Nov 15 2010

Begin With The End In Mind

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

“Begin With The End In Mind” is Habit #2 of Steven Covey’s bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I was listening to someone speak this weekend who referenced this Habit.  He was discussing a different set of circumstances, outside of Business, but it made me reflect.  I think all of us when we are hiring (or selecting) someone for a new position are always hoping to select an individual who is a great fit for our company culture and a Top Performer.
Yet, we generally go at the selection process in the same manner that everyone else does — an interview and a background/reference check.  The statistics offer a sobering reality that when these two tools alone are used, only 25% of the time do we end up with that model employee.  How do we increase the odds?

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Nov 1 2010

What They Are Telling You…

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

We are at the close of the 2010 election season.  For the better part of the last six months, we have been bombarded with politicians telling you what they think you should know about them.  It is just like when you interview a prospective candidate for a new position.  Their job is to tell you what they think you should know about them.
But how do you find out what you need to know about them (I’m talking about the candidate, not the politician…).  My suggestion is the ProfileXT.

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Oct 15 2010

Managing Talent, Part II

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

Earlier this month, in my “Solutions for Talent Management “ email, I referenced the Boston Consulting Group’s recent white paper, “Creating People Advantage 2010”, saying that the number one issue facing companies today is the ability to Manage Talent.  They defined Talent Management as the ability to identify, attract, and retain people; the creation and management of talent pools; and the staffing of leadership positions.

 
Two tools to help with the Talent Management process are the ProfileXT and the CheckPoint™ Management System.  In my last email I addressed the ProfileXT.  The second tool to help with Talent Management is CheckPoint.  CheckPoint is a multi-rater feedback tool, plus self-improvement system, to help determine Strengths and Areas for Development for you or your managers, and how to make significant improvements.  CheckPoint tells you the “what” and works with you on the “how”. ProfileXT tells you the “why”.

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Oct 1 2010

Managing Talent, Part I

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

The Boston Consulting Group’s recent white paper, “Creating People Advantage 2010”, says that the number one issue facing companies today is the ability to Manage Talent.  They define Talent Management as the ability to identify, attract, and retain people; the creation and management of talent pools; and the staffing of leadership positions.

 Two tools to help with the Talent Management process is the ProfileXT and the CheckPoint.  In this piece we are going to address the ProfileXT.  In two weeks, we will talk about CheckPoint.  If you have been a frequent reader of these emails, you know I talk a lot about the ProfileXT.  If you have not yet tried this multi-faceted assessment tool, you are missing out on one of the most powerful Talent Management tools available.

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Sep 15 2010

It’s Autumn…

by Michael J. Ferraro | Comment

Just back from Colorado and you know it is a sure sign of Autumn when the aspen leaves change from green to yellow, gold, and red.  According to the article below from the Denver Business Journal, another sign this Autumn may be a large percentage of the professional workforce leaving their current employers.  If you look at the reasons listed below for leaving, most of the time the issue is the manager(s).  People generally leave their managers, not their companies.

Are you prepared to lose 40% of your professionals?  If not, how do you get and keep the right managers in place so you can avoid many of your professionals leaving?  The CheckPoint assessment provides feedback for a manager from his/her boss, their direct reports, and their peers.  The ProfileXT assessment tells your manager how they think, behave, and their occupational interests.  When used together, they present a comprehensive picture of what they do well, and why, and is the foundation for game-changing improvements.

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