by Helen Krag
A consequence of being the mother of boys aged 11 and 13 is that I regularly spend large chunks of time in canoe retailers and guitar specialists. Actually, I love it. It’s not just about the mind-boggling array of shiny new kit calling out to be sampled. I adore the passion and (with affection) geeky nature of the people who work in those places. They are infectiously knowledgeable, and seem to derive such pleasure from the work they do. My credit card almost always sees some action whenever we make a visit. Is it possible these people are doing their ideal job, managing, as they do, to combine their hobby with the working day?
I meet a number of people working in organisations who express discontent with their work. People who feel they have reached a plateau, or who are looking for a new challenge. They may spend time dreaming about the ‘perfect’ job, believing that, if they make a change, it will fix the deficiencies they are experiencing.
Sophia was one such person.
A sales specialist for an IT company, Sophia came to me for coaching when she could see no way to progress within her current organisation. She was stagnating, with no new opportunities coming her way and a distinct lack of interesting projects on the horizon. She was keen to look beyond her current employment and consider new directions externally.
During the first coaching session Sophia and I explored her current role. It was the first time in ages she had stopped to appreciate the parts of her job she was really good at, and the flexibility of work style she enjoyed. Sophia began to realise that she had been coasting for some time. She knew her work was appreciated, but it was many months since she had initiated any new ideas or contributed to projects outside of her ‘day job’. Sophia left that first session with a question ringing in her head that was to become her mantra over the coming weeks: ‘What can I do to make it different?’
Over the following months, Sophia got more involved, getting herself invited to extra meetings where she could add value, and volunteering for project action groups. She enjoyed these interactions: her ideas were listened to, and it made for greater variety in the working day. She took the lead on a project to segment the customer base and re-organise their sales effort to provide a more efficient and effective service. This resulted in cost reductions of 16% and an eventual sales uplift year on year. Sophia was promoted after 15 months to manage the sales team, and she’s still with the same company 3 years on.
The morals of the story?
- It’s great to have dreams.
- For some people it works perfectly to be in a lifestyle job where you can combine hobby and work.
- If you’re looking for a change, can you really put your hand on your heart and be sure you’ve tried everything to make the role you’re already in work for you?
Call to Action
- The most important step is to get clear about what you really want for yourself. Here are some suggestions to help you:
- List the aspects of your current job that energise you. How can you build more of them into your working day?
- Ask yourself that question whenever you feel negativity creep in: ‘What can I do to make it different?’
- Read ‘The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything’ by Ken Robinson
For more resources…
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