“If you love somebody, set them free.”
I don’t know if the phrase is one we should adhere to when it comes to
romantic relationships, no matter how convincingly Sting sings it. But I do
think that if we were to tweak it, and say instead, “If you’ve prepared
somebody, set them free,” the phrase would certainly be one we should
adhere to as leaders in the hospitality industry.
I don’t mean we should train people and then kick them out of the nest to
see how well they can fly. In my book—or pop song, if I were to sing one
(which, trust me, you don’t want me to do)—on-the-job training is just as
important as initial training. What I mean is that once you’ve given your
people enough training and tools to get the job done, it’s important to give
yourself permission to step back, let them put into practice what they’ve
learned, and coach from the sidelines.

Reinforcement coaching

By now, the terms reinforcement coaching and corrective coaching are
commonplace in our industry, and yet, as a result of the myriad demands
put upon leaders and managers, many of us neglect to put them into
practice consistently. We think of them as things we should do when we
have time instead of as an integral part of our everyday operations. When
they’re not a part of our regular in-house interactions, it can be easy to
forget their value.

Part of being a leader is being a strong
communicator with a positive attitude.
A strong communicator who believes
people can achieve far beyond what
they think is possible for themselves is
going to have a much better chance of
getting her people to gain an
understanding of the vision, mission and
big-picture goals of the organization.
Through reinforcement coaching, you
can inspire people to keep doing a job
well done, share your vision and show
by example it is possible to go
throughout your day with your
organization’s end goals in mind—and
that doing so makes a real
difference.

When I find myself talking about reinforcement coaching with hotel
managers, or with anyone for that matter, I usually wind up mentioning
Stephen R. Covey. The author’s idea of creating an emotional bank
account can be applied to all kinds of relationships, and yet I can’t think of
a relationship to which it can be applied to more transparently than to the
one between manager and employee.

When you engage in reinforcement coaching, you are essentially making a
deposit into someone’s emotional bank account. What if all you did was
point out the instances in which people were doing things wrong? How
receptive do you think they would be to your comments? If you correct
people without making regular deposits into their emotional bank accounts,
they’re going to become withdrawn pretty quickly when you try to correct
them. If, on the other hand, you’re the type of leader who regularly looks
for things employees are doing right and praises them along the way, odds
are you’ve built up substantial emotional bank accounts, and, as a result,
your employees are more receptive to correction.

Toolbox Ad Will Appear Here

The two most powerful words a leader can offer during reinforcement
coaching are “thank you.” Simply saying thank you, however, is not
enough. Real reinforcement coaching is stopping what you’re doing,
Copyright © 2004-2011 Smith Travel Research /DBA HotelNewsNow.com (HNN).
enough. Real reinforcement coaching is stopping what you’re doing,
addressing the employee by name, making eye contact, and taking the
time to be clear about what it is that you’re praising and why you’re
praising it. Be specific rather than general. State your observation, relate
it to one of your standards, and then explain how the employee’s actions
are benefiting the employee, coworkers, guests or organization as a whole.
Say something like, “Thank you for using the guest’s name at each checkin,
Maria. Meeting that standard really helps the guest feel a personal
connection and makes them want to come back.” This example lets the
employee know what she’s doing right and how her behavior is benefiting
the guest and the organization. It doesn’t just pat the employee on the
back, but presents her with a bigger picture and makes her more likely to
repeat the performance that meets the standard.

Reinforcement coaching is all about trying to catch people doing something
right. As a leader, you should constantly be looking for the little wins, the
things employees are doing well and according to standard, so you can
reinforce correct behaviors and develop an effective, efficient team that
produces better results.

Corrective coaching

The first thing leaders have to decide whenever employees stray from the
proper path or away from the end goal is not to ignore it. This is often
easier said than done. Acknowledging behaviors that don’t meet standards
can be uncomfortable, particularly if a manager is new or has been newly
promoted and is now responsible for staff members they consider peers.
Many managers simply believe they’re too busy to point it out each time
an employee’s behavior doesn’t meet the standard.

Solid corrective coaching techniques can make correcting behaviors that
don’t meet the standards less stressful and less time-consuming. Some of
these techniques include:

• using the employee’s name;
• making eye contact;
• acknowledging the behavior that didn’t meet the standard (without
putting the employee on display);
• asking a “What is the effect?” question in order to get the employee to
consider the consequences of their actions;
• acknowledging the things the employee is doing right; and
• letting employees know how a change in their behavior will have a
positive impact in the big picture.

The next time you see someone engaging in a behavior that doesn’t meet
the standard, pull them aside. Then, state what you observed them doing
in the form of a question. Good questions force employees to consider the
effects of their actions. Don’t ask, “Linda, what do you think you just did
wrong?” Instead, say, “Linda, could you step over here for a minute? I was
watching you check in those last five guests. When you don’t use the
guest’s name during check-in, what do you think is the effect?” Pause and
let the employee answer.

Whether you do it at the beginning, middle, or end of a corrective
coaching moment, you should also acknowledge the things that the
employee is doing correctly. You might say something like, “Thanks for
meeting our timing standard and getting those guests checked in
efficiently. I can see that your coworkers take cues from your example in
that regard. If you remember to use the guest’s name every time, I know
your coworkers will remember to do it, too.” A comment like this lets an
employee know you appreciate the things they’re doing right. It also
makes clear that even though you’re seeking to correct a certain behavior,
you’re not doing it because you want to harp on them, but because
correcting the behavior will have a specific benefit.

It’s been said the wisest leaders are those who make the most of the time
they spend with their people. Set your people up for success through a
structured training program, but once that’s in place, step over to the
sidelines and become the coach. There’ll be no limit to the potential you
and your team can fulfill.

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Seth

If you would have asked me the answer to the question contained in the title to this article in the year 2000, you would have received a confident “command” response. I was fresh out of my 4 year stint in the military and was thoroughly ingrained with the chain of command do as I say mentality. I knew how to take orders and felt anyone in a position below me should know how to obey orders.

Over the past 11 years I have had a great deal of time to grow into a more mature outlook. I have learned that while there are times when command is necessary, more often than not coaching will help me to get further with my team members. In return the team members being coached are not dejected as a result of being chided, and I am able to give them the reasons why certain processes are used.

As I sit here writing this post I have just realized I actually used both of these methods today. This morning I arrived at a store to drop a few items off and talk to a manager about some cash handling issues. Upon a bit of investigation I revealed several deposits in the location that should have already been deposited. I lost it. I have not really freaked out on anyone in a long time, but today was one of those epic moments. I used language I shouldn’t have, and continued on for several minutes. I finally stopped and asked the manager if he understood why I was so upset and the reasons that this issue should not occur. He acknowledged my concerns and promptly left for the bank.

Later this afternoon, I had the opposite experience. I received a text message from district manager stating she had to take tomorrow off due to feeling that she was going to have a nervous breakdown. I called her to figure out the issue and found that she was trying to handle many issues at one time without the consultation of any peers or superiors. I took the time to explain to her that it is my job to help her deal with the issues she is having and she has to call me. This will help her to decompress occasionally which will in turn keep her slightly less stressed.

Do I think each situation was handled correctly? I could go either way. I do not feel my reaction to the bank issue was completely warranted, but I did have to make a point. This was a serious issue and I wanted to ensure he would handle it as such in the future. As for the DM, I do believe this was handled appropriately. If you are of a different opinion I would love to hear it.

Thanks….Seth

“Who does she think she is?”

I’m sure that ran across your mind as you read my headline.

“We pay good money to agency recruiters! THEY should be asking the question…How to provide a great service to US!”
Believe me, we think about that all the time. Most of us are consumed by that question! We have attended dozens of motivational seminars, logged multiple webinars, and read countless books on how to provide a great value to our clients.

In spite of our earnest endeavors, however, frustration can develop in the Recruiter/Client relationship. Maybe you consider us over-enthusiastic. Or not enough. Maybe you hear from us every day. Then we disappear. Maybe it seems we aren’t acting with urgency. Maybe we ask “Why?” a little more than you’d like. You don’t want to completely sever the relationship with us, because the next candidate we provide could be your next hire! But we are doing things you consider perplexing.

I believe I can help you with that. I recently surveyed Third Party Contingency Recruiters with multiple agencies, in several markets, and across various disciplines…and I captured their thoughts on relationships with clients. It’s a glimpse into the world of the Agency Recruiter. It is my hope that reading a sampling of their answers below could only strengthen the bond between you and those you choose to work with.

It’s no secret that we Recruiters are handling multiple positions with multiple companies in a given time period. And it’s also no secret that some of our clients get the red carpet treatment, while others don’t. So I asked my Survey Group…”What motivates you to give certain clients 110%?” Surprisingly enough, the answer was *not* “the client who pays the best fee.” Instead…

-A client who views, and treats me as a partner, not a vendor or commodity.
-A client who works with me exclusively or as part of a very limited number of recruiting firms.
-A client who takes the time to get to know my background and qualifications.
-A client who listens to me when I say to them: “Just trust me. Even though this resume is not your ideal profile, I believe you need to interview this person.”
-A client who gives me repeat business…of course when I’ve earned it.
-A client with a consistent message…rather than changing their position regularly.
-A client who continues to communicate as they move our candidates through the interview stages, and provides honest feedback.

So I followed up with this question: How does a client fall into disfavor with you?

-When the client sends out mass emails to a dozen different recruiting firms with their needs list. It signals that I’m just a vendor to these companies, and not a partner in talent acquisition.
-When they only want to communicate via email, and never by phone. This doesn’t permit me to ask relevant questions about their projects and get a ready answer.
-When they take a pass on my candidates and will not explain why. I need this information so that I may redirect my search or narrow my focus.
-When they give me “urgent” job orders. Then they take several weeks to schedule interviews with my candidates. I worked extra hours to respond to this “urgent” need. What changed?
-When they give us a job order, interview our candidates, and decide to fill the position internally. We are willing to accept that our candidates may not have been as good as their internal. However, we also suspect we are being used to “comparison shop.” That’s not fair.
-When the client changes the criteria of the job order so many times, it feels like a moving target.

So then I became even bolder, and asked my Survey Group: “What one thing do you want a client to know…but are a little scared to tell them?”

-Don’t ask us for a discount without a reason. If you want a certain amount, or percentage off my going rate, be willing to agree to an exclusive. Or volume orders.
-We are inclined to give priority to clients who use us frequently and take our work seriously.
-If you ask for a dramatically reduced fee arrangement, and if I agree to it, you will not get the best talent in the market from me. The best candidates will be directed to clients who honor the work I do with a fair rate.
-There’s no reason not to return my messages. I am working for free out here, until I find the right candidate for you. The least you can do is return my calls.

I turned the tables on my Survey Group, by asking them to take some responsibility for client relationships that have gone awry. So I posed this question: “What one thing did you do to a client that you regret?

-Didn’t return their calls/messages quickly enough. They found another recruiter who did.
-Didn’t cover the search adequately, and the client found their candidate on their own.
-Didn’t respond with urgency. I thought I had the exclusive and all the time in the world.
-Didn’t replace candidates who had been eliminated from the search with more candidates. I thought I had my superstars the first time.
-Didn’t check in on my client after submitting four candidates. Just thought he/she could take it from there.
-Tried to read the client’s mind. I should have just called or emailed and asked the question.
-Wasn’t sensitive to the hiring authority’s schedule and demands. I kept calling him in the middle of the day when he was busiest and couldn’t concentrate. I should have asked which time of the day worked best, or set up a standing appointment.

People get fired every day. It’s not often when a Recruiter fires their Client, but it does happen! So I asked my Survey Group, “Have you ever fired a client, and why?”

-I caught my client in a mistruth more than once. I couldn’t trust them after that.
-The client was passing on my candidates. I found out a year later that they were called directly and hired outright.
-The client was looking for ways to avoid paying my invoice. Gave me a lot of excuses.
-The client waited a whole year to pay the invoice. We had to call collections.
-The client didn’t disclose to me that they had already known about my candidate. But they watched me go through the process, scheduling interviews, checking references, negotiating the package, without this disclosure. And in the end, I was told I would not be paid for the placement.
-Never making the hire. The client gave us multiple positions to fill. Lots of talking and talking. But no traction. No results.

I acknowledge that I have shone a light on very real and very raw observations and experiences of a sample group of Third Party Contingency Recruiters. And after reading this, you might be tempted to wave the white flag, retreat to the corporate office, and just do this recruiting thing yourself.

That was not the intention. You just got a rare glimpse into the world of the Agency Recruiter. Now you know how we tick, and how your behavior can affect our results. Therefore, I encourage you to continue to use our services, and remind yourself why you originally engaged us in your recruiting efforts. Your reasons will likely match the answers to my Survey Group’s final question: “What value do we provide our clients?”

-We give our clients their jobs back! When they are not screening, scheduling, checking references, networking, and asking for referrals, they are attending to the rest of their responsibilities. Let us do the footwork!
-During the recession, Human Resource Departments were decimated. But Recruiting real talent cannot stop. View us an extension of your HR Division!
-We provide industry (or market) specialization, and a network to go with it! What may take the client months to place…we might be able to accomplish within weeks.
-Empty positions cost a company money and customer loyalty! Rather than settling for someone that you could find in a short time…use a Recruiter to produce a larger selection of qualified and interested candidates.
-If the client is uncomfortable calling desirable employees from their competitors, reach out to me! I’ll do the calling!
-If the client is at the end of his/her rope…and if they’ve looked everywhere for the perfect candidate…
I might be the solution! I might be aware of the person for which you have been combing the earth!

Sit in front of laptop. Lie on couch. Eat pickles for lunch. Back to laptop.

Feel sorry for self. Feel sick of self. Tear hair out in frustration. And … back to couch.

If this is your 9-to-5 routine, you’re probably like 14 million other Americans: unemployed. And in addition to the frustration of looking for work, you might find yourself feeling a little lonely.

Sure, you chat with friends online all day. And you may have a family or significant other who comes home in the evening. But good old fashioned, face-to-face contact with another human being before dinner? Kind of rare these days.

In running my unemployment blog, I’ve received plenty of emails from readers. And although many of them were lighthearted in nature, a number of them were quite the opposite. One of the saddest read: “You’re the first person I’ve spoken to in days.”

Unemployment can make a recluse out of even the most social of butterflies. After all, you want to spend as much time as possible looking for work. And where do you look for work? Online. And where do you go online? At home.

But spending too much time alone can be detrimental, not just to your emotional well-being, but to your job search too! Staying connected with the rest of the world is not a luxury. It’s a necessity!

Work from a coffee shop.
Find a coffee shop with WiFi in your neighborhood (even better if it’s free WiFi!). Grab your laptop and go. You may not be striking up conversations with fellow coffee shop patrons, but it’s nice to be in the presence of other human beings. It’s also nice to have a change of scenery; one that doesn’t include Oprah on mute and swag from your previous employer.

Team up with other jobseekers.
Chances are, you know others who are unemployed. Instead of each working alone in your respective homes, why not team up? Agree to meet at someone’s house, and look for jobs together. After all, misery loves company. Not only will you have others to talk to who are in the same situation, you might just find that your jobless friends make good leads. You never know who might know of a job that isn’t quite right for them, but fits you perfectly.

Go to networking events.
Whatever your industry, there are probably relevant networking or trade association events taking place locally. Not only will you keep abreast of changes in your field, you’ll get to rub elbows with living, breathing, hiring members of the work force. We all know that spending hours and hours online every day is not the most efficient way to get hired. The majority of job seekers find work through a contact. You need to get out there and network!

Get a (night) life!
Spending eight dollars on an Apple Martini may be the furthest thing from your mind right now. And rightly so. But maintaining and growing your social network (and we don’t mean Facebook) can be a valuable part of your job search. And you don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money (or borrow cash from friends) to go out. Especially right now, there are plenty of extended happy hours and recession specials.

Volunteer
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: You can’t spend all day, every day, looking for work. Volunteering a couple of days a week will give you something else to do, a fresh perspective and a chance to spend time with others who share your passion for a cause. And depending on the type of volunteer work you choose, it may even help keep your career on track (and your resumé strong). I know a laid-off writer who started volunteering in the communications department of a non-profit agency. She says it’s keeping her busy, helping her develop her writing skills, and preventing her from sticking her head in an oven. Not bad for a dozen or so hours a week, which would have otherwise been spent obsessively surfing the web.

By Dee Adams

If you’ve ever dreamed about starting your own business, you are not alone. There were almost 9 million self-employed workers in 2010, according to statistics compiled by Challenger, Gray, & Christmas. Each year, a percentage of the workforce trades in their 9-5 jobs for the entrepreneurial life, but some workers start a sideline business to supplement their salaries.

Business startup cuts across all socio-economic groups; from managers, executives, and professionals to blue collar workers. Success stories include:
•A Harvard graduate with a degree in mathematics and economics who left management consulting to pursue her passion for desserts. She started a bakery and Café, and began writing cookbooks.
•A Ph.D. in political science from University of Chicago who opened a motorcycle repair shop. He wrote a book about the value of working with one’s hands.
• A web designer and consultant fired from her job because of her personal blogging. She built a lucrative home-based empire with her mommy blog.
•A firefighter who invented better fire safety equipment for the consumer and industrial marketplace, and created a multimillion-dollar venture.

But, for many other would-be entrepreneurs finding the right startup is challenging.

Many issues may cloud the process, and certain questions asked and answered in the pre-planning stage can pinpoint conflicts and problems, and their solutions.

Here are several important questions:

Do you know how many aptitudes you possess?
Aptitudes are inborn natural talents and should not be confused with acquired skills. Each person has an average of six innate skills, some unused and some hidden.

While a percentage of the population may be able to determine their own aptitudes by self-assessment, most people are not aware of their full potential, according to writer Margaret Broadley. Over a 40 year period, Broadley documented the work of the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization specializing in the scientific research of human abilities.

What are your least favorite skills?
Create a checklist of work tasks that you dislike and have trouble executing.

What feels more comfortable, introverted or extroverted personality traits?
Make a checklist of your actual patterns of behavior in work and social interactions, not what you believe your traits are.

Note: Some people adapt their personalities in order to fit into social or working situations and may have an opposite personality from the traits that they often exhibit.

What is your motivation for choosing self-employment?
Using a single sentence, describe why you want to be your own boss.

What is your history with money?
Your money history includes your family’s relationship with financial issues, the messages you learned as a child, and your pattern of behavior and attitude toward money as an adult, which may be reflected in your current credit history.

Summarize your answer in two or three short sentences.

Socio-economic factors, like the state of the economy, the ability to borrow money, or to easily relocate have an impact on the number of people who pursue entrepreneurship each year, but many aspiring entrepreneurs ignore national economic trends in pursuit of their dreams. Those who succeed keep their risks low, and instinctively review their personal development homework beforehand.

What other issues are standing in your way?

By Natalie Grigson and Melissa Reese

“…I am not unemployed, I’m on sabbatical.”
“Hey, don’t get religious on me, okay?”

So say Ross and Joey in one of my favorite episodes of Friends. I’m not going to lie, that episode was how I actually learned what the word “sabbatical” means. It’s not that I am sheltered, uneducated, or not a dictionary-reading, word fanatic (because I am), it’s just that words like “sabbatical” weren’t used so often when that episode first aired.

This was in 1998, and oh what a difference thirteen years can make. Now it seems like everywhere I turn, someone is talking about how they are going through a “developmental retreat,” or they are “temporarily unemployed,” or, yes, “on sabbatical.” Of course these all are pretty little euphemisms for one thing: being in between jobs.

Whether you’ve recently been laid off or you’ve been “on sabbatical” for several weeks or even months, being in between jobs is nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, everyone is doing it, right? And with these eight simple time and money management tips, being in between jobs is nothing to be afraid of either. In fact, it might even be a good thing.

By Liz Goodwin | The Lookout – 3 hrs ago

A study by the National Employment Law Project finds that middle-wage jobs–those that pay between $13 and $20 an hour–have been the biggest casualty of the recession. This year’s job market has 8.4 percent fewer jobs in that pay range than existed prior to the onset of the crash in 2008.

This is leading to an “hourglass economy,” the researchers write, with disproportionate numbers of Americans finding themselves at the top or bottom of the wage scale.

Most of the job growth since the recession has been in low-wage jobs, which shot up 3.2 percent in 2010, even as real wages for those workers have declined. The researchers say “retail salespersons, office clerks, cashiers, food preparation workers and stock clerks” have seen the fastest growth in available positions.

The economy has seen a 4 percent drop in higher wage jobs (those paying between $20 and $53 an hour) and a .3 percent decline in low-wage jobs since early 2008. But those wage sectors have still sustained a better recovery than mid-wage jobs have.

The lag actually pre-dates the ’08 collapse, researchers say, with mid-wage occupations such as machinists and pre-school teachers growing at a markedly slower pace than higher-wage and lower-wage jobs did. “Growing wage inequality in the United States is a phenomenon that’s three decades in the making, and which the recession

Food inflation for groceries narrows gap between away-from-home and in-home dining cost
June 27, 2011 | By Mark Brandau

Consumers are slowly returning to restaurants for dinner after more than three years of declining guest visits for an evening meal, according to new findings from market research firm The NPD Group.
Since the recession’s beginning in 2007, dinner traffic had been falling, especially at casual-dining restaurants. But NPD said Monday that total visits have turned positive in the past three quarters. According to NPD’s CREST service, which tracks consumer use of all foodservice outlets, dinner visits increased 2 percent in the first three months of 2011, following traffic gains of 2 percent and 1 percent in the third and fourth quarters of 2010, respectively.
“The improvement may reflect some easing in unemployment, a modest improvement in consumer confidence, as well as a release of pent-up demand during the periods reported,” said Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst. “I also believe that rising food costs in-home have narrowed the gap between the price of food at home and a restaurant meal.”
Recovery at quick-service restaurants, which account for 77 percent of total industry traffic, drove the growth of dinner visits, NPD said. Traffic at midscale and casual-dining restaurants remained weak. In the first three months of 2011, dinner visits rose 1 percent at quick-service brands but fell 2 percent at midscale and casual-dining restaurants. Dinner traffic rose 5 percent at fine-dining restaurants, but upscale locations account for just 1 percent of all restaurant visits, NPD noted.
Over the past several years, restaurant chains have turned to aggressive promotions to maintain dinner traffic, particularly in casual dining, where the bar-and-grill brands Applebee’s and Chili’s ran dueling $20 prix-fixe deals. Red Lobster’s current $15 Seafood Feast limited time offer — which offers soup, salad, dessert, an entrée and unlimited biscuits — was credited with increasing traffic and wait times at the casual-dining chain, according to Wells Fargo research.
Quick-service chains have promoted premium products for consumers trading down from casual and upscale restaurants while running aggressive offers of their own, like 10-piece buckets of chicken for $10 at KFC or a $7.99 carryout special at Domino’s Pizza.
“There continues to be areas of weakness in the industry, but the industry did pick up in the last few prior quarters,” Riggs said. “It remains to be seen, however, if we’ll be able to sustain the improvements given the current economic volatility.
“All the reasons consumers go to restaurants — convenience, varied selections, someone else doing the cooking — are still valid and could continue to drive the industry’s improvement,” she said.
Over the past six months, traffic on the weekends improved across all dayparts and visits from families with young children also rose, NPD found.

In today’s fast paced world the Hospitality industry is flourishing providing a good income and opportunity for those who seek flexibility in both their work environment and how they want to live.
In a recent job market survey by the Canadian Food and Restaurant Association it states the Foodservice Industry employs over a million people or 6.3% of the total employment eclipsing other industries such as agriculture, forestry, pulp and paper, banking, and oil and gas extraction combined.
The young people entering the Hospitality profession are finally being rewarded financially as noted in the same survey with the first 8 months of 2007 citing an increase of 8.2% in average weekly earnings in Ontario as an example.
So when at one time young people entered the profession to earn enough money to get by now they are looking at it as a career option.
With other former industries such as manufacturing that used to provide stability on the downswing because of changing demands and competition, young people are turning to the hospitality industry because of it’s guaranteed growth.
Just a note that the number of times reported that an average Canadian household ate out for a meal or snack in 2006 was a staggering 536 times. This statistic will only increase in the future as the time constraints on families multiply.
The Foodservice Industry has always been looked at with some criticism in the past because of the long and unsocial hours one works.
Not anymore, in fact many people love the industry because they work with other like minded people developing teamwork and social skills, meet new people every day in most cases as in the people they serve, and then at the end of the day go home to continue with their other interests.
Some other professions involve working with computers and corresponding via email and cell phones prohibiting the human need to socially interact face to face. Although these are worthy occupations and some indeed very well paying the link to cell phones and email often means the job even after one leaves the workplace never really ends at all as their availability is with them everywhere they go.

“I’m not paid what I’m worth.”

Who hasn’t said this at least once?

I certainly have.

But if we subscribe to classical economics — which says that the price paid for any given service is the price at which the quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded — aren’t we paid precisely what we’re worth? And if we still believe we’re trading at a discount to our intrinsic value, is it possible to change the market’s mind?

In a recent conversation with a colleague of mine about our respective strengths, he identified as one of my strong points an ability to connect the dots between people and ideas, where others see no possible connection. Developmental psychologist Howard Gardner would describe this as searchlight intelligence, an intelligence that readily discerns connections across spheres and sees opportunities to cross-pollinate. My colleague then surprised me by wondering aloud, “I don’t understand why you don’t value what is such an apparent strength.”

I do value my ability to think across silos, I countered, but it’s true that I value my skill of building a financial model more, because it was so painstaking to acquire.

A tendency to obfuscate our strengths should not be surprising. If we’ve really applied ourselves to achieving competency, we are justifiably proud. Yet we often overlook our best skills — our innate talents — simply because we perform them without even thinking. As publisher Malcolm Forbes put it, “Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.”

As we look to close the gap between what we’re paid and what we’re worth, there is a lesson to be learned from the stock market. In my experience, the stocks that trade at fair value or even a premium to their peers are those that know what kind of stock they are, and then deliver, whether “disruptive innovation — emerging growth,” “sustaining innovation — best-of-breed,” or “being-disrupted — but dividend-paying.”

Not surprisingly, the stocks that lead with their unique or disruptive capabilities command the highest absolute multiples. The market historically rewards “disruptive innovation — emerging growth” stocks with multiples of 30x or more. The market pays top dollar, applying a premium multiple to disruptive innovations, because the odds for disruptors are much better — 6x greater in terms of success, 20x greater in terms of revenue opportunity, as Clayton M. Christensen wrote in The Innovator’s Dilemma.

Translating this to our careers, when we proffer to the marketplace a disruptive skill set, focusing on our distinctive innate talents rather than ‘me-too’ skills, we are more likely to achieve success and increase what we earn. For example, consider the outcomes for two presidential candidates: on the one hand, Mitt Romney, who highlighted his political views rather than his business acumen; on the other, Bill Clinton, who understood that, as smart as the former Rhodes scholar is, his real skill was interpersonal intelligence. In my own case, I may not get paid top dollar if I’m hired to sequester myself every day, constructing financial models: I build models well, but not remarkably so. But if I lead with my unique skill set of searchlight intelligence, following with “can build a model/value a company,” the calculus changes dramatically.

We all want to get paid what we believe we are worth, which may be even more than what we currently estimate. The trick then is to lead with unique or disruptive skills, offering the hard-won skills as a kicker. When you know exactly what your value proposition is, rather than perpetually trading at a discount, you’ll command the premium you deserve.

http://blogs.hbr.org/johnson/2010/09/to-get-paid-what-youre-worth-k.html