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What is engagement anyway? By Kevin D. Crone   Last week a funny fellow said to me, "Things are so bad, I have no one to blame anymore - I'm running out of excuses." I laughed but the more I thought about what he said, the more real that thought is to many others. Maybe business people will accept a little of the responsibility, for now they can get on with engaging a team to create a new future.   I'll bet you have done a lot of things at times to engage, inspire and motivate your people to no avail. It's as if their desire for their independence and for management or someone to take care of them is stronger than their desire to join a team who wants to take the business to the future..... What is engagement anyway?

Get a clear picture of what you want during this transitional time. By Kevin D. Crone For a year, I've been talking to business people through the Monday Morning Mentor about growing their business during uncertain times.   ·      How to find new customers ·      How to keep the ones you have happy ·      How to refurbish your offering ·      How to engage and connect their people ·      Find and manage talent ·      How to create a climate of focused action! ·      Be a more effective leader   The sad truth is, few are able to afford spending any real serious time improving when their time is being pulled daily towards bailing out the boat to stay afloat..... Get a clear picture of what you want during this transitional time.

Take Control of Your Sales: Beating the slump starts with you By Jeffrey Gitomer  Every single person in every single company is either in sales or affects sales. Every single person in every single company is either in service or affects service. There’s an old business adage that goes: “Everyone is in sales.” The reality is that only salespeople believe this. Even customer-service people who interact with customers daily in what might be considered a gateway to the next sale don’t think of themselves as in sales, or don’t think of themselves as salespeople..... Take Control of Your Sales: Beating the slump starts with you

Is Having Fun at Work a Myth? By Dan McCarthy   As a public speaker and trainer we've discovered over the past two decades that the most memorable presentations and the speakers with the highest evaluations have one thing in common: humor. Well, two things really: humor and fun. They're not the same thing, though they spring from the same well: Levity. (That's enough colons to open a proctology lab, btw.)   Levity, as defined by your average dictionary, smacks of negativity-"inappropriate," "frivolous," "flippant," "trivial," even "giddy." Giddy?   With descriptors like those, levity's workplace value ranks well below Communication, Trust and Teamwork and maybe just a molecule above Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and Embezzling..... Is Having Fun at Work a Myth?

Hiring? The 6 interview questions you need to ask By Jeff Wuorio When it comes to interviewing potential employees, you need to ask the loaded questions. That's because hiring the right people is central to the continuing growth and success of your business. So you need to use your interview wisely -- to identify job skills, target personal strengths and weaknesses and get a feel for someone's sense of teamwork and cooperation. But that doesn't mean you have to wallow in a snooze-inducing "Do you work well with others?" spiel. You can interview like an expert -- and get the information asked for in a query and "undercover" feedback that plays a key role in hiring decisions..... Hiring? The 6 interview questions you need to ask

How to Get Massively Better - A Self-Development Plan by Lou Adler About 25 years ago when the self-help gurus came on the scene, I heard Jim Rohn say something that still sticks: “Things will get better for you when you get better.” Sage advice indeed, and now might be the best time to take heed. When I assess candidates, this is one of the factors I examine — finding out how the person got better. Not surprisingly, the best people have this core trait in common, and in spades. They’re always getting better. All of them improved themselves and the activities they were directly responsible for. A good portion of these people went out of their way to improve things they weren’t directly responsible for, so you need to give these people an extra star..... How to Get Massively Better - A Self-Development Plan

Five Common Reference Evaluation Issues As a hiring manager, there comes a time when you have to conduct reference evaluations. We're not just talking about employment verification, but an actual reference evaluation based on past performance from a former supervisor. This is one of the best ways to get to know a candidate beyond the interview process. Of course, there are some common issues that creep up when conducting reference evaluations. That's why we called in an expert: Miriam Berger, president of A Hire Authority, LLC, a recruitment support company that provides a full range of recruiting services such as candidate Internet sourcing, telephone and resume screening, reference evaluations and background checks, and recruitment consulting. Here, Berger offers her advice on these situations..... Five Common Reference Evaluation Issues

Inexpensive Ways to Motivate Your Team By Kara Ohngren   To grow during the sagging economy, Blue Fountain Media first needed to motivate its employees. Without spending a dime, the New York City-based website design and marketing firm launched a public recognition forum for its valuable team members. Employees' best work is featured on a company blog, and staffers are encouraged to be brand ambassadors through social networking sites. "It builds trust. Our employees see that they have virtual ownership of the company," says Alhan Keser, Blue Fountain's online marketing director. It is critical, particularly during these tough economic times, that small-business owners recognize their employees for their hard work, says Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day! Employee Recognition that Works. If you can reaffirm your employees' value while your organization is having difficulty, when there's a turnaround, you won't lose your best people..... Inexpensive Ways to Motivate Your Team

The old business methods won't work anymore. It's time to evolve. By Chris Penttila   For companies feeling their way through the worst recession since the 1930s, it's easiest to stay focused on next quarter's numbers, improving operations and lowering costs where possible. Just stick with the playbook and keep your head down, and things will be fine, right? Wrong. This recession is different from other recessions in its scope and depth, and the worst thing you can do is more of the same. Staying the course with your current business model “might let you survive a little bit longer, but you’re not going to create that competitive advantage necessary for the long term,” says Scott Anthony, president of Innosight, an innovation consulting firm, and author of next month’s new book The Silver Lining: An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times. You’ve got to change your game. But how can you do it? Here are seven ways to be a game changer right now...... The old business methods won't work anymore. It's time to evolve.

Don't Hire People Just Like You By David Javitch   When you recruit and hire new employees, do you often find that you're searching for people just like you?  Similar in mannerisms, appearance, intelligence and culture? Perhaps also possessing the same educational background, experiences and maybe even gender, race and religion? If you do hire employees this way, then rest assured that you're not alone. At the same time, however, you're also just like many bosses who are selling themselves and their companies short..... Don't Hire People Just Like You

Recruiters Are at Risk of Burnout by Jill Zoromski   While there is no such "surgeon general" warning for recruiters, the intensity of both the volume or lack of volume and the quick deadlines have been known to cause burnout for many recruiters. Once a recruiter hits the burnout phase, the individual, the organization and, when applicable, the client greatly suffers. The ensuing problems can be quantitative and qualitative as time-to-fill slowly but surely lengthens and the candidate fit quickly becomes weaker.   There are various signs that recruiters and recruiter managers can use to identify burnout, and then a variety of ways to address and prevent it. Here are the top five signals that a recruiter may be headed toward crash and burn..... Recruiters Are at Risk of Burnout

Left Behind - Are layoffs keeping you up at night? As a manager, you naturally will dread having to issue the news to your reps that they no longer have a job. But if you become too wrapped up in the crisis of layoffs and downsizing, you risk "surrendering your leadership focus," warns Joseph Grenny, a speaker, business communication expert, and co-author of Crucial Conversations (McGraw-Hill, 2002). "The result," he continues, "is shattered trust and battered morale among leftover employees." Morale these days is on shaky ground to begin with. According to a recent poll by VitalSmarts, a corporate training company based in Provo, Utah and cofounded by Grenny, a whopping three out of four people believe their organization is likely to issue layoffs in the next 12 months – and fully a third of people believe their job is at risk today. Grenny offers these tips to help managers lead through layoffs and emerge with a strong, trusting team of reps..... Left Behind - Are layoffs keeping you up at night?

Five obsessions of a passionate employee by Mike Nacke A recent report titled, "How Google Grows ... and Grows ... and Grows," stated that the 650 people who work at Google are the most passionate bunch of geeks in the high tech industry. Google also was recently called the fastest-growing company in history. To mimic its growth and success, passion must be injected into every level of your organization. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to hire passionate people. Passion is an easy thing to spot once you know where to look. By understanding the following characteristics, you can develop an eye for passion and begin surrounding yourself with it..... Five obsessions of a passionate employee

Promote from Sales to Sales Manager? by Dr. Wendell Williams   It's a common assumption. A good sales manager should first be a good salesperson, right? Wrong. It is a big jump from being a skilled "doer" to being a skilled "coach of doers."   In many cases, the top sales person is an enigma. Salespeople are ego-driven and competitive and want to be recognized and rewarded. But like a cup with a hole in the bottom, no matter how much water you add Monday, it needs to be refilled by Tuesday. Top salespeople are often driven by ego-validation that comes from each sale and public recognition, and it never stops.   On the other hand, a top sales manager enjoys stepping back and letting others take credit. He or she takes pleasure in the success of subordinates and has a "smaller cup" to keep filled. Sales managers are like gardeners, tending and nurturing promising salespeople, having the patience to wait and watch them mature..... Promote from Sales to Sales Manager?

Hiring the Best is a Team Sport Without Rules: 6 core rules to consistently hire top talent By Lou Adler Imagine you're playing a sport that has a ball. Now imagine someone on your team purposely screwing up, like running the wrong way, giving the ball to the other team, or tackling your own player. This isn't even excusable if someone doesn't know the rules, but I'll contend that this happens every day when an unprepared or weak interviewer interviews a good candidate. When this happens, the good candidate will think less of you, your company, and your job. Even worse, the unprepared or weak interviewer might vote "no" since this is the safer decision. Unfortunately, a "no" vote in interviewing can offset two yeses. I guess if you're hiring average candidates you don't need any rules, since one mistake is as good as another. If you want to hire strong people, however, you need to follow six basic rules. As you review them, consider how many good candidates you lost because you, or someone on the hiring team, didn't follow them...... Hiring the Best is a Team Sport Without Rules

How to Get the Most Out of Your Recruitment Team By Jay Zaidi How do you gain the most value from your recruitment staff?  It’s a vexing question that has cost recruitment firms of all shapes and sizes untold Millions every year in Canada. The ART of Recruiting is refined through years of experience and proper management of resources. External recruitment firms are motivated by delivering employers the top candidate with the quickest turnaround in order to make a placement and earn a fee. It’s a multi-Billion dollar year industry in Canada ranging from temp firms through to executive recruitment companies. A good recruitment firm (or recruiter) will not only have brand recognition but a stable flow of job orders to work from.  Read below - some of these tips could be of value to you..... How to Get the Most Out of Your Recruitment Team