The Exclusive Career Coach

Many people, perhaps most, don’t think of “passion” and “job” in the same sentence.They believe passion is for their family, their significant other, their hobbies.They lock their passion in the safe before leaving for work every day.The result? Long, unfulfilling days with little to show for them.Those of us who have aligned our passion with our work are excited and energized to get up in the morning, because our work is a reflection of who we are. What we were put on this earth to do.I think of my passion as being a vest I wear every day.Everyone can see it.It’s close to my heart.It keeps me warm.Over the years, people have shared with me the ways in which they aligned their passion with their work. Here are three examples:Bread and HistorySeveral years ago, I met a woman who had two passions: baking and history. She had majored in history in college, been a home economist and a teacher. Partial Eclipse; not bad.When I met her, she was giving baking demonstrations at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis…educating school children on how the settlers prepared their food. Total Eclipse. Perfect Alignment.Right Place, Wrong RoleOne of my clients, a mid-level manager at a large corporation, reached out to me because she wasn’t finding her work as stimulating as she once did.This sense of dissatisfaction had left her questioning everything…the company she worked for, the line of work she was in. She thought perhaps a drastic change was in order.Through our sessions, she was able to bring into focus something she knew—but didn’t know how important it was.Her passion is fixing broken things.She has the leadership, interpersonal, business, and change management skills to take what isn’t working…what is underperforming…and make it great.Once she does that, she’s ready for the next challenge. Think Mary Poppins.Maintaining the status quo isn’t fulfilling to her. And that’s what she’d been doing for the better part of a year.Our work together gave her the “ammunition” to have a crucial conversation with her boss, who subsequently put her in another broken department.Total Eclipse.Passion to Educate…and a Love of AnimalsI worked with a student many years ago who was about to graduate from college. He knew two things about himself: he wanted to help the needy globally, and he loved animals.He had never heard of Heifer International. When I exposed him to this global non-profit organization, it was like watching a plant take root and flourish.I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it.He got a job helping people in Africa learn how to care for the livestock they received from Heifer International…livestock that would provide eggs, milk, and other life-giving food for their families.Total, Utter Eclipse.With these examples in mind, here are some steps I recommend to help you find your career passion:-Journaling (your perfect day, your energy around your current job tasks, dreams you had as a child and young adult, where your mind goes when you allow it to wander)-Talk to close friends and family (not their advice for you, but rather their perspective about what they’ve observed about you)-A career coach, like me (may include assessments and/or other activities)-Conducting informational interviews-Volunteering / part-time job / internshipIf you’d like to read what I consider to be one of the best books out there on this subject, I recommend Po Bronson’s “What Should I Do with My Life?” Po interviews people who have found their “total eclipse,” as well as those who were still looking. Great read. I also recommend Tim Kelley’s book, “True Purpose.” To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk.Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS.Hope to see you soon!

This episode center’s around Wallace D. Wattle’s seminal book, “The Science of Getting Rich.” Specifically, his perspective on persistence.Why is this so important? Because Mr. Wattle’s decades-long research into successful people revealed what so many after him have also found to be true…persistence is an essential quality for success.First, a definition of persistence: “A firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” There’s a difference between being obstinate and obstinate continuance. The former indicates an unwavering unwillingness to change, whereas the latter indicates determination. Huge difference. Whether you are persisting through rejections in the job search process to get to your dream job, persisting through the steps necessary to launch your own business, or persisting through the many demands on your money to save for that trip-of-a-lifetime…the common denominator is persistence.What Mr. Wattle Has to Say About PersistenceHere’s what Mr. Wattles has to say about persistence:Take inventory of yourself, and determine in what particular, if any, way you are lacking in the essential quality. Measure yourself courageously, point by point, and see how many of the factors of persistence you lack.Here you will find the real enemies that stand between you and noteworthy achievements. Here you will find not only the “symptoms” indicating weakness of persistence, but also the deeply seated subconscious causes of this weakness.The Persistence ChecklistHere is Wallace D. Wattle’s persistence checklist. Which of these “enemies’ do you struggle with?-Failure to recognize and to define clearly exactly what one wants.-Procrastination, with or without cause (usually backed up with a formidable array of alibis and excuses).-Lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge.-Indecision, the habit of “passing the buck” on all occasions, instead of facing issues squarely (also backed by alibis).-The habit of relying upon alibis instead of creating definite plans for the solution of problems.-Self-satisfaction. There is but little remedy for this affliction, and no hope for those who suffer from it.-Indifference, usually reflected in one’s readiness to compromise on all occasions rather than meet opposition and fight it.-The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes and accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable.-Weakness of desire, due to the neglect in the choice of motives that impel action.-Willingness, even eagerness to quit at the first sign of defeat.-The habit of neglecting to move on ideas, or to grasp opportunity when it presents itself.-Wishing instead of willing.-The habit of compromising with poverty instead of aiming at riches, general absence of ambition to be, to do, to own.-Searching for all the short-cuts to riches, trying to get without giving a fair equivalent (usually reflected in the habit of gambling, endeavoring to drive “sharp” bargains).-Fear of criticism, failure to create plans and to put them into action because of what other people will think, do, or say. This enemy belongs at the head of the list because it generally exists in one’s subconscious mind, where its presence is not recognized.How’d you fare? What can you do to remedy any of the points you struggle with?Here are some steps you can take:-Honestly evaluate your current level of persistence, using the criteria just listed.-Choose one area you’d like to focus your energy on improving.-Write a full page of ideas on how to improve that area.-Choose 3-5 specific strategies you’d like to focus on.-Calendar time to implement those strategies.-Set a date to evaluate your progress on that area. At that time, you’ll either want to implement additional strategies to improve on that area or choose a different area to focus on. To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk.Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS.Hope to see you soon!

Many people, perhaps most, don’t think of “passion” and “job” in the same sentence. They believe passion is for their family, their significant other, their hobbies. They lock their passion in the safe before leaving for work every day. The result? Long, unfulfilling days with little to show for them. Those of us who have aligned our passion with our work are excited and energized to get up in the morning, because our work is a reflection of who we are. What we were put on this earth to do. I think of my passion as being a vest I wear every day. Everyone can see it. It’s close to my heart. It keeps me warm. Over the years, people have shared with me the ways in which they aligned their passion with their work. Here are three examples: Bread and History Several years ago, I met a woman who had two passions: baking and history. She had majored in history in college, been a home economist and a teacher. Partial Eclipse; not bad. When I met her, she was giving baking demonstrations at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis…educating school children on how the settlers baked. Total Eclipse. Perfect Alignment. Right Place, Wrong Role One of my clients, a mid-level manager at a large corporation, reached out to me because she wasn’t finding her work as stimulating as she once did. This sense of dissatisfaction had left her questioning everything…the company she worked for, the line of work she was in. She thought perhaps a drastic change was in order. Through our sessions, she was able to bring into focus something she knew—but didn’t know how important it was. Her passion is fixing broken things. She has the leadership, interpersonal, business, and change management skills to take what isn’t working…what is underperforming…and make it great. Once she does that, she’s ready for the next challenge. Think Mary Poppins. Maintaining the status quo isn’t fulfilling to her. And that’s what she’d been doing for the better part of a year. Our work together gave her the “ammunition” to have a crucial conversation with her boss, who subsequently put her in another broken department. Total Eclipse. Passion to Educate…and a Love of Animals I worked with a student many years ago who was about to graduate from college. He knew two things about himself: he wanted to help the needy globally, and he loved animals. He had never heard of Heifer International. When I exposed him to this global non-profit organization, it was like watching a plant take root and flourish. I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it. He got a job helping people in Africa learn how to care for the livestock they received from Heifer International…livestock that would provide eggs, milk, and other life-giving food for their families. Total, Utter Eclipse. With these examples in mind, here are some steps I recommend to help you find your career passion: -Journaling (your perfect day, your energy around your current job tasks, dreams you had as a child and young adult, where your mind goes when you allow it to wander) -Talk to close friends and family (not their advice for you, but rather their perspective about what they’ve observed about you) -A career coach, like me (may include assessments and/or other activities) -Conducting informational interviews -Volunteering / part-time job / internship   If you’d like to read what I consider to be one of the best books out there on this subject, I recommend Po Bronson’s “What Should I Do with My Life?” Po interviews people who have found their “total eclipse,” as well as those who were still looking. Great read. I also recommend Tim Kelley’s book, “True Purpose.”   www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!  

Here are some tips, borrowed heavily from “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” by Bradt, Check, and Pedraza. A SUCCESSFUL ON-BOARD REQUIRES DECIDING ON THE RIGHT APPROACHDetermining the organization’s culture (and/or the sub-culture of your specific department or business unit) is key to knowing how to approach your work from day one. A major component of organizational culture is readiness to change. You will likely see one of these four cultures:SMOOTH SAILINGIf the situation does not require urgent changes and the culture is ready to change, you can assimilate in and make minor changes over time. You have a great team that is willing and able to become even greater. Perhaps the biggest challenge in this situation is the shoes you’re filling; often times, Smooth Sailing is occurring because the previous leader was outstanding. Also, depending on how that previous leader exited the team, there could be some resentment towards you as the new leader. Your task, then, is to not make waves right off the bat, and to not undo what their previous beloved leader did (at least not immediately).UNSTABLE CALMIf the situation does not require urgent changes and the culture is not ready to change, converge and evolve slowly by becoming part of the organization and changing over time with a series of carefully thought-out minor “shocks.” “Pick your battles” is the anthem for Unstable Calm. You can clearly see areas for improvement—but pushing them through without finesse will most assuredly result in resentment and push back. Think WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) as you shepherd your team through change and dangle a carrot or two as incentives for adapting to change.READY TO ACCELERATEIf the situation does require urgent changes and the culture is ready to change, converge and evolve quickly as a catalyst for change. Many leaders find this their ideal situation, because they consider change management to be one of their greatest strengths. The biggest challenges in this situation are 1) deciding which changes must occur, and in what order; and 2) moving as quickly as the situation requires. This is a situation where doing something, although perhaps not perfect, is better than non-action.FACING DISASTERIf the situation does require urgent changes and the culture is not ready to change, you must immediately shock the system for it to survive. The going will be tough! Many people won’t knowingly walk into this type of situation. People who do relish this role often see themselves as what I like to call “Mary Poppins,” someone who enters a dysfunctional situation, makes widespread change, and exits quickly. This may very well be a short-term role. If you’re okay with that, and are willing to make the tough decisions, then proceed with gusto!Strategies and tactics vary widely for those entering into Smooth Sailing, Unstable Calm, Ready to Accelerate, and Facing Disaster environments. Now let’s talk about the people you are likely to encounter on your journey.ON-BOARD TO WIN HEARTS AND MINDSInevitably, you will have some people who will support you, some who will resist you, and others who will hang out in the middle of the road. It is important to know who’s who in your organization, with the goal of moving every team member one step in the right direction.CONTRIBUTORSThese are the people who share your vision. They are often new to the organization and have more to gain by going forward than by holding on to the past. Your strategy with Contributors should be to make them your champions. Give them leadership roles, committee assignments, projects to manage that allow them to sing your praises and those of your department. Contributors can also be beneficial in giving you honest feedback about what they are hearing and seeing in the weeds…not as tattletales, but as extensions of your eyes and ears.DETRACTORSThese people are comfortable with the status quo, change resistant, and may see you as a threat to their value and power. They have often been in their position for a long time and see a greater threat in change than in the current state. Your strategy with Detractors is to silence their whining, complaints, arguments…not in a spirit of “my way or the highway,” but rather to become better team players. Detractors will probably never become Contributors, but if you can find a common middle ground with them, they may keep their mouths shut.WATCHERSThese people—often the silent majority—will sit on the fence and see which way the herd’s moving. Your strategy with Watchers is to move them towards your side of the continuum. They’ll probably never become Contributors, but at least they can feel positive about their work environment and you. I think of Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People…make small deposits in their emotional bank account, try not to make huge withdrawals, and eventually you’ll have a respectable balance in that account.MOVE EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM FORWARDIf the goal, as I stated earlier, is to move every person one step in the right direction, how do you do that? By changing the consequences, so that it is less risky and more rewarding to follow; more risky and less rewarding to resist. Simply put, increase the positive consequences of good behaviors and the negative consequences of bad behaviors; decrease the negative consequences of good behaviors and the positive consequences of bad behaviors.To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.  Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!  

 This month, I’m sharing pieces of programs I offer to corporations, non-profit groups, professional associations, and community organizations.This week, I want to talk about one of my favorite subjects, “Managing Your Mind to Advance Your Career.”I created this program because so many trainings focus on the doing part of managing your career, and I wanted to focus on the thinking part. In this program, I teach participants how to: -Cultivate a practice to become more aware of your current thoughts -Begin thinking thoughts that better serve you-Learn how to think to achieve any goal you set in lifeHere’s the deal: Everything in life is either a Circumstance, a Thought, a Feeling, an Action, or a Result. By knowing the model, which I teach in this presentation and which I’ve talked about many times on this podcast, you develop an invaluable tool for managing your mind. You’ll be able to download a blank model worksheet, as well as some example models by accessing the URL in the show notes. To prove that the model works no matter what, I’ve come up with a Circumstance, a Thought, a Feeling, an Action, and a Result you might encounter at work. We’ll do a model around each. To access the handout for today's episode:http://bit.ly/Episode116Handout www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.  Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!  

This month, I’m sharing pieces of programs I offer to corporations, non-profit organizations, professional associations, and community organizations.This week, I’m talking about the MBTI, and how to leverage personality differences in the workplace.I created this program as a quick overview of personality and how it plays out in the workplace.I also do half-day and full-day retreats on the MBTI. In these instances, participants take the MBTI online prior to the retreat and I bring their results with me to the retreat. I spend the morning explaining the facets of the MBTI and what their results are telling them.The afternoon is spent engaging in activities that bring the differences in personality to life through various activities. At the end of the day, we spend a fair amount of time processing what they’ve learned about themselves and their coworkers.In the shorter version, participants don’t take the MBTI, but I explain the facets to them and give them some tools for recognizing the personality preferences of their team members. I also talk about how they can maximize their team’s effectiveness using personality type.Research has shown that:-You will get along better with those who are like you-A balanced group will be more effective, if you can get everyone on the same pageTHE PERSONALITY PAIRSExtraversion – Introversion (How you recharge)Sensing – Intuition (How you take in information)Thinking – Feeling (How you make decisions)Judging – Perceiving (How you structure your world)THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND: Extraverts need Introverts so there’s someone listeningIntroverts need Extraverts so there’s someone talkingSensors need Intuitives so there’s creativityIntuitives need Sensors so there’s attention to detail Thinkers need Feelers so the humanity of the organization shines throughFeelers need Thinkers because there are tough decisions to be madeJudgers need Perceivers so they don’t always rush into a decisionPerceivers need Judgers because deadlines are realKeys for recognizing the personality preferences of your team members, so you can maximize their effectivenessIf you have a team member who is great with details and deadlines, you probably have a Sensor-Judger- Give this person complex projects-Provide thorough information on project scope, timeline, deadlines, etc.-You might feel like you’re micromanaging, but they won’t see it that wayIf you have a creative team member who consistently delivers at the last possible second, you probably have an Intuitive-Perceiver-Give this person as much leeway as possible in using their creativity to solve the problem at hand-You may need to create “artificial” deadlines so you get what you need when you really want it-Allow for flexibility in work environment, hours of work, etc.If you have a team member who loves to talk and is great in interacting with others, you probably have an Extravert.-Give them a front-facing role-Make sure they aren’t in a back corner somewhere-Compensate for how draining too much time alone will be for themIf you have a team member who loves to be in a back room with a research project, you probably have an Introvert.-Provide them as much alone time as possible-Give them meeting agendas ahead of time so they’re prepared-Compensate for how draining meetings and groups will be for themIf you’ve never been exposed to the MBTI, consider this your first “foreign language” lesson!To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon! 

This week and last, I am sharing some of the concepts from a program I created for The Topps Corporation entitled, “What Did You Just Say? – Tools for Active Listening and Effective Communication.”Last week’s episode was on Active Listening, so today I’ll cover Effective Communication.There are four steps to the communication process; at any point in that process something can go wrong.-The words you speak-What you meant by those words-The words the listener heard-What the listener makes those words mean George Bernard Shaw is quoted as saying, “The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” 8 BASIC PREMISES OF COMMUNICATION1.   You are always communicating, even if you are not saying anything.2. Everything you say counts. There are no second attempts, editing, or deleting of what you say.3.   When your words leave your mouth, you have no control over how they are going to be interpreted.4.   Listeners are constantly constructing or “story-making” – interpreting what you say. (This is the “Understand” phase of the listening process)5. Your words are transformed or reorganized to fit into the listener’s personal story or preconceived idea of you and/or similar situations.6.   There will be more than one story – each listener will create his or her own.7.   The story that is created from your communication determines the meaning, not what you actually say.8.   It is the story, not what you say, that will be remembered, passed on, and communicated to others. THE BENEFITS OF SPEAKING SUCCINCTLY-Your message will be clearer; less room for misinterpretation-You provide bite-sized bits of information that are easier to digest-Allows the listener to more easily make the necessary mental connections-Saves time and mental energy (for both parties)-Less chance that people will mentally go elsewhere THE BENEFITS OF SPEAKING WITH SPECIFICITY -Gives the listener enough information to understand exactly what you mean – minimizes the chance of misunderstanding -Allows the listener to create a mental picture of what you’re saying -Increases the likelihood that you will get valuable feedback To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!

This past fall, I conducted a program I called “What Did You Just Say?” – Tools For Active Listening and Effective Communication, for The Topps Corporation. This week and next, I want to share some of the concepts from this program with you.Today, I’m focusing on Active Listening; next week, I’ll cover Effective Communication. WHY IS ACTIVE LISTENING IMPORTANT? I think we can all agree that it is important to really listen at work, but maybe you haven’t given much thought to why it’s important. Here are some of the benefits:-Builds relationships-Creates new ways to approach issues-Diffuses emotional situations-Avoids costly errors-Provides better service THE STEPS TO ACTIVE LISTENING-HEAR (the biological process of sound waves hitting the ear)-ATTEND (filtering in what’s important to you)-UNDERSTAND (making meaning and connections)-RESPOND (either verbally, nonverbally, by paraphrasing, or by asking questions)-REMEMBER (retaining the important stuff) CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ACTIVE LISTENER-Has an alert posture-Makes direct eye contact-Gives full attention; avoids distractions -Focuses on what is said as well as non-verbal cues-Gives feedback (nonverbal, verbal, questions, paraphrasing)-Doesn’t interrupt-Doesn’t offer opinion too quickly SET AN ACTIVE LISTENING GOALA good example of a goal:My active listening goal is to be more attentive when I am listening to coworkers on phone calls and web conferences.Specifically, I will immediately begin doing the following:-Close/turn off/disable any devices/apps not needed for the meeting-Remove the toys from my desk I tend to play with when I’m on the phone-Take 60 seconds before scheduled calls/conferences to breathe deeply and focus on the purpose of the upcoming meeting  To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!

 I’ve been thinking a lot about my journey lately. Also, with the new year and new decade, it seems like a good time to reflect.I’ve shared bits and pieces of my life with you over the previous 111 episodes, but I decided to dedicate an entire episode to my story — what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown,–in the hopes that it will inspire you.I’m hoping to pull back the curtain in this episode. www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk.Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon! 

This week’s guest is Mac Prichard, speaking with me about How to Hack the Hidden Job Market.80% of all jobs are never publicly advertised, but there are ways to access this treasure trove of work opportunities.Mac explains:-Why the hidden job market exists-What kinds of tactics help jobseekers break into the hidden job market-How to execute a less frustrating, win-win job searchYou can find Mac Prichard on his weekly career podcast, Find Your Dream Job, wherever you get your podcasts.Mac’s List is a Portland-based job listing site that contains excellent job search information:https://jobs.macslist.org/searchHave a question for mac? Email him at mac@macslist.org To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!