On a recent Saturday, I found myself in a room full of exceptionally capable women. We were gathered for a meeting, but the morning hadn't gone quite to plan. Our Chairlady was unwell, and the Secretary was running late. The meeting was at a standstill. A lady eventually volunteered to chair, but when she asked for someone—anyone—to take the minutes, the room fell into a heavy, dead silence. I sat there and smiled. My mind immediately went to the tenets of the Girls 4 Girls (G4G) Kenya mentoring program. In our work, we constantly talk about the importance of women taking up leadership positions, yet here was a real-world example of how easily we hesitate when the "official" roles aren't filled.
I have been re-reading Chapter 1 of "How Women Rise" by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the concept of "Where You Are Coming From," contrasting the "Stickler" (who thrives on rules and precision) with the "Spontaneous" leader (who excels at adapting in the moment). In my professional life, I have leaned heavily into being a Stickler. Precision, discipline, and a deep respect for the "rules" have served me incredibly well - they are the foundation of my reliability.
The expression "stop and smell the roses" is not simply about flowers, but rather about how to slow down and notice the little things that make life worthwhile. In today's hustle and bustle, it is easy to move through the day disconnected from our capacity as humans. Simple ways you can follow so that you can stop and smell the rose.
The one-way video interview is on the rise: companies like Apple, Twitter, Google, UBS and many more use a one-way video interview at some point in their hiring process. Some estimates have seen a nearly 30% increase in the use of pre-recorded interviews in the last year. While one-way interviews are a great time-saving tool for recruiters, they can be an awkward experience for the candidate.
How many times do we feel bad about not doing what we were supposed to do and easily blame it on the other person? More often than not it is lack of confidence that makes us behave that way. So, what are some of the simple steps we can take to build our confidence?
