The Best-Half
The Best-Half Newsletter

"There is one prerequisite to managing the second half of your life:
You must begin doing so long before you enter it." Peter Drucker

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February 2008

New employers offering 20/20 vision

 In a recent National Post article, it was reported that "the country's aging workforce is growing so rapidly that workers 55 and older snapped up half of all new jobs created during a blockbuster 2007 for the Canadian Employment market."

 While interesting in itself, the question that occurred to me was, "how come they left where they were, to go and find a new position elsewhere?" The article goes on to offer a sort of answer by saying they were looking for "new experiences." While that may be true, what does it say about the difference between a current employer and a new employer? Isn't there a song that goes: "New boss is the same as the old boss"?

A list of new experiences would likely include: opportunities to expand knowledge, mentor and coach, not travel as much, maybe work a reduced work week, take some time off in between the old job and the new etc.It seems to me that none of these opportunities should have been deal breakers with the "old boss" but on the other hand sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.

The ideal for most companies should be to keep their over 55 workers and build in the opportunity for change. After all these are often the most valuable people in the company when it comes to knowledge and relationship management. While I can't back it up with data my guess is that engagement goes up when you let people do what they are really good at. People enjoy using their unique abilities. Maybe new employers are just better at seeing an individual's unique abilities than their current organization - or maybe new organizations are looking for fresh ideas, new expertise and the kind of knowledge that comes with a seasoned veteran when they get to perform out of the box...

If you are seeing your people leave in their late 40's and early 50's whether it's for greener pastures, fatter wallets or new experiences using the Best-Half is a proven method for creating the dialogue to find out why.

Are touchdowns a single effort or a successful team approach?

A large part of understanding a team's success is rooted in our analysis of the team's synergy. High performing teams do not happen serendipitously. They must be built with understanding and knowledge of the instinctive skills of every team member and their quantifiable contribution to the outcomes of the team. Too much defense - no goals. Too many forwards, no defense.  The right mix and measure is as much art as science. When it comes to getting that elusive synergy, the Kolbe A Index and the team synergy analysis give an early warning report that can spell success or failure for team process and outcomes.


Diversity in the composition of a team is a vital step for defining a successful outcome. But how do you define and then find that diversity? With team assessment results Kolbe defines the necessary ingredients for team success through team synergy. A combination of 25% preventive instincts, 50% willing instincts and 25% insistent instincts results in perfect synergy and a high degree of team success. An imbalance of strengths results in challenges that could effect not only team success but the bottom line. 

For instance, teams composed of all Insistent Fact Finders and Resistant Quickstarts will torpedo a change initiative as they fight to avoid chaos and understand the mandate and the research needed for completing their goals. Similarly, teams of Insistent Quickstarts will create lots of great ideas but may not have the instincts to follow thru or ask the important and vital questions that need to be answered.

Symphony orchestras have spent the last couple of hundred years working at this. There has to be the right amount of violins to offset the double basses and there needs to be the right number of clarinets, oboes etc.

If your team seems to be composed of too many violins or too many forwards, a team synergy report has the value of helping to orchestrate the knowledge of what the team's raw strengths are and what that all important synergy looks like.

A winning formula for your team is within reach but don't tell the Leafs about me - I'm not a miracle worker!

The fall-out from an unsuccessful team initiative is wide ranging. Business owners can be dismissed, budgets can be decimated and time lines fall by the way-side. Morale and engagement suffers greatly as everyone looks to understand what happened while not seeing the prescription for prevention.

 
Building strong teams, whether for general management of organizations, new initiatives or change management opportunities require the careful analysis of everyone's strengths to instinctively take action. Planning your next team or looking at existing team synergy will lead you and your organization to a more productive and profitable course of action - something every team can be happy about.

The Best-Half puts people  in touch with what really matters to them at any stage of their career and shows them how to find purpose, new meaning and engagement in both their work and home life. - hint: it's all about legacy and possibility! For employers the Best-Half establishes a dialogue between the employee and the organization allowing for effective medium and long range resource planning and succession planning throughout the entire spectrum of an individual's career.

Call us if you want to help your people plan for the future. It's going to be here before you know it (the future that is...)
 
Sincerely,
 

Gordon Neufeld
The Best-Half