Shifting dreams and time to leap (My career change announcement)

I am a dreamer and planner; and I fill my work days supporting people to dream and by helping them with their plans to put those dreams into place. I am also a realist and am learning more and more that we can plan but often things will never go quite as we think particularly in our life’s work.

Last spring, a few events took place that made me begin to examine what I thought I wanted. The internal change started very small and slowly – what I valued in my life and my work had started to shift. I wanted to have freedom to be with my family but found being self employed had me working many evenings, early mornings and weekends. I began to fatigue creatively. Then I attended a Women in Leadership lunch in December and it forced me to examine what I thought about transformational leadership, who I wanted to be at the table with and who I wanted to be in the world. As I set my goals and intentions in January, things began to slowly rise to the surface. I wanted to step up and step out and use my skills to lead in a new way. I wanted to focus my energy into one channel as opposed to the multiple streams of business I had created.

One of my favourite books is the Alchemist. It’s author, Paulo Coelho, says, “There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe.... The soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness.”

He thereafter adds, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Over the last few days I have been offered an opportunity – my response was a resounding YES! So, as of April 3, I will be moving into VP Operations with WCG Services. WCG offers employment and vocational rehabilitation services across Canada. This new position aligns with my desire to continue to do great work in supporting people to find and maintain meaningful employment and lead with a team who shares my values of transparency, creativity and a commitment to respect and compassion.

As with most major changes we make, on the heels of the heady excitement about my new work came sadness for what I will putting aside: my flourishing independent consulting business. I have been successfully self-employed for five years and cherish all the relationships and every opportunity that has come my way. It has been my dream come true.  It’s just that now my dreams have shifted a bit and it’s time for me to leap (good practice for someone who makes a living encouraging others to do the same).

And so now it’s about where I am going and not where I have been, and where I am going is into a bright future with WCG. I will be suspending all other work and taking a blogging break while I settle into my new reality.

Eventually I will return and plan to pick up my blog and continue posting on brave work, leadership and all good work such as that.

Until then,

 Jocelin

Time Management Tools for Productivity a.k.a.: Less for More

As an HR Consultant and Career Coach, I often get asked for strategies to better time management and productivity. Sorry, folks, I don’t believe there is one quick fix to solve everyone’s ability to manage time (in fact, I don’t believe there is one quick fix to solve anyone’s anything). But I do know some proven strategies to use for managing your time more wisely. So…. drum roll please… here are the Top 5 Time Management for Tools for Productivity:

1. Control your work environment. For example, when I am working on a project I shut down my email, turn off my cell and focus. I never work on projects at my kitchen table because I need quiet space. You know where you do your best work so be in that environment.
2. Check emails once or twice a day. I read somewhere that “email is not your work—it is a tool to help you accomplish your work.” I get hundreds of emails a day from clients and I know how easy it is to get sucked into that vortex. On my disciplined days, I check my email in the morning and once at the end of the day. I turn off the email on my iPhone one day a week to get a total break and enjoy life.
3. Triage your emails. I use a version of Stephen Covey’s “Time Management Matrix” with my email. What is Immediate? I do it immediately. What is Urgent? I do it before I go home. Important but not Urgent? I file it in a folder that labeled Review Friday and I look at it on Fridays (or sometimes Saturdays ‘cause let’s be honest, my time management isn’t so good that I don’t have to work the occasional weekend).
4. Set goals. See September blog on S.M.A.R.T.E.R goals.
5. Delegate where possible and to the right people. I know what I am good at and I put my focus and attention into what is most important to my work and business. The rest I delegate. For, example, I have some great editing support with these blogs (Jody, my blog editor, meet everyone; everyone, meet Jody).

I can’t emphasize enough the positive impact that these 5 tools can have on your time, not only in terms of how much more productive you become, but also in terms of your perception about how much time you actually have in a day to get things done (spoiler: a lot more!). Try it for a week and see what you think.

S.M.A.R.T. vs. S.M.A.R.T.E.R Goal Setting

For many of us, September is the new January when it comes to career and business planning. The seasons change and we head in to winter; kids go back to school and people begin to think about what is next? Of course, I make my living supporting people with career or business goals (and love doing it!) but also deeply believe that people should understand how to set and track their own goals. You may have worked with the concept of setting S.M.A.R.T goals in the past. But in case you haven’t, the acronym refers to:

Specific: The more specific you are in defining your goal, the easier it will be to chart an action plan. An easy way to ensure a goal is specific is to use the “6 Ws” as a means to qualify your goal: Who is involved? What do I want to accomplish? Where will this take place? When will this take place? Which constraints or obstacles may be involved? Why would this goal enhance my life?

Measurable: The easiest way to ensure that a goal is measurable is to ask yourself, “How will I know my goal is accomplished?” Give quantities, schedules, dates etc.

Attainable: Make sure that it’s possible to achieve the goals you set. However, also resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Try to strike the right balance between attainable/challenging and out of reach/unrealistic when you are charting out your goals.

Relevant: A simple way to ensure that the goal you set is relevant to you, it’s essential to ask, “Does this goal reflect my core values?”

Time Frame: The difference between a goal and an activity is that goals have deadlines. Set specific dates by which certain things must be accomplished in order to achieve your goal.

To make the goal setting process “smarter”, I have added the next two criteria:

Extended: The goal should stretch your capabilities and allow/empower you to grow as a person.

Rewarding: Know, and therefore be able to anticipate, what rewards await you as a result of completing your goal(s).

So, in honor of the season of planning set some S.M.A.R.T.E.R goals and see what happens. Happy new year!

Yes! Moments.

Part of a job search or deciding to change careers involves taking a look our past accomplishments. Typically, I ask coaching clients to outline work and accomplishment stories that we can later feature on resumes or in interviews. These stories often times hold the clues to what the person excels at, why they like the work they do, or, in other words, what lights them up.

What do I mean by accomplishment stories? Not just the times where you got accolades in a performance review but your “Yes” moments. Yes, I am good! Yes, I love my work! Yes, this is what was meant to be.

When you are looking at what you want to do next with your day job what matters more than what you’ve accomplished is what really lights you up. When in your life have you been strong? On fire? In the zone? What were you doing when you felt this? When have you felt a sense of pride and known you have done something well?

Examples from my life:

LIVING ALONE FOR THE FIRST TIME – I graduated from university and chose to live by myself in Vancouver with no roommates and no cable. This was a big deal for me as I am a highly social person who had (sometimes still has) difficulties being alone. What I learned during that living alone year in Vancouver is that I did not mind spending time on my own and I really did enjoy my own company. I developed hobbies and tried to spend quality time with myself. I worked through “the Artist Way.” I read more, wrote, and did lots of other creative projects. This lit me up as I really enjoyed the amount of time I spent being creative.

ACTING IN LIVE THEATRE – Up until I was 17, I took singing, dancing and acting lessons. The best part I got was playing Peter Pan. I loved acting and being on stage. For a long time, this was something I wanted to do as a career. Singing now still lights me up. Even if it’s just the Indigo Girls as a bedtime song or 80’s music as I drive to work.

MANAGING A TEAM AT AN EMPLOYMENT CENTRE – I am proud of the team I managed and the relationships I had with my staff. What lit me up? The relationships I built with people and the goals we achieved as a team. I tried to always work with integrity and respect even in difficult downsizing situations.

What do these stories say about me: I need a job where I can be creative, relationships are important to me and sometimes I still like to take the stage.

Now it’s your turn. Reflect on the proud moments you have had in your life and describe what you were doing – get specific about the situation that made you feel proud. It doesn’t matter whether these are professional or personal. In fact, don’t limit them to only professional endeavors. What matters is that you recognize and reflect on times you felt strong and bright from the inside out. Then, you go and do more of that.

Now what? How does this relate to what you want to do in your work and, more importantly, in your life? Make a list of career and life ‘must haves’: freedom to be creative, working alone or on a team, relationships are paramount, family, time with friends, a pet, hobbies, etc.

Take this list and start sketching out what your life and work looks like with these must haves in it. Structure your day, even if for now it is just in your imagination, around these values, and see what you come up with. Take this list/sketch to a coach to help you dream this into being.

Taming Our Limiting Beliefs

I work with an executive who is making six figures and supporting her family as a single mother, and has a value around stability, but she hates her job but really believes that she can’t leave it because of her family. Her perception is that she cannot make a VP salary at any other company. This is what she says stands in in her way of moving into fulfilling work.

Is this true? She asks… No, in watching the labor market and knowing her skills, education and background. My career coach instinct says this is not true. But we agree it is her limiting belief.

Of course, people who live in glass houses….

I also have limiting beliefs. I have wrestled constantly with my beliefs around being a working mother. I have limiting beliefs about my freedom being self-employed vs working inside a company.

Limiting beliefs are those which constrain us in some way. Just by believing them, we do not think, do or say the things that they inhibit.

We may have beliefs about rights, duties, abilities, permissions and so on. Limiting beliefs are often about ourselves and our self-identity. The beliefs may also be about other people and the world in general.

In any case, they sadly limit us.

Let’s look at eliminating beliefs and fear. Here are some simple steps:

1. Normalize your fear. Everyone has gremlins, inner critics and limiting beliefs. We all have them. This is what they sound like. These are the kinds of things they say to you. They say ‘you’re never going to get a job this good’ or ‘at your age, who’s going to hire you’. Or you can never make that kind of money doing xyz.

2. Shine a light on the critic, the limiting belief. When we shine a light on our particular variety of those critics and exactly what they’re saying to us we have some power around them and we have some choice around them. She could decide to stay at that job and that’s an absolutely okay choice, but choosing to stay and honoring her value of stability above all else is now a choice because she’s shined a light on the limiting belief and she’s named it and there’s power in that. She can powerfully choose that for herself and her family.

3. Learn how to quiet the gremlin. How do we move past them or around them? How do we work with them? I don’t think you get rid of them. They tend to diffuse when they get a little air time.

FIELD WORK: FIELD WORK: What your signature inner critic sound? What is the belief that you’re holding? How do you know if that’s true? Wanna chat it through? Give me a call.

Baby steps can change your career.

Happy New Year! There is always a lot of information in January about setting goals. With a career change it does not have to be a huge leap or a BIG GOAL. I promise. What if it just was a micro-movement that could change everything? Here is an example, I had a young client who was miserable at Starbucks. After some values work with me she moved to a small independent restaurant and she was more fulfilled. It wasn’t a different job description she needed but an environmental change.

Isn’t this great news? There may not be something wrong with your overall career choice.You might be able to make a small change to fix what is not working for you in your job.
For example, you may hate a part of your job that is only 10% of your time. Instead of looking for another opportunity in a new company the first step is to have a conversation with a supervisor or a co-worker about how to shift some duties/responsibilities around.

Through one to one coaching I can support you to look at what is really not working at work. What do you love doing that you are not doing? What do you want to do more of at work this year? Feel stuck – Let’s talk.