The Larsen Group

February 10, 2008
“Navigating Your Career as a Business”
Guest:  Dr. Herb Smith, H C Smith, Ltd

1. Individuals must accept the fact that they are responsible for managing their careers. Knowledge work requires knowledge workers.
2. Think big- dream chasers- passionate producers- self development is key.
3. Act quickly - take intelligent risks - focus on winning and helping and partnering.
4. Expand horizons and live globally, behave locally.
5. Be mission driven — Why you do what you do — your reason for being — your purpose in life and your legacy.
6. Visionary — innovative — creative — demand driven – different/diverse.
7. Customers — who do you serve and satisfy — how do you get results – life changing experiences — people orientation.
8. What do customers value — make a difference in others — how get feedback from efforts.
9. Bottom line — what is the cost of navigating your career as a business – what is the profit for what you do.
10. Plan for the future – Navigating Life’s Pathways –  Traffic Light Strategy 

      RED — abandon things that do not work

     YELLOW — keep things that have promise for the future

Additional Thoughts from Dr. Zara Larsen:

1. You may not get to where you want to go, but you will get to where you need to go – as pulled by those who rely upon you and what the market is calling for.
2. This is as much a journey with multiple twists and forks and beautiful views along the way.  Be wary of being overly goal and objective driven, as you may miss the joy and a real calling along the way.  External conditions change, too.
3. Consider “circles of change” – sometimes you have to go in what appears to be a circle to change a direction. 
4. Be careful of how others impose “shoulds and shouldn’ts” on you – whether intentionally or unintentionally – strike your own path.
5. There is no greater sin that a person can commit against another than to say “But, you can’t do that”, or “you don’t have what it takes to be …” particularly if the individual is passionate.  We all have gifts and motivations that others cannot see.