by Beth | Jan 11, 2023 | Leadership
As most of you know, I am a DIE HARD University of Texas Longhorn fan. I am such a fan that my Oklahoma-loving neighbor and I have agreed that we just won’t speak to each other from September 1st to December 1st. We have a very amicable relationship the other 9 months of the year.
When the Longhorns played Kansas, several of the Texas players were interviewed along with the coach Steve Sarkisian, and the mantra was to “Mow Your Lawn.” Each player had a different description to what that phrase meant, because they all have a different job to do on the field. Each player is responsible for their part of the field, and without every individual doing their part, the team won’t perform well.
I have so much respect for this type of leadership! Each person on the team knows what their job is and most importantly, how their job connects to the overall team success. AND, they know all of this with a 3 word phrase: Mow your lawn.
I am happy to say that Texas beat Kansas. After year two, Steve Sarkisian will end this season with an 8-5 record. Better than last year, and with this type of leadership, I have lots of hope for our future seasons.
POWER THOUGHT: Mow your lawn. And Hook’em Horns!
by Beth | Dec 28, 2022 | Company Culture, Firing Employees
As we begin each New Year, many of us take the opportunity to re-group and redefine goals for our businesses. This time is often filled with renewed energy to get our lives and work in order. As a part of your New Year’s goals, it might also be time to fire that one employee that is not contributing to your company’s vision.
The impact of an unengaged employee on your business can be catastrophic. Decreased productivity, lowered company morale, and miserable working environments have been common complaints by my clients as they come to the decision to an part ways with an employee. I say start the New Year fresh!
A past client of mine had an employee who consistently gave her ultimatums. The threats were often “If you don’t do this, then I will quit.” Who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening you? The team was struggling to work with the individual, my client was unhappy with the performance of the individual, yet the concept of firing and replacing this person seemed daunting and ill-timed. When my client finally became fed up, they did indeed fire the employee. I won’t sugar coat the transition. It was hard, uncomfortable and came at a terrible time, but my client knew that this was the right decision for the company.
In addition, the busiest day of the year for applicants looking for a job is the second Tuesday in January. Think about this: the people who are fed up with their work environments are also looking to make a change. So, if you want to start the New Year with someone who REALLY wants to work for you, get going! Now is the time.
POWER THOUGHT: New Year, new goals, new awesome employee and new culture!
by Beth | Dec 14, 2022 | Employee Hiring, Interview Process, Interview Techniques, Selecting Good Candidates
Over the Thanksgiving holiday a few years ago, my daughter and I were listening to the radio. A song came on that we both love. I began belting out the tune at the top of my lungs and sang along to the chorus of the Zac Brown Band song. I sang “Long Gone” along in perfect pitch (to me at least). My kid laughed uproariously. “MOM”, she yelled, “Those aren’t the words!” I said, “Yes they are!” She giggled “No, really. It’s not ‘Long Gone’. It’s ‘Home Grown’!” She had to Google it for me to believe her.
This misunderstanding happens in interviews for new employees all the time. Someone on the interview team will recount what the candidate said and someone else will have heard the words from the person completely differently. The very first step in the analysis of an interview for the hiring team is to agree to what the candidate actually said. The candidate’s choice of words that they used are very important. For example, “My boss is really great to work with”. Did they really say “with”? Are you sure they didn’t say “My boss is really great to work ‘for’”? That simple word changes the entire meaning of the sentence as well as the intent of the comment. The word “with” denotes that the candidate doesn’t acknowledge their bosses’ authority, and if they don’t acknowledge it in the interview, they really won’t when they have direct deposit.
I talk about listening to the exact words all the time to my clients to ensure they get to hire someone who will fit with the company culture, leadership style and even the position itself. If you are not paying attention, you can miss something important in an interview which can lead to a bad hire. You can also really embarrass yourself in front of your beloved daughter.
POWER THOUGHT: Did you really hear what you thought you heard?
by Beth | Dec 7, 2022 | Employee Retention, Leadership
I have a client who is really worried about “quiet quitting”, and he called me to discuss his concerns. I said, “do you know what quiet quitting is?” He said “Yes! It’s when employees quit working but are still on your payroll!” It’s easy to see why he is worried.
Quiet quitting is a very confusing term because it doesn’t involve employees actually leaving the company. According to this article, the more accurate term is “acting your wage” or doing nothing more than your job.
https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-engagement/why-we-cant-quit-talking-about-quiet-quitting?TRK=orgsocial-quiet-quitting-facebook-9-14-22&fbclid=IwAR2a7LCyRaP_NcRBDXBDifLGpCJJgVSnWN0_t4QnmlHD7sUHVzj3Pz6popA
I really hate terms like this because it makes my clients super nervous. When the business leader in an organization is nervous, then everyone on staff gets nervous. And that makes “quiet quitting” a self-fulling prophecy.
Instead of fearing this trend, let’s re-frame it: What if quiet quitting is simply employees having better boundaries around work? What if employees stop killing themselves at work, and engage in more self-care? What if instead of focusing on ‘quitting” we focused on training and retention?
At the end of the day, whatever term you use, I want you to focus on being proactive and not reactive. When you as the leader are proactive, you are calmer, and that feeling eases the tension for your staff.
POWER THOUGHT: Quiet quitting is quite the trend. Just maybe not the trend that you thought.
by Beth | Nov 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
My daughter, Katy, and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
I am so grateful for all of my clients, friends and family for supporting A-list Interviews, as we continue to grow and thrive. A giant thank you to my team for a great year as well.
I hope your holiday is full of peace, love, joy and pie!
Yours in success,
Beth Smith
