Some executives who come to us for help with their careers are in a happy place of having decided to exit their previous roles for reasons of their own choosing and are now looking to start something more lucrative, more satisfying, or, ideally, both.
Most, however, fall into the under-appreciated, overlooked, frustrated, and/or clueless categories. The good news is that they have advanced far enough to recognize that they need help. Many more simply suffer in silence.
Perhaps the pandemic, working from home, and the ensuing economic repercussions have amplified these underlying tendencies. Leading to more introspection, and a stronger sense of how one’s work should be more holistically rewarding, executives are reconsidering their options.
In any case, motivation matters.
Executives who are under-appreciated may feel this emotionally or economically, or both. Here’s what one recent prospect told us…
“There was this new junior associate who left after six months and now she’s making a quarter mil while I sit here like a sap and slave away for my two hundred grand…”
This particular executive also fits into the frustrated category as well as the clueless one.
In fact, most of the executives who come to us cannot immediately articulate what it is they want. If we ask them about their “dream job” they will often describe aspects of the position that they do or do not want. But rarely do they have a clear picture of what it is they actually want to do professionally.
This lack of a clear objective slows career searches down. And it contributes substantially to stress, frustration, and a sense of helplessness.
Imagine getting into your car, turning on your navigation, and saying something like…
“Take me via highways using the fastest route but with minimal gas consumption and avoiding any traffic…”
All of these parameters make sense in their own right but the end goal is missing. The navigation cannot take you anywhere because it does not know where you want to go.
Bingo!
That’s exactly why so many executives desiring a change end up spinning their wheels and joining the ranks of the under-appreciated, overlooked, frustrated, and/or clueless… because they have not taken the time to dissect their true desires and objectives to clarify their end goal… which may not even constitute their next position, but rather the one after that if they need to use a stepping-stone career change strategy to reach their ultimate objective.
For example, a would-be CEO who has too little financial management experience may need to find a position first through which he/she can demonstrate the financial management expertise required to enter the C-suite seamlessly. This happens all the time from our perspective. And that is why we call what we do “career management” because a longer term strategic objective is absolutely key… like the destination you plug into your navigation.
How do we help clients gain clarity? Through our Clarity Program© of course—the initial “Targeting” step in our five-step career change process.
Here are a few client comments on our Clarity Program©:
“Often the most difficult thing to do is [to] assess yourself objectively. This is especially true when trying to value your skill sets and abilities. The Clarity process provides a guided format with a knowledgeable coach to not only assess yourself in many different areas, but also to discuss and critique those assessments to ensure they accurately reflect reality. Trust the process and be honest with yourself and your coach and you will get the maximum benefit. You truly do get out what you put in and I would never consider changing careers again without using The Clarity Program with a career management expert.” [Jeremy Mercer]
“The Clarity Program has helped me identify my strengths and opportunity areas. It has also helped me realize my true values and non-negotiable items as I determine my next career move.” [Jenny Most]
“I found the Clarity Program to be particularly helpful as a coach-guided discussion of career strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Rather than just listing character traits and direction, it builds in a very helpful discussion with an experienced coach that helps you to understand the meaning of what you are seeing and work through how to apply this information to your career search. I liked the way the process builds from the DISC assessment, through the Whole Life focus, to the career-related application and found the coach interaction to be very helpful.” [David Ruppel]
Perhaps you can see why it is that this program garners a 99% “excellent” rating for our clarity coaches. We help executives really clarify their objectives holistically so that they can rapidly escape the unhappy ranks of the under-appreciated, overlooked, frustrated, and/or clueless and move on to the next step in their careers expeditiously.
What category are you?
Perhaps it’s time you, too, sought career advice from the expert in career change. Let’s talk.
Peter Irish, CEO
The Barrett Group
