Dec 16 2010

Getting to know you…

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

Adding some more fluff…Having a bit of theatrical experience when I was young, I had a children’s part in the King and I, the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical.  One of my favorite songs from that show is titled, “Getting to Know You”.  As I work with companies to help them select and hire Top Performing people, the lyrics from that song, although very appropriate in personal relationships, is not the best approach when it comes to selecting and hiring new employees.

“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…because of all the…things I’m learning about you…day by day” may work when you have all the time in the world prior to making a hiring decision.  However, if you are just starting to see some critical behaviors, on a day-to-day basis, after you hire a new employee, it may be too late.  It would be good to know about how that employee thinks, behaves, and what his/her occupational interests are before you select and hire them.  It would also be good to know that individual’s attitudes about integrity, substance abuse, reliability, and work ethic before they become an employee of your company.

Even the best behavioral interviewer may come up short if they are interviewing a well-coached candidate that will only tell you what they think you want to hear. How do you “get to know” the candidate before you select and hire them?

Continue reading →

Dec 8 2010

Growing the top line…

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

For the better part of the last three years, most companies have been getting more profitable.  Their primary strategy is to grow the bottom line, by significantly reducing their costs.  The strategy seems to be working as most companies are now very profitable and are flush with cash.  The tough part about this strategy is that you cannot reduce your costs below zero, so there is a limit as to how profitable a company can become without also growing the top line: revenue.

If you take a look at the classified ads or look at the various internet job boards, almost every company is looking for salespeople.  You have a very difficult time growing your revenue without increasing your sales, and if the sales could be increased without salespeople, companies would already be doing this.  So, if you are like most companies, you are looking for salespeople.  But you do not just want any salesperson, you want a Top Performing Salesperson.  How do you find these people?

Continue reading →

Dec 2 2010

Protecting your company…

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

I have had the pleasure of talking with many of you in the last few weeks and there seems to be a common theme.  Getting 2010 put behind us is a large goal, because in 2011, there is a little more budget to hire again.  Starting January 1, there are many of you that have aggressive hiring goals, especially in the first quarter.

There are three times when you can deal with people problems: before you hire them, while they are working for you, and when you let them go.  The most inexpensive time you can deal with people problems is before you hire them.  Once you hire them or have to let them go, dealing with a people problem can be very expensive.  So how can you better protect your company before you begin your aggressive hiring program?

Continue reading →

Nov 30 2010

Old dogs and new tricks…

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

Today is my birthday, and birthdays are always a good time to reflect.  One of the “joys” of having your own business is that you get to wear many hats.  One of the biggest hats any business owner wears is the Marketing hat.  For my age, I think I am pretty savvy regarding technology, but ever since Al Gore invented the internet, I try to be a constant student of internet Marketing techniques.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to a seminar regarding Social Media.  I didn’t know what Social Media really meant before attending the seminar, so I was anxious to just get some basic learning.  The Seminar was a 90-minute session designed to sell a social media hosting system, but the seminar was valuable for me from an information perspective.  What did I learn, and how does it apply to Royal Mountain Resources?

Continue reading →

Nov 26 2010

Thanksgiving Volunteering

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

My wife and I took the opportunity to volunteer yesterday in a large Thanksgiving event in which a full turkey dinner was served to thousands of folks.  We showed up early in the morning as volunteers, before the serving time, and were directed to an area to wrap plastic utensils with a paper napkin and then tie the package with a ribbon.  In the big scheme of things our contributions seemed small by comparison to feeding thousands of people.  Yet there were a lot of volunteers like us, our task was completed, and it was a good feeling to give back to the community.

I couldn’t help but be struck by the teamwork, or lack of teamwork, that was exhibited at the various tables wrapping the plastic utensils.  Since part of what I now do professionally involves creating high-performance teams, the volunteering effort gave me a chance to reflect on assessment tools that can be used to help businesses create those high-performing teams.

Continue reading →