Okay, so if you look at a calendar, we still have two and a half months left in 2017!  But if you want to do something special for your team, employees, mentors, or co-workers, the time is now!

End of the Year is a time to recognize the work that has been done and success we have had while looking forward.  And while different professionals appreciate different things, they all appreciate something over nothing.

The Office Holiday Party:
Great for co-workers to build relationships with each other.  And those extravert social butterflies.

Tips:
– Empower a group of employees to plan the event.
– If you have a competitive group, add a level of entertainment and group competition to the event.  Karaoke, Family Feud, what’s fun and easy to do?

 

The Volunteer Event:
Great for connecting with each other and the community to make a real contribution. It could also happen during business hours which will still give employees their evenings and weekends free.  And can be a great message to customers.

Tips:
– Encourage employees to nominate and select the activity.  Some may have a personal connection with a volunteer organization.
– Make it special.  Work with the volunteer organization to share information with employees prior to the event, welcome your team to the location, and offers ways to continue to stay involved.
– If possible, engage with the people’s lives who will be improved.  This will provide a memorable experience and a deep understanding of the organization’s mission.
– Tell this story!  Make this experience last with a message to customers about what you are doing/did and why.

 

The Personal Note:
Start now and you can complete a handwritten note to everyone on your list.

Tips:
– To make is special, be specific.  What is something this person has done this year that made a strong contribution to the organization?
– How can you use this time to give them a “reason to believe” in the future?  What are you excited about?
– Embrace work/life balance and encourage them the opportunity to take some recovery time over the holidays and be ready to take on 2018

What is the best end of year thing your company has done for you?  What is the best thing you’ve done for your team?

If your LinkedIn feed is similar to mine, you’ll notice a big uptick in job postings! The timing is great as most job seekers get serious now that summer is over.

Here’s to all the job seekers telling their career story effectively to land their next job in their career! If you’re ready for the next step in your career: new company, new position, or asking for that promotion or raise, reach out to me!

About two years ago, MasterCard debuted one of my favorite commercials of all time.  Take 30 seconds to watch it now.

One main reason people leave their job is burn out.  It has definitely been a reason for me to leave a job.  A huge easy opportunity to reduce burn out is to use your vacation days!  Take time to rejuvenate, connect with family and friends, or explore a passion or hobby.

And if you’ve been a little cranky, unproductive, or unmotivated at work, your co-workers will appreciate you taking some PTO if they get you back at your best!

For more facts, information, and inspiration, check out Project: Time Off!

Inspire someone now by leaving a comment below about your dream way to spend some time off.

Wishing you a productive end to this year!
Jenn

I love finding inspiration everywhere.  The Holstee Manifesto was written 8 years ago and I still love it.  What inspires you?

This is a great article. Every job has an element of “figure it out.” Of course, you’re not going to apply for a job where you have all the skills and experience to do the job in your sleep – you have to stretch.

Inc. Magazine talks about when you admit you “don’t know how to do something” or you’ve “never done something,” you are really saying “I don’t want to learn or grow here.”

What’s the best skill you’ve learned unexpectedly at work?

Inc Magazine: The One Thing That Makes You Look Seriously Unprofessional At Work

 

What does success look like?

We often use this question in business when embarking on large projects. The answer to this question will keep the project and team members aligned.

We also need to ask this question when we start personal projects. Whether it’s a job search, committing to getting healthy, or taking a vacation!

Last year my husband and I started talking about living a more nomadic life; we wanted to travel more often. I immediately had fantasies of visiting National Parks, hiking frequently, and seeing family and friends. He wanted to see family and friends, and visit new cities. I imagined we’d travel fast; he pictured us going slower. We still are continuing the adventure and adapting along the way.  Asking “what does success look like?” has helped us stay on the same page and commit to progressing closer to that answer.  There are other ways to ask this question like, “what do we want out of this trip?” “why are we doing this?”. And when we get into planning, “what are the big things we want to do?”  Whether it’s seeing the eclipse in August, attending important family events, or being somewhere when the weather is just right; simplifying our goals has kept us committed.

It’s important to not only ask this question at the start of a project but to revisit it along the way. Was the original success/goal too small or too large? Have we achieved that goal and want to evolve it to a bigger goal?

Finally, when you have that clear goal, you can celebrate the little victories you’ve achieved on the way to reaching that goal. And continued your focused efforts to success!

It’s great being married and having a travel buddy; we hold each other accountable to our goals.  Being in a job search or having a personal challenge, you will need to your find your accountability partner; maybe that accountability partner is a coach.  Reach out to me and tell me “What does success look like?” for your life in the next year!  I’ll help you reach your goal!

“When you get the power of the other on your side, you can surpass whatever limit you are currently experiencing or will ever experience in the future.”  – Dr. Henry Cloud, The Power of the Other

We have all experienced it.  We make a goal for ourselves, keep it to ourselves, forget about it, don’t act on it, and then…we don’t achieve it.  However, when we share our goal with others, we have an accountability partner.  Someone to check in and see how we’re doing.  By committing to someone that we were going to move towards our goal, we actually do move towards our goal!

Even if you know what you need to do to move towards your goal, having a coach or accountability partner will get you there faster.  Want to learn more about the power of the other and what it’s like to have a coach, connect with me!

I have always loved the art of coaching.  I have had a number of very valuable coaches that have transformed my career, mostly my previous managers.  Then, last year, I knew I needed to make a tough decision.  I had a job that I loved in Chicago and a man that I loved in Denver.  Commuting back and forth was getting exhausting and I wasn’t able to give my best in my relationship or at my job.

Then I saw on LinkedIn one of my connections was a Coach.  I reached out, we had a quick intro call and I was in.  This was the first time in my career/life that I invested in an outside unbiased guide to help me in my decision-making process.  It was awesome.  Our conversations were thought-provoking and well guided.  And after a few months, I made my next life and career decision.  I am confident in the decision I had made and ready for the next stage in my life and my career.  Here we go!