who took your power?

Did someone take your power?

I'm not talking about your power trip - but your right to feel in charge of yourself?

At work - are you under attack for advocating something of value? Are you expected to perform at unreasonable rate or level? Has someone invalidated you and your integrity? Do you let a tight job market place a low value on your head?

At home - does your partner belittle you because you're imperfect? Did they jump to conclusions without seeking understanding? Did someone control you in a way that really violated your boundaries and standards?

Everyone needs to feel some of their own power. Once that is taken away - you're on a free-ride to unhappiness.

Take back your power - right now. Put your universe back in balance - you in charge of you and your destiny - them in charge of them. Learn from your mistakes - if you are taking away someone's personal power in an effort to manage or even love someone - you've brought an imbalance that will eventually lead to failure.

Stranger in a strange land

Do you ever purposely go outside your comfort zone?

I think we Americans don't like this. We don't like change - yet we embrace diversity (don't we?) and freedom of speech (unless its our new President) and "thought leaders" (recently I was criticized because I apparently wasn't acting like a thought leader). Ok - I'll take my sarcasm gloves off now.

If you look at my profile - clearly - I'm quite Anglo. But deep inside - I'm part soul sistah. I took my white self across the Bay to the Oakland Art & Soul Festival for some fine music (gospel, soul, and bits of funk, blues, jazz, and whatever else can be found in a 5 block radius around the City Center). Yes - I was the minority.... yes, I was one of a few to sit my self down to some classic black Gospel sounds. I went for the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir - and got my gospel on with them. It was a fine day and I've never seen a happier group of people chillin together.

My own town on the Peninsula used to be quite a bit more soulful - I guess we scared our soul brothers and sisters away. I felt quite welcome in Oakland and I highly suggest you step outside your comfort zone - try some new foods - risk being stared at as the only (insert your oddities) in town. Represent yourself in a new place. You won't be strange for long... and just as I learned in Italy a few years back - maybe pack it up before dusk just in case.

What the heck...

Workplace Today - Player Be Ware

Are you a team player? Do you really know what this means?

I was recently on a long term consulting assignment as a project manager of an application. In the time I was there – I helped to lay the foundation data and capabilities for 2 user groups. When I arrived, the project had gone through numerous delays and over the course of almost 2 years – the company went through numerous process changes and run the gamut from no process to too much and back.

At the end of my term there – I was asked to be part of a “team” to deliver a broader range of capabilities to a bigger user group and deploy new data, new capabilities, and a new environment for this group – all within an improbable time frame. The deal was – there would be little or no formal process and a tight deadline. Turns out – being a team player means being subject to micro management, daily chaos, ego's with personal agendas and little knowledge about the subject they speak, de-motivating intimidation tactics by people who see themselves a leader offering unreasonable deadlines to other ego's who have no idea whats going on behind the scenes – promises made regardless the accuracy or quality of output.

As the project manager – I thought that my part of the team would be to determine if timelines and quality could be met…. Not so. Being a team player meant whatever the leader of the moment feels it to be.

And I do believe this happens all over the corporate world. Money and time are wasted at the hands of a few. The talkers talk - the do'ers try to make it happen. Those who survive shut up and do their best and when the deadline can't be met because true quality of delivery is not ready. More money is spent replacing those who appeared to be "nay sayers" and getting a new team back up to speed.

Next time you’re looking at a new job description – remember the translation of key terms “team player”, “attention to detail”, “do what it takes” – can mean more than you bargained for. I consider myself a team player and I expect my input as a professional with experience to be important to goal attainment. Not always so.

yeah, this was a little ranty