See a photo of George, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Q&A with George Dutch, Question 5:

Q:You provide readers of your book with the downloadable exercise,
Enjoyable Achievements and Autobiographical Events, and offer a resulting
“personalized, customized written JobJoy Report.” You also talk in the book
about your passion and skill for “analyz[ing] complex subjects, then
boil[ing] them down to a theme.” How did you develop this process and
determine that the components that go into the exercises would enable you to
“identify the specific details that are the essence of an Individual’s
Passion Pattern?”

A: Each life has integrity; that is, each life has a holistic pattern of meaning to it, one that is consistent with plot, character, and theme if you will. There are many literary, psychological and spiritual tools that can be used in a scientific way to delve into the meaning of stories through an understanding of thoughts, feelings, moods, dreams, hopes, faith, love, memories, and so on. I learned about some of the tools that are used in literary criticism, in the writing of biographies, in the narration of case studies. Our stories can be mapped. We can identify and define landmarks in the terrain of meaning. These landmarks [like those pictured] have been fashioned by career practitioners over the past 50 years into a lexicon of key success factors relevant to work, such as talents and strengths, preferred subject matter, motivating situations, natural relating styles, and others. I studied these practitioners and undertook many career assessments to develop a methodology that made sense to me, as I tried to distinguish between similar concepts, such as aptitudes, skills, talents, strengths, traits, values, and so on.

Like plot and character in a story, these factors serve a central theme or Individual Passion Pattern — the key route to a destination of right work or jobfit. I bring my talents and passion for story analysis to this process. This is not a generic report that puts individuals into categories and
boxes. Human beings are more complex than simple labels that cannot capture
the complexities, nuances, and subtleties of a life. I love the uniqueness
of each individual, and I have a passion for leveraging their motivational
pattern into the world of work. Their unique pattern can be identified and
defined in simple but profound terms, then matched to specific jobs in
specific work settings that will recognize and reward an individual for what
they do naturally and effortlessly. After all, there are over 60,000 job
titles operating in our world of work, with new ones being created daily.
We are so fortunate to live in a part of the world that offers so much
opportunity. My clients use their customized reports to navigate through
career decisions. Like a map, my report gives clients a clear route to a
new destination of employment, or self-employment, or business building;
and, it provides them with a vocabulary to communicate with clarity and
confidence to others along the way. Career decisions are made easier. The
journey becomes the adventure it is meant to be!

See a photo of George, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.

Q&A with George Dutch, Question 4:

Q: What’s your favorite story about a transformation that came about through a story or storytelling act?

A: We are all inspired by stories of people who overcome tremendous odds to succeed in accomplishing a goal–the archetype of the hero’s quest. But I have a bias for quests in which I am engaged on behalf of my clients. I feature Success Stories on my JobJoy website. These are stories of ordinary individuals who realized significant career transitions through my process. These are my favorite stories because each one honors the uniqueness of a person that plucked up the courage to leverage their authentic self into the
world of work. Each of them wanted both vitality and security in their
lives, and each one was able to attain it. Each time that miracle happens,
it makes the world a better place.

See a photo of George, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, and Part 2.

Q&A with George Dutch, Question 3:

Q: The storytelling movement seems to be growing explosively. Why now? What is it about this moment in human history and culture that makes storytelling so resonant with so many people right now?

A: In the beginning was an empty void. Then came story. Storytelling was central to society long before cultures learned to write. The history of civilization is the history of story. The world has become increasingly complex and conflicted in this postmodern age (even the word postmodern is part of a huge story). We are unable to live easily, happily, joyfully in a world we cannot understand. We cannot bear to think there is no meaningful structure to the way we develop. Story provides that structure of meaning. The stories we choose to tell, to live by, get us into trouble, and they can get us out of trouble. It is important not only to tell stories but also to think deeply about the stories that drive our behavior as individuals and as societies. The best stories will save us from the consequences of our worst behaviors.

See a photo of George, his bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A.

Q&A with George Dutch, Question 2:

Q: How did you initially become involved with story/storytelling/narrative? What attracted you to this field? What do you love about it?

A: Like most children, I was steeped in stories, and found them fascinating. By the time I was 8 years old, I was writing and presenting my own stories in school. In a world made of atoms and stories, I decided early in life to study stories. I traveled, and exposed myself to other cultures, worldviews, lifestyles, as I studied English literature and communications at university. I am consciously focused on Story, its profound beauty, and its usefulness for doing life. Story is life. We are immersed in plot, character, and theme on a daily basis as we watch tv, DVDs, movies, read the news or blogs, listen to radio or podcasts, join a book club, or gossip at the water cooler. Story is what we do in order to deal with the haphazardness and randomness of existence. That is what fascinates me about story. If life is a mystery, story helps to find patterns, plots, and meanings. If life is a puzzle, story is the solution to understanding so much about life that is not atoms.