Sunday, November 4, 2012

Weathering the perfect storm …


“It doesn’t matter what people say about me, I weather the store”. – Terrell Owens

As you read this, you may be:

  • ·         Doing some clean up from Hurricane Sandy …
  •  
  • ·         Helping someone else clean-up …
  •  
  • ·         Getting back to business after a very tough week, after seeing the devastation all around (but luckily, not on top of us) …


Whatever the case, I think that last week has been a wake-up call that we all need to be prepared in case a crisis comes upon us. We were well informed; many prepared – some to the utmost degree, and that is good. We listened; we heeded, even if not really required after the winds settled.  A natural crisis like this can happen any day.

The same if true for your career and your life.

You never know when a crisis can come up and when you least expect it. Those who are resilient and survive – they are prepared. They anticipated what could happen at any time, and they were ready. Crisis in career happens often “unannounced”:

  • ·         The sudden loss of a job …
  • ·         The closing of a company …
  • ·         A change in technology that renders you obsolete ..
  • ·         And the list can go on …


Those who survive and prosper had their survival arsenal stocked and ready to go:

·         With a plan of their actions …
·         With direction and clarity of their next move …
·         With a support network around them to hold them up …
·         And with the tools they need (resume, contacts, strategy et al) …

I often tell clients that managing your career and being ready for a potential crisis (or opportunity!) is like having a household budget and a longer term financial plan. It is a guide that commits you to certain actions, plans and yes, restraints.

It is like checking your tools list before the storm:

I have flashlights …
I have candles …
I have stored water and food …
All my technology is charged-up ….

But rather than a list, it is commitments, and a process. I call them  Next-Act’s Five-Commitments for Career Continuity:

Next-Act’s Five-Commitments for Career Continuity:

I commit to reflect one hour each half of the year (1/1 and 7/1)  of the year on reviewing my personal and professional  progress the past six-months and plan my commitments for the next six-months , and write them down.

I commit to doing a review of my expenses and income and check that my budget is on track for the last six-months  and write down my budget for the next six-months.

I commit to ask myself the following question and to be brutally honest in the answer: Do I like what I am doing and is it fulfilling and makes me happy?  Yes or no – and write it down.

I commit to ask myself the following question and to be brutally honest in the answer: Do I see value in what I am doing and is my job aligned to my personal values? Yes or no – and write it down.

If the answer to any of the last two questions is no, I commit to make a change in the direction of my career or job in the next six-months, accept that this is required and write out an action plan with timelines and milestones to hold me accountable. If I cannot do this on my own, I commit to getting help from others.


I would be honored if you use this process to keep you prepared to weather any storm, and recover fast.  Learn from how we prepared  for Sandy. Be prepared for what can hit you from left field. Don’t be surprised and floored – be ready – always .

And may you be protected and prosperous. And thank you for reading this. - Dan


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