by Carleen MacKay :: Rob Kinslow
In sports, at work, on-stage, or in any number of organizational situations, a “Playbook” describes strategies to follow in order to reach new goals. In team sports, for example, football, each player’s movements are clearly 
defined with the goal of achieving touchdowns—or preventing those by the other team. Our work-related Playbooks describe how real-life story-tellers created their “winning game plans” and overcame obstacles in their pursuit of new ways to work in this age of hyper-shifting work.
In the New Workforce Hawaii playbooks, we share real-life stories of change. The story-tellers’ goals, market-shifts, and life changes they have experienced are described in their own words. These stories will share with you how and why alternative options to the once-familiar world of traditional “jobs” were explored. They will share their goals, challenges, actions, and the consequences of their actions, in order to help you imagine, dream and learn the lessons embedded in their inspirational journeys.
Let’s start with a real-life cautionary tale of a player caught in a great wave of change. Our story-teller had a variety of training and skills, which included a BA in Finance, certification as a Massage Therapist, training in Culinary Arts, and some management experience.
Situation: She had been gainfully employed full-time in a well-paid managerial position in the culinary arts field and then, when the economy collapsed in 2008, she was laid off from her job. She rapidly discovered her layoff was the result of a changing job market and future full-time positions in her areas of interest were highly unlikely.
Goals: Her short-term goals were to find some form of work so she could pay her rent and other expenses, maintain a healthy lifestyle, help her aging mother, secure health care benefits, and, for the long term, put at least a little money aside.
Action: She soon discovered, her skills and experience did not open doors to full time work. Employers were hiring younger workers with less experience and paying them much less than she needed to meet her goals. She began by mapping out her values, purpose and vision and then identified her resources and strengths, followed by developing relationships and reaching out into her wide and deep network of contacts. As a result, she identified people who respected her skills and hard-working, responsible nature.
Opportunities began to arise. One was one from an acquaintance who needed help organizing her life and doing various household tasks. When opportunity arises, she acted. Our story-teller expressed her interest and began performing a variety of tasks for this acquaintance: organizing space, bookkeeping, cooking, massages, dog walking, childcare, etc. — integrating her skills in the role of Personal Helper.
Our story-teller began to work 15 hours a week. Knowing she had to work more hours to meet her goals, she was able to identify a second position working for a family with a disabled child, and doing bookkeeping for the family’s business. Because of her goal setting, flexibility juggling multiple projects, committing to a multi-faceted schedule, and continuous follow-through, her two part-time positions morphed into a single full-time work situation.
Consequences: By the end of her first year in business, she added other expert Personal Helpers to her budding team. Today, she runs her small company out of her home, and contracts workers to aid in providing exceptional, reliable help to those in need. She is able to help her Mother, and both meet her short and long term goals.
The 21st century message is that 50-60% of the jobs that existed in the 20th century no longer exist, or are so materially changed, that they do not exist for many people today.
Does this resonate with you? Check out the Playbook for Teens
New opportunities are around the next corner, should you be willing to peek!
Pivot to the Pacific, into YOUR future.
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Reach out to your favorite wingman—we are multi-generational coaches. You will benefit from our proven 8-Step process. Let us guide you to what you need to know and do in order to advance your career in a time of hyper-shift. We can help you implement a plan that will work for you the day after the day after tomorrow.
Look us up on LinkedIn: Carleen MacKay :: Rob Kinslow
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