By: Shari Dalton
We are big fans of the Advanced Selling podcast with Bryan Neale and Bill Caskey. In one of their episodes (#302) they talked about their Inner Game Trinity. Intent, which is something we preach about at Moxie, is a key player in your “inner game”. Whether you are a Recruiter or Client Manager in Healthcare Staffing, you need to approach each and every day with intent. Oh, and by the way, ditch the leaderboard.
Let’s back up for a minute. As they mentioned in this podcast, from a very early age we are taught to approach life from a very self-serving position. When we were young, we were taught to be our best, do our best, win, be competitive, get good grades, go to a good college, pad your resume, get a good/cool job. As kids, we were paid in “adda’ kid” or some sort of stroke to the ego. Even into our careers, for those in sales, we are taught to “get the other person to think like you” or “see things from your point of view.” Sound familiar to anyone?
But here’s the thing…this is an extremely self-serving position to be in. Our whole lives we are taught to do things that will benefit us. Even in our jobs today-how many of you sit in an office with a leaderboard front and center? I can’t think of a single office I’ve been in to date that doesn’t have one. But who does this leaderboard serve? Not the customer! It serves the internal staff. It strokes the egos of those at the top and causes anxiety to those at the bottom. Leaderboards and sales awards do nothing but self-serve and at the end of the day, are detrimental to your customer.
Leaderboards keep you focused on the wrong intention-to serve yourself and get to the top. Those at the top are focused on staying there and everyone else is focused on getting there.
As recruiters and client managers, especially in our industry, our product is people, so it’s time to shift our focus and change our intent. It is NOT about you-it is about your customer and THEIR needs. The money and the placements are a by-product of approaching your job with proper intent. In this podcast, they talk about becoming a “helper” and working each and every day to serve others, not ourselves.
Do yourself a favor, stop looking at the leaderboard. Ask yourself, how can I be more intentional today? How can I become more of a helper today? Do I truly listen to my clients and their needs or am I too focused on the next contract, the next placement? Let your intention drive your business. Check out our blog from on being intentional for more tips and advice!
