Strategic Serendipity

I did a basic team building presentation for a volunteer organization last week and was absolutely shocked by the answers to one of my questions.  Now I will admit, I learn something from every presentation I do and pretty much every person I talk to.  But this incident stood out in my mind and really made me think. As part of the presentation, I have a slide with two columns and twelve rows titled "Which Do You Prefer?".  It is a basic checklist that I recommend using during the start up of a team to find out more about the people with whom you will be working and how their styles may differ from your own.  In addition to asking if you prefer "Agenda" or "No Agenda" I ask "why."  For instance, one person reflected that if the meeting is about something they know well, they do not require an agenda ahead of time.  If it is a new topic they may want the agenda up to a week ahead of time.  There is even a silly question as to whether you prefer...

Have you ever had one of those nights where you wake up in the middle of the night and worry about something completely unrealistic and out of your control?  I did.  Last night.  And this morning was rough.  And toddlers sense that type of thing so my son had a rough morning as well.  And I was scheduled to teach my fourth new content class in six days this afternoon.  Think you know where this is going?  I sure did this morning, and boy was I wrong.  Indulge me for just a minute. Later than I would even care to admit, I finally dropped my son off at day care.  As usual, his classmates (all but one little boys and all energetic beyond belief) made me laugh and quickly remember that Jackson is the important one in my family.  (They like to welcome Jackson, start playing with him, and then look at me and tell me bye, bye.  I am thankful that he loves it there so much and luckily do not have an easily bruised ego.)  As I was wal...

No, I have not lost my mind.  It is the classic catch-22 - you can't get the job you want until you have experience and you can't get the experience because they won't hire you.  It is the same for new college graduates, mid-career transitions, and moving up the corporate ladder.  So how do you get that coveted "experience" to land you your dream job? I have always believed that volunteering offers you a chance to give back to your community and try out new things without making a major career change.  If you have an opportunity to serve on a committee that is in the area you think you want to go in, I say jump on it.  Not only do you get an insider's view of the position and some coveted "experience" but you will likely find some top notch mentors along the way. I also think that taking on volunteer or collateral duties at work is a great way to challenge yourself, network with others, and try something out on a temporary basis.  If you learn b...