One great interview question you’re probably not asking

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Technical skill, accountability, responsibility, innovation, great attitude – all qualities you want to get a sense for during your interviews with candidates.  But how do you get a sense for motivation and engagement?  The ability to stay the course, pick one’s self up by one’s boot straps and keep on truckin?

Here’s a great question for your next interview:

“Tell me about a time when you lost motivation for or became disengaged with a project, team or company.  What prompted that loss of motivation or disengagement and what did you do about it?”

In their answer, you get a sense of:

  • what it takes to affect the individuals level of motivation or engagement
  • the things they value (respect, being heard, freedom, etc.)
  • the extent to which the individual takes responsibility for his or her own motivation and engagement
  • how effective they are at noticing and correcting a drift away from the goal
  • what you can expect if they become demotivated or disengaged at your organization

 

 

Top Ten Gifts for the HR professional in your life

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10 Keen insight into what makes people tick

9 Effortless problem solving ability at all levels

8 Poise and calm in the face of adversity

7 Consistent application of management best practices

6 Celebration of diversity for innovation and perspective

5 The perfect words to deliver difficult news while respecting dignity

4 A network of fun, smart, generous colleagues

3 Insightful knowledge of industry trends

2 Engaged and motivated employees

1 Huge company profits attributed to excellent organizational process and talent

Wishing you the gift of purposeful engagement in meaningful work and a soaring new year!

 

The Price of Disengagement

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My work is about inspiring purposeful engagement in meaningful work.  I do it because I know I can make a huge positive difference in people’s lives.  That makes me happy.  But why should YOU care?  Here’s some “Engagement Nerd” data for you:

Gallup research has shown that”engaged employees are more productive, profitable, safer, create stronger customer relationships, and stay longer with their company than less engaged employees.”

The consulting firm, Blessing White says that “Engaged employees are not just committed.  They are not just passionate and proud.  They have a line-of-sight on their own future and on the organization’s mission and goals.  They are enthused and in gear, using their talents and discretionary effort to make a difference in their employer’s quest for sustainable business success.”

Hewitt Associates has reported that high engagement firms had a total shareholder return that was 19% higher than average in 2009.  In low engagement organizations, total shareholder return was 44% below average.

Similarly, Gallup found that organizations with comparatively high proportions of engaged employees were much less likely than the rest to see a decline in EPS in 2008 and Wharton’s analysis of the Best Companies to Work for in America indicated that “high levels of employee satisfaction generate superior long-horizon returns”.

A recent national poll by the Conference Board found that job satisfaction is the lowest since the poll began in 1987 with only 45 percent of employees satisfied with their jobs.

Disengaged managers are three times more likely to have disengaged employees.  This data from the 2009 Sirota Survey Intelligence Study.

Studies over the past few years have consistently shown that 60 percent of workers plan to look for new jobs as soon as the economy provides opportunities. This data becomes more relevant to the average manager when paired with the fact that replacing a departing employee can cost as much as 1.5 to 3.5 times their annual salary, posing a threat to the success of any organization in a fragile recovery. (Salaries Looking Up, John Dooney, HR Magazine, October, 2009).

Electrocuting Yourself and Others

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My husband and I celebrated our 21st anniversary last month and, as a gift, my parents thought it would be nice for us to replace the bare wires hanging from our home office ceiling with an actual light fixture.  (Do you know how hard it is to find a decent light fixture with a pull chain?)

We were delighted.  My parents suggested that we may want to exchange the fixture for something more to our liking so we unpacked the fixture and held it up to the ceiling to see how it looked and

GZZZZTTT

…the exposed wires hanging from the ceiling touched, causing a startling spark and some equally startling foul language. Thankfully no one was hurt and within minutes my husband had capped the wires with those neat little twisty wire cappers.  All was well.

Many of us walk around with our own exposed wires just ready and waiting for some poor, unsuspecting soul to touch them off.  We call them “triggers” or “hot buttons” and when someone presses them…GZZZZTTTT!  Whether it’s the guy on the highway cutting you off, someone interrupting you, chronic tardiness or a disrespectful comment, we’ve all experienced that shot of adrenaline that tells us that our buttons have – yet again – been pressed.

Interestingly, while we accept the fact that electricity is conducted through wires and that they must be capped to avoid unnecessary or uncontrolled current, we seldom apply the same mechanics to ourselves.  It’s the other guy’s fault for doing the stupid thing.  She MADE us feel angry/sad/hurt/embarrassed.  They deserved our wrath in response to their lateness.

In fact, our personal wires – or hotbuttons – are unique to us.  Not everyone is wired to be aggravated by the same things.  Not everyone is annoyed by tardiness, not everyone is enraged by stupid driving habits.  So the currents flowing through these wires are our own.  And it’s our responsibility to know what those currents are and how to effectively manage them.  Because if we let our wires flail around uncapped, we find our hotbuttons get pressed more and more often.  And if our hotbuttons are constantly pressed we get worn down and either lash out or check out; or we decide that things are hopeless; or we decide that everyone else is at fault and we become isolated.

These wires – if figurative – are real and they originally existed in our brain to protect us from danger.  Today, with information overload, the fast pace of technology and the ever-more-demanding social and economic landscape, we need to become better managers of our brain’s threat response system.  To avoid hotbutton overload, here are a few ideas:

1. Give yourself a break.  Do something fun or relaxing – even for a short time (though the longer you can responsibly have fun or relax, the better).  The overloaded brain needs some quiet time.

2. Put words to your hotbuttons.  Instead of going straight for the jugular of the other guy (“idiot driver”, “lazy colleague”, “disrespectful oaf”…), PAUSE for just a second to name the impact of whatever just happened.  For instance: “Being cut off on the highway was scary and dangerous”; “When kept waiting, I worry. “; “Hearing disrespectful comments is embarrassing”. This lets your brain’s threat response system know that the rational part of you is aware of the threat and can handle it from here.

3. Ask yourself what you want instead.  “To get to work safely”, “to be in control of my schedule”, or “to be unaffected by others’ comments” are examples.  These “insteads” engage your the rational part of your brain and sets you on a path of positive solution rather than letting your threat response system go off half cocked.  Left to it’s own devices, your threat response would likely be hopping around shaking its fist saying: “run that idiot off the road”, “make the late person pay for their laziness” or “punch that person in the nose – that’ll teach ‘em!”.  As gratifying as it may feel to flip someone the bird, it has no positive effect on you, your brain, or the other person’s driving habits.

4. Have fun and relax.  Life is extremely short.  Dr. Phil’s guests should not be our role models.  No one is waking up in the morning plotting how to ruin our day (and if there IS someone doing this to you – maybe you should find different folks to hang out with).  You have more control over your own well-being than you may be aware of.

These four steps are your own neat little twisty wire cappers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Road Rage and the Happy Bug

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Our last house was located on a very busy street.  The first ten minutes of my commute to work was spent tensely poised at the end of my driveway waiting to catapult my car into the smallest break of creeping traffic.  This was tricky, because apparently this particular street had been reserved for people who had Very Important Places to be and therefore could not let anyone get into line in front of them.

300 feet down the road was the next hurdle: THE ROTARY.  A fun game for me to play each morning was deciding which rotary approach to take.  Option one was “Operation Passive”.  If I had the time, I would enter the rotary and then patiently count how many cars it took before one would acknowledge my right of way and let me through. If I was in a feisty mood, it was “Operation Aggressive” where I would brazenly course through, foot on the gas, actively asserting my “right of way” to the joyous cacophony of blaring (though misinformed) horns.  (Public service announcement: If you or someone you know slept through driving school and missed the part about how to drive in a rotary.  Click here.  Seriously.  CLICK IT!!!! And pay close attention to Step 5, I beg you.)

Anyhoo, another 500 feet or so was the high school.  Now back in my day, while I didn’t have to walk 10 miles, barefoot, in the snow, uphill (both ways) to school, I DID walk.  And so did most everyone else.  Either that or we took the bus.  At this same high school today, I think both parents drive separate cars to drop off each kid.  And it must be the only quality family time they get as evidenced by the ETERNITY it took them to exit the car and move on.

Finally, I was free to make my way to the highway.  Okay, deep breath, relax the shoulders.  GODAMIT WHY IS THAT GUY ON MY TAIL????? I’M ALREADY GOING 80!!!!  (Rinse, repeat)

And this is how I would arrive to work.  Every day.  Sometimes I was in a good mood despite it all.  Sometimes I was enraged.  Sometimes I was so rattled I couldn’t think straight.

As managers and as professionals, we need to be aware of our surroundings and how they impact us.  We need to be purposeful about what we subject ourselves to and how we can smooth the edges in our lives so that the important stuff gets the attention it deserves.  We need to be smart, alert, open and thoughtful in order to successfully navigate our way through the rapid fire environments we live and work in.

And we can’t do that if we’re constantly piqued.

I made some changes to my own commute.  Now, I pull out onto a quiet country road, pass the reservoir as the sun drizzles over the sparkling water’s edge and inhale the deep damp pine of the forest as I make my way to the highway.  I drive a VW convertible that makes me happy and makes others smile in spite of themselves.  My biggest worry (at least until I get to the highway) is whether I might hit a deer.

What changes can YOU make?  Get up earlier? Slow down? Say no? Play more?  Whatever change you choose.  You will not believe the difference.

And one final word: Do not underestimate the role of proper rotary management in achieving world peace.

 

Undertow

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When I was about ten years old my family took a trip to Misquamicut in Rhode Island – a classic New England beach boasting hot sand, pounding surf and a never-ending supply of body-boarding wave perfection.

The waves were taller than I was and they came crashing one after another after another creating a frothy and frenetic threshold into the fun.  As we flung ourselves toward the next wave, timing was everything.  To catch it just right was to feel the whole ocean beneath you, speeding you forward as you crested and sloshed into shore.

Scrambling to our feet there was no time to savor the victory before the powerful backwash threatened to suck us under and the next wave was upon us.  It was real-time, physical, thrilling fun.

There have been many times in my work that I’ve felt a similar rush – when the waves of problems and fires and demands come fast and furious and I’m tested to the limits of my skill and stamina.  I’ve loved those times.  I even grew a bit addicted to them.  The adrenaline rush of accomplishing the impossible; the “I can do it” mentality.

Misquamicut is also known for its challenging undertow. Because of the beach’s steep grade, the backwash (the subsurface current of water that returns to the sea after a wave breaks) is pretty powerful.  And with so many waves coming in, it can often cause an unsuspecting swimmer to be knocked down under the water and beaten to a sandy pulp before being (hopefully) spat out to enjoy her next wave.

After a particularly fabulous wave run, I had waited too long to scramble out of the way.  As I tried to get to my feet, the undertow kept pulling the sand out from under me.  The next wave slammed down over me, knocking me flat and pulling me further from shore.  Unable to break the surface before the next wave crashed down, I was tossed and flipped under the water as I felt my face and limbs scraped against the ocean floor.  Starting to panic, I tried to figure out which way was up.  I needed to breath.  I needed to stand.  I need to get out of this. Does anyone even see that I’ve gone under?!?

While it may be gratifying to solve a million problems, douse a million fires and still stand to shout “BRING IT ON!”, those waves can get the best of you if you’re not careful.

Here are some tips:

1. Don’t be an adrenaline junkie. It’s easy to get swept up in the urgency and the chaos of your work environment.  If you want emergencies, become an EMT or a pediatric intensive care nurse.  Know your work, understand your goals, perform triage and move on.

2. Pay attention to your resources.  YOU are a resource.  If that resource is tired, distracted, overwhelmed or unhealthy, it will not serve you well.  Pay attention to your own health, strength and focus.  If your resources need restoring, do it.  It is irresponsible to do otherwise.

3. Have a buddy system.  Whether it’s your manager, colleague, coach or family member, having someone with whom you can review what’s going well (and what’s not) is invaluable. Often we’re the last ones to notice that we’re about to be swamped by the next wave.  Good to have a spotter.

4. Relax.  When we’re in the froth it’s natural to tense up against the onslaught and fight your way through.  It may be counter-intuitive but the best thing to do when the waves are getting the best of you is to relax.  Take a moment or an hour or a day to step back, gain perspective, go with the flow, follow a lead.  Our panicked reaction is not representative of our smartest, most creative self.

The ocean spat me out.  I was shaken, relieved, embarrassed, and a little miffed that no one had noticed that I had nearly drowned.

 

 

Suck It Up

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Employees whining?  Suck it up.

Colleagues complaining?  Suck it up.

Boss giving you “constructive criticism”?  Suck it up.

Spouse needing space?  Suck it up.

Children rebelling?  Suck it up.

And become resentful, rigid and reactive.  Roiling with resistance and rejection.

OR

What if it wasn’t about you?

What if it wasn’t a judgment of your abilities and efforts.

What if you could hear them out, let them vent, begin to understand (not fix, mind you) their perspective?

What if you could really hear them without judgment, without reproach, without guilt or self-flagellation?

What if understanding and empathy (not enabling, mind you) trumped defense and disdain?

What if someone let you be heard for what you were trying to say?  What if they understood that you did not need or want them to solve your problems but that what you wanted was simply to be understood?

If we could do this, we would be so much wiser for the new knowledge and perspective and understanding we would have. If only we could just suck it up.

 

 

Stupid Stupid Stupid

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It was a classic V8 moment.  I had just realized I made a decision that cost me bigtime and had little to no return.

STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!

My husband asked me what was wrong.  I told him I had just made a HUGE mistake.

And here’s what he said:

“You don’t know that yet. It might not have been.”

BRILLIANT!

I now refer to him as my Zen Mastah.

What words of wisdom – unlikely or traditional – have served YOU well?

 

Forget Positive Thinking

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We’ve been beaten repeatedly about the head and shoulders in recent years to remember to “think positively”.  Woe to the team member who voices concern.  The trusty contrarian is now disdained and the nay sayers are summarily silenced.

Ironically, by squashing these Negative Nellies we are slowing down positive progress toward our most critical goals.

Research shows that our human brains are wired against change.  Introducing a new direction (information, competition, pace, etc.) causes a physiological stress reaction against the change.

The Value of Venting

Interestingly, one of the fastest ways to reduce the emergency brake effect of this stress reaction is to allow a bit of venting.  “What don’t we like about this news?” “What problems will it cause?”  “What can go wrong?” “Why is it stupid?” What may not have been taken into consideration?”

Our stress response is linked to survival.  Adrenaline is triggered which sets off flight/flight/freeze behavior.  At work this takes the form of the contrarian who fights back, the star team member who dusts off her resume to prepare for flight, the long timer who’ll bide his time, frozen in place.

Brain scan technology shows that just naming the threat – thinking it, saying it or, even more effective, writing it down – counteracts the threat response.  By giving credence to the stress factor and addressing it, we return out of threat mode and can enter a more rational state.

Once all the big bad stuff has been vented, we are in a physiologically more receptive place to ask: “How will we handle this?”