Career Management Coaching

Who Do You Want To Be Known As

Career Management Coaching

Tag Archives: Careers

Is it an Escher Artwork or A Natural Event?

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Math is where the answer is right and everything is nice – you can look out the window and see the blue sky – or the answer is wrong and you have to start all over again and see how it comes out this time.

Carl Sandburg

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Earlier this evening, LinkedIn Pulse published my Blog entitled, “Why We Sometimes Don’t Make a Choice” https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-we-sometimes-dont-make-choice-jo-ann-m-radja by @Coach_Jo_Ann on @LinkedIn.  I used a few photos to explain Choice and how the Philosopher Tom V Morris, offered insights into that subject.  

I shot the photo, above-left, yesterday morning.  It is frost on a window.  As I was putting away my flash drive, I remembered the graphic artist and mathematician, M.C. Escher.  He was well-known for intersecting images, similar in concept to nature’s frost pattern.  An example of Escher’s artwork is shown above-right.     As we are almost at year’s end, we often think about what went well for us and what we want to improve in our careers.  While we are not all artists, artwork in all forms within social media, offer a space away from our careers to relax and enjoy life for what it is.   Relaxation  brings clarity to our thoughts so we welcome each day for its own sake.

As You Choose Who You Want to be Known As during the new year of 2017, may your choices bring peace, happiness and contentment in your chosen career.  Happy New Year!

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

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Super Bowl Sunday 2016 – What’s your Role? Fan or ….

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sbowls2SuperBowlSundayclipartBING020516This afternoon, the following Post first appeared under my name at LinkedIn.com/Pulse:

This morning I heard a Professor from Yale University say  the Super Bowl in America is a “National Holiday.”  We look forward to it, it is a communal event, we plan for it, special food is cooked, eaten and savored; the entertainment on the field and at half-time becomes memorable for years to come.   We cheer, we frown, we raise our voices out loud and thoroughly have a good time.  So to all the professional football players who earned the right to play this Sunday and all the people in a multitude of positions that will work this Sunday so that the event is produced and safety is paramount, here’s the  lighter side of Super Bowl Sunday…

“Speed, strength, and the inability to register pain immediately. ~Reggie Williams, when asked his greatest strengths as a football player.”

“Imagine, thirty years from now people will be talking about that Super Bowl or this Super Bowl. I mean, if people thirty years from now even know what football is. ~Robert John Kuechenberg, 1983”

“…trying to maintain order during a legalized gang brawl involving 80 toughs with a little whistle, a hanky and a ton of prayer. ~A veteran NFL referee describing his duties, quoted in Richard Saul Wurman, American Football: TV Viewers Guide, 1982”

“At the base of it was the urge, if you wanted to play football, to knock someone down, that was what the sport was all about, the will to win closely linked with contact. ~George Plimpton, Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback, 1965”

“Football combines the two worst things about America: it is violence punctuated by committee meetings. ~George F. Will”

“The televising of football right now is just off the charts, it’s so phenomenal between HD and cable cam and all the rest. I was just sitting in my living room the other day watching those two games and you’re there. You’re right there. You’re in the game and the sound is great. It’s phenomenal. It’s the essence of live television. It’s unscripted and beautifully choreographed. The technology is terrific. If you’re in this business, there’s no better day than this. ~Al Michaels, NBC Sports press conference, Super Bowl XLIII (2009)”

“[T]he Super Bowl, the quintessential American creation. A dizzying mélange of brilliant entrepreneurship in an atmosphere of intense competition. It is the perfect show for the most intensely competitive culture in this solar system. ~Robert Klein, “America’s Pastime: Selling the Big Game,” 1990 January 28th, The New York Times (Super Bowl XXIV)”

“It’s ridiculous for a country to get all worked up about a game—except the Super Bowl, of course. Now that’s important. ~Andy Rooney, “Baseball haters—but good sports,” 1984 October 1st, Chicago Tribune.

Above Quotations are found at: http://www.quotegarden.com/super-bowl.html

Whatever role you will be playing this Sunday, Choose Who You Want to be Known As. Enjoy?

“Jo Ann” M. Radja

 

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. . . on the Contrary

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Earlier today I published two anagrams you might enjoy reading on LinkedIn Pulse at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-contrary-you-jo-ann-m-radja. The text of that post now follows:

C onventional wisdom

O ften, yet not always, is right.

N ow is the time

T o consider whether the

R isk we’ve focused on merits,

A n all-out program

R oll-out this quarter. I vote

Y es. How about you?©Jo Ann M. Radja

E nergy to keep up with

T he reading

H as its downside. The upside

I s the kernel of applicability to understand

C onsequences we face in the

S hort term.©Jo Ann M. Radja

                 Have a great Fall Season in your career as you Choose Who You want to be Known As.

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

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We Celebrate President Lincoln’s Date of Birth

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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

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How to manage the Common Good

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BING_012815NYBlizzardAn 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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Vulnerable…Vulnerability

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I wrote the following post on January 13, 2015 and would like to share it with you.  It was published by LinkedIn Pulse at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/vulnerability-mainstream-jo-ann-m-radja-1.  The Title is “Is Vulnerability Mainstream?

“While vulnerability has quite a few definitions, we surely have understood different nuances to the word vulnerability because of our recent cold and freezing weather. Bursting pipes in the bowels of public streets, schools or retail stores have sent cold water into streets and buildings.

These challenges have drawn on our resolve and resilience to meet our daily tasks. We personally have no control over these occurrences and have learned quite easily how to manage ourselves when they occur. Yet, whether vulnerability is becoming mainstream for us personally, is an issue many people are now facing in their place of work.

During the 4th quarter of 2013, I had attended a Coaching Conference where an exercise was introduced. We had to pair up with a person near us – face that person – and look at their face for a few minutes, without speaking. We are not used to purposely looking at someone because starring at someone, in our culture, is impolite. What I learned later was that this exercise was an exercise in vulnerability. How comfortable are you in looking at someone’s face, close range. What happens first when the comfort level subsides, do your eyes look down, do you move your head, or your whole body? What are you protecting yourself from, yourself, their gaze upon your face or what you think they see in you?

Switching to 16 months later, while attending a networking event, I noticed that quite a few people were comfortable directly looking at a face, close range, while engaged in conversation (not side-by-side). Others kept a specific distance between faces. Someone engaged me in a conversation and felt very comfortable looking at my face for quite a few minutes. Perhaps we tap into our sense of courage before we allow vulnerability to occur. Would you agree?

Culture surely has an impact on whether vulnerability is considered mainstream. So, what’s your level of facial vulnerability as you engage someone at your workplace? As You Choose Who You Want to be Known As, consider whether your facial expressions represent the best of you. Have a great career week!

‘Jo Ann’ M. Radja, Career Management Coach

Notes: Exercises in Trust have been used in corporations and classrooms for decades. Facial Vulnerability seems to be now entering the mix. If you have examples of participating in a Facial vulnerability exercise, please share your comments with me. (Psychologists are also writing about this exercise as one example to see if you are compatible in new personal dating relationships.)”

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I Felt It Yesterday, Did You?

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FullSizeRender_3BING010515WoodedBrushThe fog was thick yesterday morning, outside the window on the first Sunday of January, 2015.  Hardly any noise was heard from people or traffic.  Yet, broadcasting on social media was the news of a 7-year old girl.  This young survivor of a private plane crash walked to safety in the dark, on a cold evening to look for help for her family.  http://fox8.com/2015/01/03/7-year-old-girl-survives-deadly-Kentucky-plane-crash/

We cannot surmise what she may have felt when her parents and sister “did not wake up” after the crash.  So many questions come to mind that we just focus on the outcome and her miraculous survival.  What would it take for any one of us to keep walking in the dark.  I wonder. . .

Perhaps we can keep this moment of witnessing from Nature, or fate, or of a higher power, or of the beauty of Love instilled from a family unit,  as an inspiration.  As we begin our walk though our career during 2015 and Choose Who We Want to be Known As, I know I will keep this miraculous moment in my thoughts.  Have a good career week!

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

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3rd Day of Christmas

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It’s the 3rd Day of Christmas and I hope you enjoy one or more of the following links:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/pictures/141220-reindeer-animals-christmas-science-cultures-herders/

https://www.google.com/search?q=state+of+illinois+christmas+images+of+lights&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=zsmeVIuaJY31yATL-YCgAw&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1018&bih=501&dpr=0.92

http://thefancy.bandcamp.com/

Enjoy!

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

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2nd Day of Christmas 2014

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Chicago Children’s Choir 2014 from FoxChicago

It’s the 2nd day of Christmas and I wanted to share with you a few links you might enjoy.  Greetings from the Midwest!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/augustturak/2014/12/24/a-christmas-parable-on-leadership/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/trulia/2014/12/17/13-holiday-party-hacks

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

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“‘Illusion of Trust’ as an Ethical Value”

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When I was growing up, I often heard the phrase, “What does your gut tell you?”  or, “I’ve got a sick feeling in my stomach about this.” The phrase of listening to your gut has come into vogue again because neuroscience has recognized the gut communicates to the brain faster than your heart.  Why is this important to know as we just finished the Halloween and Election events?  Perhaps it is because trust is still an illusion.  We want it, we rely on it and when it is not present in our lives, it causes disharmony that we learn to live with or just accept it because “that’s the way it is.”

While we trust our guts to assist us as we get ready for the early Winter weather in the month of November, we can learn to trust our guts in other situations.  As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As this week, what positive value do you want people to know about you?  Have a great week.

Yesterday I published a Post on the social media platform of LinkedIn and I am sharing it with you below. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141105210316-32215190–illusion-of-trust-as-an-ethical-value?trk=prof-post)

“Illusion of Trust” as an Ethical Value  Nov 5 2014

The first way is: If you’re familiar with the 80/20 rule – speaking only 20% of the time in a relationship indicates it is dysfunctional. In other words, you give your own power of self-worth to another person.

The second way is: “Attraction creates the illusion of trust.” Fiffer recommends you listen to your gut when your judgment is being put aside for the other. When it comes down to it – why are you not paying attention to the feeling of, “something is not right here.”

Finally the third way appears to be derived from a social science or neuroscience perspective. Fiffer explains that when you are ruled by fear, you don’t act rationally and are unable to accept rational explanations. This appears to be so because the fear reaction, once triggered, will not stop until it is soothed.

As you manage your career, how often do you trust your gut in contract to your personal experience with an issue? How often has your gut enabled the right decision for you (or at least the best possible)? Do you keep an open mind first and then trust your gut, or the reverse? Interesting questions to consider during this first week in November.

I’m grateful I followed the linked and learned about The Good Men Project and hope to read Thomas G. Fiffer again. As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As, consider how often you trust and rely on your gut instincts to make informed decisions. Enjoy your month of November in your career.

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

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