The Career Encouragement Blog

Career Lessons from Soccer

As much as we talk about collaboration in the workplace, the fact is that whether we like it or not, the workplace is an intensely competitive place.  Think not?  Sit in on a management team discussion while they discuss who to lay off as part of cost cutting measures. I've sat in on plenty of those discussions, and the employees who are thinking and acting like competitors usually fare better.  

Long-time readers will remember that I have written before about career lessons that can be gleaned on the soccer pitch.  It's that time of year again as the new season gets underway... 

Soccer is a fiercely competitive sport where success relies on an interesting mix of team work and individual contribution and therefore makes for some interesting workplace analogies.  Last weekend I watched my daughter's soccer team suffer an agonizing defeat as a 3-0 routing turned into a 5-0 utter humiliation when the defense collapsed and performed not one, but two "own goals."  To say the girls were discouraged doesn't begin to describe the situation. 

As DH and I were talking about it later that evening, he made the interesting observation that some people "own goal" in their careers.  They may be losing the competition based on being in the wrong job for their particular skills, or not having a supportive boss; but they seal their fate by "own goal" behaviors such as:

• Arriving late and leaving early
• Wearing headphones and humming/singing along in a close-cube environment
• Talking badly/gossiping about their boss and/or co-workers
• Not returning e-mails and voice mails within 1 business day
• Surfing the Internet at work
• Pointing out problems without suggesting solutions
• Telling off-color jokes
• Routinely missing the mark on business casual (very important as summer approaches)

Obviously, I could go on and on. The point is, these are all behaviors that are in complete control of each individual employee.  You may not have much influence if you are an entry level employee and your boss incorrectly identifies business goals and metrics, and you get caught up in a departmental disaster.  But you are on your own if you wear low cut tank tops to work, or bad mouth your peers. 

My daughter's team was going to lose the game - that became obvious within 15 minutes as the opponents demonstrated that they were better prepared, more skilled, and more aggressive.  Losing the game wasn't what discouraged them.  It was the "own goals" that damaged their morale.  Believe me, they will be working hard this week to figure out what happened and make sure they don't make those errors again.

How about you?  Are you recovering from a layoff?  Did you get out-maneuvered and lose your job?  Don't feel badly - it happens to everyone.  But if there were any "own goals" that contributed to your demise make sure you figure out what you could have done better or differently so it doesn't happen again. 

How do you find out if you are committing some "own goals"?  Find a qualified mentor or coach who is familiar with your work and can give you an objective, fair perspective (note - NOT your spouse or a friend - it must be someone successful at your work place that you can trust to be  brutally honest with you).  In an ideal world, we would all be checking out our capacity to "own goal" long before we get caught up in a job loss and modifying our behaviors accordingly...but at work, like in sports, it's never too late to learn.

 

  

Business Cards

I've been a solo practitioner for nearly 8 years now.  I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have not had business cards during that time.  On the one hand, I am extremely fortunate that I have been able to generate enough work via "word-of-mouth" that I haven't needed to do a lot of networking.  On the other hand, the few times I have been asked for a card, I have had to say, "I'm working on those and will have them printed soon..." 

Well, I finally made good on that promise. I worked with a graphic designer and last week I ordered my cards - they should arrive next week.  This great posting by Christine Kane helped me think about how to prep my cards, and how I will use them - hope it's helpful for you too!

Great Information

Talented Apps is a great multi-author blog with lots of information about the workplace, career development, and progressive HR.  Some recent excellent posts include:

On Belay- How to get your bearings in a new position, job, or just a new assignment.  The author discusses how critical it is to actively build a network of support vs. just assuming it will happen.

Alignment is not the goal, it's a tactic- Love this one!  I frequently hear about alignment, alignment, alignment from staff who aren't exactly stars in their roles.  After awhile, it starts to sound like complaining and blame-shifting.  Instead of avoiding these folks (as I am occasionally inclined to do), I'm going to try a new tactic and try to help them see alignment as a tactic to get them to their assigned business goals.

Take some time to surf around Talent Apps- I'm sure you'll find a lot more great stuff!

Real Work

Earlier today I was contemplating writing a post about 3 keys to a satisfying career:

1. Identify your talents.

2. Develop your talents.

3. Figure out what the world needs and how to use your talents to make a contribution.

Notice that none of these keys have to do with following your bliss or having passion for your work.  That's because bliss and passion are personal and I believe that the world does not owe us a living for pleasing ourselves.

But before I could get too far down the path of crafting this posting, Ann Bares sent me a great link to this video about Real Work over at the Punk Rock HR Blog.

I LOVE this video.  It's about 20 minutes long and completely worth it.  Mike Rowe talks about how that America has devalued much of the labor that keeps this country going and in so doing disrespects a huge portion of our workforce.  More importantly, he explains the potentially devastating long-term results of this social shift in how work is perceived and encourages us to get back to our roots and not to fear "real work."  He delivers a great message succinctly and with humor.  Check it out here.

10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence

Hat tip to DH for sending this motivational info my way (source not identified): 

10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence

Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence.

1. Dress Sharp.  When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items.

2. Walk Faster.  People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do. Even if you aren’t in a hurry, you can increase your self confidence by putting some pep in your step.

3. Good Posture.  People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident.

4. Personal Commercial.  One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals, then recite it in front of the mirror aloud whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude.  Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships, and positive momentum.

6. Compliment other people.  When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling onto others. Get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you.

7. Sit in the front row.  In schools, offices, and public assemblies around the world, people constantly strive to sit at the back of the room. By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over this irrational fear and build your self confidence. You’ll also be more visible to the important people talking from the front of the room.

8. Speak up.  By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

9. Work out.  Physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physical appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive.

10. Focus on contribution.  If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about your own flaws. The more you contribute to the world, the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition.

Good Friday

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

~ Romans 5:7-8

Management Lesson for Monday

Hat tip to my friend MC for this bit of laughter on a Monday morning:

                                                                            
 A turkey was chatting with a bull.                                         
                                                                                                                                                  
 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'                                    
                                                                            
 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients.'    

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.                           
                                                                            
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.   
                                                                           
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.                                                                  
                                                                            
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

                                                                            
Moral of the story:  Bull S**t might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there!

Smile and Move

This is great!!

If you are feeling a little confused right now and you are not sure what to do...about your job, about your job search, about your family, about your friends...do this!