Tilda Publishing
Career Development
How to Turn Career Challenges into Opportunities for Growth
I read a lot about industry leaders that changed our lives. While reading I am trying to comprehend:
Reading such books helps me to reflect upon my own choices and outcomes. I enjoy this type of reading because it inspires me to grow and improve. In some cases, it helps me to articulate my own rules. I used to have a rule: obtain at least one certification every year. I initially concentrated on technical credentials, followed by certifications for managers. It was no brainer what the next step should be—just carry out a strategy crafted by hundreds of the greatest minds in their field. Unfortunately, this approach lost its momentum once I completed my EMBA.
Since taking over the company I run, it has gotten increasingly difficult to keep up with certifications. How can I guarantee that I am well-versed in all areas of the business and can thus make informed decisions? This question, along with the fear that comes with it, causes what many refer to as "imposter syndrome"—a frequent battle for leaders confronting new difficulties.
I've published another article about dealing with imposter syndrome, but I'd want to devote this one to job choices and obstacles. How to recognize when and how to improve as a manager and leader.
- What career path have they pursued?
- What choices have contributed to their success?
- Did they learn from others or from their own failures?
Reading such books helps me to reflect upon my own choices and outcomes. I enjoy this type of reading because it inspires me to grow and improve. In some cases, it helps me to articulate my own rules. I used to have a rule: obtain at least one certification every year. I initially concentrated on technical credentials, followed by certifications for managers. It was no brainer what the next step should be—just carry out a strategy crafted by hundreds of the greatest minds in their field. Unfortunately, this approach lost its momentum once I completed my EMBA.
Since taking over the company I run, it has gotten increasingly difficult to keep up with certifications. How can I guarantee that I am well-versed in all areas of the business and can thus make informed decisions? This question, along with the fear that comes with it, causes what many refer to as "imposter syndrome"—a frequent battle for leaders confronting new difficulties.
I've published another article about dealing with imposter syndrome, but I'd want to devote this one to job choices and obstacles. How to recognize when and how to improve as a manager and leader.
Putting Knowledge into Practice
I've come to realize that all the knowledge we accumulate can seem pretty useless until we're faced with a problem and something external triggers us to put that knowledge to use. Reading extensively about crisis management, team dynamics, and process transformation may not fully come to life until you encounter a relevant challenge.
I was fortunate to have a mentor who, at just the right moment, drew my attention to Joseph Campbell’s concept of the hero’s journey, otherwise known as the monomyth. In a nutshell, the Hero’s Journey describes the series of stages a hero goes through in many stories, from ancient Greek myth to modern films. This concept struck a chord with me, and I realized it could be applied to my own career development.
For example, here’s how I adapted the main early stages of this concept to my career:
Not all the practices I had learned from past experiences and certifications worked as expected. This set up the problem—and the very conversation with my mentor that led to the Hero’s Journey discussion.
I was fortunate to have a mentor who, at just the right moment, drew my attention to Joseph Campbell’s concept of the hero’s journey, otherwise known as the monomyth. In a nutshell, the Hero’s Journey describes the series of stages a hero goes through in many stories, from ancient Greek myth to modern films. This concept struck a chord with me, and I realized it could be applied to my own career development.
For example, here’s how I adapted the main early stages of this concept to my career:
- The Ordinary World: In my full-time role as operations manager, everything was familiar and understandable.
- A Call to Adventure: I was offered a new role—something I hadn’t done before.
- Refusal of the Call: I turned down another offer before finding the right one.
- Meeting the Mentor: I met the founder of the company offering me a position.
- Crossing the Threshold: I decided to accept the offer.
- Tests, Allies, and Enemies: I got to know the team and the company, started working on strategy, and experienced a crisis.
Not all the practices I had learned from past experiences and certifications worked as expected. This set up the problem—and the very conversation with my mentor that led to the Hero’s Journey discussion.
Meeting the Challenge
Reflecting on the hero’s journey can be particularly helpful for business leaders when approaching challenges. Specifically, for career development, one of the most challenging parts of a new position can be redefining the primary skills you need for the role. This is where the journey from accumulated knowledge to actionable practice begins. To navigate this journey, I suggest looking to these resources
- The Wheel of Life: This tool allows you to assess the current state of affairs through a 360-degree view of your situation. In coaching, it’s used to determine a person’s areas of interest and assess their satisfaction with each of them. Assessing these areas can help you quickly identify imbalances and create goals based on your vision. I used this tool to find the categories of skills required for my role, filling the wheel with the categories of skills needed by a leader instead of life areas.
- Media Resources: Contrast your ideas of the necessary skills with what experts describe in books and articles about the role and its sphere of influence. For example, I reviewed a selection of my favorite sources, noting the qualities the authors emphasized, and then grouped these qualities into different categories.
- Team and Mentor Feedback: It’s crucial to have someone validate your vision. Ask your mentors and team to share their feedback on your identified skill areas. Here you can find my thoughts on mentoring and its role in professional development.
Prioritization and Growth Points
Once you’ve identified the categories to work on, take these steps:
With this information, you can create a prioritized self-development plan with a list of tasks for the coming year. Given life’s dynamic and unpredictable nature, I suggest reviewing it every six months.
- Make an Assessment: Use a scale from zero to three to assess each skill: zero for novice level, one for beginner, two for intermediate, and three for expert.
- Identify the Growth Zone: Prioritize skills with a score of zero, then those with a score of one. Skills rated higher than one can be added to your plan in a few months.
- Define Success Criteria: For each skill in your development plan, answer the question, “How will I know if I’ve achieved my goal?” The answer should be a measurable outcome. For instance, my mentoring goal was to find X mentees and have at least Y meetings with them.
With this information, you can create a prioritized self-development plan with a list of tasks for the coming year. Given life’s dynamic and unpredictable nature, I suggest reviewing it every six months.
The Hero’s Journey Revisited
Returning to the Hero’s Journey, the sequel to my growth plan looks like this:
- The Approach: This involves rejecting habitual problem-solving practices; there is no longer an expert, only a mentor and a facilitator.
- The Ordeal: Work on the company’s development strategy, define your area of responsibility, and establish a self-development plan.
- Reward: A growth plan is created.
- The Road Back: Follow the plan and adopt new approaches to solve past problems.
- Resurrection: Experience new, unforeseen circumstances that test the plan, leading to the discovery of new solutions.
- Return with the Elixir: The new world becomes ordinary, and the circle closes.
Conclusion
As you progress in your profession, developing a plan for your own personal growth can assist you in conducting an objective evaluation of your capabilities and the degree to which your present job is suitable for you. Building up your career and overcoming impostor syndrome are two more benefits of this skill.
It is important to keep in mind that an alternative role often calls for the acquisition of new skills. As you take on unexpected challenges, it is important to remember to periodically evaluate the tools you have at your disposal. Although it may cost additional effort, being proactive is something that will pay off in the long term.
It is important to keep in mind that an alternative role often calls for the acquisition of new skills. As you take on unexpected challenges, it is important to remember to periodically evaluate the tools you have at your disposal. Although it may cost additional effort, being proactive is something that will pay off in the long term.