Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

The overriding theme of the last several issues of this newsletter has been on bringing creativity, artful living, and possibility thinking to the important business of helping people see past their limitations to the larger field of their potential.  It was in the spirit of these larger issues and deeper discussions that I received the following question, the response to which I am dedicating this month’s article:

Dear Denise, As a new subscriber, I have greatly enjoyed the last six issues of your newsletter and I have found your approach to vocational assessment, job development, and general “possibility thinking” refreshing, encouraging and inspiring.  It seems to me that you must hold certain beliefs and principles at the root of your thoughts and ideas on these subjects, as well as the methods they suggest.  Being new to your work, I am wondering if you cover those in one of your books or publications.  If so, which one?  

What a great question!  If we can agree that the fruit of our work is seeing people move beyond barriers to greater possibility in their personal and professional lives, it only seems reasonable that such an aspiration would be rooted in certain beliefs, values or precepts that we would also hold in common.  What are the assumptions are we making about people and/or the world that urges me to look beyond their barriers and seek their potential?  What truths and overriding principles do we hold to and lean on in the face of harsh realities that would otherwise challenge the faith and conviction that are inherent in possibility thinking?

I am deeply grateful to the reader for this question because I realized that I have not laid out the principles foundational to my work in any formal way, although I certainly allude to and hint at them throughout all of my writings.    In response, however, it seemed a most interesting and worthwhile assignment for me to attempt a first pass at identifying those core beliefs that have most shaped the assertions I make, the practices I preach, and the ideals I aspire to with regard to assisting people to reach their potential.  The exercise was, indeed, valuable and illuminating in ways I had not even expected.  (In the spirit of this month’s Poem of the Month by David Whyte, I suspect this question has long awaited me, albeit patiently.) My further intention is to now repeat this exercise in relation to other subjects about which I speak and write. 

Obviously, my work, like that of all of us, is informed by a variety of philosophical, political, and personal beliefs which I do not need or want to espouse in the context of this newsletter. Instead, what I am attempting here is a listing of those work-related beliefs which I not only openly espouse to, but enthusiastically champion at every opportunity when speaking about creating opportunity for individuals in the work world!  For those of you who have followed my work, read my books, received this newsletter for some time, or participated in workshops over the years, this list will hold no surprises.  In fact, it will probably simply read as Vintage Denise.  I hope I am right, for what are our efforts worth if they are not readily reflective and expressive of the principles upon which we stand?

With this initial attempt, I noticed that the core beliefs of “possibility thinking” fall into one of three categories:  those regarding people and the issue of vocation; those regarding the world of work and our relationship to the business community; and those regarding our challenges and aspirations in our work as employment professionals.   My instincts tell me that this list will undergo many changes and alterations before I will consider it as in any way complete, so please regard it as a first blush rendering.  As you read it, you might consider taking written or mental note of the core beliefs you hold true for yourself and your work in the similar categories.     

Core beliefs relating to people and vocation:

1. Everyone is born with gifts.  It is impossible to be born to this world without them.  In the words of Buckminster Fuller, “Everyone is a genius in the right context.”  From that perspective, our greatest challenge is not creating potential in people, but finding or creating the context in which they can express what they have already been given.  What constitutes “a gift” is not the impressiveness or depth of skill or talent reflected in a pursuit, but the ease, naturalness and joy reflected in its expression.   Thus, what for one may be an uncanny ability to inspire a crowd, for another might be the ability to copy, collate and staple documents with a sense of pride and satisfaction. 
    

2. What we love is what we are here to give the world.  In the spirit of Native American belief, it is in the expression of an individual’s gifts that they become medicine for the tribe, the family, the community, etc.  The health, wholeness and vitality of any community requires the participation of each and every member’s gifts, whether expressed through paid employment or through one of the wide variety of family, church, social, political, cultural, or artistic contexts.  Most people want to make a difference and feel as if they are contributing to something bigger or greater than themselves.  Knowing what a person most deeply loves, cares about, and values is vital to finding their right place in the work world.
    

3. There is no such thing as an “unmotivated” person – we are all very motivated to be doing exactly what we are doing.  The question to ask is, “In what way(s) is the person’s present actions/non-actions serving their purposes?” Whether or not the choices a person is making appear healthy, effective, or in the person’s best interests, everything makes sense from the point of reference of the one who is doing it.
    

4. While people may be making choices based in fear, given different circumstances, they would rather base their choices in hope.  We are hard-wired to choose security over growth, and while there is no security to be found in the world, it is possible to grow a person’s sense of faith in themselves that they can handle the consequences that come with a taking a risk. 
    

5. We often mistake people’s fear of transition for a resistance to change.  Most people want to make the changes that would enhance and improve their lives – what they resist are the sacrifices and the challenges necessary to get there.  Assisting people to take the journey of change “one step at a time” is key to their eventual success.  Most people would benefit more from a coaching model of service that from a counseling model.  Teaching people to fish should always take precedence over giving them fish for a day. 
    

6. We will never regret treating people as if they were already the person they want to become.  People tend to fall or rise to other’s expectations of them.  By expecting the worst from people, we can  expect them to exhibit it.  By anticipating and planning for the best from a person, we help them become what they can me!
    

7. Our possibilities are only limited by the range of our own imagination!  There are limitless opportunities for everyone in the world, if we but know how to sense them, articulate them, and act on them.  Most people do not see or perceive their possibilities and have a very limited idea of what their choices are in the world!  We have all looked in the mirror one too many mornings to see ourselves in the backdrop of our greatest potential.  The hardest person in the world to see possibilities for is one’s self. 

Core beliefs regarding the nature of business and the world of work

8. We need to expand our thinking and rid ourselves of the illusions that have traditionally shaped the strategies of job seekers and employment professionals.  Among them is the illusion of finite rules with regard to how people should enter the world of work; the illusion that if something hasn’t happened before, it probably isn’t possible; the illusion that the past is always the most reliable predictor of the future; the illusion that employers will not be open to considering anything which they do not already have in place; and the illusion that the world is done being created and now we just have to learn to live with it as it is!  To the contrary, I would suggest that there are endless ways of entering the world of work and making a living, that the very nature of business is to be open and receptive to new markets and new ways of doing things, and that the world is far from being finished and, in fact, is alive and vibrant with boundless possibility.
    

9. A business is a malleable, flexible enterprise that by its very nature will bend and shape itself to be best postured for profit and benefit.  There are infinite ways in which we may shape a mutual opportunity for a person to employ his/her gifts while simultaneously bringing a benefit or profit to a business.  By looking at one’s skills and abilities as a way of saving money, making money, expanding a customer base, bringing a competitive edge, producing a natural extension, solving a problem, or improving the image of a business, we can expand and create opportunities for both the business and the potential employee.   
    

10. We need a healthier, more positive understanding and valuing of the role and interests of those we call “employers”.  We need to appreciate and recognize them as individuals who are working hard to achieve their business goals in order to keep their doors open and stay competitive in a difficult and challenging economy.  They are our allies, not our adversaries.   It is possible, and in fact, paramount, to build partnerships between businesses and social service providers which not only serve their common interests, but bring benefits to both parties which may never have been achieved or envisioned otherwise.
     

11. Resistance in the business community to opening their doors to individuals with employment barriers is not so much rooted in outright bias, bigotry or discrimination as it is in fear, discomfort, and unfamiliarity with people from the various populations we represent.  Acknowledging, respecting, and finding ways to respond to the concerns that lie at the heart of their resistance is one of the most important roles we have to play.  In my experience, nothing has more power to heal and transform negative stereotypes about a group of people than exposure to and engagement with real individuals from within that group. 

Core beliefs about the work we do and our approach to it:

12. The core purpose of our work is to assist and support people to see beyond their (real or perceived) barriers and limitations in order to enter the more expansive field of their potential and possibility.  To that end, we have to embrace the imperative of creativity in helping people recover the capacity to dream, to reclaim the vitality of their imagination, and to exercise healthy judgment in making important choices.  The ultimate gift we have to offer is hope and belief on behalf of their future and a broadened perspective from which they can perceive their gifts, their potential, and the overcoming of barriers and limitations.
     

13. We need to expand our understanding of and approach to “career planning” and “career development” both for ourselves and for the individuals we serve.  Livelihood is an ongoing journey, with as many twists and turns as the larger journey of life itself.  From that perspective there are no “good jobs” or “bad jobs”, just there’s just the job we are in and what we are bringing to it and learning from it.   There is no failure in the arena of vocation, there’s only feedback.
     

14. The simplest and most profound way of steering our daily course is by remaining steadfast and mindful of the questions that are animating the journey, knowing that they dictate the “quests” we venture upon.  We need to ask questions that focus our attention on abundance and opportunity rather than lack and scarcity.  We need to ask questions that feed the fires of hope rather than fear, set our sights on the future rather than the past, and deepen our commitment to benefit people rather than a system.   The spirit and mindset with which we approach our work colors everything we do, everything we see, everything we ever hope to accomplish, and the true impact that we will have on the lives of those we serve.
     

15. We cannot be all things to everyone.  There are people who are ripe for what we have to offer and others who are not.  We need to focus on those who can benefit from what we have to offer, while not giving up hope that we can be of some assistance to the others.  I will wrap up this list with a belief I share with Mother Theresa, “We should not worry about doing great and noble things, but we should do small things, each day, with great and noble hearts!”

Until next month,

~ Denise

Read Denise's previous (August 2008) newsletter...
 

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