In their September 20, 2006 ad in the Wall Street Journal, The Yale School of Management offered their definition of leadership. They said,
“For some, leadership is only about personal benefit-acquiring power, influence, wealth, recognition.
At the Yale School of Management, we know leadership is also about something more. Leadership is an opportunity to give, not just get; to inspire an organization rather than to control it; to create value rather than to extract it. True leadership is about having the purpose and passion to make a positive difference, both in and out of the workplace.”
We applaud this philosophy, knowing that great leadership is an intricate, and, at times, a very personal process.
In that spirit, we’d like to hear from you…
What is great leadership to you? How would you define it? Feel free to think of it conceptually, philosophically, practically; you set the parameters. We will report back on your points of view.
Michael C. Henry, Ph.D.
]]>1. They pick an assessment tool someone has taken in the past.
2. They choose a tool that a friend-of-a-friend used at another company.
3. They choose an instrument that seems the least threatening.
4. They choose a tool because they have always used it.
5. They pick a one-size-fits-all tool because the website says that it will meet all their needs.
Implicit in all of these dissatisfactions is the single most valuable lesson you can learn about assessment tools; they are only useful if they address your specific needs.
To use assessment tools successfully, you need two things:
1. You need to know your specific needs.
and
2. You need someone who is familiar with a wide variety of assessment tools and who can help you pick the test that’s right for you.
What do you want out of your assessment instruments? Here are some examples:
If the instrument is supposed to be for team building, you want a tool that can increase team member’s rapport and understanding of one another without being too threatening.
If you wish to seek the strengths of a team, you will want a tool that points out individual styles and how they work together.
If you are looking for the general strength of a team and the direction they moving the organization, you need a test that will show the synergy of the group and their influence on the organization.
Let’s say that you are looking for a executive who is capable of consistently superior judgment, there are tests that focus on the accuracy of perception and the person’s capability to make decisions quickly and accurately.
These are just a few of the questions you may expect your assessment instrument to answer.
All different, all legitimate.
Ask us about what kind of questions you may want to answer and what test instruments you will find most helpful in answering them.
Call 616.994.0922 for a free half hour consultation.
]]>Okay, some people are highly intuitive and can spot leadership potential a mile away. Most people are not that perceptive and fall prey to common errors in judgment. Even those who seem uncanny in their judgment sometimes stumble over talent and pick the wrong person. It’s happened to all of us.
The problem is, in today’s business climate, you can’t afford to make many errors in judgment. Picking the wrong person can steer your company off course. At the very least, it can cost you money. A commonly acknowledged rule of thumb is that hiring the wrong person can cost you up to three times their salary.
No hiring strategy is foolproof, but adding an assessment tool to the process may sidestep several serious problems.
So, do you know the common mistakes leaders make when hiring personnel?
1. Top leaders often unconsciously pick someone who is less capable than themselves. The new-hires tend to do the same with their hiring. So, the company’s talent-pool slowly goes down hill. This phenomenon doesn’t bode well for the company’s success, let alone its succession planning.
2. Leaders often pick candidates who are very much like themselves.
3. Leaders often pick candidates for their knowledge alone, without looking at who they are.
4. Leaders often hire out of expediency rather than according to a well thought out plan.
5. Interviewers often rely on their instincts rather than a well thought out set of criteria.
6. Team interviews are often subject subtle (or not so subtle) team pressures.
7. Managers often don’t have clear, multidimensional criteria for the position.
8. If they have clear criteria, they often are not sure how to assess the criteria.
9. Leaders often make snap judgments about candidates, and then live with the consequences.
10. Leaders often hire based on past experience rather than the needs of the position.
Bonus Reason:
Some leaders don’t understand or trust assessment instruments. They see them as too technical, impersonal or gimmicky.
In our next article we will talk about the types of assessment instruments and picking the right ones for you.
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