March 20, 2010
"For many people a job is more than an income - it's an important part of who we are. So a career transition of any sort is one of the most unsettling experiences you can face in your life."
~Paul Clitheroe, Australian financial analyst and advisor
Those of you who know me well remember when I had hair, about five jobs ago. Ok, ok, perhaps there is a fair amount of genetics involved with this issue but it does help underscore the point of the quote. When asked by friends or neighbors or colleagues about who we are, rarely do we begin with "I'm a dad, a brother, a golfer (even a poor one) or a college graduate." Almost always we say "I'm a health care administrator, banker, real estate agent, etc." We spend so much of our time on our careers we often define who we are by our work titles. The bottom line is very few of us view our job as just a job; it is an extension of who we are.
Given the high value we assign to our occupations in our self worth inventory, it is not a stretch to imagine the stress and chaos associated with a job change of any kind. Change on any level can be unsettling, when it occurs in the realm of your job it can be down right scary. Even if the change is one you pursue on your own, a promotion or transfer, you are still shifting from a position you understand and know well to one which is new and challenging. If the change is not one of your own doing, it may be even scarier. Either situation requires an organized action plan.
First of all, relax. You are in this position for a reason. People who make the decisions saw value in your skills or felt your skills would best be used in a different way. Rely on those skills and remember what has made you successful. Keep working on the areas you need to improve. And yes, you have those, no matter how good you are. No one expects perfection, but improvement and success will be expected.
Develop your plan. Take time doing this. Meet with the people who will decide if you are successful or will facilitate success. Find out the organizational priorities and test these with the aforementioned people. Recognize you might make false starts and be ready to adjust your course as needed. There is not one way to do things. Certainly it is unlikely to be the exact way you have done them before. If you are changing organizations, this is even more critical. You cannot simply import how you did things in another place. However, you can bring what you learned and apply it to the new environment in order to be successful.
If you are the same person you were in high school, you have not grown at all. You grow through change and through experience. If you knock the ball out of the park in your new role, you are growing even more. If you whiff a few times you adjust your swing and step back in the batter's box a smarter hitter. Either way, your new job is a chance to learn, grow and improve. Go for it. Besides, hair is overrated.
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Leadership: Learnings, Laughs and Life Lessons
