Columns

  • Do you want knowledge and strategies to understand and control your personal and professional life?
  • Would you like cost effective, practical, easy to read columns to address varied work, personal growth and human resources issues?
  • Are you looking for tools to help others empower themselves to achieve desired goals.

Columns, workbooks, and quizzes are designed to help adults of all ages and varied occupational groups develop knowledge, confidence, and strategies to manage their careers and lives. Based on the stated needs of the general public as well as organizational clients, the materials integrate knowledge from many disciplines.

The columns are easy to read, short (700 – 900 words) and practical. They frequently involve case studies and/or short quizzes with accompanying suggestions or practical guidelines to help adults enhance their work/life situations or strengthen certain personality traits, skills, or attitudes.

Click Here to Enjoy a Free Sample Quiz

This one is a quiz that will tell you about your risk taking behavior.  I will be posting new columns periodically for your enjoyment. Check back often to see what is up.
These columns/quizzes may also be purchased for use in you own class rooms or seminars. Please contact Carole Kanchier.

Please scroll to the bottom of this section to view readers’ comments about Carole’s columns.

Examples of Other Column Topics:

The Contemporary Workplace: Presents new ways of looking at career advancement, and offers practical suggestions for helping adults develop their careers and create harmonious work environments. Topics include:

  • Spiritual Principles at Work
  • Mastering Change
  • Transitioning Issues

Workplace Essentials: Offers suggestions to help people develop appropriate work attitudes, habits and skills. Topics include:

  • Email and Telephone Etiquette
  • Time Management Strategies
  • Communication Essentials

Performance Boosters: Offers suggestions to help adults excel at work. Topics include:

  • Using Mind Power
  • Conquering Perfectionism and Procrastination
  • Achieving Success

Making Wise Decisions: Helps people understand themselves, explore options, clarify goals and develop effective strategies for making decisions and attaining goals. Topics include:

  • Factors to Consider When Making Decisions
  • Identifying Personal Attributes and Skills
  • Using Proven Goal Attainment Strategies

Empowerment Skills: Shows people how to develop “Quester” or entrepreneurial characteristics to enhance their personal and professional lives. Topics include:

  • Using Intuition
  • Developing Successful Habits
  • Managing Fear and Learning from Mistakes

Lifestyle Options: Shows adults how to maintain balance and cope with stress. Topics include:

  • Balancing Work and Personal Life
  • Dual Career Dilemmas
  • Volunteer Options

Proven Job Search Strategies: Demonstrates how people can get the jobs they want by using effective job search and marketing strategies. Topics include:

  • Effective Networking Strategies
  • Acing Interviews
  • Evaluating Employer-Employee Fit

Comments About Carole’s Columns

“Congratulations on not only stating the obvious but also in describing the elements of the critical thinking process… Keep writing good stuff!” -Larry M., Education Consultant.
“… You put into words many of the underlying currents of present day society… which people do not want to address because it means a leap into uncharted territory. Thanks for your insightful and daring work.” -Alan W., Reader.
“Congratulations on saying something about innovation that needs to be done… Now I can show people in my organization that ‘I am not nuts.'” -John R., Director, Technical Support.
“Thanks for an excellent article. Your words helped me focus and validate what I have been thinking about and feeling… and I thought it was just me.” -David C., Reader.
“I found your article on mind power intriguing and empowering, and have been using your techniques. I am happy to report that I have results.” -Mike B., Reader.
“I just read your article from Sunday’s Chronicle/Examiner offering job seekers really great advice…It’s refreshing to see new advice for job seekers… “ -Sophie B., indeed.com.
“I would like to congratulate you for putting on paper something I have been involved in trying to get people to understand… Now I can show them and say, ‘See I’m not nuts…’” -John R., Director Integrated Technical Support Strategy Project, Ottawa.
“Your article on purpose in last Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle was just what I needed… I am now able to  put down on paper what’s most important to me. Thanks for your insights…” -Emily N., A reader.
“Your quiz on burnout in USA Today.com was very revealing…Thanks for the insight and suggestions…” -Frank P., An engineer.
“Your article in the Vancouver Sun on ‘How Attitudes About Work Must Change’ was Bang on. May I use it for my career planning class?…” -Emmauel S., Douglas College.
“I read with great interest your article, ‘Breathing Fresh Life Into Your Job Search.’ I will take your column’s advice. Thanks for the inspiration and nudging.” -Derah G., A reader.
“Your column on getting through the gatekeeper in the San Jose Mercury News was most helpful. Thanks for your good, solid advice…” -Kerry A., A reader.
“I found your article, ‘Your Mind Can Change Physical Reality,’ in the Sunday Chronicle/Examiner to be very inspiring, progressive and informative…Your suggestions do work!…” -Patricia S., A reader.
“I frequently read your columns in the Sunday Chronicle/Examiner and find them to be most helpful and based on proven psychological and business concepts…” -David A., A professor.
“Thanks so much for your weekly articles in the Star Ledger. I look forward to waking up on Monday mornings to read them with delight and have begun to act on them…You have helped me accept myself…” -Kyle Y., A reader.
“Your article on ‘Stop Fear From Holding You Back’ was extremely helpful to me…It voices so many of my concerns. Thanks for the wonderful article…” -Sarah C., A reader.
“Your column on purpose in the SF Chronicle/Examiner this weekend was very insightful… I have felt lost lately… It gave me inspirations and direction… “ -David A., A reader.
“Your article, ‘Deciding if You Should Leave or Stay,’ in the San Francisco Examiner was very interesting and helpful…” -Angela K., A reader from Germany.
“Your Sunday columns in the San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner are most valuable…”  -Sam B., A reader.
“’Is it too much to go to work?’…Now I have to step out of my comfort zone and realize that change involves trade-offs. Thanks for the article…” -Frank F., A reader.

To view the total list of titles or read a sample column, contact Carole Kanchier.

Quizzes

Click Here to Enjoy a Free Sample Quiz

Uncovering a you that you didn’t know existed can be fun. Selecting a satisfying occupation, partner or lifestyle requires a good understanding of yourself — purpose, interests, needs, values, accomplishments, abilities, aspirations and other personal characteristics. It also requires exploring compatible options.

Quizzes and tests don’t hold all the answers, but they do give some information. The value of inventories depends on the test, the clinical expertise of the interpreter, how you feel when you take the test, your age, experiences and other variables.

Tests don’t provide all the information needed for wise decision-making. They should be interpreted by qualified professionals who can integrate test results with other personal information often obtained from well-designed exercises and appropriate questions. Because you continually grow throughout life, results may change over time.

Tests also don’t address the context or environment of an occupation. This is an important component of occupational suitability. The wrong environmental fit and poor “people chemistry” will influence job satisfaction and success. An individual, who could be happy in one environment, may self-destruct in another. A pharmacist, who loves working in a drug store, may dislike working in a hospital or biomedical company.

Although quizzes should be interpreted with caution, well designed ones may help you uncover parts of you that you did not know exist. They may also help you clarify career and lifestyle options that are compatible with your personal characteristics.

The quizzes in Questers Dare to Change only give a small piece of the real you. Say for example:

  • Are you experiencing a transition?
  • Are you resilient?
  • Are you a risk taker?
  • What’s your decision making style?
  • Are you an optimist?
  • How assertive are you?
  • Are you a candidate for burnout?
  • Are you satisfied with your job?
  • Are you suited for self employment?
  • Do you know what career options are compatible with your personal characteristics?

To get a clearer picture of where you fit with regard to certain traits, review your responses to items on the Quester Questionnaire and ask a close friend for feedback. You may also benefit from more in-depth counseling and coaching.  See Counseling and Coaching

Customized Workbooks

These materials, designed to meet individual or group needs, are provided with each seminar, course, training or counseling session. See Keynotes and Customized Workshops