What role does luck and timing play in a career? Clements United’s research with executives who have experienced transition shows it is greater than they thought!
One of the truths that has been confirmed time and again during the 16+ years I have been working with executives in transition is that people with very good track records and attitudes are let go by organizations. Executives with great resumes and superb experience find themselves separated from organizations, and are left shaking their heads or very upset at how they could possibly end up in the situation.
I have always felt that luck and timing play a much greater role in careers than some like to admit, but new research supports the premise and that it is a confluence of events that leads to people leaving organizations and to eventually finding new roles. As much as intelligence, hard work and subject matter expertise enable people to ascend the career ladder, there is often an unrecognized or unacknowledged role for luck and timing. We are not masters of our universes.
Clements United’s sample of 150 shows that during the 18 months prior to the executive departing an organization in 66% of cases there was “a restructuring of the organization”; in 60% of cases there was “a change of the individual to whom you reported” and in 56% of cases there was “a change in the organization’s President or CEO.” These changes really were beyond the control of my affected clients, so did luck and timing play a role in their departure? Most definitely! Were they in positions to influence the outcomes? Sometimes circumstances are beyond our control and bad things happen to good people.
But what of luck and timing? In the research we asked whether or not respondents’ assessments of “luck and timing” as a career influence was seen as more important, less important or unchanged as a result of their career transition experience. The results showed that 55% saw “luck and timing” as more important, just 5% saw it as less important and 40% indicted no change.
I believe this carries forward into finding new opportunities as well. It takes a confluence of events which include my client being ready, people being aware of them and their offering, there being a suitable opportunity and there being a fit. Like I said, it takes a confluence of events, or some good luck and timing!