Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Category: Working Matters

  • Survival May Depend On Distinctions

    When the workload becomes overwhelming, survival may depend upon making distinctions.

    In this week’s podcast conversation, Claudia and I discuss survival techniques for those with too much work coming from too many places.

    Distinctions. Consider the difference between:

    • Organizing
    • Prioritizing
    • Focusing

    Organizing is a structural issue. The methods and means you currently use for keeping track of workload might not be serving you very well.

    Prioritizing is a values issue. There may be lack of clarity about the relative importance of the many tasks demanding your attention.

    Focusing is a attentiveness issue. You may become easily distracted, preoccupied or anxious in the midst of otherwise well-ordered efforts.

    Where do you struggle most when the workload becomes more than you can bear?

    Coming into the conversation just now? Catch up on the entire series, Toughing Out a Tough Job.

  • Quote to Consider: Leaders Are About Everyone Else

    Great leaders are obsessed with recognizing, resourcing and advancing the ideas of others in the organization, not their own.

    How do you go about…

    • Recognizing
    • Resourcing
    • Advancing

    the ideas of others?

    Pick one and let us know what you do.

    If you feel stuck in a “control others to enact your own ideas” model of leadership, let’s talk. There’s an exhilarating world of enterprising teams, engaged employees and explosive creativity waiting to be unleashed in your firm.

  • Toughing Out a Tough Job #3: When The Workload is Overwhelming

    Workload feel like you’re juggling knives? Lugging a file cabinet on your back? Navigating a maze of booby traps?

    For any given priority that you consider tackling, do all the others shout for attention making it impossible to focus? Do all choices seem like lose-lose propositions? For all your hard work is the main question that comes to mind, “Who am I letting down today?”

    In today’s podcast discussion on Toughing Out a Tough Job, Claudia and I look at coping with an overwhelming workload.

    In this series we’re taking as our starting point that changing jobs is not one of the options on the table. So we’re looking for survival techniques, coping strategies, and creative alternatives to make meaningful choices where we can.

    Overwhelmed by your workload? Listen in.

  • A Nod to My Dad

    Today would be my father’s birthday if he were alive.

    He, unfortunately, passed away 23 years ago at the untimely age of 51.

    Most memories are fuzzy at this point. I pull out photos to remember his smile.

    His voice, though, I still hear.

    Three lines in particular accompany me, bolster me, and continue to challenge me.

    You can do anything you set your mind to.

    Keep a hand extended. You never know when someone will need it.

    You’re my hero.

    Those words reverberate differently to a son now in mid-life himself. But speak into my life, inspire my heart, and test my mettle, they continue to do.

    Thanks Dad.

  • Boring Job Is Creativity and Motivational Challenge

    Surviving a boring job (when leaving isn’t an option) is a creativity and a motivational challenge.

    It’s a creativity challenge, because nothing in the job itself is stimulating, challenging or engaging you. You need a way to see what is currently not visible. You need a way to think outside the box.

    How can you look in unexpected places and to unexpected people for venues, connections and opportunities that aren’t currently making themselves known?

    It’s a motivational challenge, because once bored, energy levels plummet and inertia sets in. It can feel like trying to jump over a hurdle without the benefit of a running start. What you need are reasons and ways to get a running start.

    What in your life is important enough to you to rouse yourself for? Are other relationships starting to suffer? Energy not there for favorite hobbies or activities?

    Sparking creativity and mustering motivation when bored to death can seem impossible. But what is your alternative? Give into the boredom and let what little life is left in you get seep out?

    What works for you? What do you do to jump start either your creative juices or your motivation?

    Check out the entire discussion on Toughing Out a Tough Job

  • Loving Monday: Looking Forward to Whom?

    Whom are you looking forward to seeing this week?

    Who believes in you, appreciates you, or simply accepts you as you are?

    Who will make you laugh, help you out, or take you at your word?

    Finding people at work we look forward to seeing is a crucial component of loving Monday. The work itself may get complex, stressful and/or overwhelming. But if there is a relationship or two that can make you smile, go the extra mile with you, or you can’t go without seeing, then you’ll be surprised at where the energy will come from to get out of bed and get yourself moving in the morning.

    Coming back to people who are important to you can make Mondays a highlight.

    What stories from this past weekend did you come into this morning?

  • Is Your Resume Up To Date?

    Toughing out a tough job is no one’s preference. In our current podcast discussions, though, we’re acknowledging that there do exist situations and seasons when staying put is the wisest course of action.

    Vital is to affirm your own value along the way. Articulating your attributes, skills and experience serves as a reminder that you have options, even if they are limited. A reminder that your choice to stay in your current job is a choice of power, not powerlessness.

    One of the best tools for articulating one’s value is the resumé.

    In what shape is your resumé?

    Rewriting your resumé will do a couple different things for you:

    1. Help you present yourself in terms of how you want to be perceived.
    2. Help you describe your work experience as qualifications for what you want to do next.

    In the process your confidence will feel more grounded and your energy for toughing out the current tough job will multiply.

    There is nothing like the mirror of a good resumé to get excited about yourself.

    As always, I’m here to help. If you’d like a partner in recasting your resumé, let’s talk.

    On your side,

    – Karl

  • Toughing Out a Tough Job #2: When It Couldn’t Get More Boring

    Boredom is the kiss of death.

    Once boredom sets in, it’s like a slow, inevitable march toward madness. Nothing seems to matter. Energy levels plummet. The mind makes periodic escape attempts toward spectacular fantasies of life and adventure.

    The flip side of boredom, though, is challenge. Instead of blaming the boring job, you may be dealing with a changing you. It may be time for new challenges. Increased responsibilities. More complicated skills.

    But you can’t wait when bored. Time is your enemy. You need to take the initiative to seek out new opportunities or create them if they aren’t there.

    Boredom sucking the life out of you? Listen in to this week’s podcast conversation. (And don’t forget to leave a comment and say hi!)

  • Loving Monday: Frustration Release Exercise

    Frustration is real.

    I’m sorry if your week is starting off in a frustrating manner. I’m sorry if you run into unexpected frustrations later this week.

    That frustrations are a part of our reality need not keep us from loving Monday.

    In fact, our best bet for beating frustration is to acknowledge it. Instead of wishing that we did not have frustrations to begin with or thinking that we should be able to rise above them, we’d be better off just voicing our feeling.

    It can be as simple as shouting, “Damn that sucks!”

    Better would be to make it your own.

    Damn (replace with your favorite expletive) that (unfair and totally biased description of what happened) sucks (no-holds-barred expression of how it makes you feel.)

    To say it goes a long ways toward releasing it. Expressing the reality of both the frustrating event and its impact on you allows you to validate the negative experience without giving in to it or beating yourself up over it. You’ll actually have more internal space to deal with it more maturely and keep moving forward.

    Let’s have some fun with this and help each other at the same time. Post a comment here sharing your version of, “Damn that sucks!”

    Determined to love Mondays,

    – Karl

  • Finding Meaning in the Mean Time

    When we talk about “toughing out a tough job,” (our current podcast discussion series), we are not talking about passively enduring an awful situation until something better comes along.

    We’re talking about finding meaning in the mean time.

    We’re talking about making the time work for you instead of against you.

    We’re talking about taking control of the tough experience and creating as good an experience as possible.

    There are many good reasons to stay put in a less than ideal job situation.

    Two questions for you as we begin this discussion:

    1. Describe a situation where it would be wiser to stay put in a tough job situation.
    2. What is a goal you could set for yourself in such a situation where you would benefit regardless of the difficulties?

    Looking forward to hearing from you.