Today’s guest blogger is Patti Steen with The Pelsten Group located in Seattle, WA. The Pelsten Group is a recruitment firm that focuses on all levels of positions within IT. The majority of their clients are in the Seattle area but they actively support NPAworldwide across the US. Patti is currently serving on the NPAworldwide Board of Directors.
How many of you have had an Aha Moment that has changed the course of your business, career or life? I am sure it has happened to all of us at one time or another. In August 2012 – The people at Merriam-Webster must have had their own “aha moment!” as they added the definition to their dictionary. Its official definition is “a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension.”
This is important to think about because I am about to attend another career industry training. Over the course of my career I have attended 50+ training events…with many of the same trainers. You would think after that many opportunities for professional growth I would have heard it all and would be at the top of my game at all times. Yet, I still sign up with the hope of having another Aha Moment that inspires me!
Sure, I may be hearing the same information again, but because my business changes due to personal, economic, geographic and global influences there is always something to learn. If you attended the same training once a year you would likely “hear” something new each time. A specific topic might be interesting the last 10 times you hear it, but that 11th time it might be relevant to your current situation or business need…hence an Aha Moment.
You also need to remember…it is not always the trainers that inspire your moment. It could be the peer you meet in the elevator or the person you sit next to at lunch or the person you ride to the airport with in the shuttle. Your moment can come from anywhere…so keep your eye and ears open.
The phenomenon of the Aha Moment is appearing in major publications and articles. Forbes Magazine recently wanted to find out from start-ups what has kept them in business for 5 years or more. Was there an Aha Moment and if there was would they share it. Within 24 hours they received over 200 responses from founders sharing the moment that turned their business around.
There are many famous Aha Moments – The Ikea founder could not fit a table into his car so he took the legs off to squeeze it in. The Airbnb founder rented his air mattress and made cash. The GoPro founder went surfing and could not take pictures of himself, so he created a camera that did.
Your Aha Moment may not need to be something that totally changes the direction of your life…it may be as simple as developing a new niche, changing a process that improves outcomes, a new business development strategy, etc.
The point is…you want to expose yourself to opportunities that are outside of your normal day that can shake things up a bit.
So I am off to my next conference to have a moment of sudden realization, be inspired by my peers, gain insight into who I am and what I can do, recognize my strengths and weaknesses and comprehend that my new Aha Moments will continue to move my business forward.
Excellent article Patti!! Thanks for reminding us! So true! See you in Washington!
The more people you mix with and business groups with people from different industries, the more chance you have of that ‘Aha’ moment. I had one a few months ago and it’s setting me off on another path now which is very exciting.
This is so true Patti. Great article! Can’t wait for DC!
Great article Patti. All of us are looking for that Aha moment in the training sessions we attend. Also I think the longer that we spend in this business the more important it is to keep up with new trends in recruiting. See you in DC.