2 Things We Cannot Teach Employees: Judgment and Personality Development
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
We can teach people a lot of things, but there are two things we cannot teach people, potential hires or employees—judgment and personality development.
Judgment is an interesting trait because the only way you can acquire judgment is by making judgments. Unfortunately, in the reality of life, some people simply have better judgment than others.
If you think the bank and financial lenders at the biggest companies in the United States always have good judgment, you are dead wrong. Their judgment can be terrible. Look at the recent subprime lending that was fueled by greed rather than good judgment. Just because the CEO of a company makes more judgments (or decisions), it does not mean that he or she makes good judgments (or decisions). People either have good judgment or they DO NOT, just as you are pregnant or not pregnant; there is no in-between.
Remember, too, that there can be a huge difference between having good judgment and being judgmental. Sometimes it is hard to forget your past. People can be judgmental about someone else's ideas or opinions when their credibility is not on the line, but change like a chameleon when THEY are responsible for making a judgment.
Personality development cannot be taught because it is not driven by professional development (adding more college degrees, specialized training, seminars or one-on-one help). Personality development is driven not by professional growth but by personal growth.
This is why it is so difficult to take a bigoted person and change his or her attitude about racial issues. A bigoted man may well be as prejudiced on the day he dies as the day he decided to look down on someone or question their ability because of the color of their skin.
Personal growth is 100 times more difficult to achieve than professional growth because it requires that you not only learn or become aware of new information, but that you also willingly change your thought process and belief system. People CAN change but most people choose not to.
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. A woman convinced against her will is of the same opinion still.
The next two sentences are very important to know and understand: When we blame others, we give up our ability to change. If you lack the will for change, there is no one who can show you the way (that includes Jesus Christ himself).
You will rise higher faster by achieving more personal growth than professional growth. Many potential hires and employees have enough education to become successful. Many can also handle any necessary training required to become successful. Few, however, manage to achieve more personal growth than professional growth and remain stuck in their current position.
About the Author
Read my 4-part series on Job Interviews: "It Is Not What You Say, But How You Say It That Counts ' Part 1", "How to Answer When Asked Your Strengths and Weaknesses ' Part 2", "How to Handle Job References ' Part 3" and "What Do Employers Really Want When Hiring? ' Part 4". Find my Blog at: http://www.edbagleyblog.com http://www.edbagleyblog.com/JobsandCareers.html
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