Category Archives: August

What’s Your Philosophy – On Mature Expectations?

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The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.  William Hazlitt

We smile as we read text describing the difference between the use of “a” and “the.” It happened to me as I read a four-page paper by Luciano Floridi, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information at the University of Oxford, entitled, “Mature Information Societies – A Matter of Expectations.”   Mature_Information_Societies_a_Matter_of

Floridi’s premise is that “a” is more appropriate when discussing the digital information society because it refers to groups as opposed to “the,” that references one. Digital bandwidth itself, all over the world doesn’t provide a basis to judge the benefit of information to society. Rather, it is the expectation of information that drives education, understanding and innovation for each country’s philosophy of life. Expectations are viewed as mature when balanced by an acknowledgement that all people in the society may not be able to share your specific expectations. In other words, the right to expect more is coupled with knowing everyone may not equally be able to share in the output of digital information.

From a business prospective, companies work daily  through expectations they have for their customers, their employees and stakeholders. Mature societal expectations point to three avenues, according to Floridi, as follows:

a)  Education – Creates awareness of your own assumptions and expectations; Allows for justification, reasonableness and historical determination of your expectations.

b)  Understanding – When society implements a particular right of use it recognizes deficiencies associated with the right of use.

c)  Innovation – Mature expectations assist in creating informative actions, ordinary vs. extraordinary, normal vs. abnormal.

The philosophy of digital information results in mature expectations for the common good. Haven’t we all asked one or more of the following questions: How will this benefit the customer? Why are we moving foward on this project when the risk evaluations are not yet completed?

It’s time to recognize we all have a philosophy for the common good developed on the back of digital infrastructure. As you Choose who YOU want to be Known As in whatever societies you participate in, consider your Expectations for what you give, what the other person gets  and what benefit is provided. Enjoy the upcoming weekend!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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balancing-rock-1273567_960_720Pixabay072916The resolution:  A change.  Progress.  A transformaation.   Michael Port

Earlier today LinkedIn Pulse published a Post for me entitled:  “What’s Your Takeaway?” https://lnkd.in/dSPzdHZ by @Coach_Jo_Ann on @LinkedIn.

It’s a challenge for many of us to quickly embrace a new pattern, a new procedure, workplace situations we may not initially want.  It is especially so after when we have committed ourselves to a project, put in the time and energy only to learn the project was “pulled.”  It is our resilience that keeps us going and will do so during the balance of this year.

As You Choose Who You Want to be Known As, all the best to you in your career as you welcome the month of August, next week!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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LINING Your Portfolio . . .

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I do not pretend to start with precise questions.  I do not think you can start anything precise.  You have to achieve such precision as you can, as you go along. Betand Russell

I’m not sure when it exactly happened; I think it started with my first photography course at college.  Lines fascinate me, perhaps because what they represent in your mind becomes a design that you live with in your life and your career. As we approach the end of the month of August, another opportunity presents itself to create, enhance or begin a new line, lined or lining in your career.

Earlier today, I published another version of this theme as a LinkedIn Publisher at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lines-lined-lining-jo-ann-m-radja.  Here is a copy of the text for your review:

“It’s somewhat rare that we do  not find a line running through our careers.  When our career began we had straight lines between a resume + interview + job offer.  Within a year or so our performance may have warranted  a testimonial or recommendation.  Our performance lined a file and formed a lining within our portfolio.

Today, many of us have accepted we move though our careers via a step line of asking many questions.  How are we able to >>>>>?     How can I modify my >>>>> to achieve >>>>>?       What do I have to do to complete >>>>>?  What are the expectations for this assignment and how will my performance be measured?   What questioning gives us are steps to embrace whatever perceived or real negative may lie before us.  More importantly, we exercise whatever control we have to accept and choose a line of action. 

We are presented with options and possibilities as we approach the last four months of  2015.  As you choose Who You Want to be Known As, what questions will you ask yourself to continue lining your portfolio?  Enjoy your 4th quarter of 2015!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach'”

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“Talk to Inform” – Your Storyboard

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0511-1204-0312-1815_Woman_giving_a_presentation_at_a_lectern_clipart_imageBING080615 As is often the case when you are looking for something, you come across another idea.  Here is an idea that may be of interest to you when you want to create a storyboard for your next writing, presentation, or meeting at the office.  It’s called, “Talk to Inform – Visual Aid Mate.”   [I am not the author and unfortunately, this color visual  aid shows no company name or copyright information.]

It consists of 10 boxes printed on legal size paper, landscape print setting.  Talking to Inform not only requires a Subject, but the Importance of the Benefit to your audience as well as an Outline of how you are going spend the audience’s valuable time during your Talk on the Subject. [Boxes 1 through 3]

Boxes 4 through 8 contain the Body of the Talk that may contain your personal experiences, expert opinions, analogies, statistics, facts and examples of how your Subject Matter relates to the audience.  Boxes 9 and 10 represent how you Recap and Confirm the Benefit to the audience.  So completing these 10 boxes and you’re done!

We all look for ways to streamline our work flow and I hope this brief idea is helpful to you when you need a self-management tool.    Have a great week in your career!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive & Career Management Coach

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Appreciate your continuing to Visit this Blog

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Thanks to all of you for your Comments and Likes this year.  It is much appreciated. With gratitude, Jo Ann M. Radja

“Is it form over function or function over form?”

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Here’s a Post which was published by LinkedIn.com within the past half-hour.:

 

“Have you ever been told, “That’s not what you are supposed to do.  That responsibility belongs to someone else.”  While you may have a Title for your position, it doesn’t necessarily explain what you actually do.  A Form usually relates to one thing and a Function relates to the activity of a specific Form.

The answer may lie in what binds the Function to the Form, whether by a job description, perceptions, testimonials or accomplishments.  As we begin to think about our upcoming Labor Day – how would you describe what you do – is it Form over Function or Function over Form? 

What do your customers expect from you. . . Function or Form? How often has it happened to you that you visit a retail store and what you wanted to buy is not sold by the Form name of the retail store?   Perhaps you contacted an Accounting firm, only to learn that the specialty service you want to hire is not found within the firm’s members?   Form over function sounds simple, but it isn’t.   

Another way of looking at form over function and function over form is to consider the word “feedback”.    Is feedback just a comment or response, or your understanding of what was said, or advice, or an opinion or a demonstration of your listening skills?  While you may have merely given encouragement to someone’s decision, it was received as advice, which was not your intention.   Perhaps this topic is another puzzle for us to work out in our careers because we live in a fluid, every-changing world.  

Consider as you Choose How You Want to be Known As, what is your answer to the Form or Function question.  Have a great day!” 

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

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What’s your insightful oversight…

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It’s always a new experience to witness what an Editor chooses for the public to read, admire, or enhance an understanding about the world at large.  I recently set up a software portfolio of my interests and discovered, yet again how … Continue reading →

“Hear, Heard and Hearing”

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            I published a Post on LinkedIn.com this morning, and hope you find value in it’s message:  http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140811163252-32215190-hear-heard-and-hearing   “Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

What are YOU doing here?

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Don’t let other people’s opinion define who you are.  Les Brown

A few years ago, a Group Member posted the above quotation.  I keep a copy of it in one of my travelling see-through make-up bags.  It is a reminder of how we choose to manage our own emotions within our careers when meeting other people we come in contact with.  Have you ever been asked the question in a somewhat unfriendly way in your career —  “Why are YOU here?”  During the past few years it’s a question I’ve been asked at business conferences, meetings and sometimes during networking events.

 

When I hear the question I answer it directly.  Surprisingly, my response may not be what the other person expected or wanted to hear.  Because we are responsible for our own actions,  we can’t know the other person’s hidden agenda(s).  Opportunities do, however,  present themselves daily to be mindful so you can acknowledge and accept someone else the way they are.

 

What is the first thought that comes to mind, when you hear this question?  How many seconds do you pause before speaking?  What message do you want to convey in your answer?  Why is it important for you to continue the conversation?  How can you reframe the question so that you manage your response?

 

As You Choose Who You Want to be Known As, consider reframing a response, based on your values.  Have a great week.

 

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent

Speaking up at work . . .

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Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.  Winston Churchill A few times last week I was questioned about who I was, what I did and whether … Continue reading →