Knocking down barriers
Reprint From Column in Palm Beach Post, Toby Chabon-Berger
You have been passed over for a promotion, you didn’t get a raise, the boss doesn’t look you in the eye and you are left out of company meetings. You dread getting up each morning because the thought of going to work causes a knot in your stomach and there is no sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. Fear of losing your job or wanting to leave can cause the same feelings of stress; however they should both be dealt with examining life goals. Recognizing the influences of our economy and financial responsibilities need not keep you stuck where you are. “Knocking down these barriers takes careful planning,” says Robert Pollan author of Second Acts published by Harper Collins, 2003. He and his co-author, Mark Levine both advise that you look before you leap. Looking for other opportunities even when you have spent most of your career at one company is not disloyal. The good old days when people held one job for a lifetime has gone the way of the horse drawn carriage.
Within Second Acts, a thoughtful step by step guide, Mr. Pollan says “that leading the life of your dreams is possible, but it requires a great deal of introspection, careful planning and wanting to implement a plan of change”. His first hand accounts of how he helped others reinvent themselves include that of his own life change after being diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1978. His advice is to define your dream by writing down all of your passions in life, the activities you love to be involved with, places you would like to visit and a list of all of your interests. Recall times when you felt the best about yourself. Step two is an honest inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. “Don’t let your ego get in the way,” he says. The third step is conducting extensive research on everything related to your interests. Follow up these written activities with how these interests match your needs with developing a mission statement. “Now you are ready to consider your Second Act,” he says. “Reality may lead you to decide that it is not yet time for your change. Staying where you are and making some modifications in your life can be appropriate. “Change your expectations of your job, add some new work/life balance activities into your life, and change your attitudes, he says.
Sherry Lava, SPHR, Human Resources Consultant with RSM McGladrey, West Palm Beach, has, over the course of her career, changed positions several times. As a recruiter, she has dealt with many people who have changed directions. “Being in a satisfying job takes self awareness of what skills you like to use the most, where you want to be in the future, awareness of trends, opportunities for change, and a strong network.” Many dissatisfied people are still dealing with the old myth that you must stay in one job for twenty-five or thirty years, have a retirement party, get a gold watch, and move to a retirement village. It is common knowledge that people will have three to eight different careers and up to 25 different jobs in their work lifetime. We can look forward to living and working longer and, if we really love our work, it isn’t work.
Sometimes it is possible to salvage a position. Doris Logan, Principal of Employee Assistance Services of South Florida, Palm Springs, suggests clarifying the issues of dissatisfaction. If you are dealing with an over demanding manager, she advises discussing these issues with a trained career counselor or with an Employee Assistance Counselor that are available through many company benefit plans. Logan, says, “much of our work is designed to assist people in making careful evaluations of all the facets of their life, including their relationships with family, friends, peers; and then, to discuss the core issues of dissatisfaction. With that information and the client’s personal insights, we are able to assist them in setting goals for an action plan relating specifically to their lives and set of circumstances. She also said “it is not unusual that the actual problem may be with the managers or supervisors who need to be trained on managing people” In her experience, people quit managers, not jobs. For those reasons EAP’s can sometimes intercede and suggest management development training or other interventions. If after all the guidance and introspection, you feel that it is not wise to change your career. you may try to change environments. First, determine if there are other positions in the company where you would feel a better fit. Speak to a Human Resources representative or your supervisor. If you don’t receive the encouragement you had hoped for, and you know there are positions in other companies where you would be valued, set your plan of action in motion.
“At all times be on the look out for opportunities,” says Mr. Pollan. Be proactive, begin research, update your resume, and activate your network. Deal with the reality of the economy. Always have a game plan ready in your back pocket and a mentor ready to give you a helping hand. Having the right mentor is crucial to a successful career as is a list of actions to get through any internal or external barriers in your way. It is never too late to reinvent yourself. Although not an overnight process, second acts can take place throughout your entire life. Mr. Pollan is currently working on his fourth act.
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