Career & Work

Are You Stuck?

August 21, 2018 By kwmccarthy

(This video originally aired as an On-Purpose Business Minute. In rewriting the blog post, however, I decided to make it an On-Purpose Minute—where it seemed most appropriate.)

Being stuck comes upon us gradually until one day we realize it.

At first, a small panic settles in. We know we can’t afford to waste our days.

Yet hours, days, even weeks go by when we’re “busy”

shuffling papers
staring at bills
responding to emails
watching the news in a dulled sense of a former, more confident self

A life stuck in a job, in a marriage, or in the midst of a job search is terrifying and depressing at the same time.

What to do?

My hope is to offer a spark plus the fuel to get you moving again … and, importantly, back to being on-purpose.

How you get going is a personal matter that is frankly unique to you. There are many ways to get unstuck. The best way is the way that works for you. What matters is that you get unstuck!

Six Steps to Un-Sticking a Stuck Life

First, stop blaming yourself, anyone, anything, or any circumstance. The sooner you can Think Inc! or take 100% responsibility for yourself, your mindset, and your condition then the better and sooner you’ll stop living the blues.

I’ve been there several times in my career. Those dark places where I shut the door to life and wallowed over the injustices “done to me.” Except for true tragedy and grief, most “first world problems” are lifestyle afflictions to our preferences rather than our very existence. Perspective helps!

Second, reconcile your part. In every instance where I’ve been wronged or taken advantage of, I played a part. Generally, I made wrong assumptions, didn’t do my due diligence, allowed impulse to overtake my values system, or somehow denied the best of who I am.

Third, forgive! Admittedly, you may feel wronged or unjustly punished but dwelling on the offenses of the past is chewing up your present. Now you’re the one victimizing yourself! Stop beating up others and yourself. Forgive generously to live positively.

Fourth, be on-purpose! Life is meaningful and conspiring to make you a better person. “Character building moments” are more than an adage. They’re real if we’ll see them for what they are—lessons in leading our lives. Typically the harshest lessons are the most meaningful in the light of time and distance. Start by uncovering your purpose.

Fifth, decide to be joyful. Yes, that’s right, decide to be joyful. It is a decision of the heart unattached to circumstances, people, and conditions. The book Happiness is a Choice spells out the clinical foundations and practical methods for choosing to live “happily ever after.” Joy is happiness of the heart.

Sixth, take small positive steps daily. Writer Joshua Becker provides 12 intentional actions one can take to choose happiness and joy.

Need a bit more inspiration?

Watch this inspiring video from IAmSecond.com featuring Eric Metaxas where he talks about being trapped in a way of life that is fruitful but isn’t working. Listen and watch as he shares how a different point of view of one man and a meaningful dream transformed his life. Eric also speaks of how “blind faith” is bogus. Eric is the author of the NY Times best-selling biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

Will You Be a Boom or Bust?

August 16, 2018 By kwmccarthy

The following text of this On-Purpose Business Minute is dedicated to Baby Boomers, but the video is applicable to anyone in, entering, or exiting the workforce.

Think of a Baby Boomer you know—he or she may be your parents or you.

Three big trends are converging to create an economic swirl of circumstances that will define their next twenty to thirty years.

Baby Boomers are now hitting retirement age in record numbers.
The world economy is unstable and so are many retirement and pension plans.
Baby Boomers are retiring from jobs, but not from life, or the desire (need!) to keep earning.

Many Boomers will find themselves with

an empty nest
plenty of time on their hands
a desire to make a difference
a smaller retirement nest egg or pension than anticipated

Rather than heading for assisted living, they’ll be doing a “working retirement”—some by choice and others by necessity.

So what’s your plan for retirement?

Many of your friends may be saying, “I want to retire to Florida or Arizona to play golf, eat out, see movies, read books, relax, and visit my grandchildren.” Some of you may be thinking, “I’m interested in beginning my own business.” I hope so!

Perry James is a character appearing in both The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business Person. He’s a retired gentleman who provides mentoring and consulting services to a variety of small- and medium-sized business owners.

Perry is based on a dear friend and mentor of mine—Perry Nies, an MIT graduate with a Harvard Business School MBA, and retired business executive and owner. When I was in my early thirties Perry engineered me through some true business challenges. To this day we remain friends and are connected through church. At over 90 years of age Perry is an engaged and vital contributor who still consults and is involved in ministries. He’s also a role model for many Boomers of how to have an On-Purpose retirement.

The Baby Boom began in 1945. Today, the wave of Baby Boomers is being presented with a remarkable opportunity to dream and plan their “retirement.” Many will become “retired professionally” but seek to keep an active hand and mind in the affairs of business and life. I know for a fact that the Millennial and Gen X Generations need their wisdom, experience, and skills. I’m at the tail end of the Baby Boom and I value their counsel.

What if the most on-purpose years of your career are just around the corner … and you never make the turn because you hadn’t planned on it?

This blog post is simply my way of putting the challenge before the retiring Baby Boomers—keep Booming (and blooming).

Plan new businesses
Outline books you’ve always wanted to write
Offer your talent
Be a mentor
Stay connected
Think ahead
Develop your business plan now not later

Once they’re out of the flow of activity, most never return because they’ve fallen behind and the effort to get back up to speed is overwhelming.

Avoid getting caught short at retirement without a life and work plan. Without one, you’re likely to become a Baby Buster instead of a Baby Boomer.

To Do: Begin writing what your future could be. Download the Discovery Guide to help you get started.

How’s Work?

July 17, 2018 By kwmccarthy

How’s work?

There’s a question we often get asked. The typical response is something like “Fine” or “OK.”

But is it really?

For many people work translates into a job—a mere means of provision to support the family. A steady income doesn’t mean a steady life.

Work isn’t necessarily fulfilling or rewarding at a deeper level.

It is just a paycheck on the way to the weekend where real life is lived. In today’s economy, it is easy to look around and feel lucky just to have the regular income.

A sad reflection of this reality is the current trend of companies offering work-life balance programs in the workplace. But work-life balance is a myth. These programs, regardless of how well intended they are, reveal a sad reality on both the employer and the employee side.

Our lives and our work are so dangerously enmeshed that we need help separating ourselves from our work.

We’re workaholics in jobs that don’t really matter to us all that much. In other words, fear of loss motivates us more than what we have to gain. Too many of us are resigned to an unhealthy settling for work-life balance as an easy compromise over developing a healthy work-life integration. Have we just given up hope?

Isn’t all this talk of work-life balance code for “my job is sucking the very life out of me, but I need it to pay the bills, so I guess I will die trying to make it work”?

Fortunately, someone in HR has figured out that if we can equip you to learn work-life balance you won’t burn out or die as quickly on the job. This means you’ll keep being productive and won’t be such a drain on the company health care benefits program for a while longer.

Is it just me or is there something horribly skewed in this picture?

What if life and work are true blessings where work is a high and noble expression of our calling—and a steady income? Is this possible?

Can life and work be meaningfully integrated instead of separated and balanced?

Tell me if I’m wrong.

What Is It About This Milestone?

June 5, 2018 By kwmccarthy

(This video was recorded a few years ago, on the event of our daughter, Anne, turning 18.)

It is graduation season. Many young people—and their parents—are facing transition.

It is a milestone for young people in terms of coming to legal age. While parental responsibilities for education aren’t going away anytime soon, it does represent a passage of sorts for all of us. It also presents parents with new options as we begin living more as empty nesters.

What’s your advice to parents about redefining how to best create amazing adult children relationships?

Please share your thoughts by using the comment section below (not email) to help us have a parents’ guide to this new beginning. You’ll help a number of parents facing the same transition.

Are your children all adults? Having crossed this threshold, what advice do you have to offer?
Have you recently crossed the threshold into adulthood or do you have a memory of your 18th birthday that brings a bit of wisdom or even levity to the matter? Please share it below.

I posted this question on my Facebook page on my daughter’s birthday a few years ago. Here’s some of the advice from my Facebook friends about making a positive parent connection as our children continue to mature:

Michael McMillan – Congratulations, Kevin. Our 3 have passed that milestone, too… and I have no advice 🙂

Mary Tomlinson – My favorite example is that we go from being responsible for them as parents to becoming more of an “advisor,” and being there for them when they need us and staying out of their way when they don’t need us.

Chris Taylor – From the words of Robert Munsch, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as you’re living, my baby you’ll be.”

Chris’ quote comes from the book “Love You Forever.” When Charles and Anne were little we read this wonderful book to them over and over. In fact, it still brings a tear to my eye as I reflect on those special times with them when they easily fit in a curled arm.

Is Your Work Working?

May 3, 2018 By kwmccarthy

How does one meaningfully align and engage one’s heart in his or her work?

Is work truly just a job or is it an expression of something deeper?

The On-Purpose^® Principle (Pp<=>Po) is about “The purpose of the person (Pp) aligned with the purpose of the organization (Po).” Today, let’s further dissect The On-Purpose Principle up close and personal.

By the way, the Purpose of the Organization doesn’t just refer to a business. A marriage, family, hospital, agency, team, department, church, or club are just a few examples of the many organizations where this is applicable.

TOPBPerson cover — Click the Cover to Purchase

So how do you make your work work?

The clean and clear articulation of your purpose is the starting point. After that, decide to infuse your purpose into your decisions and actions. Your thoughts, spiritual posture, and language will begin the shifting or (to borrow a sailing term) “coming about” to catch the full strength and flow for the design of your life.

The difference is like bumping along in your car on a washboard dirt road versus getting on the interstate. The car and driver are the same but your life is on a smooth track.

All organizational development is within The On-Purpose Principle.

If you stay on the surface of it, the simplicity of this “equation” can deceive you. Ponder it for a bit, and you’ll discover that almost all of leadership and management theory is fundamentally attempting to create high alignment and integration of the purpose of the person with the purpose of the organization.

So if you truly seek to be a leader of your life and a person others would follow, invest some time to understand The On-Purpose Principle. You can read more about it in The On-Purpose Business Person.

Do You Have A Business Blunder To Share?

April 12, 2018 By kwmccarthy

Image of baby. Putting your foot in your mouth is only cute with babies! — “This sucks!”

Now and then we’re inclined to suffer by inserting our foot in our mouth with negative consequences! It is cute when a baby does it, but not so pretty when we’re adults. In the world of business, these gaffes can cost you a sale, a client, an account, a job, or—heaven forbid—your business.

Hopefully, however, you can look back with a sense of humor as I can in this On-Purpose Business Minute.

Some blunders can be tragic, and it really isn’t a laughing matter.

Regardless, every blunder holds a lesson (or two or three). Some may even hold blessings when we search long and hard enough and the healing is complete.

As you’ll see in my video, time tends to lend perspective and insight that pays dividends later in our life and career. After watching this On-Purpose Business Minute, please share your business blunder and the lesson(s) you learned. You will help us all by not being off-purpose.

Bored? Is Your Life On Autopilot?

April 3, 2018 By kwmccarthy

Admit it! If you’ve fallen into a rut—a low-grade living that isn’t all that bad, but just not all that good either—you’re bored when you want to be engaged and invigorated.

Today is the perfect day to examine and explore your greater possibilities.

In this On-Purpose^® Minute, awaken to the opportunities to alter the course of your life and place it on an on-purpose trajectory.

What to Do

Read or reread The On-Purpose Person. This timeless story will inspire you plus give you the process and tools you need to transform your life. Buy On-Purpose Peace and work through the process on your own, with a companion, or start a small group.

Bored? Are you wondering what to do when you’re bored?

Think about it: how many times have you pondered, “I’m bored and don’t know what to do.”

There is momentary boredom, and there is bored with life.

If you’re looking for stuff to do when you’re bored with life, look no further than your heart.

Chances are that living in your heart are dismissed dreams and desires that were dashed away for any number of wrong reasons. Reignite those. Put a simple plan in place. Have something to work toward that increases your personal growth and development as a human being, a parent, business person, whatever.

When I was in graduate business school at The Darden School, I used to go over to the grounds of the University of Virginia and sit in on lectures by Dr. Brown, a psychology professor who was known as “The Running Doctor.” He advocated physical movement as the way to get the emotional and mental state jump-started. Try it! A simple walk can do you a world of good.

Purpose = Energy

Purpose is the fuel that energizes dreams. Admittedly, it is easier to be entertained or happily distracted or drunk to the world than it is to overcome the natural forces of decline. Leading your life takes thought, effort, and commitment to do what we would prefer not to do.

The alternative to such intention is mindlessness. Here is a surefire approach to dullness of body, mind, and spirit. Refuse to settle for boredom when you can be on-purpose. Download the Discovery Guide preview and get started with leading your life today by deciding what matters most to you.

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Need some one-on-one help in the process? Consider hiring an On-Purpose^® Coach or On-Purpose^® Executive Coach. Learn more here.

What Is Your Social Media Currency?

March 29, 2018 By kwmccarthy

You’re sitting at the keyboard staring yet again at your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn login. Yep, you set up your profiles on various social media sites, but as a business person you’re wondering:

Why am I doing this social media effort?
Does Facebook for business make sense?
How do I get the most followers on Twitter?
Are my LinkedIn connections too many or not enough?
What LinkedIn groups should I join?
Who wants to be friends with me?
What in the world am I doing on all these social networking sites?

In a prior On-Purpose Business Minute, I posed the question: What’s the Deal with Social Media? You were encouraged to make sure the purpose of your organization, business design, business strategy, and marketing strategies were in place and aligned. Now, let’s explore a simple, yet powerful traditional step you can make to bridge the relationship of your marketing and social media channels.

Develop your “Social Media Currency,” a term I’m coining (pun) to help my fellow business persons who are awkwardly pounding away with tweets, posts, discussions, chats, and IMs. A little direction can go a long way as you’re learning your way in the world of social networking.

Currency is a store of value; therefore, social media currency is your virtual store of value associated with your online (and real) personality, brand, and identity.

The more I learn about social media and social networks, the more I realize how little has changed in the world of business strategically. Sure, these online mediums shift the means of communication, but the very essence of it still rests on the fundamentals of solid marketing and execution.

Your social media currency is a place or channel-specific extension of your business brand personality.

If I say Apple Inc, you’re probably thinking about your iPod, Mac, or iPhone and attribute the brand qualities like “cool design, youthful, creative, and easy to use.” If I say IBM, your descriptors might be “corporate, smart, safe, mature, and powerful.” Or invest 18 minutes to watch the amazing brand development presentation by Coca-Cola found in this On-Purpose Business Minute to see a great example.

In short, your brand personality permeates your culture, customer service, hiring, product development, and so forth as an essential intangible currency of the relationship that builds consistency and trust. Veer too far from it and your brand value proposition is eroded as your customers are confused. Confusion and doubt damage your value.

How to Coin Your Social Media Currency

You’re probably not the CEO of a major corporation, but a SOHO, small-business person, salesperson, agent, or such. This is all the more reason why being smart online can pay for you and your business. You don’t have the big budget, ad agency, or marketing department defining core marketing strategies.

Early in my foray into social media, Mark Carbone, a business associate, encouraged me to articulate what he calls the “Five Pillars” for my online presence. Immediately, it made sense to me. After asking clients to give me five words to describe me, here is what I got back in rank order as my brand personality: Insightful, Authentic, Confident, Entrepreneurial, Spiritual.

My business partner, Mary Tomlinson, who used to head up Walt Disney World’s internal ad agency, and I often help our business advisory clients develop their brand personality. Same basic concept, just a corporate version.

Thanks to Mark and Mary’s training, my social media currency is defined with five words that describe me.

So, What is your Brand Personality?

Give it some thought for you. What five words best describe your brand personality? Engage the help of business peers, associates, clients, employees, etc., by asking them to give you a list of the five words that they think collectively best describe you.

When you’re finished with your words, use the comment section to post them. Then, you can tell me what five words best describe me. Thanks!

Now, go out and wisely invest your social media currency.

Be On-Purpose!
Kevin