"We Must Be Bold"

WE MUST BE BOLD

Back in December, I met Hugh Weber from OTA + Pollen. Hugh and his partners are working to create a "world class network of individuals + organizations + communities and ideas" to "transform" the OTA Region. The OTA Region consists of the three states ending with the letters "ota", Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. I live in South Dakota, and if you've read anything I've written about how each of us can change our lives and our "World" in significantly positive ways, then you can understand why I'd want to share their audacious theme: "We Must Be Bold".

A Bold Idea That Has Spanned Generations 

That first time I met Hugh, he was giving a presentation in which he told a story about the profound and lasting impact the last four words in President John F. Kennedy's "We Choose To Go To The Moon" speech had on him. As the crowds applause at Kennedy's final words builds into a crescendo, he ends his speech with, "and we must be bold." It almost gets lost in the din of the crowd. It didn't get lost on Hugh.

President Kennedy's bold vision to put a man on the moon within a decade came true because he created the time and place where the idea became possible in the hearts and minds of all Americans. The community of people who needed to work together was vast and nation-wide in its scope.

A Bold Idea for Today and Future Generations

On Friday, April 4, 2014, I attended OTA 14 in Sioux Falls, SD, an event Hugh and his partners put together to share stories about how "connections and collisions of people and ideas have impacted our largest and smallest businesses, organizations and communities," and to gather together people in the region who want to do great things. In other words, they shared stories about "intersections" and created a time and place for them to happen. It was an inspiring event! It made for an inspiring day because of the people who shared their stories about the "connections and collisions" that created opportunities for them to make their difference: Antonio Neves, Kash Sree, Roman Mars, Jamie Millard & Meghan Murphy (from Pollen), Nathaniel Schachter, Paul LaRoche (who put on an amazing musical and visual performance with some of his family members and musicians from Brule), Jennifer Reedy, Baratunde Thurston, Tina & Ryan Essmaker, and Bryant Cryder who introduced the final speaker of the day. I'd love to tell you more about each of those speakers and the powerful messages they shared. But, this is an article, not a book. I'm going to just ask you to trust me when I say, these are people who truly believe they can make a difference in their "Worlds," strive to learn how, and have proven they are willing to try. 

A Bold Assignment

When we walked out of the theater of the Washington Pavillion after the final speaker of the day, Scott Harrison, finished moving us to tears through the story of Charity:Water, event volunteers were lined up at the exit handing out tubes of "mystery" gifts. I opened mine as soon as I got home after an hour-long anticipation-filled drive. In the tube, there were a few of the giveaways you typically receive at events like this one. But, I also found more inspiration in the form of two high-quality prints confidently and enthusiastically calling out the message, "WE MUST BE BOLD".

There was another flyer in the tube which said, "Now, we need you to take the next step...by sharing one of the enclosed prints with someone that inspires you or someone that you hope to inspire." I'll gladly take on this assignment. I will find someone who I hope to inspire and give them one of the prints. But, I want to inspire as many people to do great things as I possibly can! And, I'm going to do that in the best way I know how, with my current capabilities. I'm sharing a photograph I took of the print (I'm not a very good photographer) with my network of blog readers, my clients, my newsletter subscribers (I'm not the greatest networker but I'm doing my best). 

YES, WE MUST BE BOLD!

A photographic rendering of the print
OTA + Pollen gave me as a gift
and which I am sharing with you in
the best way I know!

What does this statement mean to you?

What BOLD way do you want to make a difference in the world?

What values inspire you to want to do it?

How will those values drive your decisions to do what it takes?

Not one of us can do it alone.

Who do you need to share your vision with to make it your BOLD thing happen?

How can I help you?

• Share your vision, your plan, your message by responding in the comments, below. You never know who will read it and want to connect with you! Take a chance, share it! If I see an opportunity to help you directly, or connect you with someone else who can, I will.
• Plan and implement why & how you will make your BOLD vision happen? I'm providing free tools to help you "Know" why it's so important to your life-long success so you will find the conviction to "Do" what it takes and "Be" the person you want to be. 

My Bold Message:

Your VALUES are your WHY!

I believe "GPS Theory" can help you find HOW you can get WHAT you want and BE the person you want to BE! 

Whether you live and work within the OTA region or outside of it. I want to help.


BOOM!

-Tom
Success Engineer
BoomLife

GPS Theory for Business- Our Services and the Culture They Can Help You Create

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.  

Check it Tom @goBoomLife How Online Personality Assessments Could Revolutionize Hiring http://t.co/jTDbCBaSPj
— Blake Anderson (@BlakeAAnderson) October 17, 2013

I read the article and responded with this tweet:

@BlakeAAnderson Thanks Blake! Interesting article. I say, forget personality assessments...#GPSTheory provides much more #Value!
— Tom Eakin (@goBoomLife) October 17, 2013

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

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!:

• 90-Day Success Engineering Program
• Personal Success Engineering Session

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

BoomLife- Values Based Success Engineering