Welcome Note

The final issue of my first year – what a nice little milestone to celebrate! And talking of celebrating, I do hope each of you is able to enjoy the pleasures, both large and small, of the upcoming holiday season as well as some respite from work. It is not mandated that we experience stress during this time of year – we are free to choose!

Oya News

December will also be my time of reflection, celebrating family despite, or perhaps even because of, some recent illness in my family – during this time, I have come to understand how important it is to prioritize one’s values, and for me, family is very high. It has enabled me to experience gratitude in the face of challenge.

Feature Article: Career Care.

I coach many professionals who are evaluating next career steps – be these steps towards transition to other jobs or even new careers, or simply professional advancement.

How many of you really love your work? In what ways does your job reward you? Is there a “dream job” you’d love to have?

I realized I have my dream job when I was looking ahead to the holiday season and discovered I had no desire to break from my coaching and just hang out at home. Coaching doesn’t feel like work!

Many of my clients are seeking this – jobs or careers that they love enough that they are no longer “working” in the way they were raised to think about work.

A recent article by Paula Kaihla in Business 2.0, November 2004, entitled “How to Land your Dream Job” reported that up to 80% of American workers are not satisfied with their jobs. It seems likely that lethargy, fear or uncertainty are keeping people trapped in these unsatisfying situations.

According to the article, this is a shame. “There are indeed dream jobs out there these days, and people do figure out ways to land them.” This appears to be a good time for trading up in the job market, as corporate profits are higher, and productivity growth has slowed from 9% a year ago to about 2% today. What this means is that managers have squeezed about as much as they can out of existing workers, and they will need more workers to grow their companies. “More than three quarters of the CEOs at the nation’s 364 fastest-growing companies plan to add workers during the next 12 months”.

So what might this mean for you in your quest for a dream job? Or your restless family or friends?

A first step is to identify your dream job. Not a fantasy one – just a dream one! Or better yet, several dream job options.

What do you love to do? This is not the same as “What are you good at?”

If you are in the market for a career or job change, begin by creating four lists:

At least 20 things you thoroughly enjoy in your life, without prejudging whether these might offer any suitable career options.
Your personal values – what you deem highly important, especially in your career and work situation
The values you want your ideal organization to espouse (casual, playful, energetic, laid-back, mentoring, good place for self-starters, offers skills training etc.)
Your current skills and talents from all parts of your life (running a household counts, if you can name the skills involved!)

Next month, I will write about further steps you can take to “land that dream job”.

On Track: The Art of Listening Well

Who recalls how satisfying it is to have someone really listen to you, with his or her full attention on you? To feel truly understood by that listener is most gratifying.

Our ability to listen is a skill we are all endowed with, but it’s one that may be quite poorly developed.

A key skill in coaching is that of listening deeply. Beyond hearing the spoken words with a whizzing mind that is already preparing a response, there is a kind of listening that focuses attention completely on the speaker. It is active listening – paying attention to intonation, body language if the speaker is present, clarifying what your understanding is, and using all your senses to be present to what is taking place in the conversation. Instead of paying attention to only what the words means to you, or seeking ready explanations, data or details, you become a whole lot more curious about what the other person is saying. You choose what to respond to, how to respond, and you even notice the impact of your response.

Here are Five Steps to Active Listening:

Make eye contact. You will be surprised to notice how often people avoid making eye contact when speaking to others.
Really focus your attention on the other person as he or she speaks. This involves suspending the internal mind chatter (the Monkey Mind, as the Buddhists say)
Be curious about the speaker. What are they really trying to say, or asking? If a question forms in your mind about the content of their conversation, ask it aloud.
Take time before you respond. The opposite of “talking” is not “waiting to talk”, as Susan Scott says in her book, Fierce Conversations (see below)!
Reflect back on what you think was said, in order to avoid misunderstandings.

Book of the Month

When a book like Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott becomes a national bestseller and is quoted extensively in both the business and lay press, it is most exciting for me as a coach.

Because this is my job as a coach – to have these fierce conversations with my clients in service of their growth as individuals, and/or organizational leaders. Scott uses the term “fierce” to mean “robust, intense, strong, powerful, passionate, eager, unbridled, uncurbed and untamed”. Wow! – picture those kinds of conversations where we really show up in all our glorious authenticity.

Scott identifies and expands on the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations:

1. Master the courage to interrogate reality.

2. Come out from behind yourself into the conversation and make it real.

3. Be here, prepared to be nowhere else.

4. Tackle your toughest challenge today.

5. Obey your instincts.

6. Take responsibility for your emotional wake.

7. Let silence do the heavy lifting.

Please forward this newsletter to a client, friend, relative or acquaintance that might enjoy reading it.

Philippa Kennealy MD MPH
The Vision Realization Process
President, Oya Consulting

Dr. Philippa Kennealy is an Executive and Personal Coach, dedicated to your professional and personal success and fulfillment. To schedule an initial FR*EE consultation, to learn more, or to inquire about having her speak to your group or organization, contact her at:
pkennealy@oyaconsulting.com or click here.

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