Do you ever wonder why people leave jobs, voluntarily or involuntarily? Well, many studies have indicated that people acquire jobs on the basis of their knowledge, skill, and experience. However, they leave the jobs because of poor behavioral match leading to either poor performance or interpersonal problems. Recent results from a Harvard Business Review study noted that staff turnover doubles when no "job suitability match" has been done. It was also observed that 80% of staff turnover was caused by mistakes made during employee selection and recruitment. Might it be that when our cognitive behavioral styles and preferences don't match up well with the requirements of the job that neurologically we are fighting ourselves? In an excellent recent article on this topic, Paul Martin reported on a brain imaging study at the University of California School of Medicine. In that study, it was found that the brain may have to work 100 times harder when a person is not using his or her natural behavioral preferences. Mr. Martin further noted that normally the brain uses 20% of the oxygen taken in by the lungs. However, as more oxygen is needed when the brain is being used in its nonpreferred way, less is available to keep the body going. The resultant problems and symptoms can include fatigue, listlessness, distress.

We all have natural preferences in terms of what we like to do and how we like to do it. We are well aware when tasks lead us to feel uncomfortable, usually when their demands do not match our typical behavioral preferences and styles. If the task does not match our behavioral style, we either will try to avoid it or will be motivated not to do it, often leading to poor performance. Over time, as the leader or employee spends more time on tasks incongruent with their behavioral/interpersonal/cognitive style, they become less effective. Even if some of the tasks are congruent, the employee becomes frustrated and all performance suffers. Take the salesperson who is excellent interacting with others, scans well for nonverbal cues with prospects, but whose behavioral preferences do not include doing all the administrative paperwork associated with the sales process. That salesperson fights him/herself and becomes less effective when trying to perform the tasks for which they are well suited.

More companies are recognizing that it is important not just to hire people who are capable of doing the job but to have individuals who also prefer and enjoy doing the tasks. It is critical to identify what attentional, behavioral, and interpersonal characteristics match well with the needed work environment. If the person prefers stability and low risk, how well will they do in a higher risk environment? They may be able to perform but at what cost in terms of the energy drain on their brains?

Increasingly there are tools available to assist businesses in this task matching. Within the SAMURAI Success System (Success and Mindset Underscore the Relationship of Attention and Interpersonal Characteristics), Success and Mindset Group employs assessment tools focused on determining the individual's cognitive/attentional and interpersonal characteristics critical to determining if they match well with their required work tasks. But what if they don't match well you ask? It is possible to alter the tasks to take advantage of the individuals' preferred modes of functioning. In the example above, some of the salesman's administrative tasks could be shifted to an employee who enjoys such tasks. This can free the salesperson to do what he/she does best and lessens the energy brain drain. For a complimentary consultation on your circumstance, go to the website www.successandmindset.com. As always, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Results.