On a recent conference call with executives, I once again heard a complaint that’s become far too common: “The candidate had a great resume and passed all the interviews and tests, but then HR found a picture on Facebook of him at a beer festival…so we couldn’t hire him.” As a Business Psychologist specializing in …
Have you ever heard someone say, “My best ideas come to me in the shower”, or experienced something similar yourself? In my work as an Executive Coach, managers and business leaders often ask me how they can become more innovative, as their success depends on thinking creatively and generating “out-of-the-box” ideas. So, I usually begin by …
If you had a serious medical or legal problem, you’d seek the best physician or lawyer you could find. Notice you’d be focused on finding the right person; ideally an expert with the right credentials and experience to resolve your problem. Especially when matters are complex and there’s a lot at stake, consulting with experts …
Has so-called “constructive feedback” ever been used to undermine you or someone you know? If so, you’ve probably experienced what I refer to as “weaponized feedback”. And from what I’ve observed during my work with companies as a business psychologist, the use of weaponized feedback is unfortunately on the rise. The most important element (and …
Remember your first day on that job you worked so hard to get? Maybe you felt lucky to have the opportunity, or that all your hard work was finally paying off. Either way, you probably aimed to shine by doing your best and going the extra mile to impress your boss and internal customers (i.e., …
This article is most helpful to anyone seeking to hire a consultant or consulting firm to provide psychological assessments for employee selection, promotion, and development. Like the children’s story, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, psychological assessment providers can be grouped into three main categories to choose from. The following information can help you decide which …
What is a “candidate selection assessment”? When I moved to Philadelphia about ten years ago, I was surprised to find that many companies had never heard of a “selection assessment”. Instead, they were using only traditional candidate screening methods such as interviews and reference checks. I found this to be especially interesting given that surrounding …
What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when giving negative feedback? Well, to fully experience and understand the tip I’m about to share with you, I invite you to think about a time when somebody really helped you out. Maybe recall an instance when your car broke down and a friend picked …
Surprisingly, the most important part of communication is NOT what you say or write. For example, imagine you’re walking down a busy city street and see a disheveled man holding a sign saying, “The World Ends Today”. Most likely, you wouldn’t be too concerned about the world ending. In contrast, imagine you turned on your …
What’s the best way to convince others and gain their buy-in? Like many, you might believe that providing facts and rationale are the best way to win people over to your point of view. But even a quick look at recent politics shows that facts and reason do not necessarily sway people. I’m sure …