What's Your Cultural Problem?

WHAT'S YOUR CULTURAL PROBLEM?

We read and hear about it all the time, "experts" and "normal" people, alike, explaining the cause of an important issue as a "cultural problem". You hear it on the news, on the bus, at the coffee clutch, the classroom, the board room, the family kitchen. You read about it in books, newspaper and magazine articles and, yes...on blogs. Just scroll through the results of a culture-related search engine query and you'll find some of the most talked about issues of our times in the results. For example, search "It's a Cultural Problem" or "It's a Cultural Issue" and you'll find myriad communications on: Bullying and Hazing, Family Life, Gender Equality, Addiction, Education, Religion, War, Race and Ethnicity Differences, and Workplace Issues like Employee Engagement, Environmental Safety, Employee Safety, Product Quality, Product Safety, Customer Relationships, and Leadership, to name a few.

So, we are all aware and able to identify that culture is at the core of the greatest problems of our times. The solution is simple, isn't it? Fix the culture and you fix the problems. Easy. Right?

What is a Culture?

Here's the definition: Culture is the shared and learned way of thinking and acting among a group of people within a specific organizational context.

Culture- It's Not As Simple As It Seems

Culture is everywhere. Each one of us operates within multiple cultural contexts. Even what appears to be a clear-cut context such as a company culture isn't really what is seems. The truth is, the culture is divided by sub-cultures, both formal and informal.

Let me illustrate: Both Company and Family Cultures are divided into sub-cultures because of differences in thinking created by Five Factors of Cultural Influence:

• Proximity- Location-specific thinking.
• Different company facilities, divisions, and departments in different locations have a high-risk of identifying and translating different meanings of values based on the influences the people have on each other because of the strength of their exposure to one another. It's that whole "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" thing.
• Functional- Process-specific thinking.
• The process one group in a given location follows to create value (intrinsic and extrinsic) can affect how they perceive different key value-propositions.
• Resource- Constraint-based thinking.
• The uneven distribution and limited availability of important resources (Time, Materials, Equipment/Tools, and People (Skills, Expertise, Leadership) between different locations and functional areas can create different views on values-based principles like:
• Internal safety and security
• External safety and security
• Quality
• Efficiency and Profitability
• Expertise- Experiential-driven thinking.
• Each individual's unique combination of age, level of education and training, and amount of experience can skew how they perceive values and how they should be applied in different situations.
• Position- Authority-driven thinking
  • How leaders exercise the authority in their areas of responsibility and the power their position provides will influence how employees think and act.
  • Appropriate uses of authority and power will influence others to engage and exercise their creativity.
  • Inappropriate uses will influence others to disengage out of fear of punishment. 

Each of these influencing factors can play a role in any given context and definitely affects the quality of the culture whithin which it exists. Cultural issues can be enormously complex if we don't take a systematic approach at solving them.

Our human tendency is to allow our Expertise to drive our decisions which, in and of itself, is not enough.

The Common Denominators

There are three common denominators in the influencing factors associated with cultural complexity: Values, People, and Relationships.

The Potentially Simple Solution to Cultural Issues

Create a consistent definition, and understanding of the definition of values and value-propositions for your people across all locations, functions and levels of expertise within the company-level context. Create a culture where thinking and actions are focused on using expertise, resources, and functional capabilities to identify and implement innovative solutions that contribute to your purpose and mission.

In other words: Align people on values. Get them to use those values are the primary drivers for decisions, actions and behaviors and you'll et the conditions for creating meaninful and lasting mutually-beneficial relationships.

I've said it before: Mutually beneficial relationships are magical! Why? Because, when they occur, every stakeholder involved walks away from the situation feeling like they got more out than they put in. 

• The desire to make a connection and stay connected is reinforced. The kinds of employees and customers you need to be successful will be attracted to you.
• Trust is created through a history of shared positive outcomes. Be consistent and reliable and they will come to you when they really need help.
• The willingness, or conviction, to transcend conflict is strengthened when the highest form of love is achieved in a relationship. You may recognize this concept. It's what you mean when you say things about wanting people to, "Go above and beyond," "Go the extra mile," "Take the extra step," "Hit it out of the park." It's what you're talking about when you say your highest performing, most loyal team member has "An intangible quality." It only happens if the bonds of connection and trust are created and consistently reinforced.

How to Solve A Cultural Problem

1. Define Your Company Culture- The culture you really want.

2. Identify and define the problem.

• Identify WHAT value-propositions are not being fulfilled and WHEN.
• Identify WHAT Influencing Factors are involved and WHERE (It could be one...it could be all of them).
• Identify WHO is not fulfilling those value-propositions.
• Identify WHY they are not fulfilling them. The answer will fall under one, or both, of these two categories:
• Capability- Identify the conflict, or gap, between process, resource constraint, or experiential situations at the locations involved and the expectation.
• Will- Identify the conflict, or gap, between the value-propositions the individuals involved are choosing to fulfil and the expectation.

3. Solve the Capability and/or Will problem. 

• This problem. Now. 
• Don't try to solve every problem all at once. 
• Incremental, systematic change will change the culture one problem at a time. The change can be positive or negative...you get to choose which depending on how engaged you are.
• As a leader, you're either part of the problem or part of the solution.
• Find conviction, belief in what you are doing, and you will create Values-Driven Leaders who will:



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• Know what the culture you want them to create looks like.
• So they can Think before they take Action.
• Do things that will reflect it.
• Be successful at building lasting mutually-beneficial relationships that are meaningful to your organization's success.

Every culture is a reflection of how it is led.

• Do you feel like you keep addressing the same problems with your employees?
• Do it feel like you're constantly trying to fill gaps in your talent pool and want to reduce employee turnover?
• Are you frustrated with employee attitudes?
• Does it seem like you're constantly chasing customers? 
• Does it feel like you can't make key customers happy no matter how hard you try?

These are all symptoms of cultural problems that create enormous amounts of frustration, waste, and lost opportunities for you, your company and the key stakeholders critical to your success. 

Do you know how to lead the efforts necessary to fix the cultural problems that are at the root of these symptoms? 

ABOUT TOM EAKIN

BUY TOM'S NEW BOOK- FINDING SUCCESS

Influencing Change Through Humility

This one's for the parents who care about being a consistent and loving example so their children can learn to make sound, rational decisions, be positively productive, and live satisfying, happy lives. In other words, parents who want to lead values-driven families (not a parent? Read it anyway...you may be able to apply this concepts to your situation).

Let’s say you have a teenager who’s been partying too much at college. They just showed you their grades from the Fall semester when they came home for the holidays…and, they’re failing…everything!

Your natural reaction, “You need to do better! You should go to class every day! You could stop partying so much and focus on your education!” 

You’re right. They do. They should. They could.

And, they agree with you, in principle, but your answers won’t help them change their behavior. They’ll only make things worse. Everyone will become even more frustrated.

Why Won’t Your Answers Help?

Think about it for a moment. Did anything you say really tell them something they didn't already know? Do you really believe a young adult who is going to college doesn't know that they could get their grades up if they focused on their education instead of partying? Are you some kind of genius? Are they some special kind of idiot who became the first Freshman to party too much at school?

Are you trying to fill the role of the expert in a situation where you can’t be a part of the solution because you aren't a part of the problem?

In my experience, there is only one thing that will get someone to find the solution they really need. They know they have a problem but they don’t want to think about it…so they don’t find a solution.

Who really needs to have the expert power in this conversation? You, or your kid?

Will your answers help them think about the problem and how to solve it?

Is being the expert really what you want? Or, do you want to respond with humility so they can find the solution that is meaningful to them?

What Can You Do to Make Them Think About Their Problem?

What questions can you ask to create an atmosphere of acceptance rather than where they can only focus on self-defense? Is this really a time you want them to dig in? Would you rather see them be the expert in their own situation and attack the problem?

What questions can you ask that will allow your college student to illicit and explore their own reasons for change?

What questions can you ask that will provide them with a safe environment to evaluate so they can decide what values they really want to personify?

What questions can you ask that will help them define the boundaries and the goals they want to set for themselves?

(See what I did there? I didn't give you one "how-to" throughout this entire article, did I? Only questions. You’re the expert in this conversation, my friend, not me!)

Are You A Parent Who Cares?

The past few months, we've been feverishly working on a new program designed to ask parents who want to lead values-driven families the questions that will help them build their own solutions around a simple cultural framework:

Think- Know what you want and the person you want to be (identify and define your core values).

Act- Do things that will reflect the person you want to be as you try to get what you want (Targeted Effort + Values personification = Progress Toward Values-Driven Success ).

Be- Be satisfied with your own efforts at getting what you want while you continuously adapt to an ever changing world.

We ask parent-leaders how they want to apply the principles of kinship, trust, and love and to create an engaged, satisfied, and focused family culture.

If It All Starts With Thinking Then Doesn't the Best Thinking Start With the Best Questions?

Humble parents ask questions about problems so the real experts can find solutions.

It’s a journey…always a journey. If you're not good at putting your expert hat aside then think about it in terms of "Not Yet." Practice. Try new approaches. Get help if you need it.

Our new program is called Finding Family Success and it's based on GPS Theory, the main subject of my new book, Finding Success: Get What You Really Want in which I share some inspiring stories including one about my own experiences as a struggling parent. 

GPS Theory asks a very powerful question: What do you want, success or values-driven success?

Before you answer...consider these points:

• Success is getting what you want. 

• Values-driven success is getting what you want and being the person you want to be. Did you notice the a catch? Can you really get what you want without first being the person you want to be? 

You be the expert! 

We'd love to hear your thoughts. What questions would you ask your college kid to help influence them to think about the solution to their problem? Which is more important: Success or Values-Driven Success?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Eakin is the author of Finding Success and the Success Engineer at BoomLife, and helps people achieve values-driven success. Through his writings, workshops and inspirational speaking, Tom helps people find and expand the sweet spot between what they value, what they’re good at, and what their situation requires so they can exceed even their own expectations. Tom is a former U.S. Army Ranger-qualified Combat Engineer officer with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Master’s Certificate in Executive Coaching from Bellevue University and has created stellar performance in teams in a wide range of environments. Originally from the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, Tom lives in Jefferson, South Dakota, near his three children with his wife, Julie. He is an active and passionate advocate for parents, veterans and entrepreneurs in his community and region.

READ A SAMPLE CHAPTER FROM THE BOOK

The Perfect Blend of Life and Work

The Perfect Blend of Life and Work

I am immersed, heart-deep, in the greatest challenge of a lifetime.

How do I make what I do for a living align as completely as possible with what I value most?

I am a veteran. I have worked in the corporate world for over a dozen years. During that period, I’ve experience the following results.

• I have achieved professional success while simultaneously experiencing significant failures and problems in my personal life due to values misalignment.
• I have experienced significant professional failures during prodigious periods of positive personal growth.
• I've been able to blend personal and professional success only for very brief moments in corporate environments. I want more than that...really.

Two years ago, I started a small business because, at the age of 41, I finally figured out what I want to do with my life- I want to help people find values-driven success. My own experiences and frustrations have driven me to ask hard questions about myself and my career path. My values have inspired me to continue to move forward, to break out of the thinking that my personal and professional lives cannot be blended. I'm convinced they can be through thoughtful, deliberate effort because I've experienced it before. I want to get it back and I know I cannot do it on my own. I need people-values-driven people.

Like almost every veteran I've talked with over the years, what I miss most was being a part of a culture where people did great things for each other. In that culture brotherhood and trust are earned. It is a culture based on love, the kind that compels one to action.

So, even though I still work for someone else…someone who seeks financial success while giving little more than lip service to values…I continue to develop my own business. I keep working at setting the conditions for my own values-driven success.

I volunteer with several organizations. One of them is an online mentoring program for veterans. In that role, I usually focus on developing one-on-one relationships and action plans with people I can help instead of spending a lot of time in discussion threads. Recently however, I came across a thread that caught my attention. The question that started it all related to the challenges veterans are facing as they work toward finding success in the corporate world. Veterans are struggling with finding satisfying careers.

Veterans and values-driven thinkers have a common problem to solve

After we transition out of the military, how do we fit in so we can be successful in a results-driven world? Is this what we really want?

First, let’s get to the core of the real issue- Veterans were taught how to think in a way that puts values before results. Many corporate leaders and hiring managers are conditioned for results-driven thinking. The difference between values-based and results-based thinking is the real problem.

Every human being on this planet can recognize when someone else's actions don’t match up with the stated values.

Veterans come from a culture where people come first. They care about each other so much that they are willing to point out the gaps between words and actions when they become apparent. The reason why they’re willing to do that is they recognize the real mutually beneficial relationship they seek with their colleagues: They need each other in order to be successful. 

So, values-driven thinkers learn how to tell the hard truths. More importantly, we learn to listen to the hard truths. Listening to honest feedback from the people we care about is so important because it is so easy for us to fool ourselves. Ignoring such feedback leads us to complacency and acceptance of the status quo.

In an environment where people place a higher priority on the results there is less incentive to provide accurate feedback. One could argue there is almost no incentive. The risks are just too high when one works in a culture where cutting to the core and speaking truthfully appear to be judgmental and abrasive. In such an environment, personal results (position, power, financial) are prioritized over purpose (mission, vision, values). Results-driven people value job security and political relationships as the means to get what they think they want (more rewards or maintaining the status quo).

Let's not confound the real problem.

This is not meant to be a polarizing discussion. I’m not saying values-driven people don’t or should not value results. And, I’m not saying results-driven people do not think values are important. It comes down to what is most important in every situation. Everything we do is a value-proposition and our decisions and actions show what is really most important. So, it is a question of priority. What comes first, values or results? Results-driven people tend to create gray area around values by prioritizing results. Here’s the thing about gray area: It expands. Here’s the thing about results: They’re quantifiable and therefore they become the yardstick against which success is measured when they are prioritized. The problem with being primarily results-driven is there is a great risk one will expand the values gray area beyond what is acceptable. Every human being is susceptible to this risk.

What does a successful blend look like?

What I'm really trying to say is success is a blend of both values and results. In my new book Finding Success, I tell stories to illustrate how the kind of success each person on this planet really seeks isn't as simple as just getting what you want (results). The kind of success each person is really after is values-driven success- Getting what you want and being the person you want to be (or the leader, or the organization). Values-driven success is the perfect blend of values and results; the perfect blend of life and work. Perfection is not possible, but we can always keep moving toward it...but only if we know what it looks like.

So, here are the conditions present for the problem I'd love to solve:

• Veterans have learned to say the hard truths because we seek values-driven success through continuous personal, professional and organizational improvement. Because we've learned how to prioritize values first, we’ve been inspired to achieved results that have exceeded expectations. The satisfaction we get from our efforts drives us to want to continue to improve and achieve more in the future- We see and we seek the opportunities for success beyond the status quo.
• Results-driven leaders have learned to become both risk and conflict averse. They are looking for safety and security. This is apparent when performance is measured and recognized only in relation to a budget and financial statements. Why do I say this? Budgets are generally created based on performance in previous years, especially the successful years. In other words, by wanting to repeat what's been done before results-driven leaders expect to make the same mistakes they made the year before (think about it). So, a previous level of performance has been identified as successful by people who hold power they recognize it as such. Here are a few examples:
• Staying safe = maintaining the status quo = meeting the budget = success.
• Staying safe = maintaining the status quo = keeping your job safe = success.
• Staying safe = maintaining the status quo = keeping political allies = success.

Why do veterans and values-driven thinkers even want to fit in?

There has been much discussion on focusing on encouraging businesses to hire veterans, especially with the recent passing of Veteran’s Day. The conditions I listed above cause me great concern as I don’t see things working the way everyone intends. If no one is willing to acknowledge that these conditions are present things will not end well. The conflict alreadyexists. The fact that it is publicly not acknowledged does not make itotherwise, but it does make the problem more difficult to solve.

I want to ask the veterans and other values-driven thinkers- values-driven thinking is not exclusive to veterans- these questions:

• Why do we even want to fit in?
• Is results-driven safety really what we're after? 
• Given our experiences, are sustainable safety and security even possible?
• Don’t we really want to find ways to help people find satisfaction in their efforts? Don’t we want to help people find values-driven success?
• How do we accomplish values-driven success in a world where the very resources everyone needs to survive are constrained? Resources are always either limited or unevenly distributed- This is the ultimate root cause of results-driven thinking!
• Again, why are we trying to fit into cultures where actions are primarily driven by the prospect of results (position, power, financial) when we know it’s not what we really want?
• Why would we fall into that trap when we know what truly makes us satisfied, happy, and successful is the personification of our values? (We know this because we have experienced it before!)
• What better way is there to find the blend between our personal and professional lives than to continue to put values at the forefront of our decisions and help others do the same?

Why would results-driven leaders even want to hire veterans and values-driven thinkers?

I want to ask results-driven leaders these questions:

• What is more important to you, continuous improvement or maintaining your status quo?
• What if you were given the opportunity to hear how you could achieve more personal, professional, and organizational success than you currently expect and accept?
• What would you do with that opportunity? Would you listen? Would you recognize it as help? Or, would you perceive it as abrasive, as a threat? (Actually, it is a threat, but not the in the way you might think: Every values-driven thinker wants to threaten the status-quo, not you. They want to help you.)
• What difference would it make in your organization if you hired people who know how to achieve values-driven success and you let them help you improve your:
• Culture?
• Performance?
• Profitability?

(Hint: The order of those last three sub-bullet points is not coincidental.)

Why am I asking these abrasive questions?

I am a veteran. I once left an organization by choice despite great success with regard to results (performance, position, power). I was once fired from an organization despite great success with achieving values-driven success which exceeded everyone’s performance and profitability expectations (even mine). It took me a long time to reconcile what happened but once I did, I found the conviction to do something about it.

I have real reasons for my concern with bringing values-driven thinkers into organizations that are primarily results-driven because I have been experiencing the frustrations created by the conditions I described for over 12 years in the corporate world. That’s why I started a business focused on solving the problem. That's why I wrote a book about the problem and what every individual can do to change the world by thinking and acting according to real values.

Today, I still work in a corporate environment because of personal resource constraints and I have not yet created the business model for helping others achieve values-driven success that can provide a living wage. But, I get closer every day. I keep working at it. I remember what is most important to me. I do not accept the status quo and I keep trying to do things that I can be satisfied with so I can find the values-driven success I seek. I don't want to fit in, I want to help make things better. I know that kind of success can only come in the form of helping others do the same.

Important questions for everyone. 

If you’re a veteran or a values-driven thinker, consider your answers to these questions  before you decide to accept a job offer. 

• What kind of success do you really want?
• Do you know what to do to get it?
• Are you willing to do what it takes?
• Tell the hard truths?
• Listen to the hard truths?
• Put your emotions aside and solve the real problems?

If you’re a results-driven leader, consider your answers to these questions before you decide to hire a veteran or values-driven thinker.

• What kind of success do you really want?
• Do you know what to do to get it?
• Are you willing to do what it takes?
• Tell the hard truths?
• Listen to the hard truths?
• Put your emotions aside and solve the real problems?

Yes. The questions for each group are the same. We all really want the same thing- success. The key is to become aligned on the kind of success we seek. We can create a world, a culture, a company, a community, a family where the objective is the perfect blend of values and results; the perfect blend of life and work.

It is not what we have today. We must challenge the status quo.

Values-Driven Success.

BOOM!

Tom Eakin
The Success Engineer, BoomLife

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!:

• 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

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

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• 90-Day Success Engineering Program
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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