Remember Susan Boyle...

I got to watch a great YouTube clip last night, courtesy of my friend David Rehm who posted it on Facebook. Before I say any more and rig the experience, I want you to watch it for yourself - click here. (Note: YouTube has disabled the embedding function for this particular video.)

Wow, right?

I think we'll all benefit from remembering Susan Boyle. I see so many learning opportunities in this short little clip. Here are just a few of my 'A-ha's:

Do we judge too hastily?

I think we have a natural inclination to jump to judgment about people and situations. Sometimes it's our intuition giving us wisdom, but sometimes we base our early judgments on the wrong information, such as physical appearance or age. But we need to remember Susan Boyle and temper back that judging inner voice until we have collected sufficient actual evidence on which to base our conclusion, lest we miss out on some great talent!

Do we give up too soon on our goals and dreams?

Susan Boyle is almost 48. Simon Cowell, the judge everyone loves to hate, asks her, "What's the dream?", to which Susan replies, "I'm trying to be a professional singer". Cockily perhaps, Simon then asks, "And why hasn't it worked out so far, Susan?". Susan: "I’ve never been given the chance before, but here’s hoping it will change."

It's never too late to go after your goals and dreams. Remember Susan Boyle...

We must envision our goals vividly, picture ourselves accomplishing them with great success, and dream big before we can make them a reality.

In the interview segment prior to her performance, Susan Boyle has a moment when she remarks, "I'm going to ROCK that audience!". What a powerful vision statement! Susan sees the results before they happen, even though they could seem audacious or ambitious. And, rock them she does! So, when you dream big, remember Susan Boyle and dream bigger, have a vision, see yourself achieve your goals in your mind's eye, and then set forth to conquer them boldly!

What else can we learn from this clip? How have you been like (or unlike) Susan Boyle? I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Comments

[John Taylor]

One additional thought I had was how the story of Susan and Simon relates to the hiring process and the job search.

How often in our searches for candidates do we reject someone based on a first impressions -- be that from a cover letter, resume or off handed remark in an interview?

Or when you're in job search mode, how often do we rule out a job before it's offered? Do we follow the interview process through to the end or rule out an opportunity based our first impressions early in the process?

The truth is, the hiring manager and the job seeker both want the same thing -- a good fit -- but sometimes we're in too much of a hurry to make the wisest choices.

[TalentGrow]

Great insight, John! And in this 'buyers' market' environment, I am afraid that employers may be in a position to screen out candidates with less and less data, rather than the opposite. I recently read somewhere that job seekers in China are getting plastic surgery to get ahead! Eek!