The Leader Within – The Phoenix Infection, Part Three

When I was 12 years old, I ended up at a swim meet. Swimming wasn’t ever really a sport I aspired to, but I liked it and I figured with my long arms and legs, I might be pretty good at it. As it turns out, I was. My dad entered me in several races: 50 free, 100 free, 50 breast, 50 fly (I didn’t even know how to do fly), 50 back, 100 back and a medley. I ended up winning almost every race. I came home with several ribbons and a deeper love for the water than I had before. I swam in a few more meets and by the time I got to high school, I realized that freestyle and back stroke sprints were my races.

I made friends with other swimmers. One, in particular, named Susan Royer had been swimming and playing water polo with a club team since she was six or seven years old. She was amazing in the water, I was a newbie, having only swam in those few meets. I learned more from watching her and listening to her stories than from any coach or book I could have read. She was my age, she was a peer and her drive and fortitude were incredible to me. She talked me into joining the water polo team and then taught me the basics of the sport and how to do a lightening-fast pop shot.

Water polo can be a brutal sport, especially with girls…, what they got away with under water was just unbelievable. Susan was a leader on our team and within my circle of friends. Why? Because she had the experience that gave her credibility and her skill was matched by no other. She carried herself like a champion, because she was one. And she lured us each along with her to fulfill her vision and, as a result, our sophomore year brought us an undefeated team with two sophomores on the starting team (she and I). As fifteen year olds, we stood before the student body when our undefeated status was announced and we beamed. Her student leadership and constant support drove our team to greatness.

The mantle of leadership sometimes lands on the most unsuspecting of recipients. And those around, sometimes, don’t even recognize the rank that has been bestowed; it can very naturally fall upon a peer or colleague from within, before even an official title or position has been granted. Leading from within is the most organic and easily accepted paths to leadership. The parties involved rarely question this very logical choice, most don’t even recognize it has happened. In the case of my water polo team, we grew in greatness because greatness was amongst us and we followed the magnetic force that was in our midst.

The 360° Leader by John C. Maxwell marks the plight of the middle manager with no real decision-making power or the ability to implement necessary change through traditional routes within an organization. But in the telling, we learn that the middle manager, that is a natural leader or who has mastered that art, wields more power than initially thought. Growing in greatness, the strengthening of a team, and the Phoenix Infection: all endowments to a department or organization led with openness and a natural order. 

Doesn’t sound like much of a plight to me.

© by rayannethorn

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The Rising – The Phoenix Infection, Part Two

There have been leaders throughout my life whom I have followed with vigor, some since junior high. My parents, of course, and then there was Mr. John Grandi, my history and drama teacher during those tortuous years. He quickly became a mentor, as many junior high teachers do for their students. Those between years mark a passage of time that can be very impressionable. My life changed quite a bit during that time: someone stole from me, a friend betrayed me, a boy held my hand, and one of my brothers passed away.     Trust lost.

It could be said that I was probably not ready for high school. I was a delightfully innocent and naive young woman. I had never seen anyone my age smoke a cigarette, let alone imbibe in alcohol or do drugs of any kind. I lived a kind of Utopian youth that I am thankful for today. Given my propensity to engage quickly and be a people pleaser, I can imagine that my life might have taken a very different turn during those years had I not had parents that were strong leaders and influential teachers like Mr. Grandi that understood the freedom a twelve- and thirteen-year old girl needed to test – it wasn’t much, believe me, for I didn’t know any better. 😉

Different phases in our lives require different types of leaders. They are not all good experiences, but those in my life have taught lessons that have altered my core, my precepts, and made a mark on either my soul or brain. That is what happens when we really learn, we change and the change may be small or even imperceptible to others, but inside – there is a difference. It may not be how we act but it might be how we react. It may not be what we do, but it might be what we think. It may not be how we respond, but it might be how we feel. Change is a direct result of learning.

My brother, Andrew, recently made a statement and asked a question in his group on facebook a few days ago and I was compelled to answer; that answer contained an idea that has been brewing in me for awhile. It is the idea of The Phoenix Infection.

Andrew Thorn: Leadership can be defined as the ability to motivate a group of people toward a common goal. How do you define leadership?

Me: A leader inspires by passionately sharing a vision and allowing participation in the creation and fruition of that vision. A leader is not bogged down by fear or jealousy. The active sharing of knowledge and the Phoenix Infection they gladly pass along define the line between leader and manager.

The Phoenix Infection is what happens when a leader is able to take you with him to fulfill his vision; you gladly join because his dream and aspirations are infectious – you, as a follower, really have no choice. The engagement is so pure, so true, that the joining is natural and fulfilling. The mythical phoenix has long held a magical place in my thinking. It represents immortality, the triumphant rising from disaster or struggle, always strategizing – looking ahead. It is a visionary with the capacity to continually re-invent itself and stimulate enthusiasm and continual motivation.

This fulfills part of my definition of a leader – a leader I can learn from.

© by rayannethorn

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The Phoenix Infection

One time, I interviewed with a CEO that had me instantly wrapped around his finger with the vision of what his company could do, what it would do eventually. His technological mind had brought him much success and a significant fortune in Canada, where he had built a couple of tech companies to a point where they could both be sold for a considerable profit. He had an idea for another company but wanted to expand into the United States. He landed in Silicon Valley for a time and then relocated to Newport Beach, where he ventured into university technologies and was able to gather the funding necessary to build yet another company.

Needless to say, I joined his company and loved it from the minute I started. He was an incredible visionary. He quoted Peter Senge and Everett Rogers and John Wooden. He loved to see the sparks when great minds worked together and made that entrepreneurial magic happen. He led with what we all believed were strong ethics and a design for company greatness. I loved hiring folks to join our company. I loved hooking them with company culture and what a great opportunity it was. Then, September 2007 happened and life, as we had known it, started to change.

My requisitions began to constantly be altered, offered salaries began to drop. The phone company called and threatened an admin assistant that they would shut off services and remove all the phones. Somehow an agreement was reached that kept our phones live each month. I knew that my position was threatened, but I believed “our visionary, our leader.” I wanted to believe forever but the writing on the walls became clearer and I knew I needed to look for another job. If hiring ceased completely, what need would there be for a Manager of Recruitment?

And yet, I still believed in the company vision and the company mission. That is what kept me loving my work and why it was so hard for me to take another job…, but my gut kept telling me it was time. I took another position after deliberating for two months. I guess I was hoping for a miracle that Christmas, but 2007 held no miracles. I left without much fanfare, my two-week notice was ignored and I was immediately escorted out of the building with my two boxes.  I began to hear stories, dreadful stories of deceit and ruin. Our beloved leader, our visionary, had led us down a fake, primrose path.

He had lied, he had cheated, he had stolen from us. Money, hope, dreams, and trust. He took it all. Why did we buy in? Because we believed in a plan, we followed a charismatic leader that seemed to know what he was talking about – we believed because we wanted to. I learned many lessons, we all did. Mostly, I learned that great leadership is more than someone talking you into something, it is more than the talent of coercion. But interestingly enough, greatness rose around the rotten core we all had been drawn to. Others that worked there have grown their own companies, or gone on to better careers, or finished school, or joined growing companies – taking with them, with us, more than simple life lessons. We have taken with us complex business lessons of ethics and intricate thought processes. And we were touched by greatness, even if it failed, we had been part of something great.

And though we had been hurt and it had been risky, we wanted more.

©by rayannethorn

It’s the Real Thing!

I was asked to Guest Blog on Monster.com…, Check it out!

http://www.monsterthinking.com/2010/09/14/recruitfest-real-thing/

Managing Expectations

The actual business of recruitment,  can be described as an enlistment of sorts. Who do we enlist in our efforts as a recruiter? The first portal we pass through is that of the Hiring Manager or Client. Getting their buy-in is key to accomplishment and must be thought of first and foremost in order for success to be achieved. The Hiring Manager is the gateway to bringing a search or recruitment to an appreciated close. How can you, as a Recruiter or HR Professional, keep dissatisfaction at bay? Learning to speak with assurance and limiting failure. Gene Kranz of NASA, during the famed Apollo 13 mission, said, “Failure is not an option.” How did he put those words into action?  He reached out to his team for help in bringing the mission to a triumphant conclusion. The definition of success in this particular instance was altered considerably from what its primary focus had been. Doing what needs to be done and learning to be flexible in this time of economic turn down is an insightful endeavor and will lead to greater outcomes.

Knowing when to ask for help is probably one of the most difficult abilities to master. It is driven into our business make up to be self-reliant and just get the job done. It is never easy to say, “I need help.” Think about it, when was the last time you said that in a business setting? For most, it is far easier to say “Can I help you?” We live and work in a society where we are led to believe we can have it all, but in order to have it all, you must be able to do it all. Not an easy task when time is divided between work, family, work, friends, more work, church, activism, volunteering, promoting, blogging, commuting, conferences, errands and still more work… the list is endless.

Diversification may be key in muddling through this trying time. Expanding your scope of business offerings and paying closer attention to a client’s needs is a step toward success. Keeping the communication door open will manage expectations and align procedures with what is anticipated. Expectations lead to the unfortunate risk of being let down. However, lowering expectations or having them lowered for us is not the right answer, either. The best way to manage those expectations is to be prepared and stay in constant contact with the parties involved in any given recruitment or business transaction. By asking for help from Hiring Managers, they are kept in the conversation loop and part of the active process. Put on your armor, sharpen your sword, and be ready to conquer a deadline or delinquent feedback.

Unfortunately, failure is bound to occur but if you do not risk failure, you most certainly risk growth. Learn from failure and know that even the greatest leaders have suffered at the hands of risk, yet even more have benefited.

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill

by rayannethorn

Time Management: Be eActionary!

The best way to make you and your company stand out in a crowd is to exhibit time management skills that showcase your ability to handle crucial assignments and/or a large workload.

Be eActionary

One of the biggest drains of time is, interestingly enough, also one of the quickest ways to communicate in business today: electronic mail. Email first emerged in the late 1970s and was a part of everyday life by the 1990s. Its invention has allowed for the almost virtual elimination of other time-consuming, written ways that businesses communicate: “mail services, memos, and faxes, oh my!” This much quicker exchange of ideas, contracts, and proposals has also created a new type of traffic jam.

Set aside time early in your work day to read all new mail in your inbox, process the information received, and then act on it immediately. This eActionary approach will speed up the communication highway and move a current or pending clog along. With the vigorous onslaught of all things computer, a new approach to business, the green way, has been developing: going paperless, fewer keystrokes, and touching information only once.

Spend less time processing and exporting emailed information. Relay the information to the proper channels, act where necessary, and then, move on! It is easy and addicting to simply sit and scroll endlessly through an inbox, waiting for the next important email to drop in. Take control of your inbox and the time you devote to it.

Now granted, some emails will require more than one touch. When this is the case, create an eFolder or eList and move the item or task to be acted upon at a later time and then, schedule that time. Take advantage of the calendaring functionality of your email server and set reminders to complete tasks. Additionally, print as little as possible, the less paper to sift through, the better.

Consider a business twist to the old relationship adage of never go to bed angry, “Don’t leave the office until all email is read.” Habits take about two solid weeks to instill. Make being eActionary a habit: act quickly and move on. Establishing a daily routine is a giant step toward managing the time of which we never seem to have enough.

by rayannethorn

from Bonus Track by RT on recruitingblogs.com

For the Whole

Several years ago, I was directing a one-act play; a show included five actresses and one actor. Given that it was merely a one-act, it was a little less involved than a full-length production. The actors were expected to show up for rehearsals prepared, meaning know their lines and remembering their blocking ->the actor’s movement on stage. I have worked in theater since I was very young and always loved the art form. One might say that theater is a passion for me – one might say this.

When I direct, I give my actors a significant amount of latitude to find their character and do their job – memorization. And while, it is their job, that doesn’t mean it is easy. It takes work and it takes concentration, but it is what actors sign up for when they audition or accept a role in a production. One of my actresses was struggling with memorization and I encouraged her to spend more time outside of rehearsal studying; she was in her late sixties, so I was patient with her struggle. She started to over-compensate for her lack of preparation by bringing in props and helping other actors with costumes, as well as bringing snacks or drinks to each rehearsal. I pulled her aside at one point and thanked her for the help but I really needed her to concentrate on what her job was in this show – to be an actor and actors memorize lines.

She seemed to improve but the over-compensation continued. Our final rehearsal was rough and I reminded each actor of their responsibilities, not only to a paying audience but to each other – their teammates. They each assured me they would be ready; they understood their roles. The next night, we opened. I also ran tech for the show, meaning I worked the lights and sound for each performance; I had selected specific music and created a look for the show using these mediums – all to accent the actors’ work. I was mostly happy with the show, just hoped my one actor would be able to step up to the plate.

Unfortunately, her lack of preparation was clear and she failed her fellow actors miserably, dropping lines, skipping over several pages of dialogue and stammering. The discomfort was evident on stage and my other actors looked as if they were dying a painful death. I had given the benefit of the doubt to an actor that hadn’t prepared nor did she understand the power behind that preparation. Not only this, but she felt that multiple mistakes in front of an audience were OK given all the other “stuff” she had contributed to the production. How wrong she was and she looked at me incredulously as I fired her from the production. I couldn’t put my other actors – the prepared ones – through another gut-wrenching performance. Another actor stepped into her role and performed beautifully through the remainder of the run.

The bottom line is everyone is replaceable. Everyone. Do the job you are assigned to do. Understand why you are paid and fulfill your end of the bargain. I have worked with colleagues that perform similarly to this actor, they fail to prepare and fail to perform their “own” job; trying to cover it by sticking their noses in everyone else’s affairs, hoping to divert attention. This experience changed how I direct and how I work. Recognizing your own responsibility and how it affects the team is paramount to achieving success, both individual and joint. And while “you’re fired” were difficult words to say, it was the best thing I could have done for the whole. And that’s what it’s all about.

by rayannethorn

from Bonus Track by RT on recruitingblogs.com

A Road Less Traveled

While I only live thirty-two miles from my work, every work day I climb into my gray 2005 Honda Accord and prepare for a commute that typically takes an hour and a half. The congested freeways mark the only path into the city where Broadbean USA resides. There have been slick roads, hundreds of accidents to pass, rain, fog, crazy drivers, slammed-on brakes, traffic sometimes dead stopped, and a couple of traffic tickets along the way. Mostly, there has been a significant amount of talk time on my beloved mobile device. I cannot say I have never texted or never emailed or never facebooked while driving – I confess to these crimes.

My phone has been my constant companion during my commute and one hand always on the wheel.

My drive time has given me endless hours to think, numerous topics to write about, and opportunity to speak with my mom and friends often. I usually have one or two business calls while driving and have even reviewed documents when two mile per hour traffic has allowed. I wish I could say I have hated this drive but the fact of the matter is, I have not. I have seen incredible sunrises, seemingly impossible sunsets, driven through fires, and seen things that have changed my life and way of thinking.

In just over two weeks, my drive will be reduced to only fifteen minutes and I will no longer move along at a snail’s pace on packed, over crowded highways wishing I could cheat and sneak into the car pool lane (I have tried and while I didn’t get caught, I felt guilty for weeks.) I will now be driving along the ocean on the popular PCH (Highway One, Pacific Coast Highway.) The added time with my family (15 more hours a week), the reduced wear and tear on my car, diminished fuel costs, and eliminated stress will serve me well.

But I must admit, I will miss my time. I will miss the opportunity to really focus on issues that need solutions. I will miss my phone calls. I will miss the way I could get lost in music or a good audio book. And I will miss the further discovery of self. I guess I will find it in my morning walks that I will now have the time to resume. 😉

What I have gained almost outweighs the time lost. Almost. This drive has been a part of who I am since February of 2007. Like any trial, what didn’t kill me, made me stronger. And while I may miss it, at first, I look forward to it being in my past, to it being less about who I am and more about how I became who I am today. My Honda with 120,000 miles may die of heartbreak but freeways 91 and 55 will have one less traveler. Me.

by rayannethorn

Wearing a Badge of Rationalism in a Realm of Possibilities

This past February, I had the incredible opportunity to ascend upon London to work at Broadbean’s corporate offices and attend #TruLondon, the unconference put together by the TruCrew that includes “MrBill” Bill Boorman, his lovely bride, Fran, Geoff Radical Recruiter and Sourcer Extraordinaire Webb and the lovely Maha Akiki. TruCrew seems to be experiencing some growth as several people have told me they are now a part of the Crew.

Perhaps, we are all part of the crew?

I think so, given what TRU is all about. Lucky for me, I made the trek to Toronto with the Contingency from Indiana (Andy Gregory and Jerry Albright) last September to attend RecruitingBlogs.com’s RecruitFest, where I participated, in original unconference format, in several tracks. One in particular led by MrBill gave me the opportunity to speak face to face with him and get an up close look at the passion he has for not only the industry, but for expanding the minds of those that live in our space.

London opened my eyes to many differences, yes, but more importantly to the similarities we all face in our jobs, goals, desires, and difficulties. To sit in a session led by Lisa Scales, Jason Davis and Craig Fisher or Alan Whitford, Geoff Webb and Jim Stroud leading tracks is inspiring in the fact in the recognition that we

are all really in the same boat, trying to get a handle on ever-changing technology as well as our hands on a paycheck. When a comrade struggles, fails or squirms, so do we. When a colleague is ripped-off, so are the rest of us. And we celebrate the successes of each other. How can we not? They are indicative of the hard work, the payoff, for which each of us strives.

TRU wants that success for each of us, this I know. The knowledge that is revealed in each corner discussion, the desire to share that knowledge and create a network of individuals that ache for growth and development in a field that embraces speed and the technology that provides that speed, is evident in each conversation and blog post. The invisible walls that once separated recruiters, hiring managers, HR professionals and vendors are being torn down. And TRU movement is part of that.

As quoted by Radical Recruiter earlier, “There has never been a more international group represented at any unconference in the USA.” I feel very fortunate to be listed as a Track Leader and look forward to earning my TruCrew badge, the badge of freedom that allows us to exchange ideas and information. The Badge of Rationalism, I shall call it. This is our realm; a place where spontaneous conversation breaks out, where listening occurs and maybe even some minds are changed. It is possible, it has happened. Before I enter each track, I will promise to maintain civility and participate with an open mind.

My passion for our industry is evident in every word I write, in every word I say, in every handshake, virtual or IRL. I value it and the people that make up our realm – if I fail at civility, at rationality, then I fail my badge, I fail my realm. But most importantly, I fail me; I fail at true learning and at the golden rule.

I’m choosing to not fail and I will honor my badge.

© by rayannethorn

TruUSA
Madison, WI
April 19 – 20, 2010
http://thetruconferences.com/tru-usa/

Thanks Julia Stone as BizWerks, Site Sponsor!
http://www.bizwerks.com/

Last Minute

A lot has been happening last minute for me these days…, and I am loving it. Part of what makes me love the recruiting industry is the need to be flexible and go with the flow. It is in my nature to love new things, therefore, I am a rabid learner, perpetual student, and embracer of technology and all things new media. Thanks goodness.

I was given two weeks to prepare for a trip to London. I usually write press releases last minute. AND I was just asked, a couple hours before show time, to join Bill Boorman as his guest on his radio series, “An Audience with…”

Very happy to do this and discuss recruiting, blogging, social recruiting, and Broadbean Technology.

Listen here: An audience with Rayanne Thorn

Just so you know, I love last minute. I is my father coming out in me. He was the master of last-minute planning and he was great!