ProRecruiters

Happy July! Do you remember when you were younger and your parents told you to eat your vegetables? Maybe you liked to eat them, but you probably didn’t like them all. You didn’t want to eat them. Perhaps your parents said, “If you don’t eat your vegetables, then you don’t get dessert.” In the end, you probably ate them, either for a reward or punishment. When you grew up though, you final understood and appreciated how important it was to eat healthy, so now you eat your vegetables because you know you need to. You’ve taken ownership of your health and have become accountable. This month, I want to talk about creating a work environment that encourages accountability and responsibility. This type of atmosphere is when employees own their job responsibilities and are willing to answer for the results of their behaviors and actions. They hold themselves accountable to meet certain performance expectations. Why is this important? Well, in order for a business to grow, it needs to g...

Happy June.  The month of June is a transition month for many—having graduated in May, they find themselves moving into careers. In light of that, this month I want to share how to make a great first impression to the new hires who join your team. Whenever a transition happens, making a great first impression is vital to an organization! Have you ever arrived for an appointment—at a restaurant, at the doctor’s office, for an interview—and had the feeling like they were not quite ready for you?  This can cause the business to lose a prospective client or potential valuable employee.  So, what can you do as a business owner to welcome and retain the best people? 1. Be prepared. Companies must be prepared. Lack of preparation can communicate a lack of appreciation or welcome. Preparation does not need to be extravagant; even simple things matter, such as having a work space prepared with all the relevant tools (computer, phone, etc.) ready to go, providing business ...

Happy May! This past month, I had the pleasure of talking to a group of executives about the power of perception . Perception is reality but it is not always the truth . One of the examples I use is an email exchange between people. Have you ever invited someone for an interview or sent an e-mail and received a response of "k thx," and though, "No thank you!" Have you ever read an email and reacted in this way: This month I simply want to remind you not to rush to judgement. Ask yourself if you  have the full story. Ask yourself if perhaps your current emotional state may be contributing to your reaction. Too often we react without having gotten the bigger picture. Perhaps a clarifying contact, or even some time to reflect, will clear up confusion. Here are some reminders to help ensure that e-mails that you sent are received and perceived properly: Make sure the subject line reflects the content of the email. If your email takes the conversation in a di...

One of my favorite writers Jeff Haden recently wrote about the Affirmations the Most Successful People Repeat Each and Every Day.  His message is simple: What you say is often what you do--especially if you say it to yourself. I thought about re-writing but he said it so well I just had to share!  Happy April.  1. "I treat others the way they want to be treated." By treating others the way they want to be treated, my own personal fulfillment grows. I give respect and provide service. I show love, care, compassion, and consideration. I help others feel appreciated. I let others know they are important, that they matter, and that they are valuable. By valuing others, my confidence increases. 2. "I am ever grateful." Gratitude allows happiness to come into my life. I choose to show appreciation for what I have, whom I know, what I can learn, and whom I can help. I define and talk about the things I am grateful for on a daily basis. I know that the No. 1 wa...

Happy February! Is "walking the walk" a tired old cliche or a bold new concept? Very few managers today are receiving formal management training. As a result, many are poor communicators and weak in their delegation and leadership skills. According to a Gallup poll, 25% of U.S. employees would fire their bosses if they could. Why? Because many manager set high service standards for their employees, yet fail to abide by those same standards. If you are a manager, you are in an excellent position to lead by example. Your employees will only respect your authority if they observe your excellent customer service skills on a daily basis. Customer loyalty must be a top-down initiative. Here are five ways you can earn greater respect and increase employee loyalty: 1. Always give performance reviews and salary increases on the promised dates. Employees have those dates memorized. They won't feel valued and will resent you if their review dates are postponed or forgotten. ...

Happy 2016!  First and foremost, I hope that this year is off to a great start, both personally and professionally.  To kick off the year, I want to talk about the importance of setting goals.  You might ask yourself why setting goals is so important.  My mentor educated me on this just a few years ago.  He said that without goals, you become like a hamster on a wheel going nowhere, and no one wants to work for, invest in, or be part of a company that is simply spinning its wheels.  This analogy gave me the incentive to create goals and move forward. In years past, I would set New Year’s resolutions.  To be honest, they would hold for about the first month or two and then wither away, until the next year—kind of like a business plan that is written, printed, and then tucked away to collect dust.  However, about three years ago, that all changed for me.  I was tired of setting resolutions and not sticking to them.  So I set out to ch...

Happy December!  I hope that this is a joyous time for you all.  Over the past few weeks, I have been knee-deep in setting goals for next year. It can be difficult to remain positive while setting goals. As a business owner, you must strive to create a game plan while knowing to “expect the unexpected.” This month, I want to touch on three actions that helped me stay focused on setting goals: (1) anticipate the unexpected; (2) make decisions after weighing all options, and (3) move forward (don’t dwell on the past). When setting goals, you must take time to consider what might go wrong in order to have flexible goals in place. People pass away, the market crashes, oil prices continue to plummet, home prices go down, and employees resign.  All of these things can affect your company’s performance.  Don’t set goals that cannot work around the unexpected twists and turns that will arise throughout the year. On the other hand, people who face a lot of difficult ...