Doing Nothing Is Something

I'm big on taking action to really make changes in your life. I do however, want to mention that there are times when doing nothing is the right move. I learned this lesson while running my recruiting firm years ago, and it also proved to be a good move while dating, too!

What I've learned is that there is a time to take action, to act fast, take the bull by the horns, but there is also an equal and appropriate time to sit still. A great example was while I was working on my biggest deal ever as a recruiter. I had submitted a dynamite lady to a large credit union for their CFO position. This placement meant a great job for my candidate and almost a years worth of pay in one paycheck to me. I was very good at what I was doing, always very professional, but I was usually the one that kept the cycle moving with regular phone calls, e-mails, and meetings. At one point in the interview/hiring process we hit a dead zone, no calls or e-mails were being returned and I became concerned. My candidate was calling me and asking if she should call or e-mail and even contemplated "dropping in." "No." I told her, let's do nothing. If you've ever been in a negotiation where you felt as though your life depended on winning the prize, you know how this woman felt. I advised her that we wait a full two weeks to let them respond to our already numerous attempts to know what was happening in the process. It was a very long two weeks but just as Friday of the second week loomed, my phone rang. It was the CEO of the credit union with an offer for my client. I played it cool and hammered out the details but before we hung up, I asked him why the talks had stalled. He replied that they had another client they were considering and they were actually leaning toward hiring him but he had revealed something in a casual e-mail that raised a red flag. They slowed the process to investigate and decided my lady was the better choice for them. What this long story does is speak to the old adage of, "Don't talk yourself out of the sale." In being overly proactive, the other candidate talked himself out of a great job.

There are many examples of when doing nothing turns out to be very profitable, but be sure the time is right and nothing really will be something.