What do you do if your career is facing setbacks and challenges?

Certainly, navigating career setbacks and challenges can feel like trying to assemble a flat-pack furniture piece without instructions—frustrating and sometimes humorously confusing. Embrace the 'Multipotentialite' Within: -Explore Diverse Interests: Don't box yourself in. Your next big idea might be at the intersection of what you already know and what you’re curious about. -Skill Synergy: Combine your unique skills in novel ways. It's like creating a new flavor of ice cream that nobody knew they needed until you invented it.

First, maintain a growth mindset. View setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities to learn, adapt, and emerge stronger. Consciously reframe challenges as catalysts for developing resilience and sharpening problem-solving abilities. Second, proactively seek counsel and support. Don't go it alone. Identify mentors, peers, or trusted advisors who can provide objective perspectives, guidance, and motivation. An external vantage point can unveil blind spots and unlock new pathways forward. Third, continuously invest in yourself. Upskill, reskill, and diversify your expertise to remain relevant and competitive. Embrace lifelong learning, experiment with new domains, and nurture a versatile mindset to pivot adeptly amidst uncertainties.

Facing setbacks can be challenging and disheartening, especially in your career. Try these tips to first assess the situation and plot your path forward: -- Acknowledge and reflect -- Seek feedback -- Reevaluate your goals -- Develop a plan -- Expand your skills and knowledge -- Network -- Stay positive!

The best approach is to find the root cause of the challenges that you are facing, and then classifying the factors that contribute by external / internal and controllable / uncontrollable. The internal (to the organization) will be more important if you are thinking of staying in the organization longer term. But if not, then the external factors might be more important to address. In terms of the factors that you control, that's where you need to spend 99% of you energy. The factors you do not control or can't influence are good to identify but then you have to quickly put to the side as "noise" in the system.

When encountering career setbacks, it's crucial to remain resilient and proactive. Firstly, I reflect on the reasons behind the challenges and identify areas for improvement. For instance, if a project fails, I assess what went wrong and learn from it to avoid similar pitfalls in the future. Networking and seeking mentorship from experienced professionals can provide valuable insights and support. Additionally, I explore new opportunities that align with my skills and interests, keeping an open mind to adapt and grow professionally.

The best feedback source, when facing challenges or setbacks, will be from your mentor. He/she will know you well enough to provide you with actional insights on what can be done to mitigate the impact of the challenges as well as guide you to potential actions to overcome them. If they are part of you current organization, your mentor can also become an ally to help move things that you can control in the right direction. Or at least he/she can provide some cover to have more time to act.

If you defined the root cause, and have categorized all the factors by internal / external and controllable / uncontrollable. , then the next step is to define the countermeasure plan. It's the countermeasure plan that is at the core of defining then your goals as well as your KPIs for getting back on track. They all have to be aligned and move you in right direction.

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin. The fourth step to enhancing your marketability is developing new skills and competencies. Whether it's technical, interpersonal, or leadership skills, there's always room to grow. Enroll in online courses, attend workshops, read books, watch instructional videos, or join practice communities. Seek opportunities to apply your new skills in current or future roles, like volunteering for a project or mentoring someone. Ready to level up? Start expanding your skill set today!

So close to my heart, I always adopt a proactive approach by reassessing my career goals, seeking feedback, and identifying areas for improvement. Building a supportive network, pursuing continuous learning opportunities, and staying adaptable to change are strategies that help me navigate challenges and advance my career.

Having setbacks or challenges can be detrimental to your self-confidence, so make sure you address this emotional component. Ideally, there's a lot of things you can do yourself to better your state of mind but this might be where you solicit the help of your friends, of your mentor, of your personal BoD to boost your confidence.