Recently, I saw first-hand another example of a low job fit employee team member in a role they were not “wired” to do nor enjoy. This team
member is a ten year veteran. His job is to engage the company’s most sensitive, complicated Customers. Many of these Customers are very demanding. His behavioral style is opposite of that of most of their demanding Customers. He is very passive, while most of his customers are direct. Unfortunately, he is not happy at work due to his behavioral misfit with customers, and it is impacting the rest of his life and customer satisfaction.
When this team member first started at the company, he fit his job well. However, promotions and raises came because, at one time, he did perform well, but he has now been promoted to a position he does not fit. Unfortunately, this is another classic example of “The Peter Principle” – where a person is hired or advanced to a position they are not fit for.
Changing jobs in the company is not an option. Unfortunately, he cannot take another position in the company because he is either unqualified and/or would experience a pay cut, and, like many of us, his current lifestyle is supported by his current income.
A new manager now supervises this team member, and he can sense frustration from the new manager. This situation puts the new manager in the classic “Catch 22″ position – the job needs to be done well but at the same time cares about the welfare of this team member. Ultimately, the new manager must do his job. He must ensure the key accountabilities of the position are done and done well.
What steps can be taken to assure this type of thing never occurs?
- Take a “Talent Inventory” – Assess each team member using a rigorous and repeatable approach to better understand the talent as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
- Benchmark the jobs – Identify the Key Accountabilities of each job within the company and the Behaviors, Values, and Attributes required to do the job well. Identify any job mismatch problems before they begin to erode the morale and productivity of the team member(s) and destroy company value.
- Hire only high job fit employee team members – In other words – stop being benevolent. Why is it that hiring managers feel they are helping someone out by giving them a job even if they are not fit for it? When job fit is low, it is a sentence to hell on earth by putting someone in that position. I hear it all the time… “I want to give Fred a shot.” However benevolent the person doing the promoting is, they may be sentencing Fred to a life of questioning, frustration, anxiety – a life less fulfilled. As well as plunging the organization deeper into mediocrity.
- Always assess before you promote - Promoting is the easiest way for managers to fill a position; however, it can also be the most dangerous move a manager can make. Just because someone performs well in their current position does not mean he or she will be fit to perform well elsewhere in the company. Before promoting, compare the team member’s report to the job benchmark. Ask yourself, “Does this person have the behavioral style, skills, attributes and values to fit the position?”
How many people do you have in your company who are in a similar situation – in a job they hate and are not doing well?
I like to think most people are good at heart – but promoting a person into a role they are unsuited for due to job fit, experience, and/or education – it is cruel. To look into the eyes of low job fit talent is haunting. Low job fit is also correlated with low job performance, low productivity, and defects or errors. This has a major impact on your organizations bottom line. So one question you need to ask yourself is – Do I want my department or company to be mediocre or do I want to be make a difference?
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that help you identify the right people and position them to help you expand your business; while at the same time lowering the risks associated with this critical function. We help companies see HIGH ROI, sometimes as high as between $60,000 and $120,000 per position. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation and see if you can meet these new standards. Or, watch our video here and then contact us.
Do you know what your employee team members value?
You should! Why? A team member is motivated by what he or she values.
If you want to emotionally connect with them and improve employee engagement, you will make the effort to know what team members value. You will not “guess” what your employees value, you will actually know definitively. The only way you can possibly know what your employees value is if you measure their values using a job matching process like the ones we offer
It is my passion to honor the greatness in those I work with by communicating and relating to them in a manner that serves their needs, which is why I was greatly disappointed in myself when I recently realized I was communicating to a team member in a way that conflicted with her values. I will share more about this recent experience, but first let’s find out more about values.
In Types of Men, Eduard Spranger, a German philosopher and psychologist, shares his “value attitudes” model. They include:
- Theoretical - The discovery of truth.
- Utilitarian - The interest in what is useful. The Utilitarian is interested in gaining a return on investment of time, energy, and money.
- Aesthetic - The value of “form and harmony”. Higher Aesthetics are more interested in self-actualization and may have an increased interest in the “finer things” in life as well as the outdoors, their surroundings, and creativity.
- Social - The love of people – helping others. The high Social has a strong desire to invest themselves in helping others without expectations of a return.
- Individualistic - The interest in power. A high Individualistic seeks to shape their own lives and that of others.
- Traditional - The value of unity or living life in a particular manner or system. A high Traditional seeks a higher meaning in life through a system of living.
A person will have a combination of these values but can have one or a few values that are dominant.
In my particular case, I have a high Utilitarian, Individualistic, Traditional value combination. I seek to do well financially, be in control of my future, and leave the world in a better place. Many, not all, CEOs share the Utilitarian and Individualistic values that I have.
On the other hand, there will be definite times where employee team members may have completely different values relative to the leadership of the company and team. Following are some ways a dominant value may “collide” with others.
- A high Utilitarian speaking about seeking a “return on investment” or discussing finances in general may impact someone who is a high Social. At a team meeting, the high Social may begin by asking how everyone’s weekend was, while the high Utilitarian is irritated by this because she would like to use her time wisely and “get on with it.”
- A high Traditional team member communicating their strong beliefs about a particular subject to someone who does not share these beliefs may be offended. For example, I firmly believe Apple is the only place to go for all my tech devices. However, a team member may be offended by this if he or she is, a Microsoft user.
- A team member with a high Individualistic may offend others with his or her power and the need to reassure this power. This is what occurred with the team member I mentioned above. I would share with her the amount of success I have achieved recently and in the past but found out this actually “ground her gears.”
Offended employee team members are less focused on taking care of Customers and over time are more likely to become disengaged.
The key is to understand what your employee team members value and to communicate properly with those values. The good news is it is actually easy to learn and understand. Following are three steps I recommend to ensure you do not destroy employee morale.
- Measure your employee by using real Job Matching Process. Identify what I call their “value’s gateways” – the values the employee team member is inspired or motivated by. And it needs to really be measured, if it is not really measured it’s just an opinion.
- Make time to discuss with your employee team member their values and share yours.
- Consciously “flex” your communication. If you are trying to enroll your employee team members to your vision – communicate as consistently as possible through their “values” not yours.
If you are seeking to better connect, to increase employee engagement, this is potentially a powerful way to do so. It takes time, energy, and commitment yet the rewards are well worth the effort.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that help you identify the right people and position them to help you expand your business; while at the same time lowering the risks associated with this critical function. We help companies see HIGH ROI, sometimes as high as between $60,000 and $120,000 per position. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation and see if you can meet these new standards. Or, watch our video here and then contact us.
Have you ever wondered why the “perfect” candidate in the interview was far from it once they started on the job? They answered every question perfectly… yet when they arrived, you thought to yourself, “This is not the person I hired, where did that person go?”
This is neither a unique nor new phenomenon in the hiring world. Traditionally, candidates are taught to sell themselves and present their skills in the perfect, influential light to influence the hiring manager. Unfortunately, with all the interview tools and resources at a candidate’s disposal, it has become increasingly hard for organizations to know who they really are hiring.
Even answers to the toughest questions are “coached.” Take for instance a recent article I came across – “Master the 5 Toughest Interview Questions.” So are you actually hiring a good job fit candidate, with the skills and attributes necessary to be successful on the job? Or, are you hiring a well-rehearsed interviewee that has “studied up” to ace the common line of questioning in today’s interviews?
I know that this really doesn’t surprise most of you, but it is amazing how many books, seminars, articles, and blogs there are out there to help candidates present themselves in a certain manner to get a job.
Here is a quick example, check out Google’s search results for “how to answer interview questions.” There are pages upon pages of results that include very popular news and career websites. That is just one basic search of free resource – and there are many more paid services to aid candidates.
The next question then becomes – How can the playing field be leveled between hiring managers and these candidates? Here are a few ideas:
- Benchmark the position. A customized job benchmark helps create data points to objectively analyze a candidate’s level of job fit and limit emotion as part of the process.
- Utilize a validated job-matching strategy and process. Using this during the interview process helps provide clarity surrounding the candidate’s behaviors, motivators, acumen, and competencies. This will also help in providing the interviewer additional information to ask very pointed customized questions and follow-up on a candidate’s answers to certain questions that the job requires and they cannot study ahead for.
- Ask unique questions that are pertinent to the job and the overall culture of the organization. For example, I had a client that was hiring a manager and the candidate’s job match indicated he was not a “pusher.” We then structured a series of questions around, “How will you handle a situation in which your people are not performing?” Using our approach, we were able to tailor questions to address challenges that may occur due to his personality style.
Do not let a great acting job by a candidate take advantage of you during the interview. Use the above advice to avoid hiring a person who does not fit the job or better yet, let us be your partner in hiring, developing and maintaining your most productive workforce.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that help you identify the right people and position them to help you expand your business; while at the same time lowering the risks associated with this critical function. We help companies see HIGH ROI, sometimes as high as between $60,000 and $120,000 per position. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation and see if you can meet these new standards. Or, watch our video here and then contact us.
”He is dead because he had no honor.”
- A Few Good Men
Honor… outside of the military, a wedding, or a movie in 1992 that both celebrated and vilified the concept (A Few Good Men), it is not something we talk about a lot. Especially in the workplace.
Webster defines honor as “a good name or public esteem; showing of usually merited respect.” The second part of this definition, showing respect, requires action from two parties. It first requires doing something right… and then being recognized and respected.
In the workplace this starts with clearly communicating what the right things are for an employee to follow. What values does the organization espouse? Does every employee know what they are and have the ability to do the right thing for the business, the customers, and their own employment?
During a recent conversation with a client who specializes in job matching, we discussed the concept of putting honor into the workplace as a basis for building trust and commitment. If you can do this, it will lead to cohesiveness in team development and growth. If coworkers hold each other in high esteem, respect them, and put the other person’s status above their own, there will be a better connection, mind-set, and culture for working through tough issues. The result of following an honor-based workplace is a team that is more engaged, tends to be more open, operates with greater integrity and trust, and ultimately achieves better results by working interdependently toward a common goal.
Conversely, the absence of honor in the workplace leads to a more compliance driven environment, lacking trust and confidence in others to do the right thing when the situation arises. This raises a wall of control domination in the workplace, causing employees to retreat into a bubble of indifference. Sometimes it is not that you have “bad people,” but rather a mismatch of people and positions.
The last thing any CEO or business owner wants is employees who strive for mediocrity because they don’t know what to do to be better; or worse, they are not recognized and honored for their work when they try to be better. Putting honor in the workplace starts at the top; it must be well communicated and well adhered to from every manager to every employee. It is a sought after trait in new hires and it defines a culture which is attractive, promotes success, and is held in high esteem by all.
Your employees and customers are counting on you.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that help you identify the right people and position them to help you expand your business; while at the same time lowering the risks associated with this critical function. We help companies see HIGH ROI, sometimes as high as between $60,000 and $120,000 per position. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation and see if you can meet these new standards. Or, watch our video here and then contact us.
Understanding what really motivates top performance
One of the most significant challenges managers face is the selection, retention, and motivation of top performing talent. Organizations continue to implement costly benefit programs, signing bonuses, and countless other attractions in hopes of winning employee loyalty and stimulating employee engagement.
Typical benefits include a comfortable and unique work environment, the option to telecommute, casual dress code, snacks, etc. Some organizations go as far as having a “bring your pet to work” day, a concierge service, and take home meals.
Surveys by Ceridian found that 65% of employers believe perks help attract employees. Attracting employees is well and good, but are you wasting money on benefits that don’t yield enhanced employee engagement? What do you think really gets your employees excited about their work? A critical reality is that the magnitude of your peoples’ contributions to the organization will be directly proportional to how engaged they are.
So does money really matter? “Unless you’re extremely careful with how you use rewards, you get people who are just working for the money,” says Edward Deci, a human motivation psychologist at University of Rochester. The appetite for money can be insatiable.
A SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Survey outlining the most important aspects of employee job satisfaction ranked job security as most important (63%), benefits second (60%), with compensation and pay close behind (57%). So don’t be fooled, merely paying your people a substantial salary is not enough to find top talent and keep them engaged.
Attracting top candidates is the easy part, focusing, motivating, and retaining them is the real challenge. And if a candidate’s personality matches your company culture with with their personality and behaviors that align to the job, you’ve found your top performers.
Engagement = Productivity + Profitability, which equates to a 51% gap in operating income and a 39% gap in earning per share, between high and low engagement organizations.
Worried that your workforce is disengaged? Would you like to learn how to size up their benefits program and to determine if they’re producing the desired results, and if not, determine what needs to change to attract, retain, and inspire employee engagement. Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that help you identify the right people and position them to help you expand your business; while at the same time lowering the risks associated with this critical function. We help companies see HIGH ROI, sometimes as high as between $60,000 and $120,000 per position. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation and see if you can meet these new standards. Or, watch our video here and then contact us.
Maker’s Mark, a company whose bourbon has a rich tradition recently announced they are reducing the alcohol content in order to “meet high demand.” (see “Alcohol abuse! Maker’s Mark cutting alcohol in its bourbon to meet high demand”)
For a moment, I thought this was a feature from the popular “fake news” site The Onion. It’s not often that we get to witness a slow motion marketing train wreck that will be featured in future marketing textbooks.
The decision is alarming for two important reasons.
- Traditions are particularly sacred in the eyes of the customer and the employee alike. You do not mess with an American icon unless you are “brand suicidal.” Remember New Coke?
- Bourbon “snobs,” like myself are passionate about the rich flavors and histories bourbon producers like Maker’s Mark distill. We embrace the history and traditions as well as the commitment to excellence companies like Marker’s Mark have stood for.
In a world that is seemingly becoming more and more cynical, we tend to cling to tradition. Tradition matters… We demonstrate our values through the honoring of traditions. We aspire to be part of something greater than ourselves. Tradition is an important part of branding, employee engagement, and the customer experience.
- Smart companies nurture and shape rich traditions and they stand by them through good times and bad, regardless of profitability.
- Smart companies realize that traditions create predictability and draw those who share similar values who honor those traditions with passion and vigor – employees and customers alike.
- Smart companies hope that their brand – their traditions become larger-than-life and when they do, they protect them.
If you are fortunate enough to have rich traditions, don’t mess with them. Companies strive to have a loyal following – both employees and customers alike. When you mess with the “secret sauce” of your company, when you change the traditions (e.g. recipe, product delivery, product packaging, pricing, alcohol content, etc.) be careful. You may scare the hell out of your employees and customers, and you may lose them.
Following are five examples of smart companies and their rich traditions…
- Apple makes products that make the world a better place. Part of the elegance of Apple is their simplicity and they have historically not tried to be all things to all people.
- Zappos is committed to serving the customer. Only those who fit the Zappos culture are hired and allowed to stay. Their customer service is legendary.
- Southwest Airlines has never had a layoff – not even during the recent economic downturn nor after 9/11. They care about their people and it shows through their customer experience.
- Vinnie’s Sub Shop in Chicago is committed to making the best subs they can. When the fresh-baked bread runs out – they close. They could easily just get more bread later in the day but it is not as good as the fresh-baked bread in the morning. If you want a sub – you need to get there early.
- A&B Pizza is a local Bismarck/Mandan, ND based pizza restaurant that has been in business for over 40 years. Locals know and love their pizza. As far as I can tell, their recipes have not changed – their lunch lineup is the pretty much the same basic fare it has been for decades. Much has changed in the pizza world – but not A&B Pizza.
When you mess with tradition that your employees and customers truly identify with, bad things happen. Customers and employees alike become confused about who you are, what you do, why you exist, and why they should remain loyal. Confusion leads to lost employee engagement and lost customers and they do not just leave. They leave angry.
My heart and gut tell me that the management of Maker’s Mark will change their minds. I believe the outcry is going to be far greater than they were anticipating. Or, Maker’s Mark is going to go down in the history of companies who dared to mess with tradition and paid the ultimate price as they lose the hearts and souls of some of their most passionate customers and employees.
As the CEO of your company or manager of your department, you have an important responsibility to not screw up a good thing. Create the traditions that draw a line in the sand – that make you different – and then protect your traditions – make it a rich part of your heritage.
Your employees and customers are counting on you.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that help you identify the right people and position them to help you expand your business; while at the same time lowering the risks associated with this critical function. We help companies see HIGH ROI, sometimes as high as between $60,000 and $120,000 per position. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation and see if you can meet these new standards. Or, watch our video here and then contact us.
Lack of communication in the workplace is more than just a minor problem to your company. And it seems few companies and few teams communicate well.
When left unmanaged, lack of communication causes numerous problems that can cause dysfunction among the ranks, dissatisfaction among employees, and even drive away customers. In short, real damage. Whether you are just developing your company’s culture, or if you are trying to build upon and maintain it, it is vital to keep communication open.
Most successful companies are quick to acknowledge that there would be no happy customers without happy employees. Businesses who cultivate a culture that is open where employees can share their concerns and ideas enjoy lower employee turnover rates and higher customer satisfaction levels. The correlation is not just a coincidence; employees who are happy with their jobs provide a much better customer experience.
Communication and Trust Go Hand in Hand
Let’s look at online retailer Zappos. Their reputation as both a successful business and an amazing place to work was built upon a company culture of fun, respect, and understanding. One of their Ten Core Values is ‘Build Open and Honest Relationships Through Communication.’ They understand the importance of allowing employees not only the ability to communicate their concerns in the workplace, but also the necessity of encouraging this communication to take place.
It is not enough to simply have an open door policy. Employees that don’t feel secure enough to walk through that door in the first place effectively stop the communication before it can start. Many times a lack of communication in the workplace is a symptom of a bigger problem with your company’s culture. Without trust between employers and employees, the framework of success will not be a strong one, and your business could falter – or at the very least, not reach its potential.
Communication Lets Employees Own Their Jobs
When employees feel that their concerns are being listened to and addressed they feel a larger sense of pride and responsibility in their jobs. By engaging in regular communication with their employers, employees are more likely to have greater job satisfaction and in turn will provide much better results to the company.
When there is a lack of communication in the workplace there are often more problems to follow. Poor communication leads to job dissatisfaction and poor service as well as a higher employee turnover rate. It can also lead to an unpleasant work environment riddled with negativity and gossip. If staff feels that their concerns are not being listened to they may actively engage in activity that could reflect badly on your company. Almost every time that this happens, it could have been avoided if there had been more open communication in the workplace.
Communication Must Be Carefully Cultivated
The key with communication is awareness of Behavioral Style and the creation of “communication norms.”
It is not enough to say, “Let’s communicate more.” People are wired to react to life situations based upon their Behavioral Style. Therefore, it is important to create an employee awareness of Behavioral Style and that of others. A communication technique one person likes may be one that drives another crazy. Through awareness of Behavioral Style and creating a “communication dos and don’ts list” – one can actually customize their communication style to meet the needs of fellow team members and Customers. A powerful communication technique.
A second powerful way to improve communication is through communication norms. Every human being is wired to be who they are, behaviorally. The “flexing” of our Behavioral Style takes energy and often takes a conscious commitment to do so. Therefore, it is important to have communication norms that facilitate the discussion of important issues. This may be accomplished during meetings by requiring each participant to share something in particular during the agenda as well as during the discussion of a particular issue.
Work Should Be Fun
Glassdoor.com has listed Southwest Airlines one of the top 20 places to work for three years as they’ve created a company culture that includes a focus on communication not only with their customers, but amongst their employees as well. They understand that a lack of communication in the workplace just doesn’t work. By providing an inclusive, fun-loving environment they have managed to also build one that is devoted to great customer service.
Sometimes it is too easy to rely on professionalism to dictate the culture of your company. While you certainly don’t want to act unprofessional, you do need to remember that a company consists of lots of individuals who are going to have differences of opinions and beliefs. If there is no opportunity for communication in the workplace, not only may you build an environment of resentment and negativity, but you could just be missing out on some great opportunities to build your business. There may be some fantastic ideas rattling around inside your employee’s brains, but if you do not give them the chance to let them out, you could be the one missing out.
Do not let a lack of communication in the workplace wreck your company’s culture. Be proactive and interactive, and encourage an environment of open, healthy communication so that your employees can achieve their true potential, and your business can be a truly successful one.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions and Training that are reliable and repeatable and can be deployed in any industry and for any job positions. Our solution makes sustainable changes to increase the productivity of your employees without adding head count. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation – it’s the fastest way to answer the questions you have, as well as to provide you with direct access to a technology that puts your hands on the levers and dials of breakthrough performance in your business.
Typically, executive teams are comprised of department managers (e.g. Customer Service, Human Resources, Accounting, Manufacturing, Sales, etc.) each manager spends the majority of their week with their “functional team” and can lose sight of the fact that the team that they need to be responsible to above all others is the executive team. In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni calls the executive team “first teams.”
Your managers must be focused on the team they report to – not the people they lead.
At the executive team level – there can be only one priority – the success of the executive team and how it propels the company forward. There can be no competing priorities, no personal agendas – only one unified focus.
Signs the Executive Team Is Not Committed to the “first team”
- Managers are overly-defensive of their own teams. You hear, “My team… My people…” more frequently than you should.
- The existence of silos. For example, the sales manager only talks about sales during an executive meeting.
- Collective decision-making is minimal. Individual and departmental goals and objectives are a major road block to the collective good of the company when it comes to decision-making.
- The existence of animosity between separate teams or departments.
So how do you make the “first team” everyone’s priority?
- Ask the executive team who they think is their “first team?” Most will probably point to those they are closest with – the team they lead. This is a great way to open the discussion about who their first team should be. This is when you move to step 2.
- Have the executive team read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The importance of making the “first team” priority is greatly outlined by a narrative example in Patrick Lencioni’s book. If you really want to utilize the power behind Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions model, or our Accountability workshop.
- Set timelines and expect “turbulence” as management team members realign their priority to the “first team.” Let your executive or management team know that within 30 days, you expect the first team concept to be fully-adhered to.
- Expect complete adherence to the first team and encourage team members to call out one another after 30 days.
- Expect your “first team” to need your direction and encouragement. Once commitment to the ” concept is made by the executive team each manager who deviates from loyalty to this “first team” will be quickly identified and must be called out.
The “first team” concept can be a powerful call-to-action and a powerful point of clarity to your team by providing a due north in terms of loyalty expectations. In companies that I have seen the first team concept implemented, the results have been immediate and the clarity provided to the balance of the company has been energizing.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that are reliable and repeatable and can be deployed in any industry and for any job positions. Our solution makes sustainable changes to increase the productivity of your employees without adding head count. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation – it’s the fastest way to answer the questions you have, as well as to provide you with direct access to a technology that puts your hands on the levers and dials of breakthrough performance in your business.
I recently wrote about the new Microsoft Windows 8 “RT” Surface Tablet after a few days of use. This is the first time Microsoft has manufactured a computer since they started as a software company nearly 4 decades ago.
To recap… I was surprised that the hardware was so good and that the software was so poor. The Surface release coincides with the new release of the Windows 8, a reimagining of the world’s most popular operating system. Windows 8 enables the tablet to run with tiles that can be swiped with your fingers or switch to the traditional desktop environment.
While I focused on the hardware in part 1, today we’ll focus on the software, Windows 8. I have taken a little more time for the software review because I wanted to a) get used to it and b) give Microsoft a chance to update some glitches, which in some cases they have.
First of all, you need to set your expectations… this tablet will not run your full Windows applications like QuickBooks, Access databases, ERP software clients, etc. It will only run specially developed software intended for it, with full screen use, touch interfaces, etc. Don’s assume you can do everything that your current laptop does, just like you can’t do everything on an iPad that you can on a Mac. However, there are 5 applications you can fully run, not surprisingly Microsoft’s Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Internet Explorer. Other than that, you cannot install traditional Windows applications unless you buy the Surface “PRO” version that will hit the stores soon at a starting price of $899.
Once you get past these significant limitations, here are some other issues I encountered with the version of Windows 8 (RT) for the Surface:
- There is a lack of variety of apps in the app store. I do not need a lot of apps, and do not play games, so that did not matter to me as much as it may to you. But I looked for general database apps, mind mapping tools, a Visio like app, some project management tools, etc. and there aren’t a lot of good choices. It may get better, but developers may hold off on the special requirements to write and publish apps this way until they see a sizable market – and so far the Surface is not flying off the shelves. It is a “chicken and egg” problem. And before you say “Apple’s first app store was also very small when IOS was released” that is true, but nobody expected apps at the time, even Steve Jobs himself thought that HTML 5 apps were going to dominate, but his team talked him into a store for native apps. Now people expect apps when they get the device because Apple and Android both have a huge library of choices.
- There is no speech capabilities for commands – the inclusion of Siri by Apple, and Android’s use of speech commands are very helpful once you start using them. Oddly enough Microsoft includes an excellent speech to text capability in Windows for free, but did not include it here.
- The native RT version of Internet Explorer (not the desktop one) will not display numerous pages very well. Surprisingly, among these is Microsoft Exchange 2013 Outlook Web Access.
- Outlook was not included in the Office suite. In a huge oversight, Microsoft left Outlook out in the cold when it came to bundling applications from the Office suite. Many road warrior types who would want this device live in Outlook, so its exclusion is odd.
But Microsoft did include native RT apps for mail, calendar, and people (contacts) similar to how Apple bundles Mail, Calendar, and Contacts as IOS apps on an iPad. But they are incomplete; some examples:
- There is no native task app – no way to see or manage your tasks in Exchange. And the app store does not offer any. So if you like tasks in Outlook, this is not for you.
- The People app jumbles everybody together, including business contacts from Exchange, Facebook friends, and Twitter contacts. I like to keep these separate but there is no way to do that. Additionally, this is where the news feed appear; I get that, but is kind of annoying.
Some things need to cross from old to new. You may start in the Windows RT native apps, but clicking an option there suddenly loads an older style Windows screen to do the real work. An example of this is Windows Update.
What I really liked about the software:
The apps are clean and responsive; I had no issues with the speed of operation, etc. The user interface is finger friendly until you get a desktop app, which demands a mouse for small toolbars, etc.
Finally, there are two key advantages to the Surface RT system over an iPad or Android:
- When paired with the TypePad or Touchpad hardware keyboards, the inclusion of Word, Excel, etc. is a definite advantage. If you live in these and use advanced formatting like bullets in tables, this is much better than alternatives like Pages, Numbers, etc. on an iPad.
- It is multi-user: unlike an iPad, you can login and logout, and somebody else can on the same device. This makes sharing the device easier.
Summary
Would I suggest Windows Surface RT device? Maybe – if you need full Office apps that are included and can do without some other needs; but otherwise I would look for the full Windows 8 Surface tablet or other devices in February 2013, or look at an Android or iPad device.
Succession planning is not just “life insurance,” it is for retirement, company expansion, terminating employees and those leaving for other opportunities – making it something every company needs to examine. This planning should include steps to identify and groom existing talent throughout the company for future management and leadership roles of the business. As an integral element of your Talent Management Strategy, succession planning also facilitates the identification of “talent gaps” in your workforce.
Here’s a quick guide towards effective succession planning:
Create Job Benchmarks for Key Positions
Key accountabilities are identified by asking what are key tasks, outcomes, and the time that should be spent in a typical work week in each. What is strategically most important? With key accountabilities identified, the behaviors, values, attributes, and acumen will be determined using a valid assessment.
Once a job benchmark is completed, the individual assessment results of each employee are compared to it to identify “Job Fit.”
Identify Potential
The foundation of a solid succession plan is knowing your OWN “talent inventory” in terms of what you bring the company as well as the skills and talents of your staff. This can be facilitated through a valid personality assessment (approved by the Department of Labor) providing clarity regarding behaviors, traits, and interests.
Without an unbiased understanding of the potential of your talent, job fit mistakes will happen – not something you can afford when succession planning.
Create a talent inventory that not only lists everyone from the talent pool, but also quickly identifies their strengths, weaknesses, when they will be ready, and where they may be best suited in the company.
Identify Desire
Once the potential of each employee has been comprehensively identified, communicate with them and ascertain their career goals. Some employees may wish to remain where they are, while others will be up for the challenge.
Identify Skill and Experience Gaps.
For each position an employee may have the potential to grow into there are required skills and experiences that are necessary in combination with the job fit to do the job well. Compare the needs of the job with your existing talent to identify potential future matches.
Identify the Individual Development Plan
Next on the succession planning best practices schedule is implementing individual development plans. Ask individuals to participate in active training that may include coaching, completing courses, reading particular books, and meeting with company mentors to prepare for the next level.
Utilize Information to Make a Selection
You have created a talent pool, assessed the talent, asked them to participate in IDPs and evaluated the results creating an inventory. Now it is time to make a selection when an opening arises.
By using succession planning best practices, you will ensure that your company identifies the best talent and places them in the correct position. Even if you make mistakes, your “deep bench’ will ensure someone new is potentially ready.
Identify Key Positions at Risk
Some positions are more strategic than others. It is important to plan ahead for these positions as a priority over others.
Through effective succession planning, the potential to safeguard the future of your business, team, and organization is enhanced. The key is to “do something” – and particularly to use the best holistic methodologies possible in order to provide the best possible clarity of the potential of your talent.
Keystone offers Talent Performance Solutions that are reliable and repeatable and can be deployed in any industry and for any job positions. Our solution makes sustainable changes to increase the productivity of your employees without adding head count. Contact us today to schedule a no cost assessment of your situation – it’s the fastest way to answer the questions you have, as well as to provide you with direct access to a technology that puts your hands on the levers and dials of breakthrough performance in your business.
