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

I will pause and see what is going right and what is not going right. I shall put it down as a visual to see my opportunities (low hanging fruits) and challenges. I shall also explore options-A, B or C. The most important I will unlearn to see what am I doing wrong.

As a leader I have often seen a discrepancy between self-perception and external-perception. While we believe that our past accomplishments guarantee a next career step, often leaders want to see potential for driving progress. Therefore I recommend to seek sources to understand the full picture, be candid even when it hurts. You can then follow up in understanding your intrinsic motivations and start to take measures, which may range from your own growth to changes of functions or company.

GROW: Goals: Clearly define what you aim to achieve in your career. Understanding your destination can illuminate the path forward. Realities: Acknowledge the current situation, including the specific challenges you’re facing. This step is about facing facts, whether they concern skills, performance, or external factors. Options: Explore all possible solutions and paths. This could involve skill development, seeking feedback, changing environments, or even pivoting career directions. Will: Determine the actions you’re willing to take to overcome these setbacks. This involves commitment, deciding on the steps you will actively pursue to change your career trajectory.

Are you on the right career path? Are the constant setbacks and challenges a 'red flag' (warning) that you need to take your skills and experience in a new direction. If yes, take positive steps towards shaping your new career path. Research new industries, organizations and roles that are the right fit for you.

La idea es tener la claridad de las causas de las restricciones y analizar que se puede hacer diferente. Cada restricción es una oportunidad para aprender y evolucionar.

Consult those who can assist you in overcoming your career obstacles for advice and encouragement. This might be a coworker, friend, mentor, coach, manager, or relative. Seek them frank and helpful opinions on your advantages and disadvantages. Thank them for their feedback and pay attention to their recommendations and advise.

List down all experiences and situations for such setbacks. Find a Professional Coach, discuss with him/her, identify the route cause, pattern etc... with the help of the Coach, enrich yourself with knowledge enhancement. try to fix the identified route cause. Seek periodic feedback and work towards as guided and suggested in the feedback. (Finding the right Coach will be of utmost importance)

Seeking feedback is essential for professional growth, especially in dynamic fields like technology and government where policies and market demands evolve rapidly. As a mentor and author with experience in business development and strategy, I've found that diverse perspectives can reveal blind spots and catalyze innovation. Embrace the discomfort of critique as it can be a powerful catalyst for personal and career development, helping you to refine your approach in fast-growing industries like AI.

On the continued setbacks and challenged in the Strategy profession, you need to communicate to your Team and to other stakeholders of your project seeking their suggestions and feedback to overcome the hurdles. You can also seek the support and guidance of your Mentors and seniors in the profession. Based on the feedback received, you need to modify your methods and delivery processes evidencing tangible improvement for the successful implementation of your projects.

Take lessons from your mistakes and setbacks. Consider them as chances to learn and develop rather than as indications of weakness or incapacity. Examine your performance, what went well, and what you may improve upon for the next time. Jot down the things you will do to get better and the lessons you learnt. Honor your accomplishments and advancements, regardless of the magnitude.

In the fast-paced world of government technology, embracing mistakes as learning opportunities is crucial. As a mentor and author, I've seen that those who analyze their failures can pinpoint systemic issues or skill gaps. In the fields of business development, sales, and recruiting, this reflective practice often reveals insights into strategy refinement and relationship management. Moreover, storytelling about past mistakes can be a powerful teaching tool in training and mentoring, fostering a culture of transparency and continuous improvement essential for entrepreneurship and policy-making.

"Mistakes" are an integral part of any great effort and bold decisions. 'Mistakes' offer valuable learning lessons towards succeeding successes of sorts. You need to modify your attitude to learn from the mistakes and experiences of your own and from that of your peers to enhance your abilities to handle challenging situations effectively.

I have been laid off six times in my career. In the beginning, I took it personally, but I learned over time that if you choose corporate life, most of the time, the trigger is not your performance but the bottom line – think recession, market shifts, new leadership. When you get over the shock you may find a silver lining. When you are ready: reevaluate the market for valuable skills you now have the time to add, network to meet those in your desired industry and rediscover your needs in a job. After being laid off post-9/11, I found my true passion and tribe. Remember, it's not the end; it's a new beginning.

In the face of constant career setbacks, adapting to change is not just about survival—it's about leveraging the situation to your advantage. As someone with a background in business development and strategy, I've seen firsthand how embracing change can open doors to new opportunities, especially in fast-growing fields like AI and technology. By staying flexible and continuously updating your skillset, you can position yourself as an invaluable asset in any organization, ready to meet the demands of an evolving market and policy landscape.

"Change is the only constant, in any domain"! In the current environment of fast evolving and galloping technologies like AI and ML, the business environment is highly impacted. Clients have become more informed and demanding in their expectations from your role. You need to be receptive to such changed situations and adapt yourself, acquiring additional skills, to enhance productivity in your delivery processes.

We have all experienced career setbacks at some point. You may take some time for grief, and then take the learnings and grow with it. Living in the past only is counterproductive both for wellbeing and for development. Peers are one of the best source to help you get a perspective that will help you.

First, read Mindset by Carol Dweck. Understand that you can choose a growth mindset versus holding on to a fixes mindset. There are learnings in all of our experiences. Recognizing that these challenges contribute to our better future self is the perspective you will want to carry with you. If you can hold on to that, then you will be able better handle the difficulties that the present moment can carry.

Developing a growth mindset is crucial, especially in dynamic sectors like technology and government where AI and fast-growing trends demand adaptability. As a mentor and author with a background in business development, sales, and strategy, I've seen firsthand how a growth mindset can transform challenges into opportunities for personal and professional growth. It's not just about effort; it's about embracing a continuous learning cycle, where feedback is the cornerstone of innovation and resilience is built through persistent curiosity and experimentation.

The "power of positivity" can be phenomenal. "Mindset" is the most valuable asset for us all, the practicing professionals. A 'growth mindset' will enable enhanced positive outlook at the things and spot opportunity in every daunting situation, for professional advancement.

Take care of yourself because career challenges might negatively impact your happiness and health. Getting enough sleep, working out frequently, eating a balanced diet, practicing meditation, unwinding, having fun, and expressing appreciation are some examples of self-care. You may increase your energy, resilience, and confidence as well as more successfully navigate professional obstacles by taking care of yourself.

Life is not just meant to advance in professional practices and to acquire material wealth. Many a times you maybe heavily stressed with work overload and nearing point of burnout. You need to spare time and energy for 'self-care' to keep yourself physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. You can do regular physical exercises, do meditation and spend time in personal hobbies like swimming and listening to music. With self-care, you you can recharge yourself boosting your energy levels for enhanced performance in your profession.

This is interesting and so relevant- 1. First & Foremost, please know the setbacks are a phase and they are there to give you learnings- don’t let this eat into your self-worth; this is to help you move forward as a better professional. 2. As you see a coach (strongly recommended),be transparent and work on a clear action plan with defined outcomes. 3. Do examine setbacks carefully- apart from your areas of work,was there contribution of a gaslighter boss, toxic work culture? Was there a role/org. change where you couldn’t find your feet due to lack of right support? Pls discount these with learnings. 4. Take complete accountability for your areas of work so those areas are never a blocker in your future growth..

Embrace the setbacks and challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Use them to reassess your approach, refine your skills, and pivot if necessary. Seek feedback, mentorship, and alternative perspectives to gain insights and adapt your strategy. Persistence coupled with adaptability can turn setbacks into stepping stones towards future success.

Facing career challenges requires resilience and adaptability. 1. Embrace continuous learning to stay relevant with evolving trends. 2. Network actively, seeking mentors and peers for support and opportunities. 3. Reflect on setbacks to identify growth areas. 4. Consider lateral moves to broaden skills and experience. 5. Stay positive and proactive, aligning personal values with career goals. Remember, perseverance often leads to success.

A career without challenge is a career without seminal lessons learned. Embrace the suck, learn. Fail. Fail fast. Fail forward.

Isn't this always the way. No career is a straight line path and if you've seen people out there who haven't had setbacks, they're probably not showing the full picture on their LinkedIn profile. Roll with the punches, learn from the mistakes, and don't judge yourself too harshly. More importantly, don't negatively benchmark your successes and achievements against others. Think about how you can continuously improve and learn - from others and from what goes wrong. Reach out to others who've been there before.