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INDIVIDUAL: Take charge of your career.
“I’m at a crossroads. How do I sort out my next move?” This statement is the one most frequently raised by my individual clients as they initiate the process of rethinking their work. They are really asking, Who do I want to become? What do I truly want to do with my precious time? How do I become better at my job, prouder of my career, and more of a contributor to this planet?
THE RETHINKING WORK® PROCESS
Eight 75-minute, one-on-one sessions, thoughtfully spaced apart to meet your learning and development needs. Most clients rethink work—reflect, explore, and engage—during a three to eight month period in order to listen to their inner desires, clarify their focus, draw on their core strengths, sift through their options, and achieve their goals. Rethinking Work includes:
Pre-Session Questions: Seven questions that shape the writing of your mini-autobiography—a reflection to increase your awareness, organize your thoughts, and clarify your Rethinking Work purpose.
Homework: Highly relevant between-session assignments to augment and deepen learning and accelerate your development process.
Check-in: Between-session consultation to review homework and discuss your challenges and progress.
Holistic Perspective: Support to integrate the breadth of your life—work, family, and personal—as a means toward sound and sustainable decisions.
Navigation: Enough structure—exercises, feedback, and suggestions—to gain perspective, yield focus, and encourage action, combined with enough flexibility—storytelling, brainstorming, and experimenting—to inspire creativity and attract opportunity.
Outcome: Compelling clarity and the ability to represent your authentic self—your competitive advantage in shaping your work and in negotiating the marketplace. In addition, the competence to use the Rethinking Work cycle—reflect, explore, and engage—as an ongoing process to live a more fulfilling work-life.
READINESS CHECKLIST
Use this Readiness Guide to assess, measure, and affirm your readiness. If you check three or more of the items, you are ready to start the Rethinking Work process.
Do you want to . . .
[ ] make more worthwhile contributions?
[ ] take charge of your attitude?
[ ] reawaken your spirit?
[ ] fully express your passion?
[ ] overcome your work fears?
[ ] stay in your current job and grow there?
[ ] take control of your work-life?
[ ] better align with customers’ needs?
[ ] maintain a clear sense of self while you work with others?
[ ] establish a new work attitude?
[ ] set a leadership example?
[ ] approach work with grace?
[ ] inspire others?
PRE-SESSION QUESTIONS
Review the seven pre-session questions. Your answers to them will clarify and organize your thoughts.
- Would you write about your family background, ups and downs, and points of interest? Include some history about how you came to your current work-life. How do you think your family has influenced your work and career choices? Write a few pages!
- What has worked—actions, beliefs and skills—for you in the present? In the past?
- What is most challenging—pressing—to you now? To what degree do you feel that you’re at the end of a challenge? Would you like to learn and master something new? Explain.
- What do you want more of in your life? Less of? What do you need to "let go" of in order to move on to your goals?
- What do you enjoy—engages you—anything, inside or outside of work?
- Would you write down some words (hopeful, fearful, impatient) and phrases (can't seem to relax, itching to do something else, enjoy time alone) that describe you and your life now and in the recent past?
- What would you like to accomplish by rethinking your work? If you progressed toward a more fulfilling job or career what would that mean to your life?
INDIVIDUAL CLIENT EXAMPLES
Jack, 58-year-old manager: “I have no intention of retiring anytime soon. I need to make a contribution to this planet first, and I want to figure out what that contribution will be.”
When Yael turned 35: “I asked myself how I felt and the answer was grim. Over the past few years, I’ve accepted any reasonable job that came along. Reasonable is not joyful. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m the only one who can define my interests and then find the work that I love.”
Russell at 45: “I’ve earned three prestigious degrees and have worked with some noteworthy companies including Microsoft and IBM. Despite my success, I have a big hole in me. I’m looking good on paper, but missing a true connection—ownership—to my work. I’m scared though, what if I can’t build the bridge between meaning and money? I’ve got two kids to send to college.”
Gabriel, management consultant: “My clients tell me that I’m a talented, skillful, and compassionate. Despite this profile, I feel frustrated by the slow pace of my business, heading now into my sixth year. How could I be in this fix? I’m the one that is supposed to be coaching others. Another concern, I’m in my mid-fifties and feel the need to press forward. If not now, when? My desire is to do meaningful work and generate a reasonable, steady income. As Gandhi said, ”Be the change that you want to see in the world.”
Pilar, 43-year-old business owner: “I want to answer the question, How much money do I really need to feel secure and do creative work? My answer will help me to take back my time,” she said, “and do the kind of work that challenges me to grow personally as well as give to others.”
Clayton, securities trader: “I am happy about who I am, but not about whom I want to be. I have been a fixed-income securities trader for seven years and came into this job by luck. I’ve worked hard, and my efforts have paid off, but I’m feeling that my work chose me, I didn’t choose it. Now I want to choose—figure out how I can transform my current situation into something entrepreneurial that will give me purpose and tap into more of my creativity. I enjoy analyzing things and improving processes. I love to teach, and love investments and cooking. Could we incorporate all of these into my next career move?”
OPENING NEW DOORS
Read the first chapter of Cliff Hakim’s newest book, Rethinking Work: Are you ready to take charge? (Davies-Black, 2007): Chapter One: Your Core Questions
I try to avoid the notion that we have to begin all over again. We don’t have the time, energy, or money to keep starting from scratch. Instead, we can retrace our careers to search for the skills with “recycle value” and find the treasures buried in our past. This effort involves not only closing the doors to situations that no longer work for us but considering the doors we might reopen. In other words, we can sort through our history for meaningful experiences, contacts, and expertise and explore the opportunities we passed up. As we do this, we may find many interests that are worth reviving. (A Rethinking Work excerpt)
RETHINKING YOUR WORK
Contact Cliff Hakim: cliff@rethinkingwork.com or 617.661.1250
We’ll discuss your specific situation, and if it’s time for you to start Rethinking Work we’ll schedule your first session. Fees are paid by the individual.
Cliff, I wanted you to be among the first to know. I got a call from the dean at B.U. earlier this afternoon. He made me an offer, and I accepted. So starting in the fall, I will be the director of the photojournalism program at Boston University. I can't tell you how excited I am about this.
And I can't adequately express my gratitude to you for all the help and guidance you have provided over the past year, not to mention the friendship. It was almost exactly a year ago that I started rethinking my work. I can safely say a year later that there is no question I am in a better place, with a much brighter, more exciting, and purposeful/passionate future.
Thank you for all you have done for me and for all you continue to do. I've learned so much and come so far, and it wouldn't have happened this way without your contribution.
Peter Southwick
professor, and award-winning events photographer
southwickphoto.com