I love my job!

The right words at the right time

2008-07-18T06:23:00.001-07:00

"The Right Words at the Right Time" is the title of one of my favorite inspirational books. Realizing the impact of something her father said to her at a key time in her life, Marlo Thomas compiled this collection of "personal revelations from more than 100 remarkable men and women, who share a moment when words changed their lives."

I love this book, and refer back to it often. With short chapters written by names you'll recognize it's great summer reading.

Some of the memorable things said were affirming and shared the speaker's belief in the person they were spoken to. These turned into life-long reminders to the recipients to believe in themselves.

Marlo Thomas' own story is an example: afraid that she would be compared to her famous father Danny Thomas, early in her career she toyed with changing her name. With a pair of horse blinders, her father gave her a note that said, "Run your own race, Baby."

Some of the words were taken as a challenge, including when a teacher told a 12-year old Muhammad Ali, "You ain't never gonna be nuthin'," only to inspire him to become "the greatest in the world."

Another of my favorites comes from film director Mike Nichols, a self-reported slacker in college who got interested in one class and waited afterward to ask the professor a question. His reply: "You're very clever, Nichols, and very charming, but I'm sorry, I owe my time to the people who do the work." - Ouch!

Mia Hamm was setting goals with her coach when she said she wanted to "be the best." His reply was to flip the light switch on and off. "The best" he said, "is just a decision, but you have to make it every day."

A second book, "The Right Words at the Right Time, Your Turn" is full of real people's (meaning not celebrities) letters to Ms. Thomas carrying on the theme. They are just as inspiring and in some ways even more powerful, like the last letter written by a woman who would not be alive if not for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the wonderful non-profit that receives all the proceeds from these two books.

Who said the words that inspire you? What were they? Monday I'll tell my story, but I would love to also share yours.

A second lesson in shaking it off

2008-07-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, I confess - I'm a bit of a closeted figure skating fan. One of the reasons I love the sport is that after all the preparation, the practice, and the coaching, when it's just a lone skater on the ice or a pair, it seems to come down to sheer determination and confidence. Just one skater competing against herself and her last performance.

Last night I caught up with the 2008 ISU World Figure Skating Championships (held last March in Goteborg, Sweden) which we had TiVo'ed when they aired locally last weekend.

The lesson in "shaking it off and moving on anyway" came during the ladies long program.

Attempting the first jump of her four-minute routine, Mao Asada fell hard, and actually crashed into the sidewall. She quickly picked herself up, remained composed and skated flawlessly for the rest of her program to win the Gold.

Miki Ando, the 2007 Worlds Champion, was iffy to do the long program at all, due to a painful muscle injury in her left leg. What surprised me but shouldn't have was that before she took the ice she was talking to her coach, and even though her words were saying, "I'm going to do this!" Dick Button, who has broadcast about a million years worth of skating, could see in her face that she wasn't going to make it through her program. He knew what was going to happen before she took the ice, and just kept repeating, "Oh, no - look at her face."

Sure enough, about one minute into her program she stopped, skated to the judges and said she couldn't go on. I'm sure her injury was excruciating - but there's also been talk all year that she's lost her passion for competing.

Why do I love the sport? Because the competitors exemplify a winning attitude:

"You really don't know what your true potential is until you've pushed yourself beyond your limits. You have to fail a couple of times to really find out how far you can go."
- Debi Thomas, figure skater

Think you had a bad day at work?

2008-07-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

We've all had them. The question isn't if and when it's going to happen to you, it's what you'll do next - if you'll be able to shake it off and move on.

Dan Uggla, second baseman with the Florida Marlins, had "a bad day at work" literally for the record books last night in the MLB All-Star Game - on the biggest stage of his career so far. I haven't read that his performance was the worst ever in an All-Star Game, but history may remember him as the answer to a trivia question along with Bill Buckner and Steve Bartman.

Watching last night you couldn't help feeling for the guy as his night just got worse and worse. If you didn't watch, Uggla made three errors, struck out three times and grounded into an inning-ending double play. He helped the game go 15 innings, getting more playing time and racking up worse stats than are usually possible in an All-Star Game with its frequent player substitutions.

To quote Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, in his article appropriately titled, "Uggla delivers a big stinker in National League's loss" http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3491412

"Logic says that Uggla should be crushed, demoralized or permanently scarred by his implosion, but guess again...Uggla stood before a bank of reporters at his locker stall and said that he had thoroughly enjoyed his experience in New York this week. Despite an ending that could have been scripted by M. Night Shyamalan, Uggla acted like a player whose confidence is still intact."

"I know what kind of player I am. I'm fine. The only thing I'm pissed about is that we lost." he said.

According to Crasnick, Uggla seemed intent on putting this behind him and chalking it up to the confluence of bad luck and absolutely brutal timing.

The money quote in my book: "I never was down. You shake it off, you move on, and you keep playing."
- Dan Uggla

His teammates helped with another critical element of moving past "the ultimate bad day at work," shifting your perspective to find the bright side of the situation. They said they'd rather he mess up here than in the post-season, and pointed out that the errors and strikeouts don't count toward his career numbers.

Uggla's teammate Russell Martin understated the obvious: "It definitely wasn't his best night... but he'll be able to put it behind him. You're going to have some good days and some bad days. I'm sure he'll look past this and he'll probably laugh about it later on."

The next time you have a really, really, really bad day at work, remember that someday you too may be able to laugh about it. Think of Dan Uggla as inspiration for getting over it and moving on with your confidence intact. I really hope he has a great rest of the season!

Flexibility

2008-07-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

"In a confrontation between a rock and a stream, the stream always wins - not through strength, but by perserverence." - H. Jackson Brown

There are parts of a job search where certain types of people get stuck more than others. An element that pushes very hard on some people is the need to be flexible and continuously adapt to events, situations and decisions that feel beyond their control.

People who have a hard time working with the concept "control what you can, and accept what you can't" get frustrated either trying to control everything or nothing.

When you are making a job move neither strategy serves you as well as being able to discern the grey area between these two extremes.

One of the reasons people dread interviewing is that they can't control what they will be asked. My answer is that while it's true that you can't entirely control what will be asked, with a little preparation you can predict most of the questions you'll be asked and better control your responses to whatever is asked.

The stream that knows where it wants to go, and just flows around and between the rocks that appear along the way will ultimately reach its destination.

The therapeutic value of blogging

2008-07-14T10:54:00.001-07:00

In a fascinating article in the June issue of Scientific American, http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type writer Jessica Wagner discusses a number of studies underway to try to understand why blogging is so beneficial.

Expressive writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings has long been recognized as an effective tool for coping with stress, but recently researchers have found that it also improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and speeds healing after surgery.

According to the article, "Blogging might trigger dopamine release similar to stimulants like music, running and looking at art."

And blogging goes beyond individual physiological benefits in providing a sense of community with others going through similar situations and circumstances.

I've recommended, successfully, to a handful of clients in widely different situations that they start blogging. It can be therapeutic to express yourself in a disciplined way even without giving anyone else access to read your blog.

Extreme care needs to be taken by any job candidate chronicling the trials and tribulations of their job hunt. A public blog is easily found by the HR team or the hiring manager you're hoping to interview with, so it doesn't serve you to sound negative, whiny, or like you are bashing anyone or anything. Remember you want a job, not sympathy.

Writing this has been good for me, and I hope reading it is good for you!

Is it in you?

2008-07-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

I don't mean Gatorade.

"What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to
what lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Joy is not in things. It is in us."
- Richard Wagner

Choose to have a joyful Friday!

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."
- Anonymous

Dream jobs

2008-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not qualified to be an MLB Authenticator. I'm not sure I can tell maple bat shrapnel from ash, and I am sure that from the dugout I can't reliably tell a curve from a slider.

Even though some dream jobs are unattainable, they are rich with clues about what we are looking for in a job that is attainable.

To find the clues, I've asked free-wheeling, dream job questions in a number of different ways:

What did you want to be when you were a child?
If you could do any work, and preparation (eg. to become a doctor) was not an issue, what would it be?
What work would you enjoy so much that you would do it for free?
If you won the lottery and decided to work just for fun, what would you do?
What are you doing when you find "flow," and lose all track of time?
What do you read for pleasure?
What section of the paper / online news do you read first?
Where would you spend 20 minutes in a large bookstore?
What kind of change would you most like to make in the world?
What group of people would you most like to help?
What kind of legacy would you like to leave?
How would you most like to be remembered?
What causes are the most important to you?

Asking "why five times" about your answers provides the clues. What do your answers tell you?

Nice work if you can get it

2008-07-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Major League Baseball has a problem. There has been a significant increase in the number of broken bats over the last few years, including ones that caused serious injuries to at least one ump and a few spectators.

Some say the MLB is sitting on a powder keg of potential liability until they can get this problem resolved.

Theories abound and include the increased popularity of harder maple bats to the traditional ash. Ash tends to chip and crack, while maple tends to shatter upon impact, sending more sharp and dangerous pieces in more directions. There is already public outcry to ban maple bats before there are more injuries.

But even ash bats are breaking more often. Is it because players are favoring thinner and thinner shafts on their bats to save weight?

A few years ago suspected changes in materials or the manufacturing process being used to make MLB game baseballs - somehow making the balls harder, and capable of breaking more bats - was investigated and discounted.

There is a problem with no conclusive answers, so there is a study - and the job I would love to do if I weren't doing this other job I love.

Job Title: MLB Authenticator

Job Description: Sit in the dugout for every major league game. When a bat breaks, examine all the pieces thoroughly, and document and catalog every fact about how it broke and where the pieces landed.

Wow. Dream job. Why? The inner geek in me that loves the statistics side of baseball would enjoy contributing to the body of baseball knowledge. It's a serious problem and people are being hurt, so like my current job I'd be contributing to bettering the human condition. And then there's saving the environment by helping conserve trees used to make extra bats.

Maybe it's just the idea of being paid to sit in the dugout and watch baseball. :)

Give it time

2008-07-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked about not dwelling in a negative frame of mind. However, it's equally important to honor the feelings when you have them. Just trying NOT to think about pink elephants makes them even more vivid.

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." - William James

When you get disappointing news, when worry sets in, and when any other forms of negativity start creeping into your consciousness, give them a place, but contain them - then move on.

To do so I recommend you use a good old fashioned kitchen egg timer, or a zippy widget for your computer screen.

I love the sound of the horn at the end of this free online timer: http://www.timeme.com/timer.htm It makes me think of cutting through foggy thinking to see clear actions.

Set your timer for 1-20 minutes, depending on the scope of your issues and your practice using this technique. Then wallow to your heart's content in worry, fear, worst-case scenarios; any and all negativity you feel compelled to express.

But make a deal with yourself first: when the timer goes off, you have used your allotment of negativity for the day. Period.

Pay attention to the thoughts and emotions you're allowing in during your "pity party."

Then when the time is up, it's over and you're back in charge. Spend at minimum the same amount of time taking positive actions to counter the fears you just let run rampant.

Tomorrow if you need more time, that's fine - but you've used your allotment for today, so get busy! If worries come back, just tell them they will have to wait until tomorrow.

"Your mind can focus on fear, worry, problems, negativity or despair. Or it can focus on confidence, opportunity, solutions, optimism and success. You decide." - Don Ward

"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." - Dr. H. Witte

Ups and downs

2008-07-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I don't have to stop and build a condo there."
- Tom Costa

Life is a journey, and there will always be lows and highs, cycles of ups and downs and in-betweens. When in a down-cycle, remember that it is a cycle, only made permanent by your choosing. Keep moving and step by step show that you refuse to stay "on the valley floor."

It is hard work to keep moving and change your situation. There is an attraction to begrudge your circumstances rather than working diligently to change them.

"The heights charm us, but the steps do not; with the mountain in our view we love to walk the plains."
- Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

If ever there was a time for this oldie but goodie, here it is: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius

Take the first step today.

Independence Day is brought to you by...

2008-07-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers who bravely serve in every branch of the military. Freedom has never been free, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.

I can't watch this powerful tribute without losing it:

If you're reading this, thank you.

There's no trying in baseball

2008-07-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Mariners seem to be turning things around. Still 17 1/2 games back, I'm not fooling myself that they'll be playing this October, but they have won 7 of their last 9 games, including a rare come-from-behind victory the night we didn't really have a starting pitcher.

I noticed something in a post-game interview last night that I have to believe is an integral part of their turnaround: those performing are choosing the messages they send themselves carefully.

We can all use a reminder of how much of a difference this can make in our lives.

Miguel Cairo had a great night, hitting two doubles for three of the team's four RBI. Being interviewed he started to say, "I just went out and tried to..." and stopped himself.

Then he said, "no trying - I just went out and did my job." He caught himself a few more times as he went on, correcting himself in midstream to remove the word, "try" from his description of his and the rest of the team's effort.

"Either do or do not; there is no try." -- Yoda/George Lucas

Recognizing patterns

2008-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked about the importance in a job search of defining what you want to be different or better in your next job. Very often the inspiration comes from what you didn't like in the last job.

Sometimes having this discussion I pick up that it sounds like what was wrong with the last job also went wrong in previous jobs.

Where there is a succession of the same dynamics playing themselves out for you in different positions with different people, I suggest it's time to turn your attention for a moment on why that is.

This is the absolute best way to prevent the pattern from repeating in your next job.

Examples I've heard:

"Other people weren't pulling their weight, so I had to step in and do their jobs as well as my own. I always end up doing more than everyone else."

"Upper management doesn't understand my role, so I have to spend my time educating them on what my job is rather than doing it. Upper management never understands..."

"There's too much politics for me to just be able to do my job; I have to keep a scorecard of who's talking to whom."

"They don't understand what I do or appreciate me."

"They wouldn't recognize that I just have a different work style. They wanted it done their way, and mine is just as effective."

And the example I love for its extreme simplicity: "My boss is an idiot. All of my bosses have been idiots."

If the same stuff keeps showing up for you in different situations, it might be time to reflect on what you are bringing to the interaction. It takes two to dance. Could you be picking the same partner in different bodies, or leading the tango yourself?

"Wherever you go, there you are."

Finding fulfillment beyond absence of harm

2008-07-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Most of my clients are looking for more than just absence of harm from their work. They want to use their best skills and strengths every day, to know that their contribution matters, to work with great people they respect and can learn from, to be appreciated for what they do ... the list of very reasonable conditions goes on and on.

No matter how focused a client is on leaving a situation that is harmful or neutral to them, I want to help them look forward instead of backward, and focus on building their list of what they are looking for in the next job, rather than just thinking in terms of the absence of negatives.

It works; they are far more likely to find what they are looking for in the next job if they define what they are looking for!

It is sometimes the first time in a long career when the client really thought intentionally about their work and what they want in it. It can raise issues of, "do I deserve to be happy," "shouldn't I just have to put up with work instead?" and more.

A couple of clients a few years back nicknamed this part of the process, "Career Therapy." But then they both went on to believe that they deserved, and then found, great jobs that they absolutely love.

First, do no harm

2008-06-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning again. The weather is great in Seattle, adding a very compelling reason not to want to go to work. The question is, are you just longing for more sunshine, or are there other nagging tolerations in your job that make it unappealing for you to go to?

"First, do no harm" is commonly quoted as being found in the Hippocratic Oath. The exact words are different, but the intent is the same. Doctors pledge above all else to try not to harm their patients.

That's all many people are looking for in their job: that it not harm them.

Harm from work shows up in many ways, including feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. Work harmful to a person seems to drag them down and has a spill-over effect that degrades the rest of their happy lives.

I work with many people who have full and rich lives outside of their work including interests and contributions that give their lives meaning. They are not necessarily looking to define themselves by their titles or find "meaning" between nine to five.

They are just looking for work that suits them well enough that it is pleasant enough, and leaves their self-esteem intact to focus on the rest of their lives in their non-working hours.

If you're just a little sad to go work on this sunny Monday because this might be all the summer weather we get this year, your work is probably "doing you no harm."

If the sunny day is such a draw because you're already digging deep to find the resources within yourself to "put up with" your work or environment, perhaps it's time to take a step back and look at what specific work tasks, people, processes, and/or environmental conditions are draining your energy throughout your work week.

The good news either way is that this is a shortened work week!

Givers gain

2008-06-27T07:47:00.001-07:00

It's a standard motto of networking groups, but more than that, it's a reminder that helping others helps ourselves.

I am helping an absolutely fantastic to work for company doing cool, eco-friendly things, to locate a very niche skill set. They need a Marine Electrical Engineer with their PE license and solid experience designing power supply systems for marine applications.

The marine design industry in the Puget Sound region is doing just fine, thank you very much. To heck with the rest of the economy, these skills are hard to come by right now. If you know of anyone, I would love to talk with them about just how special this company is and how much they would love working there.

This week I sent this request to my network of contacts. Some I thought might know someone in the industry, some I had no reason to know or not know who they know.

First, I have been overwhelmed by my contacts' generosity to their own contacts and to me in their willingness to pass this opportunity on to people they know who might know someone in this tight job market.

Second, I have been happily surprised to hear back from contacts, themselves in widely different industries, (and as far away as Washington D.C.!) that they actually know marine engineers and/or people who work with them.

I just couldn't have predicted who would know this talent pool, and appreciate everyone who forwarded my email to anyone else.

Third, it's been great to hear back from people who know no one of this sort, but thanked me for sending the opportunity their way anyway. They know that the next one coming from any one of their contacts might be perfect for them.

In stark contrast I received one response that sounded irritated to receive an opportunity that didn't apply directly to the recipient.

Most of us know that it can "take a village" of eyes and ears, and that helping others helps ourselves in far more ways than hoping that a favor given is a favor returned.

I can't say it enough, thank you to everyone who passed this great opportunity on to anyone else they know!

Finding the time

2008-06-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Is a common theme with busy working clients who want to change jobs. A star client who desperately wants to change jobs said it before I could last night: "I know, if I really want it bad enough, I'll find the time."

Here are some steps to make it easier:

1. Don't make it a bigger job that it needs to be. With a structured approach to do things in the most effective and efficient order, conducting a job search doesn't have to be a huge, overwhelming project.

(shameless plug: I routinely hear from clients that our approach was invaluable in minimizing their time spent - including knowing which of the latest "short cuts" will actually save you time!)

2. Consider offloading creating/updating your resume. This will give you a huge leg up competitively and save your time for tasks only you can do.

3. Don't look for huge chunks of time you don't have. Think in small units of time and only promise yourself you'll spend that much each day. Dedicating just 20-30 minutes per work day will get you underway in the process - and two to two and a half hours closer to your goal each week.

You'll be making progress and are likely to not even miss the time from your other activities. Try getting up half an hour earlier, or if you watch TV in the evenings, TiVo just one half-hour show and use the time on your job search instead.

4. START.

"Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is started, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance." - Robert Collier

It's not what happens, it's what you do next

2008-06-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

There's a saying that opportunities come wrapped up to look like problems. If something is good luck or bad luck is all relative to what you do with it next.

Some of the events in our lives that look like very bad luck at the onset turn out to be strokes of incredibly good luck in the rear view mirror.

When meeting with someone who has just lost their job, I frequently uncover that the layoff is really a blessing in disguise.

Sometimes what hurts is when clients kick themselves for being complacent, because they wanted to leave but hadn't made the first move. Just as when dating we resent that the person we're too good for broke up with us first.

The obvious opportunity in being let go is to reassess what you most want to do, and find a next position that better plays to your strengths or is in a work environment that you would prefer. A very high percentage of the folks I work with in a layoff go on to a better job than they left.

Sometimes the opportunity is to do something completely different. I could fill a book with these stories. As an example, a client a few years ago was laid off as a process engineer, and through a retraining program is now fulfilling his real dream of being a landscape architect.

I'm working with another client who has had a life-long dream of starting a company. In his fifties now, unless his company had run on hard financial times he would probably still be there, rather than finally taking his shot at his real dream.

The blessing in disguise/opportunity can be family-related: a layoff frequently coincides with much needed time to care for an elderly parent or to spend more time with children at a critical age.

It was going through an earthquake (bad luck) that drove me to finally leave the job that I had outgrown and start my own business helping others define and achieve their goals (very good luck). My epiphany was, "Don't let me die yet, because I haven't done what I'm really supposed to do."

Hearing myself say it, I then needed to hold myself accountable to fulfill it. It's never what happens to you, it's what you chose to do next.

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw

Confessions of a reading junkie

2008-06-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

I finished reading a great book this weekend. It was so enjoyable and enlightening that I was just a bit sad to get to the end.

There is a little ritual that I follow when I've enjoyed a book that much: I soon find myself in a Barnes & Noble looking for more by the same author. Now I have an even thicker tome to dive into, as well as four other books (by other authors) that also piqued my interest. Life is good.

I am reminded of something I read a while back, I'm not sure where. (Like much of what I read, I didn't completely agree, but it made me think)

"Five years from now we will only be different because of who we chose to spend time with and the books we've read."

I love a good quote about as much as a good book.

"Growth is the only evidence of life." - Cardinal Newman

"When you're through changing, you're through." - Bruce Barton

"Those who stop being better stop being good." - Oliver Cromwell

Back to my new books.

Add "Fired" to your Netflix list

2008-06-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been let go from a position watch the documentary, "Fired." It was created by actress Annabelle Gurwitch after she was let go - rather ungracefully - by Woody Allen.

The film is a compilation of interviews and experiences with 25 people, from celebrities to regulary folk, who were asked to leave their jobs. Like real life, the reasons run the gamut from actually screwing up to economic conditions that have nothing to do with those let go.

One of the critical first steps after losing your job is to regain perspective. Put the situation in context so that you are ready to move on, positively describing what happened.

When people are fired for the first time they sometimes have the hardest time doing this. It helps to be reminded that many others have gone through what they are experiencing and more.

I have a client who was let go after a dozen successful years with the same company. To regain his mojo, it is important for him to not take this incident personally, but to put it in the perspective of his overall long and successful career.

With a dose of humor "Fired" offers both perspective and understanding through the eyes and experiences of others who have been down the same road.

One of my favorite lines from the film is: "Being fired is God's way of telling you that you're supposed to be doing something different."

For those who prefer to read, Gurwitch also published the stories portrayed in the film as a book of essays titled, "Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, and Dismissed."

The non-waiting game

2008-06-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

A client has a verbal offer for their perfect job. The hiring manager clearly knows how to "get the right people on the bus", as described by Jim Collins in his fantastic books, "Good to Great" and "Built to Last." He wants to hire my client because of the unique combination of strengths he will bring to their organization, rather than to fit neatly into an established job description. It really is perfect for him and he is thrilled.

Except that the offer has yet to be finalized on paper. If everything goes according to plan, that will happen when a person critical to approving it is back in town in two weeks.

At the point of feeling like you have something locked up, there is a tendancy for the average job candidate to relax and wait. Not my star client: he knows that this two weeks would be far better spent continuing to find and apply to more opportunities.

Here comes that saying again: "Pray but keep rowing."

You can't have too many opportunities. Who's to say that during this two week non-waiting period he won't come across something even more perfect?

And I've seen too many "sure things" go sideways, for an infinite number of unseen reasons, leading to crushing disappointment. You should never have all your eggs in one basket.

You can get there from here

2008-06-19T06:33:00.001-07:00

"No matter how far
you have gone
on a wrong road,
turn back. "
- Turkish Proverb

Investors say to cut your losses: stop throwing good money after bad.

I work with some clients who describe feeling trapped by the success and salary they have attained in a field that they don't like. Some never did like it, but found themselves good at it; some have just done it long enough and want the challenge of something new.

"Golden Handcuff" clients report a range of negative emotions from being bored to tears to desperately hating their job, but feel that they "can't afford to change now," assuming to do so would mean starting over at a fraction of their current salary in a new field.

Frustration has usually led to some pretty black and white thinking. My job is to help them see that "turning back" needn't mean completely retracing their steps and covering all the same ground again.

I prefer to help them lay out a plan that is more like the "recalculating" your GPS device does if you make a turn not on its recommended course - the best way to get where they want to be from where they currently are, not from a long-ago fork in the road.

Sometimes the plan does involve going back a short distance for the opportunity to go much further in a new direction. Everything has a cost - but it is probably a fraction of what they are imagining.

Doing a full strategic analysis of assets, options and true costs - including both time and money - quite often leads to a workable plan, followed by a calculated transition that looks radical to those that didn't see the building blocks that were put together to make it happen.

Beginning each day anew

2008-06-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am reading a wonderful book, "Wherever You Go There You Are." This morning I read a chapter in praise of early morning, and I couldn't agree more. There is a stillness and calm that becomes harder to find once the hustle and bustle begins, but it goes further than that. It's about choice rather than chance.

The author, Jon Kabat-Zinn, recommends getting up earlier than you are used to and applying the time (whether 5 minutes or an hour) to mindfulness. Doing this myself I firmly believe that it has incredible value, giving yourself a headstart on each new day. The goal is not to grab extra time to squeeze in more busy-ness, but to use mindful reflection to start fresh each morning with a foundational mindset of seeing a clean slate full of possibility and opportunity.

"Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me... We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not foresake us in our soundest sleep.

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful;

but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look... To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. "
- Thoreau, Walden

To positively affect the quality of your day, give yourself a few extra moments first thing in the morning which are not hurried, to leave the day before behind and embrace the day to come.

When in doubt, send it out

2008-06-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm frequently asked by clients how to determine what the salary range is for a posted position, so that they know whether or not it's worth their time to apply.

The sure-fire best way is rarely what the client wants to hear: apply for the job. Getting yourself into the candidate pool remains the best way to find out if the salary range is a match with your needs, as well as whatever else you want to know about a certain position.

If you think you would enjoy the job and you know you can do the job, especially if you are not currently working full time, it is "worth your time" to apply. You can always pull yourself out of consideration later on if you chose to as you find out more, but you can't catch a train once it has left the station.

Clients tell me, "But I don't want to waste their time." Nice sentiment, but I think it sometimes masks, "But I am afraid of being rejected." Make no mistake, employers will waste your time whether or not you are their ultimate pick. So I mean this in the kindest way possible: instead of worrying about stepping on toes, worry about yourself. Your competition is.

There is a saying that you can't be too rich or too thin. I will add that you can't have too many job prospects. There is strength, leverage and attractiveness (to potential employers) in a candidate with multiple irons in the fire.

The only time you should ever cut out an option is when you as a resource are spread too thin to engage with all of them fully. Then, and only then should you prioritize.

Besides, on more than one occasion I have seen employers interview candidates with salary histories higher than their posting and realize they have under-scoped the job relative to the talent they want to attract. They have then enriched or elevated the position and hired the best candidate at a higher salary.

Those that balked at the lower salary pulled themselves out of consideration far too soon.

Taking your Sunday night temperature

2008-06-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic weekend. That said, I was aware last night of also looking forward to what the new work week has in store for me. People often report feeling the same way when their work is enriching and fulfilling.

I remember the opposite feelings all too well, and frequently hear about them from clients. Sunday evening can bring a range of emotions including sadness, anxiety, dread, and even physical symptoms as we attempt to brace ourselves to make it through yet another week at a less than fulfilling, sometimes downright soul-sucking job.

How did you feel about your job last evening? Expectant, or at least not considerably annoyed by the thought of Monday morning? If you are in that second category, do yourself a favor. Life is too short to hate your job!

At least sit down in a quiet moment with a pen and paper and answer the following: What specifically would you change? Is it within your power to initiate that change in your current position? Many jobs can be enriched if you take the initiative to ask for certain projects or assignments. You'll never know unless you ask.

If you can't impact change that makes your current position more to your liking, it may be time to start a quiet look at possibilities to transfer to another position within your company or start researching jobs outside.

A note of caution: be extremely careful about revealing, even casually, to anyone at your current employer that you are looking around! Sadly, I've heard too many stories of clients hurt by co-workers and managers they trusted with this information. They might not mean to throw you under the bus, but when an opportunity presents itself for "your friend" - who intends to stay in the organization - to better their own position by revealing your intentions, you might just find yourself at a disadvantage. Find an outside source to talk your situation over with - not anyone at your current employer!