Catherine’s Creative Job Transition

Catherine Wright is the membership director for the National Association of Mothers’ Centers. She, along with the rest of the planet is in great transition. It’s a similar challenge working for non-profits in our chaotic economy. It requires a certain amount of faith and commitment,  especially as non-profits are fledgling under slashed philanthropic generosity. That result, courtesy the recession and Bernie Madoff – not necessarily in the order.

“We rely a lot on individual and private foundation monies,” said Wright in a phone conversation this morning. “No ones investment has been safe, so everyone is re-evaluating how much they can give and where they will give, so we have to find alternatives to cash flow and cutting costs.”

The challenges that NAMC is battling mirror Wright’s personal experience. She went on to tell me that her job wasn’t safe either. She had to re-evaluate how she was spending her time and figure out a way to bring revenue into the organization to keep her job.  But in all the chaos, she says had an edge.

“Because I was so passionate about the mission of the organization, I became even more committed to make it work,” said Wright who realized that it was time to look for new opportunities for NAMC where she had never looked before, which included examining completely new partnerships in uncharted waters.

“I was seeing that the doors were closing, but I was not buying it. Instead I made a new commitment to the organization and somehow that faith started opening new doors,” said Wright who by chance had a sudden opportunity to take a workshop on building business partnerships. She said it lead to something right away, a new perspective on the way she would approach prospective strategic partnerships. Armed with new knowledge, “We came into new negotiations at a higher level than where we started in the past, at a faster pace,” said Wright. 

Catherine Wright took a leap of faith financially to take the course on her own and  jumped on a plane to California from New York. From the chaos of the economy, emerged insight and a new vision not only of how to bring in more business to the non-profit, but how she would manage her career and hang onto that paycheck – at least for now. 

The Career Chaos Economy

In this sudden Career Chaos Economy, being laid off or in fear of it occurring,  seems to be sparking creative and innovative approaches to reinventing ones career and/or heading into entrepreneurship. 

Last week a New York Times’ article, Weary of looking for work, some create their own, explained the venture into sudden career transition and personal job creation. Here’s a telling excerpt:

“Economists say that when the economy takes a dive, it is common for people to turn to their inner entrepreneur to try to make their own work. But they say that it takes months for that mentality to sink in, and that this is about the time in the economic cycle when it really starts to happen — when the formerly employed realize that traditional job searches are not working, and that they are running out of time and money.

Mark V. Cannice, executive director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of San Francisco, calls the phenomenon “forced entrepreneurship.”

Call it what you will, it’s upon us. This time is calling upon people to dive a little deeper into what makes them tick, and to take a surgical knife to the inner workings of personal passion and joy. Some are digging out the real passionate enterprising gusto that may exist below the surface fear of the current stagnation. For others, it’s getting back to the basics of whatever brings joy from past experiences or our own personal narrative.

Still, this self-contemplative mode promises no guarantees except the building of personal courage to weather the storm. It’s that accumulated inner gutsy strength that can either build mountains, or lead to yet another lesson in life. Either way, if you’re unemployed can you really lose by doing an inventory of what drives you and makes you happy?

Here are two recent posts that might provide some inspiration along these lines:

5 Tips to Organically Discover your Passion, While Rewiring your Career

Successfully Aligning your Passion with your Personal Brand

Here’s a great photo of Niagara Falls. Doesn’t it make you feel better? Ok – I tried. There were no rainbows today. Instead, a perfect storm to sell a lot of martinis to the weary. The financial district and Washington are in upheaval not to mention our country’s economic whirlwind which was amplified today by the collapse of the 700 billion dollar bailout package.  All told, this amounts to a darn big economic tornado tearing into the infrastructure of our lives throwing our work life disposition into the toilet.

But alas, there’s room for optimism. There’s a rainbow emerging somewhere in all this congressional chaos. Remember, just as chaos destroys, it inevitably leads to creation and evolution of a higher order or nature. Chaos was the Greek primordial bliss from which creation came, and the Sun God Ra, rose from the waters of chaos.

Here’s what visionary and scientist Margaret Wheatley said about Chaos Theory in her book, Leadership and the New Science:

“It is chaos’ great destructive energy that dissolves the past and gives us the gift of a new future. It releases us from the imprisoning patterns of the past by offering us its wild ride into newness. Only chaos creates the abyss in which we can recreate ourselves.”

Back in April, Billionaire George Soros said the global credit crisis will get worse before it gets better. Looks like he was right. Here’s the silver lining; when chaos strikes that means there’s an opportunity for a dramatic shift. It’s from chaos that unprecedented change can spring forth. That’s not to invalidate the pain we’re experiencing due to the mortgage meltdown, poor transparency and lousy oversight. But this time of market meltdown is a chance to get real serious about a lot of things.

First, “Houston – we have a problem”. Bipartisan bickering is going to have to go the wayside for real or the job losses we’re seeing in the financial sector will eventually spread through congress.  Voters will not forget that history was made today with the Dow suffering the biggest single-day fall of 777 points. (beating the 684 point drop the first day of trading after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001) So saving face is an issue.

Second, job losses in a number of sectors are mounting before our eyes. The psychological trickle down effect for those who have lost their jobs and those left behind in the office, can only be compared again to the state of our nation after 9/11. It’s a sad time. You probably remember the corporate upheaval and dot-com busts that took the wind out of Silicon Valley’s sails.

But the chaotic events of the last few weeks have set the stage for deep change. So says history. After the events of 9/11 and the flood of corporate malfeasance here’s what happened:

Sarbanes-Oxley: Renewed mandates and requirements on financial reporting.

Security: Tighter airline security.

Diversity: A new awareness of the need for cultural diversity training programs in the workplace.

Faith: A surge of workplace interest – albeit brief – to better understand people of different faiths.

The degree to which a conscious shift takes place in our uncertain economy rides on our appetite for growth, despite rocky waters, and the metric of resilience to ride out the storm. Have we hit a collective chaotic bottom? I sure hope so, cause I’m ready for the rainbow.

Everyone and their brother is writing about, talking about, blogging about  – job security. Are the job numbers a harbinger of "the worst is yet to come?" Whether they are or not, if we get caught up in the glass half empty approach, we’re bound to manifest some chaotic episode in our careers or in the workplace.

A passage of the ancient I-Ching philosophy states, "By ones thoughts, one commands." I’m not talking about "The Secret" or the stuff of the "new age," but instead the simple state of being at work and how we show up. If thoughts of, "Am I going to be fired?" are running through your head the minute you walk thought the door, it’s more likely that you will react from a place of fear every time your boss glances your way. This disposition sets a tone that then becomes habit. Fear of losing ones job becomes familiar and soon it’s the most comfortable place to live. But it’s a road to certain burnout.

I’m not making light of the job market. Job layoffs are mounting in certain industries. There is reason to be concerned, but not to give up the ship. Since your yearly review comes so infrequently (if at all these days), YOU – are your best resource to assess your career or job. You can do this without setting off red flags of paranoia by taking an objective look at where you stand in your career, your company and in your daily chaos. This is not an easy task, but by contemplating these questions, you might shed some light on whether you might really be in the hot seat, or just creating more worry for yourself.

1. Do you feel you are valued in your position at work? Make a list of your direct and unique contributions. This includes how you implement your people or leadership skills at work.
2. Do some colleagues directly depend on your work in order to keep pace with their own responsibilities? If so, does it appear that they are satisfied with your working relationship? There might be ways to improve upon this through better communication with your colleagues.
3. How often do you interact with your immediate superior? If you haven’t seen that corner office for a while, ask yourself why. Are you purposely trying to stay off the radar? If so, is there a good reason why that needs to be addressed?
4. How are you managing your time? When concerned about job security, one of the most important tasks is to prioritize your workload. If you’re finding that you are distracted, coming in late, or burning out, your performance might suffer. While you’re at it, what is your work/life balance like these days?
5. Perfectionism. If you are checking and rechecking everything you do, is this in reaction to your own insecurities, or because you’ve been taken to task in the past? Are you meeting your deadlines while delivering good work? If so, why all the worry?

We are living in an era of uncertainty but a frank contemplative look at your career might stave off the worry and burnout.

What is not met by consciousness is met by fate.  —-Jung

I often touch upon the theme of conscious business here at worklifemonitor.com. We’re in a time of great chaos, which calls for great care. Engaged in unprecedented flux due to our 24/7 world, exponentially evolving technology, and a new depth of consciousness, we are realizing we simply can’t do things the way we used to. We are redefining ourselves not merely as human capital, but human beings in the workplace and in business. Transformation is taking place on a personal and societal level by shere necessity.

We have pressed the elevator button catapulting us from the Age of Information to what Deepak Chopra and many other socially conscious leaders have called the dawning of the "Age of Wisdom." (at least we would like to think so) With that, my holiday greeting as we head into the new year is simply to pass along the holiday greeting sent to me by Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard and the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. Enjoy!!!

A fractured view of our own character or baggage often appears when we suddenly find ourselves in a state of crisis or chaos, especially in a workplace environment. Taken with our own perspective, the blame game is an easy road to take.

“The problem is them…the issue is really not my concern…the conflict began at that company… things started to head downhill when they got involved,” my mind would comment and then answer, “no let’s take a closer look.”

Since 9/11 many of us, (including myself) came face to face in a new and deeper way with our own mortality, our fate, and our purpose. WorkLife Balance suddenly made an appearance and we learned that the human capital so taken for granted, are really disguised human beings – with a desire to have a more purposeful and meaningful worklife in a 24/7 world.

When I was invited to participate in Luciano Passuello’s Litemind.com group writing project, posting on conquering chaos was a familiar exercise for me as I’ve been writing about chaos in the workplace since that fateful day six years ago. I’ve been brought to my knees in humility, and elated with joy on this journey of navigating through chaos as a news reporter and hospice volunteer.

The greatest revelation was that while most chaos appears to be outside of ourselves, it’s really in the personal response to such events – which can bring about the most peace. Using chaos as fuel for personal transformation, we create a well of stillness to call upon when in crisis. It’s up to us to cultivate resilience within our hearts and minds. So here is my list of 100 Ways to Personally Conquer Chaos:

1. Surrender to the process of self examination; don’t fight it.

2. Forgive instead of condemn.

3. Relinquish anger and replace it with understanding.

4. Burn the pain of your ego and use it as fuel for transformation.

5. Embrace your spiritual nature instead of your ego.

6. Be, act, and respond in the moment.

7. Embrace gratitude in a time of crisis.

8. Practice awareness with those who bother you.

9. Adopt a humble approach in conflict.

10. Practice compassion on a daily basis.

11. Develop a routine of exercise to burn off nervous energy.

12. Relinquish pride in an argument.

13. Know the difference between Righteousness and Self Righteousness.

14. Meditate or just stop everything for 5 minutes every day.

15. Know for yourself when you are acting from the higher or lower ego.

16. Identify meaning in your daily work.

17. Suspend judgment of your co-workers.

18. Devote yourself to a particular volunteer activity or cause.

19. Respond from a place of wisdom instead of reacting from a place of fear.

20. Be silent.

21. Don’t be attached to being right.

22. Use your breath to consume chaos.

23. Practice being nice.

24. Instead of blaming someone else, look at how you participated in a conflict.

25. Relinquish all personal unworthiness no matter how small.

26. Acknowledge how you have been blessed in your life.

27. Remove guilt from your emotional vocabulary.

28. Remember that here is no such thing as perfection.

29. Love your co-workers, even though it’s tough.

30. Do a daily act of kindness.

31. See the sacred in all people.

32. Don’t be seduced by the need for image.

33. Don’t sacrifice authenticity for perceived image.

34. Nurture yourself with a gift.

35. Fulfill obligations with grace.

36. Keep an open space in your heart for moments of understanding others.

37. See others as a reflection of yourself.

38. Cultivate inner peace.

39. Anticipate the divine in your life, know you are being guided.

40. Know the difference between engaging your ego and trusting your intuition.

41. Embrace diversity at work.

42. Speak from the heart.

43. Listen with the heart.

44. Purify your negative thoughts by breathing them out.

45. Remember sometimes, “It’s not about me.”

46. Manage your time efficiently.

47. Split the tension by writing about a conflict and then ripping up the paper.

48. Battle

    anxiety with a desktop slideshow of your favorite pictures and music.

49. Make choices without agonizing about them afterwards.

50. Don’t buy into the dramas of others.

51. Desire to be more understanding of those in crisis.

52. Make consciousness choices about who you spend time with.

53. Be unconditionally loving

54. Be discriminating when choosing to share personal information at work.

55. Let go of grief.

56. Eliminate any thoughts of revenge.

57. Hesitate before speaking.

58. Remember that you were born perfect, you just forgot the essence of who you are.

59. Start your day with an intention.

60. Remember that your thoughts influence your words and actions.

61. When a negative thought arises, tell yourself, “not now.”

62. Go beyond your comfort zone to embrace someone in need.

63. Consciously change your perception.

64. Release tension from your body with desk chair exercises.

65. Do an act of service for a co-worker spontaneously.

66. When adversity brings uncertainty, just be a witness to it instead of reacting.

67. Expand your vision of a person at work.

68. Be compassionately detached when a co-worker is in an emotional crisis.

69. Write a list of your strengths.

70. Create daily work habits that foster creativity.

71. Phone a co-worker instead of e-mailing.

72. Develop a personal method of cultivating resilience.

73. Effectively communicate your needs at work

74. Don’t gossip.

75. Avoid accusatory statements.

76. Mobilize your workers for a group project.

77. Keep an open mind.

78. Embrace change, do not run from it.

79. Promise yourself to count to three in conflict.

80. Visualize yourself being kind.

81. Keep your complaints to yourself unless you can positively effect change.

82. Don’t always try to fix people or situations.

83. Allow people to be who they are without trying to change them.

84. Monitor your behavior and words when speaking with workers.

85. Don’t tolerate cruelty or disrespect toward yourself or another.

86. Create boundaries at work.

87. Ask a colleague about what’s bothering them and just listen.

88. Don’t send unnecessary e-mails.

89. Limit your personal phone time.

90. Take a walk.

91. Create internet surfing rules for yourself at work.

92. When in doubt, wait it out. If there is no immediate solution to a conflict at work give it time.

93. Do not send confidential information through e-mail.

94. Schedule more time than needed for an important project.

95. Identify when you personally sabotage yourself at work.

96. Look into worklife balance initiatives at work.

97. Plan a vacation.

98. Limit your working hours.

99. Create your own personal worklife balance commandments.

100. Don’t answer the black berry with every bing.

It’s been a week of compu-hell. There I said it. And I know I’m not alone. And as much as I tried to breathe through one technical issue after the next, it was hard to get past the moment and onto other business concerns. Sometimes we get so caught up in one problem and our inability to "fix it" instead of just giving it – and ourselves – a break. And then we think our conundrum is worse than our workplace colleagues.

Obviously, it’s all relative. If someone tells you they are having a rough day you can’t really compare your worklife chaos to someone elses. Take for example an audio technician named Larry who I met this past weekend. I REALLY felt for this guy. Check out his daily worklife scenario.

A WorkLife That’s Tough on the Ears

Excited about the purchase of some new audio equipment for my newly designed podcast (it’s on the way!) I enthusiastically headed into Sam Ash last week, a music and audio professional supply store. Who knew I’d get a lesson in worklife balance & serenity. In the store for only moments here’s what I encountered along with Larry, the nice gentleman who was helping me with my new equipment:

• Two joyful pre-teens circling and sampling various keyboards while their parents checked out a new speaker system from which sprang low notes that quaked through the body.
• A jazz musician who was checking out a new guitar ripping with non-stop licks that made your stomach feel as if it was on a roller coaster.
• A patient soul behind the counter who showed me how to use my new toy while juggling phone calls and other customer needs.

That’s a taste of Larry’s worklife. Asprin is a staple in that workplace. Larry peaks on occasion with a sigh to release a bubble of anxiety, but he gets right back to work. Larry loves his work, he loves music and he’s very good with people. So while his eardrums and patience get a daily beating, he sticks it out.

We all encounter chaos and stress on the job. From the Wall Street broker to the office techie who spends 12 hours at a time fixing other people’s computer problems.I thought working in a TV newsroom trumped just about anything as far as chaotic working environments; but then I thought, hmmmm…

• What about those who work within health care or emergency positions tackling disasters like the raging fires in Southern California.
• And the Harlem elementary school teacher who fears for her well-being just commuting to work in the morning.
• Or donning a police uniform on a beat in South Central LA.

Again, it’s all relative. We must all weigh the angst of our working conditions with our passion for our work. When is the stress too much? What are we willing to sacrifice to do what we love? When do we hit the tipping point when our work is not fulfilling enough to keep up a good front?

STAY TUNED: As promised there will be more stories and podcasts from the worklife experts at the International Spirit at Work Awards.

Using Meditation as a Tool for Success

It’s no secret that alone-time might yield a more productive worklife. When you make time to recharge, you are bound to have more energy and clarity in your workday. I post a lot about meditation on this blog and the topic has taken more of a foothold recently in some mainstream boardrooms, and certainly in the media.

A time few days ago CNN and Fortune featured the practical benefits of meditation in a segment called Mind Over Business. To the left is a very good friend of mine, Jaya Devi who runs Kashi Atlanta, voted the No.1 yoga studio in Atlanta. She was interviewed for the segment as she’s been teaching the art in its various forms for well over 15 years.

TV is designed for our soundbite nation, so I wanted to offer a little more info on the topic which many are turning to in an effort to bring a little worklife balance into the workplace.

According to Jaya Devi, about half of her classes which offer yoga and meditation are filled with those in the professional set who work in a typical business office environment. Meditating is not just for those who have a spiritual practice. In fact, most courses that are given in the corporate arena tend to take a more secular approach. Here are links to two of my recent posts on the topic:

Taking an Office Break to Meditate

Exploring Spirituality in the Workplace

I’d like to hear your thoughts on meditating in the workplace. What works? What doesn’t? Is breathwork a better word for it? Meantime, please check out my CD which features breathing exercises to break the mind and bring about clarity. Click the link for further information.

PRACTICAL CHAOS: Reflections on Resilience

For more information on my work head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com

“You who are the source of all power, whose rays illuminate the earth, illuminate also my heart so it to can do your work.” Ancient Nordic prayer

A recent post by Adam Kayce at Monk at Work, What do you do in a crisis of confidence?, was the type of juicy inquiry which gets me writing in a never-ending whirlwind about personal transformation and right livelihood. It begs me to address one of my favorite teaching topics which is Using chaos as fuel for transformation.

It’s often in times of crisis or chaos that we enter into what Adam refers to as a crisis of confidence. Not that we need a huge event to make us question our existence, meaning and purpose of our work, but a good ole chaotic episode can certainly take us to a new deeper level of evolution within ourselves. This place, a very tangible and tasty one, is where I believe creative friction or what Jean Browman at Cheerful Monk refers to as creative discontent.

I define this creative friction as a volley of various levels of consciousness within our own being. The battle for supremacy between the egocentric and the cosmocentric. It’s that combined voice that can sway our inner work as we deconstruct our own individual purpose on this planet and what our most meaningful work or contribution is; a voice that can so easily be influenced by desire, and the need for concrete answers and affirmation that the work we are doing is significant.

That being said, we are all human beings. There is an innate desire to do the right thing, and be purposeful in our work, so questioning our motives, decisions, and whether we are acting from “ego” per se, is just part of the inner dialog. Whether we are on the right path, or have made appropriate decisions toward right livelihood is always bound to beckon some attention within our consciousness. It’s when the deep dialog is triggered by chaos or crisis that we have to pay most attention. Because that, to me, is when the greatest opening for rebirth occurs. Not in reacting to chaos from a place of fear, but instead from a place of wisdom.

So, back to my original title of Chaos + Creative Friction = Career Shift? We have all experienced a crisis of confidence. The question is, when is it just a nudge of the ego, and when is it necessary to do more inner work to embrace that creative friction that just might set the stage for great transformation in the form of a career shift? I think it comes down to Intuitive Intelligence; that gut feeling in our body combined with our personal experience and trust in a higher intelligence within ourselves.

I’ve always been a strong advocate of exalting the value of human capital in the workplace. But to what extent can human beings flourish as “souls” at work, and not just another cog in the corporate wheel?

The International Center for Spirit at Work Awards brings that debate to the forefront every year by honoring companies which have aligned themselves with certain criteria, and created a corporate culture that encourages employees to embrace their spiritual nature. It’s not a far fetched notion, but in fact, one we might see more of. Take, for example, The Soul of Leadership program being taught at the Kellogg School of Management. Deepak Chopra will be lecturing on a new approach to leadership that combines spiritual wisdom with a psychological component.

In an effort to explore the debate and current innovations in corporate America around the topic of spirituality in the workplace, The WorkLife Monitor along with DeSai Learning’s and Director Thomas Clifford covered the 2006 awards last year. Click here to view a 7 minute video which gives you a taste of the conversation on this still-evolving concept.

The debate around religion and spirituality in the workplace picked up steam shortly after the events of 9/11. Many of us donned a more sensitive “human hat” in all aspects of our lives. Religion, faith, spirituality, values, ethics, morals, beliefs, dogma – you name it – were all conversation pieces back then as we wrestled with facing our own mortality.

Now, six years after the events of September 11th, we are not only faced with continued concern about terrorism, but on a more practical level, work life balance in a 24/7 world. We are fighting burnout, fighting to stay on top and fighting to stay connected in a never-ending world of Infomania.

Maybe we have to give spirituality or serenity in the myriad forms it takes, a chance to be employed in our work lives. Maybe it can help us cultivate resilience in our chaotic times. Maybe not. Keep in mind, it’s less about religion than in finding new ways to raise consciousness, find a little serenity and avoid burnout while tackling the global issues that need attention. Why now, why spirituality, why consciousness – why business? Because I believe business and the media are the greatest agents of social change. What do you think?

You can also write to me at info@JudyMartinSpeaks.com if you have an innovative story about incorporating spirituality in the workplace. And head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com for podcasts on the topic.

Business, workplace culture and work life integration are the topics of choice as I look back on 20 years of reporting as a broadcast journalist. But it wasn’t always like that. Beginning in local news didn’t afford me the opportunity to structure or choose what I covered. Worklife issues and personal transformation were nearly always trumped by the breaking chaotic news of the day. But it gave me an incredible education in human nature and insight into the profound resilience we muster up in times of crisis.

There is a depth that we go to out of shear necessity when faced with chaos. It might be spiritual in nature, a connection with our own divinity, a stillness within, or our own personal faith. All I know is that something emerges, and somehow we are able to go on. It was this resiliency that fed my worklife spirit.

As a news reporter, covering disaster has always been a component of my job. And it was that responsibility that lead to numerous experiences of a deeper spiritual nature as a human being. With every story, I felt a warehouse of compassion building up. The realness of what I did for a living and how it would profoundly impact my life really began in 1989 while covering the historic Avianca plane crash.

It was 1989 and I was a young reporter working for News 12 Long Island. While in the newsroom one night, a terrifying message came over the police radio. "747 down in Cove Neck," blared a deep voice with a Long Island twang. My heart raced and the adrenalin high was like no other I had experienced in my then short career as a broadcast journalist. It was a foggy night. An Avianca plane had run out of gas and crashed after two fly-overs at Kennedy Airport in New York.

Our coverage lead to a number of New York Emmy Awards. It was my first significant award.  But my greatest gift was a lesson in compassion. That night my cameraman was assisting the rescue teams with the light above his lens to come to the aid of those who survived. It was my first experience being surrounded by so many who had been killed, those who clinged to life, children who had lost parents. My heart was ripped open. I wanted desperately to help the victims; especially a little boy whose parents were killed. 

The tragedy changed my life forever. I engaged in a more meaningful and compassionate approach every time I headed out to cover a story. From the devastation of Hurricane Andrew to the events of 9/11. There were times of sadness, depressing outcomes to stories, tales of heart-wrenching abuse, and burnout; but somehow I always found meaning in my work. Telling the stories that needed to be told so we all could learn from them. Out of the chaos of the moment, always came transformation and grace in various forms.

Now, for the last decade, covering business and worklife culture have fueled my worklife spirit. It’s not as dramatic, but it is transformative in its own way. I wonder how many of us examine our worklife spirit, our passions, our livelihood and whether it’s meaningful to us? Does your work make your heart sing and it is aligned with your purpose and beliefs? If not – how do we change that equation?

For some worklife affirming guidance from true career and spiritual visionaries, check out The WorkLife Monitor Podcasts at JudyMartinSpeaks.com