Motto Magazine published an interview with Deepak Chopra in the interview he is asked the question “How can companies and individuals bring more passion and soul to the workplace?” I thought that his answer was deeply insightful:
The way to get more passion in the workplace is to actually change the way we select people for the jobs they do. In the words of some really great leadership authors, companies need to put the right people in the right seat. That means understanding their inner values. Instead of asking people the usual questions about their resume or curriculum vitae, you ask them questions like:
- What’s your purpose?
- What kind of contribution do you make to the world?
- What’s your passion?
- What are your peak experiences?
- What are the top qualities you look for in a good friend?
- Who are your heroes and heroines from mythology and legend, and from history and religion?
- What are your unique talents and how do you like to express them?
- What are the best qualities you express in your relationships? (Those are the qualities that allow soul to manifest in the world and in the work place.)
What this means is that, instead of a resume, you do a soul profile. I frequently ask people to answer those questions using three words or three phrases, so they end up with about 25 words that express the longing of their soul.
The point is well taken, interviews are focused on the persons skills and cultural fit. We neglect to look for the individuals passion. These questions are a great way to inquire into a persons passion.
Technorati: Passion, Recruiting, Purpose, Hiring, Management, Leadership, Teams, Career, Business
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I’d run away fast from anyone who has a high regard for Deepak
Chopra.
I think you could read the following article
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/341344/Two_Cheers_for_the_Passionless
It starts off with:
I often hear consultants, writers and managers offering advice about how to elicit passion in the workplace. They talk of strategies to help people find their passion, and they endorse weeding out people without the inner drive that they claim is essential to success.
To be blunt, much of this type of talk seems silly at best, self-aggrandizing and delusional at worst. Usually when I hear a manager talk about the passion of “my people,” it seems a transparent and cringe-worthy attempt to prove what a great leader he is.