In Part 4 of this series, Marc covers the third feedback session with Juan for his personality assessment.
[:59] Marc welcomes you to Episode 90 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc started this podcast the last week of October 2016. He never expected to reach Episode 90, nor to get the positive reception he’s received from many of the episodes. Marc wants to do something special for Episode 100!
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[3:21] Next week, Marc will be talking about his family’s next steps in moving to Mexico. Marc is recording this episode about six weeks into his current visit and he has a major announcement for listeners. He wants you to hear why the family is accelerating the process and the choices they are making.
[3:42] This week, Marc presents part four of “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” Juan is in his mid-fifties, a former school teacher, technology trainer, adjunct professor, and a multipotentialite. Juan is trying to figure out what is next.
[3:59] If you have not listened to the first three parts of this series, please stop now and listen to Episode 83, Episode 84, and Episode 88. Find the reports used in this series at CareerPivot.com/Juan. You may pause the episode now to download the reports.
[4:31] Juan was calling in from a hotel in Central America, so the audio is less than optimal.
[4:43] Marc welcomes Juan to the third feedback session. Juan has been doing some homework. His assignment was to review three problems he solved at work and three problems he solved in his personal life to study his thought process. He comments on the insights he received from the reports. Juan deliberates over decisions and takes time when he can.
[7:00] Juan says that under stress he will make a quick decision. He uses the example of his divorce as a quicker decision. On the job front, he makes sure he has a gig lined up before he leaves a job.
[8:25] Marc and Juan look at the stress report. There are three sections in it. The sections are interpersonal relationships, schedules and details, and decision-making. The first page covers what you can do when you are under stress to get out of stress.
[9:11] The interpersonal section shows Juan’s needs in self-consciousness and dealing with people. Juan likes to be respected and is an introvert. Juan reads a list of 10 needs that likely relate to him personally.
[10:10] Juan needs respected titles and status, personalized benefits, criticism balanced by praise, genuine pats on the back, close individual ties, freedom from group pressures, special time to be alone, time to be quiet and think, individualized benefits, and a few close one-on-one friends. Juan picks the top four of this list. They all fit.
[11:15] Each section contains 10 needs. Juan will consider them all and synthesize them down to his 10 most important needs. Then Juan will write a probing open-ended question for each need. Juan needs to know how to figure out if he will get them. He needs to know what to listen for.
[11:55] At the bottom of the page are things Juan can do to avoid stress in these areas. Spend time with a special person, keep a list of your recent successes, do things you feel good about, have for casual exchanges with superiors, set aside quiet time, protect yourself from interruptions. Allocate one weekend a month for your significant other.
[13:07] Prepare for holidays or hectic social periods by spending more time alone. Juan really relates to this one. Juan is already doing some of these. Marc relates to spending time alone as well, especially during the holidays. Marc doesn’t go to holiday parties.
[14:45] On page 5 is the topic of managing needs for insistence and restlessness. Insistence is your need to have rules and structure. Juan is relatively high in insistence. Restlessness is your need for variety. Juan is average in restlessness. Juan needs the following items.
[15:14] Organizational support, detailed instructions, steady, predictable income, clearly defined responsibilities, specific rules and policies, novelty and change in your day, frequent shifts in your activities, an independent work role, varied or complex work activities, and changes in the group or the scenery.
[15:45] Novelty, an independent role, clearly defined responsibilities, changes in group or scenery stand out the most for Juan. The steady predictable income is what kept him on as a teacher, but he didn’t feel professionally respected.
[16:42] Juan’s need for variety and for rules and structure contrast each other.
[16:52] Juan reads tips to build resistance and avoid stress in these areas. Identify an important recurring task you do well and schedule time for that task at the beginning of a work period or cycle, schedule important tasks in a way that allows for interruptions but protects the important tasks. Establish your schedule in writing.
[17:24] Set aside time every day to organize your thoughts and plan your day or to review the day’s progress and plan the next day. Build up a stockpile of small worthwhile projects to work on when you need a break from a boring task.
[17:41] Develop schedules and time management habits that allow you to routinely work on or monitor several tasks every day. Keep variety and a sense of newness in your hobbies and social life. Avoid taking on home projects that will require you to do essentially the same tasks every day and night for months on end.
[18:07] Marc stresses that Juan should pay attention to keeping variety and a sense of newness in his hobbies and social life. You can find enjoyment and a needed break in hobbies. Juan is spending time keeping on top of technology changes to keep current. His stockpile of small worthwhile projects is technology projects.
[19:23] Juan keeps a variety and sense of newness by traveling, meeting new people and attending conferences. Juan agrees that he needs new challenging projects at home. Juan enjoys diving into ambiguity in his freelance and consulting work and seeing what’s new.
[20:30] The next area is managing needs for physical energy and thought. A minimum of prolonged activity, stimulation of new ideas, friendly, low-key surroundings, time for reflection, unhurried work conditions, time to think decisions through, support from others on decisions, opportunities to talk out worries, and offers of assistance and help.
[21:08] The last is cautious decision-making by others. Juan relates to the stimulation of new ideas, friendly, low-key surroundings, unhurried work conditions, support from others in decisions. Juan notes he is relocating out of state to a new low-key surrounding with minimal pressure. He does not want to work in a factory.
[22:03] Juan wants support from others on decisions. He likes Marc’s writings, the community forum, Career Pivot. He appreciates the offers of assistance from others on the community forum. Juan looks to others who have made cautious decisions who have been inspirational in Juan’s pivoting.
[22:38] To build resistance and avoid stress, Juan should plan schedules and projects taking time to stop and think about where he has been and where he is going, give more time to abstract or philosophical thought activities, and avoid taking on too many projects or social obligations when work is hectic.
[23:03] Juan should develop a relaxing, low-key hobby or recreation and make use of the curative powers of this activity often. Build life goals and important plans carefully with thorough discussion from those close to him and advice from knowledgeable advisors.
[23:24] Juan should develop close relations with patient and effective advisors who will reflect on his ideas with him and help him think carefully about important issues. Juan should keep abreast of major developments in his work area so he is ready to deal with issues they arise and have a good idea of where to go for assistance and information.
[23:47] Juan should remind those close to him that he needs careful preparation before making a decision and elicit their support in developing several options to consider.
[24:00] Juan is giving more time to philosophical thought and activities, such as exercise, yoga, meditation, healthy eating, avoiding things that would threaten his health. Juan is avoiding taking on too many projects as he has overwhelmed himself in the past. Juan is building life goals, working with Marc and others.
[24:58] As technology in business is changing, Juan is staying abreast of issues like AI and how his field is affected. Juan says the report gives him a map to follow.
[25:53] Marc assigns homework to Juan. Synthesize the 30 needs down to 10. Read a blog post Marc will send him about how to write open-ended questions; develop an open-ended question for each of the 10 needs and then know what he is listening for.
[26:18] Marc assigns Juan to approach three people from his personal life and three people from his work life and ask them to give him three to five phrases that describe him. Marc expects there will be a difference between the people who know him from work and the people who know him more socially. Juan needs to look for the difference.
[27:07] Juan shares with the audience that he is relocating abroad. He is inspired by Marc and Mrs. Miller and their experiences as well as the experiences of other friends who have moved to new areas. Juan is looking for a low-key, low-stress area to refresh and recharge. With no dependents and no home, it is easy for him to move.
[28:28] Juan notes the impending healthcare disaster in the U.S. Juan sees a new future in San Jose, Costa Rica. He has met people from all over who expatriate there. He feels like he is in a new Paradise.
[29:48] Marc thanks Juan for participating in this series and says people have told him how it has resonated with them. Juan thanks Marc for changing his life.
[31:02] Marc says Juan is in the process of making some major decisions and working through the Career Pivot evaluation has been a real help to him. Juan was in the initial cohort of the Career Pivot Community website.
[32:17] In a couple of weeks, Marc will be starting the next series, with “Can Sarah Repurpose Her Career?” Sarah (not her real name) is employed, a closet creative, and a structured anarchist. Sarah’s personality is quite interesting.
[33:08] Check back next week, when Marc will be talking about their next steps in moving to Mexico. There will be a major announcement you will want to hear. Marc wants you to hear the reasons they are accelerating the process and the choices they are making.
CareerPivot.com/Episode-83 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 1”
CareerPivot.com/Episode-84 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 2”
CareerPivot.com/Episode-88 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 3”
Reports used in the Feedback Session with Juan Doe
Start with No: The Negotiating Tools that the Pros Don't Want You to Know,
by Jim Camp
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