One Woman's Story

It's been a long time since I've posted, but saw this woman's story tonight and knew I had to share it. This is a great example of the power of the stories we tell ourselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX32U_hfri4&feature=youtu.be

When Customer Service People Don't Think Before Speaking

Why is it that whenever there's a really serious problem with your computer, the tech support people feel compelled to ask, "Do you have anything important on your computer?" .... Excuse me????... "No, just grocery lists mainly."

Assessment Tests

Some of the most common questions I get from workshop attendees and clients alike have to do with the validity and helpfulness of assessment tests.

There is no answer to the "which test is best" question because it depends on your needs and your level of self-awareness.

If you are highly self-aware, many assessment tests are going to fail the So What Test. In other words, they'll confirm what you already know. Worse, many of them aren't actionable.

One of the most famous, and best marketed, tests is the Myers-Briggs. I am well aware that a lot of people claim to get value out of that test. But what horrifies me is the pathological attachment some people have to their results. One person I know won't date people who aren't a "match" her four-letter Myers-Briggs category. Putting that kind of faith into anything is not a good strategy. In fact, it's not a strategy at all. It's stupidity.

I bring this up today because I just finished reading an interesting article about Myers-Briggs specifically that confirmed the hesitations I have had over the years:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2922/does-the-myers-briggs-personality-assessment-really-tell-you-anything


If your purpose in taking an assessment is to get a better handle on the types of careers that might interest you, the best test I've found by far is in Pamala Oslie's book, Life Colors. Talk about accuracy. It's the only test I've ever taken that listed motivational speaker as a possible career. Of the other 20-30 possibilities mentioned in the results, I had either done or considered 75% of them.

Working on a New Book

Although it has been a long time coming, I am finally in the process of writing a new book. I had been stuck for awhile, but through a soul session with the gifted Veronica Drake (www.soulexpressions.net), I am working past the blocks and fears that hindered my creativity. Those blocks are the key reasons I hadn't been blogging regularly for awhile.

I will continue to post periodically, but plan to dedicate most of my writing efforts to this important, and very personal, project.