David Zinger

Career Zingers #27: Jumping Ship

May 4, 2018 by David Zinger Leave a Comment

Do you feel lost at sea in your current work?

During our careers, many of us begin looking for a new job even while we feel stuck in our old job. The old one might not pay enough, have a bad boss, not offer enough challenge or meaning, not be a good fit, or not be right for a variety of reasons. Yet, I believe the way out of something is often through it. Don’t quit on the old job before you leave it. Some of the best work you can do for your career is to work well wherever you are even if you are exploring other opportunities. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule but exercise caution in jumping ship without ensuring your last job is in shipshape.

Your past work performance is often a good predictor of your future work contribution.

Career Zingers #26: What’s Your Currency?

April 25, 2018 by David Zinger Leave a Comment

Money often costs too much. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

What’s your currency at work? Currency is a medium of exchange. We narrowly think of currency as being money. I am not saying money is unimportant, just that it is not as important as we think. Countless studies have demonstrated that on the list of important motivators and contributors to employee engagement money is lower on the list.

Pause right now, consider what do you truly exchange your time, effort, and self for at work?

Over the years, I have learned my personal currencies for work are:

curiosity,
connection,
creativity,
playfulness,
stories,
learning,
expression, and
contribution.

When work offers me these currencies I am engaged and motivated. I have said numerous times, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this work.” I forget I am getting paid in the currencies listed above. When you exchange your work for the right currencies, work will make you well.

Career Zingers #25: Stop Clinging

April 23, 2018 by David Zinger Leave a Comment

Bounce free of career static

Too much static in your career? Hanging on to outdated perceptions of work, career, and yourself? When drying your clothes, I sometimes put a sheet of Bounce in the dryer to stop the static so my clothes don’t cling.

Here are 3 invitations to make your career cling free:

(1) as things tumble and change bounce with the change as opposed to being stuck.

(2) notice if the stories you tell yourself help you move forward or create static and regretful thinking as you desperately cling to the past.

(3) just as you need to keep doing laundry, you also need to keep working on your career – avoid mindlessly performing the tasks of your job without having the larger picture of who you are in mind.

Career Zingers # 24: Beauty Is Not About How We Look, It Is About How We See

April 19, 2018 by David Zinger Leave a Comment

To find beauty, see with fresh eyes

Susan, my wife, received some lovely roses. After a number of days I was ready to throw them out as they were withering. Susan stopped me, she cut the stems and put the roses in a new vase. The next morning while I was eating yogurt and granola for breakfast, I found myself staring at the roses. They were not new, they were not fresh, but they were beautiful. After reading this post, I encourage you to find beauty in yourself or in others even as you and others age and wither. Beauty is not about how we look, it is about how we see.

Career Zingers #23: Build a Nuanced Career

April 17, 2018 by David Zinger Leave a Comment

Nuance Matters

The dictionary defines nuance as the ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value).

Own your subtle differences in meaning, feeling, and value. When you encounter career advice don’t trust it, test it. Does the advice fit for you? Is it helpful? How might you tweak or alter the suggestion or advice to make it your own.

You build a career not by assembling it like the 68 steps to assemble a piece of Ikea furniture — you assemble it by making up your own direction. You are not a beach – you are a grain of sand.