Hiring the Right Talent

We knew it was bound to happen – the long-discussed exodus: Baby boomers are retiring in waves. They are departing with their expertise, and their multi-decade exposure to (and correcting of) recurring problems. While we can sit and discuss the changing tide of the times – perhaps a reality that does not suit all generations in Corporate America (although not unlike past evolution) – we would be remiss if we thought we were not losing something significant. Those years of experience are not easily replaced. And this is why attracting strong talent, and hiring the right talent, is so vital at this juncture in your corporation. 

I am a firm believer that anyone with discernment and critical thinking can be taught to be excellent at a certain skill or craft. But herein lies an issue that many managers are facing: Team members, whether new or five years into their positions, remain somewhat unskilled, needing consistent training for improvement. Without this training and guidance, your team runs the risk of stagnancy, a decrease in innovation, deadlines missed, and problems going left unsolved. There certainly should be an expectation that managers will need to train and mentor their team members. But, this should not be the entirety of the job. Again, herein lies an opportunity for businesses to be thoughtful about their new hires.

If you’ve never thought about durable skills and perishable skills, now is the time. In a recent Forbes article, this distinction between durable skills and perishable skills is made, mainly to demonstrate how one must aim to retain employees with durable skills. And, it seems logical that a company will benefit from not only retaining employees with durable skills but attracting and hiring those with durable skills. 

What is a durable skill? This is the ability for a person to pair their life knowledge to their work. How can they use their own experiences to thrive in the corporate environment? As I noted, I am a firm believer that if you hire someone with critical thinking (a durable skill) you will be better suited than hiring the person with more years of experience and no ability to deduce thoughtfully.  “Durability” as I will refer to it, also speaks to a person’s ability to communicate well and navigate through challenges with a solution-focused mindset. Even if a person is somewhat unseasoned, they will be poised for success because they will seek out the answers, look to their manager for guidance when necessary, and pride themselves on resiliency and self-sufficiency.

On the flip, perishable skills are specialized. They are specific to an industry or specific organization. The training is in fact done on the job. 

Isn’t the perfect pairing, then, a hire who has durable skills because they can seemingly be taught the perishable skills? Indeed. 

As a manager, how might you help someone learn critical thinking? It is not a quantitative output and this is a struggle managers face. While a manager may be able to train on concepts and specializations (which naturally takes ample time) it is more challenging to teach someone how to communicate effectively, ratiocinate often, and solve problems independently. 

Thus, as we are facing a time of skillful people leaving the workplace, seek new hires with durable skill sets. Keep this front of mind throughout the interview process. 

Questions to consider: 

• How might you measure someone’s critical thinking? 

• How might you assess their ability to communicate? 

• How will you determine their emotion regulation and maturity (EQ)?

The Layoff Resurgence and How to Support Your Team

Amidst broad-stroke layoffs, economic uncertainty, and organizational restructuring, it’s no wonder I am hearing a trend from clients: “I’m having a hard time focusing my team.” 

Layoffs cause insecurity and insecurity can cause a stable team to become weak; as team members feel threatened or in competition with others, trust and cohesion splinter.

As the work stress remains constant, so too does the workload. It’s not an easy pairing. What’s more, focus is already an issue: In one study it was discovered that 60.6% of employees rarely do one to two hours of deep focused work each day without distraction. With stimulation all around, the ability to focus is already a tall order. When stressors run high, distraction only increases. So, how do you realign, refocus, and reenergize your team during challenging times?

• Never underestimate the power of acknowledgment. Whether a team member expresses a favorable attitude, or a member of your workgroup completed a task efficiently, take the time to acknowledge them. (Try this today!) 

• Communicate. This seems like a no-brainer, but the elephant in the room is often overlooked. While you may not have all the answers and you will not be able to fix the problem in some cases, you can surely create a space that allows for debriefing after a challenging change has been made.

• Enable purposeful productivity by being specific. In your weekly 1:1s understand what is consuming their time. Are they getting the work done that they need to be doing? If not, you will need to offer support with prioritizing to-do lists and discuss time management (think calendar blocks for focused work). Find the challenges and aim to solve them.

As the variables continuously come our way, managers must continuously adapt and flex the muscles of a leader.

Motivate Your Team Members (a "How To")

When you think of your team members, do you think of them as eager to work more hours and initiate more responsibilities? Across the board, it seems to be a fair shake out: Some individuals are intrinsically motivated, and others pose a distinct challenge to their manager, resisting to get the bare minimum accomplished. The good news? There are solutions to help motivate your team members.

For many business owners and team leads alike, motivation is believed to stem from “what you get.” The extrinsic incentives — a term linked to Frederick Herzberg’s research on motivation. But here’s the thing about the research, it tells us that motivation does not come from those external incentives such as office perks. It’s not the company game room, the nap pods, the work-funded drinking extravaganzas, or even the promotions (which are all starting to return in the normal course). Instead, these are short-term fixes and there’s an expiration date associated with each. The dangling carrot of promotion is enough to keep someone motivated to reach that achievement, and yet it’s shown that as soon as the promotion is achieved, the motivation doesn’t last. Herzberg very pointedly directs organizations that they have limited power in motivating employees. (Um, yikes?)

Not to worry, the point in exposing the minimal purpose of extrinsic motivation is to demonstrate the necessity of the intrinsic rewards that unlock the vault of motivation (what makes our motor tick). It’s about allowing each person to turn their own keys in the ignition, not constantly trying to start it for them.

Let’s break it down so you can take the most useful tidbits along for the workday (otherwise, read Herzberg’s One More Time for full research).

Create a more enriching environment (leading to motivated employees) by employing the following:

• Accountability

  • Remove your need to control and make individuals accountable for their work. Not sure if you are controlling (e.g., a micromanager)? Ask for feedback.

• Responsibility

  • Rather than giving individuals responsibilities for one part of a task, give them ownership of the entire work stream or unit. Don’t fix it for them, and surely do not take credit for a team member’s work.

• Information flow

  • We like to filter information: Remove this extra step and include your team members in discussions. When trust increases, unhelpful water cooler discourse decreases.

• Challenge

  • Allow (and encourage) your team to take on new projects and responsibilities they haven’t addressed before.

• SME

  • Subject matter experts are essential in teams. Not only does this stem from added responsibility and accountability, but it also stems from the trust that this person owns the knowledge for a certain topic. Assigning individuals specializations is useful for their careers and for the teams of which they’re a part.

In short, this is a management worldview for motivation that says, “Empower, don’t control – Educate, don’t tell.”

Not only is this comprehensive, but it’s also reasonable. Of the listed suggestions, what can you immediately change for your team?

My Boss Never Learned How to Manage (Well)

If you follow me, you know I write about how to manage well, and that good managers are ultimately leaders. As perplexing as this concept might be, it’s actually quite intuitive, as Lisa Gillette and I spoke about last week. As a manager you must be tactical and manage a process; as a leader your job is to inspire and motivate your people.

If the focus is on procedural cadence alone, a manager may be quick to critique and slow to encourage (forgetting that vital human element). And herein lies a shared sentiment among many: "My boss never learned how to manage well.”

I am confident in my assertion that control-based issues (which inspires fears in team members and not empowerment) is a direct result of insecurity. But this isn’t shocking if your manager was never taught how to manage. [Spoiler: Most people aren’t and you might not be able to wait for them to get savvy.]

A common theme I witness in start-ups and mid-sized corporations alike, is a severe case of control through intimidation and minimization. In long form, they need everyone - especially those senior to them - to think they know what they’re doing, even amidst arguable incompetence. And, what’s more, this energy permeates throughout the team with credit theft at the helm.

This raises a combination of issues to address, but we’ll focus on just one to start: What do you do when your boss is quick to minimize (pointing fingers or never taking ownership), and slow to award credit or give recognition for your work? 

It's not about you.
When your boss is reactive and dismissive, it's hard not to take it personally. So what can you do about it? You can count to 10 and take deep breaths (to engage your parasympathetic nervous system); You can realize that this is a communication inadequacy, and you can talk to them about it. “When I hear you respond this way it makes me feel like I am not doing a good job. Am I misunderstanding you?” You can tell them what you need: Your manager may need to smooth some rough edges, but they also are not mind readers.

Communicate.
Ah, yes, the notorious directive to communicate. But seriously. Sometimes managers are in their emotional brain - waving through the motions and focusing only on work output, with little empathy or concern for others. But what happens when a level-headed team member raises concerns about this behavior? I'll tell you what: They are taken aback and it just may encourage some self-reflection.

Here are three communication talk tracks that you can adopt or tweak for your comfort level when you're feeling belittled:

1. "In order for me to be the most effective I can be, I need to feel supported and I am not receiving that [support] [recognition] [respect]. Are you willing to work with me toward rectification?"

2. "It seems there's concern around my capabilities. What can I do to earn your trust?" 

3. "I suspect we can be more effective; Can you help me understand your frustration toward me?" 

The best thing to do when you're addressing conflict, especially of this nature, is to remain calm and clear-headed. Envision yourself assuming an inquisitive nature, not a combative one. Note: Being calm does not minimize your strength! Ultimately, addressing these issues can change your manager's behavior, improving the environment you face each day. 

Even if your boss never learned how to manage well, don’t lose hope yet. Take it upon yourself to manage-up and try the above. Questions or comments? Feel free to share.