We have sure been blogging a lot about finding your natural this spring. It's easy to see why I have been having thoughts of Roy Hobbs, the iconic baseball figure played by Robert Redford in the 1980s movie, The Natural. Sports dramas are known for romanticized versions of careers (comedies often poke fun at the minor league experiences), but do movies about professors do the same? (Take a look at this Washington Post article or this Movie Mom's similar piece for ideas).
To me, John Houseman's character, Professor Charles Kingsfield, has always been The Natural of faculty members. He is smart, dedicated, honest, and unbiased. He taught the best students and was proud of it. Every first year law student for several generations knew this professor... and most avoided him. Does this professor still exist?
I couldn't agree more with the premise that a healthy career is one where you align your job with your natural (your calling), which is presented in the fourth syllabus section. The Career De-Stress Test that is outlined in this section is a great way for a faculty or staff member to think how well they are following their calling. Not only can this process help you re-evaluate your career fitness, I think it can also provide you some insight into an academic career path that is not as linear as it once was.
Whether being a faculty member was your first or subsequent career choice, it is important to test whether you are truly following your calling. The faculty career is not as ubiquitous as it was in Professor Kingsfield's heyday. In addition, cultural and familial priorities have changed. With the addition of online education and the growth of the non-traditional students, the needs of the academic community to deliver quality educational experiences has led to a variety of careers for our faculty members. The likelihood of coming from your graduate program into your one school academic career stop is very rare nowadays.
I suspect that the next generations of academic careers are going to look a bit more like Roy Hobbs' career than Charles Kingsfield's. You might recall that Hobbs' path to finding his natural was derailed a decade or more. Like Hobbs, future faculty members may be slower to realize their natural.
Tell us what you think...
Do faculty career paths look the same as they did 10 years ago?
Do you feel like you have realized your natural?
Is your job aligned with your calling?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Get to Know Your Talent
The common understanding of talent limits it to exceptional people who engage in exceptional activities. According to this view, only a very few individuals have talent, and their talent is expressed in only the most rarified of fields and feats. People of talent are professional athletes, entertainers and artists. An opera singer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City has talent, while the best an educator or administrator can be is good at their job. Talent, Americans are taught and told, isn't something the masses have nor is it really talented to be an exceptional performer in unexceptional occupations.
Even Google, allegedly one of the world's most democratic search engines, mirrors this bias. Type the word "talented" into its search box, and the first ten results range from Susan Boyle and Britain's Got Talent to the National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented. Perform the same search with Microsoft's Bing and the results are different but not different in kind. They include the Talented Mr. Ripley and TalentEd, a site "dedicated to the provision of material about the education of the gifted and talented."
The dictionary, thankfully, takes a more pluralistic view of talent. It defines the word as "the natural endowments of a person" and an endowment as "a natural gift, ability or quality." There is no qualifier limiting talent to extraordinary people or to extraordinary endeavors. The term is not reserved for the infallible and famous or even for the in-your-face and infamous. Quite the contrary, talent is a natural characteristic of the human species and is expressed in the full range of its idiosyncratic interests and occupations.
Talent, however, is not a skill. It is an individual's capacity for excellence. Because it is an endowed gift, I call it your Natural in Work Strong. However, in order to perform in the world of work, talent must be educated and trained in a profession, craft or trade. If a person's talent is athleticism, for example, they must acquire the knowledge and practice the skills of baseball before they can earn a living as a professional ball player. And the same is true in education, administration and every other field.
A person's talent is also versatile-it can be trained to excel in multiple career fields-but it is not a universal donor. People can acquire the knowledge and skills of a field that does not align with their talent. They may, for example, learn how to be an investment banker, when their talent is actually the ability to help others learn. They could excel as an educator or a corporate trainer, but they will never be more than a competent investment banker. They may even make a lot of money on Wall Street, but they will never be satisfied or fulfilled in their work.
That situation occurs most frequently when people fail to figure out their talent. They assume they know their gift because they've done well in a certain subject in school or because someone has told them they would be a success in this or that field. They've never taken the time or made the effort, however, to do the spade work on their own. To dig down deep into themselves and discover what it is that they love to do and do best.
That's why it's so important to take the Career De-Stress Test. It's a way to pinpoint your talent or confirm that you already have. And only that sure knowledge can support the development of a healthy and rewarding career.
Thanks for reading,
Peter
Even Google, allegedly one of the world's most democratic search engines, mirrors this bias. Type the word "talented" into its search box, and the first ten results range from Susan Boyle and Britain's Got Talent to the National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented. Perform the same search with Microsoft's Bing and the results are different but not different in kind. They include the Talented Mr. Ripley and TalentEd, a site "dedicated to the provision of material about the education of the gifted and talented."
The dictionary, thankfully, takes a more pluralistic view of talent. It defines the word as "the natural endowments of a person" and an endowment as "a natural gift, ability or quality." There is no qualifier limiting talent to extraordinary people or to extraordinary endeavors. The term is not reserved for the infallible and famous or even for the in-your-face and infamous. Quite the contrary, talent is a natural characteristic of the human species and is expressed in the full range of its idiosyncratic interests and occupations.
Talent, however, is not a skill. It is an individual's capacity for excellence. Because it is an endowed gift, I call it your Natural in Work Strong. However, in order to perform in the world of work, talent must be educated and trained in a profession, craft or trade. If a person's talent is athleticism, for example, they must acquire the knowledge and practice the skills of baseball before they can earn a living as a professional ball player. And the same is true in education, administration and every other field.
A person's talent is also versatile-it can be trained to excel in multiple career fields-but it is not a universal donor. People can acquire the knowledge and skills of a field that does not align with their talent. They may, for example, learn how to be an investment banker, when their talent is actually the ability to help others learn. They could excel as an educator or a corporate trainer, but they will never be more than a competent investment banker. They may even make a lot of money on Wall Street, but they will never be satisfied or fulfilled in their work.
That situation occurs most frequently when people fail to figure out their talent. They assume they know their gift because they've done well in a certain subject in school or because someone has told them they would be a success in this or that field. They've never taken the time or made the effort, however, to do the spade work on their own. To dig down deep into themselves and discover what it is that they love to do and do best.
That's why it's so important to take the Career De-Stress Test. It's a way to pinpoint your talent or confirm that you already have. And only that sure knowledge can support the development of a healthy and rewarding career.
Thanks for reading,
Peter
Friday, April 9, 2010
Workplace Bullies
Do you work with a workplace bully? I've had to work with a few in my career. I once had a co-worker who apparently didn't get the memo that it is inappropriate to swear at university committee meetings. I had a boss who was hopelessly unqualified for her job, realized it, and took her anger out on me. And, I once worked for someone who yelled at employees for carrying too much change in their pockets (after all, coins can be so loud!).
Working with, or worse, for a workplace bully can be incredibly stressful. When you combine issues of power, personal finances, unpredictability and inter-personal conflict, you get a potent recipe. So, how should you deal with these situations? Peter Weddle, in his book Work Strong, recommends you simply deny these workplace bullies your talent. But, even Weddle admits that quitting your job, and your paycheck, is easier said than done.
How did I handle my workplace bullies? For the curser in the story above, he was eventually let go from the university. The one who was in over her head was switched to a lower position, one she probably should have been assigned to in the first place. Both give me hope that there is such a thing as workplace karma -- that workplace bullies ultimately become the victims of their own behavior. The boss who hated coins? Well, in that case I followed Weddle's advice and quit.
One of the few positives of dealing with workplace bullies is that, after you live through them, they tend to make great stories. And this has me thinking. Chances are you've had to deal with a workplace bully at some point in your career. If you have, I encourage you to enter a comment below, share your experience and, more importantly, how you dealt with it.
Working with, or worse, for a workplace bully can be incredibly stressful. When you combine issues of power, personal finances, unpredictability and inter-personal conflict, you get a potent recipe. So, how should you deal with these situations? Peter Weddle, in his book Work Strong, recommends you simply deny these workplace bullies your talent. But, even Weddle admits that quitting your job, and your paycheck, is easier said than done.
How did I handle my workplace bullies? For the curser in the story above, he was eventually let go from the university. The one who was in over her head was switched to a lower position, one she probably should have been assigned to in the first place. Both give me hope that there is such a thing as workplace karma -- that workplace bullies ultimately become the victims of their own behavior. The boss who hated coins? Well, in that case I followed Weddle's advice and quit.
One of the few positives of dealing with workplace bullies is that, after you live through them, they tend to make great stories. And this has me thinking. Chances are you've had to deal with a workplace bully at some point in your career. If you have, I encourage you to enter a comment below, share your experience and, more importantly, how you dealt with it.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Connect Your Way to Career Happiness
For me, one of the chapters in Work Strong that resonated most strongly with me was chapter 3, A System for Working Strong in the 21st Century. Career happiness is partially a process of improving your ability to be more effective in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships. Immediately, you should tap into one of the greatest resources you possess as a professional, and that is your connections. You will gain a more positive influence in higher education by utilizing your current relationships and networking base.
Rank your connections based on what they can provide you and what you can provide for them. I use a simple pyramidal A, B, and C system for ranking my network of connections.
A Connections, the top of the network pyramid:
These are people in your circle with whom you share needs and goals. These relationships are ones where you have something to contribute to them and they have something they can contribute to you in return. This is a balanced relationship, and as such, requires more maintenance than B and C connections. These are people that you should be reaching out to on a regular basis. I use my social media tools to keep up with these connections. I follow them on Twitter and have a special category for them in my GMail address book.
Maintaining this level of connection could be as simple as writing them a weekly email updating them on a project or new venture you are working on that they might be interested in, to having daily phone calls with them. If they happen to be local, set up times once in a while to have coffee or lunch with them. These moments where the two of you can reconnect, share moments, and trade ideas pay off big time later on. Having several (but not too many as they take a lot of work) of these connections at your disposal enhance your current work place happiness.
B Connections, the middle of the network pyramid:
These connections are largely the folks you meet at conferences, department meetings, or even at a friend's weekend barbecue. The B level connection is one that might, someday, move into either the A or C levels. I tend to put people in this category when I first meet them, get their card, and strike up conversation with them about our common interests. If out of that conversation I think there might be something there that could benefit me, I make sure to reach out to them periodically. I might not need something from them specifically and I might not have anything they need at this moment, but our work or interests are aligned enough that it is bound to happen.
Academia is a great place for these connections, because invariably you run into people from your field doing neat work. Someday you might want to collaborate with them or ask them for a connection to someone else that they know. From a social media standpoint, these people make up the bulk of my LinkedIn connections and LinkedIn Group memberships.
C Connections, the bottom of the network pyramid:
The largest group of connections you have in your life are C connections. They are not necessarily less valuable, but you only have so much time in a day to maintain relationships and these connections are not the ones to put significant time into. The connections that find themselves in this category are people from past workplaces or projects from which you have parted company.
I often wrangle with what to do with people who are in this category. You like them enough, but the reality that they will provide anything supportive to you from a career perspective means they are in this category. To manage these contacts, you would want to make at minimum an annual contact with them. These are the people on your holiday card list, your organization's annual newsletter mailing list, or just drop them an email once in a while to update contact info and see what they are up to. You might find that something has changed and you will be glad you did not discard them years ago when you thought you had nothing in common. I use my friend categories on Facebook and lists on Twitter to help me manage these contacts.
Managing your time and your connections will vastly help you increase your career happiness. If you have control over your list of connections and have established relationships, you will experience a more meaningful career. Doing this will also assist you in the moment you do seek to move on to something new.
You won't have to rush around to build up this list of people you know because you have been maintaining it all along. Connecting with people increases your happiness, and doing so within your area of expertise is great for your career. Don't make connecting with others stressful. Manage connections and make sure you are getting something out of the relationships you put the most time into.
Rank your connections based on what they can provide you and what you can provide for them. I use a simple pyramidal A, B, and C system for ranking my network of connections.
A Connections, the top of the network pyramid:
These are people in your circle with whom you share needs and goals. These relationships are ones where you have something to contribute to them and they have something they can contribute to you in return. This is a balanced relationship, and as such, requires more maintenance than B and C connections. These are people that you should be reaching out to on a regular basis. I use my social media tools to keep up with these connections. I follow them on Twitter and have a special category for them in my GMail address book.
Maintaining this level of connection could be as simple as writing them a weekly email updating them on a project or new venture you are working on that they might be interested in, to having daily phone calls with them. If they happen to be local, set up times once in a while to have coffee or lunch with them. These moments where the two of you can reconnect, share moments, and trade ideas pay off big time later on. Having several (but not too many as they take a lot of work) of these connections at your disposal enhance your current work place happiness.
B Connections, the middle of the network pyramid:
These connections are largely the folks you meet at conferences, department meetings, or even at a friend's weekend barbecue. The B level connection is one that might, someday, move into either the A or C levels. I tend to put people in this category when I first meet them, get their card, and strike up conversation with them about our common interests. If out of that conversation I think there might be something there that could benefit me, I make sure to reach out to them periodically. I might not need something from them specifically and I might not have anything they need at this moment, but our work or interests are aligned enough that it is bound to happen.
Academia is a great place for these connections, because invariably you run into people from your field doing neat work. Someday you might want to collaborate with them or ask them for a connection to someone else that they know. From a social media standpoint, these people make up the bulk of my LinkedIn connections and LinkedIn Group memberships.
C Connections, the bottom of the network pyramid:
The largest group of connections you have in your life are C connections. They are not necessarily less valuable, but you only have so much time in a day to maintain relationships and these connections are not the ones to put significant time into. The connections that find themselves in this category are people from past workplaces or projects from which you have parted company.
I often wrangle with what to do with people who are in this category. You like them enough, but the reality that they will provide anything supportive to you from a career perspective means they are in this category. To manage these contacts, you would want to make at minimum an annual contact with them. These are the people on your holiday card list, your organization's annual newsletter mailing list, or just drop them an email once in a while to update contact info and see what they are up to. You might find that something has changed and you will be glad you did not discard them years ago when you thought you had nothing in common. I use my friend categories on Facebook and lists on Twitter to help me manage these contacts.
Managing your time and your connections will vastly help you increase your career happiness. If you have control over your list of connections and have established relationships, you will experience a more meaningful career. Doing this will also assist you in the moment you do seek to move on to something new.
You won't have to rush around to build up this list of people you know because you have been maintaining it all along. Connecting with people increases your happiness, and doing so within your area of expertise is great for your career. Don't make connecting with others stressful. Manage connections and make sure you are getting something out of the relationships you put the most time into.
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