Letter From A Pumpkin

October 28, 2013 — 10 Comments

The wisdom of trees has long been written about.  You can find this wisdom in the works of the literary trifecta of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mary Oliver and John Muir — works that leave us loftily moved about life and leadership.

Wisdom directly from a tree is just as illuminating.

Life & Leadership Wisdom from a Tree

Life & Leadership Wisdom in Nature

These words are from “Advice from a Tree” written by Writer-Artist-Imagineer, Ilan Shamir.

Inspired, I took my pen (that is, keyboard) to create an homage to Ilan Shamir and to a well-loved large squash — because nature, being abundant, doesn’t restrict wisdom to trees.

A Pumpkin’s Message

Dearest Friend,

Sometimes there is a mask carved on our outsides, put there for protection.  I say to you: “Shine brightly through that mask.”

Be the Authentic You!

Let Your Inner Flame Glow!
Image courtesy of hin255 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Be the authentic you and #leadfromwithin — be willing to lead not just yourself, but others, too.

Continue Reading…

50 Ways To Kindness At Work

September 30, 2013 — 4 Comments

If we don’t lead with kindness, who will?

S. Max Brown

S. Max Brown makes a good point.  Let’s meet his challenge and raise our hands.  Let’s bring on kindness at work!

With so many hours of our adult lives spent at work, we would all welcome more kindness, but how to do it?

Implement Those Sandbox Rules To Encourage Kindness at Work

There’s Leadership Wisdom in Those Sandbox Rules!
Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many years ago, our executive leadership and HR rolled out the sandbox campaign. We didn’t realize the good leadership wisdom contained on those wallet-carrying-sized cards sent with fanfare to all employees. We threw the cards away or those of us who were more politically-savvy displayed the cards on our desks, becoming dusty and forgotten until replaced with the next employee engagement initiative.

Laminated on the cards were these simple rules:

  • Throwing sand is never OK.
  • Being mean will eventually result in you playing, unhappily, on your own.
  • No taking of other peoples buckets without asking
  • No kicking or breaking other peoples sandcastles
  • Playing nice with others is best.

If we had only embraced those rules!

We do have a second chance. You have a second chance. Did you catch the HuffPost Healthy Living article about the advice from sage third graders (!) on how to ripple kindness throughout the world? I’m gathering inspiration from them.

How about you?

Would you be willing to apply these 50 ideas for kindness from third graders at your place of work?

Try a few today. See the difference manifest in your work world and then try a few more. Note: Words in brackets [ ] are my additions.

1. Smile at a stranger.

2. Say thank you to the bus driver. […or your project manager]

3. Help someone carry her heavy groceries. [What’s on our plates at work can be heavy if we have to do it alone.]

4. Hold the door open for someone else.

Kindness #5. Leave a kind note for someone whom you usually don't get along with.

A kind note is always appreciated!
Image courtesy of gubgib at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5. Leave a kind note for someone whom you usually don’t get along with.

6. Give your Mom a hug and tell her you appreciate her. [How about a hug for your mentor?]

7. Sing a song to your teacher! [Early in my career, I worked in the “pit”, a communal room full of programmers. We, in the pit, would break out in a pop tune, changing the words to suit our situation. What an energy changer ~ even with songs sung on the dark side! What a relief from the dreariness of the pit.]

8. Let someone else choose the game and play it — even if you don’t like it.

9. Let someone else have a seat on the bus or subway. [Encourage someone else to sit in the good seat at the meeting and let them be heard.]

Continue Reading…

I’m a Ginger Zee fan!

She’s the meteorologist on the Weekend Edition of “Good Morning, America” and I try to catch her every weekend.  As I was watching Ginger today, my mind started to imagine what her resume might be like.  I’m thinking it must be fairly technical.  Meteorologists need to talk authoritatively (and Ginger does!) about the technical aspects of all things having to do with weather from haboobs, ball lightening, shelf clouds, macrobursts, tropical storms to the Arizona monsoons and much, much more. 

Is a Meteorologist's Resume Too Technical For the Co-Host Position?

Should Ginger Zee “De-Tech” Her Resume If She Wants the GMA Co-Host Position? (Image courtesy http://americanprofile.com/articles/why-gma-weatherman-ginger-zee-became-a-meteorologist/ )

Her resume would need to highlight her technical prowess.

But, not so much if she had eyes on Bianna Golodryga’s or Dan Harris’ GMA co-host positions (not that I have any inside information!).

If Ginger used the same resume for her meteorologist position as for the co-host position, she would be told:

“Way Too Technical!”

Worst yet, she might not even be told, as her resume is tossed overhanded into the wastebasket.  You certainly don’t want that to happen to you.

My musing about Ginger Zee and her resume came about because recently a couple of my clients (engineers) had the feeling their resumes were “too technical” for their next position, plus a TwitterFriend was looking for help to rewrite a friend’s resume with less technical jargon.

A change to your resume is certainly called for when your next job or position is one where the technical no longer serves or won’t play as prominent a role.

Here are 3 things that I coach my clients to do to “De-Tech” their resumes — and if you are finding yourself under similar circumstances, you can easily do these, too!

Continue Reading…

Independence Day Songs Will Re-Ignite Your Work Passion

4th of July Celebration Songs – A Way to Re-Ignite Your Work
Image courtesy of emptyglass at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Flag waving, parades, hot dogs, lemonade, family and friends. It’s the 4th of July and you’re looking forward to a break from work.

How about if you not only get a break, but return to work with a new sense of excitement, boldness, ownership, inclusion, and pride?

These 5 Independence Day songs (plus a bonus song) might just do that for you…

 

1. “Coming to America” by Neil Diamond

Got a dream to take them there
They’re coming to America
Got a dream they’ve come to share
They’re coming to America…

You’ve lost the dream and work is pure drudgery. Your energy and anticipation have dissipated. Revitalize by remembering when it was new. Feel what our forefathers and foremothers felt with the awesomeness of “Coming to America”.

If the song isn’t enough to re-kindle your spirits, read Alli Polin’s “Clear the Dust Off Your Passion”. Alli will get you re-directed. I like her observation and suggestion that “If your current perspective is ‘this sucks’, clearly you need to tap into a more powerful perspective”.

Continue Reading…

This Girl Is On Fire - She's Ousted The Inner Critic

Releasing the Power of the Inner Critic
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This Girl is on Fire!

I could hear Alicia Keys’ ♫♪♬ voice in my mind. Standing up on that table with my black kicky boots in a warrior stance, my arms jabbing at the ceiling and with my voice unwavering — for just a second — I had successfully F@CKED OFF my Inner Critic at the behest of my coach with my fellow class attendees as witnesses.

Not my usual style, yet strangely cleansing.

Precisely the reason why Sarita Chawla, our coach and senior faculty leader, had chosen this particular exercise for me. Putting me in my Un-Comfort Zone was a way to “out” my Inner Critic who had become too comfortable in my mind and psyche.

The Inner Critic Is Not Your Friend; No Matter What You Think!

Perhaps you are thinking that you don’t need to get into the uncomfortableness of your Un-Comfort Zone because you can make peace with your Inner Critic.  You can quiet it down, live with it, even use it for your own betterment. You may be thinking you wouldn’t be as good without its promptings.

The Inner Critic is Not Your Friend

Don’t Be Fooled! The Inner Critic is NOT Your Friend
Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Banish those insidious thoughts — that’s your Inner Critic speaking!

What we saw, felt and heard in the New Ventures West’s “Thwarting the Inner Critic” class was this:

  • “The Inner Critic causes you to sacrifice freedom for safety.”
  • “The Inner Critic usurps your own essential strength and uses it against you.”
  • “The Inner Critic dampens your aliveness (the true you vs. who the Inner Critic thinks you should be).”
  • “The Inner Critic syphons your energy.”
  • “The Inner Critic super glues you to your seat!”

Those observations prompted this tantalizing thought from David Kinsman, fellow coach and attendee:

“We need to meet the world in a different way”.

I take this to mean…

Eradicate Your Inner Critic Now!

And you can begin the eradication with these 3 exercises from the “Thwarting the Inner Critic” class. Continue Reading…

Him: What will you be doing after you take early retirement?

Me: Hmmm…I’m not sure.

Him: You can’t just sit around watching TV all day. Really, what will you do?

Me: Maybe teaching…. maybe coaching?

Him: Just a minute…. (he runs off to grab his black book)

Him: (back with a business card) …. Call this guy.  He’s the founder of a small graduate school and he’s looking for teachers.

Him is not a recruiter, headhunter, job matchmaker, or career coach — at least not officially.

The Consummate Networker --- The Airport Massage Guy

The Airport Massage Guy. He’s Really A Recruiter, Headhunter, Job Matchmaker and Career Coach

Him is the airport massage guy.

The consummate networker.  And a recruiter, headhunter, job matchmaker and career coach.  Think about it.  Who does he connect with every day?  People who travel and need massages including (!) Road Warrior Executives and Managers, Movers and Shakers, Decision Makers.  Yes, Hiring Managers. (!)

You can get leads like this, too.  Just be sure to do these 3 things while networking on job search…

Continue Reading…

If you haven’t seen the 2012 Valentine’s Day Reese’s commercial, watch it now before reading further. Yes, we’re no longer in 2012, but it just caught my attention.

According to the delectable chocolate-peanut-butter-cup candy maker, the three words your Valentine wants to hear are:

“I got Reese’s”.

You know what?  Given our politically-correct, sue-happy world; those three words are certainly more acceptable than “I love you” for your Valentines-at-work — your team.

Here are 21 other appreciative, thoughtful, full-of-gratitude #ThreeWords…

Continue Reading…

Are You A Character Based Leader?

Are You A Character Based Leader?

It was a kick to the abdomen. Negative energy spiked across the room. The collective shield went up. The message they heard was that they and their work were nothing special. None of their efforts counted. All because THAT word was used at an all-hands meeting to explain the reason for outsourcing.

That word was “commodity”.

Per BusinessDictionary.com ~ A reasonably homogeneous good or material, bought and sold freely as an article of commerce.

And yes, this actually happened!

The outcome (even with outsourcing as part of the plan) would’ve been very different, if our executive had followed Jane Perdue’s advice. Continue Reading…

Photo Corporate Warrior ID 10024867 Freedigitalphotos.com by Sura Nualpradid

Should a Corporate Warrior, with a Cold or Flu, Go to Work or Stay Home?
Photo Credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net by Sura Nualpradid

DayQuil®, Musinex, Kleenex®, orange juice and bottled water – check!  These are your Corporate Warrior’s weapons of choice against the dreaded cold or flu.  Throw them into your brief case and you’re ready for another day at the office.

Stop.

What if you didn’t go into the office?

What if you looked at the cold or flu as the “gift of a pause”? Continue Reading…

Photo Credit: www.pixelperfectdigital.com by Benjamin Miller

Don’t Let Stress Overwhelm You
Photo Credit: www.pixelperfectdigital.com by Benjamin Miller

“Jackie will have a full report and recommendation for a financial and accounting system on your desk in 2 weeks”.

That was the confident voice of my boss’ boss. I had no such confidence. I had no clue how to start, what to do. I was just a programmer, not a senior business analyst, not a manager. I had no background in finance or accounting, unless a couple of classes in college counted. I was just a few years into my professional life. Back then, there wasn’t much on the Internet, nor was Internet access easy.

Shaky, sweaty and hunched down. I felt overwhelmed. While there was no Staples® Easy Button™ to push to meet this or any challenge, I did discover that there are things I could do to get over the overwhelm… Click here for my tips for reducing the overwhelm of stress in my second guest post at Will Lukang’s blog.

So please tell me.

What do you do when you feel the stress building?  Is there something that works for you? Please do share your tips in the comments.

And remember…
#TakeThisMoment and breathe deeply. Exhale the stress. Inhale the calm. ~ Jackie Yun