Decent Work

Just received a newsletter from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and they have a focus on "Decent Work" - see: http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/decent-work/lang--en/index.htm

It would be great if we could embed this idea within some of our courses (Canada is notoriously absent from the list of Decent Work projects and yet we know that there are many segments of the population in Canada, including First Nations people and farmworkers here in the Fraser Valley, that are working in horrid conditions and far below the poverty line).

Livelihood

I just got back from Asia - while in India, as most of you know, I attended the IAEVG conference in Bangalore (a conference that Tony Watts said has the potential to be the most important conference he's ever attended, which is saying a lot!). One of the interesting things was their use of the word "livelihood," even in their association name (I'm an associate member of the newly formed Indian Association of Career and Livelihood Planning :-)). What I like about the term "livelihood" is how it honours the full spectrum of work, including entrepreneurial activities and "crafts." In Canada, too, there are many people earning a livelihood who wouldn't self-identify as having a "career" or even a "job" - they're just doing the work available to help support their families. In our own work and courses, let's introduce this term to our clients and students.

Juggling Multiple Projects

Within our team, as all of you know, we're ALWAYS juggling multiple projects. However, if you're in the office the week before I leave for an extended overseas trip, you'll be familiar with the mad rush to move a month's worth of projects forward concurrently...

So...lessons learned from this:
1. Take a step back and look at due dates within the next 6 weeks
2. Chunk time - block it off and make appointments with key stakeholders (we've had lots of teleconfs, GoToMeetings, and meetings in the office this week)
3. Give every project some attention
4. Communicate what's been done and what needs to be done next
5. Delegate where necessary
6. Strategically decide to set lower priority projects aside
7. Plan for longer days (i.e., realistically, schedules don't work perfectly, so allow some wiggle room)
8. Leave space for cool new opportunities or important requests (we've actually put 4 new certificate programs on our "books" this week - things we'd thought of but wouldn't have chosen right now to focus on except that opportunities came together and it made sense to pursue them)
9. Be kind to each other - in the midst of juggling multiple priorities, mistakes will be made or communication will be misinterpreted. Check in often...and assume positive intentions :-)
10. Laugh...a lot! Without humour, we'd never get through busy times!

Thanks everyone - see you after October 18th!

Can You Choose the Perfect Career?

Many high school and even college students feel the pressure of deciding what to do with the rest of their lives. They may have dreams of a six figure salary and a job they absolutely love, but how do they get there from here?
Once a decision is made many people will l find life getting in the way of their career goals, many people start their careers with high aspirations and find that life gets in the way, often in the form of financial or family obligations.
I have learned over time, and by trial and error, that circumstances have often dictated my career options. My folks believed that if I wanted a university education I would have to fund it myself. As a single mom I found myself having to support a family on very little income. Have I made poor career choices over the years? Absolutely! However I have also had some wonderful career opportunities.
In my musings about my meandering career path I’ve come to understand that it’s wasn’t reasonable for me to expect the perfect job. It has been about deciding on the most important things in my life and working from that point. For much of my working life my family has been the center of my life and my jobs had to fit. In fact, my education was completed at a community college in alternating years with having children. I then I ran a home-based business when my children were very young.
Years later as an Executive Director, I interviewed scores of applicants for a variety of positions. I met a few young people with clear career goals and enough enthusiasm and drive to ensure career success, however most were like me...doing what it takes to get the job done, whatever that job may be for that particular person. That sounds an awful lot like career success to me! Life Strategies can help you navigate your career path. Call 604-856-2386 for more information.