Have you ever read "An Acre of Diamonds"? It's the story of an impoverished peasant who dreamed of being rich. After many years of fruitless dreaming, he decided to go abroad to seek his fortune. The travel was dangerous and difficult, and following many punishing years on the road, he returned, penniless and broken to his homestead – where he found that he was sitting on top of a diamond field!

There are diamonds in just about every organization. People whose talents and potentials are unrecognized but which could enrich the organization beyond measure. How does one identify a diamond in its raw state? How can we identify the substantial talent that we already possess?

Diamonds are not found just anywhere. They occur in ‘pipes' of alluvia that are forced back up to the earth's surface from great depths. They have a history of incredible heat and pressure being applied to a commonly found material – carbon. They are recognized by their properties, hardness, refraction, durability, all born out of their history.

People are similar. They are found in certain circumstances, they have histories which include substantial stress, and they possess some readily identifiable properties. If we look for evidence that is definable, and recognize characteristics which are unique, we'll find them.

The way to success is not to change continuously the field in which we're searching, but rather to clarify our search process, our recognition points, and perhaps challenge our current perceptions. If we are not enjoying the degree of success we feel we should, there's no reason not to investigate a ‘better way'.

Perceptions are a good place to start, and it would only require a few minutes of your valuable time. Try the diagnostic in the Staying in Touch section of the Andros Website. Whether or not you decide to reassess your current perceptions, it's always useful to know from where you're starting.

If you'd like to consider one possible objective and disciplined work plan for People Selection, visit the Andros Website. You'll be glad you did.