Sue Connelly’s KIT List Blog

I was outdoors after a meeting a few days ago, and a butterfly crossed my path. A few seconds later, I noticed another…then another. It was so subtle, I would have missed it, but more butterflies continued to pass by, one by one, flying north into a headwind. Yet I wasn’t in the middle of a field — I was on the street of an industrial area lined with parking lots and office buildings!

Driving down busy El Camino Real, I noticed them at a rate of one every few seconds. I went from being mildly curious to becoming intrigued. Just what was happening?

I’ve never seen this before, but I finally realized that we are in the path of the Monarch* butterfly migration. Pacific Grove, a few hours south, is famous for their groves of trees covered with thousands of butterflies. This must have happened every year, but this year, I was privileged to see it in action. Over the past two days, I’ve seen hundreds of Monarchs…now that I was finally noticing them.

So what’s my point?

There is a message for all of us who are worried about the economy and for those who’ve lost jobs.

These butterflies are small and seemingly fragile. But I was surprised how fast they were flying against a brisk headwind (they can travel at 30 miles an hour). It’s also amazing that their migration covers hundreds of miles from the Canadian Rockies to Mexico.

So here are just a few thoughts on the “Lessons from the Monarch:”

1. Let’s not fear change — but embrace it instead!

Through the wonder of metamorphosis, they change from caterpillars and emerge from the cocoon as completely different creatures that are free to fly. A tough situation at work, home, a job loss, or dissatisfaction with your career, is an opportunity to change through your own metamorphosis into something even better than before.

2. Use the time “in the cocoon” to rest, grow, energize and get ready for the next adventure.

After a layoff, you may need to regroup, reflect and figure out what you really want. Use this time to recreate (that includes recreation too!), do research, take career tests, and open yourself to other career possibilities or life paths. But remember that you’ve got to get out of the cocoon before you can fly.

3. Realize that while you have to do the work yourself, you are not alone.

Each Monarch has to grow, develop and fly, but it has the company of thousands as they protect each other from predators and cold weather by clustering closely together on trees. Meet with friends, other job seekers, and old colleagues for coffee. Share your ideas and experience, and use your talents and networks to help each other. I get so much energy…and great advice…when I get out and meet with people.

4. Don’t be daunted by the number of job seekers out there.

There are millions of Monarchs in the migration. Instead, tell your job seeking friends what you’re looking for and they actually become more eyes and ears on the lookout for you as they do their own searches. Consider each person you know as an extension of your marketing efforts and you’ll all uncover opportunities for each other — far more than you’d discover by yourself!

5. The Monarch migration takes several generations.

Those that start don’t complete it, but their progeny do. We, too, can take a longer term, big picture view for not just ourselves, but for the next generation. As the Great Depression became the impetus for growth, rebuilding and prosperity in the decades following, we can do the same. In fact, it was during the Depression that the most new millionaires got their start. You may have an idea that can become the next “big thing,” or at least become a viable business. Why not get started now?

6. The force of life is strong.

This migration, and other miracles of nature, have gone on for thousands of years, despite weather, war, and bad economies. We will endure, and with nature bursting to life again around us, it’s a reminder that there is abundance, growth and new possibilities after the cold winter. With the cycle of the seasons, there is a cycle with economies. Things WILL get better and we should get into position to be ready for it when it comes…or become a part of creating the upturn!

7. Sometimes big things are easy to overlook.

If I hadn’t been standing outside for a while, I wouldn’t have noticed the first few butterflies, and certainly not realized that they were part of a huge migration. Now I notice them everywhere. Keep your eyes open! There may be other small things (ideas, trends, etc.) that can turn into big ones that may be easily overlooked. Something important may be right under your nose.

8. We are resilient.

These little guys are deceptively fragile — but they are actually quite resilient. We are resilient, too, and we get stronger through adversity. The monarchs stay on course despite the long journey. Let’s stay on course, know that we’re not alone, and help each other along this journey — we’ll be stronger and happier as a result.

I’m seeing fewer monarchs today as they move on to new territory, but the lessons that I got from these small creatures will stay with me.

Hey! Did you see that one just fly by?

* Note: Thank you to those who let me know that this migration is most likely the Painted Lady butterfly. They look like Monarchs, as do Viceroy and Queen butterflies, but their message is still the same!

I just attended a great meeting this morning in San Francisco on social networking. It’s an exciting area and though I’ve been playing with a lot of the tools, I often feel more baffled than brilliant in this exploration.

Social networking is helping people find jobs right now!

The KIT List is actually an early social network since it was started with my email list of friends at Silicon Graphics. The growth just by word of mouth to 60,000 people is a testament to the power of friends helping friends.

I am launching a survey of the entire KIT List community of job seekers, employers and recruiters to find the best ways to use social networking in your job search and career advancement.

But first, I want to find out from you the kinds of questions that would make the survey most helpful to you. This will tap the brain trust of our KIT List community, and the results will be shared so we can all accelerate our learning curve on social networking

What questions are most important to you?

Let me know the kinds of questions you want to pose to the entire KIT List regarding social networking for job search and career development.

I’ll include the most compelling as well as the most popular questions in the upcoming survey.

Let’s put the power of social networking to work in helping each other!

IMPORTANT: Please use the Comments Section of the KIT List blog to submit your questions (please do not email me directly, thanks!).

The past three weeks have been a life lesson for me in contending with new levels of stress. The economy, many friends without jobs and the state of all of our hard-earning savings is enough to give us all sleepless nights, but the challenge of a serious medical situation for my mother, followed by surgery and a stint in the ICU for my father, finally pushed my stress levels into new territory.

I don’t presume to have the answers, but I thought I’d share some of the “in the trenches” thoughts while in the midst of these medical adventures.

More importantly, I think this is a good opportunity for KIT List folks to share their best tips on managing stress so that we can all benefit from the collective wisdom in our wonderful community. And if you don’t have stress — let us know your secret!

1. Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to lean on your friends and family. They will come through in ways that will touch and amaze you. It’s true that you don’t have to do it alone. Having others share the workload, help with caregiving or other tasks will help you through the long haul. Friends also have excellent ideas and resources to offer since many have been through the same situation you’re facing (death, illness, joblessness, etc.). Many of us mistakenly think we’ve got to be strong all of the time, and that we’d sooner help someone else than ask for help. But the incredible thing is that people truly love to help each other, and that being willing to be on the receiving end is allowing the generosity and kindness to flow…and grow. My friend Ginny was sick herself, yet she dropped off homemade soup, along with her warm wishes, for my folks. That meant the world to me.

2. Have a Good Cry…or a Good Yell
Yes, even the brawniest men out there can benefit from the emotional release. Tears carry toxins out of our systems, and even the strongest of us need to let down and feel the full impact of the emotions going on. When you can’t work up any tears, I endorse a healthy yell, or more, by yourself (the car is a quiet place so you don’t scare the neighbors. But don’t do it when you’re behind another driver — your facial expressions may scare the hell out of them!). There’s something really gratifying about giving your lungs a chance to belt it out.

3. Lean into Your Faith
I’m ashamed to admit to being a lot better at praying when the pressure is on. But what has impressed me most is the number of people who have added their prayers and encouragement, and calls came from unexpected places. Don’t discount the power of the “jungle drums” as people spread the word about the need for prayers and support. My family and I definitely felt the protection and the lightening of the load by the combined efforts of so many. Being part of a community — a church, a club, your neighborhood or a group of friends — can have a tremendous impact on your wellbeing. Volunteering is another way to get your mind off of your own worries. It can give you important perspective when you see the challenges others are facing, while giving you a chance to add your talents to solving a social problem or need. Plus, it gets you out of the house!

4. Rest Up and Recharge Your Batteries
I hear that the best thing to do under stress is to eat well and exercise. I haven’t done either this last month, and have to admit to savoring a guilty endorphin rush from an old-fashioned doughnut from Stanford Hospital’s cafeteria. But if you can’t get in a gym workout, just taking a walk to get fresh air and take a break from the trouble is worth it. Also, the power of sleep can’t be discounted. My new motto is, “What a difference a day makes.” Sometimes just having a chance to rest gives you a whole new perspective on a situation. And sometimes the situation can change dramatically for the better in just a day. You never know when something incredible is just around the corner, if you can only just hold on!

5. Don’t Watch (or Read) the News
Uncle! Enough negativity already. We already know the bad stuff, and it can be overwhelming to hear the volume of horrible news. I’m limiting how much I pay attention to the news and I’m focusing instead on what I can do to make things better for my friends, my family and myself. The media’s focus is often on what’s wrong with the world since that attracts more readers and viewers. It can give the false perception that the world is falling apart. We’ve been through many tough times before, even far worse ones, and we have the courage and the talent and the resources to overcome these circumstances. Take a look at old headlines over the past 60 years and you’ll see that we’ve been through a lot and came out better and stronger as a result. Life flourishes in spite of (or because of) hardship.

6. Focus on What IS Working
Tonight, when I was feeling so overwhelmed, I purposely stopped and tried to reframe what I felt was bad news. Instead, I decided to mentally list all the good things that happened, or looking at what I was grateful for (things could have been worse). We’ve all heard about keeping a Gratitude Journal, and I have to admit to being pretty infrequent with my entries. But just taking the time tonight to think about what was going right, and what I have to be grateful for helped to tilt the balance from “half empty” to “half full.”

7. Do Just One Thing
My head is often swirling with the thousand things I could or should be doing. I often feel besieged and bedeviled by my endless To Do List. That alone is stressful enough. I’m trying to “do just one thing” instead. Sometimes just getting started on one thing gets the momentum going and I can tackle other things afterward. This helps break the log jam of inertia by making some progress on one thing. Our world is so focused on productivity that we’ve multitasked ourselves into being less productive. Multitasking has become a relentless taskmaster, and studies show that we are actually much more productive when we focus on one task at a time.

8. Make ‘Em Laugh
See a funny movie or do something that gives you joy. I passed over more meaningful (but depressing) storylines to see “Paul Blart, Mall Cop” tonight for some much-needed laughs. After a full day after the release from the hospital for my Dad, and meetings with the physical therapist, visiting nurse, and family meetings, a friend was a willing accomplice to get away at the movies. If you have a passion or hobby, make sure you give yourself some time to pursue it. Whether it’s hiking, biking or puttering around the garden (my personal favorite), you’ll find yourself energized and recharged after losing yourself in something else for a while. Most of us can’t run away to a tropical island, but a mini-getaway with a day trip to the beach, the wine country or something else in your area you haven’t explored yet has amazing ways of renewing you. I’ve found just spending even a few hours at the beach blows out the cobwebs in my brain, and the expansive horizon and the changing surf can make a world of difference.

This is not the complete list of stress busters, so use the Comments section for this blog to share your best tips on reducing stress with the rest of the KIT List community.

Let’s see the creative ways you all use to beat stress!

A few weeks ago, a dear friend said, “I feel like a rat on a treadmill,” when describing her many calls, emails and meetings to find work. She felt she was working so hard, yet getting little or no return.

First of all, I asked her to dump that image immediately since it wasn’t a reflection of reality. She is a talented and incredible person, so the rat analogy couldn’t be further from the truth.

Instead, I told her to look at it as “planting seeds.”

When we think of our efforts as planting seeds, the picture changes.

If the current economy looks like a cold and barren field, shift your perspective to see it as promising soil that’s rich in nutrients and a solid foundation for roots to grow and plants to flourish.

And there’s no telling which seed (or action) is going to bring about the magic results! The goal is to plant a LOT of seeds. Water them regularly (that means that good follow up on your actions will help to make things happen).

Some seeds will sprout too early and get hit by frost, while others get nipped in the bud by wayward rabbits. Yet some seeds will sprout at the right time and grow to yield a healthy harvest.

But it’s important to remember that when you’re first planting those seeds, you never know which one is going to be the one that’ll bear the most fruit. That’s half the fun of it — and most of the frustration, too.

I’m not suggesting that that any action is a good action. Some things will be a good use of your time, while others may be a waste. Test out some new activities and see if they produce results. But even what seems like a waste turns into an excellent learning experience. There are many times I’ve told myself, “Well, I won’t do THAT again!”

It’s definitely worth focusing your efforts on a few key things you can give your best efforts, and where you can do good follow up. In the seed analogy, a farmer doesn’t mix up the seeds from different plant types and toss them around. There is careful thought in deciding which kind of plants go into which rows, and where the sunlight and drainage are appropriate for each type of plant.

The same goes for your job search efforts. It’s worth it to choose a few smart things you can do, and then do them regularly. Don’t lose hope when things don’t happen as quickly as you planned. Your hard work is bound to pay off in some unexpected ways!

During the upcoming months, I will ask the hiring experts in the KIT List community to share their advice and tips with job seekers through this blog. Also, job seekers can share their best techniques to help others find great work. This will help us all to figure out the best seeds to plant!

In the meantime, feel free to share your own ideas and tips in the Comments section so everyone can benefit. Thanks!

In this special season, when people the world around celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, it brings to mind the powerful message of hope.

On that quiet night in Bethlehem, born into poverty in a land under foreign domination, a tiny infant was the fulfillment of a promise of a Father to His people. For those of us who share the Christian faith, this humble beginning was the spark that lighted hope in millions of hearts and changed the world. 

For our friends who celebrate Hanukkah, this is a treasured symbol of hope and courage. With the miracle of the one day’s worth of olive oil keeping the light of the Temple burning for eight days during turbulent times, this is a vital message of light against the darkness. 

Even the ancient cultures knew the power of hope to combat the ills of the world. We all know the Greek myth about Pandora’s Box. Despite being warned not to open a special box (or jar), Pandora’s curiosity won out and she opened it. Immediately, out flew all of the evils and diseases that plague our world. She quickly slammed down the cover, but it was too late. But what many of us don’t know is that the last thing that flew out was — hope!

Times look severe right now, but we’ve faced worse before – and emerged stronger and better as a result. In the course of human history, it is hope, combined with action, that overcame the ills and tribulations of each time.

Whenever I get worried and stressed about the economy and how it has impacted us all, I try to get my mind on a different track, focusing on what I can do, and turning fear into action. Also, we’ve seen throughout history, many examples of when hope, courage, and personal action have changed the tide of history.

Let’s cherish this special time with our friends and loved ones, and take a break from the worries of this economy and allow the message of hope from this season to lighten our spirits and give us renewed energy in the New Year.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I’d like to share some great advice that came from KIT List folks who commented on our first KIT List blog (thank you, everyone!).

Their messages are to encourage you all to keep your job search efforts going strong during the holiday season.

This is a perfect time to be “the early bird” while other job seekers are taking time off. Many companies will be ramping up their efforts in the New Year. Get on their radar screen now. The early bird gets the job!

Here are some great comments from the blog:

“For the rest of you out there: don’t fall into `holiday malaise’ and stop looking during the last few business weeks of the year because `no one hires in Q4′.” – Frank Hoeflich

“Conventional wisdom says that the holidays are a tough time to look for a job – I disagree. It is often busy for both recruiters and job hunters because of that end of the year push – trying to get critical positions filled before a budget ends or to be ready to start 2009 with a full team. While this year has the added challenge of the economy, we all need to keep focused on finding that next great job.” – Deb McClanahan  (www.broadbandhr.com)

In a phone call today with Mike Manoske from Yoh Search (www.yoh.com), he added these points:

• “Out the front door. In the back door.” Even when a company is having layoffs, they are still hiring for jobs that are important to their business.
• Companies are putting together budgets for next year, so they’re getting ready to hire.
• Many companies are in the final phases of product development with a Q1 release. They’re going to need help to launch and support their products.
• Use this time to get current in new technologies if you’ve gotten out of touch. That will make you more marketable.

A few more thoughts:

• Grab coffee or something stronger (hey, it’s the holidays!) with a friend or two, especially during the slow time during Christmas and New Years. Catch up and let them know about the kind of job you want.
• You never know whom you might meet at a party or event. Let them know about the kind of work you are seeking. Keep it upbeat and positive…and brief! But it’s very important to come with an attitude of giving instead of taking, and be sure to focus on what you can do for them.
• Be open to consulting work since I’m hearing a lot that companies that will first hire contract help before committing to permanent staff. As a consultant myself, I highly recommend the consulting life!

If anyone else has other tips to share, please add it in the comments section for this blog. This way, we’ll all benefit from the great ideas.

Keep up the good work during the last few weeks of the year. Grab a Christmas cookie and pick up the phone!