There are many ways to do positive work. One approach is to do work that gives you positive energy, helps people and can also lead to getting paid.
This approach often involves building on your strengths and doing satisfying work. It can also involve being savvy and earning a salary by doing work that helps people to achieve success.
Some people follow this approach by running their own business. Some follow it by working as an educator, medic, osteopath, designer, technical specialist, leader or in other professional role.
Imagine that you want to follow elements of this approach in your own way. This can involve focusing on the following themes.
You Can Do Work That
Gives You Positive Energy
What are the kinds of work that give you positive energy? What are the activities where you feel in your element – at ease and yet able to excel? What are those where you follow you passions and have the ability to deliver peak performances?
Different people give different answers the first question. Here are some of the themes they may mention.
Positive Energy – The specific kinds of work
that give me positive energy are when I am:
Encouraging people … Helping dyslexic children … Designing gardens … Coaching young footballers … Renovating old houses … Making custom-made furniture.
Creating software … Solving computer problems … Selling to certain kinds of customers … Leading pioneering teams … Passing on knowledge … Helping people to shape a positive future.
There are many approaches to shaping a career. Some people follow the traditional path of getting certain qualifications. They then aim to pursue what may seem to be a safe and predictable route.
Sometimes this approach can work. Sometimes it can get shaken, however, by new inventions or unexpected events that can change their profession.
Some people recognise that the world of work has changed. There are fewer predictable career paths anymore but there will always be projects. They therefore focus on helping people to deliver certain kinds of projects successfully.
Some people develop a professional freelancer mentality. They build on their strengths and find sponsors – customers or employers – who may want what they offer. They then use their strengths to help these people to achieve success.
There are many ways for people to shape their careers. As mentioned earlier, one way is for a person to start by describing the specific kinds work that give them positive energy.
Let’s return to your own life and work. If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this first theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
You Can Do Work That Gives You
Positive Energy And Helps People
Imagine that you have clarified the kinds of work that give you positive energy. If appropriate, you may then wish to translate one or more of these into an activity that can help people.
You may, for example, enjoy doing work that involves counselling, teaching, designing buildings, managing crises or other activities. You may prefer to work as a freelancer, run a business or work in an organisation.
Bearing these things in mind, here are some questions you may consider when exploring how you to do work that helps people.
Doing Work That Helps People
What is the specific activity that gives me positive energy? How can I translate this into something that can help people? What is the specific activity, service or product I can offer that can help people in their personal or professional lives?
Who are the kinds of people – employers or customers – who may be interested in what I offer? What may be the kinds of challenges that they may face? What are the specific things I can deliver that can help them to tackle these challenges or achieve success?
Who are the kinds of people with whom I work best? What are the characteristics of these people? How can I reach these people in a way that I feel comfortable with? How can I then position what I offer in a way that may be attractive to these people?
Imagine that you have explored these questions. Whatever kind of work you want to do, it can be important to translate this into how you can apply this to help people.
If you with, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
You Can Do Work That Gives You
Positive Energy, Helps People
And Can Lead To Getting Paid
Imagine that you have translated what gives you positive energy into something you can do to help people. This could be an activity, service or product that can help them to tackle challenges or achieve success.
The next step can be to do the following things. First, to get your first piece of work. Second, to make clear contracts about what you will deliver. Third, to do superb work and deliver success.
Your first piece of work may come from people in your network. These may be either: a) people you know or; b) people you know who recommend you to other people. This highlights a key point.
Real networking is about giving to
people and helping them to succeed.
Some people say they are no good at networking because they think it involves self-promotion. It doesn’t. It is about giving to people and helping them to achieve success.
Sounds crazy? Perhaps. But giving to people – such as encouraging them or passing on knowledge – can be extremely rewarding. It can sometimes also lead to future work possibilities.
Sometimes this involves passing on knowledge via email or a blog. Sometimes it involves meeting a person and sharing ideas they can use to achieve their goals. Sometimes it can involve doing work for free.
People buy people. Whilst CVs may look good, most buyers want somebody whom they can trust, somebody who they know can deliver. One person expressed this in the following way.
“Every job I have had over the past 20 years has come from my network.
“Twice during that time the companies I was employed by got taken over and my job disappeared. So it was then time to reconnect with people who knew what I could deliver.
“The hard part was getting started. I spent masses of time visiting people. Being customer focused, I made sure the conversation was about them and their company challenges. It was not about me.
“I followed up every visit with an email framing possible ideas they could use to tackle specific challenges. Several times this led to contract work with somebody saying: ‘How can we take this further?’
“This is how I have got my last two jobs. I started by doing pieces of project work and then moved into full-time employment.”
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Some people take the following steps.
They clarify the people they know in their network and their possible challenge or goals.
They clarify how the things they offer may be able to help some of these people to tackle their challenges or achieve their goals.
They clarify how they can approach these people in a way they feel comfortable with and, if appropriate, position what they offer in way that may be attractive to these people.
Imagine you have taken these steps and are about to embark on your first piece of work. Sometimes there may be some actual funding. Sometimes you may simply be paid to cover any costs.
Let’s assume you have been hired. It will then be important to make clear contracts about:
The specific outcomes to be delivered – the picture of success.
The specific things that can be done to increase the chances of success;
The specific things you will do to proactively keep people informed about the progress being made towards achieving the goals.
Imagine that you have taken these steps. You can aim to get some quick wins, do superb work and find solutions to challenges. You can then finish properly and do your best to deliver the picture of success.
Somebody may argue that this may simply be a case of doing work for free. This can be the case for a while, but there may come a point when a potential employer or customer asks if you can do more work. If so, you may then say:
“I would love to do the work. I wonder, would there be any possibility of getting any funding?”
Depending on their answer, you may then need to make a decision. Sometimes this approach can lead to doing fulfilling work and getting some funding. Sometimes it may not. If not, you can decide if you want to pursue other possibilities.
There are many ways to do positive work. One approach is to do work that gives you positive energy, helps people and can also lead to getting paid.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, how may you be able to get paid for doing work that gives you positive energy and also helps people?
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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