Recently, I’ve found myself in a hiring position, personally and professionally. One week, I was interviewing childcare providers for my daughter, the next, I was hiring a Marketing & Content Strategy Director to support my career & leadership development company, Opportunities Knock. The following, I was talking to an infant sleep consultant (and there are many out there!), as I was considering hiring her too.
There was one “it factor” that differentiated those I found myself with the desire to hire, from those who didn’t have it. Here it is:
Have a Point of View.
Have an opinion. Share it. Talk about the facts and experiences that shaped that opinion.
Among those I interviewed, many said all the “right” things: “I’m willing to learn”, or “I’m dependable”, or “I’ll provide references.” Many may have gone through some interview training, which helped make them more confident. But, as the one doing the hiring, what was it that made me feel confident that I was investing in the right people, and therefore, building the right team? Those who shared their point of view with me. (Providing me with the opportunity to decide whose point of view I resonated with and wanted to have in our working relationship.)
Why does having a point of view matter?
Why can it set you apart for business and career success, whether you’re in the hiring process, or you’re a leader in an organization? There are a few reasons:
- It means you’ve been around the block. You have experience – you’ve experienced the good and the not-so-optimal. You’ve had enough experience to craft your own opinion based on what worked, and what didn’t, where you saw results, and where you didn’t. You have data to back up your view, your work style, and the facts you have in your pocket help drive decisions. Many people make data-based decisions because they believe there’s historical proof that what worked before, will work again. And, when we’re making big decisions that require trust, that data builds confidence. Which, brings me to number 2.
- It means you have confidence, which builds trust. When you feel confident in the skills and experience you bring to the table, that helps those in the hiring position to have trust in you and your capabilities, not just now and in the past, but in the future as you partner and work together. It feels good to work with someone who isn’t just doing what you think might be the right thing to do, and they’re not just a “yes” person. There’s a reason you are looking to hire someone to help you – you have a gap in your capabilities or a problem you don’t have the capacity to solve – so it serves everyone when you hire someone who brings something to the table that you didn’t already have – their opinion/point-of-view. They challenge you, and/or bring facts or ideas to consider, which creates a productive partnership.
If you’re a leader in an organization, sharing your point-of-view with your team helps them rally around your ideas they connect with, and helps them get to know you as a person. They’ll learn what’s important to you and the team, and they may challenge your opinion, helping you learn from your team, and your team learn from you. - It helps you attract like-minded people. When you share your opinion, or your point-of-view, you tend to attract those who resonate with that opinion, who share in your perspective, and who are working to solve the same problems. And, you’ll either be able to shed the opportunities, thus spending energy where it counts, that aren’t in line with your values, view, perspective, or respectfully challenge the person to learn from them, and possibly even shift your own point of view – and perhaps you’re hiring someone to help you grow (your abilities, your capacity, your business, your career, your mindset).
As a leader, you’ll be able to attract not only team members, but clients, internal partners, external partners, and garner support from those who resonate with your hard-earned points-of-view. - It shows you’ve made an investment – you’ve put in the work to get to where you are. The ‘O’ in my career and leadership development framework, The Knock Method: 5 Steps to Building High Quality Career Relationships, and book, KNOCK, stands for ‘Own It’. The two components of this step are “Authenticity” and “Investment”. When you invest, you put in the work. You do the research. You roll up your sleeves and figure it out. You go the extra mile to solve problems or meet the right person. You provide proof that you not only have what it takes – you take action to back it up. When you have a point of view, and an opinion, those you’re presenting it to can see that you not only took the time to put your skills to work, you stood back to evaluate situations, you analyzed, you thought about the direction you were going in and why you were doing what you were doing, you were and are intentional.
- It incites curiosity, which sparks a conversation, and hopefully a valuable professional relationship – When you share an opinion, others want to know where it comes from, and what shaped it. It’s a great way to dive deeper into a conversation, rather than stay surface level. That’s what my career and leadership development workshops, The Knock Method curriculum, and book are all about – building deeper, high-quality, positive, long-lasting career relationships for impact.
For example, when I met with the infant sleep consultant, I expressed analysis paralysis. I had evaluated so many methods and “sleep experts” in an effort to help my daughter, and it was driving me crazy. And, this topic – infant sleep – is a very heated topic among parents (how to train your kiddos to sleep, how much crying is involved, how stressful it can be when your little one isn’t sleeping and therefore neither are you.) I asked her for examples of her approach so I could determine if she would be the right fit. She told me about how she was trained in one method, but after evaluating other methods, she changed her approach. She realized there wasn’t a one-size-fits-all since every little human has different needs and personalities. This told me that she thought about how she was conducting her work, evaluating what was working for her and for her clients, and was open minded enough to add to her toolbox. She also shared an opinion that she didn’t like a common phrase used on the topic of helping babies learn how to sleep well. This was a breath of fresh air because she was challenging terms that cause a lot of stress and she had a new way of thinking about this topic. This told me that she would be flexible and open to learning about our family and our daughter, and adjusting her approach as needed to fit our lifestyle and needs. And, that she would think differently about these approaches that emotionally-charged, and tired parents, are evaluating or using.
While this example isn’t exactly career related, perhaps you’ve faced sleep challenges with a little one, or at least can see how her point-of-view gave me what I needed to feel confident in her as a partner, and it helped me determine if I resonated with her approach or if it wouldn’t be a fit.
What To Do with Your Point-of-View When Building Career Relationships
Whether you’re in an interview setting, presenting to a client, writing an article, or having a career coffee chat, share your point-of-view! Think about a story, an experience you’ve had, or a skill you’ve learned and what you think of it.
- Do you dislike using a particular collaboration platform? If so, why!
- Perhaps you gravitate towards minimalistic design, so you’re an Apple person, vs. an Android person. And, the person you’re meeting with totally agrees!
- Did you notice something on a company’s website that could use improvement? Share your idea and why/where your opinion comes from or how a former client benefited from making that improvement.
- If you’re in an interview for a marketing agency, share one of their campaigns that was your favorite and why, or a question you had about the direction they chose. If you’re meeting with a company leader, and they ask your opinion, they want to know and your opinion is valued.
- Put your point-of-view on your resume in the summary section or in your cover letter to attract likeminded hiring managers and employers and showcase what makes you, you. It will also spark questions from a hiring manager, which can make for a memorable conversation, possibly leading to another interview.
- For example: My approach to client relationships is quality over quantity, value over transaction, longevity over quick wins.
Now, what’s your opinion on having a point-of-view? What opinions have you formed that you can share as you build deeper career relationships? I want to hear them – share in the comments!
Schedule time to meet with me to explore partnering to deliver career, talent, or leadership development workshop, interactive employee resource group learning experience, or training program including Building High Quality Career Relationships to boost connection and collaboration at work, and empower your teams to “knock” and reach out to build new partnerships that make an impact.
