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Significant Solutions Inc. and GayeLindfors.com 
“Young people searching for their ‘real self’ must learn that the real self is not something one finds as much as it is something one makes; and it is one’s daily actions that shape the inner personality far more permanently than any amount of introspection or intellection.”
~ Sydney Harris, American Journalist
(This is Part Four of the Big Success series.)
We make choices every day. Some choices don’t make much difference on our future. Do I use Crest toothpaste or Colgate? Use blue ink or black ink? Other choices have greater influence. Do I get out of bed when the alarm goes off or stay in bed? Do I keep my commitment to exercising after work or skip it?
The choices you make every day determine how you feel about yourself, your work, and your life.
Watching the Ramsey Lewis Trio perform was a Bravo moment. And one of the things that it made it so enjoyable was watching the sheer joy the musicians themselves were experiencing. I don’t think anyone in the audience had a better time than the Trio itself that night. You could see it in their eyes, hear it in their laughter, and feel it in your soul. They showed up, fully present and engaged.
Is your life a little boring right now? Why? What can you do to change that?
How are you showing up in the world every day? Kicking the cat or embracing the sunrise? Are you putting in your time to get a paycheck, only to go home and sit in the easy chair in front of the TV for hours? Or are you taking responsibility for your own attitude and spirit—growing, learning, and being grateful for the good things in your life?
When you look back on your week or the month, what emotion wells up inside you?
Boring or Bravo. It’s Your Choice.
(This is Part Three of the Big Success series.)
You’ve dreamed about it. You’re the understudy watching from the wings, waiting for your chance to take the stage and show them what you’ve got. You know you can play the part. Then it happens. The lead starlet does what everyone was telling her to do. She breaks a leg. And now it’s your chance. Same play, different cast. You’ve been invited for an interview [or a promotion, or to participate on a really big project]. You’ve been given the opportunity. This is your chance to shine. You’re prepared. You’re confident. You are the star of this event. Take center stage and perform exceptionally. (From Find a Job: The Little Book for BIG SUCCESS)
You can’t show up at Orchestra Hall, the Super Bowl, or Oliver Stone’s casting call without preparation.
The same is true on our jobs. Whether we like it or not, our performance is observed and evaluated every day by colleagues, supervisors, clients, and customers. We may not always get feedback, but people are noticing.
What are you doing to develop your skills or build your reputation? It’s not enough to wait for your supervisor to find the budget dollars to send you to a workshop. Take ownership for your own career.
Read. Study. Watch. Practice. Stay informed. Participate.
What’s new in your field? What soft skills do you want to improve? Will your technical skills keep you up to speed in the market?
My suggestion? Each week identify one career or life-enhancing activity in each of three areas:
When the Ramsey Lewis Trio takes center stage, they are prepared. Mr. Lewis didn’t do a crash course in playing the piano the night before the sold-out concert. He’s put years into learning and loving his area of expertise.
What’s standing between you and your next level of achievement? Break through it. Committing to three activities each week, focusing on personal development, professional development, and networking is a great place to start.
Marshall Goldsmith has written a great book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” It’s a must-read for leaders at all levels.
Don’t settle for “what could be.” Perform exceptionally.
(This is Part Two of the Big Success series.)
Whether you’re looking for a new job or looking to get ahead, here’s some advice…
Remember the yo-yo? It’s the round toy with a string attached and the toy is spun up and down the string from your hand. You probably played with one when you were a kid. Try it again—notice how quickly the skill comes back. Forgot you could do that, didn’t you! Take time to consider all your skills and accomplishments as you prepare or update your resume. Things that come naturally to you shouldn’t be dismissed. Make sure you include yo-yo’s you used in previous jobs. Do a wide-sweep inventory of what you enjoy doing—your skills, talents, and interests. Capture them in your primary marketing tool, your resume. Make yourself stand out.
This is a paragraph from my new book, Find a Job: The Little Book for BIG SUCCESS. It’s focused on preparing your resume. But the same diligence should be applied if you’re fortunate to be employed.
Getting clarity on what you’re good at is one of the first steps in making your mark in the world of work. It’s not enough to be mediocre in today’s economy. You’ve got to perform. Stand out.
When the Ramsey Lewis Trio shows up to perform at a concert, there’s a pianist, bass player, and drummer. They don’t switch instruments. They know their skills. In fact, they probably knew at an early age what they were good at, and they started developing their knack for smoking the ivories, stroking the strings, and pounding the daylights out of the drums.
What are you good at? Don’t assume you know. It’s an intelligent question—take a few minutes to answer it. Go beyond your current or most recent job. You’ve got something the workplace needs.
My suggestion? Make a list of 25 skills and talents. Then identify the top 5 or 6 you want to use on a regular basis. Working with numbers, writing a paper, analyzing data, baking tarts, organizing an office…you get the picture. Is your current job giving you the opportunity to use them? If so, great! If not, talk to your supervisor about other ways of doing your work, or even other opportunities. If that doesn’t work, start thinking about and planning for your next career move.
You have talents, skills, and abilities that are uniquely yours. And you have ways of using them that no one else can replicate.
Stand up and be noticed.
Ramsey Lewis Trio
Three guys. Ramsey, Larry, and Leon. Each chose to show up at work one August evening, ready to give their best to the job. And the result? Absolutely amazing music.
Ramsey is better known as Ramsey Lewis, composer, pianist, and jazz legend. Larry Gray, bass player, and Leon Joyce, Jr., drummer, perform with him as the Ramsey Lewis Trio. (If the name isn’t familiar to you, perhaps you’ve heard Lewis’ songs, “Hang on Sloopy” or “Wade in the Water.”)
So what does this talented group have to do with life, work, or finding a job? Plenty.
Steve and I had second row seats at their concert in Minneapolis. Three things were clear during their performance:
1) Each of these musicians knew what he was good at.
2) Each was prepared to perform.
3) Each of them was having a really, really good time.
Those are some pretty good principles to live by. Whether you are preparing for an interview, aiming for a promotion, or you just want more out of life, we can learn from Ramsey, Larry, and Leon. You might be saying to yourself, “Yea, if I could play the piano like that and make money at it, I’d be happy too!” Maybe so.
But who says that musicians, professional athletes, or actors have the market on loving their work and having a good life? This musical Trio makes our world a better place. And YOU make this world a better place—in your own, unique way—when you choose to show up and engage with your gifts and talents.
I believe it is possible to live with intention, enjoy your work, and have a rich, fulfilled life. Not always easy, but certainly possible.
The audience cheered, whistled, and applauded its appreciation for this Trio who showed up, ready to do a good job, and had a blast. (Wouldn’t it be nice to get the same response when we show up at work?) But you know, these guys would have put the same amount of energy and joy into their work if no one else was in the concert hall. That’s what made the experience so cool.
In this Big Success blog, we’re discussing life and work, success and significance. And in these next few blogs, we’ll take a closer look at what Ramsey, Larry, and Leon can teach us.
I’m curious…music has a way of touching our hearts and souls like nothing else can. What performer(s) stand out in your mind as really “showing up” and performing with passion that was palpable?
Click on the comment link below…
When people join your organization, they are signing up to discover, evaluate, and embrace or challenge your work culture. If they question or challenge your culture — your way of doing things — and it presents an opportunity for growth and increased diversity of thought, the dialogue is valuable. If the employees challenge your culture because it feels like a “parent-child relationship” with the focus on rules and consequences, you may want to re-evaluate the work environment your policies and practices have created.
Does your culture affirm the value of each employee? Are your employees given permission to bring their entire selves to the workplace: body, mind, emotions, and spirit? Do your policies and practices create an environment of trust and respect?
Here is a solution that will help you answer “yes” to each of those questions: Review your employee handbook and policies. If the focus is on rules and consequences, consider re-writing them to reflect your commitment to a culture of accountability and professionalism.
It’s so easy to let policies, practices, and rules define how we work together. Let’s change that. Hold yourself and each other accountable for creating a culture that brings out the best in each of you while you contribute to the company’s bottom line.
We each have our policy pet peeves. Mine is the typical bereavement policy, which allows someone else to tell me who is important enough in my life to support paid days off to attend a funeral.
What are your policy pet peeves? What policies or rules would you like to see changed in your organization?
Click on the comment link below…
Gary is retiring earlier than planned as a senior executive of a successful company. He made a proposal to the company’s CEO on a way to transition out of the company. The proposal was turned down.
Leslie is an administrative assistant who feels unappreciated by her boss. She has called in sick three times to avoid her performance review.
Gary told me, “I understand they chose to manage my retirement in a different way. I just wish they had taken the time to understand my request.” A few days later, Leslie said, “Why should I meet with my supervisor? She doesn’t listen, it doesn’t matter what I have to say.”
Gary and Leslie are no different than you and I. We want to be heard. We want to know that our opinions matter. We want someone to send us a signal that says, “You are important. I’m interested in what you have to say.”
Our workplace could change dramatically if we would regularly choose to take a few extra moments to look someone in the eye and listen. Really listen. That means that we don’t answer the phone during the conversation. We don’t sign letters. We don’t interrupt. We focus all our attention on that other person.
And listen.
Look around your organization today. I bet you’ll see someone who is waiting for you to listen to her. Take the time. Remind her that she is important.
We want to be heard.
My sisters and I helped Mom move. She and Dad had lived in their home for 53 years. After Dad died, we put the house on the market. And it was sold.
That house was filled with wonderful memories. I remember learning new things – roller-skating in the living room until the carpet was burlap. I remember a sense of community – sitting in the stairway, listening to my parents laugh late into the evening with their friends. I remember taking risks – posing for prom pictures in a dress that was so yellow you needed sunglasses to look at it. I think about that house, and I smile.
Our work environment creates memories, too. Each of the environments I’ve worked in elicits a different emotional response.
Think about your organization. What will your employees remember when they leave? Will they remember it as a place to grow? A place where relationships laid the foundation for success? A place where they could take chances, try new things, and grow professionally?
What memories do you have of the places you’ve worked? What emotional responses do they elicit?
Click on the comment link below…
