PD Strategies Blog

“Salesperson wanted – No experience necessary” How many times do we see that? I contend not very often. Employers and hiring managers make a big mistake when they use experience as the primary criteria for hiring a candidate. Looking primarily for experience will produce disappointing results. I have worked with many industries ranging from real estate, construction, retail, service and hospitality, nonprofit, and manufacturing. I have seen on thread running through all these organizations. That is that those running the business believe that their industry is different from others, so unique that the primary requirement is experience. Because of that mindset I have seen many bad candidates hired and many qualified candidates screened out. The hiring manager is using the assumption that experience counts more than another other factor. In my experience, I have found that experience or industry background is NOT a predictor of success. In fact, I have seen...

There are so many changes now with the churn in the job market because of the Great Resignation. This can be a time of opportunity to find out how you can leverage the strengths you have and how to use strengths of team members to have increased results and job satisfaction for all. I think it is foolish to try to improve your weaknesses or limitations. Even if you attempt to do it you will never be fully satisfied, and you will be in a constant state of stress. But isn’t that what many of us try to do?   When your child comes home from school with his or her report card and it shows, for example, an A in math, B’s in history and science, and a C in English, what is your response? That’s right. Most people will talk to their child about raising the grade in English. But...

When you are doing something that you really love you never work a day in your life. How true that statement is. That is good for the individual, but it is just as good for the employer. Inner engagement leads to higher quality work, less mistakes, less illness, and retention. Start with yourself. And as Simon Sinek says, Start with Why. If you do not have the WHY the HOW will not matter. Motivation and goal achievement are interrelated. Knowing what motivates you is a key to achievement and knowing how to find motivation in others is a key to leadership. Dwight Eisenhower said that leadership is getting others to do what you want because THEY want to do it. Reach down and find that motivation and bring it to the surface. I hear more and more newer works say they left the job because they were not passionate about it....

Another way of asking about your driving forces is asking you what motivates you. Motivation comes from within and that means that you cannot motivate another person, but it certainly would be good to know what motivates that person. Knowing that you can create a spark to ignite their inner fire. That inner fire will drive motivation. That inner fire or passion is your WHY and this comes from the driving forces that motivate you. If you do not have the WHY then the HOW will not matter. Knowing what motivates you is a key to achievement and knowing how to find motivation in others is a key to leadership. Dwight Eisenhower said that leadership is getting others to do what you want because THEY want to do it. Reach down and find that motivation and bring it to the surface. What is your passion? Do you know. You could take...

If you are promoting team members based on current experience and success you could be setting them up for failure. A first line supervisor who performs very well is not destined to be a great middle manager. Unfortunately, many times we think that there is one set of skills that pertain to leadership. The most common mistake is taking an individual performer and promoting that person to supervisor without any training at all. The newly promoted supervisor still sees the jobs of the people he or she is supervising through his or her own individual performer lens. What is needed is an understanding of motivation, leadership and interpersonal skills in addition to knowledge of the job. But it does not stop there. All leadership roles are not the same at all levels. Managing other managers is different from managing individual performers. According to Lawrence Peter, author of the Peter Principle, companies...

Why do you want to spend all your time improving your weaknesses? Even if you attempt to do it you will never be fully satisfied, and you will be in a constant state of stress. You will be so much more productive if you are able to know your strengths. In most cases you like what you do well. So why are people beating themselves up trying to improve their weaknesses. It does not have a lasting effect in most cases. So why do you do it? And why do organizations make cooks out of mechanics? Here is another example. When your child comes home from school with his or her report card and it shows, for example, an A in math, B in history, and a C in English, what is your response? I think most people will talk to their child about raising the grade in English. But what...

We make the best decisions when rely on our strengths rather than try to shore up our weaknesses. Unfortunately, many of us do not know our strengths and how to use them. According to some psychologists 88% of the decisions we make rely on our natural talents and tendencies and that these are part of our subconscious. Our subconscious is an important, powerful, and much needed tool. The unconscious handles all basic physical functions like breathing, heart rate, immune system, etc. The subconscious mind holds the blueprint of our body as it is now and the blueprint of your perfect health. Because our subconscious mind’s main objective is focused on survival, it can cause us to make decisions based on limited knowledge or beliefs or sometimes even false knowledge. Understanding how we subconsciously use our talents to make decisions can dramatically improve our performance. In the early 1950’s Dr. Robert S....

You will be so much more productive if you are able to know your strengths. In most cases you like what you do well. So why are people beating themselves up trying to improve their weaknesses. I think it is foolish to try to improve your weaknesses or limitations. Even if you attempt to do it you will never be fully satisfied, and you will be in a constant state of stress. But isn’t that what many of us try to do?   When your child comes home from school with his or her report card and it shows, for example, an A in math, B’s in history and science, and a C in English, what is your response? That’s right. Most people will talk to their child about raising the grade in English. But what if your child might have a real talent in math? He or she might become a...

We make the best decisions when rely on our strengths rather than try to shore up your weaknesses. Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. According to some psychologists 88% of the decisions you make on a daily basis rely on your natural talents and tendencies and that these are part of your subconscious. Your subconscious is an important, powerful, and much needed tool. The subconscious handles all of your basic physical functions like breathing, your heart rate, your immune system, etc. The subconscious mind holds the blueprint of your body as it is now and also the blueprint of your perfect health. Because your subconscious mind’s main objective is focused on survival, it can cause you to make decisions based on limited knowledge or beliefs or sometimes even false knowledge. Understanding how we subconsciously use...

A successful business leader positions his or her staff to use the top talents of everyone. Jim Collins who wrote, “Good to Great” refers to this as getting the right people in the right seats. This includes not just testing skills and knowledge but also examining attitudes and behaviors. Help your team use their strengths to push their performance to new levels. Unfortunately, many of us spend time trying to correct weaknesses. These old habits are hard to break. It probably began when we were kids. When a child comes home from school with his or her report card and it shows, for example, an A in math, B’s in history and science, and a C in English, What is the first response? Most people will talk to their child about raising the grade in English. But what if the child has a real talent in math? He or she might...

We make multiple decisions every day. Some are seemingly small decisions while others seem to be of huge importance. No matter the level of importance, all decisions lead to an outcome or a series of actions. We make the best decisions when rely on our strengths rather than try to shore up our weaknesses. Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. Instead, guided by our parents and others from the time we were growing up, we end up living lives that have been influenced by them. This results in working on our weaknesses while neglecting our strengths and our dreams. Have you ever given any thought to the fact that 88% of the decisions you make on a daily basis rely on your natural talents and tendencies and that these are part of your subconscious. Your...

Experience is not the most important factor to consider when hiring for most positions. In fact experience is a trailing indicator when it comes to predicting future success much like profits are a trailing indicator for corporate success. If you stop placing so much emphasis on experience in your hiring decisions you will start seeing less staff turnover and a more profitable company. Consider the fact that most failures and job terminations occur because of attitudes and behaviors. Since that is the case wouldn’t it be more important to look at values, attitudes, and behaviors in assessing a job candidate? If you look only at experience you might have too narrow a focus. I have noticed that those running businesses believe that their industry is different from others, so unique that the primary requirement is experience. Because of that mindset I have seen many bad candidates hired and many qualified candidates...

Developing a high performing team certainly does require clear cut vision and values.  In fact, I discussed this very thing in last week’s blog.  Next, you need to inspire those on the team to do their very best.  You start, of course, by getting the right people in the right jobs.  This includes not just testing skills and knowledge but also examining attitudes and behaviors.  You now have the right people.  Now what? Help your team use their strengths to push their performance to new levels.  Unfortunately, many of us spend time trying to correct weaknesses.  I have told this story before but it is a great illustration of what happens: How many of you are parents?  When your child comes home from school with his or her report card and it shows, for example, an A in math, B’s in history and science, and a C in English, What is...