The Champions Series is Now Open for New Members!

We closed membership for a couple of months while I settled into my new role as a mom. Now, we're back and ready for new Champions to join us.

The Champions Series and Champions Membership is open to those who are interested in personal and business growth. A Champion is one who invests in him/herself and recognizes the potential for improvement in all areas. Champions are attorneys, sales professionals, entrepreneurs, small business owners, life coaches, business coaches and consultants, publicity experts, entertainers, etc..

Membership Includes:


 Weekly Electronic Coaching Moments

 30-Minute Private Coaching Each Month (via telephone)

 Exclusive Options to Upgrade Coaching in the Future

 Access to the Champions Library with dozens of audio seminars ($15 per topic)

There is no reason to not try coaching now!  This is a great deal and it doesn't require hours of your time. It's perfect for busy professionals who just need a brief contact to share ideas, discuss sensitive topics, brainstorm, receive some much deserved motivation and support, etc... Our coaches are here for you.

Join now. Visit http://www.spahrconsulting.com/ for your application and to learn more.

Should I Hire an Overqualified Employee?

Yes and No. (I know you hate when I say that.)

No. You shouldn't hire an overqualified person if there is absolutely NO room for advancement and flexibility in the role. If you need someone to count items floating on a conveyor belt and they can never grow in that position or another in the company, don't hire someone with an MBA, no matter how much they beg. They will leave you when the job market becomes friendlier.

You should also NOT hire an overqualified person if you don't have a history of high retention. If people typically leave you for all kinds of reasons, you likely have no benefits to retain an overqualified employee in the future.

Yes. You should hire an overqualified person if you have ideas or an existing pathway for great talent to grow and evolve in your company. The overqualified person will likely lend him/herself to developing a key, and perhaps unforeseen, role in your company utilizing his/her talents. You'll win and so will they. In this job market, and in the past, there are overqualified candidates that are seeking the positions you have to offer. The question is "why are they seeking your job?". Ask them. Are they haphazardly applying for EVERYTHING? If so, you don't want them and never did. But if they can succinctly tell you why they want to work for you and they know full well what the job entails (and pays). You may want to give them a shot. It's a added bonus if you have longevity with your employees and use their talents to make your company better. Again, everyone wins when this happens. Too often we try to fit a person into a job. When we do it the other way around we most likely gain exponentially. Fit the role to the person and his/her talents.

I remember applying for a job with a well respected think tank (back in the late 90's). I was told I was overqualified and they wouldn't even entertain my application. I begged them. I pleaded my case telling they why I was ideal for their company and assured them I'd be willing and able to perform in that role for a couple of years. Still no. So, years later I got in through a back door. I found a director-level employee at a conference and asked for a meeting over coffee. I got my meeting and I got a job offer. Although I got the job in the end, I still wish that I had the opportunity to work there in the interim. I was passionate about the company and could do the work with my eyes closed. And, maybe I would have used those extra years to work my way up higher than I did when I ultimately left.

Consider why an applicant wants to work for/with you. It should be stated on their cover letter. You may want a 5 minute phone screen to firm your understanding.

Hire them if you have a plan to keep them and will utilize their talents.

Don't hire them if you don't plan to cultivate your talent and if you just want a person to strictly fit a role.

As an aside: There was a great NY Times article on this topic. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/us/29overqualified.html?_r=1&emc=eta1.

What Makes You Happy?

The New York Times featured an article titled But Will it Make You Happy?  It's a great read about a woman who changed her life significantly by ridding herself of things that weren't contributing to her happiness and exchanging them for things that did. I loved the article. Her story is becoming far more the norm than the exception in many of the media I read. More and more people are asking themselves what will truly make them happy and then recreating their lifestyle for more enjoyment and less "routine and mundane".

Do you live in the "routine and mundane" or do you consistently evaluate your priorities and make sure you are living in a way to fulfill them?

I often ask clients to do a cross-reference between their money and their goals. Do they spend money in a way that it will promote their goals and ensure their success or are the two polar opposite? Polar opposite would mean you say you want to accomplish x but you never put any money (or time) toward making that happen. It's all talk. Worse yet, where your money goes has nothing to do with how you really want to live. Many people have no idea where their money goes until I have them report it for 30 days. Then they are surprised by how much they spend on frivolous things.

The woman in the NYTimes article reduced her worldly possessions to 100 items. How many do you have? How many items do you have in your home? How many are meaningful to you?

Do you live with purpose or just plot along like most everyone else? Do you want to live with purpose?

There are some big questions in this blog. I encourage you to think about them and talk them over with someone close to you. Someone who won't discourage your ideas and dreams. Remember that each day you make hundreds of choices about how you are going to live. You usually make the same choices you did yesterday but that in and of itself is a choice. Be brave and daring, make a different choice tomorrow if you want to.

Here are a few ways to do that: Try a different restaurant. Take a class you never heard of. Speak to someone you never have before. Dare to really think about what makes you happy and then decide to get more of that.

Happy living.

Does Your Business Hang Up on Customers?

Sadly, today's blog is out of an experience I had with a bad business. I feel comfortable calling them a bad business because any business that tolerates its staff hanging up on customers is bad. (Minus those who do allow a gentle hang-up if a caller is cursing at staff- which I don't condone.)

Today's bad business- World Education Services. They do international education equivalency reviews and other things. I called upon them and their service for an equivalency report from one of my degrees. They didn't give me the review and report that I paid for but they did give me a great experience to share with you.

So, on what conditions do your staff hang up on callers? Never? I suggest you test them. How well do your staff hold up to callers who are upset or expressing displeasure with your business? Again, I say, test them.

Case in point: I called WES to clear up an issue about what was sent to them via my university, having spoken with staff at the university first. A WES staff continued to give me the generic answer, "contact your registrar". Had she been listening to me, she would know that the office I was dealing with at the international university was "the registrar" who handles all matters related to transcripts. It was one of those situations where A blames B and B affirms they did what they were supposed to do. Where does that leave you? (By the way, I believe the university more than WES because I had the university send me the exact thing they sent to WES at the same time. Perhaps I subconsciously knew this was coming.) I realized the call was going nowhere fast and requested a full refund of my payment (in the hundreds) given they were unwilling to review what was sent to them and asking the university to send another packet wouldn't alleviate the issue since they sent the packet as it was supposed to be sent in the first place. I'm getting off track. Forgive me... let's get to the hang up.
She told me my request for a refund was useless because when I put my order for services in I agreed to their refund policy (which I certainly don't recall but it could have been one of those long tirades about "agree or disagree" which you have to accept to move forward in the process- no one reads those things). I then told her that I had no problem reporting them to the Better Business Bureau and asked for her name. That's when I heard the click. She hung up on me.

I never raised my voice. I never cursed. I never brought her mother in to it. :)  Why on earth did she have such a short trigger as to hang up on a paid customer? Maybe it was because I was paid and not paying. Ah.

What is your business policy for callers who complain? Request refunds? Threaten to call consumer advocacy groups on your business? Have a plan and practice, practice, practice. Then, test, test, test. Hire me and I'll test for you. I might enjoy it.

My lesson here: ask for their name at the very beginning of the conversation. Don't wait for trouble.

And, yes, I've placed a dispute investigation on the payment with my business credit card. Thank goodness someone has good customer service. Go PNC!

The New Busy Signal

Do you remember the day of the busy signal? It would drive you mad to be calling someone, who didn't have call waiting or - dating yourself, say it was before call waiting, and you'd get a busy signal. Over and over again you'd dial and get a busy signal. Just when you thought the days of the busy signal were over and telephones had come so far.... enter the automated system. A lesser evil? I'm not so sure about that. At least the busy signal was a definite NO your party will NOT answer. Today the automated system teases us as though someone may be with us in this decade. It's like a game of risk or try your luck. Are you feeling lucky today?

Case in point: My doctor called with test results yesterday. She told me to call back and ask for the doc on call. Easier said than done. I called back and tried option #2, which is what I usually use to schedule appointments. No luck. They told me to try option #4 and they put me back into "the system". I did just that. Option #4 pressed. The dreaded automated voice came on and told me "All agents are busy. Please stay on the line and the next available agent will be with you." Do you promise? I heard this message about 60 times, that would be twice per minute. Now any math whiz reading this will tell you I was on hold for 30 minutes. That's right, 30 minutes. I hung up in disgust and tried again. Why would I try again you might ask, did I think somehow another line would be luckier? I don't know. I felt I didn't have many choices. My blood pressure was rising (good thing it wasn't the issue she was calling about!). On my second try I was on hold 10 minutes before hanging up, again in disgust. Now, I simply called back in and chose option #1, the emergency line. "Is this an emergency?" the woman on the line asked. I didn't lie. I simply said I was returning the docs call. She paged the doc and within about 3 minutes we were connected. Thank God.

In your business do you use an automated system? Have you called it yourself? I'd recommend calling it every week, during various hours to check response time and ease of use. In fact, for ease of use ask your clients directly and have others call in and give you feedback. Most systems stink. You don't want to admit that because you paid for it and likely chose some of the awful options the rest of us get to deal with. Next time put together a focus group of your clients and potential clients to design the system. Most people will be much happier.

Happy dialing.

Money Can Buy Happiness

I was in the library, about 2 years ago, when I saw the title, "Money Can Buy Happiness" by Dunleavey. I grabbed it in anticipation of what it would say. I'll let you read it for yourself to find out. I'll tell you this, I liked it.

That same title was on page 18 of my current issue of Forbes Magazine (yes, I know I've been talking up Forbes a lot lately, forgive me). Michael Norton tells us that money can make us happy.... IF we give it away. He discusses research that shows raises don't make a big dent in our lifestyle quality or satisfaction but giving away money does. So, no matter what you make, give some away. You'll life will be better for it. I believe him and I abide by the rule. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, or following me on Facebook, you know that my charities of choice involve animal welfare. We give for birthdays, holidays and random days- just to show our support for the cause as well as feel good that we have the opportunity to give.

Check out the article for yourself. There are some interesting numbers in here. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/opinions-ipad-happiness-money-lotto-on-my-mind.html

Happy giving. Happy life.

Employee Fatigue and Burnout in the Era of Layoffs and Downsizing

I hear it from client after client, "the axe missed me but hit my two colleagues and now I have their duties plus my own!"  In the days of layoffs, downsizing and jobs being dissolved, the "lucky" employees who are left face a dismal future. They are often met with frozen salaries, or worse yet, asked to take a decrease in pay, yet have several new hats they have to wear to make up for those comrades lost. They don't feel lucky at all.

I must warn all employers out there. I totally understand that there are times you have to cut. There are times those cuts have to be deep. But, know your employees- for they too have limits. I encourage you to understand how much one employee can handle. How many tasks can they do with high quality, attention to detail, a positive attitude, etc...? How can they still feel valued in light of the increased responsibility without equivalent pay increase? Their value is likely to be seen in the quality of work they produce for you. Don't take it lightly.

Do you know and understand how your employees can be fatigued? I'm not just talking about being physically and visibly tired. I'm talking about their self-worth, value, security and craftsmanship being compromised by the increased workload and seeing their peers "let go". Each employee will fatigue in different ways and at different points but it is your job to be cognizant that it will in fact happen. You have to address it before it happens and then be vigilant to observe individual changes over time to address them again.

I also want to warn those of you who think that you can have one man (or woman) do the job of two, three, or four. You can't. (Assuming all did a high quality job in the first place and that each was kept busy for their work week. If you've read other posts of mine, you'll know I'm a huge fan of cutting the fat- those employees who aren't doing high quality work consistently and making the most of their work hours.) 

Take this for example: I recall a polite disagreement I had with a cleaning company once. I paid for three cleaners to be at my home for three hours. The cleaning company only sent two cleaners but argued that they'd stay longer to make up for the missing man (/woman). Now, I encourage you to think about that. Cleaning is hard work. It's physically demanding. Think of fatigue in the traditional sense. Do you think that cleaner one and two will still have the same stamina at hour four that they did at hour one? No, of course they won't. They'll be slower and more tired. Physically and mentally they are ready to rest or do something else. I would be. And, unless I missed something we can't have one person in two places at the same time. Had I gotten the three cleaners I paid for I could have three rooms or three tasks being undertaken at the same time. With two people that is not possible.  The cleaning company was arguing equality but they were wrong. You can't double the duties of someone and expect the same results as having two people doing it. (Again, expecting that people are diligent in their duties in the first place.)

Yes, the "lucky" employees who didn't get the axe may feel fortunate for a quick minute when the pink slip doesn't land in their hand, but that luck will run out when you ask them to pick up where the other guy left off. And, the bad luck will filter into the productivity and culture of your workplace, product/service and brand. Consider yourself warned.