Performance Resources

Git er Done - Implications on Employee Selection

2011-11-23T05:20:00.000-08:00

Git-R-Done....

Recently, as I was driving home from work, I saw a bumper sticker on the back of a run-down pickup truck, that said "Git Er Done." As I thought about this saying, which I believe came originally from a show called Larry the Cable Guy, I wondered about the implications of this for companies like a railroad.

Thinking more about this, what this saying means, at least to me, is that the goal is to complete something, and perhaps give no thought to how one gets the job done. That is, no thought to safety or quality....just productivity - get it done....at all costs?

While the thought itself is quintessential American, and the idea of finishing a job is not necessarily a bad thing, I wonder about the implications of this for American industry. Thinking about the domestic auto industry 20-25 years ago, while productivity was high, quality was not always a priority. It took a while for the improvement process to ingrain itself in the auto industry, beginning with Ford's "Quality is Job One." But sayings alone cannot automatically improve a process.

One thing about railroading is that there is definitely a "process" to be followed, whether a person is driving a 150 car train, or laying a piece of rail. Safety (by following the rules without exception,) is paramount, and Quality levels need to be high. Of course, the job needs to be done too, to serve the customer. All three legs of that stool need to be covered well.

Now, what does that mean for selection processes - how we select new team members? Think about this. Compare the saying "Git er done," with the work a brain surgeon does. Might make a person pause.....at the very least!

Matching a person, the skills, and the behaviors, to the job, is an extremely important piece of the selection process.

New Technology - Railroad Signals

2011-01-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

It isn't often that we think of new technology and railroads. But Buckingham Branch Railroad is one of the first short line railroads in America to install the newest signal technology, using bright LED signals, and with the ability to use something called PTC - Positive Train Control. PTC is something that railroads are working with now...the ability of a rail traffic control center to "stop" a train, essentially to prevent collisions. With BB hosting Amtrak three days a week on our line, from Orange, VA to Clifton Forge, VA, this is essential technology for us.

Dream Jobs....

2010-08-22T12:09:00.001-07:00

How many times have you said to yourself...."When I grow up, I am going to be a..."

I remember growing up in Chicago, and seeing the Soo Line trains run through our town, and wondering what it would be like to be a train engineer. So now, I work for a Railroad in Central Virginia. Sadly, not as an engineer, but as head of HR.

Recently, we were interviewing candidates for two positions on our track crew. We received 150 resumes and applications, interviewed eight, and need to select two. One of the candidates told us a story about a previous job he held. He was hired in a factory for a particular job. Two other candidates were hired at the same time, but for different jobs. On their first day at work, after extensive interviews, the two candidates walked off their jobs, saying that it just was not what they thought it would be. Our candidate was asked to take over in a different department, until the company was able to find other people to hire.

Takes us now to the railroad. So many times, our dream job may, or may not, turn out to be what we were looking for. Railroad work is, strictly speaking, hard work. It pays well, but there are times when one is slogging around in the mud on a cold, rainy day, repairing rail sections, or cutting up trees that have fallen over the tracks. Makes it very important to match the job to the individual.

There are ways to do this....see more at www.resourcesforperformance.com.

Oh...and by the way...the picture above is a winter shot, where the rail worker is heating the rails to move them back into proper position. Rails move in...and out....very important to keep the trains on the tracks! Derailment is certainly a bad word!

Greatest Basketball Team that Wasn't...

2010-06-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

A basketball legend passed today. John Wooden, one of the greatest basketball coaches, passed away at 99. Sad to say, I did not much like him while in college. The burr in my saddle comes from one of the best USC basketball teams ever, who did not get to play in the NCAA tournament.

In 1972, USC went 24-2. The two losses were to UCLA, in the Bill Walton years. Those were also the years that UCLA won seven straight NCAA titles. Pretty awesome record. But I remember that year that USC had five players who went on to play in the NBA. Lead by Paul Westphal, one of the best guards to play the game, Chris Riley, Joe Mackey, and Chris Schrobilgen are the names I most remember.

UCLA played in Pauley Pavilion. USC, up until the last few years played in the LA Sports Arena, not quite the nicest digs, but that season was special. UCLA had gone to South Bend, and lost to Notre Dame, so the second game against USC was very important. USC was up by nine in the second half, but fell to UCLA in a slow down game....there wasn't a shot clock in those days.

Those were also the days, at least I believe, of college sports programs that were about graduating with a degree. Where have we lost that concept? Farewell, John Wooden. Good man....

Wind Damage to Rowing Eight

2010-04-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, rowing is a Spring sport, at least, it always has been for me. But this Spring has been anything but kind to rowers at the University of Scranton. In a recent wind storm, our only eight oared shell was blown off the stretchers and into the trailer. The worst damage was a 2" by 2" hole in the hull, which makes the boat unrowable. We have two four man shells, but for over 30 kids on the team, that does not give much water time!

The crew, understandably, is down, and with races already every weekend, is planning on what can be done to at least enter and compete in some races. But this kind of blow can really hit morale pretty hard.

So the thing to do, is to find ways to get this boat fixed, some other damage that was "patched" redone and make this boat rowable again. Wish us luck!

Ever Been Flying in a Small Airplane?

2010-03-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had a Saturday opportunity to go out flying with a friend from church. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, we could see New York City in the distance. We flew over to an airport near the NJ/NY border for lunch, and returned. The picture to the left is of still frozen Lake Wallenpaupack.

On the way over, we flew in formation with a second airplane that my pilot frequently flies with . While that was fun to watch, on the way back home, he turned the controls over to me....my first time flying a small airplane since about 1978, when I was taking flying lessons out in California, flying out of Van Nuys airport in the San Fernando Valley.

Van Nuys airport has it's own interesting history, opening as Los Angeles Metropolitan Airport in 1928. Hollywood apparently liked that airport quite a bit, with Howard Hughes, Cecile B. DeMille, and Gene Autry, and Wallace Beery all flying out of that airport. In 1929, Amelia Earhart set a new speed record there during races that were held.

In addition, some famous movies had scenes shot there, including Casablanca, Lost Horizon, Hells Angels, Men with Wings, and Test Pilot.

Proud Dad in Many Ways!

2010-02-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, Bonnie and I have two of the best children any mom and dad could have. And good news has come to Dr. Jenny Lang (daughter,) who is pregnant with our first grandchild. Jenny, who last year completed her Doctorate at the University of Maryland, College Park, and is Director of Admissions for the School of Music there, is due late this summer.

To announce this to mom and I, Jenny and Brian gave us a small package, with a little baby outfit in it. On the front, it says "I watch Trojan Football with Grandma and Grandpa." Trojans, of course, referring to Bonnie's and my undergrad alma mater - USC.

So, even though this is not business-related, just had to share this good news!

Class Starts in March - HRM531 Human Capital Management

2010-01-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

So, my teaching with the University of Phoenix starts in early March, beginning with teaching a class called Human Capital Management, HRM 531. I am looking forward to that new start, especially with teaching a class that is right in my "wheelhouse."

Recently, I've been asked to chair the Human Resources Committee for Tanglwood Lakes, the community we live in, which is run by a homeowner's association. There has been some excellent groundwork laid by previous committee chair and the Community Manager, so that is always nice to see. Organizations, big and small, always need to be aware of their employees and employee
relations.

Advancing to Faculty Status - U of Phoenix

2009-12-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

Who says that you can't teach an old dog new tricks? 10 years ago, I had serious questions about employees who wanted to be reimbursed by the company's educational assistance program for online college courses. I mean, if you're not "in class" with everyone else and a professor, where is the value of that? I actually denied some employee requests for assistance in online courses!

For the past four weeks, I have been in an online faculty preparation course for the University of Phoenix, preparing to teach masters level courses in Safety Management, and eventually courses in Human Resources. What I thought would be an easy time actually turned out to be a rigorous schedule of about 20-25 solid hours per week, learning the U of Phoenix learning process for online courses. The good news is that today I received notice that I successfully completed the four week course, and now move on to the next step, mentorship.

Mentorship will be where I facilitate an online course, while guided on the side by an experienced faculty member.

The online environment allows one to attend class from anywhere in the world, and I am looking forward to the diversity of thought and opinion in these courses, with folks who have advanced already to a level in their working career. Although student privacy will not allow specifics, I will look forward to sharing some of the great stories in this new venture...teaching online.

Honesty - Needed? Truth Not Always Easy!

2009-11-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting experience this past weekend. I am the part-time volunteer Rowing coach for the University of Scranton women's Crew. We had our last races of the Fall this past weekend in New Jersey and Philadelphia. The weather was awful on Saturday for the Frostbite Regatta, and wonderful on Sunday for the races on the Schuylkill River. But that is not the content of this story....

On Saturday night, after we finished our races on the Cooper River, the team loaded up the boats back on the trailer, and I pulled the trailer back over the Delaware River to Philadelphia for the races the next morning. While attempting to back our trailer into place in the parking lot on the Schuylkill River (there were already trailers with boats on them in the parking lot,) I unfortunately hit the bow of a boat belonging to Stony Brook U. There was no one around to talk to, so I decided to see someone the next morning.

The next morning, I went first to talk with the police stationed there. When I told them what happened, their response was, "well, were your boats damaged?" To which I replied, no. Their answer was, "well, you don't have to tell them (the other crew." Not liking this answer one bit, I went to a race official, who told me the same thing! Hmmm....that kind of consistency is not what I was looking for.

Anyway, the Stony Brook Crew did arrive a little later, and I went over to talk to the coach, told him what happened, gave him my card, and told him that I would also make sure that the folks at U of Scranton knew about it on Monday. Good news was, they were not using that boat that day, they called it an old "piece of crap," and we will move forward from there.

Interesting. Are your employees honest? If so, great! If not, might that be hurting your business at all? There are ways to find this out.....

Highly Focused Employees Increase Loyalty from Customers

2009-11-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

Highly Focused Employees Increase Loyal Customer Base

Ever try to pound a square peg into a round hole? Are all employees customer-focused?

When we moved from Los Angeles to New Jersey years ago, I was continually told that the pace of business in New York/New Jersey was faster than the West Coast. Now, after having lived on the East Coast since 1984, I can tell you, it is not faster, it is just different. And in many cases, it comes with poor customer service. Hmmm, there is poor customer service on the West Coast too.

It hit me hardest when we went to a grocery store in Budd Lake, NJ, spent over $200 on groceries, had to bag them ourselves and were told that there was no help. Same store had a big red and white sign out front that said “Open 24 Hours.” They typically were closed by 7 pm several nights per week. When we moved to Atlanta, went to a Kroger, the bagger had our 4 items in a bag for us right at the checkout, and asked if we needed help to take the one bag out to our car….we told them we had just moved from New Jersey, and needed time to get used to a customer-focused attitude again!

Sorry New Jerseyans, please don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of examples of poor and great service all over the country. But, if your customer-facing employees are focused on providing assistance the customers will want to return, and keep on returning.

On the other hand, customer-facing employees who have a hard determining which tasks to focus on can be a detriment to your business. This is even worse when those same employees can’t seem to come to work each and every day they are scheduled.

The key to increasing your customer base with focused employees is to make sure that your employees are focused at the right times and on the right things – delighting the customer. There are Six Crucial Behaviors for Customer-Facing Employees. These crucial behavior are Trust, Tact, Empathy, Conformity, Focus and Flexibility. For instance, Empathy is a very different process from sympathy. Empathy is the ability of your employee to understand and put themselves in the customers shoes, even though they may not be able to change what the customer is unhappy about, and still make the customer know that they understand.
About Resources for Performance and Profiles International

We help organizations create high-performing workforces. Through comprehensive employment assessments and innovative talent management solutions, our clients gain a competitive advantage by selecting the right people and managing them to their full potential. For more information about our suite of human resource management solutions, visit our website at www.resourcesforperformance.com

University of Phoenix Faculty

2009-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I have begun the process of becoming a faculty member of the University of Phoenix for the online Masters level courses in HR and Safety. Looking forward to the process, and to sharing experience with our next generation of leaders.

Fans and Employees

2009-10-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Interesting...while I grew up as a Cubs Fan in Chicago, I've also had the opportunity to live in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, and Baltimore. In each location, I still kept my allegiance to the Cubs.....still do. Dad will turn over in the grave when they win the World Series, and no one will know how to handle it...it's coming...some day.

But is there a connection between Fans and Employees? I think there might be. In Atlanta, when the Braves were losing, my children and I used to be able to go to the games, sit in the outfield, and never have anyone near us...when they started winning....that all changed. You could not find a seat in the stadium. Sorry Braves fans, if I call you "fair weather fans" the label sticks no matter what you can say.

In Baltimore, the fans are a little more steadfast. They continue to support the Orioles in a tough division. In Los Angeles....the story is somewhat different. Win, and you get support, lose....well....

What are your employees doing....today? Are you winning? Great! Keep it up! A re you not where you want to be? Are your employees engaged? Are they still "in the stands?" Or are they on the field with you? Do you have the right...supportive... team? If not, we need to talk!

Recruitment and Selection - What Works?

2009-09-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Job fit. One of the most elusive parts of the attraction and selection process in employment. Beyond that, Performance Management is not a viable process in most organizations. Why is this? Too often, other business needs put this process into low gear. But are you missing the boat here?

What do most companies miss? Taking the process seriously at times! Did you know that many decisions to hire are made in the first 4 minutes of an interview? All based on gut feel. Sometimes, this works, but what do you do when it doesn't?

Interviews are like the tip of an iceberg....what you see is on the surface, but you may be missing quite a bit below that surface. Most candidates present a pretty good face....although I have had some that were honest....and from the start, unacceptable to be chosen as a team member.

How do you get below the surface? And do it cost effectively and quickly? Remember, the best candidates are hired quickly, so time can be of the essence. Consider a range of assessments, that give you needed information on a candidate. That is where we excel, in helping you get the information you need to be able to put some "hurdles" in the selection process, and bring your success rate...hiring the candidate who will succeed in the role...to a higher level.

2009-07-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've begun the next phase of my career, taking nearly 35 years of management, manufacturing, continuous improvement and organizational development, and will match that with an unparalleled resource for assessing the strength of individuals and teams. Honestly, this is the first time I've struck out on my own, and it is somewhat intimidating, but I have the support of both my family, and the capabilities as a Strategic Business Partner with Profiles International. Over the coming weeks, I will set up shop, as that resource, as I engage with Profiles. I am very much looking forward to this next phase, and the ability to share a little knowledge with companies that don't have strong HR departments.

Summary of Experience

Experience in both manufacturing operations and human resources. Full generalist knowledge, with a focus on Performance Management, Employee Relations, Training and Development, including excellent platform skills in training. Strong ability and focus on completion of projects.

Specialties

Union Avoidance, Mergers and Acquisitions along with integration, training and development, project management skills.