When it comes to making a decision, some folks just wing it. Others study the problem, hold meetings, analyze the data, and evaluate the options. Successful decision making relies on both tactics: it's a balance of deliberate and instinctive thinking.

Deliberate thinkers need time. Instinctive thinkers cut through the crap, as well as the interesting but not always helpful data that clouds the issue and delays making good, timely decisions. This ability is called rapid cognition. People who rate high on rapid cognition can scan an article, understand it, and explain the contents before many others can read through the introduction.

There are traits that run parallel with the way people process information. Instinctive thinkers quickly filter out interesting but not essential data and make decisions without hesitation. They thrive on lots of activity all the time, and freely speak up. Results are more important than process. Deliberate thinkers require a lot of information that is often painstakingly analyzed. They can work in isolation for hours, even days, at a time. They dislike conflict and get energy from studying a problem.

Balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking is important. Does your business require employees who are comfortable making decisions with sketchy information? Or, is your product success dependent on carefully thought out decisions using sound data that can be defended, such as product safety.

It's a given that different people use different processes to make decisions. The trick is to identify the people who will make decisions that work best for your business.

Make the decision now to hire and promote the right people. TotalView Assessment System is the best choice for evaluating both cognitive skills and personality in one report.

Read on for a more in-depth look at the TotalView Assessment System along with sample reports online.

Fact #414: In the residency match this spring, only 79 percent of the available family practice positions were filled, and the percentage of total slots matched by US medical graduates sank to 41 percent. In internal medicine, 97 percent of residency positions were filled (up slightly from the previous year), and US seniors took 55 percent of the available positions.

Fact #415: In addition to a lack of applications, medical schools have no more money for training and the faculty is aging or unprepared and/or unskilled.

Fact #416: Recruiting is on the rise. In the March (2005) Spherion Job Transition Index, more thirty- five percent of working adults say they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months. In a poll by the Society of Human Resource Management and CareerJournal.com, 48 percent of respondents are actively searching for new job and 33 percent are passively receptive to new job opportunities. And in a survey by ExecuNet, 61 percent of employed executives are not satisfied with their current jobs.

Fact #417: As more Baby Boomers reach their 50s, the number of "seniorpreneurs" will continue to climb. By 2020, there will be 118 million Americans aged 50 and older - 31 million more than today. These individuals will be healthier and more active than today's seniors. More significantly, Boomers will continue to define themselves by what they do. Therefore, many will not want to be "retired," per se. In response, many of them will create new businesses, as well as new opportunities for other businesses that are savvy enough to market to them. This explosion of new small businesses will be crucial for keeping the U.S. economy growing during the demographically weak period from 2011 to 2022.

Fact #418: According to a report in USA Today, 5.6 million Americans aged 50 and older are now self- employed. That's an increase of 23 percent from 1990. The same trend is unfolding in Canada, where the fastest-growing sector of the small business market consists of businesses started by people aged 55 and older.

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.

The Resu-mess is back! If piles of resumes and crowded e-mail in-boxes have got you frustrated, you NEED to preview Total APS in action.

What is Total APS? It is an applicant tracking and assessment system that puts your recruiting and selection efforts on auto pilot. Total APS even provides you assess to the TotalView assessment (see the first article in this newsletter).

Total APS frees up your time to communicate with only QUALIFIED candidates and helps you ensure a good job fit between a person and the job. Total APS can save your company is to experience the system in action. View our online 7-minute, no- obligation video demonstration of the Total APS system by using the link below.

Can't view it online? Contact us today for a Free CD-ROM on How to Screen and Interview Candidates Online. Follow this link and type "APS CD" in the comment box.

APS Online Multimedia Demo.

1. The reviewer and employee have a personal friendship outside of work and both individuals can't differentiate their manager-employee role from their friend-friend relationship.

2. The reviewer and the employee see themselves as part of a team. Team members are supposed to encourage one another, be supportive in good and bad times. But when the manager has to provide negative feedback or discipline the employee, these actions are viewed as divisive.

3. When not provided regularly, annual (or even less periodic) reviews can be based on most recent performance, not performance over the course of the year. The results go both ways. Employees who put on their best behavior around review time get favorable ratings and the employee who has a bad couple of weeks gets punished.

4. Performance reviews are only scheduled when an employee is not performing up to expectations or a company needs to terminate/lay-off the employee.

5. "You know nobody's perfect and there is always room for improvement." The manager doesn't believe in rewarding an employee with a "10" (out of 10) even when he/she deserves it. Some employers actually use a rating scale of 1 to 9 because no employee deserves a 10 in their minds.

Read on for the remaining Reasons Why Performance Reviews Fail.

If you are new to the DISC behavioral model, or just want to brush up on your DISC knowledge, we invite you to download our complimentary e-booklet Teamworks: 42 Tips to Help Teams Thrive & Survive.

This easy reference pocked guide will provide you with a solid understanding of the DISC model in clear, concise language. You will learn: