For Employees « Fired Up!

Archive for the ‘For Employees’ Category

It Is Always Someone Else’s Fault

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

We, as a culture, are great at the blame game. Whenever something happens – we stumble on the street, undercook a meal, back into another car, the wind blows a tree limb down – we first look to whom we can blame. And the more we look for others to be at fault, the less we own our responses – the less we take responsibility for our choices, actions and outcomes.

So, let’s try something. This will be the only time I’ll let you blame.

Complete this phrase in as many ways as you want:
“If it weren’t for__________________, I could (would) be doing _______________.

Got your list?

Here are some I have heard lately:
If it weren’t for this recession, I’d have a better job (or a job).

If it weren’t for my work schedule, I’d eat better and be healthier.

If it weren’t for the kids’ activities schedule, the house would be cleaner.

If it weren’t for my boss’s mental instability, I would have been promoted already.

If it weren’t for wife’s (husband’s) family, I would enjoy the holidays.

I find blaming wears me out. After blaming, nothing happens. Nothing changes. Now I am tired and not any better.

Here is what I offer. If each of your “If it weren’t for ______” statements are truly important to you, then it is critical for you to own the result. So, if you said, “If it weren’t for my work schedule, I’d eat better and be healthier,” how will you own this result instead of blame the work schedule? Can you prepare food to take with you, have family members help you cook, investigate new quick and easy, healthy foods and recipes, redefine your work hours to build in exercise, yoga or meditation time, find others with similar schedules and see how they make it work? It is about taking ownership of what you need to happen. No excuses.

So to me, the choices are: get worn out by blaming others and having no resolution, or, own the outcome and make changes in our behaviors to get the desired result.

This week, pick one of your “If it weren’t for ______” statements, and own its outcome. Just do one. Then next week, do another, and another. Soon you’ll see that when you own the results, things happen. And try this with your kids and your teammates in the workplace. Create a “blame-free” zone.

Please forward this to someone who can benefit from it.

Tags: blame, excuses, no excuses, own your performance, ownership
Posted in For Employees, For Individuals, For Managers | No Comments »

Kick It Up

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Look at the word “EXTRAordinary” – it is made up of the words “extra” and “ordinary,” meaning something more than ordinary. But ordinary and extraordinary are personal – each of us determines, for us, what is ordinary or extraordinary. And to do this we must know ourselves well.

Let me share two stories of those who made the effort to know themselves, then based on what they discovered about themselves, chose to kick it up and respond in an extraordinary way (for them). It took (takes) effort and courage.

Sam is the son of a friend of mine. He has always wanted to be an actor. His passion is to act. He was in all the plays in high school and is even working on his first screenplay. It is all he can think of. He earned and saved enough money and moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the movie industry. And like all aspiring actors, is working several odd jobs to afford putting himself into the environment that activates his greatest passions. His mom worries about him but she also realizes that he is living an extraordinary life – for him. He isn’t worried about buying a house, having a fancy car. He puts himself into areas that get him noticed for his acting and his writing. He couldn’t be happier – his life is kicked up – and is extraordinary – for him. He knows himself. He knows what makes life great for him and he goes for it.

I have another good friend whose youngest son recently came out. Though she had suspected he was gay for years, it is now out in the open. She told me her greatest sadness about him coming out was that he was not going to have a normal life – a normal life according to her terms. But after hours of conversation with each other, she now realizes that his life is very happy – for him. Getting married to comply with family expectations would have given him someone else’s life. He is now living openly and honestly and is creating his own extraordinary life – as an exceptional attorney. She can now see that extraordinary had to be his definition, not hers. And to know what that is, he had to know himself and be honest with himself.

So, how well do you know yourself? What makes life ordinary and what makes life extraordinary – for you?

You choose how you want life to be and since you do not get this day back, shouldn’t it be an extraordinary, “kicked-up” kind of day? That is my goal each day.

What would make today EXTRAordinary for you? And how will you make it happen?

Please forward this to someone who can benefit from it and contact me to help you learn how to better know yourself, so you can choose EXTRAordinary for you.

Tags: actors, coming out, extraordinary life, kick it up, know yourself, live your dream, ordinary life
Posted in For Employees, For Individuals, For Managers | No Comments »

Old Job, New Job

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Finding a job is still not easy; there is so much competition. So, if you are applying for our old definition of jobs (40-hour jobs, one employer, standard work week), then improve your changes of getting noticed by doing the following:

o Apply for jobs that play to your talents and passions. Take a talent assessment to start to learn about your talents and intrinsic strengths.
o Use a talent-based resume, not a skill and experience-based resume; this shows your fit – something that is very important for hiring managers.
o Learn how to be great in a talent-based interview. These are different than the old style interviews because they require you to think on your feet.

Go to www.LiveFiredUp.com and click on ‘Job Seeker’ for information about these – Standard Job – Old Job.

Now, on to something new.

If you realize that a standard job is not for you (you can’t get one or don’t want one), then consider the flexible free agent role. This is a role you create that strings together several part-time roles or tasks into a full-time job, focusing on your talents and passions.

To start the process of flexible free agent, you need the following information about you and your world:
1. What are you great at and passionate about doing?
2. Of what you are great at, who needs what you do?
3. How will you get in touch with who needs you and start your flexible free agent role?

Let’s first see a couple of examples:

#1: Your talents: Detailed-focused, organized, efficient and productive.
Your passion: organization, implementation, driving and achieving results.
Opportunities: Work with companies that need:
*External/Internal events planned.
*Coordinate company event or initiative (new policy, new process, new education).
*Office administration, task organization, special project management, staffing coordination.

#2: Your talents: great communicator, listener and relater
Your passion: connecting with others, hearing others stories and experiences
Opportunities: Work with companies that need:
*Information about customer service, employee perspectives, or consumer perspectives – create and manage a survey process to gather information.
*Local radio, TV channel, newspaper opinion sourcing role that want stories about people and their lives.
*Develop and coordinate a social networking (cloud) for small organizations that deal in a product or service that matches your passions.

The starting point is knowing what you do well, then assessing who in your world could use what you do. Then invent the possibilities and your new customized role – Non-Standard Job – New Job.

For more information go to www.LiveFiredUp.com and click on the “Reinvent Your Work Self” link under ‘Job Seeker.’

Tags: conventional job, employee engagement, flexible free agent, new type of work, part-time work, reinvent your work self
Posted in For Employees, For Individuals | No Comments »

Do More of Some Things and Less of Others

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

Life is all about choice – we choose to do some things and not others. We have the choice to tread lightly in some situations and not in others. Here is what I mean.

In the living well magazine of my local supermarket was an article about a twelve-year old who worked with her family to limit their trash output to one bag a week. She educated her entire family about what can be recycled, required reusable containers and bags, and insisted on a commitment to reduce the amount of “stuff” the family has. Tread lightly on the planet.

An author friend of mine blogged this week about an elderly man who had fallen on the street, and though a crowd gather around him, no one bothered to help him stand. My friend came through the crowd and helped the man stand, made sure he was fine, then moved along on his way. Don’t tread lightly when it comes to helping others.

My neighbors in Florida funnel the rainwater from their roof into cisterns and barrels, and use this water to irrigate their plants and gardens. They comply with the water restrictions and are careful about how much water they use and when they use it. They respect this resource. Tread lightly with our natural resources.

I was in a Starbucks last week and watched a kid, excited about ordering his own beverage (the parent was in the car), realize to his horror that he did not have enough money with him. The person in line covered his shortfall and the kid’s smile returned in an exceptional way. Don’t tread lightly with kindness.

It is our choice to respond – to tread lightly when it comes to our planet, our resources and our world – and to not tread lightly when it comes to kindness, generosity, help and support.

– What three ways will you tread lightly on the planet – and how will you share your ideas with others to do the same?
– What three ways will you not tread lightly (be bold) in your service and kindness to others – and how will you share your ideas with others to do the same?

Each of us makes an impact – is it the right impact? Do more of some things; do less of others. Own your impact and share what you know.

Please pass this on to someone who can benefit from it and contact me for help or inspiration.

Tags: care for each other, environment, footprint, kindness, respect the planet, service
Posted in For Employees, For Individuals, For Managers | No Comments »