Taking a Chance on the Unknown

Have you ever hired someone even though they did not meet all the job description requirements, but you just KNEW that they had the potential to be a great fit for the job?

Think about it for a moment. Who gave you your first big break, and were you truly qualified for the position? I know I wasn't.

Over the last 30 years, I can point to at least three instances where someone was promoted or hired, and the current staff shook their collective heads and asked why. And yet, each and every time the answer became apparent as time moved on. In each case, the hiring official saw something in that applicant that was not reflected in their resume or obvious to others.

They took a chance on the unknown.

Over the weekend, I watched several programs about the Apollo 11 moon landing 45 years ago. Having watched it take off from the Cape live on the shores of eastern Florida as a child, I was curious about the back story I could now better understand as an adult. The most interesting comment to me was the fact that the crew had determined that they only had a 60% chance of succeeding, and a 40% chance of dying in the attempt.

Talk about taking a chance on the unknown!

This chance, however, began taking shape in 1914, when R.H. Goddard from Massachusetts received two patents for rockets, one based on liquid fuel and one for a multi-stage rocket. Like the hiring official who hires or promotes someone who seems unqualified for the job, Goddard was ridiculed for his absurd notions, and yet, he is now seen as the father of the space age.

Leonardo da Vinci also developed a few ideas that were “out there,” such as designs for machines that eerily resemble modern tanks and helicopters, just to name a few. The only challenge he didn't overcome for these machines was identifying a power system to enable them to operate (Encyclopedia Britannica).

The bottom line for all of these examples is that someone (or a group of people), saw something that others could not – or would not – and took a chance on the unknown that paid off.

This is not to say that you should hire every unqualified person who applies for all of your open positions. As we all know, the success of finding a job these days is found more often than not in networking; having someone you know introduce you to someone they know and provide an outstanding reference, while asking them to consider this new person for a position. In a sense, they are asking their friend or colleague to take a chance on the unknown – another friend or colleague for whom they will vouch.

I saw this happen recently, and while my friend wasn't qualified for the position as it was listed in the job description, once hired, he thrived in the environment, and has just received a promotion simply because someone took a chance him - they took a chance on the unknown.

Granted, in business you have to be careful and weigh the risks against the possible rewards of embracing the unknown before making a decision. But consider where we would be today in terms of scientific discovery and modernization if people like da Vinci and Goddard had not taken those chances on the unknown.

Just suppose the person you are asked to consider doesn't have the 2 years of experience in that particular position, but has offered to take a lower-paying salary until they can reach specific goals you set together. Is your only hesitation that they don’t have that experience, but they have great references who support their ability to handle the job?

If that’s your only hesitation, go on; take a chance on the unknown today, hire them, and then let me know what happens! My money is on them exceeding your expectations.

 Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Why Kindness Matters in Business

In the 1970’s, singer Nick Lowe lamented (quite successfully) that being cruel to be kind is a good thing.

While that may be true when ending a relationship, and I’m not saying it is, kindness – not cruelty or meanness – most assuredly matters in business.

I recently observed examples of both kindness and meanness in business situations, and for the life of me, I could not understand the necessity of, or reason for, the meanness that was exhibited.

Yes, in business, the goal is to get ahead of the competition and to reach or exceed your goals. However, believe it or not, how you get there is also vitally important.

Professionally, your most valuable asset is not your education or experience; it’s your reputation.

If your actions or in-actions lead to the presentation of a mean person or organization, your reputation within the business community will quickly begin to reflect that demeanor, whether or not it is actually true.

Clipart from Bing Images

As Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

Think about the businesses you work with, or the products/services you purchase. Do you spend your hard-earned money on businesses and people with good reputations, or those with bad reputations?

Have you ever stopped using a product, service, or business because they were involved in a negative incident? I know I have, and I know many others who do as well.

We've all heard, and probably said at one time, “Business is a dog eat dog world.” Yes, it certainly is.

In my "Who Am I?" blog, I referenced the “It’s not personal, it’s business” philosophy as exhibited in the movie, You've Got Mail. Yes, again, it’s business.

However, being kind to the person or people you are doing business with takes less effort than being mean. By being kind, I don’t mean ignore the business opportunity your competitor doesn't see or cannot take advantage of that is also right in front of your face.

It means simple things like promptly returning emails, phone calls or texts. It means letting people know that you received the information or request they sent to you, and providing an approximate timeline for a response.

It also means not embarrassing, demeaning or belittling your competitor or colleague in front of others – ever.  These behaviors are not only unprofessional; they are mean and uncalled for.

In the words of former First Lady Barbara Bush, “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.”

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

If I Had To Do It All Over Again

What if you had an opportunity to go back 10, 20, or 30 years to start your career or build your business again? What words of wisdom and lessons you have learned over the ensuing years would you hope someone would share with you as you got started?

It's the age-old question of "wouldn't it be great to be 20 or 30 again," if you could do so with the wisdom, knowledge, and perspective that you have now at 40 or 50.

What I wouldn't give to let my 25-year-old self a good kick in the pants so that I could see what my actions - or more accurately, my inaction, would cost in terms of opportunities down the road.

Would I have chosen a different path (or many paths) if, as a 25-year-old, I could see the opportunities presented to me with my half-century-old eyes and knowledge?

However, with age also comes the recognition and understanding that all of life's experiences, both good and bad, contribute to the person you are today, and set the stage for tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.

Without going too in-depth, I would remind my younger self that education is vitally important, and opens many unexpected doors of opportunity for personal growth and the ability to positively affect the lives of others.

There are other things I would tell my younger self, but I would really like to hear from you. If you had to do it all over again, what would you tell your younger self?

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Question: Why did the chicken cross the road? 

Answer: To get to the other side of the road, of course.

It’s an old joke that just about everyone had heard, told or modified in some way.

Just recently I was standing on the porch, talking with my sister when suddenly I saw a chicken crossing the road; really, no kidding. It was a real live chicken crossing the road in a small town in Kentucky, but it was a chicken nonetheless.

My sister said I made the oddest facial expression, and then calmly asked her if indeed it was a chicken crossing the road.

I’m sure you can imagine the hilarity that followed, when everyone in the house was brought out to: #1) hear the story, #2) see the chicken, and 3) to send the tweens down the street to take a photo of him. We are so easily amused…

Although this is funny, and I truly enjoy laughing at myself and with others, the experience also allowed me to consider why I make the decisions I do, both personally and in business.

We all know that good decisions are based on accurate information, and used as strategic stepping stones toward the completion of a goal.

Like the question about the chicken, what about the goals? Why did I (or you) choose those particular goals, or set the bar so high (or low)?

Generally, goals are set to achieve a specific end, often in conjunction with one or more others as well. I think the goals we set for ourselves are formed by our personal experiences and perspectives.

Each of us has a slightly different perspective on life, even if we grew up in the same house and shared the same experiences. However, often times those different perspectives between individuals give rise to differing ultimate goals, automatic responses in similar situations, and sometimes drive a wedge of misunderstanding between parties.

This is life. As human beings, it is inevitable that we will disagree with someone on a daily basis; some minor and others as big as an immovable boulder.

In business, you may have personality conflicts with a co-worker, peer, partner, or that very annoying customer that everyone passes off to someone else.

This doesn't mean that you are an awful person. You just have to try a little bit harder to work cohesively with your team and those around you.

Then, like the chicken, you have to decide if you want to stay on that side of the road or walk across it seeking another opportunity.

If you want to stay, then seek a mentor to help you with workplace challenges such as personality conflicts.

If you want to move on, then do so, thereby ensuring that you benefit from a new opportunity to build on your success somewhere else, and the company you leave has an opportunity to hire someone who can better help them fulfill their mission or reach their strategic goals.

So, tell me. Why did your chicken cross the road, and where was it going?

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

The Merits of Multi-Tasking

We are a society of multi-taskers.

There is absolutely no doubt about it.

Just yesterday I witnessed a woman choosing groceries through several isles in the grocery store, while carrying on what appeared to be a very serious conversation on her cell phone. As I finished my shopping and moved to the checkout lane, there she was again, emptying her cart while continuing the sometimes very animated cell phone conversation. Finally, the checkout staff had to interrupt her conversation to ask her to pay for her purchases. Although the store employee was very nice about it, the customer was clearly offended about being interrupted.

As I was watching this play out, I thought, “Wow. When did this behavior (on the customer’s part) become acceptable in our society?”

Contrary to popular belief, multi-tasking is not a new behavior. People have always been able to multi-task when it comes to running a household and caring for children or others in the home. No one thought anything of it until women began trying to “have it all” by building a successful career while balancing home life.

When cooking a meal, sometimes I have active pans on all my stove burners while I’m cutting an ingredient on the side. My goal in this case is to have everything finish at about the same time, somewhat like a project manager who schedules tasks to complete simultaneously so the next phase of the project can begin.

As business leaders and employees, we multi-task on a daily and sometimes hourly basis; this is just the way it is. Think about the job descriptions you have seen lately – they all include the ability to multi-task and prioritize responsibilities. 

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t have any problem or issue with multi-tasking. Some who know me would dub me the Queen of Multi-Tasking. As you can see from the photo here, I also have phone conversations while attending a Major League Baseball game. Trust me, I am not the only one doing this.

What bothers me, though, is the rudeness of some multi-tasking situations, such as the grocery story example I mentioned above.

If the phone conversation was so important, why did the customer not stop what she was doing and give her undivided attention to the call, and then continue on with her shopping?

Why did she feel the need to continue the shopping process while sharing her one-sided version of the conversation with those around her, and then berate the store employee for doing his job by politely asking the customer to pay for her purchases?

This analogy can also mirror workplace multi-tasking situations.

Think about it.

How many times have you held a conversation with someone while you were answering an email to someone else, or talking on the phone while writing a report?

The rudeness of that aside, how can you give your undivided attention to two or more people or tasks at the time? You can’t.

Early in my career I was lucky enough to work for a supervisor who stopped everything he was doing as soon as someone walked in his office door or the phone rang. Granted, the person on the phone could not see that he wasn’t multi-tasking, but while you were in his office, it was clearly obvious that you – and you alone – had his completely undivided attention.

While I haven’t always lived up to his standards in that regard, the picture in my mind is as clear today as it was in 1991. As an employee, his behavior made me feel valued, and certain that my opinion or concern had merit.

23 years later, the difference between that leader’s conscious effort to engage whomever he was speaking with and the grocery store customer provide an excellent lesson on the merits of multi-tasking. While you can certainly do more than one thing at a time, choosing to stop multi-tasking and focus on the most important matter at hand for a short period of time is quite often the better decision.

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

The Great Escape - Ingenuity & Determination

Editor's Note: This blog post also appears on LinkedIn.

Photo shared from the story
posted on www.breitbart.com

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word Ingenuity as “skill or cleverness that allows someone to solve problems.” 

As the World War II allies celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that started the liberation of France over the weekend, an 89 year-old British D Day Veteran living in a care home that was told he could not go to the celebrations used his gift of ingenuity and simply walked away.

His story, now being billed as the “great escape,” speaks volumes about his determination to reunite with his fellow D-Day veterans, and to honor those who gave the ultimate price for freedom. Telling care givers that he was just going for a walk, while accurate, did not convey the totality of his walk about, as Britons would say. He simply didn’t mention he was going to walk to a specific location to catch a bus, and then a ferry, to attend the ceremonies on the beaches of Normandy because “it was the right thing to do.”

I have always been awed by the Greatest Generation, and found myself awed once again while watching Queen Elizabeth II placing a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves ceremony on Friday, when I realized that most of those attending the event were most likely small children or had not even been born yet when D-Day took place. She, on the other hand, was training and serving as a driver in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. Even as sheltered as she was as a Royal, she wanted to do her part because “it was the right thing to do.”

What does “the great escape” and Queen Elizabeth’s services during World War II have to do with business, you ask? 

Simply this: at times, true leadership requires ingenuity and determination to motivate a team, enlighten those who don’t yet see the vision clearly, and lead the charge onto the metaphorical business beach their organization is charged with taking to achieve their goals. 

It also requires leading with courage and valor like that shown by the Allied soldiers who participated in the D-Day event, because "it is the right thing to do."

Reflecting once again on the enormity of the ultimate price paid by those on the beaches of Normandy in 1944, I am thankful for not only the freedom their sacrifice provided, but also for the examples of ingenuity and determination that generation still exhibits 70 years on.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Missed Opportunities

Editor's Note: This blog post also appears on LinkedIn.

Conversation Overheard Between 2 Friends in December 1992

Bob: “I’m buying some stock in the Snapple Company. The company is doing really well, and I think it’s going to take over the market. Want to spend that $5,000 you have on $15 a share and join me?”

George: “I think the beverage market is really over-crowded, so I think I’ll pass. Thanks for thinking of me and asking though.”

Fast Forward to 2014

Today, the stock purchased for $5,000 in 1992 would have split several times and now be worth over $40,000. What a huge missed opportunity!

Many times over my life I have been presented with an opportunity and passed for one reason or another. Some decisions proved to be the right one, while others were later identified as a true missed opportunity.

Common business sense suggests significant research and data to support the options considered. After all, intelligent business decisions are made based on data, right?

What about gut feelings or intuition? Several times over my career, data suggested one action while my intuition suggested a totally different – and way out there – action. For the most part, the data-based decisions provided the expected results, but every once in a while, my gut reaction proved to be the better path instead.

So, how do you tell which opportunities are worth the effort and which ones aren’t? What if there is no data to support your intuition? As a business leader you have to make that call, taking both the credit if it works and the responsibility if it fails.

What happens if you don’t make a decision? Well, that’s a decision in and of itself.

There are several common reasons leaders choose to not make a decision or to do nothing about an opportunity:

• We don’t have enough capital right now
• There’s too much going on in the company/market place right now
• We don’t have the right people in place
• I’m the only one who wants to do it

What commonality do you see in each of those reasons?

They are all simply excuses for not leading.

So you don’t have the capital – get it. There’s too much going on – great! Your competition won’t expect you to do anything and you’ll gain a competitive edge. Don’t have the right people? Get them or hire contractors.

Last, but not least, no one else wants to do it. Really? Then refine the message of your vision and actively share that vision with your team. 

Just like Bob and his friend George above, perhaps they aren't buying the opportunity because you haven’t sold it well.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.