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

Go Team!

How often do we get an opportunity to work on a team and enjoy it? Most business professionals view teamwork as a chore instead of a collaborative, learning experience. Additionally, not all team experiences should go smoothly, as friction is how fire gets started, how combustion occurs, how things happen, get done, evolve, or get discovered.

The trick to team work is recognizing that friction is good and taking on an “I will be rational” viewpoint. Too often, we get so caught up in how right we are, that is seals our ears and minds shut, so we are unable to learn or grow, in any way. Small-minded, closed-minded: both are poor attempts at hanging on to what we believe is right.

Opportunities for self-development are all around. Remember junior high? Do you remember all the learning opportunities and the chances to work on a team? This was all a very new experience. Life, as we knew it, had traveled down an unfamiliar path with new challenges and new friends.

As we grew and changed, so did our viewpoints and experiences. And our learning accelerated, new worlds were dropped in our laps along with a barrage of fears and inhibitions. Our work life, especially today, is no different. Teams can be a safe forum to try and test new theories or to hash out issues with other professionals that have a different base and alternate skills.

So, what are you afraid of? What stands in your way of team success? Usually it is only yourself. Put your hand in the middle with the other members and vow to give instead of take, to learn instead of demand, and excite instead of drain.

When it isn’t a game, what have you got to lose? The question really should be, what have you got to gain?