Stories:

Telling Tales About Career Satisfaction

A Garage Sale: I worked with a woman who was struggling to tell me how she dealt so successfully with her real estate clients. Finally, in frustration she said, "Well, I sold a garage once." She proceeded to tell me a story revealing how she helped a young man buy a nifty garage that had a house to go with it. Her story was far more powerful, than a simple narrative statement would have been, in revealing her exceptional customer service and problem solving skills.

What Stories Tell Us: Most of us have stories we tell about ourselves and stories people tell about us. Stories reveal important things — what we gravitate to naturally, how people respond to us, what we do well, what we care about, and where we like to put our energy. Stories are a fun and easy way to discover what drives and motivates us in our work.

Babble and Coo: Another client described a story her relatives told about her when she was a small toddler, sitting in a cardboard box at a picnic. Even though she was still too young to talk, she was the center of attention as she babbled, cooed, and performed for everyone. She became a drama teacher, went into sales, and ended up working for a county school district promoting all their educational materials. The skills she exhibited as a toddler were skills she successfully used in her career.

Tasty Rocks: Vicky used to love to play in the mud and dirt when she was little. Her parents tell how they had to run outside and pull rocks out of her mouth before she swallowed them. When she wasn't covered in mud, she was in the house writing and drawing. Vicky grew up to major in geology (where she studied rocks instead of eating them) and became a science writer and author of a best selling book on a disastrous volcano eruption. She has a tasty career that draws on a lifelong interest.

You Talk Too Much: Sometimes, stories about us that seem negative actually reveal skills or characteristics that eventually become valuable! My fourth grade school teacher noted on my report card, "Her work suffers because she talks in class." Well, public speaking, networking, counseling people are critical parts of my career and all require "talking." I was simply practicing my craft!

What's Your Story? So what story do you tell about yourself? What story do others tell about you? What does it say about:

• Your personality traits and qualities that contribute to your success
• Skills you possess
• A passion or strong interests that motivate you
• The kinds of problems you like to solve; challenges you enjoy