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Ordinary People Taking Action
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Speculation7/21/2018 After reading Department of Speculation, by Jenny Offill, my friend posted this quote from the book:
“How had she become one of those people who wears yoga pants all day? She used to make fun of those people. With their happiness maps and their gratitude journals and their bags made out of recycled tired treads. But now it seems possible that the thrust about getting older is that there are fewer and fewer things to make fun of until finally there is nothing you are sure you will never be.”
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Imperfection Day6/25/2018 I wish I could create a new holiday. If I could it would be “Celebrating Imperfections Day”. I think we all need it, at least I know I do. Especially today.
I’m a perfectionist at heart. While I am not good at math, in everything that doesn’t involve numbers, I strive for and want perfection. If “Celebrating Imperfections Day” was a holiday, this would be my greeting card:
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Moments6/18/2018 It’s interesting how we are quick to praise or criticize coaches of athletes, yet all agree it’s a necessary role. Yet, in the business world, we are slow to hire or truly appreciate the value of coaches. Don’t get me wrong, just like in sports, there are strong professional and executive coaches – ones that deserve praise – and there are those who are worthy of criticism. The key is to note the strengths of each coach as an individual and find one that fits your style and your needs.
I have spent the last nine days straight on the sidelines watching sports – and therefore coaches – as my son competed in two basketball tournaments and a regional soccer tournament. As I think about the importance of coaching, my son’s soccer coach comes to mind. This has everything to do with business coaching but bear with me while I lay some context around this last week of U14 soccer.
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Case Study: Playing the Long Game5/4/2018 Friday Guest Post By: Tom Perry | Founder of Engaged Pursuit
When you know what you want, sometimes getting there takes time. Staying positive, not giving up, and looking for feedback along the way is key to winning this Engaged Pursuit long game. As highlighted in previous Case Studies, the path to professional engagement takes time. Even with the hot job market (especially in tech), the majority of clients are spending 4-6 months finding something great (not the 2-3 months I originally assumed). What I tell current and potential clients who are wanting change – “Employers are looking for greatness and are picky in their approach– it’s now more important than ever to set-yourself-apart with a crisp, clear, and confident Professional Story.” While most clients take 4-6 months to find a more engaging role, this is the story of Kelly who took over 12 months to land a new gig. She knew what we wanted and stopped at nothing to achieve her goal. Kelly was playing the long game.
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Soft Skills are like Software.4/26/2018 When I coach people, I often stress the importance of ‘soft skills’, which I define as empathy, communication, resilience, leadership, stress management, collaboration, teamwork and self-confidence. I believe there is a difference between soft skills and emotional intelligence. I know some use the terms interchangeably, but that is for another post.
Unfortunately, these qualities tend to be grossly undervalued in the workplace relative to ‘hard skills’ such as technical ability. On a more positive note, however, I’m seeing evidence of an overall uptick in awareness about soft skills.
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Be who you are.4/18/2018 Just shy of two business days in, I can already say that it’s been an interesting week. As I write this it is only Tuesday afternoon.
As I have expressed in previous posts, I am someone who truly views feedback as a gift. That hasn’t changed. But right now, the daily feedback, whether asked for or spontaneously given, feels overwhelming. It’s as though I have reached the limit of my ability to accept the gifts being offered. What have I been told? For starters, I have been told that I care too much about others and I need to put myself and my needs first. It’s a message I’ve now heard from five people in two days. That is a confusing message to hear because for more than fifteen years, I have been told that putting the needs of others first is the way to approach business, to lead a team.
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What would it mean to help illuminate the underlying thinking patterns that drive behavior and thereby gain access to new choices and possibilities? We all have a trajectory of development that is defined by stages. Stages 1 and 2 happen in our childhood and teenage years, and 75% of adults never go beyond stage 3.
We are shaped by the definitions and expectations of our personal environment – drawn to seeking alignment between our “self” and our surroundings. Because of this, in stage 3, we tend to surround ourselves by “like-minded” individuals. We identify and externally validate ourselves by our work, relationships, achievements, and possessions. While this is not necessarily a bad stage to stay in, it can become limiting. For example, we might feel inadequate or start to settle. There are a bunch of psychologists who dig a lot deeper into this than I just did, if you’re interested.
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Guest Post By: Tom Perry, Founder, Engaged Pursuit The tech market is hot, but finding an engaging gig takes focus, patience, and positivity. But most importantly it takes hustle. Here’s the story of Ryan’s longer-than-anticipated path. Clients are often surprised when I tell them that finding a new, more engaging role takes time. Sometimes a lot of time. Even in Seattle’s hot tech market (with still over 60 cranes across the skyline), clients quickly learn that the competition is insane and organizations are super-picky. “Finding the right match for you is going to take both time and hustle,” I tell clients. “It’s not going to be easy.” Ryan found that advice spot-on.
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Gratitude4/5/2018 It was years ago, and my email signature said “With gratitude” before my name. I received the feedback that it was not professional and that it should say “Thank you. Kind regards. Sincerely… I needed to use a more professional phase.” The person providing me with this feedback was senior to me, so I listened and changed my signature to “Thank you.” It felt generic, but I decided it wasn’t a fight worth fighting.
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The Freedom to Fail4/4/2018 Guest Post By: Jenna Powers, HR Director at Amazon
I am sitting in the café on the second floor of Amazon’s Doppler building, craning my neck, looking for a vantage point where the Seattle sun isn’t glaring so badly against my tablet screen and I can read what I’m typing. My phone is alive next to me, resting on the weather page for Cary, North Carolina. It is 77 degrees in Cary today, but the forecast for Saturday is 43 degrees and snow. I’m running a 100 mile race in Cary on Saturday. Absent lightning or some other real, physical danger to runners, races don’t get canceled. Not even for 43 degrees and snow. But maybe you’re still on the part about running 100 miles. Yes, this is a thing. Yes, I will run and walk for approximately 24 straight hours. No, I won’t sleep in the middle of it. Yes, I will stop and use the bathroom. Yes, I will eat real food, but on my feet while moving. No, I’m not happy about the weather forecast. |