Missed Opportunities

Bella (aka The Insanely Cute Labradoodle) has been in my life for four (4) years.  This month I took her hiking for the very first time.   I love hiking & yet hadn't taken Bella in all this time.

Suppose I had some fear that she would get hurt and there's the matter of Baxter (the 14lb alpha dog who doesn't care to be left alone and isn't great on a leash when encountering other animals) to contend with.

This month Baxter is away at training (watch for a post on this coming soon) so it's just Bella and I.  This, coupled with a mini-trip to Steamboat Springs, was the impetus to introduce Bella to hiking.

Picked up some doggie shoes at REI to protect her paws from rocks and sharp objects (I mentioned the fear of her getting hurt, right?) then started with a nicely groomed path in Boulder and worked our way up to more challenging terrain including St. Mary's Glacier and Fish Creek Falls

She loves it.

Four years of missed hikes - I've done
her & I both a great disservice. 

As I hiked with Bella I thought how similar
this is to managing employees....

What opportunities have you missed out on with members of your team because you haven't given them a chance to demonstrate hidden talents?

What amazing talents might you discover if you set aside your preconceived notions of what your team can do as well as fears you may have of mistakes being made.  It could open up a whole new world of possibilities!

May all Your Endeavors be Insightful!




Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com

The scent of fresh cut grass.....a reminder to say thank you.

Last week, for the first time in at least ten years, I mowed the lawn. More specifically, I mowed my sister’s lawn while visiting her in Wisconsin.

After volunteering for the task I headed to the garage…..it took a good fifteen minutes to figure out how this particular mower worked. Now, in all fairness, I would have had to do that with any mower manufactured after about 1990.

Choke, motor speed, blade controls – got it. Now to maneuver the lawn. Around the edge of the lawn……couldn’t just go with 90 degree angles…..nope this lawn has curved edging providing a bit more of a challenge.

As I worked in the hot sun I thought about what an un/under appreciated task mowing the lawn is. It’s one of those things that needs to be done and if we aren’t the one that is responsible for this household task it probably doesn’t even register on our mind for a minute …..unless the lawn starts getting REALLY long. I confess to being someone who has taken a mowed yard for granted - whether it me by HOA, property manager or ex-husband....the yard has been mowed and I don't think I've fully appreciated the task being done.

How many tasks are being done within your team ….within your organization….that go unnoticed……unless they don’t get done? Take a few moments today to seek out those who take care of all the details….who do their jobs so well they make it look easy and therefore can often be taken for granted.

Thank those folks who make it possible for you to do what you do....by taking care of the administrative details, the behind-the-scenes work that is critical to your success.

Take a few moments to notice how great the lawn looks.

The Important Things In Life......

This weekend my mother (who lives in Madison, WI) was visiting me in Colorado.

She and I are from different generations of course (she is my mother after all)! We are not separated by only one generation ---- I am the youngest of nine (yes….nine) and was born when my mother was 45. We are two generations apart, with my older siblings representing the generation in between.


It’s no wonder I’ve had a life-long appreciation for generational differences.


During our most recent conversation the topic turned to thank you notes. Seems my mother is a little annoyed at one of the grandkids (there are 23 of them) for not having sent a thank you note for a gift she sent months ago. In my mother’s words “There are probably five really important things to learn in this world…..and the importance of sending thank you notes is one of them”. (In all honesty I think she is more annoyed that her children have not passed on the importance of thank you notes to their children after she spent so much time focused on this with each of us).


In any case…this got me thinking ---- if I had to list the five most important things in life to be passed on to my children (or, since I don’t have kids….to my nieces and nephews)…what would they be?


Here’s what I came up with….


• Do what you love and love what you do --- it makes the days much more enjoyable
makes you a lot easier to be around during and after work!
• Be involved – in your community, neighborhood, school, etc.
• Experience new things – see the world, experience and appreciate new cultures
and different ways of doing things – broaden your horizons.
• Be a great friend ----- and it will be reciprocated.
• And…for the sake of my mother….send thank you notes.


I’d love to hear what you might include on your list – please add your thoughts via the comment section or contact me through www.insightfulendeavors.com


Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,


Nora A Burns, SPHR





Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States. Fall/Winter workshops are being offered in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Wisconsin – registration is available here.

What are your interests outside of work?

Earlier this month a friend was giving an update on his job search when he referenced the “what are your interests outside of work question”.

I had to ask ---- have you really been asked this question while interviewing? Yup --- he has.

Surely not in the past few years???? ---- Actually, he replies, last week.



Why? Why? Why?


Okay, I understand part of the “why” --- hiring managers think questions like “what do you do with your free time” and “what was the last book you read” provide insight into the psyche of the candidate. Realistically --- they don’t --- not in any type of reliable fashion. The BEST predictor of future behavior and success is past behavior…..not what three items a candidate would take with them to a deserted island.


“Tell me about a time you fundamentally disagreed with your boss or other person in authority on how to move forward with a project…... “ THAT will garner useful information! (…don’t forget about the follow-up questions).


Setting aside the lack of insight questions like “what color crayon would you be” provide, here’s another challenge ----- what if the interviewee responds with personal political or spiritual –laden information? Now you have information which you cannot legally use in your decision making process. Let’s say you don’t hire the person who just disclosed otherwise confidential, protected information….how would you prove you did NOT use the information in reaching your decision? (hmmmm….kind of like trying to un-ring a bell). It is, without question, a slippery slope.


The bottom line --- asking behaviorally based questions will improve your overall hiring process. Secure better hires, reduce legal issues and keep you from having to go through the hiring process every year for the same position by reducing turnover since you’ll be hiring the right candidate for the right job.


Save “What kind of tree would you be?” and “What’s your favorite movie?” for dating and pledging a…..for job interviews focus on behaviorally based questions that demonstrate essential competencies of the job.


All my best,
Nora B.

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States. Fall/Winter workshop registration is open.