Thursday, November 28, 2019

Vital Questions Top CEOs Ask Their Teams Constantly

Vital Questions Top CEOs Ask Their Teams ConstantlyVital Questions Top CEOs Ask Their Teams ConstantlyAs a CEO or one of your companys top leaders, there are manyways you can go about determining if your business is on track. But when it comes to understanding productivity, as in how productive your people are relative to the results theyre creating, the last thing you want is to go on a wild goose chase trying to find out whats working and whats not. Fortunately, there are some vital questions you can ask to get razor-sharp clarity on your organizations productivity. The answers to unterstellung five questions will help you Improve goal-settingMake more empowered decisions about your companys strategic directionDiscover how to more effectively lead and inspire performance. Asking these questions is a proven practice that disciplined leaders do regularly. They do this purposefully, creating a winning culture, where everyone feels inspired, productive, and rewarded relative to what ma tters most. Here is a list of the questions? Do I Have the Right Talent? The very best leaders are purposefully and strategically surrounding themselves with talented kollektivs of people. These carefully chosen individuals possess skills and innate gifts that surpass those of their leaders. These employees are working alongside their leaders and behind the scenes, driving productivity, profitability, and overall success. Part of your responsibility to lead your team requires finding the very best talent and helping them achieve their full potential. You must also choose those who have the capacity to deliver according to job requirements and exude openness to learning and growth when asked or required. In terms of having the right talent, its also extremely important to hire who is right. Studies have shown that 80 percent of turnover is directly tied to bad hiring decisions- and turnover is expensive In fact, for some companies, hiring mistakes commonly cost hundreds of thousa nds of dollars. Do We Have Goal Clarity? Starting with you and then moving out to the front-lines of your business, determine whether everyone has a good grasp of their major goals. Look for opportunities to pull employees aside and ask What are your goals? or How are you performing against your goals? If individuals struggle with articulating their goals, perhaps describing activities they are doing instead, youve got your answer They are not clear on their goals. View this moment of truth as an opportunity to take corrective actionto get your team focused on clear objectives. Goal clarity is vital to your organizations success. In our experience cultures that embrace a Whats the goal? mindset are more productive. In fact, weve seen companies once slacking in productivity make leaps in progress by simply asking this question consistently. Its powerful Do We Have Goal Alignment? Assuming everyone at your business has clear goals, explore whether the goals for different depar tments are aligned or opposed to each other. For example, ifa core goal is to reduce overtime across the firm and in response you cut customer services hours, it is likely that customer satisfaction will decrease as the complaints increase. This is a classic case of goal misalignment. High performing companies and leaders work hard to ensure goal alignment. Are We Holding People Accountable? Real accountability requires sheer discipline if it is going to work. Its not easy, but the effort and short-lived pain are worth the gain. In fact, this discipline is essential to achieve the goals of the company. You must drive accountability down through the organization to fully impact it. Regularly scheduled meetings where performance gets reported and measured is an excellent approach to get every team member on the same page and focused on the right goals. These meetings also provide insight into whats working and what isnt, who needs coaching, and, ultimately, who is engaged and not engaged. How Are We Performing Against the Competition? The very best organizations know their competition inside and out. They use this information to spot opportunities and make critical decisions about what direction to take their business and how to increase productivity by developing and supporting their people differently. Knowing your competition gives you an opportunity to create a competitive advantage. Ask your team to explore how theyd feel if they could do something new or different relative to the competition. Then inspire their productivity, giving your employees the freedom and support necessary for developing cutting-edge solutions that align with your company goals. The Bottom Line Questions are a powerful teaching tool for leaders. By asking the right questions, your team develops an understanding of what you view as important, promoting clarity and focus. While there is a nearly endless supply of questions you can ask, the five described in this article pr omotes focus on the issues that drive employee productivity and performance. Use them in great business health Updated by Art Petty

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Almost 2 in 3 workers fantasize every day about leaving their job

Almost 2 in 3 workers fantasize every day about leaving their jobAlmost 2 in 3 workers fantasize every day about leaving their jobMany of us go to work wishing we were somewhere else. According to a new Monster.com survey highlighted by Moneyish, almost two in three workers have daily daydreams about getting a different job. These are recurring fantasies. In the survey of 993 U.S. employees, 64% of workers have daily daydreams about working elsewhere, while 27% of workers return to this dream once a week. What daydreams reveal about your career identityIf you are having daily daydreams at work, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Daydreaming does not mean you are a ditz if you can control when and how you do it, it can enhance your creative brainpower. Daydreamers who let their mind wander in their daily lives were more open to different experiences, according to one study. When you are open to where your mind takes you, you can help new ideas take root in your brain. Letting your m ind wander during boring tasks is proven to help us on creative tasks. But if you are consumed by detailed fantasies about giving your two weeks notice and walking out the door, unterstellung daydreams could be a signal that you need a new job, or you need to work harder to make your current one more fulfilling. According to people who have made the leap to second careers, the best time to switch jobs is when you stop learning. If you spend more time daydreaming about a new job, and less time thinking about your actual job, this could be push you need to make a change with your career. You can help your fantasy become a reality if you give it a concrete game plan How primed are you to make that change? Is it a slam dunk, or will it require some re-creation? How about your finances? Do you have the money to spend an extended time in the transition process without income, or do you need to keep a steady stream flowing? career coach Curt Rosengren advises. These are all hard questions you need to ask yourself before your daydream can shape itself into your desired reality.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Why Curiosity Is Your Job Search Secret Weapon

Why Curiosity Is Your Job Search Secret WeaponWhy Curiosity Is Your Job Search Secret Weapon6You might discover hidden opportunities.Ever wonder what your neighbor does for a living? Take the time to ask, and you just might find a great new addition to your network. Think that bedrngnisable exec you admire would never be open to an informational interview? Theres no harm in extending a heartfelt invitation and seeing what happens. Curious people act on their inquisitive nature and open themselves to the possibilities that may follow.Youll come across as interested, not needy.Job seekers often make others uncomfortable. Neediness scares people off because they fear not being able to help, and nobody likes to disappoint. Curiosity sets a different tone.Im a huge advocate of curiosity or, in my language, research, being the very basis of discovering a position . . . or even have one discover you says Darrell Gurney, founder of CareerGuy.comand author ofNever Apply for a Job Again Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest.Through research, you connect with someone in a field of your passion and get known by them based on your curiosity. If you look needy, they wont be as apt to meet with you because nobody wants to be in a position to say no. Yet, if you simply show up as genuinely interested in something, and they are as tickled aboutthe thing youre interested in as you are (aka, an expert in it), then you meet with them on the playing field of passion. People always, in the end, want to work with people they know and like. Through the curiosity/research method, you get known by people and stay top of mind if and when opportunities arise.Youll shine in interviews.Genuine enthusiasm gets a hiring managers attention. Curious candidates learn all they can about a company because they truly want to know about this potential employer. Their homework pays off by being able to hold their own in meaningful conversation. They also gain the foundation to generate thought ful questions that help them stand out from other applicants.Youll diversify efforts.Lastly, curious job seekers open their minds to alternate routes to employment. Theyre more apt to check out a career fair for the heck of it or take up a friends offer to provide an introduction at a networking event. They might try different social media platforms, sign up for a service such as , or make use of a career coachs free introductory evaluation because new possibilities excite them. While the ultimate goal is a new job, they can turn the often lengthy and mundane process of hunting into a morale-boosting adventure of discoveryReaders, do you find curiosity is your job search secret weapon? How does it work for you?