Overcome career anxiety

Published: The Hindu
On: January 25, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.

You always loved going to work. But one day you suddenly realise that you no longer feel the same about your work.
You are feeling stressed and burned out. You are no longer sure if you are in the right job. In fact, you hate your job and worse, you do not know what to do about it. You are going through career anxiety!
A bout of anxiety can take a toll on your mental and physical health. It often includes nervousness, sweating, trembling, tiredness and sleep problems.
It can leave you feeling apprehensive and uncertain, paralysing you into inaction. It can affect even those people around you. Let's look into possible reasons for such anxiety.
Social networking: Do you have a Facebook page? Or, do you tweet? How about LinkedIn? Chances are you have all of the above.
No doubt it is a great tool for networking, sharing your thoughts and keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. However, there is a downside to social networking. Comparison with friends through such sites makes people doubt and regret if they have done enough.
As Minal Jain, an employee at a call centre says, “When I see my classmates having foreign vacations, I feel distressed that I have failed in my life.” This kind of negative comparison and dreams that have failed to materialise bring in career anxiety.
Money: As society defines success by our job status, materialistic gains and money, people tend to become so busy making a living that they forget to make a life. Sometimes, individuals tend to compromise their interests for money. They are so caught up in the day-to-day life that they get only empty victories. There is a disconnect between what they want and what they have. This leads to career anxiety.
Economy: The volatile economy is taking a toll on everyone. The uncertainty and layoffs in jobs have led to an increase in career anxiety. As Mehul, an employee in a reputed software company puts it, “I always fear losing my job. I can't help but carry this stress home”.
It's important to get a handle on your anxiety before it spirals out of control. Here are some ways to deal with it.
Join social activities where you can let your guard down and relax. Share ideas and thoughts with different people from varied backgrounds. Take up hobbies that interest you, for example, music, pottery, calligraphy and yoga, or sports activities such as cricket, tennis and badminton. Pick up your iPod and jog to the nearby park. Watch motivational movies and documentaries.
Experiment with new things. Seek out opportunities to discover new and old passions. One good way of following your passion is moonlighting with your day job. Enjoy the challenge of learning something new and meeting new people. If you get an opportunity, relocate yourself. This way you will continue to challenge yourself and avoid the feeling of being lost.
You may also talk to your boss and make changes in your job profile. In addition, you can further your education and avail training programmes to upgrade your skills.
Spend at least an hour with yourself. Do self interrogation. Are you following your passion? Are you doing what you love to do? Embark on a truthful personal inventory of what you want from your career and where you really want to head. Without doubt, individuals who love their work are happier than people who don't. Acknowledge your feelings of insecurity. Identify the source. Talk about your anxiety to someone you feel comfortable with.
Just talking about your worries can make them seem less frightening. If talking about the problem or relaxation techniques don't work, seek professional consultation such as with a psychologist or career coach.
Starting now, spend more time pursuing your passions and less time on those things that don't feel right for you. Good luck!

Difference between coaching and mentoring

Published: The Hindu, India
On: January 18, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.


If you think coaching and mentoring are interchangeable terms, think again. Yes, there are enormous overlaps, and yet they are two different terms. Let's look at them in detail:
Meaning:
Mentoring is an informal relationship between two professionals based on trust, open communication and mutual respect. The mentor's advice, experience, skills, wisdom and involvement leave an indelible mark on the life of the mentored person.
Mentoring happens through examples, impromptu counselling and the free-flowing exchange of thoughts and ideas. It facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual. It also creates one of a kind opportunity to network with professionals in your field. A mentor's essential qualities include:

• Experience in the field
• Ability to communicate that experience
• Willingness to do so
• Special interest in helping another person
• Finding joy and fulfillment in the success of another person

To cite Oprah Winfrey, “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself”.

On the other hand, coaching is a management term to define development of employee expectations. It is about helping someone to focus on specific goals. A coach is most commonly an external person hired by the HR department of an organisation for a specific period of time. A coach helps to sharpen skills and overcome hurdles to better performance.
A coach is not necessarily a senior person sharing experience or passing on advice. Instead, observation, questions, analysis and unbiased feedback are used to facilitate the learning process. A good coach provides feedback and motivates you to establish your own actions to move forward. To cite John Russell, a prominent Hollywood star, “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable”.
The difference:
Both coaching and mentoring have their own uses and a wise manager or management knows the difference and makes the best use of either depending on the situation. Mentoring works best when an experienced, talented professional assists another professional who is an entrant in a new job position or needs to acquire new skills and competencies as a manager. Research suggests it is useful for retention of employees in an organisation. Mentoring suggests to the employee that the organisation supports their professional growth and development. It creates a workplace culture that encourages everyone in the organisation to share their knowledge and collaborate.
Coaching is useful for individuals who need to focus on a specific goal in professional development or improve their effectiveness, are in transition from one role to another, start or expand a business, to identify and achieve personal goals or achieve financial freedom. It can also help organisations move towards a responsive, committed and flexible way of working.
Both coaching and mentoring can work best when the mentee or client is open-minded and has the passion and the will to learn and succeed.
Duration:
Depending on what the end goal is, coaching sets a limited amount of time for accomplishment; whereas mentoring helps the mentee to grow holistically therefore allowing the mentee to develop at his own speed.
Rewards:
Typically, mentors don't charge for their services. They believe in you and have been there and done that and are enthusiastic to share their experiences. However, mentors can benefit as much as their mentees or more during the process of sharing insights and various skills. Tremendous learning and development takes place thus keeping mentors on top of their field and gain the satisfaction of seeing their mentee succeed.
Mentoring is also an excellent way to increase productivity and discover talented individuals. For instance, the mentor can help a new employee familiarise himself with the work culture. Effective training solutions can be made to meet the needs of the organisation.
A coach is usually hired by an organisation to work with individuals or a team. The organisation and the learner is the ultimate benefactor of the coaching. Coaching encourages, inspires, nurtures and brings out the best in employees.
Deciding if you need a mentor or a coach is up to you. Both, coaching and mentoring allow you to accomplish your full potential. While a mentor can be your guide in the confusing jumble of your organisation or field, a coach helps you to speed up your efficiency and achieve your goals.
Choose a mentor if you feel the need to have an advisor or guide, who can nurture you under his or her wings. It's a good idea to find a mentor from your organisation who is well respected, experienced and shares your values. However, if you wish to focus on specific goals, or you have reached a point where you need to develop in your own unique way, hire a coach. Coaching is performance focused centering on an employee. Whether you choose coaching or mentoring, the result is an organisational change with transformation in the culture and increase in productivity.