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Ten Timely Questions…

Posted By: Mike Fitzgerald | Posted on: 04-30-2020

Like you, I’ve never seen anything like what we’re going through. It’s been tough, but there’s a bright side- every one of us has learned something about ourselves.

Do YOURSELF a favor and write down what you’ve learned about yourself over the last few months. Ask yourself these ten questions and write down the answers.

The answers ARE for your self-examination and personal growth.

  1. What did I do differently that I should adopt as a lasting behavior?
  2. What did I stop doing (that was a regular behavior or habit previously) that helped me be a better manager in tough times?
  3. What report, process, or activity did these times reveal that I found I never really needed in the first place?
  4. What could I have done differently before this happened to be better prepared the next time?
  5. To whom (including me) do I owe forgiveness for things I should not have done?
  6. Who (outside of the workplace) paid the biggest emotional price for my sacrifice over the last few months? What will I do to express my appreciation?
  7. If I had a mulligan to respond differently to a stressful moment, what do I wish I’d done differently (and remember next time)?
  8. Who emerged as my heroes (at work and at home)? Do they know it?
  9. What (or who) did I learn to appreciate that I took for granted previously? Am I thankful?
  10. Can I make someone else feel loved or more appreciated by asking them questions like these?

I never knew who it was credited to but I’ve always loved the quote, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” James Lane Allen, an early American novelist gets the credit.

Be well, friends.

Mike Fitzgerald 23 Posts

Fitzgerald MSI provides clients with a talent management framework that helps them make better hiring, advancement and talent development decisions. We identify how people process information and make decisions, predict how they are motivated, and suggest how well they fit into the client’s culture. We help clients select the right people, and accelerate the onboarding and assimilation process to make them more productive, more quickly. And we help clients improve relationships among and between teams, manage training and development gaps, and identify next-generation managers and executive leadership. Mike Fitzgerald, the president of Fitzgerald MSI, created the company in 2002 to help clients achieve peak performance to improve the client experience, improve efficiency and productivity and enhance revenue. Clients include E *TRADE, TransAmerica, Direct General Insurance, HarlandClarke, Cendant Corporation, State Bank Financial Corporation, ING DIRECT (now Capital One), CHD Meridian Healthcare, Radio-One, Wilmington Trust Company, Morris Bank, and more. Fitzgerald is a former chief talent officer, president and CEO, chief operating, officer, and sales, leader. He is a certified practitioner in the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) and Hogan assessments. He’s been a consultant to Fortune-100 companies, startups, turnarounds, and served as an executive officer for companies as large as $4 billion. He’s an Economics graduate from the University of Massachusetts, a frequent speaker at industry events, and the author of three books on service quality, client experience management, and business communications.