I'm happy to let you know that I've accepted the responsibility to help find the right people to develop a series of "on-demand" training courses for Proformative - the company that I've been developing courses for over the last year. They are a great company and a wonderful group of people to work with.

So, for those of my friends and colleagues that are interested in being creative, informative, and educational all while earning some passive income, while helping professionals in and around HR find greater career success through learning - read on.

We are primarily looking for those who have expertise in Human Resources (HR), Organizational Development (O-D), Talent Management, Change Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Conflict Resolution, Compliance Issues and other areas that fall into or near one of these general categories.

Also needed are the hard skills - here are some ideas for what Proformative seeks: HR positions, from recruitment to compensation planning, benefits (cafeteria and other) to employee reviews to onboarding and offboarding processes and best practices, and the hundreds of solid, discrete tasks that folks in the CHRO organization do for a living.

Although it's not my personal responsibility, Proformative is also interested in developing courses in Sales, Marketing and Finance. So, you can also let me know if that's your area of expertise.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT ME - NOT THEM. THANKS

(408-554-0110 or ArLyne@DiamondAssociates.net)

By the way, I just completed my course on Onboarding which will be available for you in a few days.

Speaking of links:

Your Bitly links and discount codes are:

http://bit.ly/1H9HEF6

http://bit.ly/1PpvuGB

10% Discount code to all of your courses is: Diamond10

Charismatic Leadership

When you ask people what the most important qualities are for leadership, almost all will list charisma at the top of their list. What is charisma and why is it important?

Max Weber (quoted in Wikipedia) offers that it is the "exceptional sanctity, heroism, or exemplary character of an individual person." I read this and think of Hitler, Jim Jones, and others who lead for evil. So, I don't buy the description as being the whole story.

To me, charismatic leadership is the quality to appear bigger, better wiser, and more compassionate than others - with the drive and energy that compels people to follow.

Whether in politics, war, or corporate governance, the qualities of leadership become important to motive others to get on your team and do what you need and want them to do. Without this quality, one needs to bribe, beg, bully, or pay heavily in order to get the tasks completed.

The Los Angeles Times (March 27, 2016) posted an article called "A dark side of charismatic leaders" (Joyce E.A. Russell) In it they mention that some leaders lead people down a path of self-destruction. And, of course that leads us back to memories of Hitler and Jim Jones among others. So, there is difference between ethical and unethical leaders.

I'd go so far as to suggest that the evil leaders are megalomaniacs and think so highly of themselves, they rarely if ever listen to the advice of others.

The better leaders - the good guys if you will - have positive goals and a willingness to communicate with others and listen and learn from others.

Let's apply this to the workplace - and of course make some generalizations.

Evil leaders have personal goals that lead to their own aggrandizement - and often end up destroying the organizations they build. The people they lead ultimately become their victims. Positive charismatic leaders set goals that are for the betterment of the organization as a whole. They encourage ideas from others (no yes men for them) and are delighted at the growth and success of those around them.

Steve Jobs,. Larry Ellison, Andy Grove, John Chambers, Mark Zuckerberg, and many others can be described as charismatic leaders - some more self-serving than others. It is the power of their leadership that led their respective companies to the level of greatness we admire.

But, in some of these organizations (and I'm not going to mention which ones) the preferred style of management is by status and intimidation. People are forced to work exceptionally long hours (even for Silicon Valley) and since they all work at will, if they aren't available 24/7 they run the risk of being fired. It is high salaries and status that keeps them in line.

As I am writing this, I am thinking about the Prison guards and some of the inmates in the series Orange is the New Black. If you've been watching it - and I've become addicted - you'll remember that the Assistant Warden got so caught up in her own power that she embezzled and denied the prisoners some basic comfort and health care needs. Some of the guards became vicious, controlling bullies because they had the power - and ruled by fear. A few of the inmates fell into this category as well - ruling by intimidation and violence.

In today's workplace, we rarely see this same level of managers who rule by threats of physical violence - although in years past they still existed. Instead, the bully boss controls by performance appraisals, promises of promotions, the better (or worse) projects and of course salary increases and the ultimate threat - firing.

So unfortunately, as much as I wish I could, I can't say that only positive charismatic leaders lead to success. Some of the bad guys do too. Too bad.

Participatory Management

We think of charismatic leadership to be authoritarian in style - but that's not necessarily true. Some of our great charismatic leaders led by what is called Participatory Management. One, if not more of our American Presidents was known for this style of leadership.

In Participatory Management, the leader takes ultimate responsibility for the decisions - it is not a democracy - but the leader encourages all executives, team players, stakeholders, etc., to offer their ideas - to openly disagree with each other - and this type of leader listens and learns and ultimately makes the decision him/herself.

The person of self-esteem is never afraid to learn from others - indeed, delights in having others from whom to learn. This is what ultimately creates an extraordinary leader.

ProMatch Workshops I've Offered.

Jump Start Your Job Search:
Marketing (Branding) Yourself:
Strategies and Tactics for your Job Hunt
Self-Assessment Seminar
Who are You? Part I & Part II
Negotiation Skills for Women:
Getting Your Mojo Back
Enhancing Your Professional Image: Your Unique Brand
Enhancing Your Professional Image: Your Unique Brand - again
Business Planning Seminar
Negotiation Strategies and Tactics
Individual coaching interviewing, negotiating, resumes, cover letters, etc.

University Courses Taught

DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management

Career DecisionsConsumer Behavior

Leadership & Organizational Behavior

Quality and Performance Excellence

International Business

Business Planning (Capstone MBA class)

Psychology 110

Employment Law (Compliance Issues )

The Legal, Political and Ethical Dimensions of Business

Change Management

Human Resource Planning (Capstone MBA class)

Negotiation Skills

Lincoln Law School: The Psychology of Practicing Law

Stanford University, Continuing Education: Conflict in the Workplace

Books - Published

Leading and Managing in a Global Economy - Super Star Press

Conflict in the Workplace: Causes and Cures Robertson Publishing Co.

The following books can be ordered directly: www.ProductivePublications.com

Training Your Board of Directors: A Manual for the CEOs, Board Members, Administrators and Executives of Corporations, Associations, Non-Profit and Religious Organizations.

The "Please" and "Thank You" of Fundraising for Non-Profits: Fifteen Essential Ingredients for Success.

Proformative Courses you can Upload and Purchase

Change: The People Side

Effective Workplace Negotiation.

Ethics and Attitude in the Workplace.

Interviewing: The Art & Science

Investigating a Complaint in the Workplace

Rewards and Recognitions that get you what you want to achieve.

Onboarding

Micro-Aggression Rules will frighten us all away

I received an S.O.S. phone call from a former client asking for my advice. He started a new job - as a senior executive and within the first month of his employment, he was accused by a woman of creating a hostile work environment. I know this man. I've worked with him closely in the past. He is a consummate professional and a gentleman.

So, I helped him figure out what was going on. My client (former client) is excitable. When excited his voice gets louder and he gets red in the face. To the unaware this might appear as angry. I sincerely believe that he did nothing overt to intimidate this woman, but she misinterpreted his excitement thinking it was bullying.

In colleges all over the country young people are condemning those whose opinions differ from theirs by shouting micro-aggression. In other words, psyches are in danger of being hurt by disagreeable - disagreeing - words.

We've gone too far. We are creating a cotton candy world where people are afraid to speak their truth unless it conforms to the popular point of view.

Don't rock the boat. Don't ever say what you believe if it isn't the popular position.

WOW! This reminds me of what I learned about Communist China or Russia.

Ugly Duckling or Unicorn?

The Wall St. Journal published an article today about the lack of non-politically liberal faculty in our colleges and universities. In the article some Professors were quoted as saying they felt like Unicorns - and others admitted to lying and hiding their political points of view in order to maintain their status.

I like the phrase Unicorn - it's sounds so much better than Ugly Duckling. Yet, whatever you term it, it is exceedingly difficult to be the only one in the crowd that thinks the way you do.

I've been both. I grew up as the Ugly Duckling - a tall, skinny, Jewish redhead in a neighborhood where all the girls were shorter, dark haired and had darker complexions. I didn't look Jewish and as a young child experienced discrimination because I was different.

I've been different too in how I treated people as a teenage girl. Unlike my contemporaries who seemed to get great pleasure in ridiculing and humiliating those less popular than themselves, I never felt that need and it bothered me to witness the verbal brutality. I often lashed out against it - and so I looked and acted weird.

We all want to feel as though we belong, as though we are a welcome part of the group. Yet, all too often some of us are the lonely voice in the crowd. We get punished for it.

Yet, to not speak out, to not be who you are and share your beliefs, does far more psychological damage to yourself than if you are the lone voice - the Ugly Duckling or the Unicorn.

So, I say be who you really are - and be proud to be a Unicorn. Also, remember, the Ugly Duckling turned into a beautiful swan.

Let me be your AUFIN - Adviser to Kings

Excerpts from a client's letter of reference.

... I found her work to be very professional and effective....impressed by her overall skill included intelligent, intuitive (deep understanding of people and their issues) and articulate. Work included creating and facilitating a number of very helpful and effective workshops... with groups within VTA that had great conflict with each other. ArLyne provided helpful suggestions about how to encourage communication from others in meetings, thereby creating a spirit of teamwork among different groups that had been working as silso.

As ArLyne is natural and engaging, I found her style made it very easy for others to open up and share their concerns with her.... She coached several of my staff ...her counseling was extremely helpful to them.

She partnered with me for results, helped me understand the people I was managing and how best to lead them. a self-starter, she planned her own interventions, was reliable and trustworthy.

Signed: Greg Pustelnik, Chief Purchasing Officer, Procurement, Contracts and Material Management - VTA (Valley Transportation Authority.)

Thank You from a Satisfied Client

Hi ArLyne

It was a pleasure meeting with you after nearly 4 years to avail your services in negotiating a better compensation package for a direct employment at a well established health care company in the bay area...

You understood the offer and my situation thoroughly and compiled a response that provoked thought in the recruiter and hiring manager minds that [showed them] I was the perfect candidate and they can't afford to lose me. Your ability to articulate and present a counter-offer helped me get an additional 20K, which is close to 15% higher than the original base salary offered. I am glad to have called you. Your 1 hour consulting fees helped me gain $20K and I thank you for your time and exceptional service.

I look forward to availing more of your services in the future. Especially, developing my negotiation and leading skills.... Once again thank you very much. Signed: Sasi Poruri

ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D .ArLyne@DiamondAssociates.net

Diamond Associates 3567 Benton St., #315, Santa Clara, CA 95051 408-554-0110