ALUMRISE

For those on the outside looking in – either seeking non-traditional positions or seeking a full time return, what are the implications?

I think there’s a few:

1. Stop hunting so aggressively where others are hunting – it simply may not be the best use of your limited energy and time
2. Start using services targeted specifically at you and your unique lifestage – the wonderful silver lining in the noisy online and offline job market today is that there’s a host of interesting companies focusing on niche segments – like moms, retirees, returning workers, career changers, etc. They are simply more likely to focus on your unique challenges and needs – and connect you to other solutions that can help. At ALUMRISE, we are building a series of partnerships with niche solution providers to bring you services we believe can help you, whatever your work life stage – stay tuned to see those come to life
3. Job “hunting” feels good, because it’s active. It’s hard to put yourself out there passively and wait – but if you target the right services and communities online, that profile you to the right employer audiences, passivity in online hunting and profiling will leave time for the most important way to target your energies – actively connecting with real people who can point you to opportunities that you may not have considered, not searching ad-nauseum online

We aren’t the only ones that have been saying for a long time that the job market isn’t just in a down “bit” – HR guru and ALUMRISE advisor Libby Sartain shared in a recent post that there is a big and important shift in employment patters and contracts. (ps: She’s been known to call our business an ebay of employment). She notes that as a new “consumer of work,” as a professional you should get yourself ready for a new way of working, whether you’re mid-career, early-career or a late bloomer returning to work after a retirement or lifestyle hiatus.

By looking at work differently than your job-seeking peers, you actually may open yourself up to the true opportunities that fit and fulfill. After all, even when a job is found, that’s just the beginning of the road to satisfaction and success.

The new reality is that full time employment is quickly being replaced by a marketplace model where jobs of all shapes and sizes will connect you to employers of all shapes and sizes. At ALUMRISE, small a team as we are, we’re passionate about finding those outside the workforce the right solutions, and the right work life fit.

That’s because we believe that when jobs fit better, life works better – for both employers and professionals outside the workforce. 

Tell us what YOU think.

Blog readers: I wanted to share the news that in case you aren’t already a member, we recently launched our Facebook Fan Page and our ALUMRISE Twitter presence. I’m sharing below the note I authored to thank our growing fan base, because it tells a story about where we are and where we are going that you may enjoy reading, and that I hope you take the time to react to it, by leaving us a comment.

This was published to our Fans Friday June 12, 2009 … July and our full media launch are just around the corner. These are exciting times for me personally, and for our dedicated team.

Facebook Note: June 12, Authored by Aassia Haq, CEO & President - ALUMRISE Inc. “Thank you for taking the time to join ALUMRISE’s Facebook Fan Page. We’re happy to welcome you to a space where you can learn about upcoming benefits and changes to our application and come along with us on an exciting journey. We’re excited to see our membership grow with every passing day.

When ALUMRISE first began evangelizing its vision and predictions for the workforce — we privately shared with key leaders at major Fortune 500 entities, organizations and partner firms, the thought that the workforce was on the verge of an elemental shift. The shift was to be driven by changes in demography – growing workforce populations either entering a new post-corporate, retirement lifestage, taking time off in the middle to raise children or care for aging parents, or the plethora of new workers who would believe that work and life should somehow more flexibly, fluidly fit better together. We also shared the view that organizations would radically change how they hire and find professionals to get work done. We got a lot of attention and some raised eyebrows.

Fast forward to today. Even to our prescient team and focused application developers, the reality of the vision surprises us. Work contracts are every day shifting from fixed to flexible. Organizations are hiring in a variety of ways, from a variety of professional and lifestage backgrounds, to fill an ever-changing set of business goals. They seek functional competency, flexibility, and more simple real-time access to the professional marketplace. The full time job is changing into jobs of all shapes and sizes.

And, instead of the 15 million we estimated initially for our ALUMRISER population of professionals outside the workforce in the U.S., today the actual number is closer to 30 million not formally employed, but still seeking opportunity and projects or jobs that fit.

We are here to serve each and every one of you better and look forward to sharing some big and exciting news and key application updates as we complete a full splashy media launch this summer.

Is the summer of 2009 the end of work as we know it? Or the beginning of a process that takes each of us – employer and professional - one step closer to a work life that works?

Whether you’re hiring or seeking, we hope that you find that our unique ALUMRISE profile, our fitting search that matches on a variety of important criteria in a simpler way, and our two-way marketplace connectivity, deliver on our simple vision that when jobs fit better, life just works better.

If you could be served by joining ALUMRISE (it’s free), or know someone else who could benefit from our platform or many private organizational offerings, please do share us on – email, Tweet, share our blog, or send an ALUMVITE from our marketplace itself – because every little bit helps our company. Our team (do check out our new digs in the Photo section!) comprises members of the workforce we seek to serve – experienced executives who have moved beyond traditional corporate roles; young mothers juggling work and family; midcareer flexers seeking a new balance; and professionals coming back on track after a circumstantial exit beyond their control. That is what makes us authentic and what will make us succeed in helping each and every one of you.”
- Aassia

Ps: We’d love to grab our vanity URL for Facebook, so please do help us reach 1,000 members so that we can be www.facebook.com/ALUMRISE to each of you. Invite or spread the word on your page – if each of you invites 10 friends, we’ll get there before we know it. (And yes, we already submitted our “hold” on our handle and have heard back from the Facebook team).

Thank you to those who have followed our blog, noted and commented on our vision or shared a unique perspective. We value you and will continue to blog to provoke your thoughts and comments. Perhaps you’d like to be a guest blogger too, like our friend Libby Sartain? If so, please send a note to us we’ll work to make it happen.

 

Libby Sartain, Author of Brand for Talent

ALUMRISE is proud to count among its advisors HR guru and author Libby Sartain. Libby’s distinguished career includes serving as head of people for Southwest Airlines and as head of human resources for Yahoo! Inc. She recently entered a new lifestage as an author, speaker and advisor. Her most recent book, Brand for Talent, is making waves. In the related post below, she shares a perspective on the changing employee — a “consumer of work.”

Libby’s Guest Blog

In just the past couple of years the marketplace for talent has churned like never before. Organizations need for talent has intensified while the supply and demand of essential workers ebbs and flows.  The need to engage workers is strong, but the very environment in which we operate makes engagement more difficult.

The speed at which change occurs in today’s business environment has produced an era of volatility making it difficult to for any organization to craft a practical strategic workforce plan with a view much beyond the current budget cycle. At the same time, the market for talent has tightened, even in a down economy. There are segments of work where supply of workers cannot keep up with demand.

In the past, the solution for business has been to hire workers on the open market versus growing them from within.  And, when faced with business setbacks, the reaction is to reduce the workforce of workers who may be needed later when conditions improve.  Yet, as the need to control costs while maintaining optimum talent resources has escalated, this approach has proven to be unsustainable over the long term. Hiring from the outside is expensive and the workers with the right skill sets are rarely readily available.  Reductions in force nullify all investments made in the workers who are let go.

At the same, workers themselves have changed.  While the baby boomers may have switched organizations 4 or five times during their career, as compared to their parents who worked for 1 or 2 companies; the next generation is expected to change organizations every two years and may change careers several times during their work-lives.

Baby boomers will continue to work during past traditional retirement age, some on a part-time or contract basis, while working parents will also look for more flexible arrangements. And, technology allows many “creative class” workers to disengage from the traditional work environment in favor of work on their own terms.

Workers of all demographics look for more than just a “job”.  They look for a meaningful work experience that allows them to contribute what they do best, feel part of something significant, and enhances their career from a development and personal point of view.

Today’s worker views their professional skill set as a product for sale and is at the same time they are a consumer. The worker has expectations of what that skill set will bring in today’s talent marketplace. All the while, the worker is shopping for the right experience, or relationship with a place to work. 

Organizations need talent, but the need fluctuates. It is foreseeable that the same workers will come and go from the same organizations multiple times as both the workers and the organization’s needs evolve.

All of this is enabled by technology.  In the past, employers posted job descriptions and compliant candidates applied for open “jobs”.  Evolving now is an online community enhanced by Web 2.0 technology where the workers post their profiles and terms and conditions for working to be found by talent scouts scouring blogs, websites and social networks. 

The relationship between employers and potential workers could one day look more like eBay versus Monster.  Workers will be in the drivers seat and might post their requirements while employers will hire workers for time periods where they need the work.

All of this change will pose many challenges for employers. How will organizations keep core workers engaged and on board for the long term? What kind of systems and management infrastructure will be required to manage a new kind of workforce? How can an employer brand itself as an employer of choice for this new kind of worker? How can an employer stay relevant to all the segments of talent it needs to keep and to attract?

Strategic workforce management will involve a sourcing strategy that will look more like a consumer marketing strategy. Employers will need a targeted branded marking campaign aimed at each critical talent segment through multi-channel marketing.

Now is the time for employers to get ready for this new consumer of work by establishing a branding strategy for critical talent segments. Now is the time for workers to establish their own brands as they look for the experience that meets their needs.

Since joining Twitter, I’ve been getting into the free-flowing online “jobs” discussion. I recently followed an interesting thread about whether the new workforce generation will move to a model of 40 jobs in 40 years.

Whether or not a Gen Y professional will actually racks up that number of jobs isn’t the key point I took away (though a greater majority than we think may end up falling into the serial category) – what was more interesting to me was the idea that it was 40 “jobs” as the qualifier.

As ALUMRISE readies to move beyond its technology launch into go-loud (yes, we’re officially moved into our new office in Plano, we’re inking contracts, re-doing the site for user input, readying press releases), we’ve also been honing in on what makes us unique so that we better communicate that to new introductions and existing members like you.

Why I found the discussion above particularly interesting? It’s because our team here at ALUMRISE believes our mission is creating a unique space that supports jobs of all shapes and sizes – connecting and achieving better fit for professionals to employers of all shapes and sizes. The traditional career job hasn’t gone away, it’s still very important as a stabilization center for entities - but it’s role in each of our individual lives, may well have permanently shrunk. A confluence of technology, globalization, shifting employer practices and a renewed focus on broadly relevant cross-industry skills, means we’re going to be about gigs & fits.

What does that mean? It means I believe we may well be moving to a world in which we well may well have 40 gigs in 40 years.

Some gigs will continue as part of each day or week – long term gigs. (p.s.: I think parenting or elder care fall into this category – they will always take a certain part of our day and should be acknowledged as such). Others will be short term – volunteering; internships or returnships; mentoring; or coaching. Some will be fixed (3 years, full time). Others more lenient (such as: when I need you, for the next 5 months at $120/hour).

At ALUMRISE we believe our task as professionals will be to figure out two things:

• Our income needs
• The total available time or capacity we have to generate it

We should each plan to among these variables to get to right gigs & fits equation - including our unpaid gigs! And as employers of professionals, we should recognize that this is an emerging factor in the equation for where a professional will want to work.

What do you think? Agree or disagree, I hope you consider this a point of debate - do share your comments or reactions.

Join the marketplace! http://www.alumrise.com/alumsignup.aspx

Ps: Stay in touch with us by signing up for our RSS feed and newsletter so we can share some new tools ALUMRISE is developing as part of the launch of our social presence (we can’t help it, we’re watchers and analyzers … we take our time to trigger things like a Facebook fan presence). Our hope is that new tools we introduce will help you make fit happen, whether you’re a professional seeking a job of any shape or size, or an employer figuring out how to find the best fitting professional for your work need.

 I had the chance to quickly read a very interesting report shared the other day by a friend and longtime ALUMRISE advisor, Haris Ahmed. Haris is a consultant with Oliver Wyman Delta, a firm that helps large clients around the world deal with HR changes and plan for the future. He’s specifically focused on advising leaders and developing leadership strategies.

Parts of the “New Imperative” report authored by his peers at Oliver Wyman, Mark Nadler and Dan Plunkett, focus on how people working at large companies are being affected by the current climate, framing a “crisis of talent.” (Fair disclosure: they touch on a whole lot more; I simply gravitated toward this section as the head of a company focused on talent through life stages).

Why a “crisis of talent”? They report talent is walking away from large companies, driven by disillusionment and fear of the impact of the recession - greater stress, enormous accountability (think of the sad taking of his own life by Freddie Mac’s CFO recently), and stalling of work/decision making.

People are jumping to smaller firms and start ups, and will continue to, the report predicts. I don’t find this at all surprising - many who join ALUMRISE do so seeking a better fit between their skill sets, life and aspirations and an organization. Size of organization doesn’t matter - peace is a new part of the “total compensation” package that millions care more and more about. Sobering for the big-company driven stock market, but so great for innovation.

At ALUMRISE, we built our tool precisely to promote a better work-life fit and have seen real-life examples of this at work, including three of our own team contributors, who found us, interviewed and got a deal done, in under a month each by simply stating their skills and objectives and allowing us to find them in a matter of minutes online. (Hmm …. are we the Dallas startup that many long-time corporate contributors are gravitating toward?)

The report also suggests victims of a layoff are less likely to return to a similar job in the same industry, but instead will move to a more entrepreneurial goal or start afresh in a new industry context.

I wonder - does that ring true for you, members and readers? Please do leave a comment either agreeing or disagreeing, so we can continue our dialogue on how to best help you make that cross-industry or cross-sector move.

A section of the ALUMRISE profile - The Transparenskey

For example, the “transparens-key” section of our site, (here’s a partial snapshot of mine), lets a member clearly indicate what moves they will make.

We’ll be adding the ability to indicate interest in new industries to this list soon .. so it will get even more targeted and specific in finding the right fit for you and an employer of any size-start up to large enterprise.

Thirdly, the report says if you’ve been waiting in the ranks, gainfully employed for the past five, ten or fifteen years, just waiting for that so-called retirement wave around the corner, you today may be stressed by the realization that people aren’t retiring, and the corner office isn’t accruing to you. Sadly, it could be years before the next ladder rung.

Stay or go, there’s a stalemate in excitement or energy that may affect you, or your gainfully employed spouse, friend or parent. Many who join ALUMRISE are joiners by choice - not because they have lost their position, but because they exited consciously seeking a new wave of inspiration, a new set of experiences, a new productive way to use their mind and energy. It’s why we say that people stop working - but minds don’t stop working. It’s because many of us at ALUMRISE have been there.

 All in all, I see a glimmer of hope in an otherwise somber report from Oliver Wyman Delta. It tells me that whether or not companies are in a position to react and innovate, people are doing so each day. (People - aka “Talent”).

They aren’t giving up or giving in, they simply are re-evaluating what it means to life a productive, income-generating life. My husband and I have thought a lot about this. In another post, another day, I’ll share the conclusions we reached. 

Whether personal or professional, in every “crisis” there’s an opportunity.

John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Last week, I was invited by a thoughtful outplacement industry leader, to attend a breakfast to hear some data and insights about today’s talent economy.

Over some scrambled eggs and fruit, I had the chance to hear from research firm Birkman about the results of a multi-year leadership/talent survey and to also hear from John Challenger, the CEO of venerable outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas. Mr Challenger shared some personal hiring landscape insights and observations. (If you have not had a chance to hear Mr. Challenger speak or read one of his columns, I highly recommend it.)

With many today wondering what the hiring future holds, I wanted to share the morning’s key themes with members of our ALUMRISER network - which today includes both C-Level executives as well as many experienced middle managers seeking new opportunities. At the end of this post, I’ll also share some personal take-aways and implications.

Another One Bites the Dust: The landscape is changing – and it will take time to return to traditional hiring patterns

• Many companies are freezing salaries, or even taking across-the-board salary cuts — in some cases up to 30-50%; Others are mandating strategies like a 4-day workweek. The silver lining to the extreme moves? They are in most cases alternatives to layoffs — and designed to keep valued talent close. Midsize companies are more likely to use these tactics today, possibly because they are more lean and more dependent on key talent inside their ranks
• In contrast, large companies are actively considering severances; in fact, up to 67% of leaders at large enterprises (>5,000 employees) surveyed by Birkman, suggested they would use job cuts as a cost strategy in 2009. (The full White Paper results can be downloaded here – select “Business Implications of the New Reality.”)
• A “second wave” of impacts will now affect industries outside financial services & automobiles – impacted will be retail, technology, electronics, semiconductor and wireless among others

Jack be Nimble: Executives and line managers alike must think differently about job search

• It’s time to consider opportunities that would once have been off-limits, such as part time or “audition” positions if you are an experienced business person – the market may not support quick re-entry into a full time position 
• It’s an era that Mr. Challenger describes as one of “no fault job loss” which means companies will be quick to cut, so the ability to move across industry lines will be ever more important
• The willingness to cross-over by marketing functional skills and fungible talents will be a key to success in this economy; seek positions in sectors and geographies where hiring is still happening (apparently discount retail and hospitality and consumer goods as areas that may weather better, in addition to core healthcare and education)
• Titles that will be particularly affected by layoffs are professional support and middle management. Those roles of a more senior level; those of a more technical nature or in sales are less likely to be hit, reported Birkman as part of their survey results

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Online): Job loyalty is being replaced by a free agent mentality, so both talent and companies will have to foster “outside the employment door” relationships using technology as an enabler

• For talent, retaining connections to former employers is a key way to renew and revive career opportunities – using either formal or informal alumni or career networks
• For companies, investing in long-term talent relationships is a key driver of longer-term success, as they are forced to swing employment patterns based on larger, uncontrollable macro-trends leading to job cuts and rehires- Challenger specifically recommends building privileged relationships that retain flexible connection using online community and networking formats

Are you an ALUMRISER?

ALUMRISERS - My take-aways and implications:

1. Don’t over-think opportunities – be open to a variety of job contracts including part time or temporary as well as newly engineered positions – ALUMRISE understands that today you are competing with millions of other job-hunters as well as a growing stream of income-seekers returning to the workforce to support displaced family members – so look hard at each and every message of interest. Your profile helps position you for a variety of types of interest – job, project, mentor/coach, board, etc. So get into action/contribute and meanwhile, enjoy the time life has given you back, either in your job hunt or after-hours in a (hopefully) less intense position that allows time for self-reflection.

2. Look hard at your functional skills & understand exactly which your fungible or transferable skills are. ALUMRISE can do this for you – by answering the few simple questions that create your profile you are in essence creating a ‘functional resume’ making it easier for you to found for a transfer between industries or sectors … your experience tells the tale for you to hiring mangers and recruiters within an ALUMRISE profile

3. Understand companies you’d wish to work for, and try to develop access to their existing networks or online networks they create. ALUMRISE is building private platforms for companies to stay connected to former talent that live inside the broader ALUMRISE Universe .. Once a member of ALUMRISE you can request to join relevant networks related to your experience and skills … Stay tuned for more on that.

I was asked recently by a local Dallas Moms Web site, started by a former coworker and Mompreneur, to share some tips on the challenge of finding a new opportunity or returning to work after a hiatus. Really got me thinking. Here’s what I had to say to the members of Moms Out Loud:

You’ve probably read or heard advice about returning to work, including resume tips, dress tips and interviewing guidelines. As someone who left the traditional workforce to raise a child and pursue a personal dream of creating a business for others like me, ALUMRISE — I found that much of the advice, while practical and helpful, didn’t completely meet the mark.

The advice often assumed certain things about me and others like me:

We are completely confident about our decision to return to the workforce. Now we just need to find a ‘job’

The portrait of the mother I often speak to via my role at ALUMRISE needs to find meaningful work to fit her life stage, but is continually re-evaluating. Some days, she’s ready to conquer the world. Others, she’s dealing with a sick child and an upside down house, and a job hunt is the furthest item from her mind. The concept of a ‘job’ is a difficult one for many moms. They are looking for meaningful work and residual income. But traditional jobs can often be a square peg in a round hole for the at-home mother.

My Tips:

• Turn this potential drawback of daily indecision or re-evaluation into an opportunity. Find job sites or solutions that showcase a variety of both permanent and flexible opportunities and ad-hoc opportunities like completing tasks or doing short term projects
• Don’t wait for the perfect “job” – seek opportunities that fit your day, week, or month. And do it now! Often, these can turn into the perfect long term position
• If you find you struggle with balance, look for flexible positions, even if you trade off some pay or promotion opportunity
• And do look at the type of work that suits your new situation – for example, working with a start up, or a small business, or in retail. A traditional corporate position could be financially rewarding but create personal stress in scheduling and workload, so be honest with your own limitations before starting a search

We are self confident and able to articulate our skills. We are thick skinned at parties and in social gatherings when eyes glaze over as we describe our former work and current job needs

What I’ve observed is that even the most self-confident mothers experience mood swings, self-recrimination and doubt, when they consider a return to the workforce. They react to the lack of interest or reinforcement and support from others, and take it to heart. Many retract and decide “work is not for them,” even though they are smart, intelligent, and strong contributors. It’s a self defense mechanism. So even while paying lip service to a job hunt, such a mother may be damaging her own chances by giving mixed messages about the consistency and belief in her own abilities to succeed in a job or a part time position.

My tips:

• Find someone who is a personal fan and supports your intelligence and desire to find meaningful work. Look to them for advice and counsel. Don’t expect support from those who don’t know you and your strong experiences and ability to contribute
• Keep your hunt targeted and close and do use online vehicles that can help promote you beyond your own social circle — members of your own circle may subconsciously only see you via the lens of mother or wife or daughter in law. Use sites especially those created for informal workforce members, like a Moms group, a flexible gigs site or a site like ALUMRISE designed for the non traditional workforce
• It’s not easy to banish self-doubt but the greatest danger is to let good opportunities pass you by, by talking down your abilities or abilities when you do find someone interested in working with you. Be specific and factual about your goals, and ability to contribute. Don’t be apologetic!

We have a life plan and are working on it. Motherhood is a detour or hiatus but not the final goal

Most mothers drastically alter their perception of parenting, only after they have a first child. For some, it happens with a second. Suddenly, parenting as a “detour” from real life, is replaced by a growing realization that parenting is as much the business of life, as a paid position. Employers may find it hard to hear this message – and many moms are stuck trying to deliver a message that they need a firm balance between parental responsibilities and paid employment.

My tips:

• Talk about the positives of parenthood as qualities for an employer. These are qualities such as your perseverance, your patience, your ability to work hard, and your ability to juggle tasks on a minute-by-minute basis
• Talk about your own desire for a flexible position and be willing to discuss how that could benefit an employer, for example in a pay trade-off
• Be honest about the role of parenting in your life. You may be surprised that your candor impresses an employer. After all, they may be juggling the same issues as you. Honesty is an important way to establish the right rules of engagement, increasing chances of success for both sides

Starting or completing a job hunt is hard, especially when you are torn between competing priorities. But if you start by addressing some upfront, personal barriers, the battle can be won.

Happy hunting Moms!

Aassia Haq is a midcareer mom who left the traditional workforce to start ALUMRISE. She currently serves as CEO of the business. The photo was taken in her garden, in between a business meeting and an infant meltdown. Unfortunately, she hasn’t had time to take a better photo yet.

I’ve been reading and hearing a lot about a coming year of global gloom and doom.

Certainly, the business environment is sobering. Whether it’s unexpected loss of wealth due to greedy Madoff-style swindling, or a growing mistrust of the large and amorphous corporate bureaucracy with its many heads — or just the general steep decline in net worth, there’s cause for concern.

But in this post, I’m offering a personal point of view, with no certainty that this resonates for others, but a hope that it does. For me, 2009 is a year of opportunity. It’s the beginning of the rest of my life.

Probably because I’m somewhat familiar with adversity (who doesn’t fight at some point or another to achieve a goal), I believe that in times of struggle, it’s actually easier to define your own goals and desires and be more succinct, and more creative in how you realize them.

I’ve been thinking about what the word “opportunity” itself means. Does opportunity mean wealth, a new car, a private school? Or does it mean the right to do what one loves, on one’s own terms, at a fair trade-off price? Does opportunity mean a 9-to-9 job with a large corporation and a pension check? Or does it mean exciting, challenging assignments or positions that fit a changing personal lifestyle?

Does opportunity mean doing something completely irrational but wholly satisfying that ordinarily would be considered difficult and impractical, like starting a new venture? Or offering one’s services to unpaid goals like charitable or social projects just because of the deeper and more important satisfaction of the soul?

This year, I am excited by achieving goals that are personal and specific, not broad and social. And I wish the same for every ALUMRISER.

My advice when an opportunity knocks? Be specific in stating what you want. Be open to opportunities that fit your needs, even if they don’t seem like poster-board examples of success. And every day, do believe there’s new opportunity around the corner.

While all this is easier said than done if the worry is a paycheck or a mortgage payment, I believe 2009 offers the opportunity for all of us to be a year not of gloom and doom, but instead a year to grow personally and professionally in some new and exciting, unknown direction.

I hope this for all past, present and future ALUMRISERS. It’s 2009: Opportunity knocks.

Thanksgiving wasn’t solitary, but it was quiet. It got me thinking about the concept of doing something new, taking a new life path, or being forced into a new work life stage, which can naturally lead to solitude.

Here’s a few synonyms I found for describing solitude:

isolation, loneliness, singleness, solitariness, aloneness, desert, privacy, quarantine, remoteness, retirement, seclusion, wilderness

I wonder about how so many ALUMRISERS, current or future, must be feeling today, while hunting for their next opportunity or chance to be a contributor.

I was told by someone that nearly a quarter to a fifth of the U.S. workforce will move into a new position or be displaced in the next 18 months (when I figure out where this came from, I’ll annotate or correct the stat).

Today, there’s not just large-scale job cuts all around us, but also conscious decisions being made by many to enter new life stages that reduce stress, reassert control or forge a new path. 

Whether you’re entering retirement, feeling secluded at home with kids, or simply thrown out into the wilderness of a job hunt when you least expected it, there’s a chance you are experiencing or struggling against solitude, though I hope you are not.

Fellow ALUMRISERS - what about creating a new and more meaningful word to describe the stage you are in? – Quietude.  

Quietude replaces the threat and implication of solitude with a conscious, deliberate state of mind that can only be reached properly in quiet times, guided not by what is missing, but by what is possible. What fits, and what you are uniquely suited for. What you both will and want to pursue. 

Early holiday wish: this season, find quietude.

Most days, when I wake up, I don’t have time to take a pulse. Life’s too busy.

But this Thanksgiving week is deliberately slow.

When the year gets quieter, I turn to literature both to help me move forward and to allow me to reflect on the past and ideas that have been fermenting throughout the year. For most of this morning, a certain quote has been stuck in my head:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities.

Dickens spent most of his life serializing the plight of the new industrial age. What children, what bourgeoisie, what farm workers were affected by the shift to factories and assembly lines?

This holiday season, we will have every opportunity to reflect on new shifts, seismic shifts, global shifts, in how we work and live.

Let’s make this quiet time, this holiday time, the best of times, by illuminating new solutions, not despairing the demise of the old.

How can we make 2009 the best of times?