A while back we migrated the blog to be part of my website. Not a big deal but saves people going to different sites etc. Well, when that happened the analytics for tracking visitors etc got messed up and for months now I didn’t know how many people, if any, were reading the blog. (OK, there are my loyal readers who comment directly to me but beyond that, not sure)

This was made worse by the analytics report for the old site coming on a weekly basis and showing ZERO visitors. Well, I finally got the reporting correct and it turns out there are a few, actually…a few thousand…readers. Nice ego boost there….No, not hundreds of thousands (although you can help by forwarding and telling people how good it is…) but enough to matter from a business perspective.

What is my point? Data. We are business people and although I deal in the realm of people and leadership we still need data, accurate and timely data, to make the best decisions. How good is your data? Do you accept it or explain it away if it gives you bad news? Do you take action based on what it tells you? Do you get other opinions on what it may mean?

Here I was not sure about number of readers and probably not posting enough because of that…The goal is at least twice a week. Not easy to do but that is the target and I will measure that and let you know if a few months. Data! Use it wisely…

I have been involved in some hiring conversations lately. Our involvement comes when a candidate has passed an initial screen and before a second interview. We adminster an assessment to help better understand the candidate and to make the next interview even more effective.

The firms that do a good job of hiring have a defined process and they follow it. Interviews arent a surprise nor an incenveninence they are scheduled to allow time to prep for them. How many times you been thrown a resume and asked if you have time to conduct an inteview….and what kind of message does that send?

Back to the assessments. First off, the assessment is part of the process. It is not some super trump card to rule a candidate in or out. It is a super input card for interview prep.

One candidate from last week was Mr Personality. Everybody loved him on the first interview. His profile confirmed that. But his profile also suggested his attention to detail was lacking and he might not be forceful when needed. It remained for the interviewers to figure that out for real in the second interview. In other words Mr Personality had to explain some things as he answered very targeted questions. His answers showed he had grossly oversold himself in the first interview. He wasn’t hired. But without the assessment he would have been because the halo of likability was shining brightly .

The hiring process should, in fact, be a process, not some ad hoc afterthought. You want better employees? Hire better employees. That starts with you though.

Let me know if you want to talk about it.

This just in (a few thousand years later) from Sun Tzu in The Art of War…

Consistent means all along: in ordinary times, it is imperative that benevolence and trustworthiness along with dignity and order be manifest to people from the start, so that later if they are faced with enemies, it is possible to meet the situation in an orderly fashion, with the full trust and acceptance of the people.

In other words. Always do the right thing and you will rarely have to worry. It appears Penn State missed that lesson by doing the minimum required rather than the right thing. We all make this mistake sometimes.

How about you? Do you consistently execute the way you must? or do you drop the ball, go in streaks, or just mail it in? Consistency is not easy but it has rewards worth working for.

Ernie Els is in the world golf Hall of Fame. He won the US Open at age 24 and is now 41. Here are some pearls of wisdom from a recent interview.

He admits that things have changed in his life over the years but what hasn’t changed? My desire. I still burn inside to win. The fire is still there.” LOVE IT….No Firestarter required there!

Bring your “A” game to the US Open – What is your US Open? The event or situation that requires you to be fully “on.”

Stop and smell the victories – life is too short. Make the most of every day, never knowing what comes next.

Keep the home fires burning – Els has been married to the same woman for 18 years (hey, so have I). The concept of balance in all areas, to the best of our ability, is a building block of real success.

There are no shortcuts….

You don’t have to be perfect in golf (nor in life, I would add). There are so many different parts to the game. Stand out in one area. Become an outstanding driver or an amazing putter, and the rest of your game can be good, not perfect.

The interview was in the June 2011 issue of Golf Magazine.

If they interviewed you about life, what would you say? Have you given it thought? And are you true to those thoughts? You can make a change today.

Today,  I battling with sugar. Makes me fat, makes me tired. Not good. How about you? Changes to make?

I  conducted two focus groups for a client the other day. In their ongoing effort to better understand, motivate and develop their new employees a few years out of college they asked me to talk to some of their folk from that cadre.

Interesting conversation but perhaps the most interesting was the comment that basically said, “stop complaining about how different we are from you and find ways to engage us.” “All they (senior leaders) ever seem to do is complain about us”

Interesting. I know many people who would fit that description perfectly. The 20-somethings had a point. If you keep complaining about me and my performance I will live down to your expectations.

What do you think your 20 somethings are thinking?

Saw this in Business Finance Online…

Geert Hofstede, a Dutch researcher in social psychology, has penned provocative research about Eastern versus Western culture’s approaches to risk that sheds light on multi-cultural differences with risk appetite. One of Hofstede’s
studies created an Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) that gauges a country’s — or a society’s — tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity, also known as its risk appetite. UAI scores can range from 0 — pure risk takers, such as casino gamblers — to 100 — pure risk avoiders, who are extremely cautious and conservative. Of all the countries, America ranked lowest, implying fewer regulations, fewer attempts to control outcomes, and greater appetite for a variety of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. By contrast, Japan had the highest UAI score, implying high levels of control in order to eliminate or avoid surprises.  A culture such as Japan’s does not easily welcome change and is risk avoidant. An organization that self-assesses itself as having a low UAI implies having self-concerned employees, less conformity, reliance on intuition and gut instincts, avoidance of strict rules, low trust levels, and reasonable tolerance for conflict and disagreement. On the other hand, an organization with a high UAI implies being collectivist with needs for agreement, greater conformity, very strict and enforced rules, high acceptance of authority, and little tolerance for conflict.

So, what do you think YOUR UAI would be?

Some pretty interesting country data at http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_united_states.shtml

check out our masculinity index and our individualism index (highest in the world)….

Construction Leadership From A to Z: 26 words to lead by…..on sale now in hard copy and electronic versions….all made possible with the help and support of my team at Greenleaf Book Group.

Here is what we say on the back cover……Rapidly changing demographics in the construction industry and an unpredictable
economy are just two challenges that require you to lead at a higher level than ever before. This book will prepare you to meet these challenges head-on. The result of exhaustive research and in-depth interviews with construction professionals across North America, Construction Leadership provides the information, tools, and confidence to deliver the leadership required for success in today’s construction industry. From ensuring quality work and learning how to have a better attitude to fostering loyalty and leading across generations, Construction Leadership shows you how to be more effective and enjoy more success. With an easy-to-use format, this book provides practical information that you can put into action immediately. Each chapter stands alone to save you time and is supported by online video, increasing your return on investment. Not reading this book puts you at a competitive disadvantage-but reading it puts you well ahead of the game.

Twenty-six chapters from Attitude to Zeal with serious content, a construction industry vignette, thought provoking questions and some tips to do better. Easy to read and makes an impact. You cant beat that. On sale onlne now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Check out www.constructionleadership.com to learn more…

236 years.

So much of who I am comes from my time in the Marines. They never promised a rose garden but they delivered so much more.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Do the right thing.

Semper Fidelis.

Happy Halloween, no…this isn’t me making an appearance as a ghost having only posted once this past month.

Slammed is what I have been. Corporate university the past month. Same client but three different programs for different levels of the organization. From emerging leaders to executives we work with attendees to increase their contribution to the firm.

Something must be working. Ten years ago there was one nine day program. Today there are ten programs of varying length but all of high impact. How many firms do you know who actually increased training dollars every year for the past ten years?

What are you doing in the training area to make an impact? NO, you do not have to be delivering mulit-day programs but you do have to be doing something. On Wednesday this week I am with Caterpillar in Peoria to talk about scenario based training. It works for the Marines, it can work for you.

Today may be Halloween and that is all about mystery but your training program should have no surprises.

A few years back I wrote of a Marine retirement ceremony complete with band..Today, we have an employee quitting with the support of a band.

Google “marriott worker quits with band” and you should find the video. Currently on USAToday.

What kind of bad leadership might cause someone to quit in such a fashion. Certainly the desire for a viral video might have added fuel to the fire but the fire was already burning as the employee thought about quitting this way.

The reaction of the manager suggests the employee may have been on target (or a habitual complainer) we dont know for sure.

I do know that for someone to consider exiting this way something was going on. Do any employees at your place feel this way?

How do you know?