It's pretty obvious that people need excellent job skills to be hired in today's labor market.

But Ray Moscoe, owner-partner of technical recruiting firm TES: The Employment Solution, tells me that another factor differentiates successful candidates today.

It's "fitability".

Ray and I are boating friends. I asked his advice about a new 360-degree feedback product we're considering offering to our clients. Inspired by the idea, Ray told me how "fit" has become a big hiring factor.

As jobs and hope evaporate, frightened people are turning to coaches, some of us professional, some gifted amateurs.

Here are a few reminders about how to be most effective as a coach.

Put Aside Your Own Preoccupations

You may believe that things will get worse, or better. Your relatives may have suffered, or prospered. You may be personally fearful, or optimistic.

But in the coaching moment, none of that is relevant.

Leave it all aside. Nothing breaks empathy like, "Well, in my case..." Or "That reminds me..."

"Sorry," said the woman, as she refused to answer a 360-degree feedback questionnaire, "I have become way too cynical for this project." She was not alone.

Why These Unwilling Responders?

Blame history.

Some have lost faith that the organization is serious about making changes, or developing its employees' skills. They look back at promises broken, and ask quite sensibly, "Why should I believe them now?"

At the age of nine, Jimmy was a faster bike rider than most of the kids in the neighborhood, a competent softball player, and a decent student.

One summer day, he and I set out with a couple of other kids to have an adventure. At the curve of the river, where centuries of erosion had cut away the clay, was the cliff we called Blue Banks.

Usually, we swam in the river, but this particular day we started teasing each other. "You're scared to climb the cliff." "No, you're a big chicken yourself!"

I've proven once again that the best way to look clever is to surround yourself with bright people.

After 10 years on the Internet, we just released a next-generation version of our Panoramic Feedback 360-degree feedback system.

It's named "SASS", an acronym for Smart Administration System for Surveys. It is truly a smart, logical, sassy user interface

But it wouldn't be smart software without the work of a team of brainy, dedicated people. I'd like to introduce you to some of them:

This is a week of hope for new beginnings.

As Barack Obama begins his presidency, we're all hoping it will restore the US to a position of respect, strength, and responsibility.

With our world (not to mention our personal investments) consumed by a devastating financial crisis, faced with climate change, terrorism, and awful tensions in the Middle East, we need an alternative to despair.

But to embody hope is too heavy a weight for any one person, even someone as impressive as the new president.

Headlines have described Barack Obama as "President 2.0". The term reflects his collaborative style of relating to people in the US and the world. It evokes his use of new social media collectively known as Web 2.0.

These Internet capabilities are revolutionary because they give everyone a voice, and encourage feedback loops.

A paradigm shift is underway that makes obsolete our old views of what makes an organization successful.

Last Spring, two cute baby swans hatched on the shore of our bay. Soon they were swimming, somewhat tentatively, behind their glistening white parents.

But as the cygnets grew into adolescence, nearly the size of the adults, something was wrong. One of them was light brown.

How to explain this? No other swan on the bay is anything but white.

While I can't figure out how Brownie got his coloring, his presence in the society of swans intrigues me.

Appearance Doesn't Matter

Brownie possesses the same skill set as his paler cousins.

My wife was delighted to see that her Facebook postings were being followed last month by US candidate Barack Obama.

A remarkable contributor to his election as president was the use of internet media to make contact with millions of potential workers, donors, and voters.

Early on, social media helped propel this virtual unknown into a solid lead over Hillary Clinton in the Democratic nomination contest. A MySpace page, posted by people who weren't even officially connected to his campaign, gained 160,000 signatures in no time.

Voice on the phone: "We've decided to use 360-degree feedback as part of our strategic plan!"

A sudden shift to anxiety: "But we're not sure what to ask. Can you provide us with questions?"

"We're happy to give you hundreds," replied our sales associate.

"We've got questions for leaders, board members, managers, in finance, manufacturing, government, healthcare, IT, sales, and a bunch of others.

"But there's a catch...."

The catch is that you'll get the full benefit of 360 only if you ask the right questions.