Do You Want a Paycheck or a Passion? 10 Qualities Managers are Looking for in Hiring You

Based upon my research of over 300 managers in the last two years, I have found what qualities are most important to hiring managers.

You will be in a more competitive advantage if you do a self-assessment to determine if you possess these qualities. If you lack some of these qualities, find a career coach and turn your liability into an asset for any organization.

The following are the top ten qualities hiring managers seek. They are not in any particular order.

? Personality

Making people feel comfortable when you meet them goes a long way in establishing a business and personal relationship. A smile and a warm greeting in any situation pays big dividends. Always ask about the other person. It makes them feel that you sincerely care about them.

? Verbal and Written Communication

Being concise but specific in your communication is very important to anyone in this day of high tech communication. Many times the human factor of thoughtfulness and consideration is abandoned in the technology. A key formula in both written and verbal communication is: Tell'em What You Are Going To Tell'em, Tell'em, and Tell'em What You Told 'Em.

? Team Player

Being a team player simply means that one not only does his or her job, but also is honestly willing to support their peers. If another department or group is in need of help, volunteer yourself. Remember, top management really knows who is a team player and who is not. Just keep in mind that there is always an extra set of eyes watching you.

? Listening Skills

Have you ever noticed that when you go to a fast food place and you tell them that your order is to go and they ask you, "Is this to go"? How does that make you feel? Right, they are not listening. Listen thoroughly before you speak. That means listen to what's not being said. Then ask open-ended questions, who, what, when, where, why and how to show the other person that you really are listening and that you do care about them.

? Attitude

We can train people on how to do a job, but we can't train attitude. Managers look for a positive and sincere attitude when thinking about promoting someone. Always have something positive to say about your company, department and peers. If you don't have something positive to say about them, don't say anything. If asked, be truthful with diplomacy. Remember, attitude is everything.

? Enthusiasm

Enthusiastic people seem to radiate confidence and leadership qualities. Think about what you are most enthusiastic about at work and share your enthusiasm with others. It is catching.

? Goal Setting

One of the many traits top executive men and women possess is goal setting. They write their goals and read them every day. They make their goals specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and they put a timeline on each one. Be prepared when one day your boss will ask you what are your goals? Write them down and carry them with you daily. Share your goals with a trusted friend of manager. During your performance review, be prepared when your boss ask you what your goals are.

? A Sense of Humor

Adding harmless humor to the workplace takes a lot of stress away from the pressures of our daily activities. Life is too short to take seriously. Take your job seriously but not yourself by using your sense of humor.

? Professional Appearance

The image we project will determine how others judge us. From our economic heritage to our economic status, our educational heritage to our educational status, our level of sophistication to our income levels we are judged by our appearance. Observe how your senior management projects their image. Take some clues and do the same.

? Life-Long Learning

Another common trait top executive men and women share is their quest for knowledge about a variety of subjects. They read about many things that cause them to be creative and knowledgeable. Their attitude is that once they stop learning how to become better at what they do as a person or as a professional, they might as well retire. Show your managers that you are willing and excited about learning. Attend your company's training sessions, establish an executive book club in your department and come up with creative ideas to increase the success of your department and company.

Ryan James (R.J.) Lancaster is the president of the Education & Learning Institute, a research, seminar and publishing company. He helps organizations and individuals think differently to ensure their success. He is also a professional speaker and author of E-books. Two of his E-books are: Nice People Do Finish 1st and Great Leaders Make Great Teachers.

Contact information: (602) 274-4609 Email: rlancaster5@cox.net Website: http://www.rjlancaster.com

In The News:


The Majalla Magazine

Negotiating with Iran: A better way forward
UPI.com
Negotiation will be deemed a long process. Optimistic claims of progress resulting from trivial concessions will be framed as political victories. And, not surprisingly, Iranian officials will herald the talks as fruitful and call for continued ...
Iranian nuclear negotiations: A little ray of sunshine?The Majalla Magazine
Iran-West Nuclear Negotiations Will Continue in JuneFiredoglake
Inspection at Iran nuclear facility finds higher-level traces of uranium, UN saysCNN
Washington Post -Minneapolis Star Tribune -Huffington Post
all 3,506 news articles »

Sudan and South Sudan to resume negotiations
Christian Science Monitor
After weeks of fighting, in which South Sudan took out one of Sudan's last remaining oil fields, the two countries are returning to the negotiation table, under African Union mediation. By Scott Baldauf, Staff writer / May 25, 2012 After a series of ...

and more »

Negotiation is not a solution in itself
Montreal Gazette
“Negotiation” – almost everybody in Quebec still seems to believe in its magical powers to solve the current protest crisis, even after it's already failed once. Three-quarters of Quebecers in a recent poll by Léger Marketing for Québecor-owned media ...

and more »

IBNLive.com

International climate negotiations: Moving parts and much-more slowly moving ...
Energy Collective
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) met in Bonn, Germany, May 14-25 and negotiated reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases along three separate tracks. First, the Kyoto Protocol: Delegates to the 17 th ...
Deadlock breaks at UN climate talks, agenda agreedCreamer Media's Engineering News
U.N. climate talks stall over rich-poor divisionsSan Francisco Chronicle
Deadlock breaks at UN climate talks, mistrust remainsReuters India

all 457 news articles »

How coaching baseball helps negotiating deals
Bizjournals.com
As it turns out, coaching has helped me in my real job, namely, negotiating agreements on behalf of commercial real estate and corporate clients. • The Similarities Between Creating a Lineup and a Commercial Lease. Several days before a game, ...


Austin American-Statesman

City approves negotiations to buy Joe's Crab Shack land
Austin American-Statesman
By Shonda Novak The Austin City Council on Thursday gave the go-ahead for city real estate officials to negotiate a contract to buy the 1.8-acre site that is home to the Joe's Crab Shack restaurant on East Riverside Drive. The City Council approved the ...

and more »

GAUVIN: Negotiating with taxpayers in mind has not been council's strong point
Barnstable Patriot
The word “negotiate” appears several times in the story. The young man, let's call him John Smith, then glances wistfully through the expansive window to the commuter traffic slowly passing by outside with its assortment of various car models driven by ...

and more »

KOIN Local 6

Reynolds negotiations end in stalemate, uncertainty
KOIN Local 6
By Rob Cullivan Reynolds School District contract negotiations have again concluded without an agreement, and it's likely both sides won't meet again until Tuesday, May 29, at the earliest, district officials said. Meanwhile, school has been cancelled ...

and more »

Teaneck teacher contract negotiations move to fact-finding stage
NorthJersey.com
BY DENISA R. SUPERVILLE TEANECK — Negotiations between the school board and the teachers' union will move from mediation to fact-finding after discussions reached an impasse on Wednesday night, a union official said Thursday.


China.org.cn

Negotiations for Rio+20 'painfully slow'
China.org.cn
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday expressed frustration at the slow pace of negotiations over a draft outcome document for the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), urging member states to look at the "bigger picture" ...

and more »
Google News

The Art of Negotiation in 535 words

I want to get better at negotiation, but where to... Read More

Secrets of the Trade Revealed: Bartering for Business

In its simplest form, bartering involves an equal trade. One... Read More

How To Make An Inflexible Bureaucrat See You As A Person

Inflexible Bureaucrats Are Characterized by:1. Cares little about your happiness... Read More

Barter and Its Benefits

What is Barter? Barter involves 2 parties. Each party wants... Read More

Neogtiation: How to be Right Without Making Other People Wrong

What exactly are we trying to accomplish by proving to... Read More

Communicating Across Time Horizons

There was a time in my life when I sold... Read More

Managing Conflict, in Life & Work: Using Ancient and Modern Approaches

"Conflict" is a word that can have varying degrees of... Read More

Win-Win Power Negotiating

Let's talk about win-win negotiating. Instead of trying to dominate... Read More

A One Stop Financial Solution

Amy Wright, 34, was extatic when her realtor showed her... Read More

Can a Corporate Executive Really Use The Beautiful Mind; To guide decision making?

I would like to comment on the "A Beautiful Mind"... Read More

Managing the Sales Negotiation Process

How many times have you heard:"You've got to drop your... Read More

Cross Cultural Negotiations

Cross cultural negotiation is one of many specialized areas within... Read More

So Whats Your Argument?

Arguments aren't always bad things. Sometimes They're used to convince... Read More

Are You Scaring Away Potential Customers?

When you are trying to make a sale and ask... Read More

Resolve Conflict In 6 Easy Steps - The BEDROL Method

The principles of Negotiation can work for you in any... Read More

The Most Powerful Persuasion Skill Youll Ever Learn

Criteria ElicitationThis is without a doubt the most important persuasion... Read More

How to Change Somebody?s Mind

Believe me, it's not easy! And sometimes, it doesn't work... Read More

National and Cultural Negotiation Style

Cultural and national negotiation styles reflect communication behaviors and the... Read More

Barter: Its Not Just for Doctors Anymore

Time was, in the country, the local "doc" was as... Read More

Negotiating Skills: Ask For More Than You Expect To Get

It creates some negotiating room, and you might just get... Read More

Power Pricing - Getting the Right Price for Your Products and Services

There's an old joke about the New York City blackout.... Read More

What Are The Four Types Of Negotiating Outcomes?

Negotiating outcomes are the types of results that can happen... Read More

Negotiations: The Art, Science, & Sport of Online Deals

Negotiations can seem as complex as physics, and in fact,... Read More

Can a Service Be a Commodity

Well Enron dealt with this a little for instance an... Read More

While Youre Waiting

Not long ago, I made a partnership pitch, on behalf... Read More