Limping towards 2014?

I haven't blogged since September. I feel really bad about that. Writing and blogging is a creative outlet for me and it seems I've lost sight of that.

Yep. That's a warehouse. Pretty huh?

You see, I'm tired. Who isn't you say? It seems like every year I limp towards Christmas and New Year waiting for work to be over for another year. You too?

It's been a massive, massive year. Work has been great and exhausting. I have probably developed personally more this year in my career than any other. I have had the opportunity to work on lots of things I have never done before and learnt massively as a result. I have worked with some fantastic people who have helped me grow, develop and challenge the way I do things and I'm very grateful for that. I haven't had that in my career for a very long time.

That's all positive. But it has come at a cost. Lots of travel and time away from home. I became a platinum frequent flyer recently with Qantas and I'm not sure it's an event I should be excited about. Some of the things I have worked on during the year have been stressful and completely the opposite reason to why I work in HR. But I guess you get that.

The weeks leading up to Christmas were spent travelling and recovering from traveling and I'm pooped. Completely and utterly pooped. Usually I'm good at recognising I'm tired and do some things to help. Exercise is a good thing. Some weeks I manage to ride my bike to work one or two times and I usually try to walk a few times in the evenings. The week before Christmas? Rode my bike to work once, one way. That's 10kms. Training for the Tour de France, not. I also managed one walk and spent the whole time thinking about how tired I was. Ugh.

Sleep is also a good thing when you are tired. Being completely jet lagged for at least 2 weeks of December has meant I have been at the mercy of my completely mucked around body clock. By the time I finished work for the Christmas/New Year holiday I had decided to pursue afternoon naps every day.

My temptation is to have a big whinge. Having a whinge is a great Aussie past time and can be cathartic but there is a point where whinging just starts to make you feel worse. So I'm not. I'm going to tell you all the great things 2013 brought in terms of my career;

1. I had the opportunity to get better at some things I'm not very good at. How cool is that? If someone had asked me 18 months ago what were the 2 things I'm not very good at in terms of Human Resources I would have named the things that I have consistently worked on over this time. Was a great opportunity to round out my skills.
2. I got to work with two people in particular who have regularly coached me, challenged me and generally help me be better at what I do. I have found people like this to be very rare. In my very first HR job I had a great manager who played this role and I still think back to his advice now. Since then and now I don't feel like I have much of that. Much of my career development has been because I have worked autonomously and had to work out stuff for myself or because I worked with some very challenging and difficult people. This was great career development but it's nice to have some people who are looking out for your best interests.
3. I got to travel. So while I'm tired and need some time out, the travel I have done during the year has allowed me to meet and work with a greater cross section of people and challenged me to be the best when I'm tired and travel weary.
   
4. I got to use some skills that I'm really good at. This year more than any other I have done lots of writing at work. Employee communications, announcements and was able to create a blog for our Leadership Development Program. Do what you love and love what you do. I also feel like I have been able to bring together lots of skills from across my career.
5. I got to experience some things that made me better at work. Attending the Problogger conference on the Gold Coast was fantastic. So many inspirational and purposeful people all doing what they want to do and so willing to share their knowledge and experience. I'm sure this overflowed into my everyday work.
6. I attended the OneDay NewWays conference. For the second year running Amanda Webb and her team at OneDegree HR put on this great day. Not only were the speakers inspirational and interesting, I was able to use my photography skills to provide a record of the day for OneDegree HR. My favourite speakers included Dr Jason Fox, Tanya Diesel and Yamini Naidu. I encourage you to attend next year.
7. I attended the International HR Directors Forum Leadership conference, over 2 days in Bowral. I met some fantastic colleagues and learnt things that I was able to apply immediately. Return on investment realised!

How was 2013 for your career? What were you able to achieve?

Hate Networking?

There seems to be a thought that networking is important for your career. I guess. I'm really not sure about this. I know lots of people who seem to do well in their career and progress and I wouldn't say they are great networkers.

When I first moved to Sydney I attended lots of so called "networking" events. Breakfasts, after work drinks and a few lunches organised by companies that were interested in selling stuff to people like me. I went with a nervous but positive attitude open to meeting new people who could potentially help me with things I needed help with. The result was that each business card that I handed out often resulted with a sales call to match. People trying to sell me things I didn't need. Ugh.

I don't do specific "networking" events anymore. There has to be more to attending and event than meeting a group of people, exchanging business cards and not much else. I am extremely selective in choosing what external events I attend. I have written about this previously.

The problem of these events is that the discussions start at a superficial level and sometimes don't extend beyond this. There is not enough time and often we don't know how to really get to know people in a short period of time. I can't help but think that speed dating is a bad idea for the same reasons.

For example, most "networking" events are somehow work related. Because of this the discussions start at where you work or what do you do. What you do can be different to who you are. I work in HR but this doesn't define completely who I am. It's not my purpose though my work is a way I can be congruent with my purpose.

This weekend I have been at the Problogger conference on the Gold Coast. There are lots of opportunities to "network" and lots of people who are willing to talk and share. The first question is either where are your from? (bloggers are here from Australia and overseas) or what you blog about? The great thing about bloggers (including me) is that they blog about topics they are passionate about. It's really easy to connect and build relationships when you can immediately talk to people about what they love. This is true networking.

I challenge you that when you next find yourself in a room full of strangers avoid asking someone what they do or where they work, but instead ask questions that uncover their passion and purpose.

Lisa xx

5 ways to future proof your career

I have been doing some interviews this week for a senior role and I have been reminded how important it is for many of us to have stability in our lives. In our home life and our work life. Many candidates when asked the question “What are you looking for in the next step of your career?” often answer with comments like:

 "I want my next role to be a long one"

"I’m looking for somewhere that I can really establish myself"

"I want some stability"

"I’m looking for a large organisation that is doing well that I can stay with for the long term"

 The overwhelming theme is long term stability and this is not unexpected, but perhaps somewhat unrealistic. Organisations that today are strong and successful, in time may not be. Blackberry anyone?

There are organisations in existence today they were not even thought of 5 or 10 years ago and in the years since the global financial crisis traditional Organisations have removed all “redundancy”  in order to remain competitive and profitable, or just to survive. This has meant doing more with less. Usually more work with less people. Other organisations have sprung up which challenge and disrupt the notion of traditional business models. Think online, think social media and social enterprises. We are also seeing the demise of traditional "blue collar" work such as manufacturing where only the support of government intervention is keeping jobs alive. Holden anyone?

Companies compete and operate across the world and leaders in organisations manage teams and business remotely. There is increased complexity and ambiguity and humans are not great at dealing with this kind of stuff. Not so long ago we lived simply, off the land.

 It’s no wonder that we are looking for some stability!! It’s also no wonder that it’s hard to find.

 So on the basis that stability and certainty are hard to come by here are 5 ways to future proof your career (and life)

1.    Plan to lose your job
OK. Not the most positive of plans but it's likely it could happen at some point. What would you do? How would you pay your bills? Redundancy benefits are not what they used to be and if you don't have much service with your current company you won't get much of a payout.  

Having a financial plan is a good idea. This might incorporate how you use any redundancy entitlements, salary continuance insurance, how you would pay your bills and what you would do if you ended up being out of work for more than a couple of months.

You don't have to do it on your own. Check out Curious, Interested who do financial coaching for independence. Just what we all need.

2.    Work on hard to develop skills 
These are things like dealing with ambiguity, courage skills, conversation skills, dealing with and implementing change. Soft skills that are really, really hard. We all struggle with these but we can get better at them. I have been working on my managerial courage and conversation skills for a few years now and I know I'm getting better. And I'm better at my job for it.

3.    Work on generalist skills
People who can turn their hand to a variety of situations and disciplines are very valuable.  My friend Molly is a person who has great generalist skills. She is a leader and a good people manager. She works hard and is smart. Any organisation would want her because she can turn her hand to most things. 

The challenge for Molly is really defining what she wants in a role and where she wants to take her career but having great generalist skills really does future proof your career.

4.    Work on specialist skills
OK. I know. I'm contradicting myself. On one hand I'm saying be a generalist. On the other, a specialist. WHAT?!! 

So here's the thing. There are always specialists needed. Some organisations will always have them because of the type of business they are in. Others will bring them in at different points to help with a project or specific customer need. If you are an expert in your field chances are you will be able to gain employment. It may not be permanent employment all the time but you may get to work for a variety of companies.

5.    Have other interests: exercise, hobbies….
I guess this falls into not having all your eggs in one basket. If your whole life is your job, and you lose your job, have your lost yourself? Not a great place to be. It's healthy to have a variety of interests. 

I have some friends who work as a Assistant Principal and Audit Manager. Outside work they are the most amazing cooks! Hatted restaurant quality cooks. My husband Arran is obsessed with Mountain Biking when he is not working for a major bank on their software implementation.  I blog, take photos and spend money at Sass&Bide. I girl has to have nice clothes! Exercise is also important in managing your mental health and keeping your mood in check.

Overall you need to take charge. Managing your career is also about doing some risk management and working out what to do when things go wrong. 

I'd love to hear about your experience managing your career when things didn't go as planned......

Lisa

My top 3 tips for dealing with...well.. a crap Manager!

I could play around the edges by asking if your Manager is ineffective, or frustrating or promoted beyond their capability but if you have ever had a crap Manager you know that this word describes the situation best. The dread of going to work on Monday. Looking forward to your Manager going on holidays. Desperately wishing it was the weekend. Hoping your Manager won't speak with you on any given day.....wishing they would be hit by a bus get promoted into another business unit.... stuff like that.

A crap manager is not the person who talks to you about your performance when you should be doing better. Or the person who gives you honest feedback because they genuinely want you to improve. This is an AWESOME manager and leader. This is the kind of person you should want to work with and for.

This is my second post inspired by...well...a friend saying to me, could you write a post about "insert current problem here". My last one was on Career Sponsors. This problem seemed like a good post idea and one that I'm pretty sure everyone can relate to. I have worked for a handful of really great managers and a couple of truly awful ones. There is a group in the middle who are trying and learning and usually we have to be kind to and forgive some things. Unfortunately it's the awful ones that potentially teach us the most. Usually how not to do things. Sigh.

The problem with having a crap manager is that this person has the biggest effect on our day to day happiness. We spend a lot of time at work. I would at least like some of that time to be pleasant.

Lost in the woods? Don't know what to do?

1. Tip Number One - Quit
In my experience this is the most appealing option but not the most practical. Most of us have bills and mortgages and can't just give up our income without some planning or another job. As well as that, if we quit our jobs each time we ended up with a Manager we didn't like, well we might be quitting a lot of jobs!

Part of developing our career in organisations is being able to "manage-up" and learn to navigate through situations with difficult and challenging people. Quitting is sometimes the easy way out and sometimes it's the hard decision, when you have tried everything else.

I quit one job because of my Manager. I stuck it out for 12 months and in the end the stress was too much. Over the 12 month period I tried lots of things to make the situation better. I worked harder and longer, which only seemed to make things worse. I tried different styles of questioning to try and understand what this person wanted, which worked to a limited extent. In the end I didn't fit the culture and it was just too hard. I had put on weight and Arran was fed up with me in this job. I decided to have one final attempt to explain how I was feeling to my Manager and see if that would change anything. I decided that if the conversation didn't go well I was going to quit on the spot. Which is what I did. It was a huge relief and I should have quit 9 months earlier. Live and learn.


2. Tip Number Two - Have a strategy
Before I worked in Human Resources, I worked in retail. I had this Manager who as a person was kind, generous and liked me. As a Manager she was insecure, difficult, divisive and rude to customers. I felt like I was trapped in that job so I had to have a way of dealing with my daily frustration. It was pretty simple. Whenever I needed to go to the toilet I would walk the long way, my theory being the extra exercise would help my head and I would always walk past the pet shop to look at the puppies and kittens. That was a great stress release. I went to the toilet a lot. She probably thought I had some kind of bladder issue!

In more complex organisations you probably need more sophisticated strategies than looking at puppies and kittens!

• Exercise every day. This is one of the best stress releases around and it is as good for your body and your head.
• Work out if it's worth staying in the current situation. The 12 months I spent in the example above gave me some great experience and I know I learnt some things that mean I'm better at my job today, but would I put myself through a similar experience again with a difficult manager? No. Way. I very carefully choose the people I work for now.
• Make a deal with yourself. We can do this when there are good reasons to stay apart from the crap manager situation, but only for a relatively short time. This doesn't change your manager but it gives you an end goal to focus on. Is there something you are working on that will help you in your career? Do you need to complete a project to demonstrate your commitment and gain vital experience? Agree with yourself to stay for a specified time; 3 months...6 months...12 months max and then have a plan to get out from under this manager.
• Have an interest outside of work. One organisation I worked for was quite stressful. My Managers were not "crap" but I needed an outlet. I used to go to dance classes at the Sydney Dance Company. They were for about 2.5 hours and during the class you would learn a fairly long routine. I had to completely forget about work and use my brain and body in a different way to learn and perform the routine. It was very helpful.

3. Tip Number Three - Get some support
It can feel pretty lonely when you are dealing with a crap manager. This is the person who is supposed to be supporting you and helping with your career development, so you might need some support.

There are lots of people around who have experienced the same kind of issues that you are in. Seek them out and take them for coffee or lunch. Tell them about your experience, ask about theirs. Sharing a problem is a great start and is cathartic to a point. These kind of discussions are more useful if you do a little whinging and a lot of problem solving. Be open and ask lots of questions:

• What strategies have they used to deal with similar issues? What has worked for them? 
• What have they seen work for other people?
• What do they suggest for your situation? 
• Is there anything that could go wrong?What are the risks?

If you have a career sponsor or mentor this person would be a great place to start and there are often other people in organisations who will be happy to speak with you.

Ultimately the best course of action is to speak directly to your manager. A mentor or perhaps someone in HR could help you frame the conversation. Otherwise you may consider speaking with your Manager's Manager who might be able to influence the situation. If that doesn't work, do what I did and see tip 1!

Luckily crap Managers are not too common. Would love to hear how you dealt with a crap Manager in your career....

Lisa

Breadth and depth in your career....

When I reflect on my career I feel like I have been very lucky. Luck that I have worked very hard for, but still lucky and grateful. You see, I have been offered varied roles across my career. Some have provided breadth or width in experience across an organisation. Others have had depth in a specialist or narrow field. When I look back I don't think the roles I sought out were a conscious strategy on my part, but it has meant that each role I have taken on has given me a new opportunity to learn and grow and move forward. I'm going to give you some examples of my career in Human Resources (HR) but I suspect the "breadth and depth" idea works across many functional and business areas.

1. Generalist Role: Breadth in a small to mid size National business (110 employees)
My first role in HR was for a National niche insurer. It was a great role because I was able to get involved across a huge range of tasks. I learnt how to put employee inductions together, how to write Board reports, how to influence Senior Male Managers (when I was young, female and inexperienced), how to recognise employee performance and lots more. I got to touch lots of different areas across that business. It was a perfect first professional job.

2. Generalist Role: Breadth in a very large Global business (28,000 employees)
Having had a little experience in a smallish business, I wanted to see how a large company "does" HR and work within a larger team. I landed a generalist role in a very large business. The skills I learnt in my previous role were immediately applicable and I also learnt a lot. My manager was located overseas so it was my first experience working across different time zones and learning to manage "up". I worked with many different cultures and got to travel all over the world. I learnt to be aware of and negotiate organisational politics and deal with conflict and team dynamics.

3. Specialist Role: Depth in an Australian Listed Company (2,000 employees)
The opportunity to concentrate in one particular area of HR gave me a chance to learn specific skills in a discipline that is more strategic. I focused on management and leadership development and employee engagement and gained invaluable skills in working with challenging personalities in quite a "blokey" industry. Most importantly I learnt that cultural fit is SO important in being able to do a good job and feel successful. I learnt lots of good skills and lots about myself in this role, including knowing what I don't want in my career.

4. Specialist Role: Depth in an Australian Listed Company (4,000 employees) Contract Role
A similar role to the previous company but a very different organisational culture. I got to work on some very specific projects, met and worked with some fantastic people and generally just had a great time. Doing a contract role was a great idea. It gave me a "taste" of working for an iconic company and improved my confidence for my next role.

5. Generalist Role: Breadth in the Australian Subsidiary of a US Listed Company (220 employees)
This role was my first role as part of a leadership team, instead of just being part of the HR function. I had the opportunity to contribute beyond HR issues and had a "seat at the table" with the other business areas; finance, marketing, sales, operations and customer service. I learnt to influence and coach my peers, have input over decisions that affect a complete business and support and improve a great organisational culture.

6. Generalist Role: Breadth in the Asia Pacific Region of a US Listed Company (550 employees)
Again a role as part of a leadership team but with the opportunity to expand my change management and business integration skills across a broader business with significant challenges and a larger team.

Overall, what have I learnt?

Size matters (keep it clean people!)
Unless you are in a fairly senior role, large organisations with lots of employees often means you will gain experience in a specific area or business unit - depth. Working in a smaller organisation may give you more opportunity to try your hand across a wide variety of areas and potentially gain valuable experiences that may not exist in larger organisations - breadth.

I have found that moving between larger and small organisations very helpful in building great work experiences throughout my career.

Brands look great on your resume
I have worked for 3 little known companies and 3 very well known companies. They were all good experiences. The little known companies I worked for provided fantastic career development, as did the well known companies. Having the well known company name and experience on my resume meant that I'm more likely to get an interview for the next job. I don't think the experience I gained at these companies was any more valuable, but as a candidate I am more marketable. Worth thinking about.

Be clear about what you want
Changing roles and companies is hard work. Usually it takes effort to find a new role in the market so make it worthwhile. Be clear about what you want to learn in your next role. Be clear about the kind of organisational culture you want to work in. Be clear about what kind of person or people you want to work directly with. This could be your manager or internal customer, for example. Interviews are a two way street.

Build variety
I'm not the best example of this but I suggest working in organisations with different business models. I have mainly worked in "Public" or "Listed" companies, with some experience in privately held organisations.  Some experience in "not-for-profits" and government organisations would round out my career. Variety could also be in the type of employment arrangement. I have mainly worked in permanent full-time roles but have also done some contract and temporary work. These were valuable in gaining specific experience in a short time.

 Do you have breadth and depth in your career? Do you want breadth and depth in your career? Would love to hear about it!

Lisa

Knowing what you don't want

It struck me recently that sometimes it's as important to know what you don't want to do in your career, as it is to know what you do want. Maybe that's obvious. Maybe not.

I had cause to think about this in more detail during a recent photography workshop weekend. A couple of year's ago Arran bought me a new Digital SLR camera and an introductory course, so I would learn how to use it properly. It was a great idea. When you have a decent camera you won't get the best out of it by leaving it on the auto setting.

SPW Intro to DSLR Photography

The workshop was with Sydney Photographic Workshops and it was great. I haven't put my camera back on the auto setting since the first night of the course. Since then I have made a conscious effort to improve both my technical photography skills such as knowing which settings I should have my camera on to the best results in each setting, and also improving my "eye". I have done some additional one day workshops with Sydney Photographic Workshops including People Photography and Travel and Documentary.

SPW People Photography Workshop

Of course the best way to learn is not to continually do workshops. You need to find ways to use your camera more often and practice. I have done this by participating in Instagram challenges like Photo A Day run by blogger Fat Mum Slim, the 7 Vignettes challenge run by Jen Bishop at Interiors Addict (mainly using my iPhone), asking if I can photograph events and generally just trying to remember to take my camera with me a bit more often.

7 Vignettes challenge

Why am I doing all this? I'm not looking to change careers and become a photographer, but I want to be able to take better shots to include in my blogs, use photos and videos in employee communication as part of my HR role and have better family shots. Plus it's a creative outlet.

When the special invite arrived in my inbox asking if I wanted to go away on a 3 day photography workshop with lots of different shoots it sounded really fun and a chance to improve my skills a little more. Sydney Photographic Workshops always provide a great experience so I booked in straight away. That was months ago. When the workshop weekend actually came around it was at the back of 3 weeks of constant travel with work. I was exhausted. I wanted to stay home.

It ended up being a great weekend and I'm sure that I improved my skills but the weekend reinforced to me that I didn't want to do photography full time. By the third day I was at photography saturation point. Living and breathing photography for 3 days straight was too much.  It reminded me of how important "work experience" is when selecting or changing your career.

When I was in grade 10 I got to do work experience at a recording studio. I had been thinking of studying music technology at the time. I had a great week and had lots of fun, but I couldn't imagine doing that job every week. It was a valuable experience.

Tell me about your career. What you have learned that you don't want to do?

Do you have a career sponsor?

Source: under30careers.com via Resumes by Marissa on Pinterest

I have a friend, let's call her Molly, who I regard as one of my "amazing" women friends. She has two little boys, one with a challenging condition and maintains a senior business role and a beautiful house. She asked me to do a post on what to do when your career sponsor leaves your business.

My first thought was, I wish I had a career sponsor! A person who takes a strong interest in my career and my career development and who is looking out for me next role, and what I need to improve in to get there. A person who provides me with targeted development opportunities and mentors and supports me as I'm learning. In Molly's case it's her current CEO, who has just resigned. Bugger.

My second thought was, I have no idea!! That was a few weeks ago and I've had a little time on planes to contemplate her question.

So here are my thoughts:

Maintain Relationships with your "A" Team
In Organisations we are all part of different teams. There is the team you work with on a daily basis. This is the group that often report to the same manager. Then there is the team you manage. Sometimes there may be another team, either a functional team or perhaps a project team you work with for a period which is disbanded at the completion. As you become more senior in organisations and part of a Leadership team, your most important team is your peers. This is your "A" Team. The group you are part of with the same leader, usually the CEO or Managing Director. Depending on your organisation you may need to work with and influence people are are the head of functions or business areas such as Sales, Marketing, Finance, IT, Human Resources, Safety, Operations and so on. You get the picture. Many managers make the mistake at this level of thinking that the team they manage is the most important. It's not.

If you can build good relationships with your peer group and influence them effectively you will have a great group of supporters and be effective in your role. I also find this group to be a great source of inspiration and learning. Most people have risen to this level because they have worked hard, are smart, and talented. I have learnt so much about running a business and managing people from working with people at this level.

This group (the same as you) won't always be in these roles. They may move into different and more senior roles within their current or a new organisation who will be great contacts and a potential source of career sponsorship.
  
Keep in Touch
If I was Molly I would consider how I'm going to keep in touch with the departing CEO. He sounds like a great leader, and a developer of more leaders. There aren't heaps of those around. Molly is a great "connector" so I know she won't find this too hard.

There are no shortage of ways to stay connected both online and face-to-face, and I like to use both. Some people are critical of social media (which is the main online way to connect with others) saying it's not personal and isolating. I disagree. We all lead busy lives and social media provides a way of connecting with and keeping up to date with the lives of colleagues and friends. It's the reason that "smart" phones have been so successful! Humans are social creatures and like to "connect" all the time, through these devices. On a recent trip to Singapore I turned the data roaming off on my iPhone to prevent the exorbitant charges. Talk about painful! No email. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Instagram.....No connection!! It was torture.

I have also met lots of new people online and attend social media meet ups with Social Media Women. It's great fun.

The best way to keep in touch with work collegues online is probably LinkedIn, a professional platform to not only connect with collegues but you can join various groups that meet your career interests and network with people in similar roles across the world. You can ask for advice and read about latest thinking in your area of expertise.

Twitter is also quite a good way to keep connected. It's short and sharp and tends to be slightly less personal than Facebook. I only become "Friends" with work collegues if we have more than a work relationship. I like my lines blurred between work and home however I don't think all my work colleagues would appreciate the photos I post of my kids or the flowers I regularly steal from around my suburb. Actually not all my friends would appreciate this either.....

Of course social media is only part of the equation. It helps you know where people are at but face-to-face conversations are best. Hands down. A coffee every couple of months or drinks at the end of the work day, work a treat. For a better connection go for lunch.

Have More Than One
So who says you just need one? I think the more the merrier when it comes down to your career. If you are good at building relationships you may be able to cultivate a couple. Depending on your goals and interests, consider a person who is an expert in your career area and a person who is a great people manager. Or consider one person who has known you your whole career and understands your strengths and frustrations and another person who doesn't know your history but who you connect with easily and is a good advocate. You will need to make a conscious effort here and really think about who you know and what you need. Not that easy but anything worthwhile isn't.

Inspire me

Source: Uploaded by user via Katerina on Pinterest

Develop me

Harvard Business Review is always a great source of trustworthy and well researched information. The Real Benefit of Finding a Sponsor talks about how important it is for women to have sponsors if they want to reach the "C-suite".

Just for me

Source: Uploaded by user via Cpl Galway on Pinterest

Travelling for work: 5 tips for surviving and thriving

 
I was chatting to my hairdresser Steve Corthine this week. He has just arrived home from 10 days at New York Fashion Week, styling hair working with the hair product company OriginalMineral. So jealous! Imagine being behind the scenes during the craziness of fashion shows? He even got to see Fashion royalty Anna Wintour. Sigh. I must have worked in fashion in another life. Anyway. Getting distracted. You can read about his adventures here.

While we were chatting he mentioned that he doesn't know how I do it! Referring, to travelling for work. Well sometimes I'm not sure either, but I have been doing it for a while both before and after kids and have compiled my best tips for you here.

1. Gotta love it!
To travel regularly for work you gotta love your job, and you gotta love travelling because it's very tiring. As an example, you need lots of energy to if you are expected to do this:

Get up at 4.30am, catch taxi to airport at 5am, to board a flight at 6am. Then land in Melbourne around 7.30am and hop in a car or taxi to drive about 45 minutes to the office. Work all day, mainly in meetings. Leave around 5pm to get to the hotel in the city. This trip could take an hour or more. Check in at the hotel and in 15 mins meet work colleagues in the bar for drinks before heading to diner at 7. Dinner may go to 10.30pm and then a drink in one of Melbourne's trendy alley wine bars. Well it would be rude not to, wouldn't it? Go to bed around midnight and be ready to leave the hotel again the next morning at 7.30am having already had breakfast. Repeat. 

This is just domestic travel. I don't do this every week but on average have been doing it every 2-3 weeks for a few days at a time. It's not that glamorous so you gotta love it.

2. Sleep it off!
For this kind of pace it helps if you are good at sleeping on planes, particularly on long haul flights and sleeping in hotels, or both. I am really bad at sleeping on planes but sleep like a log in hotels. On long haul flights, say to the US or to London, I usually don't sleep on the flight and arrive feeling like death warmed up, but a night's sleep in a hotel and I'm good to go. My husband Arran can sleep on planes. He falls asleep before the plane even takes off. If I am travelling with him I have to fight the urge to hit him. Hard.

Rest and sleep is essential when travelling and it helps you manage your energy and your emotions. Travelling for work puts your body through more stress than it does if you are going on holidays, so sleep is really important if you are going to perform well.

My favourite jobs have been the ones where I get to travel overseas. My very first business trip was to London. So. Lucky. Pinched myself the whole time I was there, but the jet lag!! Seriously. That trip I flew business class (so lucky) and arrived into what must be the biggest airport in the world, Heathrow, and had to navigate my way to my hotel, WITH NO SLEEP for more than 36 hours. I had hay-fever the whole trip. Thought I might die from lack of sleep, sneezing and rubbing my nose. 

After checking into the hotel I went for a wander for a few hours and then slept for about 20!

I also love travelling. I love getting to the airport and looking around the shops. I love the business lounge if I'm lucky enough to have access to one. I love getting on the plane and getting set up in my seat and I even love the airline food. I LOVE taking off! So sad. I know. But it helps. If you hate all that stuff and you have to travel on planes all the time, give it up. Seriously. Find a 9-5 job where you go to the same office everyday.

2. Manage your calendar
Sometimes you don't have a choice when you have to travel for work. There are times when you are attending a national or global meeting and in these instances you generally have to comply with the timing set by someone else. In my experience though, there are times when you either have a lot of choice or the ability to influence the timing of your trips. Recently I was able to influence the timing of a global HR meeting I am attending in the US because I have to travel the greatest distance (most everyone else is in North America). It was great because I could work with my husband Arran to work out the best timing for him, who would be left with the sole caring responsibility for our 2 small boys for the week. That makes a massive difference to our relationship.

Arran and I manage our lives through our online calendars, both work and home. That might sound a little sad but it seems to work. When I travel domestically I have my flight and hotel details in my calendar and make sure Arran is included in this appointments so he knows where and when I am travelling. We have a fair bit of give and take in our relationship. I travel for work but he travels for his passion, mountain biking. It works most of the time but it's a negotiation and we try not to take each other for granted.

3. Get out and about

This rule applies for domestic and international travel. It's important to exercise when you travel but I firmly believe you need to get outside. Forget the hotel gym or pool. You need to get outside and pound the streets. Breathe in some air. Get some sunshine on your skin. Work out your bearings. Give your mind a break. There are some countries and cities I don't recommend this (India comes to mind) but generally, get out there!

There's lots of research to suggest that sunlight helps reset your body clock to get you into your new destination's time zone. And it feels great. When I travel I spend lots of time in airports, aeroplanes, hire cars/taxis/, the office, hotels and restaurants. All inside. 30 minutes getting out in my sneakers is great. I admit there are times when I pack my sneakers and they don't get out of their shoe bag, but when they do I love it!

This rule also applies to the airport and the plane. Try to move about in the airport. Why sit down when you are about to board a plane when you are going to be sitting for hours? If you are on a long haul flight go for a walk during the stop over. Don't sit or sleep on stopovers less than 4 hours. Walk around, look at the shops. Keep moving. 

On the plane, get up regularly. I drink lots of water on planes which means I have to go to the toilet a lot (I always request an aisle seat). So often I have been sitting next to someone for 8 hours who never got out of their seat, even to go to the toilet. How is that possible?

A great tip I learnt from my friend Jacqui is to have a shower on the stopover on long flights. This makes you feel great. Pack some clean undies, some deodorant and utilise the business lounge facilities. Getting naked and having hot water on your body is so nice when you have been cooped up for hours and hours. You get back on the plane feeing fresh and clean for the next leg.

4.  Listen to your body
I'm not a big proponent of "getting into the time zone", by staying up till your normal bed time in your new location, particularly if your new location is the opposite side of the world. I have been to London a few times for work, which is pretty close to the opposite time zone to Sydney. The flight typically arrives at around 7am London time, arrive at the hotel around 9am. I generally have a shower and go for a walk about have some lunch. By about 2pm I enter into a woozy muddled head-space where I don't know which way is up. I go to bed and generally wake around 9pm and then go back to sleep until morning. that's the way I handle it. I'm much more about listening to your body (if you can). Of course having a little nap in a meeting at 2pm in the afternoon is probably not going to work.

5. Back at home

Get back into your home routine quickly. Unpack your bags and get everything put away. Get some exercise and a coffee from your favourite cafe. It you are tired at 8pm go to bed. If you are too tired to work at night, if you normally would, don't. Get out in the sunshine and air and leave work early for a few days. Connect with friends and family, face to face.

Inspire me

Quick tips you might found helpful but I'm hopeless at!

• Got to bed early: I'm seriously bad at this. If there is a social situation to be a part of I'm there. Stuff the sleep! I also have lots of energy in the evening. Most nights I could easily stay up to midnight without much effort. The evening is when I get everything done. I exercise, sometimes I work and I blog at night. Even if for some reason I'm back in my hotel room early, I still manage to while away the time and end up going to bed late.
• Don't drink alcohol: I like wine. I really like wine. Arran and I have been known to organise holidays around wine. If I'm in a new city to country it's a pretty safe bet I want to try the wine. I also have built a reputation in my current role of picking good wine at restaurants. I would have to partake then, wouldn't I?
• Travel light: actually I'm pretty good at this now. I can travel for a week with a small carry on bag. Plan well and work out a flexible range of clothes that won't need ironing. I find that the bit easy as I don't iron full stop. The hardest part for me is shoes. If I'm being really restrained I can manage with a pair of sneakers, a pair of flats (which I wear on the plane) and a pair of heels. I think there is nothing worse then struggling around an aiport with heavy luggage.
• Don't eat on planes: I have a good friend who sticks to this rule. It seems like a good idea, I guess. I mean you aren't moving very much to burn up what you are eating. Trouble is I like food. I like airline food. I even "booked the cook" for my next flight to Singapore. And it gives you something to do. Eating fills up some time....
• Take vitamin supplements: To keep up the pace when your diet may not be the best it's good to get a little help. I pack vitamins but always forget to take them. Hopeless

Develop me

Need more help? Check out Road Warriorette, a blog about travelling for work.

Just for me

One way to make travel for work more enjoyable is to keep doing something you like doing. For example, when I'm away I like to blog and take photos. I generally don't take by digital SLR when travelling for work because I try to travel light, but I take lots of shots with my iphone and post them using instagram. I love taking shots of interiors.

Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore

Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore

Cooking and Careers. A tale of two Masterchefs

Source: novafm.com.au via Marja on Pinterest

The TV show Masterchef has been around for a while now. First season winner in Australia, Julie Goodwin, has become a household name and many others have gone on to have great success. Some have written cookbooks, opened their own restaurants, are writing and speaking at events, and heading their own cooking shows. Over the seasons this reality show has proved to be very popular and a ratings winner for Channel 10.

I quite like the show and have enjoyed watching the challenges and heartache from season to season.

This year, and before the official ratings season commenced, we were introduced to Masterchef Professional. The basic premise being instead of having amateur cooks on the show, there would be people who actually work as chefs and cooks and are therefore "professional".

I watched the first show, probably along with lots of other people who aren't that enamoured with tennis. It was ok, but there seems to be something missing. There was still the background story on each contestant, the same pressure filled challenges, and a couple of tough judges. So why was I feeling a bit, well.....under-whelmed?

I think the reason I like the regular Masterchef is because there is hope, and passion, and creativity, and optimism (some may say it's there in the professional version, but I think it's a bit different). In the "regular" version the contestants don't cook to pay their mortgage or rent. There are teachers and lawyers and accountants and stay-at-home mums and all sorts of people. They have passion, desire and hope, to do something different. They have raw talent and the desire to put themselves out there and take a risk. They may not be able to finely chop an onion but they can take a box of random grocery items and turn it into something spectacular! These people are taking a chance to turn something they love doing into something more.

So this is a blog about career and how to manage yours better. How does this relate to your career? I think there is a real lesson in these shows, both for how organisations choose their people and for how we present ourselves and navigate . 

Masterchef professional is taking chefs and asking them to do essentially the same tasks as those in the regular version, but we all expect to them to be better somehow. But they struggle. It's still hard and we expect with all that training behind them, they should be able to do the tasks. Easily. Yet in the regular version I find myself wanting the contestants to succeed and win, even though they don't have the training to be successful! They struggle and it's hard. So what's the difference?

I have found in many organisations I have worked in, they want to recruit people who can already do the job. They are proven. Little risk and not a lot of reward for the organisaton or the person. Blah! Unless you can do something already, no one will give you a chance to do something new. To me this is Masterchef Professional. Chefs and cooks trained to...well..cook.

Been there? Frustrated? I hear ya! I once worked somewhere where they wouldn't give me a chance in a generalist HR role (even though that was where the bulk of my experience was at the time) because I was currently doing a specialist role. So short-sighted! While that company was getting round to making a decision about my future there, I got head-hunted into a great role with an interesting company and more money.

I like that the "regular" Masterchef reminds us that people are amazing and have limitless potential. Sometimes that potential just needs to be identified. Realised. Organisations need to take more heed of this. I'm loving my current role because I can do the core part of the role easily. It's familiar and I feel confident. But there is a large slice where I get to challenge myself, think hard and test some ideas. I'm having fun.

Getting to this place is not easy, nor is becoming a contestant on Masterchef, I imagine. You need to be clear on your purpose, be yourself and you need to have some energy to work towards what you want, and work hard. Maybe, like a "regular" Masterchef contestant you need to do something differently. Be somewhere else, go to a different company, take a different career direction or some time out to contemplate your navel. Sometimes you end up a fair way down a particular career path and perhaps it's not what you thought it would be? Sometimes there is that nagging dream from when you were little that just maybe you should try and realise?

I have also been watching bits and pieces of My Kitchen Rules. A similar concept to the regular Masterchef but some different learning for developing your career. Take Lisa and Candice from WA, a highly unlike-able duo who bitched and moaned about everyone else's cooking and then couldn't deliver the goods themselves. Or what about Luke and Scott from NSW. From what I could see they were generally positive and supportive of the other teams and ended up at the top of the leader-board. You could apply this behaviour into the workplace. Organisations will be much more willing to "take a chance" on those of us who constructive and collaborative rather than always looking out for yourself and complaining about others.

Inspire me

Seth Godin always has some inspiring and wise words. Are you open, generous and connected?

Develop me

Source: career21st.com via ♥ClassyClosetFashionista♥ on Pinterest

 

 Just for me

Need a giggle? The morning after each episode of Masterchef or My Kitchen rules is screened there is often a funny, naughty and sometimes scathing "recap" article on the Sydney Morning Herald site. Not really a help to your career but a light-hearted break to your day. If you haven't discovered them yet here is the latest article on My Kitchen Rules titled Think Pink: Don't cry over candied rose petals. A good tip for your career!

Career musings. Who wears the pants?

Source: jamesflames.com via Jordan M on Pinterest

I have noticed something in my current job. The shock on my male colleagues face when I say I have a nearly 4yr old and a 14 month old. This is often followed by questions and statements:

How do you do it?

How do you cope with everything?

How do you travel? 
How does your husband cope?

Wow! or Whoa!!

It's generally a disbelief and shock and and sometimes a little judgement. Judgement that I could possibly leave the house with such a small child there. I guess. I'm finding the double standard quite surprising but I'm not always offended. It comes from a curious place. Usually. And when it comes from a curious place I am always happy to explain how my husband Arran and I work it. I myself am curious about the double standard I perceive to be there.

It seems to be ok that men work when they have a little baby, but not women. Has anyone else experienced this? That women somehow have that magic ingredient that only they have, which means they are the ones who need to be the primary caregiver. Of course if the baby is being breastfed then it's a little tricky but on all other matters it's not. I think a lot of women promote this too. I have seen men in the relationship with a small child treated as though they are stupid or unworthy to look after their own child because they do things differently with the kids. 

From the very start when Aiden was a new-born, Arran used to defer to me on lots of issues, because he perceived that I somehow knew how to do something for him, because I was the one who gave birth. Complete crap. I didn't automatically get an instruction manual as my milk came in. Nor was I an expert just because I carried him for 9 months. In the end I said to Arran that I only knew about as much as him and that he could make decisions too. Arran took it all on board and probably became a bit of a baby hog. He had as much or as little confidence as me. That's ok. Made both our lives easier.

I don't believe men get the same questions in the workplace. They don't ask each other these questions, and if they do it's about sharing and comparing and showing how proud they are of their beautiful children. There is no judgement. I don't think men consider judging other men about their children because there is an assumption, in my view, that there is a woman somewhere who is carrying the child care and domestic burden. 

The questions I get the most is "how do you work and travel with small children?" I don't think a man in the same circumstance would get this question. I'm not sure Arran ever gets this question when he is away for the weekend, riding his bike in the middle of nowhere. Will any of his mate's acknowledge or even wonder who is looking after his two boys when he does Tour Divide in June this year? Men seem to acknowledge that it's hard at home with small kids and they will have to "pay" when they get home from a work trip. There seems to be a belief that the man will be in a "points" deficit when he gets back but there is no issue with him working long hours or having to travel away from home. It's ok because there is a woman around and she is expected to look after the kids and tend to the home, whether she works outside the home or not.

I get questions like "how does your husband cope?" Firstly, no one asks me that question when Arran goes away! I am just expected to cope. Secondly, I think it's also offensive to Arran and to men, who are completely capable of looking after kids if only women would just let them. 

When I have to travel for work of course I miss Aiden and Charlie, and they miss me. There are lots of "mum, mum, mums..." from Charlie when I'm not there and lots of "Where's Mummy" from Aiden. I try to do a few things to make the days I'm away a little easier for Arran, who has to take the burden of getting them to and from childcare, caring for them if they are sick and feeding them, dressing them, bathing them and generally making sure they are ok. 

But I enjoy the time away too. How shocking! What kind of mother am I? I enjoy hopping on a plane in my freshly dry-cleaned work clothes free of drool and jam. I like having a little time to myself to read a magazine. I enjoy having a hotel bed all to myself without the chance of being woken by a screaming child and having to fling myself out of bed in the small hours of the morning, to replace a dummy before the crying escalates so much that it will take 30 minutes to settle him down. I like just having to do my own hair and get myself dressed. I like eating breakfast alone in the hotel restaurant or a nearby cafe. I like not having to get up and down a hundred times to tend to some small child's need during said breakfast and then rush them to daycare. I'm sure my male colleagues who travel also enjoy such things. And I like coming home again. Actually the time I came home to a vomiting bug wasn't great....anyway you get the point.

I love my work and the company I work for. I also enjoy working with men. I have always worked in more industrial businesses which have tended to be more male dominated. I often find myself as the only woman in the meeting. I like these businesses because they are practical and down to earth, and I feel like what I do can make a difference. That's all very well but driving innovation and creativity in businesses requires diversity of thought and that I believe requires diversity in the employee group. Different ages, different experiences, different cultural and religious backgrounds, different ways of working, and men and women in different roles across the organisation. 

Inspire me

I wanted this post to be an observation of what I experience at work, as a woman and as a woman with children. I wanted it to be thought provoking and a conversation starter. I asked Arran to read the post before I put it live on the blog, mainly because I didn't want the post to be too critical. I love my job and our workplaces are what they are, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be challenged and continue to evolve to be places where every person can contribute and be valued, not matter their personal circumstances.

After reading this post Arran and I had a really good conversation about his experience at work and how his responsibilities looking after our beautiful boys are perceived. It's not just women who are struggling. Men who want to contribute equally to looking after their children find it hard in the workplace as well. He suggested I write a follow up post about this but I had a better idea. Arran is an accomplished writer. He writes his own blog called Musings of a Wannabe Racer and has written articles on mountain bike riding for many print and online magazines.

Arran is going to be a guest writer on this blog next week, giving his view of how people in his organisation view his want and need to care for our children equally. Stay posted!

Develop me

Great TED talk from Hanna Rosin on the crisis for men and the rise of women.

Just for me

If you happen to me a mum, like me, you might like this blog called Fox in Flats. It's a fun and inspiring blog to help you to be stylish. Not everything needs to be serious! Enjoy!

 

Source: foxinflats.com.au via Andrea @FoxInFlats on Pinterest