Nella Gray BarkleyNella Gray Barkley's presentation, "Something Happened on the Way to Work: Dos, Don'ts and Internships," has a simple underlying message for those preparing for a life of work: Figure out what will give you the energy to get up in morning, go to work and not notice when it's five o'clock.

"People who excel beyond the norm are driven by passion. My premise is that we all have that in us," Barkley said.

The 1955 Sweet Briar College graduate will deliver her talk at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 in the Boxwood Room at SBC's Florence Elston Inn and Conference Center. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Barkley is president of the Crystal-Barkley Corporation and the author of two books, including "How to Help Your Child Land the Right Job (without being a pain in the neck)." The firm she co-founded in 1981 consults with individuals and corporations to make the maximum use of human potential.

"People who excel beyond the norm are driven by passion. My premise is that we all have that in us."

To tap that potential, her advice is to look inward. "What do you do when no one's telling you what to do? What do you gravitate to? Those are cues to what's really inside you.

"So often youngsters in particular are told by a well-meaning older generation that you have to get practical now. My message is just the opposite. Follow your dreams and it will end up being the most practical thing you ever did."

Barkley will focus on how people can position themselves for the job that's right for them. Her business uses its own copyrighted model, "Life/Work Design," to help clients apply strategic planning to personal assessment, decision making and implementation.

"We're very heavy on the implementation," she said. "It's wonderful to know what you want to do, but if nothing happens it doesn't really matter."

Barkley, whose individual clients often seek her counsel in mid-career, will address what happens when people don't formulate a plan to connect their skills and desires to life in the workplace. Very often, young people aren't given the tools to do that, she said.

"It makes me feel very good that Sweet Briar is thinking about this."

Internships will be part of the discussion within that context, she said, and there will be time for questions and answers during the hour-long session.

Barkley's talk is presented by the College's Business Advisory Council. She is a member of the council, which supports SBC's Business Management Program. Established in 2003, the program has grown rapidly, enjoying among the highest enrollment of any curriculum at Sweet Briar.

Coffee and dessert will be served after the talk. For more information, please call Tom Loftus at (434) 381-6296 or e-mail him at loftus@sbc.edu.


— By Jennifer McManamay, SBC staff writer