Choices Involve Being Open to Multiple Strategy Options
About 15 years ago, I began becoming attracted to the puzzles in my daily newspaper. One such puzzle that I began to complete on a regular basis was the daily Sudoku puzzle. The newspaper that I was receiving, daily, would publish a new puzzle with each issue of the newspaper I received. During the week the puzzle was in a 9 row by 9 column grid, separated by 9 boxes for every 3 row and 3 column combination. On Saturday, the paper published a puzzle that was a 16 row by 16 column puzzle, with every 4 rows and every 4 columns in box combination. The goal in completing a Sudoku puzzle is to have a unique number/letter (if 16 by 16 the puzzle looks for the person completing it to identify where the numerals 0 through 9 belong, and then the letters A through G while a 9 by 9 puzzle is all numeric), for each row, each column and in each box combination. While the one completing the puzzle is provided a start as to where certain characters are in the process, the remainder are up to them to determine.
While I no longer have the daily newspaper delivered, my fetish for completing Sudoku puzzles has not subsided. Instead, I find the puzzles on an internet site each day. I have my choice of style of puzzle to complete along with degree of difficulty. My favorite is the 16 X 16 puzzle at the “HARD” degree of difficulty.
I usually relax with the Sudoku puzzle in the evening after completing the events of my day. Often, I can complete the puzzles successfully. Sometimes depending on time available, or how tired I may be, a given puzzle may take me two to three sittings to complete. Other times I can sit stuck on my next move with the puzzle for minutes to almost one hour at a time, before suddenly all the pieces fall into place for me. I was thinking about this recently when completing a puzzle when it occurred to me that my exercise of completing the puzzle is in many ways like when my clients are involved with their job search activities.
In thinking of the times when I either get stuck in completing a puzzle, or frankly make an error, where I am well along in the puzzle’s completion but I realize I made in error earlier in completing the squares, I find that those times I am often distracted. The distractions can be from focusing on background noise from the radio, or conversations that I am listening in on of which I am not a direct participant, to having my mind wander with thoughts that have nothing to do with completing the puzzle in front of me. Other times, I find myself going back through the same rows and columns or portions of the puzzle repeatedly, figuring something is going to come to me, when there are other portions of the puzzle that I am ignoring because I am being stubborn in my approach to the puzzle completion.
It can be the same way in the job search process. Some individuals will limit themselves to one or two methods of searching for a job. The most common methods individuals hear of is applying online or working through a recruiter or a staffing firm. But, those methods statistically and historically are proven to be successful at most 10 to 15 percent of the time. Networking, or directly contacting organizations to learn about what that company may need in terms of staff and their skill sets, while working 80 to 85 percent of the time, get ignored by some searchers. Those that may take the step of networking or reaching out to companies, will limit it to only a list of people that they know, or companies that are common names in a particular industry. They will not reach beyond their immediate network to gain introductions to others that may be connected to their friends and acquaintances and have a meaningful discussion to learn how their skills may help others. Or, they may limit their search to certain size companies, because their focus is limited to what the company may be able to provide to them in salary or benefits, and do not explore the possibilities at smaller or mid-size type of organizations.
As the quote on this month’s Absolute Transitions site indicates, strategy does include choosing through both what to do, and what not to do. However, before ruling out the “not to do,” it does require the courtesy of an investigation to see if it is right or not right for you. As with the Sudoku puzzle, the same approaches and strategies does not lead to a successful conclusion every time. Are you open to exploring multiple possibilities and options before making the choices you choose in your day-to-day life?
