Category Archives: My Thoughts

General category for my thoughts on life, work and how the world is turning

The Importance of Training

March 12, 2014Inspiration, My ThoughtsBen Horowitz, employee training, employee training programs, Facebook, management training, TwitterLarisa Thomas

Training Used with permission by Microsoft — Used with permission by Microsoft

I was reading an article today entitled “How Facebook and Twitter built the best employee training programs in Silicon Valley” by Max Nisen, and one sentence from Ben Horowitz really stuck out at me:

you’ve got to tell managers what you want. Then, you’ve got to enforce it. Performance management without training isn’t worth anything. If you’re not training people, what benchmark are they performing against?

It is such a fundamental concept, and one so completely lacking in modern American business that when simply put, it’s absence is mind-boggling. How can most people perform not just adequately, but superbly, if expectations are not properly set, and they haven’t been provided with the resources and tools (such as training) to do their jobs?

When employees (managers, front-liners, executives all alike) do not have a clear understanding of their company’s mission, the purpose of their department, and how they are specifically supposed to function within that purpose, they are lacking the fundamentals needed to not only do their jobs, but to do their jobs well. Some of the key behaviors that lead to success are proactiveness, problem-solving, out-of-the-box thinking, initiative and enthusiasm. All of those behaviors fly out the window when companies fail to set their employees up for success.

Job Search and the SATs

February 27, 2014My Thoughtsaccomplishments, assessment, hiring, SATs, standardized test, Wall Street JournalLarisa Thomas

The Washington Post just published this article about companies using SAT scores in the hiring process, not just for recent college grads, but also for established members of the workforce. The article explains how one employer uses the information:

Ms. Comparoni said the company uses the test as a standard measure of “the basic building blocks of success,” such as critical thinking, problem-solving skills and quantitative abilities.

As a current job seeker, in my mid-30s, my work experience and accomplishments should be able to stand on their own without the need for a standardized test that I took almost 20 years ago. I have grown, learned and accomplished so much more than my SAT score since I took it when I was 17. I have been able to demonstrate measurable accomplishments in the workplace that no standardized test would be able to tell you about.

Additionally, some people are better test takers than others, but that is not going to necessarily translate to being a better employee. I’ve never encountered anything remotely like a test situation in the workplace, even when working under time constraints. And that’s not even to the point yet about whether standardized testing of any kind has a place in the hiring process.

I’m all for skills based assessments that will tell you if an applicant has certain skills required for the job, such as Excel for administrative positions or a coding test for developers. However, I question the efficacy of personality-type standardized tests for hiring. In the last 8 years, I have hire more than 150 employees, and nothing can replace taking the time to really talk to a candidate about their experience and gauge their personality based on how they interact with you.

The SATs fall into the latter category for me, because they do not effectively provide you with enough information about their skills as they are applicable to the job. The SATs tested my understanding of math and vocabulary when I was 17. All of that has changed since then. My vocabulary has continued to grow and improve, while certain math skills have fallen to the wayside. I don’t use algebra and very little geometry in my job. I do, however, use statistics and data analysis regularly. If an employer is going to rely on my math score to tell then my aptitude for math that I would be using in that job, they are going to get a skewed picture of my abilities. They would be much better off presenting me with data to analyze and asking what conclusion I could draw from it.

What Inspires You Today?

January 10, 2014Inspiration, My Thoughtsenthusiasm, great leaders, inspiration, Ralph Waldo EmersonLarisa Thomas

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Nothing great was ever achieved workout enthusiasm.

When I set out on a new project, new job or new adventure in life, I try to take this quote to heart. Being enthusiastic generates an energy that is addictive – it’s a feeling I get, a literal buzz, and it can be very addictive. And it’s a necessary addiction because great things usually don’t come easy. Great things are complicated, difficult and time consuming. They require hardwork and perseverance, and it is enthusiasm that will sustain you.

Enthusiasm is also infectious. If you are working with a team, being enthusiastic can be inspiring to those around you. If you are the team lead, it will encourage others to follow you. Great leaders are always enthusiastic about the work they do. It signals that they care about the effort and that others should care too.

Think about the people who are considered great leaders, who have achieved great things, and you start to get the picture of what Emerson really meant with this quote.

The full quote reads:

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.