Career Revival Tour

Charting a New Course

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:49:10 -0400

In Search of Resilience by Seth Godin

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:35:51 -0400

Most of the time, we build our jobs and our organizations and our lives around today, assuming that tomorrow will be a lot like now. Resilience, the ability to shift and respond to change, comes way down the list of the things we often consider.

And yet… A crazy world is certain to get crazier. The industrial economy is fading, and steady jobs with it. The financial markets will inevitably get more volatile. The Earth is warming, ever faster, and the rate and commercial impact of natural disasters around the world is on an exponential growth curve.

Hence the need for resilience, for the ability to survive and thrive in the face of change.

A non-resilient hospital in New York City closed for months because the designers failed to design for a flood. A career as a travel agent ends when, fairly suddenly, people don’t need travel agents any longer. A retirement is wiped out because the sole asset in the nest egg is no longer worth what it was.

The choice is to build something that’s perfect for today, or to build something that lasts. Because perfect for today no longer means perfect forever.

Here are four approaches to resilience, in ascending order, from brave to stupid:

Don’t need it
Invest in a network
Create backups
Build a moat

Don’t need it is the shortcut to living in crazy times. If you don’t have an office, it won’t flood. If you have sixteen clients, losing one won’t wipe you out.* If your cost of living is low, it’s far less exposed to a loss in income. If there are no stairs in your house, a broken hip doesn’t mean you have to move. Intentionally stripping away dependencies on things you can no longer depend on is the single best preparation to change.

Invest in a network. When your neighbor can lend you what you need, it’s far easier to survive losing what you’ve got. Cities and villages and tribes with thriving, interconnected neighborhoods find that the way they mesh resources and people, combined with mutual generosity, makes them more able to withstand unexpected change. And yes, the word is ‘invest’, because the connection economy thrives on generosity, not need.

Create backups. Not just your data (you do have a copy of your data in two or three places, don’t you?) but anything that’s essential to your career, your family or your existence. A friend with a nut allergy kept a spare epipen at our house—the cost of a second one was small compared to the cost of being without.

Build a moat is the silly one, the expensive Maginot-line of last resort. Build a moat is the mindset of some preppers, with isolated castles that are stocked to overflowing with enough goods to survive any disaster**. Except, of course, they’re not. Because they can’t think of everything. No one can.

We’re tempted to isolate ourselves from change, by building a conceptual or physical moat around our version of the future. Better, I think, to realize that volatility is the new normal.

Putting all your eggs in one basket and watching the basket really carefully isn’t nearly as effective as the other alternatives. Not when the world gets crazy.

**Henry Mason describes a friend who said, “My dad had one job his whole life, I’ll have seven, and my kids will have seven jobs at the same time.”

**and not just preppers, but corporations that act like them

A GENERATION LOST IN CAREER SPACE

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:09:59 -0500

“How did I get here?”, “What happened?”, “Who moved my cheese?” “What’s next?”

You might have asked yourself one of these questions or something close to it over the last two years. We all have! Something strange is going on around us and it feels very different. We’ve been in career transitions before and we’ve landed before and maybe we’ve even been through it a couple of times over the last 20 years but, something has radically changed and we’re not feeling very comfortable at all. Well, don’t worry, you’re not going crazy and you’re certainly not alone…………….! But, yes, the marketplace has changed dramatically over the last 2-3 years and getting your next career gig will most likely not be a straight line process (resume, interview, job) anymore. No, those days are fading quickly and “they won’t be coming back”.

But don’t despair or stress out. Take a deep breath and realize that as businesses have had to change with the “new norm” so will you.
Rather than one career strategy, you might need 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 career strategies going forward and most will leverage your experience, skills and accomplishments but they might be in a different space or segment of the marketplace. You might need to explore leveraging your corporate career assets in the education space or the non-profit or even the association space. Or, you might even consider consulting on your own or with others that you can affiliate or collaborate with.

The key here is to avoid putting yourself into a “career corner” where you limit yourself to conducting a “traditional” job search; as opposed to expanding your thinking, branding and networking to discover what other potential options are out there. It will be a journey over many new roads and feel like an adventure you’ve never experienced before, but if you “stay the course” and “keep the faith”, you’ll discover new opportunities and destinations you never realized were out there and, chances are that they just might be more exciting and invigorating than you ever thought.

And……………………………as strange as this might sound, you might even be thankful for feeling a little lost!

fastcompany: 6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:53:02 -0500

fastcompany:

6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day

This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak with my friend Mike Del Ponte, who resembles the character of Joe. Today he launches a Kickstarter campaign for his company Soma, which aims to revolutionize the water industry using sustainable design. (It’s awesome. Check it out.) Surprised by how cool, calm, and collected Mike was so close to launch, I asked him what his secret is.

“Every day I need physical energy, mental clarity, and emotional balance to tackle everything that comes my way,” Mike said. “Self-care is the secret to performing at the highest level.”

Here are the six simple rituals he uses to perform at his highest, which you too can begin implementing right away:

1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so you’re naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water when you wake helps start your day fresh. When do you drink your first glass of water each day?

2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks himself, “What are the top three most important tasks that I will complete today?” He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn’t sleep until the Top 3 are complete. What’s your “Top 3” today?

3. The 50/10 Rule. Solo-task and do more faster by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between. Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going outside, calling friends, meditating, or grabbing a glass of water. What’s your most important task for the next 50 minutes?

4. Move and sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress. Most mornings you’ll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga class. How will you sweat today?

5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness, which is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal. Every morning, he writes out at least five things he’s thankful for. In times of stress, he’ll pause and reflect on 10 things he’s grateful for. What are you grateful for today?

6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through 10 minutes of reflection. Mike asks himself, “What went well?” and “What needs improvement?” So… what went well today? How can you do more of it?

Do you have any other tips or practices?

Throw The Bums Out!

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:55:58 -0500

During my executive coaching sessions over the past years with clients that are trying to get a “better handle” on their career direction or lack thereof, I frequently share with them a bus metaphor to help them visualize what might be going on in their “career world” as a way of assessing some of the real challenges they’re facing in moving forward.

Now, I just don’t use any old bus metaphor, but I prefer a school bus, thank you. Yes, that long yellow, black-lettered school bus with those endless row of seats where every kid (we’re all kids really) fights to be in the last row, just like in every classroom. As you probably know, in the last row are the coveted seats of unmatched power. In fact, what’s great about the seats in the last row is that you have a perfect view of the entire bus all laid out in front of you. Nobody can see what or who you’re looking at but you can see it all……….from picking noses, to sleeping, to cramming for a final and so on………and the list could go on and on. Another perceived advantage of being seated in the back row is that if anyone screams after to spotting something gross out the window, like a dead deer or a car accident, you have ample time to change what you’re doing, look up and catch a good long look. What seats of power and prestige! Or, so we think.

OK, so back to the my bus metaphor………………our careers in many ways resemble that good old yellow school bus. You see, depending how old you are and how you’re wired, you’ve taken on a lot of passengers on your bus, both welcomed and unwelcomed. Their names may vary but there is one thing they all have in common ……. a voice: mom, dad, brother, sister, teacher, coach, friend, pastor, culture, fear, stability, money, failure, success, doubt, resistance, indifference, complacency, promotion, acceptance, and the list could go on and on. And yes, all these passengers are traveling on your career bus and occupy different “seats of importance”. Some of their voices are soft, some muffled, some loud and, yes, some screaming! They all have a distinct and unique message but all trying to tell you who you should be or not, where you should be going, and how you should to get there. And most, if not of all, are competing for your attention and win the right of grabbing the steering wheel of your career bus.

So, every time you gather the courage to get up and start walking toward the front of the bus to get your own hands on the steering wheel, all of your passengers in their well-meaning, I-know-what’s-good-for-you way start yelling at you to “shut up, go back and sit down stop making a commotion!” Your parents might yell, “How are you going to support yourself?”, your sister might ask, “Are you crazy?”, the cultural beliefs might direct you to “play it safe” and “get back in line”, your friends might think you’re just misguided and a little weird, failure might even taunt you with your past mistakes, promotion might plead with you, “You’ll make more money!”

With this barrage of voices screaming at you from all the seats, your heading is spinning out of control, you feel like a prisoner in a merry-go-round of voices and choices, you’re confused and overwhelmed while thinking to yourself, “where did all these “passengers” come from and how did they get on the bus”. Your first instinct is to retreat and go back and sit down………..anything to shut them up. But before you turn to head back, something deep within you blurts out at the bus driver to pull over and stop. As the bus rolls to a slow and methodical stop, you reach down deep and garner all the courage and stamina you have left (which isn’t much), you point to the door demanding that everybody, yes everybody, get off the bus. For a moment there is complete silence, no one moves, everybody is glaring right at you with looks of anger, disgust and bewilderment. Time seems frozen. You are frozen. You’re numb with questions but somehow you form two of the most powerful, words you’ll ever speak two………..simple………….repeatable words……………GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!

The Career Revival Tour's Last Stop

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:49:01 -0500

The Career Revival Tour's Last Stop:

Hello and Happy New Year!

Take a look and listen to the last tour stop in 2012.

Get some needed insights about the technology of a job search from Kirk Hallowell, author of “The Million Dollar Race”….An Insider’s Guide to Winning Your Dream Job!

“I’m not finished.” Only you get to decide when your life’s work is done. Jessica Hagy,...

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:28:47 -0500

“I’m not finished.”

Only you get to decide when your life’s work is done.

Jessica Hagy, Forbes

"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were..."

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:11:02 -0500

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

- Steve Jobs

Possible New Year's Resolution??

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:01:00 -0500

The Great Career Divide

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:28:10 -0500

Have you ever asked yourself, “How the hell did I fall into this career rut”? If you haven’t, you will. If you have, relax, you’re not alone. You’ve got plenty of company!

You see, the very fact that you recognize you’re in a career rut means you’re actually getting ready for a change……….maybe, a real change!

Start out your mental journey with another question, “How do I begin to climb out of this career rut?” Your desire to do something about it changes your attitude and attitude has everything to do with your happiness and success (however you define it). So, even if you’re feeling worn out, determine to do something about it, use that energy to take the first step in turning things around.

You know it won’t be easy and like kicking any habit, there is always pitfalls and backsliding. But, you need to keep searching for a way out. You can’t give up! You can’t settle! You’re too good for that and you know it!

Simply put, we ALL have to decide whether we picture ourselves as a VICTIM of our past choices or as a CAPTAIN of our future! You’ve got to choose, you’ve got to commit, you’ve got to take this first step!

And you know, you can do it…………………..

Extreme Career Criteria----Must Read!

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:38:29 -0500

First, use more extreme criteria. Think of what happens to our closets when we use the broad criteria: “Is there a chance that I will wear this someday in the future?” The closet becomes cluttered with clothes we rarely wear. If we ask, “Do I absolutely love this?” then we will be able to eliminate the clutter and have space for something better. We can do the same with our career choices.

By applying tougher criteria we can tap into our brain’s sophisticated search engine. If we search for “a good opportunity,” then we will find scores of pages for us to think about and work through. Instead, we can conduct an advanced search and ask three questions: “What am I deeply passionate about?” and “What taps my talent?” and “What meets a significant need in the world?” Naturally there won’t be as many pages to view, but that is the point of the exercise. We aren’t looking for a plethora of good things to do. We are looking for our absolute highest point of contribution.

The Discipline Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

Photo

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:07:10 -0500

Great Quote From Seth Godin

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:03:13 -0500

Career Revival Tour Stop #12---Resolutions for 2013

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Career Revival Tour Stop #12---Resolutions for 2013:

Listen in to the most recent podcast of The Career Revival Tour from December 1st show!!

3 NEW YEAR CAREER RESOLUTIONS!!!

Career Revival Resolutions for 2013

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:48:30 -0500

Join The Career Revival Tour tomorrow on WGN 720 radio at high noon as we offer up 3 powerful career resolutions for 2013 that will help you get ahead of the curve as the economy improves next year.

It’s never too early to stake out a strategy!

Take Your Career Out For A Date

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:52:56 -0500

When’s the last time you took your career out on a date, let alone, meeting up for a cup of coffee? Funny isn’t it, your career and you couldn’t be closer. I mean you spend so much time with her. In fact, from what I can see, most of your waking hours have been spent with her. You even travel a fair distance by car, train, subway or just walking to be with her……………commuting an hour or even more.

You’ve been doing this for years and years and years. You’ve been moved, transferred, downsized, rightsized and out sourced with her. You’ve even spent months and months finding another home for the both of you. You love her and hate her all in the same moment but you need her and can’t live without her. You’ve tried to break-up or get divorced in the past. You even sought out counseling and therapy to keep you two together. And, thought to yourself time and time again………..”can’t live with her and can’t live without her”. So, you’re stuck with her. There’s no escape, no place to run, no place to hide (well, you can for a little bit). It’s not getting any better or easier. It’s become a pattern, acceptable, even predictable. You’re going of stuck in a rut. It lacks any spark, any glow, any spunk…………….it’s the same old same old same old. Your endless pondering goes something like this……….., how did I get here, why do I stay here, how do I get out of here.

So, here’s an idea…………………why don’t you take your career out on a date, a real date. You know, dinner, cocktails, maybe some dancing and singing. Anything, I mean anything to get the conversation flowing again, to get to know each other again, to get reacquainted with your hopes, dreams, passions, interests, and that “fire in the gut”. You know, the stuff you had a long time ago. The stuff you thought about and talked about and shared with others. The stuff that inspired you, encouraged you and gave you hope for the future. Your career gave you so much to live for but some how you fell out of love, you allowed the mundane to push aside the meaningful, you allowed the chorus of voices surrounding you to drown out your one and only voice, you allowed the urgent to diminish the important, you allowed the crowds to crowd you out of yourself, you’ve allowed some serious space to come between you and your career. So you’ve grown apart, you’ve gone your separate ways, you’ve become strangers, you’ve become none.

But, it’s never too late, no, it’s never too late to get back together, talk, reconnect the dots, get reacquainted with each other again and start to get the “mojo” back before you can’t. You know it will happen but it’s going to take some time and effort, some sacrifices and trade-offs, but what doesn’t. Don’t forget, you’re trying to recapture your first love, your first choice.

You can’t wait, you must not wait, you’ve been waiting too long, waiting for someone or something or maybe anyone or anything but they haven’t come and their not coming and they never were going to come………….because you’ve really been waiting for you, yes, you have been waiting for you not him, her or them but you and only you. So, just don’t stand there, just don’t sit there, go and go right now. Start dating your career again and rediscover the reason you’ve been together all these years and recapture that close relationship you were meant to have…………….as the Boss so aptly sings,”………..dreams will not be thwarted, faith will be rewarded, let the bells of freedom ring.”

Band Branding Badly!

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:50:16 -0500

Band Branding Badly!:

Take a look at this FedEx commercial featuring a heavy metal rock band that doesn’t hate…………. but loves golf and flowers!

Ring True For You Too ???

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:39:30 -0500

It’s The Story, Stupid!

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:25:00 -0400

As the creator and host of the Career Revival Tour radio show on WGN, I’m amazed that every time I scroll through some career articles or blogs, they all seem to be “majoring in minors”. What I mean specifically is the vast amount of words that are spent on the crafting of the resume…………………..types, styles, format, wordsmithing (if I just change a word or two, my phone will ring off the hook!), an objective or not, months/years or just years, capitalization or not, color of paper, and on and on and on and on and on it goes where it will stop I certainly don’t know and really don’t care!

I have a sense that we’ve lost our way and have gotten rather myopic. We keep thinking if we can just come up with the elusive “perfect resume” all will be fine. But we all know that the resume is not the answer! Never has and never will be. And, yet we keep deluding ourselves, we keep pretending, we keep wasting our time on such silly details when in reality it’s all about the STORY……….our STORY and being able to tell it in a way that is appealing and interesting, but most of all, compelling.

The challenge for most of us is that we really don’t truly know our story. We think we do, but we really don’t. The main reason is quite simple, so let’s be honest ………. it takes too much time to (re)discover our story. To accomplish this, we would actually have to stop, clear our hands and heads, if that’s possible, and ask ourselves some personal questions and then wrestle with them long enough to come up with a meaningful answer or two. Yes, we’d have to spend some time reflecting on our personalities, our passions, our motivations, our interests, our goals, our struggles……….and identifying the what, the how, the why.

So please don’t think I’m not in favor of a well organized resume……….. I am, but what I want to stress here is that we spend way too much time and energy focused on a document that we hope and pray is going to land us that great job. But, deep down we know it’s not.

So keep in mind that a resume will never get you a job, any job for that matter. Yes, it might “get you in the door” or even worse, a revolving door but nothing more. What will land you the best opportunity for you is an artful telling of your story(ies) or to be more direct…………it’s the story, stupid!

Career Revival Tour Stop #10----The Interworld of the Interview

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:30:11 -0400

Career Revival Tour Stop #10----The Interworld of the Interview:

Listen in to the latest Career Revival Tour podcast on the interworld of the interview. You’re going to hear some perspectives, views and practical recommendations that just might REVIVE your tired approach!