Excuse me, is that a rhetorical, an existential or an evaluative question? Over the years almost every client I have worked with has asked me the question, “Can you believe it?” Philosophically speaking, they have asked me the question from one or more of three perspectives: existential, rhetorical or evaluative. As we are all […]
Career Transition Insights
Showing Up versus Showing Well
An executive has to be rested, ready and resilient because a job search is often a test. Having lost a job, many executives struggle to give themselves permission to take a step back, acknowledge they need to rest, or that they’re not ready to dive right back into the job market. Previous studies we […]
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda…
What might you have done differently if you had known career transition was coming? I have worked with executives in transition for almost 24 years and as expected, there are recurring themes. Two that come to mind are, 1) there were things beyond their control and 2) they were ill-prepared for it. It is a […]
What New Clients Need to Know
Every career transition journey is unique but many of the experiences are similar. According to the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale, being fired or laid off ranks as one of life’s most stressful events. When you start there and then factor in that many new clients are exhausted, disappointed, angry or bewildered, or some combination of the […]
That Looks “Feasonable.”
There is a Venn diagram where feasible and reasonable intersect, hence my question when someone wants to make a big change, “Is it feasonable?” In careers, as in life, there can be gaps between where we are, where we have been, and where we want to go, but it doesn’t mean that people cannot make […]
Business is a Team Sport
And the pandemic has put leaders and their teams to the test. Do you know anyone who believes she or he did it him-or-herself and that success was due to his or her own efforts or brilliance? There are people who are special and gifted, yet even they need help to succeed. The odds that […]
Career Transition Surprises
Research highlights that executives are in for surprises while in transition. While only 45% of my clients were surprised by the decision that led to their leaving their organizations there were other surprises that were more widely experienced by the group as they made their ways to their next roles. In research conducted in 2016, […]
Losing a Job and Other Losses
New research shows losing a job can impact a person in a variety of ways. What else do you lose when you lose your job? In the world of sports, decisions to release or demote players are usually made due to a change in philosophy or direction or because the team is in a slump. […]
Rebounding from a Career Setback
Many athletes, including the most accomplished, have experienced a career setback and benefited from the input of expert coaching. It is similar for executives facing transition. Often, the very best athletes consider this a natural step because their drive and competitiveness have led them to a place of self-scrutiny and openness to input which will […]
How Did I Get Here?!
While most of us start out with the belief that our careers will follow a certain path, for almost all there will be time when despite our best efforts and planning there are dead ends and sometimes, crashes. David Byrne of The Talking Heads summed it up well! The ability to control our destiny from […]