that change percentages and numbers from one cycle to the next. There is a time and place to dissect reasons and interpret the changes in percentages, however, making excuses with no grounding in metrics is typically used as an attempt to avoid accountability.

Discipline is the key to tracking and keeping records. Disciplined people and organizations rarely offer excuses. They implement systems to drive, track, and improve performance.

Discipline is defined as:

1. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.

2. Controlled behavior resulting from training.

3. A set of rules or methods.

4. Activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill.

5. Behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control.

6. A set or system of rules and regulations.

Two years ago, I wrote a four-part piece on an expert recruiter (Andy Nazaroff) who clearly exercises discipline (1,2,3,4). He provides specifics regarding calls, interviews, information, timing, conduct, etc... all of these methods amount to consistent and impressive success.

For him and others like him, a belief system is at the core of their success. They believe that discipline drives results, and increases responsibility -- two characteristics of every successful company.

Let me know your thoughts and your own methods for assuring your own discipline.

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

RecruitingSocial: 4 Reasons You Need a Virtual Office

Over the last month, we have built a very strong foundation to support the fact that social media is here to stay and have described how our clients can best utilize this trend to increase market share.  In the last two editions (1, 2), Ben announced our new solution, why we chose to invest in it, and how we believe it will help you recruit, manage, and lead the real estate industry in this new direction.    

There was a day when your brick and mortar office was your complete identity.  It was your castle...your fort.  It was the only place that your troops gathered for strategy and inspiration, as well as the place they assembled to perform the majority of their work.  This is slowly becoming less and less the case.  People, especially young professionals, are increasingly mobile and have more access to the things they need outside the office.  They are also quite tied to their social media platforms, in general.  The internet has changed the game, and within the most innovative companies, social media has changed marketing, communication, collaboration, and recruiting. 

While many smaller companies are trying to find a way to capture the benefits of this trend with Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, they continue to be frustrated with the results of these endeavors.  Why?  

Ben described it well in his last article... You as a manager, won't benefit from the above platforms unless you have a way for everything to point back to not only you personally, and not only your company, but to your individual office and the people within it.  

First, imagine that you have your own online office where much of the collaboration, inspiration, problem solving, daily tips, and success stories could be communicated.  Now, imagine that outside agents, vendors, customers, and clients were able not only to see inside some of the collaboration of your office, but they could join in on some of it as well.  THIS is what the bigger companies are doing, and we're betting this is how the younger generation will strive to go about their work.  

Don't get me wrong, brick and mortar offices will always be necessary for a variety of reasons...but your online representation of your office and all of its communication and collaboration will be a key ingredient to attracting, retaining, and collaborating with the best and the brightest.  

So, here are four reasons why you need to seriously consider an online social media office:  

1. You need your own online TURF.  As Ben mentioned in the last edition -- Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social networking sites should be used solely as your outposts and embassies, all pointing back to your turf...your office. 

2. To build new channels for collaboration.  Imagine your agents pitching in (in real time) to help someone with an urgent question or problem. 

3. To create value.  Imagine developing a network of customers, vendors, and perhaps outside agents that you've been trying to recruit, and leveraging their collective brainpower to explore and develop new ideas.   

4. To Recruit.  Agents want to get a glimpse of your culture.  They want to have conversations with agents, look around, and perhaps even develop some ongoing dialogue in order to see the dynamics of your office and how you and your agents think before signing on.  This is one powerful way of accomplishing that.  

Karl Moore, of Forbes summarizes this trend well: 

"The benefits of collaboration networks are limitless.  These networks breed co-creation, shared value, and cultures of collaboration that can be leveraged beyond the network.  The new generation of Millennials and Generation C (connected, computerized, and community-oriented) have fully adopted the collaborative mindset as their own.  They are educated, interactive, and collaborative, and have grown up using social networks as a tool for brainstorming and problem solving.  This reflects a broad shift in generational thinking that is taking place.  The broadcast generation from the industrial age is being met by a collaborative generation from the new knowledge age.  The old ways of staying within the four walls to solve problems, guarding company information, and developing products, services, and solutions in isolation are gone.

Companies that can create or participate in a collaborative network and organize themselves to best leverage the benefits will enjoy a competitive advantage.  Companies of all sizes can start by setting up a network of internal experts, suppliers, partners and customers." 

And now you can too. If you haven't done so already, scroll back to the last two editions (1, 2) and learn about the conception of what we now call "RecruitingSocial."

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Collaborating, Generation Y, and Social Media

I learn most by watching and listening to my children.  And it just so happens that my kids fit nicely into the Gen Y demographic, which sooner or later will be, not only your predominant workforce, but your primary customer.  (More on my kids later...)  Gen Y's are those born between 1976 and 1991.  If you haven't noticed, most products and advertisers are pitching to them.  Are you?  

We all realize that when it comes to managing an office of all ages, there has to be a delicate balance between meeting the needs of the current workforce (and customers), while also building for the future.  Neither can be neglected.  

But what does this newer generation need?  What are they looking for?  

In a thoughtful article written by Bill Paterson of Microsoft, published by Forbes magazine, Bill states: 

"The workforce dynamics are always changing – but none more so than the influx of Gen-Y talent that will make-up the majority staffing over the next few years.  Sure we’ve been hit with new paradigms before:  open-cubicle design, virtual offices, and yes– even the latest craze of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) IT policies, but this next shift promises to bring some of the biggest shake-up over last decade.  Why might you ask?  Allow me to explain.  

Generation-Y represent a new class of employee:  one shaped with a deep appreciation of technology combined with a desire to work collaboratively as teams versus seeking advancement solely on the basis of individual contribution.  Interestingly, studies have shown that this new generation of employee not only thrives in highly collaborative workplaces, but is now making this a key requirement in selecting where to work.  And it is in this area – becoming a highly collaborative workplace– which many organizations have their work cut out for them."

Given the above research, one begins to understand why Oracle bought Involver, Microsoft bought Yammers, and Sales Force bought Buddy Media; They are building the groundwork for collaboration to occur...All are platforms designed to meet the following needs: collaboration, cooperation, and a sense of belonging. These companies believe that this kind of platform is important enough to the future of their business to invest billions of dollars in them.  

So, back to my kids... They each work for highly collaborative environments in completely different industries.  Why?  Because they are drawn to such environments, and have actually left companies that were not highly collaborative.  Everything that I am reading about this topic resonates with what I am seeing right under my own nose. 

You might be wondering why we have been writing so much about social media, without clear direction on how to use it.  I can answer that by saying two things:  (1) We are studying and writing about it as a way to learn more, and (2) We are simultaneously developing a product to provide an answer to all we are proposing...  

More on this soon... In the meantime, please share your thoughts.

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Recruiting Through Collaboration - Part 2

In the last edition, I included the following findings:  

"...The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) finds that twice as much potential value lies in using social tools to enhance communications, knowledge, sharing, and collaboration within and across enterprises.  MGI's estimates suggest that by fully implementing social technologies, companies have an opportunity to raise the productivity of interaction workers-- high-skill knowledge workers, including managers and professionals-- by 20 to 25 percent."

I then asked the following questions: 

Question one:  What type of agent do you want to build your organization around?  If you answer that you "don't care," then there is little need to read the remainder of this article.  

Answer:  Most companies want agents who enjoy collaborating and sharing with the rest of the organization.  They typically will put up with lone rangers, but much prefer community-minded individuals, who are willing to give back and share.  The reason is simple:  Lasting communities are built by people who contribute to the whole rather than by those who are parasitic to the whole. 

Question two:  What would attract agents who would want to collaborate and share? 

Answer:  Organizations that visibly collaborate and share will attract those who will collaborate and share.  

Question three:  How do you build a collaborative community through social media that is visible to outside agents and provides collaboration as the first open door toward recruiting? 

Here is my 30,000 foot view of what I am implying:  You potentially have two complimentary goals: (1) Recruiting collaborative agents and (2) Encouraging the practice of collaboration.  Up until the last decade, very few methods existed to support or fuse these two, much less measure either one.  But now the groundwork is being laid for this to happen.  That's right...you guessed it...from the the Social Media platform.  

In their Forbes article titled "From Social Networks to Collaboration Networks: The Next Evolution of Social Media for Business," Karl Moore and Peter Neely write that the smartest companies have realized the power of asking "customers and followers to participate in brainstorming with them so they can learn how to be a better company, offer better products and services, or support the values and issues of the community...They understand that ideas can come from anyone, anywhere and at any time."

They site several examples of this.  Below are two very interesting examples:

1. Toronto-based Goldcorp, a gold mining firm, sought a new approach to finding gold deposits on their 55,000-acre Red Lake, Ontario property.  With analysts believing that the fifty-year old property had been emptied, high production costs, labor strikes, and lingering debt...the firm was desperate to find new life.  Without options, CEO Rob McEwan created the “Goldcorp Challenge,” whereby he placed every piece of information about the property on the web for all participants to download, study, and submit recommendations.  More than 1,000 participants from over 50 countries signed up to solve Goldcorp’s problem.  Submissions came from a diverse group of participants, many not trained in geology.  This open-source innovation network proved to be invaluable, identifying 110 targets worth more than three billion dollars.  By opening the information to a wider network, the company benefited from collaboration of internal and external knowledge banks.
2. The second example uses the idea of social and collaborative networking within the four walls of the organization.  In mid-2007 IBM created Beehive, an internal social network to connect employees worldwide.  The network gained momentum and currently supports 30,000+ employees.  Each employee can add a bio page, photos and connect with employees from other IBM offices around the world.  What’s interesting about Beehive is how the employees use the internal network.  There are three distinct categories of use:  The first is to connect with employees they meet at conferences or when working on inter-departmental or inter-divisional projects.  The network provides a mechanism to stay connected and get to know other employees and their area of expertise.  The second use is to gain project support and brainstorm with others on how best to complete a project.  The connections provide a collaboration channel to promote the project to others and gather ideas from other people at different levels.  The third use of Beehive is the opportunity to connect with people at higher levels of the organization that are not accessible via traditional channels.  Employees use connections to these executives as a method to share ideas and get career advice with the hope of advancement.  IBM Beehive is a great example of leveraging an internal social network to cultivate communication, interaction, and collaboration within the widely distributed company.

With stories like this, it's no wonder that Oracle bought Involver, Microsoft bought Yammers, and Sales Force bought Buddy Media. 

You are probably asking should we build something on Facebook to begin this process?  Probably not.  Facebook is far too general in scope to use for something like the above and gain any traction within your office or company.  But, what if you had your own community site...sort of a virtual office where outsiders could peak in and see how you think....where your agents could collaborate and problem solve.  What if outside agents could join in the discussion and contribute to ideas and vice-versa? 

Are you seeing where I'm going with this? 

We at Tidemark, are interested enough in the power of this direction, that we began thinking hard and developing strategies in alignment with this movement.  More on this sometime in the near future.... 

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Recruiting Through Collaboration

As you know, we are devoting the next several editions of WorkPuzzle to the exploration of recruiting experienced agents through the tools of social media.  Let me first be clear:  In many ways, I abhor social media.  I am bored easily with it, and frankly most of it seems like a waste of time.  But, then again, I am a baby boomer, and probably as a result could be labeled as a late adaptor to much of the last 15 years of innovation.  But, I have to admit...through the last month of reading and researching this topic, I have come to clearly believe that the vital need to confront this topic has never been more paramount.  

I am finding that the same "real time" and global scale access to social interactions used for political upheaval and consumer research is currently being harnessed by the best and brightest companies for a wide variety of solutions.  Why?  There is reason to believe that the organizations who can figure out how to harness these interactions will lead the next wave of innovation.  But how do you harness these social interactions in a way that makes sense? 

Lee has already presented a convincing argument that directly selling anything to anyone rarely, if ever, really works..and especially through social media; This includes selling your company to an experienced agent through some cheesy pitch.  The best people just won't bite on a blatant pitch of "come join our company."  But what will they respond to?  

Allow me to develop a possibility.  

Many smart-minded people are taking the time to research and write about the untapped potential of collaboration through social media.  

McKinsey Global Institute writes:

"While 72 percent of companies use social technologies in some way, very few are anywhere near to achieving the full potential benefit.  In fact, the most powerful applications of social technologies in the global economy are largely untapped.  Companies will go on developing ways to reach consumers through social technologies and gathering insights for product development, marketing, and customer service.  Yet the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) finds that twice as much potential value lies in using social tools to enhance communications, knowledge, sharing, and collaboration within and across enterprises.  MGI's estimates suggest that by fully implementing social technologies, companies have an opportunity to raise the productivity of interaction workers-- high-skill knowledge workers, including managers and professionals-- by 20 to 25 percent."

So, you ask:  "What does this have to do with recruiting experienced agents?"  And in return, I ask you to ponder the following three topics over the next few days:  

Question one:  What type of agent do you want to build your organization around?  If you answer that you "don't care," then there is little need to read the remainder of this article.  

Answer:  Most companies want agents who enjoy collaborating and sharing with the rest of the organization.  They typically will put up with lone rangers, but much prefer community-minded individuals, who are willing to give back and share.  The reason is simple:  Lasting communities are built by people who contribute to the whole rather than by those who are parasitic to the whole. 

Question two:  What would attract agents who would want to collaborate and share? 

Answer:  Organizations that visibly collaborate and share will attract those who will collaborate and share.  

Question three:  How do you build a collaborative community through social media that is visible to outside agents and provides collaboration as the first open door toward recruiting? 

Answer:  Stay tuned....This is a little more complex -- I'll offer a possible answer in the next edition... 

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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. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.