Hiring the Right Talent

We knew it was bound to happen – the long-discussed exodus: Baby boomers are retiring in waves. They are departing with their expertise, and their multi-decade exposure to (and correcting of) recurring problems. While we can sit and discuss the changing tide of the times – perhaps a reality that does not suit all generations in Corporate America (although not unlike past evolution) – we would be remiss if we thought we were not losing something significant. Those years of experience are not easily replaced. And this is why attracting strong talent, and hiring the right talent, is so vital at this juncture in your corporation. 

I am a firm believer that anyone with discernment and critical thinking can be taught to be excellent at a certain skill or craft. But herein lies an issue that many managers are facing: Team members, whether new or five years into their positions, remain somewhat unskilled, needing consistent training for improvement. Without this training and guidance, your team runs the risk of stagnancy, a decrease in innovation, deadlines missed, and problems going left unsolved. There certainly should be an expectation that managers will need to train and mentor their team members. But, this should not be the entirety of the job. Again, herein lies an opportunity for businesses to be thoughtful about their new hires.

If you’ve never thought about durable skills and perishable skills, now is the time. In a recent Forbes article, this distinction between durable skills and perishable skills is made, mainly to demonstrate how one must aim to retain employees with durable skills. And, it seems logical that a company will benefit from not only retaining employees with durable skills but attracting and hiring those with durable skills. 

What is a durable skill? This is the ability for a person to pair their life knowledge to their work. How can they use their own experiences to thrive in the corporate environment? As I noted, I am a firm believer that if you hire someone with critical thinking (a durable skill) you will be better suited than hiring the person with more years of experience and no ability to deduce thoughtfully.  “Durability” as I will refer to it, also speaks to a person’s ability to communicate well and navigate through challenges with a solution-focused mindset. Even if a person is somewhat unseasoned, they will be poised for success because they will seek out the answers, look to their manager for guidance when necessary, and pride themselves on resiliency and self-sufficiency.

On the flip, perishable skills are specialized. They are specific to an industry or specific organization. The training is in fact done on the job. 

Isn’t the perfect pairing, then, a hire who has durable skills because they can seemingly be taught the perishable skills? Indeed. 

As a manager, how might you help someone learn critical thinking? It is not a quantitative output and this is a struggle managers face. While a manager may be able to train on concepts and specializations (which naturally takes ample time) it is more challenging to teach someone how to communicate effectively, ratiocinate often, and solve problems independently. 

Thus, as we are facing a time of skillful people leaving the workplace, seek new hires with durable skill sets. Keep this front of mind throughout the interview process. 

Questions to consider: 

• How might you measure someone’s critical thinking? 

• How might you assess their ability to communicate? 

• How will you determine their emotion regulation and maturity (EQ)?

Mindfulness in Leadership

If we all implemented mindfulness in daily life – whether at work or at home – I have no doubt we would see the benefits as a collective. We might observe a decrease in reactivity, an increase in listening, and likely a shift in focus. As I take clients through my initial 15-session series for individual coaching, we address mindfulness as a self-regulation practice. This methodology is intended to help leaders take a brief pause, assessing feelings throughout the day, especially when feeling “overwhelmed.” It’s efficient to say “overwhelmed” or “busy” but in actuality, we might feel anger, embarrassment, sadness, or even fear. Such feelings might emerge when your team has made a sizable mistake, when you have a tight deadline, when you’ve worked a 13-hour day, when there’s legal trouble, or when there are pending layoffs… the list goes on.

The reason mindfulness can be a powerful tool in a leader’s toolbelt is two-fold. First, it does not require the allocation of funds (no apps or technology needed!). Second, it changes behavior over time; managers will become more behaviorally predictable and anger less readily. With a simple practice each day we can rewire our brains and it will have an immediate effect on those around us. 

In fact, there was a 2019 German study with almost 60 organizational teams. The researchers found that leaders who participated in mindfulness practice (or “intervention”) demonstrated lower aggression (when rated by their employees) and stronger transformational leadership behaviors than compared to the control group. While reading a book on management can surely shed light on topics managers know not of, the practice of mindfulness is just that: A practice. And you will improve over time. 

Ultimately, mindfulness will support you (as a manager, leader, or even individual contributor) to become a more effective communicator. When we are aware of our feelings, we have improved self-regulation which allows for more purposeful discourse and this allows space for diffusing conflict. 

If you’re interested in learning more and want a “how to” on mindfulness, drop me a note here.

First published on LinkedIn

Are You A Resourceful Leader?

If you follow my work you are aware of my commitment to supporting managers. You may also be aware of my interest in assessing how leaders function under unprecedented stress (as demonstrated in my book about the COVID-19 pandemic). 

The research I conducted in 2020 pointed to the essentiality of leaders being versatile… And yet, so few leaders are identified as such. 

Seeing as we are fast approaching the three-year anniversary of when the WHO classified COVID-19 as a global pandemic, it seems timely to raise the topic of resourceful leaders.  Whether amidst a pandemic or not, being a well-balanced, fully agile, and level-headed leader will help you in all walks of life. 

Being resourceful speaks to a person’s capability to “read the room” and respond appropriately. Seems pretty intuitive, but it’s actually quite hard. People tend to sway in a specific direction – either too enabling in their management practice, too authoritative, too tactical, or even overly thoughtful. A combination of these traits can be incredibly powerful, but a concentrated version of just one primary attribute can prohibit a manager’s ability to see the necessity for a shift in behavior.

But how do you gather information to assess whether or not you have blind spots? Well, first, recognize that you do! Second, consider taking a personality assessment – I personally like the Predictive Index as it ties personality to management tendencies and layers in the types of personalities you may struggle with managing and why (and how to overcome that). Or, work with a coach (a plug for yours truly) to learn about the behavioral approach to management. Understanding what kind of leader you are takes both self-reflection and peer input. From there, intention setting for the type of leader you want to be will set the foundation for getting you there. 

Understanding both what comes naturally to you and what is painstaking, will promote the idea of well-roundedness. I encourage you to think of yourself through the lens of aiming to be a resourceful leader; what would that look like? 

Management Musts (To Manage Yourself!)

In order to manage others well, it’s no wonder you must know how to manage yourself. 

As managers climb the corporate ladder, feedback can become sparse. This concept of leaders losing their way is an HBS favorite of mine. Why? It shows us that no one, no matter how well-intentioned, is completely insusceptible to losing our way. 

While having a confidant is advised, it is also advised to look inward for the answers. Just as you regularly audit your team’s output, regularly ask yourself questions that provoke introspection. 

• How do I behave under pressure? 

• Am I modeling the behaviors I want my team to exude?

• Do I give team members actionable, timely, and direct feedback?  (Remember, feedback should not be kept for yearly reviews alone. Feedback should be a constant, with team members knowing exactly where they excel and where they can improve.) 

Perhaps in the self-assessment, you realize that you’ve demonstrated characteristics of frustration, stress, and short-tempered during times of being under pressure. What can you do about that? First, realize that during challenging times – whether company-specific or team specific – team members will observe your behavior and replicate it almost immediately. If you find you are quick to blame, or quick to become frenzied, you have the power to better manage these behaviors. The goal here should be to answer your questions honestly, and seek feedback when you simply feel unsure. (Word to the wise: The people who typically think they need the least self-reflection, need it the most! If you think you have it all figured out, give this exercise a try. You might even elicit responses from your team members rather than answer the questions independently.)

An integral part of being an effective manager is not only focusing on the professional development of your workgroup, but it must include self-regulation practices, introspection, and a will to change.