The Career You'll Love » attraction

Positive words work wonders

Carl — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:27:44 +0000

I’ve been having difficulty recently with some people in my life – people in positions of power. This is in a context of a volunteer organization, but it holds just as true in business.

The two most motivating words are: “Thank You.”

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

Refreshing your attitude towards work

Carl — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:26:24 +0000

Your job is, well, work. The reason they pay you to do it is because you wouldn’t do it for free.

But that’s not a very inspiring reason, is it?

Right now, a lot of people are feeling trapped in their job and career because they’re worried about being able to find their next job. They’ve been hunkering down, hoping to hang on until the economy improves.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

What makes you unique?

Carl — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:53:04 +0000

Part of the human journey is a constant struggle between wanting to fit in, and wanting to be valued because of our unique value.

I guess that’s one of the things that makes life interesting.

But what makes you unique? It can come from several places:

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

Appreciate what you have!

Carl — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 16:18:35 +0000

I’m as ambitious as most people, I suppose. I’m always looking for new experiences, new things to do, more ways to win.

But some days it’s good to recognize the blessings you have.

Regenerating your energy

Carl — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:10:26 +0000

We’re constantly going through cycles in our jobs, in our careers, and in our lives. And if you’re out hunting for a job, it’s tough to keep your energy up to do the draining work every day.

Be sure to give yourself a break. Just as your body needs its rest every night, your mental stamina will also go through normal ups and downs.

But there’s also some tricks and techniques to regenerating your energy when you need to. Try some of these out to see what works for you.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

The career you’ll love newsletter – 14 June 2010

Carl — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:27:19 +0000

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com

Welcome to my new career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

Giving to get

How do you convince people to like you and give you a break?

Here’s a core principle of human behavior, so simple: When people receive something they value, they’re more inclined to give back in return. Pretty obvious, right? But it’s absolutely true, and is one of the reasons why those charities send you small gifts in the mail. They’re hoping you’ll find some value in them, and give back in return.

But suppose you’re the one trying to sell something: You have a great idea, you want a job, or you want to have influence over other people. You can use the above principle in several ways:

People need to know what you have to offer. A great way to do this is to show it in action, not just tell people about it. Do you know how to do something interesting or valuable? Show them. Do you have a product you’re trying to sell? Show it doing something useful and interesting. Trying to sell an idea? Show a mock-up, an analogy, or how the idea has already worked in other situations.

People need a reason to prefer you over the competition. You’ll be thought of as more valuable if you’ve already demonstrated an inclination to give value. Are you after a particular job? Look for ways to help the employer solve real problems, whether by volunteering or even what value you give during the interview.

Let’s say you’re trying to have influence over a decision. If you have demonstrated an ability to understand the bigger picture – that of the decision-maker – you’ll have more credibility. If people in power have seen you exercise skill and expertise, they’ll be more likely to listen to what you have to say.

Here’s the bottom line: Don’t be stingy with your skill, knowledge, time, and resources. When people see you giving freely, they’ll be inclined to help you in return.

But remember: What you give has to have value in the recipient’s eyes. Otherwise, it’s just a useless trinket.

An important resource

As you might know, I am a career coach and have been doing a lot of work with people who are looking to change or reinvigorate their careers. If you’re interested, please call me at +1 970 225 6889 (US Mountain time, GMT-7) or send me an e-mail. I’d love to help you work through your challenges by showing you some different perspectives. I believe every person has the opportunity to excel in life, even though it may not be clear to you right now!

Carl Dierschow is a Certified Leadership Coach and author of the career management guide, Mondays Stink! 23 Secrets to Rediscover Delight and Fulfillment in Your Work. He is a career coach for those going through interesting transitions, and works with leaders who are creating amazing teams. Find out more at www.Dierschow.com and www.PossibilitiesPartnership.com.

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

There’s Some People I’d Work With, No Matter WHAT the Job!

Carl — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:28:22 +0000

I’ve been fortunate to have a few wonderful bosses over the course of my career. Not just decent, not just good, but truly exceptional people. I’ve also been fortunate that the number of truly terrible managers has been very low.

The truly exceptional ones have treated me with honesty and respect, supported me in tough times, cared about me as a unique individual, and given me challenging and valuable work.

Lighten up!

Carl — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:37:40 +0000

Life’s stressful. So much work to do, so much to worry about. If you have a job, you’re stressed about losing it. If you don’t have a job, things seem so hopeless.

The fabric of society is falling apart. Politics bring important decisions to a standstill. Global climate change. Terrorism.

OK, folks, enough. Cut yourself some slack.

First, try to make a key distinction: Of everything that’s broken in the world, it’s important that somebody worries about it. That somebody doesn’t have to be you. That doesn’t mean you’re unaware of the need, but if you don’t have the means to do something useful, why is it you that needs to be the worrier?

Worry about the things where you can be a help, where you’ll actually do something.

Be aware of what’s going on in the world, and let other people take on the emotional burden.

Second, realize that negative energy shrinks you, and positive energy grows you. When I use positive energy – encouragement, lightness, humor, passion – I attract others who want to help. I increase the scope of my impact, and have more energy doing it.

When I use my negative energy – complaining, debating, accusing, berating – I drive away people who might be able to help. Those who remain are the type of people who are combative and self-serving, which reduces my impact. Energy is wasted internally, not getting useful things done.

Third, concentration and focus gives you a greater depth of impact. If I worry about the shortage of clean water in the world, it’s incredibly difficult for me to make a difference. If I focus on water in my community, I can now work with a few people who can influence important decisions.

Let me leave you with a thought to ponder: Giving positive energy to others is one of the greatest free gifts you have to offer. And when you do that, they will give positive energy back to you in abundance.

Kind of like sharing your love, really.

How Giving to Others Opens Doors!

Carl — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:08:22 +0000

I’ve been involved with a fair number of volunteer organizations during my lifetime, and I’ve always been amazed at how much people are willing to give. On the face of it, this isn’t quite rational – why would you do something that costs you a lot of time, money and work, when you aren’t getting anything specific in return?

Ah, but you do get something.

Why do people give?

Carl — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:50:33 +0000

Peter Bregman, in the Harvard Business Review, wrote an interesting article this week about what motivates people to help. If you haven’t seen it yet, follow that link and have a look. Peter raises an interesting question about why people are motivated to give to others, to help.

In general, people like to be helpful. I suppose part of it is an expectation of getting something in return, but that’s not the core.

The fact is, you get a rush just from knowing you’ve done good. It actually physically feels good to you, and in many cases that may be enough reward in itself.

Of course, we get rather cynical about all this. Many charitable organizations prey on our need to be loved and to feel like we’re making a difference. After a while we get the sense that maybe we’re not actually making the difference that we’d hoped, and that some of the unscrupulous types might be taking advantage of us.

That’s why Peter’s example is so powerful. It’s about making a difference to someone here and now, in a way that makes a difference that you can actually see.

Here’s what we learn about giving:

Let people see the difference they’re making, in as immediate a way as possible, and in the way that person values.
Entering payment into the equation introduces a whole different dynamic – it becomes about the money rather than about the value delivered.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People like helping.

As I said before, the act of giving has great value. Remember that in your own life, and those of people who you work with.