Clients seeking permanent jobs at this time are concerned that employers won’t take them seriously and are only interested in placing them for more immediate needs.  In retail, that may be true.  This is the year’s busiest season and more temporary help is needed.  The National Retail Federation says up to 500,000 folks may be added.  But even those companies accepting temporary helpers may consider keeping you on permanently.

Don’t forget these tried and true basics to get you visible and ositioned well for any prospective long-term job:

1.  Don’t forget your basic 3 P’s: punctual, pleasant and productive.  But be wary of coming off too eager.  It could make you look uncomfortable and a little desperate.  You’ll stick out, but not in the way you’d like to appear.

2.  You want to act professional, yet not overstep your role.  Previous expertise may give you great ideas to offer, but work up to suggesting any and always ask if they want to try your ideas before making any changes.  (While not looking for permanent work, my husband and I volunteer annually at our church this time of year to see that foster children get Christmas gifts.  I found myself overly eager to suggest new and improved processes and quickly learned I was more needed in a selfless service mode, rather than a leadership role). (more…)

Every once in a while, you’ll attract a strange individual who is not a fit with you or the work you do.  Whether you’re in an office and it’s necessary to interact with them temporarily, or they are calling you about your business, you’ll have to use smooth communication skills to address what feels like their creepy style. (more…)

Are you an excessive worrier?  Do you second-guess decisions and worry over potential outcomes?  Most often this is learned behavior from interpretations you made during interactions with one or both of our parents when you were a kid.  You don’t have to live with this fearfulness about bad things happening.  It is something you can change.

Most of my clients have some level of anxiety over their current situation, whether it’s about their personal or business relationships, career uncertainty or finances, etc.  (Rarely do upsetting situations present long term, or they would be better served through therapy).  They find a solution first and then fine-tune it with me during coaching or they gain that clarity and take new actions during our coaching time.

Again, the origin of their habit of deep seated or ongoing concern is at home with their parents as a child.  So it’ll pop up with another challenge or problem they face unless they permanently change the way they view life.

A quick and sure method to remove this fear and create an opening for choices without conditions is with the Positive Thinking Way program. Originated through the Lefkoe Institute, training through them has led me to do my work in this area with clients worldwide.

A starter method of self-coaching you can use with yourself ongoingly whenever you feel worried or upset, is to ask yourself these two questions: (more…)

When was the last time you tried to convince someone of your good idea and you got resistance?  Maybe your idea or problem-solving approach didn’t appear new to them, hadn’t been adequately tested before, or simply lacked the enthusiasm backing it to make it sound worthy of pursuing?

Your idea is not the orthodox, mainstream solution they’re used to and you will need to be convinced of its viability yourself and hold your ground as you present your idea with aplomb.  Here are 6 ways I’ve found that can help cheer lead your unique ideas to a welcome reception:

1.  Ask your customer/client through an introduction meeting and possibly a followup short email survey,  questions to discover root problems with the way things are.  Use these responses to create a jumping off pad for your idea or solution, or just to be sure you address the problems with your new strategy. (more…)

Last night I had a rich conversation with my husband.  We discussed things we want to change with ourselves and how we want to communicate more effectively with each other.  (We also talked about how extraordinary it is that we were talking about it at all and how awesome our marriage is).  Afterwards I felt satisfied, as if we’d reached another new level in our relationship and a new level of freedom within it. 

When we went to sleep, I dreamt I was flying.   I was not having difficulty lifting off or staying airborne, I wasn’t even flying low to the ground.  It was effortless.  I view this dream as an indication that I had released myself from some concerns I’d had and it lightened my load – literally allowing me to fly freer.  Whether you experience flying dreams or not, your psyche and your soul knows when you’ve let go.  To experience your own sense of freedom with communicating troubles in personal or working relationships include these practices:

1.  Appropriately time your conversations, so you are both receptive.  
2.  Talk after any period of upsets has passed and you’ve both cooled down.
3.  Caringly express your concerns or listen from that place when another is talking, with an intention to resolve matters.
4.  Avoid angry words or accusatory positioning, especially any known ”hot buttons” to strengthen your points.
5.  Be a good listener and not just a talker.  It’s okay to have quiet time during the discussion to process the information.

Keep your focus on the workability of your relationships which will prevent you from letting little issues bother you.  But when they do and you can’t seem to let them go or brush them off, find a suitable time to share about them and be caring in how you do it.  Always acknowledge each other afterwards for the gift of your mutual sharing and receptivity.