KateNasser.com

Picture a decision maker about to decide who will be the one. It might be a leader about to delegate responsibility, a hiring manager interviewing job applicants, or an executive doing succession planning.

What will sway that decision maker to pick you to be the one? Beyond specific qualifications, a clear demonstration of optimism and realism could tip the scale your way.

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ~William Arthur Ward

Optimism to Be The One by:SamKinsley

Realism to Be The One

1. Inspire innovation and propel success
2. See possibilities that others don’t
3. Encourage and lift others up
4. Strengthen the resolve and commitment
5. Energize during the last mile of the journey

The realism in you will:

1. Minimize risk by identifying and rejecting the truly impossible
2. See the struggle and overcome it
3. Know when to adjust course and do it
4. Build strengths and counter-strengths to ensure success

When you have both optimism and realism, you outshine others that otherwise equal you in qualifications.

This duo makes you valuable in varied careers and roles:
As a leader, you will inspire to action.
As a sales rep, you will dream big and deliver.
As a project manager, you will master the details yet the details will not become your master.

In truth, optimism and realism make you valuable in any career. What examples would you add to this list to showcase the value and power of having both?

We often think of that certain people as optimists and others as realists. Yet these traits are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to develop both optimism and realism with astonishing results for your career and the organization.

To strengthen your realism, spend time with realists (not pessimists). Ask them what about practical suggestions and alternatives makes them feel comfortable. Then ask yourself, what about realism disillusions or blocks you? In the intersection of this discussion is the path to your development.

To heighten your optimism,
-Start each day by reading an inspirational thought or viewing a short 2 minute video like The Power of Attitude or The Nature of Success. Inspirational thoughts and videos are the tangible expression of optimism.

-If just the thought of doing this makes you cringe, watch a video just once and then write down what about the lack of details makes you so uncomfortable.

- Write down one positive result you have seen at work when others are inspired. After that if optimism still doesn’t move you, you may develop and embrace it just to tangibly lead others to the same place you are going — success.

I was inspired to write this post after participating in a chat on Twitter — BeTheOne — founded and hosted by Mark Sturgell (@pdncoach) and Bridget Haymond (@BridgetHaymond).

Kudos to their optimism to see the possible value and realism to make it happen. Join the Be The One chat the first Saturday of every month to develop both.

I wish you the strength and success of this balance,
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach


©2011 Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach, Founder & President, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. If you would like to re-post or re-publish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission.

Flickr:Djenan

Posing questions to job candidates in interviews, no matter how behaviorally based, doesn’t show you what they will contribute.  Perhaps this is one reason temp-to-perm positions became so popular even with the buy-out fee the employer pays.  The employer has seen the temporary staff in action.

Yet you can achieve a similar success by engaging job candidates in action interviews.  If you are looking for candidates with 21^st century skills like creativity, conceptualizing, synthesis, re-invention, and true empathy/customer service, action interviews will get you there.  You can do them in-person or via videoconferencing.

_________________

To find creative problem-solvers …

Hold a mock meeting on solving a generic problem.  Have the job candidate participate.  See if s/he offers out-of-the-box or safe ideas.  Does s/he contribute any ideas or simply listen?  You can assess the people-skills as well as creative problem solving. 

To spot empathetic staff for customer service …

Have your best customer service staff role play true-to-life scenarios with the job candidate.  Use blatant and subtle examples needing empathy and see what the job candidate responds.  It is one thing to discuss how you would handle a customer interaction and quite another to do it. 

To find synthesizers who can see new ideas in disparate details …

Pick a recent example that you solved through synthesis of different ideas. Give the different ideas to the job candidate and see how and what s/he synthesizes. 

To tap the pool of reinvention talent …

Give the candidate 2-3 everyday objects and ask them to make a new useful object out of them.  The useful object can be anything; it does not have to relate to work.  You are tapping innate abilities with this activity that you can later apply to work related challenges.

To find conceptualizers …

Have the team of interviewers and the job candidate play “What If We”.  You can use a hypothetical product or service that relates to your industry or customize it to relate to your organization’s products and service.   State the product or service in question.  Then each person states aloud “What If We …” to conceptualize a new angle or improvement.  This is also a great way to find out what the candidate knows about your industry and company.

_________________

Remember: To find the best talent in the 21st century, engage candidates in action interviews.  Replace the bad surprises you get after hiring with happy surprises about job talent you find during action interviews. Combine them with resume/references and certain skill or interests tests where appropriate to get a fuller picture of the job candidate’s potential and interpersonal style.   

I welcome your comments, new ideas, and questions below. 

Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach