#18 Changing jobs?
Every couple of months, my manager asks me what I want to do next in my job and what other ideas/avenues I'd like to explore. Sometimes, I have the answer, and sometimes, I don't.
One day, I took pen and paper and started writing down some questions and ideas, such as:
How do I want others to see me at work?
What is it in the way?
What do I like/don't like doing now at work?
What are some areas I would like to explore next in my career?
What are my current skills, and where are some potential gaps/learning opportunities?
Next, I wrote down a potential job spec and a potential split during my work week. I'm also a big fan of mind-mapping, so having all those ideas visually helped a lot and brought some clarity.
I realized I wanted more freedom to improve processes, be creative, but mostly, I wanted to share with others my learnings and facilitate better meetings for my team. And less admin work, creating manual reports, and feeling that I don't have any visibility with what is happening within my team.
Then, I had a very open conversation with my manager and tried to find ways to do all of that, plus do more coaching internally.
You might say, "lucky you, your manager seems great!". Which is true :) But, at the same time, I stopped and created some time for me to reflect and figure out what I wanted to do.
I took time to think about what makes me happy at work. I intentionally looked for opportunities and read books and articles that would support me in my decision. I was the one who created a path and followed it. The motivation to do so is internal, not external. I didn't wait for others to define my path. I was the one working to make things happen.
This raises some other questions like how do we support people to have the necessary time for learning. How can your direct manager help you figure out what you want to do? Do you have an idea of what's next for you, and are you brave enough to create the space to make that happen?
Personally, I am still trying to figure out how to best shape my role in my company. Because, as I write this, the Universe decided to mix up my plans and take me out completely out of my comfort zone :) And this is a story for another day :)
I hope this serves you,
Flo