What's Passion Got to do With Anything?

Perhaps I should let you know a little about myself, now that you have been hearing from me for almost 2 years. I love cars -it is one of my passions and I just recently purchased a new one (we will send out a complimentary copy of the US or Canadian Job Search Kit at a $29.95 value to those who can guess what I bought. Just send me an email, my address is below).

One of the great pleasures I have is reading one of my favorite blogs. This one is all about Autos. One of the US companies that's doing alright is Ford. I love their new Mustang, and they've hit a home run with the new F150 truck as well. It's rather nice for a gas-guzzling machine.

I recently heard of a quote that struck me as interesting: "One of the most important things about building anything is the people who build it," said Carroll Shelby (Ford Mustangs). "I want them to know that their work is appreciated and that they're the backbone of this company".

Shelby was out visiting the Flat Rock plant where they build the Mustangs. He was visiting for the introduction of the new 2006 Shelby Mustang. The first Shelby was produced in 1968 and was part of establishing the Mustang brand. "This is the next best thing to being next to God," said Samuel Crawford, who works in the body shop at the plant. "I've always wanted to meet Carroll Shelby. I've followed his career from an early age. In my life, I never thought I would have the chance to get this close."

It was quite an event for the plant and the car, which is one of the few bright spots in the North American car industry. As I always say, passion is the fuel and the focus; it gets you going and keeps you on the road.

All sectors and companies need people like Carroll Shelby in their lives, who set the pace for both products and passions. "I'm not a legend. I'm just a lucky country boy who loved what he did and was fortunate enough to be able to do that all my life," said Shelby. Not a bad epitaph.

Wouldn't you like to be able to claim something similar? Give us a call and we can help you find your passion.

Along the road with you ...

When Should You Go Back to the Drawing Board?

Even professionals in their field of work such as Charles Schultz, the creator of the famous comic strip Charlie Brown, can lose track of the basics.

Charles often tells the story of a day when he was about 15 years into his comic strip, and he sat down to draw Snoopy in front of his typewriter, like many other days. The only problem was that he forgot how to draw the typewriter!

Often times along our career search, we can forget the basics. We start along a path and completely miss out on a key and obvious element. Some of the biggest mistakes in life are a result of missing a basic element.

Did Charles know how to draw a typewriter? Absolutely. Sometimes in life we need to be reminded of the basics. We call it going "back to the drawing board". Not because we don't know how to do it, but it just needs to be seen from a new angle, a fresh perspective.

Whether you need a new angle or a fresh perspective, our coaches have lots of pen and paper available for you. So let's start drawing!

Along the road with you...

Give Your Best, Not Your All!

There has been something that I have been wrestling with for the past little while. The more I have digested the thought, the more truth I sense in the statement.

Let's say I had $100 in my pocket, and you asked me for a hand. I gave you all of my money, which meant that I didn't buy the medicine my daughter needed that day. Who won out of the deal, and who lost?

Instead of giving you my all, let's say I gave you $50 and used the rest to buy my daughter's medicine as well as some treats for my son. Who won and who lost in that deal?

That is my definition of giving your best. It is the same principle in the workplace. When you give work your best, you and work get a fair trade; everyone benefits. When you give it your all, there probably is not a lot left over for the other dimensions of your life; your health, relationships, family and even fun.

Too often we pride ourselves on giving our all, and the results are not generally the best. As my old boss Peter Ward says, "The good is the enemy of the best." Enjoy the rest of your summer, spend time with family and friends, and make time to do something that you love and that relaxes you. Give it a try, you may find you start to win in a lot more places than work!

P.S. Send me some examples of what you have changed. I'd like to hear from you!

Along the road with you ...

I'm Off to Timbuktu

This is a story of my friend Jack Mackenzie, whom I've known for a number of years now. I ran into him on Canada Day, twice in two different spots, and we had not seen each other in over a year.

Jack is an extremely interesting guy - did I mention that he skied to the North Pole when he was 78 (a world record at that)? Or that, at the age of 83, he returned from Easter Island and drove across China?

As we were catching up, I asked Jack my favorite question for him: "Where are you off to next?" Believe it or not, he is off to Timbuktu - a real city in the West African nation of Mali. A little history lesson; Timbuktu was a trading city, and became the intellectual and spiritual capital of West Africa. It was at the end of the camel caravan route that linked sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa and Arabia. Things were great until the Portuguese showed it was easier to sail around the whole area. That, as they say, was the beginning of the end. But for Jack, it simply meant another destination.

Jack has a list of goals that have kept him focused his entire life. Life is a collection of experiences. Time is just the measuring stick. Some people are so afraid of dying that they just don't live. That is one key mistake I see with clients. They have some really great goals, such as to get an undergrad, then an MBA or CA or LLB. However, they often stall at that point.

Goals are tremendous focal points; they are energizing and you always need a new set of them. Careers seldom stall when you have a goal, and are able to develop and follow a plan to achieve it. Our coaches can help you with that plan, and guide you along the path to achieving your goals. Don't wait one more day to make it happen.

There are two types of people in this world, those that live in the past and those, like Jack, who are looking forward to going to Timbuktu. You choose.


Along the road with you...

Why Lance Armstrong Needs Help?

Lucky 7 for Lance! Once again, against the odds, Lance has proven his ability to rise to the occasion and perform at an amazing level.

A good friend of mine is a biking fanatic. Between him educating me on the aspects of the Tour de France and the general media buzz around Lance's journey, I learned quite a lot about the world of cycling and the high performance athlete. One comment sticks out in my mind, the day Lance said he had a "no-chain day, he rode with such form that it felt effortless". I think this was around day 15, the equivalent of riding 15 marathons in a row, and Lance felt better than he had all the way through.

There are many keys to Lance's success; however, there is one that I think stands apart. Lance had help. He had 8 other riders on his team that won the race with him. Some of his teammates were hill specialists, while some were speed oriented. There was even one member of the team who was the "mule". His job was essentially to bring fuel (drinks & food) to the other members.

Lance's teammates have come and gone over the years. I believe there is only one member who consistently remained part of the team throughout all 7 races. This constant turnover even included the team manager and all other support personnel - more than 30 in all. Lance knows what he knows, and before each race, he would select the right group of people to compliment him.

As Lance moves on to other things, he will need a new team. This new group of people will have a different set of skills and talents as his role moves from athlete to more of a managerial position. His next set of successes will be proportional to the type of team he surrounds himself with.

So the question is, if Lance needs help, why wouldn't you? The principles are the same whether you are racing the Tour de France or running a pharmacy. Surround yourself with great people, seek out help, and get on the bike.

We can help you. Don't try and do it on your own. Lance didn't, and neither should you.

Along the road with you...