Page 53 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

PROBLEM RECOGNITION $
LEADS TO NEW SOLUTIONS
AT CONTINENTAL BANK

When. Continental Bank Chairman Thomas NO LLDVNI3 DC1 33 AIIVAO N N
Theobald created the Bank for Business strategy, he
realized that its success would depend on having
killer closers — officers who can actually close a
deal. Recognition of this need prompted the bank to rethink its
recruitment strategy. The revamped approach has been success-
ful in meeting that goal, but it also has entailed making some
significant changes. Although the new approach is costlier due
to higher base salaries, the bank expects to offset those costs
through long-term savings and increased revenue generation.
After several meetings with psychologists, senior line manage-
ment, and human resources staff, 6 skills were isolated that were
believed to be a critical necessity for candidates: 1. analytical skills,
2. self-confidence, 3. creative problem-solving skills, 4. the ability
to deal with ambiguity, 5. strong interpersonal skills, and 6. the
ability to be proactive in transactions. Once the skills were iden-
tified, the bank incorporated them into its college recruiting evalu-
ation form and included questions that would prompt interview-
ers.

Source: Todd S. Nelson, "Continental Banks on New Hiring Plan," Personnel Journal, November 1990,
pp. 95-97.

ing the existing situation may provide some insight into prob- 101
lems or potential problems. This seems obvious, but few CREATIVE
people actually do it. Creatively recognizing problems is PROBLEM
important to solving a problem as The Innovative Edge in
Action suggests. SOIVNC,
TECHNIQUES
The following paragraphs describe more creative techniques
for recognizing problems. Some are traditional approaches; 39
others are new twists on approaches you may already be fa-
miliar with. Several involve ways of analyzing the environ-
ment in search of opportunities.