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A “Standardized Test” can measure your mastery of writing, language, and math … but it should never be used to define a person and their TRUE POTENTIAL TO SUCCEED. Our success has a great deal to do with our level of SKILL, but not everything. I know a lot of talented, smart, well-educated people who have, in no way, come close to reaching their full potential.
I was speaking to a Vice President of Sales last week, who was expressing her frustration at several of the salespeople working for her who have the skill but not the will. She told me they have all the talent, but yet they still don’t excel. She went on to say they have the training, knowledge, understanding and a huge opportunity, with thousands of potential clients available for them to call on, but they accept being average.
So many companies today are relying on tests to measure, grade, analyze and determine whether to hire someone. I am sure there are lots of reasons why people believe these tests to be helpful in determining the success of an employee, but there are some fallacies as well. Here are a few things a STANDARDIZED TEST CAN’T MEASURE.
Any director of Human Resources would jump at the chance to hire someone with these characteristics. These are incredible life skills that will help to ensure the success of anyone, and no test will show that you have them.
We all have the FREEWILL to succeed, if we have the WILLINGNESS to do it. The big question is WILL you. Who would have ever thought such a simple word as WILL would have so much to do with our success. It can be said in different terms: resolve, passion, desire, determination, tenacity, or conviction, which all lead us to the same simple term, WILL. Here are a few quotes I want to share with you that should hopefully broaden your prospective on how important HAVING THE WILL is to your success.
“People do not lack strength. They lack WILL.” - Victor Hugo
“The first step to becoming … is to WILL it.” - Mother Teresa
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable WILL.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“The difference between a successful person and others is not lack of strength, not lack of knowledge, but rather lack of WILL.” - Vince Lombardi
Never let one opinion or one test determine your fate. Self-doubt is the killer of dreams, careers, accomplishments and success. Just because you aren’t great at one thing, doesn’t mean you can’t be great at something else.
When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.