Tag Archives: embracing change

Jan25

Shifting Gears: From Employee to Entrepreneur

Posted on by
Shifting Gears: From Employee to Entrepreneur

In her January 5 post, Unemployed or Underemployed, Natalia said:  ”I fully believe that the next big thing will be cottage industries – especially with the trend to buy locally to alleviate dependence on oil, help conserve resources, and to be greener. People who find ways to help others be green, upcycle old items, organize recycling where it really makes sense – those are the folks who will help re-establish small businesses and therefore create jobs.”

Shifting gears and viewing oneself as an entrepreneur can enrich you.  It will change the way you view your job, if you are employed, and the way you perform your job.  It will also help you to understand that there are many options available to you.  You can write a business plan and use your own funds or secure funding.  You can work a full time job and start something part time in the evenings, thanks to the power of the internet, which can attract a global audience.  You can  experiment inexpensively with blogging, an Etsy store,  a Zazzle store, an ebay store, a part-time service, writing skills, cooking skills, handiwork skills, volunteer work – the ideas are unlimited, you just have to find one that works for you.  Ideally, you may find several oppportunities that can work for you.

Really — you are never stuck.  Stuckness (I know, I’m making up a word) is an illusion.  But I do believe that you need to follow your dreams in some fashion, if not in your 9 to 5 job — do something in your spare time that feeds your spirit.  Whatever you do that feeds your spirit can only lead you to a better, fuller, happier life.

My background is in recruiting, research and writing – those are key skill areas for me, but like Natalia, I enjoy art, crafts, cooking and other hands-on activities.  My daytime work in the non-profit world provides a great deal of satisfaction for me, but I view it as my “base” and use my spare time to explore other areas.  Currently I’m editing articles for a national magazine; writing web copy for a client; writing recruitment ads for another client; writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry; and I run an ebay store.  I’m toying with the idea of opening an etsy store.

I’m turning my dining room into a factory of sorts.  It will be a writing factory, an ebay shipping center, and an etsy crafting room.  Thinking about it makes my eyes light up with joy.

In 2009 I took Profiting From Your Passions (PFYP) coaching training from Valerie Young, author of  The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, so I could help people turn their passions — the things they love to do — into profit streams.  The reason I did that was because as a recruiter, I could only help a limited number of people find work.  I talked to many people who didn’t want to face the truth that their line of work was gone, or diminished to the point that finding a job like the one they once had was going to be an uphill struggle.  Some of those people were using up all or most of their savings in a quest to find a job that was turning into long-term unemployment.  Things have gotten worse since 2009.  I’m not being doom-and-gloom-ish here, I’m just stating the reality that too many bright and talented people are facing.

So, maybe you think this doesn’t apply to you — you’re working right now.  Even if you have all the right skills, and you are highly employable — can you depend upon your employer?  Will your employer make good decisions? If your company markets globally, will some event halfway across the world like a tsunami, an earthquake, or a war shut down their foreign facilities?  Will your work be outsourced?  Will you be replaced by a new, disruptive technology that makes your job obsolete?  Or — worse yet — do you dislike your work?  Do you dread going to work every day?

Americans have always taken pride in being independent.  Yet we also know that we are interdependent, not just on each other, but on the rest of the world.  America is not isolated from Europe, China, Africa or the Middle East.  I think part of thriving in this century will involve taking a good, hard look at your situation — whatever it is — and making adjustments to fit the times.  Whether it involves getting rid of debt, saving more, setting up a part-time or full-time business, following your passionate love of a hobby or pastime — if you think about it, you’ll figure out the right direction for you.  And when you’re ready — the path will appear, a teacher or mentor will come into your life, you’ll read the right article or see something on television – and you’ll have what you need to start shifting gears.

In future posts I plan to highlight innovative ideas to help stimulate your thinking and help you move forward with your dreams.  Some will involve people I know; others will involve business ideas I’ve seen on the web, in the paper, in books I’m reading, or in the news.  My goal will be to stimulate your own creative ideas and encourage you to make changes, and I would appreciate your feedback.

Jan17

The Dynamics of Teams

Posted on by
The Dynamics of Teams

“If everybody is thinking alike…then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton

The ability for people to collaborate and create as a group is one of the miracles of life, and also one of the most delicate balancing acts for the dynamics shift and change as people come in and out of groups, or grow into differing roles within the group.

How often have we experienced this first hand?  When an amazing individual contibutor is thrust into a leadership position, for example…or when a new and unexpected team mate is added – there is a turbulent time and then either that person is incorporated into the group with whatever changes are made to accommodate him/her…or they fail.

That ebb and flow of acceptance, and evolution of the team occurs at the company level – as small companies try to make the shift to medium size or medium to large.  Often they hit a barrier to expansion, and often they cannot understand what it is that is holding them back.  That is where Management and Organizational Development (M&OD) Consultants and Coaches can really add value.  Regardless of their methodology (which can span from individual psych tests to 360 evaluations to group coaching) they get to see the team from a nearly objective point of view.

The challenge is, as in quantum physics, that the observer can and does influence the course of the object or objects being observed.  So choosing an M&OD should include looking for the traits that you hope to mirror in your team or business.  If you think that the core problem is aggressive behavior and competition – be sure not to hire a consultant who demonstrates those traits.  Common sense?  Perhaps, but when you have had the opportunity to observe a lot of different company cultures, and team subcultures – you notice that “like draws like” and the natural inclination of a group is to want to homogenize into a recognizable “us”.  This seems to me, to be why embracing change is so challenging for large groups.  And why Consulting firms that specialize in Management and Organizational Development will find plenty to do in times like these.

Oct10

Embracing Change – Ouch.

Posted on by
Embracing Change – Ouch.

Theodore Roosevelt is oft quoted as saying “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” Never a truer word spoken when applied to technology and new applications.

As a culture, we have evolved from Teddy’s time, to wanting everything to be easy and fast. Our attention is lost on anything that throws any kind of hurdle our way, because there are ten other items that are easier which will rise up and capture our attention. This goes for relationships as well. We want a profile, a summary, and quick references on everyone we meet, rather than taking time to get to know someone. If we could we would fast forward through introductions to get to the “best part of the show”.

So it isn’t surprising that embracing change is a big “Owie” in most organizations. What can be done about it – well, to start, take smaller bites. Or Bytes. Change taken in small “baby” steps is equivalent to Quick and Easy. And like the babies we are emulating, we are gonna fall and go boom every once in awhile.

Nov9

We’ve ALWAYS done it this way…

Posted on by
We’ve ALWAYS done it this way…

It is a standing joke… and a standard defensive response.  When presented with the possibility of change, humans retreat to routine.  Whether it is a conscious decision or an unconsious one, we all do it.  So how do you encourage and embrace change in your organization?

There are many consultants out there that claim they can help you and your organization “embrace change”.  What is it that they are trying to accomplish?  Are you and the consultant trying to impose chaos over structure?  And if you are, what makes you think anyone would embrace that, given that human nature thrives on structure? 

I say “structure” with purpose.  Not necessarily “routine” but structure, framework, organization.  It means that if you want people to process change effectively, it must be structured in a way that they can see what the results are supposed to look like.  The need to see what the goal is for the change – to have a clear vision of where they are going and what it will look like, feel like, smell like….when they get there.

Great leaders all have the ability to share the vision of what the change will “lead” to – good leaders are at least able to convince their team that they know where they are going and elicit trust in themselves personally that gets everyone to the end goal.  You probably have experience of good and not-so-good leaders.  History demonstrates all kinds of leaders if you need some examples. 

Think you have what it takes to be an agent of change?  If you think you are able to structure change successfully – test yourself.  Try getting a tired 3 year old to take a nap.

If you can do that – you probably have what it takes!