Cornerstone Kansas City’s Director of Client Services, Lisa Bruemmer writes about the critical importance of in-person meetings during the Executive Search recruiting and hiring process.
IF A TREE FALLS IN THE WOODS…
Does it make a sound? I guess that depends on if anyone is listening.
I recently read an article on Thrive Global, If You Do This, You Will Have Better Relationships, by Mareo McCracken and it got me thinking. Does the continual striving to be heard make sense if nobody is listening?
Listening is a skill. An art. It requires practice and focus to do it well. The payoff for honing our listening skills is huge both personally and professionally so why aren’t we better at it? I think the answer is simple but difficult to overcome. Most of us are much more concerned about being heard. Our communication has become automated and one-sided as we become reliant on our cell phones, text, email, twitter, Instagram, facebook, etc. to tell, sell, inform and connect. Everyone is talking which begs the question, who is listening?
As we are in the relationship business, this is an important distinction. We are “old school” as we strive to meet personally with our clients so we can LISTEN to their needs, understand their culture, represent them professionally in the marketplace, and ultimately hit the mark with an executive hire that meets or exceeds their expectations. It can be difficult in our busy climate to convince a client of the value of the face-to-face meet….but listening requires more than our ears. It is a commitment to understanding. As Mareo McCracken says, “Listening the right way is about focus. You take the focus off of yourself and put it where it belongs, on the other person.”
Professional and personal relationships require good listening. A resume doesn’t tell you who a candidate is only what they’ve done and an email can’t convey what the hiring manager is like to work with or the culture of a business. So, I recommend you take that old school, face-to-face meeting whenever you can. Cornerstone Kansas City is listening.
