I'm not surprised anymore. I used to be...a lot...but those days are long gone. It is clear that the challenge of building and leveraging networks to find talent is the sole responsibility of HR.
Hiring leaders are simply incapable of building a network on their own. They are too scared, too full of excuses, and candidly, enjoy having someone to target when their hiring struggles persist.
Meet Director #1
This person has been a loyal and hard-working part of the organization's leadership team for years. She works hard, tries to support her employees as much as possible, and attends a conference or two each year. She's bright, and keeps her team informed of the latest equipment, clinical practices, and news about the hospital.
Problem: she has been so focused internally that she is useless when it comes time to recruit talent, spread good news about organizational breakthroughs, or to simply tell the story about what it means to be a part of the organization.
Meet Director #2
This person has also been a loyal and hard-working member of the leadership team for a long time. However, in addition to putting a tremendous amount of energy into her staff, she also has worked hard to develop her leader brand.
When it comes time to fill vacancies, she has already differentiated herself pushing out thought leadership, stories about the hospital, and adding some personal touches as well. She has a network she can tap into, and she does.
How About You
Who are the leaders you work with that have such tight organizational blinders on that they're hurting themselves?
Help them see the big picture. Help them understand that the investment they make in their internal and external brand, will make a huge difference.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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It seems Hollywood is obsessed with making movies about comic book characters. With the help of sophisticated technology the characters fly around and smash things. The kids (and many adults) love it, and the definition of superhero drifts away from real life and lands in fantasy land.
That's okay...I guess.
I Met A Hero...But He Didn't Meet Me
I work at a very special organization that takes care of the most fragile patients in the world. Literally. Some time ago when I was visiting with our amazing team members I met what I would consider a superhero. He didn't wear a cape, or brightly colored tights. He didn't have biceps the size of a truck, or shoot fire from his hands. In fact, he was quite still and small.
You see, he was facing a battle far more epic than a midtown Manhattan taxi throwing clash between fantasy characters. The stakes were much higher.
Team Means Something Different To This Hero
As I visited with the employees and we discussed a variety of issues, they constantly scanned the equipment keeping our hero going. Any slight variation, any seemingly minor change was reacted to instantly. Nothing was ignored...except me...and I was fine with that. They actually apologized for interrupting me so they could jump to our hero's aid.
Even though our team was glad I was there to discuss issues that impact their work life, I was really a secondary priority. Our hero was first...by a mile.
How About You
How do you define superhero? For me, it's much more than someone who can hang upside down from a skyscraper. Sometimes it is someone who is just getting started, yet they can still save the day.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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