Here’s How to Unleash Creativity at Your Next Meeting via Inc

Creativity is important regardless of which career you are in today. We all have to come up with creative and applicable solutions to the problems we face on a daily basis. In this article, we learn that drawing, not word, is sometimes the best way of releasing our innate creativity and problem solving skills. — Douglas

Here's How to Unleash Creativity at Your Next Meeting via Inc

What’s the problem with meetings? Yes, many  lack purpose and focus–and most go on too long. But there’s another underlying problem: Everybody talks too much.

Human beings simply aren’t wired to sit around all day in a closed room communicating verbally. Sure, way back when we’d gather around the camp fire at night but that was after a vigorous day chasing woolly mammoths or gathering nuts and berries.

So my idea for transforming meetings is very simple: give participants a chance to draw. Before you dismiss this approach, let me explain

Here’s How to Unleash Creativity at Your Next Meeting via Inc



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
                                          

Posted in Career Tips, Creativity, Education, Shared | Comments Off on Here’s How to Unleash Creativity at Your Next Meeting via Inc

Those who “need” your help, but don’t really “want” it — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

Those who “need” your help, but don’t really “want” it — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

It is important to remember that every job, every career, involves some aspect of customer service. In some cases we might be supporting our outside customers while, in others, we are supporting our fellow, in-house, coworkers. Whatever the reason, though, it is often part of our job to help others do theirs. As someone who has made a career out of customer service, I would like to warn you about a frustrating situation that can occur — people who “need” your help but don’t really “want” it. I know that can sound very odd, but I think you will recognize these people in your life and work when I describe them and their behavior. These people can make your work very difficult if you don’t understand how to recognize and deal with them.

Read Those who “need” your help, but don’t really “want” it — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on Those who “need” your help, but don’t really “want” it — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

15 More Tiny Projects to Start Today via Psych Central

Your career doesn’t — and shouldn’t — stand apart from other aspects of your life. Creativity in one area always helps to expand creativity in all area of your life. This article provides 15 great ideas for spurring your creativity in general so it can better be applied to specific aspects of your career — Douglas

15 More Tiny Projects to Start Today via Psych Central

We might not have time for big creative projects. But we can usually spare a few minutes per day or per week for a tiny task. Of course, the key is to find something that you enjoy, something that rejuvenates you and inspires you, something you can’t wait to do.

Because connecting to our creativity is a wonderful, important way to care for ourselves.

Last week, in this piece, I shared 15 such tiny projects from the beautiful book Creativity Takes Courage: Dare to Think Differently by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst. Below are 15 more ideas, which I came up with.

Read 15 More Tiny Projects to Start Today via Psych Central



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

Posted in Career Tips, Creativity, Education, Elsewhere, Shared, Tips | Comments Off on 15 More Tiny Projects to Start Today via Psych Central

Organization: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

Organization: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

When most of us think about organization, we think about calendars, address books and to-do lists, but organization, as it relates to your life and career, is so much more. We all know  from personal experience how unorganized people and companies can make our lives much more difficult than it need be – sometimes to the point of chaos. Why would we wish to inflict this on others ourselves? If you want to have a successful career, you must become organized – at least in some basic way. Thankfully, and despite what you might think, it’s relatively easy to be organized. Even more, the slightest bit of organization, will help you to stand out among those who haven’t yet learned that lesson. Organization can be an excellent way to build a very successful career.

Read The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on Organization: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

Make your own Career Classroom — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

Make your own Career Classroom — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

The explosion of educational MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) seems to indicate a large, renewed interest in nontraditional educational opportunities. People are looking for new opportunities to learn when and where they can. While there are a tremendous amount of large MOOCs available, and you should be investigating them, this trend has also sparked my own thinking about smaller, self-directed learning opportunities. You don’t always have to rely on someone else to create your learning opportunities, like traditional schools and universities. You, along with a small group of friends, family, or coworkers can create your own time and place to learn together. In some ways, I think that these smaller groups can help you learn more deeply, in a more intimate learning environment, than any MOOC possibly could.

Read Make your own Career Classroom — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on Make your own Career Classroom — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

7 Skills of the Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

7 Skills of the Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

Looking back over my own long career, and the careers of family, friends and Career Opportunities listeners and readers, I have struck upon 7 Skills that can help to insure a successful career for any careerist, regardless of their work industry, their position in a company or their goals as a careerist. These fundamental skills form a solid foundation for any career and, in many ways, also enhance life outside of your career. In this introduction I will give an overview of of the skills and then explore each one further in its own, upcoming, Career Opportunities column.

Read 7 Skills of the Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on 7 Skills of the Successful Careerist — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

What video games can teach you about your career — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

What video games can teach you about your career — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

I am not a big player of video games, but my teenage son has introduced me to a few in the last several years. Even if I don’t play the games themselves, I do often watch videos of the game play to stay informed of the state of the art and also to enjoy the stories. Although video games are often dismissed as time-wasters and corrupters of youth (and adults), I find that there are a number of career lessons that can be gained from them. Like everything in your life — your family, your hobbies, the books you read — video games can yield some interesting lessons if you take the time to think beyond the actual gameplay itself.

Read What video games can teach you about your career — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on What video games can teach you about your career — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

Great ideas have lonely childhoods via GapingVoid

It’s pretty safe to say, that when you finally come up with your million-dollar idea, nobody is going to understand it at first. They many not laugh in your face outright, but they’ll probably scratch their heads, at least.

Like I wrote in my first book, Ignore Everybody, great ideas have lonely childhoods. Great ideas also change the power balance in relationships, which is the main reason why people initially resist them. People like the status quo, thank you very much.

And then maybe, just maybe, your million-idea isn’t worth a million dollars. Maybe all it’s worth is years of heartbreak, stress and zero money on your end. What Joseph Campbell describes as the golden chalice turning to ashes, the moment the hero steps out of the dark forest. It happens all the time.

But you press on regardless. Why? Because you have no choice. Because win or lose, you really don’t have a better reason for being alive. That to try for a safer, easier route was not what God had planned for you. And nobody wants to try to prove God wrong.

Now if you can only get those naysayer voices inside your head to shut up…

Read Great ideas have lonely childhoods via GapingVoid

Posted in Education, Shared | Comments Off on Great ideas have lonely childhoods via GapingVoid

Don’t let “feeling stupid” stop you from learning what you need — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Don’t let “feeling stupid” stop you from learning what you need — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

I have spent the last 30 years helping people to learn about technology in a number of ways and there has always been one, constant theme to this process — people hate to “feel stupid”about technology — or anything, for that matter. I think “feeling stupid” should be a diagnosed clinical physiological problem for all the damage it causes. Too many times, I have seen people suffer both personal and professional trials, simply to avoid the embarrassment and fear of “feeling stupid.” Let me tell you, though, avoiding the fear of appearing stupid to your friends, family and co-workers could be the most damaging act you take in your life and career. It can have far-reaching effects that limit your effectiveness, productivity and future success. Embrace “knowing what you don’t know” and then seek to learn.

Don’t let “feeling stupid” stop you from learning what you need — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on Don’t let “feeling stupid” stop you from learning what you need — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Failure vs. failure — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]

Failure vs. failure — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Career op logo 2012 itunes

Listen to this podcast

…or tell your Echo, “Alexa, play the podcast Career Opportunities”

There is a great difference between Failure (with a capital F) and failure with a lowercase “f”, but sometimes it can be hard to see that. While it is part of the human condition to fail on occasion, and despite what we might learn from those failures, failure is never, ever, easy. Given enough failures, in fact, and you might start feeling like a complete Failure. This is a dangerous place to tread, though and can lead to greater problems down the road if you don’t come to some sort of understanding with yourself, your life and your career. Don’t let failure stop you in your career tracks. Face it, deal with it and then move forward.

Read Failure vs. failure — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Now available exclusively to Career Opportunities readers and Listeners.

Click for more information and pricing 



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

Posted in Audio, Podcast, Show | Comments Off on Failure vs. failure — from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]