Mary L. Erlain's Blog, page 30

What You Might Learn From An Exit Interview

Want to hear unfiltered feedback about your company? Try using an Exit Interview.

This exit survey focuses on the issues that come into play when an employee decides to leave a company. The survey will help employers understand the factors that are involved. It focuses on issues dealing with the manager, job, and overall satisfaction.

Name:

Hire Date: Resignation Date:

Department: Manager:

Briefly indicate what factors first caused you to consider leaving the company:

Briefly indicate what factors triggered your leaving the company at this time:

What is your overall opinion of the company? Please rate the following using this scale:

1 – excellent

2 – good

3 – fair

4 – poor

[___] Benefits

[___] Pay

[___] Recruiting Process

[___] Orientation Process

[___] Initial Training

[___] Interest in Employees

[___] Growth Opportunities

[___] Ongoing Training

[___] Physical Working Conditions

[___] Keeping Employees Informed

[___] Treating Employees Fairly

[___] Upholding Company Values

[___] Morale Overall

[___] Open-Door Policy

[___] Morale in Your Area

[___] Performance Review Process

[___] Helpfulness/Knowledge of Human Resources

[___] Medical/Health Benefits

[___] Other Benefits

[___] Cooperation among All Employees and Management

[___] Equipment/Resources to Do Job Properly

[___] Recognition for Job Well Done

[___] Incentive/Bonus Program

[___] Communication of Internal Opportunities

[___] Company’s Concern with Quality and Excellence

[___] Overall Company Image

Please comment on any 1 or 2 scores in the space below:

Please rate your manager using this scale:

1 – always

2 – usually

3 – seldom

4 – never

[___] Resolved complaints and concerns promptly.

[___] Listened to suggestions.

[___] Encouraged cooperation.

[___] Treated you fairly.

[___] Provided leadership.

[___] Clearly communicated expectations.

[___] Was honest.

[___] Gave performance feedback.

[___] Coached, trained, and developed you.

[___] Recognized accomplishments.

[___] Provided appropriate and challenging assignments.

[___] Built teamwork.

Please comment on any 1 or 2 scores in the space below:Do you have another job? If so, how does it compare with your last job here?What did you like most about your last job?What did you like least about your last job?What could have been done to encourage you not to leave?Was this made known to your manager?Why did you originally join the company?What did you like most about the company?What did you like least about the company?Would you be open to the idea of returning to our company?Why/Why not?Do you have any objection to our sharing your responses with management?Do you think the company lives up to its values? __Yes __NoIf no, which values did we not live up to, and how can we change for the better?What other suggestions do you have that will help the company improve?What suggestions do you have that will help the company keep good people?Any other comments you would like to add at this time:

E Group Partners, Inc. is here to help with your hiring needs.

The post What You Might Learn From An Exit Interview appeared first on Peak Development.

What Good is a Job Description?

Without a well-crafted job description, both employer and employee often lack a mutual understanding of roles, responsibilities, and anticipated levels of performance. A good job description also spells out the knowledge, abilities and skills required to perform a job successfully.

A business owner can use a well-written job description not only as a valuable aid in the job-recruiting process, but also as an outline for reporting relationships and working conditions.

A well-crafted job description can also be used for:Compensation – Job descriptions can be helpful in developing a standardized compensation program with a minimum and maximum range for each position.Performance management – A  well-written job description can define measurable performance goals based on duties in the job description.Training and employee development – You can use your employee job descriptions as incentives for employees to pursue classes, seminars and other career development activities in order to enhance their skills and experience.Recognition and rewards – You can use the descriptions as a baseline for performance, and as a tool to encourage employee performance “above and beyond” the job description in order to receive recognition and rewards.Discipline – If necessary, you can use the job description to illustrate that an employee isn’t adequately performing job functions.

When it comes to writing a job description, flexibility is important. It may be wise to create more generic job descriptions that emphasize expectations and accountabilities, rather than specific tasks. Thereby encouraging employees to focus on results rather than job duties. A more wide-ranging job description is also easier to maintain–it doesn’t require modification with every minor change in duties.

When creating a job description, start with a three – four sentence, high-level summary of the position, e.g.

“This position encompasses the management of all corporate financial and accounting functions. This position requires a comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of the organization across all levels. This includes financial acquisition and expenditures and relationships with outside vendors and customers. This position has focal responsibilities for maintaining smooth functioning during times of financial change.”

The next section is a list of six to eight (no more) essential, primary responsibilities. Think high level. These are the responsibilities or domains that the person “owns”. Instead of saying “empty the trash in the office and kitchen” say “responsible for the removal of all trash in the company.”

The third section includes responsibilities that are shared with other employees, e.g. participate as a member of the Management Team. Again no more that six to eight responsibilities.

Finally the last section lists the skills, education, and experience to be successful in this position.

Revisit this document every so often, with your employee to see if it still reflects what you and the employee understands is his/her job.

Do all your employees have accurate job descriptions?

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post What Good is a Job Description? appeared first on Peak Development.

So you work for yourself…that means you’ve got a lot of free time, right?

You’re home…so you’re not doing anything, right? Let me tell you about the Cubs game last night!

Hey, Honey, would you pick up the kids from school since you’re home?  I’m getting my hair cut, and it’ll only take you 20 minutes…

Hi, Neighbor!  Since you’re home all day, could you stop by, and let my dog out a couple of times tomorrow?  I’m not going to be able to do it because I have to travel for work.

If you’re an entrepreneur working from home, these requests for your time and attention probably sound familiar.  It’s tough enough to manage your own urges to go to the mailbox, throw in a load of laundry, forage in the refrigerator for a mid-afternoon snack, and surf the internet.  When your neighbor or spouse makes an urgent request of you for assistance, you want to give it.  You take a quick mental inventory of your afternoon but realize there’s nothing scheduled there, even though you know that there’s so much you have to do.  How do you maintain your boundaries without burning bridges – and guarantee that your time is spent doing exactly what needs to happen for your business to succeed?

Try these three steps to help preserve the sanctity of your time – and the success of your business:Fix it in space and time. That means putting everything on your calendar as an appointment.  No doubt you put your appointments with others on your calendar, but it’s a lot less likely you put the “soft” tasks there as well.  It’s crucial to put these amorphous but essential tasks on your calendar as appointments with yourself.  This discipline gives you an at-a-glance perspective of what’s really happening in your day. Marketing, sales calls, product creation, administration, brainstorming, networking – if it needs to happen for your business to succeed, then it needs to happen on your calendar.Take a breath before you say “Yes.” If you have a hard time saying, “No,” then buy yourself a moment before you have to decide by saying something like this:  “Wow, I really want to do X, so let me check my appointments for this afternoon and get right back to you.”  Then go ponder your calendar that is chock-full of appointments (see step #1), and make your decision based on that, rather than the urgency of the other person’s request.Suggest an alternate time you could help this person. Let’s face it, our spouses, neighbors, and friends are often critical supports in our lives and businesses, and we don’t want to always say no to their requests.  So when you look at your calendar, find an after-hours time when giving them your time and attention works for you.  If they desperately need your help during work hours, you also have the option of moving work tasks to the evening or weekend.  But make sure you move that task on your calendar, too. This ensures you count the cost before bumping work tasks into your personal time.

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post So you work for yourself…that means you’ve got a lot of free time, right? appeared first on Peak Development.

There are five components to emotional intelligence

Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.Self-management skills Self-awareness. Emotional intelligence begins with this trait. People with a high degree of self-awareness know their weaknesses and aren’t afraid to talk about them. Someone who understands that she works poorly under tight deadlines, for example, will work hard to plan her time carefully and will let her colleagues know why. Many executives looking for potential leaders mistake such candor for “wimpiness.”  Self-regulation. This attribute flows from self-awareness but runs in a different direction. People with this trait can control their impulses or even channel them for good purposes. Motivation. A passion for achievement for its own sake—not simply the ability to respond to whatever incentives a company offers—is the kind of motivation that is essential for leadership. The ability to relate to others Empathy. In addition to self-management skills, emotional intelligence requires a facility for dealing with others. And that starts with empathy—taking into account the feelings of others when making decisions—as opposed to taking on everyone’s troubles.  Social skill. All the preceding traits culminate in this fifth one: the ability to build rapport with others, to get them to cooperate, to move them in a direction you desire. Managers who simply try to be sociable— while lacking the other components of emotional intelligence—are likely to fail. Social skill, by contrast, is friendliness with a purpose. 

Example:

Consider two-division Directors at a company forced to make layoffs. One Director gave a hard-hitting speech emphasizing the number of people who would be fired. The other Director, while not hiding the bad news, took into account his people’s anxieties. He promised to keep them informed and to treat everyone fairly. Many executives would have refrained from such a show of consideration, lest they appear to lack toughness. But the tough Director demoralized his talented people—most of whom ended up leaving his division voluntarily. 

Can you boost your emotional intelligence?

Absolutely—but not with traditional training programs that target the rational part of the brain. Extended practice, feedback from colleagues, and your own enthusiasm for making the change are essential to becoming an effective leader.

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post There are five components to emotional intelligence appeared first on Peak Development.

The Isolation of the Entrepreneur

You’ve just had a really bad day.  The client who was going to be your bread-and-butter for the next three months just lost their funding.  Your recent marketing campaign has gotten zero responses.  You have some ideas for growing your business, but you need to talk with someone unbiased about them – and your spouse is too stressed about your immediate financial concerns to be a neutral sounding board.

Entrepreneurs are no strangers to isolation. If you’ve been an entrepreneur for long, you know the critical nature of needing to be “on” when you meet people.  You need to be able to present a professional, polished image, regardless of what is happening in your business or life at the moment.  You know how to smile and listen to someone else’s concerns and find solutions for them.

But what about you?  Where can you go and let someone know that things aren’t so good? You’ve got some ideas you’d like to bounce off of them.  If you left a corporate job, that cubicle or office that was next to yours isn’t looking so bad right now. After all, it was a place you could go to capture the ear of someone who gets it.  They know what your business is, the struggles you’re experiencing – and what you need to get you through the tough times.

Entrepreneurs can find support in a number of different ways.  By breaking the isolation, an entrepreneur can be re-energized and regain perspective for their work.

Try one of these suggestions to help get you back on track:Attend an entrepreneurs’ group. These types of groups offer peer-to-peer feedback, and they are a place to let down the masks and receive unbiased input from people who know what you’re facing.  A group like this can also provide you with accountability for your goals.Get coaching. A business coach can help you identify your blind spots and mistakes, as well as encourage you when the good things you’re doing haven’t produced results…yet.  They can tell you how long the results should take to achieve. You can know where you stand in the business-building process.  They can also help you strategize to get where you want to go in your business and your life.Create structures for yourself that address your strengths/weaknesses. If you are someone who absolutely needs to talk in order to work ideas out, form your own workgroup with a like-minded entrepreneur at a local coffee shop once a week.  If you are someone who needs to lead a group, and the solo-nature of your business isn’t scratching that itch, join – or start – an on-line or local group to which you provide leadership and resources.  You’ll gain a reputation in your community while getting your own needs met.  If you need someone in the next cubicle, then rent office space where this is possible – or set up a phone agreement with someone who wants the same thing.  A five-minute phone call could give you the energy you need to get unstuck.

Michael Shapiro – E Group Partners, Inc.

 

The post The Isolation of the Entrepreneur appeared first on Peak Development.

Top 10 Most Common Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make

No Business Plan – If you rely on instinct to guide your business instead of a written plan, you’re headed for trouble. A plan helps you see where your company is, where it’s going, why, and how you’re doing along the way.No Sales Plan – Without a sales plan, you lack the ability to assess the financial growth and progress of your business. You need a realistic map for where the sales will come from, how they’ll come, from whom, how often as well as: how much selling is needed daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually!No Marketing Plan – A marketing plan creates the kind of attention you need to get in front of the right types of people, companies, etc. It’s what attracts people to you!No Support – A MasterMind or facilitated peer support group is like an unpaid board of advisors who have similar, related, successful businesses, which are noncompetitive. These professionals are positive, somewhat like-minded, and open-minded. They are an excellent resource, brain trust, and support system.No Cash Reserve or Real Cash Flow – During the excitement of starting a business, it’s easy to overlook the gap between making the first few sales and banking the money. Often, the wait can be too long and without some cash reserve, many companies may stall or even fail without any planned cash flow coming in!Ignoring the Numbers – As an entrepreneur/business owner, your primary goal is to make a net profit. If you don’t know how you’re doing until all the money is in and the bills are paid, it may be too late. You need to know where you stand regularly, especially concerning income versus expenses. Having a timely system in which you can record the appropriate key data and quickly analyze the information, is of the utmost importanceNot Being Automated – With the low cost of personal computers today and the very positive productivity impact they can have on your business, it’s essential to become automated. With a computer and access to the internet, a wealth of information is at your fingertips. With an e-commerce presence, you can extend your reach globally.Not Knowing Your Customers – Changes in your customers’ preferences and your competitors’ products and services can leave you in the dust unless you get to know your customers well, what they want now and will likely want in the future, what their buying patterns are, and how you can be a resource for them even if you don’t have the right products or services for them now!Ignoring Employees – Motivating, coaching, and managing your staff is probably one of your toughest challenges as an entrepreneur/business owner. Without your patience, persistence, and “people skills,” your problems can multiply quickly. Morale, productivity, and profits can easily be destroyed. Be sure to get help if you assess objectively that these are not your strengths.Being the Star – You might be the key to everything BUT you cannot DO everything and grow at the same time. Even modest success can overwhelm you unless you do the following: hire the right staff and delegate responsibility, work with a business coach or mentor, and finally, create several positive business exit options for the future to make the ultimate transition smooth and planned!

If you are lacking or struggling with one or more of the above, please reach out!

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post Top 10 Most Common Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make appeared first on Peak Development.

The Fundamental Attribution Error or Why do some people act like jerks?

We aren’t all that good at accurately attributing causality. We jump to unflattering conclusions. The chief error we make is a simple one: We assume that people do what they do because of personality factors or flawed character. Why did that woman steal from a co-worker? She’s dishonest.

Human beings often employ what is known as a dispositional rather than a situational view of others. We argue that people act the way they do because of uncontrollable personality factors (their disposition) as opposed to doing what they do because of forces in their environment (the situation). We make this attribution error because when we look at others, we see their actions far more readily than we see the forces behind them. Conversely, we attribute our own negative behavior to the situation. Consider this the next time you’re cut off by another driver – he’s a jerk (or something else). If you’re driving down the road, taking your pregnant wife to the hospital and you almost miss the exit but cut off another driver, it’s the situation, not your character.

People often enact behaviors they take no joy in because of social pressure, lack of other options, or any of a variety of forces beyond personal pleasure. For example, the woman stole because she needed money to buy medicine for her children. Assuming that others do contrary things because it’s in their makeup or they actually enjoy doing them and then ignoring any other potential motivational forces is a mistake.

Psychologists classify this mistake as an attribution error. And because it happens so consistently across people, times, and places, it is called the Fundamental Attribution Error.

Think about this as you evaluate an employee’s performance or a client’s demands. Are they jerks or could it be something about the situation or environment you aren’t aware of?

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post The Fundamental Attribution Error or Why do some people act like jerks? appeared first on Peak Development.

The Perfect Interview Question

How to Tell If A Candidate Is An Ideal Fit For Your Company

Wouldn’t it be great to ask one specific question that uncovers at least four areas of your candidate’s general personality, giving you an idea of their overall behaviors, traits, and values?

Well, you can. On your next interview guide the conversation towards personality and ask, “Tell me about a time when a co-worker gave you advice.” This one question will uncover four pieces of vital information about the candidate:

Are they open to criticism or constructive feedback? Listen closely to the response and hear if the candidate was able to grasp the feedback or if they became uncomfortable and got defensive. This could be a sign of inflexibility when future differences occur.

Are they receptive to change? Did the candidate view the suggestion constructively? If they say that they didn’t realize they had that trait, or that they worked on it or changed the behavior afterward, you can have more confidence about their openness to dialogue and their receptiveness to any future concerns.

How independent are they? The candidate’s answer can be interpreted in several ways. If they were embarrassed by the advice and wanted to change to fit the role, they may be a follower. If they didn’t agree with the advice, it could signal an independent, free spirit who likes to do things their own way. Or it could mean they are prideful and vain. Listen closely to the rest of the conversation and put the answer into context.

How much do they respect their co-workers? If they took the advice of their co-worker, it could mean a belief in strong ties and the trust that comes from a team effort. Asking targeted follow-up questions will enable you to find out even more about the candidate.

For example:

How did the co-worker initially bring up the feedback?What was the candidate’s initial reaction?Did they agree with the co-worker?Looking back, what do they think about the conversation?

By asking these questions, you now have a much clearer picture of whether these characteristics complement what you are looking for in a candidate.

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post The Perfect Interview Question appeared first on Peak Development.

Strongly Held Beliefs

We all have them – some are called opinions – others are considered fact. When these pertain to people, in areas of professional performance or relationships, things get a little fuzzy.

I often hear a client say “My boss is crazy” or “This employee is unmanageable” or “My teammate is out to make me look bad.” My response to these statements and others like them is “What data do you have to support this belief?”

Then the conversation gets interesting. It often turns out the “data” is flimsy or non-existent. Sometimes there’s a “history” with the other person – other times it’s more of a fear than a fact. Perhaps it’s a case of “In the absence of data, we fill in the blanks with our own fears and anxieties.”

How do we decide what that data is? Use an objective outsider you respect who knows you and your “situation”. Have them ask questions – even difficult ones such as “What’s your piece of this?” See if you can substantiate your belief with data. Only then can it be considered more than just an opinion.

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post Strongly Held Beliefs appeared first on Peak Development.

Effective Delegation in Six (Almost) Easy Steps

Delegation is more than just a way of getting people to do things for you. It is also a powerful leadership and coaching tool.

When used properly, delegation enables you to increase productivity and profitability, improve morale, and increase retention. Perhaps most important for overworked and overstressed entrepreneurs, it allows you to enjoy professional success and still have a personal life.

Achieving these results requires effective delegation, which involves six basic steps:  Be Prepared

Before delegating, take the time to think through the task and identify whom you will delegate to and the outcome you want.. 

Discuss the task

Engage the employee in a conversation about the task you want to delegate, then have them repeat back to you (in their own words) what they heard. Make sure both of you are in agreement regarding the task being delegated and the outcome you desire.

Identify the deadline for completion

This seems obvious, but managers often fail to clearly think through this step. Make sure your deadline is realistic and achievable, particularly when delegating a stretch goal or something the person hasn’t done before. If you think the employee might need some revision time, build it upfront so you don’t end up at the deadline with a different outcome than the one you wanted.

Outline the level of authority.

Clearly outline the level of the authority you want the person to have. Then stand back and let them act. Different levels of authority include:

Recommend. Ask the person for a recommendation on a course of action, but you make the final decision. Use this level when:The risk associated with the task or project is highThe person has little experience in the areaYou need options researched and the best course of action chosenYou want to provide the person with a learning experienceYou want to gain buy-inInform and initiate. The person will inform you before they take action. Use this level when:The risk associated with the task or project is moderate enough to allow some freedom and flexibility but you have some concerns about giving full authorityThe person has some experience in the area but you want to provide some coaching.The person has succeeded at the “recommend” level and proven they are ready for the next level.Act. The person has the full authority to act on their own. Use this level when:The risk associated with the task or project is very lowThe employee has plenty of experience in the areaThe person has succeeded at the “inform and initiate” level and proven they are ready for the next level

If your primary goal is to get the job done, choose someone who already fits into the “act” level. To engage in coaching and development, select people in the first two levels. 

Build-in checkpoints or progress reports.

At the beginning of the task or project, schedule a series of checkpoint meetings. Build them in early and close together at first, then taper off as the person begins to master the task. During the checkpoint meetings:

Review the work that has been accomplished to date and give feedback on how well it is meeting the criteria established in step two.Identify anything you would like the person to do differently. Ask them to repeat back your requested modifications to ensure they understand.Set the next checkpoint meeting (if you don’t already have a preset schedule).  Conduct a final debriefing

The final debriefing consists of a discussion about how the delegated task went.

It allows you to:

Reinforce growth that has occurredOutline areas for additional growthApplaud successDocument performance problemsProvide real coaching

Ask the employee how they think they did on the task or project, provide feedback on how you think they did, and discuss any differences in your assessments. Next, have the person provide feedback on your performance as a delegator, give your own assessment, and discuss any differences. Offer the person suggestions for improvement and listen to any they might have for you.

As CEO, you should delegate about 95 percent of what comes across your desk, so that you focus on the strategic opportunities in front of the company. Using these steps will give you the tools and the confidence to delegate in a manner that achieves the results you want while helping to grow your people and enabling you to become a more effective leader.

Michael Shapiro, E Group Partners, Inc.

The post Effective Delegation in Six (Almost) Easy Steps appeared first on Peak Development.