Top 4 HR Challenges for 2010

http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/top-four-hr-challenges-for-2010/

Don’t Settle for Mediocrity, Strive for Mental Toughness

Yesterday, I was listening to Experience Pros Radio http://www.experiencepros.com/ on AM 560. Eric and Angel were talking about the book, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold http://www.mentaltoughnesssecrets.com/ . Who doesn’t want more mental toughness especially as we are still sloshing our way through a less than forgiving economy? We could all use more toughness as we think about goals we want to achieve in 2010.

Mental toughness? What does it really mean? How can we train ourselves to have it so that we can find that next fulfilling job? If you’re an employer, how can you find employees that are mentally tough or how can you retain current staff that already have this quality? If you are the boss, maybe you need to work on your own mental toughness.

Siebold says that folks with mental toughness possess the following qualities:

-Champions Lead Through Facilitated Introspection
-The World Class Compartmentalize Their Emotions
-The World Class Are Ferociously Cooperative
-The Great Ones Possess Supreme Self Confidence
-The World Class Embrace Metacognition (understanding how you think)
-The World Class Are Coachable
-Champions Know Why They Are Fighting
-The World Class Operate From Love and Abundance
-School Is Never Out For The Great Ones
-Champions Are Interdependent
-The Great Ones Are Bold
-Champions Are Zealots For Change
-The Great Ones Don’t Give Back…They Just Give
-Champions Are Masters Of Mental Organization
-The Great Ones Only Negotiate Win-Win Deals
-Champions Seek Balance
-Champions Believe In Honesty
-The Great Ones Aren’t Afraid To Suffer

From the point of view of your own mental toughness, which of these qualities do you have and where are you lacking? Think about the skills you already have and how you can leverage them to get a job, obtain a promotion or be a better boss. What deficiencies do you need to honestly address in yourself that is hindering your success? The key here is to be honest with yourself.

As an HR professional coaching supervisors and looking for great talent, this list is screaming the qualities of people driven to succeed that I want in my company. In order to engage top talent in your organization, you need managers with mental toughness. Champions want to be led by example, not just lip services from the top. Your recruiting process needs to be designed to pinpoint coachable, confident, honest team players that aren’t afraid to put the company, clients and other employees first. Your training programs need to teach managers how to encourage mental toughness in others.

Push yourself and your organization to the next level in 2010!

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Managing Perception - Why Should We Care What Other People Think?

We are creating impressions everywhere we go. From the barista that hands you your morning coffee, the receptionist as you walk into the office, clients you contact on the phone, your boss, co-workers and employees, your kids’ soccer coach, your spouse, the pizza delivery guy, the HR person you e-mailed your resume to…Need I go on. Why should you care what other people think? Isn’t it manipulative to “manage” perceptions? Well, it all depends on the context and motive.

Perception is an individual’s interpretation of the world and is their reality. Organizations spend billions on advertising and public relations. It is to your benefit to be aware of the effect your action (or non-action) has on others and use this information to manage your behavior to promote your life and career while still being yourself. Just be your best self because it is really hard to change a negative impression.

Impressions others form about you are a result of both your journey and your destination. In other words, not only the outcome, but how you got there. Do you behave ethically and are you focused on customer service? People are watching, even when you think they are not. In your business and career world, awareness and management of the perceptions you create is essential when you hold any of the following roles:

Leader – New leaders soon realize that relationships become more important than technical ability. What sets great leaders apart from average ones is the ability to manage perceptions. What people perceive as your effectiveness as a leader becomes reality. Your actions need to match your words every single time. Without follow-through, you won’t have the trust you need to be effective. Especially now when employee confidence in organizations might have been shaken, leaders need to motivate and act with conviction. Communicate the reasons behind your decisions, especially the difficult ones. Be aware of the effect you have on others. Are your employees happy when you visit their work area or do they dread it? Know the effect that stress has on you and how this looks to others. Most importantly, be visible at strategic moments, both the good and bad. Be around to give explanations and answer questions when bad news is delivered but also celebrate along side your staff during good times.

Job Seeker – Remember that potential employers are creating a perception of you at every step of the way; from your ability to follow directions during the application process, your interactions on the phone when scheduling an interview to receipt of an offer. Your capacity to manage perceptions in the past will even influence the quality of your references. Candidates with the knack to influence others’ perceptions have a far better chance of controlling their own destiny. Showcase your experience in a positive light without overdoing it. Dress the part during interviews, show respect and pay attention to your body language.

Entrepreneur - When you are a small business, you become an expert at wearing many hats. Just as with leaders and job seekers, managing perceptions is vital to your business. Finding new clients, keeping current customers happy, managing employees, interacting with vendors and business partners falls on your shoulders and involve perceptions. Persistence in increasing your own awareness will help your business succeed. Take care of the relationships you have formed because your next break can come from who rather than what you know.

Managing perceptions isn’t easy. Try asking for feedback from people you trust and spend some time on self-reflection. Building self-awareness though, involves courage and commitment. So be open to constructive criticism as you continue to pursue your goals.