Here's how you can identify when it's time for an executive to pursue a career change.

In my coaching practice, I often help clients navigate the decision to pursue a career change. I identify several red flags, including a lack of passion or growth opportunities, a mismatch of values or culture, declining well-being, and financial dissatisfaction. However, these are not exhaustive. To gauge overall job satisfaction and anticipation for the workweek, I start with a simple yet revealing question: 'How do you feel every Sunday evening?' This inquiry often uncovers underlying sentiments and sets the stage for deeper exploration.

Stagnation in an executive's career can stem from a variety of personal and professional issues. When my coaching clients experience this feeling, we delve into the emotions underlying their sense of stagnation—be it fear, anger, or boredom. Often, they initially attribute their dissatisfaction to their career, but we frequently discover that the root cause lies elsewhere. By addressing these deeper issues, we can more effectively overcome the feeling of stagnation and reinvigorate their professional journey.

Recognising a sense of stagnation is a key indicator that it might be time for an executive to pursue a career change. When professional growth plateaus and daily tasks no longer offer challenges or fulfilment, it's a sign that new opportunities may be needed. Pay attention to feelings of boredom, lack of motivation, or a decline in passion for your work. Regularly reassess your career goals and personal aspirations. If your current role no longer aligns with these objectives, it might be time to explore new directions that reignite your drive and enthusiasm. Good read: Bridges, W. (2009). "Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change". Da Capo Press.

In my opinion, the primary purpose of any coach should be to increase clients' learning about the current state and their desired goal/ outcome. This would perhaps mean that you help establish what they look for in a role, organization, and culture. Then perhaps engage them to identify how satisfied are they with those being met in their current job.

Knowing when you're stuck in your career without experiencing obvious feelings about it can be challenging. I recommend these four nuanced signs to help determine whether it's time for a change: Lack of Engagement: If you consistently struggle to stay engaged and motivated at work, it could indicate stagnation. Routine Overload: Subtle indications of being stuck often manifest in an excess of routine tasks, with fewer stimulating challenges. Diminished Learning Curve: If there's a drop in opportunities to learn and apply new skills, it's time to evaluate your growth potential. Plateaued Performance: When your performance levels remain constant without improvement or tangible accomplishments, it could imply stagnation.

What is a job without passion? Something close to torture, I would say. When executives are adrift in their careers, they often exhibit a shift in their motivational signature. The spark that ignited their initial climb – innovation, impact, or intellectual challenge – may dim. Watch for cynicism replacing enthusiasm, a decline in initiative, or a disengagement from core aspects of their role. The clearest sign of lost passion is quite quitting. These attitudinal shifts can signal a misalignment between the leader's intrinsic drivers and their current environment. A deeper exploration of these internal cues can illuminate whether a course correction within the company or a more radical career shift is necessary.

I just got off the phone with an executive who said she needs to drag herself to office every day - sounds like she lost her passion about her job. Not so fast, I happen to know her quite well and know that this severely diminished motivation is due to the circumstances in her company. Actually, she still likes her job, but is worn down by certain executives and sudden changes of people. Does it mean she needs a career change? Not necessarily; if the upcoming changes take the organization into a more pleasant direction with a more reasonable superior, she might well get back her passion for her current job. So it's important to better understand the root cause of the lost passion, assess if that's going to change, then decide.

Hi Charlie! Just read you. Had a similar experience today. Old client just resigned as Head of HR Department. An iconic shoe factory with lots to improve on EI but refuses to leave old habits. “We always did it our way”. No confidence, no delegation, no self growth, no validation, only finger pointing. = time to go. In 4 days, 4 job offers!!!

You evolve and & your company evolves too. Change is a constant. What you valued a few years ago may not be your value now. Also, your company's values may have shifted. When you feel demotivated at work, one of the key reasons is a values mismatch. We tend to not observe it and continue with our old excitement and pattern of working, but we feel misaligned as there is a values mismatch kiccking in gradually. In your regular meetings with your exec coach, your coach will recognize these mistmatches and help you see through these things. The sessions will help you clarify your values and carve a path to a role that fits your values, principles and the season of life you are in.

It’s useful to remember that your values may have been aligned e of an organization when you first started working there, but the organization has changed. Sometimes we keep trying to make the problem about us, when in fact, it’s no one’s fault—it’s just no longer a good fit. Looking at the situation from that lens takes some of the emotion out of the equation, and can make it easier to leave.

Value misalignment is a clear signal that it may be time for an executive to consider a career change. When your personal values and beliefs no longer align with the organisation's culture, mission, or practices, it can lead to dissatisfaction and ethical dilemmas. Pay attention to feelings of discomfort or conflict when making decisions or implementing policies. Regularly evaluate whether your work environment supports your core values. If there's a persistent gap between your values and those of your organisation, seeking a new role that better aligns with your principles can lead to greater fulfilment and integrity. Relevant read: Collins, J. (2001). "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't". HarperBusiness.

Every person, independently of the role level, should decide for what company he/she wants to work for. Believing in the organisation’s corporate culture, values, vision and mission is the first step for a long last employment relationship. If there is a mismatch between your values and the company’s ones, you just need to change organisation. You can find a compromise on your role, but you cannot find a compromise on your values. What you believe in should be one of the main drivers of any career movement.

Every executive has got a complete spectrum of skill sets yet they can't all be utilized in the same role. Being multifaceted at the workplace also means that there will be times when an Executive would want to explore some skills that have been dormant for a while while other have been on repeat for a while. The desire to nudge again an idle skill is a legit reason to consider a transition.

It's certainly an interesting aspect to review, whether or not there are significant strengths or skills that are underused in the current role. Based on my experience, it's quite common that most jobs don't fully leverage all strengths and skills anyone has. While there is often a correlation between enjoyment of a skill/task/behavior and capability/performance, they are not always 100% correlated. It's possible that you are very good at something and still are not tremendously excited doing it. In such cases, an underuse might not be a problem. However, if a career change is seriously considered, one can review underused skills and decide to which degree they should be more used in any new role.

When executives feel that their skills and expertise are not being fully utilized or valued in their current role, it can lead to frustration and a sense of underachievement. They might feel capable of more and seek opportunities where they can make better use of their talents. This transition may lead to achieve the stage of self actualization.

When your need for self-actualization is not met, it can be very frustrating. 3 steps I recommend: 1) Work with your coach to identify what you want from your life and career. 2) Which specific skills and talents are being underutilized? 3) What vision do you have for yourself and your leadership? How do you want to grow? Where do you see yourself? (Guided visualizations with your coach could help you here)

Significant changes in the industry, such as emerging technologies, evolving consumer preferences, or economic downturns, can impact the relevance and future prospects of your current role. Stay informed about industry trends and assess how these shifts affect your position and the organisation’s trajectory. If you find that the market dynamics are diminishing opportunities or rendering your skills obsolete, it might be wise to explore new career paths that align with the evolving landscape. (Source: Christensen, C. M., & Overdorf, M. (2000). "Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change". Harvard Business Review.)

Market shifts should be considered if there is a high risk that your current industry will become obsolete in the foreseeable future. Also, if the market shifts rattle your current employer and if they don't proactively counter or adapt to these shifts, your employer's future might be at risk and as such your job, too. Being proactive and starting to reflect on your possible next steps if there are significant market shifts in your industry sounds like a wise recommendation.

Often when people consider a career change, it's because they 'want to get away' from something, e.g. too low pay, poor company culture, lousy boss, etc. The risk is that the employee is too focused on that only, overlooking all the positive aspects in the current situation. So while it's understandable that the employee wants to get away from their current situation, it's also important to assess all aspects of their current job and life - for example by using the Aspects of Life Inventory, a simple self-assessment.

As individuals grow and evolve, their career aspirations and priorities may change. Executives might find themselves wanting to explore new challenges, pursue different interests, or achieve a better work-life balance as their personal circumstances evolve.

En mi experiencia, muchas de las compa?ías con las cuales trabajo, identifican la ambición de crecimiento y desarrollo como una característica básica de todos los perfiles a incorporar a la organización. La expectativa es que al contratar un pasante, se esté contratando a un futuro manager de la empresa. Por lo tanto, en estos entornos, focalizar en la carrera y formarse para la profesionalización, y tener un puesto Target en el crecimiento, representa un valor significativo. Cuando ya manejas cómodamente tu puesto actual, tomas el descriptivo de puesto de la posición que aspiras ocupar y te preparas en lo que te falte cubrir de los requisitos, implementas el desarrollo de estos puntos, estarás listo para saber que es el momento de crecer.

You impact on the growth of the Organization is one of the main indicators. If your decision making is not effective anymore, if employees are not inspired by you anymore, if you are not learning anymore, if your achievement is slowly dropping down, if your are not motivated in changing things for the better anymore. Well… it’s definitely time to look for a career change. You need a fresh working environment to allow yourself to impact as an executive role deserves.