Disengaged at your job? You CAN turn that around – starting today!

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Have you lost interest in your job?  Did the daily butterflies you once had in your stomach for your job (back when it was shiny and new) morph into a Sunday night pit in your stomach that lasts until Friday afternoon?

This feeling is a way of life for about 70% of Americans according to Gallup.  A lot of information and research has been released about this study which includes what employers can do to change these alarming numbers.  If you are interested, you can check out that study here.  (http://www.gallup.com/strategicconsulting/163007/state-american-workplace.aspx)

For nearly 20 years I was an HR executive and part of my job was to come up with creative ideas about what the employer could do to improve employee moral.  The only type of program that I never designed was one where employees could acknowledge themselves for their own great behaviors and contributions.  Thankfully, I believe I have been able to do that through my approach to career coaching.

It seems to me that what employers can do is not where our power lies to make a lasting and substantial change in the data.  Could the real power to turnaround these statistics be within ourselves?

So what can employees do for themselves to turnaround their disengagement?  Yes YOU – what can YOU do to join – to grow – the 30% group that is engaged (dare I even say – happy on some level)?  The truth is, that the US workforce as never been reported to be more than 30% engaged since Gallup began tracking the employee engagement levels of the U.S. working population in 2000.  So you might say we are at an all time high – but are we really happy as a nation with a workforce where only 30% of us are engaged?  Imagine a world where these statistics were turned around (70% engaged)?!

You can easily start on this turnaround movement by answering 2 questions for yourself:

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Help! I hate my job! – part 2

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Do you frequently say to yourself or others “I hate my job”?

In my last blog post, I started to introduce you to the idea that there can be benefits to being in a job you hate over being in a job you feel “lukewarm” about – especially if what you want is to be in a job you can love.  In that post I explained WHAT you must do – which is basically to confidently give what you have to offer to others.  So you might be wondering – “HOW do I develop confidence for what I have to offer to others?”…

All you have to determine is what you can give and decide to give it.  When you do this in a situation you don’t feel deserves what you have to give or in one that you think it will be hard to give it in – it becomes a “grand gesture” which accelerates your ability to notice and secure opportunities to easily give what you have to give (i.e. in a job and work environment you can love).

I love to use an analogy to explain this concept so you can easily absorb it deeply.  If you have ever seen the movie “Pretty Woman” with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts – you will get this concept in a snap!

In the movie Richard plays a conservative, emotionally-guarded business professional who has certain phobias (which are mostly fueled by doing anything outside of his comfort zone) – imagine him as representing you.  Julia plays a fearless, free-spirited prostitute who settles for nothing less than what she wants – imagine her as representing your dream job who can’t wait to be loved by you.

Under very unconventional/dysfunctional circumstances (the job you hate), they find each other, fall in love and the question becomes what to do about it – neither of them are very good at walking away from something they want – he wants her and she wants a fairy-tale esque romance (with him of course even though she gets that a fairy tale story is probably way out of his comfort zone so it will be highly unlikely to happen).  In the end, he goes to her seedy neighborhood and apartment (the place of employment you hate), to win her back – in a white limo (his version of a white horse) and he climbs up her fire escape (even though he is afraid of heights) to profess his feelings (way outside of his comfort zone) and win the girl.

If he did things within his comfort zone (i.e. call her on the phone, send someone to her apartment with flowers and request to meet him back in Beverly Hills or do nothing and just think about her the rest of his life adding her to the list of things that torture him emotionally), he wouldn’t have won her over.

He got her attention quickly and immediately on his side to succeed despite their prior conflicts/obstacles because he demonstrated that he is ready to give her what she needs to feel cherished – not just what makes him comfortable to give because of the circumstances surrounding him.  Plus, he did it in a way where he seemed happy to give it – he was happy climbing out of the roof of the limo with the flowers and smiling as he climbed up that fire escape – he wasn’t sweating, whining and saying things like “I hate this neighborhood”, “I hate heights”, “this is hard and scary”.  He was giving off energy that resonated with being in love despite external factors.  What was unspoken, but shown in his actions despite the circumstances and the setting, was how serious and ready he was to have her in his life and she was there for him – routing him on the whole way up that fire escape and “rescuing him right back”.

I want to help you determine what you can give and find the confidence to make a “grand gesture” to give it – especially if you are in a situation that isn’t easy, fun, enjoyable or gratifying.  A “grand gesture” in this kind of situation is a much faster path to being aligned with work you can love than when you are in a situation you feel lukewarm about (i.e. being in “like” vs being in “love”).  Being in “like” can be comfortable – it’s not too risky – but it doesn’t make you feel motivated to give a “grand gesture” or to find a situation you can “love”.

The Success Readiness Bootcamp created by indigoforce is an excellent way to discover what you have to give to others and to find confidence giving it no matter what situation you are currently in!  Now there is a do-it-yourself version of The Success Readiness Bootcamp.  So if you are in a job you hate or if you are just confused about what to be when you “grow up” you can get the same great program I lead my private clients through at a more affordable price – just email me at info@indigoforce.com and let me know that you want more details – plus, we can schedule a free 1 hour consultation so you can determine if the program is right to help you figure out your next career step and secure a job you can love!

Help! I hate my job! – part 1

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

This week I want to share with you more content I am working on for my upcoming book Caged In My Cube:  The Turnaround Guide for Loving the Job You Hate.  Plus, this post is full of coaching insights I give my clients who say “I hate my job” they hate through my Success Readiness Bootcamp.

So, for those of you who say “I hate my job” but you want to love your job (so appropriate with Valentine’s day coming up to talk about loving our work)… I have some good news for you…

Aside from already being in a job you love, the second best place to be in your career is in a job you hate.  (The worst place to be is in a job you feel lukewarm about).

If you are hating your job (and if it’s not due to anything that could be illegal or immoral), then you simply have lost connection with how that job enables you to contribute on the level you want to – you may not be able to describe what or how you want to contribute – but you certainly feel the sting of the disconnect between your talents, abilities, ambitions and what you believe it takes to be valued in your job.

Feeling “I hate my job” is a wake up call to either reconnect with what it means to work from a sense of purpose and to discover what you have to give to others and maybe even to “move beyond” the opportunities your current situation enables.  It’s time for you to simply give more of what you have to give and to free yourself of concern that giving what you have to give will get you in hot water somehow.

Maybe what your feeling isn’t that deep at all.  Maybe you simply see your job as a source of income – PERIOD.  And you would highly prefer to collect that paycheck doing something you enjoy, in an environment and with people that don’t want to make you puke the night before you return to work for the week.

Either way, the truth is that if you want to love your job – either to feel connected to a sense of purpose or to just enjoy earning a paycheck in peace – whether it’s in the job you already have or a different one, you must first change your energy – your attitude – about the job you have.  If you don’t, then you will probably just stay stuck OR land in another job that eventually won’t fulfill you either.

The attitude you hold when you do your job is mirrored back to you through your perception of your job situation – as it will be with the next situation you land.  Initially it may be great, but if you have any unresolved issues about your work and the opportunity it provides for you to express your talents and abilities, your happiness won’t be sustained – especially if the new job doesn’t easily connect you to an internal sense of purpose.  

To find your purpose despite working in a job you hate change, you must first change your focus from looking for gratification from external sources to an internal discovery and connection with what you have to give to others and mix that with gratitude for the opportunity to give it (from what you get for your potential to give to what you actually DO give).  When your attitude changes, which it will once you are fueling it from your internal connection with purpose and gratitude to be able to give it, your energy will no longer align with a situation that is not a good match for what you are giving.  You will much more easily find yourself noticing opportunities that are in need (and will appreciate) what you happily and easily give.

The Success Readiness Bootcamp created by indigoforce is an excellent way to discover what you have to give to others!  Which, by the way, I am so happy to announce that I just finished creating a do-it-yourself version of The Success Readiness Bootcamp.  So if you are in a job you hate or if you are just confused about what to be when you “grow up” you can get the same great program I lead my private clients through at a more affordable price – just email me at info@indigoforce.com and let me know if you want more details – plus, we can schedule a free 1 hour consultation so you can determine if the program is right to help you figure out your next career step.

 

When personal development isn’t enough . . .

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

I’d like to give you a complimentary copy of a new book by my mentors – NY Times bestselling authors, Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, called, “Your Hidden Riches,”

Your-Hidden-Riches-book image

but first let me ask you a few questions. . .

Do you ever feel like’s something’s missing? Maybe you ask yourself questions like:

Why do I feel so overwhelmed?

Why aren’t I happier and more fulfilled?

Why do I procrastinate and never seem to move forward?

What am I doing wrong?

If so, this new book is for people like you who recognize that personal development training just isn’t enough. You’ve realized that you need to go to a deeper level to discover your calling and live life with meaning. If you’re at that point, then please accept this gift.

Discover the Unique Design of Your Life:

Get Your Free Copy Now

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The Career Choice Mistake Solution – To Serve

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

For finding love in a relationship this might look like – always looking out for others and their best interests – doing everything you can to demonstrate your intentions for their well being.

For finding love with your work this might look like – always looking out for others and their best interests – doing everything you can to demonstrate your intentions for their well being. (yes, ditto!)

Did you make a career choice mistake?  Of course you can always get another job, but what can you do to cope with the job you have while you search for another job?  Plus, you certainly don’t want to make the same mistake again – right?  Start to fix this mistake and prevent it from happening again by asking yourself a couple of questions…

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Career Choice Mistake #3 – To Suffer At Work…

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

We all know someone who has worked for years and years in a job they constantly complain about.  Hopefully, it’s not you, but this behavior is typical of someone who is committing Career Choice Mistake #3 – To Suffer At Work…

If you were searching for a love relationship this mistake might look like becoming a victim of “singlehood” – growing old and bitter over never finding the perfect mate possibly surrounded by a few cats.

So unless you work in a place that allows you to bring your cats to work everyday, you might want to overcome this mistake.  You know your “suffering at work” if you:

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Career Choice Mistake #2 – To Settle

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Is it possible to use a common process for finding an ideal mate for finding a job you can love?  Let’s explore that as we consider a second career choice mistake people commonly make…

 

Career Choice Mistake #2 – To Settle

 

For finding love in a relationship this might look like – committing to someone who doesn’t match your criteria for an ideal mate

 

For finding love with your work this might look like –  accepting a job that doesn’t match your criteria for an ideal job

 

You know how when someone is looking for an ideal mate they might create a “wish list” of all the qualities they want in an ideal spouse or life partner.  Maybe you’ve developed one of these lists for your ideal mate.

 

A brief example of things people include on these lists might look like this:

Kind and considerate

Good looking

Well educated

Makes good money

Likes to dance

Funny

Lives within 50 miles

etc.

etc.

 

As you can imagine, these lists can get quite long depending on how well in tune people are with their vision of “ideal” in a partner.  People might approach creating their list in different ways.

 

One way might be to say to yourself “This will be fun, let me include EVERYTHING I could think I’d ever want in a partner.”  Then if their partner takes too long to show up, they might become willing to settle for most of the things on their list.

 

Let’s imagine how sad it can be to scratch things off or compromise on even a brief wish list…

 

Kind and considerate  isn’t physically abusive

Good looking weighs less than 300 lbs.

Well educated knows the months of the year – and in the right order

Makes good money  earns income legally

Likes to dance  won’t roll their eyes when I watch “Dancing With The Stars”

Funny  not a mean drunk

Lives within 50 miles  is from Earth

 

… and what would you scratch off your list?  Similar likes, senses of humor, attractiveness?

 

But why settle?  Are you afraid you won’t ever get what you want, do you fear time might run out, do you think you don’t deserve everything you can imagine?   Do you think “if I have less criteria, I will get results faster?” – don’t be fooled into thinking that the more precise you are, the harder it will be or the longer it will take to get what you want.

 

When you settle you’re demonstrating that you don’t trust God/the universe to deliver or yourself to handle the responsibility of what you imagined.  This thinking is neither a good idea, nor is it true.  It robs us of our hope, self-esteem, and energy to take advantage of opportunities that can give us a more vivid experience of what we want.  As I tell those I coach, once you can imagine what you want, you already have it – you are just at the beginning of a fuller and more vivid experience of it.  And if you can recognize an opportunity, you are ready to take advantage of it.

 

Maybe an alternative approach to creating your list is to make sure that every quality on your list matters for your happiness – therefore no quality becomes negotiable.

 

I am a fan of this approach even though it may be more challenging since it takes more thought and self-clarity.  I learned from my mentors, Janet and Chris Attwood, best-selling authors of The Passion Test, that “when you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent you are clear”.

 

The more clear you are, the more confidently and persistently you will take advantage of opportunities that support what you want and the more quickly you will stop doing things that don’t support what you want.  Getting what you want may not be as instantaneous as ordering a cup of coffee or a pizza, but matters that matter come on God’s/the universe’s timeframe for the benefit of ourselves AND those we will impact – never on our timeframe for our benefit only.  Who we share our love with matters a lot – just as who we serve through our work matters a lot too.

 

So wouldn’t it be great if we found work we loved as much as we love (and are loved by) our ideal partner?  Finding such a job can start with developing an ideal job “wish list” just like you would create an ideal mate “wish list”.  Creating your list involves 3 steps:

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3 Career Choice Mistakes – #1 To Sin

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

This past week at church our Pastor was speaking about committed relationships – and although it was useful wisdom for my marriage, it got me thinking about our commitments to our work. I typically listen to almost everything that resonates for me through a filter of “Wow – good points. How would this apply to how people approach their work?” Often I can easily bridge an analogy – so through this blog let me share an analogy of how challenges, rewards and possible pitfalls related to looking for love in a relationship are similar to looking for love with your job.

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7 Factors for Making a Successful Job or Career Change

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

My husband was recently asked to contribute a written perspective on his unique experience with deciding to make a job and industry change for a report on trends in the Creative Services industry (The BOSS Group, Cella Consulting, LLC and InSource, 2014 In-House Creative Services Industry Report, April 2014).

Of course, as his dutiful wife, I coached him through this decision (ahhh, the benefits of having a partner who is a Career Coach).  Although I am never really sure in the moment of our discussions if he is ever truly listening (I am usually competing for his attention along with 2 kids, 2 dogs, multiple electronic devices pinging away with texts and tweets and a TV tuned into some kind of sports programming), I must say that time and time again he always seems to apply what I teach and suggest flawlessly.

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Financing My Dream Job

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

This week was my 5 years old daughter’s dance recital – the song she danced to was entitled “Dancing Your Dreams” which got me thinking about working and financing my dream job.  This thinking started on Thursday afternoon which was her dress rehearsal day.  She had to be picked up from school, fed a snack, and helped into her costume with full hair and make-up complete and then wisked away to a regional high school where the performance would take place all within 60 minutes.  It wasn’t even close, I’m sure, to Honey Boo Boo’s schedule – but it was a lot to juggle – and we made it there just in time – costume, hair and makeup all done in the car when we arrived there – whew!

 

When I was working my corporate job, this a task that I would have lied to myself was appropriately handled by any care-giver.  But the truth was, I wanted to be there for my daughter for things like this.  Further to the truth, I also wanted to work a “dream job” that would have made it more than just possible that I could be there for her – I wanted a job where my Mommy role was a muse to my professional role and vice versa.  I feel so fortunate to have found that role as a Career Coach!  But walking away from my corporate salary and benefits seemed like a huge price to pay – but I did it anyway – and I vividly remembered why while helping her prepare for her dance recital…

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