PRADCO's Blog

The Internal and External Coach Dilemma

Posted in Leadership with tags Coaching on August 19, 2010 by pradco

I recently came across some business contacts questioning the value of engaging outside coaches for their key managers. They commented, “Why should we bring in external coaches when our company leaders should be giving feedback and coaching to their subordinates all the time if they are doing their jobs right.” And, “We have internal HR professionals available to answer questions and coach our employees whenever they need it. The managers should go to HR if they need help.”

I guess those statements do possess a certain element of validity. However, operating by those principles will cause your organization to miss out on a great return from outside coaching resources. Let me give you some examples of how outside coaches can complement the efforts of your internal staff and add great value to the organization’s bottom line.

Situation 1: An employee speaking about advice from her boss says, “I was told that I’m too detailed with instructions, but I’m no different than most other managers. And no one is perfect. Paul never liked me anyway, so I’d expect him to say that.”

Dilemma: This manager will not improve her behavior unless she acknowledges her micromanaging style.
Solution: Coaches use tools that objectively measure people’s behavior, and having the employee look at that “data” makes the circumstances seem more real and they become more willing to acknowledge and work on the opportunities. Also, we work with lots of organizations so there can be greater credibility when we point out to a person that their behavior is more extreme than most other managers. The bottom line is that we can often more quickly get people to recognize poor behaviors and cooperatively make adjustments to improve.

Situation 2: The director is giving feedback to a manager and says, “I think people feel bad sometimes because you give so much detail. But you are the boss and you really do know better than the employees. It’s just that people hate micromanagers. But I know you have a right to ask for things to be done your way. Do you ever think you are too specific with instructions? You know I always enjoy working with you, so don’t feel bad about this…”

Dilemma: When coaching people you work with every day there is a tendency to be overly diplomatic. Messages get watered down and there ends up being no firm definition of the poor behavior or how to change it.
Solution: Coaches are trained to deliver information in concise, direct ways that get to the heart of concerns quickly. We tend not to get caught up in beating around the bush, softening the message to the point of ambiguity, and back peddling to preserve people’s feelings. Now don’t get me wrong – all of us at PRADCO really are compassionate and caring people, and we are never “mean” or disrespectful as coaches. It’s just that as outside experts we have greater liberty to use what I call “direct talk” so the coaching content is clear. This gets things out into the open and brings about improvement much more efficiently.

Situation 3: An employee was just given constructive feedback by his boss, and here is his response: “It’s great of you to share that information. I’ll start making that change right away. Thank you for watching out for me. Consider it done! Talk with you soon…”

Dilemma: Employees are not open and honest in the discussion. They fear they’ll be viewed as uncooperative if they try to dissect a situation and explain their behavior or analyze the causes. Also they may not want to “rat out” fellow employees or admit to problems contributing to the poor behavior.
Solution: Coaches create an environment where conversations are “safe.” We let people speak openly and even vent about concerns, and then we apply techniques to help them analyze the situations, recognize related causes and effects, and define more appropriate behaviors.

There are other reasons why outside coaches are really useful – such as the repertoire of exercises and resources we have to share, our training in “constructive delivery” of ideas and putting a positive spin on things for greater acceptance. And we can’t ignore that managers in organizations often do not have the time to devote to effective coaching even when they have the skills.

Of all the great services PRADCO provides to our clients, coaching is one of the most impactful. We sometimes call it “Leadership Consulting” or “Action Planning” or “Developmental Feedbacks” [the processes take on a slightly different focus for various applications]. But by any name these activities bring useful change in the participants and accomplish great things for their organizations.

I hope you will consider giving your employees the benefit of professional coaching. PRADCO tailors coaching and development activities many different ways to meet client needs. Programs are designed to be very cost effective and easy to implement. Who in your company isn’t getting things done as effectively as they should? Who is not leveraging the full potential of their subordinates? We’ll recommend the right plan to help them! Just a few coaching sessions can be a helpful, rejuvenating and inspirational experience for the employees and can result in a great boost to company performance.

Thanks for reading!

- Ron

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Meet Ronald Carobine

Posted in Ronald Carobine, Staff on August 4, 2010 by pradco

Tell me a little about yourself and your role at PRADCO.

I will be celebrating my 15^th anniversary with PRADCO on September 18,2010. I feel great about saying that, and I anticipate adding at least a couple more decades to this enjoyable run! My initial role was as a Management Consultant at the headquarters office near Cleveland. Then, in 2005 I had the opportunity to move to the Columbus, Ohio, office as Regional Director, and I became Vice President in January 2008. Along this path I gained lots of experience in psychological assessment, leadership coaching, group training, product development, business development, strategic planning, employee surveys, and lots of other things. Currently my time is divided between management, business development and service delivery. I will always be hands on in working with clients.

For those interested in more ancient history – my life prior to PRADCO included earning a Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and working for seven years with another consulting firm, Barrett & Associates, Inc. At B&A I developed selection tests and assessment centers, performance evaluation instruments, and training and employee development programs. I also managed the administration of all of those programs and handled legal issues such as the analysis of adverse impact for EEOC and OFCCP audits. My roles there included Independent Consultant, then Project Manager, and ultimately Vice President over Project Administration.

What do you like best about your job?

Most definitely it is the enjoyment of helping clients make good decisions and solve problems. I really am a relationship-oriented professional. Clients in our Columbus office range from large international corporations to small research-oriented start-ups, but I get to know individuals personally in every one of them. It is great to hear their relief and appreciation when we reassure them that their candidate is equipped to be a strong performer, or I have coached them through a rough patch with their employee relationships or business results, or I have helpful advice to provide in their engagement survey report. There are so many examples I can give! Basically, I most like working on the consulting activities that involve sharing information and relating to the customer as a partner in improving their performance and business results.

Tell us something about yourself that even your coworkers don’t know.

I have taken up learning to play guitar. My teenage kids got a real kick hearing me try to play “Ode to Joy” from the beginner’s lesson book. [I admit that the tempo was a bit slower than what the composer intended -- but I think the melody was recognizable!] Anyway, after the humiliation of my kids laughing and story-telling of that event to our neighbors and relatives, I decided to seek the assistance of a professional musician. Weekly lessons begin next Tuesday. And I have confidence that the process will go well!

What is your favorite travel destination?

Without question, the answer is Italy. I had the pleasure of visiting the small town where my grandfather grew up [near Trento in Northern Italy] and getting to know some distant cousins. I’ve told all my State-side relatives that I’m on board with a trip to Italy whenever anyone wants to go. I am intrigued by walking the streets and learning the culture that my ancestors experienced. If you are ever in Florence be sure to visit Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini. It is just next door (and you can actually enter it through) the Academia where Michelangelo’s David sculpture is displayed. I like to believe that Luigi and I share the same family tree — and I’m sure his same level of musical talent will soon be evidenced in my guitar performances.

What are you currently working on?

Over the past few years I have been devoting a much greater amount of time to Leadership Coaching engagements. This can involve relationships with a whole management team or organizational department to read the dynamics, diagnose and identify opportunities, and impact the culture. Managers everywhere are struggling with the demands of our current business climate and with keeping their subordinates motivated and focused on key priorities. We conduct formal 360 surveys of Leadership and Emotional Intelligence, and I often incorporate situation assessment interviews with various organization members and customers to tailor our process to the unique circumstances. Together we create written behavioral action strategies that are relevant to the manager’s work objectives. I help them improve their day-to-day habits and performance, and help them deliver better bottom-line results. This makes everyone happy – the coachee, their boss, their employees, and even their families outside of work since we can address all kinds of dynamics and relationships. I am currently in charge of formal documentation for our corporate-wide PRADCO Leadership Consulting Strategy & Process, so I’ll share more about our coaching philosophy, typical interventions and success principles as I blog throughout the month. I also really want to write a book called “Stealth Development,” reflecting the leveraging of great improvements through simple, efficient behaviors that take only seconds or minutes to implement. It’s all about seizing the right opportunities and choosing the right thing to do.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to feedback – so please send comments!

- Ron

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Say Hello & Goodbye to Michele Ridella

Posted in Michele Ridella on July 16, 2010 by pradco

This is my first time as a “blogger” for PRADCO and sadly, my last as today is my last day here. I joined PRADCO five years ago as a Management Consultant, but my time with the organization goes back much farther as I was once a client. And back in the days of being a client, I was mystified by the “behind the scenes” work that PRADCO did on my behalf to help me make good hiring decisions. Their assessment always seemed right on, but I was never quite sure how they did it. As an employee, I now know the secret. It is the dedication and commitment to excellence of this talented group of professionals that makes it happen for the clients. The tools are tested, validated and tested again before they are made available for use. We take our work seriously because our clients expect the best – and get it.

As I pack my office, I remember my first day here, full of excitement to apply my skills as an HR professional in a new role – and apprehension that comes with the unknown. It did not take me long to settle in and find my niche. Many of my clients were old friends and the ones that were not, are now. My teammates are incredibly smart, talented and willing to share their knowledge at the drop of a hat. We collaborate, create and console each other when needed. As I said, true professionals!

As I leave PRADCO, I realize that I have been afforded many opportunities to use my talents and strengthen my skills. I am a better consultant, writer, analyzer, coach and assessor. All skills that I will now take with me to my new role. I hope you, as my clients, felt that you always had the best from me. And I know that as I move on, I am leaving you in not just good hands, but the best hands. I thank the leadership of PRADCO for allowing me to be a part of the organization and I thank my colleagues for their ongoing support. I do not say good-bye though, because, once again, I have the opportunity to return to my previous role as a “client”. (But with a lot more knowledge!)

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When Is a Leader a “High Potential”?

Posted in Leadership with tags PRADCO, Steve Hrop on June 25, 2010 by pradco

A few years ago I was in a meeting with Jerry (not his real name), the Chief HR Officer at a large financial services company. We were discussing how to identify high potential leaders from across the company to participate in an executive development program. Jerry asked me to explain the difference between a “high potential” leader and one who has demonstrated a consistent track record of exceptional performance over the years. This was partially a trick question since he believed that anyone who fit the latter description was by definition a high potential and found it hard to imagine any meaningful difference between the two types of leaders. Yet the differences are significant.

As noted in a recent Harvard Business Review article (“How To Keep Your Top Talent”; HBR, May 2010), only about 30% of high performing leaders have significant advancement potential. Put another way, 70% of high performing leaders do not qualify as “high potential”! What this suggests is that a track record of high performance is a necessary, but not sufficient, factor in determining which leaders are high potential.

A clear picture of the other factors is beginning to emerge. Research by the Center for Creative Leadership and other organizations points to the importance of Learning Agility. Among the core elements of learning agility are:

Intensely inquisitive
Learns from mistakes
Seeks and uses feedback
Open to viewpoints that differ from his/her own
Willing to step outside his/her comfort zone

Those who read my last blog about leaders who cross-the-line ethically will notice that these descriptors are a virtual mirror image of those that characterize leaders with a predisposition to cross the line.

In addition to learning agility, the following factors are core elements of advancement potential:

Resourcefulness (ability to solve problems and overcome obstacles of a non-routine nature; this factor is a first cousin of learning agility)
Reserve Capacity (a good analogy is two college students studying for the same test; both achieve an “A”, but one required many more hours of study than the other; same result, but vastly different expenditures of time and energy).
Ability to think cross-functionally beyond his/her functional “center of gravity”; this ability is at the heart of being an effective general manager
Has an intense “outside-in” perspective
Possesses an extended mental “time horizon” (i.e., the ability to anticipate potential issues and conceive of potential opportunities that lie beyond the current fiscal year)
A high level of career “aspiration”; many leaders with an exceptional track record of performance and financial success reach a point in their career when they’re no longer driven to make the sacrifices needed for continued advancement up the pyramid. Companies that have big plans for such executives often are caught off guard when these leaders turn down a big promotion, wreaking havoc on the organizations’ succession plans. The moral here is that companies cannot view high potential leaders as pawns on a chessboard.

Some skeptical readers will note that a high percentage of promotional decisions do not utilize such objective criteria, but are based on more dubious factors, such as:

Being effective at “managing up” (while being viewed much less favorably by peers and direct reports)
Having the right “sponsor” in high places
Able to talk a good game (e.g., someone who shines in meetings and presentations attended by higher level executives, but is mediocre in terms of day-to-day performance)
Looks the part (“He’s tall, confident, articulate, and well-dressed, so he must be a real leader!”).

If you think that last point is an exaggeration, consider the following true story: several years ago I was in a talent review meeting attended by a company’s senior leadership team. One of the attendees, a business unit president, stated that his test of whether or not someone is a “real leader” is a person who can walk into a room full of people he doesn’t know and command their attention by force of his charisma and bearing. Beyond the naiveté, the fact that this executive exclusively used the “he” pronoun to define a real leader is a telling point.

For those companies eager to enhance the accuracy of their high potential identification process, the best solution is to supplement subjective ratings of potential with more objective methods, such as leadership assessment tools designed to prevent rating inflation and “halo effect” results. PRADCO’s online assessments (e.g., our Emotional Intelligence Index) use a forced choice response format that virtually eliminates these types of rater distortion. Also, 360-degree feedback processes designed with the right safeguards can yield important insights into advancement potential. Lastly, certain kinds of simulation exercises can add significant value to the talent identification process.

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Why Do Some Executives Cross the Line?

Posted in Executives with tags PRADCO, Steve Hrop on June 17, 2010 by pradco

While business integrity is a perennial issue, its prominence in the public consciousness waxes and wanes. The trigger for its re-emergence as a hot issue usually is a high profile incident involving a major corporation. Toyota and BP are recent examples. While these crisis-driven examples of lapses in business integrity are interesting, my objective in this blog is to highlight some of the factors that predispose leaders at all levels to cross the line in more everyday situations.

Business leaders who cross the line ethically fall into two categories: those who know they’re doing so (Bernie Madoff is the poster child for this type), and those who are unaware of having done anything wrong. The first type brings to mind a cartoon published in the Harvard Business Review a few years ago. Two guys are loading numerous documents into a paper shredder. One says to the other: “Someday we’ll look back on this and lie to a grand jury about it”.

Far more cases of unethical behavior fall into the second category. In an interview a few years ago, Lee Roy Beach, one of the world’s top decision researchers, spoke for all of us when he said:

“The ethical lapses I’ve lived to regret didn’t seem like lapses at the time. It was only afterwards that I realized how badly I behaved. I wasn’t knowingly unethical; I simply failed to recognize that the situation was ethically dangerous”.

The renowned author and executive coach Marshall Goldsmith made exactly the same point in a recent presentation I attended. A well-known metaphor that perfectly captures this tendency is “the boiled frog”. If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it quickly jumps out to safety. If you put a frog in a pot of room temperature water and gradually raise the temperature, the frog will remain in the pot until it’s boiled alive. In a similar way, executives take tiny steps toward unethical behavior until they cross the line without realizing it.

Examples of rationalizations by business leaders for unethical behavior are:

The company policy is unreasonable
We’ll wait until the lawyers tell us it’s wrong
Nobody will be hurt by this action
Our competitors are doing it too
If we don’t do it, our competitors will
We need to cut a few corners because of the tight deadline we’re facing

While all leaders are vulnerable to crossing the line unintentionally, I’ve identified a set of 15 personality factors that dramatically increase an executive’s predisposition to cross the line. These factors emerged from my executive coaching, leadership assessment and organizational research work over the past two decades. Here are seven:

Unable to acknowledge and learn from mistakes (e.g., makes excuses, points the finger elsewhere, or becomes defensive)
Has an excessive sense of urgency to get things done by “yesterday” that leads to cutting corners
Seems to be angry about a lot of things (e.g., is often sarcastic, cynical, or derogatory)
Does not seek or welcome feedback (“Here are five reasons why my 360 Feedback results are WRONG”)
Lacks inquisitiveness and is low in “learning agility” (e.g., believes he/she “has nothing to learn”)
Responds with pat “sound bite” answers to concerns or problems brought to his/her attention
Has a rebellious us-versus-them mentality (e.g., tells his/her team: “Here’s another silly policy from the idiots at corporate headquarters”)

When an executive exhibits several of these factors (e.g., five or more), that’s a clear red flag. At PRADCO, our in-depth approach to leadership assessment enables us to assess these tendencies and work with leaders to become more self-aware of potential ethical landmines as they carry out their daily responsibilities. Readers interested in the full list of 15 factors can contact me at: shrop@pradco.com.

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Meet Steve Hrop

Posted in PRADCO, Staff with tags PRADCO, Staff, Steve Hrop on June 11, 2010 by pradco

Tell us a little about yourself and your role at PRADCO.

This is my second tour of duty at PRADCO. After receiving my Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology in 1989, I joined PRADCO. At that time the headquarters office was located on Chagrin Boulevard in Pepper Pike. For someone who had no interest in pursuing an academic career, PRADCO was an ideal place to apply my prior experience as a counselor at a Cleveland hospital, along with the knowledge and skills I learned in graduate school. It laid the foundation for my later success as a consultant and human resources senior executive.

In 1991, I moved to New Jersey to work for Prudential as an internal consultant at its world headquarters. I’ve been a Jersey guy ever since, but remain loyal to Cleveland’s sports teams, as painful as that may be! In fact, my most memorable experience as a young child was going to the NFL championship game at Cleveland Stadium in 1964 with my dad. The Browns, even with the home field advantage and the legendary Jim Brown at the peak of his career, were seven point underdogs against the Baltimore Colts, led by the great Johnny Unitas. The Browns shocked everyone, winning 27-0. That was the last time a professional sports team in Cleveland won a national championship!

I remained at Prudential for 10 years, where I eventually reported to the EVP, HR and led the company’s Organizational Effectiveness function. More recently, I was at Automatic Data Processing (ADP), where I led the global talent management function. I re-joined PRADCO as the Managing Director, Northeast Region in April this year. Why did I return after a 19-year absence? I’ve been extremely hands-on throughout my career. Even when I’ve managed large teams, I’ve carried a heavy personal work load. Over the years, my 360 feedback results consistently show that I need to get better at delegating. While this is a liability for leaders in corporate settings, it’s a strength for an external consultant who wears multiple hats (business development, proposal writing, design and delivery of interventions, account management, etc.). So the opportunity to build and lead PRADCO’s business in the northeast region was irresistible to me. Secondly, PRADCO has a remarkable brand. I can name every one of our competitors in the Northeast region. PRADCO has been in business longer than any of them and the average tenure of our consultants is among the highest in the industry. They’ve become deep experts and trusted advisors to their clients. Had I not returned to PRADCO in April, the average tenure of our consultants would be even higher!

On the personal front, I’m married to Renee (a native Jersey girl). We have two wonderful kids. Rebecca just turned 13 and Josh will be 11 in August. Rebecca is a performing artist who wants to be the next Hanna Montana. Josh wants to go to MIT and be a scientist.

What do you like best about your job?

As I said above, I love wearing all the hats. Also, external consulting involves a level of mental stimulation, personal & professional growth, and continuous learning that far exceeds what’s possible in an internal corporate role. Preparing for client meetings, learning about their business, internal culture, industry, and competitors, along with keeping up with best practices in our field and the need to continuously network place enormous demands on a consultant’s learning agility, resilience, and resourcefulness.

Tell us something about yourself that even your co-workers don’t know.

Some of my colleagues are aware of my interest in tournament chess. It began back in 1972 when Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky to become world champion. I played in my first tournament (the State Championship of Ohio) one week after Bobby’s victory. At my peak 20 years later, I was rated among the Top 1% of tournament players in the country. The highlight of my chess career was winning the Eastern United States Amateur Chess Championship in 2003. In recent years I joined the legendary Marshall Chess Club in New York City’s Greenwich Village. That was Bobby’s home club before he became world champion. It’s a club frequented by many “almost famous” celebrities, including the current New York State Insurance Commissioner Eric Dinallo and business author Roger Lowenstein. Roger’s new book “The End of Wall Street” is a masterpiece.

What is your favorite travel destination?

I’m a history buff, so any destination steeped in historical significance is of interest to me. I would love to return to Spain and Italy. Paris too is magical. In North America, Vancouver is my favorite city. Spending a few hours walking through Stanley Park is enormously therapeutic! Also, riding a motor scooter through every single San Francisco neighborhood is something I’ve done several times and can’t wait to do again.

What are you currently working on?

During my first two months at PRADCO, most of my time has focused on building brand awareness and engaging in business development activities. I enjoy public speaking, so seek out opportunities to get in front of large audiences. For example, in May I was a presenter at the annual New Jersey Organization Development Conference. This month I’m running a half-day workshop (“How to Identify & Develop High Potential Leaders”) for the northern New Jersey chapter of ASTD at Ricoh Americas’ corporate university. As I meet with clients within large organizations in the northeast, a consistent theme I hear is the need to create a more integrated approach to talent management and leadership development, as opposed to piecemeal programs. At ADP I led the team that built and implemented an integrated “Global Leadership Development Program”. This blend of strategic and tactical experience has enabled me to help clients think through their options for integrating their processes and programs, even during the initial meeting.

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Developing Leaders in the 21 Century

Posted in Uncategorized on June 9, 2010 by pradco

This is the last of my blog posts focusing on the services we provide to schools and other educational organizations. I’ve covered selection and training, and now I’ll turn to leadership coaching.

Over the past few years, school districts and universities have asked their staff to think of their institutions in a more business-like manner. Faced with severe budget cuts and increasingly frustrated taxpayers, administrators are forced to do more with less. This is one reason why it is critical that educational leaders demand more accountability and push to drive results. In some cases, managers may be eager to do their best, but they just don’t know how to accomplish a certain assignment or other key part of their job. That’s where coaching can make a big difference in a person’s ability to meet the unique challenges of their role.

As the insightful author, Blaine Lee said: We are all capable of change and growth; we just need to know where to begin.

A case in point: A superintendent from a rural school district contacted us to conduct a 360° on one of his principals. The person in question was relatively new in his role and was failing. He had no idea how to take command of his school. His staff was not performing and they were not meeting their objectives.

A Leadership 360° pointed to several areas of weakness in the principal’s leadership approach. He was not decisive enough, allowing his staff to control most decisions. He had low structure and poor follow-up, which made it easy for his staff to ignore his directives. Finally, he had a hard time influencing others or persuading them to take action. He had little control of the building.

This information was shared with the principal in a feedback session. What followed was several action planning meetings over a period of several weeks. The goal was to help him better understand his developmental areas and coach him to improve his performance.

We focused our efforts on helping him to make better decisions more quickly, and to work on establishing a structured environment where expectations were clear and the staff knew he would follow up to be sure they were hitting assigned targets and deadlines. He worked hard to have an impact on others and become more influential.

Some of the coaching we provided him included:

Setting specific goals and timelines for his staff
Building a structure for them to work within
Regularly monitoring their progress
Becoming more demanding and refusing to accept excuses for non-performance

By the end of the school year, he was in control of his staff and they were accomplishing their goals. He set the direction for his team, held them accountable and emerged as a leader with a bright future.

A lesson to be learned: Administrators want to do a good job, but many lack leadership skills. PRADCO has developed tools designed to help uncover areas for improvement and PRADCO’s professional coaching staff helps struggling managers change their behaviors and improve their performance.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my blog posts. I am passing the “pen” to one of my colleagues Steve Hrop from our greater New York City office. I’m sure Steve will have many insightful thoughts to share.

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Training for Educational Organizations

Posted in Dorne Chadsey, Education on June 4, 2010 by pradco

Hello again. We all bring our life experiences to our careers. I’m sure you can name some that have shaped who you are today. Let me share one of mine with you. It will not surprise those who know me, but I had a hard time keeping quiet in class as a kid. Consequently, during my early years in school, I spent a lot of time in the hallway causing me to miss many important lessons; thing is……..I was home-schooled!

But, we know that behaviors we developed over time can be changed. This post focuses on the importance of identifying specific training your staff may need to drive better results.

PRADCO takes a unique approach to developing training programs for our clients. In order to understand the client’s needs, we recommend using an assessment and/or a 360° degree feedback instrument to identify common themes that should be addressed. By tailoring a program to meet specific requirements, we allow participants to take the information and implement the learning immediately.

We recently began working with a College. The VP of HR wanted to know how we could assist her to determine what training strategies would help her staff in a cost-effective manner. She found that many service providers suggest broad-based training programs that have little to do with the actual needs of the participants. The folks may leave with a warm feeling and some motivation, but the result is that little changes over time. Many see this approach is a waste of effort and precious resources. At PRADCO, we gather data through an assessment process that pin-points where to focus the training.

In another case, we worked with the Superintendent of a mid-size School District in Ohio. He recognized that his team struggled to work together because they did not communicate with each other effectively and seemed to be engaged in district turf wars. The net effects were hard feelings, duplicative efforts, lower productivity and diminished community support. He had his management team take our 360° assessment. We compiled the data and shared our findings with the Superintendent who asked us to develop training in the areas of communication and team-building.

Bottom line: To prepare your leaders for tomorrow, you must give them the tools, confidence and motivation to prepare for the challenges of the 21^st century.

Keep in mind:

When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.

Ancient Chinese Proverb

My final post will focus on Leadership Development and the importance of coaching tomorrow’s leaders. Stay tuned.

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Selecting the Best Candidates for Your School District

Posted in Dorne Chadsey, Education, PRADCO with tags Dorne Chadsey, education, PRADCO on May 21, 2010 by pradco

Hello again! I mentioned in my introductory Blog that I want to focus on discussing how PRADCO assists the Educational Services sector in three main areas — Selection, Training and Leadership Development.

This week’s blog deals with Selection. We know that a bad hiring decision results in years of underperformance. A Superintendent recently told me, “When I hire a teacher, it is a million dollar decision for the district, so I need to make sure I am making the best choice I can.” He is correct. It is difficult to dismiss a teacher once they have tenure. Poor teachers can hamper children’s progress and, in some cases, turn them off to lifelong learning.

Dr. Ray Fisman, professor at the Columbia University Business School wrote a great article about teacher selection. He said if districts did a better job of hiring great educators to begin with, test scores for kids would improve and allow for increased learning capabilities. He also indicated that in poor families, kids who have excellent teachers tend to stay in school longer. This can help them increase their lifetime earnings, which helps to end the cycle of poverty.

We all remember a great teacher who created a spark within us and helped us excel in some way. Most likely, he or she had a passion for the subject matter, was motivating, acted with integrity, exhibited great communication skills, set challenging goals, and was flexible in adapting to different situations in the classroom.

I had several teachers that inspired me over the years. In fact, this is a great time to give them a “shout-out” and thank them for all of their help.

Mrs. Doe, [3rd grade] thanks for opening my world to reading [in summer school] and showing me that books can unlock a lifetime of learning. She had the amazing ability to make the “Dick and Jane” books sound like they were Pulitzer Prize winning novels.

Mrs. Hoyer, [10^th grade English/Drama club] wrote in my senior yearbook, “a man for all seasons.” She told me I could do anything I put my mind to [that was a year after she screamed at me for not having memorized my lines the night before our Junior Class play opened. I ended up ad-libbing the entire play……and I was one of the leads!]

Mr. Harriman, [12th grade Political Science] taught me to argue with facts, stick to my opinion and have passion for fairness in our world; I still think he was a communist.

Dr. Edmonds, Communications Professor in Graduate School who said…”Hey you’re not as dumb as you look, keep it up, you will do well”!

There are many great teachers like this in our educational system today. How to find the next one is the $$million dollar challenge.

One way to increase your chances of finding great teachers is to use the system that one of our clients use. This Superintendent told me his goal is to become one of the top districts in his state. He has his hiring team use a behavioral based interview process on the front end so he can increase his chances of finding that next great hire. By using behavioral interviewing, he learns how the applicant has handled situations in the past; knowing that past behavior is a good predictor of future performance. Asking questions that deal with hypothetical situations are the poorest way to predict how a candidate will behave in the classroom. Unfortunately, many interviewers ask “what would you do” rather than “what have you done.”

Once he has narrowed the field down to 2 or 3 candidates, he uses an assessment tool that measure behaviors to help him select the best candidate for the job. With the assessment results, he and his committee can make an informed hiring decision. By the way, his District is well on their way of becoming one of the best in the State!

So, what can you do to increase your odds of selecting the best candidates for your open positions? Here are several things you can do to increase your chances of success:

Use behavioral interviewing. Ask open-ended questions and probe for specific examples of what the person did, not what they would do.

Use a behaviorally based assessment tool that measures the things your institution wants and needs for the 21^st century.
Do not be afraid to pass on your candidate pool and re-cast the net. Keep the search open until you find the right person.

PRADCO has developed a series of tools to help educational organizations select the best candidates for their systems. We have tools specifically designed to assess classified, certified and administrative positions. It is rewarding to get a call from a Superintendent a year after they hired someone and hear that our selection tools were accurate and helped them make a great hiring decision.

I’ll end this blog with this fact — there are many bright, eager and well-suited applicants out there. Your challenge is to find them and hire them for your classrooms. Demanding the best for our kids is a civic and ethical obligation. Anything less does kids, their parents and taxpayers a disservice for many years to come. Remember,

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918) American historian, journalist and novelist.

Why are public schools so bad at hiring good instructors?

By: Dr. Raymond Fisman

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Meet Dorne Chadsey

Posted in Dorne Chadsey, PRADCO, Staff with tags Dorne Chadsey, Staff on May 14, 2010 by pradco

Tell us a little about yourself and your role at PRADCO.

Until today, I have never written a blog, and rarely read them. Then, several of my colleagues began to blog about their work. I realize this is a way to share and discuss trends with others who have similar interests. So, over the next month, I will focus on the work I am doing with Educators in the area of Selection, Leadership Development and Training. Without a doubt, education of our youth is a top priority in the 21st century. This month, I will provide some examples of how PRADCO has helped School Districts meet this challenge. I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts over the next month. As a professional in HR (SPHR), and an experienced business leader, I have a unique perspective and understand the many problems our schools face every day. After all, most districts face issues that involve people and they want to be able to get the best out of their staff.

I serve as a Director at PRADCO. My role includes coaching, training, conducting executive assessments and business development in general. In addition, I spend time cultivating current customer relationships to help them get the most out of our partnership.

Prior to joining PRADCO, most of my career has been as a VP of Human Resources at several major corporations. My professional experience includes working in Health Care, Manufacturing, Distribution, Education and Retail industries. Along the way, I had the privilege of serving as VP of Operations on an interim basis. Both of these roles helped me see the importance of selecting the right people as well as helping them reach their fullest potential.

In addition to my professional experiences, I have served as a School Board member, been part of several Community non-profit Boards, and been a member of the Planning Commission for Parks and Recreation Boards for my community.

What do you like best about your job?

One of the things I enjoy the most is using my expertise to help School Districts find solutions to the issues they face. Using PRADCO’S team approach gives me great satisfaction as we help our clients reduce turnover, make better hiring decisions, and develop high-potential employees into great leaders.

Tell us something about yourself that even your co-workers don’t know.

Well, for the most part, I enjoy sharing some of my life stories. But, there are probably two things that I have not yet shared with my colleagues. The first is that I went to college in Nigeria, West Africa at the University of Ile-Ife. At the time, it was the largest University in the world in terms of square miles (almost 46 square miles). Those that know me understand that I am something of a risk taker and score high on versatility and confidence. But, picture this…. a young, naive 19 year old skinny kid who grew up in the farmlands of Western New York who, until that time, had never been outside of New York State, made his way down the West coast of Africa, from Ghana through Togo and Dahomey (now called Benin). Along the way, I was stopped at the border between Dahomey and Nigeria where the Nigerian Army held me for several hours. Somehow, they mistook me for a rebel, and thought I was trying to enter the country to help with the Biafran war. After a few tense hours and lots of questioning, I was released and allowed to continue my journey to the University. I vividly remember two things about that day; the Colonel in charge telling me that “on occasion people just disappear and are never heard from again” and the second was the large weapons that the soldiers were brandishing. Other than the coup d’état that occurred while I was in class one day, University life was great. Overall, it was probably one of the best experiences I ever had. It helped me gain a better perspective of the world on many levels.

The second thing most people do not know about me is that I was in the movie “The Natural,” with Robert Redford and Glen Close. I was lucky enough to get a paying gig and worked for two weeks on the set. It was fun to show up each night (my scenes were filmed from 11pm to 7am) and work with real actors. Sadly, most of my close-ups are on the cutting floor somewhere in Hollywood! Nevertheless, you can see me in one scene sitting one row up from Ms. Close in the stadium. It was a blast, although strangely, Bob and Glen lost touch with me over the years.

What is your favorite travel destination?

I have had the good fortune of traveling to many wonderful places around the world with my family. So, choosing only one is difficult. I am a skier and scuba diver, so any place where there is snow or water works for me. I really enjoyed skiing with my kids in the German Alps, diving in Australia with our two oldest kids, exploring the rain forest in Borneo, looking for Orangutans with my youngest son who was 10 years old at the time. I also really liked Buenos Aires, Paris, London, Singapore, Greece, Egypt and Hong Kong.

What are you currently working on?

Over the past year, the bulk of my time has been spent working with School Districts in the Educational arena. Given my experience and my passion for education, it is a great fit. When I am not working with School Districts and Developmental Disability Boards, I spend time with corporate clients helping them with selection, training and leadership development. One advantage of our jobs at PRADCO is that we get to work with clients from many different sectors depending on our interests.

In 2009, we noticed a big uptick in coaching for high-potential School Administrators. Districts realize that the key to achieving their goals is having thoughtful, goal-driven leaders who understand what motivates their staff. So, over the course of the next month, I will share some of my thoughts on how PRADCO can assist school districts meet their goals through selection, training and development of their leaders…..stay tuned!

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