The kinds of issues I discuss with clients often seem to come in waves. Patterns emerge. Of course I’m usually hearing about various levels of distress that women and men are experiencing at work, and not surprisingly, a difficult boss or team dynamic prompts a lot of people to seek my assistance. Lately many conversations with clients seem to revolve around bad behavior of managers and people in power and how to do what’s best given the circumstances. On a broader level, as well, we’ve all been watching the undoing of many men who have used their power and status in despicable ways; while we feel relief that their gig is up, we’re also asking why did the unmasking of this undermining abuse take so long? It’s hard to speak truth to power. When we want to bring difficult topics and issues to light we know we need to be… Read More
Career
Procrastinating much? Feeling Stuck…Yuck!
Four Strategies to Get Yourself Back into Action. Procrastination is way more common than I ever realized. Most of my friends, colleagues and clients struggle with procrastination. Even though I tend to be a doer, I see how my ability to put things off has gained momentum. Our lives are so crowded by input from all sorts of technology and other distractions…especially if we’re creative and curios people! I can be happily sidetracked by reading articles online, my fascinating hard-copy magazines and books, or doing lots of little inconsequential projects around my house. All good things…but am I getting to the things I know I want and need to do? Um…no. Sound familiar? Here’s what I’ve found helps me to stop procrastinating and do what needs doing. Maybe this will work for you, too: Spend time thinking about what you really want to see happen in your personal or professional… Read More
What Can I Expect from Executive Coaching?
What is an Executive Coach? And how will I benefit from working with an executive coach? What can I expect from an executive coach? Reasonable questions. We all hear about people having coaches but what do they really do? How do they really help? The coaching ‘industry’ has grown so much over the past 20 years; you can find a coach for anything you need support with. Executive Coaching covers a lot of territory, and you’ll find executive coaches of every personality and style. Identifying, and work through, the challenges High achieving men and women face similar challenges in their leadership roles…reaching goals, motivating teams, hitting their numbers, juggling responsibilities while keeping their eye out to identify new opportunities amidst change in the marketplace or within their organization. Foundationally, both men and women need to effectively communicate with clients and colleagues but there’s no doubt that women have very particular… Read More
Reflections on Teaching Mindfulness in Recovery
I am always filled with anticipation and curiosity when I walk into the workshop room. On this particular foggy morning (there is often morning fog in the central coast town of Pismo Beach), there are seven people in recovery ranging in age from 19 to roughly 55. There’s a jovial friendliness between the men and women seated in red or black leather chairs. Everyone is dressed casually – shorts, sweatshirts, and baseball caps. As I take my seat, no one seems to take notice; the laughter and talking over one another continues until I speak up, “Hi everyone! Let’s get started!” A few people are quiet but others continue the jousting until I again say, “Hellooo, let’s get started!” Working With Recovery Patients at The Haven Since I have checked in with the other staff at The Haven, I know that several people here in recovery have recently left the… Read More
3 Things You Must Ask for to be Happier at Work and at Home
A lot of people aren’t comfortable asking for what they want. How about you? A bit squeamish? A bit shy? Or does it completely depend on the situation or ‘ask’? Keeping quiet and hoping someone will figure out what you want is a recipe for frustration and miscommunication. Expecting someone will notice your extra hard work, or your exemplary effort, your loyalty, or that you need a rest from all of the chores, cooking or family management creates more resentment than peace of mind. Read on for healthy and smart things to ask for! The 3 things you must to ask for: Quiet time to think and process. Whether you are at work or at home, an extrovert or an introvert, everyone needs some time to process, rest or just have downtime. I had a client who had tremendous responsibility, and she was an introvert. The only alone time she… Read More
What to Expect from Career Coaching
I remember when I first started working as a career counselor in the early 1990’s when no one had heard of a professional career coach because career stability was still expected; 30 years at one company was the rule, not the exception. College students knew of the career services office on their campus but it seemed odd for professionals to seek out this kind of guidance once they were out in the real world. Fast forward to the wild and wacky world of the accelerated pace of the 21st century workplace that’s full of complexity and change. Now nobody is immune to layoffs and reorgs. Job hopping is no longer taboo. Fifteen years at one company? Really? The Essential Secret Weapon Now that job insecurity is a given, and most everyone knows that meaningful work is a possibility not just a luxury, who wouldn’t want and need their own secret… Read More
Job Searching in Los Angeles: The Popular Jobs and Companies Edition by Sydney Frazer
When you think about Los Angeles, you probably think about the iconic Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, and the beach. You probably don’t think about it in terms of its thriving local economy and labor market. But you should! Los Angeles has the second largest economy in the United States. So what does this look like for the Los Angeles labor market? For starters, the LA unemployment rate is right on par with the national average at 4.7 percent as of December 2016. In addition, there are 91,415 open jobs in the area and a population growing faster than the national average. This means a high cost of living, similar to the rest of California. The cost of living in LA is most greatly affected by the housing prices. However, the median base salary reflects this by standing above the average salary in the United… Read More
Ready for your ideal job? Do these 3 things.
There comes a moment when you hit the wall and realize you’re really ready to let go of the ‘good’ to go for the great! These 3 actions are the shortcut to make your dream a reality. 1) Find a comfortable place to sit down to write – coffee shop, kitchen table, wherever. It’s important to get this out of your mind and onto paper. Otherwise it stays in the ether of your mind; writing it down makes it more real. Make a list of all the accomplishments that have made you feel most satisfied and proud. Notice how you feel as you list these. Feeling energized and excited? Good! If you feel a little squirrely know that this is just your inner critic trying to get in your way of recognizing what’s inspired you, and gets you feeling good about yourself. In fact, this can be good news, because going… Read More
Are You Really Ready To Quit Your Job?
Ask yourself these 4 questions before you take the plunge Sometimes you just want to throw in the towel and move on. After the holidays, coming back to work can leave you feeling drained and wiped out at the end of the day. Your motivation is low, perhaps your mood is too. To compensate, you scan jobs on all of the internet, but nothing looks interesting because these jobs look like what you’re already doing. Or perhaps, they ALL look inviting because even if it’s similar, it’s not where you are now. Maybe you feel boxed in because you need the money you’re making and don’t feel like you can afford a cut or loss of benefits right now. Maybe you’re finally doing well and have accumulated some good vacation time and a bit of stature and really don’t want to lose it. So what do you do… Read More
Ready for that New Job? 5 Actions You Must Take
January is the big month for job changers. But did you know it can take 18-24 months to land a job? You can cut your job search short by starting with these 5 actions. 1) Write your ideal job description; include all of the criteria that are essential like commute time, environment, desired responsibilities and those new challenges you’re ready for, salary range, perks and benefits you’d like, even the organization’s mission if that’s important to you. Write about the immediate contribution you can make in this job. Get excited about this. Really see yourself here. Make it real. 2) List all the work you’ve done that you’re most proud of. Be detailed and write down the skills you’ve used to be successful at what you’ve done. Note what the results have been when you’ve contributed your efforts. 3) Think of everyone you know and write their names down. Read More
