In today's fast-paced business world, CEO's are trying to

keep up with change and adapt to the global marketplace,

constantly searching the horizon for an edge over the

competition.

One thing they overlook is very close to home. In fact it

is just down the hall from them.

It's their very own employees.

By learning how to unlock the hidden potential of your

employees and executives you can create multiple leverage

points for your business that your competition cannot

duplicate because it's unique to you. Your employee mix is

yours and yours alone. You owe it to your company to get

the best from your employee's; their minds, their strengths

and their keen abilities.

Imagine if all employees utilized all their strengths and

could know and understand the roadblocks that hold them

back? Playing at the "top of their game" they would make

better decisions for the company, help reduce expenses and

contribute to higher profits.

So much can be achieved by simply knowing a person's

strengths. It can help build confidence in their ability to

make and carry out decisions. It's as critical to know the

areas in which they need help. Create an atmosphere where

people are not afraid to ask for help or guidance.

Employees become more willing to ask for help before a

situation becomes critical if they accept, that like

others, they are not perfect and nobody really "knows it

all". This fear of asking for help holds people back and

stunts the growth of companies. When nothing holds a person

back, he/she can surge forward with the power and

confidence of someone on a mission.

So the question to ask is, "How do we structure a program

for our people to discover their true strengths and their

roadblocks to achievement?"

The answer is a little known science called Axiology, the

study of values and judgments. The Value Profile is the

tool of Axiology that unlocks a person's hidden value. It

reveals how you can make better decisions based on how you

think and what you value.

Here is a scenario to give you an idea on how Axiology and

the Value Profile help CEO's obtain greater leverage from

an employee's strength.

The CEO, lets call him Richard, has to make a tough

decision. He needs to expand his company in order to keep

ahead of the competition. Richard decides to put someone in

charge of a Special Projects team to determine where the

company's best opportunities for the future are.

Using the Value Profile, Richard can accurately measure

and compare possible candidates for the position. There are

120 different critical areas with pinpoint and objective

information that can be obtained from each individual.

The first section of the report determines a person's

skill in Deciding What Needs to Be Done. This report

measures a candidate's ability to decide what issues are

relevant and what issues require attention. The findings

would provide insight on the candidate's ability to rely on

analytical as well as "gut" instincts, both critical allies

to executives making important decisions.

The profile also provides laser accuracy into how well a

candidate "sees the big picture" and how the pieces of the

picture fit together to make a whole.

Added insights include measuring ability to use practical

thinking and the ability to project a goal into the future

and develop a plan to attain it.

In the second section of the report, Developing a

Strategy, Richard gains insights on the candidate's ability

to plan and manage the project. This is the only tool that

provides you with specifics of how each candidate can plan

for consequences of actions and decisions, and how he

reacts to crises. As a CEO, it's more important than ever

for you to know which candidate best knows how to quickly

identify the source of a problem and the factors relating

to the problem.

You can know which candidate has the best combination of

skills to manage the project and move your company forward

if you know who has the ability to come up with alternative

solutions for problems and who can control the flow of

events.

But it doesn't stop there. You can take an even closer

look at your selection of candidates. In the third section

of the report you take out your magnifying glass and see

the management abilities of the candidates.

Utilizing this section of the report, Richard can

benchmark each candidate's ability to identify problems and

critical issues. You know how well they can determine what

needs to be done and whether or not they know how to do it

in the most effective manner.

Another component of the report tells you if they can

determine and understand what is needed to carry out your

objectives, whether they are clear about potential problems

and the abilities of their people to resolve those

situations.

The last part of this section provides Richard with a

clear picture of which candidates are best equipped to

create an efficient process or manage a system that others

can follow.

These are a few of the many insights Axiology and the

Value Profile can provide Richard and other CEO's who want

to fulfill the vision they have for the future of their

company.

There's more to come; this is the first part of a three

part article series. In the second article Richard, our

CEO, will discover how he can assess the candidates'

organizational abilities, inner drive to succeed, and how

much of a self-starter each candidate is.

(c) 2004, Team Results Inc. and Axelrod & Associates, All

rights in all media reserved. Reprint rights granted so

long as the article and the by-lines are reprinted intact.

Mitch Axelrod is the Author of the new book, "The NEW Game

of Business" and consults with Fortune 500 companies.

Contact win@thenewgame.com or call 800-7 AXELROD (800-729-

3576).

John Beaton has a driving passion to help Executives and

business become of higher service to others and his

favorite tool is the Value Profile. More information is

available at http://www.ceocoachingsolutions.com or send

your questions to questions@ceocoachingsolutions.com