Travel Light To Work
|
As a frequent traveler, my goal for each trip is to travel light. Despite thoughtful planning, sometimes that goal is shattered when I go to close the suitcase and realize I need a larger, or even second one. I can't always get my packing right and end up taking more than I need. When that happens it's frustrating. I hate lugging extra baggage and feeling encumbered.
Work is like that, too. We often bring too much baggage. It may not look like baggage, but it weighs us down just the same. It's disguised as past relationships with bosses; previous work experiences; mind-talk about whether we can or can't do something; how we've been treated in work (and life), or how we think we have. And usually there's at least one duffle bag stuffed with our expectations.
I've found in twenty years of management most people bring suitcases full of self-doubt, old patterning from old relationships and self-fulfilling prophesies to work every day, and it stifles them. Most people let past work experiences dictate their future ones. So if they've worked in three different jobs or companies, those three job experiences are packed into the suitcases they're lugging. Some people end up lugging dozens and dozens of them.
They're like the travelers in this story I heard. One day a young man stopped his car at the side of the road as he entered the township limits. An older woman paused from her gardening as he approached. "I'm thinking of moving to this town," he told her, "and I was wondered if you could tell me what the people are like here?" "Well," she said, "what were the people like where you lived before?" "Demanding and competitive and not very helpful," he said. "Well," she told him, "I think you'll find people the same way here."
A little while later another man stopped and approached the woman. Again she was asked what the townspeople were like and again she asked the traveler what his experience had been where he lived before. "Oh, the people were great. Everyone was helpful and supportive ? a real community." "You'll find people the same way here," she said.
People who are winning at working are like that second traveler. They know in work (and life) you tend to get what you expect. And if they're encumbered with emotional baggage and poor expectations, they get poor results. Instead, they follow advice like Deepak Chopra's, "Always expect the best and you'll see that the outcome is spontaneously contained in the expectation."
People who are winning at working are one suitcase people. Like a seasoned world traveler, they've learned what essentials to pack. They bring to work only those skills and experiences that will positively impact their work and future. They leave the rest of their baggage behind. Want to be winning at working? Travel light.
(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.
Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at http://www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Visit http://www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.
|
|
|
Change Your Life, Change Your Career And Get A New Job!
Careers dictate resume formatDifferent careers use different forms of resumes. When you're working on your resume, beware of services that try to sell you on just one template, regardless of your target career. That's because formats of resumes really depend on the industry or...(related: Employment)
Managing Emotions During Career Change And Job Search, Part One
How can you manage your emotions during your career change or job search? To answer this practical and wise question, let's first define what emotions are. Emotions, also commonly referred to as feelings, are energy released in your body in response to perceived events, that is, to data received via your five senses.
To build your skill in managing your emotions during your current or next career transition:
1.) Practice Naming Your Emotions. There's great power in simply naming your emotions as you experience them. Check in with yourself several times a day and name your emotions in a journal or log. Learn to identify the nuances of difference between emotions that are similar. Choose carefully how you name what you're feeling: word choice creates reality!
2.) Allow Yourself to Feel What You Fe...(related: Employment)
Three Steps To Writing Your Own Resume
While most professionals hire a professional resume writer, some draft their own resume. People who write a lot for business usually have more success in putting together a sharp, focused presentation; still, anyone can learn the basic steps to prepare his or her own resume.There are three major differences between a "strong" resume and an "o.k." resume:1. FORMAT AND PRESENTATION DETERMINE WHETHER THE RESUME IS READThe average resume is scanne...(related: Employment)
The Path Of Least Resistance
I spend a bit of time on airplanes. So, I was surprised by what I observed on a regional jet. Yes, it was holiday travel. Yes, the flight was overbooked. Yes, infrequent and tired travelers were creating challenges for the only stewardess. Still, she saw the small boy, no more than eight, seated in the exit row next to his grandfather. She chose to ignore him, wishing and hoping her safety message stating a person must be over fifteen to sit in the exit row would fix it. Maybe she didn't want the hassle of trying to reseat passengers on an already late flight. Maybe she was tired, too. Who knows?What I do know is that despite the safety implications of her decision, she chose the path of least resistance that day. And she's not alone. Many people take that path at work. They choose...(related: Employment)
Tips For Building A Successful Career
1. Develop excellent work habits ? for example, meet deadlines and don't procrastinate.2. Read extensively about your primary career area. "Own" your profession by developing a disciplined reading program, so you'll be aware of trends and developments.3. Practice team playing ? learning from colleagues and sharing your knowledge.4. Know both your job and your organization's expectations, and be sure they're on the same track.5. Set goals, write them down and evaluate your progress.6. Focus on understanding your client/cust...(related: Employment)
No Degree, No Problem
According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled lied on their resume about having a college degree.
Here are 3 brief horror stories:
A new Director of Logistics and his family were actually loading the moving van provided by his new employer for relocation from California to North Carolina. The phone rang and it was the Human Resource Manager from his new company. The offer was being withdrawn. Through a routine degree verification check, the company learned the potential new employee did not have a degree. He was 3 hours short of graduating. Had the candidate been honest, the job was still his. It was an integrity ...(related: Employment)
The Squirrel Effect
An industrious black-tailed ground squirrel has his home beneath a stump not far from my office window. I've been watching him squirrel away provisions for winter. He reminds me of people I've worked with.Starting his journey by standing tall on the stump, the squirrel hurriedly looks side to side. When he's certain it is safe he leaps into the grass, jumping then running to a group of nuts nestled beneath a medium-size pine. There he briefly pauses to make his choice. Selecting one pine nut in his teeth, he darts back to the stump with a run-jump motion. Once again standing tall, he looks for competitors or predators be...(related: Employment)
Waiting For The Official Job Offer
At the end of the third job interview, Helene was told by the hiring manager, "Congratulations, I am going to recommend you for the position. Expect a call from HR." Helene breathed a sigh of relief because her job search of six months was finally over.Helene went straight home and waited by the phone all day. The phone never rang.As the week drew to a close, Helene began to get nervous. She hadn't heard from HR. She wondered what had happened. She convinced herself that everything was fine, that the HR department must have been swamped. She wasn't exactly sure what would be more important than calling and welcoming her onboard, but she knew the HR department had a good reason. After all, Helene was the most qualified candidate; the hiri...(related: Employment)
175 Power Verbs And Phrases For Resumes, Cover Letters, And Interviews
While you're revamping your resume or cover letter or constructing your proof-by-example stories for interviews, you'll find you need to watch your word choice. Why? Communication is powerful if the words we use to communicate are powerful. That's not all it takes, but the right words make for a good beginning.
So as you craft achievement statements or write paragraphs that sell your skills or draft interview responses to knock the employers' socks off, consider these sugges...(related: Employment)
Is Pursuing A Career In Patent Law The Right Move For You?
What's It All About?The field of patent law is wide open to Biologists, Chemists, Engineers, Computer Scientists, and many other science and technology professionals. And it's true; individuals with the proper science or engineering degree need only pass the Patent Bar to become registered Patent Agents. Upon becoming a Patent Agent, you may gain employment wri...(related: Employment)
Top Career Advice ... More Choices And A Better Way Of Life
Why Career Advice Is So ImportantChoosing a career presents a nerve-racking decision, as it can have a life-long impact on you. Do not fret, as you can gain a clearer outlook into your future by thorough career planning.Having a clear vision of the future can guide you by helping you set career goals and helping you on your way towards attaining them. Whether you are starting out on a new career or looking to change your current career, you will benefit enormously from taking sound advice.Don't Spend Most of Your Life Doing ...Chances are that you will be spending a great deal of time at your job, about 40 hours a week. Career advice and career profiling can guide you to a job that is enjoyable for you and matches your interests.There a...(related: Employment)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Employment