When managers give performance reviews, they sometimes praise, but they usually offer criticism, looking more often at the things that employees did wrong, or where they fell short.

That is only natural – it’s something we all do.  And many believe that criticism leads to better performance than praise.  After a critical review, an employee’s work seems to improve; while after getting praise, his or her work appears to be as good.  So, that would naturally lead a manager to conclude that criticism works better than praise.

But research has shown that what is going on here isn’t what we might think.  The causes and effects aren’t what we often think they are.  It’s true that performance improves after criticism, but it probably wasn’t the criticism that made the difference.

What is going on here is what statisticians call regression to the mean.  The work people do isn’t uniform.  It varies each day.  This is certainly not a profound observation; people aren’t at their best or their worst every day.  That’s why, for example, when we judge the quality of an athlete, we don’t look at just one or two games.  We look at a whole season, and even a whole career.  We look at his or her average play over a certain time, which statisticians call the mean performance.

Those who have studied this issue of mean performance have found that a superior performance usually is followed by one that is sub-par.  And it goes the other way too.  If someone turns in a less-than-stellar performance, it is usually followed by one that is better than average.  This is not intentional.  It’s just part of the range of performance of which we are all capable.  Our performance tends to cluster around a mean, or average.

So, knowing this, it becomes easier to see why criticism appears to work better than praise.  When we evaluate someone, we tend to look at his or her most recent work, as opposed to the employee’s performance over a long period of time.  So, if someone has just turned in a poor performance, we offer criticism, and his or her performance usually improves.  But this improvement is the result of the regression to the mean – a  poor performance is more likely to be followed by a good one, and vice versa.  And so this leads to more criticism than praise.

But more research is showing that positive reinforcement – developing a person’s strengths — has more of an effect on a person’s work than criticism.

When you need skilled professionals for your Manhattan-area company quickly, contact Winston Resources. We’ll help source, conduct background checks and place reliable workers in temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire assignments. We look forward to hearing from you!

How can you as a leader help your employees realize their capabilities?

Here are a few ideas from one business analyst.

1) Perhaps one of the most important things to do is listen.  Listen to your employees’ ideas, and to their career goals and aspirations.  You may not have the same opinion that they do about the possibility of achieving their goals, but they deserve to be heard.  By listening, asking questions, and showing your interest, you encourage their desire to do things, to achieve things, which ultimately will keep your workers more engaged with their jobs, happier and more productive.

For example, even if you don’t think the innovative idea mentioned by an employee will really work, or you don’t think  that the employee really has the ability to take on the job he or she aspires to, you owe it to the worker to honor his or her ambition.

2) Take the time to look for what is positive about an employee’s performance or ideas.  For many managers, the first instinct is to be negative, under the mistaken assumption that if you encourage an employee with something you will be taking away resources from the company.  It’s a kind of view that looks at the world as a zero sum game.  If the employee’s pie gets bigger, the company’s pie has to get smaller.

But when you take the time to look for the positive aspects of an employee’s idea or ambition, it becomes a way of growing the pie.  And it doesn’t necessarily take a lot of work on your part.  For example, you could ask an employee who is looking to move up the ladder to come up with a plan as to how he would do the job he or she is seeking, with an eye toward how the move will benefit employees, managers,  the entire company.  This allows you to show your interest and allows the employee to think strategically.

3) Even when you are looking for the positive aspects of an employee’s abilities and performance, you still may not be convinced the worker can handle the job he or she is seeking.  If that is the case, it may be more helpful to step back and analyze a little all of the various skills the employee has developed.  By doing this, you may be able to find a particular skill in which the employee excels, one that can really help the company and the employee’s performance. You then can adjust the worker’s duties accordingly.

As one business analyst has said, great leaders find out what is unique about each worker and focus on it and use it.

Let Winston Resources help your New York City-area company achieve its goal of finding the best temporary and direct-hire workers available. We look forward to hearing from you!

Enron. Worldcom. The Wall Street meltdown. These are all some of the more noteworthy examples of corporate skullduggery, a lack of regard of and concern for ethical behavior.

But some business experts see these examples as the exception more than the rule.  There are thousands of companies with millions of employees who do the right thing, according to the experts.

Many people work their entire careers without ever encountering anything like the problems that led to the downfall of companies such as Enron.  If you play by the rules, you develop a reputation as someone who is ethical, and you generally don’t have problems.  But if you are willing to do things that are not exactly above board, other people can see what you are doing, and you may attract people of the same temperament.

It’s important, these experts say, that those at the top of an organization clearly spell out the culture and values of the company and make clear that unethical behavior won’t be tolerated.

Others say that the unethical behavior of businesses often reflects the larger attitudes of society in general.  It’s the idea of, “Well, everybody is doing it, so why should we be any different?”  These experts say that behaviors that are tacitly condoned by society won’t be rooted out by government regulation alone.  There already is a large number of government regulations covering many different areas.  But even all of these rules will miss some of the behaviors that are less than ethical.

To solve the problem, it will take the efforts of each individual to stand up and call out anyone involved in unethical behavior and to make clear that such behavior won’t be tolerated.

But if people leave such behavior to the government to find, it often becomes a cat and mouse game as people see what they can get away with.  Here, as in most instances, silence implies consent, and so those who see such unethical behavior cannot remain silent if such behavior is to be stopped.

Government has its role, but in the end, it is society itself that needs to send the signal that unethical behavior is wrong and to express its disapproval.

When we hear about unethical behavior by a business, it’s easy to assume the worst about the people who work in the corporate world.  But the people who work in business are just like ourselves, these experts say, people who are our neighbors and friends.  And what happens in business is the result of the actions of these people.

Whether you’re looking for a new position or a new employee, Winston Resources is the recruiting resource for individuals and companies in the NYC area. Contact us today!

“Hit the ground running” often sums up a typical day on the job in which we are seemingly tugged and pulled throughout the day, handling the many tasks that come our way.  You know the routine. As soon as you cross one job off the list, another two pop up in its place.
So how does one get off or — or at least slow down — this merry-go-round of activities and evaluate the day’s events?

For starters, sit down in a quiet place and calmly scan the day’s events in your mind. Take five or 10 minutes at the end of the work day to review how well things turned out. Are you satisfied? Is there room for improvement? Now is the time to make those determinations.

Business experts say this is an effective tool available to everyone, and one that should be used on a regular basis. The idea is to routinely evaluate your activities. Remembering how well you handled a particular project can help out the next time a similar project comes your way. If you can improve it a bit, tweak it until it’s just right.

And if something flopped, then remember not to repeat it ever again.

It can be as simple as taking a quick review of your planning calendar. Compare what you penciled in on a particular date to what actually took place. Were you able to go to every meeting you planned to attend? Did you get to meet with the people you needed to see that day? If the answer is no, ask yourself why, and if there is anything that can be done to make it happen in the future.

Take care of the things you are able to handle. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to seek out someone who can help you.

Also remember to evaluate the individuals you dealt with throughout the day. Did you provide them with everything they needed, or did you need to bring them up to date on something that may have been overlooked?  Now is the time to make a mental note to address that particular issue. In the workplace it is essential to retain the professional relationships you’ve worked hard to develop, as well as nurture new ones.
Reaping the benefits of such a routine means you’ll likely meet your daily goals on a more consistent basis. It also has an underlying benefit of making the company look better because of your improved performance.

If part of your duties includes ensuring your company’s or department’s staff levels are optimum, let Winston Resources help you find top professionals to fill your Manhattan company’s temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire assignments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Some recent university research has shown that people who have more of what is called emotional intelligence tend to be better workers, more loyal to their jobs and also to be more fulfilled with the work they do.

The research, where almost 1,000 employees in both public and private sectors were surveyed, examined the affects of emotional intelligence on such things as organization, attitude, behavior, burnout, and even morality.  The survey showed that people who have more emotional intelligence were happier in their jobs and more loyal to their organizations.  They had lower rates of burnout, careless work or dissatisfaction with work.  Those who had greater emotional intelligence were also better able to cope with adversity at work, and were more cooperative and collegial.

One of the authors of the study concluded that people with higher emotional intelligence were assets to their organizations, and that in the future companies will be screening employees for emotional intelligence in hiring, evaluation and promotion.

Emotional intelligence has been defined as the ability to recognize emotions, to use emotions as part of the thought process, to understand and make sense of emotions and to control emotions so that they can be used to foster personal growth.  Emotions in this model are another source of information that help us make sense of the world.  People have differing abilities to process emotional information and use that information in their thinking.

Some individuals, for example, are more adept at seeing and making sense of emotions on peoples’ faces, in pictures, or in voices, and in monitoring their own emotional reactions to what is perceived.  Even more, a person with emotional intelligence uses emotions to his or her benefit, by changing mood, for example, to fit what work he or she is doing.  A person with emotional intelligence can better apprehend how emotions relate to each other, and how they can change and evolve.  An emotionally intelligent person also is better at controlling emotions, and even using negative emotions to his or her advantage to reach goals.

Some believe that emotional intelligence can be learned.  Others also link emotional intelligence with cognitive intelligence, and posit that it is the combination of the two that makes up a person’s general intelligence level.  Some researchers have argued that emotional intelligence – self-awareness, altruism, empathy, motivation – might even be the most important personality attribute we possess. It is the people who possess great emotional intelligence, these researchers say, who really are able to succeed in their careers as well as their personal lives.

Succeed with Winston Resources. Whether you’re looking for a new position in the area in and around Manhattan, or you’re a company needing new workers for temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire assignments, we look forward to helping you achieve your goals. Contact us today!

Ah, the Drama Queen. The Backstabber. The Suck Up. The Prima Donna: All well-known “difficult” co-workers.

Every company has them. No matter how big or how small is the firm at which you work, you’re going to have to deal with these folks at some point in your career, either as colleagues, subordinates  — or even your supervisors

Here are some tips to help you deal with difficult co-workers.

If the person’s behavior is starting to affect either your enjoyment of your work or your ability to do a good job, it’s time to speak with the person. You should do so in private. When you’re meeting with the person, be sure you speak in a calm, objective and collaborative manner. Start slowly and gently — you just might find that your difficult co-worker has noticed how bad your relationship has become and he or she may want to improve it just as much as you do.

You should start the conversation by saying something like “It looks as if we have our differences and I’d like to work with you on improving our working relationship. Can we work together on this? Is there anything I can do that will help us get along?”

Then listen — really listen — to what the person has to say. Repeat back what you’ve just heard (in your own words) to double check with your colleague that that truly is what he or she meant to say.

If it appears your co-worker has nothing to contribute, you can offer a suggestion, but remember to do so in a collaborative way. Stay objective.

Here’s a way you might start:

“When we’re in a meeting and I’m talking and then you interrupt to make comments before I’m finished, it’s very distracting to me. I find it hard to concentrate on what you’re saying when I’m distracted.”
Even if you can’t settle on a solution to your problem together right away, that’s OK because the two of you are headed in the right direction. It sometimes can take considerable time until a relationship is completely even-keeled, but even a slight improvement is a positive step.

If you feel your co-worker is refusing to cooperate with you, aim to cooperate yourself. That is, try to find something you can like about the person, and comment on it in a positive way. People naturally like it when others like them, and finding something to like/comment positively upon — no matter how small — can start the person walking along the path of cooperation with you.

If you’re in the market for a great new job — and new coworkers! — bring your resume to Winston Resources. We can help you move your career in a new direction with some of New York City’s best employers. Contact us today!

Today, hiring and keeping talented and high performing people in your company is an economic imperative.

It starts at the top with the company leadership.  Your rising stars want to know that the leadership has a direction they want to take the organization, and clear cut goals they want to reach.  The plan does not have to be a complicated one, but it should lay out where you are gong.

To spot rising stars, you have to know your employees.  You have to know if you’ve got the right people in the right place.  They really cannot reach their full potential if they are in a job they’re not suited for.

Spotting high performance people begins with the interviewing process,  When you look to hire employees, take a hard look at what you really need for the job.  Do you have a good insight into the skills, knowledge and abilities that are needed for the position?.  If you’re just going on instinct, it’s time to do a job analysis to determine exactly what is needed to do the job before you start interviewing candidates.

Also, many employers are in too much of a hurry when hiring.  You need to take the time to use an in-depth process for new hires.  There is, of course, the interview process, but also the process should include an assessment of capabilities and a job fit analysis.

To evaluate employees well and so enable managers to spot their rising stars, both managers and employees need to know going into the process what the expected outcomes are.

There are a number of ways to evaluate your employees performance.

One method is called the critical incident technique, where managers use a daily log to keep track of employee performance.  It enables the manager to record specific events and helps them to keep a record that extends back for a considerable length of time.

The checklist method uses specific standards for performance.  It usually includes about 10 to 20 different items that are evaluated.  These items are designed for the specific work situation being evaluated.  This type of assessment can be used to give a more quantifiable evaluation, where the manager assigns a numerical value to each performance standard.

Finally, another evaluation method is the  management by objective.  In this system, employees meet with their supervisors to set up specific objectives that they intend to achieve in a certain amount of time.  These objectives coincide with the organizational goals of the company.

Are you a New York City area employer looking to bring in some high-level talent into your organization? Winston Resources can help. We provide top-notch workers for you within temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire assignments. Contact us today!

If your top young talent doesn’t stay with  your company for more than a few years and you’d like to keep the brains, creativity, work ethic and chutzpah these young top guns have brought to your business, here are some tips to help you do so.

Watch your rules. Too many corporations have too many rules that, to young people, are arbitrary and fulfill no use. For example, is your Internet policy too restrictive? Many young workers use the Web to socialize, but they also look to it for research, news and networking. You may wish to rethink your Web policy and loosen the reigns a bit to allow business-related surfing, forum posting, etc. Let all employees know that use will be monitored, however.

Speaking of rules, how flexible are you regarding when work is done and how it’s done? Many top young talent work in a non-9 to 5 way. Allow your employees the option of coming in early and leaving early. Or coming in later and leaving in the evening. What is your telecommuting policy? Do you allow people the option of working from home? Try to focus more on results — so long as the work is done satisfactorily, does it really matter when it’s done or from where?

Take a look at your promotion policy. Even if you don’t feel comfortable promoting someone three years out of college to a management position, what’s wrong with giving a young top performer the opportunity to prove herself to you by allowing her to take on new responsibilities and challenges within her current role?

In fact, speaking of challenges, let your top young people take on as many as they can handle. Today’s young workers thrive in environments that offer them continuous opportunities to learn and grow through changes in projects, their role in your company, and their responsibilities.

Do you have mentors in your organization who will take the young hot shots under their wings to give advice and suggestions? If not, consider implementing such a policy. Young workers today are eager to learn and try new things. Mentors can help them focus their energies and learn from their years of experience.

Whether you’re looking for seasoned pros or recent college graduates, Winston Resources can help Manhattan’s business find the top talent necessary to succeed and thrive in today’s business world. We provide top-notch workers for you within temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire assignments. Contact us today!

The recession is showing definite signs of abating. Companies will be hiring new employees (although probably slowly in the beginning) and will be looking for current employees to step up and help the business grow and thrive.

Do you have what it takes to become a leader in your organization? Here are some ideas to help you position yourself to do just that:

Leaders know how to make good decisions. They make them when things are going well and they make them under considerable pressure, especially when all the facts about a situation aren’t available (a calculated guess). They sometimes need to make unpopular decisions and they need to own up to the consequences of a decision that turns out poorly. Still, leaders don’t dwell on the bad mistakes; they learn from them and move on. If you believe you lack good decision making skills, learn them.

Leaders motivate others, and they usually do so by example rather than by “force.” Leaders have a vision about what a company can do and they have a plan and goals to reach that will get them there.

Leaders speak clearly. That is, they communicate their vision and their goals in a way that easy for others to understand. You should take public speaking courses or participate in Toastmaster groups to build your speaking skills.

Leaders take risks. If you always avoid taking a risk, or steer clear of rocking the boat, you  may not have what it takes to lead others.

Leaders are trustworthy. People will follow those whom they believe to be honorable and dependable. Take a close look at your motives and actions. Do you do as you say you will do, or are you all talk and no action?

Be the leader of your career and contact Winston Resources. We are one of New York City’s premier staffing services and we can help you land great temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire assignments with some of the best companies in the NYC area. We look forward to hearing from you!