Jack Smith

It’s Easy To Be Hard, Hard To Be Smart

by

It’s an old Marine Corps popular saying in infantry that was top of mind as I started my current company as a remote only work environment—no company office at all. For many of us, time in seat equated to level of effort. In the past, getting into the office during a crisis was seen as a badge of honor.  Today thankfully, neither holds true.

I’m hoping my lessons learned over the past year will provide a bit of insight to those that have been or will be thrust into a full remote working situation in the near future.

The bad news first. It took me quite a bit of time to get into a really good work rhythm. It took about 6 months in total to find the right flow. It was really hard because I over structured things in the beginning and tried to maintain rigid chunks of time that mimicked how I worked in prior years. The good news is that in the end it wasn’t as hard as I made it. All that was called for was a bit more thinking about how I wanted to work versus how I had worked in the past.

After the period of trial and error, here is what I came to realize works for me to be productive;

I need diversity of venue. Looking back now, going to the same office every day for 19 years seems an antiquated notion. The stimulus of using different places to work actually keeps me better focused. I did find that the hipness of corporate coffee houses is mitigated by sheer noise. I prefer quiet spots (local coffee spots, hotel lobbies and even restaurants). Once I found my few good ‘spots’, I was set. Find what works for you. Headphones are a necessity for me.

I use a semi-structured model. Most often, I dedicate mornings to thinking and writing…and family time. This is time I’ve reclaimed from my daily commute. The rest of the day is crafted around calls, emails and meetings. You need to set boundaries for yourself, but not be overly rigid. I understand I’m not a great multitasker…I just cannot get things accomplished around the house until I’m done work, or it is scheduled in. Some people can achieve nirvana and do both equally well. Build a routine that accommodates your job responsibilities, environment and  personal working style.

I play to my circadian rhythm. Yes, I said it…and I’m a believer. I am simply way more focused and creative in the morning. Period. I’m most productive writing content then. But I also schedule breakfast meetings. Late mornings through early afternoon are more focused on action items and late afternoon is usually for consumption of content. Then, I have one last review of the day after walking away from work for a few hours. It gives me a fresh perspective and a time limit.

I allow myself to take breaks on my own terms. Initially, I found myself, locked into one spot on the couch all day. But I realized I could walk the dog during core business hours, while listening to a podcast or recording the ton of ideas that flowed during the walk.  I found a way to incorporate breaks that refreshed my mind and accomplished little tasks that needed to get done.

And Finally…The hardest part to overcome was mindset: No place to be at 8.00 every morning. Once I got past that anxiety and settled into a “non-routine,” things got easier. It all comes down to your mindset — figuring out what works for you, how to maintain great communication with colleagues and understanding what you need to achieve your work goals. Figure out how to get out of your own way.

Find Your IKIGAI.

by

I’ve been searching for years to develop a better structure to the way I approach recruitment. How I understand and perceive people, drawing out the bits of seemingly insignificant information that will lead to deep connections with others….framing it in a concise way has just eluded me.

Over the years, I’ve told anyone that will listen, no one aspires to be a recruiter, much less in the staffing industry. We all stumble our way here. If you are lucky, you connect with a company or manager or co-workers that provide you with a good foundation. Maybe you get a modicum of training or pick up a mentor. That’s what typically leads to initial success. As you progress, honing your interviewing skills falls squarely on your shoulders. You learn from trial and error-you press on. This leads to longevity.

Truthfully, my recruitment skills have slowly evolved over the years…rapidly jumping at times but mostly growing at a slow grind. With time and experience, I’ve learned to understand and professionally assess people across a variety of industries (nursing, technology, marketing and digital). Mostly, that is the easy part. The challenge is understanding people; who they are, what they actually enjoy doing, what ignites their passions, what drives their engagement… then how all of that shapes what they do professionally. But how do you incorporate all of that into a meaningful and consistent process?

To me, understanding a person’s professional skill set is penultimate; uncovering the core of a person is the pinnacle of connecting.

Recently, I came across a term that I immediately recognized as core to the approach I take interviewing people. Leave it to the wisdom of the Japanese to truly capture the essence of how a person should approach the place where work and life intersect: Ikigai.

Ikigai is a Japanese word whose meaning translates roughly to “a reason for being”, encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-being. A simple Ven Diagram elegantly explains how it is all interconnected.

When I meet people, I start with understanding what they love to do. Regardless of their current job or role, I want to understand what fuels their passions and what they are driven to accomplish. Then we discuss what they are currently doing and how it aligns (or doesn’t) with who they are. This always leads to a deeper discussion about how they got to where they are professionally-but with an understanding of how they maintained the path they had started down or veered off. It is eye-opening for some, an affirmation for others….but it affords insights you typically do not get in an interview. You are actually beginning to understand the person. 

We venture on to discuss what they excel at and how that shapes what they want their next role to be. This goes right to alignment of passion, skills, jobs, and compensation. After understanding a person, I can finally start thinking about the types of companies, opportunities and client partners that might be suitable. That’s when I am able to connect the dots.

It’s different, for sure. Many people leave a meeting with me probably feeling a bit confused. It may take a day or two for a few things to click, for them to understand that I am a long-term partner connection and not just a recruiter. 

Let’s discuss where Ikigai will lead you. Jack@qualifi.works

Failure, Anxiety, Isolation: Time for Profound Change

by

Almost twenty years into the adventure of co-founding my own staffing and recruiting firm, I’d begun to feel the pangs of failure. I’d begun to feel unsettled.

Isolated.

The joy, satisfaction–and material reward—of the early years had slowly given way to something else. I felt it in my gut. It was as if my body was telling me things my mind wasn’t ready to accept. I needed a profound change.

Around that time, over a cup of coffee with a senior executive exiting a well-known company, I was introduced to a term new to me. Stephen had had a great run, but felt he accomplished all he could at that company. He spoke of where he was now: a space between what “had been” and what  would “be next”. He called it a “liminal space” – a place of transition, waiting and not knowing. It is in this place, he said, where all transformation takes place, if we learn to wait and let it inform us.

The concept resonated with me deeply.

I recognized that it provided definition to where I was in my life. It allowed for a cathartic exhale. I could accept that I was in fact in a holding pattern, waiting to figure it all out. Not knowing the exact path, for me, is a frightening thing. Maybe you can relate.  But learning that there was a name to describe perfectly where I was and what I was feeling allowed me to embrace it.

I realized I wanted to do things differently, much differently.

Rebooting your point of view and committing to it by creating a new venture – when you’re 20 years older, wiser—with some scar tissue earned along the way – is one heckuva way to get from where you’ve been to where you want to be.

That is what I am doing now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Just have a resume or job description to send me, not interested. I meet people, not key words optimized for algorithms. It is all about developing real relationships, real insights into YOU – so I can best understand the totality of who and what you are, including your aspirations.

I understand a liminal space.

I connect people. I invest my time in people. I take the long view, because serendipity and timing are as important as connecting people who exhibit similar goals, traits and interpersonal characteristics.

Fundamental, profound opportunities arise from profound connection.