Many people move through life without stopping to think about where they are going. And as we learned in Alice in Wonderland, ‘if you don’t know where you’re going any road will take you there.’ With a clear vision of what your highest dreams are you can start to put the pieces of your life together to build it . It may take years for that vision to be realized. The important piece is that you have a vision. You can always update or refine your vision as new life experiences unfold.

Everyone can experience the magnificent expression of who they are by answering their soul’s deeper calling. A quote attributed to Martin Buber “where you heart’s deepest yearning and the world’s deepest hunger meet is sacred ground.” In order to get clear on what you can envision for your life you have to step beyond where you are now. Suspend for some period of time “what is” in your life and open your horizons to what can be.

What is your greatest expression of your heart’s desire?

Spend some time every week focusing on this question. You may want to do some journaling around this question. Other ways to open up to your heart’s desire include movement or repetitive exercise such as jogging, swimming, or dancing. Guided imagery or visualizations are good techniques to still the mind and call forth the deeper wisdom within you. Meditation or breath work are also good methods of clearing away the chatter and letting the deeper truths of your life emerge. Sometimes just listening to really inspiring or beautiful music will move you to a sensation or insight that opens the door for greater clarity. There are almost infinite ways that you can open yourself to allow the deeper stirrings to come to the surface. The main point is structuring some time in your week and life to pay attention to the messages from within.

Let us know what bubbles up for you this week.

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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” available on Amazon.

I want to follow-up on my post from last week about taking down your house board by board. Before you can re-build your house, you’re left in the Void. Many people can’t sit in the place of the void. It’s too scary, too lonely, too unsettling. Why is that? Some people resist change (at work or in their lives) because they fear what the new outcome will be. Others resist change because they fear the nothingness before the new form takes shape. I heard an interesting quote recently, “In order to make changes stick, you have to transition through fear more than you fear transition”.

I. The Void

In order to move from what once was to what can be, you have to go through territory of the Void or in some spiritual traditions it’s been called The Wilderness. Those times when we are without home, without moorings, without a sense of direction or purpose. Living in the emptiness, the nothingness. Yet in that emptiness is spaciousness- space to grow, space to plant new ideas, and space to explore new possibilities. It can be a time of fear or a time of opportunity.

Someone bravely shared a comment on my last blog about taking steps to recognize and accept portions of himself that he hadn’t wanted to own. I suspect from his comment he knew the change would be for the better and so he was able to navigate through the void. For those of you experiencing change that you didn’t ‘volunteer’ for, here’s a framework for you.

II. Change Process

Kurt Lewin, the famous social psychologist, described the change process in 3 basic steps – unfreezing, change, re-freezing. Ahhh if it were only that simple. There is a missing step, the void. Between the unfreezing and the change, you have to leave the old familiar ways and step into the unknown before the change can take place. The void is where fear germinates, where our doubts linger, our ‘what ifs’ mess with our mind. That void can last for a week, a month, several years. A wise friend once said, “Change happens in an instant. Getting ready for the change may take a lifetime.”

You must transition through your fears to keep going through the void. If you fear transition too much you won’t make it. And many people don’t ever ‘unfreeze’ precisely because of that fear. Change, especially meaningful and lasting change, doesn’t happen overnight. We have to have courage and faith to make it through the void before the change takes place.

III. Faith

Most change in organizations take 3-5 years for ‘re-freezing’ of stable, sustainable new systems, structures or culture. If you are going through a change now and feeling in the void, don’t panic, breath into the spaciousness, stay open to receiving the new. Sometimes you just have to be in that void with nothing else to support you but faith. One definition of faith I love is ‘going to the edge of what you know and taking one more step” – Stepping out into that void and knowing that when you step, something or someone will support you or guide you to your destination.

What changes have you gone through lately where you didn’t know what your next step would be? How have you transitioned through your fear so that you could make your transitions?

If you are in the middle of such a transition now, with work, at home, in relationships, take heart and have faith. Ask for guidance and support on your journey. It will appear, perhaps in ways and places you would least expect.

I love this quote from Mother Teresa – “God never gives me a task I cannot handle. Sometimes I just wish He didn’t trust me so much”.

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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” available on Amazon.

Mistakes happen but no one likes to make them. And certainly very few of us like to admit to them.

The good news is that mistakes, even big ones, don’t have to leave a permanent mark on your career. Here’s how you can recover quickly and use the experience to learn and grow.

1. Fess up.

Trying to hide a mistake or downplay its importance can be fatal to your career. Be candid about the mistake; take responsibility for your part in it; and start rectifying the situation. If the mistake is a big one, it’s best to schedule a one on one meeting with your boss as soon as possible to brief him / her on what happened, why it happened, and what you are planning to do. The key is to not get defensive, point fingers or blame others.

2. Learn from it.

According to Paul Schoemaker, co author of Brilliant Mistakes, “If you are going to pay the price for making the mistake, you need to get the learning.” Take time, after the storm, to reflect on lessons learned: What was the situation? What did I, or my team, do? What was the outcome? What could have been done differently?

If the error was a result of a poor decision, explain to your boss and other interested parties how you will avoid making the same, or a similar misstep, in the future. You have to respond quickly before people make judgments about your competence or expertise. You need to get on top of it, get ahead of it and deal with it.

3. Get back in the saddle.

It’s hard to rebuild confidence after slipping up. The key is to not let your errors make you afraid of being innovative, taking risks and finding better ways to do things. If the mistake made people question your expertise, get out there to rebuild their trust. Once the mistake is behind you, focus on the future. Winners win more frequently than losers because they stay in the game.

Here’s what one manager I worked with said about employees, especially new ones, who make a mistake because of lack of experience. “Who among us doesn’t make mistakes? I love employees who fess up, treat the mistake as a learning moment and move on. I don’t want them to stop experimenting or holding back because of fear of making another misstep. Therefore, I have to accept a mistake now and them so that they will keep learning and performing well.”

4. Turn your mistake into a valuable moment of personal leadership.

• What recent mistake have you made at work or in your personal life?
• How would you rate that mistake on a scale from 1 (minor, little fall out) to 5 (that was a whooper)?
• What did you learn about yourself and perhaps others?
• What might you have said or done differently?
• How can you incorporate this learning going forward?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

Are you looking for more than just a better job?

Rather, you’re seeking a more rewarding profession, one that better aligns with your skills, interests, values, and plans for the future. It will not happen overnight. It will take reflection, planning and motivation. Here are five tips for making the transition into a new, rewarding career.

1. First be sure of your reasons.
Just because you’re unhappy in your current job isn’t a strong enough reason to make a total career break. Carefully analyze whether it is your actual career you dislike or whether the problem is your employer, supervisor, or workplace environment. If you’re unhappy with your boss or the politics of the job, an option is to stay with your career choice and try to find another department or division to work in. However, after much soul searching, you truly feel you would be happier in another career, then start looking.

2. Decide what’s important.
Take an honest inventory of your likes and dislikes, and evaluate your skills, values, and personal interests. You may want to consider consulting a career coach or taking a career assessment to determine what is the right career for you. Many people who want to change careers do so to find a balance between their personal and professional lives; to get the juices flowing again; or to achieve a better mix of meaning, money and motivation.

3. Check your qualifications.
Do you have the necessary experience and education to be considered a qualified candidate in another career field? If not, then find a way to bridge the credentials gap. This might mean making your goal more long-term while you go back to school or receive additional training.

Also, don’t expect to begin at the same level of seniority in your new career that you held in your old one. You probably will have to take a lower level job to gain the requisite skills and then move up the ranks. You must realize that it’s not starting at the bottom but really starting from a place that will give you mobility for career growth and, most importantly, career satisfaction.

4. Look before you leap.
Be sure to examine all possibilities before attempting a career change. Do information interviewing with people who are actually in that career field. Test the waters to see if you would like that work by volunteering or by doing free lance work. You can also meet with a career management professional to guide you so that you make a wise career choice. You do not want to jump from the frying pan (your present career) into the fire (a career that does not meet your expectations).

5. Update your job search skills.
When was the last time you looked for a job? If it’s been 5, 10 or more years ago, then it is especially important to polish up your job-hunting skills and techniques before you get out there. I’ve seen too many good people fail because they made the following mistakes:

They quickly put a resume together without focusing on what they are “selling”; they primarily looked on line for open positions rather than networking; they did not prepare for each interview thinking they can “wing” it; and they felt uncomfortable in self – promotion (it’s on my resume, why do I have to explain what I did?”)

Career Success Tip

Keep in mind that a successful career change can take several months, or longer, to accomplish. The keys are specific plan, a lot of patience and an attitude of perseverance.

What has been your experience in career change? What were some roadblocks you faced and how did you overcome them?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

Motivation is a topic that I often integrate in many of my trainings for helping to create inspired workplaces. As I share with you both some principles of motivation and de-motivators, think of which ones most supports your spirituality in the workplace and which ones hinder it the most for you.

Principles of Motivation:

• Everyone is motivated.
• We are all motivated by different things at different times in our lives.
• In general, people get up in the morning wanting to do a good job.
• Intrinsic motivators are those things that motivate us from inside (values, beliefs, talents, strengths, purpose etc.)
• Extrinsic motivators are those things that motivated us from the outside (money, promotions, recognition etc.)
• Intrinsic motivators have a more lasting effect on performance than extrinsic motivators
• If a person appears unmotivated, experiment until you find something they care about.
• Motivation works best when you can find the keys to people’s hearts by connecting with them and then adding value to what matters most to them.

Typical De-Motivators:

• Politics
• Unnecessary rules
• Poorly designed work
• Unproductive meetings
• Lack of accomplishment or follow-through
• Constant change
• Dishonesty or hypocrisy
• Lack of information
• Too much information
• Criticism
• Being undervalued or utilized
• Invisible management
• Being taken for granted
• Micro-management
• Takeaways
• No perceived career path
• No input in decisions
• Unrealistic expectations
• Not enough feedback
• Too much work
• Too much repetition
• Not enough training
• Tolerating poor performance

For me, when I’m able to pursue those intrinsic motivators at work that touch my soul is when I’m highly motivated. The principle about being able to connect with people’s hearts and motivate by giving them opportunities that matters most to them is the key! I know that projects I’ve lead have been much more successful when I’ve implemented this principle with those working with me. Two of the de-motivators that would squelch this for me is being micro-managed or undervalued. How about for 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. Janae started Project GratOtude, a movement to increase gratitude in people’s lives.

Do you play bumper car or smart networking?

Bumper car networking is when you show up at a meeting or social function, bump up to someone for a couple of minutes, talk about this or that, hand out your business card and say something like: “Let’s get together some time.”

Now smart networking is different. Its focus is on building relationships, not just contacts. Here are seven tips to help you connect with people, develop meaningful conversations and, most importantly, advance your career.

1. Come prepared.

Have two or three openers that you can use with a variety of people you meet. That way, you won’t fumble for something to say when you first meet someone.Some examples: “What drew you here today? “Have you seen any good movies lately?” “What did you find particularly interesting about the presentation?”

2. Create an agenda.

People often dread small talk situations because they say, “I don’t know what to talk about.” Actually the problem is that there have too much to talk about—an entire universe of topics—not nothing to say. Narrow down your conversation options by making two lists.

• On the “get” list put who you want to meet or what you want to learn more about.
• On your “give” list put your areas of expertise, interesting information, people you know, etc.

3. Listen and learn.

Once you’ve asked your opening question, listen patiently to the person’s answer. Allow the speaker to elaborate without rushing to jump in. Be thinking, “What does this person need? What’s on my “give” agenda?”

4. Focus your attention.

Avoid the canned nod-and-smile approach with eyes roaming the room to see who else is there. Continue to ask engaging questions. If you’re friendly and genuinely curious, others will feel comfortable talking with you.

5. Find common ground.

Only after the person has told “his story”, then share your thoughts and experiences. If you find something you both can relate to, that establishes a bond that can lead to further exchanges. Be open to the magic of where the conversation can take you.

6. Ask for their help.

Most people enjoy helping others. Therefore what is it that you want to “get”? Use your agenda to find someone who has written an article you’ve enjoyed, or can introduce you to the speaker, or give you ideas for your upcoming project.

7. End with the next step.

If you want to continue the relationship, conclude with what you’re going to do next or what you expect of the other person.

• “I‘ll send you the article we’ve been talking about.”
• Let’s set up a time when we can get together to talk further.”

Career Success Tip

Preparation, a focused agenda and a genuine interest in others are the keys to smart networking that builds relationships, not just contacts. Think back to a recent networking event you attended. Did you play bumper car or smart networking?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

A professor in grad school used to take pride in humiliating students, presumably to teach the students how to handle tough questions they may be asked about their research. It was a brutal process to watch. Perhaps you work with bosses or co-workers who do this. We run into various sharp objects in our work and life. I recently ran across Rumi’s poem, The Pickaxe*. It provides a re-framing for sharp barbs or blows to our ego self.

Rumi speaks of demolishing the house of our false self to find the real jewels hidden below. Often to find our more authentic self, our Divine Essence, we must take out the floor boards that are warped, moldy, not serving us any longer. You may have recently found your foundation shattered or your sense of self-worth demolished. If you have recently lost your job, you may be in such a state, not sure how to pick up the pieces or where to rebuild your foundation.

I once knew a guy who lost his lucrative bank job in a merger and after some time landed another job with less pay and that was less interesting. He felt desperate so he took the job. After he was in his new job a couple years he noticed some shady accounting and brought it to the attention of the General Manager. Instead of getting support for finding the questionable accounting, he was terminated. Turns out a partner was embezzling and somehow managed to make it look like someone else was at fault.

At first the accountant was shaken pretty hard- down to his foundation. With a couple kids in high school, it was tough going, both for his ego and his personal finances. However, a few months later I talked to him and he said it was the best thing that could have happened to him. He realized how much he resented having to play bad cop. He took the opportunity to switch careers and follow his passion for business ethics. He found his jewel in a new career as professor helping students enter the business world with a solid grounding in ethics so they are prepared when faced with tough business situations.

How have you handled the pickaxes you’ve encountered? Have you taken the time to re-build your foundation or have you merely patched up the hole with plaster, not clearing out the rubble underneath?

Rumi reminds us that our house is only leased, we don’t own the deed. Look for the Owner, whose jewels lay waiting to sparkle, buried beneath your foundation, if only you will search for them. Tear open your house, board by board, and be sure you have a solid foundation to support your work.

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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” available on Amazon.

* The Pickaxe (from Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, pg 113-114)

I heard a man say that he doesn’t like to tell his wife his small concerns because, “I don’t want to incite her creative ways to worry.” When was the last time you took a small thing to worry about and turned it into a catastrophe in your mind? We humans are very creative beings. We can imagine all sorts of dreadful things occurring. I love Mark Twain’s quote – “I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”

When you find yourself worrying about things – Let the Fish Swim in the Deep Pool. In our vast dark ocean of thoughts, imagination and creativity, let your worries swim where they are. No need to fish for them and bring them to the surface.

When you find yourself stressing over something that could go wrong, ask yourself, “What do I know for a fact, right now?” If you find you are getting yourself worked up about something, pay attention to what you know to be true and what you are just creating in your head. See if what is bothering you is a story you are telling yourself about the situation. Stop to reflect on whether you are using your creativity to develop a calamity in your mind. If so, catch yourself and take a good laugh at how imaginative you can be. Another phrase I like to use is “How do I find Peace now?” This may be enough to stop you from jumping into your pool of worry, panic, or distress.

Serenity and inner peace come from seeing through the illusions of doubt and worry to what is really in front of you. Remember – you are Diving Being having a human experience. Reconnecting with your Divine Essence, knowing that you are supported and guided at all times, you can ask in prayer for assistance to see you through a worrisome situation.

I recently felt out of balance over a pending job change. Going to bed I looked at the moon and realized it was the Fall Equinox. I usually do some ceremony to mark the Equinox as a time of balance so appreciated how out of balance I felt. I asked in prayer for support to find balance in my life. The next night, after a really rough day at work, I decided to read some Rumi poems. Out of my book came a card that I must have placed in the book some months ago. On one side of the card were the words “Harmony and Balance”. On the other side of the card was the message “I am fully supported.” I asked and received.

Pay attention to what you fish for. You can fish for worry and doubt or you can fish for guidance and support. You get to choose where you throw your hook and line.

…when all is said and done, the one sole condition that makes spiritual happiness and preserves it is the absence of doubt. – Mark Twain

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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” available on Amazon.

Many think of it as a 50-50 arrangement. I carry 50% of the responsibility for my career development and my employer carries 50%. Yes, in theory, but not in reality. Here’s the rub.

What an employer considers 50%, you may consider only 10% and be dissatisfied. And what you feel is your 50% contribution, may be considered a measly 20% by your employers. This leads to mismatched expectations and employee/employer frustrations.

The Bottom Line:

If you are concerned about your career advancement, as you should be, then take complete ownership of it. These are some of the things you could do to take charge of your career:

1. Build your career capital.
Career capital consists of your qualifications, experience and reputation. It requires investments of time and resources to grow. Find workshops and trainings that would enhance your capabilities. Don’t assume your organization has no money for professional development – you won’t know unless you ask. However, you may need to do it on your own time or even with some of your own money. Realize this is an investment in your future.
2. Be known and be seen.
Take the initiative. Ask your manager for the opportunity to lead a task force or take on a project outside of your job duties. For example, head a committee recommending personnel policy changes, facilitate the next staff meeting or make a presentation to upper management or the board. It’s not only who you know or who knows you but, most importantly, who knows and is impressed by what you can do.
3. Find a mentor.
You need to have someone who can introduce you to people, give you strategic career advice and help you learn from his or her mistakes. Mentors don’t have to be in your organization. Look around your community. Who is doing interesting work? Who inspires you? Develop a relationship first before popping the mentor question.
4. Work with a coach.
While a mentor can help build your network and give advice, a coach can build your skills and help you develop a winning career strategy. That person can also work with you on the leadership or managerial challenges you’re currently facing so that you don’t make career fatal mistakes.
5. Above all, make sure you perform well.
You can do all the other stuff, but if you do not deliver, sooner or later you will trip up. So step number one in your career development is to do what you are currently doing to the very best of your ability and with all your energy – even if it is not yet what you ultimately want from your career.

Your career is your responsibility.

Yes, of course, you manager should have your best interests in mind, but your career development is not at the top of his her daily to-do list. It should be on the top of yours. So, to take charge of you career, set time aside to answer these questions:

• What can you do right now to enrich your present job or assignment?
• What career options can you start exploring for challenge, variety, or greater personal satisfaction?
• What internal training courses or external seminars can you participate in for professional development?
• Are there off-the-job experiences that could enhance your portfolio of skills and your reputation as a leader?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

Here are some popular love/work quotes: “Do what you love and the money will follow.” “Work is love made visible.” “If you’re not in the job you love, love the job you’re in.” How great would it be to love your work?! Do you? I can honestly say I do.

I remember knowing what it feels like (i.e. stress, anxiety, anger, frustration, boredom) to not love your work. All of these things bring you down literally; lowering your energy level and thus attracting more of what you don’t love. Yet when you love your work, you feel so light and alive – full of love. You are passionate and have endless energy. The gratitude for what you do is contagious, touching each person you come into contact with, thus attracting more of what you love.

The Law of Love

So how can we bring more love to our workplaces? According to Rhonda Byrne by the Law of Love, most commonly referred to as the Law of Attraction. Her new book The Power, sequel to The Secret shares how love is the most powerful force in the universe that we can tap into to improve all areas of our lives. The more you love what you do (even if you need to pretend you do at first); the law of attraction will bring you more things you love.

Expression of Love at Work

So how do we express love for and at our work? I just have to share this picture with you (permission to show photo granted) of my youngest son, Garrett. It’s a great example of love at work on many levels. He and I went to the photo studio and worked with a photographer who loved her work. It’s said that “love is in the details” and such was the case with this photographer, as she remained patient and loving toward us despite my 9-month old not wanting to sit still. Her love allowed me to receive one of my all-time favorite pictures. I have this in my office, which surrounds me of who and what I love.

The 5 Love Languages

One of my favorite examples of understanding the concept of love comes from the author Gary Chapman. He wrote the best-selling book The 5 Love Languages originally for couples, but it’s applicable to the workplace. In his book, it shares with us the five ways to we can show and receive love. It is important is to determine what your love language is and the love language of those around you. Here are the five love languages, along with examples of expressing love at work using that language.

1. Words of Affirmation –written or verbal words that express how we feel about another person. It is words of appreciation that you might share with a co-worker. It is words of encouragement that you might share with your staff. It is words of thanks that you can give to your boss.
2. Gifts –whether big or small, gifts are symbols or tokens of appreciation. Some corporations give employees gifts for a certain amount of years employed with the company. Providing a gift certificate to someone who helped you out on a project is another example. A favorite gift I once received from a colleague was chocolate-covered peanuts.
3. Physical Touch – this is about how you connect with others physically. It could be a simple gesture of thanks with a genuine handshake or hug. (FYI: This is probably the hardest love language to express at work because of harassment laws).
4. Quality Time –spending focused and uninterrupted time with people. You build relationships with others when you invest time in knowing who they are. An example might be having a team building day to planning a happy hour after work so you can get to know each other.
5. Acts of Service –the things people are willing to do to get the work done. They help out, provide advice, stay late – do whatever it takes – to go the extra mile for you and provide stellar service.

How will you love today?

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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.

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