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Category: Culture

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Culture Growth Human Resources Leadership Skills

Reinventing Ourselves to get Into Alignment “Take Me Home”

Aren’t we all wanting to “come home to who we really are?” Many movies and songs have referenced “Going Home” in one way or another.

 

Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz has a famous line after she clicks her ruby red slippers when she says, “There is No Place like Home.” John Denver, in his famous song, “Take Me Home Country Roads” works with the theme in this song that there is nothing like home.  This is evident as Denver constantly says, “Take me home…..To the place I belong,” as he talks about the beautiful scenery that he loves at his “Home.”

 

This song was a huge hit for John Denver because people can feel the emotion in the melody and lyrics.  It’s upbeat, positive, and takes us back to our own home. Through countless adaptations, the enduring success and familiarity of “Country Roads” seems to lie in its transcendent ability to evoke feelings of home and belonging.

 

For many of us, this time of year with the holidays just around the corner, going to our “family home” and being with relatives is something we typically do. It might be a bit different this year, but holidays and home seem to come to mind for me during November and December.  Sometimes even that experience can be a bit unnerving, filled with fear and trepidation that our critical Aunt Jane might ask us if “we ate our way through the pandemic” or say something like “you mean you haven’t found a job yet?”

 

The “home” I am referring to is in a more metaphorical sense. It relates to that inner peace and internal home of joy and comfort we all are seeking.  Whether its during good times or not so good times, I think we all can find comfort coming home to a place of peace and tranquility inside ourselves. There is a lot of attention these days about “mindfulness” or changing mindset practices to assist us in this process, especially in times of much upheaval and uncertainty.

 

I think really coming home to “who we are” is a process we go through our entire life.  By seeking out new experiences and working through change and conflict can we get there and discover our true self and is similar to getting ourselves into alignment or being true to who we are.  At different stages of our lives, and through sometimes challenging experiences, we are forced to re-evaluate and reinvent ourselves to get into that alignment of our true purpose and life goals. The famous author, Maxwell Maltz, says it like this:

 

“Creative striving for a goal that is important to you as a result of your own deep-felt needs, aspirations and talents, brings happiness as well as success because you will be functioning as you were meant to function. Man is by nature a goal-striving being.  And because man is “built that way” he is not happy unless he is functioning as he was made to function – as a goal-striver. Thus success and true happiness not only go together but each enhances the other. Creativity also leads to a longer life.  Many creative people produce their greatest works during their senior years. It may also explain why some men die soon after they retire.  They no longer have a creative/productive outlet.”

 

In my first book, “Revolutionary Recruiting,” I share with readers my wisdom of working with candidates over 25 years and how I assisted them to go on a journey of discovery to find their way home to who they really are.  In my soon to be released workbook, “Revolutionary Reinvention,” I talk about how you can go on your OWN personal discovery through a series of steps to find your way home.  It is designed to reinvent yourself during uncertain times and how to transfer your skills into another area if you have fear of losing your job, already have been a part of a layoff or on a furlough.  The method that is expanded in this “Revolutionary Reinvention Workbook” is The Faremouth Method, a five-step process for us to evaluate important variables to achieve goals in our life. No matter what happens around us, the core “self” is something we need to constantly focus on. Challenges in our life motivate us to improve.

 

During times of great uncertainty, coming to your “home” to be comforted and to get into alignment with who you really are can be a very important mission for all of us. Sometimes our journey to get back home in a metaphorical way is filled with many roadblocks.  If we let our internal determination and “compass” direct our path and not let external events dictate our journey, we can emerge stronger, happier beings through the process.

 

The only constant in our lives is change.  Being in alignment in our 20’s might be very different than being in alignment in our 40’s and beyond.  There is always a way to reach our destination to allow our creativity to flourish and bring us the happiness we seek.

 

How do we do that when our life as we have known it has suddenly taken a major turn in a not so comfortable direction? What if we have lost our job, a spouse, life as we have known it? What is the constant that can keep us going?  Can keep us from falling apart?  Can allow us to be like a huge oak tree with its deep roots in the ground?

 

Let’s take a look at how a recent candidate, Fred, went on his journey to find his “way back home” using The Faremouth Method.  There are never any guarantees that what worked for one person may work for you, but the process might give you some insight into how you can evaluate your options to make your own journey to get back home to who you really are a positive experience.

 

Step Number 1 – Do A Self Inventory – Fred had been a senior-level technical sales representative with 15 years of combined experience for a manufacturing/distribution facility and recently lost his job. While doing his Self-Inventory, he decided that his family was deeply rooted in where he currently lived and worked and it was best for the family to not relocate to another city and to instead try to find a job in his current city.  This was an opportunity to combine his skill set and his passion.

 

Step Number 2 – Ask Better Questions – Fred had two options. He could either look for work in the same field where no one was hiring or he could find work in a new field where he had an applied skill set. He was able to take a temporary job, talk to a career consultant, redo his résumé to put him more in line with an in-demand industry.

 

Step Number 3 – Step Out of Your Comfort Zone – Fred realized he was always the go-to-guy others always called about a problem with their computer, phone, etc. He had to Step Out Of His  Comfort Zone to make new contacts and expand his circle in this new field.

 

Step Number 4 – Take The Time To Do It Right – Fred had the opportunity to take his time by working a seasonal part-time job in his new field for experience because his wife had a secure paycheck. While they still had to make cutbacks in their expenditures, it still gave him the Time To Do It Right in landing a new full-time job that would be permanent.

 

Step Number 5 – Be a Hunter – He employed some of the mechanics of bird hunting by aiming at where the bird would be when he shot his gun and not where it was currently.  He hunted for classes, contacts, a part-time retail job, working afternoons and evenings, in order to advance his new career, pairing it with his knowledge base and passion.

 

Fred could relate to the song by John Denver, “Take Me Home Country Roads,” and maybe even to Dorothy’s remark about “There is No Place Like Home” from The Wizard of Oz.  During this holiday season, perhaps it will be a virtual get together with relatives from up north who would join in this year.  Coming home to who we really are can be an exciting journey if we decide to change our mindset and realize that our internal process always knows the way back home and will for sure get us there.  No matter what happens we know our core beliefs will always help us achieve our goals.  If we use this Five-Step Method to help us get there in this New Work World, all the better!!   When we trust that internal compass that instinctively knows who we are, there is only one path home.

Categories
Best Practices Culture Growth Management Skills

The Hunt for Hidden Treasure

Aren’t we all always on some kind of “Treasure Hunt?”  The Fifth Step of the Faremouth Method, “Be a Hunter,” was born out of the many requests I have received through the years to find “Hunter” type candidates as opposed to “Gatherers.”  When I think about it, all of us are hunting at some point in our lives for our own personal treasures or something to give us “More.”

 

That “More” can change with our evolution as human beings and the significant life experiences we encounter.  We might want more success, more friendships, more love, more free time, more serenity, more training on technology, more material gifts, etc.

 

The Trick or Treaters I had knocking on my door last night seemed to want “more” candy.  When I dropped only one Snickers bar in their bag, they looked at me as if to say, “Is that all you are going to give me?” as I went to put another bar in their bag.  Yesterday, I went on my own little “treasure hunt” to Round Top and decided to go on my own type of quest for small treasures with the beautiful cool weather and visit all the tents with various antiques and craft booths.  I really felt the hunt to enjoy the lovely weather was my own type of a “More” experience that made me smile.

 

With Halloween behind us, we have “the most wonderful time of the year,” as Andy Williams sings in his famous Christmas song, staring us in the face.  We can also consider this the most expensive time of the year as well.  That may bring up some serious concerns if we have had a salary reduction, just lost our job, or have been furloughed.

 

Like anything in life, we can look at these times in one of two ways, just like in the famous opening line that I love so much by Charles Dickens when he says:

 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…….it was the spring of hope…….”

 

What hope?  Where is the hope in this situation? I want to believe there may be a financial and professional silver lining that you may have overlooked.  The holiday season brings a great big surge of seasonal job opportunities.

 

While we traditionally associate seasonal jobs with the retail industry, other high-demand industries involving e-commerce also increase hiring during this holiday season.

 

The “More” ingredient in this situation might offer you an opportunity to try out a new company or industry on a short-term basis while providing much-needed collaboration with other individuals to alleviate some of the quarantine time aloneness and isolation.  It might also serve one to feel MORE purposeful or useful.  There might be “more” to be gained than just a paycheck.  For example, you may possibly learn a tremendous amount through seasonal job training and even in the relationship area, which may be invaluable to you for years to come.

 

I remember when I first moved to Houston in the 1980s,

I worked in a small personnel agency, and there was a big market decline.  Being on a commission-type compensation basis, my income was severely affected. During the holiday time, I took a position with a “high-end” retailer, and the benefits from that experience were many. I remember in my training session, and I met a wonderful woman who became a very dear friend and even became a bridesmaid at my wedding.  The other advantage was that I met several people in this seasonal job who later became my clients.  One gentleman happened to be a Senior Executive of a manufacturing firm and hired over 20 people from me the following year.  The customer service training I learned in my training session in this retail company allowed me to transfer those skills into my placement job, and I soon became one of the firm’s top producers.

 

To decide whether or not a seasonal job might be right for you, let’s take a look at a few pros and cons of short-term or temporary employment during this holiday season.

 

Good Reasons to take a Seasonal Job

 

a. New Company Experiences – A seasonal job may give you insight into how a different company conducts business and may also introduce you to people that might be future clients or prospective job opportunity affiliates. It can enhance your skillset and give you additional references to use on your applications.  You are also “test-driving” a new job experience that might give you the advantage of face-to-face contacts as opposed to online submissions that might advance your permanent job search.

 

b. Personal and Professional Relationships – A part-time seasonal job might offer you an expanded relationship base that might prove to be fulfilling in both your personal and professional life. These contacts might also be very good networking affiliates that might know of other opportunities you would never have heard of with your own efforts. What is that old saying, “it’s not what you know, but who you know.”  If someone you meet on your seasonal job has contacts that might be beneficial to you, it might move you up in the process during these days of online submissions to have more of the Human Element contacts.

 

c. Resume Expansion – A seasonal job allows you to expand your resume with an enhanced skill set that might make you more marketable and stand out among the competition.  Showing you worked in another area besides your primary skillset demonstrates to a prospective employer that you may be flexible to take on additional duties and have more of a multi-dimensional skill set that would be more attractive to them in a tight market.

 

d. Expanded Opportunities for Possible Full-Time Employment. If you go into the seasonal job with a mindset of “I’m going to give this job 150%,” and your Manager or Executive Director sees your positive attitude and determined work ethic, you may be considered for a full-time position when the holidays are over.  Through the years, I have had many of my clients hire my temporary employees because of their willing attitude and dedicated work ethic. Make sure you always arrive early, stay late if possible, don’t take the entire time for your lunch break, and keep a positive attitude that is infectious.  People like to be around positive people.  Your supervisor could have a spouse that might need someone with your background, and a personal referral of someone who has seen the work performance of an employee is always worth more than a letter of recommendation.

 

Concerns of why you might NOT take a Seasonal or Temporary job

 

a. Your Free Time Will Vanish – If you are using a seasonal job as an addition to a full-time job, you might have less free time with family and friends.  If you are unemployed and still looking for permanent employment, consider how this part-time position will impact your full-time job hunt.

 

b. Training May Be Limited – Many times, employers often don’t invest in extensive training or development for their short-term employees because of the short-term nature of seasonal jobs. You might have to jump right in and adapt to perform right away in an area that may be very unfamiliar to you.

 

c. Compensation Restrictions with No Benefits – Seasonal jobs usually don’t yield high dollars with impressive perks.  There usually is not any health insurance or retirement benefits included in the package. Company discounts, outings, etc., may not be part of the package, and you should discuss before you sign any contracts or agree to appear on the job.

 

Investigate what you might be hunting for to give you MORE in your own personal and professional situation during this holiday season.  A seasonal job might very well offer you more true gifts that might not necessarily come in the form of wrapped presents with lovely bows. The gifts might be more intangible relating to the contacts you make, the relationships you form, and an expanded skill set that will set you apart from the competition and give you an advantage in a very competitive job market.

 

When we have the opportunity to combine the duality of full-time work in the field of our heart’s desire and the seasonal job that offers an entirely different set of possibilities, it creates an alchemical wedding of spirit, of sorts.  When we can’t do exactly what we want, take advantage of another opportunity, which might get us to our goal through a different avenue. Recognize that a different avenue may be disguised and not all that obvious to us until we are able to get to the other side and reflect back to find that treasure that might have been hidden from you initially.  Decide to make this holiday season one of the “Best of Times,” not the “Worst of Times” during this “most wonderful time of the year” by doing MORE to make your life MERRY and BRIGHT in your own search for that special treasure!

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Leadership

You Had The Power All Along

 

By Mary Ann Faremouth,

 

This year, in the midst of the challenging times of COVID-19, we would all like to imagine a job market where there is hope and rebirth for the many people who find themselves unemployed or furloughed at this time.  As the festive time of Halloween is approaching, I am reminded of the Good Witch of the North in “The Wizard of Oz” who told Dorothy that she had the power all along.  If we take strategically designed steps to do it right, we, too, have the power to change our own personal world as we search for employment, transformation, and rebirth.  We can create our own magical approach by recognizing our own power within to get where we want to go with the right mindset and plan.

 

The Second Step of the Faremouth Method, Ask Better Questions, inspires me to wonder what might be learned from the pretend world of costumes and trick-or-treating.  As a Career Consultant, I imagine what wisdom or lessons I can impart to job seekers that might establish some valuable analogies to help us all become more successful in our employment seeking efforts. This is a time where we need to be more imaginative and creative in how we assess our skillset to match the ever-changing job market and not limit ourselves to what we have known in the past. We have to change with the times now being presented to us.

 

Halloween, as we know it today in the United States, began after World War II and became widespread to dress up as superheroes, princesses, or whatever character was popularized that year.  We were given permission for that one day to pretend we had the power to be something else.  While kids go to neighborhoods to “Trick-or-Treat,” many offices allow employees to come to work that one day a year in costume.

 

Let’s look at some of the analogies we can glean from the “Trick or Treaters” that might also be applied to finding a job in these unusual and challenging times.  I do believe, sitting on my side of the desk and hearing employers telling me what works and what doesn’t, there might be some “tricks” to consider to get the “treats” of finding a job in our current market situation.

 

1. Stand out among the Competition – In many costume contests, it’s the best costume that will get the prize or be noticed.  Our attire, even on a Zoom interview, can make us stand out among the competition.  Wear professional clothing that demonstrates your seriousness in finding employment.  Being too casual in the online interviewing process has ruled many of my “best on paper” candidates out.

 

2. Be engaging and deliberate in the interview to express how your skillset applies to the job. I have heard from my clients that focused dialogue with good eye contact makes the candidate more impressive to them.  Think about how, at Halloween, when the child at your door engages you in conversation, you gain a more favorable feeling about them than when they just grab the candies and take off.  Just the other day I had a client reject a candidate with the exact background because they did not try to bond with the interviewer to start, and right away asking for salary information and how many weeks of vacation they would get the first year.

 

3. Be grateful for whatever amount of candy is offered to you.  These days, with so many people taking salary cuts, the Halloween treats might be much more restricted.  The same applies to the job offers I am seeing these days. Salaries are on an average about 25% less than before the pandemic hit.  Candidates must still be grateful for the opportunity to have a job with benefits with a stable company in these uncertain times.  Having an attitude of unrealistic salary expectations at this time might really cost you a good job offer where, even if the salary may be less to start, it would allow one to learn, grow and increase the salary with experience and time on the job.

 

4. Make sure you say “Thank You” – No matter what is offered to you, be grateful and always say “Thank You.”  The same goes for an interview with a prospective employer.  Even if you don’t get the job offer, make sure you send a “thank you” note within the first 24 hours. If you get a rejection letter, always respond with gratitude for the opportunity to interview with them.  I had a situation where my client hired a candidate from another source instead of the candidate I presented. Because my candidate sent a thank you note immediately and also responded to the rejection letter, when another opening came up in a different department, the client called me back asking for my candidate.  The way the applicant handled the situation made an impression and stayed fresh in the mind of the HR Director.  Your job search does not have to necessarily be a scary practice or situation.  Stay positive and demonstrate yourself in a manner that will allow you to get offers in this challenging market.

 

Let Halloween and its long history of “rebirth” and transformation allow you to view your career plan with the same zest and enthusiasm as that Trick-or-Treater on a hunt for their own treats in life.  With the right attitude, you, too, can make your job hunt sweeter and enjoy the benefits of conducting yourself in a manner that allows you to gain the job and career you imagine yourself to have!  You might just find a job that is better suited for you than the one you had before.  You are in control of how you conduct yourself and how you seek what you are looking for.  Attitude is the biggest game-changer in your job search. With the right attitude and presentation, you are in control.  Just like that five-year-old trick-or-treater who appears on your doorstep on Halloween night who says “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am,” “please” and “thank you,” while making eye contact in the cutest costume you have ever seen, will always be rewarded with that extra piece of candy given with a smile.  Take control of your outcome by recognizing that you had the power all along.

Categories
Culture Growth Management Skills

A Growth Mindset

Today, I was reflecting upon the Third Step of the Faremouth Method, Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. With all the changes going on in our lives and especially in the New Work World, I am reminded of the famous quote by Wayne Dyer, “If you change the way you look at things, things you look at change.”  He was so right.  When you change the way you see the world, when your intentions are positive and powerful, when you search for the good in a situation, then you can transform your life into the amazing journey and adventure it was designed to be.  Even in a time in history when a pandemic is among us, we can change our mindset. For a split second, I thought to myself, can we really do this.  Am I being delusional or in some type of imaginary “La-La-Land” that really doesn’t exist at the present time?

 

Being a very “pragmatic” individual, as someone recently described me, this process of Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone and changing my own mindset isn’t really an easy process. Could I be trying to make Fiction out of Reality?  But then a big smile came to my face as I remembered my loving father’s wise counsel when he would insinuate the power of perception and imagination to create the reality you want.  He would often say, “If you keep telling yourself you can’t achieve this or that, you won’t.  If you put your mind to it, you can achieve whatever it is you want in life, Mary Ann.”  I have never forgotten his wise words.

 

I think even Henry Ford said, “If you think you can or can’t, you are right.” The idea of becoming aware of the subjectivity of our perceptions is an admittedly abstract one, the likes of which are considered philosophy and science fiction.  However, human perceptions and their ramifications are very real and potentially life-changing.  Research shows that people may hold an unconscious bias against creativity because it represents uncertainty unless they are able to perceive that uncertainty in a positive light.

 

“Consider the role perception plays in helping patients improve in ailments ranging from pain and depression to Parkinson’s disease through the phenomenon known as the placebo effect.  Though the placebo effect remains largely shrouded in mystery, researchers attribute some aspects of the placebo response to active mechanisms in the brain that can influence bodily processes such as the immune response and release of hormones.” (Amanda Enayati)

 

We read so much these days about a “changing mindset” and I think it’s critical for our own sanity that we do change our way of thinking.  We must change our perception because when we do the gates of our mind can open to innovation and transformation.  Our minds are much more powerful than we think and we often don’t give them enough credit. We can create a positive environment by focusing upon positive thoughts and affirmations.  We are what we think.

 

How might we harness the power of perception to live more deliberate lives and perhaps even recast the most challenging situations, like this pandemic, and the effects of it in the New Work World that we find ourselves living in?

 

A method we might consider during these changing cycles might consist of three words:

 

REVIEW, RECONSIDER, RESTART

 

REVIEW – Do a thorough review of where you have been in your career and what is reasonably available to you now.  Believe in yourself and that you have what it takes to navigate rough waters. Research your current options and do what is necessary to establish a plan of action.  If you need to take more online classes to become more familiar with the digital world, do it.  If you need to take a bit of a pay cut, for now, to put food on the table, evaluate what there is in your current lifestyle you can do without.  It must start with YOU and the mindset that you will survive these challenging times and be able to communicate your service orientation and strong contribution to a prospective employer.

 

RECONSIDER – Reconsider how you can refine your skillset to meet the demands of the New Work World.  If there is more of a need for temporary or contract workers at this time, investigate the opportunities and if perhaps those jobs might eventually go permanent.  Reconsider how you may have to take two part-time jobs to maintain your financial balance at this time and realize that this won’t last forever.  Understand that you are not stagnant.  You are not stuck with the amount of talent or competency you were born with.  Realize you can choose to expand your skill set with deliberate action and determination to expand and grow.  You are the only one navigating your boat to calmer waters ahead. You will get there with the right compass and strategic plan.  First, you have to believe in yourself and your abilities that you can do it and change your mindset to be able to get to this new destination.

 

RESTART – Don’t look at this situation as an ending.  Consider it as a new beginning to allow you to meet many interesting people along the way and contribute to your own personal growth and expanded awareness of your work world journey.  Just because you have been, for example, a sales assistant in the oil and gas business, doesn’t mean those skills are not transferable into another industry that uses the same skill set mechanics of tracking, logistics, follow-up and back-up to the sales force. It might have to be done now in more of an online/digital way with less face-to-face interaction. The online jobs of the future will allow us to have more interface with people and cultures in different countries that might add value and enhance our understanding of the job and the world at large.

 

Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zone can be an opportunity for a new growth mindset and more meaning in our lives in ways we never thought possible.  A friend of mine reminded me of the “Moss Rose.” In some cultures, it is considered a weed because it can take over a garden.  In other cultures, it is highly desired for its beauty and fragrance.  It really depends on the gardener’s perspective.  Let your perspective have an expanded growth mindset and step out of your comfort zone into the New Work World that might offer benefits you could only have imagined.

 

Ruha Benjamin, Professor of Sociology at Boston University says, “What we are fighting for is our imagination, the right to imagine a life and relationships and a social world that are happier, less anxious, more harmonious, and more just. We are not being diligent enough or deliberate enough about culminating our imagination.  We have to fight for our ability to imagine the world we want.”

 

Covid-19 has already dramatically changed the way many jobs are done and employers are now planning how best to extract benefits from those changes as they prepare for business after the pandemic subsides.  Greater digitization and automation, along with more demand for independent contractors, increases reliance on remote work, and has the potential to deliver better productivity, lower costs, and enhance resilience.  Historically, innovation has driven changes beneficial to workers and humanity at large while new workplace trends hold the promise of greater productivity that will fuel broader well-being.

 

We have to put forth a conscious and deliberate effort to change how we think to create our own new reality.  We must envision that new mindset in order to create it. It has been shown that when we mentally imagine what that New Work World might look like for us we are then able to see ourselves in a much better position where we can thrive economically and personally.  This is where we can move our own personal mountains and envision what is on the other side of this pandemic for us to become more productive and deliberate individuals in the New Work World.  We are not limited by the challenges when we seek ways to overcome those obstacles by changing our mindset.

Categories
Culture Growth Management Personal Development

Peernovation and Why You Should Care About It

More than 25 years ago, my 4 1/2-year-old daughter attended a Halloween party at her daycare center.  When a woman who the center had hired to dress up as a witch walked into the room, one of the kids began to cry, which triggered a second and then a third.  Within a minute or so, most of the kids in the room were scared to death of the witch. As the teachers tried to reassure the pre-schoolers and restore order, my daughter ran to the front of the room, made her self real big, and yelled, “It’s okay, she’s not real!  There’s no need to be afraid!”  The kids looked at my daughter, then at one another, and concluded everything was okay.  Would the teachers have gotten the situation under control eventually?  Of course.  Did it happen a little more quickly when one of their own said everything was okay?  No question about it.

This same dynamic takes place in the workplace among adults every time a leader makes an announcement about a change that employees are uncertain about or potentially fearful of.  They, too, rely on their peers, co-workers, family members, etc. to help them assign meaning to whatever situation or circumstances they may find themselves.  The key influencers among employees are not always the ones with the fanciest titles.  According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, our most trusted source of company information and what it means for us is our co-workers – not the CEO or senior leadership team member – it’s the people who sit beside us. Our peers matter and they matter huge!

From Peer Influence to Peer Advantage to Peernovation

Peer influence has been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember. Because it is such a powerful and pervasive force, it stands to reason that we should pay attention to how to maximize it.  The road from peer influence to peer advantage is simple because all it requires is that we are intentional about it.  If you can be more selective, strategic, and structured about the people you surround yourself with, you can tap into the power of peer influence in a new and amazing way.

Peer•no•va•tion (pir-nə-ˈvā-shən) combines the words peer (people like me) and innovation (creativity realized).  Peernovation is what happens when a group of people who share common values, yet offer different perspectives and skills, bring ideas to life.  This is where peer advantage bears fruit.

As the proverb goes, “none of us is as smart as all of us” and none of us is as creative as all of us either. I’ve been fortunate on countless occasions to have led and been a member of teams who produced outstanding work for our clients.  Any member of any of these teams (me included of course) would readily admit that there was no individual in the room who would have ever come up with the same high level of work if left to their own devices. Put a group of talented people with different skill sets and experiences in a room, who are relentless about achieving a quality outcome, and watch out!  Teams like these are what separate great companies from good ones.

Achieving peernovation, based solely on the intention of leveraging peer influence through peer advantage, won’t happen by itself.  It requires leaders who recognize that an organization’s resilience doesn’t come solely from its vertical organizational structure. It’s what runs horizontally that gives it strength and stability.   Leaders who recognize the power of peer influence, and who are deliberate in harnessing its power, are capable of building the kind of high-performing teams that will be necessary to thrive in this rapidly changing world.

Now What?

The world is changing quickly. The advent of AI and other emerging technologies will require us to access what makes us uniquely human. Doing so will begin with recognizing three things: 1) None of us can successfully meet tomorrow’s challenges by ourselves; 2) peer influence is a powerful force, and 3) our organizations are better when we recognize that its strength runs horizontally.  It’s hard to imagine a better time to explore the benefits of peernovation and discover its potential for you and your team.

Categories
Culture Growth Human Resources Leadership Skills

Writing as a Refuge In Times of Challenge

In reflecting on the Fifth Step of the Faremouth Method – Be A Hunter, in these challenging times with so much uncertainty and change going on in the world, I thought back to famous people who have used writing as a creative outlet to cope with adversity.  Max Regan, my writing teacher and coach, recently mentioned in a class I was taking, how “fiction writing can be a refuge.”  That caused me to recall a famous speech given at Harvard by J.K. Rowling who talked about how she had worked with “Amnesty International” and witnessed much suffering of the human spirit and how that experience pushed her to use writing as her refuge. Out of her experience, the famous “Harry Potter” series was born.

 

During a Pandemic in the 1800’s, Shakespeare wrote his famous play, “King Lear,” considered one of his best pieces of work.  I know for me, personally, during a time of great personal loss and grief, writing was for sure my refuge and allowed me to write my first book, Revolutionary Recruiting, which has helped many people find jobs in challenging times and, to date, has won many awards.  I’m sure many women will recall when, as young girls, they were encouraged to keep diaries and journals as a way of expressing their feelings and emotions.  Young men also kept journals as they became a little older and into adulthood as a way of expressing their own creative thoughts.  Just like so many individuals in history who had to hunt for ways to express themselves and to find an outlet enabling them to cope, my own personal way of coping has been through writing which has brought much grounding and many rewards in my life.

 

I recently spoke with Alan Bourgeois, Founder and Executive Director of Authors Marketing Guild (AMG), a non-profit and international organization dedicated to help writers all over the world expand and refine the craft of writing.  Several years ago, I met Alan for the first time at a writer’s conference at Rice University in Houston where he spoke about the many services his organization provides to and for writers and I immediately joined the organization.  Alan and his organization got my attention and, I am proud to say, has greatly helped me in my writing endeavors.

 

In August 2011, B Alan Bourgeois, who is an author and was a publisher at the time, realized the value and the struggle of marketing books. Through the process to better understand the dynamics of marketing books, he created the Texas Association of Authors (TxAuthors). His one goal has remained the same through the growth of the organization: Helping authors to better learn how to market and sell their books.

 

AMG is dedicated to provide service and support to authors through their gatherings in person and virtually, radio show interviews, and other related programs. They are the only organization that continues to interact with other national and international programs to make sure author members get the support they need.

 

Since 2016, authors have gathered to celebrate being a published author and to learn from professionals how to better market and sell themselves. During this weekend of education, support, and celebration, authors not only receive valuable tips and tools, but they become part of an elite group of authors who have become Certified in Marketing. AME is the only educational event that offers this type of certification.

 

While AMG has held annual conferences since 2016, 2020 was the first annual conference on a Zoom platform which proved to be quite successful.  Presenters ranged from professional writers in various genres to publishers, distributors, and marketers, etc., to provide valuable information to those in the process of getting their work out into the world.  I had the distinct honor of participating in the event and met so many wonderful people, where I was able to learn so many valuable tips on how to navigate through this process with my own work.

 

These events are held every year in July in various locations.  The next event will be July 24-26, 2021, scheduled to be held in Granbury, Texas.  Speakers and presenters are carefully selected to address and maximize current topics for all genres of writing and the entire marketing aspect from publishing and beyond. There is an art to the business side of writing and AMG stands out as the foremost authority in this process under the direction of Alan Bourgeois. AMG provides a strong sense of community to help authors through the birth process of their writing to the latest available information in marketing and learning to push it to the maximum potential.  In the past, the business side was done by large publishing houses. Now, the world of independent publishing is exploding and more people are writing as AMG fine-tunes this business aspect for independent publishing, making it more accessible and arming writers with more knowledge.

 

AMG is a support and content-rich organization to help writers throughout their writing Journey.  Instead of feeling alone and not knowing where to start, AMG offers support, with their support through conferences, contests, and community, there is help in whatever capacity you need.  They have also created two nonprofits that support reading and writing programs for all ages: Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) Texas/Indie and the Texas Authors Institute of History.  With these nonprofits and other programs, they reach to librarians, schools, and communities around the world.

 

Another strong aspect of support for writers, AMG presents the Indie Beacon Show which airs every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7 PM. Their shows are uploaded to all major podcast systems including iHeart, iTunes, and other systems, as well as aired on Amazon TV and YouTube. For all shows, please visit their channel here: http://IBS.AuthorsMarketingGuild.com

 

The Indie Beacon Show has grown over the years, starting as a test program in 2015 as part of the Wimberley Book Festival, with the popularity growing over time and became the Indie Beacon Show. On May 1st, 2019, it joined both Amazon TV and Roku as a Vcast show and grew its podcast outreach on all major channels.

 

More people are writing today as they look for ways to cope with the challenging times we are currently facing.  Writers are able to reflect the outer world they experience as they channel these challenges internally.  Throughout history, people have used various forms of creativity to express what they feel on the inside. Writing is one of the primary ways of being able to heal our emotional responses to the outer world by connecting our outer experiences to our inner emotions.

 

Personally for me, I have found that being a part of this organization has allowed me, as an author, to participate in contests and given me the confidence and even pushed me to write different genres in the craft of writing. It all starts with each of us becoming our own hunter, looking for ways to cope with uncomfortable situations.

 

I encourage you to look into the benefits of writing during these challenging times and investigate the benefits that AMG offers and its many programs which may enhance your own personal development and growth.

Categories
Best Practices Culture Economics Growth Human Resources Management Skills

Staying Positive During A Challenging and Exhausting Job Search

The current job market is experiencing a Revolution!  Millions of people globally have lost their jobs, sources of income, or been furloughed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  While this widespread, unprecedented crisis is happening through no fault of our own, that may be of little comfort when you’re stressed about paying bills and putting food on the table.

 

Losing your employment is one of life’s most challenging and stressful experiences a person will endure.  Aside from the obvious financial challenges it can cause, the stress of losing a job can also take a toll on your mood, the people in your life, and overall mental and emotional health.

 

Making a living isn’t all our jobs do for us.  They influence how we view ourselves and how others see us. Our jobs provide a social outlet and give structure, meaning, and purpose to our lives. Suddenly being out of work can allow one to feel depressed.  You might be asking yourself, “Who am I now?”  You might even be going through a grief process and feel very confused about what the future will hold.

 

As a recruiter, sitting on my side of the desk and seeing what has and has not been working for people in this New Work World, I want to share what I have been experiencing with my candidates.  I’m more or less on the “front line” of this job situation and in my 30 years of doing this job, I’ve never seen the job market like this.  I’ve been through five significant downturns in the market but this one is very different and what may have worked in the past isn’t working now.  Every situation is different but I see some underlying themes that are getting some applicants the good job offers.

 

More than ever now, our mindsets are of crucial importance to stay upbeat and positive.  There are ways to help you better cope with what you may be dealing with at this time.  This is not the time to sit back and wait for things to happen. Take the time to re-evaluate the steps you have been taking and the ones I am suggesting to see if a bit of “tweaking” in your methodology might work well for you.   Perhaps these suggestions will bring you more success where you will come out on the other side with a renewed sense of purpose and a mindset programmed to stay positive no matter what!

 

1. Give yourself time to mourn or grieve your loss

 

Any type of loss in our lives causes us emotional upheaval, and that includes the loss of a job and paycheck.  Being out of work also comes with other major experiences, some of which may not be what we want to face.  This job loss may cause:

 

  • Concern about how you will manage your life
  • Your professional identity crisis
  • Your self-confidence and “who am I” signature
  • Your work-based and friend social network
  • Your daily routine and purpose
  • You and your family’s sense of well-being and security

 

If you feel you need to see your minister, priest, counselor, etc., for some support during these tough times, don’t be afraid to do it.  Sometimes a wise relative you respect can be a good support person or even a trusted friend.  The main thing to remember through this entire process is that your “self-worth” is really not tied to your “net-worth.”  Just like the fabulous quote from Henry David Thoreau, “What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.”  You have an amazing skill set and creative ability within you.  Hold on to those positives these days and know that with the right mindset and determination you will be able to turn this around.  I’ve heard from numerous clients lately that if the candidate is not coming into the interview with a positive attitude, their chances are not as good as they could be if they present themselves in a more upbeat and positive manner.

 

2. Consider other areas to define yourself:

 

Some recommend that writing is a good outlet during stressful times to help us heal.  Several years ago, I did just that. Taking a writing class opened up new doors and the writing itself proved to be a very healing exercise.  It gave me another identity as “a writer” during challenging times.

 

Losing a job might allow you to do something different to define yourself in a new way.  Maybe you like to garden, cook, paint or make jewelry.  Studies have found that using our creative ability allows us to heal and can have a huge effect on our self-esteem and identity. Solid self-esteem is very important in the interviewing process.  I have gotten feedback recently from clients telling me when candidates come across too down in the interview or report they have been on numerous interviews and have not had any offers, which puts a negative mark on their chances with the hiring authority.  Companies themselves are treading rough waters right now and don’t need to deal with any additional negativity. A positive mindset can go a long way in advancing your chances to make the second round of interviews.

 

3. Create a Job Search Plan

 

A famous quote I refer to often in my consulting practice to candidates is a quote by Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”  Avoid getting overwhelmed by breaking big goals into small, achievable steps.  Instead of trying to do everything at once, set priorities.  If you are not seeing success in your job search, take some time to rethink your goals.  One of my candidates this past week had not heard back from the hiring authority for over a week.  He decided to see who he knew who could benefit from the products this company sold and made a phone call to them even before he knew he had the second interview.  He then called my client and told him he had done some research on his own and had made calls to his contacts in the industry and knew he could bring these possible leads to this company. He did a spreadsheet with the products these companies had purchased in the past and how this company could be instrumental in servicing their needs.  My client called me after receiving this spreadsheet and told me how impressed they were that he took the time to research and put this spreadsheet together.  They told me it demonstrated to them how beneficial he would be to their team.  An offer was made, he accepted and he starts this new job very soon.  By planning for a possible good outcome and putting an actual plan together on his own time with efforts that had no guarantee of success, it secured a new job for this candidate in a tough market.  These creative efforts are very important in this New Work World.  Just interviewing and demonstrating your accomplishments and what you have done in the past isn’t always enough.  Going over and above to bring out WHY you would help the company grow or make a difference on the bottom line is what companies are looking for these days.

 

Recently, I placed an oil and gas systems analyst applicant into a real estate related company due to transferable skills. In the interview, he bonded with the person he would be working for because of a common interest in hunting and fishing. This invoked the human element between the applicant and the client and secured a job offer.

 

4. Do daily exercise – even if it’s just a long walk.

 

A quote I’ve always liked is by Friedrich Nietzsche, “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”  I believe that to be true.  I’ve gotten some great ideas on my walks in the early morning.  If work demands prevented you from exercising regularly in the past, make the time now.  Exercise relaxes tense muscles and relieves tension in the body, releasing powerful endorphins to improve your mood.  Trimming a few inches from the waistline and improving your physical presentation may also give your self-confidence a boost. I can’t express enough how your positive presentation on the interview is so important.  I’ve had candidates with exact backgrounds for a job get beat out of offers by others who have only transferrable skills.  You have to show how you can contribute to the task at hand and make a difference in a positive manner.

 

5. Reach Out to Stay Empowered

 

Your natural reaction during these challenging times may be to withdraw from friends and family out of shame or embarrassment.  Don’t ignore the importance of other people when you’re faced with the stress of job loss and unemployment.  I have heard it said that “social contact is nature’s antidote to stress.”   Nothing works better at soothing your shattered nerves than talking face-to-face on ZOOM with a good listener.  That person doesn’t even have to have solutions.  Just having someone to listen without judgment is what is needed.  It can be very healing and makes one feel supported.  Some people are afraid to reach out for support out of pride but opening up won’t make you a burden to others.  In fact, most people will be flattered you trusted them enough to ask for their ear and it will strengthen the relationship in many cases.  A candidate I was about to send on an interview wanted to cancel the appointment because his child had become ill and he felt he needed to be there.  We talked for a good while about how we could orchestrate him getting another family member to come over and sit with the child for a couple of hours so he could have a chance at this interview.  After we talked about his options in the situation and having someone to listen to, he felt more ready and calm to do the interview and he did end up getting the job.  If I had allowed him to cancel the interview in these very challenging times, I’m not so sure I could have been able to reschedule the appointment because of the surplus of good candidates available.

 

The Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020 has spurred the evolution of how the New Work World has revolutionized the job market.  When you take the time to plan your NEW strategy in this New Work World, you can allow yourself to stay positive with a new mindset and power up yourself to reach success.  There are as many avenues to success as there are successes. Old methods of finding employment are no longer working as we now adapt to new protocols. Most importantly is a positive mindset and a willingness to go the extra mile to show ourselves and our skillset in the best light to new employers.  In order to change on the outside, we have to start by changing on the inside and truly looking at what we have to offer that we might have overlooked in the past.  Success is at hand with positive and persistent effort.

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness

What Happens When You Twist Language

This Sounds Like the Beginning of a Joke

One of my favorite children’s book series is Amelia Bedelia. It involves a housekeeper named Amelia Bedelia who works for the Rogers family. She is always getting things wrong, even though Amelia does what she is told to do. The result is never what the Rogers family wants, yet if you look at what Amelia did it is exactly what Mrs. Rogers said. When Mrs. Rogers asks Amelia to draw the drapes, she is asking Amelia to close the drapes. Amelia proceeds to draw a picture of the drapes, which is exactly what she is told to do. The words are correct yet the language gets twisted.

Language

The twist of words makes the story comical. It also shows how our language can be used for more than communicating one person to another. According to Webster’s First American Dictionary, language is defined as; “human speech; the use of words or sounds to articulate the thoughts of one person to another.”

Our language is one of our most used tools to convey a message. We are also able to maneuver the language for amusement to create jokes. It’s an ingenious and harmless way of interaction.  Words spoken with a funny anecdote produce laughter.

Joke

There are three parts to a joke; the setup, the punch line, and the tag (adding more punch lines using the same setup). What makes the antic humorous is throwing the listener off guard by relating the setup to something ridiculous. Jokes are a clever way to use our language to give an unexpected message. It’s the change in direction that makes a joke funny.

For Example:

Joke #1 Two guys walk into a bar. You would think the second one would’ve seen it.

Joke #2 Husband/Wife

One night while in bed the husband wakes the wife and says, ‘I can’t sleep.’ The wife responds back, ‘Sure you can; I’ve seen you do it.’

Twisted Language

The listener is thinking the information is heading in a certain direction, yet twisting the language brings a surprise the listener wasn’t expecting. That’s what makes jokes funny.

Language is how we communicate to convey a message. It is also capable of being twisted in a way that produces a joke. Who thought words could be fun.

Categories
Culture Growth Human Resources Management Skills

Doing it Right at the Right Time With The Right Tools?

 

Covid-19 has taken a considerable toll on everyone over the last several months and has made an overwhelming impact on people’s careers, turning them upside down.  This has caused an unprecedented upheaval across all industries and job roles. By utilizing the right tools and focused determination, a candidate can still be successful in this market. It’s just a new normal now, but with the right mindset and methodology, success still can be achieved.

 

I’ve heard it said:

 

“Success is Simple

Do What’s Right

The Right Way

At the Right Time”

 

There just might be some truth to the old adage that “Timing is Everything.”  I feel that Integrity might also fall into that same category even if the phrase “Integrity is Everything” hasn’t been coined. This past week, I had two candidates approach me about wanting to leave their secure, well-paying jobs for what they thought would be greener pastures.  They both happened to be in industries that were in major decline and very few positions available at this time in the areas where their experience and skillsets registered.

 

I’m not saying there are not any available positions during the pandemic. That’s not what I am suggesting at all.  What I am saying is that, from my view on the other side of the desk, talking to my clients and other recruiters, there are challenges present now in the New Work World.  Let’s take a look at some areas to be considered using the Faremouth Method, a method I have used for many years in my practice to have a methodical approach to placements for candidates and employers.

 

Let’s look at a way that might be instrumental in streamlining your job search process that might prove successful for you.

 

Step 1 – Do a Self Inventory

 

Let’s examine where you are in your career or job situation right now.   IF you are unhappy or not feeling fulfilled in a secure job and do not believe your position is in jeopardy, honestly evaluate what the best course of action is in these uncertain times.

 

Could you try to expand the job you are currently doing to make it more challenging?  Could you work harder at fostering better communication between you and your boss or teammates to make the job more enjoyable? If not, and there is no improvement available, what can you do now to enhance your skillset to be more marketable when the market does turn around? If you have lost your job due to the downturn in the market, are you on a temporary furlough, etc.?

 

The first place to begin is to evaluate how you are presenting yourself to the world.  I am specifically referring to your resume and your LinkedIn profile.  These presentations of your skillset right now are crucial.  With the innovative technology job search that companies are using these days, you must make sure that the keywords are highlighted for the algorithms on the search engines to respond to your submitted resume.  If you need to work with a professional to present the resume in a form that is more to your advantage in the New Work World, don’t hesitate to do it.  There are many online resources available that offer templates that can present your skillset in a more beneficial manner.

 

There is no harm in taking a “temporary” job to be able to pay the bills and put food on the table.  I just had a client the other day respond favorably to a candidate who took a work-from-home online job as a temporary fix while trying to secure a job more in line with his skill set.  The employer decided to interview the candidate and he does have a second interview next week. The client told me his steps in taking a job somewhat out of his field demonstrated that he was a proactive candidate and he would bring those skills to their company.

 

Step 2 – Ask Better Questions

 

The professionals in the New Work World now find themselves having to fill out applications for positions during one of the most challenging times in history.  Some recruiting professionals have equated the current job market to how it was in the Great Depression.  There are so many candidates available for the limited open positions, it has become what we call an “employer’s market” where the employer really does have the advantage to choose the pick of the litter.  With that being said, candidates must be more assertive, more proactive, and creative in finding ways to stand out among the huge competition, or they will get passed over and lost in the crowd.

 

Ask yourself what you can do to make your skillset one that a prospective employer finds interesting.  Make sure your resume is honest and true.  Keep the integrity factor high in your job search.  Your related skill set must stand out on the resume to demonstrate why you should be selected for an interview. For example, if you are applying for an Inside Sales position but the resume reflects more of what you did in the logistics area after the sale was made, the employer more than likely will pass that resume over and go to the next one that is more reflective of the specific job duties required on his posting or open position.

 

I was on a panel recently at a local college with many HR professionals. They suggested to students trying to find jobs in these tough times that the resume had to be a strong match to what they were seeking.  The applicant’s skills had to match the job description immediately at the TOP of the resume or, more than likely with so many resumes to review, it would be passed over.   Ask yourself if you are in line with the New Work World requirements to find a job.  Be aware that approaching hiring managers and recruiters require even more thoughtfulness and effort in order to stand out as a viable candidate.  Ask yourself who you might know from previous jobs or hiring authorities who know what you can bring to the table of benefit to the employer.  Don’t be afraid to make those contacts to investigate who they might know is hiring and if they could possibly recommend you.

 

Step 3 – Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

 

According to a March 2020 survey by Handshake, an online career community for college students, 89% of employers are now adopting virtual interviews due to the Covid-19 challenge. That means you may have to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and make sure you up your game on virtual interviews.

 

You have to be able to bring the same level of enthusiasm, professionalism, and communication that you would present in an in-person interview.  The lighting has to be right, your appearance and grooming have to be professional even if the interview takes place virtually in your kitchen.  Although people realize technical issues can arise on virtual platforms, struggles with technology may hurt your chances of getting a second interview no matter how much your skill set relates to the position.  I had a client pass over a very good candidate last week because she felt he was late getting on the Zoom meeting, the environment where he did the virtual interview was very messy, cluttered, and unprofessional.  She told me she felt he lacked “attention to detail” and he would bring that quality into the job and, in these tough times with limited staff, she couldn’t have a person on her team who wasn’t able to be on time and lacked concern for details, etc.

 

If you are not a very technologically-oriented person it may be to your advantage to Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone and do a practice Zoom, or whatever the virtual platform for the interview may be BEFORE the actual virtual interview takes place to make sure you present yourself in the very best manner possible.  Test out all functionality of your video conferencing equipment that may include audio settings, camera access, and screen sharing in advance to avoid hiccups and delays proceeding in a streamlined manner.

 

You might have to be reasonable about current reductions in salaries at this time.  Whenever there is a surplus of supply, prices go down.  In this instance, there is a surplus of employees which make salaries decrease.  This challenge might make you Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and not live the lifestyle you have been accustomed to living.  This is the time to evaluate what you need versus what you want in purchases online, at the grocery store, in clothing, entertainment, etc.   There are many ways you can shave dollars off of your monthly expenses by buying things that are less costly yet still fulfill your needs.  Some of the changes in Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone measures might actually serve us in a way that is to our benefit and institute changes that might be better for us even when the market does turn around.  Neil Donald Walsh says, “The Only Constant Is Change,” and sometimes doing things differently and not in our comfort zone will foster growth and advancement in many ways.

 

Step 4 – Take the Time To Do It Right

 

My clients tell me they are looking for a candidate who communicates with them in a way that demonstrates they are a team player with concern for the wellbeing of others besides themselves. They look for applicants who have researched the company, the industry, the past, present and future challenges, and voice their awareness of the challenging times the client might find themselves in at this moment.  An applicant who demonstrates human characteristics like empathy, authentic interest in the company and human qualities stand a much better chance at a first and second interview or being hired for the job.

 

I had a client pass over a very good candidate a few days ago because he jumped right in asking about the salary structure and when they typically get their first raise.  The client spent over 10 minutes telling me how insensitive the candidate was to the current conditions in this industry and how his immediate mention of how important it was that he understands the salary structure was appalling and the interview was immediately cut very short.

 

My suggestion in these tough times is to spend considerable time before the interview to research the company, their achievements, projects, etc., before the interview. During the interview, demonstrate your research efforts and empathy for what the company may be going through. Salary information should NEVER be brought up in the initial interview.  You demonstrate your worth to the company by what you can bring to them and especially in the New Work World, to establish how, by hiring you, it will have an eventual effect on the company’s bottom line.

 

Taking the time to Do It Right and thoroughly preparing for the interview is a crucial element in this New Work World.  Another way to Do It Right is to do a mock interview with someone you trust BEFORE the interview to make sure you can present yourself in the most professional way without a lot of nervous anxiety and hesitation in answering questions.  Prepare for the interview and Take the Time To Do It Right for your best results.  Make sure within the first 24 hours after the interview takes place to send a “Thank You” email showing your interest in the position and outlining why you would be a good fit for the position in a concise and thoughtful manner.

 

Step 5 – Be A Hunter

 

We have to be more of a Hunter these days than the caveman was back in the day. The Gatherers of the world who sit back and wait for things to come to them or who only send out one resume a week are not going to find jobs in this market.  Candidates that are being extremely proactive in these challenging and uncertain times are the ones who are getting the job offers.

 

Presenting yourself in a professional, positive, upbeat manner is what makes employers respond.  When you stay focused and positive and present yourself in a prepared, focused determined manner, employers can feel this and are more receptive to those candidates.

 

You have a unique opportunity to showcase how you handle adversity, which is an especially attractive quality in the forum of the pandemic.  One of the employers I met on a university panel recently mentioned to me that she really was not interested in hearing about a candidate’s challenges with the pandemic or how their Aunt Sue had been a virus statistic.  She told me attitude right now and empathy for the world at large were qualities she held in the highest esteem.  A person presenting themselves in a way that showed they “hunted for all the information” they could find on the company and for areas where their transferrable skills would apply will fair far better than those that come in and complain about how many resumes they have sent out and the lack of responses, etc.

 

While finding your next role may be extremely important to you at this time, many organizations are managing their own challenges in the face of this global crisis.  Hunting for that positive attitude and contributing spirit will go much further these days than hunting only with that “what’s in it for me” and “when can I start” attitude.

 

These are unprecedented times and we have to respond accordingly.  The Coronavirus Pandemic has created challenges and uncertainty for us all in our personal and professional lives. Success on many levels can be achieved if we

 

Do What’s Right

The Right Way

At the Right Time

 

Give your career search your best efforts and use the established Five Steps of the  Faremouth Method to assist you in your journey.  There is success in the current job market for those who are willing to take the extra steps and attention necessary in their job search.

Categories
Culture Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development

From Storm to Alignment

It’s interesting how the affairs and events of the natural world, in addition to Covid-19, can make one stop in their tracks and become introspective and do much personal reflection. We have no control over the weather, the elements of the land, the oceans, and Mother Nature.  In the past few days, looking at the news and seeing the grand scale of human suffering from the ravaging wildfires in many areas of our country, has caused me to contemplate so many things.  The storms and hurricanes that have hit so many of us lately have also caused extensive damage and human suffering. On a much smaller scale just this past week, a severe wind storm blew my own patio cover off it’s standing structure, leaving it bare.  Luckily it can be fixed, but it was upsetting to see the wooden structure that my late husband built uncovered and all the boards exposed without its cover. Just a few weeks ago, we had a significant fire in my office building that caused the office to be closed for almost a week for repairs.  My personal experiences with storm and fire challenges are minuscule compared to the tragic and devastating loss of what others are going through these days.  The storms and fires many of us have experienced recently in the external world have had a reflective impact on our internal world as well. Storms and fires are experiences many of us have either heard about or been personally affected by recently.  We can find the golden nugget of these experiences in how we learn and transform ourselves through these opportunities for meaningful growth.  Just like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, the Ancient Greek symbol is a mythological bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again.  We, too, can obtain our own new life by rising from the ashes stronger, smarter, and more powerful.

 

As a career consultant for over 25 years, my job has been to work with people who are trying to deal with the storms in their career world or to ignite a new fire, putting the old fires to rest and moving to a better place by getting into alignment with who they are or who they can be. The last several months with Covid-19, we have a new normal in the work world that needs to be taken seriously into account.  When faced with job losses, fear of layoffs, furloughs, or loss of income, the old ways of handling career planning just might not apply.  Considering the human element in career counseling, in many cases when an applicant comes to me, there is some type of internal fire burning that needs to be examined. There usually has been some type of internal storm that has caused them to seek career counseling. During these tough times, it really can boil down to survival and putting food on the table. We need to evaluate many things to see if the timing is right to execute new burning desires or rekindle the flame inside to burn away all those masks, fears and ways of being that do not feed their soul, life passions, and desires.  When you are in alignment with your purpose, it’s like the gravel road that just got paved.  All of a sudden, the fire of passion is lit and provides a new path to direct you. Knowing what makes your heart happy and then going out and doing it is a true game-changer.

 

When you are mindful or thoughtful in regards to your purpose, it is similar to the way you would manage a campfire. There are many ways to get the fire kindled to start burning, but not all of the ways are good for you or the people around you.  In these days especially, with this pandemic among us all and the environmental factors, including storms, fires, etc., that we may be experiencing, let’s look at how we can ask ourselves some meaningful questions to cope with our current situation and realize new ways that will enhance our growth in the work world for the benefit of ourselves and, more importantly, for the greater good of the world around us.

 

1. Connection

 

Sitting around the fire creates a connection.  Stories might be told as you sit around this virtual campfire.  Creativity might be shared when we congregate in a group.  That “campfire” might be a class on Zoom where you get to connect with others.  Often those flames flicker magically and the virtual smoke might heat things up and stir something within.  Allowing yourself to connect with others virtually builds a sense of community that is lacking these days.  Ask yourself how you are building connections during these rather isolating times that might enhance your personal and professional growth.  A quote I really like by Rachel Naomi Remen reminds me of this as she writes, “Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.”  The connections we form during these challenging times might allow us to refine those tools in our toolkit and bring our enhanced skills to the New Work World to make a greater impact and meaningful contribution to our employer, co-workers, family, and friends.

 

 

2. Communication

 

When I think of communication, I think about sharing ideas.  It’s that pile of information that sits energetically between us.  The pile might be made up of your beliefs, stories, thoughts, fears, and even things you cannot find the courage to share.  When you courageously share this pile of whatever it is, you are stepping into the fire and giving others permission to do the same.  As we stand in this fire together the pile might be able to burn away as we honestly share our hopes, fears, and desires during these tough times and feel more supported and empowered to move toward a better future.  A quote I really like is by Paul J. Meyer, where he writes, “Communication, the human connection is the key to personal and career success.”  I’ve heard many clients tell me an employee would have been able to be promoted if they had communicated their desires to the boss, expressed their desire to take on more projects, etc.  I never hear the employers tell me that an employee was held back because of communicating ideas in a proper and respectful manner. It’s when they DON’T know how to communicate effectively that employers become unhappy and then call me to replace the employee.  In all relationships, business, personal, love relationships, etc., effective communication is the key to keep the fire burning and stoking the coals so the fire doesn’t go out.

 

3. Being Fully Present

 

When you can shed your fears and your concerns you can become more connected to your true purpose. You can become more fully present to yourself and others. You may even be able to sit in harmony with a clear thought process and watch the beautiful flames dance inside of yourself.  You will no longer be distracted by things that don’t serve you as they will have already been tossed into the fire.  Others will feel you are being present as they join you around the campfire. My favorite author, Eckhart Tolle, writes, “The Fire of Suffering becomes the Light of Consciousness” and “The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.”  Whatever the storm is in your life right now, or the real or metaphorical Phoenix from the ashes experience you might be dealing with, make yourself fully present and know your journey will eventually lead you to a better and stronger place.

 

4. Reciprocity

 

What you do for yourself, you are able to do for others. Take care and nurture the fire it will give you, and others will feel the warmth of the fire within you!  Sheldon Kopp writes, “You only get to keep what you give away.”  In my opinion, life isn’t about “Me.”  It’s about “We.”  When I work hard to make myself the very best version of myself, I can then share my gifts and talents with the world.  It’s funny that it seems in those storms of our life that the fire within can really be ignited. You might look at the storm of your life and realize the gifts it is ultimately giving you.

 

The ravaging fires that are currently happening and the many harsh winds and storms that have recently hit so many are very serious and sad events.  Let’s try to look at these external events and learn the internal lessons they may offer us through these tough times and apply those lessons to the New Work World.  Let’s remember the mythological Phoenix and its resurrecting life lessons.  We can all let the storms and fires in our life guide us to a new rebirth that can be an expansive journey.  We seek to make an even greater contribution to the New Work World and the World at large.  We are all emerging stronger than ever before and more in alignment with our true passions. Our alignment can now be better expressed as we make better choices walking through our personal storm.  We are truly shaped by the challenges, struggles, and hardships we endure in life as we survive and learn from them.