I have a confession. It could be described as a deep—perhaps some might call it severe—problem. I’m taking a deep breath here because it’s hard to put it into writing for everyone to read. But, I have to be honest. My life rarely goes the way I plan it.
Shocking, right?
Despite my efforts to plan, make lists, organize, and re-organize. It doesn’t happen.
How unfair!
Like many of us, I like to be organized. Google the benefits of being organized and you find things like it reduces stress, makes us happier, improves sleep, and lowers your risk of heart attack (I disagree on the heart attack, but more on that later).
This problem also carries over into my work. As a recruiter, staying organized is an ongoing battle. People rarely cooperate with your plans because, well, they have plans of their own. You are constantly juggling schedules, looking for an email message, or finding that file you just had in your hand. The best candidates should be easy to find, and yet finding them rarely goes as planned.
That’s how the chaos starts. And then it gets worse. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. In the midst of trying to organize the chaos and help my clients find the talented people they need, I’m having fun and love what I do, even though it’s often hard.
How wonderful would it be if you could simply press one of those easy buttons from the office supply store?
But, where’s the fun in that? There would be nothing to plan or organize. I love strategizing ways to find great candidates. It brings out my creativity and my inner Sherlock Holmes following a trail of clues to find the perfect employee.
Finding the ideal candidate requires us to look beyond the obvious. Like the time I interviewed a candidate as a favor to a friend. In the first few minutes of the interview, I knew the candidate was perfect for the job even though his resume seemed to indicate he was unqualified. If I had stuck to my plan and didn’t allow for unplanned moments, this great candidate would have been overlooked!
Recruiting is often like that. We find the best candidates in the least likely places. While planning and organizing are great, you also need to leave space for the unexpected. Because it’s often in the unexpected that we find the gems.
Now, about that heart attack.
Last summer, my husband and I decided to take a two-month cross-country road trip. (Crazy, right?) We rented a medium-sized car and my planning, organizer-freak brain went into overdrive. What to pack, how to pack it, and how to fit everything in a car we knew nothing about until the day we picked it up from the rental car agency.
My husband went about life unfazed by my struggle to organize all the details. He would occasionally say, “Honey, we need a place to stay for two nights in South Dakota.” Wait, what, we’re going to South Dakota? How did that get into the plan?
Needless to say, despite my best efforts at planning, when it came time to pack the car, things didn’t fit, there was more stuff than car and my husband insisted everything was essential. We really needed that enormous tub of pretzels to snack on during the long days of driving. Because, pretzels are hard to find, right? The exercise in making everything fit practically caused me to have a heart attack.
Things that should be easy to find, like pretzels, can sometimes be the most difficult to locate. Just like the employees you need in your business. Turns out the pretzels were sourdough and they were surprisingly hard to find on our road trip. Sometimes, you do have to bring your own. In the case of employees, sometimes you have to be open to looking in unusual places and be willing to train, develop, and grow your own talent.
And you know what? Life will never cooperate with our plans.
Organized chaos is the best any of us can do. So, now you know my problem and maybe even share it with me. Even as we plan…with systems, checklists, calendars, reminders, and colored-coded files, we have to be ready to let the chaos take us where it will.
If you’re ready to tame some of your chaos, you may want to grab a copy of The YOLO Principle: The Ultimate Hiring Guide for Small Business. It’s packed with tools, templates, and step-by-step instructions to find your ideal candidate. Purchase your copy here or on Amazon.
Or, you might need some personalized insights. Click this link to schedule a complimentary Insight session. It’s an investment of 20 minutes of focused coaching that will pay huge dividends.