Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
We can teach people a lot of things, but there are two
things we cannot teach people, potential hires or
employees—judgment and personality development.
Judgment is an interesting trait because the only way you
can acquire judgment is by making judgments. Unfortunately,
in the reality of life, some people simply have better
judgment than others.
If you think the bank and financial lenders at the biggest
companies in the United States always have good judgment,
you are dead wrong. Their judgment can be terrible. Look at
the recent subprime lending that was fueled by greed rather
than good judgment. Just because the CEO of a company makes
more judgments (or decisions), it does not mean that he or
she makes good judgments (or decisions). People either have
good judgment or they DO NOT, just as you are pregnant or
not pregnant; there is no in-between.
Remember, too, that there can be a huge difference between
having good judgment and being judgmental. Sometimes it is
hard to forget your past. People can be judgmental about
someone else's ideas or opinions when their credibility is
not on the line, but change like a chameleon when THEY are
responsible for making a judgment.
Personality development cannot be taught because it is not
driven by professional development (adding more college
degrees, specialized training, seminars or one-on-one
help). Personality development is driven not by
professional growth but by personal growth.
This is why it is so difficult to take a bigoted person and
change his or her attitude about racial issues. A bigoted
man may well be as prejudiced on the day he dies as the day
he decided to look down on someone or question their
ability because of the color of their skin.
Personal growth is 100 times more difficult to achieve than
professional growth because it requires that you not only
learn or become aware of new information, but that you also
willingly change your thought process and belief system.
People CAN change but most people choose not to.
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion
still. A woman convinced against her will is of the same
opinion still.
The next two sentences are very important to know and
understand: When we blame others, we give up our ability to
change. If you lack the will for change, there is no one
who can show you the way (that includes Jesus Christ
himself).
You will rise higher faster by achieving more personal
growth than professional growth. Many potential hires and
employees have enough education to become successful. Many
can also handle any necessary training required to become
successful. Few, however, manage to achieve more personal
growth than professional growth and remain stuck in their
current position.
----------------------------------------------------
Read my 4-part series on Job Interviews: "It Is Not What
You Say, But How You Say It That Counts ' Part 1", "How to
Answer When Asked Your Strengths and Weaknesses ' Part 2",
"How to Handle Job References ' Part 3" and "What Do
Employers Really Want When Hiring? ' Part 4".
Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/JobsandCareers.html
No comments:
Post a Comment