Does your organization have a one-size-fits-all orientation toward recruiting? Or does it recruit based on an intentionally built recruiting strategy that is part of a larger organization strategy? That you should aim for the latter is fairly indisputable. But how your organizational strategy...
Cutting corners in the traditional sense is slimy and sometimes illegal. A construction company could cut corners by using cheap materials. That’s really bad. I hate the idea of lazy shortcuts. If the idea of cutting corners gives you a panic attack, I’m right there with you. But why do people...
Here’s a list of 20 values I’m going to remember as I build Write of Passage. Stay nimble: I want to keep the business small. I want to have a personal relationship with everybody I partner with. I have no plans to IPO or sell the business, so I'm going to build the kind of company I want to run...
Whether you work a nine-to-five job, telecommute, or stay-at-home with the kids, everyone needs an effective method for managing their day. After all, perfectionism, procrastination, and the myth of multitasking are all very real dangers that can keep even the most productive people stuck in one...
If your 2020 goals included growing your business, staying more organized, and keeping on top of your own and your team's to-do list, keep reading. You might be going about this thing the wrong way. While in the beginning of the year it can be tempting to cling to the shiny new planners, project...
Fielding questions is a crucial communication skill. It’s important for job interviews, chats with your boss, dealing with clients, and virtually every workplace situation. But too often we sabotage ourselves by opening our answer with meaningless words. Sometimes we utter these expressions to...
Dealing effectively with workplace annoyances can make you more productive and improve how others see you. Into each workplace, aggravation will fall. But how you react to it can make all the difference in everything from workplace productivity to others’ assessment of your competence and worth....
Delving into a candidate’s motivators as well as asking frank, focused questions are two of the many strategies that Nanette Foster applies to her recruiting success. As the president and electrical manufacturing recruiter for Foster Conner Recruiting, Foster vets candidates for original equipment...
In my last post we talked about accepting 100% responsibility for everything you say AND 100% responsibility for everything the person you’re speaking with hears. Once you’re willing to do that then you’ll have the opportunity to improve your own communication skills. The beauty of accepting...
Before I begin this post on communication I feel that I must point out that I’m only writing about half of the communication process. And it’s the least important half. The communication process of course involves speaking and listening. Of the two listening is far more important. Listening is...
Insight is rarely handed to you on a silver platter. Einstein argued that genius was 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. While we can acknowledge that luck plays a role, we often use that as a crutch to avoid doing what we can do to intelligently prepare for opportunities. We only get one life,...
3 Things to Remember When Things Go Wrong Former BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward could have immediately and swiftly announced that the explosion of the British oil giant’s rig, Deepwater Horizon, had led to an environmental disaster that dumped 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in...