10,000 Hours

What keeps someone at a task for 10,000 hours?
The implications of answering that question are staggering. Given the research, if we could answer that question for any given individual, we would be well on our way to unleashing countless world-class performers in countless fields, each blissfully driven to practice, practice, practice his/her way to excellence-to the benefit of all of us.

A Game Plan for the Interview

Interviews need to be supported and shaped by a technology for eliciting and processing information from job candidates to predict on-the-job performance.

Autobiographical Form

SIMA® Autobiographical Input Form

Can Failure Be Our Guide?

How the Mighty Fall Review:
Jim Collins' most recent book How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In represents a dramatic departure from his previous best sellers, Good To Great and Built To Last, both of which analyzed successful companies. By contrast, How the Mighty Fall is dedicated to the study of failure. While Collins is always worth reading for his thoughtfulness, his thoroughness, and his depth of insight, How the Mighty Fall is a timely book for organizations and executives who have suffered through the most recent economic downturn.

Entry Strategies

Congratulations! You just accepted the job of your dreams. You know the company, its competitors, and the industry it operates within, but what do you know about the internal workings of your new organization? The corporate culture, protocols for how issues will be addressed, who the key players are, who is likely to be a key player in the future?

Executive Search Diagram

Handling Career Angst

"This job was fine in the past, but I can't see myself doing this for another 15 years."

Hiring a Search Firm

In a crowded world of slick recruiters with fancy brochures, it can be rather challenging to determine which firm can best meet your organization's needs.

How to Hire Great Leaders I

The difference between a great hire and a big mistake lies in the ability to understand (and thus predict) how a particular individual will carry out a particular role.

How to Hire Great Leaders II

Hiring your next CEO (CFO. VP Sales & Marketing, etc.) does not have to be a "roll of the dice"! (See How to Hire Great Leaders - Part I) It is possible to predict how a candidate will or will not perform leadership responsibilities.

Is Giftedness a Luxury?

In a bad economy, it may seem like a luxury to be worrying whether your
job perfectly matches your giftedness. Prevailing wisdom has it that
with so many people out of work, the most important thing is to have a
job—any job, as long as it pays. Whether that job “fits” you, or whether
you “like” it, is irrelevant. But Bill Hendricks strongly believes
otherwise. Reflecting on New Year’s of 2009, he offers four important
reasons why paying attention to your giftedness is not an
indulgence—it’s an imperative.

Most Sustained Problems are Job-Matching Problems

If it won't go away, the problem likely is caused, exacerbated or not prevented because the strengths or Motivated Achievement Patterns (MAPs®) of the employee(s) and/ or their supervisors do not match the critical requirements of the work.

Sample MAP - Corporate

This report presents what many agree is probably the most important personal and career related information you can have about yourself. It could not be derived from tests or computer matches. It required roughly 14 hours of individualized reflection both on your part as well as People Management's.

Seven Deadly Sins of Hiring

With leading consultants putting the cost of hiring the wrong person at two or three times compensation, every organization should seek ways to minimize this unfortunate event. Heeding the seven practical steps outlined below can greatly increase the hiring success rate of any organization.

The New Paradigm

Top-flight companies at the threshold of the new millennium have witnessed a radical change in the dynamics of recruiting - namely that the demand for talent exceeds the supply across an alarming range of functions and positions.