Welcome to the March 8, 2006 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

1.   Leadership Made Simple

Every now and then I just read something that resonates so well that I think: Why write about it? Why not just reprint it?   So here goes.

Gordon Bethune, the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines, who led the airlines through a historical turnaround in the 1990s, described his concept of what a leader does and what a leader's role is.

My definition of a leader is pretty simple. The leader is the person who looks at the big picture and says, "Okay, everybody, go west."

Now west is precisely a compass heading of 270 degrees, but anywhere from about 240 to 300 degrees is heading generally west. So if I say go west, and one person is heading out at about 295 degrees, that's okay with me.....I don't want to precisely determine how you interpret it when I say, hey, let's go west. You see things a certain way, and what's happening in your department and what's happening to you today may affect what has to happen when I say go west.

On the other hand, the guy who's going 90 degrees, which is due east, is a problem. You have to catch him and readjust his thinking so he's going the right way. If he won't be readjusted, I say, no way buster: you either head west or get out of here. Maybe he needs to go to a company headed east.....

Your real job as boss - my real job as chief executive - is to let people do their jobs. It's to assemble the right team, set the big-picture direction, and communicate that, and then get out of the way....you have to trust people to do their jobs. That's the strongest leadership there is.

(Source: From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental's Remarkable Comeback)

Get the TotalView about your leadership team and ASSESS to build your leadership benchstrength.

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 507 to 508

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites.

Fact #509: The top five chronic causes of workplace short-term and long-term disability are arthritis, lower back disorders, depression, coronary heart disease, and pulmonary diseases. Each year in the U.S., these illnesses account for nearly 30% of all longterm disability claims, and their economic burden is estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars in employee absences, diminished productivity, and increased health care costs.

Fact #510: Most people under age 65 with chronic conditions are working. The percent of the 45- to 64-year-old population with these chronic conditions who are still in the workforce include 62% with hearing impairments, 61% with orthopedic impairments, 59% with hypertension, 53% with arthritis, and 51% with heart disease.

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3.  Survey: Who should HR report to?

The baby-boom generation contains the largest number of people ever voluntarily to give up work in such a short time. Because it is larger than the generation that follows it – and any that preceded it – it casts a long shadow over the companies it is set to leave behind.

Businesses are rapidly approaching the “demographic cliff" and yet Human Resources in many businesses is still not seated at the executive table. When it is, organizational charts vary with HR reporting to the CEO, COO, CFO or other senior executives.

We'd like to hear from you. Who should HR report to and why? Please take a minute or two to complete this two-question opinion survey  and then forward the link to co-workers, clients, HR managers, and executives you know.

Results will be published on or before March 15, 2006 in this newsletter and at www.super-solutions.com.

4.   Quotes from Hire Authorities

Management is getting people to do what you want them to do. Leadership is getting people to want to do what you want them to do.

Warren Bennis

5.   JobClues: The world's leading pre-employment assessment?

JobClues™ a part of the CLUES™ Assessments family of products. Using the CLUES™ personality and Cognitive Assessments, JobClues™ provides reports describing an individual’s core behavioral traits and cognitive reasoning speed. The reporting describes the participant’s core Personality and Cognitive measurements in the context of various job categories and what affect they may have on performance in that type of job. It then provides specific behavioral interview questions based on how the participant scored in various areas.

We have developed numerous “job category templates” to assist you. These templates provide specific descriptions of behavior in the job category as well as a “generic” benchmark to use as an initial guide for determining job fit. It is critical that the benchmarks are adjusted to apply specifically to your job requirements.

The system is completely web based and requires only an internet connection. (Note, the assessment can be given on paper if necessary and then keyed into your online administration area for accessing reports.)

The assessments are validated for 20 positions and behavioral interview questions are included in each report.

To view a sample Clues report.

6.   Clues Makes "HR's Job A Snap"

Our candidate discovery and interview process is a critical component to both our treatment and growth model. Producing consistent treatment results for patients starts with placing quality doctors. Since Airrosti has no shortage of interested candidates it affords us to be particularly analytical about whom we hire.

We have field tested countless Fortune 500 testing models and your testing solutions by far exceeds them all! Not only did you match us with the right industry specific tests (that simply have blown the competition away), but you have also delivered testing logistics that make our HR Department's job a snap.

Thanks for all your help in making our selection process that much better.

Regards,   Sean Tipton, Airrosti Center, Inc., www.airroti.com