What a BBC newsreader can teach us about meaningful work

I was really touched and saddened yesterday by the news of BBC journalist George Alagiah's death from bowel cancer at the age of 67.

What really struck me about the tone of the coverage on the six o'clock news, was how affectionate and respectful his colleagues were. Phrases like 'radiated warmth', 'adored and admired by the team', 'outstanding journalist' and 'wonderful human being' were peppered throughout the report, and you could see the emotion on Sophie Raworth's face who had been his close colleague and friend for over 20 years. She had named her daughter, Georgia, after him.

These kinds of phrases are usually reserved for close friends and family when describing their loved one who has gone, but it really struck me that he had made such an impression in his workplace and left a lasting legacy behind. Not just a legacy of journalism awards, impressive interviews (Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu amongst many others) and bestselling books, but having made a profound, positive impact on the people he worked with and those he met whilst out reporting. He himself said that work invigorated him, and gave him a focus during countless rounds of chemotherapy. He always wanted to get back to the newsroom.

I think this is so moving to me because it shows what a profound impact you can make through your work. Just through kindness. And wanting to make a difference. It's not your status that people remember. It's how you made them feel. Rest in peace George. You are an inspiration.

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Client story: From content maker to star baker

"I should be able to figure out what my dream career is on my own right?"

Is something I often hear clients say when we have our initial chat. And my answer to that is yes and no. Yes you have all the answers inside you, but do you know how to unlock them by asking the right questions?

That's what the art of career coaching is. A career coach is that objective person who (unlike friends and family) has no agenda. They can ask the right powerful questions to help clarify your thoughts, as well as provide unjudgemental support and accountability to keep you moving towards your goal.

I want to introduce you to an amazing recent client of mine called Sally @sallydells who felt really stuck in her old job:

"Before starting coaching, I felt stuck in a rut and in a work place that was full of personal relationships and hang ups. I didn’t know what my strengths or skills where or how I could leave the company."

Sally and I had an initial 15min call where we chatted about her main career struggles, and she got to ask any questions about coaching and how I work, and she was able to get a feel for whether I might be the right coach for her.

After that, she decided to go ahead and book with me, and she got 12 1hr coaching sessions with me, all her learning materials and unlimited email suport in between sessions as well. It was all the help she needed to identify her dream career and make it happen.

She's now taking the world of baking by storm and in her own words:

"Now SO much has changed. My job/career but also my personal life as a result. I have more time and energy to spend on myself and with loved ones. My relationship with my partner has improved now that I’m not commuting for 3 hours a day! My friends and family see this change too and I finally feel like I’m being true to myself and discovering who that person is and loving it.

I’m not sure what it is but after our sessions I feel so clear and excited for the future. This made me excited for the sessions even if I wasn’t sure where I was at beforehand I knew I would come out the other end buzzing with enthusiasm."

And now Sally is completely clear on what she wants from her life and her work, she knows which career option is the best fit for her, and she has a clear action plan to her there.

She had all the answers inside her already, and with the help of coaching, was able to get a really clear vision of the future she wanted for herself.

She can now focus on conquering the world of baking, and she knows that I am always here for a top up session if she needs support in the future.

If you're interested in learning more about coaching, just click here.

How much do our parents influence our career choices?

With Father’s Day approaching, it’s got me thinking about how much our parents' jobs affect our own career paths, and is that actually a helpful thing?

I can clearly remember the excitement I would feel whenever there was school holiday or teacher training day, and my dad would announce that he was taking me with him to work.

He worked in TV production in London and his ‘office’ for that day could be anywhere from an edit suite in Soho, to a studio in Park Royal, or a location anywhere in the city. There would usually be camera equipment, lights, tapes and scripts piled high everywhere I looked, and always a buzz and sense of urgency in the people working around him. They would be dashing around, clutching Filofaxes (remember those?) and downing espressos, or holding important sounding conference calls on giant desk phones (this was pre-mobile) with clients in exotic places like New York or Los Angeles. To a 10 year old this seemed like THE most exciting way that anyone could spend their time. So was it any wonder that I desperately wanted to work in TV when I grew up?

A recent survey found that over 48% of respondents felt that their parents strongly influenced their career choices, and 40% said they felt pressure to follow their parents’ career advice.

This may or may not be intentional from the parents’ side, but it does show how powerful their influence can be. If a parent clearly loves their career then that may well rub off on their children too which is not necessarily a bad thing at all. However 57% of the survey respondents said that their parents simply wanted them to enter the same field or profession as theirs. Whilst this may stem from familiarity and wanting security for their children, it may also be doing them a disservice because it doesn’t take into account a young person’s unique combination of strengths and personal interests that will help to motivate them and excel in their career in the longer term.

So what can you do if you feel like you were steered down the wrong career path earlier in life, or if you are now a parent yourself?

Firstly, I’m a great believer that it never too late to discover your vocation. Whatever experience and self-knowledge you have gained to date is always valuable, and you will now have a much better understanding of what your core skills, strengths and motivators are than you did when you were younger. And also bear in mind that when our loved ones give us advice, it can be heavily influenced by their own life experiences and fears which may not be relevant or helpful to you now that you are older.

Secondly, if you are a parent yourself, it might be worth paying attention to the messages you’re already sending to your kids about what they might be want to do when they grow up. Take a step back and think about your own expectations and also any unfulfilled goals you have. Are you unwittingly pushing these onto your children? Also try to give them room to experiment and experience new things without being judgemental. As we all know, if they say they want to be a doctor today, they might want to be a circus acrobat tomorrow. So let them explore what gives them joy and what they’re most suited to, without fear of disapproval.

Personally, I did follow my dad into TV and had an exciting 8 years in that industry. However I eventually I realised that the Producer track I was on was not fulfilling me creatively in the ways I had expected and I eventually changed careers and moved into journalism. A few more years and a couple more career moves later across travel writing, charity communications and eventually advertising, I finally found my calling as a career coach but there was quite a bit of soul searching and frustration along the way. In the end I don’t regret any of the different career paths I tried out, and each one taught me something new about myself, but ultimately what I think I was searching for was the same passion for my job as my dad had for his. And I definitely did find that in the end.