Wise Wednesdays

Whatever the merits of individualism and its contribution to human freedom and social progress, it comes at a price...:alienation from others and its emotional consequences - loneliness and confusion. Perhaps what's worse, is when the drive of individualism is used for purposes that are not even true to your deepest aspirations and talent. The downside of individualism... This is the point at which you may wake up in your career and wonder what it's all for. Hitting career milestones and receiving accolades may be pleasant but the positive impact is usually short lived. Career crisis in the mid-thirties to mid-fifties is a relatively widely recognised phenomenon (although poorly addressed, let alone prevented). Research suggests that it is more common than we might think and may be a function of life-stage and/or the way organisations function (or rather don't function). See  this Harvard Business Review article . As a high performer, you may be encourag...

Transitions are scary. The are filled with uncertainty and risk which can really send our mammalian brain into overdrive. It takes a good amount of self-regulation to stay grounded and persist in making one decision in the dark after another as you carve your path to your next resting point. But since you are a company of one in the market place (see Commandment 1: Thou shalt not tell your boss”), then you need to find your tribe - a little one and a big one – as you step out into the big unknown. By the way, did you think you were alone in the big unknown?... Career transitions are a classroom in the school of life Some would argue that life is perpetual change and that we’ve forgotten what it means to live in true uncertainty, the way our ancestors lived, not knowing whether there will be enough food to get through the winter or that you will return safely from the hunt. You are safe However, while career transitions may seem life threatening, they are not. The sense of da...

Alongside the application form and CV formatting, the job interview (and its preparation) ranks high among procrastination inducing tasks. The interview itself is an opportunity to shine but can also turn into a potent laxative. Yet, it is a necessary evil for those participating in the labour market. A simple shift in perspective can help to reduce the discomfort associated with the interview process. The interview is a touch point in a continuous process of finding our place under the sun and, by no means, is it the determining factor. It’s a time when we can make ourselves most visible to those we wish to work with. It’s a platform to speak our talents and connect with those who value them. However, the interview can also cause us significant discomfort, because it forces us to examine ourselves through the eyes of another - a level of exposure comparable to that of public speaking (the world’s number 1 fear). We are being scrutinised by a tribe that we hope to belong to....