It’s the first Day of July and here in the Midwest, many people begin to prepare for the 4th of July weekend, here are a number of ideas and thoughts to consider:
F orever and always we say
T o celebrate and
H old our values high.
O nly in America do we truly enjoy
F reedoms other countries only admire.
J ustice wrapped
U p in red, white and blue.
L iberty, life and the pursuit of happiness for
Y ou.©Jo Ann M. Radja
May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely than our own. Daniel Webster.
The United States is the only country with a known birthday. James G. Blaine
Where liberty dwells, there is my country. Benjamin Franklin
Enjoy your day!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
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Category Archives: Jo Ann M. Radja
LABEL, LABELED, LABELING
Aside
It’s interesting how people want others to know who they are. We like to be known either by our strengths, by our family position or by what we do for a living. Yet, there are times when a situation arises where we may say, “Please don’t label me as . . . . .” We express those words because we want to choose how we are evaluated, and perhaps because the label we heard “rubbed us the wrong way.”
Our salary depends on our performance for a position that we chose to accept. So, our employer does label us for the position we hold and we agreed to that label. Under what circumstances does labelling come into play in our careers? While researching a few blog ideas, I came across a fresh presentation of how people can be defined in their roles at the office. It is called Dr. Edward de Bono’s “SIX THINKING HATS” [registered mark]. The California State University at Los Angeles prepared a brief slide share presentation explaining each “Thinking Hat” …
http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jpark/Six%20thinking%20hats.ppt
Should you be a Red Hat and strive to become a Green Hat, how would you obtain the educational training to do so? Online and brick and mortar classes are available as well as many Human Resource Departments. Business and Civic organizations also offer programs for self-development. As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As let your Label shine though as you manage your career. Enjoy your day!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
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Notes: http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/6hats.htm
When the Journey, begins anew…
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“Feel the fear. Do it anyways.” Anonymous
I just finished reading Kimberly Weisul’s article in Inc. Magazine about Ms.Carey Lohrenz, a recently promoted Navy Tomcat fighter jet Pilot. http://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/high-performance-high-stress-advice-from-a-fighter-pilot.html Ms. Weisul, an Editor-at-Large at Inc. Magazine teaches us how to interview. I say this because her article surprisingly has many realistic stories about Pilot Carey Lohrenz’ career path on how she felt the fear and kept on going.
We love quotations because the words ring true for us and leave lasting perceptions and images in our minds. Pilot Lohrenz’ words of wisdom on performance and leadership are:
“The number one way to reduce anxiety in a volatile environment is to write down your top three priorities and focus on those.”
“Almost all the pilots I worked with wrote notes on their hands – what went wrong and how to fix it” pretty quickly.
“It’s notoriously difficult to be an Officer.” How she made it was taking on the fear and working through the experience to find a way for herself to make it work – again, again, and again. After each successful experience, Pilot Carey began a new journey to test herself against the next issue she was asked to handle.
As you work through your career this week, Choose Who You Want to be Known As, when you are pushing to make it through the day, the project or the week. Enjoy your week!
Executive & Career Management Coach
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Mid-May 2015 Musings. . .
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May you be strengthened By yesterday’s Rain. Walk straight in tomorrow’s Wind and Cherish each moment of the sun today. Catherine Hislop
Your business and your life will change when you really, really get it that some people are not going to change, no matter what you do. And that still others have a vested interest in being destructive. Dr. Henry Cloud, Clinical psychologist
Posted on Pinterest by Guillermo Alvarez: “You shouldn’t point out things about people’s appearances if they can’t fix it in ten seconds”. AND “Don’t get mad. Don’t get even. Do better much better. Rise above. Become so engulfed in your own success that you forget it ever happened.”
Embrace the negative and try to see the beauty within Nature and the Community where you live.
Enjoy your week in your chosen career as you Choose Who You Want to be Known As!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive & Career Management Coach
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Anchors Aweigh to your Choices
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Today is the first day of Daylight Savings Time and we are adjusting to the loss of one hour. I have come across a few articles recently about how the anchoring choice of a decision comes into play. The conversation of how we truly decide and move forward is always on-going. Neuroscientists and Psychologists keep us busy reading their latest articles and the above picture shows another view of what goes on when we begin to make decisions.
Anchors Aweigh is a phrase used to release the weighted anchor holding a ship at the harbor. Anchoring Decisions is a form of cognitive bias we all have which may be based on our education, culture, whether we grew up in a small or large family and the physical environment we enjoyed as children. When we choose the first piece of information we hear about an event, we anchor on to it. Although we may ask for some other information, we usually go back to the first piece of information we hear, because we unconsciously believe it to be true.
Perhaps some people haven’t considered how often they anchor what they hear. Often times we wonder why someone may not move from a “position” and anchoring may be the reason. Here is an additional view of how our unconscious bias influences our decision making.
During this second week of March, 2015, consider how you Choose Who You Want to be Known As when reaching out to understand another person’s decision. Have a great week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
Valentines Day 2015
Aside
Here’s a Valentine’s Day Business Anagram from @Coach_Jo_Ann http://lnkd.in/bYHe3zK From Chicago to you, Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you enjoy the anagram below:
Very often
After something happens, we wish we
Listened more carefully.
Events, such as
Now – Valentine’s Day – provide
The opportunity to make amends.
It’s your turn to speak.
Nothing can take away what was said.
Early is better than later —
So happy you took the chance.
Do what is in the best interests of your Team.
Accept you are a Servant Leader ‘cause
You are very good at it.
Authored by Jo Ann M. Radja, Career Management Coach 02/13/14
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We Celebrate President Lincoln’s Date of Birth
Reply
We celebrate and remember February 12th as the birth of President Lincoln here in Illinois. Earlier today I published a blog on this subject, via LinkedIn.com Pulse, https://t.co/0Mu2ZA6TFw. I hope you enjoy these quotations from President Abraham Lincoln.
“Illinois Celebrates President Abraham Lincoln
“No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.”
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important that any one thing.”
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice that thorn bushes have roses.”
“I can make more generals, but horses cost money.” And lastly, “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.”
Enjoy your career day.
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
Reflections on the 1st Friday in February 2015
The Willis Clan Turning Tragedy into Triumph We are resilient this Winter no matter where we call home. I hope you enjoy this link for a bit of music as well as an earlier Blog, published under my name today at LinkedIn Pulse https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/friday-reflections-next-week-jo-ann-m-radja. The text now follows:
“It is difficult for most people to live up to The Golden Rule, and consequently few of us do so with complete consistency. Tom Morris
We confront horrible evil and we see the most exalted forms of good more often in art and history than in the ordinary course of daily life. Tom Morris
Love is simply the most important key to proper success, authentic happiness and genuine meaning in life. . . despite any appearances to the contrary in our world. Tom Morris
If you want to communicate your differences quickly to customers, change your label. Mike Michalowicz
You make a decision, often, on less than one percent of the information, because you have to. Mike Michalowicz
Identify your top clients and remove the rest of your less-promising clients. Mike Michalowicz.”
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
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Winter Poems for Reflection
Two poems were published earlier today by me entitled, “Winter Reflections of Two Poems” by @Coach_Jo_Ann on @LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/winter-reflections-two-poems-jo-ann-m-radja. The anagram poems are as follows:
Entitled was
The word
He said.
Incivility
Came about as he demanded
Something from her she didn’t have.ã Jo Ann M. Radja
Entering the Speed Mentoring Room, you felt
The excitement of people.
How engaged the Mentees were as each one
Invited the Mentor to ask
Confidential questions for their benefit.
Sharing food for thought nuggets brought
Smiles to the Mentees.ã Jo Ann M. Radja
Have a great career week.
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coaching & Change Agent
How to manage the Common Good
An earlier version of this post was published by this author today with LinkedIn Pulse, under the title, “Managing the Common Good” at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/managing-common-good-jo-ann-m-radja. Here is the text for your convenience:
“Managing the Comon Good
Quite some time ago, a friend of mine at work asked if I wanted to join her on a trip to Worchester, Massachusetts. She was a young Board Member of a national ethnic organization and planned to attend the annual conference. Of course, I jumped at the chance and received the okay to take a Friday and Monday off from work. Some seven months earlier, while on vacation, I met a guy from Nantucket, and was excited to see him again, as he was a student at Worchester College.
We travelled in the “dead of winter.” The day before we were scheduled to leave, a snow storm hit; the wind drifts blew snow against the Holiday Inn, covering the first two floors of the Inn. We were blocked in and couldn’t get out. We stayed an extra two days until it was safe to leave the Inn and drive to Logan Airport. I was thankful my employer understood the situation and the Worchester, MA community had the necessary equipment to dig out from the storm.
Early this morning, I read that Worchester, MA, had some 31 inches fall during the past two days. The entire Nantucket community had no electric power and the temperature was sub-zero. A reporter wrote how he had to climb out of his home window to get outside because the door, which opened only one way, was blocked with snow. It was predicted that The Storm of the Century would blow through the Eastern Seaboard. The Common Good Theory came into Play. State and Local Governments issued Orders to protect communities from harm and ensure safety.
We often don’t take notice how local government protects its citizens. The organization of various agencies, fire, police, transportation, weather, medical all have to come together. It is no small feat to ensure the Common Good when interpreting weather is not an absolute science. No known entity controls the Weather. Scientists and educated people interpret data and reasonable judgments are made. Should we really blame someone for not knowing, ahead of time, how miles above the earth the wind abruptly shifts and a forecast is no longer wholly accurate.
Management, whether private or government does not have all the answers. It surely recognizes this fact and decides the next step, based on presently known information. Governing from the “Syco Slate” game* of “Maybe so”, or “Without a doubt,” or “Most likely,” doesn’t work. Let’s look for the random acts of kindness that took place by government employees who worked on our behalf, in difficult weather conditions. Isn’t that the real story, together with the careered government people who looked out for us?
As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As, consider who looks out for you, when weather conditions, stand in the way of your career choice.
Enjoy your career this week!
‘Jo Ann’ M. Radja, Career Management Coaching & Change Agent
http://careermanagementcoaching.me @Coach_Jo_Ann
*Syco Slate is the predecessor of the Magic 8 Ball of chance.
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