Sometimes Slowing Down is Necessary

Recently a colleague and advisor shared a story about the Chinese Bamboo.  For me it was so relevant, not because I am a horticulturist, but because it tells the story of  “paced growth and slowing down.”  There is a book I’ve enjoyed reading by David Kundtz called “Stopping, How do be Still When you Have to Keep Going.”  

Are you in business and focused on the bottom line? Struggling to grow? Anxious to gain a competitive advantage? Then maybe you cringe at the thought of Stopping.” “Why would I Stop? The idea is to Go!” But according to Kundtz,  the Going is getting us into deep trouble. That is, if we are Going without first Stopping.

Kundtz states that for whatever length of time we do it, we need to spend fallow time, still time, quiet time, time with no agenda at all. I believe we’re talking about the difference between merely surviving and really thriving. We must learn again to become peacefully still.

The definition upon which the practice of Stopping is based:

Stopping is doing nothing, as much as possible, for a definite period of time — whether a moment or a month — for the purpose of waking up and remembering who you are.  That with defined periods of ’stopping’, our relationships are deeper and our actions more intentional and focused. 

His point folds nicely with my colleague’s Bamboo story.  Chinese Bamboo must be carefully nurtured for 5 years before its stalk grows at all. Can you imagine many of us having the patience to invest 5 years of our time before we see any return at all?  Ahhh…but when it does sprout, in a six-week period the Chinese bamboo tree grows to ninety feet tall!   It seems incredible that a plant that lies dormant for years can suddenly explode with growth, but it happens without fail with bamboo trees.

Joe Mechlinski at EntreQuest wrote a nice blog post about this principle.  I encourage you to check it out!

http://www.entrequest.com/chinese-bamboo-take-the-time-slow-down/

 

~ Kathy Albarado

Interviewing for Success

Helios HR team members Jacqueline Dendievel and Colleen Shannon recently offered an interviewing skills workshop, “Interviewing for Success: How to Stand Out From the Crowd,” to participants in Northern Virginia Family Service’s Training Futures program. The workshop’s aim was to support Training Futures participants by providing interview preparation skills (such as resume and job search tips, sample interview questions, and interviewing “do’s and don’ts”) along with mock interview experience.

Approximately 10 – 15 Training Futures program participants attended the workshop, along with program representatives and volunteers. The interviewing workshop began with an interactive presentation on interviewing skills and was followed by a mock interview in which Colleen interviewed Jacqueline in front of the group. After the group debriefed the mock interview, each Training Futures program participant was offered the opportunity to participate in a mock interview with either Jacqueline or Colleen, while the other participants provided feedback in small group settings.

The workshop was a great success! Feedback from participants was very positive, and they especially appreciated the mock interview sessions. Jacqueline and Colleen truly enjoyed leading the workshop and were so pleased to support the Training Futures program. They especially enjoyed the group’s active participation in the session.

Training Futures is a 25-week program that provides business training to participants in a simulated office environment and then matches qualified interns with employers. For more information, visit www.nvfs.org.