The most common question anyone has ever asked me regarding the hiring process is, “What is the key component to determining who will be successful?”

There are far too many variables to the answer to recount them all here. However, if I were forced to pick one single variable that predicts success, it would be the well – documented, difficult to measure…“Grit.”

We have written about this elusive trait on several occasions and will most likely revisit the topic in the future.

Why?  Because I have become aware of a new possibility.  Understanding “Grit,” may help you,  not only identify those most likely to succeed, but perhaps more importantly spread it throughout your organization, if harnessed correctly.

This new insight came while reading a recent Seattle times article:  True Grit: Earl Thomas, Byron Maxwell have what might be ‘key ingredient’ for Seahawk success.

Most of the Seattle Seahawks players and management attributed last year’s Super Bowl success to more than just talent. Seahawk’s manager, Pete Carroll, finally has a name to call this mysterious condition that has infected this rabidly aggressive team. The following are excerpts from the above article.

“In May of last year, before going to bed, Pete Carroll pulled up a video of a TED talk. The woman giving the talk was Angela Duckworth (pictures above), an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Carroll knew nothing about her at the time but the topic hooked him….

Later that week, Carroll and Duckworth connected on the phone, and their conversations have helped define what the Seahawks are looking for in players.

What Duckworth and Carroll discussed is something she describes as one of the most significant predictors of success in humans; Carroll calls it “maybe the key ingredient” for players.

What they talked about is grit….

Duckworth became fascinated by grit while teaching math in New York City public schools. She noticed that her best students weren’t always her smartest ones. A few years later, she became a psychologist to find out why.

That led her down the rabbit hole chasing a broad question: Who is successful here and why? She traveled to West Point, to the national spelling bee and to classrooms across the country and tried to predict who would be successful.

“In all of those very different contexts, one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success,” she said during her TED talk. “And it wasn’t social intelligence. It wasn’t good looks, physical health, and it wasn’t IQ. It was grit.”

“Grit is having stamina,” she said during her TED talk, a broad series of talks and conferences aimed at creative or innovative ideas. “Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out. Not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years. Grit is living life like a marathon, not a sprint.”

Carroll and the Seahawks are still looking for the same general qualities in players: competitiveness, resiliency and determination. Carroll has spouted those words for years, and they are not unique.

But grit is now a defined part of the Seahawks’ lexicon, and it is an important factor in their hunt for players. They now have a vocabulary for the values they’d always held. The Seahawks have even mined information from current players with grit to see what their backgrounds might tell them about future players.

But what prompted Carroll’s call to Duckworth in the first place was the way she ended her TED talk. Parents and teachers always ask her how they can build grit.

“The honest answer is, I don’t know,” she said. “What I do know is that talent doesn’t make you gritty.”

Carroll thought Duckworth left everyone hanging and told her as much. “I said, ‘Come and watch us. All we do is try to help people be great competitors,’ ” he said during a recent talk at USC. “That’s what we’re trying to do, and we’ve been teaching competitive for a long time and developing it, and watching story after story of people change.

“She just didn’t have our laboratory. She didn’t have the environment that we had to do it in.”

He then told the story of Earl Thomas’s (and a few other players) influence on the remainder of the team.

“Let me give you a firsthand example,” he said.”

Carroll went on to describe how Earl Thomas was indeed naturally born with this elusive trait. However, because of his fire, and the team’s commitment to creating an environment dedicated to replicating that “constant competition from the top down,” he has transformed many other players (Vernon Maxwell a great example) into a “Gritty” bunch of players.

You might say, the Seahawks didn’t demonstrate much grit this past weekend, but I would disagree (and so would they). The Chargers just had more grit on that day.

So, can this be done in other environments? Can other teams learn to develop this? Can organizations learn to develop this? If so, how?

I am going to ponder this and look for examples where I have witnessed something similar in other organizations and get back to you soon.

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. 

Unless you live in a cave somewhere, you were certainly barraged by the excessive media coverage earlier this week of Apple releasing its latest products—the IPhone 6 and their Smart Watch.

I’ll have to admit, I have as many gadgets as the next guy, and I find Apple’s products very useful.   But, I do wonder where all the technology advances will eventually lead us.

JR Hennessey wondered the same thing in an article he recently wrote for The Guardian.  While his article is long (and reads a bit like a manifesto), there are some great thoughts and dilemmas he brings to the surface.

This topic relates to some of the challenges the real estate industry has started to face and will struggle with in the years ahead.

The discussion was started after Google engineer and activist Justine Tunney suggested last month that food stamps should be replaced with Soylent, a grey nutritional slurry mooted as a total meal replacement, to keep poor Americans healthy and productive.

Soylent was rapidly accepted by the Silicon Valley technorati, who backed the project’s Kickstarter to the tune of $1m. They consume it as an exercise in minimalist purity: “what if you never had to worry about food again?”

Really, we’re looking at the creation of two worlds – and that’s theirs. In ours, we’ll never have to worry about food again either, because we’ll be gulping down mandatory tasteless nutrition sludge we didn’t want…

This conflict – between consumers of technology and the geeks who pull us forward into uncharted sociocultural territory – is starting to become more pointed. We trained ourselves to value Facebook’s “open society” without privacy; we accepted the furtive mobile phone check as appropriate punctuation for a face-to-face conversation; we even put up with 3D cinema for a time. But this is too much.

Now the blowback has arrived. The first signs of the emerging tech utopia we were always told about don’t look so great if you can’t code. Instead, it’s hard to escape the feeling that we’re set to fall into obnoxious technological traps predicated on the easy abandonment of basic human experiences like eating or working.

Here’s a question I’d like you to consider:  Is the real estate industry going to be part of this anti-technology “blowback” that Hennessey predicts will happen?

For some organizations, I think it could be, and it could turn into one of your most compelling competitive advantages against the technological innovations that seem to be bombarding real estate industry from every side.

Do people really want to buy or sell a house with minimal human involvement?  Of course it’s cheaper, but you can also get a bag of Soylent for under $3.

As a real estate professional, I would encourage you to never forget what you’re truly selling; the human interaction a person experiences while they progress through a real estate transaction.

Hennessey concludes his argument by making the following point:

A divide is growing between the people who wholeheartedly embrace a radically new, radically self-centered vision of human life, and the people who do not. The internal lives of the tech elite, centered on the labor-saving innovations of Silicon Valley, are at odds with semi-atavistic conceptions of how people interact. Traditions and shared values are redundant, inefficient, and must be optimized out of existence.

The backlash against this world is democracy manifesting itself; a tacit rejection of the ideological assumptions underpinning the personal tech revolution. People want to define the structure of their own lives, and Silicon Valley’s myriad product lines are an unwelcome intrusion into the way we live and interact with one another – and even the way we eat, sleep and procreate.

A simple fact remains: there is something intrinsically repellant about a world in which our food, jobs, personal relationships, and [real estate transactions] are replaced by digital proxies in the name of ultra-efficient disruption.

Ok.  I added the real estate transactions part, but you get idea.  Don’t give into the temptation to let technology solve all your problems—you too may end up disappointed with the world you’re creating for yourself.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

What do some of the most progressive brands in business today have in common with the real estate industry?  More than you might think.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week the number of “freelancers” in the workforce has risen to an all-time high.  There are now more than 53 million individuals (34% of the U.S. workforce) who qualify as freelancers.

I wrote about this trend back in 2011, and suspected that it might be connected to the sluggish job market recovery after the recession, but the Wall Street Journal thinks there is something more significant taking place.

Layoffs that accompanied the recession forced many individuals to forge a living from short-term gigs, while online marketplaces such as Elance, TaskRabbit and Uber emerged to match independent workers with companies or individuals in need of labor. Plus, the rise of mobile technologies allow more people to work when and where they choose.

While the initial side effect of the recession forced many people into the world of contract work, there seems to be a support industry that quickly arose to support the needs of these workers. It also shows us that many people need/desire a framework in which to do contract or independent work.

If you’re not familiar with the companies referenced above, take a minute to look at their websites.

What do they all have in common?

They provide the overarching structure for a group of freelance workers.  On their own, most of these independent workers would not survive.   However, working inside the online marketplaces, it becomes a symbiotic relationship.

Like Elance, TaskRabbit, Uber, and a few other progressive companies, real estate organizations also provide the framework for independent workers to survive…and maybe even flourish.

This is a powerful piece of information you can start using during your interviews.

In the past, the nontraditional real estate employment model was most commonly associated with work-at-home jobs, network marketing, and a host of other questionable opportunities.

Now, over one-third of the workforce operates just like the real estate industry and the most progressive companies in the country.

Your discussion can go something like this:  Corporate jobs are not what they used to be, and starting a business on your own is too risky.  Why not do the only sensible thing and become a real estate agent?

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Digital Generation. Gen Z. Silent Generation. Second generation in the Millennial cohort. The “coming demographic tsunami.”

This is how Andre Lavoie (CEO of ClearCompany, a talent alignment firm) opens his article, How to Start Planning for Recruiting Gen Z, in describing what most of us refer to as Generation Z; those born between 1995 to -present.

Lavoie’s focus on Gen Z includes recommendations on how to prepare to recruit this generation.  Keep in mind you will be seeing the oldest of this group on the job search radar very soon.

In my last two blogs I recounted a backdrop of evidence suggesting that Gen Z is going to be beyond just different. Given the evidence, I am personally convinced that they will be major influencers who will be completely resistant to the status quo on a level that far exceeds what we have seen in a while. Have doubts? Just read the blogs referenced above on this amazingly entrepreneurial group.

During a recent ERE conference,  Lavoie identifies the ways your recruiting strategies may change as a result of the major differences of this generation.  As you read, take note of how their tendencies might fit perfectly into your industry:

The Generation of Leaders

What this means for recruiters: As this generation naturally turns to entrepreneurial roles, it will become challenging to find high-quality candidates who want to work for someone else. Money will also be less important; turning a passion or hobby into a business or career path will be their ultimate goal.

Position your jobs in terms of long-term career paths with visible opportunity to step into leadership and intrapreneurial roles. As a recruiter, your role will ultimately evolve into counseling this driven and digital-native generation to find a career they will truly love and be passionate about.

Communicating in a Whole New Way

What this means for recruiters: Gen Z will be highly mobile and will demand communication that can support their free and nomadic nature. According to a 2012 Forrester Research study, Gen Z is the second-largest demographic owning an iPhone at 24 percent, with Gen Y ranking highest at 29 percent.

Redefining the “Picture Perfect Candidate”

It is quite possible that the 9-to-5 work day as we know it will end with Gen Z. In their minds, they are “always on,” and they have all the tools necessary to get work done from anywhere in the world, so it makes no sense they would have to stick to a rigid schedule and be at the same place every day.

What this means for recruiters: What the “picture perfect candidate” looks like has already changed dramatically with Gen Y. But as Gen Z enters the workforce, it will change it even more, requiring recruiters to change their own thinking, …

You may also find that your normal routine for reaching out to candidates will have to change as you begin to recruit Gen Z. With their general “hours” up in the air, you may have to be open to taking a call at 8:00 at night instead of 8:00 in the morning.

Gen Z will change the workforce as we know it. … This “coming demographic tsunami” of 26 million people will take charge, and revolutionize the workforce in ways we have never experienced before.

The above might seem like hyperbole, but the evidence that lends itself to these predictions exceeds what I can share in just three brief blog articles. And to me, their traits fit perfectly into a career in real estate. Can you see it?

This immense circle of talent is getting the attention of companies across the globe. They are already preparing. Is the Real Estate industry thinking about this wave and what it means to their recruiting?

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.

Today, I’d like to point you to a very popular article that was published on LinkedIn a couple of weeks
ago.  Perhaps you’ve read it already—it has over 180,000 views and has generated a lot of discussion online.

The article was written by business author Bruce Kasanoff, and it focuses on the science behind the most successful careers.

So, what’s the big deal?

Bruce does a great job of describing what holds most people back from being more successful in their careers—an unshakeable belief in the high likelihood of their own success.

However, he approaches this topic from an unexpected psychological angle—how an individual’s career can be profoundly impacted by the placebo effect.  Here is an excerpt from his article:

I recently read a research study, Placebo Sleep Affects Cognitive Functioning, in which researchers made up an elaborate ruse to convince people who got a bad night’s sleep that they actually got a good night’s sleep. Here’s a bit of what the researchers told their test subjects…

(Participants were) informed of a new technique whereby the previous night’s percentage of REM sleep could be determined by measuring the lingering biological measurements of heart rate, pulse, and brainwave frequency the next day.

P.S. This is all nonsense; the researchers made it up.

Sure enough, sleep-deprived subjects who were told they slept soundly actually performed better on the PASAT test of auditory attention and speed of processing.

This, of course, is yet another instance of the placebo effect. Researchers Christina Draganich and Kristi Erdal point out that while the placebo effect is commonly thought of in the context of drugs, it can also extend to many elements of everyday life such as intoxication, weight loss, rash reaction to fake poison ivy, etc.

When it comes to the placebo effect, the details matter, in ways that are difficult to anticipate. One study, for example, found that test subjects only demonstrated an increase in mental acuity when they paid full price for an energy drink they believed would improve their mental acuity. Those who paid a discounted price saw no benefit (Shiv, Carmon, and Ariely, 2005).

This research (and a much wider body of experimentation) suggests that what the mind believes to be true is a very powerful thing—especially when it comes to a person’s career.   Bruce summarizes it this way:

In short, you don’t need more training to be qualified for a promotion. You don’t need caffeine to wake up. You don’t need a good night’s sleep to feel rested. It just takes a credible researcher in a professional setting to tell you that you have what you need.

As a coach to the real estate agents you manage, this is a very important principle to understand—you are the credible researcher in the professional setting!

It’s your job to understand what your agents believe about themselves and their propensity for success.  If you neglect this responsibility, your agents will be left to listen to the random voices that speak into their lives.  While some of these voices might be positive and helpful, most of them will be negative and counterproductive.

Bruce summarizes his admonition from a self-help perspective:

…don’t take on this challenge by yourself. Surround yourself with credible evidence that good things are headed your way. Spend time in the company of positive, supportive people. Research techniques that you believe will work for you. Do whatever it takes to build a strong belief in your mind that success is in your future.

Your agents need your help.  Be a great coach by helping them believe the right things about their success.   There is no better win-win arrangement.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

If you’re a regular WorkPuzzle reader, you know we frequently discuss tactics for helping employees leave their traditional jobs and transition into the real estate industry.

While the mastery of these tactics can be helpful, there is a premise that undergirds the thought process of most traditional employees who engage in this dialog:

Individuals consider changing jobs/careers when they are unhappy in their current positions.

If during an interview, you’re able to help a candidate understand, articulate and own their unhappiness, you’ll be much more successful at converting interviews into hires.   Success rates improve because candidates will only listen to your “solution” when they become convinced that you understand the uniqueness of their problem.

How do you become more effective at addressing happiness (or a lack thereof) in your interviews?

To address this topic, we’ll lean on the expertise of Jessica Pryce-Jones, the CEO and founder of the iOpener Institute for People and Performance, a consulting company that has done extensive research on happiness in the workplace.

In Jones’ research involving more than 9,000 people from around the world, she investigated what might be missing or misaligned in an individual’s work experience.  In turn, she identified five components that tend to be characteristics of people who are happy at work.    Here is a list and quick summary of each component:

Contribution.  This is about what you do, so it’s made up of some of the core activities which happen at work. Like having clear goals, moving positively towards them, talking about issues that might prevent you from meeting your objectives and feeling heard when you do so.

Conviction.  This is the short-term motivation both in good times and bad. That’s the key point: keeping going even when things get tough, so that you maintain your energy, motivation and resources which pull you through.

Culture.  Performance and happiness at work are really high when employees feel they fit within their organizational culture. Not fitting in a job is like wearing the wrong clothes to a party—all the time.   It’s hugely draining and de-energizing.

Commitment.  Commitment matters because it taps into the macro reasons of why you do the work you do. Some of the underlying elements of commitment are perceiving you’re doing something worthwhile, having strong intrinsic interest in your job and feeling that the vision of your organization resonates with your purpose.

Confidence.  Confidence is the gateway to the other four drivers. Too little confidence and nothing happens: too much leads to arrogance and particularly poor decisions. Without greater levels of self-belief, the backbone of confidence, there will be few people who’ll take a risk or try anything new. And you can’t have confident organizations without confident individuals inside them.

It stands to reason if these are the common characteristics of people who are happy at work, those unhappy are typically going to be missing one of more of these components in their current environment.

To the thoughtful hiring manager this information is the treasure map for interviewing—it tells you right where to dig to find the unhappiness that your candidates are experiencing.

This insight can be easily turned into open-ended interview questions having a high probability of resonating with candidates.  For example:

“What type of meaningful contribution are you making in your current job?”

“When things get difficult in your current job, how do you maintain a sense of energy and motivation towards your tasks?”

“Tell me about a job you had in the past where you were a great fit on your team.  Do you feel this way in your current job?”

You get the idea.  Make up a few more questions on your own.  After asking these questions, be quiet and let the candidates tell you about their experiences.  Resist the temptation to share your own experiences.

Finally, once the candidate reveals their unique pain, tactfully suggest how becoming a real estate agent on your team could solve their specific problem.

Using research to guide your interviews will make you more effective.  These are simple guidelines you can start applying your next interview.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.