Career Brain Drain

Banking to Goooooooooo!

I pulled into the bank's drive-thru the other day to make a transaction.  I dropped my deposit into the plastic tube, pressed send and promptly drove away!  Hellooooo, Tammy's brain...where did you go?  Have you ever done something like that?  Have you ever completely forgot about what you were doing or you  left something behind, or spent 30 minutes looking for glasses that were already on top of your head?  I think we all have and no you don't have early onset alzheimer's. It's called information overload and now more than ever people seem to suffer from it.  Since this is the era of "information" we can only absorb so much.  Have you ever thought about doing a "brain dump"?  What's a brain dump?  A "brain dump" is much like using your delete key on your computer only you delete unnecessary bits of information stored in your brain. 

Here is what you need to do.  Go buy a notebook or journal.  Everyday you need to spend sometime (preferably in the morning) writing in your journal anything and everything that comes up.  It could be an idea, it could be junk, it could be positive or negative self talk-it doesn't matter.  The point is to get it out of your head and onto that piece of paper.  The key to this is once it is out on paper you NEVER read it again.  That's right, you don't go back, you move forward.  Most of the "stuff" you are going to write you don't need to look back at anyway because it will be on the negative side.  If you have a brilliant million dollar idea - don't worry - you will retain it.  Once you start getting into the habit of "brain dumping" you will have much more clarity about how to spend your day, you will be more focused and you will find your energy increasing-I know...it sounds like woo woo stuff but it really works!  Why then did I drive off from the bank before completing my transaction?  Well, because I hadn't done this in a while!  I got busy (it's hard creating a multi-million dollar empire!) and stopped doing it.  I know I need to delete all the bits of information or self talk that isn't helping me so I am back to doing this exercise and have more clarity for it. 

It is almost 2007, are you getting clear?

Nervous Breakdown Anyone?

How can anyone get anything done these days?  I have been in a meltdown, overwhelm, craze-induced, froth at the mouth coma for the last couple of weeks!  I am trying to get my website up, my e-zine going, finish my certification at coaching school, coaching people, writing a book, working on speeches, working a full-time job, taking care of two children under the age of 3 and have a husband that works nights, and weekends.  Phew!  Glad I got that off my chest! 

If it seems like I'm doing alot-ah yeah, you'd be right-I AM!  But you know what?  I'm not the only one.  Everyone else seems to be going at this breakneck speed too.  Why are we all overworked, stressed out, sleep-deprived and over-caffienated?  Do you feel like your a hamster on a wheel?  I do too, sometimes.

But I am sooo excited about the future, even in my craze induced, froth-at-the-mouth coma-like state... because, I have a career I'm passionate about!  Do you?  Or are you just "crazed", "busy" and hating your career. 

My friends, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  2007 is coming at a really fast clip, it's time to get your YEAR IN GEAR!  Think about what changes you want to make for 2007, write it down, get your butt off the couch and do something about it.  Making a choice to do something... anything is much better than doing nothing.  And don't even think about making excuses-you can't fool me, I used to be full of @#$% too.

So, this craze-induced, sleep-deprived, froth-at-the mouth coma induced BROAD is going to continue to push forward-my goal: to help people find JOY in their current career situation and if there is NO JOY...then help them go get it-even if we need a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles! 

READY, SET, GO!

  Do you ever feel like you are in a race you can't win?  You're right!  Life isn't a race, it is a marathon.  You have to pace yourself.  I have a small sculpture of "The Tortoise and The Hare" that I keep to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race (keep in mind, my maiden name IS "Hare")!  Whatever your doing, whether it's changing your career, starting your own business or finding a better job, you don't want to make the mistake of rushing into something without the necessary tools you need.  Working toward your goals a little each day will get you farther than going on a bender and working into the wee hours of the night until your exhausted.  Take it from me the "original" Hare, working steady just works better.  Ready, Set, Steady!!  If you need help, Summit Professional Coaching is always here, ready to help you reach whatever your OWN "personal" Summit is.

24 BRIDAL MAGAZINES!

I had recently read somewhere that there were 37 Bridal Magazines in publication, 37!  I couldn't believe the number so I did a little investigating on my own.  I went to a large chain bookstore and counted 24 Bridal Magazines.  I counted 1 career magazine:  "Working Mother".  Are you kidding me?  What is wrong with this picture? 

It seems we put more emphasis on our 1 day of "happiness" than on our 40-50 year work life.  Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with planning your "perfect day".  As little girls we are inundated with stories of prince charming and being a "princess" bride, we fantasize and plot and dream about our one day where we become that "princess".  In fact the picture above is my nephew and his beautiful bride.

Let's get real though, since 50% of the workforce is unhappy in their current careers, can't we fantasize and plot and dream about our career too?  You know, the one that is going to bring us great "joy", "passion", and monetary rewards!

What exactly are you doing to help move your career in the direction you would like to see it go?  Are you happy where you are or would you like to get to the next level?  Have you always wanted to start your own business?  How's that coming along? I'm sure you keep detailed notes in your career planner right?  Oh, wait, that is a bridal planner I'm looking at in the bookstore....in fact there are 10 different ones!

DO WE REALLY KNOW WHAT WE WANT?

The other day I asked my 3 year old daughter what she wanted for her upcoming Birthday.  She concisely told me, "I want a baby doll, music, and a Hello Kitty boombox".  Wow, a Hello Kitty boombox and she's 3 years old?-this IS a different world!

What was amazing though about this conversation is that she knew precisely what she wanted.  How many of us know what we want?  If I asked you right now, "what do you want", would you be as focused as my 3 year old?  I wouldn't.  Where do we lose that ability to really choose and go after what we want?

Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz figured this out when the Good Witch Glenda let her know that she had it in her all along to get what she wanted.  Dorothy only learned this though, after her long, strange trip. 

It seems as if somewhere along the way we lose the ability to figure out what we want.  We lose our compass on our own long, strange trip.  How can we get it back?  How can we become like a 3 year old again and just go for it?  We realize that like Dorothy we had it in us all along. 

Coming to this conclusion is freeing and terrifying all at the same time.  If we had it in us all along that means we created where we are now....(as Homer Simpson might say..."Doh"!) 

I am now headed in the right direction-compass pointed north or ruby slippers on and clicking, you choose. 

Corporate Cultures that Care....I don't think so.

Is it me or does it seem like corporations really don't care about their employees like they used to.  I have a friend whose Mother-In-Law passed away last week.  She let her immediate boss know and then e-mailed the VP of their division....  NOTHING....not a phone call to express their sympathy, not a card, not flowers for the funeral not one single acknowledgment that they even cared.

How do you think this made their employee feel? Acknowledged?  Valued?  Will this employee give it her all for them next time?  Should she?  This isn't an isolated incident.  I hear stories like these from all over the country. 

This particular company that my girlfriend is at has a high turnover rate for their sales staff, over 80%!  If they factored in the amount of their turnover versus shifting their thinking to a more integrated, caring environment, how much money would they be saving.  How much more motivated would their employees be to do their best?

This story reminds me of when I was a sales manager with a large staff.  I made sure the corporate culture was one of camaraderie and fun.  My staff used to laugh all the time and we had so much fun together.  I never lost one sales person that came on board with me unless they were promoted.  No one ever quit in my group.  We were often the number 1 office in sales, profits, growth etc. out of the 13 offices in the area.  Believe it or not, my area manager had a meeting with me and told me to "cut out the fun stuff".  Huh? Let me get this straight...you want me to stop making the environment fun even though we are the number 1 office in the region. 

That's when I left.  By the way, when I left my office was (yep, you guessed it) number one!