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Behavioural science can be used to map out an employee’s characteristics and put them in the right job

Turn to science to really understand your staff

Leadership Skills – Five Skills that Differentiate Outstanding Employees

How do your employees line up?

While organizations look for a wide range of skills, abilities, and behaviours in a potential management candidate, Ivey’s Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Growth reported that just some translated into improved corporate financial performance. Ivey professor, John Eggers, highlighted the five areas shown to lead an entrepreneurial company: Read more

How to Build Strong Employee Selection

“Now, Discover Your Strengths” is a self-help book written by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton that advocates for shifting managerial focus from eliminating weakness to building employee strengths. The concepts in the book are based on the “Clifton Strengths Finder,” an online personality test similar to Predictive Index® (PI®) that is designed to analyze an individual’s characteristics and use this information to gain understanding of their core strengths. Read more

Ineffective Leadership? 5 Steps to Manage a Smooth Leadership Transition

We know that ineffective leadership can destroy a company. If you have ever been in the position of taking over a leadership role from an incompetent leader of an existing team, you are likely aware of the challenges associated with this change. From our research, we understand “incompetent” leaders to be managers with; little/no vision, unethical decision making habits, low performance, little/no interest in learning, poor communication, arrogance, little/no empathy, “one size fits all” style of leadership/management, little/no focus, disengagement, and an apathetic view of team development. These behaviours and traits likely contribute to an environment of perpetual stress, disengagement, disarray, conflict, and even long-term health problems. Read more

2-simple-solutions-to-dissolve-micromanagement/

Many management teams erroneously onboard, train, and develop employees by forcing them into the mould created by their organization. The toxic effects of micromanagement and/or over-management can impair an employee’s health and well-being, productivity, and engagement in the workplace. Ultimately, micromanagement stems from the establishment of an organizational culture that is overly strict on rules, control, processes and procedures and general lack of trust or confidence in individual strengths and abilities. Often, micromanagers will build processes designed to compensate for what they perceive to be employee inadequacies. Over-managing to accommodate discrepancies between employee and organizational values serves as an indication that the wrong people have been hired for the wrong positions. The desire to control or monitor motivation is futile; it is no secret that people work best when they are intrinsically motivated. The only way to ensure you are setting an employee up for success in role is to provide employees with an organization and role they connect with rather than forcing, orchestrating, and monitoring the “fit.” Read more

Being in the “MQ Zone” at work … More than IQ, EQ

Like him or not, Tiger Woods is newly back in the “Meaning Quotient.” For the past couple of years, the world witnessed Tiger’s loss of drive as he slipped out of his “zone.” Only recently has Tiger illustrated to fans and other golfers that he has once again found his “Meaning Quotient.” Players and fans alike have noticed his new spark and zest for perfecting his practice.

In our own organizations, we come across those individuals who mirror the “new” Tiger. These people have found their “MQ Zone” and are in roles that are right for them. They tend to stay past 5pm, come prepared for meetings, and eat lunch at their desks. These individuals are laser-focused; they have a radiating energy and a contagious drive for what they do.

A great article in McKinsey’s January issue highlights the “Meaning Quotient” or “MQ.” From our evidence-based approach, top performers will have the right drive and motivations (right Predictive Index®) to match the requirements of the job or the Performance Requirements Options™(PRO). This model has been created by 4-5 input sources who know the role well. We now also see that there is a range of better cognitive levels (the PLI® score) that also suit certain roles. With over 2 million PI® surveys a year and over 100,000 PLI points, the big data modeling has become rather robust in predicting success at work. Read more

http://www.predictivesuccess.com/hire-the-thin-resume-look-for-the-cs-critical-thinking-communication-collaboration-and-creativity/

Finding employees who can think critically, solve problems, develop innovative solutions, and collaborate with team members is becoming increasingly difficult. In a recent poll by SHRM, more than half of polled executives said there is significant room for improvement in many core competencies among their employees (according to the results of an American Management Association survey released Feb. 7, 2013).

Tools like PLI® and PI® have been proven to assist companies in finding candidates that possess the right motivations, drives, and core characteristics. In the current economy, low B candidates with strong innovative and abstract skills are in high demand. With more jobs than qualified candidates, the road ahead is going to mean that you will need to take people with “Thin Resumes” and strong PI and PLI results. We are finding that more leading companies we partner with are using the Predictive Index® and our “Thin Resume” process to find diamonds in the rough. These employees are highly valued at every level within an organization. Read more

Talent Analytics is the New “Black” in Hiring

The old days of solely hiring based on “golden gut” are dying. A new discipline called “Talent Analytics” is being born. It is changing the way we need to select, coach, and lead. Large companies that our team at Predictive Success works with, such as Best Buy and Google, are discovering that a big financial advantage is having engaged employees. This means putting the right person in the right job to best set them up for success. Leaders with a “Talent Analytic” plan think like an accountant in recognizing the need to create evidence-based “financial/people models” to predict success.

When we have supremely-competent people in the right roles, teams are easier to establish. We, as leaders, can derive much more from high-functioning teams. Evidence-based leaders, like Eric Schmidt at Google, understand the value in investing in engaged employees and developing high-functioning teams. Talent is a company’s greatest asset.

People in the right role will be more aligned with natural drives and motivations needed to excel. When talent is encouraged to walk in the path that is easiest for them, the road is navigated with less challenge. Once a data-driven and evidence-based talent strategy has been put in place, employee productivity and engagement significantly increases.

The better-managed companies that we work with are noticing a significant ROI on putting a Talent Analytics program in place. We have seen some significant increases in shareholder value from our work with HBC (based in Toronto) in just 18 months. With the use of Predictive Index® and the Professional Learning Indicator®, HBC has been able to execute an international evidence-based people-plan to advance the goals of their CEO. It is common knowledge that evidence beats opinion every time. Examples of Talent Analytics that are improving revenue growth and lowering operational costs are quickly emerging around us. Our work with Bell Mobility across Canada led to a 9% increase in revenues over a one year period and a 38% increase in higher margin data sales. Work with a big five Canadian bank in their mortgage sales team and our talent analytics led to 30% faster hires and huge savings in time to proficiency.

For more information visit

http://www.predictivesuccess.com/predictive-index/predictive-index-process/

Predictive Index®: Teaching Managers How To Motivate

How can leaders motivate people to accomplish goals and meet important deadlines or even look lively if they do not understand what it is that their people are motivated by? Without a good idea of what drives a persons’ behavior, predicting how they will respond to incentives might as well be a shot in the dark. If managers were expected to motivate people this way it would be difficult to influence them to do anything that they didn’t want to do (for instance following out dated company policies.) The trouble is magnified because some managers are blatantly unaware of the need to motivate and energize their people, while others simply don’t have the slightest idea of how to go about doing it. Even for the managers who understand the need to motivate and energize their people, doing so is a very “hit and miss” process without specific information about an individual’s motivational needs. It is imperative that successful leaders of people understand the answer to the question: what unique needs do these people have? The reason for this is simple; if people are expected to produce at their full potential, they must believe that satisfying their needs (their motivators) is possible and probable. Remember that motivated people are productive people, and often achieve higher than expected success, as opposed to unmotivated people who simply go through the motions. As a manager it is important that you also keep in mind that what motivates you is not necessarily what motivates all of your employees, or any of them for that matter. In fact it is more likely that you will have an entirely different set of needs that motivate you then they do, simply because you have different personalities and different roles. So while you read this it may seem like as a manager you have an almost impossible task in front you, and sometimes it sure feels that way. Luckily there is a way that’s proven to give you full insight into what motivates people, how to manage people to maximize productivity and how to minimize communication barriers (by providing a universal language to compare working style, management styles, and motivational factors.) And it’s not a farfetched dreamer idea of a utopian workplace, it’s an evidence based personality predictor.

The trick to getting the most out of your talent to understand their individual drivers, in plain terms it means knowing which carrot to wave in their face to get them to perform with passion and enthusiasm. This can only be achieved through a detailed analysis of their personality, and not just any personality assessment will do. To uncover this information about a person requires an in depth look at all aspects of their being, not just the visage that they wear to work. To unleash a person’s full potential, a manager needs to understand a persons’ basic motivating drives, the drivers a person thinks should motivate them in their current work environment (such as company goals), and the combination of the two; which is the personality that they exhibit in the work place. Once a manager understands these three aspects of an employee’s personality, they can predict how the employee will react to stimuli. Knowing this allows a leader to motivate each member of their team by satisfying their specific individual needs which leads to much more motivated workers. Not only that, but once a manager is able to predict what response they will get from their team members in different situations, they can use this information to be the best manager of their people. With a predictable team, any manager can plan ahead and make adjustments tailored to his team’s personality styles to generate maximum productivity. Leaders can literally predict how they should manage and motivate their teams to be as successful as possible.

This information is made available exclusively through a human capital analytics tools called Predictive Index®, a behavioral assessment that uses a free-choice method of choosing from a checklist of personality describing adjectives to evaluate an employee’s personality traits. The Predictive Index then generates a fully personalized summary of that employees personality, insight into their potential, what motivates them, how they prefer to communicate, how they should be managed, how they would do in a specific roles, and how they will respond to organizational culture as well as much, much more. Using the Predictive Index® is the single best way to evaluate your human capital and utilize this information to its full potential to maximize your talents abilities.

Predictive SuccessTM is the Canadian licensee of PIWorldWide, and helps organizations align their people with their business strategies through insight, education and coaching. Visit them at: http://www.predictivesuccess.com

#behavior assissments #Predictive Index

While businesses don't have a medal on the line, leaders can learn some lessons from the best Olympic coaches

Feedback from our webinar PI® Friday with the PI Guys on April 13, 2012

"Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise on Friday. Though I had no questions I was intent on how you analyzed the PI® examples and your insights. I am hiring another sales person for our sales team at 97.9 The RANGE in Westlock, AB and the webinar was timely. I look forward to future webinars."

Wray Betts Group Station Manager 97.9 The RANGE, 92.7 LAKE FM, 93.5 PRAIRIE FM, 94.1 The RIVER

#PI #Predictive Index #human analytics #Predictive Success

Dee Hock, the Founder of VISA International

Today in a meeting with a COO for a national courier company showcased the work on people skills of Dee Hock. Dee is the founder of VISA, a business legend and a man who made the finding that a distinction between leaders and followers is meaningless. In every moment of life, we are simultaneously leading and following. There is never a time when our knowledge, judgment and wisdom are not more useful and applicable than that of another. At any time that "other" may be superior, subordinate, or peer. People are not "things" to be manipulated, labeled, boxed, bought, and sold. Above all else, they are not "human resources." We are entire human beings, containing the whole of the evolving universe, limitless until we are limited, whether by self or others. Treating each person uniquely is a value better leader’s do and once again an evidence based process like Predictive Index® greatly assists.

http://www.good2work.com/article/90#

#behavior assissments #Predictive Index

When Data Guys Triumph... How HR can learn from Moneyball, the movie.

This weekend I went to the AMC and saw Moneyball with Brad Pitt as the lead actor. This movie based on the work of Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland Athletics, and is a great reminder for business leaders that building teams based on “gut” and intuition alone leads to errors. Evidence beats opinion every time.

Our evidence has shown that better leaders are now finding their own “data guy” (or lady), someone who can offer insights through statistical analysis. Human resource leaders are starting to be part of a growing number of young executives around North America realizing that better data leads to better hires and better performing teams. Many credit none other than “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” by Michael Lewis.

It has now been eight years after “Moneyball” was published; the book refuses to shuffle meekly to the one dollar bin in book stores. Now, “Moneyball,” the movie starring Brad Pitt, could restore the title to bestseller lists. I highly recommend the book.

Moneyball is really about looking at data differently. Instead of just grades in university we can look at real data on people. What is their core behaviour and capacity to absorb stress? How will they be reactive (low A) or proactive (high A)? Does the person have empathy (low E) which is essential for sales success? Will the person be able to multi task (Low C)? Do I need a more patient person capable of sequential and repetitive tasks? The use of Predictive Index® to model the core behaviours needed is agreat example of using data to create a team that can make more calls each week. The Predictive Index (PI®) data is your Moneyball.

Who are your Game Changers? Creative solutions and PI®

Everyone has some ability to be creative. It is the environment in which these people operate that will stimulate creative behaviour. It is the responsibility of senior management to build an organization that encourages teamwork and team-oriented problem solving. Managers should be empowered to put employees in situations where they can generate creativity in ways where they'll be able to deliver successful results. People enjoy being creative when that effort suits them. They don't enjoy being asked to be creative in a way in which they are uncomfortable. Creativity frequently requires a significant amount of individual effort but team efforts can frequently yield magical results that go beyond the determinations of solo performance.

The Predictive Index® (PI®) Factors and Creativity

Factor A - DOMINANCE: The degree to which an individual seeks to control his or her environment. Individuals who score high on this dimension are independent, assertive and self-confident. Individuals who score low on this dimension are agreeable, cooperative and accommodating.

Factor B - EXTRAVERSION: The degree to which an individual seeks social interaction with other people. Individuals who score high on this dimension are outgoing, persuasive and socially-poised. Individuals who score low on this dimension are serious, introspective and task-oriented.

Factor C - PATIENCE: The degree to which an individual seeks consistency and stability in his or her environment. Individuals who score high on this dimension are patient, consistent and deliberate. Individuals who score low on this dimension are fast-paced, urgent and intense.

Factor D - FORMALITY: The degree to which an individual seeks to conform to formal rules and structure. Individuals who score high on this dimension are organized, precise and self-disciplined. Individuals who score low on this dimension are informal, casual and uninhibited.

Factor M is a measure of a person's stamina.

Factor E measures the extent to which the individual is either subjective or objective in his or her judgments and decision-making.

In Predictive Index® terms, there are three aspects of personality that provide the most insight into creativity - the High A, the Low B and the Low D.**

High A people are creative because they view "their way" of doing things as the preferred way. They look at what exists and ask themselves, "Is there a better way of doing this that I could conceive?" As change agents, the existing world is always better off when changed into something of their creation. Getting their self-confidence from within, highest A's find little that thwarts their efforts from the outside - theirs is the best way to go.

Low B's brings another aspect of creativity to the force. When faced with ideas, rather than "bounce those ideas off of other people" as High B people do, they roll the ideas around internally in their heads - trying to figure out a solution. Low B's are thinkers. Creativity, being defined as an "intellectual" exercise, is thus a Low B endeavour.

Low D adds the third dimension to the mix yielding, in those that possess all three Factors- [High A/Low B/Low D], a more creative personality - because Low D's innately want to go against the grain. Where High D's try to follow the tried and true path, low D's eschew all ways that have been tried previously. They want to go "Where no man has gone before..." Low D also adds an element of stubbornness that can be helpful to the process of creativity.

The combination of High A/Low D relates to creative behaviour, although not as consistently as High A/Low B. Higher A/Lower D is associated with, an influencing, creative behaviour with the major creative impetus always deriving from the High A/Low B relationships.

The most creative personalities, as measured by the Predictive Index® are described as, "Individualists" - taking the three dimensions above and adding a High C to the mix.

To download a pdf of this article click here.

Exit Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Business ownerss

Yesterday’s Mississauga Exit Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Seminar with Alan Crossley, Perry Philips and Bob Woodcock was a success! The seminar was held at the Novotel Toronto Mississauga and was filled with 16 business owners / industry leaders from the surrounding area. The seminar ran from 12pm until 4pm and the talks were filled with good questions, lively discussions and even a few “flying brains”!

http://su.pr/2QXPmf

H.R. has long run on gut instincts more than hard data. Like the movie Moneyball, a growing number of companies are trying to apply a data-driven approach to the unpredictable world of human interactions. Evidence beats opinion is what we say at Predictive Success. We provide behaviour and cognitive tools for better decisions. Companies like Google are at the leading edge of this.

A company study found that a manager’s technical skills were far less valued by employees than people skills.

Plan business exit early to get the most value JORDAN GOULD Special to Globe and Mail Update Published Wednesday, Sep. 21, 2011 6:00AM EDT

Almost two-thirds of independent business owners in Canada are planning to exit their business within the next decade. Many business owners, part of the baby boom generation, have built thriving businesses and are considering what might be next. That perplexing word “retirement” is starting to be considered.

http://su.pr/1qLn0l

Who will be your successor? – Or not. It can be difficult sometimes to decide between selling the business or finding an ace successor. You may have trouble selling your business or finding a proper successor. When we work with leaders inside companies for their successor or with owners of companies directly we ask them to look at our human analytics to assist in the planning. Too often a “builder” sells the business to a “maintainer” and ends up getting the business back 3 years later due to poor leadership. The need to measure behaviour when selecting your successor is absolute. http://www.predictivesuccess.com/index.php

Exit Strategies Upcoming Seminar

http://www.predictivesuccess.com/UpcomingEvents.html

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