How To Gain Greater Control Over Your Career Destiny
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” – Reinhold Niebuhr (Note: this quote is more commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. ca)
You’re employer is going through a major restructuring process and you don’t quite know what will happen to you or your job.
You’re department has reorganised and you’ve ended up in a make-shift role that is unclear.
You’ve been given (what seems like) a pointless project to work on. You get the distinct impression that you’re being ‘frozen out.’
Your firm is cutting costs and you feel vulnerable
Sound familiar?
The ‘3am Sweats’
All of the above situations create what I refer to as the “3am sweats.” You wake up in the middle of the night thinking about work, your job, what would happen if your lost it, the career options you have, what you should do next etc.
During the 1990s I worked with the UK retailer Marks & Spencer during a phase when the business went through a huge downturn and restructuring process for the first time in it’s 100 year history. We experienced job cuts, constant change and uncertainty which often had me waking up in the middle of the night all hot and bothered thinking about what would happen to my role and what my options were if I lost my job. I wanted to leave anyway, so it would be a release. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do next – and that was the problem.
Then as a recruiter after 9/11 the financial services recruitment firm I worked for went through a terrible period as the whole market fell in 2002. Again, I’d often wake up in the middle of the night with a knot in my stomach (which I now realise is where I hold my stress when I’m anxious about something). I knew it was a time for me to make a change (I’d always wanted to be self employed), but for weeks I would have problems sleeping as I wrestled with the idea in my head.
The toughest part of these challenges was the fact that someone else was pulling the strings. I didn’t know what was happening to me, I couldn’t plan anything because it relied on so many ‘If’s and buts.’
The solution in both situations was to take actions and make my own decisions rather than waiting for someone else to drive my career. Having retained my role during the redundancy phases at Marks & Spencer, I made some decisions on what I wanted to do, found a new job and left on my own timeframes.
Similarly, in 2003 I resigned from the recruitment firm I was working with to having made the decision to become an independent consultant / coach. Again, it was on my terms and my timeframes rather than waiting for someone else to make the decision for me.
In both of these situations, the only way I could have control and greater influence over my own destiny was to make decisions and take actions instead of worrying about things which were out of my control (e.g. the economy, overall business performance, whether someone decided to make me redundant or not).
If you’re feeling like you have little influence over where your career is heading, here are 5 steps to take. The same steps I took through my own transitions.
1. Look after you and your families interests first
Your employer’s first priority is to look after the interests of shareholders, customers and the majority of employees – not necessarily you. Nothing personal – that’s just business.
Your first priority is to ensure that you do what is best for you and your family.
So stop wasting time trying to predict what may or may not happen. And instead start taking more control over those elements of your career and destiny which you can influence. Remember, you’ve got a greater responsibility to you and your family than you have to your firm.
(This, by the way, is not being disloyal to your firm. But is in fact all about taking greater responsibility for your own career. Something all employers encourage you to do these days).
2. Influence what happens to your job
Most people who are faced with a potential lay off become disengaged and de-motivated. When what they should be doing is raising their game.
Instead of reducing your commitment, during office hours -you should be totally committed to your role, your team and your clients.
Doing so gives you a sense of satisfaction each day, leaves a great impression if you do ultimately leave and (sometimes) creates new opportunities because of the professional manner in which you have behaved. Plus it’s so easy to stand out from the crowd when you raise your game when everyone is else is disengaged or acting like a victim.
3. Get proactive about finding an internal role
If you need to find a new role internally then, again, be totally committed to it. Get clear on the target roles, be clear about what your skills, strengths and value proposition and then start influencing the right people in a consistent fashion.
Sure, nothing may come from it, but at least you’ll know you gave it your best shot and will consequently have no regrets if you do leave. Plus, of course, finding a role internally is often easier and faster than finding one externally.
4. Create options externally – NOW
If your role is under threat, you need to start looking for roles externally NOW – not when you’ve got greater clarity about what happens to you internally. Your search internally and externally should run in parallel to ensure you maintain your continuity of employment and have greater control over your destiny.
So make the time, get focussed, update the CV /resume and get out into the market speaking with people now.
And even if you find a role internally, keep searching externally until you have a definite, confirmed role internally which you know is secure. You may not secure a role straight away, but you’ll instantly feel better about your situation as you’re much more in control over your destiny.
5. Get some help
When suffering from the ‘3am sweats’ , I only began to change the situation when I started having conversations and asking for help. Instead of trying to figure it all out on my own, I engaged some close friends and mentors to help and guide me through the above steps. The moment I did so, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt less anxious and started to sleep a better. At last it felt like I was moving forward.
So stop trying to be a hero (or heroin); you can’t deal with major change and career decisions on your own in today’s highly complex work place. Surround yourself with good people who you can trust, tap into the knowledge of a mentor or hire a coach so that you can start moving forward. You’ll instantly reduce your stress levels and accelerate your progress.
Dealing with change and uncertainty in the work place is part and parcel of managing modern careers. At some point in their careers, everyone faces similar challenges and everyone gets some form of the ‘3am sweats.’ But rather than prolonging the agony and letting circumstances or others dictate what happens to you, start getting proactive about taking greater control over your destiny.
It will be still be uncomfortable and uncertain at times, but at least you’ll feel better knowing that you have some control over what happens to you. And, of course, you’ll start getting a good nights sleep once again….
Article by, Sital Ruparelia and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.
