Few decisions impact your life more than those made in your career; even if you don’t make them! So I’ve often wondered why people work 50+ hours a week in their job, but won’t spend 5 minutes considering the impact it has on their longer-term career goals. I’m challenging you to reconsider the relationship between your job and your career through a different lens.
Just as life happens while you’re busy making other plans, your career happens while you’re busy working at your job. When you’re too busy focusing on your job for too long, your career often shifts into autopilot. You may enjoy some temporary success from a job well done, but your longer-term career progression eventually suffers. I call that winning the battle, but losing the war.
As an executive recruiter and coach, I’ve lived in the world of work a long time. Through hundreds of successful search assignments, many thousands of conversations, and an untold number of listening sessions, I’ve learned a great deal about people at work. Through their successes when things go well, or their disappointments when they don’t, I’ve gleaned priceless wisdom from their experiences.
Much of the guidance I offer includes a wealth of wisdom learned from others. And much of it runs counter to conventional thought. For example, early in their careers, many people believe that if they work hard and are loyal and dedicated, the right doors will open at the right time and their careers will advance in the right direction.
Most often, it doesn’t. A tough lesson learned the hard way is that hard work alone isn’t enough. Loyalty and dedication are great attributes. But discerning which companies and managers are worthy of them is a process few people follow. What value is there in winning the award, “Best porter on the Titanic”?
Others have yet to learn that failure can be positive, especially when they learn from it. Better yet, what if you learn from what didn’t work for others, so you can avoid the same holes, or suffering the same consequences? Teachable moments offer invaluable insights. But learning the right lessons from the best teachers helps avoid wasted pain.
Helping people increase their effectiveness and job satisfaction is an awesome privilege; especially when they enjoy the benefit through career advancement. I have the best job in the world. I truly enjoy helping people see beyond their current circumstances to rethink what’s possible for their future, since they often don’t know.
That’s why I thought it made sense for us to talk. As hard as you work, or as dedicated as you may be, recalibrating periodically helps you from drifting too far off course. Even if your career is currently going full speed ahead, you’re only getting farther off course if it’s headed in the wrong direction.
I sent this to you because I enjoy helping people succeed, in their job and career. Unfortunately, success in one often comes at the expense of success in the others. Success in your job and career requires you to connect with others who can help. I’ve found the best working relationships are based on trust and built over time. But they all start with the first conversation.
Let me know your thoughts. It’s your call and your career we’d be discussing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- It’s your career. If you fail to manage it, someone else will do it for you.
- A successful career progression (or lack of it) gets defined by every stay-or-go decision you make, even when you don’t make them.
- Success and failure are flip sides of the same coin. Sometimes, we learn more from our failures than our successes.
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