June 2006 Vol 3; No.5

The Helm Report:  Tools, Tips, & Techniques for avoiding hiring mistakes and developing people.

Published on the second Thursday of each month

Barbara Otto, Editor (mail to mailto:botto@helmtest.com

Visit us online at http://www.helmtest.com/

Word count for this issue – 1874

Approximate time to read =  9 1/2 minutes

Dear Friend,

Next week, I will be traveling to California to visit with some of you there, and specifically to do some training for hiring managers with a new client in how to use the Performance Profile Report and the Professional Development Guide to help make great hiring decisions.  I'm looking forward to meeting people so that I can put faces with names and voices!  Naturally, I will still be looking at all Performance Profiles and I am always reachable by phone through my office number (800-886-4356.)  Is on-site training something you'd be interested in as well?  Get in touch with me so we can talk further about it! 

Here’s a situation you may have encountered:  You have just wrapped up your presentation of a great new idea that will save the company lots of money and increase productivity.  Fred raises his hand and says,  “Do you realize how much money it will take to make the changes you have suggested?  Where in the heck is that money going to come from?  This will never work.”  Fred, who is known as “Mr. Negativity,” is always the first one to point out why anyone’s idea won’t work, why any new program is doomed to fail, why anyone’s argument is full of holes.

“What’s Wrong With this Picture?”

Fred’s tendency to look at any picture and find what’s wrong with it has a devastating effect on his team’s morale and on several of its more creative individuals.  Charlie is the team’s creative thinker and he now tends just to keep his mouth shut in brainstorming meetings for fear of being nit-picked to death by Fred.  Several other team members are looking around for reassignment to another team just to get away from Fred’s negativity.

In order to deal with Fred’s tendency to always focus on the problems associated with any course of action, let’s get inside Fred’s head and look at the world from his perspective.  Fred sees himself as the designated “devil’s advocate” in any situation.  He feels that he has a keen eye for spotting problems, far keener than most people.  He sees himself as unique in that he can spot the flaws in an argument and the unseen problems in a new procedure when others don’t seem able to do so.  He feels that his superior ability to trouble-shoot means that he is the reason that things go right, when they do.  Therefore, he feels that his is the lone voice of reason and insight into the workings of things, and that he often saves the day by spotting “what is wrong with this picture.”  Because of this, he also feels that it is his duty to speak up very directly about what he sees as both real and potential problems.  Fred often feels greatly unappreciated.

Objectively speaking, his ability to spot problems is a valuable asset.  The problem is that Fred is not as tactful about presenting his view as he needs to be.  His devils-advocate style tends to come across as too negative, and this sometimes feels like a personal attack to the person on the receiving end of it.  Dealing with Fred’s problem, therefore, should not entail trying to squash his ability to spot problems; instead, it means helping him find a more positive way to express his insights so that they don’t sound like a “gotcha!”

The Road to Heck (And Other Warm Spots) Is Paved With Good Intentions

Remember that regardless of how negative Fred sounds, he usually has the best of intentions.  He feels the best way for him to make a positive contribution is to point out any oversights or flaws that could torpedo the project.  In his enthusiasm to show everyone that he is doing his part, however, he is too blunt.  He tends to focus too much on the problem and not enough on the negative effect of how he expresses himself. 

When confronted with the possibility that his outburst may have hurt Sally’s feelings, he will say something like, “I wasn’t criticizing Sally; I was criticizing her idea.  Sally has some great ideas, but that one was stupid.”  Fred needs to realize that many people take it personally if you are too pointed, blunt, or critical about their ideas.  Blunt criticism often looks, and feels, like an attack.  And saying, “I was just trying to help you see that your idea isn’t going to work” usually doesn’t help.

A Re-Frame For Fred

People own their ideas.  Many people take what they perceive as criticism very personally.  Therefore, when Fred spots a problem with another’s idea, he first needs to recognize the time and effort the person put into the idea, even if both the time and effort were relatively small.  He can say something like, “Sally, it’s obvious you put some thought into this proposal.”  This is a fairly neutral statement.  Fred hasn’t said that he likes or dislikes the proposal, merely that he recognizes the effort behind it.

Next, Fred needs to acknowledge his own perspective before moving to what he sees as “the problem,” rather than stating his opinion as if it were solemn truth.  He should say something like, “It seems to me there is a missing piece here…” or “I may be wrong about this, but….”  Note that in using this approach he is not saying that the proposal is bad.  He is merely offering his perspective.

Now Fred can talk about “the problem” by asking a question about it, rather than making a negative sounding statement.  Rather than saying, “You didn’t think about where the money for this project was going to come from,” he could say, “I have a question about the budget for this project,” or “I’m not sure I understand how the budget will be handled.” 

Acknowledging Fred’s good intentions and his value to the team as a trouble-shooter are the first steps in helping him improve the manner in which he brings his valuable “what’s wrong with this picture” perspective to the team.  His valuable problem-spotting ability can be salvaged by helping him see that the problem is not so much what he says, as it is the way in which he says it.

Points to Keep in Mind

• Helping Fred develop a more effective personal style is a long-term project.  One conversation with him won’t do the trick.
• Although at times Fred looks (and feels) like a major pain, he is operating from good intentions.  Speak to his good intentions first and he is much more likely to be open to changing his style.
• Do all coaching of Fred on this subject in one-to-one meetings, never in front of his coworkers.

A long-time client writes:

“We got a Performance Profile Report for Joe Jones (not his real name) who is applying for an outside sales position.  The Profile Report looked great and Joe really impressed us in his interviews with his no-nonsense, straightforward manner (his Assertiveness is “9” and Friendliness is “3”) which is just what the sales department needs.  The problem is that his boss will be Bill Smith (also not his real name.)   Bill completed a Profile about six months ago and it showed what we know only too well – he is bright, very pleasant and easy to get along with, but not very assertive.  Bill was an adequate salesman who had difficulty closing sales, but he is a good sales manager.  Our concern is that Joe’s assertiveness will seem threatening to Bill, and he may get even by sabotaging Joe.  Are we right to be concerned?”

And The Answer Is:

Yes, you are.  I reviewed Bill’s Performance Profile Report and his low rating on Objectivity (“3”) suggests that he is indeed sensitive and tends to take things personally.  His Assertiveness rating is also low (“2”) and that suggests he would be reluctant to stand up to what he sees as confrontation.  So, the odds that he will be threatened by Joe’s more direct, no-nonsense manner are great, unless something is done to de-fuse the issue.

First, it is probably not realistic to expect either Joe or Bill to change in some fundamental way.  Both of these guys are fully mature adults and, as Popeye would say, they pretty much “am what they am.”  All is not lost, however, because what can change are their expectations for, and their behavior with, each other.

Have them sit down with each other and go through their Professional Development Guides, comparing their respective ratings on each characteristic.  Coach each of them beforehand on their differences on the “Assertiveness” characteristic.  Emphasize that neither rating is right or wrong; they are merely different.  The difference means that each will have a different way of dealing with difficult issues.  When he interacts with Bill, Joe needs to tone down his no-nonsense style.  And Bill needs to learn to focus on what Joe is saying and not get distracted by the way in which he says it. 

Emphasize that the two of them will have to work on this every time they interact.  One or two conversations won’t be sufficient to de-fuse this difference in style.  In particular, they both need to be aware that in high pressure situations they will tend to use their preferred style without even being aware of it, and so they need to be extra vigilant when either or both are tired or under pressure.

Monitor their progress on this issue and immediately bring any backsliding to the guilty party’s attention, one-on-one, of course.

Learn More About Your Applicants’ “Smarts!”

The Intelligence rating on the Performance Profile Report is based on the results of the General Information Appraisal (GIA).   The GIA is the first test of the three that make up the Performance Profile. I developed and validated the General Information Appraisal many years ago, and I recently re-analyzed it based on approximately 8,000 manager applicants and 20,000 hourly applicants.  This new analysis allowed us to develop more detailed information about how a person’s practical intelligence will show itself on the job.

The New “General Information Appraisal Report”

This more in-depth information is contained in a new, one-page report, called the “General Information Appraisal Report” which you are now able to receive automatically, if you choose to do so.   The “General Information Appraisal Report will give you the following information, based on the applicant’s tested level of practical intelligence.

• The applicant’s Score which can range from 0 to 100 (100 is a perfect score)  
• A descriptive explanation of the Score – what it will mean in terms of behavior on the job
• A rating of the individual’s ability to learn
• A descriptive explanation of the individual’s style of learning and working
• A rating of the level of supervision the individual will likely require
• Training tips that are customized for this person

Click anywhere in this sentence to see a sample of the new report.  If you would like to receive this report automatically for all future Performance Profiles, please call Barbara Otto at our toll-free help line: 800-886-4356, or send her an email at botto@helmtest.com.

Test Hourly Employees for “Practical Intelligence”

Practical intelligence is preferable in hourly employees as well as managers.  Smart employees are more productive, have fewer problems and make better decisions.  Why not use the GIA to test your hourly employees? 

The GIA is available as a stand-alone test for use with hourly employees.  We can set up a special Log In ID and password that will administer the GIA and automatically send you the report. 

For an investment of $3 or less per person, you can know – before you hire them – what each new employee’s practical intelligence, learning style, and training needs are.  As a stand-alone test, the GIA is sold on a pre-paid basis; the more you buy, the less each one costs.  This link will take you to our web site where you can see pricing and order information.

The General Information Appraisal Report will give you a better understanding of a new employee’s practical intelligence, as well as giving you useful tips for training and working with him or her!  Please call me (800-886-4356) or email me (khelm@helmtest.com) if you have any questions about the General Information Appraisal Report.

Remember, people are your most important asset!

To hire the best, test!

            To reveal management potential, test!

To diagnose problem behavior, test!

Best regards,

Kurt G. Helm, Ph.D.

Phone Toll Free 800-886-4356

Email:   khelm@helmtest.com

Website:    http://www.helmtest.com/

© 2006, Kurt G. Helm, Ph.D.  All rights reserved.  You are allowed to use material from this newsletter in whole or in part provided that you include attribution in the following form:  “By Kurt G. Helm, Ph.D., of Helm and Associates, Inc.  Please visit our website at http://www.helmtest.com/ for more information about how to avoid hiring mistakes by using pre-employment testing as part of the applicant evaluation procedure.”