Posts

Make It Up

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Fact or Fiction?

Gathering all the facts is the first step to solving a problem, however as I stated last time: Don’t stop there (See: How Could It Go Right?). For any goal or desired outcome that hasn’t yet come to fruition, balance your pragmatic side with a healthy dose of fiction. If something you’re after feels too big to be real or simply unlikely, make up a story about how it could happen. The story might be a little “out there” or could actually feel plausible to you. All that matters is that you make it up. Read more

Cooking Up a Change

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Earlier this year, my husband, Jess, and I spent a Friday evening in Andy Broder’s culinary studio, AndyFood. We learned how to make homemade pasta from start to finish and had great fun forming tortellini, while also observing fellow students fulfilling their pasta assignments. So inspired were we that we went out and bought a pasta machine and are now practicing our newly acquired pasta-making skills. Read more

You Are Not Your Job Title

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Is Security Possible in Today’s Economy?

“There’s no such thing as job security anymore.” That’s the prevalent philosophy being expressed today, usually followed with statistics on the average number of changes you can expect to make over the course of your career. Career counselors encourage us to be flexible, retool as necessary, and learn to be comfortable with marketing ourselves. This advice points us in the direction of creating a new kind of security, one that’s portable.

What I’ve also seen in coaching people through change is that another key contributor to feeling more secure is the ability to comprehend the Who vs. What distinction. Read more

Frustrated? Make It Work for You

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How Do You Handle Frustration?

photo of graphAmericans are increasingly dissatisfied with their work, a trend that’s been continuing over two decades. A report released by The Conference Board¹ earlier this month shows a 61% decline in worker satisfaction since 1987. Only 45% of workers surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, and this is despite the be-grateful-you-have-a-job mentality of the current economy. Commenting on the report, Laura Berman Fortgang offers some insightful observations in an article that I’ve posted here. Read more

What Would Thrill You?

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Avoiding Discomfort Only Gets You So Far

It was during a “Take 10” coaching sampler at Spa Lamar here in Scottsdale. I had asked Marissa one of my favorite questions: “What are you craving?” I listened intently as she sat in her spa robe and described what she liked about her current job and also what bored her to no end. Then, mid-sentence, her tone of voice and whole demeanor changed. “Well, you know what would thrill me?” I was all ears. In just ten minutes Marissa had gone from considering what the next most practical career move would be to entertaining greater possibility. Read more

You’ll Know It When You See It…Or Will You?

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What Do Finding a Job and Dating Have in Common?

Last month, over fifty people joined us at the Jobing.com Phoenix office for the workshop: Now What? Go from Thinking About a Career Change to Acting On It. One of the thoughts I shared with the group is that in many ways, looking for your ideal job closely resembles dating. Some groans from the crowd ensued. Nevertheless, creating a wish list of the characteristics of your ideal job (or ideal mate) does two things: 1) It clarifies what’s most important to you; 2) It enables you to more easily recognize that custom-fit opportunity when it presents itself. Read more

Knowing Your Purpose

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All the Way to Thriving

In the last issue, All the Way to Thriving, I stated that thriving goes beyond success, means having a sense of purpose, and is something you define for yourself. The close-up below conveys the story of one of my clients, Lydia¹, and how she came to identify her purpose. Read more

Exploring Your Options

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Opening To What Is Possible

Years ago while working with a career counselor to determine what I wanted to do next, she gave me a research assignment.  I thought, “Okay, research, that sounds good,” but when I set out to do it, I was tempted to try and figure it all out even before I had gathered all the facts.  At first I measured everything against what was familiar, not really giving what was possible a fair chance.  As inventor Charles F. Kettering said: “People are very open-minded about new things – as long as they’re exactly like the old ones.” Read more

Opportunity In The Strangest Places

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The Laboratory

Nearly ten years ago, I was at that point in my corporate career of contemplating what was next.  I applied for a different internal job which appealed to me somewhat, though not completely.  I didn’t get it.  I decided the next step would likely be outside the company though I let it be known to senior management that I was eager for something new to do. (That’s code for not quite flipping out yet but getting there).  Along came a high exposure, though somewhat risky project that had no guarantees of obtaining funding or support.  Perfect, I’ll take it! Read more

Clues to It

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Take The Pressure Off

She was 27 years old and the pressure conveyed during our phone conversation was palpable.  Dissatisfied with her current job, she had a strong feeling she was meant for greater things but just hadn’t been able to put her finger on it yet. Read more