Our surroundings and environment make a world of difference! This picture shows flowers purchased on the same date–the ones in the front were planted within days of purchase; the ones in the back stayed in their original pony-pack (long story, from which I’ll spare you). Two weeks later, you can see a world of difference.

Both sets started out with little to no blooms, like the ones in the back of the picture (honestly, can you count any blooms but one?!). The ones in the foreground were planted in soil that I carefully sifted through, pulled weeds from (yikes, my manicure! why didn’t I wear gloves?), and watered thoroughly before planting. The ones in the background had to stay in their original constricted, plastic packaging.

The result? Obvious. The ones in the better soil are flourishing. The ones in the bad environment grew a bit taller, but didn’t bear any blooms, or “fruit.”

And, of course, it made me think about my own surroundings. Are we sitting in, physically speaking, constrictive spaces that are cluttered and disorganized? Or, on a grander scale, purposefully speaking, are we sitting in spaces that restrict our ability to flourish at work and bring blessing and beauty to others?

It took me all of 15 minutes to plant my woe-be-gone, left-behind flowers. I’ll bet you that in less than a week, they will look as healthy as the rest of them.

What’s the quick fix you could do for your environment today?

• Maybe it’s a simple 15-minute clutter-cleanup or to dump some tolerations.
• Maybe it’s a 15-minute quiet time to revisit where you’re headed and what you want to accomplish in this world.

Let me know what you do with your 15 minutes!

To your significance and success,

Susan

P.S. If you liked this ‘insight moment,’ we’ll be talking about how to create them for your clients at The Academies Virtual Bootcamp ‘Coaching Day,’ coming up November 4th. You can learn more here: The Academies’ Virtual Bootcamp – Join us!

We had quite the activity next door recently. Our entire family awakened to the sound of metal crunching at 4am on a Saturday morning. We all went back to sleep, too lazy to get up and investigate. When I heard the sound of a siren winding down about 10 minutes later, I thought, “I’d better go see what, indeed, happened.”

As I looked outside the front window, I saw the complete complement of emergency vehicles: fire truck, ambulance, sheriff’s cars, Fresno PD. My husband and I went out to see what on earth had happened. It turns out that a young man, age 26, was driving down our very quiet, very narrow neighborhood street at 70-80 mph. After running a stop sign some 100 feet before our house, the dip from the intersection that he blew through caused him to lose control of his car. He veered into my next-door neighbor’s beautifully landscaped yard, hitting a 2,000-lb boulder the size of a small car. On impact, he popped that boulder about 20 feet forward (unbelievable), rolled his big Chevy SUV (that’s the underside of the car in the picture), and killed himself instantly.

As the sun came up a few hours later, several neighbors had gathered outside to discuss the tragedy. It was then that a revelation came to light that caused me to shudder. Examining the tread marks on the street, analyzing where the car hit the boulder, where the boulder bounced to (if boulders can bounce), and the trajectory of the car brought tears to my eyes.

Big boulder on left ‘bounced’ 20 feet

Were it not for the boulder, that speeding car would have found a very different stopping point—the middle of my daughter’s bedroom. It was a sobering thought. At that moment, I sensed God’s voice (not audible, but impressionistic) that said, “I knew this would happen … I caused that boulder to be put there years ago for her protection.”

Introspection followed, and I pondered the boulders we all encounter in life. . .

• Sometimes the boulders feel like roadblocks—big and impossible to move or get around, keeping us from the things that we want. Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor who died of pancreatic cancer and authored the bestseller “Last Lecture” describes that the brick walls (i.e., boulders) in our lives are there to determine how much we really want something. What efforts will we go through to get through or around those walls? What key skills and character will be built as a result of the effort?

• In some cases, boulders may be a point of guidance—something there to cause you to veer to the left or the right instead of in the direction you were headed.

• Boulders can also be put in place by us, as a point of memorial of some sort—a remembrance of a milestone or, as in the Old Testament, a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

• And, sometimes the boulders are there to protect us. In our family’s case recently, the latter was certainly true.

In any case, bless the boulders in your life . . . and may you know discernment in what form they take, how to negotiate them and/or how to honor them.

To your success and significance!

I just finished a mentor coaching call with an MBA Career Services Coach who had a great insight that I just had to pass along to you.

One of the techniques in coaching is to take the “I” out of the conversation. In other words, rather than say “I’d like to know more about your dream job?” a coach might say, “Say more about what your dream job would look like!”

As the MBA coach was considering this technique, he mentioned, “I’ve noticed how self-centered my language has been until starting to take this coaching course.”

He isn’t alone. I have to raise my hand on this one, as well. Most of us enter a traditional conversation from a 50-50 perspective, meaning 50% of the conversation is about the other person and 50% about you. In coaching, that ratio should be more like 80-20, meaning 80% of the conversation is about the other person and 20% is still NOT about you, but about the ideas you can add to the conversation that would expand the client’s ideas, insights, or resources.

Note: I use the term “self-centered” loosely—I know that as coaches you are not self-centered; I refer to “self-centered” simply in terms of to whom the conversation is pointing. Does it point back to you and your agenda or does it point to the client and his/her agenda? It’s the latter we’re after in coaching.

Here are a few before-and-after Self-centered vs. Client-centered examples:

• Self-centered: “That’s my alma mater too! I was there from 1989-1992.”
  Client-centered: “Nice to meet a fellow Tarheel! What’d you enjoy most about that experience?”

• Self-centered: “Tell me why you want to get your MBA?”
  Client-centered: “What will getting your MBA bring to you?”
• Self-centered: “I’d like you to do 5 informational interviews this week.”
  Client-centered: “What would be a stretch for you on the number of informational interviews you could do this week?
• Self-centered: “I want to schedule a follow-up call so I can get to know you better.”
  Client-centered: “Let’s schedule that follow-up call we talked about and, during that time, make sure your direction and strategy is really solid.”

What do you notice in these before-and-after Self-centered vs. Client-centered comments and questions? How can you be more client-centered today?

Do you want to help others accomplish more than they can imagine? Coaching can make it happen … for you and your clients. Hundreds of Academies grads have learned how with coach certification training: more info here on our upcoming September program!

To your continued success and significance!

My 'Baby' Brother Doug!

I drove a big rig this weekend! Here’s how it happened. I visited family in my hometown in rural Central California, where I grew up on a farm. My family still farms cotton, cantaloupes, and other crops in the area. My brother Doug Britton has a trucking company there, with 10 trucks that haul almonds, grain, liquid fertilizer and more.

I was asking him about his business and conversation eventually turned to “Would you like to sit in one of the trucks?” I said “Sure!” It was quite a task to even climb up and get in the cab!

Next thing I knew, I had an offer to drive one–a big, huge 18-wheeler . . . 25,000 pounds worth. It was thrilling. But I was scared to DEATH! My brother had more confidence in me than I did, but he stood right by me as I drove (albeit 5 miles an hour) around his equipment yard.

And, of course, there’s a coaching lesson to be learned in all this. Part of the reason I was so scared is that my brother asked me to do more than my little brain could handle all at once! If I were just driving straight, I think I could’ve handled it. But at the end, he also wanted me to return the truck to its original position. That meant negotiating a tight turn, lining up my set of trailers 65 feet long, and sandwiching the truck back in between two other trucks. I had barely 24 inches of clearance on either side. Yikes!

What I learned as a coach was this: If you’re asking a client to do something new–something that’s scary to them–

• Stand nearby (just like my brother did with me, ready to help adjust the steering wheel at any moment)
• Break tasks down into small steps (ask them to “drive straight first” before requesting something complicated like turning, aligning their trailers, and squeezing into a small space! For example, if networking makes clients nervous, start with easy networking experiences, then stretch to tougher situations.)
• Be confident (without my brother’s confidence in me, I would never have tackled driving a big rig … and now I’ve got ‘bragging rights’ to say ‘I did it!’)

Do you want to help others accomplish more than they can imagine? Coaching can make it happen … for you and your clients. Hundreds of Academies grads have learned how with coach certification training: more info here on our upcoming September program!

2011 will undoubtedly bring a rash of New Year’s Resolutions (both career and personal) as many people look forward to a fresh start and clean slate. Some of us love to make resolutions; others happily dismiss them as an unnecessary evil! Whatever your opinion about Resolutions and looking forward, consider instead the benefits of Milestones and looking back. Those milestones and meaningful moments will give you some good memories and momentum for the miles ahead. Here are 10 “Career Milestone” items that may give you cause for celebration:

Milestone #1. Accomplishments: What did you accomplish in your career this past year that you are most proud of? Momentum is a byproduct of accomplishments. Look to your accomplishments—big or small—to see where you’ve made progress and built momentum. What beliefs or behaviors did you put in place that allowed you to accomplish these accomplishments?

Milestone #2. Improvements: What improvements or opportunities did you capitalize on in 2010? Perhaps you committed to doing things a little differently. What caused you to want to change? How have these changes benefited you?

Milestone #3. Insights: What insights did you gain about your career-life this past year? Learning and growth stem from being aware of thoughts and behaviors. What are you aware of today about yourself or your career-life that you weren’t aware of at the beginning of the year? How will you use those insights to your benefit?

Milestone #4. People: Who made the most positive impact on your career this year? We are inextricably connected to others, whether from working on a team, being coached or mentored, taking a class from an industry leader, reading inspirational material by your favorite author, etc. After you identify that person(s) in your life that positively impacted you, think about what you can do to allow something similar to happen in 2011.

Milestone #5. Impacts: What positive impact have you made on others this past year? Consider the benefits you have brought to your boss, coworkers, colleagues, vendors, or customers. There is great satisfaction in knowing that you have had an impact on others.

Milestone #6. Courage: How did you show courage this year? Merriam-Webster defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.” What or who was in place that enabled you to act courageously? How can you leverage that courage to face new challenges?

Milestone #7. Value: How did you add value to your career this past year? Maybe you’ve added a new skill to your toolbox or learned new communication or time management techniques. How have your clients or employer benefited from this value?

Milestone #8. Disappointments: Disappointments are an unavoidable part of life. What was disappointing to you this past year? You can make this a milestone by putting systems in place so that you don’t repeat it in the new year. Who can help hold you accountable?

Milestone #9. Gratitude: What are you most grateful for in your career? An attitude of gratitude can be one of the most powerful success tools you possess. Rather than focusing on what’s wrong, focus on what’s right. It takes just as much energy to focus on the positives as it does the negatives—it’s a matter of choice!

Milestone #10. Success: What’s your definition of success? People define career success in a number of ways. In the end, the definitions seem to boil down to doing what’s important to you while bringing value to others. In your work this past year, how have you done what’s important to you? If at the end of each day you can point to some activity that was important to you and brought value to others, you can consider yourself a success. Now that’s empowering!

Enjoy your trip down memory lane … and may the miles ahead be filled with great views, good company, and more meaningful milestones.

Guest on Crown Financial’s “Today on MoneyLife™ with Chuck Bentley” by giving architect Jeremy White a Complete Career Makeover, Pt. 1 http://bit.ly/cZR98I & 2 http://bit.ly/d9hAEW

We’re bracing for 105 degree temperatures this week, like much of the country. And with those temps, we’re praying that air conditioners hold out and black outs don’t happen … which got me to thinking.
 
Thermometers tell the temperature. Thermostats set the temperature. In the first situation, we adapt to our situation. In the second, we control our surroundings. Too often in the Fresno summer heat, I begin getting uncomfortable and forget that I have the power to turn down my thermostat.
 
There are times when it’s useful to adapt (blessed are the flexible, for they will not break!). And yet, all too often we forget that we have the ability to reset the thermostat.
 
If you’re in career transition, start by controlling the basics:
 
·      being able to clearly articulate your value and return-on-investment to employers
·      choosing industries that are experiencing an uptick
·      moving to a region with low unemployment
·      proactively selecting good-fit target companies…learning about their culture &       
       needs
·      upping the number of hours you spend on personal marketing and networking
·      asking for help from people who will give you honest feedback
·      getting an accountability partner in place—you’re 7 times more likely to succeed
       with someone holding you accountable!
·      upping the number of face-to-face or voice-to-voice meetings you have
       each week … and making sure the meetings are with people who have some
       influence in the hiring decision
·      participating in professional associations to increase your visibility
·      doing some volunteer work for people less fortunate than you to keep perspective
·      considering a part-time position to make ends meet or accepting a
       less-than-dream-job temporary position, recognizing that many of these positions
       lead to more when you demonstrate your value over time.
 
And don’t forget to control the basics in your personal life:
 
·      the amount of exercise, rest, and nutrition you give yourself
·      the amount of news media you allow yourself to consume, especially if
       discouraging news is discouraging you
·      the people you surround yourself with, whether positive and uplifting or negative
       and dispiriting.
 

Next time you feel the heat turning up, control your thermostat!

Recently I had the opportunity to present at The Career Thought Leaders Conference in Baltimore. I experienced many “highs” from the programs presented and especially reveled to be in the company of more than 150 career professionals—all thought leaders in their own rights, doing impressive things for clients, companies, and the communities they serve.

At the conference, I presented a session “From Stuck to Unstoppable” that highlighted some strategies for shifting from stuck, stalled, or spinning your wheels to unstoppable, stress-free, and successful. Here are just a few highlights:

Play the “Blame Game”:

I doubt that anyone reading this is blaming others for their situation, right?! However, if you know of someone who has a tendency to blame other people or circumstances for their “problematic” situation, have them try this:

• Reverse the blame game by pointing fingers at yourself.
• Ask yourself, how have my actions or inactions contributed to my circumstances?
• What can I do to change the circumstances?
• What will I do to change the circumstances? (yes, this question is different than the prior one!)

Note: I am NOT proposing a guilt trip or advocating self-deprecation with this exercise; the goal is simply to find ways that will help shift your thinking from victim to victor.

Be a Control Freak:

You read that right! Be a control freak: control the controllables and sing the theme song, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” Some questions to help shift into control mode and take charge of your time (your most precious commodity):

• What do you need to say “no” to?… “yes” to?
• What do you need to re-prioritize?
• What will happen if you don’t devote time to this?
• How much time will it take you to _____? Where is that time in your schedule?
• When’s the best time of day to do that task?
• How much time are you spending on resume tweaking and/or Internet surfing?

Reframe and Reclaim:

Our limiting beliefs about challenging situations often drive us to a place of fear, frozen with indecision and inaction. If you know of someone who fits the bill, consider this exercise:

• Stand up and find a space in your room where you’ll have room to move a few feet in several directions.
• State your current perspective on the challenging situation.
• If the current perspective were at 12 o’clock on a clock face, step over to the 3 o’clock position.
• State your perspective from the 3 o’clock position by answering the question: What perspective would a trusted advisor or your most faithful advocate have about this situation?
• Step to the 6 o’clock position.
• State your perspective from the 6 o’clock position by answering the question: What is your perspective one year from now where the situation is resolved, and you’re looking back with gratitude and peace about the resolution?
• Step to the 9 o’clock position.
• State your perspective from the 9 o’clock position by answering the question: What does this situation look like from the perspective of the living legacy or eternal impact you want to have on your world?
• Finally, ask yourself, which of these positions will make me the most empowered?

Of course, adopt the position that will allow you to think and take action from a place of perspective and choice.

Interested in the entire presentation that you can deliver to your audience of job seekers or career-minded professionals? It’s just one of the products available for sale (complete with presenter scripts for all 22 slides) as one of my “Done for You” presentations. Just contact Lyndsey@TheAcademies.com for more info!

Have you ever had a “bone marrow” person in your life? Someone who was FIERCELY supportive of you? Someone who saw your potential when you couldn’t? Someone who spoke truth into your life in a way that encouraged and uplifted you?

I am blessed to have several people in my life who fall into that category. One of them is on the edge of passing from this world to her eternal address. She brought huge value to my life:

• When I fell in love with coaching back in 2001 and jumped in with both feet to launch Career Coach Academy before I had finished my foundational coach training, she read every word of my curriculum to make sure it was aligned with International Coach Federation (ICF) competencies.
• She conducted oral evaluations for a number of graduates from Career Coach Academy.
• Prior to turning my many manuscripts in to my publisher JIST, she read countless chapters . . . often with 12-hour turnaround in the middle of the night when deadlines were tight.
• And, of course, she expanded my capacity as a coach.

Here are just a few of my favorite powerful questions I learned through her modeling . . .

• What do you want this to look like in the long-run? (when I had charged ahead with enthusiasm and getting lost in details)
• What will happen if you don’t do this? (when I was wavering in courage!)
• What can you do in the next 7 days that would get you some traction? (when I was in overwhelm)

Who is this bone marrow person? Judy Santos. An ICF Master Certified Coach, founder of the Christian Coaches Network, and masterful teacher who, over the past dozen years, taught thousands of coaches through the Institute for Life Coach Training.

When she learned a few months ago that cancer had returned (after a valiant battle five years ago that earned her a clean bill of health after lung cancer), we had long talks by telephone. Over the course of our 10-year relationship, we had only seen each other three times face-to-face. I told her I’d love to fly up to her home in Bellingham, Washington to “just visit.” Despite a hectic schedule, I took three days a few weeks ago to do just that. It was priceless.

On learning that she took a serious turn for the worse this weekend, a friend asked me, “What would you want to model from her life to honor her?”

My answer: Be an intrepid trailblazer, a trust agent, and a respectful “truth teller.”

She was all of those to me, and more.

Bottom line: As a coach or person of influence, you can honor someone significant to you by modeling his or her most-admired attributes … today! And, if your “significant someones” are still alive, reach out and remind them what you admire most about them or what you appreciate learning from them. Like bone marrow, it will be a life-giving gift.

I love serendipity and allowing room for “Life” to intersect with best-laid plans. But sometimes I sway too far on the side of serendipity and don’t focus enough on clarifying the things I would like to create and achieve.

With a new year around the corner, I sat down to think about my intentions for 2010 and wrote up my personal list. Then I got to thinking about what a savvy careerist would need to be intentional about to create a career that is radically rewarding . . . here is a suggested list of “Career Intentions for 2010” you might want to adopt or adapt:

1.     Be Intentional: That’s right. #1 on the list requires that you focus on being intentional. It all starts with awareness. What do you need to do to stay focused on your goals and not let the busyness and distractions of life take you off course?

2.     Make Space for Career Management: Like exercise, it won’t happen unless you make space for it. Set aside time, at a minimum once a month, to evaluate where you are with your career plans and what adjustments you might need to make.

3.     Find Out What Your Boss (or Boss To Be) Wants: It’s impossible to experience career success without intersecting your desires with what your employer needs. When is the last time you asked your boss “How can I help you be wildly successful?”

4.     Share with Your Boss What You Want: Frame it in the context of company goals. For example, “Mr. Boss, I’m committed to helping XYZ Company continue on its course of success. Down the road, I see myself _____ [fill in the blank – for example, “contributing in a director role and coordinating new product launches that will allow us to be first-to-market in Web-based widget solutions.”] Then ask, “What would it take to make that happen?”

5.     Leverage & Collaborate with Your Career Community: These days, it takes the cooperation and collaboration of teams to make real progress. Who are the key members of your career community—the people who can help you get where you want in your career? Who needs to be added to that community? How can you reach out to them, learn what they need, and deepen connections?

6.     Know Your Value: Can you identify how you deliver a return-on-investment to your employer? If not, start thinking about how you can make them more money, save them money, solve important problems. This will allow you to become the “hunted” and not a “hunter” of new opportunities.

7.     Know Your Values: Are you honoring your values in your current work? Do you know what your values are? Whether it be the ability to make a significant contribution, work with integrity, take risks, etc., knowing your values and living by them is the one thing you can always control during the day.

8.     Don’t Give Away Your Power: If you’re in a difficult situation, don’t resign yourself to thinking, “I’m stuck. There are no options. This is the way it’s always going to be.” Instead, remember the saying “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” There are always options you can take action on, even if it’s only reframing your perspective.

9.     FAIL Forward: A wise soul once said that FAIL stands for “From All I Learn.” Make 2010 a year of learning, even in those places of unmet expectations and disappointments. Ask yourself, “What do I want to learn in this situation that will benefit my career long-term?” Likewise, identify what new skills, competencies, or credentials you want to add to your toolbelt in 2010.

10. Be an S.O.S. Worker: S.O.S. stands for Serve Others Selflessly. I’m not advocating being a doormat or a candidate for abuse. I am advocating that you “find the need and fill it,” without an agenda or expectation of a payback. Trust that it will come to you. Those who persevere, prosper.

Here’s to a year of prosperity!