June 2019 • Volume Three • Issue Two
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Welcome to the Quarterly Newsletter for Vector Talent Resources—the latest Vector news in
recruiting, outsourcing, partner events, staff highlights, media, and publications.
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From the Corner Office
Summer is upon us and as I look back on the first six months of 2019, I am very proud of what we have accomplished. It’s a true testament to the great staff we have here at Vector Talent Resources!
Both the staffing and TalentMEDIA teams have gone above and beyond so far this year. I’m proud to share with you all that our teams have been awarded three major contracts—two for our staffing division and one for TalentMEDIA. All three of these contracts solidify another record year for Vector. Our future has never looked brighter! These successes took a group effort across all levels of our staff and I can’t be any prouder of our combined teams!
As Vector continues to grow, the challenge becomes the need for more space. As a result, we just signed a new lease to expand our Virginia space by 50 percent. The cool news is we get a brand-new space and we only have to move down the hall! Not only do we get to stay in the same building, our suite number won’t even change. You’ll be able to reach us at the same address you’ve always known!
In addition to all the great Vector news, I have some great news of my own to share with you all! Earlier this year, I was elected as the 2020–2021 President of Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), Washington, DC, chapter. Being a member of this wonderful organization for more than five years has really changed my life as an entrepreneur and a mentor. I recently had the privilege of attending an EO-sponsored executive management program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The speakers were beyond amazing. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learned with the entire Vector Team. In the meantime, the one big takeaway I got from the program is thatno matter how old you are or how smart you may be, it’s never too late to learn more! As my grandfather used to say, “No one ever learned anything by talking.”
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Be an Outlier: When You Get That
Long-Awaited Promotion, Don’t Change
Have you ever worked with someone who, as soon as they got promoted into a leadership role, changed their personality? One day your co-worker is a collaborative team player, the next day they are a self-centered know-it-all without a touch of empathy. You can’t help but wonder, “What happened?”
Well, biology is what happened. According to research by Sukhvinder ObhiI, a neuroscientist at
Wilfrid Laurier University
in Ontario, having power over someone can change how the brain operates. This
research
has uncovered insights into how having power over someone diminishes an individual's capacity for empathy and powers down the part of the brain that enables us to connect with others.
Nonetheless, I believe that it is possible to be an outlier. Leaders don’t need to succumb to the negative influences that cause you to be a person who uses power for his or her own benefit, but rather can be generous with that power and use it to help others. It starts with the ability to understand and nurture one’s self-awareness.
Here are some ideas that may help you be true to yourself in your role as a leader.
- Read #10 in my previous blog post on leadership. It helps if you have a network of family, friends, and colleagues who care about the you—the real YOU, without the title. They’ll help you stay grounded.
- Try to catch yourself in the act of demanding privileges.
- Ask for input and feedback and mean it. Are you really walking the talk?
- Make and keep your promises, even if they aren’t visible accomplishments noticeable by others.
- Give credit to others publicly.
- Include others in your decision making. Don’t isolate yourself. Ensure that your decisions truly reflect your values.
- This one will do wonders for your organization: Admit your mistakes!
- Don’t compartmentalize your life. Be the same person at home and at work.
- If you tell yourself that there are exceptions or different rules for people like you, you may want to engage in some soul searching and reflection.
- Since poweris a mental state, you may want to practice remembering those times you did not feel powerful then can re-connect with reality.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, having to choose between being a highly competent, visionary, and assertive leader and being an authentic, generous, and empathetic leader is a false choice. It is possible and desirable to operate successfully in both spheres of human behavior while being an effective leader. Most of my fellow leaders agree.
A 2017 survey
of more than 1,000 leaders indicated that 91% thought that compassion was very important for effective leadership. So don’t let leadership’s power overwhelm you. Use it to become an adept, compassionate leader that others want to emulate.
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Meet Mary Bruzzese, Director of Editorial Services
Some of you may already know of Mary. Mary has been a part of the Vector TalentMEDIA team for almost five years. She was previously our editorial project manager and was recently promoted to director of editorial services.
Prior to joining the TalentMEDIA team, Mary spent nine years at Vietnam Veterans of America. She started there as an intern and was later promoted to associate editor of their publication,
The VVA Veteran
. She also spent some time working at the United States Holocaust Museum and The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC.
Mary is a graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, MD, where she received her Bachelor of Arts. She majored in art with a concentration in art history. Surprise! She was not an English or communications major! Later she attended the University of Glasgow in Scotland and received her Master of Letters in art and politics.
If there is one thing you should know about Mary, it is that she is a die-hard baseball fan, especially when it comes to her beloved Washington Nationals. It’s a family affair. She and her family purchase partial season tickets every year and root for their Nationals even when the odds are against them. If you ever have a chance to visit her at the office, you’ll see some of her Nationals bobbleheads on display and the Nationals thermos she uses every day. You may even spot her Nationals tote bag! A few years ago, she adopted a rescue hound. She named him Tyler, after the ex-Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard. Tyler is pictured in the photo above with Mary at the Washington Nationals Pups in the Park day. Even he’s a fan!
If you haven’t figured it out by now, she’s a DC local. She grew up in Maryland, just outside of DC. She and her family all still live in Maryland. When she isn’t editing, you can usually find her enjoying a walk in the park with Tyler or sneaking away for the weekend to relax at her family’s house in the West Virginia mountains.
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Planning Your Summer Vacation
It’s June and by now you’re probably counting down the days until your summer vacation. Whether you are having a “staycation” at home or getting away—to the beach, the park, or some exotic, faraway locale—somehow your job still has to get done.
READ MORE
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The Choice (A Personal Treatise on Leadership)
Don’t read this article if you enjoy working for autocratic, dictatorial, micromanaging, egotistical leaders. If you do, your ideal manager would be someone who has the
“intelligence” of Michael Scott from
...
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“You Said What?” Saying What You Mean and How to Say It
Does the word discuss mean the same as present? Or healthcare the same as health care? Some would say yes; some, no. The fact is, we don’t always agree on the meanings of words. But if we don’t always agree on the meanings of words, do we always know what we’re saying to each other?
READ MORE
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You are receiving this newsletter because of your business relationship with Vector Talent Resources, Marc Berman, and/or Hector Velez.
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