3 Keys To Meaningful Work

Christi Hegstad April 10th, 2013

Employees typically don’t leave jobs for the reasons we think.

It isn’t due to compensation, benefits, or hours. Those might be symptoms, but the underlying cause typically runs much deeper.

One of the big reasons? Feeling unimportant, like their work doesn’t matter. As one client described it to me, “I’m basically a desk jockey – I get paid to sit and push papers all day.” (Learn more about his transformation in an upcoming blog post.)

Whether you feel this way yourself or you sense disengagement among those you lead, you can make a positive change. Three places to start:

1. Clarify your values.

What are your 3 core values – those that are as important to you as food, water, and shelter? One of the first exercises all of my coaching clients undertake is a Values Clarification to become crystal clear on what matters most.

When you know your values, you can lead and work from a place of integrity. (Bonus tip: Compare your core values to those of your organization. Misalignment here means change in some form is necessary.)

2. SHINE – and help others shine.

The best way to shine? Leverage your passions and strengths as much as possible. Like with #1 above, you must first clarify what these are for you, then engage them – at home, at work, and at all points in between – at every opportunity.

Similarly, help others shine, too. You’ve heard how a candle loses none of its own light by lighting another candle? Be that original candle.

3. Link to the ultimate-ultimate-outcome.

If you work in a department of a large organization, you may not even recognize how your work impacts the next department over. Seek out that connection.

Then, take it a step beyond and see how your contribution impacts the organization.

Then, go a step further and see how your customers, clients, vendors, and/or partners are impacted by what you do.

THEN – and don’t skip this step! – discover what impact your contribution has on your community, society, the world at large. How does your product or service improve life for others? How to the rest of us benefit from what you do? How does your work fulfill a need? This is what will lead you to your ultimate-ultimate-outcome.

Rabbi Kushner eloquently wrote, “Burnout results not from hard work – people are capable of working very hard – but from a sense of futility, the fear that all the hard work isn’t making a difference.”

Start by bringing meaning to work. When you infuse your daily actions with a sense of purpose and contribution, you’ll be less swayed by the bumps along the road, more energized and engaged, and deeply connected to how your work helps you make a living, a difference, and a life.

How could you make your work more meaningful? How would you advise others to create meaningful work?

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

What A Hardware Store Taught Me About Business And Leadership

Christi Hegstad April 2nd, 2013

I was recently asked in an interview about my business role models. Several names came to mind: Stephen Covey for his principle-based leadership, Mary Kay Ash for her clear priorities and perseverance, Marcus Buckingham for his relentless pursuit of strengths-focused workplaces.

But two people I consider among my greatest role models aren’t names you’ll find on the bookshelves or in case studies. Joe & Flo were exceptional examples of how to lead a business – and a life – in a purposeful, difference-making way.

They were also extraordinary grandparents.

My grandparents owned a successful hardware store in northern Minnesota for years. When I turned 13, I lived with them for the summer and “worked” at the store – with my end-of-summer paycheck being a new bike. I learned a great deal about retail operations that summer, but the more significant lessons sinking in wouldn’t be realized until much later.

Many of their customers would come in daily, or several times a week, sometimes only to purchase a few nails or a sponge. These customers, whose order might total 15 cents, were treated with just as much respect and consideration as those buying lawn equipment and lumber. My grandparents knew them by name, asked about their children, and truly made their shopping experience a welcoming, enjoyable time of connection.

People walked away feeling better than they had when they walked in. Not always common in the hardware business, but standard practice for Joe and Flo.

I’ve come to realize that their business – just like any of ours – was so much more than a hardware store. It was a place for connection, a community-building space, an opportunity for individuals to feel like they mattered – like someone cared. Because my grandparents truly did care.

This was not a strategy for business growth. This was a way of life.

As an entrepreneur myself for over 10 years, I marvel at how – despite the trends and innovative ‘new’ practices uncovered each year – my strongest business lessons return to the basics of connection I learned from my grandparents.

I imagine that if I could talk with them about this now, they would tell me something like this: We each have an opportunity every single day to let others know they are important, that they matter. Treat each person as a fellow human being first, a friend second, and then a customer.

Whether you are a leader in your business, home, or volunteer organization, this guiding principle can serve you well. When we focus on making a true connection and raising others up, we can uplift one person at a time – and ultimately change the world.

How do you make a connection with those you serve? What will you do today to let each person you encounter feel like he or she is the most important?

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

How To Live The Good Life

Christi Hegstad March 25th, 2013

CLARITY KICKSTART: Week Of March 25, 2013

“To put it simply, the formula for living the good life is:

Living in the place you belong,

with the people you love,

doing the right work,

on purpose.”

~ Richard Leider & David Shapiro

Coaching Tip For The Week:

Do you agree with Leider & Shapiro’s definition of “the good life”?

If so, in what ways are you living the good life right now?

Many components come together to create a fulfilling, purposeful life – an important one being meaningful work. When your work makes a difference and you connect with the bigger picture, you likely reap the benefits in your level of success, skill mastery, relationships, even well-being.

Doing the right work – whether paid, volunteer, or in the home – makes up a significant part of a meaningful, purposeful life.

This week, rate your meaning at work on a scale from 1 (no sense of meaning and purpose) to 10 (incredibly meaningful and making a difference).

If the number isn’t where you’d like, decide what you want the number to be – then brainstorm a few actions you can take this week to move towards it.

Sometimes simply reminding yourself how your work positively impacts others (ripple effect) is enough to gain traction onward and upward!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to receive Clarity Kickstarts in your in-box every Monday morning? Click here!

How To Conduct An Informational Interview (Part II)

Christi Hegstad March 7th, 2013

As discussed in my previous blog (Part I), informational interviews are one of the best – and most under-utilized – ways to enhance your knowledge and network in a particular business or leadership area. By seeking ideas from people who are successfully doing what you’d like to do, you’ll gain rich, quality insights that you can’t match with an internet search or motivational speech.

In addition, you strengthen your relationship with your interviewee (or perhaps *create* a relationship, if you’ve never met!) and increase your network in a field that matters to you.

Now that you have prepared for the interview, prioritized your questions, and set up your meetings, here are a few additional tips to ensure terrific results:

Respect her time.

Above all, show the utmost respect for your interviewee. You can demonstrate your appreciation by honoring her time: If you invite her for coffee for 30 minutes, wrap up in 30 minutes. You may not have addressed all your questions, but since you’ve prioritized them, you’ll get what matters most.

Do your homework.

You want to ask relevant questions and get richness that you can’t find elsewhere. Therefore, you need to do your homework on your interviewee before you meet. Don’t ask a question like, “How long have you worked at ABC Company?” if you can easily find that information on LinkedIn. Use your time wisely (and again, respect your interviewee’s time) by asking specific, unique questions.

Ask permission to take notes.

I strongly encourage you to take notes so you capture key points in the moment, but you definitely want to get their approval first. Let them know your notes are for you only and keep that promise.

Thank them!

Thank everyone for their time – even if it was only the initial telephone call where someone said, “Sorry, but no.” For those who meet with you, either by telephone or over coffee, follow up with a handwritten thank you.

For an added touch, periodically keep your interviewee posted on your success. For example, if you meet with your interviewee because you’re considering starting a business, then 3 months later you do, let him know. Consider how wonderful it would feel to receive a note saying, “I just wanted to let you know that, in part because of our conversation, I’ve decided to do what I love!”

Remember, you can employ informational interviews for a whole host of reasons: to learn about a specific field or industry, to gain tips for making a career change, to begin building relationships within a company, or even to find a leadership mentor. Your interviews will benefit you for years to come, so take the necessary steps to ensure they benefit those with whom you’re meeting, too!

What is your experience with informational interviews? What tips would you add? Feel free to comment below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

How To Conduct An Informational Interview (Part I)

Christi Hegstad March 5th, 2013

Thinking about starting a business? Switching careers? Becoming a stronger, more impactful leader?

One of the best strategies for gaining ideas to successfully do what you love (and for getting unstuck) involves conducting informational interviews. This strategy is also extremely underutilized so, in addition to building your knowledge base, it’s another way to set yourself apart!

What Is An Informational Interview?

At its core, an informational interview is an opportunity for you to talk with role models, experts, and people successfully doing what you want to do. You invite them for coffee (your treat) or arrange a brief phone consultation, then ask specific questions in order to learn from their experience and wisdom.

Such interviews are win-win: you gain insights which can help you chart your own course, build your confidence, enhance your knowledge and network, and strengthen your relationship with your interviewee.

At the same time, in sharing her experiences and advice, your interviewee may rekindle her passion for her role, clarify her own vision and goals, and enjoy making a difference by helping you succeed.

A client of mine recently conducted several informational interviews to acquire firsthand insight into the new career field she is exploring. She came to our next coaching call overjoyed with what she had gained – not only “insider secrets” but links to discussion forums, book recommendations, classes to consider, and suggestions for additional people to contact.

“In 2 hours of conversations,” she shared, “I got more than I did with months of research and internet scouring on my own!”

How To Prepare For An Informational Interview

Just as if you were about to interview for a job or meet with a prospective client, your successful outcomes will depend heavily on your preparation. Today I offer 3 keys for setting up a successful informational interview. (Watch my next post for tips on conducting the actual interview.)

1. Create your prioritized list of questions.

Start by brainstorming everything you question about your new endeavor: logistics, fears, training needed, potential barriers, anything that comes to mind.

Then, identify which questions will most likely get you the information you need to move forward. Finalize a list of your top 10 questions; you likely won’t have time to ask all of them in a 30-minute coffee date, but you’ll be well-prepared and – since you’re prioritizing them – will definitely address the most important ones.

You want your list ready before you contact anyone. Why? Because your potential interviewee may respond with, “I don’t have time to meet for coffee, but I can give you five minutes right now.” Having your top questions ready will ensure you get what you need while respecting your interviewee’s time.

Some questions you might consider:

How did you get to where you are today? What has your path been like?

What are the top 2-3 lessons you’ve learned along the way?

If you could, would you follow the same path? What might you do differently?

And, of course:

Who else do you recommend I speak with? May I tell him you referred me?

2. Contact your potential sources, starting from the top.

Who will provide you with the information you seek?

Jot down names of people you already have in mind, role models, recommendations from people in the field, and results from your targeted internet search.

Just like with your questions, put your contacts in priority order. Starting at the top, contact each person with a (brief!) introduction and your invitation. Be prepared for some to accept and others to decline. Continue down your list until you’ve arranged a fair amount of interviews.

3. Prepare your mindset.

Shift to a positive, win-win mindset before making your calls and conducting your interviews. Two important “Don’ts” here:

a) Don’t take “No” personally. Your potential interviewees are successful and busy, and this won’t be the best time for everyone. Thank each person for her time and move forward.

b) Don’t feel you’re “wasting her time.” I wrote my doctoral dissertation on mentoring and found that the mentors benefited just as their proteges did – only in different ways (renewed energy, clearer focus, sense of making a difference and leaving a legacy). You definitely want to be respectful of their time and help make it a mutually beneficial experience, but don’t approach them with a mindset of, “Why would they ever say ‘Yes’ to this?”

These three strategies will help you start preparing effectively for your informational interviews. Watch for my next post for tips to actually conduct the interview in a positive, results-oriented manner that benefits both you and your interviewee!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Are You Strong – Or Just Skilled?

Christi Hegstad February 26th, 2013

Barbara Sher, author of I Could Do Anything…If I Only Knew What It Was, once shared this story:

When I was a single working mother with two babies, you know what my skills were? I could clean house like a demon, catch a moving bus with my arms full of laundry, groceries, and kids, and squeeze a dolloar until the picture of George Washington screamed for mercy.

I do NOT want a career that uses those skills, thank you.

We often confuse skill – being good at something – with strength. But as this excerpt clearly shows, a vast difference can exist between the two.

The problem? We often choose work based on our skills, without giving adequate attention to our strengths.

This involves much more than just semantics. At its most basic, a skill is something you’re good at. You might be a skilled pianist or excellent with numbers, for example.

A strength, however, is something you’re good at that also lights you up, that brings you energy.

If you’re excellent with numbers but cringe every time you face a spreadsheet, your skill does not translate into your strength. Or if your fingers fly across the keyboard but you hate every minute of playing, you are not engaging your strengths – you’re demonstrating your skill.

Reports show that less than 1/5 of us feel we use our strengths daily at work. What do you think this means in terms of morale, productivity, satisfaction, and engagement?

Assessments like the StrengthsFinder can help you uncover your strengths, as can asking yourself reflective questions such as:

1. What activities light me up or make me lose track of time?

2. What am I frequently complimented on and enjoy? (The second part of that question is important!)

3. What activities engage my talents, knowledge, and skills?

And then:

4. How am I engaging my strengths at work?

If your answer to #4 is, “I’m not,” don’t assume you’re in the wrong field or that you can’t leverage your strengths until you find a new job. I have a client who is a gifted artist and writer, but her professional role doesn’t allow for much of either. So she started a blog where she showcases her art and writes about it, and has developed quite a loyal following while embracing her strengths.

Another client thought she needed to switch careers in order to employ her love of financial details. In the meantime, she volunteered to lead a fundraising campaign at work and found that, with that simple tweak, her current job (which she already enjoyed) met her needs and let her play to her strengths.

Regularly engaging your strengths leads to positive results for you, your business, and those who receive your services. Strengths are also, of course, a required component of successfully doing what you love! Where do you currently employ your strengths? How might you use them more fully? As a leader, how can you help others identify and engage in their strengths, too?

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

10 Years, 10 Do-What-You-Love Lessons

Christi Hegstad February 14th, 2013

Today MAP Inc. celebrates 10 years in business. Upon reflection, we have learned about 83,000 lessons along the way – and that’s a conservative estimate 🙂 Today I’ll share 10 of them in the hopes that they support you in successfully doing what you love!

1. It’s never too late – or too early – to do what you love.

A few years ago, a beautiful 83-year-old woman participated in my Year of No Regrets class, excited to make her next chapter her best! And every time you purchase a craft from a child’s “store” you can rest assured you’re supporting a passion – and a budding entrepreneur. Start anytime, anywhere, with whatever you have.

2. Just because it hasn’t been done doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Innovators typically don’t follow the beaten path, which is both liberating and frightening. Don’t shy away from doing what you love simply because you don’t know how to proceed. If you can’t find someone who’s done what you want to do, start asking around – a friend of a friend of a friend will probably have the perfect resource to get you started! (And chances are, it has been done before, but not in the unique and brilliant way that you will do it.)

3. You don’t have to figure it all out.

Oh, if only I had figured this out years earlier! 🙂 Planning and strategizing matters. So does reaching out to others (see #5), acknowledging that you don’t have to know everything, and moving forward with faith.

4. Success stems from 3 keys: clarity, confidence, & meaningful action.

It all starts with a clear vision and purpose. Once you know what you’re striving for and the reasons behind it all, you can act with confidence, purpose, and have fun with it!

5. You need a team.

At the start, your team may come in the form of cheerleaders, advisors, and friends who keep saying, “You can do it!” Later, your team may grow to include assistants and employees. And always, all along the way, seek out mentors, hire coaches, and ask for/invest in the help you need.

6. Thick skin helps.

When you want to lead, live boldly, and make a difference, you naturally subject yourself to criticism. While not always easy to navigate (especially for the people-pleaser in you), here’s what I’ve discovered: It’s much easier than living with a string of I wish I would have‘s. Believe in yourself and your amazingness.

7. Be open.

Ten years ago, I never predicted that MAP Inc – which started as a subscription newsletter – would evolve into a coaching & training firm. And 10 years before that, I never would have predicted an entrepreneurial path at all! You can simultaneously move towards a vision while being open to interesting detours and saying “Yes” to opportunities. For this reason, I often end my goals with the phrase, “This or something better.”

8. Your heart tells the truth.

You know those activities that fully engage you, light you up, and make you lose track of time? They’re clues to your passions and strengths. Pay attention to what energizes you and where you feel “in the zone,” then pursue those moments. Often.

9. Know what matters most.

In his book Living A Life That Matters, Rabbi Kushner wrote, “Burnout results not from hard work – we’re capable of working very hard – but from a sense of futility, the fear that all the hard work isn’t making a difference.” When you can connect your work to your purpose and to the bigger picture, you may still work hard, but it will be with intention, meaning, and grace. Know what you’re working for, and keep visual reminders handy.

10. You can make a living, a life, and a difference ~ all at once.

And it’s a glorious experience – for you, for your family, and for the countless people you impact over a lifetime.

As you move forward in your career, business, or leadership role, keep this in mind: we want you to succeed! We want to benefit from the gifts that only you have to offer, we want to learn from you, we want to experience the positive difference you’re here to make.

And please, please remember: regardless of the size of your paycheck or the “fanciness” of your title or the amount of recognition you receive, YOUR WORK MATTERS. YOU matter! And you can make a positive difference in the world!

Here’s to doing what you love!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach their highest potential with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Passion, Purpose, and Doing What You Love

Christi Hegstad January 28th, 2013

“I’ve found that success knocks on the door when I’m engaged in activities that fill me with passion.”

~ Tammy Strobel

Coaching Tip For The Week:

When are you most successful?

Engaging in work you enjoy isn’t simply a “nice-to-do.” It’s been shown to boost your energy, health, profit margin, and a host of other benefits.

Plus, you’ll likely find greater success (however you define success) when you’re working in favor of your strengths.

This week, make the commitment to do work you love – even if your current role isn’t your ideal one. Seek out an opportunity that will showcase your strengths and allow you to shine.

Make it your ‘pet project’ this week and revel in the joy (and productivity, and profitability!) of doing what you love!

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Create Your Quick “Success Stoplight”

Christi Hegstad January 25th, 2013

One of MAP Inc.’s most popular personal development programs, Create Your Year of No Regrets (currently being transformed into a home study course), contains a purposeful activity that graduates have found incredibly helpful. It’s simple, to the point, and opens up the floodgates for success. I’ll share a component of this with you today.

When you set out to create an outstanding year or move forward on an important goal, take a few moments to create your Success Stoplight. The green bulb signifies what you need to start doing in order to succeed with your goal. The red bulb identifies what you need to stop doing. And the yellow, what you must continue doing.

To go a little deeper:

START Doing (Green): To achieve success, what new habits or actions do you need to introduce into your routine? Do you want to read 10 pages each day in your field? Schedules an offsite visioning retreat each quarter? Drink 3 large glasses of water per day while at your desk? Consider what sustainable actions will support your forward movement.

STOP Doing (Red): These actions typically come to mind pretty easily (we sure know how to be hard on ourselves, don’t we? 😉 Ask yourself what unhelpful habits you need to quit in order to succeed this year – perhaps working until 8pm, checking Facebook every hour, or eating lunch in front of your computer.

CONTINUE Doing (Yellow): What habits already in place support your success? Part of your plan needs to include continuing (and celebrating!) those actions. Maybe you have a peaceful morning practice that starts your day off right, an energizing exercise routine, or a weekly practice of sending handwritten notes to clients or colleagues. Don’t discount those positive actions that you’ve already established.

Pay special attention to the “Continue Doing” category. This component is often overlooked but may serve as the most important: it highlights your success and shows you that you can indeed build and maintain healthy habits into your work and life.

The actress Carrie Fisher once said, “There is no point at which you can say, ‘Well, I’m successful now. I might as well go take a nap.'” Success is an ongoing journey filled with bumps, detours, and – yes – stoplights. By being proactive with yours, you stack the deck in your favor to ensure a positive outcome.

So, what’s stopping you? Enjoy creating your Success Stoplight – and let me know how it goes!

Are You This Happy ALL THE TIME?

Christi Hegstad January 24th, 2013

At a meeting recently, I met someone who follows MAP Inc. on Facebook. Her main question for me that day: “Your posts are always so positive – are you really this happy ALL THE TIME?”

It’s not the first time I’ve been asked that question. If you read our e-letters, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or attend events at which I’m speaking, you’ll see (I hope!) a pattern of positivity, optimism, and happiness. I’ve researched the field extensively and know – and more importantly, experience – the benefits of positive living. Choosing a positive mindset can boost your relationships, business success, health, and pretty much every other area of life.

But am I happy all the time? Are you?

The answer, of course, is no.

Amid the beauty and joy, life also brings “less than happy” experiences. We might consider ourselves happy people but still experience true fear and devastating grief, inexplicable doubt and anger, sadness and mind-boggling frustration. It’s difficult to find happiness when you’re in the midst of a tragic loss. Trust me, I know.

But here’s the thing: by choosing in favor of happiness and focusing on the positive, we can start to raise our “default mode.” There’s much more detail and research behind this, but in a nutshell, raising your happiness set-point allows you to experience those other emotions (which we need – they make for a rich, engaging life, right?) and yet not get lost in the them. When we’ve created an environment – physical, mental, and relational – of positivity, we might crash hard from time to time, but we’ve got the resources in place to lift us up again, and the outlook to keep us moving forward.

So here’s one thing I do: I choose to put positive energy “out there.” Whether it’s through Facebook posts, keynotes, or one-on-one conversations, I strive to uplift and encourage. That’s not to say you’ll never catch me whining – but hopefully, if I’m living in alignment with my values and mission, you won’t catch that very often 😉

The Dalai Lama reminds us that “Happiness is not readymade. It comes from your own actions.” What actions do you choose in favor of happiness?

Tag Archives: meaningful work