Leadership At the Top
By Gary Cohen

I lead a small company, and I manage it very tightly. In meetings, I find I am the only one offering ideas, while others do not contribute. Although my ideas have really worked to grow the company, I feel I am doing it alone. What should I do? (read more...)

Strategy for Success: Start Small and Build
By Bob Nelson, Ph.D.

I feel the best recognition efforts start small and build. Take, for example, the "Reward of Excellence" program currently used at Herbalife, the health and nutrition company based in Los Angeles. The Distributor Services department wanted to increase the amount of recognition being used in the department and to find a way for employees to be able to better recognize one another as well. (read more...)

101 Innovative Ways to Make Your Company a Great Place to Work: Tip #4
By John Putzier

What's Your Sign?
There is a recruiting philosophy pioneered by Southwest Airlines, which embraces the concept of "Hire for Attitude-Train for Skill." This same approach has been adopted by many other organizations that place great value on maintaining their culture. Skills have less impact on culture and fit and customer service than one's attitudes toward work and life in general. (read more...)

Leadership At the Top (^ top)
By Gary Cohen

I lead a small company, and I manage it very tightly. In meetings, I find I am the only one offering ideas, while others do not contribute. Although my ideas have really worked to grow the company, I feel I am doing it alone. What should I do?

If you think you are talking too much, so does everybody else.

Growing up with movies like Patton and watching world leaders on the news every night has led to the illusion that leadership means repeatedly giving your opinions. The old school of "command and control" management has been around for decades, passed from one generation to the next. Some leaders may lack self-esteem, and the notion of controlling others may seem an attractive alternative to being controlled.

Remember: If you are not asking questions, you are making assumptions.

Mike, a former CEO and Chairman of a Fortune 100 company, would lead a meeting by first asking a question. He would then listen to the answers from each person present. Mike did not believe it was his job to give his opinion, but to listen to and observe the problem solving of others. He would monitor the room for how people were contributing and, if he noticed someone was not speaking much, he would be overly encouraging and supportive toward that person. This was true even when the employee's comments were not on track with Mike's agenda. Mike found that, by providing heavy doses of support over a course of five or six meetings, he could usually draw the employee out to be a fully functioning part of the team. Mike was clear that, if the employee continued to be withdrawn, it was likely he or she would have to move on.

When he encountered an employee who was talking too much in meetings, Mike applied a different strategy. Careful to avoid belittling the person in front of others, Mike would make a sharp comment or a non-verbal gesture that emphasized his desire to hear from everybody.

As a coach, I have been intrigued by Mike's technique of asking a single question. I have witnessed other leaders use similar techniques, but found them to be somewhat limiting. A team often needs leadership, rather than just consensus. Mike demonstrated that his technique still provided leadership. If certain employee comments began guiding the discussion away from the company's visions, goals, objectives, and values, Mike would simply ask, "How does this help us meet our goal?" or, "Is this in alignment with our vision?" He had a motto, which he taught to everyone, including me: "E3: Earnings, Earnings, Earnings."

Mike tells the story of an analyst who asked him about his goals for the company. Mike's answer was simply, "Earnings." When asked if he had other goals, Mike said, "Oh, yes. Our second goal is earnings, and our third goal is earnings." There was no need to ask about additional goals!

As a true leader, Mike ensured understanding. He had a clear message and a clear focus. Printed on company shirts, hats, and posters, E3 became the symbol for driving the corporation forward. When an employee's comments were not aligned with E3, Mike set the employee back on course and made it clear to others that this was not acceptable.

Mike understands the value of asking questions and doing what all great leaders do- LISTENING. If you want to see change in your company, follow Mike's example: Ask the question, then be silent and listen. The books on leadership speak much about courage. It takes courage to trust your team. It takes courage to believe your employees will deliver ideas and execute them successfully. Facing the fear of giving up control is what I call "Leadership at the top." You may be surprised how much your people know and want to contribute.

Strategy for Success: Start Small and Build (^ top)
By Bob Nelson, Ph.D.

I feel the best recognition efforts start small and build. Take, for example, the "Reward of Excellence" program currently used at Herbalife, the health and nutrition company based in Los Angeles. The Distributor Services department wanted to increase the amount of recognition being used in the department and to find a way for employees to be able to better recognize one another as well. They looked at various incentive suppliers, called references and finally selected The Bill Sims Company to help launch a departmental recognition program.

The program used two-part "WOW!" cards to provide employees the ability to jot a thank you note or praising to any other employee for service, teamwork, etc. One part went to the employee and the second part went into a recognition box that was reviewed monthly by six volunteer members of a recognition committee (two from each department).

The committee selected the most stellar example from the "WOW!" cards each month, which was then posted on a "WOW!" bulletin board. The person selected is given extra points toward merchandise purchases as well as extra tickets for a cruise drawing held at the end of six months. All honorees are also automatically submitted to the company's "All Star" program for additional recognition and visibility.

Besides obtaining the original goal of increased recognition, the company found other benefits emerged as well: 1) The program has helped employees set more specific goals - and has provided systematic tracking and acknowledgment of results against those goals; 2) the program costs less money than they had previously been spending, although it has had a longer term, more motivational impact on employees, replacing what had previously been a "hit-and-miss" approach to recognition (occasional distribution of gas cards and gift certificates by managers); and 3) employees can now include their families in selecting merchandise they are working to earn, providing an added motivational incentive for everyone involved!

Once the program was successful, it was easy to leverage it to other departments in the organization, several of which asked to be included. The word-of-mouth excitement of participants is much more persuasive than any number of corporate policies, announcements or Human Resources initiatives that might at times seem forced on employees.

101 Innovative Ways to Make Your Company a Great Place to Work: Tip #4 (^ top)
By John Putzier

What's Your Sign?
There is a recruiting philosophy pioneered by Southwest Airlines, which embraces the concept of "Hire for Attitude-Train for Skill." This same approach has been adopted by many other organizations that place great value on maintaining their culture. Skills have less impact on culture and fit and customer service than one's attitudes toward work and life in general.

So, how does one go about identifying one's "attitude?" Aside from the variety of personality and psychological instruments on the market, you can just ask the right questions. Don't get bogged down in asking things that are already on their resume or that you can find out elsewhere (like in a background check).

Here are a dozen examples of weird questions for weird people:

• What's your personal motto?
• Tell me your favorite joke.
• You've got one seat left in your fallout shelter. Who gets it?
• If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be, and why?
• Have you ever broken the rules? Why? What was the outcome?
• What's the first thing you usually do at work in the morning?
• Did you ever use your sense of humor to get out of a jam? When and how?
• Describe yourself in three words
• Tell me about one of your most embarrassing moments.
• What's the most important thing your parents taught you?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• Tell me about the worst boss you ever had, and how you handled him/her.

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