The 2015 Dream Job Intensive is now complete. This live-remote workshop is for those who seek to have a career they absolutely love. In this latest session we had students ranging in age from 24 to 45. They came from non-profits, business, and freelance careers.
The Dream Job Intensive is based upon a coaching program created in 2012 by Conscious Management Consulting for one-on-one clients. We expanded it to a 10 week program and now to a four week Intensive.
The Dream Job Intensive uses tools like Maestro Conference, LinkedIn, triadic support and real-life coaches to engage students in an intense 30 day process. Each session of the workshop is led by certified coaches, who engage with students in individual and group work.
During the workshop, each student creates results within the 13 assigned projects. The program has regular deadlines, group discussions, and one-on-one coaching calls. It is entirely based online, with students participating from their home or workplace.
The next course begins on Monday, January 18, 2016. There is still room if you feel called to do this work (not easy but doable). You can learn more here.
Note: This is NOT like the courses that you sign up for and never participate. This course involves real work. It is a serious undertaking. You will have other people who will be counting on you to cross the finish line together. It is all for one and one for all. If you are not ready for this level of commitment, please do not apply.
One of the challenges in networking is everybody thinks it's making cold calls to strangers. Actually, it's the people who already have strong trust relationships with you, who know you're dedicated, smart, a team player, who can help you. ~ Reid Hoffman
Well, week three of the How to Create Your Dream Job Now Intensive is complete. In an effort to not sound like a broken record we will refrain from going overboard about how awesome this class is. But still, we do have to say it: They are an awesome group!
This week we shifted our focus to building their personal networks. We define the network as, "the people who want to help you, and you want to help them." We place the emphasis upon the fact that everything we do to strengthen our network is time well spent on a number of levels (now and in the future).
We are now focusing on LinkedIn. Our objective is not only to be "on" LinkedIn, but to be an active member of LinkedIn. Of course, we share the advanced techniques required to be an active LinkedIn member.
In the last group call, we talked about strong ties v. weak ties. The main idea is to build strong ties while continually creating new weak ties. We discussed Malcolm Gladwell who, in his book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, said:
"People weren't getting their jobs through their friends. They were getting them through their acquaintances. Why is this? Granovetter argues that it is because when it comes to finding out about new jobs -- or, for that matter, new information, or new ideas -- "weak ties" are always more important than strong ties. Your friends, after all, occupy the same world that you do. They might work with you, or live near you, and go to the same churches, schools, or parties. How much, then, would they know that you wouldn't know? Your acquaintances, on the other hand, by definition occupy a very different world than you. They are much more likely to know something that you don't. To capture this apparent paradox, Granovetter coined a marvelous phrase: the strength of weak ties. Acquaintances, in short, represent a source of social power, and the more acquaintances you have the more powerful you are."
Everyone in the Dream Job Intensive becomes a new member of your network. Everyone in the workshop gets connected on LinkedIn (including the coaches). We place emphasis on the idea of letting your network help you get to where you want to go.
Interested in the Dream Job Intensive starting in January 2016? You can learn more here.
I believe that the biggest problem that humanity faces is an ego sensitivity to finding out whether one is right or wrong and identifying what one's strengths and weaknesses are. ~ Ray Dalio
Week two of our Dream Job Intensive is complete. As we noted last week we have an energetic and motivated group of students who have committed themselves to this 30-day immersion to discover more about themselves and more about conscious businesses (where they one day might like to build a career).
We should take it a step further and say this is an amazing group with over 85% completing assignments on time. And not only that, they are working together as a “we” instead of several “me’s.” That is pretty amazing.
One of the assignments was to take the StrengthsFinder 2.0online assessment and begin putting their top strength to use (immediately) . The research data is pretty clear that we can only thrive and be happy if we are using our strengths on a daily basis. Of course, to use them, you need to know what they are.
Here is a sample of some of the top strengths of the students in the intensive: Activator, Adaptability, Arranger, Communication, Context, Futuristic, Ideation, Input, Intellection, Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, Relator, Responsibility, Restorative, and Strategic. Wow! Imagine building a team with these folks.
Do you know your top strength? Do you use it every day? Interested in the Dream Job Intensive? You can learn more here.
Here is an interesting video that will help you start focusing on strengths: Eva Katharina Herber at TEDxIEUniversityMadrid
Week one of our Dream Job Intensive is complete. We have an energetic and motivated group of students who have committed themselves to this 30-day immersion to discover more about themselves and more about conscious businesses (where they one day might like to build a career).
Besides the individual attention that everyone gets from the one-on-one coaching, what makes this program unique is the support network from all the students enrolled in the course. Unlike most courses where there is little or no connection to others, in the Dream Job Intensive, it is all about “all for one and one for all.” We intentionally designed it so that everyone must cross the finish line or no one does.
Tough? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
Check out this great video someone shared with the group. It aligns perfectly with what we are up to in the course:
We are doing a private version of the Dream Job Intensive starting Monday, October 26, 2015 (that's next week). Because there are a few slots open, we are opening the doors to the readers of this blog on a first come basis. The tuition for the program is normally $1,995. Because of the short notice, we are offering a one-time-only discounted rate of only $397 per person (this session only). Please check out the details here.
If this program resonates with you and you are up for a challenge we would love to have you with us. Although it will be difficult and will require a lot of work, it will be a lot of fun at the same time. For everyone else, there will be a regularly scheduled intensive beginning January 18, 2016. We will post more information when the date gets closer.
Mindfulness lets us see things in a new light and believe in the possibility of change. When we feel locked into strict work procedures and rules, we can recognize that these were once decisions made by certain individuals. These people lived at a particular point in history, with particular biases and needs. If we realized this, more of us would consider redesigning our work to fit our skills and lives. ~ Ellen J. Langer
During this live group coaching call we discussed consciousness and examples of unconsciousness. We discussed some mindfulness practices that can be used to increase your own level of consciousness. We take a page from the wisdom of Lao Tzu who said, "the key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness."
Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi
The regular readers of this blog have seen the How to Create Your Dream Job Now™ course. We have received very positive feedback from many of you. However, one theme that we hear a lot is that people are having a hard time actually doing all the work. Some were not able to find a study partner, much less a triad to work with. Those who signed up for the group coaching calls received more benefits, but even there, they felt they needed more support.
Our team here at CMC is discussing ways we can meet the demand that people have while, at the same time, making it affordable for almost everyone. That is a challenge. At one end of the spectrum, we have the version available here on the blog (free). At the other end of the spectrum, we have one-on-one coaching (expensive). We are looking at designing a third option that would provide the best of both worlds at a fair price that more people can afford.
If this program resonates with you and you feel you need more support please let us know how we could make this the best program ever to meet your needs. We will be posting a survey next week to get your direct feedback. We thank you in advance for helping us to help others create their dream jobs!
Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it. ~ Lao Tzu
To end this course, we discuss some things you can do to increase your level of consciousness and put all the things you have learned over the past 10 weeks into a system to not only create your dream job now but also to be successful in the future. As Bruce Lee said, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Increasing our level of consciousness is a matter of practice.
In this session, we draw from some of the insights of the great Ellen Langer of Harvard (she studied mindfulness for 40 years before it became mainstream). She says that "all problems stem from a lack of mindfulness." Not some problems. Not many problems. All problems. Mindlessness is the modern plague. We see it all around us.
This course is about creating your dream job within companies where higher levels of consciousness are the rule rather than the exception. We are grateful that you have come on this journey with us and we look forward to connecting with you in the future!
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
During this live group coaching call we discussed ways to connect with others live and in person. We mentioned the power of meeting at Starbucks and some of the challenges (and rewards) everyone encounters when making a large shift in life.
You cannot succeed by yourself. It's hard to find a rich hermit. ~ Jim Rohn
The focus this week is to begin having conversations with people in our target companies so that we can ‘verify and validate’ the research we have done thus far. It is at this stage in the process that you will begin to really find out if the companies you think you would love to work for are really companies you would love to work for.
Assignment Your assignment for this week is to begin having conversations with people inside the conscious businesses you would love to work for.
Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience. ~ Paulo Coelho
During this live group coaching call we discussed ways to connect with others via LinkedIn. We mentioned that at most we are only six levels removed from anyone we want to connect with.
During this live group coaching call we discussed Conscious Capitalism and Conscious Business practices. We talked about the power of businesses that have a higher purpose, that practice stakeholder integration, that have a conscious culture and are led by conscious leaders.
During this live group coaching call we discuss Higher Purpose and dive ever deeper into Core Values. Both Higher Purpose and Core Values are important in your personal life and in business. The take away from this call is that self knowledge (strengths, values and higher purpose) is key if you wish to create your dream job. Join us for the next call by registering here:
About 70% of what we do here at CMC is some form of coaching. We coach executives who wish to improve their leadership. We coach retiring military officers who wish to transition into a new civilian career. We coach teams to help them work as a team instead of as so many individuals. We coach entrepreneurs who are starting a new business and wish to avoid some of the common pitfalls. And we coach folks who really want to find a job they absolutely love doing.
This week is all about finding your Higher Purpose and your Higher Purpose is all about meaning. Your Higher Purpose is what gets you out of bed in the morning! The clearer it is, the more energy and power you will have. In alignment with your Core Values, Your Higher Purpose is what you work towards every day. This is another critical element you need to create your dream job.
Assignment Your assignment for this week is to discover your Higher Purpose.
Get some time to be alone and answer the questions recommended in the video.
Meet with your study partner and discuss what you discovered.
Keep refining your Higher Purpose statement until you can recite it on the spot if someone asks you the question, “what is your higher purpose?
During this live group coaching call we discussed more details about Core Values and how they show up in your personal life as well as in businesses. The take away is that self knowledge is key if you wish to create your dream job.
This week, we are going to focus on your Core Values. And before you dismiss Core Values out of hand, stay with this until the end. Most people in our experience, think they know what their core values are, but they do not know what their actual core values are. That’s a big difference. This week we will focus on finding out what they really are. Assignment Your assignment for this week is to discover your Core Values. Meet with your study partner or Triad and do the Five Why exercise with each person. At a minimum, allow each person to answer these questions:
What is one of the best days you’ve ever had at work?
What is one of the worse days you’ve ever had at work?
What is something you’ve accomplished in the past six months that made you feel alive?
Here is the audio excerpts for this week's How to Create Your Dream Job Now ™ coaching call. Thanks to everyone who participated and made the discussion meaningful!
Be on the lookout Monday for the next session. We will be looking at Core Values and how you can discover them (its not what you think it is). Thanks Ross
online assessment and begin putting their top strength to use (immediately) . The research data is pretty clear that we can only thrive and be happy if we are using our strengths on a daily basis. Of course, to use them, you need to know what they are. 
