June 21, 2009
Q: What’s wrong with hiring managers? I am a contingency executive recruiter for a major recruiting firm based in the Midwest. And it is my humble opinion, that of late, hiring managers have lost their moral core. They play with candidates emotions, they use me to bring qualified candidates to the table then quietly search for “knock off’s” of my candidate so they won’t have to pay my agreed upon fee. Besides the recruiters in my office, are we the only ones experiencing this?
(Marissa L., Professional Recruiter, Overland Park, KS)
A: The answer is not only no, but HELL NO!!! As most of you know, half of Gman is an executive search model, so believe me when I tell you that I do have first hand current knowledge of this subject.
I have well over 200 recruiter “friends” across the U.S. with whom I stay in touch in one form or another. And they are all talking about this subject. And maybe you are correct in your assessment that their moral cores have been damaged and overcome with greed.
So from two standpoints, please allow me to make these comments:
1. IF YOU ARE A RECRUITER: You must get your client committed to your services. It’s okay to ask if you are going to be competing with them in the search. It’s okay to ask who else is involved in the search. It’s okay for you to set the mutually agreed upon ground rules. And I firmly believe it is critically important for your client to understand that this is how YOU make an honest living.
a. The work we do is very labor intense and many times we go through 10 x 10 candidates to find them 2 or 3 qualified.
b. Be a professional and get all of this out front and verbally spoken.
c. And if your client “burns” you, then wash he/she from your client list forever unless you just like working for free.
2. IF YOU ARE A HIRING MANAGER; Please understand that treating a recruiter like Marisa as described above is poor business, unethical and morally wrong.
a. How would you feel if your professional employees were treated in this manner?
b. Be honest and upfront. If you plan to be involved in the search then make it known.
c. If the recruiter continues then it’s a risk he/she takes.
d. And don’t lie to candidates. If you don’t think it’s a match, tell them. Candidates are capable of hearing the good news and the bad. And if you’re not honest it gives false hope.
e. Treat candidates exactly the way you’d like to be treated if it was YOU seeking employment.
f. The old saying that what goes around, comes around is more true in today’s market than ever.
No doubt this newsletter will come across one sided and those most guilty we become those most offended. Not really sorry, it’s just one of those honesty issues that needs to be said. Never let it be said that I sugar coat the truth. Your comments are always welcome.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
gmansearch.com
Nationally recognized Retained Executive Search and Employee Retention Specialist.
6/13/09
Are You A Control Freak?
ARE YOU A CONTROL FREAK?
Time to face facts; you won’t be good at everything! In fact, at some things you will be downright terrible. However the bottom line is……”that’s okay.”
Take it from someone who knows. If you don’t do something well, don’t hide it or defend it. Early on in my management career, I learned this simple truth about myself….”I could be a control addict!”
When I got out of the military, (well over 40+ years ago) I managed a fast food restaurant in Rochester, NY and it was staffed with mostly high school boys. When they acted in a manner that I didn’t like, I had a certain pose and standard verbiage ready and waiting. I used to put my hand on my hip and state in a loud voice for all to hear, “SCREW IT, YOU’RE FIRED!” (And you thought Donald Trump coined that phrase.)
The difficulty was that every time I did this, I ended up working that person’s shift. And one day I realized I was the one working 18 hour days because that decent employee was no longer there and probably not deserving of being terminated. In one of my many long and on my feet 18 hour days I did a self inventory trying to find answers to my control freak attitude.
Why did I do that? One word described it nicely. FEAR!
Fear of losing control, fear of trusting others, fear of failure and fear enough that I wasn’t doing well enough and that I wouldn’t make a difference. Needless to say, these ill-fated inner feelings didn’t last long and I learned quickly from my mistakes.
A long time business associate who recently passed away, said to me a few years back, “I wished someone would have told me all this before I accepted the reins as the CEO. In looking back, I was truly a star performer, but I burned myself out in the process. And what’s worse is that I burned out or burned off many good people in the run for excellence.”
So I ask you to take an HONEST inventory of YOU;
Are you a leader or a follower?
Are you a team player or just on the team?
Are you a marketer of ideas or developer of concepts?
Are you a sales professional or a bean counter?
Do you make a difference or happy to just get through the day?
Do you relate to others because you care or what they can do for you?
Are you a know it all one stop decision maker or do you take the advice of people around you?
As you can see the list could go on and on. Where do you fall short? How can you fill in those gaps? Put your thoughts in writing as they will become more meaningful to you and then act on them. Fix you and you’ll help fix the scene around you.
May the sun shine brightly on you this week. If we at Gman Business Resources can be of assistance to you, please call or write and we will respond immediately!
Time to face facts; you won’t be good at everything! In fact, at some things you will be downright terrible. However the bottom line is……”that’s okay.”
Take it from someone who knows. If you don’t do something well, don’t hide it or defend it. Early on in my management career, I learned this simple truth about myself….”I could be a control addict!”
When I got out of the military, (well over 40+ years ago) I managed a fast food restaurant in Rochester, NY and it was staffed with mostly high school boys. When they acted in a manner that I didn’t like, I had a certain pose and standard verbiage ready and waiting. I used to put my hand on my hip and state in a loud voice for all to hear, “SCREW IT, YOU’RE FIRED!” (And you thought Donald Trump coined that phrase.)
The difficulty was that every time I did this, I ended up working that person’s shift. And one day I realized I was the one working 18 hour days because that decent employee was no longer there and probably not deserving of being terminated. In one of my many long and on my feet 18 hour days I did a self inventory trying to find answers to my control freak attitude.
Why did I do that? One word described it nicely. FEAR!
Fear of losing control, fear of trusting others, fear of failure and fear enough that I wasn’t doing well enough and that I wouldn’t make a difference. Needless to say, these ill-fated inner feelings didn’t last long and I learned quickly from my mistakes.
A long time business associate who recently passed away, said to me a few years back, “I wished someone would have told me all this before I accepted the reins as the CEO. In looking back, I was truly a star performer, but I burned myself out in the process. And what’s worse is that I burned out or burned off many good people in the run for excellence.”
So I ask you to take an HONEST inventory of YOU;
Are you a leader or a follower?
Are you a team player or just on the team?
Are you a marketer of ideas or developer of concepts?
Are you a sales professional or a bean counter?
Do you make a difference or happy to just get through the day?
Do you relate to others because you care or what they can do for you?
Are you a know it all one stop decision maker or do you take the advice of people around you?
As you can see the list could go on and on. Where do you fall short? How can you fill in those gaps? Put your thoughts in writing as they will become more meaningful to you and then act on them. Fix you and you’ll help fix the scene around you.
May the sun shine brightly on you this week. If we at Gman Business Resources can be of assistance to you, please call or write and we will respond immediately!
5/31/09
Communication, One Key to Success
May 31, 2009
Q: Our Company is struggling to improve our communications between employees, managers and the executive team. What is the best way to bolster their communication skills?
(Breakdown in Progress, Human Resources Director, financial services, Seattle, WA)
A: The best way to start an engaging conversation with employees is by active listening.
SHOW GENUINE CONCERN;
Giving someone your undivided attention is the best way to start an engaging conversation. Eye contact, a relaxed yet alert posture and modulating your voice are essential. Keep in mind that your employees want to receive your message and better understand your situation. Showing empathy, however, does not mean forbidding them from having differing points of view. The object is to find mutual ground.
PROMPT FOR CLARIFICATION;
This involves clearing up confusion to foster greater understanding, without passing premature judgment. In other words, don’t use an attempt to clarify things as an excuse to dismiss another person’s viewpoint. Rather than telling them they’re wrong, soften your approach: “I disagree” or “My data says otherwise” are likely to be more well received.
PARAPHRASE AND PAUSE;
Part of clarifying things is repeating what someone tells you. This gives the listener a chance to correct your understanding and make sure both sides are on the same page. Providing people with a laundry list virtually ensures that key issues and ideas will be lost. Learning to pause and segment your message helps the receiver catch the gist much quicker. Also, take momentary breaks from the back-and-forth so the parties can ponder and posit new possibilities. That turns active listening into “creative listening.”
Sometimes you may not know what the other person is feeling. Rather than guess, you might say something like: “I know you are on board, but it sounds like you may have some frustration with the decision. Would you care to discuss it?”
Strategize and summarize;
Strategic listening takes active listening to a next level. The goal is more than awareness and empathy. The purpose of such strategic back-and-forth is synergy, a sharing-listening-sharing loop that generates ideas, insights and imagination. It’s important to stop along the way and review and record agreements, unresolved differences and future steps at problem-solving.
As we begin the last seven months of 2009, are you on target to reach your goals? Go forth this week and make a difference in your life and lives of those around you.
Q: Our Company is struggling to improve our communications between employees, managers and the executive team. What is the best way to bolster their communication skills?
(Breakdown in Progress, Human Resources Director, financial services, Seattle, WA)
A: The best way to start an engaging conversation with employees is by active listening.
SHOW GENUINE CONCERN;
Giving someone your undivided attention is the best way to start an engaging conversation. Eye contact, a relaxed yet alert posture and modulating your voice are essential. Keep in mind that your employees want to receive your message and better understand your situation. Showing empathy, however, does not mean forbidding them from having differing points of view. The object is to find mutual ground.
PROMPT FOR CLARIFICATION;
This involves clearing up confusion to foster greater understanding, without passing premature judgment. In other words, don’t use an attempt to clarify things as an excuse to dismiss another person’s viewpoint. Rather than telling them they’re wrong, soften your approach: “I disagree” or “My data says otherwise” are likely to be more well received.
PARAPHRASE AND PAUSE;
Part of clarifying things is repeating what someone tells you. This gives the listener a chance to correct your understanding and make sure both sides are on the same page. Providing people with a laundry list virtually ensures that key issues and ideas will be lost. Learning to pause and segment your message helps the receiver catch the gist much quicker. Also, take momentary breaks from the back-and-forth so the parties can ponder and posit new possibilities. That turns active listening into “creative listening.”
Sometimes you may not know what the other person is feeling. Rather than guess, you might say something like: “I know you are on board, but it sounds like you may have some frustration with the decision. Would you care to discuss it?”
Strategize and summarize;
Strategic listening takes active listening to a next level. The goal is more than awareness and empathy. The purpose of such strategic back-and-forth is synergy, a sharing-listening-sharing loop that generates ideas, insights and imagination. It’s important to stop along the way and review and record agreements, unresolved differences and future steps at problem-solving.
As we begin the last seven months of 2009, are you on target to reach your goals? Go forth this week and make a difference in your life and lives of those around you.
5/24/09
What to do about a bad leader
May 24, 2009
Q: I am the HR director at a small company. I have been asked by the CEO to counsel my boss, who is the company President, about his tendency for insulting employees and making racist comments in e-mail messages. The same President has made derogatory comments about me, and retaliated against some employees (including firing) who have brought his defects to light. Morale is extremely low, from district managers to the corporate office, yet our company has never done better financially. As a result, our company's directors don't want to change Presidents. How do I handle his request for me to counsel my own boss?
—Over My CEO but on My Plate, vice President of human resources, real estate, Coral Gables, Florida
A: Dear Over Your CEO:
It’s good that your company is doing well financially, because it appears that in the near future they are going to need those funds to defend the EEOC, Sexual Harassment, and/or Discrimination law suits that typically follow engulf such a leader. In addition it speaks volumes to the blindness of the directors as well.
Before tackling this assignment, have a serious sit-down with the company CEO. And although it would be difficult you must insist the CEO get the Board together without the President so you can make your case to them as well. Be prepared not only from the pain caused by this guy but how the law reads and the legal and financial ramifications and how the long arm of a defense attorney will easily sweep all parties into the fray. This might wake them up.
Two questions jump out immediately: 1) Why is the CEO of the company accepting the President’s dysfunctional behavior and 2) Why is he not the one leading the counseling session? We can speculate on the motives, and again two stand out: 1) Your top leader is confrontation-averse and 2) He and the President are buddies.
Other question comes to mind: What is your relationship with the company CEO? Do you have enough experience to judge his integrity? This is vital as you must obtain substantive assurance (perhaps in writing) that the company CEO (or the board of directors) will give you protection from any retaliatory behavior by the President.(Is the company CEO aware of how far this President has taken retaliation when feeling threatened?
The company CEO and company board must understand that employee discontent with treatment from a specific manager or supervisor is the biggest cause of employees leaving a company. That is, profits probably won’t stay up if morale stays low and people eventually change ships, which is what they will likely do once the economic climate starts to improve.
Finally, I would obtain buy-in from the company CEO for some executive, communications, or diversity coaching for the President.
Assuming you get satisfactory assurance (and if you don’t then I would think twice about meeting with the President alone; I might opt instead for a three-way meeting with the President and the company CEO) then consider these steps:
Challenge and reassure the President. If possible, have the President meet in your office. Psychologically this will be self-empowering. Let the President know that the CEO of the company strongly suggested the meeting.
Then inform the President that you and the company CEO (there is strength in numbers) values his contributions to the company success (note specific strengths). Also, share that you appreciate how, as a leader, he wants to hold people accountable, and you understand his frustration when people do not meet company performance expectations.
However, you and the company CEO both are concerned that some of the President’s actions are hurting his status as leader and potentially are hurting the overall position of the company.
Be specific. Ask the President if he recalls imparting any insulting or racist comments in e-mails? If he denies the deed, if at all possible be prepared to present such e-mails or have some documentation at hand. (I would not bring up your experience with the President in this meeting.
Don’t give the President ammo to question your objectivity.) Let the President know he is putting himself and the company in legal jeopardy with such insults and racist comments.
Ask for feedback and have a plan. How does the President respond to your constructive confrontation? If he is defensive or in denial, then you have to let him know that you will be reporting this fact back to the company CEO. If he is open to your comments, solicit his ideas on how he can express his frustrations or concerns with people or business operations in a more constructive and substantive manner. I would also let the President know that the company is prepared to provide voluntary executive/communication/diversity coaching (and will make it mandatory) if problems persist.
Follow up on the meeting. I would schedule a three-way meeting with the President and company CEO to make sure everyone is on the same page, after you’ve had a report back with the company CEO. And then have a follow-up meeting in two to four weeks with you and the President to monitor progress.
If you follow these steps, I believe you will demonstrate your professionalism and will determine whether the President’s behaviors are amenable to change. And if the President resists this intervention, then the ball is in the company CEO and/or company board’s court, where it belonged all along. And if all of this occurs in a negative light, I would sadly encourage you to update your resume.
Hopefully, this will be a safe and happy family Memorial Day.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
Q: I am the HR director at a small company. I have been asked by the CEO to counsel my boss, who is the company President, about his tendency for insulting employees and making racist comments in e-mail messages. The same President has made derogatory comments about me, and retaliated against some employees (including firing) who have brought his defects to light. Morale is extremely low, from district managers to the corporate office, yet our company has never done better financially. As a result, our company's directors don't want to change Presidents. How do I handle his request for me to counsel my own boss?
—Over My CEO but on My Plate, vice President of human resources, real estate, Coral Gables, Florida
A: Dear Over Your CEO:
It’s good that your company is doing well financially, because it appears that in the near future they are going to need those funds to defend the EEOC, Sexual Harassment, and/or Discrimination law suits that typically follow engulf such a leader. In addition it speaks volumes to the blindness of the directors as well.
Before tackling this assignment, have a serious sit-down with the company CEO. And although it would be difficult you must insist the CEO get the Board together without the President so you can make your case to them as well. Be prepared not only from the pain caused by this guy but how the law reads and the legal and financial ramifications and how the long arm of a defense attorney will easily sweep all parties into the fray. This might wake them up.
Two questions jump out immediately: 1) Why is the CEO of the company accepting the President’s dysfunctional behavior and 2) Why is he not the one leading the counseling session? We can speculate on the motives, and again two stand out: 1) Your top leader is confrontation-averse and 2) He and the President are buddies.
Other question comes to mind: What is your relationship with the company CEO? Do you have enough experience to judge his integrity? This is vital as you must obtain substantive assurance (perhaps in writing) that the company CEO (or the board of directors) will give you protection from any retaliatory behavior by the President.(Is the company CEO aware of how far this President has taken retaliation when feeling threatened?
The company CEO and company board must understand that employee discontent with treatment from a specific manager or supervisor is the biggest cause of employees leaving a company. That is, profits probably won’t stay up if morale stays low and people eventually change ships, which is what they will likely do once the economic climate starts to improve.
Finally, I would obtain buy-in from the company CEO for some executive, communications, or diversity coaching for the President.
Assuming you get satisfactory assurance (and if you don’t then I would think twice about meeting with the President alone; I might opt instead for a three-way meeting with the President and the company CEO) then consider these steps:
Challenge and reassure the President. If possible, have the President meet in your office. Psychologically this will be self-empowering. Let the President know that the CEO of the company strongly suggested the meeting.
Then inform the President that you and the company CEO (there is strength in numbers) values his contributions to the company success (note specific strengths). Also, share that you appreciate how, as a leader, he wants to hold people accountable, and you understand his frustration when people do not meet company performance expectations.
However, you and the company CEO both are concerned that some of the President’s actions are hurting his status as leader and potentially are hurting the overall position of the company.
Be specific. Ask the President if he recalls imparting any insulting or racist comments in e-mails? If he denies the deed, if at all possible be prepared to present such e-mails or have some documentation at hand. (I would not bring up your experience with the President in this meeting.
Don’t give the President ammo to question your objectivity.) Let the President know he is putting himself and the company in legal jeopardy with such insults and racist comments.
Ask for feedback and have a plan. How does the President respond to your constructive confrontation? If he is defensive or in denial, then you have to let him know that you will be reporting this fact back to the company CEO. If he is open to your comments, solicit his ideas on how he can express his frustrations or concerns with people or business operations in a more constructive and substantive manner. I would also let the President know that the company is prepared to provide voluntary executive/communication/diversity coaching (and will make it mandatory) if problems persist.
Follow up on the meeting. I would schedule a three-way meeting with the President and company CEO to make sure everyone is on the same page, after you’ve had a report back with the company CEO. And then have a follow-up meeting in two to four weeks with you and the President to monitor progress.
If you follow these steps, I believe you will demonstrate your professionalism and will determine whether the President’s behaviors are amenable to change. And if the President resists this intervention, then the ball is in the company CEO and/or company board’s court, where it belonged all along. And if all of this occurs in a negative light, I would sadly encourage you to update your resume.
Hopefully, this will be a safe and happy family Memorial Day.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
5/15/09
Ask for referrals..... from EVERYBODY!
Ask for referrals..... from EVERYBODY!
In most cases, referrals are more powerful routes to clients than prospecting. A referral carries with it an implicit endorsement from the referrer and gives you an advantage over someone who reaches out to a client without a referral. Given, that, your best strategy is to focus on the mechanisms to cultivate and maintain referral sources. There are a few ways to do this.
First, understand who is likely to be a referral source. Small businesses are busy and may not have time to help you out. New businesses to a market won't have built their referral networks. Conversely, trade associations or chambers of commerce have broad contact with their industry or profession. Vendors, if you are not competing with them, can be great referral sources.
Second, understand what you need to do to get referrals. We sometimes assume that a referral source is eager to help us based just on our reputation. Although this might be true in some cases, you are better off making sure there is something in a referral to both the referrer and the target. Making a referral requires trust that you are both good and ethical over the long run. This means cultivating referral sources with repeated and consistent good service. Do good work and make sure you let your referral sources know about it.
Tip: Set as a target to get 50-75% of your new clients from referrals. Start with a list of your target clients and work backward to find types of and specific referral sources. Make this a formal, written plan to identify those referral sources for whom you have already or can demonstrate that making a referral will not put them at risk. Finally, develop the tactics that will assure that the referrer benefits from making that referral.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, IA
In most cases, referrals are more powerful routes to clients than prospecting. A referral carries with it an implicit endorsement from the referrer and gives you an advantage over someone who reaches out to a client without a referral. Given, that, your best strategy is to focus on the mechanisms to cultivate and maintain referral sources. There are a few ways to do this.
First, understand who is likely to be a referral source. Small businesses are busy and may not have time to help you out. New businesses to a market won't have built their referral networks. Conversely, trade associations or chambers of commerce have broad contact with their industry or profession. Vendors, if you are not competing with them, can be great referral sources.
Second, understand what you need to do to get referrals. We sometimes assume that a referral source is eager to help us based just on our reputation. Although this might be true in some cases, you are better off making sure there is something in a referral to both the referrer and the target. Making a referral requires trust that you are both good and ethical over the long run. This means cultivating referral sources with repeated and consistent good service. Do good work and make sure you let your referral sources know about it.
Tip: Set as a target to get 50-75% of your new clients from referrals. Start with a list of your target clients and work backward to find types of and specific referral sources. Make this a formal, written plan to identify those referral sources for whom you have already or can demonstrate that making a referral will not put them at risk. Finally, develop the tactics that will assure that the referrer benefits from making that referral.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, IA
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