Work & Passion

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The Four Ps can help you at office meetings and further your career: The first P is for Purpose - always know the reason why a meeting is being held, so you can plan for it. The second is for Participants. If you know who will be at the meeting, you'll be better able to define your role at the beginning. Third is Prepare - know what is expected of you at the meeting. And the fourth is Participate: "You don't necessarily have to come up with the most brilliant solution to the problem being discussed; but if you don't take part, your bosses and co-workers will think you have no ideas." - Alberto Paz

When the Great One retired from playing hockey, he thanked God for giving him talent. Then he paused, thought about it, and said it probably wasn't so much the talent that was important as it was the passion to play hockey.

When we think of passion, too often we think of our lover or significant other but not our work. The truth is that without passion for our work, we lack the means for discovering our purpose. And without purpose, our life has no meaning.

Passion as a verb is how you live your life, how you do your work. Being passionate is an attitude and an energy you bring with you all the time. Passion as a noun is connection with a what, a thing, a person, place or activity that brings out the best in you. It is a sacred connection to your innermost self, your own life force. It is a connection to spirit, God, or the universal energy. Your passions are your loves and your loves tell the world who you are.

So many people I see in the workplace today practice "psychic absence"- that is, they go to work, but they leave their minds, hearts and souls at home. Part of the problem is that we live in a fast-paced world that makes constant demands on our energy. In this environment, passion dries up. The other problem is that many people have long suppressed their passion for life, so accessing passion for work is next to impossible.

I think Og Mandino expressed it well when he said, "Many people die at 40- they're buried at 80." Since so much of our identity comes from our work, it's important for our emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being that we become more passionate about and engaged in what we do.

Unfortunately, there is a misconception that there are only certain careers that one can feel passionate about and that others are just "jobs" to pay the bills. "It's easy for you to be passionate," I was once told by a workshop participant. "You have glamorous work. You get to travel all over the world teaching seminars and workshops. Some of us have to do the crummy jobs."

I have seen people be passionate about jobs that I would never want, like Jack the plumber who came to help us with a flooded basement one summer. I never knew someone could be so passionate about plugged pipes and backed-up drains.

At one point, he stuck his whole arm into the sewer and pulled out the culprit. "It's roots," he said with glee, obviously pleased with himself. My Dad is retired now but he's passionate about motors. His eyes get big and wide when someone hands him a sick motor. He loves taking it apart and figuring out the problem. He can work on his tractor or truck for hours, forgetting to eat or go home.

For my mother, it's her fruit farm and garden. The last time she was in Italy, which was to bury her father, she brought back a tiny walnut tree seedling from her parents' garden. That seedling has grown and produces bushels of walnuts. For her, that tree is sacred. It carries the spirit of her father, and each time she discovers a new walnut seedling she tells us that it's one of the babies of the original tree.

The point is that passion is in the eye of the beholder. It's not some magical ingredient that is found intrinsically in the work itself. The source of passion is who you are; it's the attitude you bring to your work that brings passion to your experience.

Perhaps you're thinking there's no way you can become passionate about your current job. Maybe you're in the right field, but working the wrong hours. Perhaps you love parts of your job, but not others. You may have to do some fine-tuning. In order to do this, you need to ask "Who am I?" The Conference Board of Canada lists self-knowledge as a core competency for career/life success.

Connecting to passion is about connecting to your authentic self. We all have special talents and gifts. People who are aligned with their passion have a compass for their lives, a focus, a purpose. The problem is that after years of following someone else's advice, your authentic self gets buried under layers of masks.

Here are 3 suggestions for connecting to your passion:
Pay attention to your gut feelings. Gut feelings have saved lives, discovered cures, and made people millions. They come as a hunch, a flash, a deep knowing. The problem is so many of us tune feelings out in favour of something more logical or rational. Feelings are sacred. They are your barometer for what's really important. Go inwards. Listen. Keep a journal. Make friends with your feelings.

Pay attention when you're enthusiastic. "Entheos," the Greek root of "enthusiasm", means "filled with God." Studies show that people with enthusiasm have stronger immune systems because they're high on life. Enthusiasm comes from your "well of passion" deep inside. When you feel this way, your soul is speaking, you feel endless energy, exhilaration. To find your passion, tune into your enthusiasm.

Pay attention to synchronicities. The German poet Goethe said that once you commit yourself to something, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help you that otherwise would never have occurred. Have you ever been attracted to a book, a career, a person only to have them keep popping up in your life in strange ways? That's synchronicity. These aren't just coincidences, they're meaningful coincidences. They mark significant points of transition in your life and they point you in the direction of your purpose.

Keeping passion alive is about courage, the courage to be who you are, regardless of some of the consequences. Living with passion is about living on the edge- it's about pushing yourself to grow outside your comfort zone.

Remember the message of the movie Good Will Hunting. All professions are honourable, but there is no honour in laying bricks if you have the heart of an artist. There is no honour in a desk job if your heart yearns to roam the land.

The point is to strive to know your authentic self and then be it! The outcome? A more passionate and meaningful life!


© Grace Cirocco


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9 Traits of WorkPlace Stars

Initiative: Most people think they have it, but they don't. Initiative is doing something outside your regular work that makes a difference. It's not carrying a tape recorder to a meeting after your boss has asked you to take notes.

Networking: The average performer thinks networking is keeping up with the office gossip or handing out business cards at industry luncheons. Stars, however, build a knowledge network so they know how to get things done. They get information three to five times faster and, consequently, top performers tend to work less than average.

Self-management: Typical performers think of time management, but stars think about managing their whole life at work. They think of the skills they need to stay marketable and then go after them. They don't wait for the boss to suggest a training class like average performers do.

Perspective: Average performers have tunnel vision. Stars develop multiple perspectives- of customers, competitors, co-workers and bosses- and use those different viewpoints, especially in a fast-growing industry.

Followership: Stars learn to be good second fiddles. If you help others, they look out for you.

Leadership: The average performer thinks this means charisma. Stars persuade people to do things. They understand people's interests.

Teamwork: Most folks think that's a no-brainer in this teamwork-driven society and they spend too much time on teams. Top performers are choosier and they will only join teams that will make a difference. That way, they save their energy for the important issues.

Organizational Savvy: Mediocre performers call it office politics, while stars view the office scene as competing legitimate interests. Stars get to know the players and develop credibility before they get into tough situations.

Show and Tell: The ho-hum performer doesn't consider his audience when he makes a presentation. A star focuses on the audience before he opens his mouth.

© Prof. Robert Kelley


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7 Ways to avoid Personality Conflicts at Work

Even if you do not like the people you work with or for, try to show respect. Respect the fact they are different than you and that they have a different approach than you do. Differences can be dynamic and the problem with many companies is that they do not encourage or respect individuality or creativity.

Avoid talking negatively or being judgemental about your co-workers. This can only lead to conflict.

Communicate, communicate, communicate. The problem is that everyone is working harder, longer, and, in most cases, with less resources. Admit it- most people we work with are stressed out. In this condition, it is all too easy to overlook the importance of clear, honest and open communication. If you have a problem with what someone said or did to you, tell them politely and try to go forward without carrying the emotional baggage.

Avoid backroom politics that will prejudice an employee's ability to work effectively.

Understand your enemy. Everyone comes to work with their own unique stuff. No doubt that some people choose to be miserable most of the time. But there are also many people who react to what you are saying or doing, because of where they are emotionally at that given moment. It does not mean that they will always react the same way in the future.

Will it really matter tomorrow? Sometimes, it is just not worth the time or the aggravation to engage in conflict. Politically, it may be the wrong issue or the wrong person. Sometimes, the problem we think is so important today and that requires an immediate confrontation with our co-worker or boss will be difficult to even remember tomorrow or a week from now.

Avoid the poison pen or E-mail. It is amazing how often employees will fire off an aggressive memo or E-mail to either a co-worker or boss without reflection. If you are going to respond, never do so impulsively and usually give it at least one good night's sleep and a second read before sending it out.

Avoiding conflict in the workplace is usually the best option if you want to create your own health and happiness at work. Where conflict cannot be avoided, the best approach is to think carefully about the extent to which you are prepared to participate and what effects it may have on your own employment.

© Malcolm J. MacKillop

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How to LOVE that Job you hate

Whether your complaint is a bad boss, too much bureaucracy, office politics, boring work, or all of the above, you don't have to suffer in silence (or not so silently). You can take steps to improve your situation, even if you can't afford to leave. Once you begin intervening on your own behalf, you'll start feeling less like a victim of circumstance and more like a professional with influence and control over your own destiny. Use the following strategy to help move your thinking in the right direction.

Eight Tips to Build Positive Relationships Positive office politics isn't only about mending fences with workplace enemies. It also involves creating alliances with people who can help you. To increase your feeling of belonging and develop closer relationships within your company, consider taking some of the following steps:

Sign up for courses that will improve your communication, team play, and leadership skills. Then try out what you learn on the people who make your life most miserable. Practice until you get it right.

Seek out assignments that enable you to work with a variety of colleagues, rather than the same old few you always get stuck with. This will improve your people skills, broaden your visibility, and revitalize your workday. It can be very energizing to work with new people even if you are still working in the same company.

Request assignments with people you genuinely like. After hanging out with them a while, you're sure to feel better about yourself and your company.

Volunteer for a committee that's working on an interesting issue or project so that you can develop an internal community of colleagues with shared interests and values.

When you have the time and energy, pitch in to help others who are on "job overload." You'll build a reputation as a team player and develop a supportive network to help you out should the favor ever need to be returned.

Give credit where credit is due. Rather than try to steal the limelight for yourself, share it with others. People will feel better about working for and with you.

Be on the lookout for little ways you can foster cooperation instead of conflict. When others sense your attitude, they might mellow, too.

Don't harbor grudges. They build ill will and give you ulcers. Chronic anger is a symptom of a serious emotional problem. It has a way of catching up with people who hold onto it too long.