thoughts

  “You can change the culture of your relationship with everyone you work with.” This great quote came from the guys on The Boss Show in their Management vs. Leadership 5 podcast. What a wonderful reminder not to wait for the C-Suite or HR to start making the changes you want to see at work. This hit home for me a few days later (I’m a little slow sometimes). After living in the Pacific NW for 20 years and bemoaning the fact that no one welcomes me when I move into a new neighborhood, I finally wised up and realized that I wasn’t welcoming new neighbors, either. So I got my act together and baked a pie for a new family. I felt a bit odd leaving it on their porch, kind of like a stalker. But if you’re going to have a stalker, a pie...

In the last month, I’ve spent a lot of time on the phone, and a lot of time grumbling about my phone. I need a headset so I can work hands free, but I believed that a Plantronics headset (which I really wanted based on positive prior experiences) would cost me hundreds of dollars. I wanted to stop using my cell phone and start using my landline, but I believed a new phone that was headset compatible would cost me hundreds of dollars. Believing these thoughts kept me from doing anything productive to improve my situation. All I was doing was complaining, and I was getting really good at that. Yesterday I began to bore myself as I started my daily phone rant. Instead, I finally did what I’d been needing to do all along and got some help. I went to Office...

Perhaps you think “I should feel lucky to have a job.” Well, maybe you don’t. Perhaps your job is draining you, exhausting you, and wearing you out. Maybe you’ve started to dread Sunday evenings because you’re already thinking about going back to work Monday morning. And your thoughts aren’t pleasant. You have reasons for hanging on to your job: you’ve worked hard to get where you are, you have a job others envy, oh, and let’s not forget the current economy and your need to pay the bills. But there may be reasons not to stay any longer that are just as valid. On Wednesday, June 27 I’m hosting a free, confidential teleconference. We’ll explore 7 arguments for and against staying in your current position....

A friend of mine showed up today with living proof of how to execute a successful job search or career change in a tough market. I first heard from her about 3 months ago, when she emailed to let me know about her upcoming job search. Her email was thoughtful and personal, addressed to me by name, and she asked me about my recent move. Her message was also very specific. She told me what type of job she wanted, what type of job titles would typically fit her skills, and gave me a list of 5 or so employers she thought would be perfect for her. She made it really easy for me to help her. After I forwarded her information to a friend of mine recruiting in her new field, she followed up with me to thank me for the referral and let me know that she had connected with...

Passion. Everywhere I turn these days, someone is talking about passion in the career change and job search arena. A few weeks ago Matt Youngquist, one of my favorite career coaches, blogged about Hope for the Passionless People. A Harvard Business Review article Choosing Between Making Money and Doing What You Love got shared among many career coaches in my circle. And this week, Marc Miller started a really interesting LinkedIn group discussion when he admitted to not being terribly passionate about any one thing. With passion on my mind this week, I started noticing passionate workers in some of the strangest places. While having some extensive dental work performed, I was amazed at the energy and enthusiasm of my endodontist. He was so excited about repairing...

A major construction project is taking place on the road behind my house. The Department of Transportation has done a fabulous job with the communication and signage. Eight months ago, there were gentle warnings. “Construction ahead.” “Road work August 1 – 5, 6am – 6pm.” “Plan alternate routes.” We developed a few shortcuts and became accustomed to waiting in lines as trucks crossed the roads. I even began to recognize some of the faces of the regular workers. Last week, the sign changed. Warning! Extreme Delays Ahead. That made it pretty clear. Neighbors rallied together and discussed strategies. Scheduled were modified. Contingency plans were made. Most importantly, expectations were adjusted. There was no more...