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When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!

It is no secret that we are living in tough times right now. In this volatile economy, individuals and companies are being forced to make difficult decisions. In tough times, making the “right” business decisions becomes essential since there is literally no room for making wrong decisions.

 

CBIL’s Research business unit can help you make these and other key decisions. We will collect, analyze and report on meaningful data needed to make critical business decisions. In other words, we will help you get going!

 

By examining your company’s external and internal business environments we can provide productive insights about the operation of your organization. Research can be thought of as a mirror of your business environment that can provide your business with the needed perspectives to make the very best decisions.
Why should you invest in research in these tough times?

  • To provide critical insights on identifying, developing and maximizing an organization’s biggest performance asset — its people
  • To define and utilize objective criterion to successfully match candidates to key positions-from entry level to executive leadership
  • To provide an understanding of customer needs that will lead to productive action
  • To identify and target training and development needs that maximize impact of limited resources through professional needs analysis
  • To deliver the right training to the right people at the right time
  • To provide the needed insights to minimize “guess work” in major business decisions.Using standardized processes, the professionals in CBIL’s Research business unit can help you get going.

Using standardized processes, the professionals in CBIL’s Research business unit can help you get going. If you have a tough business decision to make or a research question, contact Lou Gerst.

Leadership Shortage: Are You Prepared?

The aging “baby boomer” generation is about to have its second great impact on the way business is done in this country, as they become positioned to create the greatest leadership shortage in the history of our economy. At least 50% of executives in the United States will be eligible for retirement in the next 5 years (Harvard Management Update, April 2007). Businesses have become aware of this impending crisis and are scrambling to respond to the anticipated need by creating accelerated leadership development programs.

 

“One of the most effective ways to prepare for this leadership shortage is to implement a Leadership Assessment Center,” states Lou Gerst, Business Practice Leader for Research; “I’ve been involved in the development of four leadership assessment programs in the last two months and, even in these difficult economic times, it seems that the most forward-looking organizations continue to invest in leadership.”

 

Leadership Assessment Centers first analyze an organization’s current and future leadership needs. Next, individuals complete a series of exercises designed to measure the skills that will most accurately predict success in the organization’s leadership positions. Role plays, leaderless group discussions, in-baskets and presentations are among the more commonly used exercises in an assessment center. Professional observers carefully watch participants work through the exercises and evaluate their performances against the predetermined criterion. The process results in a list of developmental strengths and opportunities which the participant can build and improve upon.

 

Filling the leadership void by selecting and placing the right person in the position isn’t enough. It takes time to build leadership skills and many of the lessons cannot be taught in the classroom. The systematic approach facilitated by an assessment center, allows you to take advantage of the leadership experiences the organization has to offer and match those experiences with the developmental needs of your top candidates.

 

Take a few moments to look at the demographic makeup of leadership in your organization and consider the impact the retiring “baby boomers” are likely to have on your executive bench strength. Think about the time and energy necessary to adequately prepare the next generation of leaders in your organization and consider the possibility of using a leadership assessment center to help you meet those needs.

What’s Does Research Offer?

Rather than a “one size fits all” approach, our Research Business Unit works with key stakeholders to develop customized and legally defensible selection and assessment processes for our clients. Our Research services are grouped into three areas: Insight, Employee Surveys and Performance-Based Selection.

Insight

Insight is a systematic and quantitative process for identifying and documenting the roles and responsibilities of employees. It provides valid documentation to support numerous organizational initiatives such as training, hiring, promotion, recruitment and strategic planning.

Employee Surveys

CBIL differentiates itself from the rest of the survey marketplace by enlisting the talents of individuals who are not only trained in survey design but also in the statistical analysis and interpretation of survey data. A sampling of our survey capabilities include:

  • Employee satisfaction and attitude surveys
  • Training effectiveness surveys
  • 360 degree feedback surveys
  • Internal customer satisfaction surveys

Our survey delivery process, both Internet and paper-based, offers you the reliability and confidentiality needed to ensure accurate responses. Our clients have realized survey response rates of over 80%.

Performance-Based Selection

Performance-Based Selection is a blueprint program for identifying, selecting and retaining the best people through the use of quantifiable and objective methods. CBIL’s expertise in selection system design includes:

  • Cognitive Abilities Assessment
  • Skills Assessment
  • Behavioral Styles Assessment
  • Personality Assessment
  • Assessment Center Exercises
  • Structured and Behavioral Interview Guide Development

To learn more, contact Lou Gerst.

 
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