Snakes & Ladders

Today was definitely a snake day,

Which means I took a slide in the wrong direction.

Sliding backwards and landing with a bump always hurts,

Especially in a world where we like to move forward.

Looking up isn't always such a bad thing :)

Although I might be a few squares further back on the board,

There's no lasting damage and tomorrow is a brand new day.

I've got a new bruise to help me avoid making the same mistake,

And I also learned this for a fact:

No matter how big the snake,

It never takes you back to square one,

And it always leaves new ladders in front of you.

* * * * *

Have you ever had a snake day?

How did things start looking up for you?

Start a new conversation in a comment box below!

Trust in Your Career

What would you say if I asked you to trust the following three things...

✪ You can make informed decisions based on evidence and experience

✪ There's no such thing as an absolute right or wrong answer

✪ You know more about your career than anyone else

Trust means staying together.

[Image courtesy of Jasmic on Flickr]

Trust is a big deal when it comes to work. Careers tend to suffer when trust is broken. We're asked to place our trust in a number of things throughout our working lives. Some companies, managers and experts welcome our trust and work hard to keep it. Others are happier to come and go, taking their promises with them, forcing the things we trust to change. Including some of the things that our careers may have relied upon.

Trust is important, that's why it needs to be based on something that can't and won't disappear. That's why trust should be something we can easily understand and build upon with care. We can all trust something completely different but our careers are founded on trust all the same. We can all trust something that grows with us as we discover more about work and gain new experiences over time

Take another look at these three simple things and ask if they are worthy of your trust

✪ You can make informed decisions based on evidence and experience

✪ There's no such thing as an absolute right or wrong answer

✪ You know more about your career than anyone else

Time, Space & Encouragement

It may feel like it sometimes

but other people are not in your way

No one is in your way

[Image courtesy of katclay on Flickr]

Moral Support for Your Career

Where does moral support come from?

Morals? Supporters? Both?

Wherever it comes from, moral support makes a big difference.

It gives you a boost

Makes you feel more confident

Lets you know when you’re on the right track

But can we find moral support by ourselves?

Know the way even when you feel like you're out there on your own

[Image courtesy of Ken Lund on Flickr]

Moral support is out there and you can find it in many places.

The people you trust are an excellent external source.

But moral support is also something we can discover for ourselves and our careers.

Exploring what’s important to you, what you are good at and what keeps you going is a source with great potential for moral support.

And you don't have to look too far.

What would you say about moral support?

Where have you found it the past?
Can you live without it?
What difference has it made to your work/life when you’ve had it?
Could you get into the habit of finding it for yourself?

Happy New Year and all the very best for 2010!

Paul

Who is That Guy?

You know the guy I'm talking about. He's usually on the cover of a book with a smile on his face and a gleam in his eye.

He's got neat hair and white teeth too. And he really, really wants you to be successful. But how important is your personal success to that guy?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he wants you to do badly. I actually believe he wants you to do well. That guy knows what's best for you but there's one thing he can't know, and that's what you want.

That guy will probably sue me*

Figuring out what you want is a big part of career success. That guy did it his way but success at work might mean something different for you. You might value things differently. You might enjoy different things. You may have different priorities when it comes to grooming.

That guy won't ask what you want and really listen to the answer. But he's not all bad. It's not his fault. He is trying to help after all. And there's a great deal we can learn from him about figuring out what we want and getting motivated. He did that successfully after all.

We know his individual story but what of our own?

Maybe it's not up to that guy to ask us this question. Maybe it's up to us to find out more for ourselves.

Why not make it your business to find out what you want. Ask questions and explore your career for yourself. Find individual answers and make important discoveries based on your experience.

Questions like:

What's important to me?

What am I good at?

What keeps me going?

When did work last give me a good feeling?

Where should my career go in the future?

Share your career answers, ideas and questions below if you want to. Jump to That Guy's defence if he has helped your career move forward.

I want to hear what you have to say. That Guy doesn't have a monopoly any more.

All the best for now,

Paul

[*Disclaimer: Any resemblance between the above photograph of my Uncle Brian and any persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.]

A Good Career Feeling

When things go well at work, you get a good feeling.

We all know the feeling and there are plenty of ways to describe it: satisfaction, fulfilment, self-worth, happiness, success.

But what actually gives us this feeling?

Where does it come from?

When have you had it in the past?

What can give it to you again in the future?

Nothing like a load of questions to kill a good feeling...

You don't have to be an explorer to explore

[Rough Waters=Beautiful Skies: see more at Saundra's Flickr Photostream here]

...Unless they are questions that help you explore your career for satisfaction and success.

Questions like the ones above are worth asking because they have the power to turn a good career feeling into something a little more substantial. Something you can begin to understand, find evidence for, even seek as your answers become more familiar to you.

If you know the feeling I'm talking about, if you have experienced it briefly or even only once in your career before now, you have some real evidence to focus your questions on.

What work were you doing at the time?

Who were you doing it with?

What could have made that feeling last longer?

What would have killed it stone dead?

I hope you do choose to think about the good feelings your career has given you. And how your career always has the potential to give them to you again in the future. Only one person will benefit if you do.

All my best to you for now,

Paul

work/life fusion FAQ

After some of the recent Q&As on this blog I thought an FAQ might be a good idea. So here goes...

What's this blog all about?

work/life fusion is about making decisions that can lead to career and job satisfaction.

Why focus on career decision making?

It's rarely a simple choice like sweet or savoury, strawberry or banana when it comes to our careers. We all face key moments in our working lives and we're under pressure to get our decisions right. There are so many influencing factors, so much opinion and advice to make sense of. Why not explore career decision making in a blog?

Did anyone else hear a tree falling?

[Roots Remain - courtesy of Rosa Say on Flickr]

What are the toughest times for career decision making?

I could say it's always tough but that's an easy answer and you'd never forgive me for it! It's tough when you're on a job search. Knowing what to do for the best has unique challenges when you're facing redundancy or if you have already been laid-off. It's tough when we face any kind of career change at any time in our working lives. Times can get tough but it's still possible to make good career choices.

What separates good and bad career choices?

Career and job satisfaction is the measure that lasts longest. I wouldn't argue if you said success, promotion, financial stability, or anything else you feel passionately about. But I would argue that your personal feelings of satisfaction and fulfilment can outlast anything else you could aim your career at.

Can anyone make better career choices?

Yes! Choices that can lead to career satisfaction have a lot to do with the way you experience change, opportunity and even the odd failure and setback. Positivity is important as it helps us overcome obstacles. Looking inwardly as well as outwardly helps us find a deeper resolve. This in turn gives us more trust and assurance in our own ability to lead our careers forward.

What's the best place to start if I wanted to make better career decisions and aim for job and career satisfaction?

The best place to start is wherever you are right now. Begin by exploring questions like What's important to me?, What am I good at? and What do I want for the future?. This is the best way to start defining career success more personally to you.

Is there a secret to career satisfaction?

Sadly no. There aren't any quick-fixes, short-cuts or easy-answers but you can find out more about career satisfaction and what it means to you, if you are prepared to look for it too. Take a look at some of these career stories if you'd like to read more!

Add your questions, answers, opinions and anything else in response to the above.

Best Regards for now,

Paul

Certainty, Doubt & Your Career

If you begin with certainties, you'll end up with doubts.

If you're willing to start with doubts, you'll end with certainties.*

What did you know for sure when you started your career?

Are you sure about the same things now?

What doubts did you begin your career with?

Which of these doubts have stayed with you over the years?

Why do any of these questions matter to you?

If only there was a film called Certainty...

[Doubt... Bolt - Photo Courtesy of Joanna Young on Flickr]

These questions matter because they help you appreciate what your career experiences have taught you to date. The doubts you have changed to certainties prove just how much you have learned in your career. In a similar way, certainties that have turned into doubts are a good reminder of how much you can still learn.

Whether we work or not, it's true that our certainties and doubts can change over time. But work is one area of our lives where certainties and doubts always have a big impact. For example, if we are certain or doubtful at the wrong time, it can lead to two things that damage careers: doubt in ourselves and other people doubting us.

Sounds a bit bleak, unless that is you return to the statement at the top of this post. If you believe there is truth in that statement, when you find yourself doubting - or being doubted by others - take heart because your journey towards new, meaningful certainties has already begun. I for one am certain of that!

All the best for now,

Paul

[* I've taken the liberty of modernising and paraphrasing Francis Bacon in the above statement. For the purists, FB's original (16th Century) words were as follows: “If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts: but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.”]

Defining Career Continuity

When this blog started out the posts were a lot more frequent (Apologies), as was my reliance on the dictionary.

Don't worry, this isn't another one of those articles about how things were better in the past (How the sun shone longer, confectionery was virtually free and there was no street crime, etc, etc.) but I do look back sometimes and think how much the dictionary helped.

Getting to grips with the words we all use to describe our relationship with work, our careers, what motivates us and so on, was a real eye opener because it turns out that plenty of these words have more than one meaning.

As a result - you guessed it - these important words could mean one thing to you and something completely different to the person next to you.

In anyone's book that can lead to trouble communicating.

(New English Dictionary - not the most precise definition in this case)

As the dictionary definitions came thick and fast - OK, in truth there was only really a handful - it became apparent that some of these words had meanings that took on a new relevance and importance within the world of work and careers.

Explorations into our individual relationship with work brought changes so the language people needed to express themselves had to change too.

It's been a while but these changes in work, and in the language used to describe it, have caused me to re-open the dictionary and offer a new word and a new definition today. That word and that subject is, 'Continuity'.

The idea of continuity in careers is definitely changing. Continuity in the past (you might prefer the word stability, or theme, or consistency, or something completely different but I like continuity) was mainly spoken of in terms of employment. "How many years have you been in continuous employment?" is a question you might recognise from questionnaires and forms.

Now and in the future, 'career continuity' can also mean something different. It has taken on a new meaning that goes beyond employment and refers to an individual person and the life-span of their career too.

As you can see below, I have borrowed from the style of a dictionary - Yes, Dictionaries do have style! - to try to expose a little more of this new 'career' dimension behind the word 'continuity'.

Take a look and see what you think...

continuity

noun ( pl. continuities)

1 the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time : you can find a new continuity behind your career choices

• a state of stability and the absence of disruption : your career experiences demonstrate a continuity that goes beyond employment.

• (often continuity between/with) a connection or line of development with no sharp breaks : learning more about your individual relationship with work will help you discover a new sense of career continuity

2 the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent detail throughout your career

• the linking of career items with a common theme and through all forms of communication (spoken, written, electronic, etc.)

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French continuite, from Latin continuitas, from continuare ‘continue,’ from continuus (see continuous).

I'll admit that the above definition only really makes sense if you can experience the difference between a lack of career continuity and possession of it. [or in the absence of possession, an understanding of career continuity at least.]

Without a sense of continuity, there is a good chance that your career can feel lost at times (e.g. if you are out of work for long periods).

With a sense of continuity that stays relevant to your career whether you are in work, out of work or facing anything else, you can never feel lost in the same way.

In other words, the feelings of being lost (or finding yourself in a place where recovery is impossible) aren't as destructive. In fact, if you can find a solid sense of career continuity, a great deal of power is taken away from difficult career situations and given back to you. The main threads and thrusts of your career remain in your hands.

I hope you don't mind this little trip down memory lane with the dictionary. I'd be very keen to hear your opinions on the subject of career continuity, including what your own definition of career continuity might look like!

All the best for now,

Paul

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Here are some more dictionary definitions that have appeared on work/life fusion in previous posts:

Values

Talents

Goals

Vocation

Manifesto

Resolve

Perspective

Where would I like to be in 5 years time?

Ask yourself this question

There's no trick to it

No right or wrong answer

Take your time

Where would I like to be in 5 years time?

Easy answers can't work in the long-run

Someone else's answer won't work for you either

You can't be 'technically correct' on this one

[Santa Cruz - see more at Saundra's Flickr Photostream here]

Where would I like to be in 5 years time?

You're not alone when you think about this question. It's by far the most searched and most visited on this blog.

I hope you do choose to stay with this question a little longer. The only person who can benefit is you.

Refresh it, Re-phrase it, Renew your attitude towards it. Do whatever you feel necessary but do take the time to ask yourself once again:

Where would I like to be in 5 years time?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Learn how your answer to this question can evolve over time at exploreyourcareer.com

Where do you want to be in 5 years time?

Career Heroes

A client asked me yesterday [in my professional capacity as a career coach], “Have you ever struggled with career decisions or had moments of crisis or doubt?”. I replied, “All of the time.”

That was when he laughed.

Actually, we both laughed because it reminded us of past ‘experts’ who showed no weakness in themselves. Those super-men and wonder-women [with brightly coloured capes and underpants worn outside of their tights] who made us feel a little embarrassed for needing their help.

It really is a super-power that super-heroes can make us feel self-conscious when it's them who dress so badly :)

[Bay Bridge Sunset - see more at Saundra's Flickr Photostream here]

A career coach admitting to career issues might sound like a fundamental flaw. Like a seasick sailor, a cowboy with a horse-allergy or an entomologist scared by creepy-crawlies. Sometimes, our career-heroes appear to have a flawless history but appearances can hide a great deal. Sometimes neat packaging is nothing more than that.

In my client’s position, I’d want the truth because it would help me to use better judgement and make better decisions. Much of my work together with this client focused on doubts and testing beliefs. Our relevant personal and professional experiences on both sides could only help.

So what's your opinion?

✪ Of all the pleasure boats in the harbour you might still choose the one with the sickly looking Captain. [He is telling you the sea might be rough. If you decide the trip is still worth it, grab a sick-bag and get on board!]

✪ She might have bloodshot eyes and a runny nose but would you ride home the cattle with anyone else?

✪ Your comments [particularly if you are a successful entomologist with arachnophobia] are welcome!

All the best for now,

Paul