People are the one �commodity� that you cannot �dot com�. You cannot design the person to fit the position and dot com him/her. Nor should you really design the position to fit the person either. In the hospitality business, one can �dot com� until the cows come home, but, without the right people, it is just another �supplier� of goods and services trying to make a buck.

Whatever happened to the human element in our business? Service beyond the call? Or what about a human voice on the other side of the telephone rather than voice mail?

Hoteliers have a difficult time sometimes finding and selecting the right candidates for particular positions. We know the process starts with the interview. But the question is: How do I know I am hiring the right (best) candidate for the position?

Have you heard the story of the salesman who was in the million-dollar club? His boss came to him one day and said to him that he was doing such a great job, that he promoted him to the position of sales manager. Well, you may know how the rest of the story goes. The very boss who promoted this salesman to the sales manager�s position had to sit down with him and fire him.

Why? His profile (aptitude) did not fit the sales manager�s job requirements.

How many times have you seen this episode happen over and over again? The idea is that you find the �right� person for the job by matching the person�s profile with the job requirements. And the process starts during the interview.

You ask. How can you tell during the interview if the person�s profile fits the position or not? We spend thousands of dollars each year giving potential managers management tests and analysis, and still choose the wrong person.

In the past, do you remember when there was the inquiry of one�s �hobbies�, and the question was part of the employment applications? One doesn�t see as many applications soliciting such information.

One of the questions on the former applications was �what are your hobbies?� The question was asked in order that the interviewer might gather some pertinent information about an individual�s �Positive Experiences� or what he/she is �naturally drawn to do�. This question does not mean �what games do you play in your leisure time?�. As you know many of the answers are usually golf, tennis, reading, hiking, etc. etc. In today�s fast paced life style, this particular question, which took the interviewer�s time to help him/her identify the areas to which a person is naturally drawn, has been replaced with studies, tests and grueling questions to answer.
 
Certainly you have seen the many studies and articles written that depict the four personalities of the human person. Comparisons ranged from �Hollywood� personalities, to cars, to even animals. I am not sure I like the idea of being compared to a dog. Some analyses even go as far as to identify the type of dog to whom one is most similar.

I prefer to be identified with �who I am� in plain understandable English, not what dog do I resemble. I have a hard time thinking and acting like a dog to understand �how do I resemble a particular breed in my actions or temperament?� Let me explain.

Richard Hagstrom, of Hagstrom Consulting, calls it �The Green Light Profile�. I learned this concept from Richard back in 1987 in Massachusetts. Richard spent more than 15 years with LIMRA (Life Insurance Marketing Research Association) the �human behavior� research arm of the insurance industry. For the past 25 years, Richard has been doing consulting work on this very subject, and does the �Green Light Profile� to help individuals and corporations identify a person�s Effectiveness for a particular position.

Think of the concept in the colors of the traffic light. Green: go, it is safe. Amber: be careful, proceed slowly and cautiously, and Red: Stop, danger.

The concept relates to the four different areas in which people can function with varying degrees of effectiveness and satisfaction (we tend to forget the satisfaction part in the process of job performance. If a person is not satisfied doing a certain job, they will be discouraged and quit). According to Hagstrom, these four focus areas are Strategy, Task, Ideas, and Relationships (S-T-I-R). One of these four focus areas is a person�s �Green�. The other three areas will be their �Yellow� and �Red�. The person performs well and is energized in their �Green� performance area.

When Richard gave me an assessment to determine my �Green� performance area, it was as though a �light� (no punt intended) was turned on in my head. It clarified why certain job functions were more enjoyable than others were (this also applies to relationships between persons who learn and function differently). Not only that, but the tasks I performed in my �Green� performance area, I did efficiently. 

You might ask if all of the tasks within a position fall in one�s �Green� performance area? The answer is NO. There are several functions where one is less effective. They are referred to as �Yellow� and �Red� performance areas (mentioned above). So, when I am faced with tasks in the �Yellow� function area of my profile, I allow more time to get them accomplished, and plan ahead in order that I do not get frustrated doing them. Those functions that are in the �Red� areas of my profile, I allow even more time, and ask for help from someone whose �Green� lies in my �Red� area. And voila, the job is accomplished with minimal frustrations on my part, and done efficiently and properly. Such knowledge is key to effective �team building�.

The following is an overview of each of the Strategy, Task, Ideas, and Relationships Focus areas. Each focus, by the way, is broken down into sub-areas. For example, Strategy Focus has three sub-areas. Tasks Focus is also broken down into three sub-areas, Ideas into two sub-areas, and Relationships into three sub-areas. In every instance, however, each sub-area may overlap other sub-areas.

Read the following and match what may be your Focus Tendencies:

Strategy Focus:  Gets personal satisfaction from Reaching Organizational Key Success Indicators or Winning. Be in charge.

Tasks Focus:  Gets personal satisfaction from Doing Every Step Right or straightening it Out, Making it Right. Organize � Repair.

Ideas Focus:  Gets personal satisfaction from Making New Discoveries or Producing a Visible End-expression. Research, Teach or Design.

Relationships Focus:  Gets personal satisfaction from Providing Practical Services, Helping People, and Building Relationships. Visit, Counsel and Coach.

As you can see, people are unique and should not be fitted into a pre-conceived mold. Find out the person�s �Green� performance areas, and place him/her in the position where they can use their �Green Focus�, and you will have a long term, faithful, energetic, productive and satisfied employee. Better yet, you will have a great team of employees functioning like a well-oiled machine.