|
|
| |
Truth 60. When You’ve Run out of Real Estate It’s Time to
Move
When your family gets too big for your home, what do you do?
Move. In the same way, when your ability grows beyond the
boundaries of your current position, it’s time to think
about a change. It’s hard to stay motivated in a job that no
longer challenges you. Moving up, or even out, can give you
a new lease on your work life.
The right time to consider a move is before you get bored,
and ideally before you feel that you have fully mastered
your job. Total mastery is for experts, not for those
wanting to get ahead. Ambitious people need to be constantly
pushing themselves to new challenges. If you understand your
“job knowledge” as being near zero when you start, the ideal
time to start looking is when your mastery is around seventy
percent.
This is one situation where if you don’t ask you don’t get.
Before looking elsewhere, share your aspirations with your
company. If they don't want to lose you, they may work to
find you a new post, even if nothing is officially free. Be
specific in your requests and give them time. This sort of
thing can take some maneuvering. Nevertheless, sometimes it
becomes clear that the only way you'll get the next job is
to step into your boss’ shoes, and he or she is showing no
sign of moving. When that’s the case, how do you consider
your options?
Take the case of Jose who worked for a large US corporation
in Mexico, traveling regularly to ensure manufacturing
quality worldwide. Jose was ambitious and knew that he had a
lot to offer. He had worked his way up from the factory
floor via a degree in supply chain management. So when his
old boss visited Mexico Jose leaped at the opportunity to
have a career discussion. However, as he spelled out his
ambitions, his mentor smiled sadly. “Do you really think
that with three US peers in the business you have much
chance of getting your boss’ job?” he said. “And you know
there isn’t much for you in the company otherwise.”
At thirty-two, Jose realized that he might be doing the same
job for a very long time. Rather than get frustrated, he sat
down to rethink his career, taking the following steps.
Anyone in a similar situation should do likewise.
1) First, Jose did an inventory of “wants, needs and
no-no’s.” This set out what he desired in a job, what he
couldn’t live without, and what he wanted to avoid. Jose
identified that he wanted to carry on doing something
interesting in manufacturing, but that he needed
independence, and time with his family. He didn’t want to do
all that overseas traveling any more.
2) Next, Jose explored options that would give him what he
“needed”, meet some of his “wants” and avoid his “no-no’s.”
He weighed up finding something else in his company and then
looked around outside. His professional society was able to
give him some advice to help with this. Jose decided that
the “owning his own business” option looked most promising.
3) Finally, Jose investigated what he would have to do to
start a business, checking out what he needed to learn, and
weighing up the pluses and minuses, before making any
decisions about handing in his notice
Doing an inventory exercise is a proven and useful way to
focus your thoughts. Follow Jose’s example whenever you feel
hemmed in by your job. Whether you ultimately decide to stay
put or to move on, running a “reality check” will help keep
you on the right path to career success. |
|
|
|
