Not mine … just watch it ….
I bought myself a sculpture this weekend.
This is “Wise Messenger” by Valerie Bunnell. It’s stoneware and very solid. Right now, he’s standing next to my Thoth sculpture. The picture is from Valerie’s website.
I have a job starting in a few weeks. The position seems challenging and I feel comfortable about the work culture. The more I learn, the more I realize how important a good cultural fit is. A misfit is just too costly a mistake — expensive for both me and the company, tho I admit I care more for my own comfort than for the financial goals of any company I work with. There’s only one of me.
I’m also finalizing plans to attend a three-day workshop on organizational development and am making arrangements to pursue the MBTI Step-II next year. I would have liked to attend the coaching workshops later this month, but just couldn’t see how I could arrange time to do that and take the negotiation class. No matter; there will be other chances.
I realized last year that taking classes is a valuable investment, both in myself and in my future. On of my commitments to myself is to continue to respect my own needs for meaningful intellectual and spiritual stimulation. I’ve found a number of ways to get those needs met and to connect with other like-minded folks.
I did finally join APT International, which I’d been wanting to do for some time. Motivators included getting the job offer and another synchronous encounter at Borders. I happened to overhear a gal announcing that she wanted to take the MBTI; I introduced myself and gave her my contact information.
One must be a god to be able to tell successes from failures without making a mistake.
Chekhov
I keep reading about the “impending talent shortage” and the “coming labor crisis” when all the Boomers retire. The Generation X group is so much smaller and less talented than the Boomer group that businesses — at least HR-related businesses — are calling for succession management NOW.
But for every article I read suggesting that my generation — the Xers — will finally get a chance at bat, I read another article encouraging folks to hire people in their 50s and beyond. “They’re experienced! They’re reliable! They’re team players!” In short, they’re not the up-and-coming, cynical Xers.
Given that Boomers have habits of accruing debt and see themselves as the focal point of all forward momentum, I just can’t fathom a world where Boomers ever actually retire. With the increase of professional coaching and mentorship, I think there’s diminishing possibility that Boomers will step out of the limelight for subsequent generations to emerge.
