work/life & belief

Without belief we’re just jobseekers
Just workers, just commuters, just numbers
What we believe brings our work to life
Belief creates attraction around our careers
Belief makes us memorable to others and keeps us true to ourselves.

When we talk about belief (whatever we believe in)
We’re powerful, we get excited and we want to move forward
When we examine, understand and communicate with belief
(And we can do every one of those things)
We take real steps towards our beliefs coming true.

["I believe in the freedom of music." by Chuck Olsen on Flickr]

Some of my career beliefs...

I believe we are the experts when it comes to our careers
I believe our expertise is at its best when we talk and come together with shared aims
I believe work and life have a unique relationship within every single person

(A relationship too complex to separate but the perfect depth to explore)
I believe every moment in our working lives can be better understood
I believe every career has potential and every person has the potential to look forward

(and I am yet to meet the person who disproves that last belief)

All the best for now,

Paul

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

On the subject of book reviews, I have one simple criteria: if it relates to your career, it's relevant here.

The above statement was the only way I could think to start this post because otherwise - as you read on - you might wonder what on earth was happening.

Allow me to explain a little further...

A friend mentioned a career book to me recently but his recommendation was so unusual, I thought he was playing an elaborate joke.

"It's a great book," he said. "Full of advice about making career choices and it doesn't pull any punches either!"

This sounded like a book I had to read.

"Who's it by?" I asked excitedly.

"Dr. Seuss," he said.

When I checked and double checked that he was being serious, I discovered that the book was called 'Oh, The Places You'll Go!' and ordered myself a copy.

Title: Oh, The Places You'll Go! - Author: Dr. Seuss - ISBN: 978-0-00-715852-2 (2003, UK soft cover re-print)

You might still think I'm joking (or that I fell for my friend's joke despite trying to avoid it) but I was amazed at what I read.

It was indeed good, solid advice that focused on decision-making and the variety of situations the world presents us with.

The Author didn't assume that he knew best either. He assumed the opposite in fact. That when it comes to your career, you're always the one in the best place to choose.

Here's one short passage to give you an idea what you'd be getting into by reading this book:

"You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose"

OK, so this book won't answer all of your career questions in anapestic tetrameter but then again, it doesn't try to.

Instead, all it does is try to equip you with the knowledge that you will face choices, that things will sometimes be tough, that there will be ups, downs and everything in-between.

This book not only fills you with what organisational psychologists might call an increased tolerance for ambiguity, it also puts a smile on your face. Maybe Dr. Seuss knew that this is what you need most when you're, "in a slump" as he puts it.

Maybe Dr. Seuss wrote this book for the adult readers as much as the kids they would read it to/with. But even if you couldn't bring yourself to see this book as deserving of anything other than a pre-schooler's bookshelf, you would have to grudgingly admit that the subject matter of careers looks distinctly more interesting when it is touched by an artist in this way.

On the question of whether you should buy this book or not, allow me to respond by borrowing a little from Dr. Seuss's style:

If you're in two minds then all I can say

Is decide for yourself, today is your day!

(Plus £4.99 is all that you'll pay) :)

All the best for now,

Paul

www.ohtheplaces.org

800 CEO Read - Oh the Places You'll Go!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!, Waterstones UK

Ash's story - Career Decision Success!

It seems like ages ago but Ash's story was one of the first case studies on this blog. This story was one of deliberate career change because it was driven by the choice Ash made to continue his entrepreneurial career even though a big corporate role was offered to him.

Career change can be forced upon us (redundancies are a good example of this) but there are also times when we have a clear choice to make. For much of his career Ash had worked towards the big corporate leadership role he was offered last year. Despite this and despite the more uncertain future he chose to continue, Ash knew that his small, start-up venture presented him with challenges, excitement and opportunity that couldn't be matched anywhere else. Not even in a job that a few years ago he even dreamt about having!

So what of the update? Well, Ash's business has made great headway since we last saw him on this blog and his future is looking brighter than ever. My explanation for this is Ash's career choices have aligned with his values, talents and goals, allowing an improved definition of personal success. Ash puts it down to his industry expertise, creativity, hard work and a lot of luck.

At a push the two of us are happy to agree that in this case we are both right!

For the to-do list or the don't call us pile?

With all due apologies, today's post is more of a collection of thoughts than collected thought.

• Taking the time to study the career events and achievements you are most proud of, or have remained connected to over time, offers useful insight into your relationship with work
  
• Starting a career dialogue that is ongoing, inquisitive and challenging creates more meaning in your relationship with work and the overall direction of your career
• Setting out to find a vocation is a difficult task but gaining a better understanding of what is important to us in our work, what we are good at and what keeps up going, can help to define our vocation more clearly and move us steadily towards it
• Instead of being something to achieve in the distant future, with a greater insight into our values, talents and goals, personal success can become part of our working experience today

Have a great weekend!

Paul

One career, One conversation

According to new statistics from the US Department of Labor, individuals born between 1957 and 1964 held an average of 10.8 jobs from ages 18 to 42. Similar studies have revealed that the average US worker experiences 3 to 5 trade/professional changes over the lifetime of their career.

This report and statistics like the above are a fantastic insight into the nature of careers, job searching, recruitment, redundancy and a host of other aspects that influence individual success but for me the most interesting question it provides insight into is: How should we prepare for the life of our career?

In the 3 to 5 direction changes and 10.8 jobs, the average worker will interview, meet recruiters, work alongside new colleagues, experience new bosses and work with a variety of customers and clients. Jobs, surroundings, locations, pay and satisfaction are all variables but one remaining constant is the individual's relationship with work. This in turn suggests a dialogue focusing on our relationship with work, adaptable to the changing nature of our careers, as the best preparation for any individual.

A long-term dialogue based on the pursuit of personal success, founded on rigourously tested values, talents and goals, prepares for the changes all individual careers will encounter. Not only does this understanding allow different jobs and direction changes to be dealt with, it also goes further to ensure that changes are made in a direction that delivers improvement to the individual with every step.

Of course, not every change will be a promotion (change for example, could mean redundancy) but each change can be experienced, even managed, with the application of past learning in present decision making. In addition, guidelines from the fundamental elements that continue to shape our relationship with work (e.g. values, talents and goals) provide insight into a preferred direction going forward.

Studies like the above create opportunities for those of us in work today (and those beginning their careers) to learn from the practical experiences of others. Opportunities that can positively influence individual relationships with work and personal success.

___________________________________________________

I am currently researching similar statistics for the UK and other nations. If you know of any relevant, recently released studies outside of the US your input would be most welcome. If you have any comments or emails regarding the above, please send them along or post them here. Enjoy the weekend ahead, With Thanks, Paul 

Making network connections

At a recent networking event I met with an entrepreneur and we talked about her new venture. It was soon clear that the business concept was a sound one. The individual energy, passion and expertise were all in place. The profile of the business had grown beyond all expectation but at the same time something was missing.

Continuing our conversation we agreed on an important point, in this case the need for a professional marketing opinion. We also agreed that neither of us were experts in this field. The good news was that between us we had worked closely with professional marketers in the past. Between us we could make a connection and an introduction with the potential to move this entrepreneurial business one additional step forward.

Considering this encounter a few days after the event, there are parallels with the networking activity that forms an integral part of successful career management and job searching. Most networking conversations and introductions will not create immediate opportunity but they are great opportunities for understanding and gaining new perspectives. What can you learn about the other person, their career or business? What are their priorities, trends in their market or expectations from the future? How does your perspective differ and importantly, as in the earlier example, what opportunities do your combined networks create?

Understanding in such situations creates opportunities on both sides. The people in your network (old and new alike) can easily be the greatest asset in your pursuit of personal success but becoming so depends on their success too. Creating opportunities, regardless of whether they appear to benefit you immediately or not, enables success in the future. A narrow focus for your network discussions also contrasts with the aims of a successful career management plan and what it can help you achieve. 

vocationeering (redux)

Just a short post today. I received some feedback from James, a new reader in London, about the dictionary definitions for the word vocation contained in an earlier post. James pointed out that the word vocation also describes a calling or compulsion to follow a particular work/life path, and that it can be used in the religious sense. It is therefore important to make the distinction that, in the context of vocationeering, a vocation is best described as below:

vocation: an occupation for which a person is suited, trained or qualified (http://www.wiktionary.org)

Thanks again to James for making this important point. It highlights how easy it is for messages to become mixed but, more importantly in the context of work/life fusion, it also highlights the way a hypothesis can be challenged and, if the test is withstood, become stronger as a result.

Here's to more feedback as time goes on!

work/life fusion, perspective and perception

In the previous post, the example of becoming a doctor was used to illustrate how forming a hypothesis based on a fusion of values, talents and goals, offers a real-world testing platform for your career decision making (or, if you have also read an earlier post, your vocationeering).

It is important to stress at this point the importance of gathering external perspectives as part of this process. The way that you define success becomes far more compelling if there is practical, robust reasoning behind it that can be easily explained and understood.

The working experience is littered with self-definitions that are significantly challenged by market experience and/or external opinion. Aspiring to become a CEO and failing to make the grade can be seen as bad luck but in some cases it can also be viewed as external perception being out of step with personal goals and/or beliefs.

Thankfully, the work/life fusion message is not a negative one that suggests that our aspirant CEO should give up. The reality is far more positive because fusion offers such an individual the means to test his/her market feedback, identify any gaps and suggest a graduated path towards qualification. In addition to this, because there is now a closer match between personal and external perspectives, our subject has a better chance when it comes to the discovery and effective management of opportunity situations along the way.

Is fusion all work, work, work?

I know that it's only three posts old but looking at the content of this blog so far a reader may wonder whether there is indeed any life amongst a seeming predominance of work. The answer is that there is more to life for me now than at any other time in my career and, rightly or wrongly, I am attributing this to fusion and the removal of the need to constantly check for balance.

In the traditional relationship between an individual and work (and this won't apply to those of you who have already found your vocation) there can be certain advantages to separating your work and your personal life.

Many of us have colleagues (past and present) whose interests outside of work have pleasantly surprised us. In most cases, we are not surprised because these friends have interests in extreme sports or Japanese sub-culture, we are surprised because the individual's personality at work gave us so little by way of clues.

The same relief that you feel when your interests are no longer completely hidden from view might be a taste what work/life fusion has the potential to deliver. Where your values, interests and ambition are increasingly represented in your profession, you are closing in on your vocation and a lasting, individual definition of success.