Recently, people have been emailing me and commenting on the phenomenal "things" I'm doing. They vow they will at some point have an opportunity to meet me and attest that they admire people who know their subject matter so well. They never actually point to anything specific. Given the feedback that comes to me from industry colleagues, I'm mystified but also flattered.
Last night I talked with a colleague. We laughed a little at the fact that we seem to be moving in tandem with one another. What precipitated the actual phone conversation was my accepting one request for a connection on a networking site. With accepting the one request, I was provided a river of other requests for connecting and networking opportunities. I shared this experience with the colleague. He confirmed that people have been waiting to connect with me because they admire what I've been doing and how I've been doing it.
The first step is learn everything possible about your industry. Learn the knowledge, the principles, the practices, the players. It's important to get to a point where you see relationships to what you're doing in everyday occurrences and can adequately articulate those connections.
Then, like going into a good dress store, start trying on the various suits and look at how they drape your form as it relates to the foundations that brought you to the recruiting industry. Not everyone does the same thing (thank God) and not everyone has the same specialty. Not everyone has the same interests or strengths. So get to know who you are in the spectrum of things. It's fine to start broad and then start narrowing. Most tailors do this in order to get the best fit.
The next important thing is to focus on the business side of things. Personality conflicts and competition have no room for life in this industry but they seem to be the mainstays of a large percentage of the industry. Focus on what you need to do and what you do. Produce commendable content and results. Charge a reasonable price for what you do.
With all of the factors surrounding your feet, it's time to start picking up the right things in order to create the correct suit for you and then wear and market it. As you go, you will meet streams of people. People, especially in the recruiting industry, are extremely important. They learn who you are, they talk about what you can do, they refer you or recommend you, the ask that you be assigned to work on a project. Thus, people are worth being more than a name in the rolodex, excuse me, contact list. It's important to build relationships with people.
Those who could be competitors can also be alliances, collaborators, who recommend you or help you complete an assignment because it cannot be done by one person. Sort out who is trustworthy and ethical. Form a good bond with them. Return the favor and courtesies.
There's probably more. That will have to come at a later date. This is sufficient for now.
recruiting, alliances, education, industry knowledge, focus,
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
Gardening and Growing a Business
I'm trying to grow a few things right now. Sometimes there are growth spurts and sometimes there is drop off. I'm not happy with the results I'm getting. But as I contemplate the many efforts and their results, I remember the many times I started a garden. Then I remember the lessons of my Zen days and realize everything in this Life is akin to Nature and if we think in terms of how Nature deals with circumstances, we're certain to come up with natural solutions and success.
In the case of the garden, whether seeds or seedlings, there was the planting period after preparing the soil. After the planting was watering in order to help the new babies take to their new environment. Proper sunlight was needed as well as the correct temperature. And the most important element of all was the proper amount of attention.
Too much water would drown my babies. Likewise, too little water and they quickly turned into crispy crinkles for the dumpster. Watching them too closely amounted to wasting time. But I tried to tell myself that they were benefitting from the carbon dioxide I was breathing on them. My rational mind said that was a fallacy But leaving them unattended for too long was just about the same as forgetting to water.
During my Zen period, someone gave me three tomato plants. The donor insisted that we feed the plants as soon as they went into the ground so they would have a solid start. In order to keep peace and appease the person's ego, I acquiesced. The plants never got fed again. They got a weekly watering along with the other herbs and that was that. But the tomatoes grew to 2.5 times the size of a tennis ball. The vines looped over themselves three times. And I had tomatoes by the bushel. You might say their conditions were super optimized. They were larger than the neighbor who was a prize tomato grower. They were larger than the ones produced by the donor. It was obvious as you looked at their faces that they tried in vain to find something to say about the size of those tomatoes and their volume to cast a pall on their quality. There was no denying the quality in any regard.
On the other hand, I kept attempting to start impatiens in the edges of the rose garden. I used 4-inch pots. I used 10-inch pots. I used rooted cuttings. Healthy mounds were given to me in half-gallon pots. Nothing worked. It wasn't from lack of conditions. The gardener would hoe the rose garden even when I asked him not to do so and he would then chop up the impatien starts. I would show him where the starts were located and ask him to hoe around them. It did no good. I put notes on the plants and pinned them to the leaves with straight pins. It did no good. Sometimes you have people who are receiving instructions from two sources and one overrides the other. Nevertheless, the impatiens received too much attention with conflicting purposes.
As a consultant, there will be projects that seem to jettison themselves into outrageous success with the least amount of effort. Just some occasional attention is fine; the initial elements were properly prepared to allow their acceptance and growth. Those will be the cash cows. Be thankful for them.
There will be other projects that are like the impatiens. No matter what you do to protect and nurture them, they will be destroyed. Then it's time to examine which parties are involved with the project both internally and externally. Get rid of the external interference as quickly as possible. Be polite; be firm; stop the destruction. As for the internal party(ies), tell them you've decided to put the project exclusively into the hands of one person and no one else will have access. You may want to embellish a bit by letting them know they'll be considered for other projects in the future. However, your main focus is regaining control of the environment and keeping your product safe from destructive designs.
As for that one person who will be in control of the project, you're now wondering who that should be. Who do you trust most, more than anyone else. Yes, that's the person who'll be in control of the project.
Technorati: development, preparation, nurturing, control, destruction, success,
In the case of the garden, whether seeds or seedlings, there was the planting period after preparing the soil. After the planting was watering in order to help the new babies take to their new environment. Proper sunlight was needed as well as the correct temperature. And the most important element of all was the proper amount of attention.
Too much water would drown my babies. Likewise, too little water and they quickly turned into crispy crinkles for the dumpster. Watching them too closely amounted to wasting time. But I tried to tell myself that they were benefitting from the carbon dioxide I was breathing on them. My rational mind said that was a fallacy But leaving them unattended for too long was just about the same as forgetting to water.
During my Zen period, someone gave me three tomato plants. The donor insisted that we feed the plants as soon as they went into the ground so they would have a solid start. In order to keep peace and appease the person's ego, I acquiesced. The plants never got fed again. They got a weekly watering along with the other herbs and that was that. But the tomatoes grew to 2.5 times the size of a tennis ball. The vines looped over themselves three times. And I had tomatoes by the bushel. You might say their conditions were super optimized. They were larger than the neighbor who was a prize tomato grower. They were larger than the ones produced by the donor. It was obvious as you looked at their faces that they tried in vain to find something to say about the size of those tomatoes and their volume to cast a pall on their quality. There was no denying the quality in any regard.
On the other hand, I kept attempting to start impatiens in the edges of the rose garden. I used 4-inch pots. I used 10-inch pots. I used rooted cuttings. Healthy mounds were given to me in half-gallon pots. Nothing worked. It wasn't from lack of conditions. The gardener would hoe the rose garden even when I asked him not to do so and he would then chop up the impatien starts. I would show him where the starts were located and ask him to hoe around them. It did no good. I put notes on the plants and pinned them to the leaves with straight pins. It did no good. Sometimes you have people who are receiving instructions from two sources and one overrides the other. Nevertheless, the impatiens received too much attention with conflicting purposes.
As a consultant, there will be projects that seem to jettison themselves into outrageous success with the least amount of effort. Just some occasional attention is fine; the initial elements were properly prepared to allow their acceptance and growth. Those will be the cash cows. Be thankful for them.
There will be other projects that are like the impatiens. No matter what you do to protect and nurture them, they will be destroyed. Then it's time to examine which parties are involved with the project both internally and externally. Get rid of the external interference as quickly as possible. Be polite; be firm; stop the destruction. As for the internal party(ies), tell them you've decided to put the project exclusively into the hands of one person and no one else will have access. You may want to embellish a bit by letting them know they'll be considered for other projects in the future. However, your main focus is regaining control of the environment and keeping your product safe from destructive designs.
As for that one person who will be in control of the project, you're now wondering who that should be. Who do you trust most, more than anyone else. Yes, that's the person who'll be in control of the project.
Technorati: development, preparation, nurturing, control, destruction, success,
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
More About Women Leaders
Women and the Leadership Q (2001)
Shoya Zichy
ISBN 0071352163 - Hardcopy
McGraw-Hill
Having read another book on women business leaders, it was a little disappointing to find The Leadership Q did nothing innovative in profiling and discussing the 38 women in this book.
What is good is that author Shoya Zichy was able to get interviews of 38 women leaders compared with the five who were profiled in the other book I read. Another thing that is good about it is that the women who are presented are about as diverse as you could imagine in terms of background, ethnicity, focuses and professions. Another commendable part of the book is the leadership test presented at the beginning of the book. Since the copy I used was from the library, I didn't dare take the test by marking the book. There was a thought about copying the pages in order to have my own, personal inventory. Maybe I'll do that another day.
The resources appendix is exquisite. I'd love to keep those pages as well and then develop some program to update the information.
But as I leafed through the profiles of each of the women, what I found was a flattering look at her individual style and a bit of her history. There was no unifying study of which personalities were very similar or alike, which demonstrate this type of trait described in the personality test compared with another, which style predominates among the 38 women studied.
Perhaps that was because the author realized that each personality is unique and cannot be easily compared with any other. Women leaders cannot be catalogued and categorized, just as men leaders cannot. Each has their own style and that style adapts with the audience and setting and circumstances that are present at any moment in time in addition to the action that demands to be taken (or withheld) in that instance. It just depends on what's going on at the moment that you encounter the person.
While this would have been a wonderful resource for my article about finding women management and executive candidates, it didn't supply the meat needed. While I wanted it to be useful for my webinar on finding women board members and senior management candidates, it proved to not be so. Why? Because there simply is nothing in it that tells you what to expect of a woman leader. Why? Because that depends on what the woman brings to the table in terms of past development and experience as well as the dominant parts of her personality.
So when you're looking for the model woman leader, first ask yourself what you need. Then start looking for candidates who display those attributes. You'll have developed a slate of winners.
Would I put this book on my bookshelf? No. But, as I said earlier, there are two sections I'd definitely like to have in PDF form for quick and easy reference.
book review, women leaders, assessment, screening, personality,
Books on Career and Executive Recruiting Advice
Shoya Zichy
ISBN 0071352163 - Hardcopy
McGraw-Hill
Having read another book on women business leaders, it was a little disappointing to find The Leadership Q did nothing innovative in profiling and discussing the 38 women in this book.
What is good is that author Shoya Zichy was able to get interviews of 38 women leaders compared with the five who were profiled in the other book I read. Another thing that is good about it is that the women who are presented are about as diverse as you could imagine in terms of background, ethnicity, focuses and professions. Another commendable part of the book is the leadership test presented at the beginning of the book. Since the copy I used was from the library, I didn't dare take the test by marking the book. There was a thought about copying the pages in order to have my own, personal inventory. Maybe I'll do that another day.
The resources appendix is exquisite. I'd love to keep those pages as well and then develop some program to update the information.
But as I leafed through the profiles of each of the women, what I found was a flattering look at her individual style and a bit of her history. There was no unifying study of which personalities were very similar or alike, which demonstrate this type of trait described in the personality test compared with another, which style predominates among the 38 women studied.
Perhaps that was because the author realized that each personality is unique and cannot be easily compared with any other. Women leaders cannot be catalogued and categorized, just as men leaders cannot. Each has their own style and that style adapts with the audience and setting and circumstances that are present at any moment in time in addition to the action that demands to be taken (or withheld) in that instance. It just depends on what's going on at the moment that you encounter the person.
While this would have been a wonderful resource for my article about finding women management and executive candidates, it didn't supply the meat needed. While I wanted it to be useful for my webinar on finding women board members and senior management candidates, it proved to not be so. Why? Because there simply is nothing in it that tells you what to expect of a woman leader. Why? Because that depends on what the woman brings to the table in terms of past development and experience as well as the dominant parts of her personality.
So when you're looking for the model woman leader, first ask yourself what you need. Then start looking for candidates who display those attributes. You'll have developed a slate of winners.
Would I put this book on my bookshelf? No. But, as I said earlier, there are two sections I'd definitely like to have in PDF form for quick and easy reference.
book review, women leaders, assessment, screening, personality,
Books on Career and Executive Recruiting Advice
How to Ace a Personality Test
Ace the Corporate Personality Test (2001)
by Edward Hoffman, Ph.D.
ISBN 0071359125 - Hardcopy
McGraw-Hill
by Edward Hoffman, Ph.D.
ISBN 0071359125 - Hardcopy
McGraw-Hill
While the premise of the book's title sounds too good to be true, this book is more for the business side of the hiring desk instead of the applicant/candidate side. What is useful to both is the history and science of assessment tests, the philosophies of psychological experts through the ages, and the analysis of these things. After that, you may as well close the book and say you learned some things that were useful.
It's well written and engaging. But the passage on page 10 (of a 95-page book) was the one that stopped me in my tracks and stopped any further reading of the book. The passage says, "In short, psychologists strongly agree that our personality remains stable throughout life and resists major change." In other words, there is nothing we can do to change our personality.
We can consciously decide to work at being a better, more attentive, higher evolved individual. But our personality is the product of many internal and external impacts from the womb to the present. While we may be able to create the most desirable person ever on paper, as day-to-day interactions evolve, the true person will be revealed.
The natural propensity to lie, steal, cheat, subvert, feel inadequate will always be there, no matter how many personality tests say we are otherwise. Conversely, the propensity to seek harmony, more meaningful answers, a more complete fulfillment of a project will push forth through a determination to be hard-nosed. If these are part of the natural personality, they will always be there.
Dr. Hoffman goes through the remainder of his book by showing us various aspects of the personality test in order to explain what some answers indicate and why. Here, his presentation is most beneficial to hiring managers and interviewers because he talks about, for example, conscientiousness and integrity and what aspects of answers to certain strategically phrased questions will reveal those traits.
The end of the book provides a sample personality test. If you're into taking tests in order to know what to expect, then this section is for you.
Would I put this book on my bookshelf? If there were some way that the first 20 to 25 pages could be condensed and put into nugget form, I'd do it in order to have the explanations available at my finger tips. It's very useful. Otherwise, I'll let someone else try to ace the personality test that presents the false image.
book review, personality test, assessment, screening, psychology,
Books on Career and Executive Recruiting Advice
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Challenged to Grow
Disability accommodation work can be isolated to one type of disability or span a range of needs. One area of accommodation in particular maps as an almost identical pattern in several categories of impairments yet it is successfully handled with nearly the same techniques. This disability can also be one of the most draining (in all ways) so that the burn-out factor occurs in a short time. The particular issue we examine today is the niche of learning disability.
A learning disability can be mild and not really surface until it becomes a barrier to some type of performance never attempted before. Minor adaptations can be worked out in order to compensate for the small issues. However, there are other learning disabilities that are more complex and profound. They interfere with interpretation of information; they can also interfere with communicating information; and they become impediments to accomplishing tasks and goals.
Other conditions that look very much like a learning disability are those where the person has issues with substance abuse, abusive personality, some psychotic personality disorders (in severe cases), and those suffering from one degree or another of ADD or ADHD. People with poor education or no education also easily fit into this classification, as well as those with little to no training and therefore do not know how to be independent and autonomous.
One of the signs of this type of learning disabiilty, that can be overlooked in a discussion of the signs and symptoms is the unfortunate habit of saying things that are quite obtuse and inappropriate. The person's words can be insulting or demeaning, a bit like spitting in one's face. In the alternative, these people will develop a completely incorrect interpretation of the information they heard or seen and swear that they are correct. Sufferers will even make excuses for what they have said or heard in order to justify its impropriety; they will argue for the correctness of their interpretation. Many times their passionate self defense will convince a few that they somehow did not understand and that they one with the impairment is quite correct in their interpretation. Some bullies demonstrate these propensities.
How to Handle
In its mild form, a learning disability is not easily detected. Being easily distracted can sometimes stem from fatigue, stress, or mere work/life balance issues. In this case, merely taking a break is the solution. All of us are affected by this and it is not indicia of some type of pathology. In fact, sometimes all it takes is turning away from the foot traffic that passes by a desk. At other times, the remedy can be as simple as sitting in an area with a large window in order to collect as much sunlight as possible. In the alternative, turning away from the window in order to avoid being distracted by the many scenes that fade in and out through the window.
Other ways of dealing with the condition may be to work for a particular time period and then take a brief break. Again, this is an excellent technique for very mild forms of learning differences. Many of us thrive on learning in a type of total immersion in our subject but doing it in intervals of 15 to 20 minutes or so.
ADD can compound itself very quickly as we increase the levels of new ramifications of the impairment. In fact, it is not quickly identifiable when you're dealing with a person with learning differences. But it's when a series of situations, taken together, start showing a problem that the issue becomes larger, more severe. Communication begins to be threatened. We need to be very careful about what we're saying and use every means possible to make certain we are being interpreted correctly.
This may mean we give instructions in increments. Or we give instructions (or information) and then have the person restate what we told them in order to insure that the correct message got through and was heard. Repeating the message confirms there was no straying in regard to interpretation of the information. If there was splintering of the information, this is the time to repeat and listen. If there is a misinterpretation, immediately stop their speaking and correct what it is that's incorrect. Have the statement repeated but in the client's terms. Continue doing this until their interpretation of the message is correct.
Coachable Moments
If there are terms the person with ADD is misusing, this is also the time to correct their definition. Make certain they understand that they were misusing the term, why the interpretation is incorrect, and what the correct interpretation is. This is a training moment. Use it. Use it in a non-threatening manner. This is not a time to be argumentative, although your "candidate" will object and say that you are. Just keep letting them know that they have not reached the same definition of terms; you're there to help. It's at this time that the conversation can become trying, even exhausting. Old habits die hard. It's times such as these that being professional and patient are the keys to keeping your candidate and winning this particular battle with the impairment.
These times can be difficult and draining. They will make you wonder why you're going through it. However, these are times of growth for both the accommodation provider as well as the client.
The client benefits because they gain new skills for coping as well as an appreciation of why the skills they acquire are valid. But the accommodation provider, the one who was just about to pull their hair out, also gains.
Getting through working with the client grows the ability to have patience. As you listen to the client, you learn more about different ways of communicating. You gain strength in listening to what others have to say and how they say it. You gain an ability to listen to various forms of logic and better understand them. You learn how to talk to people from all walks of life without judging them. If you are the type of person who has a laissez faire personality and just let things pass as not worth the effort, accommodation work with those who have moderate to profound issues will develop your ability to "push back" or cut the exchangement at the appropriate time.
Just working through these types of communications will enable you to grow a thick skin and will not back down as easily when you understand what's happening. It will help you see through bluster so that you can deal with the hidden feelings of inadequacy. You will also see past the shamed excuses for bullying that attempt to guilt you into accepting that type of communication, making you feel you must have misunderstood. You develop keener critical thinking skills.
Finally, you learn when correcting and clarifying are futile and end up being counter-productive. You benefit because you are challenged to grow in your being able to deal with all people of all walks of life.
learning disability, communication, ADD, ADHD, adaptation,
A learning disability can be mild and not really surface until it becomes a barrier to some type of performance never attempted before. Minor adaptations can be worked out in order to compensate for the small issues. However, there are other learning disabilities that are more complex and profound. They interfere with interpretation of information; they can also interfere with communicating information; and they become impediments to accomplishing tasks and goals.
Other conditions that look very much like a learning disability are those where the person has issues with substance abuse, abusive personality, some psychotic personality disorders (in severe cases), and those suffering from one degree or another of ADD or ADHD. People with poor education or no education also easily fit into this classification, as well as those with little to no training and therefore do not know how to be independent and autonomous.
One of the signs of this type of learning disabiilty, that can be overlooked in a discussion of the signs and symptoms is the unfortunate habit of saying things that are quite obtuse and inappropriate. The person's words can be insulting or demeaning, a bit like spitting in one's face. In the alternative, these people will develop a completely incorrect interpretation of the information they heard or seen and swear that they are correct. Sufferers will even make excuses for what they have said or heard in order to justify its impropriety; they will argue for the correctness of their interpretation. Many times their passionate self defense will convince a few that they somehow did not understand and that they one with the impairment is quite correct in their interpretation. Some bullies demonstrate these propensities.
How to Handle
In its mild form, a learning disability is not easily detected. Being easily distracted can sometimes stem from fatigue, stress, or mere work/life balance issues. In this case, merely taking a break is the solution. All of us are affected by this and it is not indicia of some type of pathology. In fact, sometimes all it takes is turning away from the foot traffic that passes by a desk. At other times, the remedy can be as simple as sitting in an area with a large window in order to collect as much sunlight as possible. In the alternative, turning away from the window in order to avoid being distracted by the many scenes that fade in and out through the window.
Other ways of dealing with the condition may be to work for a particular time period and then take a brief break. Again, this is an excellent technique for very mild forms of learning differences. Many of us thrive on learning in a type of total immersion in our subject but doing it in intervals of 15 to 20 minutes or so.
ADD can compound itself very quickly as we increase the levels of new ramifications of the impairment. In fact, it is not quickly identifiable when you're dealing with a person with learning differences. But it's when a series of situations, taken together, start showing a problem that the issue becomes larger, more severe. Communication begins to be threatened. We need to be very careful about what we're saying and use every means possible to make certain we are being interpreted correctly.
This may mean we give instructions in increments. Or we give instructions (or information) and then have the person restate what we told them in order to insure that the correct message got through and was heard. Repeating the message confirms there was no straying in regard to interpretation of the information. If there was splintering of the information, this is the time to repeat and listen. If there is a misinterpretation, immediately stop their speaking and correct what it is that's incorrect. Have the statement repeated but in the client's terms. Continue doing this until their interpretation of the message is correct.
Coachable Moments
If there are terms the person with ADD is misusing, this is also the time to correct their definition. Make certain they understand that they were misusing the term, why the interpretation is incorrect, and what the correct interpretation is. This is a training moment. Use it. Use it in a non-threatening manner. This is not a time to be argumentative, although your "candidate" will object and say that you are. Just keep letting them know that they have not reached the same definition of terms; you're there to help. It's at this time that the conversation can become trying, even exhausting. Old habits die hard. It's times such as these that being professional and patient are the keys to keeping your candidate and winning this particular battle with the impairment.
These times can be difficult and draining. They will make you wonder why you're going through it. However, these are times of growth for both the accommodation provider as well as the client.
The client benefits because they gain new skills for coping as well as an appreciation of why the skills they acquire are valid. But the accommodation provider, the one who was just about to pull their hair out, also gains.
Getting through working with the client grows the ability to have patience. As you listen to the client, you learn more about different ways of communicating. You gain strength in listening to what others have to say and how they say it. You gain an ability to listen to various forms of logic and better understand them. You learn how to talk to people from all walks of life without judging them. If you are the type of person who has a laissez faire personality and just let things pass as not worth the effort, accommodation work with those who have moderate to profound issues will develop your ability to "push back" or cut the exchangement at the appropriate time.
Just working through these types of communications will enable you to grow a thick skin and will not back down as easily when you understand what's happening. It will help you see through bluster so that you can deal with the hidden feelings of inadequacy. You will also see past the shamed excuses for bullying that attempt to guilt you into accepting that type of communication, making you feel you must have misunderstood. You develop keener critical thinking skills.
Finally, you learn when correcting and clarifying are futile and end up being counter-productive. You benefit because you are challenged to grow in your being able to deal with all people of all walks of life.
learning disability, communication, ADD, ADHD, adaptation,
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Hospital Recommendations Upheld
The impact of the announcement left a humming chill in the air that resonated for several minutes. It made the listener want to stop and wait for the next sounds, the syllables that would unfold the remainder of the story, reveal the inevitable. Then the realization came that the suspense would have to wait until July 31 or later.
It was the morning of July 23. Radio news announced that U.S. inspectors had just arrived at King-Drew Hospital for a surprise evaluation visit. The hospital has a long history of troubles, poor performance by the workers, lack of discretion, and a nickname that sends shudders down the spine -- Killer King.
Earlier this week, the outcome of the inspection was announced. The hospital will be closed. In fact, one reporter stood in front of the empty building yesterday and spoke of the falling action of this drama. No emergency patients were being accepted. Ambulances were being redirected to other hospitals. Existing patients in the various specialty wings were transferred throughout this week to other facilities.
It was not the equipment that failed. It was not the integrity of the building that lacked. It was not 100 percent of the staff. But there were too many who were charged with the welfare of individuals who could not perform their duties. One reporter cited the fact that a worker could not accurately calculate the dosage that was to be dispensed to a patient. Another could not read the indicators provided by their equipment. Another left things unattended and problems arose.
This does not account for the tales of people being summarily lumped together as stereotypical entities rather than unique individuals. This does not include condescending statements that belittled the patients, making them feel less than human. And the fact that the hospital personnel would provide directions to one part of the hospital campus to another that on any occasion could be accurate or not is also not in the measures of credibility.
This last issue is important because if a person is seeking treatment for a health condition, it is highly likely that navigating two or more blocks to go from one part of the plant to the outlying bungalows on the campus may not be an easy task. Although there was a shuttle, it was difficult to actually catch it because it did not show up at the intervals that were supposed to be its rounds.
It was the screening and testing of personnel that caused the fall. The measures that were too low. The lack of taking charge of a situation that was not acceptable and letting it "slide" because the person in question needed a break. But a hospital, the health and welfare of people striving to live and care for theirselves, is not a place where people should let things slide. An individual's integrity at that point is one of the most critical issues and of paramount importance.
Let this second failure and ultimate closure be a lesson to Human Resource and recruiting professionals. Let this be a lesson to schools and universities. In preparing the people who will work in these environs, there should be care to make certain that their grades accurately reflect ability. Attention to detail is premium and should be part of the main concerns of the candidates. A first mistake can be forgiven but it needs to be attended with remediation. A second mistake needs more drastic measures.
In a previous post, there was an observation that some of the personnel showed signs of being heavily medicated on anti-depressants. Yet they were still on full duty in critical areas and managing records and documents. We will not speculate on whether the records always got into the correct files or not. The sins of the overall facility make that thought to terrifying to consider. But again, management and Human Resources should have worked together to find some means of providing time off until the reason for the medication was resolved and then return the worker to their position.
But that brings me to yet another observation about the personnel. So much reliance on using pills to cure anything and everything, from the least to the greatest. Again, there was no screening with regard to whether that medication was appropriate. In fact, some medications that have been found to be contra-indicated for use were still being prescribed. Other medications created physical dependency on the drugs (not addiction) that cause the condition to worsen and require higher doses. But the patient was still seen as the stereotype who would be suseptible to the family of related maladies. Indeed, the medications being prescribed would become the precipitants of the related conditions and add to the number of issues with which the patient contended rather than actually healing and freeing them from dependence on artificial remedies. Perhaps this last indictment is a failing of the training rather than the practice or the hospital. I will invalidate it -- for now.
We say in the recruiting industry that we are in pursuit of the "qualified talent." King-Drew shows us where things can go when we do not hold our standards as high as possible and settle for less than qualified. But King-Drew's Personnel department, no doubt, was attempting to give these "D" and "F" performers (according to Yaroslavsky) another chance at making it in a reputable facility. Unfortunately, they were given the chance to make it but not the support and supervision necessary to actualize it.
TAGS: organizational development, staffing, screening, qualified, competency, King-Drew Hospital,
It was the morning of July 23. Radio news announced that U.S. inspectors had just arrived at King-Drew Hospital for a surprise evaluation visit. The hospital has a long history of troubles, poor performance by the workers, lack of discretion, and a nickname that sends shudders down the spine -- Killer King.
Earlier this week, the outcome of the inspection was announced. The hospital will be closed. In fact, one reporter stood in front of the empty building yesterday and spoke of the falling action of this drama. No emergency patients were being accepted. Ambulances were being redirected to other hospitals. Existing patients in the various specialty wings were transferred throughout this week to other facilities.
It was not the equipment that failed. It was not the integrity of the building that lacked. It was not 100 percent of the staff. But there were too many who were charged with the welfare of individuals who could not perform their duties. One reporter cited the fact that a worker could not accurately calculate the dosage that was to be dispensed to a patient. Another could not read the indicators provided by their equipment. Another left things unattended and problems arose.
This does not account for the tales of people being summarily lumped together as stereotypical entities rather than unique individuals. This does not include condescending statements that belittled the patients, making them feel less than human. And the fact that the hospital personnel would provide directions to one part of the hospital campus to another that on any occasion could be accurate or not is also not in the measures of credibility.
This last issue is important because if a person is seeking treatment for a health condition, it is highly likely that navigating two or more blocks to go from one part of the plant to the outlying bungalows on the campus may not be an easy task. Although there was a shuttle, it was difficult to actually catch it because it did not show up at the intervals that were supposed to be its rounds.
It was the screening and testing of personnel that caused the fall. The measures that were too low. The lack of taking charge of a situation that was not acceptable and letting it "slide" because the person in question needed a break. But a hospital, the health and welfare of people striving to live and care for theirselves, is not a place where people should let things slide. An individual's integrity at that point is one of the most critical issues and of paramount importance.
Let this second failure and ultimate closure be a lesson to Human Resource and recruiting professionals. Let this be a lesson to schools and universities. In preparing the people who will work in these environs, there should be care to make certain that their grades accurately reflect ability. Attention to detail is premium and should be part of the main concerns of the candidates. A first mistake can be forgiven but it needs to be attended with remediation. A second mistake needs more drastic measures.
In a previous post, there was an observation that some of the personnel showed signs of being heavily medicated on anti-depressants. Yet they were still on full duty in critical areas and managing records and documents. We will not speculate on whether the records always got into the correct files or not. The sins of the overall facility make that thought to terrifying to consider. But again, management and Human Resources should have worked together to find some means of providing time off until the reason for the medication was resolved and then return the worker to their position.
But that brings me to yet another observation about the personnel. So much reliance on using pills to cure anything and everything, from the least to the greatest. Again, there was no screening with regard to whether that medication was appropriate. In fact, some medications that have been found to be contra-indicated for use were still being prescribed. Other medications created physical dependency on the drugs (not addiction) that cause the condition to worsen and require higher doses. But the patient was still seen as the stereotype who would be suseptible to the family of related maladies. Indeed, the medications being prescribed would become the precipitants of the related conditions and add to the number of issues with which the patient contended rather than actually healing and freeing them from dependence on artificial remedies. Perhaps this last indictment is a failing of the training rather than the practice or the hospital. I will invalidate it -- for now.
We say in the recruiting industry that we are in pursuit of the "qualified talent." King-Drew shows us where things can go when we do not hold our standards as high as possible and settle for less than qualified. But King-Drew's Personnel department, no doubt, was attempting to give these "D" and "F" performers (according to Yaroslavsky) another chance at making it in a reputable facility. Unfortunately, they were given the chance to make it but not the support and supervision necessary to actualize it.
TAGS: organizational development, staffing, screening, qualified, competency, King-Drew Hospital,
Saturday, August 04, 2007
The Consultant's Duties
One of the reasons a company (or an individual) seeks the services of a consultant is because there's so much on their plate that work is becoming counter-productive. Eventually, the realization manifests itself that someone with expertise in a unique area is needed in order to do the special project while the more routine things are kept on track in the normal flow of operations.
Being a consultant is a role that has many contradictions. While it involves being a person who cares very much about taking care of the needs of others, one needs to be discrete about allocating their energies. It is entirely possible to work on several projects simultaneously or have some at different stages while developing the next. But giving equal attention to every phone call, drop-in visitor, or shriek for help is not possible. The internal, as well as the public task master, needs to discriminate with regard to their time in order to stay focused and be the expert.
It is then the consultant's responsibility to take control of things and lead the client through each step of the process, from the initial consultation, parsing out the needs, determining whether there is a relationship, bringing forth the contract, developing the parts of the project, and generally keeping the client's life livable and under control. Actually, taking the reins puts sanity into the lives of everyone involved.
Call for Assistance
The ball starts rolling with the call for assistance. It's basically a conversation to determine whether you have the right players for the project. This the time when the consultant will be looking for answers to questions. What questions? Things like what is it you do? What do you do best? How do you go about doing this? What do you want to accomplish and why do you need me to help you do it? What have you done in the past? How did that work out?
Screening and Assessing the Needs
These questions serve several purposes both for the client and the consultant. This is a time when the consultant listens very carefully to what's being said and what's not being said. And in regard to the silence on certain topics, there's something being said by implication as to what's really going on and needs attention. The consultant serves as the independent observer who sees more of the picture because they are not part of the picture.
Asking for the Contract
Once the consultant has an idea of what's needed, it's time for them to take control by first outlining what can be done by this specialist. Milestones are worked out. And it's important for the consultant to speak up when the timing is not realistic or the materials too scant. Then the consultant asks the client for the contract that memorializes the terms and a retainer to start the work.
Taking Control
Because of the initial conversations and screening process, everyone has an idea of where they're going in order to reach the recommended solution. But the most important element here is that the consultant takes control of the situation and manages it from the very beginning of the discussions. It's one of the reasons the client reached out for assistance -- because there's so much going on that they've become distracted and have difficulty managing the priorities.
consulting, screening, interview, client management,
Being a consultant is a role that has many contradictions. While it involves being a person who cares very much about taking care of the needs of others, one needs to be discrete about allocating their energies. It is entirely possible to work on several projects simultaneously or have some at different stages while developing the next. But giving equal attention to every phone call, drop-in visitor, or shriek for help is not possible. The internal, as well as the public task master, needs to discriminate with regard to their time in order to stay focused and be the expert.
It is then the consultant's responsibility to take control of things and lead the client through each step of the process, from the initial consultation, parsing out the needs, determining whether there is a relationship, bringing forth the contract, developing the parts of the project, and generally keeping the client's life livable and under control. Actually, taking the reins puts sanity into the lives of everyone involved.
Call for Assistance
The ball starts rolling with the call for assistance. It's basically a conversation to determine whether you have the right players for the project. This the time when the consultant will be looking for answers to questions. What questions? Things like what is it you do? What do you do best? How do you go about doing this? What do you want to accomplish and why do you need me to help you do it? What have you done in the past? How did that work out?
Screening and Assessing the Needs
These questions serve several purposes both for the client and the consultant. This is a time when the consultant listens very carefully to what's being said and what's not being said. And in regard to the silence on certain topics, there's something being said by implication as to what's really going on and needs attention. The consultant serves as the independent observer who sees more of the picture because they are not part of the picture.
Asking for the Contract
Once the consultant has an idea of what's needed, it's time for them to take control by first outlining what can be done by this specialist. Milestones are worked out. And it's important for the consultant to speak up when the timing is not realistic or the materials too scant. Then the consultant asks the client for the contract that memorializes the terms and a retainer to start the work.
Taking Control
Because of the initial conversations and screening process, everyone has an idea of where they're going in order to reach the recommended solution. But the most important element here is that the consultant takes control of the situation and manages it from the very beginning of the discussions. It's one of the reasons the client reached out for assistance -- because there's so much going on that they've become distracted and have difficulty managing the priorities.
consulting, screening, interview, client management,
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