Blind Sided By the Chaos of Change

This article was printed in the UTD Coaching News Issue #033, November 2009.

In dealing with unrelenting change for myself and my career clients, I remember that I am a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks. “You can no more teach what you don’t know than come back from where you ain’t been” according to Mark Twain.

I may have learned more from this reality education than the academic Ph.D. Perhaps the combination set me up to be extremely committed and successful in plowing through the fear, chaos and uncertainty of the “dark night of the soul” and the pain which results from unexpected change!

When I read Toffler’s Future Shock in the early 70’s I was already making my third career change, which he was predicting for all in the future. Incidentally, he also predicted our career coaching. He said “life organizers. . .a cadre of professionals would be needed to provide practical assistance for structuring one’s life under the high social and technological turmoil and overchoice”.

Consequently, I dropped the Ph.D. in English, moved to Higher Education and wrote my dissertation establishing a community based career center for adults with career/job issues. I obtained a grant from the Department of Labor and the City of Garland to establish a career center in our library, trained eight career coaches and we provided information and services to 6,000 citizens. I then opened my own company, Career Design Associates. True, I was ahead of my time with helping adults changing careers.

However today I face a new learning crisis! To keep moving forward I personally must take my own advice and learn and use Web 2.0, which is a chaotic, but necessary challenge to learn and use. I am sharing with you my understanding of the chaos of change.

How to live and work successfully in our Age of Constant Change?

• Accelerating change can create crisis/stress/loss or growth/learning.
• Change can be painful (Change = Pain > Fear, C = P > F). We change only when
our pain is greater than the fear.
• A crisis can be opportunity blowing on a dangerous wind.
• Change is the only guarantee in life. Major failure today is failure to
change.
• An unpredictable event or sudden insight can trigger change.
• To change - step out of your "comfort zone," and live with positive
uncertainty.
• Develop a new paradigm; see old situations in new ways.
• Change occurs internally or externally. Outward change happens to us; inner
change is self-directed.
• Change is not linear: not in a straight line, or on a specific time line.
• We have less to give to others when we are changing. We can help others when
we get our act together.
• We impede change by denying that it is happening.
• Planning for change provides a measure of security, but it is difficult to
plan for the emotions that accompany it.
• The change process has predictable stages; it can trigger a “dark night of
the soul”, the emotional reaction of the loss/grief process.
• Overcoming fear and resistance to change is the first step.
• We live in change, uncertainty, ambiguity and contradictions, but have been
taught to value and seek stability and security.
• Today we are learning that the old rules don't work but we don't know the
new ones.
• We need countless unique and fresh personal and professional skills for a
New Age, however we may see only dimly what these are.
• Learning to embrace change, to thrive creatively during chaos will build our
self-esteem.
• If privately we see ourselves as a failure, we may talk of success but
unconsciously seek defeat!

Change is a challenge! Much underlying and industrial management theory of the last 100 years is obsolete! Toffler in speaking at the 2004 International Conference on Complex Systems said:

“At every level, economics, social organizations, culture, politics, we’re in the process of inventing a new civilization.” According to Toffler, “Everything is transient: families, corporations, governments, universities, organizations, religions, communities and nations are all temporary … most human institutions haven’t caught on – all in denial – operating as they did almost three centuries ago in the Industrial Revolution!”

Sharpen Your Crap Detector!

Constantly sharpening your Crap Detector is an absolute necessity for career success today!

As you know I remain deeply involved in the career/work world issues which are now reeling from “Future Shock” as predicted by Toffler. The workworld has entered a new age of heightened turbulence, dramatically different from the last 30 years. The demise of the “Womb to Tomb” career model and the rise of the “Yo Yo stratagem - You’re on Your Own”! So it’s imperative to know your Brand!

The reality is that no traditional conventional format system will prop us up. Countless realities compel as 95 degree redirection and rethinking of our workplace, career, education, our definition of success and what we value. Getting real dictates reevaluating the myths – the half truths that have unconsciously guided us in all phases of our careers. They must be identified and reexamined to determine how on target they are.

While my work remains focused on adults with workplace problems, I am deeply concerned and am researching issues relating to the younger generations and the very serious current and future education, work life and career issues they are experiencing currently and certainly will face in the future. I will keep readers in the loop on what I am learning and the actions I take.

Positive Psychology: Science of Happiness

This blog post is taken from an article printed in the UTD Coaching News Issue #031 - July 2009.

I recently returned from the first World Congress of International Positive Psychology Association in Philadelphia. It was definitely worldwide with 1600 participants from 54 countries. It was a superlative learning experience for me to participate in what I view as a major achievement in our current world!

Personally, I had read a brief mention about the Positive Psychology Master degrees being offered at Penn Statue which focused on adults capitalizing on their strengths. Intuitively I said “This is what I have been doing for 20 years, I help clients through a process to understand and work on their strengths, not fix weaknesses.” I bought the text books the Penn professors were using in their college courses and have read and followed the research. I bought a membership in the IPPA (http://www.ippanetwork.org/) for $90.00 per year and the researchers who conduct top notch web seminars are outstanding. If you join now you can download much of the conference information.

Positive Psychology had its birth pains only about 10 years ago. This was when Martin Seligman, a University of Penn Psychologist became President of the American Psychological Association (APA). At this time he shared his vision and for a new approach in psychology: He said he wanted to take the focus beyond what ails the human mind to conditions that help human beings flourish. He saw the field only helping people move from a minus five to a zero. His question was “Now how do we get from zero to a plus five?” He strongly felt mental health should be more than the absence of mental illness and that happiness could be learned. Working with other like minded professionals, Seligman has successfully promoted an explosion of research on happiness, optimism, positive emotions and healthy character traits.

For me, this conference demonstrated the rapid and notable worldwide response in spite of countless naysayers. What is really important is that the participants and other speakers represented the positive acceptance from those in the psychology field, also medical and organizational behavior, and educators (elementary, high school, college). There were several sessions focusing on Evidence Based Coaching (of which our Dr. Hicks is an authority).

Frankly, this conference was not a focus on the warm and fuzzy feeling good approach, but serious and in-depth research on the Science of Happiness.

What will be the direction forward for the future of IPPA? Seligman closed the conference by naming three plans for the future: 1. Positive Education of young people (This is the focus of a proposal I am currently writing to get positive career planning stared in the middle schools), 2. Physical Health factors, and 3. Positive Neuroscience for which he had just received a sizeable grant for scholarships.

The major product or goal of the IPPA is for 51% of the world to be flourishing by 2051. The research is now to determine and define what we mean by flourishing. My goal is to live long enough to experience it, since I plan to become a centurion – our fastest growing age group. How is that for positive thinking?

The next IPPA meeting will be in Great Britain in 2011! Can’t wait!

Free/Agent Entrepreneur Characteristics Indicator

Becoming an independent, free agent entrepreneur is rapidly becoming a focus of millions of contemporary Americans from corporate baby boomers moving from misery toward Meaning and money at midlife. The independent Gen X & Y with their “Yo Yo – You’re On Your Own Career Model”, since few suitable jobs are out there to embrace them.

Take the following quiz to see how you fit:

FREE AGENT/ENTREPRENEUR CHARACTERISTICS INDICATOR
(Extracted from full 100 Characteristics Indicator)**

Indicate how true the following statements are about you by placing the corresponding number in the blank by each numbered statement, using the following scale:

NOT AT ALL - 1 SLIGHTLY - 2 SOMEWHAT - 3

QUITE WELL - 4 COMPLETELY - 5

1. Need to feel a strong sense of control over my own destiny.
2. Have foresight and commitment to work toward these long-term future goals.
3. Have firm belief in my ability to achieve my goals.
4. See myself as an over-comer with a high level of tenacity and determination.
5. Know how to build on successes and learn from failures.
6. Tolerate frustration and ambiguity.
7. Deal successfully with modest to high levels of uncertainty and job insecurity.
8. Have the knowledge and/or technical skills in my field for building a business.
9. Have a healthy respect for making and managing money.
10. Have a close family member who has owned his/her own business.
11. Have a clear vision – a purpose – a plan to create and implement.
12. Take only calculated risks, though others tend to see me as a risk-taker.
13. Do not fit in a conventional, traditional organization.
14. Have a knack for spotting new ideas, concepts, and coming needs.
15. Control over my time and choices are important to me.

______ TOTAL SCORE

According to the literature, the higher you score on the indicator, the more traits you have in common with entrepreneurs.

Range = 60-75 (high) Indicates strong free agent/entrepreneurial characteristics.
Range = 45-60. (moderate)
Range = Under 45. (low) Think carefully before going out on your own.

** For the complete Entrepreneur Characteristics Indicator List please refer to pages 170-174 in my book, Don’t Stop the Career Clock: Rejecting the Myths of Aging for a New Way to Work in the 21st Century. Contact me with your thinking.

Copyright © at Career Design Associates, Inc

Facebook presentation this past Saturday!

Shama Hyder with Click to Client, a local Dallas company presented Facebook: Use it to Build your and Business, Get a job, Get more clients, or Just Get Known! this past Saturday at Career Design offices in Garland. The information she shared with the 40+ attendees was valuable and much appreciated.

Shama, author of Zen of Social Media (http://zenofsocialmedia.com/) was recently recognized by Fast Company as the “millennial master of the universe and an online marketing shaman.” Do check out the article: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/wendy-marx/brand-u-wendy-marx/website-design

Career Design will continue this series to assist clients with gaining valuable information to further their businesses and their careers. These meetings are open to the public at no charge http://www.career-design.com/ for more details.

In the meantime, follow us on Twitter @CareerDesign or Facebook http://www.drhelenharkness.com/

LinkedIn Presentation this past Saturday!

The 3rd meeting in the Social Networking series was this past Saturday. Stephanie Cross with The Destani Group did a wonderful job presenting LinkedIn for Strategic Networking and Job Search to CDA clients and guests.

The information she shared with us with insightful and thought provoking. Her knowledge of LinkedIn and Marketing came across strongly. I highly recommend, if you didn't make the meeting you request checking the DVD out of the CDA Career Resource Library.

The next meeting in the Social Networking Series will be on May 2, 1 - 3 pm. Shama Hyder with Click to Client is presenting Facebook: How to Use it to Build your Brand and Business. Use it to get a job, get more clients, or just get known! Learn the do’s and don’ts, and how to leverage its applications.

Aging continued . . .

I have many clients that are older and have successfully refocused their career, usually starting their own business. Many have retired from their "womb to tomb" career, gone home and spent many days playing golf, remodeling, redecorating and just sitting around the house. They are now bored, unhappy and realize they don't have a purpose.

Many have to overcome the "I am too old mentality" and realize they can do whatever they set their mind too. Just because you are older, it doesn't mean you can't work in a particular career field or start your own business. It means we just take a different approach. A man come in to meet with me last week. He had sold his very successful business and retired. He said "I am now bored and tired of playing golf", yet he continued that he was too old to get a job now. I thought: why did he come to a career counselor. Maybe he was hoping I would say: "You are right, you are too old to work." No way!

My point is, the minute you stop having a purpose, you are just waiting to die! Don't let this happen to you.