Workforce Learning

A newsletter by Alice Waagen, PhD
(January-February 2009)

“O would some power the gift to give us, to see ourselves as others see us,” wrote Scottish national poet Robert Burns, in verse 8 of “To a Louse.”

Indeed, self-awareness is one of the most important attributes for success. The more we know about ourselves — our strengths as well as our blind spots — the better we can hone interpersonal skills, more effectively interacting with others.

How do we master self-knowledge when, for many of us, the most difficult task is to reflect a mirror on our own behaviors? Here are three possibilities:

1. Interpersonal assessment tools and surveys
2. Hire a coach or mentor to give feedback
3. Read books about interpersonal traits that include exercises for gaining personal insight

Below, I tackle topics 1 and 3. For information on hiring a coach or mentor, check back next month.

Alice Waagen, PhD
President, Workforce Learning
www.workforcelearning.com

POWER UP YOUR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Before using a personal assessment tool, the following four questions should be answered — in this order:

1. What is the goal or purpose for which you want to use an assessment?
2. What is the program / project that the assessment will support?
3. Who will facilitate the process?
4. What instrument will you use?

The reason for this particular order is that, in my experience, when one inverts the order and starts by picking which tool to use, the usefulness of the experience diminishes. So start by deciding what it is you want to learn about yourself. What behaviors seem to give you the most difficulties? What is your ability to communicate and work with others in teams? Are you good at solving problems?

Then think about what you will do with the assessment results. Will it be part of an overall coaching program? Help you decide on your next career? And, do you have access to resources to help you, along with an internal coach or mentor or an external friend or colleague, use the tool? The answers to these questions will guide you to the best tool for increasing your learning and self-management.

Assessments and Survey Tools

Personal assessments are survey-like tools that capture your conscious and subconscious beliefs and attitudes. They range from highly validated and reliable psychometric instruments that can only be administered by trained and certified professionals to self-administered “pop” psychology tests with little academic or scientific basis.

Options: When selecting an assessment tool, be certain that application matches design. For instance, tools that have been developed to assess interpersonal attributes like the DISC or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) may not be validated for hiring or promotional purposes. Look for a tool that has research behind it, has been around for a few years and that fundamentally makes sense when you use it.

Price: Assessments range widely in price and purpose. If you Google “personal assessments” your search results will range from free, simple surveys to complicated, costly psychometric tools. I’ve also taken some free online tools that provided a complex graphic that to me was undecipherable, with an 800 number for a fee-based consultation — but, I am suspicious of any tool that produces results I have to pay to understand.

Benefits: Assessments are ideal when used to better understand the dynamics of a team or work group, where they provide the opportunity to compare strengths and weaknesses across all members. This can heighten awareness of the differences between individuals and help members leverage those differences to increase a team’s performance. For individuals, assessments can show us not only our areas of strength but also the areas where we struggle. Managers and leaders can then seek out co-workers with this trait, and resources to supplement skills they may lack, thus producing a more balanced, well-rounded leadership team.

ROI

On the plus side, assessments are most powerful when they supplement or reinforce a large program or project, such as executive coaching or career development. When integrated into coaching or skills-based training, for instance, the coach / facilitator can ensure that the assessment results are understood and can prompt the learners to apply what they’ve learned to change their behavior.

Another reason to use a facilitator or coach with assessments is that sometimes individuals can have a negative reaction to the assessment results. They may have had a negative experience in the past with assessments, or may simply react negatively to assessment language. In fact, I occasionally have individuals react negatively to the word “Dominant” used in the DISC inventory. If a negative reaction is not challenged or explained, be forewarned that the individual can discount the entire assessment and learn little from the experience.

Facilitators and coaches can also alleviate any concerns about assessment confidentiality. I have heard numerous horror stories about assessment results being shared inappropriately in organizations — used to typecast individuals, or even adversely affecting their jobs or job assignments. When the assessment is guided through a structured program, processes can be put in place to ensure confidentiality of the assessment results.

BOOKS FOR LEADERS

Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life
Review by Alice Waagen
Book by Stewart D. Friedman
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press, 2008

Not another leadership book, right? I too have grown weary of “leadership” books, which these days seem to grow on trees. Friedman’s’ book Total Leadership, however, puts the all-powerful concept of work on equal footing with the other domains that are important in a person’s life: home, community and one’s private world. Plus, he explains that one can truly achieve a form of personal leadership that transcends the limited definition so often found in business books today.

Here’s how:
Part I helps readers identify their core values, attention and satisfaction levels in each of the four domains.
Part II has readers identify each domain’s stakeholders and their expectations. You then look at your communication with these stakeholders and are tasked to discover how well you are meeting their expectations — and are challenged to look for four-way wins or changes made in one domain that will positively affect the other domains.
Part III completes the leadership development process with details on how to create a game plan for change, with goals and metrics to chart your growth and success.

Seem daunting? Fortunately, the book’s ample supply of engaging examples, clear instructions and more than 30 tools allows the reader to produce stronger business results, find clearer purpose and feel more connected to people in all domains of life.

I found Total Leadership illuminating for it gave me a new way to look at what is important in my life. I especially enjoyed the reflective exercises on taking inventory of the expectations of the other stakeholders in my life. I actually had an “ah-ha” moment realizing I can achieve complementary wins by integrating more of the activities across my work and community domains, as well as reinforcing my core values and personal satisfaction. That in and of itself is worth the price of the $20 trade paperback.

ADVICE FOR EXPERTS

How to Dress for a Job Interview
By Dr. Alice Waagen

I was recently asked by a reporter to talk about some tips for how women should to dress for success for a first interview. This is one of my favorite topics, because at a job interview, ladies must convey that they are competent professionals and need to look the part. Whether you are hip or tend to be a tad more conservative, opt for conservative when preparing for that all-important meeting. Here’s how:

Hair: To make sure you look neat and cared for, start at the top. If your locks are long, pull your hair back or pull it up. If needed, use spray or gel to hold everything together. Remember, no bows, rhinestones or frills.

Clothes: Always wear a business suit or pantsuit. If you don’t own one, look online for a company that specializes in helping women dress for career transitions, or shop at a thrift store near you and ask the owner for help. Odds are good she’s helped others in need of wardrobe guidance.

Dark colors are best: When deciding on the color for your suit, black or navy should be your first choice, but if you think you look better in softer shades go for gray or brown.

Tops: Your shirt should be equally conservative and subdued. Best choices are solid colors or a discreet print. Never, ever, show cleavage.

Shoes: To complete your outfit, go for a shoe with a closed toe and short heel, preferably a simple pump. Never wear open-toed sandals.

Sniff test: Now that you look the part, remember that scent is important, too. Never wear perfume, or even strong-smelling deodorant. The reason is that many people are allergic to strong scents and you wouldn’t want to make the interviewer cough or wheeze.

Role models: One of the best ways to find looks to emulate is to observe businesswomen who are wearing attire you admire. This week, take yourself out to lunch at a restaurant or deli near a professional business district and find a gal who looks fab in her dark business suit with matching pumps — and take notes.

And please, do me a favor: Do not look for wardrobe guidance on TV. I am constantly appalled by what Hollywood considers appropriate office wear. But if TV is the best resource you have, then tune into CNN and look at how the anchorwomen are dressed. Or use as role models some of the sophisticated politicians who have stylists on their side, such as Hillary Clinton.

Smile and breathe: Although this goes without saying, an essential part of your attire is your attitude. Be calm, relaxed and confident. Before entering the interview, take a deep breath, smile — and go get ‘em.

IN THE NEWS

Alice Waagen Featured in Human Resource Executive Magazine

I am proud to say that I was featured in Scott Westcott’s article, “Layoff Landslide,” which was published in the January 2009 issue of Human Resource Executive magazine.

Westcott wrote: “With the economy in an official recession, HR leaders unfortunately will get plenty of practice to hone their skills in presiding over reductions-in-force.”

I commented: “In HR, we’ve been through this before so there should be lots of lessons learned in how to handle layoffs in a humane and dignified way. The key tenet is massive amounts of open and timely communications — both for the employees leaving and for those staying.

“Employees are extremely good at reading the tea leaves,” I said, and suggested that HR leaders and practitioners work closely with company executives and internal and external communications partners to develop a plan that keeps employees apprised of the financial conditions of the organization and the potential for layoffs. “It pays to be extremely transparent about the logical process that led to layoffs. Most people will be hurt and angry if they are laid off, but if they understand the reason, they ultimately accept it.”

Read the entire article here: Human Resource Executive magazine