My Business and Life Lessons
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton. All rights reserved.
Dave Prouhet over at Business Advice Daily, a small business advisor, had a great post earlier this week on My Business Life Lessons. Author and Management Consultant, Jm Stroup, over at Managing Leadership, emailed me this morning, encouraging me to add my own thoughts through my own blog this week. You can visit's Jim's excellent post the other day "Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks". Dave will consolidate and post all our blog contributions as a single list in a short while.
As a former manager myself, and now a business owner and management trainer, coach and consultant, I am always amazed at how the principles of business, leadership and management are transferable across industries, sectors and niches. Here are a few of the golden rules I live and work by:
1. People are the strength of the business -- Invest in your people, you invest in your organization. At the end of the day, a business is more than just its' balance sheet. It is a web of people and their strengths and talents. Treat your employees well, and you will tend to get engaged employees, willing to give it their all. Invest in your people as much as you can - and remember investing is not just about money.
2. Pay people first: This issue pops its ugly head a lot in the small business world, non-profits, and increasingly in larger corporations. Make sure your people are paid! Late pay cheques or payment for invoices is not just a legal issue, but it will weaken the foundation of your most important resource - your staff and/or suppliers.
A number of times, especially at the end of a fiscal year, I am always surprised to hear about business owners and CEOs paying themselves first, and others later. What's the impact of this? What can you do as a manager, or business owner, to make sure your people are compensated on time, and for what they are worth?
3. Build your team - As Jim Collins says so eloquently in Good to Great!, get the right people on the right bus in the right seat. Hiring wonderfully skilled people only gets its' leverage when they are in the right position, at the right time, with the right organization and culture. Take time to build your team, in terms of recruitment, training and ongoing team building intiatives.
4. Recognize the leader in all: If you haven't gathered through reading this post already, I come from the school of participatory management. I truly believe that there is a "leader" in each one of us. The more we can as managers, coaches, leaders find the "leader" in others and create the environment for them to step into their leadership capacity, the more engaged and productive your staff will be. My philosophy as a manager was always to work myself out of a job -- not the most financially sustainable, but certainly the most important for organizational capacity building.
What leadership qualities do your staff possess? How much have they explored their own capacities? Is it time to invest in some leadership training for your team?
5. Delegate wherever possible: A very common pitfall for business owners and newer managers is to hoarde responsibility, taking on every little task, and failing to share authority and responsibility. The cost? Burnout, disgrunted employees, and even business failure.
By building the capability of your team, and leveraging their strengths and interests, delegation is a natural progression. Not every task can be delegated in every situation, but what could you pass on to another? What would be challenging and a stretch, but within a person's capability? What support would you need to provide that employee?
I often refer to delegation as a muscle. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and the stronger your team becomes. Delegation of tasks builds ownership of the results to the team, and hence, a stronger organization.
6. Create Momentum -- I speak a lot about Building Momentum in my work and my writing. Momentum is a wonderful thing and enables work to take on a life of its own. Whether you are a new business owner, or a seasoned manager/leader, what momentum is present in your work right now? Like a snowball that gathers up speed (and size) as it rolls down the hill, what will it take to steer that momentum towards the results you want?
7. Regular Consistent Effort -- A number of management speakers like Robin Sharma, talk about the value of regular consistent effort towards goal achievement. Small, daily actions over time can have a huge impact. It's like making a 1 degree tiller change that may seem small at the time, but will move your ship to a totally different location.
Ask yourself, what is one goal you could focus on this month, and take small, daily action steps towards? I'd love to hear what your results look like after a month!
8. Ensure that people are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Whether you are a business partnership, a team or a couple, spend time looking at the roles you play and how it all fits together. Lack of clarity about roles, and who is responsible for what, costs business billions of dollars every year. In today's world of matrix management and virtual teams, role clarity and clear understanding of responsibilities is taking on even more importance. Not sure about where to start with this one? I'm sure that others blogging about this, myself included, would love to support you on this through some coaching or training work.
9. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate - Effectively!: In my world of work and life, communication is the foundation of everything. Invest in becoming a more effective communicator-- is what you are saying really understood the way you intended it to be? Globalization and working across cultures quickly shows the cracks in our own communication styles. What do you need to focus more on?
10. Be Clear on Your Vision - If you don't know where you want to go, how will you know when you get there? I could say a lot about vision, values and purpose...and will leave it for another post, but ask yourself, "What is my vision for my work in 1 year? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?". What is the fire in your belly? Are you walking your talk?
I hope that you've received some value from what's turned out to be quite a lengthy post. I'd love to hear which of my golden rules resonate with you. What are your top work and life lessons?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized ~ Group Coaching Essentials
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
HR Potporri - Team Coaching, Corporate Retreats, Interviewing
One of my earlier blog posts, Interviewing 101 - Part II, was featured today on the AboutHR.com blog in this week's HR Blog Carnival. The interviewing tips I include are specifically for employers. It was a follow-up to an the first part of Interviewing Tips for Employers, which you can find here.
Every two weeks the HR Blog Carnival is hosted by a different HR blogger. As a Certified Human Resource Professional myself, it's wonderful to see the amount of resources available online for HR professionals around the world. For many years while I was working globally, About: Human Resources was a treasurechest of resources for me as a manager. I love the fact that Susan now blogs regularly on different HR related topics. You can check her out at http://humanresources.about.com.
A new article of mine - "Corporate Retreats: Six Essential Design Principles" is now available for free distribution through EzineArticles.com. You can link to the article here. If you are an HR manager planning your next retreat, I hope that you will find some valuable tools. If you are looking for a facilitator, or facilitation team for your next retreat, please feel free to contact me toll free at 1-866-217-1960.
Yesterday, I was a guest panelist speaking on Team Coaching for the International Coach Federation Relationship Special Interest Group. I joined Phil Sandahl, Co-Active Coaching Co-Author, and Principal of Team Coaching International (which provides an excellent team assessment for organizations). Kathy Hay of Kathy Hay Worldwide and Integra Leadership Inc. Is your organization leveraging team coaching? How are training results sustained within your company? Do you have a team that's just forming or is undergoing transition? Are you getting the most from your team building resources. If you are interested in learning more about team coaching, and what it could do for your organization, please feel free to contact me, or visit this webpage where I have with more information on what team coaching is all about.
What are your biggest HR questions right now? Please feel free to comment below -- I'll feature them in an upcoming blog post. I look forward to hearing from you!
Have a wonderful week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized ~ Group Coaching Essentials
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Every two weeks the HR Blog Carnival is hosted by a different HR blogger. As a Certified Human Resource Professional myself, it's wonderful to see the amount of resources available online for HR professionals around the world. For many years while I was working globally, About: Human Resources was a treasurechest of resources for me as a manager. I love the fact that Susan now blogs regularly on different HR related topics. You can check her out at http://humanresources.about.com.
A new article of mine - "Corporate Retreats: Six Essential Design Principles" is now available for free distribution through EzineArticles.com. You can link to the article here. If you are an HR manager planning your next retreat, I hope that you will find some valuable tools. If you are looking for a facilitator, or facilitation team for your next retreat, please feel free to contact me toll free at 1-866-217-1960.
Yesterday, I was a guest panelist speaking on Team Coaching for the International Coach Federation Relationship Special Interest Group. I joined Phil Sandahl, Co-Active Coaching Co-Author, and Principal of Team Coaching International (which provides an excellent team assessment for organizations). Kathy Hay of Kathy Hay Worldwide and Integra Leadership Inc. Is your organization leveraging team coaching? How are training results sustained within your company? Do you have a team that's just forming or is undergoing transition? Are you getting the most from your team building resources. If you are interested in learning more about team coaching, and what it could do for your organization, please feel free to contact me, or visit this webpage where I have with more information on what team coaching is all about.
What are your biggest HR questions right now? Please feel free to comment below -- I'll feature them in an upcoming blog post. I look forward to hearing from you!
Have a wonderful week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized ~ Group Coaching Essentials
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Monday, April 30, 2007
5 Things Business can do for the Environment
5 Things Business Can Do For The Environment
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton, All Rights Reserved
To keep the momentum alive on environmental issues, today’s post includes 5 things businesses can do for the environment:
1. Evaluate your recycling practices within the office: What does your office recycle? Ink Toner Cartridges? Paper? Bottles? Cans? What else can you do to enhance your recycling processes in your office?
2. Review your air travel usage. Are face to face meetings always necessary? Could technology be leveraged to reduce your staff travel schedule? Some ideas to consider are leverage teleconferencing, as well as webinars. Could face to face retreat work be replaced by virtual retreats?
3. Replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient low wattage florescent bulbs. This week the Government of Canada has announced that within the next five years consumers will no longer be able to purchase the regular Thomas Edison style lightbulbs. Wherever possible turn off lights in rooms that are not being used -- for example, conference rooms.
4. Look to reduce product packaging: Despite the efforts by many companies to move to less bulky product packaging, many products still remain over packaged. How can your company reduce product packaging or make the packaging itself a non-disposible item?
5. Provide workers with incentives to car pool, bike or use public transit. Here in Toronto, the average commuter travels over 1.5 hours a day – imagine that time spent commuting multiplied over a business year. How can your business support your staff in taking healthier, and less stressful ways to work?
Which of these ideas could your business consider implementing? What other ideas do you have for business to do their part for the environment. I'd love to hear your thoughts - please feel free to comment below.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized ~ Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Jennifer Britton is the founder of Potentials Realized, a Canadian based performance improvement company, offering coaching, training and consulting services. A former global manager with international organizations and the UN, Jennifer worked on environmental and capacity building programs. She has a Masters in Environmental Studies and has worked on biodiversity, climate change, and sea turtle research programs throughout the Caribbean.
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton, All Rights Reserved
To keep the momentum alive on environmental issues, today’s post includes 5 things businesses can do for the environment:
1. Evaluate your recycling practices within the office: What does your office recycle? Ink Toner Cartridges? Paper? Bottles? Cans? What else can you do to enhance your recycling processes in your office?
2. Review your air travel usage. Are face to face meetings always necessary? Could technology be leveraged to reduce your staff travel schedule? Some ideas to consider are leverage teleconferencing, as well as webinars. Could face to face retreat work be replaced by virtual retreats?
3. Replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient low wattage florescent bulbs. This week the Government of Canada has announced that within the next five years consumers will no longer be able to purchase the regular Thomas Edison style lightbulbs. Wherever possible turn off lights in rooms that are not being used -- for example, conference rooms.
4. Look to reduce product packaging: Despite the efforts by many companies to move to less bulky product packaging, many products still remain over packaged. How can your company reduce product packaging or make the packaging itself a non-disposible item?
5. Provide workers with incentives to car pool, bike or use public transit. Here in Toronto, the average commuter travels over 1.5 hours a day – imagine that time spent commuting multiplied over a business year. How can your business support your staff in taking healthier, and less stressful ways to work?
Which of these ideas could your business consider implementing? What other ideas do you have for business to do their part for the environment. I'd love to hear your thoughts - please feel free to comment below.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized ~ Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Jennifer Britton is the founder of Potentials Realized, a Canadian based performance improvement company, offering coaching, training and consulting services. A former global manager with international organizations and the UN, Jennifer worked on environmental and capacity building programs. She has a Masters in Environmental Studies and has worked on biodiversity, climate change, and sea turtle research programs throughout the Caribbean.
Monday, April 23, 2007
What's Your Ecological Footprint?
In celebration of Earth Day yesterday, and what I usually make a "green" week, I wanted to share with you an interesting link out of Australia which looks at an individual's Ecological Footprint. Imagine that each one of us, or our business, leaves it's own stamp on the planet through our use of electricity, water, and other natural resources. This is called your ecological footprint.
How big do you think your ecological footprint is? How big is your business ecological footprint?
Take this fun online assessment here to figure out how big is your ecological footprint:
www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/bigfoot/mid/
What is one thing you can do this week, as a professional or a business to reduce your ecological footprint? It may be as simple as changing a lightbulb to the lower wattage florescent type, or taking the stairs instead of an elevator, or walking to the store instead of driving. It may also be as big as looking at your company's travel policy and seeing how in-person air trips can be replaced through virtual meetings.
As someone who completed their Masters in Envrionmental Studies, I have to say it is encouraging to see more of a focus in the media on the environment these days. Does it reflect your concerns and action? Your business' concerns and action?
I'd love to hear your thoughts -- feel free to comment below.
Have a green week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
How big do you think your ecological footprint is? How big is your business ecological footprint?
Take this fun online assessment here to figure out how big is your ecological footprint:
www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/bigfoot/mid/
What is one thing you can do this week, as a professional or a business to reduce your ecological footprint? It may be as simple as changing a lightbulb to the lower wattage florescent type, or taking the stairs instead of an elevator, or walking to the store instead of driving. It may also be as big as looking at your company's travel policy and seeing how in-person air trips can be replaced through virtual meetings.
As someone who completed their Masters in Envrionmental Studies, I have to say it is encouraging to see more of a focus in the media on the environment these days. Does it reflect your concerns and action? Your business' concerns and action?
I'd love to hear your thoughts -- feel free to comment below.
Have a green week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Monday, April 16, 2007
Go Put Your Strengths To Work
Back in October of last year, I wrote a post on Leveraging Your Strengths. Late last year Marcus Buckingham published his newest book -- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance.
For those of you who subscribe to an approach where strengths are are leveraged in the workplace and business, rather than weaknesses being put under the microscope, this is a must read. It's a great book for anyone in management and the field of learning and development. I used the Now, Discover Your Strengths process several years ago when I was starting my business and found the book and related assessment invaluable.
If you haven't checked out his earlier books, Now, Discover Your Strengths (2001) and First, Break All the Rules (2000), you may want to check these out as well.
I've put Go Put Your Strengths to Work and Now, Discover Your Strengths in my Amazon Associate bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/yourbalancedlife-20) -- here's the link to these books and some other great business and management reads.
Enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
For those of you who subscribe to an approach where strengths are are leveraged in the workplace and business, rather than weaknesses being put under the microscope, this is a must read. It's a great book for anyone in management and the field of learning and development. I used the Now, Discover Your Strengths process several years ago when I was starting my business and found the book and related assessment invaluable.
If you haven't checked out his earlier books, Now, Discover Your Strengths (2001) and First, Break All the Rules (2000), you may want to check these out as well.
I've put Go Put Your Strengths to Work and Now, Discover Your Strengths in my Amazon Associate bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/yourbalancedlife-20) -- here's the link to these books and some other great business and management reads.
Enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Recharging Your Batteries
Recharging Your Batteries
Many of us are starting to wind down for the Easter long weekend -- where most offices will be closed for the next three or four days. Are you going to take advantage of this time to recharge your batteries? Ask yourself, where is your energy level right now?
In speaking with a number of associates and clients over the last few days, I realize that many of us, myself included, have been running on full-tilt since the start of the new year. Energy stocks are lower than usual. What will you be doing this weekend to recharge?
Long weekends are a wonderful time to reconnect with family and those things most important to us. It's also a great time to get things done around the house -- things that may have been hanging over our head, sapping our energy. It's also a great time to reflect back on your accomplishments, and spend time setting out some goals for the next few months. What do you want to have accomplished by summer?
If you aren't going to be recharging this weekend, I hope that you will consider joining me on Saturday May 5th for the Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat. From 10 - 4 pm (EST) that day, we will be spending the day retreating virtually from our own homes, reconnecting with those things most important in our lives. We "meet" hourly by phone, connecting for about 20 minutes to undertake a group exercise, and then spend the remaining part of the hour retreating individually at our own locations offline, doing some individual inner work.
I hold these virtual retreats every quarter and participants have joined me from around the world. I'd love to have you join me on May 5th, whether you are recharging this weekend or not. Early bird special pricing is in effect for a few more weeks.
Have a wonderful, restful long weekend!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
In speaking with a number of associates and clients over the last few days, I realize that many of us, myself included, have been running on full-tilt since the start of the new year. Energy stocks are lower than usual. What will you be doing this weekend to recharge?
Long weekends are a wonderful time to reconnect with family and those things most important to us. It's also a great time to get things done around the house -- things that may have been hanging over our head, sapping our energy. It's also a great time to reflect back on your accomplishments, and spend time setting out some goals for the next few months. What do you want to have accomplished by summer?
If you aren't going to be recharging this weekend, I hope that you will consider joining me on Saturday May 5th for the Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat. From 10 - 4 pm (EST) that day, we will be spending the day retreating virtually from our own homes, reconnecting with those things most important in our lives. We "meet" hourly by phone, connecting for about 20 minutes to undertake a group exercise, and then spend the remaining part of the hour retreating individually at our own locations offline, doing some individual inner work.
I hold these virtual retreats every quarter and participants have joined me from around the world. I'd love to have you join me on May 5th, whether you are recharging this weekend or not. Early bird special pricing is in effect for a few more weeks.
Have a wonderful, restful long weekend!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Are you an intrapreneur?
Are you an intrapreneur?
The term intrapreneur is becoming more mainstream these days as many larger companies are looking to leverage the skills and strengths Intrapreneurs have to offer. Rubbermaid, 3M, and HP are all known for fostering an intrapreneurial climate.
The term Intrapreneur was first coined in the late 1970s, by husband and wife team, Gifford and Elizabeth Pinchot, while undertaking studies at the School for Entrepreneurs in Tarrytown, New York. Originally coined Intra-corporate entrepreneur, the term Intrapreneur evolved throughout the 1980s, being added to the American Heritage Dictonary of the English Language (3rd Ed) in 1992.
An intrapreneur can be defined as:
"in-tra-pre-neur (In¹tre-pre-nur) n. A person within a large corporation who takes direct responsibility for turning an idea into a profitable finished product through assertive risk-taking and innovation [intra(corporate) + (ENTRE)PRENEUR.] -inftrapre-nouri-al adj. -intra-pre-neuri-al-ism n. -in'trapre-neuri-al-ly adv. (American Hertigage Dictonary of The English Lanugage, 3rd Edition).
Intrpreneurs exhibit certain characteristics in the work place namely:
* Risk taking
* Innovation
Many writers liken intrapreneurs to the corporate world, as entrepreneurs to the small business sector.
These ideas have led to offshoots of intrapreneurs in a range of sectors - ecopreneurs who work for environmental sustainability through the introduction of green technology, intrapreneurs in the governmental sector and many others.
If you'd like more infromation on intrapreneuring, please visit Pinchot and Company and their site dedicated to Intrapreneuring.
What would it be like if your company adopted more of an intrapreneurial spirit? What would be possible?
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
The term intrapreneur is becoming more mainstream these days as many larger companies are looking to leverage the skills and strengths Intrapreneurs have to offer. Rubbermaid, 3M, and HP are all known for fostering an intrapreneurial climate.
The term Intrapreneur was first coined in the late 1970s, by husband and wife team, Gifford and Elizabeth Pinchot, while undertaking studies at the School for Entrepreneurs in Tarrytown, New York. Originally coined Intra-corporate entrepreneur, the term Intrapreneur evolved throughout the 1980s, being added to the American Heritage Dictonary of the English Language (3rd Ed) in 1992.
An intrapreneur can be defined as:
"in-tra-pre-neur (In¹tre-pre-nur) n. A person within a large corporation who takes direct responsibility for turning an idea into a profitable finished product through assertive risk-taking and innovation [intra(corporate) + (ENTRE)PRENEUR.] -inftrapre-nouri-al adj. -intra-pre-neuri-al-ism n. -in'trapre-neuri-al-ly adv. (American Hertigage Dictonary of The English Lanugage, 3rd Edition).
Intrpreneurs exhibit certain characteristics in the work place namely:
* Risk taking
* Innovation
Many writers liken intrapreneurs to the corporate world, as entrepreneurs to the small business sector.
These ideas have led to offshoots of intrapreneurs in a range of sectors - ecopreneurs who work for environmental sustainability through the introduction of green technology, intrapreneurs in the governmental sector and many others.
If you'd like more infromation on intrapreneuring, please visit Pinchot and Company and their site dedicated to Intrapreneuring.
What would it be like if your company adopted more of an intrapreneurial spirit? What would be possible?
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Leveraging Business Partnerships
A growing scope of my work this year has been in the area of coaching business partnerships. Leveraging the amazing tools created by the Centre for Right Relationship (the wonderful partnerhsip of Marita Frijhon and Faith Fuller) and their training in the area of Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching, I am seeing outstanding results for business partners I am currently coaching.
Are you looking to create or enhance your business partnership? What could be available if focused more on your relationship with your business partner?
A few weeks ago, I ran a 50 hour business planning course with Business Students who are putting together their first business plan. It was a team effort where students work with at least one partner. One of the many themes which emerged from this work is the challenge created by working with a business partner. What skills do you bring to the table? How do these compliment your partner? Where are the gaps?
Challenges aside, partnerships provide a rich space for opportunities and greater scope than ever working alone. If you are currently working solo, what would a business partnership provide for you? What could you do that you are currently not doing alone?
If you are interested in exploring these issues further, I would like to invite you and your business partner to try a sample coaching session by phone. My goal for the first quarter was to offer free coaching sessions to over 50 partners. I am now more than three quarters of the way through this process. If you would like to book a 45 minute sample coaching session with your partner, please email me at jennifer@potentialsrealized.com with Sample Business Partner Coaching in the subject line, along with two or three times you are available to undertake the session. Please also indicate the timezone that you are in.
I will also be looking for a business partnership to coach on the evening of Saturday March 24th from 8-9 pm (EST) by phone. If you and your partner would like to reserve this spot, please email me with March 24th in the subject line.
Stay tuned for many more posts related to business partnerships. I look forward to hearing from you,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Jennifer Britton is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and is the founder of Potentials Realized and Integra Enterprises. Jennifer weaves together her sound business acumen with expertise in HR, group and team development, to support individual, team and executive clients in not-for-profit, governmental and corporate clients across North America and Europe.
Are you looking to create or enhance your business partnership? What could be available if focused more on your relationship with your business partner?
A few weeks ago, I ran a 50 hour business planning course with Business Students who are putting together their first business plan. It was a team effort where students work with at least one partner. One of the many themes which emerged from this work is the challenge created by working with a business partner. What skills do you bring to the table? How do these compliment your partner? Where are the gaps?
Challenges aside, partnerships provide a rich space for opportunities and greater scope than ever working alone. If you are currently working solo, what would a business partnership provide for you? What could you do that you are currently not doing alone?
If you are interested in exploring these issues further, I would like to invite you and your business partner to try a sample coaching session by phone. My goal for the first quarter was to offer free coaching sessions to over 50 partners. I am now more than three quarters of the way through this process. If you would like to book a 45 minute sample coaching session with your partner, please email me at jennifer@potentialsrealized.com with Sample Business Partner Coaching in the subject line, along with two or three times you are available to undertake the session. Please also indicate the timezone that you are in.
I will also be looking for a business partnership to coach on the evening of Saturday March 24th from 8-9 pm (EST) by phone. If you and your partner would like to reserve this spot, please email me with March 24th in the subject line.
Stay tuned for many more posts related to business partnerships. I look forward to hearing from you,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Jennifer Britton is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and is the founder of Potentials Realized and Integra Enterprises. Jennifer weaves together her sound business acumen with expertise in HR, group and team development, to support individual, team and executive clients in not-for-profit, governmental and corporate clients across North America and Europe.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
What's in a business plan
I had the pleasure of running a 50 hour Developing a Business Plan course over the last few weeks which led to the development of 15 new business plans by participants. The course has launched some really innovative plans - from golf courses, to restaraunts, to a financial service firm, to a tailored concierge services, to a Muskoka based resort.
This post is the first of many I will be posting on the ins and outs of business planning for small business.
The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved.
If you are a small business owner, what's the status of your business plan? Is it still collecting dust on the shelves, or do you consistently refer back to it?
Business plans are not only a useful tool for leveraging needed capital, but they can be an invaluable tool for business owners. A business plan should be a living, breathing document, which is regularly updated and referred to.
One of the most common questions I often receive when coaching business owners is, what should a business plan include?
Typically, a business plan should include the following sections:
* Table of Contents
* Executive Summary
* Business and Management Overview
* Marketing (which includes the 4 Ps - Price, Product/Service, Promotion, and Place (Distribution), industry analysis, and market review/research)
* Location Information for the Business
* Personnel Requirements
* Legal Requirements
* Financial Requirements
As each industry and business is different, the skeleton of the plan will look slightly different.
If you are in the process of developing your own plan, or revising one, which sections are most challenging for you to work on? I'd love to get your comments and will create new posts based on your questions.
In future posts, I will delve deeper into some of the areas of the business plan which can be of interest to any entrepreneur or small business owner. Stay tuned for future editions - including marketing, product/service offering, market research, industry analysis.
For all business owners out there, here's a challenge: What one thing can you do this week to revive your business plan or move your business plan forward?
Looking forward to connecting again soon on this issue,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CHRP, CPCC
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
This post is the first of many I will be posting on the ins and outs of business planning for small business.
The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved.
If you are a small business owner, what's the status of your business plan? Is it still collecting dust on the shelves, or do you consistently refer back to it?
Business plans are not only a useful tool for leveraging needed capital, but they can be an invaluable tool for business owners. A business plan should be a living, breathing document, which is regularly updated and referred to.
One of the most common questions I often receive when coaching business owners is, what should a business plan include?
Typically, a business plan should include the following sections:
* Table of Contents
* Executive Summary
* Business and Management Overview
* Marketing (which includes the 4 Ps - Price, Product/Service, Promotion, and Place (Distribution), industry analysis, and market review/research)
* Location Information for the Business
* Personnel Requirements
* Legal Requirements
* Financial Requirements
As each industry and business is different, the skeleton of the plan will look slightly different.
If you are in the process of developing your own plan, or revising one, which sections are most challenging for you to work on? I'd love to get your comments and will create new posts based on your questions.
In future posts, I will delve deeper into some of the areas of the business plan which can be of interest to any entrepreneur or small business owner. Stay tuned for future editions - including marketing, product/service offering, market research, industry analysis.
For all business owners out there, here's a challenge: What one thing can you do this week to revive your business plan or move your business plan forward?
Looking forward to connecting again soon on this issue,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CHRP, CPCC
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Are you a transumer?
Once and a while I come across a new term and go - Wow! This is so cool. Over the weekend while reading the Toronto Star I had such a moment with the word "transumer".
Some of you may know from my posts that I spent over a decade working as a global manager, and for several years my life and work consisted of a lot of travel -- and I mean a lot of travel, sometimes 180 working days a year on a plane or in a hotel room. As a manager with staff in 10 countries it was very common to have days when I might wake up in one country and go to bed that night in my third country of the day. It was really fun -- for quite some time before the allure of power travel and plane delays took its' toll. After almost a three year hiatus of power travel, doing only an international consultancy here and there, my thoughts of travel have been forefront in my mind recently, so this article on transumerism was very timely.
Trendwatch defines "transumer" as ,
"TRANSUMERS are consumers driven by experiences instead of the ‘fixed’, by entertainment, by discovery, by fighting boredom, who increasingly live a transient lifestyle, freeing themselves from the hassles of permanent ownership and possessions. The fixed is replaced by an obsession with the here and now, an ever-shorter satisfaction span, and a lust to collect as many experiences and stories as possible.* Hey, the past is, well, over, and the future is uncertain, so all that remains is the present, living for the 'now'.
Trendwatch recommends you read Gilles Lipovetsky’s Hypermodern Times for a deeply insightful take on consumers' pervasive obsession with the here-and-now. "
This weekend's article in the Toronto Star, "Transumers buy on the fly" describes how transumers are modern day nomads, collecting experiences rather than product. They cite Canadian companies such as Roots serving these clientele.
The article hit quite a few chords for me, especially as I realized that my once-nomadic lifestyle is more common than expected, and my shopping patterns "on the fly" are not unusual. Even now my "home base" is still pretty fluid. When I share how we divide our time between Toronto and Muskoka, there often is a longing in people's voices -- how do you do it? Well, for me it really was an intentional decision, and after working in the international development sector for so many years, for me experiences are truly more powerful than goods.
I'd love to hear your comments -- are there any other transumers out there? What's your favorite experience? How has this shaped your life? Your work? Your family? Looking forward to hearing from other transumers out there!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Some of you may know from my posts that I spent over a decade working as a global manager, and for several years my life and work consisted of a lot of travel -- and I mean a lot of travel, sometimes 180 working days a year on a plane or in a hotel room. As a manager with staff in 10 countries it was very common to have days when I might wake up in one country and go to bed that night in my third country of the day. It was really fun -- for quite some time before the allure of power travel and plane delays took its' toll. After almost a three year hiatus of power travel, doing only an international consultancy here and there, my thoughts of travel have been forefront in my mind recently, so this article on transumerism was very timely.
Trendwatch defines "transumer" as ,
"TRANSUMERS are consumers driven by experiences instead of the ‘fixed’, by entertainment, by discovery, by fighting boredom, who increasingly live a transient lifestyle, freeing themselves from the hassles of permanent ownership and possessions. The fixed is replaced by an obsession with the here and now, an ever-shorter satisfaction span, and a lust to collect as many experiences and stories as possible.* Hey, the past is, well, over, and the future is uncertain, so all that remains is the present, living for the 'now'.
Trendwatch recommends you read Gilles Lipovetsky’s Hypermodern Times for a deeply insightful take on consumers' pervasive obsession with the here-and-now. "
This weekend's article in the Toronto Star, "Transumers buy on the fly" describes how transumers are modern day nomads, collecting experiences rather than product. They cite Canadian companies such as Roots serving these clientele.
The article hit quite a few chords for me, especially as I realized that my once-nomadic lifestyle is more common than expected, and my shopping patterns "on the fly" are not unusual. Even now my "home base" is still pretty fluid. When I share how we divide our time between Toronto and Muskoka, there often is a longing in people's voices -- how do you do it? Well, for me it really was an intentional decision, and after working in the international development sector for so many years, for me experiences are truly more powerful than goods.
I'd love to hear your comments -- are there any other transumers out there? What's your favorite experience? How has this shaped your life? Your work? Your family? Looking forward to hearing from other transumers out there!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
WorldWork's Seven Habits of Successful Virtual Teams
Anne Zelenka over at Web Worker Daily wrote a great post entitled "Seven Habits of Successful Virtual Teams" a few months ago. You can read her post here. For those of you interested in virtual teams, this is a must-read.
The 7 Habits of Successful Virtual Teams which Anne includes in her article are:
* Management demonstrates a thoroughgoing comittment to virtual work
* Team members communicate regularly by phone
* Team members check in with each other frequently throughout the day
* Team shares a view of their work
* Team leverages diversity of the team members
* Team members get to know each other on a human level
* Trust and respect are assumed, not earned
I think that these are all important considerations when putting together a virtual team initiative. As we see with so many other HR initiatives common vision and top level management support are essential for success in innovative approaches.
What are your thoughts? Anything that you would add? Please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
The 7 Habits of Successful Virtual Teams which Anne includes in her article are:
* Management demonstrates a thoroughgoing comittment to virtual work
* Team members communicate regularly by phone
* Team members check in with each other frequently throughout the day
* Team shares a view of their work
* Team leverages diversity of the team members
* Team members get to know each other on a human level
* Trust and respect are assumed, not earned
I think that these are all important considerations when putting together a virtual team initiative. As we see with so many other HR initiatives common vision and top level management support are essential for success in innovative approaches.
What are your thoughts? Anything that you would add? Please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Leveraging Technology for Virtual Teams
Technology has spurred the proliferation of virtual teams, alongside globalization and shrinking travel budgets to name a few. If your organization has virtual teams (or commonly known as geographically dispersed teams) are you leveraging technology to the utmost?
Some technologies you may want to consider include:
* TeleConference Brigelines
* Webcasts
* Wikis
* Podcasts
Some of the current bestseller business books such as Wikinomics, explore the themes of how technology, and mass collaboration, is changing the business world. What tools can you leverage for your virtual teams?
Technology has made the globe a much smaller place and has rapidly changed the face of the business world, how we connect and how communication happens.
One of the services I have been offering to businesses and individuals since last June is facilitating virtual retreats. These retreats are held by phone and enable participants to refocus, recharge and renew from their own location (home/office/hotel room). This Saturday (Feb 17/07) I will be holding a six hour Balance Virtual Retreat (10 - 4 pm EST) if you'd like to get a taste of this process.
There are many advantages to the virtual retreat process including:
* The ability to connect participants across many time zones real-time, with no travel cost;
* Retreat scheduled around your schedule -- virtual retreats can be held for a full day or for several hours a day over a longer period;
* Accessibility of business materials for retreat participants right at their finger tips;
* Immediate applicability of new ideas, and action items to the office.
Have you considered holding a virtual retreat for your staff team to keep the momentum going between your regular face-to-face offistes? Please feel free to contact me to explore how a virtual retreat could benefit your organization or team. I look forward to hearing from you!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Some technologies you may want to consider include:
* TeleConference Brigelines
* Webcasts
* Wikis
* Podcasts
Some of the current bestseller business books such as Wikinomics, explore the themes of how technology, and mass collaboration, is changing the business world. What tools can you leverage for your virtual teams?
Technology has made the globe a much smaller place and has rapidly changed the face of the business world, how we connect and how communication happens.
One of the services I have been offering to businesses and individuals since last June is facilitating virtual retreats. These retreats are held by phone and enable participants to refocus, recharge and renew from their own location (home/office/hotel room). This Saturday (Feb 17/07) I will be holding a six hour Balance Virtual Retreat (10 - 4 pm EST) if you'd like to get a taste of this process.
There are many advantages to the virtual retreat process including:
* The ability to connect participants across many time zones real-time, with no travel cost;
* Retreat scheduled around your schedule -- virtual retreats can be held for a full day or for several hours a day over a longer period;
* Accessibility of business materials for retreat participants right at their finger tips;
* Immediate applicability of new ideas, and action items to the office.
Have you considered holding a virtual retreat for your staff team to keep the momentum going between your regular face-to-face offistes? Please feel free to contact me to explore how a virtual retreat could benefit your organization or team. I look forward to hearing from you!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Interviewing 101 - Part II
Interviewing 101 - Part II
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton, Potentials Realized
Today I am picking up from my recent post on interviewing do's and don'ts from the interviewer's standpoint. You can read the first part of this post here. In addition to the tips I provided two weeks ago consider the following pointers when developing your next interviewing process:
1. What really are the KSAs (the Knowledge, Skills and Ablities) you need to hire for? In HR we talk a lot about job specifications for good reason. How many times have you attended an interview when the questions and the interviewing process really didn't look at what was required for the position? In addition to legal issues, it is important to really hone in on the KSAs required for any post. The KSAs will play an important role in your recruitment, selection, compensation, training and development and performance management (appraisal) processes.
2. Avoid closed questions - Wherever possible, avoid the use of closed questions, as well as leading questions. Closed questions are those questions when used would elicit a yes/no response. For example, "Have you had supervisory experience before?". Look to rephrase this to "Please describe your previous supervisory experience" or better yet "What are the lessons you have learned from your previous supervisory experience?". Notice how the second question gets even deeper than the first?
3. Be clear on next steps -- A common pitfall with interviewing is a lack of clarity with respect to next steps. Will there be a second interview? When can the candidate expect to hear from the panel? Be as specific as possible regarding when the candidate can expect to hear back from the company.
4. Interviews are a two way process - Remember that interviews are the chance for you to check out the candidate and the candidate to check out your company. Often strong candidates may leave an interview realizing that they do not want to work for the company they have just interviewed with. What is the image of the company you are portraying through the interview process? Does this match your corporate values, culture and ways of working? If not, what changes do you need to make?
Interviewing is often referred to as an art. There are also many practical tips and tools you can use to enhance your interviewing process, ensuring that you get the right fit for the position. I hope that you have enjoyed some of these pointers regarding the interview process, which is just scratching the surface.
If you have any questions on how your interviewing process could be enhanced, please feel free to contact me to see how my services could benefit your interviewing process.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Jennifer Britton is a Certified Human Resource Professional and Certified Professional Coach. As the founder of Potentials Realized, she provides consulting, training and coaching services to governmental, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in the areas of teamwork, leadership, HR and other employee engagement issues. Jennifer has worked with organizations and small businesses across North America, the Caribbean and Europe on developing systems to enhance their personnel management, performance and business results.
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton, Potentials Realized
Today I am picking up from my recent post on interviewing do's and don'ts from the interviewer's standpoint. You can read the first part of this post here. In addition to the tips I provided two weeks ago consider the following pointers when developing your next interviewing process:
1. What really are the KSAs (the Knowledge, Skills and Ablities) you need to hire for? In HR we talk a lot about job specifications for good reason. How many times have you attended an interview when the questions and the interviewing process really didn't look at what was required for the position? In addition to legal issues, it is important to really hone in on the KSAs required for any post. The KSAs will play an important role in your recruitment, selection, compensation, training and development and performance management (appraisal) processes.
2. Avoid closed questions - Wherever possible, avoid the use of closed questions, as well as leading questions. Closed questions are those questions when used would elicit a yes/no response. For example, "Have you had supervisory experience before?". Look to rephrase this to "Please describe your previous supervisory experience" or better yet "What are the lessons you have learned from your previous supervisory experience?". Notice how the second question gets even deeper than the first?
3. Be clear on next steps -- A common pitfall with interviewing is a lack of clarity with respect to next steps. Will there be a second interview? When can the candidate expect to hear from the panel? Be as specific as possible regarding when the candidate can expect to hear back from the company.
4. Interviews are a two way process - Remember that interviews are the chance for you to check out the candidate and the candidate to check out your company. Often strong candidates may leave an interview realizing that they do not want to work for the company they have just interviewed with. What is the image of the company you are portraying through the interview process? Does this match your corporate values, culture and ways of working? If not, what changes do you need to make?
Interviewing is often referred to as an art. There are also many practical tips and tools you can use to enhance your interviewing process, ensuring that you get the right fit for the position. I hope that you have enjoyed some of these pointers regarding the interview process, which is just scratching the surface.
If you have any questions on how your interviewing process could be enhanced, please feel free to contact me to see how my services could benefit your interviewing process.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Jennifer Britton is a Certified Human Resource Professional and Certified Professional Coach. As the founder of Potentials Realized, she provides consulting, training and coaching services to governmental, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in the areas of teamwork, leadership, HR and other employee engagement issues. Jennifer has worked with organizations and small businesses across North America, the Caribbean and Europe on developing systems to enhance their personnel management, performance and business results.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Silence Fails
The authors of Crucial Conversations have put out some very interesting research called: "Silence Fails: The Five Crucial Converstations for Flawless Execution". This research was undertaken by Vital Smarts and the Concourse Group. More than 1000 executives and project management professionals were surveyed across 40 companies, representing a variety of industries.
What they found is that five common business problems are responsible for 85% of the failure of high stakes business initiatives. This research identified the most prevalent and costly barriers to project success, including:
1. Fact free planning
2. AWOL Sponsors
3. Skirting
4. Project Chicken
5. Team Failures
The interesting thing about all of these factors is that they are within our control as managers and executives, and when avoided can save money, time, and other resources. The premise of this research outcome is that Five Crucial Conversations that Business Leaders can have can predict and prevent failure.
To view the whole report visit the Silence Fails Website. I think that you will find it quite interesting -- I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
90 Day Biz Success Program - starts February 27th
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
What they found is that five common business problems are responsible for 85% of the failure of high stakes business initiatives. This research identified the most prevalent and costly barriers to project success, including:
1. Fact free planning
2. AWOL Sponsors
3. Skirting
4. Project Chicken
5. Team Failures
The interesting thing about all of these factors is that they are within our control as managers and executives, and when avoided can save money, time, and other resources. The premise of this research outcome is that Five Crucial Conversations that Business Leaders can have can predict and prevent failure.
To view the whole report visit the Silence Fails Website. I think that you will find it quite interesting -- I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
90 Day Biz Success Program - starts February 27th
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Monday, January 22, 2007
Interviewing Tips for Employers 101
Interview Tips 101
Copyright 2007 Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved.
Lately I've received a number of calls from organizations asking about developing an effective interviewing process. A large part of my former work as a manager (in companies which did not have a separate HR department) was to develop interviewing procedures, and implement them. I now teach interviewing skills as part of Business Curicullum at the College level, and often advise organizations on these issues as an HR Consultant. Late last year one of my students asked me just how many interviews I had run over the years. My response - thousands.
I'm going to do a series of blog posts for employers and candidates who are interviewing...so keep posted if you are interested in this topic. I know that interviewing is often a black hole, and often the area that gets left to the end for many small business owners, and managers who function in smaller companies. My intention is to give you some basics on interviewing tips --- either as the interviewer or the interviewee.
Today's post is all about basics for the interviewer.
1. Give thought to the interviewing process and develop a consistent process for all candidates : In order to ensure the best "fit" for your organization, make sure that each candidate is being measured the same way. What this means practically, is that every candidate should be asked the same questions, and should go through the exact same steps. This is important not just for selection, but also to ensure consistency, which could be challenged in the legal environment.
2. Be aware of legislation -Every country has different legislation which will impact the interviewing process. Here in Canada, employers need to be aware of the impact of the Canadian Human Rights Codes and questions that may be prohibited under it. I am constantly amazed at the fact that many well known companies that violate the Charter in their interviewing process. Not being aware of the legislative framework you are operating within can be a very costly mistake. Ensure that all staff involved in the selection process (from recruitment advertising, to the application, interview and selection process) are aware of any prohibited grounds.
3. Group Decisions are better than Individual Decisions: It is more and more common today, and is a best practice, to hold panel interviews. Panel interviews involve two or more interviewers speaking with each candidate. Research has continued to show that group decisions are better than individual decisions for many reasons including the fact that our own personal biases do not play as dominant a role.
When holding a panel interview process, ensure that all panel members are briefed on the process, the position you are hiring for, as well as best practices of interviewing. It is often helpful to build time at the start of the interviewing schedule for a 15-30 minute meeting between the members of the panel at the start of the interviewing process to discuss what it will look like -- who will ask the questions, when and how. In the past when I have led interview processes, I would actually email all panelists an interviewing kit a week or so before the interview, giving them some time to review it prior to the interviews.
4. Block time in between candidates for interviewers to complete their notes, and also to synthesize the group's feedback or recommendations. If you are holding 6-8 hours of interviewing back to back, it is natural to have each candidate start to look like each other. By blocking time in between interviews you can summarize your findings and then move on, returning to your summaries for each candidate at the end of the day or the end of the interview process.
When undertaking a panel interview, make sure that all panelists are comfortable and knowledgable about the process and measurement (for example, if you are using any sort of matrix to measure). Also ensure that all panelists are on the same page (for example, that my rating of 5 is consistent what others rating of 5 looks like). In the later, it can be helpful to provide some specific examples of what behavior would be considered a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 (if using a 5 point scale).
Stay tuned for more Employer Interview Tips 101...I'll be posting more later this week.
I'd welcome your comments - what are your biggest challenges as an employer when it comes to Interviewing? Please feel free to post below and I'll try to address them in future blog posts.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized.com
Copyright 2007 Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved.
Lately I've received a number of calls from organizations asking about developing an effective interviewing process. A large part of my former work as a manager (in companies which did not have a separate HR department) was to develop interviewing procedures, and implement them. I now teach interviewing skills as part of Business Curicullum at the College level, and often advise organizations on these issues as an HR Consultant. Late last year one of my students asked me just how many interviews I had run over the years. My response - thousands.
I'm going to do a series of blog posts for employers and candidates who are interviewing...so keep posted if you are interested in this topic. I know that interviewing is often a black hole, and often the area that gets left to the end for many small business owners, and managers who function in smaller companies. My intention is to give you some basics on interviewing tips --- either as the interviewer or the interviewee.
Today's post is all about basics for the interviewer.
1. Give thought to the interviewing process and develop a consistent process for all candidates : In order to ensure the best "fit" for your organization, make sure that each candidate is being measured the same way. What this means practically, is that every candidate should be asked the same questions, and should go through the exact same steps. This is important not just for selection, but also to ensure consistency, which could be challenged in the legal environment.
2. Be aware of legislation -Every country has different legislation which will impact the interviewing process. Here in Canada, employers need to be aware of the impact of the Canadian Human Rights Codes and questions that may be prohibited under it. I am constantly amazed at the fact that many well known companies that violate the Charter in their interviewing process. Not being aware of the legislative framework you are operating within can be a very costly mistake. Ensure that all staff involved in the selection process (from recruitment advertising, to the application, interview and selection process) are aware of any prohibited grounds.
3. Group Decisions are better than Individual Decisions: It is more and more common today, and is a best practice, to hold panel interviews. Panel interviews involve two or more interviewers speaking with each candidate. Research has continued to show that group decisions are better than individual decisions for many reasons including the fact that our own personal biases do not play as dominant a role.
When holding a panel interview process, ensure that all panel members are briefed on the process, the position you are hiring for, as well as best practices of interviewing. It is often helpful to build time at the start of the interviewing schedule for a 15-30 minute meeting between the members of the panel at the start of the interviewing process to discuss what it will look like -- who will ask the questions, when and how. In the past when I have led interview processes, I would actually email all panelists an interviewing kit a week or so before the interview, giving them some time to review it prior to the interviews.
4. Block time in between candidates for interviewers to complete their notes, and also to synthesize the group's feedback or recommendations. If you are holding 6-8 hours of interviewing back to back, it is natural to have each candidate start to look like each other. By blocking time in between interviews you can summarize your findings and then move on, returning to your summaries for each candidate at the end of the day or the end of the interview process.
When undertaking a panel interview, make sure that all panelists are comfortable and knowledgable about the process and measurement (for example, if you are using any sort of matrix to measure). Also ensure that all panelists are on the same page (for example, that my rating of 5 is consistent what others rating of 5 looks like). In the later, it can be helpful to provide some specific examples of what behavior would be considered a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 (if using a 5 point scale).
Stay tuned for more Employer Interview Tips 101...I'll be posting more later this week.
I'd welcome your comments - what are your biggest challenges as an employer when it comes to Interviewing? Please feel free to post below and I'll try to address them in future blog posts.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized.com
Monday, January 15, 2007
Facing a Skills Gap?
A lot of writing these days in the field of human resources makes reference to the impending Skills Gap and Talent shortage which employers will face starting later this decade here in Canada, and also in the US. This is in part due to the imminent retirement of a large number of baby boomers, and not enough "skilled" employees to fill the void that will be created.
There are some interesting articles and research which has been published recently, both in Canada and the US, related to the skills gap. You may be interested in checking out the following links:
Canada:
Lessons in Learning: Canadian Council on Learning
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/LessonsInLearning/LinL20061220SkillsGap.htm
Dec 21/06
Narrowing the Skills Gap: Workplace Literacy Programs in Canada. Final Report.
US:
ASTD released "Bridging the Skills Gap: How Skills Shortage Threatens Growth and Competitiveness...and What to Do About it" in November. You can view a copy of the White Paper at http://www.astd.org/skillsgap
The National Centre on Education and the Economy (NCEE) issued a new report tentiteld "Tough Choices or Tough Times". To view the Executive Summary of the report visit: http://www.skillscommission.org/pdf/exec_sum/ToughChoices_EXECSUM.pdf.
A third paper on this topic which you may be interested in is "Are They Really Ready to Work?" at http://www.conference-board.org/pdf_free/BED-06-Workforce.pdf. This details findings from a joint survey undertaken by the Conference Board, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Families, and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Happy Reading!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
There are some interesting articles and research which has been published recently, both in Canada and the US, related to the skills gap. You may be interested in checking out the following links:
Canada:
Lessons in Learning: Canadian Council on Learning
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/LessonsInLearning/LinL20061220SkillsGap.htm
Dec 21/06
Narrowing the Skills Gap: Workplace Literacy Programs in Canada. Final Report.
US:
ASTD released "Bridging the Skills Gap: How Skills Shortage Threatens Growth and Competitiveness...and What to Do About it" in November. You can view a copy of the White Paper at http://www.astd.org/skillsgap
The National Centre on Education and the Economy (NCEE) issued a new report tentiteld "Tough Choices or Tough Times". To view the Executive Summary of the report visit: http://www.skillscommission.org/pdf/exec_sum/ToughChoices_EXECSUM.pdf.
A third paper on this topic which you may be interested in is "Are They Really Ready to Work?" at http://www.conference-board.org/pdf_free/BED-06-Workforce.pdf. This details findings from a joint survey undertaken by the Conference Board, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Families, and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Happy Reading!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
101 + Marketing Ideas
101 + Marketing Ideas
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton
January is often the month when the rubber hits the road and we start implementing our plans. But what if our plan is just a skeleton, and not really a roadmap of how to get from where we are now, to where we want to be?
Many business owners struggle with keeping their marketing efforts and momentum going. Recognizing that we all need a little inspiration once in a while, I've put together a short PDF which include 101 Marketing Ideas, with the small business owner or solopreneur in mind. It includes more than 101 ideas to enhance your marketing efforts -- most low cost, and not involving a lot of time.
If you'd like to receive a copy of this PDF, please email me and put 101 + Marketing Ideas in the subject line.
Here's a sneak preview....
#16 - Join a Blogjolt
#27 - Appear on internet radio
#39 - Develop a White Paper
#44 - Speak/Present at an industry conference
#90 - What makes you unique?
#103 - Build relationships
Happy Marketing!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton
January is often the month when the rubber hits the road and we start implementing our plans. But what if our plan is just a skeleton, and not really a roadmap of how to get from where we are now, to where we want to be?
Many business owners struggle with keeping their marketing efforts and momentum going. Recognizing that we all need a little inspiration once in a while, I've put together a short PDF which include 101 Marketing Ideas, with the small business owner or solopreneur in mind. It includes more than 101 ideas to enhance your marketing efforts -- most low cost, and not involving a lot of time.
If you'd like to receive a copy of this PDF, please email me and put 101 + Marketing Ideas in the subject line.
Here's a sneak preview....
#16 - Join a Blogjolt
#27 - Appear on internet radio
#39 - Develop a White Paper
#44 - Speak/Present at an industry conference
#90 - What makes you unique?
#103 - Build relationships
Happy Marketing!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Monday, January 08, 2007
The Power of Relationships
What are the most important relationships for your business? We live in an age of relationship marketing, social networks, and referrals. Relationships are central to business success in today's economy. Have you been investing sufficient time into the most important relationships in your work and life?
Increasingly, more of my coaching work is moving into the domain of coaching business partnerships and other relationships, expanding from the team and group coaching and training work I have been doing since 1988. This is a really exciting shift for me, and I have set a goal to coach 50 partnerships over the next six weeks. Are you looking to design your partnership alliances more fully? Prehaps you are developing a new strategic venture with an external partner, want to enhance your relationship with your existing business partner, or develop stronger alliances with your individual staff members. What is the value to you of having a strong partnership alliance?
For the next six weeks I will be offering complimentary Designing your Partnership Alliance sessions held by phone with partners (business or personal). This process takes approximately 45 minutes.
If you are committed to investing in your relationships this year, and are interested in benefiting from Designing Your Partnership Alliance, I'd love to hear from you! Please send me an email or call me toll free at 1-866-217-1960 to book a DPA session. Please suggest two to three preferred times for holding the sessions, as well as what time zone you are located in.
I look forward to hearing from you and supporting you as you invest in your relationships this year!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Increasingly, more of my coaching work is moving into the domain of coaching business partnerships and other relationships, expanding from the team and group coaching and training work I have been doing since 1988. This is a really exciting shift for me, and I have set a goal to coach 50 partnerships over the next six weeks. Are you looking to design your partnership alliances more fully? Prehaps you are developing a new strategic venture with an external partner, want to enhance your relationship with your existing business partner, or develop stronger alliances with your individual staff members. What is the value to you of having a strong partnership alliance?
For the next six weeks I will be offering complimentary Designing your Partnership Alliance sessions held by phone with partners (business or personal). This process takes approximately 45 minutes.
If you are committed to investing in your relationships this year, and are interested in benefiting from Designing Your Partnership Alliance, I'd love to hear from you! Please send me an email or call me toll free at 1-866-217-1960 to book a DPA session. Please suggest two to three preferred times for holding the sessions, as well as what time zone you are located in.
I look forward to hearing from you and supporting you as you invest in your relationships this year!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The Power of Focus
FOCUSPhoto compliments of Imagebase
Happy New Year to all readers! I hope that 2007 has started off on an upwards tangent. Today's blog post is about focus, and how important this is for business success. What are your major business goals for this year? Your personal goals for this year?
If you haven't read it yet, I'd invite you to visit my last post on Creating a Vision for 2007. In the exercise included, I asked readers to set out three major goals for 2007.
What are your major goals for this year? Are these front in centre in your mind or did you need to look them up? How will you maintain focus on these throughout the year?
Much of the work I do with coaching clients at the end of the year, and the start of a new one, is to reflect on the last year, and visioning for the upcoming one. I sometimes have clients mention how they were detracted from the major goals they had set out for themselves at the start of the year. Sometimes their initial goals were replaced by even bigger and more breathtaking goals - a fantastic situation! Once in a while the important goals have been pushed aside by other priorities -- and I usually ask, "What's been the cost of this?". What would be the cost of you not accomplishing your most important goals this year?
What will it take for you to maintain lazer like focus on the most important goals you have set yourself for this year?
What would accomplishing these goals look like? How would it transform your life and work?
What would the accomplishment of these goals mean for you? Your business? Your family?
I'd love to hear from you as to what focus means for you in 2007 -- please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton ~ Potentials Realized
Monday, December 04, 2006
What's Your Plan for 2007?
I love this time of year – every year I carve out time in December to finalize plans for my business for the upcoming year. What do you have planned for 2007?
If you haven’t done so, set aside at least 30 minutes over the coming weeks to start planning and visionning for the upcoming year, as well as celebrating this past years successes. Here are some questions to get you going (and feel free to add your own):
Reflecting on 2006:
1. What was the scope of my core business this year?
2. What new clients am I serving? What new products/services am I offering?
3. How did my business results compare to my business objectives for the year?
4. What new skillls have I gained that will be useful for my business?
5. What new knowledge do I now have that will be useful for my business?
6. What new contacts did I make?
7. What new resources did I acquire that will be useful?
8. What am I most proud of accomplishing this year with respect to my business?
9. How will I celebrate this?
10. My biggest learning about my business this year was....
11. My biggest stretch this past year was.....
Visioning for 2007:
1. My vision for 2007 is...
2. I want to serve ____ clients/customers in 2007 (insert number). I want to serve these particular clients/customers:
3. I want to generate ____ dollars in 2007
4. What additional resources do I need in order to make my business as successful as possible?
5. What additional skills or knowledge do I need to make my business as successful as possible?
6. One limiting belief I need to overcome next year is…
7. One thing I can do next year to grow my business is…..
8. One thing I can do to challenge myself, and my business, next year is….
9. My three most important goals in 2007 are.....
10. By December 31st 2007, I want to have……
Stretch yourself to make your vision for 2007 as big, bold, specific and challenging for yourself as possible. Refer to your vision often, share it with the world. Who can you draw on for support to make this vision a reality?
I will be starting the 90 Day Biz Success program, an intensive group coaching program for business owners who are looking for a structure for peer support and resources to move their business forward. The program will start on Monday January 8th, meeting bi-weekly on Mondays from 7-8 pm (EST). Group calls will be held on January 8, 22, February 5, 19, March 5, 19 with the final call on April 2/07.
The program includes:
* 7 x 1 hour group coaching calls (by phone in a teleseminar format)
* 3 x 30 minute individual coaching sessions with myself
* Module Notes
* 36 Biz Tips Delivered to your inbox 3 times a week for the 12 weeks
* A group follow up call one month after the program ends (May)
We will be covering a range of topics pertinent to business owners and their success, including visioning, identifying your leverage points, marketing strategy and budget, and much more. For more information, please visit: www.groupcoachingessentials.com/pages/bizsuccess. The program costs $149USD/month or $350 USD for the entire program. Space is limited to 8 business owners. To register please contact me at 1-866-217-1960 or email me.
I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to comment on the exercise!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer [at] potentialsrealized[dot]com
If you haven’t done so, set aside at least 30 minutes over the coming weeks to start planning and visionning for the upcoming year, as well as celebrating this past years successes. Here are some questions to get you going (and feel free to add your own):
Reflecting on 2006:
1. What was the scope of my core business this year?
2. What new clients am I serving? What new products/services am I offering?
3. How did my business results compare to my business objectives for the year?
4. What new skillls have I gained that will be useful for my business?
5. What new knowledge do I now have that will be useful for my business?
6. What new contacts did I make?
7. What new resources did I acquire that will be useful?
8. What am I most proud of accomplishing this year with respect to my business?
9. How will I celebrate this?
10. My biggest learning about my business this year was....
11. My biggest stretch this past year was.....
Visioning for 2007:
1. My vision for 2007 is...
2. I want to serve ____ clients/customers in 2007 (insert number). I want to serve these particular clients/customers:
3. I want to generate ____ dollars in 2007
4. What additional resources do I need in order to make my business as successful as possible?
5. What additional skills or knowledge do I need to make my business as successful as possible?
6. One limiting belief I need to overcome next year is…
7. One thing I can do next year to grow my business is…..
8. One thing I can do to challenge myself, and my business, next year is….
9. My three most important goals in 2007 are.....
10. By December 31st 2007, I want to have……
Stretch yourself to make your vision for 2007 as big, bold, specific and challenging for yourself as possible. Refer to your vision often, share it with the world. Who can you draw on for support to make this vision a reality?
I will be starting the 90 Day Biz Success program, an intensive group coaching program for business owners who are looking for a structure for peer support and resources to move their business forward. The program will start on Monday January 8th, meeting bi-weekly on Mondays from 7-8 pm (EST). Group calls will be held on January 8, 22, February 5, 19, March 5, 19 with the final call on April 2/07.
The program includes:
* 7 x 1 hour group coaching calls (by phone in a teleseminar format)
* 3 x 30 minute individual coaching sessions with myself
* Module Notes
* 36 Biz Tips Delivered to your inbox 3 times a week for the 12 weeks
* A group follow up call one month after the program ends (May)
We will be covering a range of topics pertinent to business owners and their success, including visioning, identifying your leverage points, marketing strategy and budget, and much more. For more information, please visit: www.groupcoachingessentials.com/pages/bizsuccess. The program costs $149USD/month or $350 USD for the entire program. Space is limited to 8 business owners. To register please contact me at 1-866-217-1960 or email me.
I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to comment on the exercise!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer [at] potentialsrealized[dot]com
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