Growth & Messaging
For many people, the start of the New Year is an opportunity to think about what they want to achieve in their lives, personally and professionally. Helping people to grow personally and professionally through a focus on messaging is one goal/objective of Healthy Messages™. Thus, it seemed fitting to highlight areas of growth in this month’s writing. In particular, Healthy Messages™ is interested in the qualities/attributes that people possess and how they are able to incorporate them in the work that they do, as well as how much of the work that they do is a reflection of their values, mission or purpose, aspirations or goals, and overall messaging. This doesn’t just apply to paid employment or one’s career.
For many, their job is exactly aligned with their interests, skills, and life goals. For many others, they may be working to support themselves and their families while also pursuing what they feel is their true calling or passion, including investing time in a part-time business and/or volunteering for a particular cause. With this in mind, consider these areas of personal and professional growth and related questions:
Personal identity - what are your qualities, values, and/or interests?
Purpose/mission and/or goals - what would you like to do, support, or achieve?
Place of action - where will you utilize your qualities, pursue your interests, advocate for values, fulfill your mission or purpose, and/or achieve your goals, whether that’s at home, your place of employment, or local community, to name a few?
Your message - what do you want to convey through your words and actions in support of your values, purpose/mission, or goals and as a result of them? In other words, what’s the heart of the matter? Oftentimes we underestimate the power of communication (written, spoken, and lived out) in not only representing ourselves, organizations, or businesses, but in sharing the heart or importance of what we do, as well as in facilitating progress and clarifying our direction and next steps.
Considering areas of personal and professional growth through a focus on messaging, take some time to review the services that Healthy Messages™ offers:
Professional and Organizational Messaging Self-Service: Evaluate areas for growth and change and clarify professional and organizational messaging
Professional Development and Training: One on one or group support to navigate individual challenges around communication
Direct Communication Support: Assistance with producing content/communication
Strategic Consulting: Evaluating gaps/discrepancies between messaging and outcomes
Whole Leader Group™ - Where professionals can network, share ideas, & craft, implement, and improve healthy messages
How do you want to grow personally and professionally? What do you want to do or achieve? What messages do you want to convey? In this New Year Healthy Messages™ will be continuing to share content monthly while shifting priorities to work on more research and writing, in addition to providing supports around the services previously noted.
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.
Your Best Work
Over the years I have found that my best work involves great struggles and challenges. One might read this and think this is hard to believe or understand, but it’s true. In some cases, it has been a sad truth but in every case it has been meaningful and purposeful. Working with others, particularly individuals who may struggle with various mental health disorders, especially personality disorders, can be a feat in itself, but working with organizations that perpetuate unhealthy behaviors can be a greater task, even insurmountable at times. Yet, these are the conditions that have produced my best work.
In pursuing my professional goals, I knew early on (between completing undergraduate and graduate studies) that I wanted to work in leadership and organizational behavior. What I did not know was the trials that faced me in the areas of work I held dear. I’ve observed unhealthy communication amongst staff, minimal to no support in leadership, and antagonistic behaviors, including hostile, retaliatory, and punitive actions, on all organizational levels. Yet, the most toxic work environments I have been in have provided me with the opportunity to do what I do best - model clear and consistent communication, advocate for positive professional and organizational growth and change, make recommendations for process improvements and ethical decision-making, and implement strategies to achieve outcomes. As well, my experiences affirmed my personal and professional calling/purpose and developed my strengths as a leader and professional. Most of all, I found the resolve to stay true to myself and what I believed was right. It taught me to never give up. The courage and tenacity I knew that I had was etched into my very being (there are times when you are faced with the opportunity to not just know something but to know it so much so that no one or nothing can take it from you).
For me, how diamonds are formed comes to mind, which you may be familiar with too. Their development requires intense pressure and heat. True to my experiences, many times I have felt like I have been in the fire. The struggles have been real and profound. At the same time, I know I was built for and have been prepared for them. Think about your experiences. You too possess a unique set of strengths and abilities and require a unique set of conditions that will produce the best that you have to offer. Consider these questions:
What is your best work?
Do you find that there are times when you do your best work?
What conditions - environments, circumstances, and situations, support you in doing your best work?
It may take time to understand what you thrive in and where, and that’s ok. We are all continuing to grow and learn. If you’re not quite sure, consider what you’re passionate about (if you could do anything, what would it be?) and what you do well. And when you know more, or if you do currently, let your light shine brightly. Get connected with others of like mind and heart. Continue to grow and most of all, pursue your best work.
I would love to hear more about your best work.
Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.
What’s Your Story?
Most, if not all people have the hope that they would spend their time doing work that they are passionate about and love. Professionals in mental health or human services may pursue work in their respective fields because they love working with and helping others. Some could also be motivated by their own experiences, including personal identification with the mental, emotional, and/or physical challenges they themselves or loved ones have lived through, and desire to share their insights or give back in response to how they or someone they knew was supported.
When you think about your life, what would you say are the experiences that have shaped your work? How is your work representative of your experiences, as well as your interests, passions, skills/abilities, and values? Overall, what does your experiences/work say about you? What is the message that you convey? Likewise, what do people think of when they think of you and/or your work? Is this representative of your message?
Your story tells others about you and your experiences, interests/passions, challenges, successes, and overall, what makes you unique. Your story is very powerful. Oftentimes though, we don’t think of the impact of our stories on others. What can someone else learn from your story? How can your story help others? Another component of stories that is very important to keep in mind is the use of stories as a vehicle to share your message – what you want people to know about you, your mission/vision, and business and/or services, as well as challenges and successes.
My focus and interest in mental health is fueled by my compassion for the healing and growth of others and my desire to see professionals and organizations convey healthy messages in words and actions.
Think about your story and message. Also, recall the questions I shared at the beginning of this writing. Additionally, consider how you can ensure that your story and your message is clear and consistent.
Tell me more about your story. I would love to read your message.
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.