Happy New Year!

Although our new year celebration has come and gone, the Chinese New Year has just begun. In China, new year’s is traditionally one of the most important holidays of the year, and because they use a separate lunisolar calendar, their new year lasts much longer than ours—15 whole days (January 23 through February 5 this year).

My husband Jim travels all over Asia for his work.  He has logged a lot of time in China, where very early on, he learned that to be successful doing business in China, you have to stop thinking in Western terms. And while it can be very difficult for someone born and raised in the United States to think like a native Chinese, you can triangulate between Eastern and Western thought. For instance:

• Do as much as you can to understand the richness of the culture and key historical events
• Don’t expect them to adapt their business practices to yours – or you may be sorely disappointed with the outcome of your venture.
• Don’t spend precious energy getting frustrated over a system that may or may not make sense to you.  It doesn’t have to make sense to you; it is after all, their system, not yours.  

This cultural comparison got me thinking about the staffing and consulting world. A client once told me they couldn’t stand the seemingly arrogant consultant who comes into their 100-year-old Fortune 500 company and tells them on the first day how to run their business. “Have a little humility and respect for the smart people that built this successful business,” he said. “Seek to understand first, then help us be even better,” he continued.

He made a very valid point: It is important and practical to understand first, then work to add value where we can.

In the consulting world, there are many instances where frustration can peak because we are only seeing something from our point of view.  For example:

Candidates are often frustrated when recruiters can’t provide meaningful feedback after a client interview because the client only told us they selected another candidate. We try, but often can’t make someone gives us feedback.

Recruiters are frustrated when client rules prevent us from getting additional detail directly from a hiring manager.   

Hiring managers are frustrated when their day is interrupted by 12 vendors calling them to ask the same questions.

It is important to recognize, some things we can influence and change, some things we cannot. Focus on adding value where you can – like finding another role where that candidate will shine!

It is the time of year when I remind myself to first seek to understand the reasons behind a rule, process or system and then decide what I can influence and the manner in which I will take action. During this time, I seek to understand how I can adapt, use my strengths and time in a way that adds value, and to choose not to deplete energy and time on things I cannot change.  It is the time of year to put critical focus on the outcome and put positive energy into that desired outcome.

Best wishes and good luck in 2012—this year of the DRAGON!

Two Roads Diverged…

Integrity, honesty, truth, honor, veracity, uprightness.

It seems so simple doesn’t it? When I on-board new recruiters to Genesis10, we review expectations, and one of those expectations involves ethics. We don’t lie to our candidates or consultants or manipulate or mislead to make a placement. That short term payoff is always costly in the end. How you start the relationship sets the tone for all future interactions, and interactions that start with anything other than best intentions never have a happy ending. They just won’t.

It is our goal to truly understand the candidate and their motivations and strengths and match those motivations and strengths with a client’s needs. Simple. Yet, the human dynamic makes that complicated at times.

It can be hard to resist the urge to rationalize less than honorable behavior or actions. But we can’t say we value integrity and then not honor our agreements because something might negatively impact our personal pocketbook.

I like to think over the years I have honed my skills in reading others. However, I have had a couple recent situations where candidates have told elaborate stories when declining an offer. We are talking car accidents, head trauma causing short term memory loss, family illnesses, etc. While I understand unforeseen circumstances do arise from time to time, they thankfully, are not the norm. And when I have a candidate decline an offer, I will take a simple and honorable, “I have taken another offer” over any sensationalized story.

I have had candidates tell me with pride that they have downloaded their company’s database or taken a confidential work product with an assumption I would value that, when what they are really telling me is that I can assume they will steal from me as well.

The IT community is small. Our personal brand is fragile. We can all take a wrong turn, make a mistake. But we can all choose the honorable path however hard it may seem and in the end, act with integrity.

How have you handled the crossroads in your career when your integrity has been challenged and you have to choose a path? What did you do when tempted or encouraged to act less than honorably? Now, that is the “story” I would really like to hear.

Revel In The Change

It is fall on our farm in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. In another week or two, the leaves will peak in color and will all too quickly fall, leaving the barren branches of winter. It is such a dichotomy to me. I lament the end of summer, and yet, I am filled with regret that I didn’t play enough in the sun nor spent enough hours being lazy in a hammock. At the same time, I revel in the blaze of orange and yellows against the crystal blue of the autumn sky. Without the end of summer, there is no beauty of the fall.

Recently, my husband and I were coming back from a walk through our woods to the point on the lake where we canoe and watch the eagles. In that moment, I began to reminisce and play back the snapshots in my head of my childhood: running through the fields, exploring the forest. I told my husband of my first spiritual experience laying on my back in the snow in the bitter cold, examining the snow flakes and realizing for the first time, they truly are all unique—that no two are the same and being overwhelmed by their extraordinary beauty. Without the bitter cold, there would be no snowflakes, nor promise of spring. The cycle of life springs from, and is dependent upon, change.

I recounted to him how my great Aunt Ida would come to visit her sister’s homestead farm once a year from Idaho. My grandma would walk her around the farm and Ida would, invariably, reach down and pluck a four-leaf clover from the sea of three-leaf variety stretched out endlessly before them. I was amazed at this talent and spent untold hours trying to recreate her effortless ability.

As I spoke these words, I instinctively bent over a patch of clover and picked one myself! Neither one of us could comprehend this immediately at that moment, as I had just found my first ever four leaf clover! Without the weeds, there is no promise of opportunity and sometimes, it can take a very long time to realize your dreams (no matter how small).

Inspired by the change of season taking place around us, this brings me to one of the most important characteristics of a consultant (or a recruiter): adaptability. The ability to adjust to a changing environment, new tools, processes, technology, industry, company culture and moirés sets an extraordinary consultant apart from the average. The ability to see through the clouds of change that make employees feel uncomfortable and help them not only manage it but embrace it for what it can become, the beauty of a new season and the promise of a four leaf clover.

Change is not only inevitable; it is part and parcel of the recipe for life’s next adventure. Don’t merely accept it, revel in it—and those around you. They will mirror that energy back; from one, many.

That day, to celebrate our good fortune and embrace the transition to autumn, my husband and I picked apples at the height of perfection from the heavily laden tree at the homestead and baked two apple pies. Change is good—and sometimes tasty!

What Makes an “A” Player?

Everyone wants to hire the “A” player.  So what makes someone an “A” player, and how can you demonstrate that you share the characteristics of an “A” player during an interview?

Recently, I was standing in my yard in northern Wisconsin when overhead went one of the largest and noisiest flocks of Canadian Geese on their northern trek.  It was fascinating to watch the “V” formation (or sideways “A”).  I watched as one member broke rank and slowed to take the place of the leader within another group. 

The geese had an innate ability to be so attuned to their flocks that they knew instinctively when they needed to change positions for the good of the group. This really exemplified what it means to be a good team player.

Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow and both positions are critically important.  That is one of the key characteristics of an “A” player.  Top performers constantly keep their skills in shape, pay attention to their surroundings, contribute in any way they can to keep the group moving forward making progress.

When have you been that kind of utility player?  When have you moved with ease from one position to another and added value that kept your project moving forward? Something to think about, as the answers to those questions could be important in your next interview.

“Don’t cry for me Argentina”

About a year ago, I was sitting on the couch with my husband Jim watching “The Blue Planet” on the Discovery Channel when they showed the Iguazu Falls, one of the three great waterfalls of the world located at the confluence of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Inspired by the TV show, Jim declared, “We’re going there.”

Well, Jim and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. WOW, what an experience! 

While sitting outside, at a café table in Iguazu City, my husband and I noticed a young woman sitting alone. We overheard her speaking English and assumed she was from the U.S. We struck up a conversation and discovered she was just finishing a four month trip traveling through and exploring South America.  She offered that she would be heading back home in about five days to job hunt and start her career.

We talked about what she wanted to do, and I shared a bit about Genesis10 and our G10 Associates Program, go figure.   The program, designed for new or recent graduates, provides training and mentoring into the world of consulting.   

I was immediately smitten with her spunk, intelligence and ability to form an intimate bond.  Anyone that can travel through a series of foreign countries alone possesses the unique characteristics required to navigate new client environments, adapt and learn new business cultures. I gave her my email address and I said, “Send me your resume.”

I sincerely hope she does. You never know how life will connect you to people and it is important to be ready and open to discuss who you are and what you want.  If it is the right role and opportunity and we hire her, she and I will have an incredibly engaging story about how we met. 

My Advice: Make every interview an incredibly engaging story and always be prepared to seize the opportunity to engage a unique individual to your mutual benefit.  You Never Know!

Giving Thanks Up North

The mass migration has begun in the North Country. I don’t mean the geese, ducks or lemmings. I mean the hunters.  I am not a hunter, but every year my brothers, cousins and nephews descend on the 1868 homestead for the annual deer hunting season, as do many other families throughout Wisconsin. 

Everyone goes north. If you are already north, you go farther north. This time of year, nearly everyone dons hunter orange.  It is not unusual or out of place to see women shopping in the local grocery store completely clad in orange from head to toe.

A frenzy of activity builds to Friday night, the day before the official hunt begins—digging out the long johns, getting the playing cards ready and most importantly, preparing massive quantities of stew, chili, bean soup or some other ritualistic sustenance of choice. When I was still in primary school, we had the whole week of Thanksgiving off for the hunting season.  Needless to say, it is a big deal in this part of the country.
  
I was at a party to celebrate the Friday before the Friday before deer season last weekend—now doesn’t that sound like an episode of “Northern Exposure.” I sat down at the table to eat my venison stew and nearly everyone around me was talking about how to make ends meet.  The common theme was that this year, it was more important to fill the freezer with meat rather than wait for that Boone and Crocket trophy buck.  

I know these people; they are the sons, daughters, wives and husbands of family and friends of friends accumulated over several generations of shared experiences. You would be shocked at how many of these people work two and three jobs to aggregate a living, yet none of those jobs offer health insurance.   

One woman talked about how excited she was to get some overtime hours in so that she could fill her gas tank to “Full” and not have to stress each day about getting to and from work.  When was the last time you felt gratitude that you could fill your gas tank?

It’s easy to become complacent with the success bestowed upon us every day. This is the season when we all take stock of our many blessings: good friends, a job, a full gas tank, stew.  

What we do every day, matching candidates with meaningful employment, is one of the most important jobs in America today. As you sit down with your family to enjoy this Thanksgiving dinner, take a moment to reflect on the fact that YOU are responsible for scores of people sitting down with their significant others, in financial security, enjoying their dinners all across this country.  

For those of us who help others get jobs, always be mindful of the impact you can have on someone’s life, and don’t treat it lightly—it has far ranging affects.   

For those that have jobs but are less than satisfied, be grateful. Even if you don’t love it, don’t complain, work to make it better for those around you.  Laugh, improve a process, mentor others.  

I am thankful I get to share this blog with you and how blessed I am every day for the interaction I have with people of your caliber. I’m a lucky one, and I have you to thank for that.  So THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart!

Attention Deficit?

I think the larger epidemic is Time Deficit. Everything today seems to be Time Boxed – meetings and phone calls have hard stops. We’re required to do more with less and to wear many hats.  The result—no one thing can get 100% of our focus and attention any more. Wasting time today is to be avoided like the plague.

What does that mean for you as a candidate? Your resume must grab the reader’s attention in less than seven seconds. If you are lucky to have accomplished grabbing the reader’s attention and you get a phone interview, you must prove engaging enough to hold the interviewer’s attention, so they don’t read and answer e-mails while talking and “listening” to you. If you land the in person interview, you need to connect with the interviewer, show your cultural fit and skill alignment with their needs succinctly in less than the time box allowed. If you don’t make it a point to get to the point, your important experiences – including the ones that could have been the one that landed you that position – may be left unsaid.     

Advice: Do your research, so you can have your key experiences that match the company ready. Don’t waste precious time asking questions that can easily be answered if you took the time to read the company’s Web site. If you are currently unemployed, you may have all the time in the world, but remember, the interviewer does not. Respect every minute of their time and demonstrate that you know how to get the most out of every opportunity in front of you. Time…truly the most precious of our non-renewable resources.

Year of the Great Pumpkin

Fall is in the air. The garden is at its peak of ripeness. I don’t know about your experience with gardening, but I’ve found that some years are better for some vegetables than others.

This is the year of the Great Pumpkin at my house. We didn’t intend to have this many pumpkins. (I wanted watermelon…but that is another story.)

In this situation, I could whine about the loss of my desired outcome (lack of watermelons, overabundance of pumpkins) or use what I have to my advantage. So I will have a pumpkin carving contest at my home for all the kids in the family. We’ll have hay rides and cider and celebrate the year of the Great Pumpkin.

Jobs can be like this, too. You sometimes end up in a role that you didn’t expect. You interview for one role and get another. Halfway through a project you see a new outcome or business or world events change the course. You’ve all heard the “turn lemons into lemonade” analogy—pumpkin to pumpkin pie anyone?

Ethics

I find it more and more difficult to read the articles on “corporate business ethics” and the decisions corporate leaders make that have a dramatic impact on the jobs, pensions and/or life savings of hard working people.

It’s important to remember that ethics is not just a big company issue. Ethics and integrity always start with a single person and a singular decision. When does the first lie start? Perhaps the small omission or twist that no one notices, leads to the next. 

In our business, recruiters see overstatements and flat-out lies on resumes all the time. We see resumes that say the candidate graduated from college when they only attended college. We see resumes that state someone was a lead or manager, when in reality they were simply the go-to person and not the manager with full hire and fire responsibilities. We see people state they have experience in a technology when only a class was taken or a book read. On occasion we even see resumes that have been completely fabricated using a different person’s credentials.    

The unfortunate reality is that at times, people lying on their resumes may get by. However, most of today’s large corporations require background checks, including work history, education, legal and sometimes credit. Some companies have rehire eligibly processes in place so they don’t hire back someone as a contractor that was once let go or performed poorly as a FT employee.  

If you have not been in the job market for a while, this may be news to you. 

My advice to you – do not put anything on your resume that you can’t speak to or defend. Write your resume to be the best of your experiences – in the project world your resume is often your first deliverable and a reflection of your work to come. 

It may be tempting to stretch your experience a bit (or a lot) to gain the attention needed to get an interview. In the end however, the truth relating to your actual experience will come out. So it is best to begin your relationships with recruiters and hiring manager with a heightened sense of integrity and ethical responsibility. The end results will most certainly be better for you.

The Gifts of Summer

When you live in Wisconsin, you have a full appreciation of the changing seasons—from every new bud and blossom in the spring to the shortness of the summer sun.  I love the change of seasons and the gifts each one brings. For example, in the evening in the dead of winter, quiet takes on new meaning. And in the summer, how amazing it feels to pluck a fresh, ripe tomato straight from the vine, feeling the warmth of the sun on the skin as you bite into it.  These are seemingly small things, yet gifts nonetheless – momentary escapes that help balance the day’s work with the rest of life.  

In summer, like in the other seasons, we work hard.  Yet all work and no play… well, you know how the saying goes.  Everyone needs play to unleash creative thoughts.  While there is no perfect time to get away, summer seems to be one of the better times to steal away and broaden horizons and conversations; connect or re-connect with friends, family and old colleagues you care about; develop new interests and new relationships; travel, see new sites or just plain let the tensions ease out of your shoulders. 

Summer can also be a good time to do some weeding!   I mean “personal weeding”  – as in pulling up and getting rid of old baggage that is in the way of the new job or position you want and eliminating unproductive thoughts that limit you. 

Studies show how important it is for the body and soul to take time off from work – and I mean REALLY take time off – away from the computer, the smart phone or whatever it is that ties you to your job.  I know it is difficult and I don’t always follow my own advice.  I just try to remind myself of how energized I feel when I really take time for myself and how that translates into a sense of renewal when I do return to my work routine.  Plus I have new memories of my adventures to get me through a challenging day!

Genesis10 CEO, Harley Lippman and his family travel to Cambodia every year to work in an orphanage that he supports financially. He always returns with rich stories and reminders of the many gifts we have and what we take for granted.

Be grateful for the gift of summer, and don’t waste it. As for me – I am off to Cape Cod to eat lobster and crab cakes!