Blog ~ Page 29 of 35 ~ Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting

August 29, 2013

Federal Employees are Leaving en Masse

Please follow and like us:

It is finally happening – federal employees, Boomers to be exact, are finally feeling ready to leave their government jobs. It is predicted that approximately 80,000 are set to retire by the end of the fiscal year, according to the Office of Personnel Management. This number is expected to increase as we move on and the Boomers age; more than a third of federal workers are eligible to retire by 2016 – 3 out of 5 will be at the executive level.

Some of the reasons they are giving include financial freezing of their wages and retirement accounts, furloughs and low morale. This number is impacting executive levels as their knowledge and experience is also walking out the door. While this signals good news for younger workers, some positions will not be easy to replace due to required experience levels, such as air traffic controllers or those in research positions, which often takes years to acquire.

It seems that the economic downturn forced many to stay in their jobs, who would have been otherwise gone; but it doesn’t seem that there has been a good succession plan in place to prepare for this exodus, as it was going to happen eventually as time moved on. Some interventions that some governmental agencies are doing and which can be an example for organizations to begin considering and planning for, as they will also be impacted, are to offer the career lattice that I have previously discussed, which is offering workers the opportunity to get trained and experienced in several different skill-sets and work areas, another is training and mentoring opportunities, while another is to have a phase-out policy, where an executive could retire but continue working part-time with partial compensation for which they would mentor and train their successors.

This problem is not going to get better as the last of the Boomers are not going to reach age 65 until 2030. I think our younger workforce is ready to move into those positions but need developed in the skills that will fully enable them to do the job well. It will be interesting to see how this will impact our federal agencies – take one other lesson from these agencies and don’t wait to develop and put in place a succession plan today.

August 28, 2013

Struggling with Making a Big Decision?

Please follow and like us:

As we are winding the last few days of August, we are now facing the last 4 months of the year. While this can be exciting to create new opportunities, this can also elicit feelings of fear out of making those dreams a reality. Some of this may involve some major life changes which comes with big decisions, all of which will greatly impact your life. If you find yourself struggling with making a big decision, here are some quick steps to think about:

really understand the ‘why’ of making the change – this is the need to let go of something that has not been working and wanting to go after what will; if you’re not clear on this then you will be held back
recognize what is actually holding you back – is it the fear of change or making the wrong decision; it is worry over money or involves other people; do you actually believe you can make the change – resolving these will help propel you forward
do the research – knowing everything about the proposed decision will help you be more informed; you can do this by researching on the internet, talking to people who have experienced the same change, or seeking help from a coach who can help and support you in making the best informed decision

Only with enough self-awareness and knowledge can one make a decision that feels ‘right’ which leads to acting to get the desired result. Using the simple exercise of taking a piece of paper and writing down the pros/cons of all areas is helpful, as well as using the principles of the Six Thinking Hats, where you list out what the best result, the worst, result, what is known, what needs to be known and then using your creativity to uncover any ideas listed are helpful tools in decision-making, Another is having trust in yourself and and using the ‘voice’ inside (your intuition) as you guide.

August 28, 2013

A Trainging Opportunity

Please follow and like us:

I read with interest a recent article that our local Workforce agency is having difficulty in finding people to enroll in a federally funded program that is focused on high-tech training for the manufacturing industry. The training, which is a 6-month program, will pay the cost of course training, books, and a paid internship. I am really unclear why this program is not full. Is it because the program has not been advertised or marketed, or that people don’t see the value in the offerings and what it can lead to?

The six-month program will lead to a national certification and the opportunity for a 3-month, on-the-job paid internship. If interested, and you live in the Orlando area (although you could check with your local Workforce agency in your area), you can contact Workforce Central Florida www.workforcecentralflorida.com

August 27, 2013

Taking on Too Much (or Feeling Like It)

Please follow and like us:

Do you ever take on too much (or it feels like you do)? I know I have and, while I know I am making a difference, using skills and pursuing my passions, it still doesn’t take the feelings of overwhelm and resulting anxiety in trying to get “it” all done – and done well. I came to a realization earlier this morning after spending this past weekend, and most of of last night (5am), grading papers to complete one online class, starting 2 others, and writing an article for a publication, all while running my business.

While I took on all these tasks willingly, it still doesn’t take away the worry over how I will get them all done in a timely manner while giving value. One thought that came to mind was the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference

I think this prayer helps to clarify that I can let go of trying to control my schedule and to be methodical in prioritizing everything on that schedule, which has helped to bring a sense of calm and accomplishment. As you can see, this post is written late but, being true to my blog challenge – Day 26 – I may have finished other tasks earlier but, in letting go, got this done. I believe I found the wisdom I needed 🙂

August 25, 2013

Time to Rev Up Those Goals

Please follow and like us:

Well, here we are at the end/start of a new week, which is the last week of the month. School is back in session and things are getting back to a level of routine. Before we know it, summer will be gone. This week is the perfect time to reflect back on the last 3 months to determine what has -or has not – gone well in your career, business or life, and the reason(s) why. This review will then help you to ‘rev up’ those goals that you have not finished, or to create and implement new. The last four months of the year can give way to doing and having more in your life.

The feelings of self-satisfaction that can arise are limited only by your thinking small or not taking action. I have written many articles on goals and goal setting so you can refer to them in this site. The point is to just DO IT! Make the commitment to invest in yourself and to achieve all that you have wanted; taking the first step is the start. So, go ahead and dust off those sheets of paper where you wrote down your goals; review them, polish them up and go make them happen!