By Mary Ann Faremouth,
The Fourth Step of the Faremouth Method, “Be A Hunter,” has been on my mind a lot lately. I believe in these fearful times of Covid-19, social unrest and a possible hurricane on its way, we are all shaking our heads and wondering how we will survive the year 2020 in one piece and learn the valuable lessons along the way that seems to always come with severe challenge, loss and change.
As a Career Consultant for over 25 years, I am especially hearing about lots of job losses, companies closing, and people filled with fear and trepidation. I believe the “Hunt for Happiness” is always possible and all these events just might be “The Perfect Storm” for all of us to find this journey one that might have many pearls of wisdom attached to it. We will all come out on the other side better than we were when this all started.
I think we all start out on our journey in life with a vision of who we are, who we want to be and where we want to go. Then life happens, or “really happens,” like the last couple of months, and
the vision we had for our future lies before our very eyes in pieces all over the floor at our feet.
My smart father always told me, “You can’t always control what happens to you but you CAN control how you respond to it.” As the great Victor Frankl said so succinctly, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
I have tremendous respect for Victor Frankl. He was not only a concentration camp survivor during the Holocaust but also someone who went on to help others find goodness and meaning in life. His “Hunt for Happiness” is a good lesson for all of us about how we can be our best – sometimes even in the midst of everything in our world falling apart. Lately I think all of us have been in our own “concentrations camps” of sorts and scratching our heads about how we can all stay calm in the midst of this storm and make sense out of what’s happening.
Let’s look at a real life example of how I worked with an employee recently regarding his concerning possible job loss and how we worked with a few steps of the Faremouth Method to try to work with that “space between stimulus and response” and how this helped him hunt for his own bit of happiness during these tough times. Instead of him “reacting” and immediately going into fear and panic mode, this allowed him to be more strategic and calm in the midst of a job change that would have a possible detrimental effect on him, his family, earning potential, etc.,
The conversation went something like this:
“Hi Mary Ann. This is Jack, my boss just told me things are not looking well for our company. All could turn around and work out, but I want to have a safety net in place just in case they don’t. I’ve been very happy here for the last few years but I believe I need to be proactive to identify what my options may be, should they close the doors. Can you help me?”
“Of course I can. Let’s review a few steps.”
1. “Let’s do an Inventory of your options. Aren’t there subsidiary companies of this global conglomerate?”
He told me there were, and he had already been talking to the President of a related company that sold a product he had sold in a previous job that might allow him to bring contacts to the company and establish more business for them, etc., They officed in the same building and he had breakfast with this individual many mornings and had been on company-wide fishing trips with him in the past. This move would allow him to stay in the same location, keep his same salary and collaborate with people from his network who he enjoyed dealing with. That was perhaps the easiest and smoothest of transitions and he felt good about pursuing this option.
2. Stepping Out Of His Comfort Zone
I suggested his Plan B might be to make a list of the competitors he had which would not violate any contractual agreements he may have had in place to see where his skills might also be in demand if the Plan A strategy didn’t not work out.
He was getting his list together and we decided to visit at the end of the week to discuss this possible marketing tactic and how to investigate the possibilities of this strategy.
3. Take the Time To Do It Right
I also suggested he stay very positive and conscientious in his current job. He should remain positive, not harbor any resentment or ill-feelings with his current situation. Attitude and mindset were of critical importance during these tough times and, as the boss said, things could turn around. Don’t REACT, and use the space in between stimulus and response in a meaningful way. There is much positivity to come out of taking the time to do it right.
Jack seemed to be very happy that we worked together during these scary times and felt much better about his situation after we visited over the phone. He was able to see there were options in front of him and he needed to be able to have clarity in order to explore those variables and not jump to conclusions before weighing out all of the possibilities.
I think we all can go on our own “Hunt for Happiness” during this Perfect Storm by looking for that “space” in our own lives. When faced with situations that pull for some particular reaction, we can choose to respond instead. If you struggle during these tough times with certain aspects of yourself with your situation, consider finding your “space” to respond, rather than reflexively react by using some or all of the steps in the Faremouth Method.
According to Faremouth’s company website, “Mary Ann is the founder and CEO of Faremouth and Company. As a leader in the national recruiting community and a placement specialist since 1982, Mary Ann knows what it takes to get the job done. She is 2016 President of Houston Independent Personnel Consultant Group, is a member of the NASPD, NAPCA, the National Association of Personnel Consultants, and is also a highly regarded speaker and writer. Her articles can be found in various industry related publications. She founded Jobs: Houston Magazine in 1997, one of the most popular employment magazines in Texas for over 7 years.” She is the author of the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning book Revolutionary Recruiting.
Mary Ann Faremouth is the founder and CEO of Faremouth & Company and a highly regarded recruiter, career consultant, speaker and writer. She has been a placement specialist and a leader in the national recruiting community and has placed thousands of employees since 1982. She was the 2016 president of the Houston Independent Personnel Consultant Group and is a board member of the NASPD (National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors) and Authors Marketing Guild. She specializes in recruitment of professional, clerical, and temporary placements, with a variety of industry specific positions in various fields. Her expertise is in matching quality applicants with the right job, serving companies ranging from thriving independents to global conglomerates, tailoring each engagement to the client’s needs.
Mary Ann holds a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential, was certified by the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in Washington, DC, and was awarded an Advanced Communicator Bronze, Advanced Leader Bronze Awards by Toastmasters. She cofounded Jobs: Houston magazine in 1997. Mary Ann maintains affiliations with professional organizations in various other industries, including oil and gas, financial, construction, IT, and structural, mechanical, and civil engineering. She has a keen understanding of the marketplace and its specialized needs and requirements.
Mary Ann brings a wealth of expertise to clients looking for the right individual to maximize and empower their team. As a consultant she is available to assist both the applicant and the client to quickly adapt to the New Work World. She also offers virtual and in-person workshops to guide individuals through personalized self-discovery to find new career paths. She continues to build her affiliations with recognized leadership organizations to best serve her clients and applicants by creating a network of highly professional contacts throughout the world. She utilizes her platform as a writer and speaker through her articles and affiliations to reach those in need of help, offering hands-on guidance to navigate this uncharted territory. (More information on www.faremouth.com)
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 of the Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction by Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books by Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019) by Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018) by Authors Marketing Guild. Her books support individuals and corporations, teaching them how to tap into each candidate’s unrealized potential to find the right person for each job, maximizing both employee satisfaction as well as the employer’s bottom line. Mary Ann also showcases her expertise of the recruiting world on a monthly podcast for The Price of Business and weekly articles for USA Business. Mary Ann lives in Houston, Texas.
