4 times a year we celebrate a Patriotic Holiday. T raffic going and coming everywhere H urrying to enjoy a great day O f celebrating our freedom F rom tyranny, oppression and terrorists. J ars of ketchup, mustard and … Continue reading
Category Archives: Motivation
Chicago Thanksgiving Week 2017
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From Chicago this Thanksgiving Week, I hope you enjoy this American holiday, whether you are with family, or friends, or on your own . . .perhaps these Chicago pics will remind you how we are one as these pictures can be seen by us all. Happy Thanksgiving!
As you Choose who You Want to be known as this week, Enjoy the holiday!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
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Note: The above quotation is found at http://www.http://www.wow4u.com/qthankfulness/
All pictures displayed above were shot from my Apple 7 camera this morning.
Following Up is Not Always Easy. . .
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Pain often leads a conversation
Over six months ago, our city was mourning the loss of a young man who was shot while walking down a street. After a video of the shooting was released, citizens vehemently blamed people they believed were personally responsible for the death. Anger and bewilderment followed in our neighborhoods and across social media. The personal anguish of citizens was felt, recognized and acknowledged resulting in municipal and federal investigations beginning the work to respond to the demands understanding the Why of what happened. The citizen focus over the past few months appeared to be quiet and perhaps blurred. When people are in mourning, learning how to deal with the pain is not an easy road to go down. Pain leads the conversation.
I am writing this blog post because of two separate instances that happened this week. The first occurred shortly after I arrived back in the City from a business trip. I spoke to a man and asked a follow-up question of why downtown streets were closed due to police protection. He was surprised I knew about what happened since I was away, and then responded that a construction crew accidentally hit an energy mainline. Responding to his surprise, I said, “I’m signed up with the city to receive weather and other alerts.” His perception: “That’s because you are So and So.” The conversation remained friendly and the man understood from me that all citizens were able to receive the same alerts.
The second instance was my learning that the US Justice Department would hold a meeting where citizens would have an opportunity to raise their concerns about interaction with the police department – an outgrowth of the investigation that began six months ago. I listened to this news shortly before 6:00am. The next day the Illinois Progress website announced only 30 people attended the first Justice Department forum. http://www.illinoisprogress.org.
Following up on issues that are important to you is not easy when you are in pain and mourning. If I had not listened to the news early in the morning, I would not have known about the US Justice forum that evening. The business of municipal and federal agencies is for the common good – so for those who would like to attend a future forum, here is the listing, again from Illinois Progress: http://progressillinois.com/news/content/2016/06/15/us-justice-department-hold-public-forums-chicago-police-department-probe.
As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As this week, consider reaching out to someone who would benefit and want to know about these future forums. Thank you and have a great week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coaching
What’s a Monday to YOU?
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We’ve enjoyed the holidays and are back at what we love to do best to earn a living. The above design quote was originally published by me in April of 2013, at this site: careermanagementcoaching.me. I hope you give your best to your career this year as we begin the first week of January 2016!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
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What’s rolling into your Year of 2016?
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The following anagram was published today via LinkedIn Pulse at http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-rolling-from-2015-your-year-2016-jo-ann-m-radja:
H opes we had occasionally came true.
A nd we still pursued and pressed forward.
P erseverance may pay off as
P erhaps 2016 may be the
Y ear we vision it will be.
Y et, it still remains our choice to
E mbrace the negative
A nd
R eframe our hopes, targets and expectations into the year 2016!©Jo Ann M Radja
As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As have the best year ever in 2016!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
Impossible fun . . . with curiosity
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It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Walt Disney
Earlier today I published a post on LinkedIn Pulse with the Title of The Three R’s. http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/three-rs-jo-ann-m-radja. Here is a modified version of that post.
A man in a creative job had been working on a new project. He submits it to the client and a discussion ensues. Even though the project was deemed unacceptable for the marketplace, he believed the discussion was fair. It was such a shock and a setback to subsequently learn his staff was hired away from him (except one man) by the company who deemed his work was out-of-fashion. This story occurred sometime during the 1920’s. Whether it is a myth or a restatement of history, unfortunately, this story rings true for many people.
The terms of reinvent, re-engineered, retooled or right-sized were not spoken in this creative man’s era; his story has universality for us today, some 90 years later. What Walt Disney did with his one employee was to collaborate and re-work his original drawings. Mickey Mouse was then born and introduced to the community. Many of the action terms we use today – customer driven, vision and focus, brain-storming new ideas and visualizing real-world activities for the new character – took place in the development and implementation of the Mickey Mouse character.
How quickly do you rebound from a serious let-down? What did you tell yourself to regroup and continue on? Did you re-frame the situation or just recognized perhaps the timing was all wrong? Stating these questions another way: What feedback did you receive that continued the spark in you to recognize, relate and resolve your actions to the next step? How frequently do you rely on YOUR three R’s As You Choose Who You Want to be Known As?
During the month of October, I hope your three R’s work to your best advantage as you recognize, relate and resolve.
“Jo Ann” M. Radja Executive and Career Management Coach
When is Right, right?
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It usually comes down to what may be expedient, most likely to occur or even, “What’s in it for me?” I found the above Dilbert cartoon, shared from tumblr, as an example of how we may inadvertently show ourselves as not demonstrating integrity, as in, “When is Right, right?”
Described as the most active public Philosopher in America, Tom Morris, explains that,
“The distinction between what is right and what is easy is one of the most important contrasts that can guide us in our lives and in our careers.”
If we are uncomfortable, uneasy or afraid to take the right step, we place roadblocks to do what is right in our actions at work. We may even “self-sabotage” ourselves in our careers because we do not trust in our abilities. Even though the cartoon character, shown above, was labeled as a work avoider and gave an “only if than” response, he quickly recognized it was wrong, then ran to make it right.
However, you Choose Who You Want to be Known As, be true to yourself in your decisions. Have a great Day!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
http://www.wordpress.com/disclosures
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa
Notes: Morris, Tom. If Harry Potter Ran General Electric, Leadership Wisdom from the World of Wizards. Currency Doubleday Publisher (2006), page 159.
Notes: tumblr_mi8h0xtKme1rliu6yo1_500PromotefirstonbasisofIntegritythenmotivationalthenjobs
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
2nd Day of July 2015
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Today’s Musings on the 2nd Day of July, 2015: We continue our preparations for celebrating the 4th of July. Taking a moment to learn about what is also occurring on this day, A federal website shares information on the history and why so many Americans are excited to celebrate the 4th of July at http://usafederalholidays.com/independance-day/
The publication, “Medical Daily” printed a number of quotations on the 4th of July Celebration, which were posted by Anthony Rivas last year on the 3rd of July, as follows:
Freedom lies in being bold. Robert Frost
The real American Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people, a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change of the people was the real American Revolution. John Adams
We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. William Faulkner
Scientists also share the happy news that during this month of July, there are two full moons and accordingly, the second full moon is called a Blue Moon – http://www.earthsky.org/tonight.
Enjoy your Day!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach
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
http://www.wordpress.com/disclosures
Career Management Coaching 