What is “work” really, and which career should you choose?

I was listening to a talk given by Tim Keller called “Work.” He made a lot of great points, but one stuck with me. In the past, people did work for the sake of the work, the work itself was its own reward. In our society, people work so they can have money (or status), in order to do something else, which is really what they want to do.

When I talk to students about career planning, I ask them to imagine a dream scenario. A wealthy businessman has agreed to give you an annual salary of $500,000 per year for the rest of your life. However, you must work 35 hours a week doing some job. You may spend the necessary time getting training or more education if you need to. What job would you pick? Whatever that job is that you just picked, is the career you should pursue.

Yo Mama

Like many people, I subscribe to a wide array of feeds from various discussion boards and blogs related to history, technology, theology and education. I have really been struck lately at how the message board conversations or blog comments often deteriorate into using profanities or basically saying what was said in elementary school “well, yo’ mama.”

I guess the alternative would be for the person to say, “Honestly, my ability to form a coherent opinion and articulate it is so limited I will have to defer to you on this one.” Or, perhaps we would like to read, at least once, “Your thoughtful opinion piece runs contrary to what I think, and if I could, I would have some witty reply or at least use vocabulary words that have more than four letters.”

In the end, I hope that those who write insightful blogs, or interesting ideas on message boards, will not be discouraged by the trolls.

Slacktivism is running rampant

Many organizations are jumping on the slacktivism bandwagon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacktivism

Healthcare Reform: A Balanced Viewpoint

I am sure we have all seen the videos circulating about the town halls and the amount of passion, anger and unrest evident there. It seems that Senator Arlen Specter is featured a lot for some reason.  I have had the opportunity to meet the Senator and think he is a really nice guy.  I admire him for continuing to put himself out there. I do not think many of his answers have helped his cause with the voters.

As someone who has been a leader in the aging and disabilities field, I have long thought we needed healthcare reform. People with disabilities in particular have a very difficult time getting affordable insurance. They often have numerous pre-existing conditions that make them such a high risk that no one wants to cover them. I think that is why disability advocacy groups are mistakenly supporting healthcare reform however it is presented.

Despite my belief that we need healthcare reform, HR 3200 is one of the most poorly conceived pieces of legislation I have ever seen. It creates more than 50 new federal commissions or agencies, and leaves open to interpretation too many important policies. On page 354 there appears to be the intention to ration healthcare coverage for those with special needs. Section 1177 clearly gives the federal government the authority to limit special needs coverage.

Reading through the more than 1,000 pages, there is also no mention of tort reform, which would reduce litigation. Unfettered litigation is driving much of the cost increases in healthcare.

I have had the misfortune of being exposed to CMS, the federal bureaucracy that manages Medicare and Medicaid.  I was part of a group that worked to get some coverage policies changed. My experience with their unresponsiveness, callousness to the average citizen, and lack of accountability, make me very cautious about any new agencies and commissions that might be created.

So, in my own opinion we need two things. We need an insurer of last resort set up for people with disabilities and others who cannot otherwise get insurance because of pre-existing conditions. This will protect the most vulnerable of our society, which I think is an important role for the government. Secondly, we need reform to a system that is driving malpractice claims up to a point that doctors are finding it too expensive to practice, especially in certain states.

Overlooked strategies to a successful blog

My wife Denise has reached at least the first tier of a having a successful blog at www.hearingelmo.com

She recently accepted an invitation from WellSphere to be part of their extensive network, and regularly exceeds 1,000 readers each week. She is now considered one of the top health bloggers in the country. This is “rare air” and most of us do not get close to this.

I would like some observations on the success to hearingelmo.

She brutally sticks to her main topics of living with hearing loss (and cochlear implant), and a hearing assistance dog.

Unlike my own blog, which covers just about anything and is not updated very much, you know what you are getting at hearingelmo. She is passionate and knowledgeable, and focused.

When you tune into Animal Planet, Food Network, or ESPN, you know what you are getting. Denise has even endured some criticism about her blog only being about those two topics. These are the same people who write into the Food Network and complain about all those cooking shows.

The topics are spiced up with pictures and video content.

Today’s web is made for color and movement. Hearingelmo does not disappoint with short snippets of video and some picture with every post. Text, even well written text, can be dull and boring.

You can be a first time reader and know what is going on.

One of my pet peeves is when a person posts a question on a message board or forum, and some person posts that “we have already talked about that six months ago.” Well, not everyone is living in their parents’ basement with the time to read every post on your favorite forums.

Who is the most important person reading your blog today? The first time reader. Hearingelmo very obviously understands that some readers are first time readers, who do not know her, or anything about her topic. That is why I am confident sending someone there who wants to know more about life with hearing loss or a hearing assistance dog.

We could go into other areas including conversational and personal writing style, regular updates, links to other helpful resources, etc., but these first three are ones that are often overlooked.

Unemployment for Older Adults and People with Disabilities

The news that comes to us month after month of hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs is staggering. The numbers are so large it is almost impossible to comprehend the impact. We quickly think about money problems, repossessed cars and foreclosed homes as a potential impact for families who are impacted. Indeed, it is a scary time for multitudes of families.

Beyond the obvious financial impact, there is also an emotional cost to being “let go.” In some ways it is easier if an entire store or plant closes down and everyone working there is affected. However, it seems more personal when a company or organization chooses to keep some people and let others go. This can strike at the core of our self-worth and how much value we feel we bring to an organization.

My observations have been that losing one’s job is in some ways more difficult for older adults and those with disabilities. Older adults may already feel the pressure of staying relevant and needed. People with disabilities may feel like their coworkers constantly underestimate them because of their differences. Being “let go” can throw an emotional hand grenade in the midst of these already present struggles.

Perhaps it is best for everyone to find a personal counselor in addition to the career counselor. Some people can serve as both. If you are struggling with self-worth and self-esteem issues it will have an impact on your performance in seeking new employment. Job searching is really a complex management project that requires you to be at your best.

Three words I am tired of hearing and reading…

I know other people have written their version of “most overused words,” but I thought I would put in my own.

1. “In this economy…” is used in almost every report or story that has to do with finances. Almost every workshop or conference has these words in the description.

2. “24/7…” is used in the place of “frequently” or “regularly.” Those words just must not carry enough weight.

3. “Busy,” as in how are you doing “I’m so busy.” How are things? Busy! I guess busy in the new badge of honor. Busy has a low threshold to get to. You could be lying on your couch watching a Jerry Springer marathon and be “busy.”

Why you should get a degree in psychology

I frequently recommend that people seriously consider getting an undergraduate or graduate degree in psychology. Some people believe a degree in psychology means a career in psychotherapy, which is not the case at all. In fact, most people with a degree in psychology do not spend their days providing counseling services. The settings for people with psychology degrees are varied and numerous.

Other than the opportunity to work in a variety of settings as a teacher, counselor, administrator, researcher, or consultant, there are some other benefits not always considered.

Research and Analysis. You cannot successfully complete a degree in psychology without knowing how to find information, analyze that information, and articulate your findings verbally or in writing. This is a life and work skill that is very much in demand in our information saturated society.

Understanding People. Unless you plan to live on an island by yourself, then you will work with people. The study of psychology looks at how people think, what motivates them, and how they develop. Having this information allows you to be more objective and hopefully a little more effective in working with the people around us.

Writing. Psychology requires good writing skills, particularly at the graduate level. With the proliferation of internet content and the shrinking of printed media, the demand for people who can write well is higher than ever.

Problem Solving. Psychology frequently looks at real life problems, tries to get to the root of those problems, and then find solutions. More often than not, this involves using theoretical concepts to solve practical problems. Psychology demands solutions that work in the real world.

So, imagine presenting yourself to a potential employer with the above mentioned skill set. Is this valuable to most companies or organizations?

A Sense of Dread

One of the things we have trouble seeing is the cumulative effects of pretty much anything in our lives. It is usually not doing something for one hour, or one day or even a few weeks that has significant impacts on our lives, it is what we do or face day after day after day.

One of the cumulative effects of stress I noticed personally was a “sense of dread.” For about two years I was in a work environment with organizational financial distress and unavoidable dealings with a few very negative people. Naturally, I had to fight the dread of facing these stressors each day, but after some time I had an almost constant sense of dread in the back of my mind. This made it difficult to relax during times such as holidays or the rare vacation.

Even after getting out of this environment, it took a long time for this sense of dread to go away. I guess one might say it took time to heal from the stress and negativity.

My advice is to get out of the stressful environment you are in. Life is too short to choose to spend your time in dysfunctional places or with dysfunctional people. If you cannot get out right away, make an exit strategy and plan, then start moving in that direction.

Too often people stay too long at places or with people because of some sense of duty. Do not think you can change deeply ingrained or institutionalized patterns of behavior. The truth is, you will not keep people from returning to their default position.

The Lion at Judiciary Square

Washington, DC has a lot of memorials that most people do not know about. Family and friends help keep them from being forgotten. On my way to a meeting near Judiciary Square this morning I stopped by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and took this picture.

The writing says: “It is not how these officers died that made them heroes it is how they lived.” What you cannot see from my picture is that opposite the lion two cubs are oblivious to their surroundings and playing while the lion watches. I find this setting and these words very profound.