As much as I am passionate about my work, I rarely watch television drama with a professional eye. This evening, though, a classic workplace drama caught my eye: the promotion.
Mark, senior nurse at Holby City, is encouraged by colleagues to apply for – and gets – the vacant CEO post. Whilst his colleagues are already looking at him through new eyes, Mark is unsure about his ability to do the job. His sense of self or self image is out of kilter with his understanding of his new job.
It’s possible that Mark does not have the capabilities to do the job. (In truth, given my understanding of the job he is leaving behind and the role of CEO, I think this is likely). Equally, it’s possible that Mark has everything it takes to carry out his new role effectively. It’s simply a question of aligning his self image to his full capabilities in the context of his new post.
Sometimes, candidates for a new and senior job have a self image which tells them they have everything to do a job and yet this sense of self is not matched by their true capabilities. These candidates are the recruiter’s nightmare – a kind of headhunter’s Lorelei. Presenting every appearance of having what it takes they draw others in and they may even present a great front for a while once they are in post. However, there are only so many times they can blame others for mistakes in their new role before those around them start to see beyond their brash and confident facade.
If you are the employer seeking to fill that critical senior post you will do well to invest in a thorough Executive Assessment. At Learning for Life (Consulting) we place a three-hour competency based (“behavioural event”) interview at the centre of our assessments. This helps us to make confident risk assessments of short-listed candidates and to see through any false impressions. If you let through the over-confident candidate you may find it hard to invite changes, for the over-confidence may be rooted in the candidate’s refusal to face the evidence of their limitations. Yes, they lie* to themselves – habitually.
If you are one of the Mark’s of this world, you may find that working with a good Executive Coach will help you to adjust your sense of self so that you can step fully into your new role, knowing in every fibre of your being who you are in the context of your new role. This will boost your confidence even whilst helping you to understand and leverage your strengths – and recognise and manage your limitations.
*And in case you think “lie” is a strong word (in this or any other context) you might like to look out for Dorothy Rowe’s recent book Why We Lie. I added it to my wishlist on Amazon recently after hearing my namesake talk about her book on BBC Radio 4.