Welcome to the November 10, 2004 issue of The Total View

Your resource for cutting-edge news, tips, and tools to help you hire, manage,
and motivate top-performing employees.

If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and want your own subscription, visit
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/newsletter.htm

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In This Issue
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1. Effective Communication Skills with DISC Behavioral Assessments.
2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #281 to #285.
3. Ever Wish You Could Look Into a Job Applicant's Past? -- You Legally Can.
4. SMILE! Here's a little clarification of typical vacant job listing lingo...
5. You don't need a huge budget and staff to hire the best employees.
6. Liar, liar pants on fire.
7. What Interview Questions Can You Ask? -- Complimentary Guide Reveals All.

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The Total View is written and published each Wednesday by Ira S. Wolfe, founder of Success Performance Solutions. (Yes, Ira writes every article, every week!) and is distributed with permission by The Chrysalis Corporation.

Ira S. Wolfe 2004 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

To learn more about The Chrysalis Corporation or to read back issues of The Total View, visit our web site at http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/totalview_backissues.htm

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1. Effective Communication Skills with DISC Behavioral Assessments.
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Communication skills top every employer's wish list. Nearly every classified ad and job description includes "communication skills" as essential. In today's world, that is a good decision. Ironically, the phrase "good communication skills" conjures up so many images that what is meant by these few words is not communicated effectively

Miscommunication about communication occurs because describing communication is difficult. Think about it. When we ask managers to describe the most effective leaders and managers, words like articulate, well-spoken, motivating, and persuasive are their immediate responses. When managers delegate returning a phone call or writing an email to employees, the first they ask is "what should I say"?

That's interesting but not necessarily very effective. While the words we use are important, the tones and pace we use say so much more. Research shows that the most effective communication is comprised of 55 percent body language, 38 percent tone and pace. Words contribute only 7 percent.

This major impact that body language has on communication is not a new observation. As early as 400 B. C., Hippocrates described four distinct, but universal, behavioral styles. Nearly 2300 years later, Carl Jung and William Marston observed that people respond differently to problems, people, pace and procedures in similar ways to Hippocrates. All agreed these styles affect the messages we send to others and how we respond back. Most importantly these styles are observable. The ability to observe others' behaviors is, therefore, an important but often overlooked skill of the most effective communicators.

Likewise, listening skills determine how we decode the verbal messages received from outside sources. Many people do not listen effectively. They concentrate on formulating what they are going to say next rather than on what is begin said to them. Instead of listening to what was said, the receiver likely focuses on how it was said or how they will say it. Many of us hear the words, but rarely listen. Without listening, mistakes happen, rumors spread, tempers flare, and stress intensifies. This might explain why our listening efficiency is, on average, no better than 25 percent after 48 hours.

Listening requires the ability to concentrate and de-code what we hear without allowing our individual differences in knowledge, values, attitudes, and background to act as filters. Unintentionally and all too often our own de-coding skills alter the message of the sender before we have an opportunity to interpret it. Effective communicators know how to listen without changing the sender's message.

A third skill that highly effective communicators have is the ability to ask good questions. Questioning skills are often complementary to listening skills, the result being called active listening. Active listeners ask the right questions which prompt more and insightful responses. Asking questions should be followed by the patience to observe, wait, and listen for the response. Instead many people can't stand the silence and begin asking another question, without waiting for a response to the first. Effective communicators avoid jumping to conclusions, judging the information as good or bad, and providing appropriate feedback.

Feedback is the fourth element of effective communication, confirming to the sender that you actually heard and observed and interpreted the message correctly. Feedback occurs when a receiver responds to a communication with a return message. The message can be as obvious as a verbal response, a written note, or just a slight head nod. Active listeners check for changes in tone and pace as well as body language, from the senders as well as their own. Without feedback, communication is incomplete.

Effective communication skills can best be described by breaking it down intro these four key elements: observation, listening, questioning and feedback. These elements explain why email communications, while easier and faster, create so much "noise" between senders and receivers - remove the combined effect of body language and pace and all that's left is the seven percent contribution of the words you use.

One of the most effective tools to improve communication skills is the DISC behavioral assessments, commonly called the DISC personality test. DISC is an acronym that represents the four behavioral styles described by Jung and Marston. With today's technology, an individual can identify his or her preferred behavioral style less than 15 minutes, and understand how energized or de-energized he or she will become when dealing with everyday problems, people, work pace and procedures.

Knowing your own style is important because it helps you understand how other people will respond to your verbal and non-verbal messages. But that's only part of the story. Learning to recognize the behavioral styles of others is even more important because it allows you to send messages at a tone and pace that will be received with a minimum of "noise." DISC teaches you to de-code your messages correctly and avoid unintentional misunderstandings.

Let me give you a personal example of a very "noisy" conversation I recently had. My wife and I re-financed our home equity line of credit a few weeks ago. The first payment arrived and the statement indicated an adjusted rate. We "understood" the loan rate was "fixed," so we assumed the lender made a mistake. I called the lender. "Why did this happen?" I asked. After some back and forth conversation, it hit me. I heard "fixed" to mean the rate stayed the same for the life of the loan. The mortgage originator meant fixed to the prime rate, which of course is adjustable. Bear in mind, our communication was by telephone so there was no body language or pace. Remember words constitute only 7 percent of communication. I heard what I wanted to hear and so did the lender. There was a breakdown in listening and feedback, skills more important then ever when interacting on the phone and with email.

In this fast paced, digital world it is difficult to get a first chance with prospects, customers, and top employees. We rarely get second chances. The ability to effectively communicate requires that we quickly "read" our target. We must code our messages with the right tone, pace, and choice of words to position ourselves in a way the receiver wants to listen.

Although people with effective communication skills - observing, listening, questioning and feedback - are still the key to building and keeping strong relationships, they are becoming less and less available in today's workforce. To train and coach the basics of effective communication, many organizations - both small and large businesses - are using the Success Insights DISC assessment. This DISC tool is a valuable and easy-to-use tool to help every employee master the basic, but powerful, skills of communication - observation and listening - and how they affect your ability to question and provide feedback.

Qualified companies can receive a free Success Insights DISC report. To see if your organization qualifies or to speak with one of our consultants, follow this link and fill out the form in its entirety. Be sure to type "DISC Report" in the comment box:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/contact_us.htm

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2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #281 to #285.
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The argument that aging workers especially the baby boomers will work longer and many will never retire is a fact. The issue not being addressed is who will pay for their health care. The 55-plus age groups use 15 to 20 times more health care services than younger people.

Fact #281: One in every eight Americans is now 65 or old.
(Source: Administration of Aging, 2002)

Fact #282: Since 1900, the percentage of Americans 65 and older has tripled.

Fact #283: In 2000, the 65 - 74 age group was 8 times larger than in 1900.
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

Fact #284: In 2000, the 75 - 84 age group was 16 times larger than in 1900.
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

Fact #285: In 2000, the 85 and over age group was 34 times larger than in 1900.
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

Do you sit on a program committee for your local civic, business or professional association? "The Perfect Labor Storm" is the perfect topic for meetings, conferences and keynotes. Schedule Ira Wolfe today. Find out what's ahead in employment trends and how it will affect career opportunities, education, quality of life issues and more. Call 717.656.4632 for more information.

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - $7.95 includes no shipping costs for limited time only. Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.perfectlaborstorm.com

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3. Ever Wish You Could Look Into a Job Applicant's Past? -- You Legally Can.
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To provide our clients with one-stop shopping for employee evaluation from pre-employment to career succession, we are very pleased to introduce our new partnership with Information Architects, a leading provider of Employment Screening and Background Investigations. IA's premier background screening solution utilizes a state-of-the-art web based interface to provide you with the fastest, easiest, and most customizable ordering/delivering platform in the marketplace today.

If, like Pinocchio's nose, each lie a candidate told on his/her resume or during the interview became immediately apparent, business owners could easily weed out employees who cheat and deceive. So, how can you tell if an employee is lying about their work experience, education, criminal record or even if they are who they say they are?

BACKGROUND CHECKS. Sixty-one percent of the human resource (HR) professionals surveyed said they find inaccuracies in résumés after carrying out background checks. (Source: SHRM Background Checks/Résumé Inaccuracies online survey, 2004)

Services include:

Employment Verification
Criminal Records Search
Civil Records Search
Workers Comp Search
SSN Verification
Credit Reports
DMV Reports
Bankruptcy Search
Degree Verification
Professional License Verification
Drug Screening

To Learn more about background checking, follow this link:

http://www.ia.com/perceptre/affiliates/chrysalis.asp

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4. SMILE! Here's a little clarification of typical vacant job listing lingo...
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COMPETITIVE SALARY:
We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY:
We have no time to train you and you'll have to introduce yourself to your co-workers.

SEEKING ENTHUSIASTIC, FUN, HARD WORKING, PEOPLE:
......who still live with their parents and won't mind our internship-level salaries.

CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE:
We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up; well, a couple of the real daring guys wear ear rings.

JOIN OUR DYNAMIC TEAM:
We all listen to nutty motivational tapes.

MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED:
You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL:
We have no quality control.

SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE:
You'll need it to replace three people who just left.

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST:
You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.
Source: lotsofjokes.com

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5. You don't need a huge budget and staff to hire the best employees.
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Eliminate The Hassles and Headaches Associated With Screening Candidate with Total APS.

The Total Applicant Processing System enables the small and medium sized employer to do online recruiting and screen applicants with customizable and scorable filtering questions with a click of the mouse.

You even have UNLIMITED access to 3 different types of online personality/integrity tests within the APS.

Use Total APS to recruit and screen applicants for your next job opening. Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/employee_applicant_processing_system.htm

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6. Liar, liar pants on fire.
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How many people lie?

- 10,000,000+ taxpayers -lie on their tax forms" according to the IRS.
- 6,640,000 job applicants based on "80% of all resumes are misleading".
- 489,530 attorneys, they mostly "work to benefit their clients, not to arrive at truth".
- 67,050,000 workers based on 50% or "half of American workers".
- 100% of dating couples surveyed lied to each other in about a third of their conversations.
- 20% - 30% of middle managers surveyed had written fraudulent internal reports.
- 95% of participating college students surveyed were willing to tell at least one lie to a potential employer to win a job, and 41% had already done so.

- We are lied to about 200 times each day.
- Most people lie to others once or twice a day and deceive about 30 people per week.
- The average is 7 times per hour if you count all the times people lie to themselves.
- We lie in 30 to 38% of all our interactions.
- College students lie in 50% of conversations with their mothers.

Source: The numbers above are based partially on information at the 2000 Census web site and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Looking for an assessment to help you screen out dishonest candidates? Visit the following link to learn more about FirstView Counter-Behavior Index -- You can even view sample report online:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/first_view.htm

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7. What Interview Questions Can You Ask? -- Complimentary Guide Reveals All.
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What Interview Questions Can You Ask? Ever wonder which questions are legal to ask and which ones increase your probability of landing you and your company in court as a defendant?

Download Our Interview Guide here.
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/pdf/what_interview_questions_can_you_ask.pdf

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Contact Information:

The Chrysalis Corporation
2001 Hammock Drive
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-257-0665

To learn more about The Chrysalis Corporation, visit:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com