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Life and Career: The Connected Effect

Life and Career: The Connected Effect

What a weekend for Irish rugby. Beating New Zealand, back-to-back World Champions, for the first time.

They gave us an amazing spectacle before the game. As the New Zealand team performed their famous pre-match haka (a traditional war dance of the Maori people), the Ireland team lined up to face them in a figure of 8. It was in the memory of iconic Munster and Ireland player Anthony Foley (who wore the jersey number 8), who passed away suddenly last month. Players alluded to the fact after the game that the team played not only for their country, but also for the memory of Anthony Foley.

We’ve spoken in previous blogs before about the power of the ‘connected effect’. Positive Psychology tells us the ‘connected effect’ is the greatest source of happiness. Behavioural scientist Andrew Oswald’s research indicates people who experience the ‘connected effect’ and happiness at work get more done. The combined research makes the ‘connected effect’ a compelling proposition.

The connected effect is the product of using the best skills and traits you have towards something greater than you that you’ve a genuine interest in. The Irish team embodied the power of the connected effect in the best possible way.

How do we experience the connected effect? Irish rugby coach Joe Schmidt preaches the importance of trusting a process to achieve a desired outcome. Here’s a four-stage process called “DEEP” (Define, Evaluate, Explore and Pick) for establishing the connected effect in your daily life:

Define:

Firstly, answer the following two questions:

What are the skills and traits that make up the best of who I am?

What are the things greater than me that I’ve a genuine interest in?

The answers to these questions give you the information needed to move to the second stage.

Evaluate:

List possible activities/interests/causes and career paths* that you feel can offer you the connected effect. For each option, evaluate just how well you feel it would allow you to experience the connected effect (i.e. how well does the option allow you to tap into your output from phase 1).

Explore:   

For the options that emerge from phase 2, the next phase is to explore them. Some you may have already experienced. For some, like career paths, it may not be as simple as trying them out. In this instance, speak to someone who has. Get as clear a picture as possible as to what that option looks and feels like in reality. That is the objective for you in respect of all options that still remain on the table.

Pick:   

Of the options that are still in the process, select and pursue the option(s) that you feel are most viable in your life right now to allow you enjoy the connected effect.

The DEEP process is something you may wish to commit to. While there’s no guarantees, you could experience as positive an outcome as the Irish team did in Chicago on Saturday night.

* Does one of your options refer to a career path? If so, click here for guidance on how to further evaluate it’s viability.