In my experience working with folks on career-related issues, often the one thing they don’t do until they have to is:  to reach out to others for help in their job search or be thoughtful about what to say when someone says, ‘what do you do?’ Do you reach for a one word answer, like Teacher or Computer Programmer to get you off the hook? And actually those one word answers don’t tell anyone much about what you do or who you are.  You are not really visible. You leave it up to them to figure it out.

In the world today, transitions are constant: changing  jobs or careers; having children or watching your children go off to college; wanting to go back to school — each are situations that require you to have a new story to tell about ‘what you do’ and what you want to do.   Crafting that story is essential to be able to tell someone who you are and what you want or are looking for.  Some people call it your personal and professional brand, which it is.  From my perspective, call it what you want, you will more likely get what you want if you know the story you want to tell about you.

So,  you want to be visible.

• Being visible means being thoughtful about how you want others to see you and know you.

• Being visible means being prepared to tell your story — and your story can have many different chapters depending upon who you are talking to.

• Being visible means being you, not someone you think you should be or who someone else thinks you should be.

• You will want to be visible at work, while searching for work, sharing a meal with colleagues and friends and all the rest of the time, too.

Here are some visibility tips for the workplace.

First: To be visible does not mean to be a loud obnoxious person at the office.

• Be visible by being clear about who you are, what you want and why.

• Know and be able to articulate your strengths and the ways you contribute to your organization, team, department, co-workers.  And– knowing how you want to contribute is important so that you will communicate clearly and effectively.

• Do not just put your head down to get your work done. You might get yourself not noticed right out of a job.

• Do recognize and even seek out opportunities to let others know what you are doing, or have accomplished, or what you are thinking about or a new idea you have. You could present this formally in a meeting or casually at a lunch.

• Talk to your boss regularly about the status of your projects.  Just because she or he does not ask doesn’t mean you can’t keep them posted. You want to stay on their radar screen.

• Offer to work with other teams or initiate a special projects where  you would like to contribute.

• Stay connected with colleagues regularly, those you are currently working with and those from previous jobs. You will feel more comfortable when you want or need to reach out for assistance and connect with them.

• Be politic–be savvy and aware of what is going on in your workplace– which does not mean you have to be political or engage in the politics if you don’t want to.  You do want to know what is going on.

• Humor, laughter and helping others are great ways to be visible.

visibility 2.0 will focus on your story.

We are curious, we read about something and then, an idea begins to take shape.  And, if we take the next step to get more information, it might lead us to discover something new or something to modify or change.  And yes, FastCompany is just one of a zillion places to get information. For those not familiar with this publication, it was started in the mid-90’s as a magazine that focused on the “new economy”.  It has continued to keep that focus, looking at issues related to innovation, leadership, technology, design and creativity as they relate to business (for profit, non-profit and public sector), products and services.  In addition, it also offers stories of how older, established companies have instituted changes to prepare for the future.  If you want to discover a wave of the future, it is a good place to start.

As I work with my clients, how do I help them prepare for the work of the future?  Since I do not have a crystal ball,  I find  reading/flipping the pages of FastCompany may provide some clues to share and inspire a client to do some research, to investigate, to take the next step.  Here are a couple examples:

• Several years ago, there was a story about some architects who wanted to design temporary housing for victims of disasters and for refugees.  Their criteria included sustainability, function and privacy.  They had some interesting concept drawings. This idea was creative and also introduced the concept of sustainability before it became part of the lexicon.

• In the current issue, there was an item in the calendar section that promoted a conference for the Society for Environmental Graphic Design.  These are the folks who design store layouts, museum exhibit spaces, subway information posts.  At the conference, they will talk about what makes a space navigable or informative; form and function. Here is an interesting profession that incorporates multidisciplinary skills, knowledge and expertise.

• There is also an article about a woman who has developed a business to educate employees about the ‘power of food” to help them improve their health.  She has focused on wellness plans to promote healthy eating in the workplace by partnering with health insurance companies and food companies.  Again, I was curious about a new concept/business;  another approach for a business to advocate for  health, which also incorporated multidisciplinary skills, knowledge and industries.

• In this issue, the magazine has identified people they consider to be the 100 most creative people in business.  Now I believe creativity is in the eye of the beholder, however reading about the people on this list and what they do and what their organization does can spark new ideas, reframe old perspectives and provide inspiration and/or direction.

Why is this relevant?

Change happens because we are ready and because we are open and responsive to what is going on around us.  What kind of change am I talking about?  I’m talking about changes in your personal or professional life that could be transformational or incremental.  Changes that could include: where you live, how you live;  adding creativity  or volunteerism to your life; taking classes or getting a new degree;  choosing to be a new mom or dad;  strategizing for a promotion or a new career;  leadership tips; ideas for a new product or service;  investing opportunities; trends and new perspectives; or strategies for organizational change.

For those of you who feel stuck…you don’t have to be.  I encourage you to read this publication or other blogs, magazines, listen to lectures or take classes.   Step out, engage with the world, be curious, be inspired and motivated.  And you will be more prepared to take the next step to make a change in your life.

sheila 6/28/10

]]> http://momentumcareers.com/2010/06/29/do-you-read-fastcompany/feed/ 0 http://momentumcareers.com/2010/04/13/time-lost-and-found/ http://momentumcareers.com/2010/04/13/time-lost-and-found/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:21:59 +0000 sheila http://momentumcareers.com/?p=176 “Time Lost and Found,” the title of Anne Lamott’s article in the April issue of Sunset Magazine, succinctly describes ( with great humor ) the value of making time…for the things we say we want to experience, share, try, create, do.  So often, probably daily, I hear the cry, ‘I just don’t have time’ or ‘I have trouble getting motivated” or “ I am so tired.”  We seem to let our busyness take over our lives. It is like we are in a tunnel; we stay in the weeds, forget to look up, out, around at the forest, at our surroundings, at what is important; what we say we care about.

Quality of Life and Work-Life Balance.  Are they goals?  Are the attainable?  I say, yes! …only if we take the time to incorporate them into our life.

I’d am including a link to Anne Lamott’s article.  If you are one of those people who would like to make the time to reflect, create, experience or share, then I hope you find this article helpful, inspirational and motivating.

Sheila 4/12/10

http://www.sunset.com/travel/anne-lamott-how-to-find-time-00418000067331/

It is a time we all like to assess our lives, personal and professional. What do we want to add, enhance, eliminate or change?  We set goals and our  ’new year’s resolutions.’  What works best for you?   To identify  long term, strategic objectives along with a detailed plan?  Or to have short term, specific goals?

I have found that the best first question is:  How do you want your life to be?  How do you want your work to fit into your life?  What is it that you would like to be different?  And how can you incorporate these changes into your daily life?

From changing eating habits and exercise, to the household project, to getting organized,  to a new class or making a career change, I have found that when you think about these activities as something to do, it is more difficult to stick with them.  Distractions, along with the realities of life, can interfere and the great idea to fall by the wayside.  We have all experienced that!

***

Realistically, Charlene knew she would not go to the gym 3 days a week.  She knew that if she made that her goal, it would not happen and she would feel bad.  So, instead she found a trainer to work with her 1 day a week, along with exercises she could do at home.  Her plan was get some guidance, accountability and a program that felt doable. Her goal, was to establish this small step as a regular part of her daily life and then add a 2nd day and maybe a third.

Matt wanted to write.  He had many ideas and loved to talk about them.  He loved thinking about writing them down.  He was just too busy.  Or so he thought.  It takes a lot of initial effort to change old bad habits and incorporate realistic changes that contribute to the life you want.  That was true for Matt too.  He developed a realistic plan for 1-2 hours a day twice a week.  He could put anything he wanted on the blank page, including what he wanted to write.  After a month, this became part of his life.  He stopped talking about writing and  began to fill the blank pages.  Writing was now part of his life, and he was closer to having the life he wanted.

***

We always forget that the journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.  The good news is that after a few steps we can look back and see how far we have come.

New year’s resolutions can be good.  Change and a fresh start feel great.  Take some time to plan how you can incorporate the changes you want into your life.

Happy New Year! sw 1/15/10

As the industry sorts itself out, some of the language being used can be confusing, overlapping and unclear.  Sustainability, clean tech, energy efficiency, green, carbon neutral are all terms that sometimes are used interchangeably.    I have listed some resources below that might help to clarify and provide some direction for you if you are interested in a ‘green career.’

• Green Careers:  Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future, by Jim Cassio and Alice Rush
• Green Careers Resource Guide by Jim Cassio.  Located at www.cassio.com
• On LinkedIn in there is a ‘green group’:  sustainablebusiness.com
• www.greencareerblog.wordpress.com
• www.greencareercentral.com

sw 12/8/09

Happy Thanksgiving!

sw  11/25/09

Initially, my posts will appear once a week.

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If you haven’t gotten anything else from my site, please consider this:  I do believe that change is possible;  I don’t think it is quick or easy;  I think that 99% of making a change is being ready;  my work is to help you get there.   sw 11/9/09