According to the Skills Council in England recent research published this week 74% of the people asked said they were planning to change their career but 25% of those said they won’t because they are unsure about what they really want. This prompted the Careers Advice service to introduce travelling advice centres and the first one was sited at one of the busy London commuter stations.
The numbers got me thinking. I don’t know ( and at this point can’t find) details of the questions asked but 74% of people actually planning to change their jobs seems really high to me - talking about it maybe. In my role as coach the most common trigger for clients coming to me is dissatisfaction with their current job and to work out what they would prefer to do. Often that means something different for the same employer.
And the 25% of that 74% who won’t do anything about it because they don’t know what they want to do is much lower than I thought it would be. The first question I ask when someone mentions not liking their current job is what would you love to do? Leaving aside the dream of selling up and going to live on a Caribbean Island very few have a clear idea of what their next step would be and even less idea of what goal they would be stepping towards.
In this week where the school exam results are out in Scotland and Scottish youngsters are making college and university choices I wonder how many have a clear idea of how they want to earn a living when they graduate. Even those who do might well change their minds during their studies - it happens all the time. New experience can - and possibly should - keep employees thinking about the next stage in their careers . As has been shown in the past year in particular nothing in the business world stays the same for long and being able to respond to change will be an asset for finding and retaining paid employment as changes happen faster and more often.
To go back to the Skills Council new item if you read further it says that” 71 per cent [of those who responded] think the best way to keep their career moving forward is through gaining a new qualification which I think is really encouraging if that means taking responsibility for your own continuing development.
And I found it interesting that more people would move to a new job because of a “desire to learn new things (60 per cent)” than “earn more money (47 per cent).”
Having careers advisors out and about might encourage people to stop and think about where they are going in their careers though and I am looking forward to hearing more about it as the intitiative takes off.
Every now and then I read interviews with someone who has struck the big time - who appear to have come from nowhere - and is judged to be an “overnight success”. Usually the interview uncovers years of hard work and determination. I was reminded of this in reading a post on Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s blog headed “Instant Success Takes Time”.
She says that in her view ( and from her research)
” winners are more likely to take time to keep honing skills and testing ideas in preparation for change”
When I was a participant in a programme at the Columba 1400 International Leadership Centre on the beautiful Isle of Skye 5 years ago we learned their 6 core skills of leadership - awareness, focus, creativity, integrity, perseverance and service (referred to as AFCIPS). Shortly after that I was made redundant and set up Cameron Consulting as a coaching consultancy. Right from the outset I got the opportunity to become involved in projects that - although used my coaching skills - required much more and over that time I believe I have learned far more about me than I ever did in the previous 46 years.
When I am working as a coach with clients I am honoured to be there when they have a “light bulb moment” - when something which has been causing them concern suddenly becomes crystal clear. I had one of those myself last week . Up to then I had not really had myself down as a patient person. In fact my love of having several projects on the go at any one time kind of proved that to me. But then I got an e-mail confirming that I had won a contract for work for a client I first started speaking to about 3 years ago. As I reflected on AFCIPS and realised that all of those had come into play. Maybe there should be 2 Ps - to include patience?
We all have - or should have - an idea of what success would look like to us and I have some way to go yet. Rosabeth Moss Kanter says that “winners” are steady, disciplined and prepared. Worth thinking about in these days when we seem to be in such a hurry to get there - wherever there is …
There was never a better time for role models for young British sportsmen. Following hard on the heels of a successful Olympics we have a new world champion in Formula 1 and a tennis player who has been winning big tournaments steadily over the past few months.
I watched the Grand Prix in Brazil on Sunday and could not make sense of the last few moments when Lewis looked to be out of it and then nipped right back in to take 5th place and the Champion’s title. His focus to the very last minute is an example to us all. How often do we give up when things go a bit wrong or take our eye off the ball at a crucial moment? He did neither ( though of course there is no ball in his sport) and has the championship to show for it. News coverage showed a teenage Lewis, then driving go-karts - that he was focused on Formula 1 - now at the age of 24 he has already made it!
Andy Murray won the Madrid and St Petersburg Open tennis championships in the past month or so. On his own website he says that he has some work to do on clay and grass to keep at the top level throughout the whole year. He has a clear focus on that and there is no reason to believe that he won’t make it.
Neither Lewis not Andy had what could be considered to be “normal” childhoods - and I guess that is the only way you can be successful in your sport at age 24 and 21 respectively. Obviously Andy has some way to go to be THE number 1 in the world of tennis but he has time on his side.
In the world of celebrity and media style though they are poles apart. Lewis has an engaging personality in TV interviews seems to enjoy himself . Andy comes across as rather dour but I am sure he will win fans by winning tournaments rather than a winning smile.
So there you go - 2 Gen Y examples of focus, great work - and success. Now instead of branding all young in the same way it would be really good to hear other success stories…
On Sunday I went to a “Pink Party”. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this time 2 years ago my friend Dorothy picked up an information leaflet, took action, was diagnosed, went through treatment and is now well again. So she organised a fundraiser - hence the Pink party. It was great to see how it came together. She put out an e-mail asking for help and the help flowed. She got a hall with no hire charge, donations from those who attended, commission from the sale of Pampered Chef products. The hall was packed - and each of the ladies who attended wore something pink as requested.
Now I know that cancer - and breast cancer in particular here - is an emotive subject and most people who know someone with the disease ( or any of the other major lifelong conditions) will support fundraising projects - because of the common goal. But it can still be used as an example of great team working.
On a recent forum I asked for people who work on a great team to share what made it so good. As you would expect all pulling in the same direction was key. The question at Dorothy’s do was “what can I do to help”? Do you find yourself asking this at work?
Maybe the question could be - what can I contribute to benefit the entire team? If everbody did that - well the possibilities are endless….
OK - this is a bit self indulgent but I am so proud of Chris Hoy. He is a local lad - went to the same school as my children and his first cycling club was based in the village where I grew up. Previously a dot on the map just outside the City of Edinburgh boundaries Danderhall has arrived!
It is a bit like LinkedIn and other social networking sites - I am connected to him in 3 ways - so he is my friend and I have every right to be proud of him.
I thought I should check the dictionary definition and my trusty Chambers 20th Century Edition ( dated 1970 - I should really get a more modern one) has it as
having excessive self esteem: arrogant: haughty
Oh dear.
Then I got to having a glowing feeling of gratification
well…maybe
Gratification is defined as
delight , feeling of satisfaction
Well that’s going to have to do.
So I am proud of Chris Hoy’s achievements - as they relate to my own self esteem based to what I said in my opening paragraph. Sounds a bit selfish really doesn’t it.
Maybe I should dust off my own bike to make me feel better.
