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Getting Things Done. The Art of Stress Free Productivity. David Allen

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This was recommended to me from a LinkedIn group as a different way to get organized. I have implemented a number of his tips and find them to be very helpful.

One simple tip is to stop writing LISTS of things to do and to make each item a separate note that I put into a folder. I can then prioritized them each week (or day) and not have to re-write a whole new list.   This is a very different way of getting organized that I had not thought of and there are many other great tips in this as well.

GettingThingsDone

I also like some of his “folder” ideas like a “Next Action” folder and a “Waiting for a Response” folder.  If you are looking for new ways to get organized, check it out.

A Whole New Mind:Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Daniel Pink

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I loved this book. Daniel Pink’s ability to show how things have changed in our society over the years and where they are going is wonderful.

The idea that “right brain” people skills will be required in this new economy is spot on. We have built our nation on many “left brain” people skills and now that technology and the global economy have stepped into the picture, we will need people who can solve problems by connecting the dots, be creative, recognize patterns, and find new ways to do old work.

I need MORE of Pink!

Read all my Pink books I’ve reviewed here https://peak-careers.com/tag/daniel-pink/

Drive. The Surprising Truth About What Motivates us. by Daniel Pink

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The author does a nice job describing what really motivates people and how we have progressed from a “I don’t want to be eaten by that tiger” to the “carrot and the stick” mentality of motivation.  But this “carrot and the stick” mentality simply does not work anymore.

He describes Motivation 3.0 which has to do with giving people autonomy to do their job, the ability to be creative, and to nurture their drive to ‘master’ a subject.

A great read that I highly recommend to people working in the career field, those who supervise others, and anyone who wants to try and understand motivation better.

2080 work hours per year. Now what?

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So your career is winding down after working for 30+ years and you are thinking about ‘Where do I want to spend my time’?  Good.

But thinking about it is only a start, you really should make a plan and begin the processing of making value decisions.  Determine what is IMPORTANT to you first and then break it down into its parts.

  • Is it time with your spouse?  Children? Extended family? Friends? Alone?
  • Is it community service? If so, what does “community service” mean to you?
  • Is it how to use your leisure time? Does that mean traveling?  If so, how often? Where?
  • Is it about learning?  What does that mean to you?
  • Some kind of work?  Part time?  How much / often?
  • Leaving a legacy?

After you clean your garage and the basement (which might take a year after neglecting things for awhile) you will have about 2080 hours that you USED to spend at work and now will spend it doing SOMETHING.  Will it be I Love Lucy reruns? A couple of fishing trips? Regardless of what you decide to do,  making a plan will improve it.

[Read more…] about 2080 work hours per year. Now what?

Live Smart After 50!

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BOOK REVIEWLiveSmart-image

Live Smart After 50!

The Experts’ Guide to Life Planning for Uncertain Times

If you are looking for a book that provides tools & resources, thought provoking ideas for what to do with your time and energy after 50, and a wealth of knowledge for working with people transitioning to “life after full time employment” …. then this is the book for you.  I highly recommend this book for any coach, advisor, counselor, or practitioner who works with this population.

Chapters include how to help people look at their passions, interests, and how they determine where they want to spend their time and energy, and also covers financial considerations, legal matters, housing / community, up to and including possible barriers for people.

[Read more…] about Live Smart After 50!

LinkedIn – Start From The Beginning

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inigomontoya

linkedinInigo Montoya in the Princess Bride (my favorite all time movie) “I am waiting for you, Vizzini! You told me to go back to the beginning… so I have.“

With over 450 million people (as of 10/2016)  on LinkedIn and most of them in professional positions, to be current you need to learn what LinkedIn is and how to leverage the power of LI in your future.

For many people I work with they really need to “go back to the beginning” and create or update their profile and know WHY they are doing it. Below is my attempt to summarize “Why LinkedIn?” and some excellent resources to support many of the sections of your profile.

Why LinkedIn?

  • Create a professional online presence
  • Identify & make connection to develop your network
  • Identify groups that are discussing topics of interest
  • Research companies
  • Find employment

You want to ensure you have presented yourself as professionally as possible.  Below are tips on how to create / improve your LI profile.

To EDIT, simply go to your Profile page and click on the “pencil” in the upper right corner.

PICTURE:  You should have a professional looking picture of yourself, preferably with a blank background. i.e. not taken at the formal dance.  Do a quick search for people on LI and see how their pictures show up for ideas.  Not too close.  Not too far away.  Not too busy in the background.    Additional information

TAG LINE / HEAD LINE:  The area immediately under your name is your ‘tag line’ or ‘head line’ and is pulled automatically from a section in your profile with your most current position. Edit this section to highlight your career interests, skills or passion.   When people search for you they see your picture and this tag line, so it is important to capture a highlight of who you are in this section. Check out other peoples profiles and generate some ideas on what might work for you.  Additional Information

Example:  Career Coach |  Passionate | Creative | Problem Solver
Example:  Higher Education Professional | Collaborator & Connector

ABOUT SECTION (formerly called SUMMARY):  Near your name and Headline, you will see a blue box “Add Profile Section”. Click on this and add ABOUT. Think of this section a bit like your cover letter.  This is an area where you can write about yourself, strengths, passions, interests, etc… that you would NOT find on a resume. Keep it short, bullets work well, and think of ways to set yourself apart from the other college students looking for employment. Additional Information.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN ADDRESS:  You can change your LinkedIn address / public profile URL and can then add it to your resume, business cards, and/or in your email signature.

  • On your Profile page, look to the right column for EDIT YOUR PUBLIC PROFILE
  • In the upper right of that page is “Edit URL”
  • Simply put in your name or if your name is taken, use your name with a simple number after it. SAVE is at the bottom.
EXPERIENCE SECTION:  This is the one area that will look much like your resume.  You can add a few ‘bells & whistles’ here, but start with replicating what you have on your resume for experience.

SKILLS SECTION:  Take some time and look at people’s profiles who are working in the industry / occupation you are interested in.  Check out their SKILLS listed and if you have those same skills, add them to your section.  Think about the top skills employers are looking for as this is one of the sections RECRUITERS use to search for candidates.

 
There is so much more LI can do for you in developing your network, learning from others in groups, and finding work, but I will save some of these topics for a future blog.  
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Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a monthly newsletter for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

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