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Proactively Design Your Career Path

Career Resolutions:  What’s on your list?

by Adriana Trevino, Kraft Your Success Partner

What a year it has been for many of us!  As with every year, I take a look at the year in review – the wins, gains, losses and disappointments – and most importantly, the lessons learned.   From a business perspective, 2011 has been a big year for us at Kraft Your Success.  We have new partnerships, new opportunities and a whole host of fantastic new clients.  Most importantly, I feel grateful for being able to do the work that I love and continuing to expand the vision of success that I see for so many people, teams and organizations.

As I was recapping the year in review, one of my accomplishments is having delivered yet another successful mentoring program with the Bay Area Advertising Relief Committee. We just graduated another amazing group of 20 advertising professionals in mid-December.  Part of the evening’s activities included listening to a few of the mentors share their career paths and stories with mentees that are just beginning their advertising career.  As I listened, I was struck by the themes and life/business lessons that were common within each story. They each shared not only the details of their ups and downs, successes and “failures”, but the lessons that they learned along the way.  They described their experiences authentically and vulnerably in a way that inspired us as the audience.  I listened with curiosity as the thought bubble in my head popped up with: “it’s almost like these experiences were “wanting to happen“.

Ah ha.  That was a huge insight for me personally, and also how I think about my clients and my business.

When I partner with clients or teams to help them achieve more success, it doesn’t always happen in the exact way they anticipated.  Sometimes, it takes longer for someone to get promoted or more effort to increase revenue.  Sometimes a team gets stuck as it moves through transition or a collaborative process becomes challenging. The progress often ebbs and flows as if it has a life of its own.

By viewing experiences through the lens of “what’s wanting to happen”, we are able to more clearly see the potential, the possibilities and the purpose from a larger perspective.  What’s “wanting to happen” is always out there and calls us each forth – if we are willing to pay attention.

As you move into 2012, ask yourself this question:  “What’s wanting to happen for me, my career or any other area of my life?”

Coming from this perspective allows you to take a step back, reflect, dream and potentially know and feel what’s next.  From that place, action becomes more clear, intentional and powerful. You may hit some bumps along the way, but if it’s wanting to happen badly enough, you’ll navigate up, over or around those bumps!

As you do, remember this:  Obstacles exist just to show us how much we want something. And if you need help getting those obstacles (or yourself!) out of the way, we can help!

Last week I had a meeting with a client who is challenged with something that many of us have in the current work environment:  difficult time focusing and getting all the work done.  Our development plan is to helping her with focus, clarity and simplicity in her approach to her performance, career goals and aspirations.

A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of speaking on behalf of the Professional Business Women of California (PBWC) on the subject of “Maximizing Productivity – Identifying What’s Really Important to You and Creating the Time and Space to Make it Happen” To my amazement and honor, nearly 1,400 people showed up!

Earlier this week I sat down to focus on the first essential part:  “Identifying What’s Really Important to You”.  As I was thinking about how I work with clients and teams to help define what’s important to them, I got a phone call.  My 102 year old grandma had passed away.

At 102, she obviously had a very long life – and fortunately a great one.   For me, experiencing the death of a loved one at this age was a blessing as well as a loss.

As I sit down now to continue this article, the meaning of “Identifying What’s Really Important to You” feels much more deep, meaningful, important, and profound.  And it also feels more urgent. Though 102 years on this earth is longer than most experience, it’s really not that long.  Perhaps not long enough to see, enjoy, experience and accomplish all that you want to – “put your own dent in the world” as I like to say.  Or perhaps not long enough to be who you really want to be.

The great news is that it’s never too late.

It just takes one moment, one step, or one choice to commit to what’s really important to you!

For more reflections and tips on “Identifying What’s Really Important to You”, please read on….

Identifying What’s Really Important to You

I’ve been doing a lot of speaking and training on the topic of “Maximizing Your Productivity” (for our upcoming webinar click here). To Kraft Your Success,  this means starting from a place of identifying what you really want and then creating the time and space to make it happen. I love it when someone approaches me after this session and is inspired to incorporate the session’s work into their lives and I can tell that they are more likely than others to make it happen.

In this crazy, fast-paced work environment that we’re all part of it’s hard to remember that the “how’ of getting something done can be just as important as the “what”.  We are, after all, human beings not human doings.

But the doing takes over doesn’t it?  We rush around trying to get it all done.  We schedule, reschedule, check email, send email and go from meeting to meeting.  At the end of the day, we look at our to-do list and wonder:  What did I get done today?

I’m posing that there’s another important question and that is:  How did I get it done?  or How was I BEING while in the midst of it?

We are actually brilliant creatures, not machines.  We have ideas, emotions, insight, intution – all that contribute to who we are and what we’re contributing to our work in the world.  As knowledge workers, which most of us are, we get paid to think.  Not to simply create results – or worse yet automatic results.   In order to be more effective and create great work, we need to take the time to be aware of  the impact that we want to make first and make conscious decisions from there.  In his book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, Tony Schwartz talks about our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy as equally important in success.  Often the piece we do not talk about as it relates to the workplace is the part on the inside – the inner world that we come from.  Yet it all begins there  - with self awareness.   “Self awareness – the capacity for objective self observation – is a way for leaders to recognize their limitations, fuel their humility and make choices reflectively rather than reactively. Cultivating an inner life also makes it possible to grapple with what they believe in and stand for, and make decisions from the inside out, rather than expediently, to drive the next quarter’s earnings” says Tony Schwartz.

One of the easiest ways to not lose sight of how we’re nagivating our work days is to ask yourself this question:  What impact do you want to make?  If we pause and reflect, take a step back and think about it, it can easily impact your next move….the “how” you want to move forward.

Next time you’re in a challenging situation or you have a fantastic opportunity in front of you,  as yourself not only “What will I do next”?  but equally as important “How do I want to BE as it’s occurring”?

Yesterday I read that Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos) co-created a company and named Jenn Lim as the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness.  Their mission is to “inspire happiness in work, community, and everyday life”  and the company is helping to communicate the Zappos model that created an effective (and happy) company culture.

She’s not the only one with this title or idea.  Others titles like Chief Happiness Officers are out there.  Academics are teaching students and companies like  AOL, Facebook, and Adobe — how to find and export joy. Books, articles, classes and information on happiness are increasing in popularity. Philosophies and approaches like Authentic Happiness and Positive Psychology are starting to make inroads into corporate programs.

Studies show that happiness increases productivity, which improves profits.   And yet other statistics show consistently that by far the majority of us are not happy or engaged in our work.  In fact there are less than 25% that are engaged in our work.

There’s proof that giving makes us happier than receiving.  Couple that idea with creating something in the world that you’re passionate about, that utilizes your skills and strengths and putting it out there  - and you could just have found a personal happiness jackpot.

The question is:  What are you doing in your work today that combines your skills and talents with what you really love?

I met someone else recently who’s a fantastic illustration of this.  In my brief interaction with him I learned that he was trained as a epidemiologist, teaches at Harvard and conducts research that  has focused on a variety of infectious diseases from malaria to HIV to Lyme disease.  He was in town for a meeting with Google.  ”Why”, I asked.  Because he’s been creating an app called Healthmap in partnership with them.   It tracks the global outbreak of infectious diseases. As my curiosity piqued I found out that he’d worked on developing this app from not only a medical or research perspective but technological and business as well.  I wondered outloud if this was a new trend for the professorial folks out there and he said “nope, there are a few, not many but I love it.”

John is a great example of combining what he loves with his skills and talents and finding a way to put it out in the world.  And in this case he has global health map app to prove it.

I was inspired by his story and his joyful energy when he shared it.  I told him I’d share it with others.  Perhaps my little way of delivering happiness….at least for today.

This week’s challenge:  Find a project or idea that combines your skills with what you really love – and deliver it in your workplace.  What have you been wanting and waiting to do?

Last night I had the great pleasure and fun adventure of being part of the Heymonicab radio show on the topic of Getting Unstuck and how to discover what you really want. Monica can be described as an Aruveydic Practitioner, but she’s so much more than that.  She’s a saavy business women, smart, energetic and always thinking of new ideas.  She’s a health and wellness coach, an empathetic listener and has a strong passion to help her clients feel great about their mind, body and spirit.  She’s a recruiter, a designer, a expert in many fields and a soon-to-be-mom.  What do I mention all of this?  Because Monica is a great example of integrating many of her passions in her life and continuing to focus on what she loves most: making people happy.  In fact, when I first met Monica and asked her what she REALLY wanted to do when she “grew up” she said: I want to make millions of people happy.  She will and she does.

Why am I sharing this (besides wanting to share the  brilliance of Monica)?  Because in our crazy, fast-paced 24/7, on-the-go pressure filled life we often wait for the right opportunity or the right time to pursue what we really want.  Many of us know we aren’t doing what we love, but we tell ourselves that we’re lucky to have a job or the steady income. Some of us may not know what we want and so we tell ourselves that we’ll wait until we get hit by the spirit of insight and we’re crystal clear of what’s next.   Or we find other reasons to stay where we are.   After all, it can be much easier that way….sometimes.

Except when that aching pang of jealousy happens when you meet someone that’s living their dream or found their dream job.  Or you see someone with the idea that you had for a business 5 years ago, but they’ve made it happen.  Or your co-worker gets promoted to a role that they created for themselves and you never believed it would happen.

So what can you do?

One thing is to explore what you love to do.  There are some simple ways to do that that I mentioned on the call last night so feel free to listen here.

And then once you have even an inkling of what you want, take just one step toward it. Just one step. It could be having a conversation about a new area of interest, enrolling in a course or even just carving out some time in your schedule to have a conversation with your boss about an idea you’ve had for a while. Whatever it is, one small step could be the big step that you need toward what’s next for you.

Monica took one step a few years ago by exploring her interest in health and wellness and is now an expert in a whole new field.  She is living her purpose of making millions of people happy…. day by day.

It’s weeks like these when I simply love what I do.  I get to help people find their dream work!

Last week my client arrived “not wanting to look for a job” and in the  middle of our work she realized it was because she wanted to start her own business.  Our one hour meeting turned into a 2 hour brainstorming session which I was thrilled to extend because she was on FIRE with energy.  She walked out with a framework for an idea and the beginning of an action plan to begin investigating it. What a shift from where she was 2 hours prior!

Yesterday I was honored by receiving 2 emails from clients who had both landed the kid of job they’d been hoping for. Here’s what one said:  ”I landed the perfect job! I’m so happy that I made the investment into my next five year plan. There are some big rewards for being part of this company long term.  I’m really excited to envision my future and know what I’m shooting for and feel great that I have something of great value to contribute.  I can’t thank you enough for coaching me to get here!”  The other landed a job that was right in front of him all along but it took him re-evaluating his strengths, values and what he really wanted to see it from a different perspective.  He was excited to share his great news.

What they both have in common is that they took the time to discover what they really love to do – and what they really want.  In the first example, she took the necessary time  after 25+ years of working in a fast-paced environment to slow down and really explore what was important to her.  In her case it was:  client side work, great benefits, solid team, long term opportunity etc.  In the second case, he realized that his current company values were not aligned with his and his strengths (through Strengthfinder analysis) weren’t valued.  He found a new job with a leader that he knows and trusts and they mutually value each other’s strengths.

Others often start by wanting a full career shift and realize that there are opportunities within their current company or even role that they didn’t see before.  They are relieved that they can find more meaning, fullfilment and happiness without making a huge change.  But in order to see that opportunity, we need to take the time to really define what we want and then take the steps to make it happen.  Change is hard and we have to be motivated internally to get it.  It needs to matter do us at an intrinsic level or it will be hard to commit to the process of make the change.

Often when I pose the question: What do you REALLY want?  I get a blank stare.  It’s not an easy question to answer. But it’s a critical one.  It’s my belief that at the end of the day (or work week) we all just want to make a difference and we hope that someone notices.  And we want to do it our way.   When we do we can motivate others as well.

What is it that you REALLY want (in your career)?

Here’s an exercise that can help.

1) Write down 10 things that come to mind – just write, no judgement.

2) Pick 1-2 that resonate with you and write each one on the top of one sheet of paper.

3) For each item ask yourself “what’s important about getting ______”.  Write that down.  When you have that answer ask yourself “what’s important about (that answer)”.   And then keep on asking “What’s important about (that answer)” until you reach a point that you recognize the intrinsic  motivation of what it is that you really want.  That’s the motivation that will help you get there!

Cheers to discovering work you love and making it happen!

(Incidentally, 100% of my committed clients find a new role within 4-6 months of our work together.  I’d love to make that happen for you if you’re someone looking for what’s next.)

There’s a lot of news that shocking in our world today and, of course, top of mind is the Tsunami that’s affecting thousands in Japan as well as the impact that it has on the rest of the world. What we expect in these times is that it’s in the news, it’s part of our conversations and it’s on our mind.  What I’m also noticing is the effect that tragedy has like this on the way that we think….. about our world, about our life and our work.

Daily posts on Facebook, Twitter other social media reflect this.  Many people aren’t just sharing the newest news, updates or videos about the Tsunami. They  are sharing the information with a desire to do something about it.  We are asking each other to help.  Some are actively calling each other forth to help make a difference in the world  and to people.  They are taking action.   Often it’s a conscious choice that’s driven by a desire that’s bigger than who we are in our daily world

I often look at situations through this lens:

Situation  ———>>>>>>>>>>>>>  Choice  ——–>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  Action

What’s the situation that we’re/I’m in?

What’s choices do I have?

How do I want to and/or how will I act according to what I really want?

This sounds simple and obvious.  But in our fast paced, result-oriented, 24/7 ,  overworked world, doesn’t it seem like we’re spending much of our daily focus and time on the situation and the response?    We get a project, we assess what it takes to get it done, then we act quickly to get it done.  We receive an email and we focus on the act of responding to clear it out of our in box.  We have our overwhelming to-do list and we focus on crossing off.   The goal is on the result.   Results are important.  The bottom line is critical.  Business is business.

But the difference between us and other mammals  is that we have this space in the middle that’s called “choice”.   This is one of the aspects that makes us human.   When we’re aware of what we really want and take the time to act based on that desire, our actions can make a bigger impact and leave us feeling more fulfilled.

I believe that a in a tragic situation like this our humanness stops and shakes us a bit.  It shapes and reforms us at least for a moment. In the times when things are rough for us emotionally or touch us on a deeper level, we have the opportunity to stop and ask ourselves what’s really important about what we’re doing.

Trying noticing how much time you pause to reflect on the choices you are making.  As you go through the day ask yourself:

Situation: What situation am I in?

Choice: How is what I’m doing today (not tomorrow) really aligned with my desires, my beliefs, my values?  What’s the big picture that I’m working toward?  What do I really want? What choices can I make from here?

Action: What actions can/will I take today that are aligned with my goals and desires.

You’ll see the difference in what you do and how you feel rewarded by it.

What daily practices do you have to help you make conscious choices?