Atmosphere One

It is a sad day today with the loss of Steve Jobs.  Aside from the amazing company and products he created, as an iconic leader, I think Steve’s biggest parting gift to the world is to remind us what we are all capable of:  high energy, creativity, flow, determination, individuality, guts and as a result – achievement and a lasting mark on the world.  He must have led an amazing life, one where when you get up in the morning, knowing that your destiny is in your own hands to create what you will that day – everything is possible – where you can make your choices to live your very best life and help those around you to do the same, bringing them with you.

Rest In Peace Steve -  congratulations on a life lived to the fullest and thank for you for reminding us that we are all amazingly powerful and capable.

Live, work, create – who do you want to be?

There’s a few things that I sometimes say about my recruiters hat and that is, one – I’ll eat it (if X happens for example), though there’s been something on my mind recently and that is, that I want to take my recruiters hat off to you. Yes you.  The one with all the certifications and study under your belt.  In the last few months I have been embarking on some study around yoga.  Not at all related to recruitment, though more so life in general and for the first time in 15 years I have homework to do.  Homework??  I know.   Homework, lectures and classes to go to, on top of running a business.  So the first thing to go is my social life and those times when you get to sit on the couch and mindlessly watch TV.  Not such a bad thing mind you, considering I’ve dropped 10 KGs in the last four months and am no longer watching episode after episode of Time Team (nerd).

I’ve always been admiring of you guys and gals who have been that determined to complete extra studies, though the days of asking “Any certifications?  Yes?  Oh OK so you’ve got a Masters degree, a CCNP, MCSE, CCEA, VCP, excellent” – will be replaced with: “AMAZING. Wow.  How did you do it???”  Doing additional study outside of your main day to day duties, requires a certain kind of discipline, tenacity and focus that is to be respected (see picture of one of my candidates extracurricular practice … just for fun!).

….. I’m still trying to work out the best routine to fit everything in without becoming a social recluse.  Does anyone have any tips to offer me and anyone else who is trying to get that CCIE or Masters degree over the line?

This time of year always creates mixed feelings for me – all of my family is in England and so for the last ten years, instead of huddling in front of the fire, eating roast turkey and going to church Christmas carols with family to keep the chill at bay, I spend my Christmases in the beautiful sunshine, enjoying seafood barbecues, at ‘orphans Christmas’ celebrations!  I’m not a religious person as such and the meaning of this time for me is really about the end of the year and being grateful – a celebration with friends of everything that has happened (though I wish I could celebrate it with family too!).

Every year, whilst in the midst of the celebrations going on around me I tend to become quite internal in a way, reflecting back on the last 12 months – the lessons I have learned – harsh or liberating, the opportunities I am grateful for, the friendships and connections I have made, the things that have changed in the last 12 months with me personally and in the world on a larger scale.

I’ll let you into a Charlotte secret!  On the 31st December I write down everything that has happened and on another piece of paper, everything that I would like to create in the New Year.  I then burn the first pages with the previous year’s happenings and then I bury the New Year’s pages in the veggie patch or at the bottom of a tree!  It might sound like a bit of a strange thing to do, though I know that as the second hand crosses midnight on the 31st December, that I have given respect and gratitude to the year that was, having let it go and my hopes for the New Year are already in creation – my intentions set around work, home, family, my community and the world and other areas of my life.  I love the end of the year as it’s such a powerful reminder about gratitude and celebration of everything – what was and is, choosing your thoughts  and living in the ‘now.’

Have a great celebration whatever this Christmas holiday break means to you, thank you for 2010 and I hope you have a fantastic start to the New Year!  See you in 2011!!  (Tips for helping you with any New Year’s resolutions can be found here: http://blog.atmosphereone.com.au/?p=58 )

There was a time when I perceived that meditation was reserved for hippy types only, and / or for those with some kind of extreme level of personal discipline. I mean with the pace of our modern world, with so many pressures and things to get done, who has the time to meditate, right? Well I couldn’t tell you exactly how or when it happened, though I have now become one of those people who meditate. Even though I would say that the regularity of my meditation practice is haphazard to say the least, I know I get immense benefit out of it.

I think it all started when I met an inspirational Executive Mentor and Coach at a recruitment training session years ago. You could describe David Carman, as the kind of person who presents as centred, calm, available to others, integrous, wise and overall, the sort of person who exudes a powerful, non dominating energy, that people are naturally attracted to.  In the training sessions I attended with David, I was keenly observing him, trying to work out exactly what it was in him that created this sense of presence.  It was hard to put my finger on it, though I was surprised when in the middle of our very corporate training session, in our very corporate culture, David taught a simple meditation technique.

It’s something that the more I practice, the calmer, more grounded and more available I become.  Also I’ve noticed it’s much easier for me to live in the present moment, than thinking about the past or worrying about the future.  I now pass this technique along to my candidates where I can.

David is holding a meditation workshop this evening (see details below), where you can learn this technique – and everyone is welcome.  I caught up with him this morning to ask him a few more questions about how he thinks meditation can help us at work:

CL: Can anyone meditate?

DC: Absolutely, it’s a natural process we are born with. Before and when we’re actually born, we are in a natural state of meditation. We are totally connected on the inside and the outside, however it’s through worldly interference, that we can become unbalanced and ungrounded and no longer in that natural peaceful state.

A lot of people think that meditation is being crossed legged on the ground with your eyes closed saying ‘OM’ and that puts many people off. Yes, that is one way to practice, however meditation can involve many other kinds of practices including breathing techniques, walking, painting, cooking, exercise, yoga martial arts, gardening etc – many people describe those activities as their mediation.

CL: How can learning more about meditation in a structured way help?

DC: By doing anything on a regular basis we get better at it – a bit like lifting weights, it can be hard and difficult at first, but the more we do it, the easier and more normal it becomes.  Meditation practice is like that, it’s actually a practice.  Many forms of meditation encourage a discipline of ten to twenty minutes per day. The benefits are not only experiences in the short term but build over the medium and long term.  We get immense benefits from regular meditation.

CL: How can meditation help your work life?

DC: Things flow and work more easily, we are less stressed, more calm and we also become more available and connected with those that we work with.  Meditators often say they derive great satisfaction from the work they do. In many eastern traditions, there is a philosophy that everything is a meditation – that nothing is work (as many westerners regard it) – it is all a meditation.

CL: When is the best time to meditate?

DC: I’m a bit biased on this one – I love meditating first thing in the morning i.e. within 20 minutes of waking up, however you can meditate at any time of the day. Most people find it easiest to meditate first thing in the morning or last thing at night.  I personally like the morning, as everything is so still.  However, we can do a meditation practise such as ‘grounding’ at anytime of the day.  You can be doing that whilst you’re doing your normal work activities and that’s something I’ll be teaching tonight at the workshop – we can do it when we’re in a meeting, being interviewed, on the phone, writing a report etc etc.

CL: What is the best way to develop my knowledge and practice of meditation?

DC: I suggest find a good meditation teacher as a starting point.  Here’s my experience: when people go and buy a book or buy a meditation CD, I can’t think of anyone who ‘got it’ straight away.  However, I can think of many people who have met a teacher and then they see something in the other person and see how it has benefited them.  So they’re inspired as if something new has awakened in them.  A good meditation teacher is just doing what they do and when someone comes in contact with them, they experience something of themselves that they don’t normally experience.  Often they think it’s something in the other person that they don’t have, though actually, it’s something that’s already in them (that’s dormant).  By witnessing it in the other person, it becomes alive in them.

Another good thing to do is practice yoga – a lot of people find they start a physical activity like yoga – and by doing the postures or the incorporated meditation practice, they realise that ‘there’s something in this’ and that opens them up to more meditation practices.  Also, something like tonight is good because many people find that it’s easier to learn something in a group environment.

About David Carman: David co-owns CarmanWhite P/L www.carmanwhite.com , a leading corporate training organisation that includes forms of meditation in its professional development training of busy business people. He has meditated for over 17 years after being introduced to meditation when he was in a senior management position in 1993. In recent years, he has introduced over 2,500 people to grounding and other meditative processes with hugely positive results for many individuals and organisations.

Information for this evening’s meditation workshop: David Carman will lead a Melbourne based  meditation program this evening, 6th October at Fawkner Park Community Centre. The session is entitled: “Using Meditation to Maintain Your Balance and Energy at Work.”

David will lead everyone though a couple of powerful meditations that he has used for many years. He will describe how grounding enhances life and helps maintain our equilibrium and energy levels at work and home. He has helped many people who have needed to figure out how to incorporate their meditation practice into busy working days.

Starts 7.30pm at: Fawkner Park Community Centre, 65 Toorak Road West, South Yarra.

7.00pm: The evening will start with complimentary tea/coffee and cake.

7.30pm: David will take everyone through the work-related meditations. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions.

8.45pm: This is when the evening will conclude.

Note: Newcomers are invited to arrive at 7.00 to 7.15 pm

Come along: You are welcome to bring your friends, work colleagues and family – the more the merrier. We always have an entertaining time.

There’s something about looking for work that propels me to action.   If you can remove any sense of frustration and anxiety about the process, change and the unknown, there is something really exciting about looking for a new job.  Think of all of the potential new possibilities and new horizons that are coming your way.

I believe that the opportunity for change and personal expansion, whilst confronting, ultimately leads us onto a new and better path every time. No workplace or position is perfect, right? So even if things don’t work out like you planned in the new job for whatever reason, we always learn something about ourselves, gain some new skills and hopefully make some new connections.

Depending on which door you chose to open, there’s the potential to:

• make more money,
• get better training,
• develop your skills,
• learn about how to deal with difficult situations or people,
• get a promotion,
• make new friends,
• have a better lifestyle,
• learn more about your industry,
• travel for work,
• gain great benefits,
• have a fresh start,
• meet an inspirational mentor,
• have a good stepping stone to the next thing
• or work in a positive cohesive team environment

The key to staying optimistic about looking for work and the possibilities it is bringing your way, in a nutshell, is to: work out a good plan of attack with your search, keep refining your approach, let the past go and focus on now instead, believe you can achieve what you put your mind to and be patient with a strong dose of persistence (oh if only it was as simple as it sounds!).

Good luck and keep on opening those doors!

<This blog has been censored. By order of THE AUTHORITIES>

…… Only kidding!   Still though, this concept is actually not too far fetched with the current undertone of political rhetoric.  (This blog has nothing to do with recruitment or work, though it’s my blog and I’ll rant if I want to and maybe I’ll have a sympathetic ear with you technologists).

Apparently the internet has suddenly become dangerous in the eyes of some governments.  I’m baffled to understand the sudden paranoia from our government and now from the US to want to control the flow of information. Other countries like Iran and China I can understand, but the US and Australia? It is bizarre.  I mean I’m always very objective with these things but being a journalism graduate, I will entertain conspiracy theories with a strong application of logic.  Something has to be very wrong with this picture. All cards are on the table as far as Im concerned – what is really going on? Check out all of the articles and blogs in The Age website at the moment about the ‘Toxic Net Filters,’ ‘Web Snooping Policy Shrouded in Secrecy,’ ‘Internet freedom in 2010 looks like 1984’ and ‘Obama Internet Kill Switch’ to get all the background on this.

I remember in history learning about how one of the first things Hitler did was to gain control over the media and in doing so, he had complete control over the public through propaganda. We have become so reliant on the internet, that to think that our government wants to have control over it and now allegedly (see also ZDnet: ‘Inside Australia’s data retention proposal’) wants to be able to monitor and keep records of what we look at and who we communicate with on the web, is a very, very scary concept.  It’s alarming that this issue isn’t so much more mainstream conversation than it currently is.  If the people don’t stop this, then what legacy are we setting up for the future? There should be applicable laws yes, with consequences for breaking them, but no individuals in government, with secret lists and agendas, should have ultimate control over the internet – EVER.  (Although I do agree with having secret agents be able to tap specific people if necessary).

Maybe they want ultimate control for our own good – for our ‘protection.’ Maybe the earth is about to be populated with aliens (taking tongue out of cheek), or maybe it is to protect us from those ‘terrorists.’  It seems to me the internet isn’t as dangerous as the potential new policies and thought fields coming from ‘the authorities’.

What are they really afraid of?  I just don’t get it.

So you’ve been diligently resolving your support calls day in, day out. My mouse won’t work. Fixed. My emails are stuck in Outlook.  Job done.  Service with a smile. You’ve been ‘the face of IT’ for your company and won over those users, so they ask for you personally.  Remember to log your request. Check.

What you really want is to get your hands on the company’s servers and comms infrastructure. Bring on the chance to put into practice my Microsoft and CISCO training and get into the nitty gritty I hear you say.  Well I empathise with your situation.  Over the years, I have spoken to thousands of Helpdesk and Desktop Engineers who desperately want the chance to develop their skills to the next level, though I know as well as you, how hard it can be to get to that next level in your career.

You might be competing with ten other Desktop Engineers for that one internal System Administrator vacancy.  You don’t get it. Your Manager promises a review at next year’s performance review.

There might never even be an internal vacancy in the systems space in your company and you’ve been a loyal employee for the last four years.  The two current Engineers have been there for the last ten years and look like they’ll be there for the next ten years.

You apply for System Administration jobs online, only to not get shortlisted because there are other candidates with more Systems Administration experience and the hiring company wants a perfect match.

Catch 22.  How do you get the experience and stand out to land that job you need to propel your career forward?

Certainly there is no easy answer to the conundrum all ambitious Desktop Support Analysts face. However here are some tips to put yourself in the place of most potential:

1)      Put yourself in the place of most potential. If you work in a team of 50 Desktop Engineers the likelihood is that one opportunity for internal promotion is going to be fiercely competitive with the other 49 Desktop Support Engineers.   Also, you will probably not have a chance to work closely with the systems or comms teams, because you’re likely to be very siloed.  (That is unless the company is growing and doing a lot of project work, or they have a great way of developing their people through the company). So working in a smaller team where you have more interaction with the senior levels is great exposure for you and when a vacancy does arise, there will be fewer internal candidates going for it.

2)      Be enthusiastic, show you would do what it takes to step up and be good at articulating it. If you don’t have all of the experience required for a position, explain in an interview what you would do for a company who would give you this shot.  A lot of the time, a hiring manager will warm to taking on the more enthusiastic dedicated person who nearly matches the criteria, over a candidate who ticks every single box but who doesn’t have that ‘fire’ you do.

3)     Look for a new job in a different company. If you need to apply for work externally to move up, it might be that you need to take a sideways move in order to put yourself in the place of most potential. So more Desktop Support.  Keep on going and hope that the new company will give you more opportunities.  Make sure you ask good questions in an interview to determine the general potential. If you come across another fantastic Desktop vacancy, make sure you reassure the interviewer that whilst you’re career goal over the next few years is to develop into the systems or comms space, you enjoy Desktop Support and are happy to do it. If you harp on too much about servers, they’ll think you’re not bothered about doing Desktop Support.

4)      Show personal commitment and interest. It’s all well and good to ask for a company to give you training, though if you haven’t done any study on the side, you’re missing out on an opportunity to show how passionate you are about technology and your career.  If you can’t afford a full classroom training course, buy the textbooks and study afterhours.  Your non technical friends might tease you a little, though if you have a home network to work with, it does show another layer of interest about technology.

5)      Learn from your peers. If you are working for a company where you have more daily interaction with the server and comms teams, make the most of it by asking for tips and training.  It is however, a fine line. You don’t want to harrang the seniors too much otherwise a) your manager might think you’re not interested in the job they’ve hired you to do and b) the Engineers might not have the time to help you out or want you to stay out of their ‘patch’.  A good balance could be to say to the Engineers / your Manager that you’re keen to develop your understanding, so you might offer your help on any after hours projects (or ask to watch them at work if they don’t have anything for you to do), that way it doesn’t interfere with your day job.   The best idea I think Ive ever heard on how to develop your knowledge is a Desktop Engineer who said they made a deal with a Systems Engineer in their team to bring him a coffee everyday first thing in the morning in exchange for a new tit bit of training. The Engineer was only more than happy to help!

6)      Be realistic and try not to get frustrated or down on yourself. If you don’t get a job, or you keep trying to make that next step and you don’t get anywhere, don’t waste your energy on feeling bad, angry or frustrated – it won’t serve you. Stick at it, take on feedback and keep going.  Ask for honest feedback from your manager as to what you really need to do. If you aim for what you want it will surely come together for you eventually and that positive attitude will shine through generally.

It would be great if any Engineers or Administrators, or Infrastructure Managers reading this blog are able to offer any additional insights to help the Desktop Support Engineers.

How did you make that next step up?  Was there anything in particular you did? What do you look for if you’re promoting someone internally? Is there anything that Desktop Engineer’s shouldn’t do?

BOOM!  The fireworks go off as the second hand crosses that midnight point.  The mix of emotions from excitement, reflection, contemplation, joy, gratitude and most significantly hope.

A new year.  So full of hope and promise.  A chance to wipe the slate clean.  So many people have said to me that 2009 really sucked – good riddance they said.  I wonder what really changed as the second hand snuck over midnight?

Even in the first week of the New Year, most people have already lost their mojo around the New Year’s resolutions they had made in earnest, as 2009 came to a close.  Frankly, I’m not sure I can remember half of mine (though I think I had two pages long so was maybe a little overambitious!). There is a statistic floating around that says six months after New Years, less than half of resolutions made, have been kept.

I find it incredible that we’re nearly half way through this New Year of ours already.  They said this would happen when I was a child.  That time would speed up and before I knew it the days would roll into years. If you’re like most people who have already given up on their resolution dreams for a new beginning, or are faltering with uncertainty and the hum drum of your normal operating system, here are some ideas for you to help regroup, refocus and make it happen superhero style.

1. Ask yourself what will it really mean to you if you can make this change?  How important is it to you? Try not to forget this. Write it down. Pin it up.
2. Determination, desire and persistence will get you to the finish line.
3. You are at A and you want to get to Z.  Fill in the blanks.  Have a plan.
4. Do plenty of research – check out the personal development section at the book store.
5. Begin it NOW.  The ‘now’, is where our personal power lies – not tomorrow, or ‘after  X day’
6. Do something in your plan every day to contribute towards your goal (no, in fact, do something now)
7. Assess your inner beliefs around the resolution.  It is totally possible for things to be different (even if it’s only your perspective).
8. Be internally observant around any limiting thoughts around the change – question yourself on how these thoughts are serving you.  If they’re not, replace them with encouraging thoughts. Sensibly weigh up any risks around your change, then move forward logically.
9. Be internally observant around any limiting thoughts around the change.  This cannot be overstated. The mind can be most unhelpful and will naturally try to battle any positive change with all kinds of resistance. Try a trick from Louise Hay, say this affirmation to yourself, ‘I am willing to change and I release all resistance,’ every time a limiting belief or unconstructive thought arises.
10. Some things just aren’t possible and you can’t change it, instead focus on changing your reaction to this and work on acceptance.
11. Be continually kind to yourself, if you keep getting off track, berating yourself does not serve you – just regroup on your superhero mission again.
12. Be mindful of external, even well meaning saboteurs, eg (teasing / snigger) ‘Oh yes you’re trying to do that <enter goal here> again?’, or (patronising)‘oh well done (for losing 3KGs), eating that X won’t help you’ etc, etc.  Be open to the support and opinions or advice of others, as they may have something valid to contribute, though discard anything that brings you down or isn’t helpful.
13. Be mindful, there could be some people who may not want you to make this change.  I find it useful to try be kind and compassionate towards these people.
14. It is helpful to remember you are completely responsible for your own life, thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions.
15. Resolutions generally involve a behaviour change, which can be a struggle –enlist relevant professional or get a mentor to help in the area of your goal for support.

(Footnote: If you haven’t guessed already, the ‘giving up smoking’ was on my New Years resolutions, so Im dedicated this blog to myself for rereading every time I even think about going there!)

Recently I’ve realised that for most of my life, I’ve had a certain ‘greater level than normal’ preoccupation with the concept of freedom.  Freedom comes in many forms and manifests in many different ways – I suppose I see it as the right to create who you chose to be in this world, without breaching the rights of others. Some forms of freedom that come to my mind would be:

• Freedom from oppression
• Freedom from negative or limiting thoughts
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of information
• Physical freedom
• Emotional freedom
• Time freedom

A week ago on Anzac Day I pondered on freedom some more – on the brave men who have died over the years in the name of our freedom.  I considered whether I personally, am truly making the most of this gift I have been given – of living in a society that has mostly untold freedom (well, aside from the prospect of our up coming internet censorship, but that’s for another blog!).  I turned my attention to anything unwanted that is holding me back, enslaving me in my life. Smoking.  So with a turn onto Tuesday, I haven’t looked back and haven’t smoked since (miraculous, since Im one of those tedious perpetually giving up smoking people – this time I think I’ve actually done it for good though).

That’s awesome Charlotte.  Pat on the back. Go and gloat some more in your smoke free-ness. But how does this relate to work and recruitment I hear you ask?  Well I suppose, I think it’s always good to be thinking about whether a higher level of freedom is yours for the taking when it comes to your work life too, especially seeing as it takes up so much of our lives. It could be that you could create more freedom for yourself if you are in a job that really sucks.  Working for a company that takes too much and gives back little. In a career you don’t want to be in. Working for a company that goes against your values.  If you’re not paid enough or can’t make ends meet. If your hours are ridiculous. If your health is suffering.  If you’re bored or uninspired. If you’d rather be living somewhere else.  If the people you work with are toxic. If you’re not using your amazing talents and abilities.

Sure, there may be valuable lessons in the current situation, though the point Im trying to make is, I believe it is possible to create your own personal best sense of freedom.  Remembering you have the power to make things change and make things happen, for you. To live your best possible life.  Things might not happen over night.  It might need a careful plan. It might be a hard slog. You might need to change, (even if it’s just your perspective for the time being). There may be sacrifices.  You might not succeed straight away.  But then again, who says you can’t? You just might.

After all my big boots talking about how Im going to write a blog more than four times a year, I clearly need to step to it. Ah the promise of a regular entry and rantings from me and alas not a peep since I set this blog up.  The truth is that I was about to dispense some advice in my next blog and it occurred to me (like a good business woman needs to think of these things) that I really need Terms of Business on this blog of mine.

Frustratingly, then having to think like a lawyer quickly killed off my writing ‘flow.’ “You must not use the Website (or material obtained from the Website) to harm, abuse, defame, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise offend others or violate the legal rights of others or restrict or prevent another user from using and enjoying this Website.” I mean really? Nutcases.  Need to think about the nutcases. My expansive thoughts of helping you out with your confidence, or an interesting case study on a company’s green IT initiative, quickly turned to information superhighway paranoia. So, ‘1) Sort out Blog’s Terms of Business’ sat on my list of things to do for around two months, whilst I ducked in and out of thoughts about preventing others from using this blog to “to breach any applicable laws or regulations” and highlighting that, impersonating “any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity” is not cool.

Still I got there in the end. There was a price though.  That was the fleeting mind space it took, every time I looked at that list of things to do: ‘Uggh haven’t done the Terms yet.  Need to do the Terms.  Don’t have time.  Have too many jobs to fill.  They need to be perfect, you need more time to work it out.  Do it tonight.  (Tonight comes), can’t stare at the computer anymore today, I should go to the gym.  Should do it soon though because of all your big boots blog talking. Tomorrow night.’

Had I just sat down and sorted it out without question, it would’ve been done and all that split second, annoying frustration at having something sitting there on the list for all that time, wouldn’t have been there.  Frankly, Im not at all big on cheesy buzz words, business catchphrases and acronyms, though I always remember one client of mine saying they lived by this mantra and it is actually one I like: “Do it, Dump it or Delegate it.”  Outsourced to the experts, just like it should be, delegate it I did.