In this issue: In order to design, develop, and live a successful
career as Genre Buster, you must master the ability to Tabulate.
CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED!
The online Career/Life/Work
Newsletter
For Genre Busters(TM)
From Lyle T. Lachmuth
The Unsticking Coach(TM)
Want to subscribe? See that pretty box over on the left? Enter your information there and voila!
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BEST OF THE SEASON!
It’s that time of the year… you know: can I say it? The C
word. NO, not that one, naughty boy. This one: Christmas.
From age 7 to age 41 I did not celebrate Christmas. Then I
remarried and became part of a huge, extended Maritime family (Nova Scotians
know how to PARTY!) And, the whole Christmas thing became a big deal to me.
Now, I look forward to it. Not for the presents but for the
chance to slow down, relax, and spend time with my family. This year, as we did
last, we will travel to Lake Louise
in the Canadian Rockies to bunk down at my daughter’s home and enjoy food, more
food, and great company.
In the spirit of the Season – whether you celebrate
Kwanza, Christmas, or Chanukah (or both as do many) – I
have a wee gift for you.
But, you won’t be able to enjoy it just yet.
Nope! Sometime next week, when my Muse speaks, I will post
my annual New Year’s poem. And, this year it’ll appear somewhere on my new, oh
so slowly emerging, web site – www.TheUnstickingCoach.com It will be accompanied by a photo of – ta da,
Lake Louise. Watch for the poem and photo!
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TABULATE
I’d like your help!
You may have noticed that I love acronyms as a tool
for remembering. Hence, C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. to represent the 8
actions/competencies you need to master to craft a successful career. We’re at
number 5: Tabulate. But, frankly the word Tabulate sucks.
So, after reading this article I’d like you to do
me a favour. There’s a wee contest posted at the end of the article focused on
finding a new T-word. And, a nice prize for the Winner!
In a moment, what Tabulate means and
how to do it . . .
HOT LINKS
Just
for fun! Want to see where Oscar® winning Brokeback
Mountain was filmed? Click on this Travel
Alberta link and see how numerous Southern Alberta locations filled in for
Wyoming and
Texas.
Check
out www.TheDisquiet.com a site for men who feel – well, disquiet, it their
lives.
Finally,
read my
review of Richard Nelson Bolles’ annual career classic, What Color is Your Parachute.
TABULATE
You’ve done your Research, Explored possibilities, Analysed
the data, and have some – a lot of? – Clarity about your career. Now what?
When
I was a Project Manager I was taught the 7 Ps – Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor
Performance.
Yep,
Tabulate is about those things you need to do to turn that data, information,
impressions, insights, imaginings, and knowledge into a PLAN.
But,
not just any Plan. If you are a Genre Buster(TM) you will need a Just-Right-Plan.
Why Just-Right?
Here’s
the secret: Not enough structure and the Genre Buster(TM) gets scattered. Too much
structure and the Genre Buster(TM) is hand cuffed! Like the childhood story of the
bears: It has to be just right.
Here are some things
I’ve learned over the last 21 years
about creating the Just-Right Career Plan:
1) Lists vs.
Pictures
I’ve been reading time management books for almost
30 years. And, every single dang one says the same thing: Make a To Do list! Hockey pucks!
Most, if not all, Genre Busters(TM) have
dendritic minds. That is, our minds function predominately on the Right side.
The colour, picture, associations, impressions side. Not the facts, details,
list, rules Left side.
Lists are Left-brain tools. Lists are great
for detailed things – like my weekly trip to Safeway.
For
Career Plans they may be too – well, rigid, structured, er, anal.
A
much better way is to turn your Career Plan into a picture or graphical
representation. That’s why I frequently use the Career Flower (developed by Richard
Bolles) and given practical form by my former client Rumi Tsuchihashi.
To get a copy of Rumi’s Career Flower with
accompanying instructions, you’ll have to enter my naming contest. 😉
2) How Much Detail Is Too Much?
Years ago I met a consultant who taught Time Management
and used one of those exotic day planner ‘systems’. You know the ones with the
big binders and 8 ½ X 11 pages full of columns where you can record the minutia
of your life – and plans. But, the planner didn’t quite cut it for her. So, she
had to add colours and little sticky stars to make it even more useful – for
her! I mean this is a woman who wrote stuff like "take a shower" and "eat
lunch" in her planner. Yuck!
Not for this boy!
Okay. So, what level of detail works for Genre
Busters(TM)? Well, here’s what works for me. See if it works for you.
Over the years I’ve settled on 9 Action Goals(TM), so
called because they are both about wanted outcomes and wanted ways of being. I
have these 9 Action Goals(TM) captured as a picture with 9 ‘bubbles’ arranged on
it. Here’s 1 of my Action Goals(TM) to give you an example (by the way this is my
#1): "Continually Foster My Total Health
and Wellness".
Then from those 9 Action Goals(TM) flow my Quarterly,
Weekly, and Daily objectives. I have a 1-page plan that ‘lists’ my 9 Action
Goals(TM) and their accompanying Objectives for that quarter.
As far as Weekly objectives go, I tend not to write
them down – unless doing them this week or today is critical. For example, I
KNOW that my Objective is to publish a newsletter every Friday. Don’t need to
write that down – it’s glued in my memory.
Daily ‘tasks’ are generated on my morning walk by
asking myself 3 questions: 1) What do I HAVE to do today? 2) What do I WANT to
do today? And 3) what am I CALLED to do today?
The beauty of this level of detail is that a) I’m
not restricted by some darn list of overwhelming TO Dos and b) My actions flow
from inside, as guided by my very high level Action Goals(TM) and informed by the
daily questions I ask.
3) Focus vs. Flow
I’ve talked about this before, and it bears
repeating.
I used to think that success came from Focus. Then
I began to believe it came from Flow. And, now I know: it comes from both – oh,
and what’s in between.
You need
to Focus on What’s Important. Then Let Go and move into the Flow of the
Universe. And, master the ability to move easily between these two very
different states.
Now, I will admit that it’s not easy to learn
this. Especially, if as most of us have, you’ve grown up in a rigid,
rules-oriented world.
But, with practice you can learn to Focus, to
Flow, and move between them
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THE T-WORD CONTEST
You’ve read the article. Now, I need your help. And, I’ve
got a prize for you.
The prize: The person who suggests the best replacement
word for this phase of the C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. Career Process will receive 2
F-R-E-E hours of Unsticking Coaching(TM). That’s a $ 400 (US) value!
Send your suggests for a replacement word (MUST begin with
the letter T) to tuc-busters@awber.com
I will make the decision. And, my decision is final.
Contest closes December 14, 2006. In the case of a tie, the first person who
suggests the winning answer will receive the prize – so, get cracking and send
your suggestions to tuc-busters@aweber.com
Until
next time,
Lyle Lachmuth MS
(Organization Development)
The Unsticking Coach(TM)
Career >> Your Life >>> Your Way!(TM)
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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CAVEAT:
CREATIVE CAREERS UNLEASHED and its publisher, are not engaged in providing
therapy. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only.
CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety only, including
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Copyright 2006 Lyle T.
Lachmuth, All Rights Reserved
