Take a Break From Recruiting and Inspire Someone - Or Yourself...

Stop. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage. Sit back and let’s chat for a little bit.

If you’re like me (you didn’t ask, but I’m an ISTJ in the Meyers Briggs land), you’re pretty driven. Then, it’s a full day of researching, contacting, resume reading, phone screening, interviewing, checking, offer letters, reports and meetings. You too? It’s a full plate with multiple clients, divisions. We have a lot to get done.

Cue the challenges. Yes, I’m going to risk it all and assume that you live out some parts of a Dilbert strip or an episode of The Office in real life. Sometimes it’s hilarious. The rest of the time it’s frustrating, disheartening. You might have direct reports or you might be an individual contributor. Either way, you and I have a lot of programs, processes or people (even cross-functionally speaking) to manage.

That’s our problem: we’re “managing”. Managing is the ability to get things done. We think managing what we need to do is the most important thing. Just between you, me, and your beverage? It’s not. You can’t manage your way to success.

Leadership is inspiring things to get done. That’s cute, but what does it have to do with me (especially if I’m a front line recruiter)?

Take another sip of the beverage and let’s unpack this some more. We’re so busy “doing,” that when it comes to others and projects, our heads are down in the weeds of the details. When there is a challenge or conflict, we try to power through it or make it personal, or both.

I’m suggesting that we lean back farther in our chair and answer “Why do I care about what I do?” It better be personal and from the gut. Write it out, make it articulate. Now, attach a real-life example that illustrates you/I care about what we do.

Now, you and I are ready to inspire. People respond to you, projects flow and conflicts crystallize better when what you are doing ties into what you truly care about. Let’s get practical. The next search you take, sit down and have your hiring manager/client answer the same question: Why do you care about what you do? Then turn it into the first paragraph in describing role or position. You will be surprised at the quality of responses you get and the quantity of referrals. I’ll be doing just this Monday when one of my recruiters and I meet with a hiring manager to discuss a tough search.

Will you and I get more done? Maybe. Will we win every conflict or overcome every challenge? No. However, what we will have is the ability to see what we do in perspective of why we do it. Now that is something. A poignant example is Randy Pausch and his Last Lecture.

If you have your answer to the question or examples of it in use, please post it as a comment below. We’d all benefit from hearing from you. If you’d like mine you hit me up for it.

So, take a break from recruiting once in a while. You’ll be a better recruiter and enjoy recruiting even more. 8~)

Photo by SiD

Comments

[Steve Von Hoene]

Amen, brother! This is true for everyone from the "do you want fries with that?" sweetheart to my attorney who called back with a "hey, great to hear from you - and not 'cause my meter's about to start running" genuine tone in his voice. My old boss had a great twist on the common maxim: "All things being equal, people buy from people they like." He would quote that and then follow it up with, "All things being UNequal, people will still TRY to buy from people they like." And we generally like people who like what they do and/or are enjoying life along the way. Are you demonstrating such an attitude? I am and I KNOW if makes a difference. (BTW, this is the not-so-secret secret behind "The Dream Manager" concept.)

[KD]

William -

Good advice, I immediately thought of a twitter post you did were you were facing writer's block on writing intros to job descriptions. Sounds like you found you workaround....

KD

[William]

Steve - Thanks for the kind words. Yes, raise the tide for all.

Kris - Well, I'll still get blocks, but it is a wordsmithing issue and not for the lack of ideas, passion and vision casting.