Category: Improving Yourself

I’ve had a disagreement with a coworker. In the heat of the moment, I said things that I wish I hadn’t. How do I remedy the situation?

We have all said things we later regretted. That’s human. The important thing is to remedy the situation immediately. Here’s what you can do in a communication or career misfire.

First, apologize as soon as possible. If you wait too long, there’s time for bad feelings to fester. Say something like:

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. That’s not how I’m feeling towards you. I was just letting this issue get to me.”

Be sincere but concise. Some people, who find themselves in uncomfortable situations, tend to blabber on. This is a time to say what you have to say and then concentrate on listening to the person’s response.

Most of the time, he or she will say: “Forget about it or it’s ok”.

You then can say: “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

If your sincere apology doesn’t seem to be sufficient, find out what would help the situation.

Just ask: “How can we move beyond this?” Or, “What can I do to get us working together again.”

Again listen intently. If you can agree to the solution, then do what needs to be done. If there’s still a problem, then work hard to find a way to make it right. As a last resort, you may want to bring in your boss to resolve the issue.

Career Success Tip:

Learn from the experience. The next time you’re discussing a volatile issue, take a breath – or two or three – before you speak. If that doesn’t work, remove yourself from the situation until you can think logically instead of emotionally. And learn to be more forgiving of those who commit the same error.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

I recently published a blog on 5 Ways to Make Your Training Conferences Rock! But we all know that large training conferences aren’t always the most effective training platform. In fact, if we have to have a training conference at all, the smaller conference or meeting (sounds less formal) is the best face-to-face way to go. It costs less and is more effective.

Big organizations are learning smaller is better. In fact, extremely large organizations–even those on an international and national scale–are finding that going to a smaller scale vastly improves results. Even gigantic organizations like the Federal government are taking advantage of regional conferences to maximize the training efforts on the smaller scale, with the result being more focused training on trainees who can also contribute to the discussion in a way that larger conferences can’t.

Most of us will agree that the larger the training conference, there is more potential for problems, but there is also a greater opportunity to train or inform large groups of people. Whether it is the most effective training is debatable. The economic cost for sending people to this venue is high and the expected attendee numbers decrease dramatically as that cost becomes an issue. Not only that, but hotels want room guarantees, and if contracted rooms aren’t filled, the organization is on the hook for those costs.

I’m only going to focus on physical presence-required training conferences or meetings, not teleseminars or webinars–even though I have seen national conferences that incorporate those into their programs.

Still, we have to train them all, but we can do it.

As an example, the Federal government has an enormous number of personnel on its payroll, including many outside contractors who have to be trained as well. Managing the Federal government takes a lot of compartmentalization, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We have to break down the government programs into workable units and often, in the United States anyway, those units are still so big as to incorporate large numbers of personnel and more compartments. So, again, how to train them all…

There is no national training program for everyone that I know of–no Department of Training, but individual departments like Health and Human Services and Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, etc., that have department-wide training programs; then there are divisions within the departments like the Administration for Children, and then there are programs under the various administrations under other departments, and some of those units are still quite large. And, that’s just on the national level.

To reach down to the states (actually some 54 jurisdictions and the tribes) in my case where the client-based work is generally implemented–with the next lower level, the county, being the place where there is government face-to-face with the general public. To manage and oversee all this, there must also be a “workable” solution in an environment where the federal government doesn’t exactly tell the state what to do but offers training and technical assistance so the states can produce the nationally-desired results. What exactly is “workable” organizationally is determined by a government table of allowances, the Administration, the Department or whoever does those things.

In training, it doesn’t really matter who decides the organizational structure. You have to deal with the situation that management has determined.

I worked in the National Training Center for my program. The biggest challenge for us–even a few levels down–was the volume of training assessments–determining what training was needed at our level and each level below us, and how best to meet those needs. The usual things a training manager, training developer, or trainer look for. Then, there has to be a budget to support either traveling to various venues to develop the training, provide the training, training the trainers, or some other way to meet the need, often through web-based training, CDs or DVDs, teleconference, teleseminars (if you agency can afford it), etc.

With the cost restraints of today, training is slashed quickest at the highest levels. Most training is needed at the lowest levels. To see the results, and not pay the high price, we can assist with training at the lower levels where it does the most good rather than doing it ourselves.

Moving one level down to a region changes that focus and the training dynamics tremendously. Let’s define a region as an area where personnel have similar needs and work in rather close proximity but away from central office. Not only are the regions closer to the folks who need the training, the smaller size makes a huge difference on targeting the audience, focusing the training on exactly what it needs to hear, provides the best possible interaction save one-on-one, and flexibility to make truly the customer’s training and not a showplace.

In addition, area hotels may not be willing to reduce room costs as much for a larger conference (but they may not have the room to accommodate that size of an event) but it still may be easier to get a good deal from a really nice hotel, including a conference room. There are other benefits besides price.

What is the optimum size? It has been my experience that anything over 200 begins to be impersonal and tries to do it all, which may be fine for generalists, but may be overwhelming for more specialized attendees. So, less is better. Often these large-size conferences are targeted at maximizing attendance–therefore reaching the most people so the training that benefits all; that’s the theory and the plan. However, a large group naturally forms cliques, which doesn’t allow much opportunity for cross sharing between states and sufficient networking unless there is ample time offered for those “side meetings” and socializing. In these larger venues, there is so much to be done to fulfill everyone’s needs, the most important training and networking needs have a diminished return.

Try focusing smaller. Say 40 or 50 attendees. States can only afford to send a few people anyway. Our topics are very focused, our speakers well-known for their expertise and ability to provide that expertise, our interaction constant. Being in the same region means the states are familiar with the similarities and differences in their programs, but it is a way to catch up.

Offer the states a chance to share what’s new and cutting edge for them. Break times can always be longer if we need them. If something happens and we need to be flexible with the schedule of training, it is easily managed. A change of format? No problem. We’re pretty informal if we have to be. We form a team, a class, creating a bond that will last.

Instead of one massive training conference year, think several smaller ones, hosted by regional offices throughout the country and other parts of the world where you have people stationed. Where a region may be too small or not have the potential to pull in enough attendee/trainees, collaborate with neighboring region and try to have it in a location close and accessible to both regions.

Not only is this a good way to train, this gives regions recognition for the work they do and a valuable connection to the home office. They can even bring in central office or home office subject matter experts to train when needed, adding the recognition that every level of the operation is important.

Expectations, either for my organization or the states involved, are usually exceeded. If anything, the dialogue keeps going until the next meeting.

We could have a larger meeting or conference, but we couldn’t offer more incentive than we do now to entice more to come. Accidentally or on purpose we have hit the optimum payback. States are seeing the value here and send only the ones who will benefit, and who can contribute.

In some ways, the trainer’s job is easier in that it is more facilitating training, getting the participants to train each other and extend that beyond the meeting. Training is still 50 percent motivation and 50 percent information (my stats, my perception). The opportunity to learn from others present is paramount, whether it be for trainers or for trainees.

Sounds like a good deal for all.

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

What seems a good idea to me may be debated. I have no lock on perceptiveness or intuition. My opinions are my own and not representative of The Free Management Library. I hold myself accountable. To prove that, here’s my website can see for yourself how my mind works (good luck there–I have a bio) and where you can find other opinions on various subjects from training and development to communication and theatre under the category of What I Say. Yes, theatre. I also write performance reviews. I’m interested in people and want to know if we give them what they need. Please feel free to comment here, or my website, or send me an e-mail. For a look at the human side of training from my Cave Man perspective, please check out my book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development. Happy training.

Few would deny that one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our time is the beloved late Mother Teresa. She is a soul who wholly dedicated to live a life of service through expressing her heart of love. She is known to the world for her selfless work with the “poorest of the poor” in Calcutta, India. Her order, the Missionaries of Charity, have opened more than 500 centers around the world to help the dying and destitute. She is the recipient of many of the world’s most prestigious humanitarian awards like the Nobel Peace Prize.

I’ve always been inspired by her profound words of wisdom. I’ll include three of my favorites for your reflection and how they impact your spiritual growth as they have mine.

For in the silence of the heart, God speaks.

We need to open the eyes of our hearts so we can see, hear and feel God’s love and guidance for our lives. Yet when our minds are troubled and our hearts are broken we have a difficult time finding the adored silence we all crave deep within us. Mother Teresa did her work silently throughout the world. She led with her heart and let her love of God speak for what she stood for. It is in her silent heart blessings that the world showered her with accolades of praise.

I am God’s pencil.

She shared this thought as a way to look at her life was all about serving God and Jesus. I too have asked God to use me as his pencil. So when I’ve written something that sounds like it was written exactly for you to read, know that it was!! God intended for me to write this so you could read it when you were ready and when your heart was open. This is the same for me. I’m a writer and I’ve written many things in my life. Some have been good and some have been God. I can always tell the difference in how it flows and how easily it goes. It’s amazing how this can happen. When I’ve asked to be God’s pencil and to guide my words, the words are more profound and meaningful. When I try to write things on my own is when the words don’t always sound impactful or come to me as naturally. However, when God uses me to write the message he wants to get across I just go with it. I often realize the difference is when my keys are just flying off the keyboard or when my hand just writes automatically nonstop. It’s like I’m letting the flow of the Holy Spirit comes to me and then out through me.

May God give back to you in love all the love you have given and all the joy and peace you have sown around you, all over the world.

We all know that we reap what we sow in our lives. When Mother Teresa put it in terms of love and joy, it sure makes me want to spread as much as possible. How about you?

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Janae Bower is an inspirational speaker, award-winning author and training consultant. She founded Finding IT, a company that specializes in personal and professional development getting to the heart of what matters most. She started Project GratOtude, a movement to increase gratitude in people’s lives.

What makes a great life and a great career?

Here’s what high performing professionals and managers have said during my seminars on The Career Edge.

Key #1: Life Comes at You Fast – Be Prepared, Plan and Anticipate

• During change, don’t be an ostrich hiding your head in the sand. Be aware of what’s going on.
• Be open to opportunities and even challenges. It can change your career trajectory.
• At the same time, have focus – it provides clarity for what you want to accomplish.

Key #2: The Power of Attitude – We Can Change our Lives with Optimism

• Be resilient. Challenges, disappointments, mistakes happen. The important things is to move on.
• Stay away from negative people. If they’re not happy for themselves, they certainly can’t be happy for you.
• Visualize success, talk success, believe in your success. Expect success to happen.
• Thank the people who have made a difference in your life and career.

Key #3: NETWORK = Net WORTH

• Increase your connections. Success is all about relationships – building,maintaining, leveraging.
• By increasing your network, you build the number of people that can impact you and that you can help in return.
• Make it easy for people to help you. Give them the tools they need to make connections and introductions for you.
• Be happy for others, acknowledge their success, celebrate their achievements. They will remember.

Key #4: Feedback is a Gift – Information is Power

• Be open and acceptable to both good feedback and constructive criticism.
• Nobody takes the time to give feedback to someone they don’t like. They just walk away.
• Then decide on how you are going to turn that feedback into positive behavior and skills.

Key #5: Politics is NOT a Dirty Word

• It’s all about knowing your organization and how things get done.
• Assess the situation and understand what’s important to decision makers.
• Be realistic. There’ll be times when it’s better to compriomise and times when it’s important to take a stand.

Key #6: Do a Great Job Every Day

• Know your strengths and use them in the most effective way you can.
• Don’t stop learning – new ideas, new skills, new ways of doing things.
• Make sure your work serves the larger goals of the organization.

Key #7: Remember, a Fulfilling Life Is a Journey Not Just a Destination

• Take time to enjoy – stop and smell the roses!
• Realize that you’re the only person who can lead your life – so don’t wait for others to take charge.
• Know that people remember not what you say but how you made them feel. So make people feel good.

Career Success Tip:

Success is more than working hard, being busy and burning a lot of energy. It’s a laser focus on what matters. So examine all your “to-do”s and pick the ones that count the most – the ones that can make a big difference in your life and career.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

I had a conversation recently with a friend who was deeply hurt by some things going on in a community organization where he was a leader. He shared what was happening and that he was really struggling to find compassion and understanding in the midst of the conflicts. I’ve been there. We all have. Periodically we find ourselves in the middle of an uncomfortable situation where people are calling names, spreading rumors, attacking others, and simply not being the best they can be.

Thank goodness I’ve studied and practiced Non-Violent Communication (NVC- developed by Marshall Rosenberg) and Loving What Is (known as The Work developed by Byron Katie). To learn more about NVC and Loving What Is, go to their websites, look at their videos, and find a study/practice group near you. Both of these approaches have helped me enormously to deal with pain and find compassion in the midst of turmoil. These approaches have helped me work with others dealing with pain, anger, or loss in organizations. They have helped me listen to someone else’s pain with an open heart and supported my work facilitating healing and reconciliation.

As I listened to what my friend was sharing I heard his sadness, anger and grief. I allowed him to share those feelings and asked him what he needed to address his feelings. I didn’t try to change how he felt, or offer solutions to the situation at his organization. I simply listened and allowed space for him to get in touch with his feelings. This allowed him to acknowledge what he was feeling and find clarity on what he needed to get through the next few days (before a critical board meeting that was scheduled to address the conflicts).

I want to share just a few thoughts here on how NVC and Loving What Is can support you, a co-worker, or work group who may be going through pain from a situation in an organization.

1. Own your own feelings in the midst of the crisis or pain. Acknowledge honestly how you are feeling and what is coming up for you. Don’t worry that what is coming up looks or feels ugly. What’s essential for healing is that you are honest with how you are feeling. If you are speaking with a co-worker who is in pain, have him/her draw their attention to themselves and how they are feeling. Only through honest reflection and acknowledgment of how you are feeling can you move towards healing and find reconciliation.

2. It is not your job is to try to change the behavior of others who are acting in ways that trigger your feelings. Your job is to address your own pain, sadness, loss, fear, anger in the most tender, gentle loving ways you can. Offer yourself compassion for the feelings you are having. In this way you can move through your pain to find your own peace. The more you do this, the more you can Be Peace in a turbulent situation.

3. How you respond to this situation shifts the energy for others in the situation. The more grounded, honest, respectful and open you are to dealing with your own and others’ pain, the smoother you and they will move through the conflicts or turmoil. Your energy affects those around you. How do you want to move through your pain to find comfort, peace, acceptance, and patience for yourself or others?

4. Other people are not the enemy. Hanging on to judgments or demonizing others only adds fuel to the fire. The ‘others’ are simply using strategies to meet their needs in the best way they know how. And so are you. We all have learned strategies to meet our needs. Some of these strategies are effective, some are destructive to relationships. Stop and examine how you are acting to meet your needs- are you lashing out and hurting others as revenge, are you pouting and sulking like a victim, are you running away to protect yourself? As you work on meeting your needs and addressing your feelings, you’ll see what strategies you are using. Your strategies may be helpful or harmful to the relationships in the situation at hand. Focus on what you are doing to move through your own pain. What can you do to bring peace, comfort, healing to yourself?

5. Become aware of your judgments and the stories you are telling yourself about the other people and their actions. Next, find one belief you have about them. Ask yourself- Is that True? What would be the 180 degree opposite belief you could have about them or what is happening? How might that opposite belief statement be true? How do you feel when you read/think of that opposite belief statement?

6. Emotionally charged situations are the trials that test your spiritual stamina. They are the moments and playground for you to practice your spiritual muscles of compassion, forgiveness, respect, understanding, awareness.

Whenever two or more are gathered there will be conflicts and disagreements. Organizations are no different. When conflicts reach a boiling point, then healing and reconciliation are needed. Your ability to work through your own pain to find greater healing and reconciliation helps you and your organization. As we learn these lessons and practice honoring our feelings without demonizing others as the enemy, not only will our organizations be healthier, but we also progress along our spiritual journey.

Bright Blessings as you move through your pain and find healing, wholeness, and compassion in the midst of your struggles. Here is a Buddhist prayer you can use to support your journey of healing and reconciliation.

May all beings be well

May all beings be happy

Peace, Peace, Peace

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Linda has done healing and reconciliation work with organizations to help them move from pain to compassion. If your organization- non-profit, house of worship, or business- has gone through a crisis or is in turmoil and seeks to move towards healing and reconciliation, contact Linda (ljfergusonphd@gmail.com) to find out how her work can support your organization’s healing. Using principles describe above, you’re organization can shift through pain to healing and reconciliation.

Jason Novosel, Novo Horizons Management Training, our guest blogger gave me a quote this morning: “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” (George Horace Lorimer).

I thought this would be a good day to look south to my Australian colleague for his answers on training and development.

Jason has over a decade of experience in education, training and assessment. His experience also includes over 5 years in management within both private and state schools in Queensland, Australia and 3 years in intensive interaction with the business community to provide facilities and services linked to education. He also has a background in legal services and has delivered specialist education and training in Legal Services, including document preparation, court registry procedure, contract law and civil law (litigation, documentation and procedure). Leadership and management training are his fields of expertise. He has a background in high level sport and upholds the importance of team building, which sport generates.

Here’s Jason:

“As a person who enjoys watching and participating in a wide variety of sports, I was watching Federer play a match in the 2011 French Tennis Open. He was doing quite well against his opponent. The ‘FedExpress’ is always being challenged by Nadal and Djokovic for supremacy, but I still really enjoy his style of play – so smooth and classic. The commentators were commenting on exactly the same thing and one mentioned Federer’s training regime. It was to the effect of “Federer must be doing something right with his training and preparation. “He doesn’t seem to suffer a great deal from injury like other players….”. Think about how this statement relates to your organisation. When competing, do you think a champion like Federer would willingly participate in any activity or training that does not benefit his own game? What kinds of “injuries” could your organisation suffer if it did not offer proper and relevant training opportunities to employees?

“Any sports champion will attest to training being a must when it comes to success. When a player prepares correctly they are less likely to suffer injury and defeat. Match practice is one important aspect for sure, but if an athlete doesn’t train effectively to sharpen skills (both physical and mental) they are not as successful. Natural talent only takes an athlete so far. Of course, upsets can always occur. We cannot predict those, but by being prepared beforehand the tennis player can minimise the effect of upsets.

“The same practice is true for your role as a manager offering training to employees – or for employees seeking out their own training opportunities. Quite some time should be dedicated to discussing the training needs of team members. In order for an organisation to offer effective training and professional development for their employees that organisation must know what skills and talent already exist there.

“Relevant training and professional development opportunities are vital ingredients for building successful teams and competent individuals within those teams. Organisations and individuals who do not engage in active, relevant training are just not as effective. Here’s why training and professional development are important:

1. Both build confidence – They often affirms the practices that already exist within a team. This builds a person’s confidence and facilitates trust in their own abilities. Trust and confidence within a team and for a team’s leader are cornerstones to building an effective unit. Confident and competent staff are better able to handle challenges and actively seek responsibility.
2. Both introduce new knowledge – It is necessary for innovation and continuous improvement that a team is exposed to new ways of doing things. This allows for more effective problem-solving and can eliminate the danger of boredom and the feeling of falling into the rut of daily routine.
3. Both are investments in the organisation’s future – Retention rates of staff are raised with investment in training and professional development. Staff feel they are a valued asset of the organisation and understand the global significance of their roles within the organisation. Productivity tends to increase and the reputation of the organisation benefits in the wider market.
4. Both tend to be contagious – Once a group has attended an entertaining and engaging conference, seminar or internal training session, the enthusiasm tends to spread to other departments as colleagues discuss and recommend what they have been exposed to.
5. Both can take a wide variety of forms – Different people respond to different stimulus and have different ways of learning. Training and professional development can be accessed through many avenues, providing the choice necessary to best suit the organisation’s objectives in providing these opportunities. Sometimes the most simple and inexpensive team meeting, if handled in the correct way, can yield unexpected results!

“In the current economic climate of decline and gradual recovery many governments are dedicating funds to assist with the training and professional development of the workforce – especially in industries where there is a skills shortage.

“In my own state in Australia the government is offering $50 million each year to Skills Queensland, an industry-led statutory authority, and grants of up to $2 million.

“There are also rich veins to be tapped in the mining sector – both in skilled labour and professional positions. Recruitment firms are actively targeting jobs including project management, logistics and supervisory roles.

“The advice of these agencies to those wishing to make a shift to a different industry is to do some research into the skills needed and then get some training.

“Whether you represent an organisation or are an individual learner: explore the possibilities in training and professional development, support initiatives, listen to the needs of team members, link training and professional development to your team’s/organisation’s goals and objectives…and it’ll be GAME, SET, MATCH!”

Jason has the right idea and makes some good points. (These are my comments below.)

Many times that talent is right under our noses and we fail to see it. Some employees will seek out training opportunities–especially if they know what’s good for them, but generally management has to give them the nudge. A positive nudge works best. Better than “you’ll lose your job if you don’t do the training.” I don’t know about business folk “Down Under,” but Americans are notoriously for thinking “what’s in it for me?” If there is an incentive for the training, they are more likely to take it. If it won’t make a difference, then they may not bother?

Business management should know that training makes an employee more efficient if he or she uses that training. That much is obvious, but mostly it seems until human resources or the union rep tells them, management would rather not be bothered. What this usually means is that the training gets the “required” emphasis. Training sends out a letter, saying an employee must have a training plan (mandatory by such and such time) and if they want training reimbursed they must fill out all the necessary paperwork.

Oh, and you better know what you want or need because no one is going to help you there. Meaning no one is going to tell you what you need to further or enhance your career. Ironically, everyone seems too busy to take care of its most important resource–its people, and its best resource: trained people.

Employees have a tough choice, but the Office helps them in a negative way by mandating training, and not really supporting the effort. Training that is forced upon employees is not usually well-regarded. Employees know that training takes them away from the work they are expected to do on any given day. If they don’t get that work done, their present job is in jeopardy (especially in this economy)–let alone their efficiency is affected.

Should someone get credit for training on his or her evaluation. It has the potential to improve performance–especially if it is new information. Promoting the idea of training as a part of an evaluation says management is paying attention and giving credit where it is due.

We pay more for the qualifications a person brings to the job so why not here, where we are adding to the qualifications? As an employee, I’m too busy doing my job to worry about what the company doesn’t seem too worried about. So it doesn’t work. Few take the time to do a thorough job on the training–if they can get away with not doing it, they will.

Training is a must, but it’s not always obvious in the business scheme. It’s like a battery that doesn’t have enough juice to start the car. If the car starts, you don’t know you need a new battery. If the business seems to be working, everything is fine–until you have a problem. People not showing up for work, a lot of sick calls, jobs not getting done, sloppy work, lost customers, etc., then you start thinking I need help. Training is the first place management looks. Unfortunately, as you know, sometimes the problems have progressed too far for training to be the solution, and, of course, not all problems that occur can be resolved by training. But sometimes training can prevent problems by maintaining a high performing, highly motivated workforce.

I happen to think a proactive approach with the people who work for you is always better. It was probably the one thing I liked about the military; in spite of what you see in the movies, my leaders always looked after us–and that made us more willing to follow them.

Management consultants say it is morale. Morale experts say proper looking after your people, making them feel wanted, needed and useful makes them happy and efficient workers. Gee, if I had only thought of that sooner. A little sarcasm…

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

For more information on management training and professional development in Jason’s Australia, check out his website. Look for him on Facebook and Twitter: @Novohorizons.

I, too, have a website where you can find items I have written. For more information on my peculiar take on training, check out my best selling The Cave Man Guide To Training and Development, and for a look at a world that truly needs a reality check, see my novel about the near future, Harry’s Reality! Meanwhile, Happy Training.

I just finished reading the book Love For No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love by Marci Shimoff. She interviewed 100 amazing people she referred to as Love Luminaries. These are people who are the “leading lights or love celebrities” who are living love in the world. So many of their stories in this book inspired me, so I thought that I would select this stellar group of people as a whole to highlight for L because they are living their lives and integrating their spirituality in all parts of it.

So many religious traditions point to love as the highest path of life. Not just any kind of love, but unconditional love to all. We all know how incredible we feel when we choose the path of love in our lives whether at work, home or in the community at large. However, sometimes love isn’t always the easiest path to choose, especially when you are dealing with difficult situations – the demanding boss, the ungrateful spouse, the demanding child, the forgetful friend, the negative family member, etc… However it is when we choose love and put love to work is when we illuminate the way with our light.

There were many memorable examples of these Love Luminaries in her book, which I highly recommend, I’ll just share with you my favorite, Johnny Barnes. Johnny is an elderly man in Bermuda who doesn’t have a website, business or book (unlike most of the ones she interviewed), but he does have a BIG heart, great humility and a strong purpose.

For almost 30 years he spent “a quarter of his waking hours” spreading love on a busy street corner in Hamilton, Bermuda. I don’t know about you, but I’ve only experienced people on the streets either begging or performing for money. Not Johnny. His sole and soul purpose is to greet people through waves, greetings, shakes, hugs – spreading love to all who cross his way. He doesn’t get paid for this, but we all know that he’ll get paid for the love he spread in eternity.

According to Johnny, “You see, I love people, and I love telling them that I love them. I consider it my personal mission in life to spread joy and love whenever, wherever and however I can.”

He started doing this when we was working fulltime, showing up ½ hour before his job for 30 years. Then he started to do this “street corner of love” fulltime as his retirement five days a week. He says that God gives us all something to do, “That’s six hours of spreading love every morning. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.”

I was so moved that this is how he is choosing to spend his 27 years in retirement so far – spreading love when many choose to not work at all. He didn’t retire to a warm place (already lives in one) so he could have more leisure time. He choose to retire not with a more selfish-type of leisure lifestyle that many people believe they deserve when they retire (and do) to living a life of selfless love and service.

The city put a statue of him in his honor on the street corner so his love continues to spread to all when he’s not around. That’s a long-standing, golden type of love that I aspire to! I’ll close with the closing words of Johnny in his story.

“The way I see it, this world was made for love. When the good Lord wakes me up mornings, puts a song in my heart, joy in my soul, and a smile on my face, I just have to give it away!”

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Janae Bower is an inspirational speaker, award-winning author and training consultant. She founded Finding IT, a company that specializes in personal and professional development getting to the heart of what matters most. She started Project GratOtude, a movement to increase gratitude in people’s lives.

Over the weekend I was able to participate in a Shamanic attunement for the earth to help balance the rain, fire, and earth energy. We included this ceremony into a longer program of Freedom and Declarations. I will write more about this ceremony in a post later this month.

For this week, I want to share some thoughts on what we seek freedom from and what we declare for our world and life.

Some of you coming back from vacation or long weekend may want freedom from work. Summer is a good time to take vacations -to vacate from the stresses of work and rejuvenate your life. Time away and time out from work helps you re-charge your battery and so important for sustaining your energy. On the flip side, coming back from vacation can be challenging focusing on work. I know I was pretty tired this morning after a nice weekend of fun with friends and the ceremony we did on Sat.

Others of you may want freedom from a boss or co-worker. They may be getting on your nerves and you just need some time away or a break from their behaviors. Perhaps you want freedom from waking up at 6:00 a.m. most days and want to have extra sleep and silence. Or you want to have freedom from the deadlines that are facing you. You’d prefer to have work flow smoother or with less intensity.

I invite you to go a little deeper now. Do you desire freedom from your self-limiting beliefs, or certain perceptions and attitudes? What fears, grudges or guilt are you ready to give up and release? What no longer serves you? You need to release these to be free from them and only you can release them. If you desire inner peace, joy, or laughter, reflect on what still trips you up or jerks your chain. How can you let go of your attachments or judgments so that you can be free from their tug? Freedom is as much about what you are willing to give up and release as something to protect or obtain.

Once you release those things you desire to be free from, you need to get clear on what you want to fill their place. What declarations do you want to make for your life? Are you ready to declare that you are a balanced, peaceful person, ready to receive abundance, love, joy, and friendships? Can you receive these and more with grace, gratitude and openness?

Hold a vision of what you to declare and bring forth in your life, work or world…….

Declare that it is already being created, in the right perfect timing and in the right perfect way.

I declare now that I am open to receive all that is in my right highest good

I declare now that I am caring and giving to all who can benefit from my gifts and talents

I declare now that I am a living embodiment of compassion, beauty, and grace

I declare now that I will treat others with dignity, respect, and kindness

I declare now that I have all that I need to move forward with strength, optimism and hope

I declare now that I am whole, loving, and happy

Now add whatever freedoms you wish to release and declarations of what you desire to bring forward into the world and your work.

May your week of Freedom and Declarations bring greater joy and wholeness to your life, your work, and your world.

Aho!

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Linda is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant. Go to her website www.lindajferguson.com to read more about her work, view video clips of her talks, and find out more about her book “Path for Greatness: Spirituality at Work” The paperback version is available on Amazon. NOW AVAILABLE!!! the pdf version of Path for Greatness is available for download from her website. ALSO, Linda’s new book, “Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand” is now available on her website.

The trouble with the future is that it usually arrives before we’re ready for it.

Careers are evolving. What used to be success yesterday – joining a company or field, staying with it for most of your life and working your way up the ranks – will no longer be success for tomorrow. What will be success in the future is building a portfolio of meaningful, marketable experiences that you will sell to a variety of buyers. What a change!

This also means that successful careers are less about moving up the corporate ladder to moving around within your company; moving outside to other opportunities; and moving to become a free agent – working for a variety of employers.

Building a Portfolio Career

1. Re-frame your view of career success.
It’s moving from one of a series of upward positions to one of building a portfolio of experiences that will make you marketable to an increasing number of buyers who may be companies, consulting firms, contractors, consortium of professionals.

2. Review your career up to this point.
It doesn’t matter whether you have a couple of years under your best or whether you’ve been in the workforce for 10, twenty or even longer! You must consider the following questions.

• What do you do now and how did you get here?
• Are you doing the job in the field you imagined when graduating from college?
• Is it the same job and/or in the same field you were in five years ago? 10 years ago?
• How many different organizations have you worked for full time or on contract?
• How many jobs have you had since you entered the workforce permanently?
• What additional education (degree and professional) since leaving school?
• Do you think this is your final stop? If not, what will it be?
• What have you learned about your career?

3. Realize you must continually enhance your portfolio.
At the end of each year, whether you are looking for a new job or not, take the time to write or update your resume and compare it with last year’s. See if it has gotten noticeably better. See if it shows growth in a variety of skills, or growth in satisfied customers, or completed projects. If not, what do you need to do.

Career Success Tip:

The biggest mistake you can make is to believe you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a successful career comes from YOU: your experiences, your skills, your network, your responsiveness to change. Remember: jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

This is both a training and a communication topic. A single question this time, but with a big impact and controversy. The question had to come up sooner or later–one that I was afraid I’d have to answer as a trainer and a speaker. Why Toastmasters, a great international organization that helps people learn public speaking and leadership skills, is not the place to learn how to conduct presentations or training for your business. Before we begin, this is not a piece promoting or disrespecting the work of Toastmasters. It is a discussion of the pros and cons.

Why this fits the training and communication category should be obvious. What is interesting is that as soon as this question was asked on LinkedIn, there was a storm of somewhat heated replies in both directions. For Toastmaster advocates, it may seem insulting to those who began learning with or are still with toastmasters today. For others who feel the organization, even with all of its more than 260,000 members is not the place to learn all there is about public speaking, that are many other options. While I agree with the latter that Toastmasters is not the place to learn it all, there is no place to learn it all. And there’s always more to an opinion.

As trainers or speakers, the basics are the basics, only the approach and focus are different. Anyone or any organization that claims to have the best way to learn public speaking should know better. There are obviously many good programs out there, and some may not even resemble each other and are equally effective. Competition drives innovation and new ways of looking at things so let’s not knock the debate. The debate gets messy with some seeking to win the upper hand where there should be no winners. The debate’s result will ultimately help others.

It doesn’t matter where the basics come from. The best learning is always self-motivated and not propelled by others. There are no easy answers. There are good, better and maybe even best answers–but some may be more up to a specific task than others.

Toastmasters is a great hobby and a place to find help if you need the basics. It’s also a great support group and social group. It doesn’t work for everyone–especially those introverts, who don’t get energy being around others socially.

Toastmasters is a place where a speakers or wannabe speakers can find like-minded individuals, learn about public speaking at their own pace, rub elbows with others, and thrive on their own time. It is social; so you have to appreciate that part of it. There are contests; so you have like competing or at least watching. Without competing though, you might lose the “training and practice” you need to develop a naturalness of delivery–essential in good communication. Within such an organization, the competitions are fine for getting that adrenaline rush, but is it a sufficiently different environment to turn speaking practice into experience. Public speaking, presenting or training is not a competition. The object is dynamic communication. Practice helps, but experience rules in the end.

I have judged speaking contests at Toastmasters, but that was before a rule I was just told about. Apparently now, even though I am an accomplished professional speaker and communicator as well as an educator in speech, that I wouldn’t be given that honor now unless I was a certified Toastmaster judge myself. There is something wrong here. Did I mention my graduate degree is in performance criticism, which means I also know how to talk with people about performance? I’m not a meanie just because I have “critic” attached to my occupation. “Critic” does not translate to attacker. That doesn’t mean I look only at negatives. Another blog maybe, but I won’t trash the Toastmaster organization; it encourages good communication skills–even if the group itself can’t always deliver them–because that depends on the group’s make-up itself.

I’m sure there are certificates and trophies for the best speakers and the best Toastmaster groups. I’m sure the groups have had a hand in helping many people become confident speakers and leaders in their communities; however, each group is only as good as its membership, which can vary greatly in experience and general education.

Toastmaster organizations are all over and are various sizes. Some, like a big city organization, will have a more sophisticated membership in terms of experience than one in a small town. That group may already have experienced speakers at many levels of expertise. One-size does not fit all.

Speakers and trainers compare the relatively inexpensive Toastmaster experience of paying thousands and not getting anything out of seminars or individuals claiming to have the ten things to make us great speakers. What about coaches? It seems these days, anyone who can make a buck speaking, thinks they can coach. They know what works for them. Maybe they do conduct classes in public speaking, or teleseminars as I talked about in my last post. Public Speaking 101 or something else. There is nothing wrong with PS 101 either; it depends on who is teaching it. Who inspires you? Who motivates you? They might be a Toastmaster, or not.

Public speaking and all the basics are available all over. Learn it wherever you learn it, practice it, observe what works, and ask questions. I didn’t learn all that I know about speaking in speech class. There was every other class I was in and every experience I had relating to the subject. There was every speaker or trainer I learned from and was impressed with. There were teachers. There were colleagues. There were Presidents. All role models–not professional speakers or coaches.

Any psychologists or sociologists at Toastmasters? Teachers? Trainers? Maybe. They all know something about communication. Education itself is about communication. You have to know about your world–what makes it tick–what makes people tick in order to communicate effectively.

What I learned about communicating I learned because I wanted to, not because someone told me how to do it. I learned what not to do as well by watching others. Toastmasters are doing a form of mentoring–mentoring speakers.

There are good groups out there, good coaches, too; but I’m sorry, being a Toastmaster does not impress me–anymore than being a community theatre actor means you know the business of acting–even if you are a great actor. Nor does a professional actor immediately tell me that person can teach me all I need to know. That can be said of professional speakers, too. All groups are simply not created equal, but all can serve to help us be better communicators if we pay attention to the differences. Someone said that Toastmasters struck them as an organization for public speaking “amateurs,” while an organization like the National Speakers Association concerned itself with “professionals.” It is a valid analogy. I agree, to a point.

Because someone is a “professional” anything doesn’t mean he or she has the ability to transfer that knowledge and skill set to someone else. That’s why it’s important to interview a trainer or speaker and find out what they are about and see them in action if you can. A National Speakers Association member meets the standard for membership if they have been paid to speak and pay their dues–not if they are the the best. The best speakers and teachers may do it for free and never seek membership. In the same way, certification is only as good as the person who came out of the training. The certificate only indicates they completed a course of study.

A good trainer, coach or teacher can help someone learn by teaching them ways to learn and observe on just about any subject. They don’t have to be a subject-matter expert always. It’s helpful, but maybe just as helpful to learn it yourself by researching and asking key questions.

If we join the Rotary, the Masons, the Elks or any other social service organization, we can capitalize on the benefits of public speaking and leadership. Toastmasters is a little more specific in that it does focus on public speaking and leadership. I haven’t seen any claims that teaches the art of communication because I don’t think it goes that far. It stays with the basics and leaves the psychological, sociological and communication theory to others, opting instead for practical application. If I am a professional coach, speaker or trainer, I need to know more than practical application. I need to know what’s behind it so I can help my clients see the world as I do and connect.

I am a performance critic and I have to say the definition that most people think of makes a strong point for my case–that what a critic does or critique does is often thought of in simplistic terms in the eye of the beholder–especially if they have a certificate, a prestigious membership or are a member of an International organization called Toastmasters. In the eye of a critic it’s not so simple.

In my world, anyone can do an evaluation based on a set of criteria. The critique is more involved, more analytically and more helpful because it is presented the way a professional critic presents it. If we can put so many layers on or take layers off of a definition, why not a subject like public speaking, to make it anything we can sell appear valid. The idea should not be to come up with what to do or what not to do to be “the speaker you want to be,” but how can we help speakers arrive at that solution from within.

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

Sometimes opinion can be harsh, but I try not to be mean. I have my pet peeves, too. I also believe everyone has a right to one–even if they disagree with me. Feed free to comment on this post. Be professional. Contact me on my website, which has a few more opportunities to lob grenades or compliments at me on various topics. I won’t fight you; I may argue a bit–try to make a point–but please make yours, and I’ll see it gets heard, too. For a look at the human side of training from my Cave Man perspective, please check out my book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development. Happy training.