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.

3 Tips for Eliminating the Stress of a Job Interview
I’m sitting in a Starbucks now, and it is obvious by the dialogue of the two people sitting across from me that one person is interviewing the other. The guy being interviewed is tapping his foot in sheer nervousness and is babbling through his responses, unable to answer the questions he is being asked effectively. I want to get up and give him a hug and tell him to calm down. It will be okay. If he could just calm himself down, I think he’d be able to effectively focus and answer the questions. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation being interviewed or interviewing someone?

For even the most confident job applicant, a job interview can be one of the most stressful experiences. Because it is not something we do often, interviews put us out of our comfort zone.

To be able to present yourself in the best way for your next interview, here are some tips:
1. Practice, Practice, Practice. Set up the video camera on your phone, tablet or computer and video tape yourself answering common interview questions. Better yet, have someone else ask you the questions and seek their feedback about ways you can improve upon your responses. You can find some sample interview questions as well as how to prepare for behavioral based interviews on our tools page.
2. Eliminate unnecessary stressors. Things like running late, your outfit not fitting, not having copies of your resume, etc. are all things that can be avoided if you proactively prepare. Do a drive by of where you are going to for the interview around the time of day you are scheduled to go and see how long it will take you to get there, then plan accordingly. If you’re doing a phone or Skype interview, make sure your technology works the day before and that the background where you plan to sit is appropriate. Try on your outfit beforehand to make sure it fits and is pressed. Eliminate all that you can that could possibly cause unnecessary stress the day of the interview.
3. Remember, an interview is just a conversation between people. Having the awareness that the interviewer(s) are people too and just want to talk to you about your skills and how they align with the needs of the company can combat the stress of the situation more than anything. The interviewer doesn’t want you to fail; he or she just wants to find the right person for the role. By putting yourself in their shoes, you will be better able to answer their questions with a demeanor that presents confidence in the situation.
What about a job interview causes you the most stress?
December 11, 2015
The Best Books of 2015

We, at Horizon Point, love a good book or two. Here are our recommendations for you to consider for your 2016 reading list and/or ideas as gifts to give this holiday season:

Mary Ila’s recommendations:

For help shaping your New Year’s resolution:

Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith. Goldsmith, one of the best executive coaches in the world, helps you understand that most of self-improvement isn’t necessarily about starting something, it is about stopping something. He gives a simple method for analyzing and measuring our daily behavior in order to see positive habits form which lead to results.We use this process in our leadership coaching often now.

The 2020 Workplace. This isn’t your run of the mill, what should I do with millennials in the workplace read. Instead, it focuses on creating competitive advantage through people practices based on the desires of all workers, regardless of generation, and the technology and practices that will allow an organization to meet these desires.

The opening story in this book creates a visual image of the norms we can expect in just a few years in the workplace, in particular the ones that will make a company competitive through its talent. This quote in the book says it all,

“The organizations that create a competitive advantage in the 2020 workplace will do so by instituting innovative human resource practices- by first defining an authentic core set of organizational values and then augmenting these by leveraging the latest tools to reimagine learning and development, talent management, and leadership practices.”

All the Light We Cannot See. The best novel I’ve read this year. Set in World War II Europe, it captures how seemingly alike we all are even when the world portrays us as so different.

As a close second in the novel category, check out The Girl on the Train. I didn’t see what happened in that one coming! If you love a good suspense, get it.

Mere Christianity. I read this one again and found it to be much more valuable than the first time I read it in high school. Whether you’re looking for a good faith shaping read or not, I’d suggest you pull out something in 2016 that you’ve read before that was impactful the first time around and read it again. You’ll be surprised how much new insight you might glean from a re-read.

Also, giving a book that has had an impact on you is a great gift idea.

And a new favorite author- Jen Hatmaker. She is the author of several books that cater to the mom trying to live a life that is unconforming to the world and teach her kids to do the same. And she’s hilarious!I devoured Out of the Spin Cycle (a devotional) and Seven and look forward to reading her latest, For the Love, in 2016.

If you like this post, you may also like:

10 Books Leaders Need to be Reading

The Best Books to Give for Every Person on Your Christmas Gift List

December 8, 2015
A personal account of performance management that works… and doesn’t

My take on performance management is quite different than it was 10 years ago. I once worked for a company that basically rewarded all employees for their continued employment, and performance was not really taken into consideration when we all received a 5% raise. Regardless of how fabulous of a job I was doing or how not-so-fabulous my co-worker in the cubicle over was doing, we both received the same reward. This was not motivating me to be a better employee nor was it motivating for my mediocre colleague.

Fast forward well over a decade. Not only has the world of work changed in many ways, so has my career and thoughts on performance management. As I reflect on this past year with Horizon Point Consulting, I think about what has been motivating. What have I enjoyed? What have I really not enjoyed? As I’m asked to reflect on these things in preparation for plans for another year with HPC, I’m so very thankful for an employer who seeks my input and is genuinely concerned about how I see my career moving and my ideas for furthering our mission.

First, I will say, my personality is that of a planner and one that needs plenty of notice concerning a change. When I think about what has been most stressful this year, I would have to say it was my very first week on the job. I was given a project that involved computer codes and website administration. I thought, what have I gotten myself into? I was stressed to the max to say the least, but I completed the project and am thankful for the learning opportunity it provided. I’m also thankful for an employer who asked me how I liked working on this and other work concerning marketing and website management. When I shared how stressful it was for me and that it just wasn’t what I felt was the best use of my time where my strengths are concerned, my employer listened and began thinking of better ways to get those projects done.

I’ve learned so much this past year. The ability to select what professional development I wanted to do was wonderful. I’ve received three credentials and am working on completing a course to be an instructor for one of the courses we offer. All of this was so rewarding.

I’ve also been motivated by the type of work I get to do. I especially love the program development and one-on-one coaching I do. And, of course the commissions that come along with some of the projects are always motivating.

In the end, what matters most is that I have career that I love and have the flexibility to get the work done when it best fits my schedule. That’s huge for a mom of two and allows me to do my best to live out my mission statement:

I will strive daily to present the best version of myself to clients, family, friends and others. I will work to empower others and help them in their journey to lead better lives.

What are your thoughts on performance management? Are they in line with how your current employer sees performance management?

October 27, 2015
How Simulated Work Environments Can Drive Performance in the Classroom, and Ultimately the Workplace
Continuing with our theme this month, we wanted to reflect on performance management in another arena – the classroom. After all, students are future employees and shouldn’t performance management in the classroom prepare them for performance management in their future careers?

First, I want to share a thought from a local employer when asked about industry needs concerning current and potential programs that are developing the future workforce. The quote reads:

“While there appears to be attention given to communication and employability (skills), these areas remain our greatest problem. We are looking for hard working individuals with a strong work ethic that do not have to be reminded of the basics, like showing up for work on time.”

With that in mind, why not consider simulated work environments in school classrooms? Creative Teaching Site shares the following concerning simulations in the classroom:
- They simulate an activity that is “real”, and so it can be said that they are “virtually real”. They simulate the activity so well that there is little difference between the simulated environment and the real one, and the same kind of learning experience can take place.
- They are “hands-on”, involving students so they become participants, not mere listeners or observers. Students learn better from their own experiences than having others’ experiences related to them.
- They are motivators for learning. Student involvement in the activity is so deep that interest in learning more about the activity or its subject matter develops.
- They are tailored to the student. When simulations are designed specifically for their audience, they can take developmental requirements into consideration.
- They are inspirational. Student input is welcome and activities are designed to encourage students to enhance the activity by contributing their own ideas.
- They are developmentally valid. Simulations take into account the students’ developmental level.
- They are empowering. Students take on responsible roles, find ways to succeed, and develop problem-solving tools as a result of the interaction.
I love that the last bullet points out that students take on responsible roles. This ties back in to the concern voiced in the quote from our employer mentioned earlier. When students are empowered to make decisions and take on responsibility, they are becoming prepared for their future roles as employees.

What are your thoughts on simulated work environments in the classroom?
October 27, 2015
Basic Feedback/Feedforward Stuff

One of the best ways to improve and sustain great performance at work is to ask for feedback and to give it, freely, continuously and in the spirit of driving better performance. Here are some posts to help you out with this quest:

6 Steps for Maximizing Feedback Through Feedforward

Drop Lots of FYIs to Communicate Effectively

Goal Setting – Feedback

3 Steps for Driving Employee Engagement through Personalization

October 21, 2015