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News

CORPORATE CULTURE: Defining, Controlling, and Maintaining a Culture of Success

Lisa Kelly

 

What Is Corporate Culture?

Corporate culture is a complex concept defined by the intersection of employees’ beliefs and behaviors, which in turn define how organizational members interact within the work environment. While corporate culture is cumulative and dynamic, consisting of the collective behaviors and personalities of all individuals, it is possible – and advised – for leadership to monitor and, ultimately, control culture.

Defining Your Organization’s Culture

First, recognize that no one individual can drive corporate culture singlehandedly. In fact, every team member has an impact – however minute – on overall culture.

Traditionally, organizations have relied solely upon leadership to drive the behaviors that seem to drive business. Leadership is also typically the first scapegoat when an organization has an inconsistent or negatively perceived culture. However, it’s important to understand that the traits and behaviors that a CEO is likely to possess may not be positive traits for all positions within an organization. Consider Steve Jobs, for example. Steve’s path to success was paved by innovation coupled with his notoriously direct and critical management style (among other attributes). While these traits ensured Steve’s success as a CEO, his behaviors would not be as well received if he had been a remote Support Specialist, for example – a position which requires steadfast patience and friendliness.

Corporate culture is a puzzle, where each employee possesses traits and behaviors that are desirable for their specific position, as well as characteristics that may limit their success. Understanding where each position fits into the overall corporate strategy is only the first step; monitoring and coaching individual employees to encourage behaviors that match the ideal profile for their specific role – while also minimizing counter-productive behaviors – is the key to optimizing enterprise-wide culture. It’s a two-step, one-size-does-NOT-fit-all approach to performance management: you must first define your own culture to determine which traits are desirable for each individual position before you can coach employees to meet your expectations.

Controlling Culture

In our last article, Getting the Most Out of Your Team: Measuring Performance to Optimize Success, we introduced the concept of analyzing individual traits from an individual performance management perspective. We examined a few specific profiles, and dissected how a handful of key characteristics could impact individual performance. In this piece, we’ll dive deeper into additional factors that influence culture. We’ll also look at examples of positions that would benefit – or suffer – if these characteristics are displayed to an extreme, as well as potential corrective techniques.

  • Drive / Self-Motivation: Team members who possess high drive are self-motivated to undertake or continue a task without another’s prodding. These individuals typically complete their work ahead of schedule – sometimes, before it has even been assigned. Generally speaking, self-motivation is regarded as a positive trait across the board. Who doesn’t want a direct report who anticipates business needs and gets ahead of the work?

 

However, self-motivation could cause issues if displayed to an extreme. For example, imagine a millennial staff member. Millennials are notoriously eager for rapid advancement and professional development. As a result, millennials sometimes display extreme self-motivation in order to gain recognition from leadership. However, if they don’t receive that recognition, the employee may become frustrated and eventually look elsewhere for employment. While the employee’s self-motivation wasn’t directly the issue, their expectations for the results of their hard work weren’t met, which caused conflict. (As a side note, keep an eye out for a future article specifically covering millennial performance management.)

 

Obviously, a lack of self-motivation is also a big issue when it comes to professional performance. Warning signs of unmotivated employees include missing deadlines, consistently arriving late to work or leaving early, sub-par work product that doesn’t match the employee’s capabilities, and a lack of interest in advancement or recognition.

 

The key to stabilizing self-motivation is increasing engagement. Inviting both highly-motivated and under-motivated employees to participate in strategy meetings, or asking for employees’ thoughts on business decisions, are two simple ways to increase engagement. The highly-motivated millennial will feel recognized and appreciated, and the unmotivated employee will be forced to engage in the organization’s culture.

 

  • Competitiveness: Friendly competition can be very healthy within an organization, particularly within service-based industries. Programs designed to recognize and reward employees for their achievements are generally received positively.

 

Of course, as we all know, some team members can take competition too far, which can have a negative effect on morale. Imagine an experienced Sales Manager who is responsible for motivating his team of junior salespeople. In doing so, he decides to create a monthly competition for highest billings, in which he also participates. As expected, he wins the award every month, as he’s a much more experienced salesperson than his team members. As a result, his team becomes unmotivated and the competition is counter-productive.

 

Lack of competition can also be detrimental to an organization. Even if your organization is not structured in a way that encourages friendly competition between employees, it’s always possible for employees to compete with their own previous performance.

 

Setting both attainable and stretch goals for team members addresses both of these issues. If an employee’s competitiveness is causing turmoil within your organization, try setting goals for the employee to beat their own records – rather than pitting him/her against peers. Similarly, if an employee is disinterested in competition, or if your organization is not structured to encourage competition, setting personal goals is a great way to increase engagement and motivation.

  • Willingness to Express Thoughts / Confront Issues: Effective self-expression is critical for both personal and professional success. Self-expression also entails many sub-characteristics; for example, some individuals are able to easily express affection, but struggle when expressing anger or dissatisfaction.

 

Both under- and over-expression can cause conflict within an organization. Consider a leader who is constantly expressing new ideas that aren’t fully-conceptualized. A constant barrage of new information can cause team members to become confused regarding the direction of a project, which may result in frustration and slower turnaround times.

 

Alternatively, imagine a leader who is so under-expressive that employees are unsure (or unaware) of their specific role within a team. Further, under-expressive leaders are less likely to confront issues with employees, which can also lead to frustration.

 

An appropriate balance must be reached in each of these scenarios. Coach leadership on best practices for communicating expectations to their team, and try to enforce an open door policy within your organization. If you find that certain leaders under-express anger or gratitude, you may want to consider involving HR in the situation. HR can assist with implementing rewards programs, or step in if a supervisor is consistently unnecessarily harsh.

 

  • Concentration / Awareness: As we discussed in our last article, concentration and awareness are two of the most important characteristics to consider for any position. Concentration is defined by your ability to focus on a specific task at hand, ignoring irrelevant internal and external distractors, while awareness requires constant vigilance of your surroundings. Being highly-focused while also remaining aware is particularly important for high-pressure roles with constantly-changing priorities.

 

As an example, consider an employee who is highly-focused, but lacks awareness. This employee will likely get tunnel vision when tasked with a project, focusing only on that single assignment. While the end work product may be excellent, if the employee is not also aware of other factors, such as upcoming deadlines, their overall performance will likely be negatively impacted.

 

Alternatively, consider an employee who is highly aware, but lacks focus. These types of individuals are more reactive, and may be excellent multi-taskers. However, these individuals may also be prone to starting projects and leaving them unfinished, or starting an assignment with enthusiasm but quickly losing interest. Of course, this will also have a negative effect on performance, particularly if their position requires repetitive work.

 

Increasing concentration or awareness can be difficult. First, consider whether there’s opportunity to maximize each of these profile types’ strengths. For example, the highly-focused employee will likely thrive in a role that requires steadfast attention to detail, such as writing, editing, or data entry. The highly-aware employee is more likely to thrive in roles that require high reactivity and short bursts of focus, such as customer service roles. While it is possible to train employees to improve their awareness or focus, it may also be in the organization’s best interest to assign roles to employees that leverage their inherent strengths in these areas.

 

Maintaining Culture

As you can see, these broad categories consist of endless sub-categories of character traits which define an individual’s overall personality profile. However, if you’re able to identify which behaviors within these categories are most effective for each specific position within your organization, you can then pinpoint which traits are desirable for new hires to possess – and can also implement effective performance management techniques to optimize your current team members’ performance.

If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, consider employees who were particularly successful – or unsuccessful – in each of the roles within your organization. Which characteristics did these employees possess that contributed to their success? Which characteristics would you prefer to avoid in future hires? You can then put together a basic profile for each position, which will increase the efficacy of both your interviewing and talent management techniques.

With this individualized, holistic approach to talent management, you will not only reduce the risk of making bad hires – but will also increase employee engagement, and ultimately construct a corporate culture which continues to positively drive desirable behaviors.

Corporate culture is dynamic and ever-evolving, but with these tools and techniques, you’ll be better-positioned to not only define, but also control and maintain an optimized corporate culture.

 

Coauthor/Shawn G. Baker
President
Cochran, Cochran & Yale
Executive Search & Leadership Advisory
O: 585-785-5728/SHbaker@ccy.com

 

Coauthor/Sarah Hutchins
Legal Recruiter
Cochran, Cochran & Yale
Executive Search & Leadership Advisory
O: 585-785-5726/SHutchins@ccy.com

Plan

Executives Rank Talent Management Among the Top Priorities, Finds Survey Conducted by HR Certification Institute and Dow Jones

Lisa Kelly

 

 

ALEXANDRIA,  Va.,  October  31, 2017 –    Finding   and  keeping  the  right  talent  is critical to financial success yet remains a challenge, finds  new  research  from  HR Certification  Institute ® (HRCI ®), conducted by Dow Jones Customer Intelligence, the research arm of the  Wall  Street Journal.

Of the 300 C-suite executives who participated in the study, The Change Agents , 95 percent say that hiring and retention directly affect the bottom line. And eight out of 10 executives consider human resource management to be a strategic partner to help drive talent strategies across their organizations.

“Finding  the  right  people,  keeping  them  motivated  and  creating  cultures  of  high  performance are among the toughest challenges facing business leaders today,” Amy Dufrane, Ed .D ., SPHR, CAE, the  CEO  of  HRCI.  “To  stay competitive,  companies  must  increasingly  rely on  competent HR teams and  work  harder to  redefine  HR  as a strategic  driver  of  people, innovation  and business performance. ”

Executives agree that there is room for talent management improvement . While 70 percent or more of executives described their companies as “above average” or “industry leaders” in customer satisfaction, profitability, revenue growth and innovation, only 59 percent rank their companies as “above average” or “industry leaders” for attracting and retaining talent . In fact, 41 percent said their organizations were either “average” or “below average” for attracting and retaining talent.

Overall, executives rank “talent strategy and employee engagement” fourth as a top business concern, only behind “financial growth,” “customer experience” and “new technology adoption.”  “Cybersecurity” ranked fifth.

Improving HR skills and knowledge within the organization is also critical.  Seven out of 10 executives say their organizations would benefit from having HR departments with HR certifications, such as those offered by HRCI, that demonstrate professional excellence and commitment to continuous learning.

“There are many talent and leadership concerns that keep executives up at night – from lack of candidates with the right skills and experiences, to succession planning, anticipating future work skills and managing a multi-generational workforce,” Dufrane said.  “The opportunity is for HR to provide expertise and strategic guidance in each of these areas.”

In addition to findings from the research, The Change Agents report also includes HR success stories and executive-level insights on creating high-performance people strategies for sustainable success.

 

About HRCI

The HR Certification Institute (HRCI) mission, helping people and organizations perform better, grows out of a more than 40-year committment to certification rigor and continuous learning excellence aimed at advancing global HR practices.  Just as HRCI has earned its standing as the premier HR certification organization, HRCI-certified professionals have earned reputations for possessing the skills and knowledge needed to mitigate workplace risks and enhance people-driven business results.  The HRCI suite of seven fully accredited credentials include the PHR and SPHR for HR professionals, and teh aPHR for students, early-career HR professionals and non-HR managers, and international certification options.  Learn more about HRCI credentials and group certification programs at https://www.hrci.org.

Attract

Over-Automated Recruitment Process is Leaving Candidates Frustrated

Lisa Kelly

 

 

September 21, 2017 – Eighty two percent of potential employees are often frustrated with an overly automated job search experience, according to a new study by Randstad US. The survey, which examined job seekers’ perceptions, attitudes and expectations of the job search process, revealed that while most candidates find value in technology, they are stymied when it supersedes the human aspect of finding work.

Respondents to the survey expressed their opinions on what role technology should play in the job search process. Ninety five percent of those surveyed agreed that technology should contribute to the recruitment experience but not replace it. Eighty seven percent of respondents, meanwhile, agreed that technology has made the process more impersonal.

“The findings reinforce what we’ve believed for quite some time, that successful talent acquisition lies at the intersection between technology and human touch,” said Linda Galipeau, CEO Randstad North America. “By leveraging emerging technologies, we are able to deliver on our clients’ and candidates’ expectations in a predominately digital world, but with more freedom to focus on the human connection. If done correctly, the right combination of personal interaction with the power of today’s intelligent machines can create an experience that is inherently more human.”

 

Ideal Candidate Experience

New, digital HR solutions and tools drastically change the way people connect to jobs, offering a seamless digital experience that is becoming the price of entry for employers, said Randstad, an HR services and staffing company. The survey found 82 percent of workers agreed that the ideal interaction with a company is one in which innovative technologies are behind the scenes and second to personal, human interaction.

Candidates, in fact, said that when working with staffing or recruitment firms, they found “a company that uses innovative technologies to find me jobs, but puts human interaction first as a priority,” as the most appealing.

 

Human Interaction

Job seekers have become increasingly savvy about what makes a great candidate experience and what leaves them with a less-than-favorable impression, said Randstad US. The study reinforces anecdotal evidence from the firm’s recruiters, who say that candidates want greater human interaction despite their self-reported belief that technology has made the job search process more effective.

When asked about their last job search that contributed to a positive impression of a would-be employer, respondents tended to focus on personal interaction. They named “the degree of personal, human interaction during the process,” and “the recruiter/ hiring manager I worked with,” as having most influenced their positive impression.

Ninety one percent of workers agreed that technology has made the job search process significantly more effective. Yet they also mentioned “the length of the hiring process” and “the communication level throughout the selection process” as the top two aspects of job searching that gave them a negative impression of a potential employer. And that impression has lasting effects: The survey found that one third of workers who had a negative experience during their job search said they would never reapply to the organization, nor refer a friend or family member to the company.

“Employers today, and in the future, will be judged by the experience they create for prospective new hires,” said Ms. Galipeau. “Job candidates are empowered to provide instant feedback on employers, rating a company’s candidate experience just as they would rate a movie or a product. In a tightening labor market, companies cannot afford to lose potential talent due to a poor hiring experience. And in a technology-driven world of talent, it’s not only about how a company markets itself, but what others say about the company that has a positive impact on employer branding.”

Randstad sheds light on four benefits of working with a recruiter in a technology-driven world:

1) Access to ‘Hidden’ Jobs

According to Randstad’s Workplace 2025 study, more than eight in 10 employers are expected to rely on staffing agencies to meet their talent needs by 2025. Employers realize the importance of leaving job openings in the hands of recruiters who will connect them with the right applicants on a more personal level, the firm said. Recruiters, in fact, are often tasked by companies to hire for positions not advertised to the masses.

2) Customizing Your Resume

Recruiters are resume specialists and can show you how to write a resume by suggesting the right keywords, skills and qualifications to include, said Randstad. A recruiting firm can help you optimize one’s resume to industry leaders who use applicant tracking systems. A resume can be seen as a virtual handshake and recruiters can provide the right advice to make a strong first impression.

3) Act As Your Career Agent

It’s difficult cutting through the noise of job boards, promotional ads and social media channels to find the right job. Your time and energy is valuable and best invested in a seasoned recruiter to speed up your search, the firm said. Not only can recruiters select opportunities fit for your hard skills, but they can present roles that align with your goals, workplace expectations and values.

4) Recruiters Want to See You Succeed

Finding meaningful jobs for people provides recruiters with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, Randstad said. Your success is their success and it brings them joy to take the job journey with you.

 

An Executive Recruiter Weighs In

“Candidates depend on recruitment firms not just to facilitate the administrative tasks but to provide real insights on the hiring company and the process,” said Drew Desky, managing partner of New York-based executive search firm Rand Thompson Consultants. “It is important for candidates to understand why the potential employer is hiring in the first place and to understand what situations they might be walking into. By having a good grasp on the underlying issues, a candidate is more likely to ultimately be a successful long term hire.”

 

Feedback Loop

Today’s challenge is no longer identifying and sourcing candidates, but getting their attention. To do this, organizations are highly focused on perception. They are anxious about what’s being said about their workplace environment and culture. Social media forums that were once used by disgruntled employees are now channels for job candidates to seek balanced information about companies. Past, present and future employees, it seems, are all in one giant feedback loop – and their opinions matter more now than at any other time.

In a recent Mullin International online poll, off-boarded employees have been shown to have increasing influence over prospective employees’ decisions to either approach or avoid a company. In fact, more than four out of five respondents said they were increasingly concerned about exiting employees’ impressions. Effective outplacement can minimize the negative effects of downsizing on company reputations.

Similarly, Mr. Desky noted, “there are specific functions that recruitment firms provide to their clients that technology can’t replace. If there has been recent news on an employer that is less than favorable, or bumps along the process, a recruiter can overcome candidates’ initial objections through an in-depth conversation. This can require a good amount of dialogue. A recruiter can empathize with a candidate and talk through the issue to see whether the roadblock is real or just perceived.”

Ultimately, the trust or frustration that a candidate develops in the hiring process carries over into feelings for the potential employer, he said. “Employers and candidates should both look to optimize the emotions that inevitably arise is the search, interview, and negotiating stages of the process,” Mr. Desky added. “At Rand Thompson, our candidates, as well as our clients, look for feedback and guidance at various stages of the hiring process. As each process and candidate are different, we find search is truly a personalized relationship business, and communication is key.”

 

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

Develop

PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Presence

Lisa Kelly

Developing a strong personal brand is vital for career advancement, instilling confidence within your team, and building credibility within your industry space – among other advantages. Like corporations, individuals must build and maintain a brand that aligns past experiences, future expectations, and core areas of expertise in order to stand apart from the competition.

How can you determine your own personal brand? You might start by asking yourself what others are likely to say about you when you’re not in the room. How would you like to reinforce – or change – those perceptions?

Personal Brand Equity (PBE) is a hot topic, particularly in commoditized service-based industries, and is surely a subject that thought leaders will continue to dissect with the rising popularity of social media. At Cochran, Cochran & Yale, we offer leadership development services that can help you make the most out of your personal branding. Keep an eye out for a full-length article discussing best procedures for optimizing PBE as part of our upcoming Professional Development series.

In the meantime, let’s examine how you can optimize your brand through the world’s most popular professional networking site, LinkedIn:

  1. Don’t get lost in the digital fog: LinkedIn currently has about 500 million users world-wide, and is growing at a rate of about 2 new users per second. Of those, 106 million users are active each month. Recognize that building an online presence doesn’t just require you to create a profile – you must also actively manage, maintain, and grow your online presence. Just like your resume, it’s important to keep your LinkedIn profile updated with your current position, description of responsibilities, and any professional recognition, at a bare minimum.
  2. Build your network: Like networking events, LinkedIn is a platform to not only foster existing relationships, but also to make new connections and expand your professional reach. Have you managed to build and maintain a network of followers, peers, trusted advisers, and influencers? If not, spend some time going through your Outlook directory – or Rolodex – to make sure you’re connected to all of your key contacts. As an added bonus, when you add a new contact to your LinkedIn network, you gain limited access to their connections, furthering your reach.
  3. Create compelling content: Once you’ve created an accurate, focused LinkedIn profile and sent all your connection requests, consider creating content to distinguish yourself as a thought leader in your space. Professionals across all industries and levels are using LinkedIn as a personal platform to share passion projects, innovative ideas, and industry updates. Creating content starts conversations that lead to networking and professional opportunities.
  4. Stand out: As you continue to build and maintain your brand, examine leaders that you admire within your industry space. What, specifically, is it about these professional idols that sets them apart in your mind, and how can you capture and re-create those differentiators in your own branding?

For more specific tips on optimizing your personal brand on LinkedIn, or to discuss general brand management tips, contact Shawn Baker at shbaker@ccy.com.

Retain

Benefits of Measuring Culture

Lisa Kelly

 

  1. Make better hires: An informed interviewer will not only understand your organization’s corporate culture, but will also know which questions to ask during interviews to best determine a candidate’s cultural fit.
  2. Ensure alignment from day one: Determine which of your staff members are champions for your branding and corporate strategy. Who on your team just seems to ‘get it?’ Assigning those ambassadors as peer mentors to new hires improves alignment between new staff members and your culture.
  3. Measure performance: If you have a clear understanding of the top characteristics or behaviors that drive success within your organization, you can measure a new hire’s strength – or weakness – in each of those areas. For best results, a new hire’s performance in key areas should continue to be monitored against a peer group in order to best monitor progress.
  4. Create effective performance plans: Once you’ve established consistent methods of measuring performance, you can then implement informed, effective performance management techniques to fully optimize your team’s success.

 

News

Leader Board #8

Lisa Kelly

How to plan for, attract, develop and retain great performers

 

Welcome to the eighth issue of The Leader Board. In this issue we look at the upcoming Fall 2017 recruitment trends and the possibility of a potential hiring boom!  Also, we are sharing a professional development article titled Top Business Leaders & Athletes Learn to Shift Awareness to Maximize Performance that we think is well worth the read.  We will also introduce you to a new search strategy for career seekers that includes ways to optimize the process.

 

 

Are you prepared to hire this fall?

 

The nationwide study from CareerBuilder revealed that 60 percent of companies are hiring full-time, part-time and temporary or contract workers from July 1st through December 31st which is up from 50 percent last year. Thirty-six percent of employers plan to hire part-time, permanent employees (up from 29%), and 46 percent plan to hire temporary or contract workers (up from 32% last year). So how can you compete in an already challenging talent market?

First, be prepared to hire! We have seen that the number of candidates not accepting job offers has increased significantly, and our research shows the length to the hiring process is their first complaint. Candidate’s second complaint was alignment within the management team, and those involved in hiring process were not on the same page. Sharp candidates will pick up on this cultural defect and run for the hills! Candidate’s last complaint was compensation. DO YOUR RESEARCH, and don’t offer below market or the candidate’s current compensation package. Both scenarios can quickly tarnish a brands reputation.

We are launching a special webinar series that will cover optimizing your recruitment processes. In addition, we will share our 38 year old secrets on candidate attraction and getting top talent to the finish line.

1.    Strategy & the importance of planning
2.    Target Profile, the importance of research
3.    Compensation package
4.    THE SECRET(s)
5.    Assessments & screenings
6.    Line managers- training, communicate and hold accountable
7.    Data and how to use it

 

REGISTER for a FREE WEBINAR

 

 

Top Business Leaders Learn to Shift Awareness to Maximize Performance

 

From a psychological viewpoint, there are two types of sports – closed and open – and many top athletes must thrive under both systems. A closed sport is one such as golf, where the participant can use internal focus, as they have the opportunity to spend a little more time analyzing before execution with no opponents attempting to distract them. In open sports such as football, the athlete must contend with the actions of another team. Basketball is the example of a sport that’s open most of the time, but closed when a player makes free throws with no one waving hands in their face.

Business executives are, like basketball players, sometimes in an open “sport” and sometimes in a closed “sport”. That is why they must constantly be able to shift awareness as needed. Occasionally they have the time and luxury to write a speech or plan a presentation while at other times they are confronted by the unexpected actions of a competitor – and the clock is always running.

Some executives need to hone their skills at intentional attention shifting in order to stay on top of all possible threats and opportunities. Here is  a simple drill I give my high-performance business executives and athletes to sharpen that skill:

Read More

 

Keys to Optimizing Your Job Search and Getting Hired

Keys to optimizing your job search and getting hired.

Still less than 20% of all jobs posted are successful filled on job boards, so why would you even consider this strategy?
Cold Calling is an option. If you have identified one or more organizations, that you believe offer the ideal work and environment, but they do not have a position posted, you can cold call.  Using available information, or your network for an introduction, you can send your resume and a cover letter requesting a call or visit to learn more about the company and to introduce yourself for future consideration.  Many businesses will make “opportunity hires” when they meet a great person and know they will have a need, but don’t have an open position quite yet.
We are launching a special webinar series that will cover optimizing your job search and how to get hired. In addition, we will share our insider secrets on how to get noticed quicker.
We literally get thousands of emails and calls a week from job seekers asking us to review credentials. One common theme we see is boring resumes, introductions and quite frankly a waste of email space. “The Game” has changed on how to get in front of people and if you are not playing the “game” correctly, you cannot win. In my free webinar to job seekers, or those looking how to proceed up the ranks, I will share the secrets we have learned after nearly 40 years in his business.
1.    The game has changed
2.    Research
3.    Strategy
4.    The Secret ingredients & “Money Ball”
5.    Focus on the Process
6.    Resumes

 

REGISTER for a FREE WEBINAR

(more…)

News, Press Release

Top Business Leaders Learn to Shift Awareness to Maximize Performance

Lisa Kelly

 

Dr. Nick Molinaro, Ed.D., P.C.

As I have explained in this previous post regarding my work as a licensed psychologist with high-level athletes, awareness and focus are critical. Those same mental skills serve the leadership skills of the exceptionally performing business leaders I work with as well. Let’s drill a little deeper into how the performance abilities of both groups align.

From a psychological viewpoint, there are two types of sports – closed and open – and many top athletes must thrive under both systems. A closed sport is one such as golf, where the participant can use internal focus, as they have the opportunity to spend a little more time analyzing before execution with no opponents attempting to distract them. In open sports such as football, the athlete must contend with the actions of another team. Basketball is the example of a sport that’s open most of the time, but closed when a player makes free throws with no one waving hands in their face.

Business executives are, like basketball players, sometimes in an open “sport” and sometimes a closed “sport”. That is why they must constantly be able to shift awareness as needed. Occasionally they have the time and luxury to write a speech or plan a presentation while at other times they’re confronted by the unexpected actions of a competitor – and the clock is always running.

Some executives need to hone their skills at intentional attention shifting in order to stay on top of all possible threats and opportunities. Here’s a simple drill I give my high-performance business executives and athletes to sharpen that skill:

Focus on a specific point on the wall. What do you see? Maybe it’s a painting or a window or simply a crack in the plaster. Fix that vision in your mind, then, without moving your eyes, shift your visual attention to the left. To the right. Up. Down. Until you consciously shifted your attention you were probably unaware that there was anything to see beyond your original target.

It can be tempting to rivet your focus on that one detail that most needs your immediate attention and to ignore everything else. The drill serves as a reminder that there’s always something going on just off your initial point of reference. For example, while a competitor who comes out of nowhere is aggressively challenging your main product line, your IT system is growing obsolete. It makes a great deal of sense that the immediate threat should occupy most of your attention, but that side issue is also very important.

For instance, consider a quarterback with a laser focus on a downfield receiver. He is so intent on delivering the ball and scoring a touchdown that he doesn’t see that the other team’s safety is gaining ground quickly on his guy. That just-out-of-focus threat might be relatively small right now, but it could be huge in the next couple seconds. This concept can also be applied to a golfer who is so consumed with studying the terrain between her ball and the hole that she doesn’t notice that the wind has subtly picked up or changed directions.

As you develop your intentional shifting of awareness skills, you won’t lose sight of your most immediate concerns, but neither will you ignore tomorrow’s potential risk or opportunity that’s just barely in view.

If you’d like to know more about business leadership development, please contact Shawn Baker, President, Cochran, Cochran & Yale, 585-785-5728, Shbaker@ccy.com.

Press Release

Cochran, Cochran & Yale Named by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Recruiting Firms”

likeaboss

 

Rochester, NY: Rochester based executive search firm Cochran, Cochran & Yale has been named by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Recruiting Firms” in Executive Search for 2017. As the only firm located in Upstate New York to be awarded this prestigious title, Cochran, Cochran & Yale is honored to have been selected and share this title with some of the best firms throughout the country.

“With over 35 years in the executive search business, CCY has strived to not only meet, but exceed our clients as well as job seeker’s expectations,” says President Shawn Baker. “Our model focuses around not just finding the top talent, but developing professionals into leaders that are needed for businesses to experience sustainable growth.”

CCY serves organizations in financial services, banking, manufacturing, not for profit, healthcare, life sciences, consumer goods, professional services, technology, and sales and marketing. Through a Plan, Attract, Develop, and Retain model, services are custom-fit to any workforce performance need, capable of supporting both large industry and small start-up employers throughout the entire human capital life cycle.

Featured services include: Executive Recruitment, Management Consulting, HR Consulting, Onboarding & Leadership Development, Career Coaching, Strategic Testing & Assessments, and Career Transition Services.

For media inquiries contact:

 

Shawn Baker                                               
President
Office: 585.785.5728
Email: shbaker@ccy.com

News

Cochran, Cochran & Yale’s Expanded Offerings Allow Businesses to Focus on Maximizing Success & Growth

Lisa Kelly

 

 

 Rochester, NY – May 1, 2017: For over 35 years, Cochran, Cochran & Yale has stood the test of time and it is certainly not a coincidence.  By understanding the trends in the marketplace and not just talking the talk, but walking the walk as a successful executive recruitment and leadership advisory firm, Cochran, Cochran & Yale has identified what makes organizations “tick.”

Through analysis of economic and workplace trends, Cochran, Cochran & Yale is proud to announce expanded offerings that are helping organizations that were once unable to attract and retain top talent now not only secure, but also develop the professionals needed to experience sustainable growth.

Featured services include: Management Consulting, HR Consulting, Onboarding & Leadership Development, Career Coaching, Strategic Testing & Assessments, and Career Transition Services.

“Any HR professional or recruiter can identify a warm body to fill a position, but what makes CCY’s offerings unique is that we are partnering with our clients to identify not only their hiring needs, but deal with the issues in their workplace that may be holding them back,” says Christina Maley Higley, Director of Leadership Advisory Services.

She continues: “With the face of the workforce changing, including issues pertaining to millennial talent and generational divides for example, businesses are looking for stability and growth through employee satisfaction and retention.  Our offerings allow us to partner with our clients to not only identify top talent through our strategic recruitment process, but also provide extensive onboarding and leadership development for every employee. From day one we are strengthening the talent while helping to create harmony among employees of varying backgrounds.”

Cochran, Cochran & Yale has found through their proprietary processes and proactive partnership approach to recruitment and HR, they are able to achieve unmatched results in the industry.  Retention rates alone through these proven offerings is exceptional with 93 percent of placements remaining with clients beyond four years from the start of their employment.

“Our clients are seeing with our placements alone a 9x return on investment in our services,” says President Shawn Baker. “We are here to be our client’s trusted partner and they know they can rely on us when it’s crunch time.”

“As a result, our clients are able to focus on the strategies, functions, and priorities that maximize their organization’s success and growth, while we focus on fueling the people that drive their business,” he adds.  “They are able to dedicate their valuable time to what they do best, while we do what we do best.”

He continues: “Our clients who experience the most value and impact in our services use CCY proactively and consistently.  Through allowing us to do what we do best regularly for them, we are able to help them create highly engaged, extremely productive workforces that boost profitability.  It is a win-win for everyone.”

 

About Cochran, Cochran & Yale: CCY serves organizations in financial services, banking, manufacturing, not for profit, healthcare, life sciences, consumer goods, professional services, technology, and sales and marketing.  Through a Plan, Attract, Develop, and Retain model, services are custom-fit to any workforce performance need, capable of supporting both large industry and small start-up employers throughout the entire human capital life cycle.

 

For more information or media inquiries contact:


Shawn Baker                                                     
President
Office: 585.785.5728
Email: shbaker@ccy.com

Develop

Personal Brand is Everything. What is Yours on LinkedIn?

likeaboss

With over 470 million users and growing on LinkedIn, making a profile that stands out and is memorable for the right reasons is key.

 

With 94% of recruiters searching for job candidates on the largest business and employment-oriented social networking site, this naturally for millions of users also is home to their personal and professional brand.  For many years, we referred to our brand as our “reputation” and this reputation was built face-to-face.  These days, first impressions are most likely to be formed online and LinkedIn is often the first place people “meet” you.  Knowing this, what are some things you can do to make sure your first impression is the best impression on LinkedIn?

 

  • Professional Photos are Everything

In a 2016 LinkedIn survey, it was found that your profile is 21 times more likely to be viewed if you have a LinkedIn photo that is not only visible, but done well.  “First impressions are everything,” says President of Cochran, Cochran and Yale Shawn Baker.  “When I am seeking candidates on LinkedIn I am more likely to reach out to someone who comes off in their picture as not only professional, but personable.”  He adds: “I am more likely to skip over profiles without a picture or those who don’t look put together.”  Experts say that if you can afford a professional photo, it may be the best investment you can make for your personal brand and self-confidence.  Get rid of cropped photos, poor quality pictures, or those with you hanging out at the beach (that is unless you are a pro surfer).

 

  • Create a Catchy and Strategic Headline.

LinkedIn headlines create first impressions and are the keywords that allow recruiters to find you.  It is important when creating a strong headline to be specific about who you are and what you do.  It is important to incorporate relevant words and use industry appropriate terminology.  If you are unemployed, avoid using that word in your headline.  Your headline should help convey your value and what you can bring to an organization, not what you aren’t doing at the moment.

 

  • Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Recommendations

Getting recommendations from your LinkedIn network as well as Featured Skills/Endorsements let others talk highly about you, while allowing you to not seem overly boastful.  Ask for recommendations just after completing a project or when you receive an award.  Make your request by giving someone a call and thanking them for taking the time to do so.

 

  • Manage your Featured Skills and Endorsements

According to a 2016 LinkedIn study, users who display five or more skills are messaged 31 times more and viewed 17 times more than those who do not.  Wow!  So as meaningless as endorsements may seem, they do bring more attention to profiles.  It is all about credibility.  When someone is willing to endorse you for your skills this shows others that you know what you are talking about.

 

  • Don’t Be Afraid to Post Videos, Photos, and Projects

Consider LinkedIn your online portfolio or to show others just how good you are at what you do.  LinkedIn makes it so easy to post pictures, videos, or projects under the Experience, Education, or Summary sections. They also allow you to customize a background banner for your profile where you can put an image that represents you or what you do for a living.  Showing others what you do hands down is the best way to promote your brand and draw attention to your profile.  People will feel engaged and want to start a conversation.

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