Tag: thing

Posted on

Stress Test

My nephew just completed the first 90 days of his new career in the high-risk insurance industry. The interesting thing is he almost didn’t have the opportunity to take on this new role after spending six years in real estate. After several interviews at various levels of the company, he met with the founder. Everything went well until he got up to leave.

That’s when the key decision-maker looked him in the eye and said: “Ryan, when I was in your position, I would finish an interview and wonder, ‘Where do I stand?’ So I want to let you know what I’m thinking. To succeed in our business, we need people who are 10s. I see you as a five. That’s not meant to hurt your feelings, just to let you know I’m not sure you’ll make it here.”

Although caught off-guard, Ryan said, “Well, I respectfully disagree and hope you’ll reconsider.” They shook hands and parted. After a few hours, Ryan had time to digest the unexpected ending, so he wrote a polite email to this gentleman outlining why he sees himself as a 10 and exactly what he would do to prove that. The next day he received an offer.

A few weeks after starting at the company, Ryan was sharing this story with a couple of veteran salesmen. They smiled and told him the founder did the same thing after their interviews. “He gave you a five?” one of them said. “All I got was a four.”

Successful salespeople have to be comfortable overcoming deflection and rejection. This veteran leader utilizes a unique interview technique to test candidates. Is there something similar your company could adopt to see who rises to the top and responds appropriately?

Share
Posted on

Green Thumb

One of the things I take a lot of pride in is the appearance of our yard. While the one-eighth acre lot is not exactly a botanical garden, it means a lot to me that it’s always green and clean. While my 16-year-old son and I do the mowing and pruning, we turn over chemical applications to a pro. That’s why I think we have one of the nicest lawns in our neighborhood. Or at least we did for a dozen years.

Last September I noticed a small corner of our front yard was browning in a two-foot wide area. Within a week, it had spread wider, so we called ‘Fertilizer Man.’ (After all these years we still don’t know his name. He just shows up unannounced, does his thing and leaves a preprinted invoice. Then we send a check to his office.) He applied a special treatment to the St. Augustine and said we should be fine with new growth in the spring.

Unfortunately, when the grass turned green six weeks ago, the now 10-foot triangular patch failed to arrive as planned. Add the worst drought in these parts in decades and my pride and joy is looking poor and neglected.

Yesterday, FM returned for his quarterly application. I went out to ask for advice, and the first thing he said was, “I am embarrassed and confused about this. I apologize for not knowing what to do. It has me completely baffled.” He suggested we rake the area clean, replant two trays of plugs, add Leaf Mold Compost – ‘the most magical dirt you’ll ever find’ – and nurture the lawn back to health.

It was great to experience a person who takes so much pride in his work that he apologized and felt the need to admit his lack of understanding. Here’s a guy who spends every day in the hot Texas sun fertilizing yards for people he neither knows nor sees, and yet he treats each lawn as an artist views his canvas. Those are attributes to which every professional should aspire.

Share
Posted on

Morning In America

So the Republicans took over the House and made strong gains in the Senate. Faster than you can say ‘Tippecanoe and Tyler Too’ the political landscape in America shifted again.

One thing the new leaders soon to arrive in Washington need to understand is the last two elections have not been about like, they’ve been about dislike… as in frustration with everyone in power – regardless of party affiliation. The landslide of November 2nd was simply voters pushing the restart button.

Americans are tired of politicians intent on serving themselves and not their constituencies. If ultra conservative Republicans choose to create stalemate in order to ensure the White House has a new occupant in two years, then there will be no solutions, no answers to our problems.

As business leaders know so well, nothing gets done when folks stubbornly stick to their personal agendas over the necessary vision and growth for the organization. In order for America to get back on track, Republicans and Democrats need to create the right plan – working together – and start executing on it immediately. This approach takes place in companies across the country every day. There’s no reason it can’t work inside the Beltway.

Failure to accept the responsibility granted unto them by the electorate would mean we end up repeating this cycle in 2012… with the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction again. Citizens deserve better.

Share
Posted on

Called To Serve

It’s Election Day in America… which is the most wonderful opportunity for citizens to have an impact on our nation. With so much frustration and turmoil happening all around, many feel their voices are unheard, that no one is listening. One thing is certain: the greatest gift – and responsibility – of living in a free society is to exercise your right to vote. If you need any reassurance or perspective on how important that is, just think about all the Iraqis who had their index fingers inked last year.

This election arrives particularly close to home for our family. Last summer my wife made the decision to run for a position on our local school board. After 12 years of helping our children navigate through public schools here, she felt the calling to participate in the leadership process. Ours is an open election in which you blindly declare for a specific seat, regardless of where you live in the district. As it turned out, she has no challengers – while another open position has three people vying for votes.

It was one of the special moments of my life when last week during early voting I cast my ballot for Kathy Handler, TISD Board of Trustees, Place 1. I would have voted for her even if we weren’t married. She’s a great listener, logical… a consensus-builder who seeks to find solutions rather than point out problems. She’ll do great.

Whether you’re running for political office or a regular citizen like me – with one vote and one voice – everyone is equal today. This is your opportunity to speak loudly… even if you’re the only one who hears how you feel.

Share
Posted on

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Our middle child – and only son – turns 16 today. That means this afternoon we’re heading to the Department of Public Safety where he’ll take his driver’s license test. As he’s spent a lot of hours behind the wheel since getting his learner’s permit, I’m confident he’ll pass in flying colors. (That’s assuming he can overcome the pesky parallel parking that trips up so many.)

The concern I have is putting a young man who’s growing up in the video game generation – where there’s always a reset button – on the road. It’s not so much I’m worried about how he’ll do. It’s all those folks who blow through stop signs, speed through changing lights and cut in and out of traffic like they’re late for claiming a lottery grand prize. Face it, driving is a lot different today than when I got my license nearly 35 years ago; although we definitely did our fair share of ‘what were we thinking’ things.

There are several parallels between driving and business. First, obviously you can’t just hit ‘start new game’ when things don’t go as planned. You have to get out the map and chart a new course. Second, there are a lot of road hazards, and you have to pay attention at every turn or someone or some thing may come shooting at you out of nowhere. Third, you’re going to make a few poor judgment calls, and all you can do is head to the repair shop, bang out the dent and get back on the road to success.

The best thing about having a son receive his driver’s license is he can now chauffeur our youngest to after-school activities… assuming,  of course, I actually ever let him leave the house.

[Prior to allowing our son to climb into the driver’s seat, we mutually agreed to abide by the guidelines below – and I referred back to them on several occasions. My apologies to the author for not remembering where on the Internet I found this; full credit belongs to him/her.]

Reminder Notes before I get in the car with my son…

> I love my son!

> My son loves me!

> If we are running late – don’t let him drive.

> If it is a really tough time to drive or we are going to an awkward destination, don’t let him drive.

> If he misses an instruction or doesn’t understand an instruction or is confused, the default is to go straight ahead or keep going.

> Any criticisms I make are not personal; they are about making improvements.

> I want him to be safe on the roads.

> There are to be no arguments about my criticisms until we have finished the drive. Then we can disagree!

Share