The definition of that phrase is about finding a diamond in nature, or in the rough. A raw material that requires some effort. In order to reach its full potential, it needs some attention; to be cut and polished to reveal its worth. Ultimately, it is a metaphor for a thing or person hidden in the surroundings and circumstances of the world. Virtuous and unseen… untapped value waiting to be developed. In the case of you and me, untapped talent. After almost three years of enduring the pandemic, how many of us see ourselves as that diamond? Even if we didn’t engage in the Great Resignation, or are left reeling from the Great Regret, we may still be in search of a job that develops our passion and purpose. We may still be questioning our calling and what fulfills our work life.
That being said, let’s pivot the focus of the diamond metaphor. From us to what we seek. The job. Looking for the diamond in the rough. Knowing that when we find it, it will take some work on our part to polish it. To reveal its worth.
The Job Search
In our last episode, it was about defining what we want and what we are looking for. For now, where do we start? Where are we looking? There are jobs everywhere. Which means, I can understand being picky or considering all the options before jumping into anything. My fear is we may be too picky or eliminate a “diamond” because it may take time and effort before we see the value.
When I started my professional career right after graduating university, it wasn’t in my field of study, graphic design. It was with Dillard’s department store in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I accepted a manager’s role in visual merchandising. I took it not knowing what I didn’t know. Make sense? I thought it would be a start of something. Not knowing what that something was going to be. Very shortly thereafter, I was recruited by Polo Ralph Lauren, and ending up starting my career in Men’s fashion in New York City.
What are some ways we can find our start or our next gig? Here are a couple of suggestions.
A person submits a resume to employer to review job application.
Talk to People We Know
Networking is one of easiest and most accessible of resources. And more than just a connection, go deep. Find people who may be doing something of interest or know people who are doing something interesting. Invest time in asking questions and developing contacts. Create a funnel of people who can be potential promoters and champions for your cause.
Research
As much as this has become a trite response, “google it”. Yes, do the research. Utilize resources like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Google. Investigate job possibilities. Explore what’s out there. Consider the industries and positions with potential gaps needing to be filled. What organizations are growing and looking for talent?
A woman performing a job search at home on a laptop.
Find a Recruiter
If there is a need for a specialized job, involve a third-party advocate, like a recruiter, who can act on your behalf and help with the search. While this typically has an associative cost, many times that investment is covered by the employer as part of the search.
Next Steps
Once some options have come into view from your job search efforts, I suggest making the proverbial “pros and cons” list. Reflect and begin connecting the dots with the identified things we wanted in a job as well as our passion, purpose, gifts, talents, mindset and skillset to each of the possibilities. It reminds me of something Steve Jobs said about the unpredictability of life when we are planning our future.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Once we turn the possibility into an opportunity, here’s the “diamond” moment, how will we see that potential job? Maybe it’s a first job. Something new, or it’s another job in a long line of jobs. Can we see the potential beyond the first 30/60/90 days? Can we see how this might open up doors in the future for what we really want to do?
Let’s be real, when we find the job with a high degree of interest and we are contemplating the decision to accept it, it does not mean we are saying yes to an absolute or final job. It does not bind us for life. We’re not aiming for perfect. We’re making the best decision for the opportunity that lies ahead. Realize, a job doesn’t define our journey, it’s part of the journey.
Make the decision… Pick up the diamond and let’s see what happens next.
This is the first part in our series, The Great Realization. If you missed our introduction to this series, click here before diving into Part 1: Defining a Job below.
Defining A Job
The grass is always greener on the other side.
Yes, that is a very familiar term. About when we think one circumstance is better than another. Laced with a bit of envy, this perspective can shape our decision making even if appearances are deceiving. And they usually are. Especially when we add another oldie, but goodie statement, “If it seems too good to be true…” Which can mean we are suspicious that something must be wrong with something we are unexpectedly enjoying.
One of the big conversations regarding the COVID impact on the business landscape was The Great Resignation. A phenomenon that saw employees actively and intentionally leaving their jobs. COVID locked people in place, at home. During this required downtime, it appears to have stimulated thoughts about their job. About how they saw meaning in what they did. In time, it pivoted into a virtual job with the workplace being the kitchen or dining room table. This change provoked people into evaluating their purpose. This was the catalyst for looking for the dream job. People started leaving.
As we enter the third year of COVID, we have shifted the awareness of people leaving jobs to people evaluating something else. Did they make the right choice to leave and is the ‘grass truly greener’?
A March 2022 Guardian article noted this “resignation” turnover was real and lots of people had changed jobs in the past two years. In fact, the feeling was it wasn’t so much leaving jobs as swapping jobs. It cited a job research study by Muse, which found as much as seventy-two percent of workers experienced surprise or regret in their new post. Nearly half (48%) said they would try to get their old job back. They called this “shift shock” So, it begs the question…is the grass actually the exact same color?
Based on what has happened and how to move forward, I challenge some of the following considerations in searching for a “right fit” job.
Purpose. I thought I would tackle the biggest rock first. COVID may very well have stimulated this contemplation…what do I really want to do? That can be a complex answer, or it can be simple. What do you want to do versus what do you have to do versus what do you get to do.
Want to do; this is about desire. Maybe it’s something you’ve always wanted to do. It’s been in the back of your mind, and you’ve always wondered “what if”. One side may say “That’s high risk – to step into something new you’ve dreamt about”. Another side may say “That’s high reward – to step into something you’re passionate about”.
Have to do; this is about necessity. If you have to create provision…provision to maintain a quality of life, support your family, consistently pay down debt…you may have to take the job that supports your needs at this time. This doesn’t mean you can’t dream or work towards another future. It does mean it may take time. And who is to say you can’t or won’t be fulfilled in a current post. It could very well be the exact laboratory to perfect a targeted skill set for the future.
Get to do; this is about appreciation. Maybe we are in the right job, and we’ve forgotten to fully engage in its possibilities. Maybe we have felt stuck, and all we have to do is expand and evolve in the job. We may not like certain aspects of the job, and yet it is precisely where we should be. Maybe we haven’t given it a chance to have it be bigger than it is, as well as recognizing the influence you can have on others and your own purpose.
Purpose aside, now the considerations wrap around personal need – what we need and a job that provides support for those needs. Maybe it’s about compensation like pay scale, commission, potential for bonus, etc. Maybe it’s about benefits like healthcare, 401k programs, paid vacation, flex schedules, and so on. Maybe it is about personal growth like ongoing development, promotion, educational opportunities. Maybe simple things like convenience, geography, accessibility, and maybe even culture – that the company stands for something and has purpose beyond profitability.
It reminds me of Maslow’s Hierarchy; a concept shared by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”. It provides a look at human needs within a five-tier model. The hierarchy is often displayed as a pyramid, with basic needs at the bottom and more complex needs at the top.
Starting at the bottom, it identifies physiological need, or the base needs for human survival. The next level is about safety needs, including things like our health, our employment status, our home, and so on. The next is love and belonging, which involves a need for the love, appreciation and value in our relationships. The fourth level is esteem; specifically, things like self-worth, status, achievement, confidence and a sense of social significance. The top of this five-tier pyramid is self-actualization, or the need of feeling fulfilled and living a purpose-driven life.
If you think about trying to find the “right” job, maybe we start with Maslow’s pyramid as we step into our opportunities. Grass being greener must begin with how we define ‘green’. Because without that kind of realization, the job may be a checked box and not a part of personal growth journey.
Those that have been following our blog will remember our Summer 2022 posts regarding The Great Resignation during the Coronavirus pandemic. While these learnings were valuable at the time, we are discovering the new era of the world as we enter post Covid times. With these new times come new developments which leads us to The Great Realization.
Our Mission
Russell Cellular’s mission is to provide the best wireless experience to every customer, every time. That motto is lived out in the people who deliver on that mission every day. Russell Cellular’s cultural foundation is “care for every person”, which extends to more than just customers. The care culture includes coaching and development within the Russell Cellular organization, especially to those entrusted with leading our valuable team members.
Who Is Kurt Reinhart?
Enter Kurt Reinhart. Kurt is the Vice President of Learning and Development for Russell Cellular and has been with the organization for nearly six years now. During his twenty-five year long career in the learning and development space, Kurt has consulted for a wide variety of companies, including many wireless retail organizations in the United States and Canada. Known for his unique delivery and energetic presence, Kurt’s relentlessly positive approach to leadership and coaching make him a sought-after speaker and presenter. Since moving his work to Russell Cellular in 2017, Kurt regularly leads mentoring discussions, creates development tracks, and hosts leadership sessions for team members across the organization.
Kurt Reinhart
Kurt’s writings provide daily inspiration and fuel for thought provoking discussion here at Russell Cellular. Delivering them online is an opportunity to connect his work with an audience beyond the internal and share his perspective with those who would find it valuable.
With that being said, we introduce to you the new series, The Great Realization from the desk of Kurt Reinhart!
Introduction to The Great Realization
This year, it was my pleasure and privilege to share insight on Why People Stay. Thoughts and contemplations regarding the last two years and how the COVID ripple has had influence on our business landscape.
The Great Resignation, a term coined in May 2021, describes the record number of people leaving their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic. As a leadership specialist, I spent time and energy researching how both employees and employers responded. This movement, also known as the Big Quit and the Great Reshuffle, showed people were leaving jobs. At the same time, organizations of all sizes and scale came into a Great Reflection about what to do.
As we approach a third year after, the dust has settled. I believe we have come into what I refer to as the Great Realization. A time when we are beginning to evaluate “the job”. Whether you are looking at your current and past job, or you are seeking to provide opportunities for new team members, this is a time to discuss what we learned and what we need to do as we move forward.
This new series will explore the stages of the employee life cycle from finding the job to how the job can expand possibilities to how company culture plays a part all along the way.
People leave jobs for a number of different reasons – toxic company culture, poor work life balance, a lack of opportunities for remote work, for example. But the true question we want to explore today is Why People Stay: Exploring Employee Retention.
What’s the deal with the Great Resignation?
The Great Resignation conversation has piqued a lot of interest. People are leaving jobs, and employee turnover is high. Many “whys” are being thrown around.
But there’s only one thing that’s for certain. The pandemic has disrupted the thinking about the “what” and “how” in a job, and distinctly the “why” behind it. And maybe that’s because being in lockdown and trying to understand the feeling of uncertainty gave all of us a little time to pause and consider our future.
The distinct spirit of the times may very well have forced people to contemplate the tension between employment and purpose. The fragility of each. And not just the employee. The employer has also had to look in the mirror and consider the same things.
I believe we are living through a remarkable time, when both employee and employer will fundamentally change how we look at work. How we engage in it, how we see a bigger picture and how we figure out what matters most in our day to day. Is that company culture? Remote work? The big question of work life balance?
I will take each of the seven reasons Branham identifies, and turn them around. Each one will share a perspective into what may be possible if we willingly ask ourselves some questions, are honest about the answers, and then openly engage in some action to create some change.
Let’s be real, there’s no secret pill or formula that will solve why people are leaving or why they might stay. There is no one size fits all. It will more than likely require more than just you to be involved, or any one department in your organization. It will, as they say, take a village. A tribe, clan, or team of like-minded people who care about others. Many collaborating for all.
Branham’s first reason is, and as the author denotes – not in any particular order, the job or workplace was not as expected.
When the job or workplace isn’t what you expected
Have you ever had an expectation given fall short of what was expressed? Told one thing and another thing transpired? Maybe you’ve even found out the truth shared was not the real truth or the whole reality of a position. Think, “If I had known that would be part of the job, I wouldn’t have taken it.”
The simple response in inverting the reason would be telling the truth. Providing a genuine and authentic picture of what happens, to what extent, why, and how to best work through and be successful.
Perhaps the biggest tripping point for an employer might be that if a candidate knew the worst-case scenario, they wouldn’t take the job. This assumption might be true if there wasn’t any structure, training, resources, or support to ensure they would be successful in any and all circumstances.
Consider each job. What are the duties and responsibilities? What are the challenges, and what are the ways people are empowered to get the job done? Involve all levels of team members to share the reality of positions within the organization. Share true case studies and real scenarios in the interview process. This allows for both parties to gauge response and solutions.
In all things, company culture plays a big part. One coin, two sides. One side, the job. The other, where it lives. I was told once, “sell the company culture first and the job second.” Assess your guiding principles and core values. How are they lived out, and do they support a true picture of the job and the work environment?
What expectations are you creating? Are you living up to them? Employees do not want perfection; they need the truth. They appreciate honesty, and they may stay longer if they know where they stand.
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them. ” Brené Brown
When it comes to the options on what makes the list of choices for personal and organizational core values, integrity makes every list. Not just on the list, it is often the first-mentioned, and at the top of the list. In a way, it is the filter every other value is sifted through. This is a value driver, reinforcing how we commit to, believe in, and follow through with the other values.
Consider some of these common quotes and sayings about integrity:
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one else is watching.”
“Integrity is following through with what you said, and walking the talk.”
“Integrity is staying true to who you are, especially when times get tough.”
It is about truth. Your personal truth. Truth that hurts when convenience would be easier. It’s about character. It’s about how we treat others. It’s what influences respect from others. It’s honesty, and acting honestly. It’s when you can fail miserably and know you did your best, versus winning big time knowing you cut corners to get it done. It’s when your private and your public align. It’s about trust – the trust you have in yourself and the trust you create for the others around you. It’s the big reason people follow you.
Integrity in leadership
When you think of a great leader, someone with a great management style, what characteristics come to mind? What is it that compels us to follow? I contend that much of what draws followers in is the character of the leader, and their ability to put the needs of others ahead of their own. We see this humility and their desire to make others successful. We trust them to stand beside us. We trust their integrity.
Case in point, if you know someone who has the title of leader, and has shown they lack integrity…would you follow them? Maybe the title would dictate it, however, the character of the leader will always impact to what extent you follow. This reminds me of what John Maxwell says, “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”
So, how does integrity play a part in you, your team, or your organization? How would you describe and define integrity as it applies to those perspectives?
Start thinking about integrity today
Get a sheet of paper and a pen. Draft your answers to some or all of following questions:
What kind of actions define integrity?
Why is having integrity important, necessary, and essential in your leadership style?
Why would someone follow you?
How would you rate your ability and intention in: admitting mistakes, being vulnerable, responding to change, working through difficulty & uncertainty, forgiving others, keeping promises, and doing the next right thing?
Who models integrity well in your sphere of influence? What are their behaviors? Who doesn’t, and why?
If you asked your team to rate/describe your leadership integrity, or the integrity of the company leadership, what would they say?
Mirror moment: Is there a gap between what you say and what you do? What about what you ought to be doing and what you are doing, or how you think you are leading versus how you are actually living out your leadership?
How would you process the following question: Can you train integrity?
Are these honest answers, or ones we want to hear? Maybe that is the first test of the level or depth of our integrity. Are we willing, honest, and open enough to tell the truth? Starting with ourselves.
Leadership style: integrity
Integrity in leadership is…well, everything. If this is off, everything else is off as well. Warren Buffet said, “In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” Integrity is the cornerstone.
So where is the easiest place to look for it? As I researched integrity, a word kept sticking with me.
Authenticity.
Why? Because I wholeheartedly believe that leadership is not just what you do, it’s who you are. You are a leader because there was something about you. You have been wired a certain way. Your skill set and mindset. Your decisions. Your intentions. Your passion and purpose.
Integrity therefore comes from within, and aligns exactly with who we are and the values we live by…no matter what. Sticking to those values, to our belief and faith, in all circumstances. Success and failure. Sunny day or rainy day. To be resolutely committed to who we are at all times, regardless of circumstances. Assertively authentic, especially when things are unprecedented and upside down.
I leave you with a challenge; a simple integrity “to do”. Be the example. Be the example of the level and degree of integrity you want to have…personally, with your team, or in your organization. Be it…out loud, every day with whatever you are given. Even if no one is watching.
5 ways you can bring focus on integrity
Conduct assessment and/or survey to gauge how teams rate integrity within your organization
Instead of just noting integrity as a core value, collaborate on how to live it out behaviorally
Get or become a mentor, accountability partner or battle buddy; speak truth about behavior
Create and encourage “tell the truth” sessions to discuss what needs to start, stop, and continue
Reward and recognize integrity, even the small stuff – when you see it, say it
“Accountability is the glue that holds everything together.” Kurt Reinhart
Words have meaning. They can have a very specific meaning, and we can fixate on how a select word is defined in our per view. Take the word “consequence”. What do you immediately think when that word is used? In almost every circumstance, I contend, we think of it in some type of negative way.
I searched the word, and the first hits seem to put the word’s context into a negative light. Take these:
“When people do something wrong, like rob a bank, the consequence will probably be prison time.”
“It is commonly used with such words as adverse, dire, disastrous, fatal, harmful, negative, serious, tragic and unfortunate.”
“Poor choices can lead to serious consequences.”
Consequence is defined as a result, effect, or conclusion of an action or condition. Think about it. It’s neutral. Yes, if I rob a bank and get caught, what is my consequence? If I make good choices, work hard, and invest time and energy in my family and future, what is my consequence?
Another word that can all too often have a negative connotation is “accountability”. Think about this one. When are we most likely to bring up and use this word? In a managerial context, it can be used primarily when something has become so bad, we now have to hold someone accountable for their actions. Again, the hits while searching suggested it becomes a conversation when we need to correct a team member’s error, poor performance, or shortcoming. This is a very narrow reality.
Accountability in leadership
Like consequence, accountability is neutral. It is defined as the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions. It is a driver for behavior. It is in every way the energy that directs choice. It’s waking up knowing we are accountable for our contribution to the day. Accountability is owning what we do and how we do it. It represents the boundaries for how we engage in our thinking and doing.
Basketball coaching legend, Pat Summitt, said, “Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have.” I absolutely agree. I believe accountability is interchangeable with responsibility and ownership, and connects with every aspect of my day to day. It is how I step into whatever I am given. I intentionally zoom out of the myopic, or nearsighted view that it only exists within the construct of correction or in those moments when someone has fallen short.
I have found working with various organizations that the definition of accountability can have a one-sided point of view and lack a broader context. Now would be a good time to challenge our understanding.
Boost your accountability management skill today
Get a sheet of paper and a pen. Draft your answers to some or all of following questions:
How do you define accountability, really?
How would your team define it?
What are the most common situations where you and your team bring it up?
What are the ways you deliver accountability within your team and organization?
How are you combining accountability with your understanding of consequence and discipline?
What are some ways you can foster a more neutral and positive accountability atmosphere?
How would you assess your percentage of correction versus praise being delivered?
How often are you discussing personal, team, and organizational accountability?
Why is a clear definition of accountability essential in personal and professional development?
Maybe the biggest “ahas” from these questions will be a realization of the moments when we are typically bringing up accountability. Maybe the only time we hear it and deal with it is at the end of a process. Maybe, more times than not, only if and when someone or something has not met an expectation.
I have made a very conscious decision to avoid bringing this up at the end of something. I steer away from the punitive “if this, then this” mentality. With previous clients and now with our current teams, I start with it.
I lead with the accountability-responsibility-ownership mindset. Then I make it an ongoing consideration – whereby accountability becomes woven into every aspect of our growth and development journey. We choose to live by this. To provide this example to our teams. To define how specific accountability behaviors are to be delivered within the organization.
Accountability is something we can all agree matters. It’s about an acceptance of the part we play in outlook, choice, outcome, and overall growth. All of it. As leaders, our job is to clarify and provide the opportunities for our team to be successful. I cannot stress this enough, it starts with our definitions. From our own point of view and with whom we lead, how we are defining success, and how accountability can get us there.
6 ways you can bring focus on accountability
Conduct a meeting where everyone honestly collaborates on the definition of accountability
Carefully consider how expectations are being clarified and then monitored and measured
When and where possible, have your team contribute to the setting of goals and targets
Evaluate how feedback is given, as well as when and how often it is given
Create peer to peer partnerships, with consistent and open conversation about behavior
Pay close attention to the balance of providing praise & recognition and correction & discipline
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