Reviews and Reflections

After a bit of a hiatus, I am back online. I wish I could say that I am refreshed, but I feel more run down than ever.

Let's think about our first jobs. I am not talking about working at a summer camp as a lifeguard or even Mickey D's - but your first real job where your input was required in order to make decisions. Do you remember if your first job was reactive or active? By that I mean: were you a decision-maker or did you wait until someone told you what to do?

In our environment, since there are so many balls in the air, we seek team members who do not need to be told what to do in detail. We seek people who have enthusiasm and the self-direction to convert that enthusiasm into results. Unfortunately, we don't have the money to further encourage this, but we have been lucky to find people who have seen the benefits of working with us to develop their problem solving and implementation skills.

Recently we received feedback that this total lack of hand-holding and "looking over the shoulder" was not appreciated, that we are boring. I couldn't help but chuckle because it is interesting how those who do not have the ability to take a project to the next level and look to others for "entertainment" would find anything that is not spoon-fed either "boring" or "too hard".

I struggle with this mentality with my 10-year old. We challenge our children to "think out of the box" and give the teachers more than the minimum requirements. THIS is how you excel - and this is how you grow. Waiting around for someone to tell you every "how" puts you in a position of subservience and dependence.

Regardless of the negativity, I am proud of our environment at Verify-ED. We let people make mistakes and we encourage everyone to go beyond the minimum. Unfortunately, most do not take the challenge. We are usually able to weed out the people who need lots of hand-holding during the interview process. It is amazing that just by asking an open-ended question that requires some research you can find out those who are seeking a position that requires and in and out box vs. those who want to show you that they have the ability to find solutions. We state a GOAL and then we basically leave it at that. We recognize that we are dependent upon the energies of others - and we have seen some great projects falter as a result. But, we have also seen great team members who have chosen to continue to contribute beyond their term of employment here - and THAT is all the reward for which any employer can hope!

To all our past and current team members - THANK YOU!!