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midlife gap year: finding answers experientially

May 21, 2016 by

Malia Obama will attend Harvard University, but first she’s taking a gap year. How she’ll use that time is not yet known, but many midlife adults are saying, “I want one too”. If you never scheduled a gap year or if it was a long time ago, how might a break like this benefit you?

Midlife is a perfect time to take stock, change direction, sample something new. Often you operate at supersonic speed in work and home. When asked what you really want, you are so unfamiliar with choices that you can’t reply. You know you want some changes, but you don’t know what else exists.

Exiting the daily routine exposes you to new ways of living and working. For young people, gap year traditions can occur between high school and college or become a “backpacking trip though the world” between college and career. Both provide a kinesthetic education in whatever intrigues the explorer. Usually there is an intention for the break: something to learn, experience, or decide. Rather than being frivolous, a gap is a creative method of uncovering new answers for yourself.

When I was 19 I designed some gap years. I studied in Bogota for a semester, fell in love with Colombia and a man, and invented a reason to remain. I landed jobs teaching ESL in Medellin and Barranquilla and stayed two years.

For me that experience was life changing. I was immersed in a new culture and language. I gained confidence and experience in teaching and I was ignited by the travel bug. So personally and professionally I benefited. Since then I have created other opportunities to gap it: refugee work in Thailand, stay at home parenting, overseas Spanish study, and extensive post graduate education.

So are gaps just for the young? Have you missed your chance? Do you have to wait until retirement to get out and do something different? I hope not. What if you could structure something now? What would you like to do? How can you make it happen?

Some careers have gaps or sabbaticals built into their life cycles: higher education, ministry, even school teachers have the summers off. Some people choose their career based on its flexibility for family or self. Is flexibility a benefit you can negotiate in a job offer, or prioritize in your search or even ask for now?

A midlife gap has to be more than a long vacation. You can enter into a discerning process of what personal answers you are seeking, what career information or experience you require, or what transformation is necessary for your next level of growth.

Sometimes the gap can be a lateral move in your organization. It could be a year off to get another degree or certification. It can be a planned interlude between jobs. While the Peace Corps has a mostly young face, it and other volunteer opportunities serve the gap purpose at any age. After my one year VISTA job ended, I went back to graduate school and also volunteered in a Thai refugee camp. Those were the days… And it doesn’t have to be a year. With clear boundaries and goals a gap experience can be beneficial for one, three or six months.

Stacy is a CPA who is itching for a change in work and life. She wants to possibly move out West and work for a larger organization. Over time Stacy identifies several government and corporate entities in California, Arizona and Utah that use the services of a CPA. She contacts managers and learns about their unmet needs. She negotiates a temporary reduction in hours and the capacity to work virtually in her current job. Once she obtains an offer, Stacy creates the space to move out West and work part-time. This gives her more information so that she can design a career vision that better fits.

Finding ways to think outside the box so that both you and the business prosper is challenging and compelling.  Without current gap institutions, midlifers need to design opportunities instead of wishing they were college students or retirees.  Our inflexible systems can be tweaked by taking risks to the betterment of all. The risk of not acting is to burnout and waste your talents.

Ethan Knight, Executive Director, American Gap Association, www.americangap.org, is a fan of the saying:

“Mankind can only dream as big as we’ve seen”
Unknown

 

So to do it, you have to see it, experience it, try it out. Perhaps you can pioneer gap years for midlife and become a role model in this transformative endeavor.

Design your personal gap experience:

What is missing in your life?
What do you want to change?
Identify 3-5 intentions
Create experiences
Evaluate the data
Incorporate the learning

Take your risk and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design Tagged With: , ,

midlife career change: thinking outside the box

April 29, 2016 by

Many 50 something people have had it with their jobs. What once was interesting and challenging has now become burdensome. You long for a change, but fear the consequences.

Who will hire an older worker? What do you want to do next? Where can you go? And who will match  your salary and benefits? These are legitimate questions that require creative solutions. Though eager for a change, you want to control the outcome. You want something better for yourself, not worse. But you fear you will regret your moves.

Unpleasant work is at least familiar. With new work you don’t know what lies ahead. It’s unlikely at 50 or 60 that you will find a job posting that sounds like it’s exactly made for you. But at first that’s what you might do…look at job listings.

Maybe that kind of search is how you began your career. But it’s rarely how you will progress now. The hard truth is that the opportunity you seek isn’t out there. You have to design it. And most people hate to hear that. They want an easier way. Surely you’ve earned it. You want people to call you with an opportunity.

Of course there are still government and private jobs that are listed online. But even those require making connections and becoming noticed. And you wonder, do they already have someone in mind for this position? How do you become that someone?

Olivia has climbed her ladder successfully and is paying the price for it. She is stressed, overweight, has high blood pressure, her marriage is rocky and she finds little time for family or friends. With achievement at work comes more responsibility, greater expectations, higher stakes. Olivia wishes she could disappear sometimes, but doesn’t even take her vacation time. Who would carry the ship when she is gone? If they mess things up, she’ll have more to clean up when she returns. It’s not even worth it.

Once you have reached the top, it’s hard to back down. That’s not the way it works, or is it? What if it was customary to switch gears, change priorities, walk away and care less for the title and salary and do more of what you want?

Even after working for years, many of us don’t know what we want. You know you don’t relish what exists, but have little idea of what’s possible. And you have lots of doubts about your ability to reinvent.

Reinvention can be a lonely road. Thinking about something new while you are struggling with huge responsibilities is daunting. You wonder if it’s easier to suffer through your career until the magic date of “retirement”. But then you’re faced with another transition. What will you do with yourself then? Better to figure out your path as early as possible and act on it, than live an unauthentic life. And it’s never one path, but many.

“The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking”

Robert Harold Schuller

Gathering together all your lessons learned, your self knowledge and your courage, it’s time to have a serious talk. What’s the cost if you go on like this 10-20 more years? Do you wait until your later years find true satisfaction? Some options are to make things better where you are, get a side gig you love or make a switch.

Figuring out the basic essentials you require to live a satisfied life and tapping into your curiosity can lead you on a journey of investigation. What do you enjoy? If you didn’t have to work, what would you do? What skills do you want to share? Who needs your help? What environment calls you? Getting these answers gives you a direction.

Once you have a direction you can find others who share your interests, whether it’s groups, institutions, associations. Go out and meet those people. Learn how they are contributing. Start involving yourself. An attitude of possibility, positivity and puzzle solving will serve you as you enter your transition.

Write your own job description. Be brave, uncensored, honest. Then find ways to carry it out. It may not come in a package with everything tied up in a box. Instead, think outside the old boxes. Find new ways to live differently. Head in a new direction that builds on the past but doesn’t replicate it.

“Thinking will not overcome fears but action will”

William Clement Stone

Ready to start?

Discover your target
Where’s the community?
Learn from them
Start to engage
Create your own opportunities

Leap onto the path and see you there!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , ,

five year life plan: do you have one?

March 31, 2016 by

Sometimes I eat alone in restaurants. While there my options are to read a book, surf the internet or eavesdrop. Recently a conversation at the next table caught my attention. “Do you have a 5 year life plan?” the millennial man asked. “No, do you?” the millennial woman answered.

“It’s been at the top of my list for months,” he replied. “Where do you want to live?” asked the woman.  “I don’t know,”responded the man.

Given what I do, I was all in for this conversation. So much, that I wanted to move my chair closer and  share my perspective. But instead I’m writing about it. I was thrilled that people are really thinking about life plans and not surprised that they were confused. And I am aware that working on one’s life plan gets shoved aside by the other demands of one’s life.

When does focus on life planning come to the forefront? In a crisis, in an opportunity, when all is sailing along smoothly? At what stage of life is a plan important? Post graduation, pre-retirement, midlife? Do you have a life plan? When’s the last time you created one?

Many people tell me they can’t think five years ahead. What stops them? Is it fear? Lack of curiosity or lack of self awareness? Overwhelm, disempowerment? There’s no urgency to do heavy forecasting if life is working well for you. But if you are dissatisfied with parts of your life, i.e. job, relationships, health, growth, it’s a sign that some attention is needed now.

Belinda is 55 and wants to bolt from her 15 year job. She makes good money, has a corner office, staff report to her, her opinions are valued and she’s a leader in her profession. But…Belinda is bored, frustrated, antsy and confused. People would kill for her job, but it feels to Belinda that this job is killing her.

She wonders if it’s ok to feel this way when people her age are being let go. She’s heard it’s difficult to get a new job once you’re in your 50’s. The economy is shaky and Belinda still has a mortgage and aging parents. Plus she’d like to save more money for retirement.

Should Belinda tough it out for another 10 years or dare to dream? What if Belinda were 35, would her options look different? Has Belinda missed her chance for career satisfaction?

“Some things cannot be spoken or discovered until we have been stuck, incapacitated, blown off course for a while. Plain sailing is pleasant, but you are not going to explore many unknown realms that way”
David Whyte

If Belinda were to expand her definition of career lifespan and instead of retiring at 65 she imagined working to 75+, how would that change her vision?

People over 50 have many flexible options before them: self employment, part time/full time, seasonal, project based, volunteer and board work. And work isn’t the only area of life that calls for planning. It is vital to think about what you want in terms of your health, leisure, spirituality, family, wealth, home, community, legacy and relationships.

It’s likely that the millennial couple will have five or more major careers in their lives. Think about yourself. How many different kinds of careers have you had? I’m on my sixth. An attitude shift that working or contributing longer is the norm broadens your possibilities. We also know that making a contribution as you age is good for your health: physically, mentally, spiritually and socially.

One resource to help you design a five year plan is the Life Planning Network’s book: “Live Smart after 50”. Written by LPN professionals who are experts in diverse fields, this book can be valuable at any age. Whether you are 25 or 55, thoughtfully examining your life: where you are and where you want to be, guarantees a more authentic life.

“The greatest tragedy is to live out someone else’s life thinking it was your own”
David Whyte

Your five year plan:

Look back at your wins
Identify the themes
What’s calling you?
Dream up some possibilities
Investigate one or two
Define the initial steps and act

Full speed ahead and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design Tagged With: , ,

career metamorphosis: transforming your life

February 29, 2016 by

Exploring the tropics of Panama this month woke me up to several vibrant transformations of insects and people. Surrounded by growth, energy and adventure, the flora and fauna are brilliant and the people live with gusto.

At the “Butterfly Haven” we witnessed Morpho butterflies transform into an entirely different shape and form. There is no mini figure growing into an adult. Instead, it is a complete metamorphosis.

Viewing the metamorphosis of the Morpho reminds me of how people change and develop throughout their lives. Sometimes that change is gradual and others it feels abrupt. In humans change can be stimulated by an awakening desire to do something different, to become someone different.

The realization that your current career is not fulfilling or is not bringing you joy usually creeps up. Many people are surprised that a job they fought for and carried out for years is now bringing them a sense of gloom. When did it change and why? When did your dreams of implementing a new vision absorb more of your energy than the efforts to move ahead in your current position?

Is there a life cycle of job compatibility? Looking back over your work history provides information on what worked and what caused that irritation that later was impossible to ignore. Initially you are “all in”. You need to be in order to succeed and grow in new circumstances. Your focus is driven toward making this work.

But in time, there is a shift. You may settle in and love how you are contributing. You admire the development of your skills, appreciate your results and enjoy your team and leaders.

But often over time, that enjoyment changes. Is it a natural ending to the job satisfaction life cycle or have systems changed so much that the job you began is now unrecognizable? It’s predictable that everything changes: you, the players, needs, trends, solutions, technology…At times you roll with the changes and are intrigued by them and at others they begin to grate. Grate against your values, your talents, your interests.

And now you want out. But where to go? Do you require a complete transformation from caterpillar to butterfly or a more subtle alternative?

The Panama we observed seems to attract pioneers. People leaving behind their former professions and starting something new. One was a dentist who, while looking for a retirement home, ended up as a chocolate farmer and tour guide. Another was a photographer who took a risk by owning a B&B. A third was a group of friends, including a “reformed attorney”, who longed to create a fishing camp but instead built an eco lodge targeting birders.

All heard the call of a different way of life and work. All investigated the possibilities and weighed the pros and cons. All were comfortable with taking a risk, knowing that nothing is guaranteed in life. They went into their transformations with clear eyes and the excitement for what lay ahead. One comforts himself with the knowledge that he could go back if needed. All established some form of safety net. They are thrilled by their results and intrigued by the challenges ahead.

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk…In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks”

Mark Zuckerberg

So what’s standing in the way of implementing your dreams? We all have barriers: fear, money, lack of information, inertia. The difference between those that get things done and those that obsess about it is action. Step by step, making the plan to get closer to that goal and acting on it.

Here’s the truth. Action feels wonderful. It makes you feel alive, even if you have doubts. But inertia feels confusing, heavy, overwhelming. If you don’t like where you are, do something about it. If it’s scary, find a community, follow role models, fill in the knowledge blanks.

In life you may start in one place and end up in a totally different one like the butterfly. The ongoing practice of increasing your self awareness promotes success in designing the “just right” fit.

Begin your metamorphosis:

Define your dreams
Establish your targets
Identify the first 3 steps
Step onto the path
Encourage yourself

Smooth flying and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , , ,

reasons you work: career evolution

December 28, 2015 by

Retirement here I come! Are you longing for the day when you don’t have to work anymore? When you can retire? This concept of retirement is changing dramatically. Previously, retirement usually occurred around 65 and most entered a life of rest and relaxation. That’s no longer the template.

Many people are working for pay way past 65. Either because they need funds to survive or because they have uncovered a reason to keep working. And most are doing some form of unpaid work. Whether it’s caregiving parents, partners or grandchildren, serving their communities or volunteering with non-profits.

Why do you work? Looking over your work cycle, note how the reasons you work change over time. You probably worked during high school and college. These were spending money jobs, money for books, tuition money or internships that introduced you to various fields. Some jobs were paid and others you did for experience or to give back. Maybe through volunteering you earned credits or good references or a place in heaven.

Remember your first real job after graduation? Were you working because you were driven or because it was expected? Were you hoping to live independently and become successful in a chosen field? Or were you testing the waters, making relationships, learning about yourself?

As you grow, so do your reasons for working. There is often the need not only to support yourself, but also a growing family. There is the societal pressure to accumulate material possessions and experiences, like cars, homes, vacations. But there is also the drive to move up the ladder. Take on more responsibility and leadership, and produce results while becoming an expert in your profession.

Samantha is in her 50’s and was just appointed full professor at the state university. She worked very hard to get there, teaching, doing research, chairing committees, earning grants. Samantha is often tired and overwhelmed with her work load. She always thought being a professor would be something she could do forever, slowing down gradually as she aged. And yet as she rises through the ranks, it seems people expect more from her. And the system she entered no longer looks the same. She is teaching less and grant writing more.

While Samantha questions what is ahead for her, she hardly dares to ask why she continues in her position. What does it provide her? Is she fulfilled?

Samantha’s friend Harry is retired and his life seems so simple to Samantha. He appears to have no pressures and his time is his own. Harry retired because he could afford it and was no longer finding work satisfaction. Harry thought he accomplished everything he desired, but now often finds himself adrift.

Harry is 70 and society accepts that he is retired. No one asks him why he isn’t working. In fact if he found a new career or started his own business, people might wonder why. Now if Samantha retired at 55, she might have to explain herself to family, friends, society.

As long as we believe there is a prescribed place you need to be based on your age, we will have people who defy those norms. As people age, most seek work that has meaning and purpose. Meaningful to you and meaningful to others.

How will you decide when to work and when to retire? How will you answer that question: What do you do? Who are you? How will you design what is best for you?

George is 85 and still works for pay part time. His sister is 88 and working also. This wasn’t the norm with their parents, but it is their way. If you ask them why they still work, they will tell you they enjoy it. It stimulates them. They are making a difference and choose to be involved. Who are we to say what’s best or right for someone else? How can we acknowledge all the various life designs that people create?

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

Henry David Thoreau

You can benefit from these diverse role models as you chart your course. There is no script to follow. You have the freedom to make life fit your desires. A second, third, fourth act await you, if you wish. Your legacy will comprise all that you create and the lives you touch.

Why work:

List your current reasons for working
Make a work history time line
Identify your current legacies
Imagine how your future could be different
Take one step toward your vision

Happy drumming and hope to meet on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design Tagged With: , , ,

the audition: testing the waters to a new career

November 30, 2015 by

A 16 year old American girl in an impoverished Haitian neighborhood is interviewing sick people attending a clinic run by U.S. volunteers. How did she get there? Instead of texting with friends, learning the latest dance steps or writing an English paper, Claudia found herself in a totally unfamiliar environment. An invitation from her uncle turned into an experience of a lifetime.

Think of those incredible times when you experienced a unique experience. An experience that shaped your future. An experience available to you because you took a chance.

Claudia was open to seeing a new country and to taking on a new responsibility. From that short exposure, Claudia received an up close view of medical work. By trying on that environment, she now has more information about what it’s like to work as a doctor, nurse or medical assistant. Claudia loved being part of the team, loved seeing people get help and was intrigued by what future roles will be open for her.

By emersing yourself in diverse occupations, you can learn a great deal. Is this for me? Do I have a fit? You either are propelled to discard and move on or to delve deeper. Claudia is interested. She wants more experiences like this. She is on track to get medical training.

When you were young, it was expected that you would “audition” in various settings to gain information about your interests and aptitude. Your family arranged opportunities, as did the scouts, your schools and faith based groups. You experimented with many types of work and activities which helped you chose a focus.

But you aren’t 16 anymore. How do you make a career change when you long for something different?

At the end of the day, your life is just a story. If you don’t like the direction it’s going, change it. Rewrite it. When you rewrite a sentence, you erase it and start over until you get it right. Yes, it’s a little more complicated with a life, but the principle is the same. And remember, don’t let anyone ever tell you that your revisions are not the truth.”

Tyler Jones

Susana is in transition. She has practiced law successfully for 20 years. But something is off. Susana is reluctant to go to work in the morning and, once there, is often irritable and dissatisfied. She knows she wants to make a change, but she doesn’t know what or where. Susana needs exposure to some different environments. She needs to shake things up. Just like Claudia, Susana is eager to be amazed.

But how do adults test out alternate careers? You are working and handling life’s responsibilities with little free time. How do you carve out time for “auditions”?

Claudia was also busy. She petitioned her high school to take time off and agreed to write a special report on her Haitian trip. You too can be creative with your time. You can use vacation hours to volunteer or intern in an intriguing field. Organizations, domestic and international, look for people to teach, build, create and solve problems. Instead of a beach, perhaps an orphanage or wildlife preserve is calling you.

With free evening and weekend time you can take courses, volunteer in your community, serve on a board. Designing a detailed plan to investigate a new career field through part time emersion gets you in motion instead of misery. It also allows you to enter a community of people who are bursting with knowledge and enthusiasm about their fields.

The parts of Susana’s job she loves are mentoring new employees. They are eager to learn and ask probing questions. Susana wonders where she could do work that focuses on mentoring. She finds a Saturday volunteer position where she tutors students living in a domestic violence shelter. Her plan is to do this for 6 months and evaluate her aptitude and interest. While doing so, she is investigating part time adjunct law professor positions in local universities.

By trying on and expanding, or discarding, Susana is creating her own decision tree made up of experiences and answers. Some she will leave behind, some may become hobbies, and some may lead her to dive deeper into a new direction.

Decide it’s your time to make a change:

Dare to dream
List your interests
Investigate one
Create an internship
Interview the community
Evaluate your experience

Shake life up and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design, Self Knowledge Tagged With: , , , ,

mudslide: unexpected obstacles that derail life/career plans

October 29, 2015 by

Have you ever had a plan that was interrupted by something outside your control? Often you do the work, keep the deadlines, get the information, use your skills and wham, something stops you in our tracks. “This isn’t fair”, you cry. “Why is this happening to me?” you ask. “I did everything right”.

Recently while vacationing in California, I had a family reunion scheduled. All was in place to arrive with time to spare and then, the unexpected occurred. A mudslide closed the road I was traveling. Now I don’t live in a place that has mudslides. This was a total shock after enjoying two weeks of dry, sunny California weather. But it happened and the resulting detour added 7 hours to the trip and caused me to miss the initial event.

Was I disappointed? Yes. Was I devastated? No. This was a minor loss with minimal cost in the scheme of life. I adjusted, did the extra work needed and recovered a partial victory.

All of us have far more serious challenges over our life span: personal illnesses, family loss, divorce, unemployment and financial ruin. Life seems to roll in waves with ups and downs. Good times and bad. Your career is one major part of life that can be rocky and confusing. Other areas are relationships, finances and health.

How you develop your skills to meet these challenges impact the results of the tough times. When you appreciate your good times, build resources for the bad ones and show up strong when you are knocked off base, you can lesson the negative repercussions of unwanted change.

Barry is sailing along in his favorite job of 8 years. He came in green, but has worked hard to advance his skills and professional relationships. Barry can see himself doing this work until retirement. He loves his co-workers and clients. He feels he’s making a difference in the lives of others.

One day, suddenly, the owner of Barry’s company dies. Being a family owned business, the son and daughter step in. Times are rocky due to this calamity. After a few months, the family decides to sell the business. The new owner makes significant changes putting his mark on operations.

Barry doesn’t recognize his company anymore. His position is re-designed and his supervisor is replaced. Barry is unhappy and thrown off kilter. His satisfaction disappears and he questions his future with the company.

Now Barry has choices. However, when your desired direction is taken from you, you feel angry and stuck. The faster you can “grieve” what was and begin problem solving next steps, the faster you can find a resolution. Barry can stay and cope or leave and seek a more appropriate fit. Sorting out the actions needed for “Plan A” vs “Plan B” involve brain storming, consultation, information gathering, and heart searching.

My resolution was simple. I had two other highways to choose. Or I could wait out the mudslide clean up. Career, health and relationship challenges are much more complex. The complexities in life test our ability to be flexible and creative.

“Even when you think you have your life all mapped out, things happen that shape your destiny in ways you might never have imagined”
Deepak Chopra

Rhonda is nearing her 20th year of work. In those 20 years she has blossomed from an intern to chief of a department. Rhonda loves mentoring others and continues to make clinical contributions. One day, out of the blue, Rhonda becomes ill and is diagnosed with cancer. She is blown away.

Rhonda can take a leave from her job and undergo treatment or continue to work as she is able and live out her time. Rhonda decides on treatment and creatively carves out a reduced work role for herself. One that keeps her engaged, helps her have meaning and is intriguing to her.

Surprises and change are part of life. Not much is predictable. You can appreciate what you have today, hone skills that allow you to adjust, be optimistic and land on your feet. You can face the unexpected with preparation. If you hesitate and fall, you can pick yourself up with humility and accept the future bravely.

Meeting the Unexpected:

Release your current plan
Grieve the change/loss
Gather options
Review possibilities
Take action and engage

Be aware and meet you on the Path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions, Life Design Tagged With: , ,

taking shortcuts: career transition options

September 26, 2015 by

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon we kayaked from the Pentagon to Georgetwon, sharing the Potomac River with various water enthusiasts. The views were breathtaking and the exercise devine. Paddling farther than ever before, I began to think about the way back. Would it be possible to take a different route? One that was shorter, easier, quicker?

So I proposed that we leave the river and enter a creek that was a parallel shortcut to our launch site. We’d gone this way before and it was peaceful, solitary, and filled with birds and turtles. It seemed like the perfect plan.

However after a short distance, the creek became filled with green, seaweed-type plants. Was this hydrilla that had spread since our last visit? Once we had taken this route and the low tide required us to portage. This time we had sufficient water, but the vegetation stopped our boats cold. We were about halfway in and couldn’t see our destination yet. “Perhaps it will get better,” I thought. “I’d hate to turn around and go back.” So we stroked very hard, trying to rid our paddles of the accumulating green plants that hung on everything.

If we stopped, we stayed stuck. It reminded me of stories about quicksand disasters…no way out. We tried to make paths for each other. The first one clearing a way for the second. All the while I’m thinking, “this really wasn’t a smart move, Candy. Why did you think you could cut corners and make it back easier and faster?”

Once home safely with aching arms, I began to see the parallels with decisions we make in life. And especially with times when we want to change our work. Perhaps we yearn to join a new, more evolved company or more radically, we envision switching to a completely new career. Once we decide to make the change, we want it to happen fast. And even easy would be great.

So we search for the shortcuts. Veronica is a counselor who works with homeless families. She loves helping her clients, but the work is often challenging and the resources are scarce. As Veronica ages, she would like shorter hours and easier work. The field of Life Coaching is making news these days. Veronica doesn’t know much about it, but some of her colleagues are talking about a switch.

Veronica attends a workshop on coaching and is intrigued. She would love to work with people who have sufficient resources to create desired changes in their lives. Veronica signs up for a coach training course and starts to plan her job exit. Veronica is thinking that with her background and this training, she’ll have a coaching practice up in less than one year.

Many people are attracted to changing their field of work. However, they are reluctant to spend time and money on a new degree or certification and training. They worry they are too old to spend a long time “starting over”. They want the destination, but hope to avoid the journey. These obstacles can result in remaining in a dissatisfying work environment or jumping into something new with little preparation or thought.

Avoiding what you view as a challenge can bring greater impediments. Without proper information and planning, Veronica may have unrealistic expectations of her proposed career as a coach. One way to get the inside facts is to interview people who are doing work you admire. It’s important to get current information on the trends, opportunities, salaries, skills needed, demand, and competition.

What if I had asked someone about the current conditions in the creek? If I had known the path was overgrown and had compared the effort required with that of the river route, I would have had greater knowledge to make an informed decision. Instead, I impulsively tried the “easy” option. Sometimes what’s best for you isn’t the quickest or the easiest. Sometimes the harder path takes you to where you really want to go.

“It shouldn’t be easy to be amazing. Then everything would be. It’s the things you fight for and struggle with before earning that have the greatest worth. When something’s difficult to come by, you’ll do that much more to make sure it’s even harder-or impossible-to lose”
Sarah Dessen

Design your route:

Determine your end goal
Interview role models
Identify the steps needed
Examine the cost/benefits
Begin or re-work your plan

Full speed ahead and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions Tagged With: , ,

beginning a new job: demonstrating your value, part 3

August 31, 2015 by

You were hired to produce results. As basic as that sounds, achieving results early in a new job can be a challenge. You may be entering a role that is familiar. Or perhaps, you are moving up to one of greater responsibility and authority, either within your organization or elsewhere.

This new role is one you sought out and thought about for a long time. Now that it’s yours, how will you demonstrate your value to your employer? You seek to be recognized for the good work you do. In order to insure success, here are some principles to keep in mind.

You aren’t in Kansas anymore. What worked in previous environments may or may not work here. To enter a new organization with a pre-conceived solution may set you up for failure. You can bring your previous skills, knowledge, values, and experience, but a solution is developed over time.

Often you lack extensive time to prove yourself. Michael D. Watkins talks of the “break even point, the time when you contribute as much value to the organization as you consume”. To create that value it helps to establish a 90 day work plan which includes priorities, goals, strategies, and deadlines. This is accomplished in collaboration with your supervisor and team. Regular feedback on your progress will keep you on track to become successful.

Maria recently was promoted to head the department where she has worked for 10 years. Maria holds many ideas of improvements that can benefit her former peers as well as streamline results. She is an expert in her previous role and respected in the company. However, Maria has never directed a unit nor partnered with management.

Maria’s 90 day plan needs to include her personal learning objectives as well as early wins that matter to the organization. Maria and her supervisor need to establish realistic expectations for her first 90 days. Maria will accelerate her transition by focusing on the company’s stated priorities versus her preferred ideas for change.

As time goes by, Maria realizes the view from the Manager’s office is different than where she stood before. She now has more information: input from other units, contact with clients, and competitors. Maria feels more invested in the organization’s success. While she hasn’t lost her former perspective, Maria is building on it to function effectively in her new position. She finds this both exciting and challenging.

While theses first 90 days in a new job are filled with learning, growing, producing, and building new relationships, they can be exhausting. The self care you were able to manifest before the transition helps some, but this care needs to continue in order to fuel your development.

How many times have you begun a new job only to say later, “What have I gotten myself into?” The pressure and uncertainty can become overwhelming. Therefore, another “must do” is creating a unique self care plan.

“We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.”

Thich Nhat Hahn

Stress is a huge factor in our work lives and even more during transitions. Having a plan to combat stress includes exercise, eating whole foods, adopting a support network, and having an outlet for fun. Pick an activity that brings you healthy joy with people you trust and care about. Some possibilities are: a hiking club, dancing, painting, or acting. We all require an outlet and social interaction outside of work to relieve pressure.

Maria is now three months into her new position. It’s been a tremendous learning experience and she’s fortunate to have a supportive boss as her mentor. People want Maria to succeed. Her perspective of “new eyes” is bringing innovative strategies to increase the company’s bottom line. There’s more growth to come, but Maria is off to a promising beginning.

Establish your 90 day plan:

Align it with the organization’s priorities
Develop necessary skills
Demonstrate early wins
Evaluate your progress
Practice self care

Enjoy your transition and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions Tagged With: , , ,

beginning a new job: alliances & credibility, part 2

July 31, 2015 by

Many people hire a Coach to help them determine what kind of career to pursue and to obtain employment in that field. But what might be just as important is having a Coach or peer support when you start the new position. This time is critical for maintaining the job, adjusting to the culture, building credibility, developing new skills, and feeling successful.

And yet people often start a new job alone with no assistance. A call for help happens later when a crisis occurs or when enthusiasm evaporates. But what if you had gotten off to a better start?

What constitutes a successful beginning? Think about examples of your great career starts. Or so-so or horrible ones. What were the defining features of each? It’s easy to blame a poor fit, a terrible boss, lazy co-workers or a declining industry. But what if you take responsibility for the outcome?

Negotiating well the transition to a new job provides you with confidence, skills, and self understanding. Maybe in time you discover this career path doesn’t bring you enduring satisfaction. But you can leave knowing you did your best to bring value to the organization and to grow your skills.

Let’s look at some tools for getting a good start. Michael D. Watkins in his book “The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter” identifies 10 action steps to ensure a great transition. We’ll explore creating early relationships and building your reputation.

Entering a new job or even taking a promotion at your current employment can be similar to the first day of school. You don’t know what to expect, you feel alone, and you wonder if you’re up to the challenges. That anxiety can be used to energize you for the work ahead. Being in top shape can make the first weeks more manageable. Entering with a curious, positive mind opens you up for learning and growth.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”
L. Frank Baumen

Bill has a new position with a company he has respected for years. He can’t believe his good fortune in having this opportunity. He negotiated a start date that allows him to take two weeks off to rest, relax, and prepare between jobs. He will use that time to recharge, mentally let go of his previous responsibilities, and to do further research on his new company. Bill will enter his position clear headed and eager for work.

Even before you begin a new job you are building your reputation through your resume, your interviews, and your interactions with human resources. Once you enter the door on your first day, all eyes will be on you. How you handle yourself and your early communications can seriously impact your success on the job.

Being able to demonstrate confidence, curiosity, and clarity will go a long way toward leaving a positive impression. Take time to meet everyone from administrative staff to executives. Show an interest in them and their roles. Be approachable. You can be the listener in this phase. You don’t need to prove yourself yet or offer an opinion.

While you are getting introduced, you can begin identifying the people who will be crucial to your success. They may be peers, or superiors, or specialists. It’s important to determine who will become your teachers, allies, and fans. Other staff can work with you or sabotage your results. So it’s important to build trusting relationships and distinguish where the power and influence lie.

In the initial days of a new position, you are a learner. You may have been hired to do an existing job, take on a brand new role, or to make organizational changes. While there are expectations that you produce results, take some time to secure the information and relationships needed to implement wise decisions. You may feel overwhelmed and in a foreign land. This, in fact, is a new culture to navigate. It does get better, but true comfort many not come for months.

“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”
Steve Jobs

Continue to take care of yourself. Next month we will look at following through on expectations.

Have a beginner’s mind:

Prepare well for the first days
Communicate an attitude of learning
Express your enthusiasm
Find your tribe
Make sense of the culture

Relish your opportunity and see you on the path!

Filed Under: Career Transitions Tagged With: , ,
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