Three years to the day, I signed a paper that lead
to the irrevocable termination of my employment contract with my previous
employer. This was both a scary and exciting moment. Scary because an
attractive monthly pay cheque would be a beautiful memory of the past. Exciting
because I knew I was finally following my passion and on the way to making a
dream come true.
Three years later, I still love my work more than
anything I ever did professionally, and I cannot imagine ever going back to an
environment in which someone else would try to control what I do, how I do it,
and when I do it.
My executive coaching clients today are also
striving for making their work more meaningful and their lives more fulfilling.
(As a matter of fact, who isn't?)
To achieve this not everyone needs to quit their
jobs. Many people are cut out for the corporate world, and not everybody needs
to become an entrepreneur to experience a fulfilling life. Doing more of what
you love and still getting paid for it may very well be possible within the
organization or industry you currently work in.
If you are looking for a more rewarding work so that
you jump out of bed on Monday mornings, here's a simple but effective three
step exercise for you.
In order to find work which you enjoy, which adds
meaning to your life, plus pays your bills (and hopefully more), you must find
the overlap of the three corners of the Career
Success Triangle. You must match Passion, Skills, and Value.
1. Passion
You will only enjoy your work in the long run when
you are intrinsically motivated, when you naturally love what you are doing. I
never met anyone who was happy in a job which they were doing just for the
money - even when it was lots of money.
So what are you really passionate about?
If the answer is a blank stare, allow yourself some
time to dig deeper:
· What are the things that make you lose track of time?
· What makes you stay up late at night, and wake up early the next
morning because you can't wait to continue?
· What have you achieved in the face of enormous challenges or
despite massive resistance?
You can ask your parents what they observed you
completely involved in when you were a child. Professional assessments like the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) may as well help you understand yourself
better.
In coaching sessions, I know we have tapped into my
client's true passion when I see this unique sparkling in their eyes. These are
memorable and utmost rewarding moments.
People tend to limit themselves by thinking what
they are passionate about is funny, awkward, or weird. They are afraid of what
other people might think. Or the fear of potential obstacles or of not being
good enough stops them even before starting exploring any options.
You can raise your concerns later, and doing a
feasibility study for businesses is certainly wise. But now is not the time.
Remember the most important rule of brainstorming: don't judge! Just let the
ideas flow for now.
I remember a Thai woman who told me that she
actually loves writing concepts for TV shows. In fact she had some drafts
already in her drawer. But she hadn't told anyone before because she thought
people would laugh at her.
A director I work with got the sparkling in his eyes
when he told me he was passionate about is wine - and that was not just about
drinking it. His passion had little to do with the work he had done over the
last decades, but our discussion suddenly triggered some new business ideas.
2. Skills
Next is to explore your unique skills. What are your
strengths and capabilities? What are you naturally good at?
For most people it is surprisingly difficult to tell
what they are good at simply because it feels so natural to them. Friends or
people you work with may admire you for something, but you don't feel that it's
anything special. Just like a Managing Director of a large organization in
Thailand who I interviewed recently. She herself felt that she was not
particularly good at leadership skills. However, over the years she realized
that others perceived her as a "natural born leader." She recalled
that early on people asked her to lead group activities outside work, and
professionally she climbed the ladder of success quickly. She was genuinely
surprised by what other people saw in her which she didn't see herself
initially.
360 degree feedback are great tools to learn how
other people perceive you compared to how you see yourself. My favorite on-line
tool is Tilt 365. Or you can just do a less formal survey among people who know
you well. Ask them for instance
· to describe 3 occasions when they saw you at your best
· what they think your 3-5 key strengths are
· what topics they would ask you for a consultation on
If you like you combine the exercise with the famous
Johari Window.
The free "VIA Survey of Character
Strengths", based on Martin Seligman's renowned work on Positive
Psychology, may help you find the missing piece to solve the puzzle.
Reality Check - How Do Your Skills Match With Your
Passion?
To find your ideal job within or outside your
current organization, you want to have all corners of the Success Triangle
overlap as much as possible. Check now how your skills match with your passion.
If you dream of becoming the president of your
country because you are passionate about creating a better future for your
people, then it's a good start when others tell you that you are amazing at
inspiring others, have outstanding political and economic knowledge, and that
they are impressed how effectively and diplomatically you negotiate.
If your passion is playing the piano but your
private concerts make people flee the room, becoming a professional musician
may not be your optimum career choice. Or maybe maths has always been easier
for you than for most other people. However, if there's no heart in solving
complex equations, then maybe you won't be happy as an engineer.
3. Value
You have just found your true passion and you possess the matching skills?
Perfect. You are on the way to find your ideal job and towards a more rewarding
and fulfilling life!
If you like most people still need to earn a living,
the critical question now is:
How can what you are truly good at and what you are
incredibly passionate about add value to other people's lives?
"Do what you love and the money will
follow" is a dangerous nonsense. If it was that easy, we would live in a
world crowded with happy and fulfilled people. The reality is we are not.
If other people do not see value in what you are
doing so well and passionately (i.e. they are not willing to pay you for what
you do), you might be starving before becoming rich and famous.
Finding what is valuable for others and ultimately
getting the biggest overlap of the triangle is probably the hardest part of the
exercise. It may take some time, so don't be discouraged if you don't see the
missing part of the puzzle immediately. Persistence is a key trait of all
successful people.
Make sure to explore all options that come to your
mind. Do some brainstorming with friends and like-minded people. Get expert
advice, and surround yourself with people that support you and your ideas. (I
cannot sufficiently emphasize the importance of support, and I am very grateful
for all the support I got from family and friends while I transitioned from the
corporate executive to a solo entrepreneur.)
Once you know what you want do, throw yourself fully
into it (that's what being passionate is all about, isn't it?) without being
naive. Too many well-intended businesses fail because they are not well thought
through. A feasibility study and a business plan will help the money to follow
your passion and eventually catch up with it.
Enjoy the journey and I look forward to hearing your
success story!
Dr. Gerrit Pelzer is the founder and Managing
Director of Vivo Consulting Co., Ltd. He is a Certified Professional Coach with
the International Coach Academy, an Associate Certified Coach with the
International Coach Federation, and in 2012 he has been elected Vice President
of the International Coach Federation Bangok Chapter. As an Executive Coach he
focuses on Leadership Development and Cross-Cultural Leadership issues. Based
in Thailand since 2004 he serves clients all around the world.
http://www.vivocoaching.com
http://th.LinkedIn.com/in/gerritpelzer
By Dr. Gerrit Pelzer
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Gerrit_Pelzer/604158
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