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K Is For Knit

 When you start to knit a sweater or scarf, you only have needles and yarn . As each stitch is completed, rows emerge and it starts to take shape. A career journey is very similar in that you start with yourself. Later you add a college degree or two, other technical skills, your responsibilities, awards, etc. so that you are now known as (add title). All that may be well and good but many people are starting to question if that title is really what they are all about. Aren't you known for other things as well, but others have a tough time identifying you outside of your title? Here is an exercise I suggest you try. In Column One, list all of the things you are good at. In Column Two, list the things you could be better at. In Column Three, list the things you are good at from Column One but hate doing. Finally in Column Four, list the things from Column Two that you truly want to excel at. If you are struggling compiling any of these lists, look at past performance reviews and as...
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N Is For Narrative

 We all have a past and with that we all have a story. In telling our n arrative to others , some highlight accomplishments while others tend to focus on inconsequential things or even possibly negative ones. These stories do help explain who we are and how we come to certain conclusions on issues. As we continue on our career journey, we need to decide how we want our story to progress. If we are explaining our past to a potential employer, a person at a networking event, or some other "stranger", we need to craft our story in a way that makes it compelling while also being truthful. A master storyteller that I know always starts with the end and works backward. He usually has a great opening sentence which captures everyone's attention. From there he provides interesting details (both good and bad) while also demonstrating that he knows when to speed up parts and also when to pause so we can grasp everything that he is conveying to us. In addition, having what I call ...
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P Is For Playfulness

 When one is discussing their career, playfulness is probably never mentioned . However to keep a team engaged, or yourself for that matter, there should be some element of fun. This helps with building a culture of collaboration by socializing with others. It also gives everyone an opportunity to learn new things that are not in a structured format like a training program. Free flow of ideas can foster creativity and innovation while making the workplace more interesting. Unfortunately some do not see the value of this. Every generation perceives work, rewards, and learning differently. Most Traditionalists view work as "do a good job and you get a paycheck". They also want to learn the necessary skills to do their job but nothing else. Younger generations like the Millennials and Gen Zers want to engage with others. They are also very project focused; they thrive on projects that are fast-moving and interactive. So when one assesses their own career, do you find yourself m...
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