Death to the Masterplan (and what to do instead)

Did you know there are two types of people in the world?

People who have a fantastic, focused answer to the question "Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?" ... and the rest of us.

Honestly, I've always thought this was a BS question.

Particularly at interviews, where clearly you're never going to get the honest answer ("Preferably sitting on Waikiki Beach sipping Mai Tais after winning the lottery"), just a carefully prepared blend of ambition and nauseating faux camaraderie ("I see myself taking on more responsibilities within this company and contributing even more to the success of the team. I hope to be seen as someone who helps everyone win") Bleurghhh ??

Having aspirations and dreams is exciting and empowering.

But the idea we should all have a timebound master plan for our careers, a series of exact milestones we want to hit and a named end goal, is increasingly outdated.

In fact, at a time when the world of work is in flux, I'd say attaching ourselves to one rigid future vision is actively unhelpful.

Perhaps it always has been - with its uncompromising measures of success and status, and the consequent stress, disappointment, and identity crises if things don’t go exactly to plan ??

Nevertheless, I'd always assumed that the most successful professionals work methodically to a carefully drawn blueprint.

I have great news.

They really don't.

Now, I'd be fibbing if I said this was a piece of rigorous, data-driven research.

But my facilitation work gives me the chance to interview numerous interesting and impressive senior executives and I like to ask them how well they mapped their route to the top in advance ??

Spoiler alert: the majority say they were not the single-minded, Excel-spreadsheeted career strategists you might imagine.

And yet they did have real control of their career journey ??

Here are the 5?? crucial things they've all done:

1) Had a clear set of guiding principles for the next kind of role they wanted, even if they were less clear on the exact job title - these could be anything from a specific challenge they wanted to help solve or the kind of people they wanted to work for/with, to a particular location or environment they wanted to experience, or a field that excited or interested them. Everyone's list will look different.

2) Focused on regularly gaining new skills and critical experiences - even if that sometimes meant a move sideways instead of upwards.

3) Took risks on opportunities that on paper weren't absolutely perfect (what is?), but were also brave enough to say no when they knew they were being pushed towards a role that really wasn't!

4) Confidently advocated for themselves and were vocal about their interest when opportunities arose that they absolutely did want.

5) Sought guidance and support from more experienced mentors and utilised a strong network when making career decisions.

Broken down like that, it's far more do-able than the ridiculous pressure of wargaming a 10- year plan, no?

Which of those five winning strategies most needs your attention right now?

Stay curious,

Rachel

PS. Don't forget that advocating for yourself includes a winning LinkedIn presence to showcase your skills, experience, and personality. My self-guided online course "Shine on LinkedIn" will give you that, for only ￡99 - "Thank you Rachel! I've become more confident using LinkedIn - from updating my profile to interacting and posting. I feel much more positive and robust to experiment, constantly update as well as use LinkedIn as a multi-functional tool." Click on the picture below to nosey around all the details ...