Here We Are. Now What?

Yay! Mr. Splashy Pants

2009-12-22T12:01:00.006-05:00

Just watched a very entertaining and incredibly short (3 minutes!) TED Talk by Alexis Ohanian of reddit.com about the effort to name the whale that was ultimately christened "Mr. Splashy Pants."

Ohanian's breezy talk ends with several key lessons from the world of internet democracy:

- Level the playing field
- No cost
- Be genuine
- You don't have to be serious all the time
- It's OK to lose control
- The message does not have to come from the top down

Can organization's adopt these lessons for their corporate communications?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Dec 22, 2009

The Gospel of Change

2009-12-18T22:57:00.004-05:00

The word "gospel" means "good news." And what is the good news that the gospels proclaim? In a word: change.

As a faith-filled Org Change Guy, I have long been attuned to the messages about change that thread through the four Gospels. For example:

- "Repent for the kingdom is near" - Repent (from the Greek metanoia) means to turn one's self around, to change one's mind

- "He said to him, 'Follow me.'" - Conversion, from fisherman or tax collector, into apostle, can be quite dramatic, even astonishing to onlookers who can't quite figure out what has happened

- "Go and sin no more" - Forgiveness is perhaps one of the most poignant forms of change in that, when we forgive, we are choosing to let go of some past pain that we have been dragging around with us

- "With that their eyes were opened" - Whether one of His miraculous sight-giving cures, or in this case, the "aha moment" of the disciples walking the road to Emmaus, the Gospels contain moments of blazing awareness that signal decisive inner changes

Indeed, the great feast of Christmas, that we are about to celebrate in just a few days, celebrates one of the most fantastic transformations ever imagined: the incarnation whereby the Creator of the Universe took the form of a creature, a baby born in a manger, in the hope of changing the world.

So one can say, without much exaggeration, that the Gospels are about change.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Dec 18. 2009

Give the Gift of Wisdom

2009-12-15T09:28:00.005-05:00

Sybil Stershic, at her blog Quality Service Marketing, suggests that you give yourself and others the gift of a free e-book on employee engagement. It is chock-full of wisdom from a global community of 200 consultants and managers.

She writes: "This holiday, give the gift of employee engagement … and it’s free! Employee Engagement Advice Book is a new e-book written by members of the Employee Engagement Network (EEN) and compiled by network host David Zinger. EEN members (including me) share advice - limited to one sentence each - on how an organization can improve employee engagement."

Great idea.

Filled to the brim with such themes as caring, connecting, playing to strengths, communicating (especially listening), valuing employees, energizing and empowering employees, recognizing their efforts, growing and demonstrating leadership, and participative involvement.

Sybil adds: "It’s worth scrolling through to find the quotes that resonate with you. Pass it along and share it among your colleagues … to inspire them and/or reinforce their employee engagement efforts."

Happy Giving!

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Dec 15, 2009

A Christmas Gift

2009-12-14T14:03:00.004-05:00

They say that the best gift you can give is your presence. That may be truer in this economy than ever. In that spirit, I want to give you a gift that comes right from me.

It's a free e-pamphlet for job hunters called "Galvanize Into Action," that you can download from the Box.net app on my LinkedIn profile. If you have any trouble obtaining it there, feel free to send me an email (terrence dot seamon at gmail dot com) and I'll send it to you.

"Galvanize into action" is a quick guide to accelerating a job search, comprised of material published on this blog, Here We Are. Now What?, during this past year.

If you are seeking re-employment, I hope you find it helpful. If you know someone who is out of work, please feel free to forward it to him or her or them.

Best wishes to you and yours for much joy in this sacred holiday season.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Dec 14, 2009

Leaders and Systems

2009-12-13T08:09:00.007-05:00

With the publication of Henry Mintzberg's new book on managing naturally, there has been a flurry of discussions about managing and leading. Are they the same or different? Do managers need to be leaders? Can an organization thrive without leadership?

All very interesting. All "right up my alley," so to speak.

Lately, in working with some client organizations, I'm sensing that the current leadership model in practice is quite different from the one we may sometimes espouse (i.e. leaders as visionary, wise, virtuous, courageous, role models etc).

The folks I've been working with lately (managers and professionals in the health care sector) describe their workplaces as fierce and stressful environments that are not for the feint of heart. Places characterized as:

~ lean, driven, and aggressive
~ production-focused, numbers-oriented, short-term
~ having high sense of urgency; valuing speed
~ where everyone is being asked to do more with less
~ where employees are expected to sacrifice for the sake of the business

Workplaces that are going in over-drive, filled with exhausted and fearful members, hanging on to what they've got because they don't want to end up on the unemployment lines.

What sort of leaders are heading up such workplaces?

Years ago, I once shared a plane ride with the CEO of a rapidly growing telecom company where I was a member of the Training and Organization Development team. I asked him what keeps him up at night. His answer: "People and systems."

As the years have rolled on, I've come to the conclusion that People and Systems are two of the most critical things that smart managers keep their eye on if they want to stay in business and thrive. Within each domain, there are key skills, including leadership skills. So yes, effective managers acquire and use leadership skills. These are very helpful with the People aspect, as well as in managing the business itself and its many stakeholders.

What is not as well understood is the Systems side of management. What are the Systems skills that an effective manager acquires and uses? Perhaps an analogy will help.

In the human body, there are many interacting systems; for example, the digestive system, the circulatory system, the neurological system, and the respiratory system. Each is integrally related to the other. A fault in one system affects the others, as well as the whole organism.

A smart person keeps close tabs on their own inner systems (i.e. their health) by paying attention to the indicators that are constantly monitoring the systems. In other words, by listening to the body.

Coming back to organizations, today's managers are motivated to have high performing systems, systems that produce repeatedly, reliably, on time, and on budget. Systems that, as Stephen Covey reminded us, deliver the golden eggs.

Where does "health" come in? To paraphrase Covey, it's in taking care of the goose.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Dec 13, 2009

Spiritual Change Management 2009

2009-12-06T09:07:00.005-05:00

In Isaiah, we read: "Prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight a highway for our God!"

John the Baptist proclaimed: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."

This is Advent, the time of year when Christians get ready for the great feast of Christmas. The time to prepare the way of the Lord. Time to repent.

Repent. A word that is seldom used in the 21st century. What does it mean to repent?

Literally, to repent is to turn away from, to change one's self (the Greek term metanoia means "to change your mind").

To convert.

Spiritually speaking, whether Christian or not, the Advent season is sorely needed in this violence-filled world of ours. If we don't begin the disarmament of our hearts, we are headed for destruction.

The world (all of us) needs to repent, to convert, to turn away from violence.

Repentance means changing the mind, waking up, seeing things as they really are, and recognizing the error of our ways, leading to change of behavior, change in action.

To repent means realizing what gods have defined you and shaking off the chains of intolerance, addictions, and idols.

But most important, to repent means to forgive and to seek peace.

In Psalm 34, we read: "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

What will you do, this Advent season, to repent?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Dec 6, 2009

Hanging In There

2009-11-30T11:36:00.004-05:00

On our walk in the park this morning, my wife and I noticed that most of the trees were bare, except for a few here and there. Pointing to one small tree still full of thin orange-colored leaves, she said: "Look at that, Terry. Despite very strong winds the other day, some leaves are still hanging on the trees."

Still hanging in there.

How often have I uttered those very words to fellow job hunters: "Hang in there."

We job hunters, especially the veterans like me, understand the soft side of a long job hunt. The feelings you keep to yourself. The desperation you sometimes feel in the pit of your stomach when you stop and count the months that have gone by.

Knowing that these feelings will dog you along the way to re-employment, we also know how important it is to support and encourage one another. With little taglines like "Hang in there."

Or another one that a friend of mine uses:

"Keep the faith, baby."

As a person of faith, I like that one. But whatever your faith tradition --and even if you are an atheist-- that saying has a special meaning for job hunters:

~ faith in yourself

As I've said before, you have to believe in yourself if you are going to run this race and reach the goal.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 30, 2009

In Praise of Dirt

2009-11-29T09:00:00.005-05:00

My wife Joan is an avid gardener. Someday I hope to see her earn the Master Gardener certification because she is certainly a good candidate. For one thing, she is not afraid of getting dirty. In fact, if she is having a good day outside, you'll find her covered from head to toe in dirt. And loving it!

As a child, I was really into dirt --digging in the backyard, exploring gullies that fed into the Raritan River, or tunneling in sand at the beach-- much of it in search of rocks, old coins, fossils, and shells for my collection.

Recently I saw a science news story that said how important dirt is for our health. Dermatologist Professor Richard Gallo, of University of California at San Diego, said: “These germs (present in dirt) are actually good for us” in reducing inflammation after injury, when they are present on the skin's surface.

Even in the most humble and lowly there is great value, apparently.

Coincidentally, I've been musing on the word "humble" this past week. It derives from the ancient root humus meaning ground, earth, or dirt.

In organizations, we don't hear very much about being humble. Quite the contrary. The predominant paradigm we encounter is being proud, e.g. "pride of workmanship," "pride of ownership." We hear about being assertive, even aggressive. We hear about being competitive, playing hardball, and beating the other guys. It seems that arrogance (from arrogare = to claim for oneself) is more prized than humility.

But there are other schools of thought. For instance, servant leadership. I like this approach, personally. And have always practiced it, even before there was a name for it. Probably due to my catholic school education with the good sisters of charity who taught "the first shall be last" and "do not let your left hand know what your right is doing."

Two scripture passages come to mind. This mysterious and tantalizing one, from the Gospel according to John, shows Jesus using dirt as part of a healing act:

~ "Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."

And this one, from Micah:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

To heal with mud and to walk humbly. What mysterious beauty.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 29, 2009

Thanks and Giving

2009-11-26T10:47:00.004-05:00

One way to appreciate a word that you've seen and used all your life is to view it in a new way.

My pastor Fr. Doug recently did that for me when he took the word Thanksgiving and broke it into pieces: Thanks and Giving.

When I saw that at church a few weeks ago, "the scales fell from my eyes," and I was able to re-appreciate the actions embedded in the idea of thanksgiving, namely:

~ that we should be thankful, and express thanks to those who have done something for us, and

~ that we should give abundantly, like there's no tomorrow, give of our time, our treasure, and most importantly our talents

On this day of Thanks and Giving, I'm sending a message of gratitude and appreciation for all the angels (you know who you are!) who have been so supportive this year!

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 26, 2009

From That Original Breath

2009-11-24T08:29:00.004-05:00

Today November 24, we mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species.

The New Scientist website is sponsoring a contest in Darwin's honor, to take the last sentence from his book and turn it into a work of art. Here is that line:

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."

Do I detect in the phrase "having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one," a nod to the Creator?

Breath is the motivating force that gets life going. It's a deeply ingrained metaphor that we take for granted in our everyday speech; for example:

~ "Major League Baseball needs Mark Cuban to breathe life into the game."

When we breathe life into something we bring it back, we resusitate it, we reanimate it.

Though Darwin became agnostic (Who knows?) later in life, he never lost his abiding belief in a creator that breathed out an original life-breath that started the whole process.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 24, 2009

Powerful Words

2009-11-23T12:11:00.004-05:00

Feeling defeated? Powerless? In this economy, I wouldn't be surprised to hear "Yes" in response to such questions.

The good news, however, is that you have at your disposal a "secret weapon," a strength that you may not fully appreciate: the power of words.

Words can uplift, encourage, and inspire. Words can invite, welcome, and heal. The key, however, is to remember this bit of wisdom: "There's a great power in words, if you don't hitch too many of them together."

So keep your words simple, and down to earth.

Here are a few of the powerful words you already know and can start to use right away.

~ Thank you.

~ I'm sorry.

~ How can I help you?

~ What are the possibilities?

What are some other powerful words that you would add?

Remember: "Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." Attributed to Buddha.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 23, 2009

Finding Your Way

2009-11-19T12:53:00.012-05:00

Some of the clients I've been working with these past couple weeks are feeling like their jobs (and their lives) are out of control. They have been through downsizings, and are now "doing more with less."

Some said they are overbooked and overwhelmed, feeling like they are drowning. Some have just about given up on planning because every day is filled with unplanned surprises. For others, stress is high, nerves are on edge, and tempers are rising. Some even said that their personal and family life is starting to suffer.

The flash that came to me was that they are trying to find their pathways through chaos.

Two of my favorite bloggers, Dick Richards and Curt Rosengren, have recently offered some wisdom about finding your pathway.

At his blog Riding on Dragons, Dick Richards has an entry called "Another Pathway" (a followup to an earlier entry called "The Mythic Pull of Pathways"). In these pieces about paths, roads and trails (that he has photographed so beautifully), he muses about the "pull" of pathways:

~ "The question–why am I attracted to images of pathways?–is yet another pathway that leads to an uncertain destination and so attracts me in the same way that I am attracted to the pathways in these photos. It seems that certain phenomena, be they photographic images or unanswered questions, draw me in because I cannot see where they lead–they invite me to seek and so allow expression for the mythic energy of the Seeker."

I know what he means. I have always been a seeker too. One who is drawn to the "pull of the road," wondering what discovery is around the next bend.

At his blog The Map Maker, Curt Rosengren has an entry called "The Power of the Crossroads of Possibility." In it, he asks: "What would happen if you really and truly looked at each moment, not as simply a continuation of an inevitable single-track path, but as a crossroads jam packed with potential directions?"

To start exploring the possibilities, he recommends that we stop and ask, "What are the possibilities here? Where am I going? Where do I want to go? What choices or steps can I find right here and now that would lead me - even incrementally - towards that goal?"

Coming back to my clients in chaos, I believe that exploring possible pathways is what they need to find their way through chaos. But how can they do that when everything is raging around them?

Here are a few thoughts that might help.

~ F for Focus: In the midst of chaos, it's like you are in a storm. Distractions are flying all around you. How do you find a calm center in the storm, a place you can go where the din is not so loud?

~ A for Attention: Chaos can scatter your attention, shattering it across too many "to do's" and priorities. Multi-tasking does not work. How do you pay attention to the things that matters most? Things like your own goals? Your family? Your health?

~ S for Slow: A few years ago, journalist Carl Honore published a book about the Slow Movement. In his TED Talk on the positives of slowness, he recommends "getting in touch with your inner tortoise." How do you get out of the fast lane for awhile?

~ T for Think: In the storm of organizational chaos, the winds are strong. How can you think? You need to raise the unanswered questions, weigh the knowns, and consider your choices.

Although the organizational chaos may feel like you are driving the Indy speedway, a period of focused, attentive, slow-paced thought, centering on the One Thing of most value to You and to the organization, may be just the thing for discerning the pathway forward.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 19, 2009

Show Up. Give Back. Go Forth!

2009-11-17T10:27:00.005-05:00

I'm pleased to feature my wife, Joan Best Seamon, the Director of Music at St. Matthias, as today's guest blogger! Recently, at our parish in Somerset, NJ, Joan wrote the following essay for our church bulletin. It was inspired by our parish engagement initiative.

Show Up, Give Back, Go Forth

Recently, our pastoral staff and pastoral council met to discern new directions for our parish over the next few years. As we shared ideas and concerns, our discussion centered on how we might express more clearly our expectations of the members of our parish.

So if you are a member of the Catholic Community of St. Matthias, what do we , or, even more important, what does God expect of you?

1. Show up! That sounds like a major oversimplification, but it’s true. We need you to come to Mass every week. Your presence as the Body of Christ receiving the Body of Christ is vital to the energy and spirit of our parish. Our weekly worship is our chance to see each other, pray with each other and be nourished by the Word and Sacrament. When our church is full of young people, old people and everyone in between, it becomes a real sign of Christ’s living presence. It feels good and important.

I know- you are thinking that you are only one person- what difference does it make if you show up or not. I’m telling you-it does! You might smile at someone, greet someone, or simply be a model for someone of a faith filled life. You have no idea how powerful your presence can be. But if you are not here, and especially if your children are not here, nothing can happen. What’s the point ?

2. Give back! Give back to God gratefully a portion of what God has given to you. That’s what stewardship is all about, but sometimes the real meaning of the word eludes us. St. Matthias certainly needs and
depends upon your financial support to continue our many and varied ministries to the poor and less fortunate – ministries that you may not have needed yet but you might someday. Equally important is the giving back of your time and your talent.

Face it. We all want to feel like we are making a difference in this world to give our lives purpose and meaning. The many ministries at St. Matthias exist to give our members an organized way to do just that. Just think about what you are good at or what you like to do, and offer your help to someone or some group. Some are obvious. If you like to make music, join one of our music groups. If you like coming to Mass and are a friendly person, become one of our Ministers of Hospitality. If you have expertise in a particular area – law enforcement, interior design, …and have an idea for how you might like to share that knowledge, let us know. If you can carry bags of food to your car, help out with our Food Bank collection. If you are free to come to funerals during the week, join our Lazarus Group. It’s not that hard to find just one way to connect and to give back. If you are waiting for a personal invitation, this is it!

3. Go forth! Don’t just be holy in church on Sunday or at an HSA meeting or a GIFT night. Be holy all week long. Be kinder to clerks, co-workers and coaches, not to mention your spouses, parents and children. Make better and more compassionate decisions. You are baptized and a child of God! Act like it! I know life’s not easy, but that’s why we come together so often to help each other figure it out, with God’s help, the guidance of Jesus and the energy of the Holy Spirit.

So, show up, give back and go forth. And let’s do it soon. The church year is ending and another one is just around the corner. The world needs you, your parish needs you. There is no time like right now!

Copyright 2009 by Joan B. Seamon

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 17, 2009

Put Yourself Out There

2009-11-15T14:18:00.006-05:00

In getting ready to teach job hunters how to make the most of LinkedIn as a tool in their job search, I came across the article about Charles Pixley. He's the investment banker who, after losing his job in the recession, decided to market himself by wearing a sandwich board and standing at the corner of Broadway and Wall Street until he got an offer.

Pixley said: "Believe in yourself, improve yourself, put yourself out there. Have yourself seen. You resume will go into a pile. It's just another resume, just more words. There's no color. These posters provided my soul. It says everything in one lump page."

Take a close look at his poster. It says in part:

Investment Banker. 30+ years. Enlightened Leadership. Mission Driven.

Wow. What a great elevator pitch in visual form. Tenacious Pixley shows us how to put yourself out there and be seen.

The folks at the LinkedIn presentation were wowed by his example. And I showed them how LinkedIn can help them become more visible to employers and business partners.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 15, 2009

Giving All You Got

2009-11-08T09:23:00.003-05:00

Watching my son Dave and the rest of the Livingston College Theater Company cast of Rent these past few days at Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, NJ, I am impressed by how totally committed these young people are to this show. My wife and I have gone to hundreds of high school, college and local theater productions over the years and the best ones always have that high level of commitment by the actors. The other production values, like sets and costumes and lighting and music, might leave something to be desired, but if the cast is "giving all they've got," you feel it. It grabs you. And the experience works.

As an organization development consultant, I wonder if my son and the other performers will have that same "fire" after they graduate and go into the world of work. Will their passion for performance, so much in evidence on stage, go on? Or will it be diminished by the organizations they will join?

One of the lessons of the Employee Engagement movement is that the organizations that "get it," that recognize and nourish the connection between commitment and performance, will not only be highly productive and profitable, they will be the best places to work.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 8, 2009

Emotional Engagement

2009-11-04T17:08:00.002-05:00

Consultant Judith Bardwick, PhD, author of the best-selling book One Foot Out the Door (from AMACOM, 2008), has said very forcefully, that employee engagement is critical to organizational success. But she has voiced frustration:

~ "I’ve been shocked over the last three to four years by the near universal ignorance of executives and managers about the compelling financial relationship between levels of employee commitment and engagement and success. In plainer words, the great majority of organizational decision makers do not know they will only succeed if they have their employee’s hearts, minds and guts."

They just don't get it.

But what is it that they don't get? Executives and managers are trained and developed to focus on numbers and facts. Other things, like emotions, relationships, commitment, trust, culture, and feelings, don't enter into the decision making.

But that's just it!

That's what the Employee Engagement movement, as exemplified by Judy Bardwick and others, is trying to say: The Soft Stuff Matters!

I got a tweet earlier today from Denver-based consultant Chuck Blakeman who wrote:

~ (There are) "7 Emotional Needs of Customers. To be loved/valued, accepted, cared for, appreciated, understood, trusted, respected."

I tweeted back that these seven needs also apply to employees!

He then responded:

~ "Great point! Treat your employees this way and we wouldn't have to worry about how they treat our customers."

That's it, in a nutshell.

When you build, nourish, and care for your employees, they will build and sustain your business.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, November 4, 2009

Employee Engagement Round-Up 2

2009-11-03T12:50:00.004-05:00

Some time ago, I gathered up a number of my blog entries on engagement. Since then, a few more have appeared. So here is Round-Up Number Two on Employee Engagement. These blog entries deal with leadership, managing, change and engagement.

Engaging the Whole Organization

The Seven Essences

Clearly Engaged

The Engaging Manager

Employee Engagement Matters

Five Sentences

Leading After Layoffs

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 3, 2009

Charter for Compassion

2009-11-01T13:25:00.004-05:00

This morning, in an email from OD consultant John Scherer, I learned about The Charter for Compassion.

The Charter --crafted with input from people all over the world, by a multi-faith, multi-national council-- is a call for a return to the Golden Rule, the central principle of all the major religious traditions, considered to be the essence of religion, "that everything else was “commentary,” and that it should be practised “all day and every day.”" The Charter will be unfurled on November 12.

In his e-mail, Scherer asked: "How can we use the amazing technology available these days to rapidly spread a counter-virus to the hateful one threatening to tear apart the fabric of life? What will it take? Who will do it? Do those of us who know a little bit about change and transformation have a role to play? If so, what and how?"

One idea is: Stand up, show up, and be counted on where and when the need arises.

I had the opportunity to do this last week at an event called Rutgers United Against Hate. There was a pro-tolerance rally in the morning rain outside Hillel House on College Avenue. Intended as a response to an anti-gay and anti-semitic group that had selected Rutgers Hillel as its target, the rally attracted over 1000 students from a rainbow of religious traditions.

My wife and I (probably the two oldest in attendance) joined in too. It felt very good to show up and stand tall for tolerance and love.

Have you ever wished you could do something that would help change the world for the better?

Posted by Terrence Seamon, November 1, 2009

It's Not You

2009-10-31T11:05:00.005-04:00

Speaking with a wise old career coach a couple weeks ago, I was struck by his bracing point of view about the reality of today's job market. He said:

"It's not you. You're doing all the right things. You're not the problem. It's the market right now. There are very few openings in your field. Companies are moving very cautiously on hiring. And tons of competitors, with skills like yours, are vying for the same few spots."

So what do I do, I asked.

His answer: "There's nothing you can do. It's the market."

Not being the "do nothing" kind of guy, I received his wisdom with gratitude, but decided to continue doing a few things, especially networking.

At her blog Your Search Lights, coach and consultant Janice Lee Juvrud writes about the importance of networking:

~ "...many of us have learned an awful lot about networking. Now we know that continuous networking is essential to our professional development. I've learned networking is enriching for my professional and personal life."

I agree that networking is a good thing. It's a skill that we need when we are in transition. And who is not "in transition" these days?

The latest development in networking, thanks to the economy, is the wave of self-initiated networking groups, where people are reaching out to other people in their localities to co-create support structures in this time of need.

Janice has a note on the margin of her blog that says "Let's develop a community of transitioners gaining wisdom from each other."

I second that motion.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, October 31, 2009

Body of Work

2009-10-30T16:02:00.004-04:00

Lately, I've been pondering the lessons that Life is trying to teach me right now at this stage of my life.

One of the questions that has been sounding in my head is, What is your body of work?

In graduate school, back around 1980, my adviser suggested I read a book called Love's Body by Norman O. Brown. I think I gave my copy away years ago. But not until I had read and re-read it.

Love's Body is a strange and wonderful reading experience, like hurtling through a landscape of fragments, aphorisms and quotes on a tour of history, Freud, politics, philosophy, the soul, poetry and mythology, in a quest for . . . the meaning of life.

I'm not sure I understood what Brown was ultimately trying to say, but I loved following along with him, and listening to him paint his vast mural of ideas.

Thinking of what I have accomplished this year, and what I have contributed to my unfolding body of work, I would have to say that I have added a few brushstrokes to the mural of my life, including:

- consulting

- writing

- contributing

- coaching

- blogging

- helping

- facilitating

- engaging

Fellow blogger and tweeter Terry Starbucker just tweeted:

~ "What shapes our lives are the questions we ask." - Sam Keen

Quite timely, I'd say.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, October 30, 2009

The Striptease Job Search and other exotic ideas for job hunters

2009-10-26T08:27:00.002-04:00

Kenny Moore has some decidedly different ideas for job hunters.

Yesterday, during his talk at the St. Matthias Employment Ministry mini-retreat, he was asked for his recommendations on resumes. Well, if you read my prior blog entry, you'll understand that his first response was, "You're seeking answers to something that is less a problem, and more a predicament."

Appreciating the need of many in the audience for some takeaways, Kenny relented and offered some unorthodox ideas for job hunters. Here are a few:

Use The Striptease Method - Kenny asked the audience, "In the old burlesque shows, did the stripper take all her clothes off at once?" The audience answered No. His point is that as job applicants, we should never reveal all, about who we are, all at once. Instead, give one little strip at a time.

Use A One Page Resume - As a former HR manager for a large utility company, Kenny used to get thousands of resumes. His advice: keep your resume to one page. With the Striptease Method as a guide, only reveal just enough about you to get the hiring manager to invite you in.

The Three Things - So, what does Kenny recommend you focus on in a one page resume that would be tantalizing enough for a hiring manager to invite you in? He recommends The Three Things. What are the three things about You that you are naturally great at? Ask yourself:
- what are the three things I've always been good at?
- that I love to do?
- that energize me?
- that others have said I am good at?

And in today's difficult economy, don't put all your eggs in the basket of traditional job search methods, Kenny warns. Pursue a mix of traditional and non-traditional methods. The way to land your next job, Kenny says, is via the hidden job market. What is that exactly? In Kenny's view, it's knowing someone on the inside who will think of you. And recommend you.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, October 26, 2009

Specializing In the Impossible

2009-10-25T10:14:00.004-04:00

For me, it's always refreshing to spend a couple hours with Kenny Moore. Yesterday, I had another such opportunity.

The St. Matthias Employment Ministry had invited Kenny to be the guest speaker for a mini-retreat called "Keeping Your Sanity, Your Sense of Humor, and Your Soul in Today's Workplace." Attracting an audience of the unemployed, as well as some who are employed, Kenny shared his wisdom. Here are a couple of his points that deeply resonated with me.

Stop looking for answers - Most of us have been trained in problem solving. And we are good at it. We know how to find solutions. Trouble is, however, that the situations we are facing in today's economy (such as protracted unemployment) are not problems that have clear solutions anymore. Now we face predicaments, dilemmas that are ambiguous, uncertain. Stop looking for answers, Kenny says. They don't exist. Instead, look for movement.

Ask better questions - So what to do in the face of predicaments? Ask better questions, Kenny recommends. Not small questions. But rather big, bold, game-changing questions. Questions that may never be answered in our lifetimes. Such questions will generate innovative thinking and movement forward.

Specialize in the impossible - Kenny shared a quote from the poet Theodore Roethke: "What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible." That is, people who are comfortable (at least somewhat) with the ambiguity and uncertainty of predicaments. People who have the courage to abandon the search for answers. People who ask big questions.

In todays' world and workplaces, Kenny says that often we are faced with nothing less than Mystery, an ancient word rooted in the idea of closing one's lips in the presence of something enigmatic, unknowable. Perhaps even the working of the Divine in our lives.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Posted October 25, 2009

Change One Thing

2009-10-17T13:46:00.004-04:00

In the comedy City Slickers, the hapless hero Mitch(Billy Crystal) learns an important life lesson from the grizzled old cowboy Curly (played by the incomparable Jack Palance):

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [pause] This. [holds up one finger]

Mitch: Your finger?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean shit.

Mitch: But what is the “one thing?”

Curly: [smiles] That’s what you have to find out.

Great scene.

Fast forward to another gem from Peter Bregman, whose recent blog entry about change says:

"Everyone has one thing. Typically, people overwhelm themselves with tasks in their eagerness to make a change successfully. But that's a mistake. Instead, they should take the time up front to figure out the one and only thing that will have the highest impact and then focus 100% of their effort on that one thing."

Great point.

But like Mitch from City Slickers, how do you find out the one thing to focus on?

Bregman offers an interesting example from a retail organization that had identified the ten "Gold" behaviors of excellent salespeople. After awhile, when sales didn't improve, Bregman helped the store to realize that there was one behavior that all the salespeople were avoiding. When they shifted focus from the nine and put laser focus only on that one, sales improved.

The lesson for figuring out Your One Thing that, if you focused on it, would lead to a breakthrough?

Step back from everything you are doing. Ask yourself, What is the thing I am avoiding? Isolate it and capture it as clearly as you can. Then, do it.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, October 17, 2009

Highly Engaged Parishes

2009-10-15T11:16:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wanted to boost the engagement level of the people who belong to your church?

What would do it? Better sermons? Better building facilities? Greater use of technology? More (or less) music? Shorter services?

I've been asked by my pastor to work with him, his staff and other lay leaders on a parish-wide engagement initiative. We are tackling a huge question:

- How to energize and mobilize more of our parishioners to get in the game and contribute more of their time, talent, and treasure to the mission of the parish

To help get everyone's thinking juices flowing, we are all reading a book called Growing An Engaged Church by Rev. Albert L. Winseman, published by Gallup Press. The book's subtitle is good: How to stop "Doing Church" and start Being the church again.

The other day on the ODNet listserv, I was reminded of a humorous old saying about involvement and commitment:

"Question: What can you learn about "involvement" and "commitment" from a chicken and a pig?

Answer: In a ham and eggs breakfast, the chicken is involved. The pig is committed."

I've always smiled at the truth in that good old chicken and pig saying.

Distilling the body of knowledge on engagement from Gallup, Winseman suggests an engagement strategy that includes three pillars:

1. Clarify the expectations for membership

2. Help the members discover what they do best

3. Create small groups

In the Roman Catholic Christian tradition, we talk about conversion. In this case, we are seeking a conversion of the heart, one that would be an awakening to the meaning of discipleship.

In one scripture passage, Jesus is asked "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

His answer: "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

Sounds to me like Jesus is asking for the pig, not the chicken.

As St. James famously said, You can't profess to truly have faith unless it's backed up by works.

~ "What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.." (James 2: 14-17)

If we want to change this place for the better, we can't merely sit and talk. Doing and Believing are both required.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, October 15, 2009

Journey Coaching

2009-10-07T13:34:00.007-04:00

In my preparation to teach a class on leadership for supervisors this week, I came across an old favorite, the GROW model of coaching. It's been around a long time, and even has a wikipedia article devoted to it, where the authors trace its lineage back to the book The Inner Game of Tennis by tennis coach Timothy Gallwey.

The GROW coaching model works like this:

G = Goal - Start with the goal. What is it you want to achieve?

R = Reality - Then look at where you are now, the present reality. Assess the gap between the reality and the goal state.

O = Obstacles & Options - In looking at the gap that you'll need to journey, identify, as best you can, any obstacles you can see or think you are likely to encounter. Then generate alternative options for ways to deal with the obstacles and successfully traverse the gap.

W = Way - Finally chart your course, the way you will go from where you are now to where you want to arrive.

Very simple and elegant. Just the kind of model I like best.

I've been coaching for many, many years. Both as a parent and in my field of Training and Organization Development, coaching comes with the job. (I even had the opportunity to develop a global coaching model for the world's foremost authority on management development.) And for the past several years, I've been doing quite a bit of career coaching, helping job hunters to find their way toward employment.

Now I have a quandary before me. Since there are a plethora of coaching flavors on the market today --executive coaches, business coaches, life coaches, sales coaches, and career coaches, to name a few-- What sort of coach am I?

In thinking about it for a long time, I'd say I am a Journey Coach.

Throughout my life, I've always felt drawn to the call of the journey. I like to take trips, and absolutely love poring over maps, looking for routes between point A and point B. Even while travelling abroad, say in Ireland or Germany, one of my favorite things to do is find back roads that would enable us to get where we wanted to go but see the local color along the way. (That's probably why I like travel guru Rick Steves so much.)

And now with Google Earth, I can zoom in and peruse roads in the Ukraine and figure out how to get from Kiev to Tarascha where some of my ancestors came from. Some day I hope to make that trip.

So, to net it out, I've come to the conclusion that the coach I see in the mirror is a Journey Coach, one who helps others to find their way toward their goals.

Maybe that's why I decided to call myself the learningvoyager when I started to blog in 2004?

As Alan Cohen has written, integrity is "when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are on the inside."

Posted by Terrence Seamon, October 7, 2009