Tripping On The Ladder

 Guest Column by Rebecca Love Williams
 (c) January 1, 2010

I hope that you all had a very happy holiday filled with peace, love and joy. Now that the new year is upon us, it is time to really think about the New Year that is approaching us.

Have you started writing your Life Plan for 2010 to allow you to get a “fresh start”?

A Life Plan is a written plan of your goals and objectives in your life. It is like a map or guide to help you achieve your inner desires. Your plan can be divided into eight areas:

• Career
• Environment
• Family and friends
• Health
• Leisure
• Love and relationships
• Money and finance
• Personal development or personal growth

Each of these areas affects your life and the importance of each one will vary depending on your internal values and situation.

Here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself while writing your plan:

• What’s most important to you, your core values?
• What do you dream about?
• Where on your career path do you desire to be?
• Is your employer helping you accomplish your personal career goals?
• Are you still having fun at work?
• Will it allow you to spend more time with your family?
• Are you spending enough time with people who are important to you?
• How can you maintain your health?
• Do you have the time and the resources to entertain and travel?
• What places do you want to visit in the next two to three years?
• How much money do you want to make?
• Does your current employment support your income goals?
• How much do you need to save for your later years?
• Are you giving back to your community?
• Where do you want to live?
• Are you continually developing and improving your relationship?

These questions will give you some starting points to think about as you begin developing your plan for 2010. Of course, Life Plans can be more complex, and if you would like to develop a more intense life plan, you might need to seek out a Professional Coach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Guest columnist Rebecca Love Williams, principal of Williams Business Solutions, is an experienced professional coach and human resources  consultant. She regularly coaches her clients through a process to help them achieve their life and professional goals, including an emphasis on life planning strategies. Williams is based in Evanston, Ill., and serves individuals and businesses nationwide.

 By Dan d’Man
 (c) November 6, 2009
 

You’ve lost your job and you feel:

A)    Angry
B)     Depressed
C)    Stressed
D)    All of the above (and more)

 If you’re unfortunate enough to be counted among the millions of recently unemployed Americans, no one would blame you for answering D. After all, it’s only natural to have such feelings, right?

“In a more healthy economy, people generally deal with a job loss pretty well because they feel there are other opportunities out there,” said Charlie Cummins, MS, LPC, and President of Roswell, Georgia-based Life Transitions Consulting. “But right now, with so much economic turmoil, there’s a fear that those opportunities don’t exist. And it’s creating a lot of anxiety.”

Charlie Cummins, MS, LPC

 But when are those normal feelings of stress and anxiety a sign of more serious issues and a cause for concern? 

Cummins, who has more than 20 years of experience as a counselor and life- and performance-coach, says the answer lies in our surroundings.

“All illness feeds on and moves us toward isolation. Unfortunately, when people lose their job it often isolates them. It’s when people don’t take steps to overcome it that should be of concern. It’s a sign that the bottom is beginning to fall out.”

Not answering or responding to phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence are potential warning signs of clinical depression.

Anger (often directed at those closest to us), addiction, lethargy and decreased interest in previously very important activities or spiritual outlets can also be potentially ominous signs.

For people who may have lost their health benefits or at least face higher deductibles, the symptoms, even when identified, often go untreated.

Fortunately, the most effective remedy for symptoms of depression is also a valuable strategy for securing a new job.

“Movement toward other people and the activities associated with a job search are really the best medicine — personally and professionally,” Cummins said, noting electronic resources like LinkedIn and Facebook can’t replace personal connections.

“The people I know who’ve had the best success in finding a new job are the ones who’ve made the most of existing relationships and fostered new ones by reconnecting with professional or industry organizations.”

Another potential constructive activity — one that can also generate healthy personal and professional movement — is looking for new opportunities for growth.

“A positive consequence of the economic turmoil is we’re seeing a lot of innovation,” Cummins added. “Not just industries but also individuals are reinventing themselves by exploring new career paths, skills and interests. It can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to assess your values and what’s important to you, which is always a healthy exercise.”

 By Sharon Korbeck Verbeten
 (c) October 20, 2009

 
Quick—let’s play word association. What comes to mind when I say the word “unplugged?”

Depending on your age and status in life, it could conjure up images of [insert your favorite 1980s band name here] playing one of their head-banging hits acoustically on MTV. That’s likely when the term “unplugged” really entered our collective vernacular.

And while unplugging the electric guitar (or Guitar Hero, as it were) may bring down the adrenaline level a bit, these days, the verb has a new meaning, somewhere along the lines of “Step away from the BlackBerry…and no one will get hurt!”

Whether working mom (can I see a show of cell-phone free hands, please?) or corporate executive, no one is immune to the BlackBerry—its lure is as indelible as the stains caused by the fruit it’s named after. 

An article appearing this summer in The Washington Post online urged corporate leaders to “unplug” themselves to set an example for their employees. The author, a corporate CEO, noted that in times of economic recession, it can be even more challenging to “disconnect” from our work—when every deal, every moment, every interaction matters even more.

 But achieving that weekend balance between staying on top of work (being responsible) and losing oneself in nirvana (being human) is like riding a seesaw as an adult—not especially comfortable or fun (plus those inevitable blasted splinters). 

 Here’s a glimpse of how some working women—from librarians to corporate VPs—unplug from their busy work weeks.

Do what you love.
Terri Abblett, a business analyst with Freddie Mac in Washington, D.C. spends her days surrounded by heavy information. So to de-stress, she spends her weekends surrounded by heavy cream. “I’m trying to get my personal chef business up and running, so a few weekends a month, I cook for people, which actually is a de-stressor for me. If I’m not cooking for them, I like to cook for myself and eat the results!”

Regress to De-stress.
You might think that Wisconsin librarian Kristen Anderson would pick up a good book to unplug. But for her, nothing is better than spending time with her two young nephews. “I’ve always found that they help me slow down and look around more than I normally would.”

Bring on the bubbly.
For some, that means champagne, for others, the calming zen of a whirlpool tub. “For me, it’s a whirlpool bath, with the lights down and a girly cocktail, like a mudslide (but the easy kind that come in a bottle that you just pour over chipped ice!), said Lou Ann Nettekoven, an advertising/communications manager in Green Bay, Wis.

Get back to nature.
If all else fails, lock the PDA in a drawer and get outside, no matter the season, no matter the reason. “I have a standing date with my husband to walk to the local coffee shop. Sometimes we extend the walk into the nearby woods to bird watch or visit the local farmers’ market,” said Laura Schulte-Cooper, a library association program officer from Chicago. And Kristin Van Drisse doesn’t have to go far—the De Pere, Wis., banking VP simply heads to her backyard pond—complete with illuminated steps and koi fish—to listen to the calming waterfall.

 
 By Jenaissance
 (c) October 11, 2009

Professional Coach
A professional coach (or job coach) provides focused and personalized career-related counseling to professionals in job-related transition. A reputable career coach can help you identify your skills and strengths and apply them to meaningful employment opportunities. Career counselors often have a portfolio of assessment and inventory tools at their disposal to really help you hone in on who you are, what unique skills and interests you possess, what your vocational aspirations are, how to “sell” yourself vis-à-vis professional hallmarks you’ve achieved, and how to apply all of these elements to your next career venture. Professional coaching engagements usually last between two to six months. 

Call on a professional coach if you are looking for: 

• Help identifying your skills and interests and possible career matches that tap into those skills and interests. 
• Focused help with resume writing, interview preparation, networking plans, job search coaching and compensation negotiations.

What to look for:

• A coach who has had some “real life” experiences as an employee him/herself.
• Someone who is certified in at least a couple assessment tools (i.e., interest inventories, Myers-Briggs personality profiling, etc.).
• A coach who is equipped to help coach through the “closing” stage of a new job opportunity, and who has first-hand knowledge about market pricing, compensation elements and negotiation skills.
• Someone with a “point of view”—opinions, competencies and viewpoints that aid in career transition or securing a new position. (more…)