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

1. Employees Who Can't Make Decisions and What You Can Do To Help

2. Best Practice Tips and Resources
3. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #186 to #190

4.. Train-the-Trainer: How to ID Competencies and Evaluate Employees
5 . YUCK!
6 .90% of Generation Xers said they want..........
7 . Summer/Fall Workshop and Speaking Schedule
8 . Ethical Shenanigans: How Secure is Your Business?
9 . SELECT - A Pre-employment Screening Tool
10 . DISC Behavioral Style Indicator/Sales Style Indicator

1. Employees Who Can't Make Decisions and What You Can Do To Help

Its not likely that many of us will ever be faced with making critical decisions of the magnitude that many men and women had to do on the morning of September 11, 2004. Then again, some of the people in position that day didnt make them either.

Ninety percent of the things we do are routine. We can do them with our eyes closed. We operate on remote. Just think about it for a minute. Many of us will slide in behind the drivers seat sometime today and head off for an appointment or meeting or to pick up our kids. We wont think much about the mechanics of driving because its been programmed in our brains. We may even get in the car and drive off while speaking on the phone, eating a snack, reading directions while miraculously arriving in one piece, unharmed.

At work we do the same thing. We learn how to handle the status quo with exceptional skill and consider ourselves talented and even indispensable for doing so. We run ourselves on auto-pilot until the unexpected happens.

In the case of those men and women on 9-11, what happened was not only unexpected but unthinkable. As they say, this is why talented people get paid the big bucks. Managing through a crisis, even in an unthinkable complex situation, is a talent that separates the great people from the mediocre.

In sports, these great players are called clutch players  Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, John Elway. Whenever they were on the brink of a loss, they rallied their teams and many times pulled off the impossible ... and made it look easy. In the operating room, an anesthesiologist enjoys the routine 98 percent of the time. Its those 2 percent that often times determines the difference between life and death. What makes these people great isnt that they make just one heroic play but they do it over and over with poise and skill. People who can manage others through a crisis are a special breed.

That wasnt the case for all the people in charge on the morning of 9-11. Hearing the tapes from the 9-11 Commission epitomized the elephant in the room that everyone wants to talk about but few people want to address  the shortage of skilled workers and the quality of the skills these workers actually have.

As an example, just listen to these excerpts from an exchange between FAA headquarters and the agencys command center at 9:49 on that fateful morning.

To set up the situation, the military received no notice that American Flight 77 was hijacked until 9:34; that's just minutes before it hits the Pentagon. At the same time, the fighters from Langley Air Force Base are heading towards Baltimore, towards American Flight 11, a plane that doesn't exist anymore. In that context, lets listen in:

Man #1: All right, they're pulling Jeff away to talk about United 93.
Man #2: Do we want to think about scrambling aircraft?
Man #1: Oh, God, I don't know. (Then a few seconds delay and silence) Man #2: That's a decision somebody's going to have to make probably in the next 10 minutes.
Man #1: You know, (then a pause) everybody just left the room.

Not "let me get you an answer" but Everybody left the room. Please, give us a break. Three airplanes had already crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon with a fourth in the air and supposedly headed for the White House and here we have one of our officials at the controls of the command center who choked under the pressure.

Hopefully none of us will ever have face the pressure and life-or-death decisions that faced many men and women on the morning of 9-11. But every one of us is forced to make hundreds of decisions each day of lives. The fact is that some of us do it better than others and it is quite easy to predict who will and who won't.

What follows are a few examples of personality traits or values that we help companies look for when selecting, promoting or coaching employees wjo make effective and timely decisions.

Assertiveness. Is the person willing to speak up even when his or her viewpoint might be unpopular? An individual with low assertiveness might fear voicing his or her opinion especially in the face of adversity or a dominant supervisor.

Reactiveness. Does this individual want to think things through or do they tend to wing it? An individual who is more reactive than organized might put things off until the last minute and then make quick decisions. They can be energized by last minute heroics and thrive during crisis situations but procrastinate during calmer times.

Self-sufficiency. Does this individual engage other people to talk or think through a problem or do they prefer to act alone? The self-sufficient individual might choose to work through his/her options independently and then show up at a meeting with what he/she feels is the rightand only.solution (especially if they are assertive as well).

Excitable and Restless. How well does this individual cope with stress? How do they respond to criticism or rejection? Individuals who are excitable and restless tend to lose their cool and/or composure much quicker than individuals who are poised and relaxed. But that is not to say that poised and relaxed individuals are better decision makers. Too much poise and relaxed behavior may get in the way of these people recognizing a crisis when one exists.

Cognitive Abilities. Cognitive abilities determine how quickly and accurately an individual can process new information  an obvious benefit for anyone with these capabilities on the morning of 9-11. Individuals with lower abilities may have all the smarts and experience but when confronted with a new experience and no protocols, crash under the flood of the data. Lower abilities combined with excitable and restless traits puts these individuals at high risk for effective decision making under duress.

Power and Authority. Individuals motivated by the Power and Authority value may relish the challenge and seize control. If the individual has the skills and abilities, this might work out. But not all people willing to take charge of a crisis have the right skills.

Social. Individuals motivated by the Social value dislike conflict and make decisions based on what is best for the community at large. In crisis mode, this could be a good thing.or a detriment in situations when tough choices have to be made. In war sometimes good people are sacrificed for the greater good and individuals who value Social may find it difficult to make these calls.

For instance, the choice to shoot down a passenger plane to protect the Capital and sacrifice a few lives for the sake of thousands would be most challenging for the Social person. The individual motivated by Power and Authority, although finding the idea repulsive, might find it easier to pull the trigger and live with the outcome. (In the business world, this translates into which managers can make the tough calls when downsizing, laying off workers, or terminating an employee.)

How well prepared and capable are your managers and leaders of making the tough choices? How effective are they at making decisions in a timely manner?

Learn more about the skills, personality and motivations of your managers by contacting us today.

Other helpful links:
How to assess personality traits that count:

What motivates employees:

How "smart" do employees need to be?

2. Best Practice Tips and Resources

To learn more about hiring best practices, download the U.S. Department of Labor publication, TESTING AND ASSESSMENT: AN EMPLOYER'S GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICES.

Reduce your risk and hire competence with confidence. Visit our assessment center.

Test your Interviewing IQ.

Visit our Behavioral Interviewing Center.

3. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #186 to #190

Fact #186: Businesses spend $36.5 billion on costs related to workers who are Alzheimer's caregivers.

Fact #187: $18 billion is lost on productivity due to absenteeism.

Fact #188: Recruitment, training and productivity loss when caregivers quit exceeds $6.3 billion.

Fact #189: Insurance benefits paid out to caregiver workers who are on leave - $1.2 billion.

Fact #1900: By 2030, it is estimated there will be 7.7 million people with Alzheimer's disease.

Source: Alzheimer's Association - Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is just one drain on worker productivity that will likely get worse. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - $7.95 includes no shipping costs for limited time only.

Visit PerfectLaborStorm.com

Schedule Ira Wolfe today to speak to your organization about What's Ahead In Hiring Trends or Generations in the Workplace - You can't work with them, You can't work without them.

4. CriteriaOne. Train-the-Trainer: Competency Identification and Performance Management

Become a certified CriteriaOne consultant. Learn to identify competencies, complete a job analysis and interpret behavioral, values and personality assessments. The next Train-the-Trainer will be held from August 18-20, 2004 in Lancaster PA. Register early and save $500 and bring a 2nd person at no additional cost.

Register online or call 717.656.4632.

5. YUCK!
The desk you sit at, eat at and work at is....Yuckie. Here are sample numbers of bacteria per square inch found around the office:

Phone receiver: 25,127
Desktop: 20,961
Computer Keyboard: 3,295
Computer Mouse: 1,676
Fax Machine: 301
Photocopier: 69
Toilet seat: 49

6. More Recommended Readings

90% of Generation Xers said they want feedback immediately or within a few days. But 30% of Xers said they receive their phone bill more often than they get relevent feedback on the job!
Order your copy of Manager's Guide to Managing Generation X.


65% of respondents agreed that generation gaps make it hard to get things done at work. Order Managing the Generation Mix.

View more books at the SPS Bookstore

7. Summer 2004 Workshop and Speaking Schedule

July 26, 2004. Recruiting, Training, and Retaining a Diverse Nursing Workforce, Sponsored by Healthcare IQ, Radisson Hotel, Chicago, IL. Ira will join leaders at this event from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baylor Health Care System, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Duke University and Health Systems. To vie the conference schedule,

August 18-20, 2004 - CriteriaOne Train-the-Trainer: How to Identify Competencies and Use Assessments for Hiring, Promoting, and Managing Performance. The Hampton Inn, Lancaster, PA. Call 717.656.4632 for more information and to reserve your seat. Limit - 10.

September 1, 2004 - Ethical Shenanigans: How Susceptible Is Your Business? Small Business Group Breakfast. To reserve your place, call The Lancaster Chamber at 717.394.3531. Speaker: Ira S. Wolfe

September 13, 2004 - What is This Thing Called Emotional Intelligence .And Why We Need It In The Workplace?" Sponsored by Clemson University; Location - Harrisburg, PA. Speaker: Marilyn Walker

September 27, 2004 - Best Practices in Performance Consulting, Atlanta, GA. Sponsored by International Quality and Productivity Center. Speaker: Ira S. Wolfe. Ira will join leaders from Dell, Microsoft, HomeBanc, Harley-Davidson,Hewlett-Packard, Putnam Investments, EDS, Synovus and Internal Revenue Service.

• E-mails and the Internet
• Proprietary Information
• Conflicts of Interest
• Intellectual Property and Copyright
• Gifts from Suppliers, Vendors and Subcontractors
• Forced Ranking Performance Reviews
• Hiring and Promotion Practices
• Sexual, gender, race, and cultural discrimination
• Target-based incentives *Whistle-blowing

9. SELECT!
A pre-employment screening tool to identify work-related behaviors such as Positive Service Attitude, Accountability, Frustration Tolerance, Acceptance of Diversity, Multi-tasking and more.... plus a Validity Check and Integrity Index.

Each customized report includes a step by step interview guide including recommended interview questions.

SELECT is scored on-line but can be administered on paper or computer.

The following report versions are available:

Customer Service
Administrative Support
Retail Sales Associates
Entry Level Retail Management
Call Centers
Production & Distribution
Healthcare
Personal Service
Convenience Store Associates
Hospitality
Office Staffing

Learn more about SELECT and other pre-employment test at our Pre-Hire Assessment Center
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10. DISC Behavioral Style Indicator and DISC Sales Style Indicator reports assess how an employee will deal with problems, interact with people, comply with rules and procedures, and the pace at which he or she will work. View a sample report, click here.

How do your employees fit on your team. MAP your entire team on our Style Insights Wheel. Identify strengths and minimize conflicts easily.

Get the wheel online. It's included FREE with each DISC Behavioral Style Indicator and DISC Sales Style Indicator Report.

To learn more about Success Performance Solutions or read back issues of The Total View, stop by our website at www.super-solutions.com.

Order your personal copy of Understanding Business Values and Motivators at
http://www.understandingbvm.com

Order your personal copy of The Perfect Labor Storm at
http:/perfectlaborstorm.com

Ira S. Wolfe. 2004 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.