Exploit the Power of a Personal Inventory

It is normal for manufacturers and retailers to conduct a year-end inventory so that their balance sheets accurately reflect the value of goods in their warehouses. In fact, given the sophistication of warehouse management systems these days, probably most such businesses know their inventory every hour.

But what about the people who run those systems?

What about you?

Have you even thought about conducting a personal inventory?

No. I do not mean counting the number of socks in your drawer. Or, even necessarily the value of your assets, though the latter may be part of the exercise. I mean the process of reviewing your own life…. Determining whether you are floating effortlessly. Comfortably swimming along. Flailing wildly. Actually drowning. Or, headed for the falls…

You have worked hard over the past year(s). What do you have to show for it?

The Barrett Group is unique in many respects. But our Clarity Program© (the first step in our five-step career change process) helps clients answer this question in ways they have perhaps never thought about before. Specifically, the Whole Life Snapshot© step helps individuals consider their relative comfort levels. It reflects on a client’s Health, Wealth, Career, and Social parameters.

Allow me to compare two snapshots to illustrate:

Having to inventory your life in sixteen sub-points behind these major headings creates a granularity that is illuminating for our clients.

What is more, the client discusses these factors confidentially with his or her Clarity Coach and must be able to really justify each assessment so as to be intellectually honest. After all, this is the foundation of the career search.

In the example above, Natalia feels uncomfortable with the culture at her company and with her role, even though her industry is fundamentally sound. She sees no opportunity for herself, so she has decided to make some changes. She also lacks community (as distinct from friends and family) and this detracts from her quality of life. Again, she has decided to do something about it.

Theodore on the other hand feels disadvantaged at work across the board—be it his industry, his role, the culture, or the lack of opportunity. He is definitely ready for a change. He is also not making enough money. Otherwise, he feels pretty comfortable with his life, though he realizes he needs to be more proactive on health maintenance.

Both clients have gone on now to write personal strategic plans under the guidance of their Clarity Coaches. We’ve helped them address the discomfort in their snapshots—their personal inventories. They each have discovered roles in industries that will enable them to more fully fulfill their aspirations and achieve a better work/life balance.

This is only one sub-step in our overall career change process.

Our process provides a lot of energy to our clients. When they realize that things can be different, they can begin to develop a master plan for how to achieve their aspirations—all in the first step of the journey.

But don’t take my word for it; here are four testimonials from recent Clarity Program© clients:

“My last two jobs allowed me to live closer to my kids but were not a good fit from a job responsibility standpoint. The Clarity Program enabled me to identify what is important to me, which work environments I excel in, which ones I don’t. My Clarity Coach was supportive, positive, and very helpful… She took the time to get to know my current situation and made me feel comfortable discussing my strengths and weaknesses.”
[Charles Place, November 2020]

“The Clarity sessions with my coach helped me focus the details of my dream job. At first, I was skeptical but now I am excited about the future. My Clarity coach was excellent at asking probing questions to help me clarify details of my dream job. It was definitely worth my time!”
[Lynn Duke, December 2020]

“The Clarity Program allowed me to take a personal journey to find myself. I learned what I want from my career as well as my social life. I feel that I will now be a better wife, friend and sibling by finally being true to myself and where I will be most happy. Thank you, Julie [her Clarity Coach] for a truly amazing journey.”
[Desiree Chestnutt, November 2020]

“Through the Clarity Program I’ve come to understand aspects of my personality that have created certain situations, both good and bad, in my career. With this new knowledge, we were able to design a route to a satisfying position, according to my strength and profile.”
[Barbara Andrievk, December 2020]

Beyond the personal inventory that the Clarity Program© represents, we add four additional career change steps.

These steps have been steadily perfected over thirty years to the point where even in these dark days of pandemic and economic malaise more than 140 Barrett Group clients have landed executive jobs since April in the US and Europe. Read their stories on the Hiring Line.

Obviously, our process works.

The coming year will be full of further unexpected developments as the world hopefully begins to recover from the pandemic and economies are stabilized through macro-economic measures and the hard work of millions of professionals. But like starting the day with a good breakfast, you will want to start your year with a solid foundation. You will need a clear understanding of your personal inventory so you can be ready for the chops and changes.

We can help you both with your personal inventory and with your career change thereafter. After all, we make it our job to help you find yours.

Wishing you a happy, healthy New Year, we remain, sincerely, the Barrett Group!

Peter Irish
CEO
The Barrett Group

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