 |
Doug Dvorak's Success Strategies
Helping Clients Enhance Business Performance and Leadership Success
|
October
2006
- Vol 1, Issue
3
|
|
|
|
In This Issue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
|
|
Welcome to the October 2006 edition of Doug Dvorak’s
Success Strategies Newsletter. In this month’s issue, we
will look at “Creativity” as a powerful problem solving
tool in the work place and how it can provide us with a
distinct competitive advantage. We will also review the
Best Practices for the selection process and how to
increase your odds of selecting the best candidate. No
matter how good a selection system may be, occasionally
it will result in the selection of an applicant that is
not the right fit for the job; reading this article will
provide you with several ideas on how to improve the
process in your organization.
There is a motivational poster in my office with a quote
by Vince Lombardi which inspires me daily, “The Quality
of Your Life is Directly Proportional to the Commitment
of Excellence you make to your Chosen of Endeavor”.
Vince Lombardi knew how to use “Creativity” to solve
problems and hire the “Right People”. I hope these
articles educate and inspire you to strive for
EXCELLENCE as well.
If you have any questions or comments
pertaining to the newsletter’s content, please call or
email me directly at
speaker@themastersofsuccess.biz
or
(847) 359-6969.
Continued success,
Doug Dvorak
|
|
|
|
Stuck for an
Idea? Tap your Creativity |
|
Truly creative ideas often seem very simple –
once somebody has thought of them. But how do
you get a truly creative idea?
Here are some
ways to generate your creativity: |
|
 |
-
Put the problem into words.
Clearly defining a problem is probably
nine-tenths of its solution. Putting the
problem into work is a discipline that
clearly engages and focuses your left brain
to find a creative solution. What are the
problems? What are the conflicting demands?
What, exactly, is the barrier that is
keeping you from doing what you want to do?
-
Write it down, and tell someone important to
you.
Don’t keep the problem floating around in
your own brain. When you write, or when you
tell the problem to another person, the
words are encoded in your left brain in a
logical, linear fashion.
-
Approach the problem from all angles.
Try many different approaches to describing
the problem and describing the solution
needed. Think about it from reasonable,
logical, straightforward points of view.
Think about it from unreasonable, backward,
low probability points of view.
-
Describe the solution.
You may not know what the solution is, but
you know what it’s supposed to do. What does
it look like? How does it work? Who will use
it? How will it operate?
-
What would you do if there wasn’t a problem?
What would your ideal solution be if
barriers didn’t exist? If you could do
anything you wanted to about a particular
problem, what would you do?
-
Come at it repeatedly.
Work on it for awhile, then put it aside and
work on something else. Come back to it the
next day. For particularly complex and
involved problems, purchase a notebook and
write down your thoughts. Review it often.
These points help your left brain to fully
set up the problem and understand its
dynamics. These are tasks the left brain
does well. Your left brain can’t come up
with creative insight, one that is not
logical and linear. Until you fully engage
your left brain and push it to work on
solutions, your right brain can’t work on a
problem very well
|
|
|
Recognize and Address Hiring Mistakes
|
|
The objective of a selection process is to increase your
odds of selecting the best candidate. No matter how good a
selection system may be, occasionally it will result in the
selection of an applicant that is not the right fit for the
job.
The final decision is always made by humans that may divert
from the selection process in favor of intuition,
appearance, familiarity, school, past employer association,
or the pressure of time. So, poor fits are bound to happen
despite a well developed selection process.
If you hire someone that ends up being a poor fit for the
job, do not make the second big mistake; holding on to the
future poor performer for far too long.
Suppose an applicant is hired because he or she makes a good
impression, reminds you of someone else, or happens to
interview at just the right time. Shortly after the
orientation process, the new employee begins to show signs
of not being the right fit. It could be something as basic
as frequent absenteeism or as critical as not having the
talent or level of experience expressed during the
interview.
Your big mistake occurs when you attempt to convert the poor
fit into the “good employee.” The result is often low morale
of other workers who recognize the new employee’s inability
to perform at the expected level, and they resent the
“special” treatment.
To identify and remove a poor fit:
-
Closely
monitor the new employee’s performance.
-
Conduct a
comprehensive performance assessment 30 days after hire.
-
Classify
performance shortcomings into two categories: can do and
will do. “Can do” refers to the ability the employee has to
do the job. If the employee does not have the ability,
determine the cause. If you are providing the resources to
facilitate success, but the employee lacks the ability due
to misrepresentation or lack of skills or talent, then you
must determine whether you should terminate the employee or
try to build a better employee.
“Will do” refers to employees that have the skills or
talents wanted but possess bad work habits that prevent them
from being a success. In this instance, you should clearly
outline the performance expectations and hold the employee
to them. Should the employee fail to adhere to these
expectations, then you should cut your losses and terminate
the employee.
The first 90 to 120 days represent your greatest cost in
developing a new employee. It is also the time when
employees exhibit the strongest desire to showcase their
talents, learn about the job, and stay out of trouble. If
these qualities are not clearly evident in the early stages
of employment, then recognize that it is best to remove the
poor fit from the organization before additional harm can be
done.
Lonnie Harvey, Jr SPHR is president of The JESCLON Group
Inc, a Rock Hill-based human resources consulting firm
specializing in minimizing employee turnover. He can be
reached at 803-325- 2020 or visit
www.jesclongroup.com
|
|
|
|
|
Doug Dvorak is the CEO of Dvorak Marketing Group,
Inc., a worldwide organization that assists clients
with productivity training and customer service and
sales excellence management workshops. Doug’s
clients are characterized as Fortune 1000 companies,
small to medium businesses, civic organizations, and
service businesses. Doug has earned an international
reputation for his powerful educational methods and
motivational techniques, as well as his experience in
all levels of business, corporate education, and
success training. His background in sales, leadership,
management, and customer loyalty has allowed him
to become one of world’s most sought-after
consultants, lecturers and teachers. This vast
experience has helped him shape and determine his
philosophies on success in business, which he now
shares annually with thousands of individuals through
keynote presentations, syndicated writing, television,
seminars, books, and tapes. If you would like Doug to
address your organization with a dynamic and
educational presentation, or if you would like to host
a workshop, please contact Doug at (847) 359-6969
or Doug@DougDvorak.com.
|
|
|
|
|
Doug is a member of the
National Speakers
Association (NSA).
|
|
|
|
|
Doug is a member of the
International Federation For
Professional Speakers (IFFPS).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Don't miss our next issue.
FREE
(Normal Retail Value =12 issues for $97)
|
|
|
|
Sincerely,
Doug Dvorak
Dvorak Marketing Group
phone:
847-359-6969
|
|
|
|
