In This Issue...
Elementary TQM
Workplace Humor
Games at Work
Merger Mania
Boosting Capacity

Features...
Peter Block Column
Views for a Change
Pageturners
Briefcases
Sites Unseen
The Quality Tool
---- I Never Use
Diary of a Shutdown

Brief Cases
Business News Briefs

Business Briefs Job Applicants Need Personality
Intellect and experience are no longer the only criteria for selecting job candidates. The Dallas Morning News reports an individual's personality is increasing in importance. Personality tests are being used to measure an applicant's character, for example, their leadership skills and the ability to tolerate stress.

-- The purpose of the test is to prove whether a prospective employee is appropriate for a specific work environment. However, employers should not use these tests as the ultimate basis for hiring. Dr. Robert Smith says, “Applicants should remember that even those who ‘fail’ a test for a particular company can still get the job offer.” Then again, ‘failing’ the personality test may prevent the applicant from working at a company where they do not fit in.

New Job, Less Work
Working 9 to 5 is not a typical schedule held by managers of today’s companies. According to consultants at Lee Hecht Harrison, managers frequently complain that they are overworked. They cannot conceive of greater time demands from their next position.

-- “Only 16 percent of job seekers expect to put in longer hours at their next job,” according to a survey of 1,058 managers by an international outplacement consulting firm. Managers often work 10 or more hours a day. More employers recognize the need for personal time during the week to keep employees productive. According to Harrison consultants, companies are beginning to realize that pushing managers too hard may persuade them to look elsewhere for work.

People Skills, Improvement Needed
The most successful executives in today’s market have the ability to relate to and motivate their employees. According to a recent analysis of Lominger's VOICES 360 degree feedback, managers need to improve their people skills. Motivating others, developing others, sharing credit, communicating skillfully and being a team player are important characteristics of a successful manager.

-- Dr. Mary Michaels of Drake Beam Morin, a New York-based career management consulting firm, suggests two ways to improve your people skills: (1) give feedback on a regular basis and (2) discuss growth and development more often than you evaluate last year's performance.

-- “Whether you are an executive manager with a lifetime of experience or a fast-track Generation Xer, enhancing your people development skills can have an extremely positive impact on your career.”

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