In the Wrong Place?

I met a beautiful human being last week, who is about 5 months into a “Talent Acquisition Manager” role that looks like a lot of jobs I see advertised these days.

It is basically an overinflated title attached to an impossible job: do everything, build everything, make all the hires, without tools or budget or help, and forget the things you know are standard practice to get the work done well for the people involved...we need some shortcuts!

I didn’t see the job ad this person took on when she went to work at her current organization, but listening to what’s going on, I can confidently say it was probably a load of (insert preferred excrement term here).

No one could succeed at what she’s being asked to do.

So here is this incredible person, with great intentions: to serve the people around her, get the right people get hired, improve the overall team talent level, make the work easier…and all she’s doing is working her fingers to the bone in a place that talks about these things but really just wants to keep churning new hires into the organization so make up for 120% attrition because THOSE jobs suck as bad as the one she took.

If you’re one of these incredible, beautiful people let me warn you: you are naturally drawn to these kinds of impossible situations. You see them as opportunities to prove yourself, build and become. You can always find these situations, and you will be tempted with the idea that overcoming insurmountable odds and succeeding will validate who you are and what you believe.

Then you’ll get in there and wear yourself out, eventually coming to the hard knowledge that you can’t succeed without more from the organization, and they ain't interested. They just needed someone to plug the crack in the dam for a little while, and specifically sought out someone with honest intentions and spirit to paper over a lack of integrity about their own intentions.

The worst part?

After a while you wonderful, well-intentioned, big-hearted people will start to doubt yourselves…your skills and abilities, your desires and intentions.

Listen up my lovely people!

• Validating yourself with something external (a job, a relationship, a church, a political organization…anything) is an effort in futility. You must start self validation internally before you can find situations where you can be in harmony.
• If you haven’t internally established your value and goals and needs, and if you don’t revisit them regularly and often so that they are constantly and articulately in front of you, you’re a prime candidate to be duped into something (or someone) that seems OK but will make you sick.
• There are people and organizations who are highly, purposefully seeking out high-performing external validation seekers. They are constantly looking for them, and they are ready, willing and able to suck the life out of them for their own ends, especially if there's a profit to be made.

Sound familiar?

Are you in a job you know you can do, where you know what ‘good’ looks like and you are trying to live out your values while making a living…but starting to suspect is not going to let you get there?

That is a terrible place to be...but guess what else?

Your turn is coming!

Some surveys say that in the next 2-6 months almost 60% of employed people will be looking for something new. That will create a LOT of new roles for you to consider…so I’ll ask you: “How are you going to protect yourself from these soul vampires, and get yourself attuned for something that matches who you are and what you do best?"

Especially now, when there’s so much instability around us, you need to have the internal knowledge and tools to ensure sure you protect yourself and get what YOU need in return for your hard work and value. 

I help people on that journey.

I am passionate about working with Talent Acquisition leaders, but my clients come from all walks of professional life – technology, manufacturing, finance…everywhere! Some of them are first-time managers, some are SVP’s at the cusp of C-level roles.

All of them are just like you and me and the beautiful human being I met last week: hoping to spend our time in a game worth playing, where we can be our best and grow with people who want the same things we do.

How much better would your future look if you could make that kind of change?

If you’re ready to do the work, reach out. I’d be honored to hear your story and talk about what the journey might look like for you.