Michele Woodward

Powerful Coaching. Powerful Results.

career

One of Those CrazyGood Weeks

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There are times in your life – specific days or maybe even entire weeks – you will always remember. Weeks which are indelible, with so much happening, full of such a feeling of profound change.

This past week was that kind of week for me.

On Monday, I unveiled a new look for my website – MicheleWoodward.com – designed to make things simpler and easier for you to find and enjoy. To me, it’s gorgeous, and powerful. Inviting. And just what I wanted,  thanks to the talented Victoria Potts Keale, my Everything Web guru who pulled off an amazing feat in an incredibly short period of time.

Because, you see, I had learned on Friday that The Wall Street Journal would be running a feature on my work with a client on Wednesday of the next week, and I wanted my site to be ready to handle the people who’d come to check me out. And, boy, they came by the boatloads. Folks signed up for the newsletter, sent me messages via email and LinkedIn, and said, “atta girl” profusely on Facebook and Twitter.

The client, Becky Johnson, also received a lot of love from her friends, colleagues and even strangers, including a heartfelt phone call from a reader on the West Coast – just to say how inspired she’d been by Becky’s journey.

Although client confidentiality is in my marrow and I never disclose who I’m working with unless the client discloses first, when the WSJ reporter contacted me to see if I had a good story to tell about a client who made a career breakthrough after getting coached, I immediately thought of Becky. How thrilled was I that both she and her CEO, Lisa Gable, agreed immediately to participate. Their openness and generosity allowed thousands if not millions of people to see that there might be a new way to manage leadership growth within organizations. They saw Lisa and Becky’s success and learned from it. Maybe they’ll even model it.

And, for the curious, all the work Becky and I did together consisted of five coaching sessions. Five. Hours. With some email thrown in there. Five hours and Becky got promoted to VP.

For long time readers, you know I love being a coach. But having a story like Becky’s out in public reminds me about why I deeply love this work. It’s transformational. It’s positive. It’s powerful.

And it works.

Can you say that about your job?

I sure wish you could. Wouldn’t that be something?

This busy past week I also interviewed Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas, retired), who was the youngest woman in history to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Blanche talked about how she ended up in public service, and how she managed to chair the Senate Agriculture Committee while raising twin toddlers. Seems we like to beat up on politicians these days, but listen to Blanche talk about her work with heart, and passion, and you’ll understand her drive to serve – it’s  inspiring.  Take a listen: WiseWork radio show

This week, too, I am launching my Annual Coaching Program for 2014. It’s a rather novel approach to coaching – a deep dive into whatever you want to transform with all the coaching your schedule will allow. I tested the program with six clients this year, and I have to admit – the successes have been compelling. And amazing. And, once again, I am reminded how much I love what I do. Look at the information page for more details, and let me know if you have questions.

And people have started using  the 2014 Personal Planning Tool which is up and ready for your use. It’s a downloadable pdf worksheet you can use to review 2013 and make a solid plan for what you want to accomplish in 2014. There’s no charge for this 13-page tool – it’s my gift to you.

Because when I stop to think about my legacy and what I hope to create in the world, you figure prominently. I want you to have the success Becky’s found. I want you to be clear, and confident, and visionary, and able to handle crisis. To step up and out, as needed. To make changes where changes will help you, and to have the clarity to go out and do the kind of work you can be proud of.

It’s a big vision, I know. But in my experience, utterly, entirely, totally doable.

Let’s get started.

 

WiseWork: Working Smart With Heart

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So, it looks like it’s going to be a big year for you and me.

This year, we’re going to have A Theme. A focus. Something to guide us through.

I’ve decided on “WiseWork”, because – let’s be honest – where do you spend the vast majority of your waking hours every day? Where’s most of your energy? Your focus?

Even if you don’t have a job-job, you’re doing something with your day, aren’t you? You’re looking for your next thing, you’re a full-time parent, you’re a retiree.

Doesn’t matter what you do all day – what matters is how you do it.

You’ve got a choice, so why not do it smart? Wisely. Thoughtfully. With heart.

Because your day can be more about just showing up. It can be about making a difference, and having the opportunity to be you at your absolute best. Having the opening to deliver results that are important and satisfying to you – delivered from a place of honesty and generosity, collaboration and connection.

You at your best, doing what you do well.

That’s what WiseWork is all about.

All year, I’ll be blogging on ideas, approaches, tips, tactics and resources to help you work smart with heart. I’m also starting an internet radio show – WiseWork – where I’ll interview authors, experts and regular folks who have something to share. I’m happy that Harvard Business School Publishing is making some of their writers available to me as guests from time to time throughout the year. The first show is Tuesday, January 15th at 2pm ET – plan on joining me then by logging in to BlogTalkRadio.

In related news, I’m also bringing on two fantastic coaches who will be working with me to handle the clients on my wait list, expand the concepts and to offer WiseWork programs within organizations. I’ve trained both of these highly-skilled, highly compassionate coaches, and I know you are going to love what they bring to the table. I’ve also partnered with an outstanding executive recruiter who will coach and write resumes and update LinkedIn profiles for our clients  – making sure the end result is exactly what recruiters want to see.

That’s smart.

More on these new team members soon, but trust me – they are at their absolute best when they’re coaching. For them, it’s their WiseWork.

One other thing, I’m also going to be offering free teleclasses throughout the year which you can listen to live, or via recording.

All designed to help you move from here ——————–> to there.

So your work can have the resonance, meaning and power that you want it to have.

So you can get ahead, sure – if that’s what you want. Get promoted, get a raise, absolutely – without having to sell your soul or compromise your integrity to get there.

Sure, start your own business – and have it reflect what it is you’re here to do in the world.

Speak in front of audiences, balance your life, get what you want.

Maybe you’ll even finally figure out what it is you want. And, together, we’ll figure out how you can finally make it happen.

It’s all a part of the WiseWork year you and I are about to share.

Bring it on, baby. I am so ready.

Inventing Your Career

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It started with the phone book.

My father was visiting this week and asked, “Do you have a phone book?”

A phone book? No, I don’t have a phone book.  No white pages, no yellow pages.  Not one phone book in the house, I realized.

We both laughed when, with sudden awareness, I blurted, “No. No, I don’t.”

And that’s the difference, isn’t it?  My father’s generation relies on the familiarity of the phone book – you pick a real thing up, you find what you want, you put it down and if it’s not in there, well, it probably doesn’t exist. While my children’s generation relies on Google – which gives them nearly unlimited access to information and ideas from sources all around the world.

The phone book metaphor explains how differently people are managing careers today.

During this same visit, my 18-year old son was sharing the details of his job with his grandfather.  “Basically,” he said, “I figured out what I wanted to do, and then got someone to pay me to do it.”  With a smile, he added, “I invented my career, because it didn’t exist before.”

My son is the community manager for a large online community.  How large?  +900,000 unique members.  He has 20 people around the world who report to him, and he’s never met one of them in person.  (Ask him someday about who he hires, and why he fires – fascinating.)  He also built the computer servers which support the community.  And how did he get the job?  He went to the founders of the community and said, “I can grow your fan base.”  And they said, “Go ahead, kid.”

And he did.  And they pay him for it.

Google way:  Create a job out of thin air by recognizing a need and offering to fill it.

Phone book way: Expect the organization to recognize the need, craft a job description, post the job, read hundreds of resumes, interview a dozen candidates, craft an offer, negotiate the deal and fill the job.

Which is more agile?

We are at a real pivot point, friends, when it comes to employment.

What I’m seeing, after working with hundreds of people this year, is a shifting away from the idea of one job, one employer, one career, toward a variety of simultaneous efforts that leverage strengths and interests.

It’s the school teacher who works half-time teaching a specialty class like Latin, coaches an elite, competitive youth sports team, and contentedly throws pottery which she sells at a gallery downtown.

It’s the nurse who also leads a boot camp program and happily works as a personal trainer.

It’s the consultant, working on her own, who has five great clients and generates more income than she ever made on salary.

It’s me.  I mean, 25 years ago could you imagine anyone having the job I have?

It’s the kid who creates his own job by making a powerful offer to solve the problem he’s observed.

Of course, if you are totally phone book oriented, this intangible Google-esque approach might make you feel rather queasy.  I mean, isn’t it kind of weird to not have a job-job? Where’s the belongingness?  The team? Where’s the stability?

I guess you could ask the same thing of the 30,000 folks Bank of America has announced it intends to lay off.

We’re at a pivot point when many of us – even those who are currently working for one employer – will, in the not too distant future, have to redefine what it means to work.

And it’s going to feel weird, and awkward.

Like when you realize you no longer limited to what’s in the phone book, but have all the resources of Google at your fingertips.

I’m going to tell you one thing. I know for certain that when you invent your own career, you consciously choose to leverage your own talents, your own skills, your own preferences – rather than contorting yourself to fit into a narrow job description of someone else’s design.

When you invent your own career, you offer your best self to solve the problems of people – whoever they may be and however many of them you happen to choose to serve, anywhere in the world.

That, my friend, is you as Google.

 

Planting Seeds

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Take a seed.

Put it in some dirt. Maybe add some compost.

Now, water it.

Then, do the hardest part: walk away.

I mean it, walk away.

Because if you worry whether the seeds are germinating, doubt whether they’re growing – pull them up to check the progress? You’ll kill the plant.

Growing things calls for patience.

Even if it’s growing your career, your business, your practice, your network. Your love life, your family, your friendships. Whatever you’re growing, you need patience, baby.

And you need to plant seeds. Every single day.

Plant plenty, because we all know that some seeds will not grow. Too much water, too much sun, not enough water, not enough sun – there are many reasons seeds don’t take root.

But you can’t take it personally. Just plant so many seeds that a few duds won’t make any difference.

Just keep planting, even in the most unlikely places.

Because some seeds can thrive in an improbable inch of dirt in a random crack in the sidewalk.

Want a new job as a lawyer? Talk to your periodontist.

Want to meet a new person? Ask the yoga instructor.

Need to meet someone at XYZ, Inc.? You’d be surprised to know that the softball coach’s younger brother is the CEO there.

Plant those seeds and water them with generosity and genuine kindness.

Let them develop roots.

Let them flourish and grow.

And when it’s time to harvest, you will have a bumper crop.

The One

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She asked me, “Do you think he could be The One?”

I looked at her hopeful face and wondered how she would take my hearfelt answer — no, honey, he’s not The One. He might be a wonderful guy, and you might be extremely happy with him, but he’s not The One.

Because there’s no such thing as The One.

Despite everything you’ve been told, The One is a myth that only serves to hold us back and make us wretchedly unhappy.

Because there’s not just one person in the whole world who you can love — there are millions.

Pick your jaw up from the floor, sweetie, and bear with me here.

When you decide that there’s only one person out there with whom you can be happy, be contented, be yourself, be deeply committed with — well, you’re setting a limit. A big limiting limit.

Still don’t believe me? Ok, when you say that there’s only one person you can love, what about the woman I knew who was widowed when her young husband was killed in his tank in the Battle of the Bulge? To say that he was The One — the only person she could possibly ever love — what does that say about her second marriage which thrived for fifty years? The one in which she was happy, contented, herself, and deeply committed? Was it wrong? Which marriage didn’t count?

Is it possible that both husbands could have been The One?

Starting to understand? OK, let’s talk about this in the simple terms of abundance and lack. Abundance means having lots and lack means having very little, or, worse, none at all. Believing in The One sets up a deep, black, lack hole. Coming from a lack mindset, I think that I may only get one shot at happiness, so I better get it right. I better be picky. Or, I better hold on to a mediocre boyfriend because what if he’s The One? What if this is as good as it gets?

Abundance is just the opposite. Abundance means that there are many people I can love and be committed to. So if you hit me, or steal my money, or treat me like dirt — I’m a-walking. Because I know, deep down, that there is someone else out there I can love. Plenty of someone elses.

Now, I have to say this: I am a friend of marriage in general, and a friend of your marriage in particular. I am not saying that living in abundance allows you to have affairs all willy-nilly and be off the hook because you’re just living in abundance, dude, and all your partners are The Ones. Huh-uh.

Knowing that there are many people you can love yet acknowledging that you have chosen your spouse is how you divorce-proof your marriage.

Borrowing what I know from weight loss coaching, putting anything off limits creates a lack and only serves to place that “bad food” right smack dab at the top of your mind, increasing your desire to have that “bad food”. To foil that impulse, it’s important to tell yourself that you can have any food — but you’re choosing that which is healthy.

Imagine how different you might take an office crush with this mindset. Rather than wondering, “Maybe my spouse isn’t really The One. Maybe the office crush is The One. If he wasn’t The One would I be feeling all these feelings?”

Naturally, you’d be feeling the crush! Because he’s one of The Ones you could possibly love. But he’s just one of The Ones. Knowing that there is plenty of love available to you puts the crush into perspective and allows you to stay committed to the person you’re committed to.

And I have noticed that people carry over The One idea to their careers. Some people have an attitude that their job should be The One. Which is, again, coming from a lack place. People stay too long in jobs when they worry that maybe this is as good as it gets. Maybe working somewhere else would be harder. Or worse. Or just have different jerks.

My first job out of college was great — I worked with a terrific team of peers, and I’m happily connected with them today. It was a challenging and affirming job. But had I stayed there, I would never have had the tremendous experience of working at The White House. Which was, in a word, amazing. And had I not left The White House (well, the Secret Service would have escorted me out one way or the other after the new President took office), I would never have worked for Anne Wexler and have had five inspiring and educational years with her.

And, of course, I would not be the coach I am today without all those experiences.

I loved them all. They were each The One. And The Ones keep on coming. Because I live in abundance and happily welcome them with open arms.

Oh, there are many ways to be happy, darlings. When you know that there’s is plenty to choose from — not just One, but Many — you can live in non-desperate abundance and make sound, fulfilling choices. And you’ll find yourself surrounded in love. With all The Ones that are out there for you.