How to differentiate good from great talent

Finding it problematic to hire key talent? 


What are the scientific true predictors of professional success?


In our competitive market for the best talent, it would be great to have a crystal ball that could predict with a high degree of liklihood which candidates will be successful and capable of thriving with minimal direction.  Just help them visualize what success looks like, turn them loose, funnel them resources and reap the benefits.


On way too many occasions, the best looking talent, on paper, lack the stick-with-it'ness to make a difference.


Professor Duckworth's "Grit Scale"


Professor Angela Duckworth has been researching what measurable factors are accurate predictors of professional success. This is an excellent discusion, highly worthy of your time.


Ted Talk, "Angela Duckworth on Grit"


Professor Duckworth's Grit Book on Amazon

 

Innovation or Dogma?

Blind fealty to dogma or innovation…which will you choose?


“You gotta challenge all assumptions. If you don’t, what is doctrine on day one becomes dogma forever after.”  John Boyd, 1927 ~ 1997


In business today, we’ve got to be truly agile, using out teams to gain objectives, allowing our personnel at the tip of the spear to use creativity, insight and ability to obtain decisive results, not chasing dogma.


This also means admitting when we’ve made a mistake – not easy as you move up the food chain.


Kathryn Schultz, a self-professed “wrongologist” fascinating TED Talk “…on being wrong…” may help us understand how to walk back from the edge, admit our mistakes and innovate in the face of dogma.


Ted Talk, Kathryn Schulz "On being wrong"

Time for a little restraint folks

...Informed Restraint...our industry could use more of that.

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt are emotional motivators for certain, what we really need are business drivers to take the leadership role and remove emotion from the business decision making process.

What would make anyone believe that each and every current microprocessor manufacturer doesn't have comparable vulnerabilities that they are praying don't make it to the cover of the Wall Street Journal?

The hype cycle for these vulnerabilities has been, and continues to be immense. But, if you look at the folks with the budget and business drivers to separate the wheat from the chaff, most are showing restraint and NOT fueling the FUD machine. I vote for informed restraint.

You earn your street cred and respect each and every day by NOT jumping on the latest and greatest FUD coat tails. If you're squandering precious resources in a race to mitigate these two vulnerabilities, that's odd. You probably have thousands of much riskier vulnerabilities you’re NOT currently planning to mitigate.

“…it’s better to listen and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt…”

5 Reasons to Think Before you Speak

Prioritization - what breeds true success is counter intuitive

"...if you don't take care of yourself FIRST, how can you take care of anyone else..."?

Words to live by, this is not narcissistic, not self indulgent, it's just a cold hard fact.

Your CEO is depending on you to deliver, your boss is depending on you, your direct reports are depending on you!  If you don't have what it takes to get your team together for five minutes to discuss the problem and options for success, you may not be the leader you think you are.

With all of these people depending on YOU, don't you know that they demand that you are mentally and physically able to rise to the occasion?

Brett McKay over at "...the art of manliness podcast..." breaks it down into four easy to rememember parts, he's one sharp dude and worth you time.

Assume Responsibility - Cowboy Up!

2018 - The year of the personal strength revolution

Physical toughness can get you thru a lot in the business world.  It builds confidence, hardens you up to face life's little setbacks.

It's been said many times that the key to a happy life is a healthy life.  As Tyler Durden noted, being healthy is not looking line a Calvin Klein underwear add.  Being healthy has an over abundance of benefits:  a better sex life; better sleep; allows you to remain laser focused on the tasks at hand.

For those of us who don't want to get pretty, just get stronger, take a look at the "natmove" exercise programs out there.  Not Crossfit, not a traditional gym strength program either, it's something completely different.

Erwan Le Corre, the founder of NatMove has an interesting approach to physical strength, check out his video below.

Welcome to 2018 - make a commitment to yourself to get stronger this year.  Invest in yourself.

Move Naturally - Brief Video

Focusing Deeply, a true game changer in the workplace

Staying focused. Focusing deeply on tasks can be a game changing skill in the business world. 

Our digital office is filled with technologies that are engineered to “…pull you in…” and not let you out! On the one hand they give us unprecedented access to information, on the dark side, they are engineered to captivate, distract and mesmerize. 

 Dr. Adam Gazzaley, the founder of Neuroscape at the University of CA, San Francisco shares groundbreaking insights into distraction and multi-tasking, as well as offering us valuable tools from his research on how you can beat these distractions and deliver more value to your business.

Ted Talk with Dr. Gazzaley

Social Awkwardness

Tongue tied during that last presentation? 

Communication Skills. You have them, chances are that they could use a tune up. 

A lot of IT professionals have trouble communicating, especially, in a public setting. When IT professional get nervous in a public setting, they default to what we know best and sometimes we come off as a know it all. 

Frances Cole Jones, in the Ted Talk video below has some great tips and techniques that might just be the "E" Ticket ride you're looking for.

Frances Cole Jones, TED talk