life@work

When Worry Beckons You

I hope you have at least one friend in your life whom you not only like to be with but whom you admire and learn from.

One such friend for me is Coyote Karrick. We haven't known each other too terribly long, and we now live in different states, but that doesn't diminish how much I appreciate knowing her.

Coyote tells a story in her blog, Place of Possibility, about how she chose to feel positive during a time when worry beckoned (kind of like the piece of bagel on the floor did this morning to my dog, Caleb. Practically irresistible.) She tells the story with such humor and grace that I can't help but be inspired.

I'm good in a crisis. For whatever reason, I naturally move toward calm, measured, reasoned choices and actions. (I save the falling apart for later.)

But if there's no imminent threat of disaster, I'm a worrier. So many of us are. The fretting, the hand wringing, the "what if" thinking - it doesn't get me much besides broken nights of sleep.

I'm learning to postpone worry, to choose to anticipate, to stay more calm on a more regular basis. I don't think it means I'm putting my head in the sand and ignoring reality. In fact I think those practices leave me more skilled at recognizing reality and dealing with it.

What worry are you willing to let go of, even if it's just for today? See what happens when you push it aside and choose to see your situation through a different lens.

I've Got The Bad News Virus

I'm suffering from an illness you may be familiar with. It's called the Bad News Virus, and hopefully you won't catch it.

Symptoms: Feelings of general lethargy and ennui, pessimism, a desire to go on vacation.
Causes: Reading, listening, worrying and talking about bad news.

This blog exists to be a positive, useful, and hopeful bit of writing designed to support you, the person who seeks career happiness. But since the Bad News Virus has hit, creative juices have not been flowing.

I'd be set if this were a social commentary blog, a financial blog, or even just a blog filled with my uncontrolled ranting.

Do I need to go into details about the Bad News I've been ruminating about? Chances are you've been wringing your hands, too. The Bad News these days is seemingly everywhere if you read or listen to the media much, and even if you don't, I'm sure you're hearing some Bad News simply by chatting with your neighbor over the fence.

Viruses need to run their course - unfortunately there's no vaccination. But as I sit here feeling restless and agitated I'm aware that there are things I can do to mitigate the symptoms of the Bad News Virus.

Here are my suggestions for treating it:

Limit your news intake.

It's great to be informed, but if the news is giving you the Bad News Virus, take a break. I suggest skipping news stories about crime and freak accidents, along with the obituaries.

Don't focus on worst case scenarios.

The rumor mill at companies creates incredibly strong strains of the Bad News Virus. Speculating out loud about worst case scenarios quickly spreads it. The Virus lives on extreme drama, so check your catastrophic thinking.

Generate good news.

Help someone out, take action on something important, or simply take care of yourself.

Be grateful.

There are plenty of good things in your life and in the world - they just don't make headlines. Think about those every day.

Be in community.

The Bad News Virus thrives when you isolate yourself. Connect with others, even if it's just one other person. If it's the right person or group, the Bad News Virus symptoms will dissipate.

Is There Such a Thing as Online Privacy?

How much personal information should we be sharing on the Internet?

This is a hot issue for me right now, largely because of these issues:

1. Recently I returned from a 20-day road trip through California with my husband and two daughters. I didn't write about this before I left, because my mother taught me never to announce on the Internet when my house was going to be vacant (!)
2. While we were on the road I decided to set up a vacation blog and used Jott to record short posts to it. I sent the blog's URL only to a few friends and family members who I thought might be interested. I didn't think you would care very much about how I thought the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is really well done or how we didn't go to Big Sur after all because it was on fire.
3. I have a Facebook account, but use my personal email with it. I'm using it only occasionally, just for personal reasons. I know I could use Facebook for professional purposes too, but I'm not sure whether I want to or what I would offer.
4. I joined Twitter just because all the cool kids are doing it and I was curious. I now don't know what to tweet, or who I want following me, or who I want to follow. Should I talk only about work? What about that tweet I did about how my seven year-old was annoying me?

So in a nutshell I'm pondering these questions, and I'm wondering whether you are too:

• How transparent do I want to be on the Internet?
• Can I separate personal expression from professional expression and have separate audiences - the personal and the professional?

As a career coach, I of course recommend that job seekers find and remove as best they can any of their "digital dirt" in case hiring managers are snooping around online and considering all information they encounter.

Many people believe that this practice isn't justifiable, that it is digging around in people's private lives that have nothing to do with their job qualifications.

But this view begs the question - is there such a thing as privacy online?

The issue of online privacy or lack thereof is hot right now, and I know there are a number of different takes on it. I'm interested in yours.

• Do you separate personal expression from professional?
• Do you maintain as much anonymity as you can?
• What level of transparency online are you comfortable with and why?

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

Dream Big Coaching Services in the Press

Seattle Metropolitan magazine publishes a "Best of the City" issue each year, and I'm excited to announce that I'm featured in this year's list as Seattle's "top career coach"!

Seattleites will be interested to read about all of the stores, restaurants, activities and services featured in this July 2007 issue. You'll need to purchase the magazine to get all the details, however. I'm featured in the "Renew and Improve" section, along with an organizer, party planner, a budget-conscious stylist and many other services.

I started Dream Big Coaching Services four years ago this month with a mission to help people transform vision into action.

I had my mission, my coach certification, passion for what I was about to begin, skills and experience gained from a career in human resources, a variety of other talents and skills, time, support from my family, ideas and hope.

What I didn't have: entrepreneurial experience, marketing experience, or supreme confidence and certainty about how exactly my business would develop.

Over time I learned that I could gain the first two elements but would have to be comfortable with a certain degree of not knowing.

When I accepted that I wouldn't be able to predict how exactly my business would evolve, I relaxed into doing the work. I learned through trial and error, I hired my own coach, I talked with peers, I read, and I followed my natural talents and interests. Out went attending huge networking groups. In came blogging.

In the last four years I've had ups and downs, joys and disappointments, successes and failures. What I keep coming back to is the mission of my business.

My mission happens to be something I care about deeply: to help people dream big and then help them get out there and actually make it happen.

It's a thrill for me to love my job, and it's exciting to help others figure out how they can find career happiness, too. Today is a perfect day to reflect on the first four years of my coaching business.

What's your mission for your career?

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

 

Be Yourself at the Interview

Almost fourteen years ago I interviewed for a job with someone who would subsequently become my manager and mentor. The last question she asked me in the interview was this:

"What's the most important lesson you've learned?"

Now when you think about it, that's a whopper of a question. You can go broad with this one or stay narrow. You can get personal or keep it generic. You can be flip or be serious.

But I didn't think about it. The interview had gone really well, I was relaxed, I was feeling confident, and I simply answered what popped into my head, which was something like, "To always be myself. Pretending to be someone else doesn't work."

I was 26 years old, and I was onto something. And I was hired.

The brilliance of my answer wasn't what got me the job. It was a sincere answer, and one in which I still strongly agree with, but that's not why I got the job. I got the job because there was a good fit between who I was, who my manager-to-be was, the job I'd be doing, and the company culture.

As this recent article from Career Journal points out, "fit" means a lot once you get to the job interview stage. You presumably already have been judged to possess the skills and background to perform the job. Now it's about whether you like them and they like you.

So at the interview, be the real you. Yes, it's smart to strategically plan for the interview. Winging it and spending no time on preparation are not strategically smart plans. Of course you want to plan, practice, and put your best foot forward in the interview.

But if you present yourself as a passionate evangelist of the product who loves to work on a team with a very loose structure, when really you have little knowledge of the product and prefer to work independently with objectives clearly laid out, you do no one any favors.

If you do get the job, it won't be a good fit for you. It will feel like walking out of the shoe store wearing an attractive pair that pinch your little toe no matter what socks you wear. You knew they weren't a good fit when you tried them on, but you really tried your hardest to like them. They're so nice looking and they were on sale, and you really needed new shoes.

Two miles later you've got one hell of a blister.

Don't lose yourself in the process of interviewing. You're looking for a job, manager and organization that fit you and in which you fit, and that might take a lot of trying on.

When you do find a job that makes excellent use of your talents and gives you the opportunities that you're genuinely looking for, you'll be glad that you didn't walk out of the shoe store too early!

(cross-posted at Career Hub)

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

Technorati Tags: interviewing, job interviews, interview skills, career hub

Five Things About Me

Eek, I've been tagged with a meme!

I hadn't heard about these until recently. It's the ol' chain letter of the blogosphere if you ask me. But I'll bite.

Carrick was the culprit who tagged me, and since he, a private guy, was game enough to come up with five things that you may not know about him, I figured I can do it too. I'm much more of a blabbermouth than he is. Plus his post was hilarious and therefore inspiring. Plus I didn't know a lot of that stuff about him, which was intriguing. (I'm Carrick's sister, so I thought I was in the know!)

Since this usually isn't a personal blog, I'll try to keep this concise. Please skip this post if you couldn't care less!

Five Things About Me

1. I just absolutely despise beets. You can roast 'em, you can pickle 'em, you can drizzle a lovely vinaigrette on them in a salad, you can whir them into a soup, and I just can't stand them. It's just about the only vegetable that I can't choke down.

2. I never took a single math class in college. Wow, how'd I manage that? Lemme tell you, it wasn't because I tested out of the subject! My college did not require a "core" set of classes in order to graduate. So math was just out of the picture for me. Hey, I can figure out percentages and use a calculator, so I'm pretty set for life. And yes, I managed to skip organic chemistry as well.

3. Other people's travel photos bore me to tears. "Ouch!" a few of you whom I know for a fact have shown me your vacation photos are now saying to yourselves. But let me clarify. I love to look at the photos you've got up on flickr or the album you give me free reign to peruse at my pace. Just please don't make me sit through your slides or hold me captive as you explain each photo. First my eyes will glaze over and then I will fall asleep, it's practically guaranteed!

4. One of my most embarrassing moments as a teenager was seeing (a very nasty) part of A Clockwork Orange at my date's house with my date and his father before his father drove us to a dance. It took poise to survive those moments, I'm telling you. Why someone decided having that movie on at that time was a good idea still utterly baffles me. Being driven to a dance by your date's dad should be enough to endure without full frontal male nudity being thrown into the mix.

5. I knew an HR career was not a great fit for me years before I left it. Why did I stay? I was in my 20's and needed to support myself, I was good at it even if it wasn't my heart's desire, I didn't have any better ideas, I was pretty risk averse, I didn't entirely trust my instincts, and I didn't have confidence that I could make a switch successfully. I don't have any regrets about staying, and I don't have any regrets now that it has been years since I left it and found work that is much more satisfying to me. Hey, it's all a learning process.

Now according to blog meme rules, I'm supposed to tag other bloggers. But since I've never been one for chain letters, you can decide whether you want to participate! I'd love to read about you.

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

A Break from Blogging

Seems like I've taken an unofficial break from blogging for the last couple of weeks.

This is a sign for me that I need to make it official! It's time for a vacation from blogging. I'm looking forward to returning recharged and refreshed.

It won't be a long break.

And by the way, are you taking your vacation time at your own job? Many of us don't, because it's so much work before we leave and after we return, or because it's always too busy at work, or because we're convinced we're indispensable.

But you know what they say about all work and no play.

See you soon!

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

A Great Job Search Blog, Plus What I Help People Do

Of all the job search blogs I follow, my current fave is C.M. Russell's Secrets of the Job Hunt.

I was going to choose one recent post of his to highlight, but they're all great - just go check out the blog. The advice is up-to-the-minute and covers everything from networking to resumes to why you should be nice to the receptionist.

I especially enjoy a blog with audio posts and interviews. (Hmm...note to self!)

I'm going to let go giving so much job search advice in my coaching business and in my blog. Bloggers like C.M. who are focused intently on job search do a great job covering that area.

After a stint of coaching clients through job search processes and helping them with interviews I'm realizing that what I'm truly passionate about is helping people find the courage and the gumption to decide what they really want in their careers.

I love working with people way before they get into job search mode. My favorite clients are the ones who feel a nagging tug that they want something different or something more from their careers, but they can't nail it down or don't know where to start answering questions such as:

• What do I want?
• What's next for me in my career?
• How will I find career happiness?
• How do I start figuring this all out?

Getting clear myself about the people I best serve is part of the process of finding my own career happiness.

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

Technorati Tags: cm russell, secrets of the job hunt, job search, career happiness

Scott Adams on Affirmations and How They've Worked for Him

I love the sense of humor in Scott Adams' Dilbert strip. When I was in HR, I especially adored Catbert, the evil HR director. Such a cynical and smart take on just how evil HR can be.

So it's fascinating to me to read Scott Adams' post about how he's used affirmations to achieve important goals. He's of course funny in this post, but is also self-deprecating and honest about how he can't explain exactly why they've worked.

Writing down or repeating affirmations out loud can be quite a woo-woo process. I found it surprising and charming to learn that someone like Scott (whom of course I've never met but who I imagine to be solidly connected to earth as he looks for and hilariously describes the absurd aspects of our everyday lives at the office) not only uses affirmations but is willing to admit it and write about it.

I've dabbled in the practice myself but so far it hasn't caught hold. I just feel really silly writing phrases over and over again that aren't true (yet!)

However, I'm comfortable with guided visualizations and all kinds of different journaling techniques, and can be relatively woo-woo when called upon.

What about you? Have you ever written down what you want repeatedly over time? If so, what results did you get?

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

Technorati Tags: scott adams, affirmations, goal setting

Tuesday is Take Back Your Time Day

I almost didn't have time to write about Take Back Your Time Day. How ironic.

October 24, 2006 is the 4th annual such day, a day to call attention to the problem of time stress and have a public conversation about it.

This year's theme is "Let's Get Back to the Table!" , reminding people about the joys of gathering around the table.

Are you working more and enjoying your life less? Does your schedule feel like a road race? You might want to check this movement out.

There's a list of 50 quick things you can do for Take Back Your Time Day. Take a look and choose just one to do (it's a great list, including "cancel something" and "sleep late" - something for everyone!)

When this one day of the year is over, what will you do to remain mindful of your time and how you spend it?

I'm overhauling my entire approach to how I schedule my business and all the other containers in my life into which I put my energy. As I told someone just last week, I've been pouring two gallons of water into a one gallon jug and finding myself continually surprised and dismayed at the mess on the floor.

Time for a mop and a different container.

Heather Mundell
Dream Big Coaching Services
www.dreambigcoaching.com
heather@dreambigcoaching.com

Technorati Tags: take back your time day, time stress, time management, stress reduction