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
Tag Archives: Life
4th of July 2013
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4 times a year we celebrate a Patriotic Holiday. Traffic going and coming everywhere Hurrying to enjoy a great day Of celebrating our freedom From tyranny, oppression and terrorists. Jars of ketchup, mustard and hot sauce on … Continue reading
Communicating Choice
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Recently, I was introduced to a quotation by Napoleon. I am not sure whether his quote is still universal. The quote is: “Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich. ” The world is populated by more critical thinking people due to either higher education or skilled life experiences. In my view, the issue of Napoleon’s quote is not about religion per se. It is about people wanting and needing an understanding of life that their cultural myths did not fulfill.
What does this quotation have to do with Career Management Coaching? Our cosmopolitan and open land communities now have more choices than Napoleon’s community did. Communication networks over the past 30 some years have so connected the communities of the world, that we love hearing what’s happening, almost instantly. People of all ages share real and on-time information.
The question we face daily is how do we handle all of the information we learn, or hear? How does it affect our lives and the people that we come in contact with? What can we do to channel this on-going communication in the direction of our choices, whether in our business dealings, our home life or our spiritual life.
To choose is, to be responsible and accountable for our actions that follow our choice. Many more people discuss and are familiar with the concepts of responsibility and accountability, from different perspectives, than during Napoleon”s time. Today, spiritual guidance warmly assists us, as opposed to being the only source of our sense of fulfillment, as Napoleon believed, long ago.
There is no “magic” answer in our path of discovery of how we act. We strive to be the best we can be in whatever we do, as we Choose Who We Want to Be Known As. Enjoy your week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
May your Force Be With You
Quite sometime ago, Author Michael E. Porter wrote a book entitled, The Five Forces that Shape Industry Competition. The five forces are:
RIVALRY Among Existing Competition
THREAT of New Entrants
Bargaining Power with Suppliers
Bargaining Power with Buyers
THREAT of Substitution – Products or Services
I believe each of these five forces lead to coaching experiences. How do we deal with threats, either perceived or blatant? How do we deal with rivalries…in a good-natured way…with good sportsmanship…or cutting down your competition for no sound reason?
What do you do for new team members…welcome them…put them through another round of proving themselves…or solicit input to work their strengths and weaknesses into the team matrix?
When a new project is handed to the team, what role, if any, do you play to bargain for a position and why? Do you bargain for the benefit of your team and the success of the project…or for yourself?
While most of us are not award-winning Olympians, we do share an inner force that moves us to do our best, to receive a paycheck. We deal with issues of rivalry, bargaining power and competition. May the force within you this week, help you Choose Who You Want to be Known As. Enjoy your week.
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coaching & Change Agent
The Five Forces That Shape Industry Competition, by Michael E. Porter, Economist Edition (1979). Reviewed November 11, 2011.
Note: a quick search on Bing.com or Google.com will provide you with a multitude of examples of Mr. Porter’s “Five Forces”.
EGO, EGO[er], EGO[est]
This past weekend I read a truly forward thinking article on managing your Ego at work. I would like to share it with you. It was written by Ms. Christine Latimer*. Miss Latimer urged that the following ego traits should be left at home:
“The need to be right; A sense of entitlement, or specialness;
Gossip; ‘Yes person’ mentality, not being one’s true self; and
Complaining.”
As a Coach, I believe if any of these traits were left at home, your listening skills would improve; you would practice paying attention to what someone else is saying and, you would allow yourself to be open to other options of thought.
So what really is EGO. It was an amazing eye-opener to discover Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus** provide over 75 synonyms of the word EGO. Here are a few to consider this week. EGO is… courage…worth…conscience…thought…pride…essense…self-esteem…attitude…soul…bent…true being…frame of mind…core…innermost being…tendency…stuff…outlook…disposition…sub-conscious.
During the course of this week, consider if your EGO is directing your actions as you Choose Who You Want to Be Known As. Enjoy your week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
* Research Summaries for Business Leaders, August 3, 2012, published by LMK Partners. Retrieved August 5, 2012. **ego.(n.d.) Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition. Retrieved August 5, 2012, from Thesaurus.com website: http://thesaurus.com/browse/ego.Change At Last…
I always find it refreshing to meet people who are truly happy who they are. It’s contagious. It feels good. You want to stay in that moment. How are you defined by your good mood at the office, outside of the office, at home or at weekend events? How often are you defined by your current role in life first, and then by your mood? How important is it for you to be remembered as being engaging, or someone who left a good impression because of your good mood?
Here’s a sample talk I developed of how you can explain yourself. You may find that by working through this talk, your mood level will rise and your confidence will show through to other people.
Say what you do: [Your current role];
Say what they get: [What value is received, whether to a potential employer, a customer, a client, a team member, a colleague, another volunteer, family member, or student]; and
Say what you give: [what the take away is for the other person].
This is my talk:
Say what you do: I coach leaders…
Say what they get: for their self-driven outcomes…
Say what you give: and I provide empathy, trust and honesty.
As you begin the month of August this week, Choose Who You Want to be Known As when you are in a situation to change your mood to increase your good feeling and confidence. Have a great week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
Author: Ethics to You Too! ™ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/171791 07/30/2012
What’s your Sunrise?
Quite a few times this Summer, good Samaritans came to the rescue of people needing help, either in the lakes or rivers flowing through Chicagoland. A random act of kindness truly is special.
A local weatherman reminded us that when hot air blows against our skin, our body temperature actually rises. So how do we act when we become overheated? What can we do for ourselves and someone else during the heat wave?
Again, it’s an issue of Awareness. Awareness allows us to understand how we act and what we notice about ourselves in relation to others. Why do we need “more space” because we feel overheated? How many of us carry a spare water bottle as we walk to the bus stop or commuter train to get to work. How do we handle the extra perspiration on our forehead, or elsewhere, as we walk in this heat?
Whether it’s dealing with the heat wave, or any business issue we have no control over – it’s always about YOU in the situation. We all have a new Sunrise every day so Choose How You Want to be Known As. Enjoy your week!
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
Author: Ethics To You Too!™ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/171791
A Phone Call…
How many times have you made a phone call and discovered how you act in a given situation. Pleasant and good news calls breeze by. It’s the phone call that leaves you unsettled, releasing any number of emotions you hadn’t planned on.
Managing yourself is a learning process, whether during your childhood, while in school or in formal training at your place of employment. The theory behind managing yourself can be described as mindfulness.
—– I am mindful when I listen to what is being said and reply about the issue and not the speaker personally.
—- I am mindful when I treat the other person with respect.
—- I am mindful when I pay attention to the emotions the other person is displaying and acknowledge to that person, what you heard.
……….Listen……….Mindful……….In Control
……….Listen……….Mindful……….How can I help YOU?
……….Listen……….Mindful……….Be Who You Want to be Known As!
Have a good and mindful 2nd week of July.
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent
Author: Ethics to You Too!™ http://www.smashwords/books/view/171791 07/09/12
Do What You Can…
We were supposed to be at a better place by now and some of us thought we were. Turn the page, and Summer’s Heat caused violent storms across the U.S. Very dark, flat and low cloud formations covered the sky resembling ribs of bevelled glass.
Hundreds of thousands of people now without electricity and water. Homes again destroyed. Yet the spirit of man found solace, and sometimes humor, in doing what you can to get through the day. Neighbors with chain saws personally cut through large fallen tree limbs to permit traffic to move though the street.
So many tree limbs fell through roofs of homes, or onto cars, whether parked or in motion. People were unable to move out of harm’s way. Then the Sun came out.
So we do what we can do. We help one another. We clean up. We prioritize. We don’t blame. We take each step to see solutions. We move forward. We learn to do without. We keep our emotions in check because it is easier to do so when the “worst” is over. We choose to act the way we Want to be Known As.
Kind thoughts to all who are finding courage within themselves this week. Your far away neighbors are thinking of you.
“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent. July 2, 2012
Which Way –Others to You?
I read a Tweet this week about suggestions that change peoples minds*, and followed up on it. One of the suggestions talked about the Hawthorne Effect – a famous 1950’s psychological study by Harvard University on whether office lighting had an effect on job productiity.** Surprisingly, the researchers found out that productivity increased because the workers had the “attention” of management during the Study.
There seems to be so much written today about work engagement*** that Harvard University’s Study seems to have come full circle. What attention are you given by your boss? Why do you want attention? What does “attention” mean to you? Why is it important to you? When others pay more attention to you, does your motivation increase? Are you more engaged?
Which way does it have to be for you this week. . . attention from others equals greater productivity/engagement for you? Or, are you more attentive to others as You Choose Who You Want to Be Known As? Either way, enjoy your week.
Career Management Coaching 