In the book, “Killing a Mouse on Sunday” the Basque protagonist set out to sneak back into Franco’s Spain by crossing the Pyrenees on a cloudy night without using a torch. When the moonlight was obscured he found himself alone, and stuck in total darkness.
There are times when we may feel a long way from our destination, and career transition can be one of them…a bit like setting out to cross the Pyrenees at night.
The journey a person undertakes when in transition is often one of self-discovery as it presents opportunities to learn and challenge one’s own beliefs and thinking patterns. The clients I have the privilege of dealing with are bright, competitive, successful people who I meet at a moment in time when they are faced with a challenge they usually have not asked for. But in addition to learning about themselves, my clients have an opportunity to learn about others as well.
I can relate directly to this scenario as it was not long ago that I went through the closing of the company I had been with for 10+ years. When Miller Dallas was closed in June 2010, and I was fired, I went through the process of preparing myself for the next step in my career.
I consulted former clients, customers and colleagues and discussed it with my family and decided to create my own firm focused on delivering high-touch, personalized transition services for executives. There is a need in the market for such a service and Clements United is in business to meet that need and we are delivering..
Ah, but how does this relate to moonlight? As a boutique firm, without “feet on the street” selling our services, I have benefited directly from people in my network who have provided or recommended our services to colleagues, friends and organizations within their networks. This business is succeeding due to the light others have been willing to shine on it.
This holds true for executives in transition as well. Research shows that 70% of my clients found their next roles through networking. The facts support the approach of defining their positioning and knowing how to help people in their networks to understand how they can be of assistance, or where to shine the light.
Most of my clients report they are amazed by how there are people who go above and beyond to assist. Our conversation often turns to the fact that many of these individuals or someone close to them have been through a transition experience.
To this point, more than 90% of my clients report they are more positively disposed towards “supporting others or networking with others going through transition” after having been through their own transition experiences.
Crossing the Pyrenees at night without the benefit of moonlight is ill-advised, as is embarking on a career transition without knowledgeable guidance and engaging others who can help during the journey. I can attest to the fact we benefit from the support of others.