11CareerZingersVolume2

InvitationalNudgestoBoostYourCareer

byDavidZingerEmail:david@davidzinger.comSite:www.davidzinger.com

WhyCareerZingers?

CareerZingersgivesyousmallnudgesofadvice,direction,andperspectiveforyourcareerdevelopment.

Itcanhelpyouwhenyoufeelconfused,uncertainorlostinyourcareerpath,youarewonderingwhatyournextstepisonyourcareer,youwanttosustainyourcareerprogress,youwanttomanageandmasteryourowncareer,oryoujustwantaquickideatonudgeyourcareer.

Wetendtothinkaboutcareerasanoccupationorprofessionoftenrequiringspecialtrainingoreducation.Yetcareeralsomeanstorunormoverapidlyalong.Thefullerviewofcareerisaperson’sprogressorgeneralcourseofactionthroughlife.

Thisisthesecondcareere-book,comprisedofZingers12to22

12:TheFictionofOurCareer

Isyourcareeraworkoffiction?Ithinkmostofusbelieveourcareerisnonfiction– basedonfacts,realevents,andrealpeople.Onthesurfacemostofusfailtorecognizeourcareerisaworkofnonfiction– astoryofimaginaryevents,inventionandfabricationasopposedtomerefact.Itittimetoacknowledgethecentralityofnonfictionwithinourcareerbecause:

1. Wemustrealizehowmuchourinternalthoughtsandstoriesinfluenceallofourcareerexperiences,emotions,andactions.

2. Weareboththeprotagonistandwriterofourcareerstoryandthereforehavechoiceandauthorshipinhowweunderstandourcareerandhowweactinmundaneandchallengingsituations.

3. Wearenotprisonersorvictimsofamalevolentauthor(job,boss,marriage,health)— likeallexperiencedwriterswemustrealizethebulkofourworkconsistsofconstantiterationandrevision.

Eachofusisabookwaitingtobewritten,andthatbook,ifwritten,resultsinapersonexplained.

- ThomasMCirignano

13.ICanFly

Iwassittingatthegymandshecameuptome,lookedmeintheeyeanddeclared,“Icanfly– youknow.”

Shetookoffwithtwoquicksteps,leapedintotheairforaflightofabout100millisecondsandanelevationof3inches,landing,takingtwomoresteps,thentakingflightagain.

Thebeliefandtheactionofthisenthusiastictwo-yearoldgirlwasinspiring.

Inyourcareer,whendidyoustopbelievingyoucouldflyandwhydidyoustoptrying?

Don’tbelievewhatyoureyesaretellingyou.Alltheyshowislimitation.Lookwithyourunderstanding.

Findoutwhatyoualreadyknowandyouwillseetheway tofly.

―RichardBach

14:PreciousWork

Preciousmeansnottobewastedortreatedcarelessly.

Imaginetodayatworkisyourfirstdayatwork.Imaginetodayatworkisyourlastdayatwork.Eachofus,regardlessofhowlongwework,willhaveafirstdayandalastday.Ifyouknewitwasyourfirstdayorlastdayatworkwhatmightyoudotomakeitmorepreciousormemorable?

Realizeyoudon’thavetoimaginetodayaseitheryourfirstorlastday.Eachday,youandyourworkchange— evenifeversoslightly.Therefore,eachdayisyourfirstday.Also,nodayatworkwilleverbeidenticaltothepreviousdaysoitisalsoyourlastday.

Althoughourcareercanspanmanyyearsitcanonlybefoundandfullyexperiencedwithineachpreciousday,hour,minute,andmoment.

15.NewEyes

AreyouabletorefreshtheIbehindyoureyes? Manyofusaremyopicinlookingforsomethingnewinourcareerswhenthenewnessmaybetolookatourcareer,ourself,andourworldwithneweyes.Youcanhavelasersurgerytocorrectyourvisionbutwithoutavisionofwhatyouarelookingforyoumayfailtoseewhatisrightinfrontofyou.

Iinviteyoutogiveyoureyesarestbyclosingthemfor60secondsafteryoureadthistip.Whenyouopenyoureyes,strivetolookatyourworldinanewwaythenextendthisfresh-eyedapproachtoviewyourcareer.

Thejourneyofdiscoverybeginsnotwithnewvistasbutwithhavingneweyeswithwhichtobeholdthem.

- Proust

16.Authenticity- EmptyBowl

Authenticityislessaboutwhatyouhaveandmoreaboutwhatyoucanhold.

Iencourageyoutothinkofauthenticityasbeinganemptybowl.Yourauthenticcoreisnotcomprisedofwhatisthrowninthebowl– itistheverybowlitself.Youcan’t“fakeit’tilyoumakeit.”

Iencourageyoutoemptyyourbowlbymeditatingordeterminingwhoyoureallyarewithoutyourachievements,possessions,andposturing.Itistimetoletthecoreofyoushinethroughinallyoudo.

Authenticityisapracticewechooseineachpresentmoment.

Itisnotaplanoradestinationtogetto.- HennaInam

17.BeIgnorant

IgnoranceisessentialforauthenticcareerdevelopmentIgnorancemeansnotknowing.

Stupidityisthinkingyouknowwhenyoudon’t.

Oftenincareerdevelopmentweseekoutexperts,coaches,authors,andcounsellorstotelluswhatweshouldbedoing.

Wecanlearnfromothersbutdeepandauthenticlearningcanoccurifwearewilling tositinignoranceandwonderaboutourselvesandourfuturewithouthavingtofindaquickandeasyready-madeanswer.

Justbecausewestartwithignorancedoesn’tmeanweneedtostaythere.Whenitcomestocareersitisokaytobeignorant,justdon’tbestupidaboutit.

18.MomentousWork

Ibelievethatworkissignificant,enriching,enlivening,andrealwhenwedistillengagethemoment.Theparadoxisthatmomentsstrungtogethercancreatesomethingmomentous–veryimportant: havinggreatorlastingimportance.

Mysimpledefinitionofemployeeengagementis- goodworkdonewellwithotherseveryday.

Wemustdeterminethemomentstodogood,themomentsthatcangowell,themomentswesharewithothers,andkeymomentsofeveryday.Onceweknowthemomentsthenweneedtoinstilltheactionsorbehaviorsthatmakethesemomentssoengaging.

Whatareyougoingtodothemomentyoufinishthisposttomakeyourownworkorsomeoneelse’sworkmoreengaging?Don’tjustthinkofaresponse,engagethemomentwithavibrantaction.

19.HopefulHopelessness

Hopeisinthefuture,experienceiswherewearerightnow.

Iencourageyoutobehopeless.Iamnottalkingaboutdepression,anxiety,ordreadaboutthefuture.Youdon’thavetoabandonhopebutIdoencourageyoutogivemoreattentionandawarenesstowhereyouarerightnow.Hopecanpullusthroughtoughtimesbutitcanalsodistractusfromwhatweneedtodorightnow.

Ifyouwantabountifulgardenmakesureyouplanttheseeds,watertheplants,andpulltheweeds.

Ihopethisadvicewashelpfulwithoutmesimplyhopingyouwouldgetthemessage.

20.KnowYourAudience

IrecentlyattendedaCarlosSantanaconcertinWinnipeg.Ienjoyedtheshowbuttherewouldhavebeennoshowwithouttheaudience.

Youalsowouldnothaveacareerwithoutothers.Yourequiredparentstobebroughtintobeingandsomanyrelationshipswillprovidethreadsasyouweaveyouruniquecareertapestry.

Don’tthinksoloincareer,thinkaboutyourimpactonothers,theirimpactonyou,andthecontributionsyoumaketoothersfromco-workersandcustomerstofamilyandfriends.

Turnthelightsoninyourcareerandsee“youraudience.”

Askyourself:howwellamIperforminginmyworktoenrich,enliven,educate,enthuse,andentertainmyaudience?

21:SockedIn

Pausebeforeyourfoothitsthefloor.

Don’tletyourclutteredminddriveyouoffinalldirections.Beforeyouleapoutofyourchairandembarkonthenextactioninyourlife– – pause– – beintentional.

Askyourself:WhereamIgoing?WhyamIgoingthere?

Onceyouhaveasatisfactoryanswertothosetwoquestionsproceedbecauseiftheshoefits,wearit.

Otherwise,takeafewmoremomentsandinfusemoreintentionintoyoureverydayactions.

22:TiltandFlip

Inthegamecalledyourcareer,whatputsyouontiltandhowdoyouflipoutofbeingtilted?

Toplaypinballwellwemustknowjusthowmuchwecanshakethemachinetoaltertheball’spathinourfavorwithouttiltingthemachine.Wealsoneedtokeepflippingtheballbackintothegameareatoscorepoints.

Tilt.Doyouknowwhoorwhatputsyouontilt,shuttingyoudown,andleavingyoufeeling“outofthegame?”Doyouhavecommontriggersandhabitualwaysofrespondingtobeingtilted?Oncetilted,howlong,inminutes,hours,ordays,doesyouremotionalandmentaltiltleaveyoushutdown?

Flip.Afteryouhavebeentiltedhowdoyouflipyourcareeraround?Doyouhaveaspecificroutine,person,ormentalperspectivethatrenewsorrejuvenatesyourcareerquest?

Engagealongwithme,thebestisyettobe.

DavidZingerhasspokenaroundtheworldandhewrote4booksonwork.Heinvested24,000hoursinworkengagement.DavidwasacounselloreducatorattheUniversityofManitobaandacareerdevelopmentcoachandemployeecounsellorforSeagram/Diageo.

EngagewithDavidtodaytoimprove,enhance,ordevelopyourcareer.Davidoffersfreshandinvigoratingspeeches,workshops,coaching,andconsultingoncareerdevelopment.

ContactInformation:

§ Email:david@davidzinger.com§ Website:www.davidzinger.com§ LinkedIN:www.linkedin.com/in/davidzinger/§ Twitter:www.twitter.com/davidzinger§ Network:www.employeeengagement.ning.com/