29 January Performance: The Test of Management (Achievement...)

[Paul Terlemezian]

It would be a mistake to use credentials instead of results as the test of the success of a manager.

 

Similarly it would be a mistake to use professional certifications in place of the ability to produce results as a reason to hire someone.

 

Recently I spoke with an individual that was seeking employment in a field where he had no experience. He was seeking my advice about pursuing a professional certification in this field to improve his likelihood of being hired.

 

How should I respond?

 

Would you want people to be issued a driver's license without having driven an automobile?

[Paul Terlemezian]

The "easy" part of being a manager or salesperson or engineer or nurse or teacher or doctor or minister or police officer or governor or parent or.....is when everything goes exactly right and you are able to perform the way you were trained to perform - perhaps you were even certified to prove that you knew how to perform.

What is needed however - is someone who knows what to do when things happen unpredictably. How do you perform when things do not go exactly right?

When moving from one field to another I suggest imagining what are the unpredictable things you would experience and how you anticipate responding? How could you validate what you imagined?

When is a professional certification more important than experience? How do you break into a new field where you do not have experience. What would you recommend to someone who would move into the field where you are currently an expert that did not have experience in your field of expertise?