Skip to main content

Character

Those that started with me on the #improve2019 journey, set a goal. Whether the goal was personal or professional, the goal was concrete. It was some measurable and specific. Along the way there have been good days, bad days, excitement, exhaustion, and ultimately growth. Regardless of how a person has succeeded or failed so far, something has happened along the way.
 
A person cannot strive for success in any goal without building strength of character. For those with the education of young children, schools talk about character development, but once people hit the adult years the conversation goes away. There is an assumption character is fully formed around age 18 and everyone has good character and lives happily ever after, but we know this to be untrue based on the realities of life we see on the news and with people we are acquainted.
 
As workforce professionals striving for goal achievement with individuals, we see the consequences of good and bad choices. We see how making positive and health decisions can not only move people towards their goal, but it also helps them build positive character traits. Once people can see the benefits of success, most do not want to go back to the situations and decisions that were unproductive.

Those with strong character can proudly announce their intentions to others allowing them to continue to be successful. They are able to take accountability for their actions, both positive and negative, ultimately leading to continued growth, development, and achievement. For those of us supporting a person on the journey, you will see the change. Continue to encourage it. Compliment the growth. Take notice of the difference you see in people. The results will only blossom and spread.
 

~Karen J. Cirincione
Email: kcirincione@gmail.com
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/karenjcirincione
Twitter: @kcirincione

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How do you Birthday?

Another year in my life has passed. It’s time for another birthday. Each year as the day approaches, I take the time to reflect on my past year, my accomplishments, and my goals for the year. My birthday is like my personal New Years’ celebration with another opportunity to have the best year ever.   I am not afraid of a birthday. Age is just a number, but each year is what you make of it. Each year I have seen the sun rise, the rain fall, and the snow melt, I have been given a gift from the universe. Many people do not get to see another birthday. I owe myself the opportunity to set goals and feel proud as I work towards achieving them. Sometimes these goals have been born from unhappy feelings and bad situations, but growth brings wisdom.   In my working life, and especially as a workforce professional, I know some of my growth must be professionally. Having experience working with job seekers looking for jobs, I understand how crucial professional growth is...

The Authentic You

Authenticity is not something we think or talk about every day. It is something we all need for ourselves and to truly connect and have meaningful interactions with others. Anyone on the #improve2019 journey is looking to either improve themselves or to be the guiding light for another person on the journey. Without authenticity, the fruits of labor are bitter. They are not satisfying, but meaningless. The fruits grow are wants in the world, but are not what we truly need.   Authenticity starts with the self. It means we are first to be honest with ourselves, good or bad. It means taking a hard look in the mirror and owning our faults. Are we trying too hard or not enough? Are we speaking and not acting? Do our actions match our intentions?   These are the questions we need to ask ourselves and to really ponder. After we have truly done the recognition and have taken the steps we need to improve, we can really look to helping others doing the same.   Auth...

Great Questions=Great Answers! The Pieces to the Puzzle are revealed!

Newbies in workforce development sometimes ask me how to work with a customer or how do you know why someone cannot get a job.   The answer is really simple. Ask the right questions, and then listen for the answer.    It’s not a secret. You can’t just look at person or their job seeking documents and just know. You need the person to open his mouth and speak.   You need the narrative.   Why narrative? First, you will get the information to help you help the customer.   That is if you ask the right question.   Secondly, it helps you establish rapport and trust with your customer. Someone is not going to open up if he does not trust you. This is very important.   Remember digging a hole to China as a child.   Quickly you found out that you could not find China with one shovel full of dirt.   The digger must unearth many layers to get to China! A child will quickly find out that he can’t shovel his way to China, but may find neat ...