In the first three chapters of this Blog Series I have asked you to do some self analysis, discover your true motivation and submerge yourself in a divine professional purpose. A critical step is finding out who you want to be when you grow up is first understanding who you DON'T want to be.
Eliminate the Self Imposed Bravado of Professional Politics !
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Are there tasks in my workload that will cause my to act out of character?
2. What personal strain will I face without a higher professional purpose?
3. How can I interpret the tasks I have been given to better MY genuine professional intent?
When you have the answer to the above mentioned questions it is vital to consider the following before acting:
1. Consider your audience
2. Redirect in a pro-active, non-confrontational way
3. Have a suggestion for something better, the business critical data to back it up and a genuine conviction to execute YOUR plan
Dear Reader,
I speak with the anguish and regret of self-imposed professional detriment when I tell you: Fighting the power worked for Chuck D. and Flava Flav, but I assure you it will not work in the workplace. The way to change the course of your organizational directives is by having a more innovative plan, easing it into existence and making sure to promote it in congress with leadership.
Example:
Corporate Directive: Producing Revenue
Task: Cold Calling
Intent: More meetings = more revenue
Your Malcontent: "I hate cold calling"
Personal Re-directive: Producing Revenue
Task: Prospecting via Email and Social Networking Tools
Intent: Meaningful connections take time to develop. Put credibility first through well fashioned emails, blog entries and forum participation.
Your Contentment: Rock your I-pod while on your lap top, avoid awkward conversation and book meaningful appointments
See how easy that was!
* Every company has to produce revenue to survive...simple fact.
* Your boss has directives just like you...simple fact.
* He/she will use metrics that have assisted the company's best performers in the past with which you might not identity.
* If you can RE-DIRECT the process while still producing results, I assure you all will be cool at the local Circle K!
3 CONSIDERATIONS TO BRING ABOUT PROFESSIONAL BLISS:
1. You can make the worst job great by recreating a process to meet YOUR skill set!
2. You can make the best job shitty by allowing self-imposed stress to stray your motivation to the disingenuous!
3. Many times we think we hate our company because we misinterpret rules 1 & 2!
Disclaimer: You do not have to be self-centered to know what you want out of your profession!
Unzip Your Soul,
Dave
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
IGNITING YOUR PASSION
In chapters 1 & 2 we examined the often misguided intent of many organizations and encouraged you to find a more personal professional purpose. Now it's time to put the dream into action.
Here's what we know:
1. That which you have been force fed as corporate leadership may just be pandering for middle management preservation
2. The things you love outside of work can be that which propels you professionally
Now what.....?
What do you think about when you wake up each day?
- Was that my Blackberry I heard buzzing at 4am?
- When I trudge into the office today what disaster will be awaiting me?
- Is it Friday Happy Hour yet?
If this is the way you feel you have two choices:
1. Quit your job
2. Find a way to redefine your goals within the context of your current job description
The first option is a last resort. Let's try to find a way to make Chicken Salad out of what may currently be perceived as Chicken Shit!
Disclaimer - Any job can be really great or really bad based on the following:
1. Love for your Boss
2. Identification with Senior Management
3. Your Belief in the Company Vision (and it's relevance in your day to day job)
4. The Scalability of Your Job Description
If you have the mutual respect of your boss, understand organizational metrics for success, believe the company vision elevates a higher purpose and have some wiggle room in your ability to apply solutions to needs; then proceed to stage 2.
CASE STUDY:
Our Suspect:
Jim loves skateboarding. He is 35 years old but he still enjoys bombing hills, ripping back kick flips out of the skatepark bowl and hitting the occasional 6 step handrail.
Analysis:
What is the energy behind skateboarding that makes Jim love it:
* Physical exercise
* Creativity
* Rebellious nature (unapologetic innovation)
* The wind is his hair (free spirit)
Dream Job:
Action and Adventure Corporate Team Building
See how easy that was.......now it's your turn.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What do I love most in the world?
2. What is the energy behind that which I love?
3. How can I apply it to my professional life?
4. What job title best fits that which I love most and what applicable skills do I have?
5. Which company is in line with the aforementioned and who do I know there?
7. What education, certification or job experience do I need to redefine my career path?
8. How long will a career overhaul take?
Apply the following principles:
9. Create a long term strategic game plan and remind yourself of it weekly!
10. Remind yourself of your dream job; every day!
11. Ask yourself: Do I have the balls to be genuinely happy??? or do I relish my misery???
Guess what? You just Unzipped Your Soul - the rest is a matter of intent driven action.
"...be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid..."
- Frances McDormand (from Almost Famous)
- Dave
References:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
Here's what we know:
1. That which you have been force fed as corporate leadership may just be pandering for middle management preservation
2. The things you love outside of work can be that which propels you professionally
Now what.....?
What do you think about when you wake up each day?
- Was that my Blackberry I heard buzzing at 4am?
- When I trudge into the office today what disaster will be awaiting me?
- Is it Friday Happy Hour yet?
If this is the way you feel you have two choices:
1. Quit your job
2. Find a way to redefine your goals within the context of your current job description
The first option is a last resort. Let's try to find a way to make Chicken Salad out of what may currently be perceived as Chicken Shit!
Disclaimer - Any job can be really great or really bad based on the following:
1. Love for your Boss
2. Identification with Senior Management
3. Your Belief in the Company Vision (and it's relevance in your day to day job)
4. The Scalability of Your Job Description
If you have the mutual respect of your boss, understand organizational metrics for success, believe the company vision elevates a higher purpose and have some wiggle room in your ability to apply solutions to needs; then proceed to stage 2.
CASE STUDY:
Our Suspect:
Jim loves skateboarding. He is 35 years old but he still enjoys bombing hills, ripping back kick flips out of the skatepark bowl and hitting the occasional 6 step handrail.
The problem:
Jim has kids, a car and a mortgage to pay for and the Bones Brigade have taken all the well paying corporate action sports jobs.Analysis:
What is the energy behind skateboarding that makes Jim love it:
* Physical exercise
* Creativity
* Rebellious nature (unapologetic innovation)
* The wind is his hair (free spirit)
Dream Job:
Action and Adventure Corporate Team Building
See how easy that was.......now it's your turn.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What do I love most in the world?
2. What is the energy behind that which I love?
3. How can I apply it to my professional life?
4. What job title best fits that which I love most and what applicable skills do I have?
5. Which company is in line with the aforementioned and who do I know there?
7. What education, certification or job experience do I need to redefine my career path?
8. How long will a career overhaul take?
Apply the following principles:
9. Create a long term strategic game plan and remind yourself of it weekly!
10. Remind yourself of your dream job; every day!
11. Ask yourself: Do I have the balls to be genuinely happy??? or do I relish my misery???
Guess what? You just Unzipped Your Soul - the rest is a matter of intent driven action.
"...be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid..."
- Frances McDormand (from Almost Famous)
- Dave
References:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
DISCOVERING YOUR GENUINE INTENT
The formula is simple:
That which interets you outside of work > can motivate you at work > and will drive a professional passion that will enhance your career and personal life:
***Thus, creating a non-distinct synergy between your personal and professional passion that will help you LIVE WORK!
It started with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and evolved into the World at Work Compensation model.....I now challenge you to take it a step further.
It is time for some personal exploration:
What do you love?
Why do you love it?
How can you apply that passion to your professional life?
I had spent ten years of my life climbing the corporate ladder. At a certain point, two things became glaringly obvious:
1. Everything I did was to fulfill the expectations of others
2. There was no light at the end of the tunnel
In my personal exploration, I asked myself the above mentioned questions and decided that I needed to stop living for others because my bravado was consistently causing me to act out of character. I also realized that I was intolerable to be around because the personal blockades I had erected were causing me to deflect blame for my lack of success. I bitched and did disingenuous work and put another check on this list and asked for more responsibility and bitched some more when given what I asked for.....a shameful and meaningless existence; created by me...the emptiness of misdirection sharply condemned with contempt for reality. At a certain point, I realized I was living a distinctly different life at work than at home. Exciting and Interesting on the barroom floor - intolerable and inauthentic in the cubicle.
It was amazingly difficult for me to come to this self-realization. To give up on the company I spent most of my young career in complete loyalty to, to re-direct my motivation, to channel my competitive nature in a collaborative manner and to realize that people I thought I hated were right about me.
So now, I present this challenge to you. It is time to figure out who you want to be and go be it.
I can suggest the following in your search for your Genuine Intent:
* Be willing to accept that you might not have the perfect job
* Assess what you really want out of life and how the work you are doing relates to that
* Be willing to redefine your job description
* Find a way to make YOUR goals your driving motivation
* Be genuine in your expectations of yourself
* Above all, be honest....in what you want and how you pursue it
You can have your cake and eat it too....in fact, there is no other way to live!
Unzip Your Soul
- Dave
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
How are you progressing - dkovacovich@mcfina.com
That which interets you outside of work > can motivate you at work > and will drive a professional passion that will enhance your career and personal life:
***Thus, creating a non-distinct synergy between your personal and professional passion that will help you LIVE WORK!
It started with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and evolved into the World at Work Compensation model.....I now challenge you to take it a step further.
It is time for some personal exploration:
What do you love?
Why do you love it?
How can you apply that passion to your professional life?
I had spent ten years of my life climbing the corporate ladder. At a certain point, two things became glaringly obvious:
1. Everything I did was to fulfill the expectations of others
2. There was no light at the end of the tunnel
In my personal exploration, I asked myself the above mentioned questions and decided that I needed to stop living for others because my bravado was consistently causing me to act out of character. I also realized that I was intolerable to be around because the personal blockades I had erected were causing me to deflect blame for my lack of success. I bitched and did disingenuous work and put another check on this list and asked for more responsibility and bitched some more when given what I asked for.....a shameful and meaningless existence; created by me...the emptiness of misdirection sharply condemned with contempt for reality. At a certain point, I realized I was living a distinctly different life at work than at home. Exciting and Interesting on the barroom floor - intolerable and inauthentic in the cubicle.
It was amazingly difficult for me to come to this self-realization. To give up on the company I spent most of my young career in complete loyalty to, to re-direct my motivation, to channel my competitive nature in a collaborative manner and to realize that people I thought I hated were right about me.
So now, I present this challenge to you. It is time to figure out who you want to be and go be it.
I can suggest the following in your search for your Genuine Intent:
* Be willing to accept that you might not have the perfect job
* Assess what you really want out of life and how the work you are doing relates to that
* Be willing to redefine your job description
* Find a way to make YOUR goals your driving motivation
* Be genuine in your expectations of yourself
* Above all, be honest....in what you want and how you pursue it
You can have your cake and eat it too....in fact, there is no other way to live!
Unzip Your Soul
- Dave
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
How are you progressing - dkovacovich@mcfina.com
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT
Are you a different person at work?
Do you feel pressure to fulfill expectations that cause you to act out of character?
Is your professional purpose driven by genuine intent?
....IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!
Question: Did you start your own business based on a cause you believe in...or were you just sick of making money for someone else..?
THERE IS NO COURAGE IN MICROMANAGEMENT!
Business growth through production driven revenue is a far too simple concept. Without passion behind your vision the entrepreneurial dream becomes slow moving, distorted machine.
Two Things Matter In Business:
* Genuine Intent
* People Who Are Passionate To Make That Intent Reality!
I will again reiterate: Human Compassion is not only relevant to business productivity, it is essential! We need to get to a point where we understand that our interests outside of work fuel our passion at work and can be the intent that makes us professionally relevant.
You do not have to be selfish to understand YOUR personal mission within the format of your job description. We have seen the decline of the economic foundation of our country and there is a blurry fault line. This is, nonetheless, an opportunity to question what was and to have evidence to support a case for change.
THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY IN DISTRESS:
* an opportunity to help those in need
* an opportunity to challenge the system
* an opportunity to redefine our motivation
.........THE TIME IS NOW!
NO MORE....managing to the number without care for people!
NO MORE....action for the sake of action!
NO MORE....business process without intent!
NO MORE....disingenuous business pandering!
NO MORE....middle management indecision!
The Mission Statement and Core Values are coming off the wall and will be alive in our hallways...We will walk away from work with them in our heart and LIVE OUR GENUINE INTENT!
IT IS TIME TO UNZIP YOUR SOUL!
- Dave
Support the Mission:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
Do you feel pressure to fulfill expectations that cause you to act out of character?
Is your professional purpose driven by genuine intent?
....IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!
The Theory of Misunderstood Business Intent: process = production = revenue = increased stock = improved lifestyle
Anyone with 1,200 hours of free time can pick up an MBA and build a business based on metrics....Question: Did you start your own business based on a cause you believe in...or were you just sick of making money for someone else..?
THERE IS NO COURAGE IN MICROMANAGEMENT!
Business growth through production driven revenue is a far too simple concept. Without passion behind your vision the entrepreneurial dream becomes slow moving, distorted machine.
Two Things Matter In Business:
* Genuine Intent
* People Who Are Passionate To Make That Intent Reality!
I will again reiterate: Human Compassion is not only relevant to business productivity, it is essential! We need to get to a point where we understand that our interests outside of work fuel our passion at work and can be the intent that makes us professionally relevant.
You do not have to be selfish to understand YOUR personal mission within the format of your job description. We have seen the decline of the economic foundation of our country and there is a blurry fault line. This is, nonetheless, an opportunity to question what was and to have evidence to support a case for change.
THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY IN DISTRESS:
* an opportunity to help those in need
* an opportunity to challenge the system
* an opportunity to redefine our motivation
.........THE TIME IS NOW!
NO MORE....managing to the number without care for people!
NO MORE....action for the sake of action!
NO MORE....business process without intent!
NO MORE....disingenuous business pandering!
NO MORE....middle management indecision!
The Mission Statement and Core Values are coming off the wall and will be alive in our hallways...We will walk away from work with them in our heart and LIVE OUR GENUINE INTENT!
IT IS TIME TO UNZIP YOUR SOUL!
- Dave
Support the Mission:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich
Monday, October 5, 2009
UNZIP YOUR SOUL
Professional advancement often comes by way of personal reflection. So a few years back I did some soul searching hoping the redefine my professional intent. I came to author the following mission statement:
It’s been a myth for far too long that the professional accolades we seek should be of a separate energy from our personal interests. It is supposed that if companies manage by numbers, managers implement systems of efficiency and stocks grow…business will prosper. But, we have come to a point in business where big ideas drive innovation and the race for the prize has never been more competitive. It is no longer enough to follow a model and track presumed success accordingly. The inspiration to excel is driven by our passion and our passion can only be revealed if we are truly honest in our pursuit of success. No more punching a clock, looking over your shoulder and doing just enough to keep from getting fired……..It’s Time to Unzip Your Soul!
So dear reader, I invite you to join me for another 10 week blog series. This time around it is incumbent upon you to ask yourself - "who do I want to be when I grow up"....I hope I can help you figure it out.
Open your heart and mind, put away your baggage, unzip your soul.
Don't Forget to Remember -
Dave
It’s been a myth for far too long that the professional accolades we seek should be of a separate energy from our personal interests. It is supposed that if companies manage by numbers, managers implement systems of efficiency and stocks grow…business will prosper. But, we have come to a point in business where big ideas drive innovation and the race for the prize has never been more competitive. It is no longer enough to follow a model and track presumed success accordingly. The inspiration to excel is driven by our passion and our passion can only be revealed if we are truly honest in our pursuit of success. No more punching a clock, looking over your shoulder and doing just enough to keep from getting fired……..It’s Time to Unzip Your Soul!
So dear reader, I invite you to join me for another 10 week blog series. This time around it is incumbent upon you to ask yourself - "who do I want to be when I grow up"....I hope I can help you figure it out.
Open your heart and mind, put away your baggage, unzip your soul.
Don't Forget to Remember -
Dave
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