Our associates fail, learn and improve quickly. It’s instrumental our associates take the lessons learned from failures and get better each day. Loop asked associates to share a memorable moment from their career at The Connor Group where they failed and used it to become better leaders.
We continue our series with partner Angela Burns who said her biggest failure was within her first year with the company in 2017. She learned valuable lessons about planning. “Honestly, if I didn’t fail, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Angela said.
She takes us back to her biggest failure and shares advice for other associates…
What happened during your biggest failure?
At the end of each recruiting period, we review our results, problems and solutions with partner and CEO Bob Lloyd. I submitted my meeting materials late AND there were errors. Of course, Bob and his bionic eyes found every single one of them.
I improved at slowing down and catching my errors, but I still wouldn’t give myself enough time to quadruple-check. Early in my career, I struggled to get materials in under the 48-hour standard (at that time, now it’s three days). Partner and VP of talent acquisition Chris Jemo and Bob gave me the nickname “JIT” (just in time) because of my failure.
How often do you tell this story to other recruiters or associates?
My nickname says it all. When Jemo calls me “JIT,” new recruiters always wonder why. Then, I have to tell them about my biggest failures. Planning and time management are skills I constantly talk about with the team now. I have them show me their planners and protect time, so they don’t make the same mistakes I did. It’s important to inspect what you expect.
How do you make sure this failure doesn’t happen again?
I plan backwards. I know I need to do my last review four days before the meeting, and I keep in mind the 72 hours to submit my materials to Bob is my minimum. I block time and make sure I review with fresh eyes. I won’t say I am 100 percent error-free all of the time, but I am working towards that standard.
How did this failure shape your experience at The Connor Group?
The Connor Group is elite, and we expect greatness! We do not allow excuses or overlook problems. We find solutions and use them to get better. I continue to hold myself accountable and use the lessons learned to get better.
