Sherri's Blog

A highly respected recruiter once said, “You can tell what kind of manager someone is by how they recruit. The best managers in my company are also the best recruiters.” 

And I have to agree with him. Here are the attributes they share.
• They ask good questions, and they listen carefully. They are engaging and easy to talk to.
• They have a vision for what their team does and what makes it special. And they can articulate it.
• They are assertive in going after what they want, and at the same time they are flexible in their approach to getting it.
• They are unrelenting in staying in touch with people, understanding what makes them unique, and figuring out the right roles for them. 
• They do not compromise quality to meet numbers.
• They keep their commitments and follow up in a timely way.

So let’s assume that you have managers in your organizations with these qualities and that these make great recruiters. Having them is one thing; using them effectively is another. You need to give them time, resources, and praise for doing this critical role. You can’t expect them to fit it in around the edges.

Why is this important? You get the best people in a very competitive market. And hiring the best saves you money in training (and re-training) down the line. A saying comes to mind here – “pay me now or pay me later.” Identifying your talented hiring managers and giving them the help they need to fill the pipeline is a good investment now!

Helping clients move from self-awareness to self-reflection is a key part of coaching. Once an individual has gleaned awareness (often from trusted feedback) and has started to act on it, the next step is taking time to reflect on progress.

If self-reflection is a cornerstone of personal development, what are the components of this reflection? What makes it truly beneficial? In thinking about this, two critical elements came to mind: Clarity and Compassion.

Let’s begin with clarity. Put simply it’s knowing your goal. What did you want to change or enhance in the first place? In what direction did you want to grow? This is the starting point for your actions and the focus of your reflection.

And compassion. Self-reflection requires an appreciation of both your successes and your failures. Without this you can get stuck in self-doubt and self-criticism which stifles your capacity to continue to grow.

If you take time to focus on your goal without judgement about the progress you’ve made and where you still have to go, your moments of self-reflection will be deeper and more beneficial.

I did a 360 for a manager who clearly has a bright future in her organization. Her peers commented on her many strengths. Among them is how she supports them in meetings. She shares opinions beyond her own area and does it respectfully. It’s clear she wants to help them and the business. And she’s smart so her ideas make sense and are useful. 

This got me thinking about the twin benefits of being a good corporate citizen – providing support for the business and creating allies for yourself.  Showing genuine interest in others’ goals is one way to ensure they’ll care about yours. And research shows that having a strong network of peers helps you advance throughout your career. 

So the next time you’re tempted to day dream or do other work while you’re in a meeting with your colleagues – think again! You’ll be short changing the company and yourself.

Do you have trouble contributing in meetings? Do you watch helplessly as participants talk over each other and aggressively state their opinions? You want to get in and demonstrate leadership, but you’re not sure how. One powerful – and little used – option: Contribute comments on meeting flow and participant interactions.

Here are some examples of what you can say:
“Let’s make sure we’re all trying to solve the same problem before moving to solutions.”
“Let me summarize our agreements to see if we’re all on the same page.”
“John, you look confused.”
“Mary, you haven’t said much, and I know you care a lot about this topic.”
“Seems like we’re all restless and need a break.”

As a meeting participant, you’re not always a content expert, but you can move the group forward productively if you ask questions, like the ones above. 

Focusing on facilitation takes practice, so try it in your next meeting. If you get rebuffed or ignored keep on trying! You’ll be doing all the meeting participants a big favor in addition to practicing a valuable skill.

Co-authored with Linda Keegan, lindakeeganconsulting@gmail.com

In an earlier blog (January 4, 2019), we talked about the danger of listening only to your manager when you start a new job. But how do you tell your manager you’re not planning to do exactly what she wants?

First, agree that changes are necessary, and suggest you do a listening tour to create buy-in. Assure her that you won’t take forever!

If she’s uneasy, suggest that since you’re new, a listening tour will help you learn about the people and the organization and build relationships and trust. Remind her that successful execution depends on stakeholders being part of creating the strategy.

When the listening tour is over, review your findings and ideas with your manager. Focus on areas where you both agree and make these the starting point for your change plan. Ask for her support selling the change to the organization. For example, announcements of changes could come from you jointly and/or she could attend meetings where you are discussing the changes.

Listening to all key stakeholders is essential to successfully entering a new leadership position. Be sure your manager fully understands this. Then work to get her buy in for the change strategy you develop and her engagement in its implementation. Taking these steps will help ease any initial or lingering concerns she might have when you didn’t jump in and do exactly what she wanted at the start!

Co-authored with Linda Keegan, lindakeeganconsulting@gmail.com