Opening New Frontiers – Exploring Chaos in Life/Work

1. Opening New Frontiers – Exploring Chaos in Life/Work Clarence De Schiffart & Laurie Edwards CANNEXUS January 27, 2013

2. Want a copy of this PPT? Email: Clarence.deschiffart@nscc.ca

3. "May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers.” John O'Donahue

4. Chaos Theory Does anyone know about the Butterfly Effect?

5. Faces of Career Development YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRW_YbEPIL0

6. Small group activity: The Potential Impact of Chaos in Your Life Write an unexpected life event on one side of the paper On the other side, write how that event contributed to your life/work situation

7. Chaos in Life/Work Share a your “chaos story” and the impact it had on your life in a small group… • What was it like for you at the time? Looking back now? • What did you experience (thoughts, emotions)? • What got you through it? (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

8. In small groups discuss…As a Career Practitioner, what is it like to work with people who… Appear to have lost their way? Seem confused about life options? Do not seem to have a direction in their life/work?

9. Chaos Theory Helps Deals With Complexity in the World • Our Human Complexity?  our minds, bodies, social networks, past history, and other influences • Our Goal as CDP? Help people understand these complexities (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

10. Source:http://careersintheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/applied-chaosSource:http://careersintheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/applied-chaos “Factors” within Chaos Theory Our careers are: • Subject to chance events  • Subject to non-linear change • sometimes small steps have profound outcomes • sometimes changing everything changes nothing • Unpredictable • most people express a degree of surprise/delight or disappointment at where they ended up.

11. In small groups respond to: What is the impact of knowing these “factors” (chaos theory) on a person’s capacity to intentionally navigate their career decision making? e.g. predictability of the future The NHL lockout Great fruit season in Annapolis Valley NS, very poor one in southern ON Winning the lottery The loss of a father/mothers job

12. Additional “Factors” within Chaos Theory Our careers are: • Subject to continual change. • Sometimes we experience slow shift that results in us drifting off course without realizing it, • Sometimes our careers have dramatic (fast shift) changes which completely turn our world upside down. “We take shape and exhibit self-similar patterns, trajectories, traits, narratives, preoccupations over time & we are too complex to be easily captured and put into simple boxes, interest or personality codes”. Source: http://careersintheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/applied-chaos

13. Non-linear Career Events • Example: A person is not sick for 5 years and then misses one day. An important and urgent meeting takes place and s/he is not chosen for a teamtaking the lead on a new project. • Example: Person goes to a conference and has a chance meeting with a famous keynote speaker. (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

14. Where Will You Be? YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrpC0pZHUe4

15. The Ping Pong Balls and Puppiesreference • Scenario 1: in a room with a ping pong ball .. Drop it and what can you predict? • Scenario 2: add an electric fan and a eager ball chasing puppy is chasing you? What can you predict? • Scenario 3: add a pack of eager puppies, a series of electric fans, an open window with a howling gale and you are now running on an electric treadmill that is programmed to randomly change speed. (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

16. The Ping Pong Balls and Puppies • Making long term predictions with Scenario 3 is difficult • Careers are influenced by parents, social and environmental context, gender, age, political and economic climate, interests, abilities, geography, and many other events (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

17. Chaos Theory of Careers World Factors • Speed of technology • Reshaping of organizations • Speed and extent of change • Need of life long learning • Globalization of both consumer and labour markets • Increasing contractual nature of work • Rapidity of technology innovation and its adaptation (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

18. Implications on Career Development? Shift Happens YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkt2escJAQI

19. Life/Work Implications • Look at each person’s entirety and then help them understand the patterns and processes in his/her life. Orient client expectations. • Try not to "narrow down" conversations to only “career-related” (work) topics. Bring in the holistic life/work blend discussion. • Make use of qualitative approaches by using narrative, analogy, and metaphor – creating meaning for the person at their present stage of being and understanding . (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012

20. Life/Work Implications • Help people make sense of their past behavior and the unpredictable nature of a range of influences from the past. • Help people understand and accept the finite limits of our human understanding -- accept that all knowledge is open to doubt and revision and open to different interpretations from different perspectives

21. Resources • Norm Amundson’s books on Counselling. In particular, Active Engagement, Metaphor Making and The Physics of Living • The Complexity Perception Index www.brightandassociates.com.au • Chaos Theory of Careers, Jim Bright

22. Wrap-up For additional information or comments Contact: Laurie Edwards Laurie.edwards@nscc.ca Clarence DeSchiffart Clarence.deschiffart@nscc.ca (c) Clarence De Schiffart 2012