When Is It You and When Is It Chance?

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I get really irked when I hear someone diminish themselves, attributing something great they’ve done to chance, someone else, a higher power, etc. They seriously are not aware that they are the reasons for their success. For example, let’s say a client named Jane comes in with good news that she got a new position with her company; Jane had been working this for a while but now, while grateful, states what a ‘stroke of luck’ she had to get this promotion.
What Jane doesn’t realize is that her good fortune was because of her – actions she took and willingness to step up and put her name in the hat for consideration. Jane needs to remember how she took the time to review her skills and recent experiences so they matched with the job; or the time she networked with her new boss at an office function, by taking a risk and introducing herself; or the kudos she got for completing a big project. I think it’s easy to attribute our success to an exterior source.
Perhaps this is due to a humble mindset or low self-esteem; but the fact remains that the way to get past those and really succeed is to embrace that, while others may have had a part, we really are the drivers in the process. It is we who takes the risks, who acquire the knowledge and skills, who finish the project, who leads. By owning our skills and abilities, and the like, we then become more of who we are; we work more authentically and confidently:

  • Daily, write down at least 3 ‘win’s for the day, no matter how big or small
  • review your work outcome and your part so you can ‘see’ the exact mindset and actions you took to get them completed, i.e. problem-solving, analysis, organization, etc.

So, no more brushing off what you do and attributing them to an external factor; time to start recognizing and giving kudos to yourself. Own your success to soar!

Winding Down and Gearing Up for the Next Challenge

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Well, here we are – 4 days away from the  end of the 30-Day Challenge – how has it been for you? Further on your established goal, so that it now feels natural and easy? Progress being made? This is the time to ‘pour it on,’ as they say, and really finish strong.
For myself, I’ve kept at the writing (hopefully you’ve enjoyed them); I will admit that there were some days I struggled with the content – what would provide value. But, I pushed through and did it anyway – I just had to look a bit to find those inspirations. I found that once I did, then ideas flowed and the words came along with the feeling of accomplishment.
Right now, I’m thinking of my next challenge – it’s only 30 days after all; I made it through one challenge and can do it again. This is the mindset we need to take to calm our fear center and affirm our abilities so we can overcome any personal challenge we find standing in our way. I’ll hold off until Friday to reveal but this one will be a bit difficult for me; however, I realize that presenting myself with a challenge is the best way I can hold my self accountable and have ‘no excuses’ to not take action. I hope you are finding hte same. So push on- now it’s only 4 days to go; you got this!
 

What High Performers Do on Sunday to Get Ready for the Week Ahead

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Today is Sunday, the day which has been known as ‘the day of rest.’ Back in the days, this was a day of family and taking it easy and doing fun activities. Minimal stores were open, forcing the family to be together. This practice helped workers to get prepared for the work they did in the following week.
High Performers know they need to step back from their ‘busyness’ and get organized and prepared for what may lie ahead. They take time to create good activities, which then become good habits, which will allow them to relax, rest, re-up their motivation, and have good systems in place so they don’t have to think of what they should do to step back. Sir Richard Branson and leadership expert, John Maxwell, all have their own practices in place – if you want to be a high performer, wouldn’t you want to do what the experts do and create more success in your life?
Here are some suggestions to get your creative ‘juices’ flowing:

  • stretch – this is a great way to relax and let go of negative energy, particularly before you get out of bed
  • gratitude – being thankful for what you have changes one’s outlook and being more positive
  • journaling – writing down thoughts and feelings to release and make sense of them, as well as capturing situations that occurred in your day, is a great way to reframe negatives we perceive and reframe them to so we feel more in control
  • clean – as much as we may not like it, cleaning is a great way to get rid of clutter, germs and negative energy
  • spending time with family and friends – bonding is important to our soul
  • hobbies and fun activities – engaging in fun activities, or our passions, stimulate our creative brain, which elevate our happiness
  • review our past week – this a great way to see how much you actually got done, what needs to be done, and what needs to taken forward
  • set goals for the week  – the best way to hit the ground running, which high performers do, is to know which direction to take to maximize your energy and productivity. You will know exactly what needs to be done and when
  • affirmations – the way you talk to yourself is either uplifitng or depleting so lifting yourself through the use of small, short sentences is a great motivator and esteem-builder (I am great, I am accomplished, I’m a wonderful speaker/boss/mother, etc.)

 
 
 
 
 

Resources for Career Exploration

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So much is talked about on the importance of having a career exploration strategy, which is defined as “the collection and analysis of information regarding oneself and the environment that foster the career management process” (Greenhaus, Callanan & Godshalk, 2010, pg. 49. Doing necessary research as to the field you want to move into, as well as the type of work environment and overall culture you thrive in.

Here are some sites to add to your resource list that can help you do some of the research needed – hope they are useful:

  • job-hunt.org
  • jobhuntersbible.com
  • iseek.org
  • careerinfonet.org
  • bls.gov/oco/cg
  • onetceenter.org
  • salary.com
  • jobstar.org/tools/salary
  • careeronestop.org
  • goingglobal.com

Regarding the environment, you can go on the company’s website to determine the mission, values and cultural feel to see how htye align with yours; Poor’s and Hoovers are other sites, along with using the biggest references available – GOOGLE. These are just a few that can give you needed information on career paths, and all they entail, in order to make a better informed decision about your future work-life.
 
 

Leaders Set the Tone for the Culture – What's Yours?

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Have you ever walked into an establishment, no matter what type, and you instantly felt welcomed and comfortable? Likewise, have you ever walked into an establishment but felt turned off or that there was negative energy going on and couldn’t wait to get out of there fast enough? I have on both counts.
When I look at the environments that are created, or the culture of a business, it leads me back to the person in charge – the leader and how they set the tone for how that business is run as well as the tone they want to convey to not just their workers, but to customers as well. The feeling of the overall organization will trickle down to the departmental level, which then keeps trickling to the end-user. This then lends itself to the brand and how perceived by those entities.
A leader, through their ‘style’ and way they view their role, can be open, welcoming, and believe in their worker’s abilities to do to their job, thus empowering them; or, they can have a style that is punitive and looks at employees as ‘workers,’ who much achieve their numbers and goals, not really caring how or when. It all depends on how one’s perception of what a leader is and traits they possess and want to emulate. Yes, one who assumes a leader role actually gets to decide the type of leader they want to be.
Surprised? I don’t think most people who assume a leader role realize they get to decide what leadership style they want to use to get workers embracing the vision and mission set by the organization. There are many styles to choose from (most based off of research): skills approach, style approach, situational approach, contingency theory, path-goal theory, leader-member exchange, transactional, transformational, authentic, and the newest – servant leader style. Each of these view lead from a different frame which sets the tone for how systems and process are set up and how workers are embraced.
For example, situational leaders will vary their approaches based on the situation at hand, as different approaches are needed in differing situations. An authentic leader is based on a leader being real and genuine, working off of high values. A transformational leader works to know their people and focus on their emotions, values, ethics, motivations, and long-term goals and moving them to using those fully.
It is reliant on anyone in a leadership role, or who wants to move into one, to determine the type of leader they want to be: what are the specific traits you possess and want to convey; the values you want to pass on; how you want to be known for/as by followers; what type of overall tone you want to convey for your workers, i.e. open, relaxed, fun, inclusive, bureaucratic, and the like. Being a leader also applies whether you own your own business, as well as for yourself personally, as we are all leaders in some way, mainly the leaders of our lives.
If you are in a leader role, or desire to, I encourage you to evaluate your leader style and the tone you are setting in your environment. A nice caveat is that you can always amend any behaviors and skills needed to step into those leader shoes you desire and be the leader you envisioned.