BOB RINGSTROM EARNS FAMILY BUSINESS ADVISOR CERTIFICATION

Bob Ringstrom completes the Galliard Level One Certification

Sartell, MN (November, 2012) – Bob Ringstrom, President of Strata Personnel Solutions recently completed the comprehensive Galliard Family Business Advisor Level One training program in Minneapolis, MN. Completion of the certification equips Ringstrom with comprehensive tools to assist family-owned and closely-held businesses

“Family Business Advisor training enables professionals in the network to take clients through a solid process to assess the business and best determine the steps to move forward to meet needs for growth and the future,” said Lise Stewart, founder of Galliard Group.

The philosophy behind the Galliard Family Business Advisor program is to allow transition of the business with dignity intact. The advisors work to help the business create an exit strategy, succession plan and build an advisory board not only as a means to transition the business in the future, but also to help create a clear roadmap of how the business will operate to reach its goals.

Having completed Family Business Advisor training and becoming a member of the Galliard Family Business Advisor Network, Bob Ringstrom, will be further engaging in assisting family owned and closely-held businesses in developing transition plans and creating the strategy unique to each company to achieve the desired outcome.

About Strata Personnel Solutions.

SPS specializes in human capital analysis.  We provide organizational leaders validated and reliable information to better understand their staff, so they can be coached to their highest achievement.  Strata Personnel Solutions enables managers place the right person in the right job. www.Strata-PS.com

About Galliard, Inc.

Galliard’s network of consulting experts partner closely with clients to provide high-quality, customized services, at affordable rates, to build viable, sustainable businesses that positively contribute to the economic and social health of their employees, clients and communities. For more information visit: www.galliardinc.com.

From Baseball Manager to CEO in the Fortune 500

Or Not?

Great managers come out of nowhere.  For those of you who have followed major league sports, you may have found it interesting that some of the finest managers in baseball have a somewhat invisible playing history. The 6^th ‘winningest’ manager of all time, Sparky Anderson, was in the major leagues for only a year. Close behind him in the 9^th position, Walter Alston of the Dodgers also only played in the majors for a year.  Two others on the list of leading managers, Jim Leyland and John McNamara never played a single game in the major league!  Yet each of them managed their teams to championships.

The list of great ball players who failed miserably as managers is too lengthy to go into and would serve only to tarnish their image.  But how does this happen?  More importantly to most of us, do we see the same pattern in the workplace?  Whenever I pose that question to workers, managers and owners everywhere; the response is universally in the affirmative!

Most managers have an 'up through the ranks' climb in their industry or within their company.  They tend to have produced, sold or distributed the product then moved on to the role of manager.   An incredibly successful employee would seem to hold promise as a manager.    Indeed, many hard workers are rewarded with a promotion to a management position and they do quite well; at least sometimes.  But according to the American Society for Training and Development, about 30 percent of new managers and executives fail at their new jobs and leave with 18 months.  Other studies place the figure as high as 40%.  More narrowly at the executive level over the past two decades, 30% of Fortune 500 CEO’s have lasted less than 3 years.

Good performance at one level in the organization does not necessarily predict success as an employee accepts another position.  This may become exceedingly critical when the new assignment is a managerial position. Going from one industry to the next can be a challenge.  Going up the corporate ladder can also present some obstacles; while transferring from one department to another may present its own unique challenges. As the leader of an organization, we don't want the headaches that can be generated by new managers who may be at lease temporarily, in over their head.  The ramifications, can at a minimum, be fiscally disappointing.  Worse yet, they can be terminally ugly.  On a more compassionate level, what about the disastrous black mark that's left on the vitae of the failed employee?

It is essential that careful consideration be used in creating relevant and accurate job descriptions for any position. Subsequently, very close scrutiny must be made of the job finalists for the position.  A review of a candidates performance in other capacities or other jobs can be very misleading.  Even when duties would seem to match, there may be differences of technical tolerance, or organizational culture.  I would also caution against relying too heavily on ones's abilities as a judge of character; or as someone who can drill down to the heart  of an individual with their personal interviewing skills.  Consider a University of Michigan study findings which showed that a typical interview increases your chances of choosing the best candidate by less than two percent.  Why not toss a coin?  Interview criteria and results must be independently validated as reliable to truly provide value.

The simple truth is that no one is the perfect employee for all positions.  Instead the demands of the position must be understood completely before a capable candidate can be selected on their skill set, their critical job behaviors and their interest in specific duties.  Indeed; there may in fact be a legendary former major league baseball player who is infinitely better prepared to lead a world-wide technology company than to manage a team to the World Series.