Author Archives: Jim Bright

The 10 Rules of Career Development for the C21st

The 10 Rules of Career Development for the C21st

 

This week I published a piece in the Sydney Herald and Age newspapers called the 10 Rules of Career Development for the C21st. It has created a lot of traffic around the world and many different comments.

Here are the first 3 rules:

If you are thinking about your career, here are 10 rules derived from the Chaos Theory of Careers that might help you.

Change is inevitable (except from a vending machine). Look at your face in the mirror. Unless your name is Joan Rivers, your face has changed over time. Why should you expect your career to be any different? If you spend your life regretting the passing of lost glories, you will not enjoy the present and will be ill-prepared to spot glorious future opportunities.

As the great Swiss artist Jean Tinguely said in his manifesto, “Resist the anxious fear to fix the instantaneous, to kill that which is living”. So ask yourself, how can I learn from the past, appreciate the present and be open to possibilities in the future? How can I accept change with grace, skill and optimism?

The Chaos Rules of Careers

Predictability is surprising. Life is not predictable and nor are careers. Did you imagine you’d be still doing this last year? Did you imagine you’d be doing this at all a decade ago? How do you feel when everything goes exactly to plan? Most people are likely to feel pleased but it is often accompanied with a sense of wonderment that things are going too smoothly because it is so rare! How can you better learn to live with uncertainty? How can you develop skills to take advantage of positive uncertain events? How can you learn to be resilient in the face of negative unexpected events?

Simplicity is surprisingly complex. You were not born as a typical man, woman, Gen Xer, Aries, Herpes or Caesarian. Say after me, all together now, “I am an individual” (I’m not!) Reducing me to a social stereotype might capture some of the ways I am like other people, but it fails to capture many of the important ways I differ. Just because more men than woman work in the mines and more women than men work in primary education is largely irrelevant if that is what you want to do and are appropriately skilled so to do. How can you step back and appreciate the bigger picture in your life?

Take a look at the article and read the other 7. Let me know what you think, leave comments here.

On forums such as Linkedin and Twitter, some early feedback included adding another rule for Gratitude and Rob Cole suggested adding a rule along the lines of “Passion emerges it does not predict”.

Your thoughts? Oh and if you are near Melbourne, do consider coming along to the 3-day Career Coaching and Assessment Course Oct 23-25. Details Here

Do people use uncertainty as an excuse to avoid planning and do nothing in their lives

Do people use uncertainty as an excuse to do nothing in their lives? Is it tempting to say that because uncertainty exists in the world there is no point trying to plan for a future, and so best to do nothing and deal with what comes along?

Short answer. Yes!

I think one way to look at this is to see Planning (distinct from a plan) as a form of opportunity awareness. Continually planning (devising, revising, reviving, resting, restoring, rearranging, rescheduling, timing, abandoning, copying, conceiving) is the way to go. I think there are problems with those who over-emphasise the security or benefits of “a Plan” or even having a supposed fallback of “a Plan B” – this thinking is static and risks complacency. However the risk of failing to practice planning skills may be even greater.

Like many things planning is a skill – it can be taught, and it requires continual practice or the skills can be diminished. There are some conditions that we need to guard against that I call:
PPP – Pushing Plan Prematurely
POTL – Pulling Out Too Late
SAP – Stubborn Adherence to the Plan
RATS- ReActing Too Slowly

plan failure

 

All of these conditions can be remedied by continual Planning, rehearsal etc

Some ways to do this include:
Opportunity awareness “Luck Readiness” – Being Curious, Flexible, Strategic, Persistence, Optimistic, Efficacious, and feeling Lucky

War gaming/ Scenario training – building scenarios to what-if situations continually (Shell Executives in the 1970s famously did this)

Stress testing – working through the plan and testing whether it stands up

Mentoring – running plans past the brains trust and seeking critiques

Daydreaming – thinking up new scenarios, but taking it further and turning the daydream into a fully fledged plan (you do not have to act on it, and it is remarkable how seemingly absurd ideas are more practical and doable that first imagined)

Controlled Failures – deliberately deviating from the plan with sufficient safety nets or fall back positions

Bigger picture thinking – over and above any one plan – what really matters, what are you trying to do on this earth, purpose

From this perpective, we can see why Dwight Eisenhower said (quoted in a book by Richard Nixon in the early 1960s) that “plans are useless, but planning is indispensable”

My concern is that a lot of what I’d call planning, or playfulness or planmanship, is overlooked in the rush to getting a plan. The skills are not taught to clients, and there is little encouragement to practice them regularly. Same goes for organisations that tend to stick to Annual planning retreats, and do not – and unlike the Shell executives – regularly practice planning.

 

thanks to Arlene Hirsh whose question on the Linkedin Careers Debate group prompted my thinking

 

Do you prefer Chaos or Order? Take the test!

Take a look at these two wordles – which one contains the most words that you like or relate to – Picture A or Picture B? When you’ve decided follow the link to our Linkedin Careers Debate Poll and vote!

UPDATE: 9 March – currently 90% of voters prefer (37%) or strongly prefer (53%) Wordle A  – all about change, chaos and chance!  So why is it, that we continue to hear so many messages focused on the words in Wordle B and so relatively few messages focused on the words in the wordle A?  Why do we like change, chance, creativity, novelty and ambiguity, yet settle for plans and predictability?

WORDLE A Chaos (you can click on the images to make them bigger)

chaos wordle

 

or WORDLE B Order (you can click on the images to make them bigger)

order wordle

So which one has the most words you like?

Wordle A – Change, Chance, Chaos  or Wordle B – Order, Plans, Predictability.

So folks like predictability, order, little or no change. Whereas others prefer continual change, uncertainty and chance.  Which words draw you in?  Which words unnerve you?  What does this say about you?  Have you changed in your preferences for these groups of words over the years?  Why has that happened?

 

 

Coaching with Chaos Webinar 2 – Using the Exploring Chaos Reality Checklist

This is the second in the webinar series. Later I will post a recording of the webinar here. For the time being, here are today’s slides.

This is Webinar 2 Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers – Exploring ChaosReality Checklist. You need to have paid for a subscription to this webinar or the whole series. Go to shop to pay or continue if you have the access codes. Webinar 2 was first broadcast on July 19th/July 20th 2012. This is for subscribers only.

In addition to the webinar, there is a handout of the slides you can download here

You can also download a background paper on the Chaos Theory of Careers first published in the Australian Journal of Career Development in 2003 here.

System Requirements:

If the webinar below does not appear you may need to download the latest version of Flash before viewing http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.

 

LINK TO WEBINAR 2

Dr Jim will be presenting 10 1 hour webinars demonstrating how the Chaos Theory of Careers can be used practically for coaching people and groups experiencing change and transition. They will be starting at the end of June and running till November. Attend as many individual sessions as you like, or sign up for the series of 10 and receive a significant discount. In addition within each live webinar attendees can access special offers on products and training. The total worth of these combined offers is greater than the cost of attending the sessions!

picture of Dr Jim Bright webinar presenter Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers

Dr Jim Bright Webinar presenter Coaching with Chaos Theory of Careers

There is also an option to take an online exam at the end of the course to receive formal recognition and a course graduation certificate. These webinars provide significant professional development opportunities and may be counted toward ongoing professional learning and development requirements of your professional association (please check with your association before enrolling). The examined option may provide proof of advanced learning.

 

Session Title Time(there will be one live webinar – the diffierent dates reflect international time differences)
1 Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers: complexity, change and chance – An introduction to a radical new framework for understanding the nature of change and how to help clients in transition Thursday June 28th (USA, UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday June 29th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
2 Using the Exploring Reality Chaos Checklist to validate client’s coping with change – This freeresource hosted online by Bright and Associates, is being used by 1000s of clients around the world to appreciate how they are already thriving on change and chaos.You will learn how to use the results of this free test in your coaching and counselling practice. Thursday July 19th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday July 20th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
3 Using the Attractors to understand coachee thinking and overcome limitations. You will learn about the four different Attractors and how they influence your client’s thinking.You will learn how to identify the different Attractors at work within your client and how best to work with clients using the different Attractors. Thursday August 9th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday August 10th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
4 Coaching clients to see fractal patterns in their actions. Taking Fractal action for authentic livingYou will learn how to interpret the complex patterns in your client’s life and circumstances and how to encourage action that is spontaneous and also authentic. Thursday August 23rd (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday August 24th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
5 Coaching with Narrative and Plots to enhance self-clarity, overcome limitation and motivate actionYou will learn the strengths and weaknesses of working with client stories and ways of enhancing personal transformation though re-plotting client stories using the 7 Essential plots. Thursday September 6th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)September 7th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
6 Using the Change Perception Index with clients – understanding the barriers to change for clients or groups.You will learn how to use this inexpensive and powerful online instrument to clarify how your clients think about and react to change. Used in many applictions for personal career change, change management initiatives in organisations and rehabilitation. Thursday September 20th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday September 21st (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
7 Using the Luck Readiness Index with clients. Promoting opportunity awareness with clients or groups.You will learn how to use this inexpensive and powerful online instrument to understand your clients levels of opportunity awareness. Used in many applications for personal career change, change management initiatives in organisations and rehabilitation. Thursday October 4th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday October 5th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
8 Using Signposts cards with Clients – helping clients make the links with their fundamental values and deep beliefs.You will learn how to use this visually stunning card sort to rapidly assist clients understand and make links between their essential world-view and their career opportunities. Thursday October 18th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday October 19th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
9 Using Creative Thinking Strategies Cards with Clients – to enhance creative and optimistic solutions to challenges faced by individuals or groups. You will learn how to use this large and powerful card sort to assist clients in overcoming self-limited thinking and to generate solutions to barriers in their change transition. Thursday November 1st (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday November 2nd (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
10 Applying The Beyond Personal Mastery® model of Creative Coaching – using a practical framework to coach clients undergoing change.You will learn how to apply a powerful model of personal and organisational change to guide your approach to coaching and counseling. Thursday November 15th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA) Friday November 16th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)

 

Times

All webinars commence at 8:30pm GMT on a Thursday / Friday depending on your time zone. They will run for one hour including 15 minutes for Q & A.
Local times (as at June 14th – please check your local time for daylight savings changes):

Thursday: California 1:30pm , Nashville 3:30pm, New York 4:30pm, Vancouver 1:30pm, Ottawa 4:30pm, UK 8:30pm, Italy 10:30pm, Friday: Mumbai 2:00am, Singapore 4:30am, Beijing 4:30am, Tokyo 5:00am, Sydney 6:30am

Pricing (In Australian dollars, approx exchange rates: $1Aus=$1US, 64pence UK, 0.80 Euro.)

Pay as you go please pay at least 24 hours in advance – $35 per single Webinar – simply pay before the start of the webinar to receive access. Pay here (Australians) or here (Overseas)

Pay in advance $299 for ten payable by June 28th 2012. Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas.

Discount for members of NCDA, CDAA (and other CICA organisations), APS, Inst of Careers Guidance UK, Full time students (proof required):

Discount Pay as you go $25 per Webinar – simply pay before the start – the day before to guarantee entry – of the webinar to receive access. Pay for the next one here for Australians or here for Overseas

Discount Pay in advance $200 for ten payable by June 28th 2012. Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas.

Examined option $349 for 10 webinars, and post series on-line exam and certificate (useful for professional recognition or professional standards). Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas

Professional membership/ student discount $250. Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas.

Second chance webinar – acess the webinars anytime you like – note this will not be live and therefore you can only listen, and the special offers do not apply. $35 per webinar or $299 for the series. No discounts. Payment options will apear here aft

Included in the price:

  • Listen live – ask questions in real time
  • Download handouts
  • In webinar offers and discount – for live webinars only worth over $300 (across the 10 webinars)
  • Course Attendance Certificate
  • Course Graduation Certificate (only for those taking Examined Graduate Option)
  • Free single access to Change Perception Index
  • Free single access to Luck Readiness Index

There are STRICTLY limited places for each webinar.

These sessions can be accessed live, or if you prefer you can access them at a time then better suites you. The timing of the sessions was constrained by international time differences. Remember if you attend the live sessions you get access to the special offers as well as the chance to ask questions and interact. Those paying in advance can attend live, listen later, or both attend live and listen again later.

Webinar 1 Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers: complexity, change and chance

This is Webinar 1 Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers. You need to have paid for a subscription to this webinar or the whole series. Go to shop to pay or continue if you have the access codes. Webinar 1 Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers complexity, change and chance – An introduction to a radical new framework for understanding the nature of change and how to help clients in transition. It was first broadcast on June 28th/June 29th 2012.  This is for subscribers only.

In addition to the webinar, there is a handout of the slides you can download here

You can also download a background paper on the Chaos Theory of Careers first published in the Australian Journal of Career Development in 2003 here.

System Requirements:

If the webinar below does not appear you may need to download the latest version of Flash before viewing http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.

Clicl this link to start webinar with login Webinar and password Brighteyes2020 

Dr Jim will be presenting 10 1 hour webinars demonstrating how the Chaos Theory of Careers can be used practically for coaching people and groups experiencing change and transition. They will be starting at the end of June and running till November. Attend as many individual sessions as you like, or sign up for the series of 10 and receive a significant discount. In addition within each live webinar attendees can access special offers on products and training. The total worth of these combined offers is greater than the cost of attending the sessions!

picture of Dr Jim Bright webinar presenter Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers

Dr Jim Bright Webinar presenter Coaching with Chaos Theory of Careers

There is also an option to take an online exam at the end of the course to receive formal recognition and a course graduation certificate. These webinars provide significant professional development opportunities and may be counted toward ongoing professional learning and development requirements of your professional association (please check with your association before enrolling). The examined option may provide proof of advanced learning.

 

Session Title Time(there will be one live webinar – the diffierent dates reflect international time differences)
1 Coaching with the Chaos Theory of Careers: complexity, change and chance – An introduction to a radical new framework for understanding the nature of change and how to help clients in transition Thursday June 28th (USA, UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday June 29th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
2 Using the Exploring Reality Chaos Checklist to validate client’s coping with change – This freeresource hosted online by Bright and Associates, is being used by 1000s of clients around the world to appreciate how they are already thriving on change and chaos.You will learn how to use the results of this free test in your coaching and counselling practice. Thursday July 19th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday July 20th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
3 Using the Attractors to understand coachee thinking and overcome limitations. You will learn about the four different Attractors and how they influence your client’s thinking.You will learn how to identify the different Attractors at work within your client and how best to work with clients using the different Attractors. Thursday August 9th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday August 10th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
4 Coaching clients to see fractal patterns in their actions. Taking Fractal action for authentic livingYou will learn how to interpret the complex patterns in your client’s life and circumstances and how to encourage action that is spontaneous and also authentic. Thursday August 23rd (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday August 24th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
5 Coaching with Narrative and Plots to enhance self-clarity, overcome limitation and motivate actionYou will learn the strengths and weaknesses of working with client stories and ways of enhancing personal transformation though re-plotting client stories using the 7 Essential plots. Thursday September 6th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)September 7th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
6 Using the Change Perception Index with clients – understanding the barriers to change for clients or groups.You will learn how to use this inexpensive and powerful online instrument to clarify how your clients think about and react to change. Used in many applictions for personal career change, change management initiatives in organisations and rehabilitation. Thursday September 20th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday September 21st (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
7 Using the Luck Readiness Index with clients. Promoting opportunity awareness with clients or groups.You will learn how to use this inexpensive and powerful online instrument to understand your clients levels of opportunity awareness. Used in many applications for personal career change, change management initiatives in organisations and rehabilitation. Thursday October 4th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday October 5th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
8 Using Signposts cards with Clients – helping clients make the links with their fundamental values and deep beliefs.You will learn how to use this visually stunning card sort to rapidly assist clients understand and make links between their essential world-view and their career opportunities. Thursday October 18th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday October 19th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
9 Using Creative Thinking Strategies Cards with Clients – to enhance creative and optimistic solutions to challenges faced by individuals or groups. You will learn how to use this large and powerful card sort to assist clients in overcoming self-limited thinking and to generate solutions to barriers in their change transition. Thursday November 1st (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA)Friday November 2nd (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)
10 Applying The Beyond Personal Mastery® model of Creative Coaching – using a practical framework to coach clients undergoing change.You will learn how to apply a powerful model of personal and organisational change to guide your approach to coaching and counseling. Thursday November 15th (USA,UK, EUROPE, CANADA) Friday November 16th (AUSTRALIA, ASIA)

 

Times

All webinars commence at 8:30pm GMT on a Thursday / Friday depending on your time zone. They will run for one hour including 15 minutes for Q & A.
Local times (as at June 14th – please check your local time for daylight savings changes):

Thursday: California 1:30pm , Nashville 3:30pm, New York 4:30pm, Vancouver 1:30pm, Ottawa 4:30pm, UK 8:30pm, Italy 10:30pm, Friday: Mumbai 2:00am, Singapore 4:30am, Beijing 4:30am, Tokyo 5:00am, Sydney 6:30am

Pricing (In Australian dollars, approx exchange rates: $1Aus=$1US, 64pence UK, 0.80 Euro.)

Pay as you go  please pay at least 24 hours in advance – $35 per single Webinar – simply pay before the start of the webinar to receive access. Pay here (Australians) or here (Overseas)

Pay in advance $299 for ten payable by June 28th 2012. Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas.

Discount for members of NCDA, CDAA (and other CICA organisations), APS, Inst of Careers Guidance UK, Full time students (proof required):

Discount Pay as you go $25 per Webinar – simply pay before the start  – the day before to guarantee entry –  of the webinar to receive access. Pay for the next one here for Australians or here for Overseas

Discount Pay in advance $200 for ten payable by June 28th 2012. Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas.

Examined option $349 for 10 webinars, and post series on-line exam and certificate (useful for professional recognition or professional standards). Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas

Professional membership/ student discount $250. Pay here for Australians or here for Overseas.

Second chance webinar – acess the webinars anytime you like – note this will not be live and therefore you can only listen, and the special offers do not apply. $35 per webinar or $299 for the series. No discounts. Payment options will apear here aft

Included in the price:

  • Listen live – ask questions in real time
  • Download handouts
  • In webinar offers and discount – for live webinars only worth over $300 (across the 10 webinars)
  • Course Attendance Certificate
  • Course Graduation Certificate (only for those taking Examined Graduate Option)
  • Free single access to Change Perception Index
  • Free single access to Luck Readiness Index

There are STRICTLY limited places for each webinar.

These sessions can be accessed live, or if you prefer you can access them at a time then better suites you. The timing of the sessions was constrained by international time differences. Remember if you attend the live sessions you get access to the special offers as well as the chance to ask questions and interact. Those paying in advance can attend live, listen later, or both attend live and listen again later.