Ordinary People Taking Action

The other day, I had a really good day. My friend had a really bad one.

On any given day, some people you interact with are having a great day and some are having a horrible one – with most falling somewhere in between the two extremes. My point? Everyone we encounter is having some sort of day.

Take my friend and me. We each experienced our days completely differently, despite doing very similar things. We both went to work. We both drove our children to practice. We both did the “mom” duties, the “friend” duties, the “daily” duties. 

Guest Post By: Tom Perry, Founder, Engaged Pursuit

It’s not all about skills and impact. Often, hiring comes down to likability and organizational-fit. Here’s an example when likability tipped the scale in a hiring decision.

 I’d like to show you the part likability played in a hiring decision. Like previous Case Studies, I’m keeping all the names (and some of the specifics) confidential.
 
This is the story of Toby.
 
Toby spent months as a vendor/contractor in a Seattle-based tech company. His dream – to become a full-time employee in the organization. Toby had a few years professional experience under his belt and achieved great results in his current role. Plus, he was a great addition to the team’s culture – he got along with everyone and always had a smile on his face (talk about engaged)!
 
Toby was stoked when a full-time role finally opened-up on the team. This was his opportunity.
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Some statistics I have read about Facebook:

• 90% of users say they use Facebook to stay in touch with longtime acquaintances.
• 50% have found out something important about their friends through Facebook.

Yet why do so many people secretly, and not so secretly, hate Facebook?

For many, Facebook causes people to look at others. To compare – taking someone else’s outside image and holding it up against the inside image of themselves. It’s stated that Facebook users spend more time examining other people’s posts than they do making their own posts. They aren’t using Facebook to get in touch and to stay in touch with friends – they’re using the site for “social surveillance”. According to author Meg Jay PhD, who wrote "The Defining Decade", Social surveillance usually includes judging people based on the content of their posts, how attractive they are, and how exciting their life appears.

"It’s been forever since I’ve seen you.” Colleen clicks send on her phone, feeling like a weight has been lifted. Finally, she’d reconnect with Kristi. It had been way too long.
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Kristi picks up her phone and smiles. It’s so nice to hear from old friends. There’s just no way right now with her work schedule, though. “I know, I know,” she texts back. “We need to get together. Things have just been so busy. We will get together soon. Promise.”