If you’re part of the knowledge economy, the “product” being purchased and sold is your time. The value of that (awesome) “product” is its ability to figure out how to do things, sometimes in very ambiguous circumstances, in the future.

If this is the first time you’ve read this or heard me talk about this, I want you to let that sink in for a second. We are all buying and selling our time to each other every day. Now, if we get paid for that time, well, that’s a conversation for another day. Because yes, as someone how has some experience in what in the ad business is called “yield & pricing” (for laypeople — how can you optimize your limited resource for the best price?), I have all sorts of thoughts about the payment part. …

As you’ve probably guessed, there’s nothing I love more than meeting someone who has a dream. A friend once told me that she, and the rest of my friends, would often tell people, “Don’t sit by Joanna at dinner if you have a dream. She’s likely to have you convinced to start before the dessert course.”

Which is why, on our second date nearly 20 years ago, when Randall Reeves told me, “I’ve always wanted to go bluewater sailing.” My immediate response was, “Well, why aren’t you?”

At the time, Randall owned a 21′ Columbia that, if the tide headed in the wrong direction, it couldn’t create enough speed to get out the San Francisco Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge and out into the ocean. …

We opened our conversation with my usual question, “How do you answer the question — what do you do?”

If you know me at all, this question sends people into a bit of a tizzy. Everyone is generally worried that I’m going to scold them and tell them that their answer is boring. They’re not wrong; I often do. Plus, you are not boring so why should your answer be?

Sitting down with Adele Parks, however, was a different matter. Her answer? “I’m an author, and I’ve written 20 best sellers over 20 years.”

She’s not joking. Her answer sent us into a fascinating conversation about how saying such a bold thing in the UK is generally not done and how her American friends had taught her to own her unique awesomeness. We finally settled down and talked about how Adele got to become the woman who could say, “I’m a novelist, and I’ve written 20 best sellers in 20 years.” …

Every decision about you and your opportunities is made in a room you’re not in.

Yes, I know. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve heard me say this many many times. Why? Because it’s true and I see people forget this simple point ALL the time. I’ll follow this up with the following.

“If this is true, it is, then the first question you should ask is, am I part of the consideration set?”

For individuals, we then have a more extended conversation about how to lay the groundwork to make sure the room knows they’ve put their virtual hand-up and how to make sure someone in that room knows how their brilliant brain could be useful solving the problem at hand. …

Every decision about you and your opportunities is made in a room you’re not in.

Yes, I know. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve heard me say this many, many times. Why? Because it’s true and I see people forget this simple point ALL the time. And the first thing I say, when I utter that phrase, is the following:

“If this is true, it is, then the first question you should ask is, am I part of the consideration set?”

Do they even know to choose you?

I have a couple of assumptions, myths, and downright missed opportunities I see multiple times a week when it comes to this question. Both from the leadership perspective and the individual perspective. Of course, I have some suggestions on what you can do to be in the consideration set more often. …

I spend all day every day thinking about and talking about why someone else is uniquely awesome. Getting to explain to someone why they’re uniquely awesome is one of my favorite things to do.

But before I start down the path of someone’s fabulousness, I ask them where they want to go, who they want to be, and what future they see for themselves. Why? Because context matters. The Fairy Godmother did not dress Cinderella in a pair of fly sneakers and hip athleisure wear. Why? Because Cinderella needed to go to a ball, and not a basketball game.

And yet when I ask this question, it’s rare for me to get an answer. Or at least an answer that can supply enough context to the situation. I get it. In a world ripe with ambiguity, a society that demands perfection, a culture where success is defined by more, thinking about the Future You makes me want to grab a pint of Smitten Ice Cream. …

I spend all day every day thinking about and talking about why someone else is uniquely awesome. Getting to explain to someone why they’re uniquely awesome is one of my favorite things to do.

But before I start down the path of someone’s fabulousness, I ask them where they want to go, who they want to be, and what future they see for themselves. Why? Because context matters. The Fairy Godmother did not dress Cinderella in a pair of fly sneakers and hip athleisure wear. Why? Because Cinderella needed to go to a ball, and not a basketball game.

And yet when I ask this question, it’s rare for me to get an answer. Or at least an answer that can supply enough context to the situation. I get it. In a world ripe with ambiguity, a society that demands perfection, a culture where success is defined by more, thinking about the Future You makes me want to grab a pint of Smitten Ice Cream. …

It’s time for us all to admit that the world of work has shifted. It’s still shifting, and I don’t think anyone’s entirely sure where it will land. And yet, we still have to figure out how to navigate our career and move forward. So I thought I’d share some of the questions I’m asking people as they figure out who they want to be in this ambiguous future.

1. What does success look like for you?

We often assume that success is a promotion or some other metric of success. You’re the boss of your life and your career adventure. …