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8 Leadership And Management Lessons Onboard The Starship Enterprise

Posted: 30 May 2012 08:52 AM PDT

If you are a Star Trek fan, you will know that it's a franchise borne from Gene Roddenberry's 1960s vision of an utopian society. It was based on a coherent set of idealistic principles the background to which; were the emerging political tensions within American Society during a phase of economic expansion, the Cold war and the Civil Rights movement. It encapsulates a progressive and optimistic take on the future that had great faith in technology.

If you are no fan at all, this article will partly explain why it has such a large fan base and captured the imagination of many. Either way, read on to discover how the principles and tenets behind this episodic scifi franchise present some useful lessons in both leadership and management.

# 1. "To Boldly Go where No One has Gone Before"

This historic motto best identifies the Star Trek franchise. It encapsulates in one phrase the essence of visionary leadership. It's no coincidence that the Flagship vessel is named 'Enterprise" after all, implying an element of entrepreneurial risk-taking in the drive to expand our knowledge.

In business terms, true leaders develop and expand their businesses by boldly taking educated risks and charting unmarked waters.
On a marketing level, its the need to seek out gaps and leave no stone unturned in the search for new opportunities.

# 2. "To Seek New Life and New Civilizations"

This iconic sentence is uttered during the introductory segment of all Start Trek episodes as its guiding mission. The theme of constant exploration and learning reminds us it's a worthy exercise to build in continuous learning and exploration into your business practice or corporate culture .

A state of open-mindedness and curiosity at all times can form the basis of an adaptable organization primed for constant improvement and innovation.
If your organization relies on strong R&D and sensitivity to the changing economic landscape, this should be your mission speak.

# 3. Be Part of the Away Team Sometimes

As the captain of your ship, it's necessary to be part of your "Away Team" sometimes. In business terms I am talking about your front desk , your shop/factory Floor and also the interface with your customer on the odd sales call.

Getting out from behind the desk is an exercise all leaders and managers need to build into their calenders.
What better way to both observe the operational challenges first hand and the real time performance of their teams?
It is about knowing your business inside out, not losing touch with your core customer, your competencies and of course motivating your staff.

# 4. The Enterprise has a Self Destruct Button

All Trekkie Fans know the Enterprise is more than just a ship , its an idea. The captain is never afraid of pressing a self destruct button because:

it will be for the greater cause and
a new Enterprise will soon take its place.

As a leader, know this:

The core of your organization is the greater than the sum of its balance sheet, the building it inhabits or the number of people it is composed of .
It is an idea , a concept and an ideal that should be easily reinvented and strong enough to undergo a process of creative destruction if necessary, as you chart your way through a changing economic landscape.

# 5. "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations"

This tenet of Vulcan philosophy supports the rationale for cross-functional teams apart from its focus on embracing diversity, a central idea in Star Trek ideology. Key lesson: Have advisers with different worldviews.

The diversity of the Enterprise's crew contributed both varied experiences and versatility to their shared purpose. It demonstrated the usefulness of assembling a team of people with unique skill sets.
This focus on job-integrity also allowed for more informed decision-making. Every time there was a crisis the Captain would assemble his team in the war room and called for everyone's views before deciding on the course of action.

This form of leadership values a 360 degree approach in decision-making and the innovative results that can emerge from such a varied crew.

# 6. The Prime Directive

In Star Trek the Prime Directive was a guiding principle that valued non- interference in another society's development. Here I see a valuable lesson in Personnel Management, whereby HR personnel development models should leave some space for self discovery and an individual pace of learning. Sometimes Leaders should also take heed and remember to leave teams to do their jobs without too much uneccessary interference.

# 7. Red Alert and Battle Stations

Every time there was a crisis, the crew on board the Enterprise knew exactly where their battle stations were on 'Red Alert' status.

Does your organization have the same sense of preparedness and well defined job roles found on most military vessels? Have you a plan for worst case scenarios and a clear modus operandi or drill for your team to follow and snap into when you have to move up a gear operationally?

# 8. The "Kobayashi Maru Test"

There was a special test in the Starfleet Academy that simulated a no-win situation for aspiring commanders. The key lesson here was to teach future Leaders how to cope and develop the necessary strength of character and discipline required in a losing battle. It forced future leaders to take full responsibility for their predicament against the odds. Have you had a Kobayashi Maru Test in your own career and what would you do in a no win-situation?

In Short, it never hurts to aspire to such an utopian set of ideals even if you know it's going top be a long time before we get there. I think the key lesson is to keep trying and the life lessons during our journeys into leadership are the most enjoyable part of anyone's enterprise big or small.

I hope you had as much fun reading these Trekkie Lessons as I have had writing about them. Any Star Trek fans out there with more ideas to add? And for those of you who are not fans, did you find anything of value? Live Long and Prosper!

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Image: trainerscity.com

5 Tips On How To Give A Great Job Interview

Posted: 30 May 2012 04:22 AM PDT

In our job placement company we interview job applicants every day. Some of the applicants are applying for specific employment while others are being interviewed so that we can place them into our talent inventory for future employment.

We consider ourselves job placement coaches for two reasons – first our employer client often needs assistance defining the type of person they require; and second because our applicants have a difficult time determining what the best employment options are for them.

In order to get the right person for the right job with a person-future fit focus we have developed the following 5 points for giving a great interview. For each of the first three tips the following questions apply:

What the job requires, what the job provides, what the person requires, and what the person provides helps you make more informed decisions about who would be the best fit in which role.

# 1. Identify job functions

This one seems obvious, however, let's dig a little deeper. What talents do the job functions require – critical thinking, empathy, initiative, or self-starting ability – to name a few? It's important to understand how those talents determine successful job fulfillment. Once you can understand how the talents relate to the functions you are able to develop interview questions that elicit a candidate's talents in the required talent areas. Understanding a person's talents – and non-talents is the first component in conducting a great interview.

# 2. Identify Company Values

Every company has a set of values that it promotes and embraces – either explicitly or implicitly. We ask our clients a series of questions to help us to understand what their values are, and by extension, what values will be important for potential employees. We have seen quite a few situations where clients have told us that the person they let go "was just not a good fit for the company – their interests were not ours." Understanding a person's motivations and drivers is the second component in conducting a great interview.

# 3. Identify Behaviors Required for the Job

Someone asked me recently why this was important. Well, I need to know if there will be a chemistry mix at the company. Usually there is a skills match in most people we interview for the job for which we are recruiting. Understanding a person's behavioral style is the third component in conducting a great interview.

# 4. Ask Relevant Questions

Yes, you certainly should ask questions that verify credentials and experience, and with recent publicity about the validity of these – hire a qualified firm to conduct an educational and credit check. Listen to the words they use, how they look you in the eye (or not), and their body language (smile, slumping shoulders, too rigid, relaxed).

There are three types of questions we use to help identify talents, values and behaviors:

Opinion – these types of questions help give you an opportunity to understand what aspects of a situation or environment your applicant appreciates and how these relate to the company's values. For instance if the job requires the applicant to be a mentor ask her to respond to this question: "How do you prefer to use your knowledge to help others?"
Behavioral – we are looking for an applicant's possible future behaviors based on past responses. For instance - "Can you give me a specific example of how you did that?" Look for a reply that demonstrates how they used a particular behavior to accomplish the task. Listen to the words that they use – these help you understand behavioral preferences.
Competency –these questions look at their use of talents that are central to the job's success, so use certain talents within the context of the question: (critical thinking, empathy, initiative, or self-starting ability, etc.). For instance – "Explain a way in which you showed empathy in a particular work problem." "How did you take initiative with the most important function in your last job?" Look for a reply that identifies HOW their talents are used to answer the question.

# 5. Identify the Applicant's Future Vision

Take some time during the interview to ask the applicant what type of work, what type of company, what type of roles she wants to have. Ask her how she wants to be valued within a company. Try to get a sense that she is going to stay – or not with the company and position you are interviewing for. The answers to these questions will help to also tell you how self-aware the applicant is – and whether you want to hire her for this very important position.

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Image: "Employment application/Shutterstock"

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joi, 31 mai 2012