Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Beyond Work

Beyond Work is our line of resources for people and community leaders looking for something new and innovative outside, be it a new job, career change, or personal development outside of work.

  • The Year of Authenticity

    The Year of Authenticity

    2016 was the “Year of Stories.” 2017 was the “Year of Innovation.” And whereas these themes for 2016 and 2017 at Horizon Point were determined at the conclusion of both years, on January 7, 2018, I already determined that “2018 Is the Year of Authenticity.”

    Why?

    Well, because I didn’t spend much time in 2017 living authentically. I was too distracted. Too busy. And throughout the year of doing lots of leadership training, teambuilding, coaching, and just having lots of conversations with people, it seems as though I’m not the only one that struggles with living authentically.

    2017, in large part, was the year I spent becoming something I swore I would never be. Our doctor friend talks about it often, when women in their mid-thirties (I turned 34 in December) come in to his office wanting a diagnosis of some kind for how they are feeling. They seem to have it all, but because of a conglomeration of things, they are wallowing in misery and want to find a place to place the blame. Where a pill can be prescribed to fix it all.

    Although I never saw a doctor in 2017, looking for a diagnosis related to how I felt, and maybe I should have, (I did see several for a lump that turned out to just be “density”). I do believe for myself and for many women my age, the cause of this is a lack of authenticity.

    The problem comes from a lack of being true to oneself amid trying to be everything to everyone else, accompanied by the feeling that none of the doing is noticed and/or appreciated.

    2017 was a year of tension. One in which business was growing, my children blossoming, but stress was all around in balancing these two important parts of my life, which led to neglecting some others. I fought with the two people closest to me more than I ever have, began to wake up in the middle of the night not being able to turn my brain off (I’ve never had a problem sleeping) and I felt like everything I was doing was out of a sense of obligation, not enjoyment.

    I knew something was wrong mid-year when all I wanted to do was escape (to where, I don’t know) and my husband told me, “One of the things I love most about you is your confidence. Where has it gone?” In seeking to help everyone else live with confidence, I had somehow lost my own.

    So, I’m committed in 2018 to being authentic, and helping others lead with authenticity. To that end, here is what I believe leads to an authentic life:

    1. The Practice of Listening. First, listen to yourself so you can then listen better to others around you.  And listening requires quiet and stillness.
    2. Living in Gratitude. For out of a place of gratitude comes the ability to see all things for what they are.
    3. The Ability to Not Do Things Out of Obligation But Instead Out of Joy. This means saying no so you can say yes to what matters and what uniquely makes you you.
    4. The Ability to Be Vulnerable. You and I don’t have it all together, no one does. And out of the realization of this comes the ability to connect to others.
    5. The Ability to Not Compare Yourself to Others.   

    I’m focusing on these points this year. I’ll talk next week about how I think they can best be cultivated and practiced and I hope you’ll join me in living some of these practices as we embark on authentic living in 2018.

    Like this post?  You may also like:

    Saying “No” to Something is Saying “Yes” to Something Else

    Real Leadership

  • 2017 Book of the Year

    2017 Book of the Year

    “Being original doesn’t mean being first. It just means being different and better.”

    Adam Grant, Originals

     

    Most of us strive to be better.  Few of us strive to be different.  But what if being different is a requirement for being better? For being an original? Turns out that to take better beyond just ourselves, we have to be both.  We have to be non-conformists in order to move the world, according to Adam Grant, author of Originals.

    And because our goal at Horizon Point is to build a better workplace through innovative people practices, we’ve chosen Originals, our 2017 Book of the Year.

     

    The book teaches how to become an original by:

    1. Taking calculated risks. We think most innovative people have risk-taking in their DNA, but it turns out there are some guardrails around risk taking when it comes to the most successful innovators.

    2. Embracing failure.  Failure that leads to innovation comes from quantity of ideas not necessarily quality.

    3. Embracing diversity of thought.  For more on this: Diversity and Inclusion In My Eyes and In the Eyes of My Children.

    4. Speaking up. You can’t be original if your ideas don’t get translated.  This requires voice.  More on this here.

    5. “Passionately procrastinating”.  For more on this: Leaders, Set Manageable Goals to Lead and Run Well.

    6. Converting your enemies. Your actual enemies. Not your frienemies. There is a great example in the book to describe the difference.

    7. Building commitment through purpose.  

    8. Getting over yourself. The ego, especially an inflated one, gets someone who could have all these other characteristics nowhere. Being authentic is required to be an original.

     

    “In the quest for happiness, as Grant writes, “many of us choose to enjoy the world as it is. Originals embrace the uphill battle, striving to make the world what it could be.…Becoming original is not the easiest path in the pursuit of happiness, but it leaves us perfectly poised for the happiness of the pursuit.”

    Go pursue.

     

    Like this post? You may also like:

    Our pick for best leadership book of the year:  Reality-Based Leadership

    Our pick for best novel of the year:  A Fall of Marigolds

  • Networking During the Holiday Season

    Networking During the Holiday Season

    For job seekers, the holidays can put a hold on the job search. So, what should you do while everyone is enjoying time off from work? Since more than 50% of jobs are filled through networking, use this down time to network, network, network!

    Networking can be intimidating. The best way to overcome the fear is to develop an elevator speech, practice, and network every chance you get.

    The University of Denver offers these guidelines for developing an elevator speech:

    • Keep your commercial simple and brief, and always include who you are, what you want to do and why it matters (or what the employer/client will get out of it).
    • Use a story or example to demonstrate your best qualities.
    • Use strong, action-packed words and speak in a confident, personable tone.
    • Be relevant. List the accomplishments (paid, unpaid, work, education or life experiences) that are relevant and compelling to your audience.
    • If job searching, be clear about the job title, function and industry you are interested in.
    • Practice your commercial, but don’t memorize; you want to sound natural!
    • Make a connection between yourself and your new acquaintance. End with a question to draw the contact into the conversation.

    Source: https://www.du.edu/career/networkingandevents/networkingtips/elevator.html

    Here is a list of networking opportunities to get you started (note the opportunistic ones!):

    • Personal Relationships (family, close friends, social groups)
    • Professional Relationships (colleagues, professional associations)
    • Associations (alumni, community, licensing, etc.)
    • Opportunistic (a woman you meet on the bus, a man next to you at the gym, online networks, etc.)
  • What Does a Candidates’ “Interview Experience” Say About Your Organization?

    What Does a Candidates’ “Interview Experience” Say About Your Organization?

    Interviews are tough – both for the interviewer and the interviewee. I’ve had the pleasure of facilitating both in-person and phone interviews and frequently coach clients to prepare them for interviews.

    Thinking back to my personal experiences in interviewing for jobs, two in particular stand out. One was with a large organization that was quite intimidating. In the waiting room, I sat along with several other candidates interviewing for the same position. When called into the conference room, I sat on one side of the table while 5 individuals in suits sat on the other. I was in my early twenties and recall how overwhelmed I felt fielding questions from all directions.

    Thinking ahead a few years, I recall interviewing with one person, the person who would become my boss and mentor. He made me feel at home. He noted my achievements and qualifications and quickly made me feel like a could easily become a beneficial team member for the organization. I listened more than I talked. It was a great interview experience. And, I received an information packet about the organization before I left the interview.

    By the way, I got both of those jobs and learned so much from each. I will say the interview experience was closely connected with my mindset going into each job and leaving each job.

    So, what does your interview experience say about your organization. Here are three questions to think about:

    1. Is your organization welcoming? (offer a drink; in team interviews, allow for a circle setting as opposed to the first example I provided)

    2. Do you allow the individual the opportunity to listen and ask questions? (share the company mission and why you love to work there; allow for back and forth dialogue)

    3. Do you provide the candidate with a takeaway? (company brochure, pen, etc.)

    Regardless of whether or not you hire the candidate, you certainly want them to be able to say, “that’s a great company, even if I didn’t get the job. I want to do business there and will share my experience with family and friends.”

  • Jump start your 2018 professional growth now!

    Jump start your 2018 professional growth now!

    Have you ever wanted to start your own business?
    Jump start your 2018 professional growth now!

     

    Introducing new coursework available,
    Getting Off the Ground: 7 Steps to Developing a Successful Business

    Entrepreneurship is one of our passions.
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    at the NCDA Conference Summer 2017.
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    Take advantage of this opportunity now!

    If you missed it at PDI, you can now benefit from the course at your own convenience at an even lower cost. The course is set-up on Udemy.com for easy processing, payment, and participation.

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