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Welcome to this issue of Pat's Power Points. In this Issue
In Other News Did you know ...about Kiva? For as little as $25.00, you can make a difference in the life of a person! Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. By choosing a loan on Kiva, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Go to www.kiva.com and help someone today! Pass it on Know anyone who might be interested in our newsletter? Click here to forward this email to up to 5 friends at once. |
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The Most Important Decision Made in Every Business...... 
One of the most important decisions that is made in business every day is the choice of who to hire? Perhaps no other single decision has a bigger impact on the success or failure of an enterprise than who we choose to work for us. Arguably, this is true from the most front line person to the most senior people. Having spent a lifetime helping companies create great corporate cultures that can remain successful over many years, I know the decision of who leads an organization is particularly critical. Take, for example, Synovus Bank, which is one of the most profitable financial institutions in the United States. Their CEO for almost forty years was Jimmy Blanchard and under his leadership they were in the top 1% of return on investment to shareholders of all U.S. corporations and were named by Fortune magazine as the best company to work for in America. The story of how Jimmy was named CEO is instructive. Almost forty years ago Jimmy was a lawyer in the legal department at the bank. The chairman of the Board was William Turner. Turner now in his eighties told me about how the decision was made to hire Blanchard as CEO. “There were quite a few applicants for the position who were more qualified than Jimmy to run the bank. They had more experience, more operational expertise, and on paper would have been better candidates. But when Jimmy Blanchard walked into a room, people felt cared-about and loved. I remember thinking to myself-you can teach a smart lawyer to run a bank but I don’t know how you teach someone to make people feel cared about. So we hired Jimmy and never regretted a day since. He learned how to run the bank but he made it successful through relationships. It was his ability to win people's hearts that mattered most.” One of the intangible things we need to look for when we hire people is their values. Knowledge can be learned but values rarely change. This is as true at the front-line as it is for CEO’s. For many years Southwest Airlines has made values the cornerstone of their hiring process. They hire for values first. Herb Keller the former CEO once was quoted as saying: “A lot of people can fly an airplane but only some of them have a sense of humor.” In other words, technical competence matters but if you want to be a great service business you have to hire people who care about making other people feel good. In my own business we have always hired first for attitude. As an author who speaks at about eighty corporate events each year, I have often heard clients say things like “that speaker was great but we hated dealing with his or her office.” We knew that the people who represent us to clients make the difference between someone hiring us once or for a lifetime. One of the best compliments I receive on a regular basis is when clients tell me: “Your people are just so easy to deal with.” I always smile because I learned a long time ago that you can teach someone to do the job, but you have to hire for attitude and values. Excerpt from an e-zine by Dr. John Izzo (www.theizzogroup.com)
Pat has been busy, over the last year, writing 2 new books. Both are available through her website: www.patmussieux.com "Who Am I Now? Simple Steps to Inventing your Future After Divorce, Retirement, Death of a Spouse, Empty Nest, etc." This book is Pat's story about transition and life changes. Included are some powerful tips and techniques for managing some major life 'hits' and moving on to a new life. Pat offers coaching sessions based on the content of this book; as well, customized workshops can be delivered 'in house' for any company wanting to position their employees to embrace change! It's a 'must read'! Order your copy now by going to www.patmussieux.com "Leadership Gurus Speak Out!" - 'Charting your Course!" This book is a collaborative effort with 12 other authors. Each chapter offers wisdom, insight and concrete information on how to become a better leader. Pat's chapter focuses on mentoring and inspiring young leaders to new heights. Order your copy now by going to www.patmussieux.com Pat is a motivational speaker, HR consultant, coach and author. If you are planning a conference, staff in-service or require HR services, Pat is the person to call! E-mail her at pat@patmussieux.com today! "How many times have you blamed others for things that are happening in your world? Or maybe thought about blaming others? Even if you can say yes to this a very little bit, you will love Pat Mussieux’s light-hearted kick-start presentation called, “If its to be, its up to me!” Pat had our room sharing their feelings and setting goals for themselves, moving beyond their fears to identify barriers that are holding them back from personal and business success. “If its to be, its up to me” set the perfect stage to begin discussing her workshop content: Networking and the Power of Personal Connections. Garry McDonald A client's comments re Pat's Recruiting Services: "Pat provided recruitment services to my department for three weeks. Some of the key activities that Pat was responsible for included: Pat delivered all of these services in a very professional, efficient and effective manner. What added even more value was how she delivered these services. Pat became a member of the department for her three weeks with us. She interacted in a positive and professional manner that exuded team work, competence and commitment. In addition to my own personal experiences of working with Pat, I also received positive feedback from several hiring managers. I would not hesitate to recommend or work with Pat again if the opportunity arose."
Check it out! www.patmussieux.com A new look. Some new content. Something for everyone....... Please pass it on! Sincere thanks to India Hathaway - www.indyzign.com |
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