Know thyself There is actually a wide variety of ways people motivate themselves. For example, my client, an event planner learned quickly that the best way to feel motivated was to set up incentives or prizes for herself. “If I have something special I can work toward, I get a lot more done,” she says. She entices herself with promises of rewards for reaching her goals. For instance, she once told herself that if she had a particular exhibit all filled by a certain date, she would send herself to an upcoming national conference. She hit the goal and took the trip! Diane, another client, has a thriving counseling service; is motivated by the satisfaction she gets from the work she does. All she needs to do is think about how much joy her work brings her and she finds it easy to do whatever is required to make sure she succeeds. Jeffrey, a sales trainer, knows that money is what motivates him. “The more money I can make, the better I produce,” he told us. A photographer, however, says that showing everyone what he can do is what keeps him going: “So many people told me that I shouldn’t do this – that I’d never make it. Now all I have to do is think about how much I want to prove they’re wrong, and I’ll do whatever it takes.” At times, people motivate themselves from an “I’ll prove I can do it” position. (more...)

Overview Mentoring helps employees successfully maneuver through the organization to enhance their performance and career growth. It is often paired with a segment of in-depth analysis of a person’s “psychology of performance.” Mentoring supports employees in goal clarifications and accountability. This one-on-one coaching experience engages employees to consciously think about his or her personal development and career aspirations. The coach/mentor explores with employees the many organizational, interpersonal and personal obstacles to their development. Mentors guide, counsel and provide feedback towards the achievement of goals and is an objective resource to help one think through issues and problem solve the challenges. This mentoring/coaching process holds one accountable and ensures significant improvement and skill building in support of driving your business objectives. (more...)

Have you ever had a time in your life when you realized you were just going through the motions? Going to work each day to get paid, so that you could afford to do the other things in your life you truly enjoyed? Have you ever thought, ‘there’s got to be more than this!?” Perhaps you feel that way now. What you may long for at a time like this is to regain your sense of self. To restore yourself and get a new sense of your well-being. To do so, you will need to align what is important to you deep inside with the daily life you lead on the outside. After all, you probably spend more time at work than anywhere else—shouldn’t you feel like you are contributing to your sense of self while you are there? What is Self-Renewal? Self-renewal begins when you take time out to reflect on what is working and not working in your life, to determine what is really important to you so that you can reframe, refocus, and rejuvenate. Self-renewal requires that you, by choice, step back—away from whatever it is that you are doing and that you look at what you want in life and work to determine how the two can be more synchronized. (more...)

Introduction: Work and Life balance is a process, not an outcome. The stressful situation of trying to balance life and work changes constantly and there is no single formula for attaining a balanced life. The key is to develop creative solutions as you approach the challenges of balancing the responsibilities and joys of your multiple roles. Some of the same skills and strategies you use at work; such as planning, organizing, communicating, setting limits and delegating can be used effectively on the home-front for achieving a satisfying, fulfilling well-balanced life both personally and professionally. Balancing your life is like a juggling act. Work, home, family, and the never-ending errands will continue. (more...)

Recruiters, Search Consultants, and Headhunters What is a Recruiter? If you are considering a career move, a resource you may wish to consider is a recruiter. Recruiters, sometimes referred to as head-hunters or search consultants, are independent consultants engaged by client companies to locate qualified candidates for professional positions within the client company. They do not charge a fee to the job seeker. Fees are paid by their client company. Recruiting or search agencies are not the same as Employment Agencies or Career Counselors or Outplacement Agencies. 1. Employment agencies assist candidates in finding a new job and may charge the candidate for their services. 2. Career counselors are engaged by job seekers to professionally prepare for and conduct a successful job search that is useful and works. Their services may include skills assessment, personality testing, and career guidance counseling. Fees for their services are paid by the job seeker. (more...)

Valuable News Trends to Help You Succeed in the Workplace Older Workers Continue On: It’s been said that some things simply get better with age, whether it is a vintage car or a fine wine. The same can be said about today’s older workers and job applicants – many of whom choose to remain in the workforce far past what had formerly been the expected retirement age. And many of these experienced workers make interesting choices, whether it is to take on consulting roles, explore entrepreneurial options, or leave their current title and industry behind entirely. Age biases do still exist, although the question of age becomes less of a factor to build a strong workforce. Companies are beginning to realize that while younger, less experienced employees may initially seem more cost-effective, it is more likely that younger workers will change jobs more frequently to build their careers while older workers may stay with the company longer. Therefore, the idea to stock your workforce with younger employees may not be the best bet in terms of a retention strategy.” (more...)

Top 10 Thoughts We’re Really Thinking When We Procrastinate and Feel Stuck If you don’t stay ahead of it, procrastination and feeling stuck are insidious little varmints that scuttle around the baseboards of life, contaminating your best intentions. These little saboteurs love to perch on top of your to-do list, gloating, knowing full well who’s Boss. For twenty years I’ve been coaching people how to defeat their own self-defeating behaviors, especially feeling stuck in procrastination. Clients ask why they sabotage themselves, and why they can’t seem to follow through. (more...)

The next time you’re having trouble picking yourself up after you’ve stumbled, stop for a moment and count your blessings. Focus on the thing you HAVE, not the things you DON”T have. Following is a list of people you have probably heard about and what they overcame to achieve enduring success. (more...)

Sensitive issues and major decisions often arrive with a lot of baggage: emotions, fears, risks, and consequences. Changing your perspective on an issue might help you find a win-win solution. Here are a few creative ways to think outside of the box: (more...)

Let’s face it. It’s tough time to be looking for a job. The American economy has been growing for a long time, but is now taking a pause and will probably shrink for a period of time. None of us know how long the tough times will last, but we do know the effects on jobs have not been good so far. (more...)