Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Surrounded By Opportunities

Surrounded by Opportunities

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” --Seneca


The good news is we are all surrounded by opportunities, both personal and professional. The kicker is we may believe we are overdue for a little luck and our preparation is ready to be rewarded – only to realize that we are unprepared and surprised to find opportunities surface at the most inconvenient time.


Four keys to capturing new opportunities – to move from where we are to where we need to be: 


  • Value 
  • Cost
  • Gaps 
  • Support 

True opportunities must have value and capture your heart, not just your head. For example, pursuing a new career may seem to be logical--but is it really your passion? I have made several career changes where I realized I took the job to please someone else; I followed my head—not my heart.

There is a cost to capturing a new opportunity—the opportunity cost of not spending your time and money on another priority. For example, what if you commit to returning to school to increase your promotion opportunities, only to witness your family life is deteriorating? You really cannot have it all—opportunities require tradeoffs.


Preparation is great but you will have gaps to close. These gaps can be what you need to know (technical knowledge & interpersonal skills) as well as who you need to know (networking & work relationships).


Finally, you need momentum to move forward and this requires support. The truth is no one ever gets there alone and you may need a catalyst to be your accountability partner.


What is the opportunity you are looking for – has it already arrived?


As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.


Todd

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

My Moment of Truth at Exit 68

Each of us have a moment of truth. For me, my life changed at Exit 68.

I was driving home from a difficult day of work. As I stopped for gas off Exit 68, all I could think of was the corporate reorganization announced that morning. My long corporate career was about to change. I’d considered self-employment before, but I’d put off that dream for another day.


My future changed at pump #3. A man, not much older than myself, had a fishing boat behind his pickup truck that caught my eye. “How are you doing road warrior?” he asked.


How was I doing? This was my exact question to myself. We started talking; I learned that he was a retired school administrator. He'd been presented with changes in his life, and instead of holding tight to his set course, he decided to control his destiny. He saw an opportunity to change his life, and he took it.


The good news is we are surrounded by opportunities – to lead others and grow organizations. But we need momentum to move forward. I hope my newsletter, The Opportunity Coach, can be that momentum for you. My newsletters will focus on identifying opportunities and seeing what stands in the way of achieving all of your goals.


My goal is to be a catalyst for you, much as the retired school administrator on Exit 68 was for me.


As always, I welcome your feedback or input.


Todd