The Buzz
Time to air your strong points
Q: In a job interview, how do I respond to the question: “What are your weaknesses?” without jeopardizing my chances? I’ve heard the best way is to turn a negative into a positive such as, “I’ve been told that I am a perfectionist.”
A: Many organizations scout candidates with key strengths they can leverage instead of well-rounded generalists. Areas that require development come with the territory.
Your best defence is a good offence. Go into an interview knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Show you’re handling your shortcomings by identifying circumstances where they appear and how you manage them. Make a strong case for how effective your strengths are.
For example, you can reframe your perfectionism as a positive — a keen attention to detail. Combined with one of your key strengths — efficiency, perhaps — may mean you can be counted on to produce superior results, and in much less time than others.
If your perfectionism surfaces when you are unsure of what’s expected, explain how you ask enough questions to get the clarity and context you need to successfully tackle the job.
Finally, you might show you’re striving to improve by completing lower-priority tasks at the 90-per-cent mark, rather than driving for 150 per cent on everything. Describe how you draw on your thoroughness for projects that demand high accuracy and precision.
Sometimes interviewers are less interested in the weakness than in what your response reveals about your character and attitude. Being truthful will demonstrate your integrity and ability to accurately assess yourself.
The employer may be willing to buy your strengths to round out a team. Your weaknesses may be another member’s strong point, making you a perfect fit to fill the gap.
Originally printed in The Province on June 7, 2009.
Lost Generation
This video demonstrates how easily we can believe our perception is ‘The Truth.’ At the same time, it also highlights how there isn’t “One Truth” only different interpretations of something.
There is only ‘our truth.’ And ‘our truth’ is not even that reliable. It shifts with our perceptions. That means ‘truth’ can change from one moment to the next depending on the facts at hand. Even more importantly- by the facts we choose to give credence to as well as the facts we conveniently choose to ignore in the moment.
When I watched this video for the first time, I felt growing sadness and despondency about how this generation views their world and the legacy they are creating.
Then just as quickly my opinion got turned around 180 degrees to embrace a complete different perspective.
I learned how susceptible I am to being persuaded by a compelling point of view. Once I emotionally connect to it, I can be drawn into believing it to be “the truth”. It is so important to stay present and conscious that ‘my truth’ is only one perspective of many. All of which may be valid and right.
This is where coaching is so powerful. When ‘your truth’ isn’t serving you, your coach can reveal to you what truth you have adopted- perhaps unconsciously. You can examine the results you have been achieving based on your assumption or ‘truth.’ Then just like in this video, you can consciously choose to alter your beliefs, behaviours and actions to create more effective results.
This is one way we will change the world.
The Mom Song to William Tell Overture
In Celebration of one of the most paradoxical roles in the world. Motherhood- really parenthood- is the most rewarding yet often unrecognized, tireless and tiring, as profoundly joyful and it is painful, grows you and ages you. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
The 24 hour daily refrain can be condensed to about 3 minutes. Yay. More time for fun together. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!
If words alone don’t do it….
Q: I was dumbfounded when several of my team separately recalled verbatim what they were convinced I had told them. I never said those words. While they got the gist of the message, how do I ensure that I won’t be misunderstood next time?
A: For a team leader to function effectively, your team must be clear about your directions. Your team may not have recalled your exact words, but it sounds like they were on the mark with your intended message.
Messages are sent to the listener on two levels simultaneously. Information is transmitted through your words. But studies show 65 to 80 per cent of the message is communicated non-verbally. Facial expression, eye contact, body posture, motions, tone of voice and attitude tell the real story.
If you say a deadline is firm, but your voice tone conveys the blasé quality of “whatever,” don’t be surprised when you’re off schedule.
When your spoken message and your attitude are contradictory, the receiver will interpret from your more accurate non-verbal cues — how the listener “experiences” your message not how they “hear” it.
Take a few extra minutes before you speak to be clear about your content and to be aware of your emotional state. Speak slowly and intentionally to monitor your delivery as well as your words. Your goal is for your non-verbal cues to be congruent with your information.
Understanding deepens when it flows two ways. How well are you hearing your team’s messages? Pay attention to their non-verbal cues this week. Who needs your recognition? Who is eager for a new challenge? Whose tank is empty? A successful leader “hears” and accurately responds to their team’s cues.
Originally printed in The Province on May 3, 2009.
Free Hugs Campaign
An Australian man known by the pseudonym “Juan Mann” (pronounced one man) carried a Free Hugs sign in a Sydney mall on June 30th 2004 in an effort to give and receive a free hug from a stranger because he needed one himself that day.
Mann said, “The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling. Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven’t compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time.”
Believing that one person can make a difference to another through a simple and random act of kindness, Mann continued to offer free hugs to make others feel better. As others joined in, the popularity of Free Hugs grew to the point that public authorities concerned about public liability, tried to stop the campaign in October 2004. Mann submitted a 10,000 name petition and was permitted to continue.
The campaign received international attention in 2006 when a video was uploaded to YouTube. Mann appeared on Oprah and has generated a following of 27 million viewers. In 2008, the Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper reported Free Hugs as one of the top 20 brands in Australia.
This simple gesture based on Mann’s own personal need inspired Generation Ys to spread a movement symbolizing kindness, connection and joy to over 80 countries.
