The Career You’ll Love

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

What exactly is trust?

I think the universe is telling me something today.  A couple of days ago I submitted a blog post regarding building trust – that will be published on the Workbloom blog in the next few days.

This morning, I had a chance to hear a presentation by Richard Fagerlin on this subject, which I found quite thought-provoking.  Here are some great ideas.

Our paradigm of trust, historically, has been that it’s something you need to spend a lifetime earning from others.  To be crass:

• You are put in a situation of being tested
• You perform some action in response
• Someone else judges whether your action was “trustworthy” or not
• If it was, then they now award you with this thing called “trust”

That’s fine, certainly, but you might notice something:  You’ve given up most of your control.  And if, for whatever reason, another doesn’t grace you with this intangible “trust,” then there’s not much you can do except to try to pass the next test.

Instead, let’s think about the aspects of trust which are more about who you are than what you do.  The core elements are:

• Integrity
• Competence
• Compassion

To the degree that you have all three of these, then you’ve created the elements which will not only encourage others to trust you, but – more importantly – which will put you into a state of trust with those around you.

Trust isn’t a one-sided judgment.  It’s a two-sided relationship.  And it’s really just a foundation upon which the activities of the relationship can take place.

Let me describe these three elements, then:

Integrity: Being aware of, driven by, and consistent with a set of values, and displaying that consistency in different situations.

Competence: Being good at what you do - having skills, knowledge, and abilities which are relevant and valued.

Compassion: Being able to connect with others – not only empathy, but also to identify with their values even when they’re different than your own.

When you have these three qualities, you’ll be able to operate from a solid foundation of trusting others, to build the healthy trusting relationships we all strive for.

Just a final word:  Don’t assume that trust means only trusting blindly.  When I trust another, it means I have a basis upon which to predict their behavior – but that might still not be what I would choose.  So healthy trust also depends on communication and validating.  Trust but verify.

An important resource

I’ve been reading a great book recently, Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, by William Bridges.  I found it quite useful for people who are struggling with a sense of travelling through life stages, and the transitions that are required for each.  It’ll help you to understand the bigger picture of your life, and quite possibly help your kids, partner, and parents.

It’s an easy read, and extraordinarily powerful.

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.

© 2010 Possibilities Partnership LLC

The Career You’ll Love

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

It’s not always about getting a return

WIIFM?

I imagine that you’re familiar with this acronym, which stands for “What’s In It For Me.” I first came across it in connection with the idea of asking this question to always keep a view on how my work can deliver tangible benefits to customers, and that I need to be able to describe that in ways which are meaningful to them.

If you think about it, though, this phrase is reflective of our culture.  With almost every interaction with others, we tend to look at what we get in return.  We’re very individualistic and even self-centered.

When you look at your career decisions, you’re constantly searching for ways to help you achieve your personal career and life goals.  That’s fair enough, I suppose, but let me challenge you with this thought: Not everything can be measured by what it gives to you in return.

If you always looked out solely for your own interests, cathedrals would never get built.  Those ravaged by natural disasters would never get helped.  Most countries would never have been formed.

I’ve been pondering this fact, because for the last week I’ve been at a conference with others who are passionate about the revival of sacred music in our faith.  The entire organization is based on volunteer contributions, and people are giving an incredible amount of time, energy and money to a cause which may not reap the biggest benefits during their lifetime.

They do it because it’s important for others, to benefit the human race.  WIIFM doesn’t even enter the picture.

If you think about it, you see that it means it’s even more important than things which will yield a return for any individual or even a small group.

We believe that we can’t take any of this with us when we die, so the most important things are those which will be carried on by others over the course of generations.  A personal and cultural legacy.

But to be realistic, I do get something in return.  The satisfaction of believing that I’ve contributed to making an important difference.

An important resource

I talked before about the importance of LinkedIn.  If you’re a professional, I would recommend this above any other online investment of time, because you’ll get connected with people who can give you valuable information, and possibly connect you with future jobs.

But many don’t know that there’s other useful aspects to LinkedIn.  You can search for people who you know who work (or worked) at a company you’d like to be hired by.  You can contribute to group discussions with others in your profession, thus establishing your expertise and credibility.  You can look for others who might need help and mentoring.

Locally, we have an expert who gives LinkedIn seminars in connection with our government workforce center.  Look around – there’s a lot of expertise you can tap.

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.

© 2010 Possibilities Partnership LLC

The Career You’ll Love

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

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!

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.

© 2010 Possibilities Partnership LLC