If faced with the loss of your role today, how would you view the transition? Would you see it as an opportunity, as a challenge, as a threat, as a rite of passage or a combination of two or more of these? Experience shows attitudes and beliefs must be managed.
Life is full of surprises, and what one person might learn from and build upon, another may find difficult to absorb and a debilitating shock. What someone may take in stride and see as an opportunity to grow, another may find destabilizing and threat to future prospects.
So it is with executives in transition. Allowed multiple answers, my research shows that almost nine of ten surveyed indicated they viewed their transition as an opportunity, almost half saw it as a challenge, while less than one in ten saw it as a threat. Interestingly, almost one-fifth saw their transition as a rite of passage.
To have 86% of the sample view the transition as an opportunity screams optimism. I believe having an optimistic nature helps people as they climb the ladder, but it also means they need to be reined in at times. Managers are offered significant increases in responsibility because the organization believes they have the skills and experience required to do the job, but these individuals also must draw on a sense of self-confidence or optimism to help them to succeed. More than one executive has had that quiet “what have I got myself into?” moment after accepting a promotion!
I also believe that successful executives are realistic, as unbridled optimism can lead to disastrous decisions. Executives develop the ability to assess situations, evaluate alternatives, propose courses of action and make decisions. In my opinion, the 46% of the sample who viewed the transition process as a challenge were applying those skills to assess the transition they faced.
Just 9% of respondents saw transition as a threat. I’ve learned that those who did feel threatened felt that way for a variety of reasons including their ages; that they were in a dying or consolidating industry; that their lack of education would be a barrier; that they lacked a strong network; while some just feared or disliked change. Assessments, conversations, planning and coaching helped them to gain perspective and move forward.
The 18% who saw the transition as a rite of passage suggests that losing a role has lost some of the stigma it once held. Transition is becoming a more common event. The accelerating pace of change continues to increase the demands on executives and the probability of a long career with one organization is declining.
If this were to happen to you tomorrow I strongly recommend you find a career transition consultant who can work one-on-one with you to learn and understand your beliefs, pressures and aspirations, rein you in if necessary and share your journey. Finally, look for someone who considers the work vocational, which is how I view it.