Sweet Spots: A Day in the Life Sunday

Sweet spots . . . we all have them.

Sweet spots are not necessarily unique to you, in fact, they can be day to day happenings everyone experiences. What makes them "sweet" is that they are right for you. You notice them, you thrive on them, and you are inspired by them when the next person may not even bat an eye in their presence.

When it comes to sweet spots, three biggies come to mind for me right now.

Collaboration

I recently spent a few days in Scottsdale, Arizona. When I wasn't talking employee engagement I was learning a little about the publishing and consulting worlds from 2 smart women over margaritas, guacamole and cheese dip. Talking to, working with and bouncing ideas off of other smart women? When it comes to energy, ideas and inspiration, it really doesn't get any better than that.

Strength

I am a reluctant exerciser. I have a new appreciation for weight training for strength. For cardio, I enjoy running. You wouldn't believe me if you saw how often I am on the machines, but running outside is what I enjoy most. There is nothing like settling into a rhythm, quieting my mind and enjoying the movement, strength and quiet of an outdoor run.

Family

I heart my family unit. The days are c-r-a-z-y with early morning wake-ups and each of us heading to our separate destinations. We coordinate, plan, adjust and connect to get done what we need to do and to get to the places we need to go. Lounging around on lazy Sundays with nothing to do but be together in the same space at the same time? Sweet.

A little more sweetness . . .

. . . creating opportunity for others, stepping out of my comfort zone (even when the execution turned out less than spectacular), spa days, girl's nights, bike rides, Bella Cucina, and Bailey's.

So tell me, what sweet spots do you have?

Index Card Credit: Jessica Haagy

Reference Checks Required

What is the best part of your job?

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook, "One of the best parts of my job? Calling successful candidates to make a job offer. One of the worst? Telling unsuccessful candidates they aren't getting it."

My friend conducts a thorough pre-employment screen and she makes good hires. But not everyone is as thorough. Not all hiring managers or HR professionals check references.

I recall an interaction I had with a hiring manager as a young HR professional:

Me: You have to check references.

Hiring Manager: Why? He did great in the interview.

Me: Because, you have to.

Hiring Manager: No, I don't.

Me: Yes, you do. You have to know who you are hiring.

Hiring Manager: I do know who I am hiring. His name is Joe and he's a rock star.

Turns out, the hiring manager did not know Joe like he thought he knew Joe and Joe was more rock than star. Instead of an, "I told you so," as I walked the rock star out the door, the hiring manager received a not-open-for-discussion, "reference checks required."

In hindsight, I would have gotten my point across better with the hiring manager if I had taken the time to teach vs. tell and offered more of my reasoning.

Gilt Groupe's CEO, Kevin Ryan talks about reference checks in his Harvard Business Review article, Building a Team of A Players:

"The hiring process typically has three elements: the resume, the interview and the reference check. Most managers overvalue the resume and interview and undervalue the reference check. References matter most. . . . when someone does not succeed in a job, it's generally not for lack of technical skills - it's because of intangibles that don't come up in an interview. Is he attentive to detail? Does she work well with others? How does he treat his colleagues? References are the only way to learn these things."

You don't spend $1.59 on a dozen eggs without checking each and every egg ('fess up) so how could you hire an employee for your organization without checking him for cracks?

I know, I've griped about reference checks too. I probably griped right after I duck taped the little voice that was telling me, "no," or said something like, "I am self-aware, un-snowable, and great judge of character." And it's backfired on me each and every time.

Guess what? I am not as good a judge of the intangibles as I think I am and neither are you. Reference checks required. And when you check references, check good.

As Ryan says, "It can take real effort to find someone who will be straight with you, but it's worth it."

Making good hires is the best part of any manager's job.

Photo credit iStockphoto