A friend told me he’s hedging about pulling the plug on his job. He rattled through a long list of concerns, all of which were plausible reasons about why it was time for a change. But he drew a blank when I asked about what came next. Suddenly, his answers were like flipping over a Magic 8 ball: “Reply hazy, ask again.”
Understanding what lights you up or makes you walk away sounds easy enough. But if I asked you to give me an inventory in two minutes, could you do it? In the October series, Make Your Yes/No Shortlist, I’ll give you ideas for what should make the cut and tell you how soft skills can help you bring that shortlist to life.
Your list is vital for your career, but you can also use it to inform the rest of your life. Because if you don’t know your yesses or no’s, someone else will make those decisions for you. And that could be a big problem!
First up, we’ll take a page from my experience as a professional negotiator and define your go or no-go point. That simply means deciding whether you will keep going or stop investing in a situation.
Let me tell you how a successful entrepreneur defines his go/no-go point in a few simple questions.
There’s been an upside to the hundreds of meetings CEO Robert Reffkin has had with potential hires: His list of basic interview questions is short and sweet.
For instance, he considers whether they pass the “good person” test. Are they someone of integrity and character? Next, he considers whether he wants to spend time with that person. Is it possible for the two of them to bring out the best in each other? And he also asks himself what he would do if they received another offer. Are their skills and personality worth fighting for?
But Reffkin has also learned to be careful about accidentally hiring based on likeability (also called “similarity bias”.) He says, “If you ask people to prioritize culture without defining your culture, there’s a risk that they will gravitate toward people like them…At Compass, our culture his entrepreneurial, so whenever I’m hiring or doing interviews, I evaluate people on how well they dream big, move fast, learn from reality, are solutions-driven, obsess about opportunity, collaborate without ego, maximize their strengths, and bounce back with passion.”
Here’s the surprise about Robert Reffkin’s quick tests: They’re not just for hiring managers. You can also use these questions if you’re being interviewed as part of the Great Resignation, or even with a potential leadership position, like a cross-company team or community group.
So, here’s the first item for your yes/no shortlist: Say yes to quick tests so you can give a fast no to people, situations, and opportunities that may not be right in the long run. Your quick tests don’t need to be pointed or awkward, but they do need to help you acquire the insights to make an informed decision.
And what do you do with all those details? Use the soft skills of smart choices to determine if you’ve uncovered a non-starter or two. Here are three ways to start:
Alfred Adler said, “Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.” This week, go beyond asking quick test questions. Make a shrewd decision by using the information you learn to define your go or no-go point!