Saturday, December 14, 2013

How to Perform First Aid on a Conflict

How to Perform First Aid on a Conflict.

A wound is  an "injury" to the body, "usually involving division of tissue...due to external violence or some mechanical agency rather than disease." "Feelings, sensibilities" and "reputation" can also be wounded when conflict occurs in interpersonal relationships (Source: http://dictionary.reference.com).

A conflict occurs between two, or more, parties who "come into disagreement," due to viewpoints that are "contradictory, at variance, or in opposition," to one another. The magnitude of the meaning of this work can be weighted as heavily as "fight, or battle" or as lightly as "incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity, with another." (Source: http://dictionary.reference.com)

In trying to understand the meanings of words we have a tendency to reference extremes. For example, what's the image that pops into your head when you read this word? 

WOUND

Did you picture a "division of tissue" that was caused during a significant conflict event?

What image appears when you read this word?

CONFLICT

Did you picture a scene of "external violence" where people become physically wounded?

I will make an assumption here that the answer to both "Did you picture..." questions was, "Yes." The purpose is to illustrate the reason why it can be difficult to recognize when relationships have been wounded when the conflict is on the "disagreement in ideas, desires, events, or activities" end of the scale. Most human beings will definitely remember if they've participated in something as significant as an argument, a fight or a battle and the physical or emotional scars they received or inflicted on others. We are forced to deal with smaller-scale conflicts constantly but we don't always recognize the impact the more sublime incidents have on our relationships with others.

When Conflict Wounds Relationships. 

When you find you are at odds with people you need to maintain healthy relationships with in order to be successful, the situation creates discomfort. The discomfort comes from the imagined negative consequences you perceive you'll receive if you fail to resolve the conflict. The fear of the punishment drives you to avoid it so you employ a common tactic and create a distraction from it. Let's say, for example, you change the subject, or defer the current one, so the focus of the discussion will shift from the conflict to something else. You move on and leave the conflict unresolved in order to eliminate the discomfort. In this case, you put a metaphorical bandage on the wound.

Unresolved Conflicts Become Infected.

Let's say you have a small wound on your hand with a band-aid on it and you started to see symptoms that indicate it's becoming infected. You would rip off the bandage so you could clean it. Taking off the bandage causes pain and discomfort but you do it anyway so you can treat the infection and allow the wound to heal.

Think back to the relationship wound you put a metaphorical band-aid on earlier. To ease your discomfort you changed the subject, but you didn't resolve the conflict. Changing the subject didn't make the conflict go away. The conflict remains. The problem with unresolved conflicts is, like untreated wounds, they will become infected. They don't go away, they get worse and things can get really messy!


Don't Let the Pain of Ripping Off the Bandage Keep You From Treating the Wounded Relationship. 

The problem with wounded relationships is they don't heal themselves. As conflict festers beneath the bandage you used to distract attention from it, you will experience more and more pain as time goes by. Your attempt to avoid a punishment has only driven you to create a more painful one. The only way to cure your pain is to endure the pain of ripping the bandage off and deal with the conflict directly with the other person. 
Ripping a Band Aid Off
Source: http://shutupimtalking.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/02181.jpg

Failing to deal with conflict directly is like trying to clean an infected wound while it is covered with a bandage. It's ineffective. It doesn't matter how small the wound, the infection is the real relationship killer!

I once worked with a company that was extremely conflict averse. I was hired to help them solve some significant teamwork issues. I observed a few meetings and noticed when employees communicated their disagreement to proposals or statements from others in meetings the president, having the noble intention of wanting to foster a harmonious culture, would stifle the conversation and change the subject. Invariably the unresolved issue would lead to frustration on the part of the dissenter. Deferring the conflict didn't allow them to communicate counter points that had the potential to call attention to problems, suggestions for improvements or intending to point out misalignments. 

The forced end to the conversations invariably led to wounded relationships, frustration and confusion about what the priorities in the organization really were. The leader had good intentions but misunderstood that harmony takes practice. If you don't believe that, listen to a 5th grade music band and compare their sound with that of a senior high school band and recognize the difference practice can make. If an organization is never allowed to operate with conflict, it won't learn how to resolve it. The leader missed the opportunity to facilitate open, honest and respectful debate, which is a form of conflict people can function under in a positive manner. 

As a leader, can you afford to let conflict infect your organization? Can you afford to let the wounds you've created or have observed in other relationships within your organization fester?

Performing First Aid on a Conflict


To avoid setting the conditions that will allow conflict to fester in a relationship it's best to perform First Aid. A clean and treated wound will heal very quickly. The next time you recognize a disagreement is about to be left unresolved, here's how to perform First Aid:
  • Recognize a relationship has been wounded- Think about the potential consequences of hoping it will heal on its own. How much pain will be created if it's left unresolved:
    • For you?
    • For the relationship?
    • For the organization's ability to function efficiently & effectively?

  • Treat the open wound- Stop the avoidance tactic. It will be uncomfortable for you but the outcome you want is to preserve the integrity of the relationship. Show the courage needed to bring the conversation back on track and then:

  1. Evaluate- Ask for clarification. 
  2. Try to Understand the Root Cause- The reason why people put a band-aid on a conflict typically has nothing to do with the difference in points of view that started it. The reason usually stems from to root cause categories:
    • Authoritative Power- When someone disagrees with a person who has authoritative power in a situation, they perceive they are in a coercive situation. This is an opportunity to show you're willing to use reason and logic to show you want to use your power legitimately instead of simply imposing your authority. (Important Note- If you've used authoritative power as your predominant method of influencing situations in the past and you're trying to change perceptions so people will work with you instead of for you, remember it will probably take at least six months of consistent, legitimate use of your power to gain their trust. One slip and you're back to day-one. That's the way people work, sport! Take it seriously!).
    • Frustration from past coercive situations- When people avoid conflict for this reason, they're trying to prevent themselves from communicating inappropriately in the situation. In other words, they're about to say something they'll regret. Recognize their frustration. It's important! If you can't help them relieve their frustration, it will keep building. Ask them if they'd like to talk off-line. If that means the meeting needs to end right there, so be it. They'll appreciate you giving them the attention they deserve (Important Note- See "Important Note" above and apply the same concept here. Think about it.).
  3. Shhhhh...Listen... What did you miss? I promise, you missed something, so focus on
    listening.
  4. Affirm- Let them know you heard them and the points they're trying to make.
  5. Confirm- Try to identify the point of conflict and find out if the other person also recognizes it as the root cause of the disagreement. This allows both parties to focus on the real issue instead of feeling like they're battling each other.
  6. Align- If you've personified the values of COURAGE, PATIENCE, SEEKING and REASON, by following the past five steps, you've set the conditions to become an advocate instead of an adversary. The two conflicting parties now have a common enemy against which they can ally themselves and focus on fighting: The Root Cause of the Conflict. 
Get the win you really want and 
PRE-ORDER FINDING SUCCESS NOW!
Leading the change you want to see in your organization is not easy. It's hard. The hardest part, is changing how you react to the situation. Remember that the behaviors within the organization are a direct reflection of its leadership and you'll find the conviction to do what it takes. 

If conflict already festers in your organization, you won't be able to fix it all overnight. Heal one wound at a time and perform First Aid on the new ones to prevent conflict from infecting your organization to a point where it becomes less effective.  
THE GPS THEORY MODEL




ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Eakin is the author of Finding Success and the Success Engineer at BoomLife. LEARN MORE ABOUT TOM...



Sunday, December 8, 2013

Create the Magic For Every Stakeholder

Create The Magic For Every Stakeholder

Everything you do is a value proposition. 

The simple truth is, every decision you make is an attempt to lean the sum-total of the scales of value in your favor. You want to realize a net-positive value. This concept applies to you whether you’re an individual or the CEO of a business. As a CEO, the ability to sustain success depends on your ability to create mutually beneficial relationships between all of your stakeholders.


So, how do you create mutually beneficial relationships with all of your stakeholders if everyone is always trying to tip the scales in their own favor? The key is to understand the nature of mutually beneficial relationships and set the conditions for creating them with each type of stakeholder.

The magic of any great relationship is that it creates a net-positive value for everyone involved.

When this occurs, the relationship is mutually beneficial. No losers. All winners.

Every CEO must understand how to create a mutually beneficial relationship with all key organizational stakeholders. The answers to how to accomplish that can only come from asking the right questions.:

  • Employees- People will be great at their jobs when what they value aligns with what Leaders want them to do. It’s about the value they perceive they receive in return for their efforts.
    • Do you understand the value your employees perceive in the Compensation & Benefits they receive in relation to the effort they give?
    • Do you understand how key employees find satisfaction in their work?
    • Do you understand how employees perceive their leadership sets them up for success?
    • Do you understand how satisfied your employees are with their relationships with the people they work with:
      • Leadership?
      • Co-Workers?
      • Customers?
    • Do you understand how to find the best fit for the job and the culture you want when you hire new employees?
(c) Copyright- Thomas Eakin, 2013


  • Leaders- People will be great leaders when they can provide the purpose, direction and behavioral drivers that are in alignment with what the people they want to lead value. 
    • Do the leaders in your organization personify the values you need them to in order for them to create a net-positive value proposition for your employees?
    • Do the leaders in your organization make decisions in alignment with organizations Core Values by placing the priority on the principles that will result in maximizing the net-value in every situation?


  • Vendors- People will be great at giving you what you want, when you want it, in the quantity you asked for and at the price you are willing to pay when your organization can satisfy their needs.
    • Do you understand what the value of the products and services they are providing to your organization?
    • Do you understand what net-negative conditions your organization creates for its key vendors?
    • Do you understand how your organization can help key vendors find solutions that create value for you and them?


  • Customers- People will be great customers when what they value is in alignment with what you want them to do. You want them to buy from you.
    • How do you make sure they perceive the net-positive value required to compel them to buy from you?
    • Do you know if they perceive a net-positive value from the products and services you provide?
    • Do you know where you’re exceeding expectations?
    • Do you know where you’re not realizing the value proposition for your customers?


  • Organizations- Groups of people can create a mutually beneficial net-positive value when they can consistently translate the core values and principles upon which the organizational value proposition is founded throughout the processes within which products and/or services are created and delivered.

Are you creating the magic?

Is your organization holding up your end of the value proposition for all of your stakeholders? 

In order to realize a net-positive value for yourself, you need to create a net-positive value for everyone else, your success depends on it.


  • Do you understand where the greatest risks exist in each of the relationships your organization needs to maintain in order to sustain success?
  • Are your strategies purposefully designed to mitigate those risks?


If you want to get the right answers, you need to ask the right questions. BoomLife has the Success Engineering tools to help you do both:
  • Values-Based Seminars & Workshops.
  • Coaching.
  • Organizational Development Consulting.
  • Powerful Surveys- Designed to ask the right questions.
    • Leaders
    • Employees
    • Customers
    • Vendors



ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Eakin is the author of Finding Success and the Success Engineer at BoomLife. LEARN MORE ABOUT TOM...



Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Don't Doom Your Initiative With This Word!

This Word Dooms Change Initiatives

If I told you, "You should know better," does it mean you do?

If I told you, "You should do it the right way," does that mean you can?

If I told you, "We should eliminate the word "should" from the English language," do you think it will happen? 

How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard someone in a leadership position make a "should" statement because they're not happy with the way things are going and they want to initiate changes? They say things like, "That shouldn't happen! We should change this!" Did you notice a lot of heads nodding in agreement? Probably. 

How many times have you seen changes that "should" happen actually become real?

"Should" Misrepresents Reality About What People "Know"

We all have different experiences which have shaped how we think and how we perceive what is going on around us. What seems like common sense to one person is foreign to another. Thinking or, even worse, saying someone else should know something you think you know implies they are perceiving and thinking exactly the same way you are. The guy on the island in the cartoon, below, will think the guy in the boat is an idiot for being so happy to have found land...and vice versa. The problem: At this moment, neither has any perspective on the other's situation.

Its all about Perspective (Humor)
Source: http://spiritualartwork.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/its-all-about-perspective-humor/

"Should" Assumes The Right Way Is Your Way

Sometimes you realize success. This often translates later into a perception you have achieved some level of expertise as it pertains to that succcess. The problem is, everything changes and you don't always get the results you want when you try the same things in different situations. Saying someone "should" do things the right way, implies the conditions present during past successes exist in the current situation. 

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. --Albert Einstein
"Should" also implies the criteria for success is the same for everyone. The difference between the behaviors you would have expected to observe after reading the article referenced on the cover page of the issue of People Magazine when it was published some years back and Miley Cyrus' current version of "The Right Way," I suspect, is miles-wide. Is Miley wrong? Was Billy Ray Cyrus wrong? Who is right? Who knows? I'm only a human being and therefore not qualified to judge. The purpose here is only to illustrate that one person's version of "The Right Way," the way one "should" behave is, almost invariably, different from anyone else's. It doesn't matter if it "should" be that way, or not. It is that way.

"Should" Makes It Optional

If you want to change conditions in your situation, you must "Do" what it takes to make it happen. Change must be led. You must provide, purpose, direction and the appropriate behavioral drivers to accomplish the change you want. Otherwise:
  • No one will understand why they need to contribute to the effort.
  • No one will understand what they need to do to contribute, or when to do it.
  • No criteria for success is communicated and understood. There is nothing to work toward.
  • It is an option. Why? It's not a direction. If you're lucky, one person might do something different. Keep hoping for that and that the "something different" is what you had in mind, sport!

How To See The Changes You Want Actually Happen

Do you want things to change? Of course you do.  So Stop, Think, Communicate, Plan, Execute, Monitor, Adapt.

  • STOP- Don't react and make a "should" statement. It will be meaningless and impotent. Stop. Don't speak yet.
  • THINK- Why do you want it? What value will the effort create if it is successful? What do you want? Define your vision. Set clear standards for the results you seek. Take the time to understand what it will really take to cure your pain. Who needs to be involved? What resources are required? Think! Think about whether you are willing to do what it takes to lead the change you seek. If not, don't say another word about it to anyone until you are. You will have more opportunities to think about it, I promise. Why? Because until you commit to leading the change, it won't...even if it "should".
     
  • COMMUNICATE- If you believe you are willing, clearly communicate your vision and purpose to the people who can help you plan and execute. Be ready to listen. Be open to changing your vision to something you hear that might make it better.
  • PLAN- Identify the things people will (notice the absence of the word "should" there?) do to make it happen. Focus on whether the actions will contribute to your vision. If they do, add them to the plan. If they won't, don't. Task organize (who, what when, where & how).
    Communicate, Listen, Listen, Listen. Adjust the plan based on feedback that will improve it's probability of success.
  • EXECUTE- You've set the criteria and the conditions for success. Make it happen. Did you notice it yet? You're leading.
  • MONITOR- Your people are making it happen with zero "shoulds" and a whole bunch of "will". Pay attention to what's happening. Compare reality to the plan. Are you getting what you want (time, effort, results)? If so, make sure you're handing out high-fives and belly bumps like they're hard candy at an Independence Day parade! They deserve the recognition.
  • ADAPT- If you're not getting what you want, Stop & Think! Yes, that's right, you have to go back and change the plan. It's not good enough...even if it "should" be. Then you need to lead the change...again...again...again. 
Julie SHOULD run a brush through
her hair when she gets out of the
wind or it will be tangled. She might.

The word "should" will probably not be removed from the English language. You, however, can lead yourself to change how you misuse it. STOP. THINK of the value such a change could create if you were successful!  

Food for thought: Here is a test to illustrate why "should" is a word to avoid whenever possible: 
Go to http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ and look up "Should". What do you get? Is it what you "Should" get? Interesting, isn't it?  

The Visual Thesaurus is a great tool! I use it all the time to help me understand the relationship between words...especially words that represent values. The words we use are important, they shape the way we think, the way we listen, the way we respond and react to what we hear. What do you hear when the word "should" is used? What did you get when you ran the test on "should" with the Visual Thesaurus? The way I would answer both questions is, "Something else". You don't get what you think you "should," you get "something else".
Disclaimer: I am a human being. I have used "should" inappropriately many times. If you look, I'm sure you will find evidence. It's not important. This is important: I am constantly trying to change and improve. I not only should but will keep trying.

Are you a human being too?





Do you want to see changes in your organization? What do you WANT? Do you KNOW what to DO to get it? Will you BE a Leader?

THE GPS THEORY MODEL


BoomLife provides personal, professional, and organizational success engineering services. Our Values-Based, practical, GPS Theory processes will help you:


Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!

Try our GPS Theory App- www.goboomlife.com


Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 
Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 
Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

Friday, November 15, 2013

How to Ruin an Organization While You Keep Making Money

How to Ruin an Organization While You Keep Making Money

The Situation- Doing Things Versus Doing Enough

I once worked with a CEO who tried to convince everyone he cared about creating a great culture. I believe he even thought he was doing what it takes. The problem came from what really drove his decisions and his behaviors.

The company was full of great people. The business had grown over the years to the point where relying on people to figure out what to do was no longer efficient. Departmental barriers started to form based on what key individuals wanted to do instead of the business processes that created the products and services. Gaping holes were left open and waste was created in the form of re-work and "extra" inventory which kept piling up. The great people started pointing fingers at each other.





It was an opportunity to put systems in place that would ensure safety, quality and efficiency were maintained as the company scaled. The CEO stuck to what he knew, the numbers. He made decisions primarily based on revenue and profitability. The conflicts got worse as frustration levels increased with each recurrence of waste-creating incidents. Meanwhile, the CEO kept his head down, crunched the numbers, made decisions based on what the financial statements were telling him and celebrated the company's success at being profitable. A few times a year, he held company events: golf outings, holiday dinners, barbeques. He was going through the motions. He believed he was "Doing" the right things. Meanwhile, people who'd worked closely together for years, people who'd once been the best of friends inside and outside of work, stopped talking to each other altogether. Hourly employees were consistently expected to work 60-hours a week. Everyone was getting burned out. The things the CEO was doing to create the culture he said he wanted weren't wrong, they were just not enough. 

The Company was Making Money. Isn't That Success?

People join organizations as employees or volunteers for one reason: The believe they will realize a net-positive value from the relationship. The form, or combination of forms, the net-positive value is made-up of is different for everyone. From the CEO's point of view, the view from the financial statements, the company was making profits, employees were getting paid a lot of overtime money. He perceived the net-positive value was being satisfied for the employees because of the financial results. Leading an organization with the financial statements as the highest priority for making decision-making is like using the speedometer as the only means to control a car. 
A car can only travel so far with the needle pegged before it runs out of gas or the driver loses control. 

What happens to the car happens to the passengers. What happens to the organization happens to the people.

Sooner, or later, resources reach their limit and things just stop working. Or, the situation changes in such a way that damage is done. The severity of the damage depends on the conditions present in the situation. It's easier for employees to exit the organization than a speeding car, so when some of them realized they were not realizing a net-positive value, some great people left.  As new employees came and went, safety incidents increased, more quality defects created more rework, profits tapered off. 


The company needed a leader more than anything, someone who knew where they wanted to go and were willing to control the speed based on what was going on all around them. The company had a person who was willing let the speedometer control their behavior. 



Organizational Values- More Than Just Financial Transactions

When people join an organization expecting a net-positive value it's not just because of the money. Let's think about this: if everyone viewed money as the only measure of achieving a net-positive value, we'd never see any organizations form. Everyone involved couldn't realize a net-positive value because one party would always give up something. The very best-case scenario would be a net-neutral result where everyone comes out even. There would be no incentive to join, or remain in, such a situation. 

As a Success Engineer, it's frustrating to be in a situation where the person who ultimately leads the organization is unwilling to do what it takes to create the culture they say they want. It makes me sad to think about those great people and how their situation changed for the want of a leader. I wish I could tell you a story about how I was able to help them do great things. I'd prefer to tell you the truth. Yes, I was there. Yes, I got out of the car. I chose to end the
Image Source:
http://www.alfredrocks.com
business 
relationship. I want to help people achieve Life-Long Success, I couldn't accomplish what I wanted so there was no incentive to remain. The net result was neutral, at best. We can't always get what we want and be the person we want to be. We have to choose sometimes. I chose the latter. I'm certain the business will remain financially salient for some time...their CEO is a smart and capable man. The culture has been severely compromised and until something changes it will continue to degrade. Only one person can lead that change.  

Set the Conditions for Organizational Success

The key to creating an organization that can provide a net-positive value for all stakeholders is creating a value proposition that represents a mutually beneficial relationship for the type of people who can reciprocate based on something they have to offer (leadership, skills, expertise, etc.).  

Organizational Success happens when:
  • The Organization Knows What it Values
    • Leaders promote Organizational Values
    • Employees (including Leaders) align with Organizational Values
    • Organizational Values are translated through the business processes that create value for Customers.
  • The Organization Does What it Values
    • Leaders exemplify Organizational Values
    • Employees (including Leaders) live Organizational Values
    • People, Processes, & Resources combine to create Products & Services that:
      • Reflect Organizational Values 
      • Create value for Customers
Only when the organization Knows What it Values & Does What it Values can it Be What it Values.

Are you a leader in an organization? What do you WANT? Do you KNOW what to DO to get it?

THE GPS THEORY MODEL


BoomLife provides personal, professional, and organizational success engineering services. Our Values-Based, practical, GPS Theory processes will help you:


Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!

Try our GPS Theory App- www.goboomlife.com


Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 
Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 
Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:















Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Don't Hire People Who Can. Hire People Who Can and Will (Link to Article)

Don't Hire People Who Can. Hire People Who Can and Will

I wrote this article for www.speakoutsmallbusiness.com. It provides the secrets to finding people who will be the best fit for the position you're trying to fill and your organization. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

You may also be interested in reading this article  "How to Use GPS Theory to Hire Inspired Employees," right here on the BoomBlog!


ABOUT BOOMLIFE:

BoomLife provides personal, professional, and organizational success engineering services. Our Values-Based, practical processes will help you:

  • Recruit Inspired Employees
  • Evaluate Performance- Inspired, Motivated or Coerced?
  • Measure Engagement & Create Improvement Strategies
  • Develop the Organizational Structure to Ensure Core Values Translate Throughout Business Processes


Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!


GET WHAT YOU WANT! 
Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

Try our GPS Theory App- www.goboomlife.com


Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 
Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. tom@goboomlife.com

Saturday, October 26, 2013

How to Use GPS Theory to Hire Inspired Employees

How to Use GPS Theory to Hire Inspired Employees

A friend of mine recently tweeted me a link to Laura Entis' article, How Online Personality Assessments Could Revolutionize Hiring 


I read the article and responded with this tweet:



Why Did I Respond This Way?

I want to make the distinction between the statistically based predictive models like the one Michael Kosinski and his colleagues developed and the way you can actually select candidates who will be inspired employees. To be clear, I do not mean to criticize predictive personality assessments as I believe they provide some valuable insights into behaviors but I also believe when it comes to personal and organizational growth, statistical predictions do not actually drive the behaviors you're looking for in people. They predict, that is all. I don't claim that Entis, Kosinski, or anyone else say they drive behaviors either, but based on my experience with the manner in which predictive personality assessments, or psychometric assessments, are implemented within organizations I believe there tends to be a disconnect in understanding at the user-level. 

Psychometrics & Predictive Models

psy·cho·met·rics
  [sahy-kuh-me-triks]  Show IPA
noun used with a singular verb Psychology .
the measurement of mental traits, abilities, and processes.
Also, psychometry.

Origin: 
1850–55; psycho- + -metrics

The definition of psychometrics, shown above from dictionary.com, should help make the distinction between predictive assessments and understanding true behavioral drivers. Measuring "traits, abilities and processes" is not the same as understanding what drives a person to break through personal, professional and organizational barriers to try to make things better. Saying a person has traits and abilities is like saying the race horse you're trying to sell me has four legs. My is, "Great, sounds like a horse...but...can he run faster than the other horses?" 

What separates the great from the middling candidate isn't ability, it's the will to do more.  Isn't "more" what every organization is really looking for in a candidate? The person who will quickly master the duties and responsibilities assigned to the job and then make process improvements? The key to finding the employee who will do more is identifying the person whose Core Values align best with the values the people and the processes they will be required to interact with in your organization. In order to find that person, the key is understanding the mental processes that drive the desired behaviors a psychometric test indicates are present, but a standardized predictive model uses an algorithm with a finite number of inputs and therefore can only provide a finite number of outputs. The psychometric test cannot identify what inspires a person. 

How to Find the "Right" Employees?

The key to finding the person who will most probably do the things you want them to better than
anyone else is to understand how their Core Values align with the behaviors expected of them in a given situation.  Here's how to look for them:
  1. Identify the tasks/activities required to create value for the organization/customer in the position you seek to fill.
    • Make a list.
  2. Identify the values the employee needs to personify in order to perform each task/activity.
    • Add any new values to the list.
  3. Identify the values the employee needs to personify in order to continuously improve the processes they will interact with.
    • Add any new values to the list.
  4. Ask the candidate to identify their Core Values
    • Does there appear to be a match based on the two lists?
      • If No, do not hire them, at least not yet. You may need to dig deeper if you have a "good feeling" about them.
      • If Yes, go to the next step.
  5. Measure how well they personify the Core Values that would best align them with the position. 
    • Use BoomLife's GPS Theory App to get honest and accurate feedback from references the candidate provides.
      • Do the people in the candidate's World agree they personify those values?
        • If No, do not hire them, not yet. You can if you want to, but you now have multiple data points that indicate they won't give you "more".
        • If Yes and you don't have a "good feeling" about them, keep the conversation going, try to get to know them better. Keep asking questions until you're sure it's a "yes" or "no".
        • If Yes and you have a "good feeling" about them then it's worth the risk isn't it? Hire them. See what happens. Everything we do is an experiment. Develop them if it works out!
If you're not sure how to complete any of the steps listed above, BoomLife's experts know how to reverse-engineer any job description into a list of the values an employee needs to personify to be the best fit. We utilize the most effective processes for developing top-level talent and creating inspired cultures.

The "Right" Employee is the Inspired Employee

Inspiration drives the will.  The will is the ability multiplier.

The differences between the three behavioral drivers, inspiration, motivation and coercion are the keys to creating an inspired culture.
As human beings, we are motivated to do things by the rewards we expect to receive as a result. A commission-based compensation plan is an example of a motivator. We are coerced to do things by the punishments we expect to receive if we take certain courses of action. For example, a person who has no inspiration or motivation to go to work is coerced into do so by the attendance policy their employer enforces. They choose to avoid the punishment of unemployment so they show up when they're expected to.

The problem with Motivation and Coercion as behavioral drivers that will create a culture of excellence is, when motivated or coerced the employees will to act is limited by the the net-positive or net-negative value they perceive in the reward or punishment offered. So, predicting behaviors based on abilities and personality traits can actually limit what a person is willing to do. The comfort zone they create for themselves by trying to maintain the balance between motivating and coercing forces actually causes them to play it safe by minimizing the risk of punishment. There is a tendency to view maintaining the status quo by not expending the effort to try new things as more desirable than taking the risk of not being rewarded for extraordinary successful effort. There lies the problem: When one is not willing to take the risk of not getting the reward (perceived as a punishment), they are not willing to do what it takes to earn it.
Do you want to work with inspired people? Do you want to be inspired? Does a predictive model with a statistically probable algorithm plant the seeds of inspiration for the people in your organization? Really?


The Order of Priority for Organizational Behavioral Drivers

When leaders understand the true nature of Inspiration and how to practically apply Core Values to their personal, professional, and organizational situations they hire employees who will do amazing things...they create inspired cultures! But, it's not realistic to believe inspiration is possible all of the time.  As a leader, you must understand how to recognize each situation and know how to respond to it:


  1. Priority 1- Core Values Inspire- Use Inspiration whenever possible. Setting the conditions for an inspired culture is your number one priority.
  2. Priority 2- Rewards Motivate- Motivation can be a powerful tool to reward inspired performance or to influence employees to perceive an increased value proposition in specific situations where the what you are asking them to do aligns less with their Core Values than what they typically want to do.
  3. Priority 3- Punishments Coerce- Coercion can be a legitimate way to drive employees away from undesired behaviors and employers must have plans for how they will identify the barriers of acceptable behaviors and how they will respond to incidents when employees act outside of them. There is an order of priority leaders must follow


The fundamental question for hiring new people as you build an inspired culture is: Do you want to rely on a practical, values-based approach to finding the inspired employee or a predictive model? 

Psychometric tests, in and of themselves, will not contribute to growth and breakthrough performance.  Understanding how Core Values align with what it takes to be the best leads to Inspiration and performance beyond the virtual limits derived from past successes and failures.  Find your Core Values! Find the candidate who shares your organizations Core Values! Create the organizational culture you want!


You might also be interested in reading, "Don't Hire People Who Can. Hire People Who Can and Will." right here on the BoomBlog!


BoomLife provides personal, professional, and organizational success engineering services. Our Values-Based, practical processes will help you:

  • Recruit Inspired Employees
  • Evaluate Performance- Inspired, Motivated or Coerced?
  • Measure Engagement & Create Improvement Strategies
  • Develop the Organizational Structure to Ensure Core Values Translate Throughout Business Processes


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GET WHAT YOU WANT! 
Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

Try our GPS Theory App- www.goboomlife.com


Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 
Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. tom@goboomlife.com