Leadership Development | Pathos Leadership Group

Why Executive Coaching Fails? Parable 3 of 12: I’m NOT Crazy!

March 23, 2011 By Pathos Admin

The following parable, or myth, is one in a series of twelve, which we’ve identified at Pathos Leadership Group that accounts for executive coaching to fail! Our results-focused executive coaching is contrary to these parables, leaving executives and their organizations in a position to succeed when it comes to organization development, operational improvement, and financial success! For more information on our Executive Coaching or Organization Development initiatives contact us at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com or call 877.455.3133.

Executive Coaching Parable 3 – I’m NOT Crazy!

Elmo was identified by the leaders in his organization as a “High Potential” candidate for leadership development (HIPO). When the High Potential program opportunity was reviewed with Elmo by his manager, he was excited about the potential to participate, as only a select few within the entire company were invited to participate in such organization development. However, when the content of the High Potential program was reviewed with him, there seemed to be a different reaction. While Elmo was very excited about the opportunity to spend upwards of 22 days in the coming 12 months in developmental program sessions delivered board-room style review session (He always enjoyed attending offsite workshops in the past), the executive coaching sessions which would bridge the gap between such sessions troubled him. To be blunt, Elmo stated that executive coaching wouldn’t be necessary for him, simply because he was NOT crazy!

We were working with leadership in Elmo’s organization performing an organization development consulting project surrounding High Potential Advancement (HPA). The project consisted of the following phases:

PHASE I – Identify High Potential Candidates (HPC’s) based on their performance and leadership abilities through a series of leadership/manager interviews and assessments.
- (Examples of performance criteria include performance against goals, delivering results, level of performance, and level of development for direct reports. Examples of leadership abilities criteria include learning agility or resourcefulness, potential next career moves within the organization – vertically as well as horizontally, addressing weakness willingness/ability.)
PHASE II – Identify key leadership traits through the utilization of Behavioral Assessments. Compare/contrast candidates based on successful benchmarked organization leaders.
PHASE III – Rank High Potential Candidates (HPC’s) and hold meeting with leadership to “draft” a HIPO team (A way of selecting members to this exclusive club.) Invite High Potential Candidates who make the cut.
PHASE IV – Perform 24 sessions of leadership development training and development over a period of 12 months (Topics in the past include Strategic Planning, Change Management, Team Building concepts, Customer Retention/Customer Service, Sales skills, influence/persuasion techniques, etc.)
PHASE V – Perform two (2) coaching sessions per month with High Potential Candidates during the program in-between the leadership development training and development sessions. These sessions would be conducted by a senior level external executive coach who was prescreened for each candidate.

When we learned of Elmo’s resistance to executive coaching, we setout to discover why that was the case. Within the first five (5) minutes of our introductory conversation, it became abundantly clear why he was opposed to executive coaching. Elmo’s thought was that executive coaching was more like therapy than it was aimed at assisting him to achieve his business goals.

We identified the following as differentiators between coaching and therapy:

THERAPY

Assumes the client needs healing
Roots in medicine, psychiatry
Works with people to achieve self-understanding and emotional healing
Focuses on feelings and past events, past-orientation
Explores the root of problems
Works to bring the unconscious into consciousness
Works for internal resolution of pain and to let go of old patterns

COACHING

Assumes the client is highly-functional
Roots in business and personal growth venues
Works to motivate people to a higher level of functioning
Focuses on actions and the future; goal-orientation
Focuses on solving problems
Works with the conscious mind
Works for solutions to overcome barriers, learn new skills and implement effective choices

(Source: Hayden, C. J., and Whitworth, L. “Distinctions Between Coaching and Therapy.” International Association of Personal and Professional Coaches Newsletter, October 1995.)

When we explained these differences to Elmo, he now operated from a position of enlightenment entering into the High Potential Candidate program… He wasn’t crazy after all!

The Moral of the Story: Don’t be quick to discount the purpose behind executive coaching. While the similarities of technique might find common-ground in therapy and coaching, the desired results or focus are very different. Executive coaching is not therapy, and as such should be looked upon as a benefit extended to the employee by the organization to assist them in achieving their business goals.

Filed Under: The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: 360 degree review, behavioral assessment, executive coach, executive coaching, high potential, high potential candidate, HIPO program, leadership development, organization development, pathos leadership group

“Jolts” for Training & Development… Really?

March 22, 2011 By Sam Palazzolo

In Sivasailam Thiagarajan’s (“Thiagi” for short) latest authoring effort for Training & Development (T&D) professionals he puts together fifty (50) different ways in which one can “wake up and engage your participants” in training sessions. These “jolts” are described as moments that challenge training participants, asking them to “re-examine their comfortable assumptions and habitual practices” (Otherwise known as their comfort zones). While the book is a nice effort (272 pages, again 50 different tricks, and Thiagi is a legend in the T&D space), I wonder if this is a solution to the Organization Development (OD) problem, or the cause? Here are the facts:

The American Society of Training & Development (ASTD) reports in its “2010 State of the Industry” report:

Instructor lead “formal learning” initiatives took a slight dip from 2008’s 72.2% to 2009’s 70.4%
Technology based learning increased 31.4% to 36.5% from 2008 to 2009
Outsourcing is on the rise – 26.9% in 2009 versus 22.0% in 2008
Investing in learning is stable – $1,068 per employee in 2008 versus $1,081 in 2009
Decrease in Content Reuse – 59.5% in 2008 versus 56.3% in 2009
Results aren’t Tracked – 54.5% of organizations track behavioral changes, only 36.9% monitor an evaluation of results, and only 17.9% attempt to identify ROI (NOTE – 4.1% do NOTHING!)

I believe that these figures are conservative in nature, reflecting an optimistic T&D effort. Instead, there is much effort being placed by those organizations I partner with to increase the reach of technology. Imagine the power of a 15-20 minute eLearning module which can be viewed 24/7 by participants around the globe… Think of it as a “Google-mentality” where a learner wants to know the answer to a problem they’ve encountered and they don’t know the solution right off the bat. With a quick scan of the learning management system (LMS), they can identify a short module that they can view at their desk providing them with the much needed perspective in order to solving their problem.

The disconnect that I see with the “Jolts” concept is that each jolt-experience or exercise is 15-20-30 minutes in length (Thiagi warns that a side-effect of performing “Jolts” is that there may be strong emotional reactions… Remember those Lays potato chips with Olestra and ensuing stomach cramps? Sounds like a do-over!) This would appear to be way too long, especially considering a world that wants training delivered in short time-period intervals.

Now I don’t want everyone to think that an engaging session isn’t a goal of mine or ours here at Pathos Leadership Group. But what I can say is that we let the content stand on its own, with documented research and scientific methodologies, as well as metrics implemented to track results. I believe that a trend will be reflected in delivering content in as short a time period as possible, so that the learning moment can occur, and that the participants can return to work to begin implementing what they’ve learned ASAP. Then a coaching, or follow-up, initiative will occur in which we can monitor implementation as well as sustainment.

With the caffeine studies I’ve seen, I would have to weigh in that organizations should distribute Jolt cola instead of “Jolts”!

Sam Palazzolo is a recipient of the American Society of Training & Development’s “Certified Professional in Learning & Performance” (CPLP designation). Of the society’s 35,000 world-wide members, less than 750 have achieved such designation.

Filed Under: The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: ASTD, coaching, cplp, jolts, leadership development, organization development, organizational development, pathos leadership group, sam palazzolo, thiagi, thiagi jolts, training & development, training metrics, training results, training ROI

Why Executive Coaching Fails? Parable 2 of 12: I Know Who I Am!

March 22, 2011 By Pathos Admin

Executive Coaching Parable 2 – I Know Who I Am!

Jane was a landmark figure in the organization. She had been with the company for 30 years, and during that timeframe had held nearly every position possible on her way to the C-Suite. Her legendary status was well earned, never expecting those who worked for her to do something that she had not previously done firsthand herself, or was willing to do! Then why was it that she was so reluctant to have a 360-degree review conducted on her behalf, and furthermore adhere to an individual development plan for herself? Her pat answer was that she had “been there, done that” and that “those 360-degree assessment instruments were for everyone BUT her!” In summary, Jane believed that she knew who she was…

We were originally alerted to Jane and her “woman in the mirror” attitude by the leadership within her organization. The new leadership team that had been assembled was having a difficult time bonding with those who had been in the organization for a lengthy tenure, and Jane seemed to be carrying the flag of resistance. Having been in the organization for a number of years, there was a sense that everyone knew who Jane was, but the new regime wanted to find out if Jane knew who she really was, or was she familiar with who she thought she was? They also realized that leaders within the organization rarely held themselves accountable for learning and growing as leaders (The common thought was “We got this far without being developed… Why start now?”)

The leadership team brought us in to perform a series of organization development initiatives. Specifically four (4) coordinated waves to be exact, the initial wave had us working with the C-Suite leadership team (ten – 10 – in total). Subsequent waves would have us worth with senior leadership (eighty – 80 – in total), mid-level managers (two hundred – 200 – in total) and subsequent front-line leaders (nearly two thousand – 2,000 – in total). At each wave level we were to conduct a series of assessments (both behavioral assessments as well as 360 degree assessments). The 360-degree results for the C-Suite team would be reviewed with each individual, and then a series of subsequent individual executive coaching sessions would be planned to aid in the development of the leader based on identified improvement areas.

When we first met with Jane and expressed to her leadership’s desire to begin the 360-degree review and executive coaching relationship, she told us “Don’t waste my time… I know who I am!” In other words, move on to those who hadn’t been there so long, or those that could better utilize and need such assessments and coaching… These 360 degree reviews and executive coaching was not for long-timers like her. Unfortunately for Jane, we listened to organizational leadership (the CEO) and she was “stuck” with us as her assessors and coach!

Jane, with much reluctance we might add, identified ten (10) subordinates, four (4) peers, as well as the CEO to perform the 360-degree review with her as the subject. While Jane might have been a good judge of who she was, apparently those that knew/worked with her were better acquainted with the perception of who she was. In other words, the Jane that the 360-degree review reflected was dramatically different from who Jane thought she was. As a result, Jane had several areas of opportunity to better acquaint those with the new/improved Jane! For example, Jane thought she as an excellent communicator (“I must be great at communicating… I give all the orders around here in order to get things done!”) However, Jane realized that while she was very good at giving direction, she was not so good at receiving input/feedback and was far from a master of listening. This was just one of the areas identified by Jane to further develop herself through continued executive coaching.

The Moral of the Story: You may think you know yourself… but people around you often see their own perception of you. This perception becomes their reality, which can be very difficult to modify/overcome (Especially when you consider the number of years one could be behaving in such a manner!) In order to get a true image of yourself, a real look in the mirror if you will, you should have a 360-degree review performed no less than annually with a comprehensive action development plan created that includes executive coaching for much needed accountability/responsibility in implementation.

Filed Under: The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: 360 degree review, behavioral assessment, executive coach, executive coaching, leadership development, organization development

Why Executive Coaching Fails? Parable 1 of 12: Baby… I’m a Star!

March 21, 2011 By Pathos Admin

Why Executive Coaching Fails? Parable 1/12

The following parable, or myth, is one in a series of twelve, which we’ve identified at Pathos Leadership Group that accounts for executive coaching to fail! Our results-focused executive coaching is contrary to these parables, leaving executives and their organizations in a position to succeed when it comes to organization development, operational improvement, and financial success! For more information on our Executive Coaching or Organization Development initiatives contact us at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com or call 877.455.3133.

Executive Coaching Parable 1 – Baby… I’m a Star!

John was your typical “top gun” MBA school graduate who recently joined the organization. His MBA from a “top 10” ivy league school entitled him to a great starting salary, people under his command, and relatively no experience to handle the day-to-day tasks at hand. However, the one aspect which he did possess which was rarely challenged was that of confidence (or arrogance!) Whether or not John knew what to do in a given situation was up for debate. He seemed to operate best under the leadership mantra of “often wrong… never in doubt!”

We were originally alerted to John and his “top gun” attitude by the leadership within his organization. A newcomer, and a hot-shot at that, he rose the ranks within the organization with relative ease and in short order due to his passion to succeed. However, once he achieved a high enough position within the org chart, he came face to face with the leaders in the organization who were neither impressed nor bullied by his leadership style. The leaders found his skills/abilities repulsive and contrary to the mission, vision, and values that they had worked hard to establish and successfully held the organization and its members to since its inception.

When we first met with John and expressed to him leadership’s desire to begin an executive coaching relationship, he told us “Baby… I’m a star!” In other words, move on to those underlings who could better utilize and need coaching… Coaching was not for such superstars. Unfortunately for John, we listen to organizational leadership and he was “stuck” with us as his coach!

John’s belief that he operated in a space above what is needed for an executive coach engagement and to lend a helping hand within his organization is common place amongst leaders who have something to hide… the proverbial chink in the armor or Achilles heal for the organization! After our executive coaching engagement, John realized that his value to the organization was in his “new” perspective, not in his arrogant leadership style. Taking a step back and inventorying what he was truly like through assessments (behavioral assessment and 360 degree assessment) allowed him to see himself like never before.

The Moral of the Story: You may be a star… but you operate like a shooting star in that you’ll burn out quickly! Careers aren’t made overnight, but they sure are lost in short time-spans. Executive coaching is for stars who want to take over the entire solar system!

Filed Under: Featured Content, The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: 360 degree review, behavioral assessment, executive coach, executive coaching, leadership development, organization development, pathos leadership group

Executive Coaching: Should You Try Fruitcake?

February 8, 2011 By Pathos Admin

In a speech delivered to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday, February 7, 2011, President Barrack Obama offered up a tongue-and-cheek remark regarding his ability to make friends and influence others. Specifically, he commented “I’m here in the interest of being more neighborly,” Obama told a crowd of CEOs at the Chamber’s headquarters, which is across the street from the White House. “Maybe if we would have brought over a fruitcake when I first moved in, we would have gotten off on a better foot. But I’m going to make it up.” Really?

The irony of the fruitcake quip might have been lost on the Chamber crowd, but that shouldn’t stop you as an Influential Leader from receiving the underlying message. There are several observations one can take away from the remark, all of which are Pathos Platform elements which we coach leaders on to become more influential. Here then are our takeaways:

1. Give and Receive – The Reciprocity platform element is the old “give and take” analogy. I will give you something today, in exchange for receiving something from you tomorrow (or later). This “give and take” is what organized societies are founded upon in order to barter or trade currency, intelligence and/or task accomplishment. The expectation that you will receive without giving is not only mistaken, but delusional! Furthermore, the window of opportunity for payback can be propped open for future repayment.

2. Give First – In order for the Reciprocity platform element to work, you should not hesitate to go first and give, rather than look to receive. By going first you set a myriad of occurrences into the works, and the other party will feel an overwhelming sense of obligation to return the favor and give back. Often times, this burden of responsibility by accepting, or merely receiving an offer to give, will bear tremendous weight. Weight which the other party might just want to unload at their earliest opportunity!

3. Give Often – Why stop with just one obligation to repay the reciprocal transaction? In the event the gift given is not recognized as worthwhile or valued by the recipient, you may have to give another gift. Furthermore, continuing on a relationship by giving will provide you with much needed visibility in which the other party will not lose sight of your generosity, or presence.

4. Give Value – We mentioned above that the ability to provide something of value to the recipient might cause you to have to give more often. So what exactly will be of value to the other party? You may have to approach their “runway” from several different perspectives in order to finally land successfully, but this will also show your flexibility and diversity.

As a leader, you should notice a trend in the above takeaways, namely the action of giving. We say “action” because this isn’t meant to be a thought, or a plan, for there must be action taken in order for the leadership moment to take place. Furthermore, and our statistics bear this out, the ability to receive as a result of giving (as opposed to that of expecting to receive alone) bears a statistically significant outcome in your favor in both the short/long term. As an executive coach, we would also remind you that as a leader it’s never too late to begin giving.

If you think that the opportunity has passed you by to reach out to your associates and develop them, that’s rarely the case! We’ve seen progress made even by those leaders who claimed that they were “too old of a dog to learn new tricks!” Perhaps a little fruitcake in that doggy bowl just might do the trick so as to act more like an Influential Leader and get your just desserts/results!

Filed Under: The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: barack obama, executive coach, executive coaching, leadership development, organization development, pathos leadership group, president fruitcake, sam palazzolo

Healthcare Organization Development: The Gryphon Project

October 7, 2010 By Pathos Admin

Pathos Leadership Group’s work within the healthcare industry is appropriately titled “The Gryphon Project.” These initiatives are focused on healthcare industry leaders individually, as well as their teams. All of the Gryphon initiatives are customized, with our 100+ years of healthcare experience in executive coaching and organization development allowing us to deal with a wide variety of situations. Our specialty is in leveraging assessments (behavioral assessments and 360 degree) to help organizations achieve results that are aligned with their mission, vision, values, goals and objectives.

The Behavioral Assessments and 360 Degree Assessments used within the Gryphon Project include (a partial list of those assessments follows. Note that each individual client is consulted regarding the appropriate assessment to be utilized):

Winslow
Emotional Intelligence (Bar On & Hay Group)
Myers Briggs
DiSC
Influence Strategies (Hay Group)
The Influential Leader (Pathos)
LPI (360 degree)
Bar On (360)
LMAP (360)

The Organization Development programs under way within the Gryphon Project include:

Leadership Development Programs
Associate Development Programs
Executive Coaching
Associate Group Coaching

For more information on The Gryphon Project, contact Pathos Leadership Group at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com or 877.455.3133.

The gryphon (Greek: γρύφων, grýphōn, or γρύπων) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Griffins are normally known for guarding treasure and well-valued priceless possession.

Filed Under: Featured Content, The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: 360 degree, associate development, bar on, behavioral assessment, executive coaching, healthcare, healthcare organization development, leadership development, lmap, lpi, organization development, pathos leadership group, sam palazzolo, winslow

Pathos Leadership Group’s Leadership Development Expertise Sought by US News Best Hospital

August 16, 2010 By Pathos Admin

Pathos Leadership Group (PATHOS) has been invited to participate in an Executive Development brainstorming session Thursday, August 19^th 2010, hosted by the Center for Learning at Texas Health Resources (THR). THR is one of the country’s largest non-profit healthcare organizations, with just over 18,000 associates. The Center for Learning is looking to create a competitive edge for their leaders in this continually changing healthcare environment.

PATHOS is one of only a limited number of THR Strategic Partners invited to participate in the Leadership Development session. The objectives of the session are to (1) create the foundation for how the learning initiatives will be provided (Live instruction, eLearning, Webinar, Blended Learning, Learning Library Resources, etc.) and (2) identify what topics will be crucial to drive leadership forward.

PATHOS President Sam Palazzolo CPLP PCC said, “We’re honored to be selected to participate with such a leader in the healthcare industry. Our relationship with THR as one of their ‘Preferred Coaching Organizations’ and as an Organization Development Consultancy has allowed us to strategically partner on several initiatives over the years. The Center for Learning’s ‘forward thinking’ leaders provide learning and development offerings to their organization, benefitting leadership, associates, and patients.”

PATHOS provides a variety of Executive Coaching and Organization Development solutions ranging from Leadership Development, Succession Planning, Engagement Programs, Behavioral Assessments, 360 Degree Assessments, and Associate Development offerings.

More information on PATHOS can be found from the Pathos Leadership Group website – http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/

###

Contact:

Sam Palazzolo, Pathos Leadership Group LLC

Tel: 877 455 3133 Email: pr@pathosleadershipgroup.com Web: www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Notes to Editor:

Pathos Leadership Group LLC provides results-oriented Executive Coaching and Organization Development to some of the world’s largest healthcare organizations.

Their Executive Coaching has earned them International Coach Federation professional certifications and Organization Development programs the American. Society of Training’s (ASTD) Certified Professional in Learning & Performance (CPLP) designations.

Contact Information:

Pathos Leadership Group LLC

Sam Palazzolo

877 455 3133

pr@pathosleadershipgroup.com

www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

PATHOS President Sam Palazzolo CPLP PCC said, “We’re honored to be selected to participate with such a leader in the healthcare industry. Our relationship with THR as one of their ‘Preferred Coaching Organizations’ and Organization Development consultancy has allowed us to strategically partner on several initiatives over the years. The Center for Learning’s ‘forward thinking’ leaders provide results-oriented offerings to the organization, benefitting leadership, associates, and patients.”

PATHOS provides a variety of Executive Coaching and Organization Development solutions ranging from Leadership Development, Succession Planning, Engagement Programs, Behavioral and 360 Degree Assessments, and Associate Development offerings.

More information on PATHOS can be found from the Pathos Leadership Group website – http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/pathos-power-library/

###

Contact:

Sam Palazzolo, Pathos Leadership Group LLC

Tel: 877 455 3133 Email: info@pathosleadershipgroup.com Web: www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Notes to Editor:

Pathos Leadership Group LLC provides results-oriented Executive Coaching and Organization Development to some of the world’s largest healthcare organizations.

Contact Information:

Pathos Leadership Group LLC

Sam Palazzolo

877 455 3133

pr@pathosleadershipgroup.com

www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Filed Under: PR Tagged With: 360 degree assessments, 360 degree review, executive coaching, executive development, healthcare, healthcare industry, hospital development, leadership development, organization development, organizational development, pathos leadership group, sam palazzolo, succession planning, training and development

Organization Development Lion and Lamb Challenges?

March 18, 2010 By Pathos Admin

The Lion and the Lamb exist in your organization… You want more Lions, and less Lambs! Whether it’s selecting the best candidate, or getting the most out of your associates we’ll partner with you and your organization to provide you with what we believe is the best solution possible… The Winslow Dynamics Profile. Read below for more information, or CLICK HERE to contact us to schedule a complimentary Winslow Web-Demo ($390 Retail Value).

Organization Development

Enhance the performance of all your employees! Guaranteed to increase performance, sales and profits, for a fee less than one-day wages per participant!

Improving personnel performance is an ongoing challenge to managers nationwide. Winslow Research Institute developed an innovative Employee Development Program to meet that challenge. The program complements management skill by preparing reports on the behavior and attitudes of employees, based on the results of assessment instruments. The Winslow Reports provide immediate and accurate insight into the characteristics that influence the success of your organization.

Research proves when employees fail in their positions, in more than 90% of the cases the failures are directly attributed to some aspect of human behavior. Individuals do not usually fail because they lack education, experience, training, or skills. They fail because their personality and behavior is not compatible to the behavioral requirements of their particular positions.

The Winslow Dynamics Profile Reports will provide valuable insight into why some employees are functioning successfully and why others are performing unsatisfactorily. The Reports enable employees to capitalize on their personality assets and control behaviors that are limiting or preventing success in their positions. This proven program is a valuable aid in achieving and maintaining optimum personnel performance.

Applicant Selection

Hire the best applicants for every Position! Internet assessments provide immediate results and guaranteed to reduce your personnel turnover – Avoiding just one hiring mistake covers the cost!

Selection of applicants is one of, if not the most, important aspects of building and maintaining a successful organization. Research proves when a person fails in their career in more than 90% of the time that failure is directly attributed to some aspect of human behavior. Individuals do not usually fail because of lack of education, experience, training, or skills. They fail because their personality is not compatible to the behavioral requirements of their career. An organization can invest significant amount of time and money creating products or services and a successful business. However, if the wrong applicants are hired it will fail or at best, never achieve its potential. The Winslow Dynamics Profile Report will significantly increase the probability that applicants you hire will be successful and achieve their maximum potential in your organization.

Questions the Winslow Reports Answer!

The Winslow Reports prepared on the behavior and attitudes of applicants will predict their probability of success in their position. The Winslow Profile measures the 24 personality traits related to success and the Winslow Reports present the assessment results in an easy to understand format. The scores the applicant receives on the Winslow Traits will provide answers to the following primary questions that you want answered:
Is this applicant a success orientated individual?

Ambition: This trait score tells you if this person is a competitive, goal oriented person who has a strong desire to successful.
Self-confidence: Tells you if the applicant has supreme confidence in him or herself and truly believes they have what it takes to be successful.
Conscientiousness: Tells you if this person places the welfare of management and the organization before their own personal self-interest.

Will this person be a dedicated and cooperative employee?

Coachability: Will tell you if this person respects authority figures (their managers) and willingly accepts their leadership and direction.
Recognition: Indicates if this person has an internal motivation to be seen as a desirable person and will act appropriately to receive recognition.
Trust: Trusting individuals are not suspicious and defensive. They openly communicate and believe others are deserving of their trusting nature.
Flexibility: Tells you if this applicant will readily adapt to the company’s methods of operation and decisions or be resistant and insist on their own.
Contentment: Lets you know if this is a happy person with a positive disposition, rather than someone who is disenchanted with their life.
Responsibility: Will this individual accept responsibility for the consequences of his or her words and actions or blame others instead.

What is this individual’s interpersonal orientation?

Leadership: Tells you if this individual believes they are a leader and if they enjoy managing, motivating and being responsible for others.
Sociability: Discloses whether the applicant is a people-oriented extrovert or an introvert who focuses on “things” and avoids contact with others.
Exhibition: Reveals if this person enjoys being the center of attention, someone who is entertaining, demonstrative and a pleasure to be with.
Nurturance: Nurturing individuals are keenly aware of and sensitive to the emotional needs of others and readily respond with sympathy and support.

Does this applicant meet the intellectual requirements for an employee?

Alertness: Measures the applicant’s inherent ability to learn quickly, understand complex situations and successfully solve problems.
Structure: Indicates how organized their thinking, planning and actions will be. They will be highly mentally structured and disciplined.
Order: Tells you if they will keep their physical surroundings, neat and orderly. They will have a place for everything and everything in its place.
Control: Will determine if they are impulsive and talk or act without thinking, or someone who will control their impulsive behavior.

Does this applicant have the required emotional maturity and discipline?

Composure: Predicts their ability to remain calm and to function normally when problems occur and emotional stress is encountered.
Tough-mindedness: Enables a person to cope with challenges, function in uncomfortable environments and recover quickly from disappointments.
Autonomy: Will disclose if this is a team oriented or team dependent individual, will they contribute and be cooperative or avoid contact with others.

Does this applicant have an inherent sales personality?

Sociability: Will determine if they enjoy interacting with others and will be perceived as a warm and friendly person others enjoy being with.
Endurance: Tells you if they have the inherent physical energy and persistence required to prospect, make presentations and close sales.
Assertiveness: Enables individuals to persuade others to do what they want and to accept their recommendations; they make things happen.
Tough-mindedness: Equips those who must sell to accept the rejection, disappointments and setbacks that are inevitable in sales situations.

To Schedule a Complimentary Web-Demo, contact us at 877.455.3133 or info@pathosleadershipgroup.com today!

Filed Under: Featured Content, The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: associate development, best candidate, Business Coaching, coaching, employee selection, executive coaching, hiring, leadership development, organization development

Assessments

January 17, 2010 By Pathos Admin

How can you improve as an executive, senior leader, manager or associate? How do you and your team perform at higher levels? How will your organization get to the next level? In answering these crucial questions, there is no substitute for assessment data which can provide you with valuable insight, clearer direction, a focused action plan with measurable results. These are the benefits you receive when you engage Pathos Leadership Group’s comprehensive range of individual, team and organizational assessment services.

Backed by more than ten years of practice in leadership and organization development, our assessments are research-based, time-tested, and routinely updated to reflect changes and innovations in the data-collection field.

Contact Pathos by email (CLICK HERE) if you would like to discuss how we can strategically partner with you and your team to identify which of our assessments fit your organization needs, or to customize and assessment for your organization.

Filed Under: Assessments Tagged With: assessment, Assessments, customized assessments, executive coach, leadership development, organization development, team performance

Executive Coaching for Managing Expectations of the Leader

January 14, 2010 By Pathos Admin

Are You Pushing Your People Hard Enough? The Potential of Personnel Productivity from the Perspective of Einstein.

As executive coaches, we’re often asked about expectations from the leaders we coach. Specifically, are the expectations that leader’s possess realistic, accurate, and relevant for today’s workplace and workforce? Furthermore, what’s the best way to manage those expectations? Consider the work of Einstein and several expectation solutions reveal themselves.

Einstein was arguably the greatest “thinker” of the twentieth century, and one could/should argue that he was the greatest of all time. His work in physics has been the basis for much of the progress of mankind. Even more impressive than the outputs from his thoughts is the process from which these outputs were generated. The productivity of Einstein’s thoughts was truly amazing! For example, from the fall of 1915 to the spring of 1917, he generalized relativity, found the field equations for gravity, found a physical explanation for light quanta, hinted as how the quanta involved probability rather than certainty, and came up with a concept for the structure of the universe as a whole. All the while battling stomach ailments that had him bedridden at times, going through a difficult divorce, and being separated from his kids. Dennis Overbye, noted science expert of the New York Times called this period “arguably the most prodigious effort of sustained brilliance on the part of one man in the history of physics.”

So often in our Executive Coaching we are presented with the leader’s challenges when it comes to expectations, a few of which are worth mentioning:

How to deal with difficult conversations (or the more popular “crucial conversations” and “crucial confrontations”)
Establishing the proper success measurement criteria
Having members of the staff take initiative, both at the leader and non-leader organization level
What to do when you realize the people that “got you here” won’t be able to “get you there”

It is in these moments of expectations, and the time period after, where as an executive coach we work with the leader to establish the potentials regarding what could be. In other words, what is it that they really want and how will they go about getting it. Far too often, a leader is limited in their thoughts of what can be accomplished by self-imposed barriers to progress. The leader simply can not remove themselves from their current reality in order to effectively assess the future potential possibilities.

So how was Einstein able to complete such a range of activities, and what can you do as an executive to increase your expectations (as well as the productivity of your team)? The following five expectation enhancers should be considered:

Multiple Tasks Require Multiple Thoughts – Einstein was a master at being presented with several tasks, but deriving a single outcome. While his thoughts might have been scattered, he had the ability to simultaneously focus on several items in order to produce solutions. Executive Coach Question – Are you able to focus simultaneously with intensity on several tasks?
Distraction Yourself – Einstein was known to escape from his current reality when he could not derive a solution by playing the violin. He often said that the answers to his dilemmas would come to him while playing Mozart. Executive Coach Question – What activity do you engage in when you need to have your best thoughts?
Visualize the Elements – Thinking spaciously was the key to Einstein’s abilities to see what was possible. He was able to break down the complex into simple “real world” analogies. It was in this ability to visualize that he would then set out for solution. For example, his theory of relativity was partially constructed when he was a boy by a vision he had of a speeding train and the actions of the participants on it. Executive Coach Question – Can you see what is possible in your organization?
Seek Support – Einstein, while a steadfast loner spending countless hours by himself while developing his theories, would in the end present them to family, friends and trusted colleagues for verification. While you might not have the ability to contact a Nobel Peace Prize winner such as Madame Currie to help manage your expectations, there needs to be a “sounding board” to which you can get perspective from. This board should be external to your situation. Executive Coach Question – Who will you verify your expectations with?
Challenge the Norm – There are many lessons that can be learned from Einstein, but perhaps the greatest was his ability to not take what was known or thought of as a given. He continued to almost rebel against the current norms of the time and push towards elevated accomplishments. Often criticized, ridiculed and labeled, he was Teflon-like in that he did not let the thoughts of others regarding the accepted influence his thoughts of expectation. Executive Coach Question – What are the norms in your environment that you will challenge?

The leaders who can successfully manage their expectations and follow-through on them typically achieve much more than was prevsiously thought possible. The five tips presented are not an exhaustive list of the many characteristics that made Einstein successful. Instead, they are intended to offer a glimpse at the possibilities available for leaders to set expectations beyond where they normally otherwise would. After all, the one sure method for accomplishing less than full potential is to establish expectations within a “comfort zone” or far below what is possible.

For more information on how the Executive Coaching and Organization Development techniques at Pathos Leadership Group and Sam Palazzolo CPLP, PCC can assist you and your organization, contact us at 877.455.3133 or info@pathosleadershipgroup.com.

Filed Under: The Influential Edge Blog Tagged With: business coach, Business Coaching, crucial conversations, einstein, executive coach, executive coaching, leadership development, new york times, organization development, pathos leadership group, sam palazzolo