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It was two years ago I wrote the blog link above - I couldn't help but be amazed at how many incredible things happen on our journey of life.  This ever changing industry, the ever changing talent landscape, the ever changing fads, ideas, and circumstances which drive our lives including technology and science all add to our perspective of where we can go.

As times change, we change and we may ask - what can we do to maintain our sharp edge?  How can we, when others throw towards us, monumental curve balls - keep our direction, our spirits high, our hope for staffing greatness?  There will always be times when around us we will face enormous challenges to our perspectives.  We may get stuck in a rut and feel the great sea of competition rising towards us like a tide.  HR and Staffing in general have much to offer the business world, candidates, and HR professionals alike.  We have to look outside ourselves sometimes, see the larger picture, ponder the greater outcomes and direction we may need to make things move powerfully to our end goals.

In my blog post above I noted the big push of hikers to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, and some lessons I had learned at that time which made me think long and hard about what I might do differently.  We have so many moments that will come when we will need to become stronger as individuals, maintain our core principles and make the mighty happen.

So here are a few lessons learned since I wrote this blog 2 years ago and I count myself lucky daily for the many outcomes, trials, and growth that comes when you put your heart and mind to daily efforts to move mountains and open doors, and get to the top of the Half Domes of our lives....

1.  Do The Right Thing - I had a manager who once said this to me, at Solutions Partners - I owe to this manager so much for instilling within me the knowledge that every action I put forth has different outcomes and circumstances.  I choose to make my efforts count for something by DOING THE RIGHT THING.  And that's not just a moral choice, but a logical choice.  Doing the right thing creates great outcomes and makes the journey enjoyable.

2.  Do Your Best - Nothing Else is Acceptable - Every day we have moments where things might drag us down and we might have a moment or two where doubt may creep in - it is then one must dig deeply and push out great results even when circumstances may be foreboding, overwhelming, or when professional tension is at it's zenith, part of making it to the end goal requires every ounce of effort.

3.  Leave a Legacy one can Be Proud Of - I believe in Karma, if I put forth a legacy I can be proud of, then my outcomes will follow that I can achieve anything I put my mind to.

4.  In Every Interaction Leave Others Better Than You Found Them - On our life's journey so many people will be struggling, when I have an opportunity to stop and lift another person then I have achieved some measure of satisfaction.  I want to leave people feeling better about themselves, I want to enable positive outcomes, I want to better the people around me.

5.  Work/Life Balance is one of the Greatest Gifts I can Give My Family - Work will be there tomorrow - it is very easy to lose sight of why we do things.  But family will be there for life, if you neglect your family in an effort to gain at work you might lose both.  Maintaining a healthy balance of work and life is key to ongoing success.

6.  Customer Service Matters - Customer Service to me is the following:  getting back timely to candidates, helping clients realize and understand the content of their job descriptions, going the extra mile to bring quality fills to every hiring manager, enabling HR/Staffing partners to work well together, being prompt, and being approachable.  In a people business the personal touch still has powerful meaning.

7.  Technology is not Everything, but Web 2.0, Networking, and Technology still Make a Difference - we are only as good as the person behind the technology, and how we treat people.  Web 2.0/Technology tools in staffing are powerful connectors and need to be respected.  Use them wisely and tactfully, but be the type of person that can grow your online brand such that talent finds you.

8.  The key root word in Human Resources is Human - treat everyone fairly, remember that powerful marketing can result from a great candidate experience, treat others as they should be treated and not as an object, companies may give lip service when they say "people are our greatest asset" but those that walk the talk do so by their actions.

9.  Karma comes to those who bring out the best in others - Every day, I find that positive efforts I put forth enable outcomes that drive success.  If I don't put forth the effort - I won't get good Karma, you get back what you put in so to speak.

10.  Your Reputation will ALWAYS Follow You - If you were one who tried all of the above, and kept a good outcome, it is natural that your reputation will follow you.  It is vitally important to do the right thing, and always put forth the best business outcomes and value added outcomes as is possible.  Building a solid reputation that brings you future success in your life is no accident.  If you have blessed others lives, then you will see success has no boundaries.

I firmly believe in the power of HR and Staffing to bring great outcomes for business, in fact, great places to work for have enormous brand power in the War for Talent, - do you want to be on the winning side, or on the side that struggles because you neglected any one of the 10 lessons learned above?  I think we all learn each in our own way, but striving for HR/Staffing greatness I think will always lead to great and powerful outcomes.  Those are lessons I wouldn't want to live without.