Is your lizard brain getting in your way?

I've learned a lot. Worked with some amazing people. Thank you all for supporting my endeavors! What a fun ride it has been! Looking forward to 13 more years, plus a few more!

job satisfaction has steadily declined over the years despite big improvements in the work environment

So what's happening? The interesting thing to note as well

And employee satisfaction dipped across the board; workers in every age group and income levels showed a drop, but workers younger than 25 were the most unhappy in their jobs.

I'm not surprised by the under 25 crowd, that is consistent with everything we've been talking about. What is going on in the other demographics? Are we just tired? Are we just refocusing? Are we looking for meaning? Or are managers really missing the mark? Perhaps, because they too, are dissatisfied?

Last week I got the opportunity to teach Developing Your Career Potential for CalPERS. An organization I love working with and a topic I enjoy. They each took the Elevations Career Discovery tool, a rich way of sorting your values, skills, and job interests. I took it too in preparation for working with them. My final job interests? Public speaking and Photo Journalist.

I laughed at first until I realized what I was teaching was exactly what I was living! Anyone who has attended a class with me in the last few years has endured endless photos in my powerpoint presentations and projected randomly through breaks and lunch. While I love what I do, photography is a true passion for me. When a friend Debbie asked me to teach a photography class on her website, I was thrilled! Nothing like being able to do what you love and share it with others! And it's not too late for you to join!

So, what are you passionate about? And how are you putting it into your profession?

1. What part of the newspaper do you read first?

2. What are three books you’ve read in the past year?

3. As a child, what did you do in your free time?

4. What’s a goal that has been on your list for a few years?

5. What do you actually do with your free time? [This is perhaps the most helpful question. I finally switched careers from law to writing when it dawned on me that I was always writing books in my free time.]

6. What types of activities energize you?

7. What famous people intrigue you?

Today while browsing through the new arrivals on my reader I found this post by Tom Peters. Yes, I could paraphrase it here but it is worth it to take the time and read his words. They resonated for me today and led to a simple question I am asking myself. "Am I truly being there for the people I need to be there for?" Your thoughts?

And isn't that what good management is really based upon?

Reward - something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.

Responsibility - reliable or dependable, as in meeting debts, conducting business dealings, etc.

Reasonable - capable of rational behavior, decision, etc.

Accountable - subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.

Lead - to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.

Perhaps the "etc." is where the confusion began.

I will now end my rant. Thanks!

1.  Develop your leadership
2. Don't damage your brand by cutting quality
3. Talk to your employees and customers, they are where you make your money
4. Cut costs from the top, not front line folks who do the work and deliver the services

 To his list I would add:

1.  Define what you are best at, do more of it
2. Ask your employees what isn't working, fix it
3. Reach deep into your organization to develop your talent
4. Say please and thank you, people need to hear it right now

What would you add?

Learning is not a comfortable process for any of us: it takes courage by the learners and caring by the learning providers. You will make a huge difference if you replace every critical and judgmental expression with a positive and caring one. 

"Your trainees won't care how much you know, unless they know how much you care." (Anon)

It was such a fitting quote for today. I finished the tenth day with 24 dynamic, intelligent, and motivated state supervisors who I've been meeting with since October of last year. I train a lot of people, but this group was really different. They touched me in a deep and life changing way with their compassion for each other and their commitment to making the workplace better for their staff. 

I wish them the best in all of their endeavors and thank them for a wonderful experience together.