Career Engagement

New Year, New Career Survey Results

2012-01-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

New Year’s marks a time of change for many people – some resolve to work off those holiday pounds, or reconnect with family / friends, while others plan to return to school or transition from one career (or job) to another. In a recent survey, exploring career transition, engagement, and balance, nearly 63% of respondents indicated they were considering a career change in 2012. Some noted external factors for the change (e.g., changes to BC’s employment services contracts, retiree needing to supplement pension), which can be easier to pinpoint than the internal factors noted by respondents (e.g., not happy in their current job or seeking to move onto something else). These internal factors may require a bit more reflection to determine the underlying reason for the anticipated career change (e.g., why aren’t you happy with your current job? Why do you want to move onto something else?). Level of engagement with your current work may be one reason to explore.

The Career Engagement model demonstrates that individuals need to balance the level of challenge with available capacity (e.g., skills, resources, support from colleagues) to be fully engaged. Those who are engaged in their current career are more likely to stay and less motivated to leave. If, however, challenge and capacity are out of balance, an individual will slip into disengagement through one of two ways – becoming overwhelmed (i.e., too much challenge for the available capacity) or underutilized (i.e., insufficient challenge for the available capacity). Although both processes lead to disengagement, they require different interventions.

When considering their own engagement, 70% or more of respondents reported their available capacity and level of challenge was fairly balanced and only a small proportion felt overwhelmed in their current job (i.e., 2% completely, 7% very much). But one’s level of career engagement isn’t the only factor impacting whether or not an individual may be seeking a new career in the New Year. An imbalance between work and life commitments (e.g., a single mom needs an office with day care facilities) is another area our survey explored. The majority of respondents (54%) reported a balanced life (i.e., either completely or very much); unfortunately the remaining 46% are struggling to find balance in their lives.

So why are 63% of our respondents considering a career transition? If they are engaged and have good balance between work/life demands, it’s possible that more external factors (e.g., labour market uncertainty) are at play. The good news is that, if respondents don’t follow through with a career change, their current jobs are working well.

Of those who indicated they were considering a career change, resources most commonly utilized by respondents include: websites (51%), informational interviews (30%), courses (27%), workshops (24%), coaching (22%), and webinars (22%). A small portion (5.4%) noted that they were not using any resources – whether or not this is because they weren’t aware of any or just didn’t feel like they needed any, we don’t know.

For whatever reason, if you are looking at a career transition in the near future, consider searching the Internet for websites or reaching out to your network to find key contacts you can speak with. One resource you may want to explore is Life Strategies’ Career Strategies for a Lifetime of Success workbook which walks you through the career cycle from self-reflection to proactive career management. We’ll also be running an e-counselling workshop based on this book starting January 18^th – register here

Having a Stress-Less Christmas

2011-12-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations,
compounded by December's bad weather,
it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation,
and people to whom we are worth the same.
~Donald E. Westlake

The holiday season often seems like a great time to relax and unwind. Work tends to be quieter; there is a brief pause from the morning hustle of getting kids up, ready, and off to school; and many hope to enjoy the extra days off that come with the holidays. Unfortunately, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year – a quick Google search of the “stress of Christmas” resulted in over 100,000 hits! In 2010, we put together 10 Tips for Surviving the Christmas Season; with just 5 “sleeps” until Christmas morning, they are worth revisiting.

Given the stress the season can bring, it may also be important to take a moment to review some stress management strategies; HelpGuide.org has a great list that is worth reviewing.

Remember to take time to enjoy the holiday; even if you don’t celebrate Christmas it can be a great time to focus on friends, family, and the joys that life can bring.

Pre-Employment Screening in the Workplace

2011-12-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Most employers and job seekers are familiar with the traditional methods for screening applicants (i.e., reviewing application forms, resumes, and cover letters, as well as conducting interviews, background checks, and reference checks); however, assessments can be a valuable addition to your screening process. Pre-employment screening assessments can help employers weed out applicants that either don’t meet their standards/requirements or don’t seem to fit well within the organization.

As there are numerous screening options available, we advise employers to follow Stephen Covey’s principle: Begin with the end in mind. Once specific assessment needs are clearly identified, tools can be selected to achieve those goals. Keep in mind that assessments for entry level positions may be different from those for managerial positions. Ensure you have a qualified test administrator interpreting results – someone who’s trained in assessment techniques and is equipped to use the test(s) you’ve selected.

A word of caution – assessments should be used in conjunction with other screening methods. Don’t base hiring decisions solely on assessment results but, rather, take a holistic evaluative approach integrating information from a variety of sources. A consultant can be helpful in determining which assessment will best fit your testing needs and how to integrate results with other screening methods.

One pre-employment screening assessment that Life Strategies Ltd. is excited about is the AMITAI Integrity assessment. It’s a computerized assessment, currently widely used in Latin America, which predicts an individual’s workplace behaviours related to loyalty, theft, bribery, credibility, substance abuse, and sexual harassment. What’s particularly innovative about this assessment is that organizations can set their own weighting and norms for each scale item. What this means is that if theft is a big concern for your organization, you can give it a higher weight leading to the theft scale contributing more to the overall integrity score (similarly for any of the measured factors).

We are currently researching the validity/reliability of the AMITAI Integrity assessment in North America, on behalf of the test publisher, HRD Global Solutions Ltd. Complete the assessment yourself to enter a draw for a $100 VISA gift card – click here for details. Interested in free credits for the validated assessment? If you’re an HR professional, manager, or recruiter, refer others to us (e.g., family, friends, colleagues); receive one credit for each of your referrals who completes the assessment – click here for details.

To learn more, or to get an access code for completing the assessment, email cassie@lifestrategies.ca

Let us know if you’ve used or have been asked to complete a pre-employment screening assessment. What was your experience like?

Celebrating the holidays

2011-11-29T14:14:00.001-08:00

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
~Oren Arnold

Christmas is coming – just 26 shopping days left. As the busyness of the season approaches we thought it timely to conduct a brief survey on ways to celebrate the holiday season at work. We received some fabulous feedback – thanks to all of you who found time to respond.

Nearly all respondents (i.e., 96.5%) indicated their organization celebrates the holidays at work; most respondents felt it was very important (59%) with 11% indicating that organizations must celebrate the holidays. Although most respondents did report that Christmas was the specific holiday celebrated, most also noted how important it was to recognize that not everyone celebrates Christmas. Suggestions for being inclusive included taking a more general focus (e.g., winter solstice) and celebrating more holidays throughout the year (e.g., Chinese New Year, Diwali, Eid-al-Adha, Hanukkah).

There were numerous ways in which organizations celebrated the holidays – the top three selected were decorating the office (80%), holiday-themed staff party (80%), and supporting a charity (71%). The Life Strategies team does some decorating but always ensures we get together for a holiday-themed event which includes our families. This year we are going on the North Pole BC tour. We also support a charity every year . . . our team has a great time buying items from the World Vision catalogue. We’ve outfitted Canadian children with backpacks for school, helped families start businesses, and stocked medical clinics. If you don’t have a charitable project in mind, help our team make a difference by shopping through our World Vision catalogue. Other charities and organizations in need of support include the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, the YWCAs Adopt-a-Family program, or the Pan Pacific’s Annual Christmas Wish Breakfast.

For more on the 10 ways to celebrate the holiday season at work, check out our latest tip sheet.

From all of us, at the Life Strategies team, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday season, and all the best for a healthy and prosperous 2012.

My Diversity Dream

2011-11-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know that November is National Career Development Month in the US? As this year’s theme is “My Career Dreams,” the National Career Development Association (NCDA) held a poetry and poster contest open to students (i.e., Kindergarten through College/University). In reviewing the winning entries, the diversity of the individuals became clear; each person coming from a unique background, experiencing the world in a unique way, and expressing their career dreams just as uniquely. For example, Sarah Elder's entry showcases both Eastern and Western influences and a unique mode of expression (i.e., art).

This contest celebrated diversity and encouraged students to creatively explore their career paths. This prompted me to think about my diversity dream. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for diversity to be truly celebrated in the workplace, not just through contests aimed at students? What if diversity and multiculturalism was more than just “policy,” but actually a corporate value in action? What if employers truly recognized and supported the benefits that diversity can bring to the workplace (e.g., creative thinking and problem solving).

Although many organizations do take a strong pro-diversity stance and walk their diversity talk (see http://www.canadastop100.com/diversity/), many still struggle to successfully integrate diverse workers. My diversity dream, is for those same students who submitted entries into the NCDA contest, to be able to continue to express themselves and be permitted to bring their whole selves to work when they enter the workforce one day.

Giving Back

2011-11-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

As we approach Remembrance Day and reflect on all that our veterans have done for us (and are still doing) it seems like a good time to focus on how we can each give back in some way . . . whether to our immediate circle of family or friends, or, in a slightly bigger way, to our community, region, country, or world. Just like a pebble dropped into a pond, the expanding ripples from even a tiny contribution can make an incredible difference.

Most of us are busy – in some circles, busy-ness is worn as a badge of honour, in others it brings sympathy, and in still others it’s abhorred. However, it really doesn’t serve as a good excuse for not finding a way to give back. You know the adage, “If you need something done, ask a busy person!”

Identifying a worthy cause isn’t much of a challenge either - local news stories, fund-raising campaigns, conversations with friends and colleagues, and personal reflection will likely surface 100 or more ways you could make our world a better place. Choosing one may be the real challenge – you can’t do it all but don’t let that stop you from doing something!

For several years now, I’ve adopted a personal philosophy of “tithing” my time as well as my income. Tithing is an ancient notion of setting aside 10% for others – in a Christian context, the money is considered to belong to God to be used to help others. Aside from churches, however, there are many organizations in Canada and abroad that rely on donations of time and money to do important work.

Statistics Canada is able to track trends of charitable donations through income tax records – only about 23% of Canadian taxfilers report making charitable donations and, sadly, that number is going down rather than up. This number, however, doesn’t represent the far larger number of Canadians who do report giving to charitable organizations (84%); it does reflect, however, that most people aren’t giving enough to be claiming their donations on their income tax forms. The Fraser Institute reported on percentage of income that Canadians donate to charity – at 0.73% it’s nowhere close to tithing (and is only about ½ of the US average). In tough economic times, giving money is challenging (the stats reflect that) – but some people find other creative ways to give back, perhaps by giving up a coffee or purchased lunch each week, carpooling to save gas, or donating empty bottles and cans to a local youth group’s fundraiser.

Giving your time, however, doesn’t need to have a negative economic impact on your personal finances. About half of Canadians 15 and older volunteer with associations or organizations (considerably less than those who give money to charities); a much larger number (84%) state that they’ve helped someone outside of their family – volunteers can offer direct support to friends and neighbours in need rather than
contributing formally through an organization.

Similar to the stats on charitable donations, though, the bulk of the volunteer hours are contributed by a small percentage of the volunteers – in fact, according to the most recent Statistics Canada report,the top 10% of volunteers contributed more than 50% of the total hours.

I personally invite you to join me in making our world a better place. Consider choosing one organization to financially support this year and one organization to support with your time. I’m confident that you will experience what most volunteers do – you’ll gain more than you give. Dag Hammerskjold, former UN Secretary General said, “You have not done enough, you have never done enough, so long as it is possible that you have something to contribute.”

Note: If you’re in the position of recruiting or motivating volunteers, you might find these tip sheets helpful, from a workshop on Volunteer Engagement that Jayne Barron and I facilitated this week:
http://www.lifestrategies.ca/docs/10-Keys-to-Volunteer-Recruitment-and-Retention.pdf
http://www.lifestrategies.ca/docs/10-Tips-to-Maximize-Volunteer-Engagement.pdf

Leadership During BC’s Business Transformation

2011-10-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

BC’s career development sector is working its way throughone of the biggest transformations in its history. A fundamental shift inservice delivery and funding structure will see over 400 employment serviceagencies replaced with 73 (read more at http://bit.ly/vjaJ5p, starting on page 20). Asone might imagine, there is great debate about whether this means good thingsor bad things for our sector and, most importantly, our clients. For themoment, what appears to be certain is who will get the contracts (see theGovernment’s announcement at http://bit.ly/uTv2Jp).Everything else remains to be seen – the negatives and the positives.

While this is the biggest, this isn’t the firsttransformation of BC’s employment services I’ve witnessed in my 18+ years as acareer professional. I left government services almost 10 years ago so, whileI’m not immediately impacted by this transition, I’ve watched my colleagues andstudents struggle to identify what transformation means for their future.

John Kenneth Galbraith, a Canadian economist once said, “All of the great leaders havehad one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confrontunequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and notmuch else, is the sense of leadership.” Most would agree that BC’s BusinessTransformation is a major anxiety for today’s career development sector so, asleaders, where do we begin?

While I wish there was a quick and easy answer, where tobegin likely depends on where each person and/or agency is at. Some elected tonot participate in the RFP process, so have likely already begun to workthrough a shut-down process. Others submitted proposals, or partnered tosubmit, so will be transitioning into the new model or planning their own shut-downprocess. Drawing on two of the lessons in the book Leadership Lessons for Transformational Times a good place to start might be

Make time for transformation – remember thatchange is the event and transition is the process; each person on your team will acknowledge,accept, and move through a transition at a different pace. Give people the timethey need to digest and create a vision for their future
Deal with the tough stuff – don’t avoid thedifficult and crucial conversations that will need to occur; ensure there is anopportunity for open and honest dialogue, whenever and wherever its appropriate

Interested in the other lessons? Join our webinar onNovember 22, 10am; learn more at http://www.lifestrategies.ca/docs/Leadership_Webinar.pdf

The Importance of Remembrance

2011-10-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row

~ Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, Canadian Forces

With November around the corner, red poppies will begin to appear on the coats of most Canadians – a quintessential symbol of remembrance and a signal that Remembrance Day is approaching. In Canada, it’s customary to wear a poppy during the two weeks prior to November 11th. Do you wear a poppy? In a recent Life Strategies survey about Remembrance Day, 83% of respondents indicated that they buy a poppy. To learn more about the significance and history of the poppy visit the Royal Canadian Legion’s website for information on the poppy campaign and a link to the iconic In Flanders Fields poem, often recited at Remembrance Day ceremonies across Canada.

The majority of survey respondents indicated that they attend (54%) and/or watch on TV (49%) a Remembrance Day ceremony. Although not many reported visiting the legion (7%), 78% take the time to at least pause and reflect. That’s perhaps the most important aspect of the day – to pause and reflect. With the hectic pace of life nowadays, it’s important to take the time, slow down, remember, and be thankful.

Survey respondents indicated the top three reasons Remembrance Day was important were that they needed to remember those who suffered for our freedoms (83%), they needed to remember a family member or friend who served (65%), and they needed to celebrate our freedoms (58%). Sometimes it’s all too easy to think of Remembrance Day as just another day off, but it’s important to remember the purpose of this day.

So how can we keep the memory alive? Our survey respondents shared some tips including:

Never letting the memory fade by educating youth on the true purpose and value of Remembrance Day. Talking to your kids and connecting with the older generation can provide youth with personal connections to wars of the past rather than just dates and numbers.
Spreading information on Remembrance Day through special documentaries and interviews. Sharing stories is a great way to get the word out but also makes that all important personal connection.
Keeping Remembrance Day as a national holiday would ensure everyone is given the opportunity and time to remember. One individual suggested that perhaps we should also insist that businesses close their doors at least until after 11:00am so everyone can observe a minute of silence.
Advocating for soldiers (and veterans) providing the support they need upon return. Saying “thanks” to someone who served can go a long way. It doesn’t even need to be someone you know.
Attending or getting involved in the ceremonies (e.g., the band). Although it’s a solemn event, one individual suggested making the ceremony interesting by involving well-known figures and some “entertainment” value in order to engage those who otherwise wouldn’t watch or attend. A word of caution on this – finding a respectful balance between “show” and “ceremony” might be difficult.
Fighting for peace and remembering the victims of war. Remembrance Day isn’t only about looking back but also looking forward – what have we learned from the past? What can we do to help promote peace?

No matter why or how you remember, the important thing is that you do. Despite minor disruptions, we are very fortunate to live in the peaceful society that we do.

Appreciation in the Workplace

2011-09-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

It’s almost Thanksgiving, so we conducted a brief survey about appreciation in the workplace. We appreciate all the thoughtful responses we got – clearly appreciation is alive and well which was encouraging to hear!

The good news was that a third of our respondents had been appreciated within the past 24 hours and an additional fifth of them had been appreciated within the past week or so (i.e., 55% had received appreciative recognition quite recently). Sadly, a few (about 10%) had to reach back a year or more to identify appreciation in the workplace – sometimes this was linked to a pay raise, performance review, or award ceremony but in other cases this reflected workplaces that simply weren’t recognizing the contributions of employees. One person said “Everyone is looking out for themselves right now, sadly.” Another listed 2006 (5 years ago) as the last time appreciation was expressed; still another wrote, “Can’t honestly remember when the last time was.”

When asked about the most common way to show appreciation, not surprisingly a simple “thank you” came out on top – 50% of the respondents selected this item compared to the next highest choice of letting management know (10%). However, the qualitative answers revealed a variety of approaches (so thank yous don’t become routine) – and many people emphasized the importance of individualizing appreciative feedback, both from the perspective of the sender (it needs to be specific and authentic) and the receiver (it needs to be personally meaningful).

Some people highlighted the personal touch (e.g., in person feedback or a hand written note rather than an email; customized gifts rather than generic gift cards; hugs; home-made food) – but responses were varied. Spa gift certificates were a common theme, as were lunches out, gift certificates for dinner ($100 seemed to be the most common amount for this item), chocolate, flowers, team events, and celebrations. The gift of time was always appreciated – whether time off for birthdays or after a busy project, covering for someone else to give that person a day off (one casual employee does this without compensation to give others a break!), or taking the team out for a special treat.

When asked about creative appreciation strategies, some unique ideas were shared. One organization has a “Cup of Awesomeness” (a golden cup on a beaded cord) that staff members pass to each other to show appreciation for a job well done. Another organization has a Treasure Chest, stocked with cards and small gifts that any employee can use to show appreciation to colleagues or suppliers. And, in one case, an employee’s parents were flown out for a surprise recognition dinner!

However, responses clearly indicated that what works for some doesn’t work for others – one person wrote, “Don’t offer food!! Some cultures keep offering food and you have to eat even if you are not interested not to upset them!!! – I truly hate that!” The consensus definitely was to individualize your approach – take time to learn how the person you appreciate would like to be acknowledged.

Aside from it just being a nice thing to do, respondents identified that appreciation contributes to increasing employee engagement (78%) and productivity (68%), reducing conflict (58%), and facilitating retention (55%). Showing appreciation also models a culture of respect. Some respondents cautioned, however, that appreciation can be a double-edged sword if it contributes to competition or some employees recognized that they aren’t been acknowledged as often or publicly as others.

Appreciation is a core element in both our Let’s CHAT! coaching / communication model and our Employee Engagement model . Don’t hesitate to connect if you’d like to learn more about either of these workplace tools.

Knowing What's Important

2011-09-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Things which matter most

must never be at the mercy of things

which matter least.

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Our last newsletter introduced 10 Tips for Managing Time and Prioritizing Tasks; it included setting goals and rewards, investing time in scheduling, and making effective use of technology. All these tips will help you organize your day and successfully complete required tasks; with this blog entry I want to provide a tip for figuring out life’s priorities.

An activity we often use to help identify what is most important in life and where time and energy should be focused, first, is the Jar of Rocks. Google “jar of rocks” and you’ll get over 23,000 hits; one has some great images of this activity "in action." Other links describe the activity in fairly good detail and seem to credit a philosophy professor who shall, apparently, remain nameless; as an interesting aside, I’d never heard about the inclusion of beer . . . you’ll have to go to the link to learn more.

The point of the Jar of Rocks is that the big rocks, smaller rocks, pebbles, and sand represent your life’s priorities – the big rocks are the important things, smaller rocks less important, and so on until the sand which is the “small stuff”. . . that “stuff” everyone tells us not to sweat about. If you start with the sand, as so many of us do, there is no room in the jar for anything else. Instead, the key is to start with the big rocks – it is these important things that should be your biggest priority. For many, these include family, health, and self-care.

Take a moment to put together your Jar of Rocks – either figuratively by thinking about or writing down what represents your big rocks, smaller rocks, pebbles, and sand or, literally, by gathering the materials (a local craft store [e.g., Michaels ] is a great place to get the necessary items) and putting together your jar. Place it on your desk or someplace where it will remind you to pause and make time for the important things.

Supervisory Skills: One Key to Workplace Success

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

We’ve just completed work on a supervisory skills framework and training guide for the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table. We’ve previously supported many organizations to develop their managers and leaders, and supervisors have a crucial liaison role to play – communicating management expectations to front-line employees and also communicating worker needs and concerns to the management team. Almost every measure of organizational success can be linked to good supervisors – they influence productivity, retention, employee engagement, workplace safety, income, and expenses.

In our research to populate a competency framework for supervisors, the skills clustered into 3 distinct areas – personal management, people management, and process management. Our research reinforced what we’ve experienced firsthand – good supervisors have their own “stuff” under control (i.e., they’re organized, productive, and have good communication skills – quite apart from their role as a supervisor). Some people that are good at managing themselves also have the interpersonal and people management skills to help others work well, too. With the first two competency areas under control, supervisors also need to oversee policies and procedures that contribute to safety, productivity, quality, and the ultimate success of their projects.

In mapping supervisory skills training across BC, we found countless workshops and courses that developed relevant skills – some embedded within sector-specific supervisory training programs and others available as stand-alone options. However, there wasn’t a simple “one stop shop” for supervisory training – an issue that’s been raised before in many other sectors.

If you’re in a role that involves supervising others, how did you learn how to do that? If your responsibility, instead, is to develop supervisors within your own organization, what resources are available to help them identify the competencies they need to do their jobs well? If gaps are identified, where and how can they learn?

Our own sector, career and employment services, is going through a transformational change at the moment. Within the next few months announcements will be made about which organizations will hold the contracts for government-funded employment services within BC. Many of the new centres will be larger than before, requiring a different level of supervisory competency. If you’ll be tasked with a supervisory / management role, are you ready? If not, we’re happy to chat with you about your needs and may be able to point you in the direction of some relevant training. Our book, Leadership Lessons for Transformational Times is a quick read that provides practical tips, too.

Back to school at TWU

2011-08-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Life Strategies is blessed to have a diverse team of consultants and staff. Laura Jensen, our 2011 summer student, shared a few a reflections on the diversity she experiences as a student at Trinity Western University.

I’ve been going back to school every September for as long as I can remember. Entering my third year at Trinity Western University, I am blown away at the diverse groups of people that surround me on campus every day.

Trinity Western University (TWU) is Christian Liberal Arts University in Langley, BC. There are countless denominations of Christianity present resulting in many different views and opinions on similar issues. As such, it can be easy to feel frustrated when talking with others; however, I’ve learned that disagreeing with someone’s ideas doesn’t presume a dislike or distrust of that person.

This concept doesn’t only apply to theological debates; there will always be people whose ideas differ from my own. Some of them will be stubborn about their ideas, expecting me to come to “their way of thinking” rather than us agreeing to disagree. When dealing with these strong-minded individuals, it is good to remember that the only person I can control in the situation is myself. According to Kathryn Munn, it is important to “make sure you are not the difficult person for them” [emphasis added]. Munn offers timeless advice for dealing with difficult people in the 2002 summer edition of Common Ground. Click here to read the entire article.

Although you might think a particular group of individuals are the same, Laura’s reflections highlight an important point: not everyone in a particular “group” will think, feel, and/or act in the same way. A first step in managing diversity appropriately is to avoid stereotyping. It’s important to recognize that diversity is a multi-faceted concept with multiple levels of complexity (e.g., age, gender, race, religion, socioeconomic background). Dealing with those who are different, and perhaps strong-willed occur not only between groups, but within groups as well.

Share your comments about the complexity of groups – how can you manage diversity without stereotyping individuals?

Returning to School: How to Prepare for Learning

2011-08-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

Even though it may seem like summer has just arrived; the fall is looming with September just around the corner. For many children this marks the dreaded return to school; however, for adults, it can mark the very same thing. Recognizing that lifelong learning contributes to success at work, many adults will also find themselves returning to school or planning upcoming professional development.

If you’ve made the decision to engage in professional development, these tips will help you prepare for learning:

Reflect on your learning goals. Make your learning experience more meaningful and personalized by considering what you hope to accomplish and what it will take to ensure success.
Assess fit with your preferred learning style. Seek out professional development opportunities that work for you – e.g., if you thrive on group discussions but have selected a self-study program, this mismatch may negatively impact your learning experience.
Make learning a priority. Once you’ve decided to engage in learning, you’ll need to commit to it. Look at your life roles and responsibilities to identify what you can shift; determine what supports you need and who can help you out.
Get organized. Plan ahead and block out time in your schedule for studying. Pay attention to important deadlines and make space in your life to accommodate them.
Be open-minded. You’ll likely learn with people who have thoughts, feelings, and opinions which differ from yours. Interacting with and learning from diverse groups will enrich your learning experience.
Take orientation/information sessions. Many institutions offer orientations for new students to learn more about the school, the program, the instructor(s), and learning format. If you can’t find one, you may want to look for information on the website or schedule an appointment with a student advisor.

Although not all learning occurs in a formal setting (i.e., classroom), many adults feel anxiety when returning to “school.” Non-traditional ways of learning (e.g., online) can be a great way to re-engage with learning may provide a better fit with work/life roles. In our own LearnOnline programs and courses, we often have students who have been out of the traditional classroom setting for quite some time.

If you’re considering online learning, be aware that not all programs are created equal. Some are more self-directed whereas others take a facilitated learning approach. Our Online Readiness Quiz can help you assess whether you’re ready for learning in the online environment. For more tips on online learning success, see 10 Tips for e-Learning Success.

Interested in taking courses with us? Check out our back to school sale for discounts until September 2nd.

Share with us your own tips for preparing for learning? How do you know you’re ready?

Back to School: Accelerate Your Learning Success

2011-08-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

I’m definitely a lifelong learner. I recall, as a preschooler, setting up my friends on apple crates, around a shiny blackboard that my Dad had painted for me to write on with chalk. I joined the future-teachers’ club in high school, then got a teaching degree in university. Now I teach university myself – and continue to learn from my students, colleagues, clients, and research projects (and, of course, from my kids and grand-kids!).

My third degree was in Educational Psychology, so I also know a bit about how people learn. It may surprise you to learn that not all “smart” people do well in school – nor are many of those who do excel measurably “smarter” than their peers.

So – why are some people so much more successful at learning than others?

Successful learners work to their strengths. They understand their own learning styles and, where possible, find learning opportunities that fit. For example, “morning people” may struggle at night school; on the other hand, “night people” may find it impossible to absorb anything from an 8AM lecture. Extraverts prefer learning with others, in an interactive community; introverts, however, typically prefer quiet environments with time to reflect before responding to questions. Auditory learners do well when they can listen (podcasts, and recording lectures instead of taking notes, can reap huge rewards). Visual learners, on the other hand, may benefit from charts, graphs, photos, illustrations, and mind-maps. Kinaesthetic learners learn as they “do”; practical workplace-based training, hands-on demonstrations, and making physical models facilitate learning success for these folks.

Successful learners also set goals. In formal education, most courses have learning objectives posted as part of the course outline. Strong students, however, also set specific learning goals of their own. These goals help them focus their energy and spend their time wisely. If marks are important, they pay attention to the specific grading criteria of the course and ensure that they follow assignment guidelines closely. They make use of the instructor’s office hours and check in early to ensure that their assignments are on track.

Finally, successful learners take care of themselves. They integrate lifelong learning (whether formal or informal) into their other life roles. They realize that they won’t achieve their learning goals if they burn out; nor will they achieve their other life goals if they focus exclusively on learning. They strategically give learning activities exactly the amount of time they are worth – no more, no less.

If you’re heading back-to-school soon, take time to learn how you learn – identify your learning style and strengths. Set specific measureable goals – and track your own progress. Build in rewards for achieving milestones and small successes – and structure your life such that lifelong learning is sustainable in the midst of your other important life roles.

Click here for a special Back to School offer for Life Strategies’ LearnOnline courses and in-house customized training.

Dancing with Digital Natives - Book Review

2011-08-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Dancing with Digital Natives is a new, and interesting, book edited by Michelle Manafy and Heidi Gautschi. It is a must-read for anyone interested in generations in the workplace, especially Gen Y, and how this generation, and their exposure to technology, is changing the way business does business. That being said, the editors are clear that digital natives might not fit nicely into a specific generation – instead, this term relates to “early exposure to digital technologies” (p. xiii).

The editors and authors cover a wide range of topics including social media, intellectual property, and marketing to, hiring, and educating the digital native. There is also a very interesting topic related to digital natives in policing.

A few tidbits I found interesting

Editors echoed what I first heard, with some surprise, from Jason Ryan Dorsey during his keynote address at the 2010 NCDA conference – don’t expect this group to know how to use technology. As Dorsey points out – “they are more tech dependent than tech savvy"
Managers don’t need to embrace social media or digital technologies personally but they do need to understand it as an “emerging work practice if they wish to maximize the digital native work force” (p. 17)
The ethics chapter mirrors many of the discussions we, as career practitioners, have with clients including how prospective employers can probably find those “wild weekend photos” posted to a Facebook page and how we as consultants, recognize that intellectual property in a digital age is different
As a parent of a 12 year-old exposed to digital technology at an early age, the section on educating the digital native was eye-opening. The final chapter Native Knowledge: Knowing What They Know and Learning How to Teach them Best is a must for any educator. Would it be inappropriate to purchase a copy for my son’s teacher?

Overall I highly recommend adding this book to your library. Dancing with Digital Natives is available at Amazon , Chapters , and other retailers.

Networking Skills for Introverts

2011-07-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Networking, at its very core, seems to be an activity better suited to extroverts – those people who gain energy from groups and social interactions and do their best thinking externally. Introverts, on the other hand, are more inward thinkers, often finding social interactions draining. Although, in general, they prefer smaller groups and more one-on-one interactions, that’s not to say that all introverts are bad networkers (or that all extroverts are great networkers) – it just that introverts may have to work a bit harder.

So what can introverts do to make networking a bit easier? Practice and preparation are key. Below is a summary of the networking for introverts tips highlighted in a recent article.

Get to know people before – check social media sites and/or event sponsor’s forums/blogs
Go prepared – bring business cards, know the dress code, and have a map to the location
Start a conversation right away – don’t wait; the longer you do, the harder it will be to get started
Look for another seemingly shy person and engage them in conversation
Don’t talk too fast – ask open-ended questions and actively listen to the response
Don’t overanalyze afterwards – if you made a mistake, don’t beat yourself up

Interested in learning more? Pick up Devora Zack’s Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed and the Underconnected or Carole Cameron’s SPLASH! An Introvert's Guide to Being Seen, Heard and Remembered.

Remember, individuals are complex and multi-faceted. Introversion/Extroversion is just one component of your personality; other components will impact your success in networking and a variety of other business- and career-related activities (e.g., sales, conflict resolution, team building, leadership). One framework for understanding personality that Life Strategies uses is Personality Dimensions (PD). Want to learn more? Book a workshop for your team – contact us at info@lifestrategies.ca. Interested in training to use Personality Dimensions ? Consider becoming a certified facilitator – click here to learn more.

Feel free to share your networking experiences as introverts or extroverts in the comments section. What’s your biggest challenge? How does your personality impact your networking success?

Fun in the Workplace

2011-07-21T14:39:00.001-07:00

Did you know there are more than 2 million results when you Google “fun in the workplace”?

Clearly I’m not the only one who believes work should be fun! Some of the sites highlight the importance of laughter (e.g., Did you know that preschoolers laugh 400+ times per day compared to 15 times per day for adults? That’s, of course, unless you have preschoolers in your life – our grandchildren definitely make me laugh!) From a practical perspective, laughter releases endorphins (the happy gasses) that do you as much good as strenuous exercise. If you’re struggling to find something to laugh about, there are some pretty funny YouTube videos (try the “office stress” tag).

Other authors link fun and laughter to productivity . Employees who enjoy coming to work are energized and engaged. That energy will fuel their ability to get their work done – even when it means slogging through some unpleasant or tedious tasks. Facilitate resilience by building in fun.

Surprises can bring fun to the workplace. After a particularly challenging project, I once took our staff to the local mall for lunch. I then gave them each a mall gift card and told them they couldn’t come back to the office until it was spent. THAT was FUN!

Sharing funny stories or unusual perspectives can be fun, too. We often laugh over “Freudian” typos (e.g., just yesterday I was reading someone’s description of her siblings as “bothers” rather than “brothers”). Our team also delights in taking what I say out of context, threatening to publicly quote something that sounds completely outrageous.

Fun is good for business. Think about where you shop or seek out services. Are you drawn to the places where people are laughing and seem to enjoy themselves? So am I . . . so I know it’s good business to support a workplace with lots of laughter and unexpected treats.

Keeping the Disconnected Team Connected

2011-07-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

With today’s flexible work arrangements (e.g., telecommuting, job sharing) and geographically dispersed teams (e.g., satellite offices and multi-national corporations) it is becoming more difficult for employers to build a sense of “we,” maintain a stable and consistent corporate culture, and foster supportive communication and cooperation between team members. Employees who don’t physically work together may struggle to recognize the priorities of others, lack an understanding of what each member’s “job” really looks like, and be unable to access the resources they need – or even know such resources exists. Furthermore, if they are working alone, whether at home or abroad, they may feel isolated and neglected.

No matter what employee structure you have or are working within, to foster employee engagement and business success, it’s important to make time for the team to connect. Here is a short list of ideas, some of which we’ve used at Life Strategies.

Develop a system for regular updates to keep everyone “in the loop” and help them stay connected

Choose a method that works for you – in person, over the phone, via the internet (e.g., GoToMeeting)
Use a framework to structure your meeting (e.g., Let’s CHAT!)

Utilize alternative methods of connecting beyond email or phone (e.g., Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Blogger, LinkedIn)

However , don’t rely solely on electronic communication; pick up the phone if necessary

Invest in professional development opportunities that get dispersed teams together

Attend workshops, seminars, and/or conferences
Take part in webinars or teleconferences
Provide an opportunity to debrief learning

Set aside time for fun

Arrange a potluck at team meetings
Participate in a charity event

Celebrate “good news” and recognize team successes

Use something quick and simple (e.g., an informal congratulations email, post on company intranet or blog) or more formal (e.g., “employee of the month”)

Employee Engagement Indicator

2011-07-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

A popular concept for many of today’s organizations is employee engagement. There is a plethora of information available on the topic; a Google search resulted in over 3.5 million hits. In researching employee engagement as part of my doctoral program, I was somewhat surprised to learn that a wide-variety of definitions exist. Each individual, from consultants to scholars, has his/her own definition – while quite similar when talking employee engagement there is no guarantee everyone is speaking about exactly the same thing. A colleague of mine presented it as everyone talking about apples but some are focussed on Gala and Fugi while others are talking Granny Smith and Red Delicious. The differences may be slight but can still cause confusion and misunderstanding. In our work helping organizations increase engagement, often through career development initiatives, we first recommend establishing or adopting a definition which resonates with the team. At Life Strategies we’ve adopted a four-factor model of engagement:

Alignment – fit between individual and organizational values

Commitment – loyalty and intent to stay with the organization

Contribution – level of discretionary effort employees are willing to make (i.e., going above and beyond).

Appreciation –awareness employees are valued and their effort to support the organization’s goals is appreciated

In seeking to measure engagement along these four factors, we developed the Employee Engagement Indicator (EEi). The EEi is a 40 question survey with 10 questions per factor. The total score is intended to indicate an overall level of employee engagement on a continuum from full disengagement to full engagement. Sub-factor results can also be analyzed (e.g., level of contribution).

While we are still researching the psychometric properties of the EE-i, preliminary results have been interesting and have demonstrated how a low score on one of the factors can drastically impact overall engagement results. Interested in using the EE-i with your own team? Contact us at info@lifestrategies.ca for more information.

The Synergy of Teams

2011-06-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

People are constantly asking me how I do all that I do – my response invariably is that “I have a great team!”

At its simplest, synergy is defined as “two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.” Research has demonstrated that synergistic teams can out-produce even the most talented member – and we’ve seen that over and over within the Life Strategies teams.

There is strength in diversity – at Life Strategies, we deliberately build teams that comprise individuals with different competencies and styles. This, of course, means that we all have to embrace and appreciate diversity. Sometimes it’s easier to work with people who approach tasks the same way or share a very similar perspective. However, by choosing to surround ourselves with people who see the world differently and bring unique skills and talents we minimize our blind spots and maximize our productivity.

Do you really know the strengths and talents on your team? Do you let people do what they do best . . . and try to accommodate their weaknesses? Or, are you trying to do too much independently – spending hours at tasks that others could do better in a fraction of the time?

Tools like Personality Dimensions® can help you better understand the teams you work with – whether at work, in athletics, or on community boards. Most members of the Life Strategies team are Personality Dimensions facilitators or Master Trainers . . . aside from facilitating workshops, though, we all walk our talk – celebrating the diversity on our team and providing opportunities for each other to do what they do best. Contact us at info@lifestrategies.ca if you’d like to introduce your own team to this amazing tool.

Fatherhood: What is it All About?

2011-06-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

A father carries pictures
where his money used to be.
~Author Unknown

As this past weekend was Father’s day, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on hard-working fathers who struggle to balance work and family commitments. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reported that working fathers were dissatisfied with the amount of time they spent at work versus with their children. Additionally, 62% of working fathers believed they should be spending more time assisting with child-rearing responsibilities.

However, according to an article from Marketwire, reporting results from another study on fatherhood, fathers seem to be stuck between the traditional role of “breadwinner” and the increasing expectations (and desires) to be more involved with their children. The survey found that 54% of working fathers, as opposed to less than 1% of working mothers, saw “breadwinner” as their top parenting priority. This may not be too surprising; however, according to Cameron Phillips, the study’s coordinator, "the unaddressed issue is that we still undervalue fatherhood and expect little will change for men in the workplace once they become dads." Phillips contended that this will not only impact working fathers, but also working mothers who will continue to bump against the glass ceiling if parent-child paradigms don’t shift.

One way to help such a shift is organizations such as the Fatherhood Institute. This UK-based “think tank” has three goals:

Change work systems/structures so fathers can be more available to their children

Challenge gender roles/inequalities and change education so boys are better prepared for caring roles

Develop “father-inclusive” supports for families

These aims can have far-reaching impacts for fathers, mothers, and children through re-defining the family unit and associated gender-roles and stereotypes.

To Grow is to Change . . .

2011-06-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

"To grow is to change, and to have changed often is to have grown much." - Cardinal Newman

This is one of my favourite quotes . . . I have it in my e-mail signature line and framed on my bookshelf. I love change, I’ve changed often, and I continue to grow much (in more dimensions than I’d prefer, at times!). That said, change can be exhausting!

Did you know that there’s a cumulative effect from change? Psychiatrists Holmes and Rahe developed the Stress Scale, a tool that ranks life changes according to the amount of stress they are believed to bring. Although stressors don’t impact everyone in exactly the same way, this scale can be a useful starting point to see if your stress levels are creeping into the danger zone (I don’t think mine have ever been out of the danger zone since I entered adulthood – so other important things to measure are coping resources and resiliency; luckily, I’m blessed with high scores for both of them, too!).

Continuous, relentless stress, though, can lead to burnout. If, like me, your work and life bring constant changes, ensure that you’re adding in extra de-stressing moments to compensate. Gerry and I are about to leave on my 12th trip in the past 6 months. We’ve actually gone through more toothpaste in our travel bag this year than in our bathroom at home! We both love travel . . . but there’s no denying that it’s stressful. Therefore, we try to add on a few days to each trip that are just for us – to visit friends or family, tour the local area, or simply have time with no agenda other than to recover from jet lag, get adjusted to the climate, and find our way around the local neighbourhood.

Psychologist Nancy Schlossberg developed a 4S model to explain individual differences in coping with transitions (the process that accompanies life changes). She found that one’s Situation, Self, Support, and Strategies together impact how people respond to exactly the same event (or non-event – an anticipated event that doesn’t happen, such as a missed promotion or a broken relationship prior to a marriage). For example, as I contemplate re-packing the suitcase that I just unpacked a few days ago, although I’m definitely tired of travel right now (and looking forward to a summer in my own garden), I recognize that my Situation is very privileged in that I get to choose whether or not to travel and have incredible flexibility in deciding how long to be away. In terms of my “Self” – I’m healthy, very comfortable travelling, fascinated with different cultures, insatiably curious, and able to quickly convert a hotel room into a temporary home. Because Gerry travels with me, I have the same Support as when I’m home; I’m also blessed with an amazing team at Life Strategies who have become quite used to working with me through MSN chat and e-mail. In terms of Strategies, we’ve booked our flights so that we arrive a few days before the conference, and then spend a few days on vacation before returning home.

As you reflect on your own change, growth, transitions, and related stress, consider how to minimize the negative impacts of change and strengthen your resiliency and coping resources – both strategies can be effective.

Motivating Employees

2011-06-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

In motivating people, you've got to engage their minds and their hearts.

I motivate people by example and perhaps by excitement,

by having productive ideas to make others feel involved.
~Rupert Murdoch

How to motivate employees is a hot topic for today’s employers and there is a plethora of information available. A quick Internet search resulted in close to 2 million hits on topics such motivating yourself at work, motivating others during transformational times, motivating through non-monetary rewards and recognition, and motivating “bad” employees. With so much information available, and little time to wade through it all, how can employers figure out what really works?

As part of my doctoral studies, I studied motivation at length and discovered there is no clear or easy answer. Each employee is unique and, therefore, likely to be motivated differently; as a result, packaged programs may have limited success. The good news, however, is that “more money” is rarely a solution.

As you begin to explore how to motivate your employees, identify what motivation really means to you and your organization. What do motivated employees “look like”? Next, get to know your employees; explore what strategies might work for some but not others. For more strategies, check out our 10 Strategies for Motivating Employees tip sheet or call to schedule a workshop.

Immigrant or Expatriate? There's a Difference

2011-05-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Some people think that anybody working in Canada who’s “from away” is an immigrant – but that’s not always the case. However, we rarely think of Canadians working abroad as having emigrated (i.e., left Canada permanently). Instead we consider them expatriates. This is an interesting shift in perspective, with all sorts of career/life implications.

Expatriates, international workers, or global careerists typically live a somewhat privileged lifestyle compared to locals; immigrants, on the other hand, typically struggle to get their careers back on track. Ironically, so do some people repatriating to Canada – although their careers may have blossomed abroad, similar to many immigrants they have a hard time convincing local employers that their international experience is of value.

Within Canada and many developed countries, when someone new to the country requests career services, there is often a focus on language training, skills upgrading, and, in some cases, complete re-careering. It’s not unusual to find an immigrant with a PhD driving taxi or serving in a restaurant. I once had a medical doctor from Afghanistan tell me that, upon arrival in Canada, he’d been told that he would have to work as a dishwasher here!

It astounds me that anyone would be surprised when a foreign-trained worker leaves Canada for better opportunities somewhere else. If I was to emigrate from Canada (i.e., immigrate to another country which was to be my permanent home), then it would be worth my time to learn the language and customs, upgrade my education, gain local job search skills, and take a survival job as I settled in. On the other hand, if I were to go to a foreign country where I'd heard that they needed people with my existing professional skills (e.g., teaching counselling in a university; corporate training for a multinational corporation), if I couldn't get that type of work within a very short period of time after arrival, there'd be no point in staying. I'd move to another country that could use my skills.

International/global careerists change countries in a similar way as people in a large city take on new jobs throughout the region. Within the Vancouver area, for example, someone might accept a job offer in Burnaby even if he or she lives downtown. The individual may commute rather than move to Burnaby. Even if a decision is made to move to Burnaby, once the contract is finished it’s quite likely that he or she will move again for the next job. So too, international workers go where the work is. They may leave family behind or families may relocate temporarily; children may attend local or international schools. Leisure time may be spent with other expatriates, groups from “home,” locals, or a combination.

Unfortunately, in Canada, we tend to view all people with foreign accents as "immigrants." However, the needs and expectations of immigrants are significantly different from the needs and expectations of people with international careers (or expats). Interested in learning more? Life Strategies offers relevant courses for career practitioners on The Immigrant Experience and International/Global Careers. Contact studentadvisor@lifestrategies.ca for more information.

Self-Employment - Alone at Last

2011-05-03T14:39:00.001-07:00

Entrepreneurs are a diverse set of individuals, each with a unique story as to why they’ve become self-employed. We’ve had the opportunity to hear some of these stories through our pilot of the Look Before You Leap: Self-Employment Survival Strategies course. Some found the flexibility of self-employment ideal for balancing life commitments or were simply just tired of working for others and wanted to be their own “boss.” Others were unable to find suitable employment or just simply fell into it during career exploration.

Whatever the reason, these individuals now work, for the most part, alone. Although some people develop their business and hire support staff, most are truly going it alone. This presents challenges in regards to skill sets (i.e., you’ve got to be able to do everything from balancing the books to marketing yourself and your product/service), but also to loneliness of working in relative isolation. There isn’t anyone to bounce ideas off of, problem solve with, or to count on during challenging times. Be sure to access the supports you need to be successful – lean on your friends/family, a business partner/associate, an entrepreneurial support group, and/or a career coach/counsellor.

As difficult as it can be working for someone (i.e., a boss) or with someone (i.e., a partner or co-worker), it truly does have advantages not only to product/service quality but also to your morale and productivity. At the end of the day, the advantages and benefits of self-employment (e.g., the freedom to operate your business as you like) may certainly outweigh the drawbacks; however, it’s important to carefully consider: Can you truly work alone?

Diversity – Experiencing What It’s Like to Be Different

2011-04-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

When we think of diversity, we tend to think of what’s different about others. We typically use our own characteristics as benchmarks – particularly if we’re part of the mainstream population (i.e., if we’re surrounded by lots of other people quite similar to us). However, have you ever turned the tables and paused to consider what is different about you? What do others consider unusual or out-of-the-norm? What characteristics, attitudes, or behaviours do you have that others think are a little bit strange?

Gerry and I travel extensively, which provides lots of opportunities for us to reflect on being different, particularly in terms of nationality, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, language, and culture. As a very pale-skinned redhead, there are many places in the world where I stand out like a white shirt under a black light – I pretty much glow in the midst of a sea of darker skin and hair (redheads are a global minority, losing ground quickly – currently thought to comprise only 1 - 2% of the world’s population). However, it’s rare that our difference is perceived as a disadvantage; I, therefore, can’t say I’ve experienced the types of extreme prejudice and discrimination that many other minorities encounter every day.

When we’re in foreign countries, we’re constantly reminded of our incompetence. No matter how prepared we try to be, we can never use local transit as effectively as the locals. We are slow to count out payment for a purchase. We stumble over words to request the simplest things. And, just like foreigners anywhere, we miss the familiar items and foods from “home.”

My experience as a foreigner is very different when I’m an invited subject matter expert than when I’m an anonymous traveller. In the first role, I often have people who prepare for my arrival and ensure that I’m comfortable, safe, and taken care of. In the latter role, I’m more likely to be teased, laughed at, or taken advantage of – it’s clear that many people find “different” strange and not something to aspire to. In Northern China, I lost count of the number of people trying to sell me a solution to fix my freckles (I didn’t realize they were a problem before then). In a remote region of Malaysia, well off the typical tourist track, a small child cried every time her mother brought her within 6 feet of me (she’d never seen a white-skinned person with flaming red hair before). In Marrakesh, accepting an offer of tea resulted in the expectation that we’d purchase a Berber carpet (we learned from that one – this is similar in many parts of the world!).

In the Canadian workplace, we constantly encounter difference and we’re asked to embrace it. However, sometimes we’re “colour-blind” and simply don’t realize the discrimination and challenges that our diverse colleagues encounter every day. To increase your awareness, I encourage you to put yourself in the position of being the outsider – attend cultural celebrations, travel, volunteer at a community event that’s outside of your normal routine, use a form of local transit that you’re unfamiliar with, eat dinner at a restaurant frequented by members of a different ethnic group, accompany a local family to the food bank, or spend a day on the street with a homeless person. Be different to learn about difference. Then support diversity initiatives in your workplace to ensure that those perceived as different have a safe place to fully contribute their talents.

Interested in learning more about diversity? Life Strategies has a variety of courses, including:

Immigrant Experience (20 hours)

International/Global Careers (20 hours)

Understanding Diverse Clients (20 hours)

Managing Diversity at Work (10 hours)

The Charitable Route to Teambuilding

2011-04-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Charities and not-for-profit organizations are busy planning events and fundraisers; for some, these large annual events are their biggest source of revenue. These events also provide the perfect opportunity for your organization to get involved, make a difference in your community, and strengthen your team – all at the same time. Consider pulling a group together to support a good cause – something that speaks to your company’s mission/values and gives back to your community. It’s a great teambuilding exercise which will foster pride in your company. Life Strategies recently participated in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ Bowl for Kids Sake event. We had a wonderful time and made a difference in the process. Remember – you don’t need a large team to make an impact. With only 6 team members collecting donations, we raised over $1700.00 through cash and online donations!! Big Brothers, Big Sister is still collecting donations – click here to contribute

Retirement Readiness

2011-03-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

Don't simply retire from something;
have something to retire to.
~Harry Emerson Fosdick

In doing a Google search for “retirement readiness,” the first several pages of results focused on financial readiness. This likely makes sense; in 2009 MacLean’s magazine did a series on Canada’s Retirement Crisis in which they noted that two-thirds of retirees are going to be underfunded and, when surveyed, 18-34 year old workers reported saving less than 10% of their income for retirement. The reality is that financial preparedness is a key component of a long and happy retirement; however, it isn’t the only thing to consider.

There are many other factors that contribute to a happy retirement including taking care of yourself, redefining your identity, and engaging in continuous learning. While it might seem more appropriate to think about retirement as the date is looming, retirement readiness really begins at the start of your career.

Regardless of what career stage you’re at right now, take a moment to consider your retirement; select 2-3 tips from our Prepare for Retirement tip sheet, develop SMART goals for the tips you select, and set some milestone dates to monitor your progress.

Remember retirement readiness is an ongoing process; something to keep in mind throughout your career.

Balance in Transitional Times

2011-03-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

We’ve explored the concept of “Balance” in previous blogs; however, as the struggle for balance seems to be a constant challenge in our chaotic world, it seems important to revisit. Balance is an elusive concept that impacts your ability to function at work and at home. It can be difficult to keep life in balance when you have multiple roles and conflicting priorities in an ever-changing environment. It’s like trying to get your footing when the ground is shaking below you and the finish line is always shifting.

To facilitate balance in transitional times, you may find it helpful to:

Accept that uncertainty is natural
Recognize that change is an “event” and transition is a “process”
Work through the stages of transition
1. Acknowledge and grieve endings
2. Explore new ways of doing things
3. Embrace “new beginnings” and opportunities
Ask for help if you need it

In addition, a shift from thinking of “balance” to “sustainability” may be needed. People often talk about “sustainability” in terms of the environment; however, this same concept can be applied at a personal level. In our 10 Tips to Facilitate Sustainability you’ll learn strategies to facilitate personal sustainability and deal with change including accepting that balance is a myth and exploring how to make continuous adjustments to ensure a sustainable and enjoyable life!

So be sure when you step,
step with care and great tact.
And remember that
Life's a Great Balancing Act.

~ Dr. Seuss

Fitting Professional Development Into Lives That Are Already Full

2011-03-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

It’s widely acknowledged that lifelong learning is important. Many professionals require a specific number of “continuing education units” (CEUs) each year to maintain their certification. With constant changes in the workplace (e.g., new technology, processes, or job responsibilities), training may be necessary just to stay qualified to do your job, even if you’re not striving to get ahead.

However, at the same time that learning demands are on the increase, organizations are striving to do more with less – so it may not be possible to take time away from work to accommodate your learning needs. Learning, then, may encroach on your personal time – which, in turn, may already be full!

Canadian career expert, Barbara Moses, writes about living your life in chapters. So, one approach to professional development is to give it the amount of your life that it’s worth at the moment. Realistically, it may not be the best time to take on a full degree program so sort out the minimum professional development required to keep your career on track.

If you decide that now is the time to more fully engage in learning, consider what other life roles or major tasks you can set aside. Making room for courses may mean temporarily giving up volunteering, or downshifting your career so that less overtime or travel is required. Perhaps it’s help around the house that you’ll need – can you afford to hire a cleaner or cook? Arrange for additional daycare while you’re at school and also while you’re studying? Can you engage other family members in taking on more responsibility? The best juggler in the world can’t keep adding balls to the mix without dropping something!

Life Strategies offers many e-learning opportunities (on our website, click on Our Services / Programs and Courses for a comprehensive list), including some directed studies courses which you can schedule at your convenience. Also, check out our tip sheets on fitting professional development into busy lives and stretching your professional development dollars.

Career Development Consultants

2011-02-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

In searching for types of consultants I got a lengthy list – from management, media, and performance to lactation, magic, and theatre. While not a focus for this blog, I couldn’t help but look up the role of a magic consultant – someone who lends his/her expertise to film, television, and theatre around all aspects relating to magic and illusions. Sounds very cool!

Not surprisingly, Career Development Consultant wasn’t in the list. However, a Google search resulted in over 2 million hits, but the first link redirected to jobs for business consultants and the next several were specific to supporting individuals with disabilities. It seems as though the role of Career Development Consultant might be somewhat elusive.

In his book, Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, noted consultant and author, Peter Block defined a consultant as “a person in a position to have some influence over an individual, group, or an organization but who has no direct power to make changes or implement programs” (1999, p. 2). Other authors extend this definition to note that consultants must be external to the organization - a contractor, perhaps, hired to do a specific task.

So, a Career Development Consultant might be someone who lends his/her expertise in career development to governments, agencies, educational institutions, and corporations across a wide range of industries. For those career practitioners experiencing career uncertainty, perhaps especially those in British Columbia who are seeing a complete re-design of their working environments, maybe it is time to consider a consulting career.

Here, at Life Strategies, we have been involved with some cool consulting projects – yes, even cooler than what a Magic Consultant might do. Recently, we’ve had the opportunity to

Design and implement the first career development initiative for a nuclear power plant in the US
Research the use of career assessments tools and models in Canada
Moderate the 2009 Pan-Canadian Symposium on Career Development
Develop a comprehensive set of career development resources for the Manitoba Government

Considering consulting? Join our Look Before You Leap course (another very cool project) coming up in early March. Follow news on the project at www.lookbeforeyouleap.ca

Credentialing and Certification

2011-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Credentialing and certification is a timely topic in the career management sector. In BC, with the changes to government funding structure for labour market programs, career service centres are increasingly looking for employees with not only very specific training, but relevant certifications. Although not new concept (i.e., many sectors have required relevant certifications for years), there is some uncertainty when any new certification is launched. What does certification mean? If I took a certificate program in school, am I already certified? Do I need to be certified? What does the certification process look like?

What does certification mean?
Certification, and other similar terms including credential, designation, and qualification, is when an independent body vets your education and experience. You may have to adhere to a specific code of conduct / ethics, as well as commit to engaging in continuous learning to maintain your credential. Certification demonstrates an elevated level of professionalism and competence.

If I took a certificate program in school, am I already certified?
Certification is typically the next step after education. Although you may have a certificate from a college or university, this will most often represent completion of an educational program, not professional certification (i.e., meaning that you’re not “certified”). Certification often requires a mixture of specific training and relevant experience in the field; something that you may work towards in the first few years of employment.

Do I need to be certified?
Some certification is required in order to be employed, while other is optional. To find out, visit industry websites, talk to people already working in the field, and/or search the NOC listings at www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc/english/noc/2006/welcome.aspx

What does the certification process look like?
Each procedure is different but will typically require a formal application, specific training, outline of competencies, references, and a fee. Before you apply, take the time to review the application form or documents outlining the requirements and the process so that you know you’re submitting the right information. If you’re not sure about the process, just ask the association responsible for the certification – they may have a quick answer or refer you to an information session or tutorial.

In summary, navigating the certification process will leave career practitioners not only better equipped to serve their clients but will also give them an inside look at professional certification, preparing them to support clients through their own certification.

Workplace Conflict

2011-02-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

Conflict can be distressing in the workplace. A quick Google search for “workplace conflict 2011” revealed almost 59 million hits, including recent research from the UK, courses in Canada and Australia, blogs, headlines about workplace violence, and articles targeted to diverse industries and organizational structures. Workplace conflict is a hot topic!

In many cases the conflict is amongst co-workers or between employees and their managers and someone from the Human Resource department may be called in to intervene. Left to simmer too long, minor workplace conflicts can boil over, resulting in toxic workplaces, bullying, mobbing, or, in extreme cases, a violent counter-attack as in the Calgary story from just last month, where an employee, frustrated over a disagreement about expenses, rammed a semi-trailer into his employer’s truck. Witnesses reported, “He was distraught . . . he could have done anything!”

In other cases, however, conflict initiates with dissatisfied customers or disempowered clients. Regardless of the issue or who the players may be, de-escalating conflict is an important skill to have. We’ve recently uploaded 10 Tips for De-Escalating Conflict and it’s a key component of our customized workshop for case managers on “Dealing With Challenging Clients.” Tips focus primarily on managing yourself – the only person in the conflict that you really have any control over!

Join us online for our new online certificate program for Case Managers, beginning February 16th!

Leadership Lessons

2011-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

The most recent edition of the Life Strategies News highlighted 10 Leadership Lessons for Transformational Times. Each of the lessons was adapted from our recent workbook of the same name and outlines such things as Ignite Employee Engagement, Make Time for Transformation, Embrace Diversity, and Show Appreciation.

During transformational times, organizations are likely to be shifting priorities, adjusting goals, and struggling to be responsive. The tendency, during these periods of uncertainty, might be for leaders to communicate less. After all, what can be said about a vision for the future when the future is uncertain? It is in these times, however, that open communication is most important.

Through a study conducted in 2004, the Hay Group found that “Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization" (Source: www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html). The report went on to note that effective communication regarding the company’s vision, and how each employee contributes to organizational success, are key components of earning the trust of employees. Going silent or waiting until there is something to announce should be avoided at all costs. Great leaders don’t shy away from difficult conversations; instead they communicate organizational challenges and what they feel the future might be.

John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.”

It could be said that British Columbia’s career development sector (particularly the portion of the sector offering services via government funded programs) is currently going through a “major anxiety.” Now more than ever, organizational leaders must instil trust in their workforce by communicating plans, exploring other opportunities, and preparing employees for life beyond business transformation.

Fitting Professional Development Into Your Crazy Busy Life

2011-01-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to engage in some professional development? Wondering how to make room for it? Have you considered learning online?

Deirdre’s working on a PhD from Fielding University in the US, offered in a blended model. I teach for both Yorkville and Athabasca University, in both cases in courses that are fully online. Life Strategies offers scheduled and customized courses – online, blended, or at your own workplace for groups of 10 or more.

Worried about how to pay for your professional development? Click here for 10 Tips to Stretch Your Professional Development Dollars

If you’re a career practitioner, there are more professional development options than ever before – within Life Strategies, we’ve added several new certificate programs this year and it may be challenging to sort through which one is the best fit for you. It’s not too late to register for our new Foundations in Educational and Vocational Guidance program, starting on January 19th. This is our shortest comprehensive coverage of core competencies for career development practitioners.

To help you decide between certificate options, here’s a quick comparison of features (all are facilitated e-learning, equivalent to 10 hours of learning each week).

Career Management Professional (CMP)

6 specialty certificates, aligned to Canadian Standards and Guidelines

20+ courses to choose from; each certificate requires 10 two-week courses (20 weeks)

Modularized approach, so 2nd specialty certificate may only require a few additional courses

Theories (20 hours) and Ethics Essentials (10 hours) aligned to BCCDP certification

Preapproved CEUs from CCPA, VRA, GCDF

Next start: See schedule for specific courses; courses can be taken in any order

Global Career Development Facilitator (within CMP)

11 two-week courses

Preapproved for GCDF Canada through CCE

Aligned to Canadian Standards and Guidelines and GCDF Competencies

Theories (20 hours) and Ethics Essentials (10 hours) aligned to BCCDP certification

Next start: See schedule for specific courses; program is modularized so courses can be taken in any order

Foundations for Practice in Educational and Vocational Guidance Practitioner

1 six-week course

Preapproved for Educational and Vocational Guidance Practitioner credential through IAEVG

Aligned to EVGP Competencies

Great overview of career development basics for all career practitioners, teachers, and HR professionals providing career support

Next start: January 19, 2011

Case Manager

1 four-week course

Develops skills for needs assessment, goal-setting, action-planning, follow-up, evaluation, and documentation

Next start: February 2, 2011

Global Career Development Facilitator (through NECA)

1 twelve-week course

Preapproved for GCDF US through CCE

Offered in partnership with NECA

Next start: February 15, 2011

Job Developer

1 four-week course

Preapproved by Job Developer’s Institute

Next start: February 23, 2011

B Level Psychometric Assessments

2 three-week courses

In partnership with Yorkville University

CPE 510 and CPE 521, together, are equivalent to a graduate level course in tests and measurements

Meets B Level qualification requirements

Next start: CPE 510 – March 2, 2011 / CPE 521 – April 13, 2011

Personality Dimensions

Level 1 – 1 three-week course; Bridging – 1 one-week course

Meets qualifications for Personality Dimensions Facilitator (Level 1) Certification

Instructed by Master Trainers and authors of the Toolkits for Trainers series

Next start: March 30, 2011

Job Club Coach

1 four-week course

Preapproved by Career Professionals of Canada

Meets requirements for application at reduced fee for

Certified Resume Strategist

Certified Interview Strategist

Next start: April 27, 2011

Time to Take Action

2011-01-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

In previous blogs we’ve introduced the steps outlined in our Let’s CHAT! coaching model. The last component is Take Action– a very timely topic for the new year. In concluding coaching sessions with employees or work groups, take the time to set goals and develop an action plan assigning tasks and setting due dates. A key concept in this model is that each party (e.g., manager/employee) takes action at the end of the session (e.g., manager investigates wellness program options / employee works to improve conflict resolution techniques). Strive to ensure that each party leaves with at least one action item.

The SMART goals model (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-limited) is an excellent framework utilized during the “Take Action” phase; however, it’s important to also outline the tasks required to achieve each goal. Create an action plan by stipulating what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, and when you’re going to do it. This will help you to stay on track, avoid a last minute rush, and / or miss a deadline.

Always plan for follow-up to evaluate progress or make adjustments to your plan as necessary (i.e., due to changing needs or circumstances) and ask for the help you need. And perhaps most importantly, don’t forget to celebrate successes as goals are achieved!

New Beginnings

2011-01-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

It is the start of a new year and a new decade. Many take this opportunity to reflect on their personal and professional goals, often setting New Year’s resolutions. It is hard to predict how many people actually stick to or achieve their resolutions – some say less than 10% while others report higher success rates. What seems to be a key contribution to success is the type of resolution being made. Try to avoid making resolutions “just because” everyone else is. Make the resolution you want to make!

Remember...

You don't have to be great to start,
but you have to start to be great.
~Joe Sabah

Our January newsletter focuses on new beginnings. Read more at: Life Strategies News - January 2010

Look Before You Leap Survey Now Available

2011-01-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

Life Strategies Ltd. is excited to announce that we’ve partnered with the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) for the Look Before You Leap: Supporting Career Practitioners to Support Clients Considering Self-Employment project.

Self-employment is a growing trend in a variety of sectors; it’s also increasingly an option for career practitioners / career counsellors. Yet, most career practitioners have little understanding of self-employment or work as an independent contractor. The Look Before You Leap project will develop and pilot a 2 week (20 hour) facilitated e-learning course which focuses on self employment and a book, Look Before You Leap: Self-Employment Survival Strategies, which will be useful for those considering self-employment. A dedicated “Look Before You Leap” website with annotated links to relevant resources for the self-employed and a Blog that will share relevant self-employment tips and strategies will also be developed.

We Need Your Input
To inform the development of these tools, we are seeking insights and experiences from the self-employed through a brief survey available from January 5th until January 12th. To access the survey go to www.advancedsurvey.com, enter in survey # 72694 within the “Take A Survey” box, and press “Go.”

Please forward this message to any of your contacts who may be interested in this project and/or can complete the survey.

Take the Time to Appreciate

2010-12-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season is here, it’s important to take time to reflect on the people in our lives – family, friends, and co-workers – and truly appreciate the things they do for us; whether they are big or small. The positive impact others can have is undeniable, and far too often we neglect to say thanks or express our gratitude.

Appreciation is an important component of building positive relationships. It is not only the third component in our Let’s CHAT! coaching model, introduced in previous posts, but it’s also a key factor of employee engagement. Including appreciation into these models helps remind employers and employees to take the time to be grateful for the contributions and commitments of others, rather than focussing solely on the negative or areas that could use improvement.

Take a moment to reflect on who in your office (or life) has helped you. Who’s an un-sung hero in your workplace that could use some appreciation?

See http://humanresources.about.com/cs/rewardrecognition/a/appreciation.htm for some ways to say thanks this season and throughout the year.

Hope – The Centre of Career Flow / The Message of Christmas

2010-12-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

In preparing to write about “hope,” I googled the term. Perhaps not surprisingly, the first “hit” was Wikipedia – it’s worth a quick read. (As an aside, the second “hit” was a beautiful mountain community about an hour away from our head offices – Hope, BC :-)).

In the Wikipedia definition of hope, reference is made to belief in positive outcomes, spiritual grace, agency, and pathways. Very recent research has found hope to be an even better predictor of academic performance than intelligence, personality, or previous academic achievement. My own research demonstrated “optimism” (sometimes defined as having both hope and confidence) to be the best predictor of both career success and job satisfaction. Spencer Niles and Norm Amundson, my co-authors of Career Flow , placed hope at the centre of the model underpinning Career Flow. In other research, hope has also been linked to physical, emotional, and relational healing.

Clearly, hope is important across life arenas, so how can we strengthen it? Diverse professionals (e.g., teachers, nurses, pastors, counsellors) recognize that treating people holistically is important (i.e., instilling hope takes the whole person into account). Hope is also connected to the notion of “worth” – Amundson and others refer to this as “mattering.” Hopeful people know they matter – and this has been affirmed by others in their lives.

Hanukkah was celebrated earlier this month and Christmas is coming at the end of this week. Both spiritual celebrations are linked to hope. Rabbi Moshe Goldman, chaplain at Laurier University, says, “There are all kinds of social pressures that Hanukkah teaches us about. It teaches us about hope, not giving up, not settling.” The Christmas message, too, is centered on hope – the hope of a baby born in poverty but destined to save the world.

What gives you hope – the hope that is central to your career, your health, your faith, and your relationships? For some people, it’s taking time to look back before looking forward – reflecting on accomplishments. For others, it’s setting the past aside and looking ahead to a brighter future – actively working toward goals and dreams. Aristotle said, “Hope is a waking dream” – to bring your dreams to life, consider developing a vision board of words and/or pictures to keep you focussed.

John F. Kennedy cautioned, “We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” Try to make time this holiday season to reflect on your dreams, the fears that are holding you back, and a strategy to keep hope alive in 2011.

The Gift of Help!

2010-12-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

A willing helper does not wait until he is asked
~Danish Proverb

Last week we introduced the Let’s CHAT! model with a brief overview of the first step – Communicate. This week we’ll focus on step two – Help.

Within the Let’s CHAT! model there are two components to Help. The first is What help do you need? The second is What help can you offer? In our experience, individuals tend to focus on one or the other – making “Help” a one-way arrangement.

Think about what’s on your plate or “to-do” list right now. What help do you need? For some, the first step will be to ensure they are willing to seek assistance. Karen Rowinsky wrote an interesting piece on why people are reluctant for ask for help. She noted that some people fear appearing incapable while others believe that everyone else is busy too and, therefore, won’t really have time to help. Read more at: Everything you want to know about help

While thinking about what help you need, also reflect on what help you can offer. Who in your life might need some help – especially this time of year? Perhaps pay special attention to those who might need help but be reluctant to ask. Don’t wait for them to get up the nerve to ask. . . think back to Rowinsky’s article, asking for help can be difficult for many people. Think of offering help as the best you can give this year.

To learn more about Life Strategies’ e-course on the Let’s CHAT! model, see
http://lifestrategies.ca/services/courses/lets-chat.cfm

Communication is Key!

2010-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

The single biggest problem in communication
Is the illusion that it has taken place.

~ George Bernard Shaw

Effective communication on your team, with co-workers and supervisors, as well as your clients, is imperative for successful working and coaching relationships. The Let’s CHAT! coaching model helps to not only facilitate open communication, but also to build empathy, foster appreciation, and prompt a commitment to action. The components of the model are: Communication, Help, Appreciate, and Take Action. Coaches using this model will engage in conversation beginning with Communication and working through to Take Action.

In this blog we’ll consider the first step of this model: Communication.

The focus of communication is to convey/receive a specific message to/from another individual (e.g., performance evaluation, team update). Communication will occur only when the message has been successfully transmitted by the sender and understood by the receiver. This may require a bit of back and forth between the sender and receiver – remember communication is a two-way street. Effective communication requires active engagement in conversation by both parties. Receivers should always be respectful, refrain from interrupting, and listen intently in order to truly hear the message which is trying to be communicated.

As information can be transmitted verbally (i.e., spoken words) and non-verbally, it’s important to be aware of body language cues (e.g., arms crossed may indicate frustration or not being open to new information). Ask probing questions to get to the underlying issue or to clarify points.

To learn more about Life Strategies’ e-course on the Let’s CHAT! model, see http://lifestrategies.ca/services/courses/lets-chat.cfm

Stress . . . What does that even mean?

2010-11-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

It seems that in every conversation we’ve had lately, the phrase “I’m stressed” comes up. It may not be the primary point of the conversation . . . but it’s generally an underlying message. If you’re feeling stressed, especially as the holiday season approaches, it may be helpful to take a moment to sort out what that really means to you . . . and to assess whether or not the amount of stress you’re experiencing is manageable over the long term.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by stress, consider looking outside yourself for help. To get you started, here are 10 resources:

1. The Government of Canada provides good background information on stress at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/life-vie/stress-eng.php

2. Dr. Gabor Maté’s book, When the Body Says No, is a fascinating read

3. The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (6th ed) has been useful to many

4. Our own book, That Elusive Work-Life Balance, is available through our online store (print / pdf)

5. Community recreation centres, gyms, or fitness programs can release stress through activity

6. Seek spiritual solace through a local church, temple, mosque, or synagogue

7. Get checked by your physician – rule out any medical reasons for how you feel

8. Work with a coach to make positive changes in various aspects of your life

9. Complete an assessment. Tools like the Occupational Stress Inventory can help pinpoint what’s working and what’s not.

10.See a counsellor. Most communities have free mental health services and your workplace may have an Employee and Family Assistance Program.

Life Strategies supports individuals in person or over the phone. Contact info@lifestrategies.ca to discuss appointment options for counselling, coaching, or completing the Occupational Stress Inventory or another assessment tool.

Productivity for Working Moms: Where to Start

2010-11-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Being a mother is unlike any other job out there. It is a continual juggling of running a household and attending to the needs of everyone in our care. Throwing a career into the mix is like throwing accelerant onto a fire, without careful tending something is bound to get out of control. Some moms can do it and make it look easy, yet others are struggling to get out of bed in the morning for fear of what the day will hold. What is Supermom's secret? Productivity. When you google "productivity + working moms" you will get overwhelming lists of productivity tips, but where do you start? How do you go from inefficient to a productive working mom with time to spare? Is it possible to find work-life balance? I am here to tell you, "Yes it is!"

I have been a working mom for over six years. The moment my first child was born I had a full-time job as a "Mother." I have worked outside of the home and from home, all on top of that full-time job of mothering. Being at work or at home comes down to a basic equation of the ratio between inputs to output. A good productivity ratio will contribute to the work-life balance that you crave. To keep this post manageable I will focus on productivity at home vs. productivity at work. I believe if you are productive at home with time and energy to spare, it will spill over to your productivity at work as well.

In the world of running a household, inputs are what you put into your work, namely the time, energy, and resources/money. Output is your results, that is to say, the value or quality of your work. On top of that ratio is the outcome: how you feel when the day is done.

Over the past few months I have been studying about psychological assessments. As I thought about how to increase productivity, I realized that all problem solving begins with identifying potential issues. I have created an informal, non-standardized assessment to help you become aware of your productivity issues.

Step 1: Make a List

Write down all the responsibilities and tasks that take up your time on a lined piece of paper. It may look something like:

cooking
cleaning
laundry
grocery shopping
talking the kids to school
volunteering in the community
helping the kids with homework
watching TV
yard work
walking the dog

Step 2: Rate your Outputs

Rate yourself on how well you are doing at staying on top of these areas by writing beside each item whether you are: doing very well, getting by, or not keeping up. Don't get hung up on my terms; just rate yourself however you are comfortable.

Step 3: Rate your Inputs

Specify next to each item how much time and money/resources you put into doing each of these tasks. Also indicate how much energy you put into it, either: lots of energy, some energy, or no energy.

Step 4: Rate your Outcomes

Think about how much you enjoy doing these tasks by writing beside each item whether you: love doing, tolerate, or detest with a passion. Also indicate how you feel once the task is done: exhausted, relieved or no sweat.

Step 5: Evaluate your List

You should be starting to see the problem areas that are sucking your time, your energy, your resources, and the joy out of your life. Considering all these things, choose the items on your list that are not that important to continue doing and which ones you can delegate. By delegate I mean enlist the support of your partner or kids, or outsource to someone who can do it for you.

Step 6: Take Action

I can already hear you saying, "I don't have the money for outsourcing." As a working mom you know better than anyone else the value of your time - your employer may put a price tag on it, but think of it in these terms: you can always earn more money, but you can never earn more time! Your time is precious. Many people in your life need and cherish your time.

Look at your list again and choose at least one item to research. How much would it cost to outsource things like: your laundry, weekly house cleaning, mowing the lawn, or walking the dog. There may be a high school student across the street that would love to earn some extra money, or a stay-at-home mom that is considering a laundry business to help out her family financially. If you don't know anyone personally who you could outsource to, ask your friends for recommendations. I have found great recommendations from Facebook, and sites such as Craigslist and Kijiji.

After you decide what must stay and what responsibilities can go, you can start coming up with solutions to deal with what is left; what only you can do. This is where everyone's top productivity tips come in. It may take some trial and error to figure out what will work best for you and your family, but identifying the areas where you are unproductive or inefficient is the place to start. Congratulations, you are now on the road to becoming Supermom!

Miranda is one of the newest members of the Life Strategies team. Aside from juggling her Mom and work responsibilities, she's a blogger that shares her practical experience on her personal blog. Miranda recently won the Shapeover Challenge and became a Reitmans Fashionista. Read more...

Leading Through Transformational Times

2010-11-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Reflecting on my last post, Surviving in Transformational Times, it seems that an essential element for survival is the emergence of a strong leader. What makes someone a strong leader? What do they need to do? How can they support their people?

Not all leaders are created equally – there are different types and styles; each with their own strengths and challenges. According to John Gardner, “the first task of a leader is to keep hope alive,” and that’s exactly what transformational leadership does. Leaders with this style have integrity and a clear vision; they encourage, support, and inspire others (see http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_84.htm for full details).

There’s a difference between leaders and managers. Good leaders aren’t always effective managers and vice versa. According to the Mind Tools article, good leaders focus on inspiring others and providing vision (i.e., transformational leadership activities), whereas mangers focus on the details and logistics of implementing that vision (i.e., transactional leadership activities).

For helpful tips on leadership and supporting individuals see 10 Tips for Supporting People.

Learning from Diversity

2010-10-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

On the West Coast of Canada, we are surrounded by diversity. I live in a village just an hour from Vancouver – our community is rural, much of the local work is agricultural. Some of our neighbours have lived here for generations; others have recently arrived from India, Viet Nam, Mexico, or China. There’s a Vietnamese Buddhist Monastery on the corner of our street and the first Mormon Temple in BC nearby. Along with countless Christian churches, a Sikh temple is also an important spiritual centre for many members of the community.

Sadly, however, members of each of the ethnic communities tend to live in isolation. Although children attend the same public schools, many other community activities tend to be less integrated. Of course there are a few intersections – for example, the produce market that I shop at has an extensive selection of ethnic foods from India, Mexico, and Germany. However, even most workplaces are quite homogenous – resulting in many local residents never learning to speak one of our official languages (in the West, more typically English than French).

Within the Life Strategies team, we speak and write about diversity and have developed tools to support diverse workplaces (e.g., www.embracingdiversity.ca or www.diversityatwork.ca). We teach courses on Managing Diversity, Understanding Diversity, Global/International Careers, and The Immigrant Experience and have a multicultural specialist stream in our Career Management Professional Program (http://www.lifestrategies.ca/services/courses/career-management-professional-program-cmpp.cfm). It continues to amaze me, however, that the students we attract to those courses tend to be those who themselves come from minority cultures, have immigrated to our area, or are already working with immigrant clients. It’s difficult to reach “mainstream” students...

The 4 Stages of Learning Model reminds us that we simply don’t know what we don’t know. Therefore, until we experience the benefits of diversity at a personal level, we likely won’t choose to learn more about it or advocate for more inclusive workplaces or communities. I’ve recently returned from attending the Jiva conference in India – Jiva means “life” - the photo on this blog is me arriving by auto-rickshaw on the first day of the conference. The conference was co-sponsored by the Promise Foundation in India and the International Association of Educational and Vocational Guidance. There were 442 delegates from 32 countries – many of them knew nothing about Canada, just as I humbly realized I knew very little about most of their countries.

On our return from India, we visited the World Expo in Shanghai, China, with contributions from more than 242 countries and international associations. Think about that number! Gerry and I have visited, lived, or worked in only 55 countries (and, that’s quite high compared to most people we know). In 3 days, it wasn’t possible to visit more than a few of the pavilions, but we learned much about countries and cultures that we knew little about before. As a result, we’ve been inspired to add Kazakhstan to our future travel list – their pavilion was great!

So...how can you learn from diversity? First, I encourage you to put yourself in a position of being a minority. Take opportunities to travel (and don’t stay only in Western hotels or all inclusive resorts – mingle with the locals!). If travel isn’t feasible, eat at ethnic restaurants, attend cultural events or festivals, read books (I’ve just finished Echlin’s “The Disappeared” about Cambodia), or take a course that will help you better understand the amazing gifts that diversity brings to our lives in Canada.

Value/Goal Alignment - An Important Component of Employee Engagement

2010-10-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Some of our recent entries have introduced factors from our model of employee engagement – Appreciation, Contribution, and Commitment. The remaining factor – Alignment – relates to the need for workers to align their values and goals with the organization.

A wide range of career development literature exists which outlines the importance of connecting personal values with organizational values. The popular Wheel framework (Amundson & Poehnell) lists values as one of eight factors to consider in career decision making. As career practitioners, we are very aware of the importance of values when it comes to career “fit.” Whether through formal standardized “tests” or informal checklists and card sorts, we encourage clients to reflect on their values and ensure their work (i.e., specific job/tasks) and/or their industry or employer of choice will share those values. Or, at least, not impede on those values to any great degree.

Alignment of personal and organizational goals is just as important. As individual workers, we set goals for our careers – from wage increases or promotions to achievement of educational goals or industry certifications. Do we ever consider, however, whether those goals make sense when aligned to what our organization is hoping to accomplish? For organizations, this notion of alignment is often called goal cascading – goals are cascaded down from leadership to management to department, to work teams or units. From an employee engagement perspective, however, it’s important to take one more step – checking in with individual employees to ensure that they each understand how their jobs align with organizational goals.

Consider your organization’s future goals, vision, or strategic direction. Is there alignment with your personal and professional goals? If not, explore any disconnect. While you may be able to influence your organizations’ goals, if you don’t find sufficient alignment it may be time to examine whether or not your personal and professional goals can be met within the context of your present workplace. Organizations benefit from engaged employees – if there isn’t alignment between you and your organization, it will be increasingly challenging to stay engaged. You may need a better understanding of your organization’s goals and direction in order to get excited and buy-in. However, if the new direction simply isn’t a good fit for you, it may be time for a gracious exit. Either option is good career management.

Surviving in Transformational Times

2010-10-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Career practitioners in BC are experiencing transition, just like the clients they serve, due to changes in funding to career service centres, where many practitioners are employed. Contracts are ending and without funding renewal, many programs/businesses are shutting their doors. As such, practitioners themselves need to adapt to survive in the new framework. But adapting isn’t an easy task, and in changing times, it’s difficult to know what needs to be done and what skills are necessary to be successful.

It’s important to remember that, “change always comes bearing gifts” (Price Pritchett). For career practitioners, this transition has sparked a renewed commitment to professional development and professionalization of the field through certification (i.e., BCCCDP). It has also spurred strategic partnerships and alliances among existing organizations seeking shared contracts under the new framework.

However, more importantly, these changes have highlighted the value for career practitioners to “practice what they preach.” To be planful and open to new experiences, to engage in networking and learning opportunities, and to face change with an open heart; all concepts of Krumbotlz’s Planned Happenstance Theory, an emerging career theory practitioners use with their clients.

The forthcoming publication, Leadership Lessons for Transformational Times by Life Strategies’ Deirdre Pickerell and Roberta Neault, will engage the reader in examining leadership beliefs, experiences, and goals, as well as support leaders and managers through change, regardless of the sector.

Commitment in the Workplace

2010-10-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

In previous blogs we’ve highlighted appreciation and contribution, but why include commitment as an element of career engagement?
These two quotes speak to the importance of commitment:
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.” --Peter F. Drucker
"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." --Vince Lombardi
Several weeks ago our blog talked about appreciation and it’s important for leaders to understand the relationship between appreciation and commitment. It appears that employers, rather than employees, are tasked with the job of appreciation. Employees need to know that their employer will go to bat for them and respect their well-being. However, workplace commitment expands on the concept of appreciation in that it is a two way street: not only do employees need to know their employer is committed to their well-being at work, employers want to see examples of workplace commitment in employees.
Gone are the days when employees would spend their entire working life with one employer. Does it follow that employees are less committed to their workplace than their predecessors, or are other factors, like corporate downsizing or sluggish economies, to blame? The answer is not clear, but what seems apparent is that an individual’s commitment contributes to the success of a company. In return for a regular paycheque, benefits, appreciation, professional development, opportunities to succeed and positive working conditions, it seems only fair that a worker commit themselves to the success of their workplace.
What comes first the chicken or the egg, employer commitment to their employees or vice versa, I’m not sure of the answer. What do you think?

Your Contributions Matter

2010-09-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

In our last blog you read about the role of appreciation in employee engagement, I’d like to introduce you to another component of the Life Strategies’ Employee Engagement model: Contribution. Engagement means being involved and invested in the future or organization. It’s about actively contributing to making your organization more successful. In light of this, organizations need to show employees how their contributions are linked to corporate successes.

Engagement is much more than just contributing through your regular work duties; it’s how involved you are with the “bigger picture.” Consider the following:

Are you an individual who actively contributes to shaping the organization?

Are you solicited for feedback on the direction of the organization?

Effective contribution is a partnership – good employers provide opportunities to get involved and good employees avail themselves of those opportunities. In return, employees get opportunities to cross train, take on stretch assignments, and explore other opportunities within the organization.

Appreciation Makes a Difference!

2010-09-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Appreciation is a core component of two of Life Strategies’ models: Employee Engagement and Let’s CHAT! (a coaching tool). The element was embedded into both models for very similar reasons – many people today feel underappreciated...and appreciation does make a significant difference. According to the Bully Free at Work Blog, Appreciation is one of the top 3 things that leaders can do to minimize the impact of a disrespectful workplace. An article from CIO.com reported a US Department of Labor survey indicating that 64% of people who had left their jobs said they’d left because they didn’t feel appreciated. The same article reported a startling stat from Gallup – 70% of those surveyed said they received “no praise or recognition in the workplace.” No wonder so many leave!

Let’s CHAT! is an acronym for Communicate, Help, Appreciate, and Take Action. When I developed the Let’s CHAT! model to help managers and supervisors with coaching conversations, it was to respond to some of our corporate clients’ in-house surveys indicating that a significant number of employees felt unappreciated. However, there was considerable pushback from managers and supervisors who found the “appreciation” step of the process awkward and forced – they asked if they could replace it with “Analyse” instead. It’s so much easier to engage in problem-solving conversations with our colleagues than it is to show authentic appreciation! Therefore, we stuck to our original model and left appreciation intact. Years later, in Deirdre Pickerell’s research on employee engagement, we weren’t at all surprised to see Appreciation surface as a fundamental component of engagement, also making a significant contribution to employee retention.

Looking for creative ways to show your appreciation? Here are 80 to get you started!

Interested in reading more? Consider Dr. Noelle Nelson’s book, The Power of Appreciation in Business.

Still looking for more? Join me in a one-week e-course to learn more about the Let’s CHAT! model, beginning November 17, 2010. Let’s CHAT! will also be a component of our 3 day leadership training (Keeping Employees Engaged During Business Transformation ) beginning October 20, 2010. To learn more about employee engagement, join Deirdre for a 2 week e-course beginning October 27th (Career Management at Work: Keeping Employees Engaged).

Can You Choose the Perfect Career?

2010-08-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Many high school and even college students feel the pressure of deciding what to do with the rest of their lives. They may have dreams of a six figure salary and a job they absolutely love, but how do they get there from here?

Once a decision is made many people will find life getting in the way of their career goals; many people start their careers with high aspirations and find that financial or family obligations result in a shift in career focus. Lots of current career development theories (e.g., Happenstance, Chaos) acknowledge the impact of unexpected life events.

I have learned over time, and by trial and error, that circumstances have often dictated my career options. Another career theorist, Linda Gottfredson, acknowledged limits on career opportunities (she called this “circumscription”) and the compromises that people make as they juggle work with their other life roles. My folks believed that if I wanted a university education I would have to fund it myself. As a single mom I found myself having to support a family on very little income. Have I made poor career choices over the years? Absolutely! However I have also had some wonderful career opportunities.

In my musings about my meandering career path I’ve come to understand that it wasn’t reasonable for me to expect the perfect job. It has been about deciding on the most important things in my life and working from that point. For much of my working life my family has been the centre of my life and my jobs had to fit. In fact, my education was completed at a community college in alternating years with having children. I then I ran a home-based business when my children were very young.

Years later, as an Executive Director, I interviewed scores of applicants for a variety of positions. I met a few young people with clear career goals and enough enthusiasm and drive to ensure career success; however, most were like me...doing what it takes to get the job done, whatever that job may be for that particular person. That sounds an awful lot like career success to me! Life Strategies can help you navigate your career path. Call 604-856-2386 for more information.

Building Cultural Competency...Right in Your Own Neighbourhood

2010-08-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

Managing diverse workplaces is a hot topic these days. To address skill shortages, we’re increasingly dependent on immigrant workers – and, for the first time ever, we have four distinct generations working within many organizations. Much money and time has been invested in helping organizations to recruit and retain diverse workers – the SEED toolkit that we developed last year is one example of a comprehensive project with that focus. The toolkit is freely available at: www.embracingdiversity.ca.
However, a big challenge with embracing diversity is simply that we don’t know what we don’t know. In the Cultural Diversity Yearbook, part of the SEED toolkit, is full of ideas for embracing diversity at work.
The picture I’ve inserted here looks like it might be from one of our trips to Asia, doesn’t it? A beautiful Jade Buddha is being admired by visitors, some of whom have travelled quite a distance to see it. If you could hear the sounds, the major languages are Chinese and Vietnamese – no English. You’d smell incense mingled with Pho, a Vietnamese soup. Many visitors are drinking bubble tea. There are only 4 Caucasian visitors out of several hundred in the plaza – Gerry and I, and two men with their Asian wives and families.

What may surprise you is that this photo is from the corner of our quiet street in the village of Aldergrove, in the middle of farm country just an hour outside of Vancouver. A Buddhist monastery purchased the United Church building and property and, within just one month, converted it to a temple. The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace is only temporarily on display – if you can get to Aldergrove before Sunday, August 15th, it’s well worth a look!

As I sat at my desk earlier today and looked out my office window, a South Asian woman was standing on her front lawn bowing to the East in the early morning light (different culture and different faith from the Buddhists on the corner). Last weekend, about 8,000 Christian youth attended “Rock the River” just a few kilometres west of here. We took our grand-daughters to the Chilliwack agricultural fair last Friday, too!

Without straying far from home this summer, what cultural events can you attend? Once you’ve explored a bit, consider celebrating the diversity within your own workplace – a cultural potluck can be a wonderful start! The Cultural Diversity Yearbook, part of the SEED toolkit, is full of ideas for embracing diversity at work.

Interested in learning more about the SEED toolkit and other workplace diversity resources? Join us online for one week beginning September 22 for our Managing Diversity e-course!

Is Face-to-Face Learning As Good As Online?

2010-08-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Some of our Life Strategies Ltd. staff recently attended a webinar titled Online Effectiveness: Making Your Case. In this session panellist presented on how to structure and market online programs, with a lot of the discussion centred around getting students and faculty to buy-in to the value of online learning. It seems that providers of online education, such as us, constantly have to make a case for the quality and rigor of online programs.

One of the panellists suggested that we may need to reverse our thinking about online learning to consider if face-to-face is as good as online? It’s not fair to assume that just because a course is online, it’s of lesser quality. Students need to look at the format of the program (e.g., is it facilitated online learning, independent study, webinars, blogs), the content and depth of the program, and who the instructor/developer is. Also, consider how grades are allotted (e.g., assignments, discussions, exams, or are they provided at all). All these factors play a role in the quality and rigor of online programs.

In addition, students need to do their homework and figure out if online learning is an appropriate fit. Life Strategies Ltd. has an online readiness quiz (http://lifestrategies.ca/pdf/onlineReadinessQuiz.pdf). Take a look and see if you’re ready for online learning.

Lastly, reflect on what type of student you are. If you learn better in a traditional classroom setting then try mixed-mode courses which incorporate the best of both worlds. Learning works best when you’re engaged in the discussion and activities, whether it’s online or face-to-face.

Hello - Goodbye - Let's keep in touch!

2010-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

The job market isn’t always a friendly place for recent university graduates and as a recent graduate myself, I can attest to this fact. I can relate to the struggle of trying to become situated in the work world while still holding on to the ideals of school – e.g., doing something you love, related to something you studied. Sometimes we may wonder why we are in a job seemingly unrelated to all those years of study. This can make the transition from university to the workforce difficult, jarring even. Although a university education prepares us for the specific field in which our interest resides, we cannot rely on the increasingly outdated conception that a B.A. is a guaranteed ‘in’ to a job in that field. Continual upgrading is a crucial benefit; for example, being a certified Personality Dimensions facilitator gives you an edge over other graduates.

Although I’ve only been at Life Strategies a short time, I’ve greatly enjoyed being here and can see it as a phenomenal foundation for my career. It has given me unique and invaluable experience that I would not have found elsewhere, even though on the surface it is not exactly what I had studied in university. More importantly, working at Life Strategies has given me the opportunity to see how my education and career choice interrelate so harmoniously. That being said, being accepted into grad school to complete my M.A. was an opportunity I could not pass up. I will be going to Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario to complete my Master’s in Sociology, with a focus on Internationalization, Migration, and Human Rights. Recently I have been given the task of researching diversity in the workforce. The research has reassured me that I have made the right decision to pursue my education at a higher level. Yet is has also shown me again that so many of my interests are deeply embedded in organizations such as Life Strategies.

Whatever opportunities come your way, take them!

Roast Beef

2010-07-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

"A young woman wanted to cook roast beef for dinner but had never done so before, so she called her mother to ask for instructions. Her mother told her to cut a chunk off both ends of the roast before placing it into the roasting pan. The roast beef turned out wonderfully. The next day the woman called her mother again and asked "Why is it so important to cut the ends off the roast." The mother thought for a bit and replied "I'm not sure, but that's how my mother taught me to cook roast beef, we'll need to ask grandma next time we see her." Several days later the woman and her mother visited grandma and asked her why it was so important to cut the ends of the roast off to ensure successful roasting. The grandma replied with a smirk, "because that's the only way I could fit it into my roasting pan".

We so often do things the way we do because that's how we've always done them. We're not quite sure why we do things that way...but it must be the "right way" because that's how it's always been done.
Perhaps there are other options that make more sense for the ways things are today.

Fitting Learning Into Your Life

2010-07-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

Most everyone understands the importance of engaging in lifelong learning. The world of work is incredibly fast paced resulting in the need to keep up with advancements in technology, changes in business focus, new funding opportunities, and the need to maintain certifications / credentials – the list likely goes on and on. In reality, however, it can be exceedingly difficult to incorporate learning into already busy lives; juggling work, family/friends, community, and health can be challenging enough without the added stress of “getting to school.” Perhaps engaging in lifelong learning would be easier if we took a more creative approach to the notion of “learning.”

Learning can occur anywhere, anytime – it isn’t just about driving to a local community college to take a course or meeting co-workers at a company-sponsored training event. Even universities recognize the importance of offering a wider range of options for adult learners; I’m, for example, completing my PhD in Organizational Systems via a distributed learning model…there is no need for me to visit the university campus. Learning can also be informal such as reading, sharing technical tips with colleagues, and attending lunch ‘n learns.

Here are a few tips for fitting learning into your life:

§ Keep a reading box – journals, magazines, and books can be popped into a basket or box and grabbed when time permits or the mood strikes. Fill your briefcase before a road trip or flight

§ Form a topical discussion group – meet with team members and/or colleagues for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sessions, perhaps over lunch or coffee. Rotate who is going to share an item learned relevant to their work

§ Share a tech tip – come to each staff meeting with a technical tip (i.e., did you know CTRL+Z is a keyboard shortcut for undo)

§ Take a short e-course – we recommend www.lynda.com for inexpensive, quick, self-paced training. With over 830 courses ranging from web development and digital photography to MS Office and Adobe there is something for everyone

For more formal education (i.e., college-level courses, certificate and degree programs) don’t overlook the benefits of distance education – it can easily fit around other life activities and, in some cases, can offer a better educational experience than face-to-face training.

Most importantly, remember that

Learning is a treasure

that will follow its owner everywhere

~Chinese Proverb

Rain Rain Go Away – Thriving Through Difficult Times

2010-07-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Although the West Coast of Canada is well known for it’s rainy days, by July we’re usually basking in the sun. Unfortunately, we’re currently under siege with April-type showers and it’s beginning to get hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Will the rain ever stop? Will we ever get a stretch of sun for longer than one day?!

With work, visualizing an end to a particularly difficult or busy time can also be a struggle which can impact the engagement of your team members and overall company morale. It’s especially important in times such as these for team members to band together, support each other, and collectively rise to the challenge. Be sure to recognize the challenge at hand and distribute work to those most well-suited. Planning and prioritizing are essential to ensure what needs to get done is getting done, no balls are being dropped, and work-load isn’t overwhelming the team.

Difficult times can be due to one large challenge or lots of little ones that just never seem to end. At Life Strategies Ltd. we often use “ticky” contests to keep track of those smaller tasks we get off our plate and give us a sense of accomplishment. At the end of a specified period, the one with the most tickies wins!

Remember, when the skies clear and the sun emerges, don’t forget to reward you team. It’s the perfect conditions for a summer BBQ.

Social Media in the workplace

2010-06-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to attend a conference about the use of social media in business. For many of us using social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) is a huge leap from the communication style that we are familiar with. Recent studies illustrate the importance of becoming educated in the use and benefits of social media.
“If you’re not tweeting about your business--someone else is. If you’re not setting your own business message on Twitter--someone else is. But more importantly, if you’re not listening to what your customers (and potential customers) are saying on Twitter--someone else is.”
http://blogs.forbes.com/work-in-progress/2010/06/11/is-twitter-a-colossal-waste-of-time/
Employers everywhere are using social networks to screen job candidates, so be sure that what you post online about yourself isn’t going to impact you negatively in the future. In a study conducted by Harris interactive for CareerBuilding.com, 45% of employers questioned are using social networks to screen job candidates and 35% decided not to offer a job to a candidate based on the content uncovered on a social networking site. Over 50% of employers said that provocative photos were the biggest factor contributing to not hiring a potential employee. 44% of employers pinpointed references to drinking and drug use as red flags.
Have you defined who gets to use social media in the workplace? Be aware of how much time your employees are spending on social network. Consider how much bandwidth is wasted by employees downloading from YouTube, or the security challenges that you face from browsing infected pages.
According to a study by information security consultancy Global Secure Systems and the organizers of the Infosecurity Europe trade show, the use of such sites is costing U.K. business an estimated $12.5 billion per year in terms of reduced output.
About 64 per cent of U.S. companies deny their employees access to sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, according to a survey by Clearswift, a London, UK-based provider of content security. In addition, 14 per cent have had to discipline staff for data loss and seven per cent for posting inappropriate content on social sites, but only 36 per cent have a policy covering such usage.
It’s probably well worth our time to investigate the benefits and risks associated with the use of social media in our workplaces.
-Thanks to Mark Fancourt-Smith of Fasken Martineau for some of this information, and for a really interesting presentation on “Tips to avoid a risk management nightmare...”

The Community Connection

2010-06-02T12:54:00.001-07:00

Building a sense of community is an import aspect for small businesses. Life Strategies Ltd. recently relocated to Aldergrove, BC – a smaller community than which it was previously located. Although much of the business is conducted remotely (e.g., e-learning training options), the team recognizes the importance of face-to-face consulting and training. To connect with local businesses and service providers we will be hosting an open house on June 8. It’s a great opportunity to get together, develop a sense of community, and promote pride in our team and business.

If you’re a small business, there are many ways you can get involved without organizing an event yourself. Join a local business association or get involved with a local charity, sports team, or community group. Keep an eye on the local paper for events which may be a good fit for your company.

Although we live in a global marketplace where business can be conducted miles from your actual location, investing in and promoting local business will keep your community, your business, and your employees thriving.

The ongoing battle to find more time...

2010-05-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

Many of us lead very busy lives...we attempt (and many succeed) to balance work, family, hobbies, community, and school. There are many like me, however, who struggle to find more hours in the day and days in the week to accomplish all we set out to do. Too many times I get to the end of the day and am perplexed at how little I managed to accomplish...it is like my to-do list is hijacked and, I know I’m not the only one! A Google search on “time management” resulted in over 9 million hits – many of the top focused on time management skills and resources.

Time is constant...as Julie Morganstern (1998) put it, “Time is measurable, and we all get exactly the same amount - 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.” Given this why do so many seem to struggle to manage time? Perhaps it is because we approach it from the wrong direction – what if, instead of trying to manage time, we learned to manage ourselves?

A good first step in is to analyze how or what seems to fill your day. Take a moment (assuming you can find one) to ask yourself:

How do you manage your work day now?
o What’s working and what’s not?
o What time of day are you at your best?
What things are you juggling?
o Work
o School
o Family
o Other
What hinders your ability to manage your day (time) effectively?
o Constant interruptions
o Inefficient workspace
o Shifting priorities / deadlines
o Disorganization
o Inability to say “no”

Once you have a better sense of what is negatively impacting your day you can look for solutions.

If you are struggling to efficiently plan and prioritize projects/tasks
o Ask for help
o Read a book on time management, setting priorities, or even goal setting
o Participate in a workshop
If disorganization and inefficient workspace is a problem
o Take time to clean and organize your office/workspace
o Develop a filing system that will make sense for you!
If you are constantly interrupted by phone calls, emails, visitors
o Institute a “no-email” policy – many organizations are instituting email-free zones (i.e., no emails between 10am and 2pm daily)
o Turn your phone off for an hour or so each day
If priorities and deadlines keep shifting
o Ask for help / clarification...engage your team / manager in how to best prioritize work load

Know your PRIME TIME and plan schedules and projects accordingly

Work on complex projects when creativity and concentration are at peak
You’re motivated and at your best
Leave less demanding activities for low energy times

Most importantly, remember:

Time is free, but it's priceless.

You can't own it, but you can use it.

You can't keep it, but you can spend it.

Once you've lost it

you can never get it back

~Harvey MacKay

2010-05-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Macleans magazine reports that the top rated employers in Canada provide parental-leave top-ups, tuition subsidies, flex hours, tele-commuting, job sharing, and occasionally the opportunity to make their own hours, judged on output instead of physical hours (October 19, 2009).
Experts say that appreciation and opportunity for growth and development are the most important factors in job satisfaction. It’s really not about the money.
Interestingly, the summer 2009 edition of Fibromyalgia Aware states that the accommodations listed above are precisely what persons with disabilities require to be active in the workforce (p24).
As a career community we have been researching and studying diversity in the workplace. There are programs to educate employers and employees about promoting diversity in the workplace; however, I wonder how often disabilities are considered to be a type of diversity? Are workplaces prepared to make accommodations? Are folks with ALL types of diversity being welcomed into the work-place and being given the opportunity to grow and develop?
I have a disability and am fortunate enough to have an employer who provides the opportunity to work from home and to determine my own hours. Such flexibility and understanding helps keep me engaged in my work, and provides me with a sense of satisfaction.
When Sigmund Freud was asked what he considered to be the most important characteristics of an emotionally healthy adult, he answered simply, “To love and to work.”

Fat Free is the Way to Be

2010-04-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

With the spring upon us and summer looming, cutting down on fatty food and getting fit becomes a focus for many of us. In the workplace another opportunity presents itself for trimming the fat - our writing. Far too often we write without adhering to the KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) principle. This results in writing full of fluff and fat. In the business and technical setting, writers should strive to be clear and concise; oversized documents aren’t desirable.

A careful review of your writing after composition with a fat-free lens can cut out those unwanted pounds. Ask yourself “who cares?” You should only be including information which is relevant to the reader; anything else is simply excess. Utilizing numbered/bulleted lists or tables can cut down on words and provide brief representation of content.

For tips and strategies to put your writing on a diet, see the Fat Free Writing Series[1] and Fat-Free Writing or How to Eliminate Wordiness in 10 Easy Steps[2]

Remember, just like any fitness plan, cutting the fat from your writing takes time, dedication, and practice. Keep yourself engaged in your work by striving to improve your writing. It’s a skill that will carry throughout your career.

[1]http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/technical_writing/47968
[2] http://www.rwanational.org/galleries/08handouts/Oortman-Buchholz-FatFree-handouts.pdf

Marketing Yourself

2010-04-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been busy in my personal life prepping my condo to sell. Some things my realtor and I have done to market my condo include:
1. De-cluttering and packing away anything that doesn’t need to be on display.
2. Sweeping up the leaves on my patio to highlight one of the condo’s best features.
3. Approving marketing flyers.
4. Uploading the details of the condo to an online listing service.
As I have marketed and branded my condo as a great place to live, I started thinking how can these strategies be transferred to marketing and branding one’s career? Some effective strategies might include:
1. Developing a 30-second elevator statement. In 30 seconds or less be able to tell someone who you are, what you do, your strengths, and your goals.
2. Highlighting your best work features. Know your strengths and ensure the people you work with know your strengths and what you enjoy working on.
3. Developing, or updating, your resume, cover letter, and career portfolio.
4. Networking at face-to-face events or through online social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Marketing yourself at work and in your career is one effective technique to stay engaged. Even if you’re not looking for a new job, marketing yourself can help you to move up in your own company or focus on projects best suited to your strengths.

New Beginnings

2010-04-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

It’s officially spring…a time of endings and new beginnings. William Bridges introduced a transition model that involves 3 different zones…an ending, a neutral zone, and, finally, a new beginning. This is a good time of year to reflect on what each of those zones holds for you.

In Canada, April marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for our government (which, within Life Strategies means an end to several of the government-funded research and development projects we’ve been working on). It’s also the end of the university term – with lots of end-of-term projects and marking but also a chance to look ahead and prep for the new term beginning in a few weeks.

In our gardens, we’re seeing new buds on trees and fresh growth poking through the ground. In front of our new Life Strategies offices we were delighted to see the spindly trees out front erupt with gorgeous pink Magnolia blooms – like a reward for surviving a long and busy winter.

To successfully move on to something new, however, requires attending to all the tasks associated with closure and completion of projects. It’s easy to get excited about new beginnings and ignore those final pieces that wrap up the past season, life stage, or contract.

Within the Life Strategies team, we sometimes engage in “ticky contests” at such transitional times. In our ticky contests, we earn points for completing items on our To Do lists – each task, no matter how small, earns a ticky. Everyone benefits by having the weight of endless to do items finally removed from their shoulders – and all get rewarded (usually with gift certificates); the person with the most tickies, of course, gets doubly rewarded – a shorter “to do” moving into the new season as well as the biggest gift certificate!

The neutral zone is a time of reflection, regrouping, and redirection. It can be an exciting time as old projects are tidied up and new possibilities are considered. However, it can also be a confusing time, with less certainty about schedules and expectations in the months ahead.

Within the Life Strategies team, after extending Amanda Pereira’s contract for 3 “new beginnings,” we’ve now said “au revoir” (the French version of “until we meet again, rather than a more permanent “goodbye”). We have been working full out for the past year and are very much looking forward to a slightly quieter spring and summer for consolidating some of our in-house projects as well as beginning several new external ones. In his work on Flow, Csikszentmihalyi wrote of the importance of matching skills to challenge; in my own “flow” research, I’ve added “resources” to the skills side of the equation – Flow occurs when challenges are carefully balanced to available skills and resources. We can use the neutral zone to replenish resources and re-energize, ready to face new beginnings with energy and excitement.

As you reflect on your own transitions this season:

What still needs your attention and energy?
What needs closure?
What needs to be completed before you can move on?
What is happening for you in the neutral zone that sometimes comes with springtime?
Have you taken the chance to re-energize over this Easter long weekend?
Looking ahead, is there something you need to do to prepare for the upcoming season?
As you enter a new beginning, what excites you?
How will you keep your energy up?
What resources will you need, personally and professionally, for a successful transition?

Olympic-Themed Activities

2010-02-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Olympics officially starts today. Life Strategies Ltd. is lucky enough to be located just outside of Vancouver, close enough to feel the excitement that the games are producing amongst locals. Fiona already mentioned our attendance at the torch relay that came through Aldergrove at the beginning of the week as just one of the things we’ve done to capture the spirit of the games. Our team was also lucky enough to get our hands on the infamous Olympic red mittens which we’ve been sporting throughout the Lower Mainland of BC.

Even if you’re not able to make it out to any Olympic events or get your hands on any Olympic merchandise, you can definitely still capture the Olympic spirit in other ways. Below I’ve included some Olympic-theme suggestions for your workplace:

Host an Olympic pride day at your work by having staff dress in your national colours
Organize an international potluck to reflect the international nature of the games
Post your own Olympic medal tally or arrange Olympic event viewings for staff to keep them in the loop
Coordinate an employee winter sporting event to get staff active
Raffle off Olympic-themed items as prizes (These don’t have to be the official Olympic merchandise – use items that reflect your national identify, sport, or the Olympic colours)
Fundraise for local sports teams to give back to the community

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Employee Engagement

2010-02-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

Life Strategies Ltd. is located in Aldergrove, BC which is just outside of Vancouver; and next week Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. One Olympic tradition is the Torch Relay. The Torch Relay began on October 30, 2009 in Victoria, BC and will be making its way through Aldergrove, BC on February 8, 2010. As Life Strategies is new to Aldergrove we are excited to be joining together as a team to go out to watch the Olympic Torch make its way through Aldergrove and then enjoy a potluck lunch together afterwards.

Team building activities, such as the one mentioned above, are a great way to improve employee productivity and keep employees motivated. Taking a team building activity out of the office is also an effective way to reduce distractions and any office politics as well as bond closer team relationships[1].

If your team is living in the Vancouver area, there are many Olympic related team building opportunities you can participate in. While attending Olympic sporting events may be a budget buster for most companies, there are many free activities you can do as a teambuilding activity. For some free ideas visit http://citycaucus.com/2010free

[1] http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/benefits.htm

The Importance of a Cover Letter

2010-01-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

I’m currently working on a variety of career resources; one of which is a guide on developing cover letters. Here I will share what I’ve learned while developing the cover letter resource.

One commonly asked question is “why do I need a cover letter?” or “isn’t my resume enough?” I’ve found that a cover letter is a great way to help get you your dream job to increase your engagement at work and can be a great value add in addition to your resume. Your cover letter should be used as a way to show your personality to potential employers.

In the first paragraph of your letter start with a catchy phrase and avoid using something generic such as “I’m submitting my cover letter and resume for consideration for the ____ position. [1]” Use this paragraph to speak about why you want the job, how you heard about it, and why you want to work for the company. In the second paragraph list your skills, knowledge, accomplishments, and abilities. Be sure not to repeat what is already written in your resume. In your final paragraph, thank the person reviewing the cover letter, mention a time you’re available for an interview, and provide your contact information.

In terms of style and formatting, keep your cover letter consistent with your resume. If you’ve used a specific header in your resume, use the same one in your cover letter. Also, try to keep the font size and colour consistent with what you’ve used in your resume. Print your cover letter on white or a slightly off-white paper[2].
A cover letter is an important piece of the job search. Be sure to devote a respectable amount of time to writing your cover letter as you would to developing your resume. The cover letter is often the first thing an employer or hiring manager will review so it’s important to put your best foot forward with your cover letter.

[1] http://resume.monster.ca/12006_en-CA_p1.asp
[2] http://www.settlemanitoba.ca/employment/cover_letter.php#Cover_Letter_DOs

Book Review: The Power of Inclusion

2010-01-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Title: The Power of Inclusion: Unlock the Potential and Productivity of Your Workforce
Authors: Michael C. Hyter and Judith Turnock
Rating: 3.5 stars
Available: To purchase online and at various book stores.

With constantly advancing technology and increasing globalization, employee performance is what distinguishes top performing businesses from the rest. Hyter and Turnock highlight the aristocratic approach that many organizations take when deciding which employees are worthy of investing in, exclusively providing select employees with opportunities for advancement. They go on to explain how most management teams hire employees with characteristics similar to themselves, and solely focus training and development on those who they have deemed “high potential” employees. In a business world that is said to promote “equal opportunity” these common practices undoubtedly perpetuate inequality.

The authors make a business case for an inclusive model of human resource management. They detail how the people who are most successful in the workplace achieve their level of success because of the attention and amount of investment management has provided for them, not because they had more potential than any other employee. Subsequent chapters go on to explain how businesses can create an inclusive culture, concentrating development opportunities not just on the select few, but giving those same benefits to everyone; this will help them unlock the potential and productivity of their workforce.

Like
What stood out most for me was the section in the concluding chapter that highlighted assessment and evaluation guidelines to measure progress and results (p 230). The criteria include:

Increased breadth of recruitment

Increased internal sourcing and advancement

Increased diversity across the board

Reduced turnover

Improved employee satisfaction

Improved customer satisfaction

Increased market share

I also liked the index that highlighted important terms and topics, and the case studies weaved throughout the book which provided relevant information on real experiences.

Dislike
What I disliked about this book was that it seemed to focus on medium to large sized businesses. Also the turnaround time for measureable impact of the strategies proposed is fairly long. I think it would have been helpful for the authors included smaller, achievable goals throughout refurbishing process.

Lessons Learned
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; equal opportunity includes providing every employee with training and development opportunities equally.

Winter Wonderland? How to Prepare for Snow Days

2009-12-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

In British Columbia we’ve just recently received our first snow fall which has covered our roads making the commute into work a potentially dangerous time. Snow-covered, icy roads can present a barrier for many in keeping business going as usual however, by providing employees with a “snow day plan” you can help keep them safe and the company productive.

Here are some helpful tips to implement your winter commute program:

Plan Ahead
Don’t let employees become anxious over the snowfall by neglecting to plan ahead. Make sure you address “snow day protocol” before the first snowfall of the season. Look at the weather forecast and address concerns in advance.

Get the Message Out
There are many options for spreading the word such as posting snow plans on your internal company website and lunch rooms or other common spaces; utilizing email broadcasts; addressing procedures during team meetings; and having a contact network or phone line with “snow day updates.” The best way to get the message out will depend on your organization’s structure/size and the communication tools available. If you are having trouble deciding on the best method, ask your employees for suggestions. Use multiple methods if necessary.

Emphasize Safety
The main reason for planning for snow days is to ensure the safety of your company’s number one asset: the people. Ensure to communicate this message clearly to employees.

Provide Work Alternatives
If you’re able to, provide staff with work alternatives so that they won’t get behind and won’t feel pressured to come into the office on dangerous roads. If employees work on laptops, these can be brought home the night prior to an expected snowfall. By providing databases which can be accessed from a distance this will ensure little disruption. If staff doesn’t use computers, cannot bring laptops home, or cannot access files/databases remotely, allow employees to bring home paper files or other necessary work. Think of projects which can be worked on outside of the office (e.g., research projects).

Be Understanding
Above all else, be understanding. Not everyone has access to snow-ready vehicles or reliable transit routes, and school closures may impact child care responsibilities.

By utilizing these strategies you can remove the stress surrounding snow days and foster engagement.

Celebrating the Holiday Season With Your Work Team

2009-12-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Tradition is defined by dictionary.com as “a customary or characteristic method or manner.”[1] At Life Strategies we have several holiday traditions that bring us together as a team. Each year, around December, we get together to go out to an event. In my time working with Life Strategies we have gone to a Pantomime play in White Rock, BC (something we’ll be doing again this year), attended a Christmas concert at the Red Robinson Theatre, and celebrated the season on a Christmas carol ship. Our annual holiday event is a great time to get together as a team to relax and appreciate one another for the work done throughout the year.

In addition to our annual event, the Life Strategies team gets involved with several charities. Early in November, Life Strategies’ team members contributed to the Samaritan’s Purse: Operation Christmas Child which involves filling a shoe box or plastic container with toys and living essentials for children in need. We also work together, clearing out our closets and prepping for a Clothing and Toy Giveaway in Coquitlam, BC, that reaches out to individuals of all ages to provide clothes, food, toys, and items for the home (see below for a picture of all the donations received this year). Another favourite Life Strategies’ tradition is to donate to World Vision. World Vision makes donating simple by providing a catalogue and ordering online[2].

Likely many workplaces have one holiday tradition or another. During this busy time of year, such traditions can be a great way to keep employee engagement going. If you’re organization doesn’t participate in any holiday traditions, try starting something simple (such as a baking trade-off where everyone brings baked-goods to work and swaps amongst one another to get a variety of baked-goods to take home). I find our workplace holiday traditions are a great way to pump up energy and increase productivity.

[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tradition
[2] https://catalogue.worldvision.ca/gifts/Forms/preHome.aspx?mc=3221603&lang=en

Status Update: Creating a Presence Through Social Networking: What To Do and Not To Do

2009-11-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn are increasing in popularity; most everyone has an account on one or more sites. From my personal experience it has been quite common to use such sites to network with friends and family but more and more people are creating accounts to connect with their business contacts to help further their career. Creating an account for career networking is just one way to instigate Planned Happenstance which is the theory by John Krumboltz that details that individuals have the ability to create their own luck.[1] For instance, you never know which of your contacts is going to be able to help you further your career. Before jumping in with both feet and creating an account or adding career contacts to your existing accounts, take a moment to review the following dos and don’ts for creating a web-presence.

Do:
1. Keep your network interested - Engage your contacts by changing status updates, adding pictures, or posting relevant links
2. Use an updated, professional profile picture
3. Consider increasing security settings - If you are going to create an account that is visible to everyone, you may want to limit who has access to post public things on your account (e.g., with Facebook there is an option to remove the ability for contacts to write on your “wall”)
4. Be available to your network - If you’re using your social networking presence to ask for favours from some of your contacts make sure you’re available to them when they ask for a favour in return. Remember networking (whether face-to-face or online) is a two-way street
5. Keep contact information up-to-date and accurate
6. Join groups and become fans of pages that are relevant and appropriate
Do Not:
1. Combine personal accounts and business accounts - You may want to create one account for friends and family and another for business contacts. It is likely that your business contacts are not going to be interested to see pictures from your family reunion
2. Accept “friend requests” or requests to be “connected” from individuals you don’t know - If you aren’t sure who someone is but feel they may be valuable to add try viewing common contacts to see if that can ring a bell
3. Post inappropriate content - As a rule of thumb, if you have to think about whether or not something is appropriate, it likely isn’t
4. Provide too much information - Be cautious about the type of information you’re posting (e.g., it may not be safe to post an address if you work from home)
[1] http://www.contactpoint.ca/cjcd/v1-n1/article2.pdf

National Career Development Month

2009-11-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

It may be news to you but November is National Career Development Month in the United States. Although we don’t have the same special day here in Canada, it’s a great opportunity to bring attention to the growing need for career development activities and promote them throughout an individual’s lifespan. It’s the perfect time to reflect on your career and focus on developing it.

Many associations and educational institutions throughout the United States are celebrating through fun and informative activities, contests, workshops, and/or featured resources. If you’re interested in celebrating check out these resources for suggestions on activities that might be of interest:

2009-10-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Benefits (and Risks)

of Friendships at Work

Most employees working in a non-virtual environment spend a great deal of time with their co-workers and are likely to develop friendships over time. While friendships in the workplace can increase job satisfaction and make going to work more fun there are also other benefits. Co-workers that become friends can provide rich feedback on work-related matters and encourage you to do better; providing that extra push to further yourself at work.1

However, not all researchers/authors have agreed that workplace friendships are beneficial. If your workplace friendship is beyond casual where you are also friends outside of the workplace this can cause potential problems. Spending time together outside of work enables you to see another side of your friend’s personality and vice versa. Some friends may become more accustomed to the “outside of work personality” and lose professional courtesy when engaging with one another at work. Another potential risk is if a personal friendship is tainted outside of the workplace. A fight or disagreement could potentially lead to poor communication and a lack of productivity. 2

What to do? I think the benefits outweigh the risks. Having a source of support and encouragement at work is healthy. However, I do believe that a balance of professionalism and friendship is needed. One suggestion is to leave strong friendships outside of work and keep to more casual friendships with your co-workers.

1. http://www.lhj.com/relationships/work/worklife-balance/at-work-friendships/
2. http://careercoaching.suite101.com/article.cfm/friendships_at_work

The Green Age

2009-10-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

Social responsibility and “going green” are new trends of the new Millennium amongst the general public and within the business world. There are many ways to pledge your commitment to the sustainability of the global environment all while getting fellow colleagues and employees excited and engaged in this beneficial endeavour.

As a new member at Life Strategies, I have had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of our newly initiated “green committee.” There are a number of ways in which Life Strategies has been a “green” business since its beginning, but the goals of this newly instated “green committee” are to ensure that these green practices are maintained, others are adopted, and others are promoted in a manner that encourages other businesses to contribute to the sustainability of the environment.

At Life Strategies we:
• Work from remote offices which reduces the amount of fuel emissions
• The majority of our work is produced in digital format; significantly reducing the amount of paper used
• Print on the reverse side of previously printed on paper when we print for internal purposes
• Conduct bi-monthly staff meetings online, also reducing emissions
• Have an in-house recycling program where we recycle paper products and drinking containers
• Provide educational services online with the majority of learning resources in digital format resulting in the reduction of printed paper products
• Provide publications on flash drives; not just printed versions

Do you recognize the impact your efforts can make? How are you and your workplace going green?

Book Review: The Age of Speed

2009-09-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Title: The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World
Authors: Vince Poscente
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Available Online at http://books.google.ca/books?id=YVpwIst_uNMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Age+of+Speed:+Learning+to+Thrive+in+a+More-Faster-Now+World#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Building from a simplistic children’s story, the tortoise and the hare, Poscente takes readers on a journey exploring the notion of speed in today’s society and breaks down myths about speed. He begins by examining the concept of “time” and how we have traditionally define/organize our time. Poscente opts for a new notion of time, building on values rather than the traditional work-home-leisure paradigm.

The take home message is that one should develop efficient and fast ways to deal with the mundane tasks in order to allot more time to fun, creative tasks and family. Poscente does concede that that speed isn’t necessary for success in all circumstances and utilizes a metaphor to expand on this:

Those who resist speed and succeed nonetheless are referred to as Balloons (e.g., speciality shops)
Those who embrace speed but accelerate out of control with no clear plan or direction for how to utilize their speed are referred to as Bottle Rockets (e.g., Dell Computers)
Those who require speed but resist it are referred to as Zepplins (e.g., Kodak)
Those who embrace speed with a clear direction/plan are referred to as Jets and serve as a exemplar for business strategy in today’s society (e.g., Google)

Like
I liked how the book was structured with small but insightful chapters. The use of metaphors and case study analysis in this book was also well executed and facilitated understanding. The practical tips and strategies for embracing speed presented to the reader provided excellent advice on how to become a “Jet.”

Dislike
I found some parts of the book, although insightful, were repetitive. Considering the topic, I would have appreciated greater directness and conciseness.

Applications & Lesson Learned
This book has great applications in the workforce. By examining your circumstances and the nature of your work, you can determine how best to use speed to your advantage and succeed. It is also important to keep in mind that speed and direction need to come from not only at the individual level but also the organizational level.

“If we truly want to soar, we have to understand our authentic purpose, be nimble and open to opportunities, be free of clutter and drag that can limit our potential, and seek our speed in unique and innovative ways” (p. 209)

Book Review: Crucial Conversations

2009-09-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Title: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High
Authors: Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Available Online [1]
For more than 25 years, Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler researched people in the workplace. These authors found that what makes someone an effective colleague is the way they manage their conversations. The authors studied these conversations and took detailed notes when they were having crucial conversations.
The authors offer some basic steps for how to manage crucial conversations. First is to identify when a conversation is turning crucial. One way to do this is by your own physical signals (e.g., Is your stomach getting tight? Are you eyes drying up?).

Once a crucial conversation is recognized the authors suggest to “start with heart.” What this means is to dig deep down inside and figure out the message you’re truly trying to get across. Often in a crucial conversation you can become defensive and your message may get lost or never get sent because the focus turns to defending. If you can recognize that a conversation has turned crucial and stay focussed, then you can learn to avoid being defensive and stay focussed on the message you’re really trying to get across. If your conversation partner begins to get defensive, this is one way to recognize that they do not feel safe in the conversation. When someone is feeling unsafe, they are likely not hearing your purpose. To return to a safe conversation, the effective conversationist has to guide the conversation back to a mutual purpose; if both parties can agree on one goal, it makes the conversation safer, with both parties more likely to hear what one another has to say.

Like

One of the best things about this book is the use of examples for various situations. This book is not just useful in a work setting, but also applies to conversations with spouses, family members, and friends.

Dislike

The authors did a very good job of getting the point across in the first few chapters, however after that the advice seemed a bit repetitive.

Lesson Learned

Practice makes perfect. Just as trying to remember to sit with good posture may take a conscious effort so too does staying in tune to your emotions during conversations when they turn crucial. It’s easy to prepare yourself for a crucial conversation when you are expecting one, but as conversation escalates and emotions get stronger, it is easy for conscious effort to control your emotions to fade. Just as you may sit down extend your back, put your shoulders back, and focus on good posture, once you begin working on something you may realize a few minutes later your back is slouched and your shoulders are forward. If you are in the middle of a crucial conversation and you suddenly become aware that your emotions have taken over, take a few minutes to regain your composure, take some deep breaths, and start back into the conversation. Over time, forming some of the habits in this book should become natural just as good posture is more natural for someone that practices at it, such as a ballet dancer or physiotherapist.

[1] http://books.google.ca/books?id=Gzjj9mSPAGEC&dq=crucial+conversations+tools+for+talking+when+stakes+are+high&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=Aj8gIPH8II&sig=oq_qTIeUhEF9MyKeOjy3grtvEB8&hl=en&ei=RvOWSo_cG4ySsgPhocXFDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#

Re-Engaging after Summer Vacation

2009-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

If you’re anything like me, you look forward to the warm, sunny days of summer. It’s a great time to plan that special holiday and leave all your worries behind. Upon returning to work I feel refreshed, reenergized, and ready to get back to my work duties. Sometimes getting back into the swing of things can take some time, but I always focus on re-engaging in my work.

So, just how can you re-engage yourself? Be sure to ease your holiday-to-work transition by following some of the tips included below (adapted from Helium.com):

Give yourself time to settle back into your “normal” routine. If you’ve traveled to an exotic destination, give yourself a day or two to get your land legs and overcome any jet lag.
Reflect on your positive holiday experiences and achievements.
Stay positive about your work and reflect on the things that you enjoy doing.
Avoid in-box overload. If you can, consider looking through your emails the night before returning to work or have a colleague respond to urgent items while you are away.
Try to stick to your regular sleep schedule at least a few days before returning to work

I’d also suggest the following

Give yourself time to settle back into the groove of things.
Be sure to review any meeting notes, memos, or other updates
Organize yourself by creating a checklist. This will give you a sense of accomplishment getting through all the smaller tasks.
Take what you’ve learned/experienced during your holidays and apply it to your work.

How to Maximize Your Talents at Work

2009-08-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Maximizing your talents and showing your employer your diverse set of skills can help to put you and your career in the spotlight. To maximize your talents you must recognize your own strengths. If you’re not sure what your strengths are, try asking friends and family “What do you think I’m good at?” You may also want to reflect on skills that you been complimented on. Next transfer the skills you identified to the realm of work.

Once you have identified your strengths and how they are applicable to work, it’s time to put these talents into action. Start by volunteering for projects or take initiative to help others when needed. Don’t be afraid to talk about your accomplishments with others in a non-boastful way. At staff meetings you could mention how much you enjoyed working on a certain aspect of a project. Or when offering to assist with certain projects, make note of your skills “I’m great at__________, and could really help with_________.”[1]

The potential benefits of maximizing your talents could result in focusing more on projects and job duties that are a better fit for you, in turn making work more enjoyable. Your willingness to volunteer for projects may be noted by your employer, who in turn may begin sending you the work you enjoy more often.

[1] http://www.playtoyourstrengths.com/resources/faiths-articles/maximize-your-talents

Finding Flow...

2009-08-02T13:41:00.001-07:00

I'm currrently just finishing my contributions to a book on "Career Flow" (co-authored with Norm Amundson and Spencer Niles). Csikszentmihalyi has previously written about "Flow" as "optimal experience" - those wonderful moments when you are so throoughly engaged in an enjoyable activity that you lose all track of time as things click along perfectly for you.

In an entry in our own blog last month, Fiona talked about how the variety of projects she's working on contributed to flow. Krista, in her recent blog entry, spoke of the joys and challenges of working on virtual teams. As I reflect on my own work, the time races by when I'm teaching in a classroom, but minutes seem like hours when I'm grading a mountain of papers according to detailed criteria. As a consultant and manager, I love seeing "aha" moments; I hate wasting time.

Csikszentmihaly found that flow occurs more often at work than in any other life roles. He observed that balancing the degree of challenge to the level of one's skills contributes to flow (i.e., if you take on too much of a challenge for your current skill level, you'll likely be worried or anxious; however, too little challenge may result in boredom instead of flow).

I believe that it's not just about skills; rather the resources available to you (i.e., your overall capacity to get the task done) make a difference as well. Sometimes a job can be highly enjoyable until a co-worker calls in sick, leaving you with double the work with the same amount of resources. Your skills haven't changed, but it may no longer be a flow experience if you were already challenged by the work to be done. On the other hand, a job could be boring until an emergency arises - the unexpected challenge bumps you back into flow.

As you reflect on your own career, when do you find yourself in flow?

What types of activities, under which specific circumstances, do you find particularly engaging?
How can you create more of them at work?
How can you adjust the activities that drag you down so that they'll be more meaningful? Less tedious?

"Hope" is at the centre of the model explaining "career flow" in our latest book. In my previous research on what contributes to job success and career satisfaction, optimism was the single best predictor of both. Therefore, as you strive for more "flow" in your work (i.e., as you become more engaged), nurture hopefulness or optimism. Ask yourself,

Why are you doing what you do?
What difference does it make?
Who needs the product or service you provide?
Is the demand growing or declining?
What other meaningful projects can you contribute to?

Finding flow doesn't have to be accidental. Intentionally create opportunities that are challenging but not overwhelming. Make meaningful contributions. Recognize how your work helps make the world a better place.

Strategies for Working Successfully Within a Virtual Team

2009-07-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working on virtual teams for several years now and recently started to think about some of the tools and techniques that I’ve seen used to effectively engage employees when there is little or no face-to-face (f2f) interaction. Some of the little interactions that we take for granted in a traditional work setting are not as easily replicated in a virtual work environment. In a traditional office setting, employees typically greet one another, even if it’s just a passing hello on the way to one’s desk. These settings allow for virtually endless opportunities to connect throughout the day whether it’s as they walk by colleagues on their way to another office, the lunch room, or just to stop by to check-in on a project. Then, of course, there’s the coffee/lunch room – a veritable meeting place for most workplaces.

With the ever-increasing advances of technology and the subsequent comfort people have using it, virtual or distance workers are becoming more commonplace. Some of the techniques I’ve seen for engaging virtual work teams are listed below:

Annual retreats, allowing staff to reconnect, build relationships, and engage in professional development opportunities
Regular team meetings (e.g., weekly teleconferences, audio conferences)
Regular project meetings using suitable communication technologies
Online document storage to ensure that all team members have equal access to required documents
Effective use of available communication technologies, including:

Telephone
Chat (e.g., MSN)
Videoconferencing using web cams (e.g., Skype)
Audio conferencing (e.g., GoToMeeting)
Email
Online planning software as a virtual white board (e.g., mywebspiration.com)

Some of the challenges that virtual teams may face, include:

Taking longer to build relationships and trust amongst team members
Misinterpreting electronic communications (e.g., email, telephone, audio conferencing, text chat) because of a lack of body language
Developing processes for communication and providing feedback amongst team members

Despite there being some challenges to working within a virtual team, there seem to be an endless number of benefits that this type of work arrangement can offer. Some benefits include:

Working with colleagues from other regions and countries
Enhancing one’s technology skills
Working flexible hours, particularly when a team is spread across various time zones
Saving money by not having to commute to an office (e.g., transportation, parking)
Decreasing wardrobe costs if working mostly from home
Experiencing a sense of well-being from lessening one’s environmental footprint

Although not an option for every workplace and not for every individual, I am happy that I’ve been able to work on virtual teams and experience the wonderful benefits of doing so!

2009-07-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Shifting Priorities

As I was sitting here contemplating my next blog topic I was having difficulty thinking of a new and exciting employee engagement topic for which to focus my next blog on; so I started to think of everything that I’ve done today and began thinking about how it’s near the end of my day and how I have stayed productive and engaged throughout the entire day. After thinking about it for a while I looked back over my task list I noticed that I have been able to switch from one task to another several times throughout the day. After working on one project for a considerable length of time and feeling my creative juices for that project fading fast I decided to put it aside and refresh with a new task: writing my monthly blog entry. So this is where I am now.

[1].

If you have the flexibility within your own job to create your own schedule throughout the day – I encourage you to do so. If one project begins to become mundane, set it aside and pick up a new one. At least for myself I find this helps my productivity throughout the day. I find that I cannot force myself to be creative and once that runs out, the best thing to do is to switch up the project and come back to it at a later time. If shifting to another project is not an option, one source suggests shutting down your computer temporarily and taking a break as an alternative to staying productive

Now in the last few minutes I have been able to complete my next blog entry where if I had stayed focused on the project I was working on before I likely would not have accomplished nearly as much.

[1] http://lifelearningtoday.com/2007/08/23/25-tips-to-become-more-productive-and-happy-at-work/

Professional Development

2009-06-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

In any field there are opportunities for engaging in professional development in some shape or form. This might include taking part in an educational course, attending a short presentation/workshop, or going to a conference. I’ve been lucky enough to take part in all of these forms of professional development through Life Strategies. This has allowed me to not only further develop my skills but also keep me engaged in my work.

Educational courses can be the most time consuming option for professional development and may require time away from work. This might not always be an option and many would not dedicate their vacation to study. However, with online learning, correspondence/independent study, and/or night class options, it’s easier than ever to continue your education by working your studies in and around your work/life commitments.

There are a variety of reasons why an employer may host a presentation or workshop internally (e.g., to introduce new policies/procedures, to train workers on new technologies/practices, to strengthen team functioning) and workers may or may not be required to attend. Externally you can access an endless choice of topics – anything from improving your editing skills to managing conflict. Conferences are a great way to attend numerous presentations/workshops over the course of few days. They also provide invaluable networking opportunities for you to connect with others in your field.

Some organizations invest in professional development and others unfortunately do not. Professional development is a great way to not only ensure employees have the skills necessary to do the job but also to let them know that the company is willing to invest in them. If your organization offers professional development opportunities or funding for them I really encourage you to take advantage of this. Even without funding from your organization, developing your skills is a great way to keep engaged. Learning something new could help you perform your job better and maintain an energetic and enthusiastic approach to your work.

"over-engagement"

2009-06-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

When you hear about employee engagement, you likely think about how to ensure you increase and maintain high levels of engagement in the workplace...after all, studies show that engaged employees are more productive. However, do you ever think about whether your employees are over-engaged and the problems which may arise from over-engagement?

In reading a recent article about job loss and subsequent identity loss for some people, it became clear that it is possible for employees to become over-engaged in their work and over-identifying with their jobs. Workers with a great passion and interest in their work may be at risk for over-engagement.

The upside of over-engagement is that a job may not feel like work if the employee feels a personal connection and passion for the work. It may in fact feel like a dream job if personal and work interests are interconnected. On the surface these are likely attributes employers feel make positive contributions to their work sites.

Unfortunately, over-engaged workers may:

Identify strongly with their jobs thereby losing personal identity
Have unclear boundaries between work and personal life
Find it easy to sacrifice family, friends, and health for the sake of their jobs

In a turbulent economy, over-engaged individuals may be at risk of experiencing personal collapse if they lose their jobs. They may be more likely to experience workplace stress and burnout and the resulting stress-related illnesses can be incredibly costly to already over-burdened employees.

Here are some tips for ensuring employees aren’t over-engaged
• Make vacation mandatory
• Don’t make “busy a badge of honour”

Avoid rewarding those who work constant overtime and penalizing those who don’t
Employers should model valuing personal time by taking vacation, leaving early/on-time
Reward quality not quantity
Encourage volunteer work or involvement in community-based projects
Support health and wellness initiatives in the workplace

Life Strategies Ltd. offers a range of training opportunities, workshops, and services related to work-life sustainability, managing stress in the workplace, and healthy workplaces. For more information, visit: http://www.lifestrategies.ca/

Best Job in the World Competition

2009-06-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of the recent competition to be the caretaker of an island in Australia. The “gruelling” position (please note sarcasm) has earned the winning candidate a 6 month contract worth $150,000. The successful candidate’s job duties are to explore the island (e.g., lie on the beach, go snorkelling), complete some minor tasks, and blog about his experiences.

This contest attracted well-over 34,000 candidates. However, only one lucky candidate, Ben Southall, beat out the competition.

[1] Yes, it is easy to see why this would be such a brilliant job, but what can you do in your position to make it your own “Best Job in the World?” Now you may be thinking “I certainly cannot go lie on a beach and get paid for it,” which may be reality for most of us; but what about spreading out your vacation time? Perhaps taking a day here and a day there to go do the things that you really enjoy would make your job more of a “dream job.” Try planning your vacation days around work milestones, for instance after completing a major project take a day to explore your city like a tourist, going to events or attractions you wouldn’t normally visit. If taking vacation days isn’t appealing, perhaps working in some flex time would be. Is it an option to work 4, 10 hour shifts Monday through Thursday one week to take the Friday off? Your employer may be very open to such options as a refreshed and relaxed employee is likely to be an engaged and productive employee.

Time off or holiday days may not be the component you need for your “dream job.” Take some time to write out a list. Title the list “If I Could Do Any Job in the World I Would…” Next compare your list to your current position, what on the list could you try and incorporate? Even if you think something is farfetched, it is always worth speaking to your supervisor or HR department to see what is feasible. Another idea is to list all of your current duties, ranking each duty with a 1, 2, or a 3 (1 = very satisfied, 2 = neutral, and 3 = not very satisfied). Next take a look at all the duties you ranked with a 1, is there any way to be doing more of those in replacement of the duties you ranked with a 3?

Have fun in creating your “dream job,” get together with friends or co-workers to brainstorm “dream job” scenarios. However, be sure to move it forward, don’t stop at creating the list; look up workplace policies, speak with your supervisor, HR department, or other co-workers to see what is possible.

[1] http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25437797-5012671,00.html

Involving Employees in Diversity Initiatives

2009-05-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Employers are slowly coming to seeing the advantages of creating a diverse workforce and fostering an organizational culture which accepts and supports individuals from diverse backgrounds. Diversity makes good business sense for a lot of reasons including reducing turnover/absenteeism, fostering creativity/innovation, and improving marketplace understanding (Robinson and Dechant (1997) as cited in HRM Business Case for Diversity Management -http://www.managementmarketing.unimelb.edu.au/mcib/include/diversity/HRM%20Business%20Case%20for%20Diversity%20Management.pdf). It can also foster employee engagement by creating a safe and accepting workplace.

But what about actually involving employees in creating and organizing workplace diversity initiatives? What about creating “diversity champions” or “diversity committees” to spear head such initiatives? These are individuals or groups of individuals who are the “go to” people for anything related to diversity. They can be just regular employees, not experts, who have a passion for diversity and know where to look or who to consult with to get the answers you need.

Begin a “diversity champion” or on a “diversity committee” offers employees a chance to get involved by shaping organizational culture and improving diversity within the organization. It also provides the opportunity for employees to get involved in something they really care about. Perhaps they’ve been itching to help orientate newcomers into the working environment but never had the opportunity or perhaps they are a newcomer themselves and empathize with the challenges newcomers can face drawing on their own personal experiences. Whatever the case may be, getting involved in diversity initiatives is a great employee engagement strategy.

2009-05-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Developing Essential Skills to Lead to Employee Engagement?

Do your employees have all the essential skills needed for their job? If not, there is a possibility that a lack of required essential skills could lead to a disengaged employee. Think about it; let’s say you are the manager of payroll services at a busy hospital; you have just hired Samantha on as she comes with great references for having excellent interpersonal skills. At the same time Samantha is hired, the department has just upgraded to a fancy new computer system. You make the assumption that as Samantha is pretty young she will easily transition to her position and easily learn the new computer system. After about a month you begin to notice that Samantha is already beginning to show signs of a disengaged worker: she has already phoned in sick, her morale is low, and there is room for improvement with her productivity. Samantha’s current behaviour is not reflecting the eager, enthusiastic employee you hired a month ago. There could be numerous factors which lead to an employee’s disengagement however one factor to think about is whether or not your employees have the necessary skills to do their job (i.e., would Samantha have been more engaged had she had more training on how to use the new computer system? Was the lack of knowledge and skill leading Samantha to be frustrated at work?)

The Government of Canada has identified nine essential skills that will benefit employees and help employees transition to change in their working environment. For a detailed description of the essential skills visit: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/essential_skills/general/understanding_es.shtml

As an employer looking to increase employee engagement in the workplace a strong suggestion would be to assess the skills of your employees. If you feel that your employees could benefit from essential skills training – try to build in activities once a week that concentrate on enhancing the essential skills most needed by your staff.

Diversity and Employee Engagement

2009-04-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Living in Canada, we are surrounded by diversity – economic, geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversity. With all of this diversity in our midst, it is a bit of a wonder how society can at times be reluctant to embrace it. Perhaps I’ve become more attuned to the concept of diversity since it has been the subject of a recent project, but it seems that everywhere I turn these days, there is some mention of diversity – the cover of the current issue of Maclean’s Magazine, the upcoming focus of the next Contact Point newsletter, or the recent CANNEXUS conference.

After spending the past month steeped in a diversity project, I have come to appreciate the importance embracing diversity has on employee engagement in the workplace. For engagement to work from a diversity perspective, employees need to be able to bring their “whole self” to work, without any fear of how their disabilities, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, etc. will affect how they are perceived. This in turn will allow employees to more fully engage with their job, increase productivity, and ultimately, lead to greater job satisfaction.

When an employee feels unable to come to work freely, without feeling emotions that could include discomfort, shame, dread, fear, this negatively impacts their ability to perform their work to their fullest potential. It seems that more and more companies are beginning to adopt or considering creating diversity policies and programs, recognizing that doing so is helpful to the bottom line. Because we live in a diverse society, hiring diverse workers and embracing our differences creates workplaces that better represent the diverse range of customers and clients, and will ultimately lead to increased employee engagement.

Sustainability...in Chaotic Times

2009-04-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

I’ve just returned from a career development conference in Toronto. In a number of significant ways, the energy was different from previous years:

We’re in a recession. Funding cuts by governments and educational institutions have resulted in less professional development money. For several participants, this was the one conference they could attend this year. As a result, many saw their attendance as a privilege – they took the opportunity more seriously.
The recession has resulted in significant pockets of unemployment throughout the country. Many career practitioners are busier than ever before. Several were connected to their offices via cell phones, email, or BlackBerries. Many spent lunch hours, evenings, and early mornings working from their hotel rooms.
This relates to the skill shortage. Even the programs that had sufficient funding to hire additional staff couldn’t always find the right skill sets. It takes time to build capacity.

From a sustainability perspective, it’s interesting to reflect on the intersection between changes in the global economy, technology, specific sectors, and individual wellbeing. One of the keynote speakers at the conference focussed on stresses from multitasking, role conflicts, and continuously striving to do more with less. Short-term stress can be energizing – relentless stress, however, is debilitating.
So...how can you sustain yourself during stressful, chaotic times of change?

Be pro-active. Whenever possible, build resiliency in advance. It’s hard to initiate self-care during a “crazy-busy” time, so take advantage of quiet moments, whether during the lull before the storm or the sudden stillness in the eye of a tornado.
Be responsive. Rigidly sticking to plans or routines is unlikely to be effective during times of significant change. Learn to adjust plans to accommodate new information and opportunities.
Form partnerships, whether long-term and formal or short-term and strategic. It may be easier to ride out the storm with several life rafts strapped together than alone in rough seas.
Reflect on lessons learned. In challenging times, it can be tempting to keep “doing” but it might be more effective to pause for a moment, step back, and look at the big picture. Challenging, chaotic times are often times of great growth. Take time to anchor that learning as soon as you can surface for air.
Draw your line in the sand – at some point, continuously trying to do more with less is simply not sustainable. What responsibilities can you set aside, even temporarily, to make space for a crisis intervention? What breaks do you need to take to retain your health and productivity? What tasks can you delegate – at home or at work? What can you do that’s simply for fun?

Sustainability isn’t a luxury – it’s an essential element in individual and organization success. A recession in the midst of a skill shortage has created a “perfect storm.” Being proactive, responsive, strategic, reflective, and focussed will help to sustain you in these challenging times.

Engagement Through Charity

2009-04-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

Life Strategies Ltd. is involved in numerous charity endeavours. Most recently we took part in Bowl for Kids Sake which raised funds for the Big Bothers Big Sisters organization. Here bowlers of all ages and abilities gathered up pledges from friends, family, and colleagues, laced up their rented shoes, and got their game face on for two adaptations of regular bowling - bingo and poker bowling. Since the theme was “Out of This World” there were many space inspired costumes with alien antennas, Star Wars outfits, and glowing jewellery adorning the bowlers. Although my personal bowling performance was not outstanding, I had a great time and knew that the money we raised would be put to good use.

This event was a great chance to give back to the community. According to the Big Brothers Big Sisters website they are “the nation’s largest youth mentoring organization providing quality adult mentoring services for over 26,000 children in more than 1,000 communities.” Funds raised from the Bowl for Kids Sake will be used to support these mentoring programs.

Moreover, this is a great event for our team to get together. Since we all work electronically it’s not often that we are all in the same place at once. It was a great opportunity to re-energize and have fun while doing something worthwhile. These types of events keep us engaged in our work and our organization.

Be sure to check out the Bowl for Kids Sake website at http://www.bowlforkidssake.ca/bowl4kids/default.asp to learn more about this event or to donate.

Being 'Present' in Your Work

2009-04-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

To me, career engagement is all about being ‘present’ in the work that you are doing. It is one thing to show up to work each day and complete the tasks required of you, but I think that it is another thing altogether to show up and give of yourself in such a way that you are contributing in the uniquely personalized way that only you can.

There is definitely a balancing act at play in terms of being ‘present’ in your work. We all have a wide range of roles that we are responsible for – parent, student, worker, caregiver, volunteer, coach, etc. It is unrealistic to assume that it is possible to be ‘present’ in all roles at all times. Instead, we can consciously strive to influence our environments so that we can maximize our presence in each of our roles.

Finding work that allows you to experience what Mihály Csíkszentmihályi calls Flow can certainly help. “Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

Flow occurs when the right blend of skills and tasks come together and an optimal state is achieved. I only became aware of this concept over the last couple of years and I think it is worth further investigation and consideration. Understanding what is needed to achieve flow is a key component of engagement. I believe that an awareness of your optimal flow conditions is key to maximizing the feeling of career engagement.

To read more about Flow and Positive Uncertainty, check out these titles from Amazon.ca:
http://www.amazon.ca/Flow-Mihaly-Csikszent/dp/0061339202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238522328&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.ca/Crisp-Creative-Decision-Positive-Uncertainty/dp/1560526904/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238522636&sr=8-3

Work Hard / Play Hard

2009-03-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

In a time of economic doubt and hardship, we have been blessed at Life Strategies to be busier than ever. In working for a company with diverse abilities and interests we have been able to adjust where necessary to expand our services and keep working.

We have more than 30+ projects on the go; core members of our team have a hand in almost every one. This keeps us quite occupied and working many hours of overtime; fortunately we are also able to play hard. Some of the things we do together, as a team, to reward ourselves for hard work include:

1. Lunches “out” – this also serves as a great way to catch up. Especially when our core team works remotely most of the time
2. Lunches “in” – a potluck is a great way to spice up a project update discussion
3. Pedicures – a day at the spa is just the way to reenergize your mind and relax from stresses
4. Day trips – we once spent a whole working day at the Titanic exhibit
5. “Ticky” contests – when we have a lot of projects on our plate we give ourselves a tick for each task (or chunks of smaller tasks). After a couple of weeks, the team member with the most “tickies” wins a prize – this works really well to move small stuff forward but also for the competitive members of our team
6. Charity events – each year we participate in several charity events (e.g., Bowl for Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Langley), which is a great way to get the whole team together to have some fun

Playing hard keeps us engaged. “An engaged employee is more likely to commit the time and energy to help an organization succeed – and also to recommend the organization to others, both potential employees and customers. Perhaps most importantly, engagement has been linked to productivity[1].” What also works with taking time out during busy times to reenergize, relax, and to have fun together as a team is that it gives us a break from the “daily grind.” We are able to go back to work and dive into projects with a renewed energy to them.

[1] http://www.hrvoice.org/story.aspx?&storyid=2742&issueid=774