At ten years old, there were lots of fun things I wanted to be one day. I could drive trucks, fly planes, or be a fireman. By age eighteen, I had no clue. There seemed by then to be only five career options: law, medicine, engineering, teaching or accounting. And none had too much interest for me. And so, by my mid-twenties, having graduated with the first part of a law degree and deciding this was not for me, I was making good progress in a corporation that, for me, set the bar for how the workplace should be. But the truth be told, I was still muddling along, looking for direction. I had done all the standard career tests; they hadn’t helped me make better choices, and they were no help to me now. I realised making choices was my job, and it wasn’t so easy. I discovered, too, that careers were not a single choice but a stream of choices throughout our working lives, no matter the path we take.
Finding Tools
Finding tools to make better work choices became somewhat of an obsession for me. I read everything I could find. I completed an academic thesis on career decision-making models. I travelled the world to learn from thinkers and practitioners whose work I admired. It took me to the USA, UK, and Germany. Along the way, I discovered my own mission: to help others navigate career crossroads of their own. I reconciled too how my work was an extension of my spiritual life; I believe we are each called to make the world a better place, no matter what we do. After fifteen years in the workplace, by then a senior manager in financial services, I left to start my own consulting business. Over the past 23 years I have been consulting and teaching in corporations and business school; working with executives, teams, students, and large groups of people facing job loss in a changing workplace.
The current workplace
As I worked on this book, I seriously questioned whether we needed another book on careers. After all, there are many good books on how to design your life, drive your career to the top, take ownership of your career, and find your dream job. There is also no shortage of good advice online; even ChatGPT will provide a comprehensive plan if you need one. As for making brave choices, that also is not new. Ordinary people have got through challenging times despite the odds. Some people have left their names in history books, but by far the majority have quietly and bravely forged on, bringing up families in difficult times, looking for work when jobs were scarce, and managing depression alongside having to earn an income.
Yet for all the inspiring stories, ‘how to’ books, psychometric testing, talent models and wellness initiatives, the workplace is in worse shape than ever. Gallup shows engagement in the workplace in 2024 was 23%; that’s only two and a bit out of ten people. The rest are watching the clock or doing only what they must not to get fired. Half the world’s population is keen to change jobs or willing to move if they find something better. So, if you aren’t considering a job change, the person sitting next to you is. The same report showed an alarming and unyielding increase in workplace stress. Research has suggested that one of the most significant challenges in corporations will be managing mental health. Organisations are now encouraging people to take the reins in their careers. That’s hardly a new thought, except they might be serious this time since they aren’t sure what else to do.
Personal Leadership
So, what is missing here? Well, it’s you and me. Taking the lead in our work life is the new imperative. We can’t depend on someone else to predict what we should do, manage our well-being, get us going each day, or find us work without our involvement. Everyone can become a leader, and so can you. Becoming your own leader means making things happen rather than watching things happen. It ensures you don’t end up being a victim of the decisions others make for you and working towards goals other people determine are good. Success is about living a life that matters to you, and only you can do that.
At the same time, there is no perfect system for making choices. If there were, everyone would be doing work they loved and earning good money. Except they aren’t. Nor is it that simple. So it’s tempting to settle, to stay in a job that demands little of our potential, hang in with a boss who undermines our confidence, stay in a toxic work environment because it pays and is apparently safe, or do nothing, waiting for our passion to land or for our dream job to find us.
Beyond Stuck
This book is about leading your life and work, no matter how stuck or hopeless you feel. It is not about redesigning your life or finding your dream job, though I hope you do along the way. It’s about making better choices every day. Every situation you face, and every problem you encounter offers you the opportunity to make better choices. It may mean taking some risks. It may mean sticking your neck out. It may mean starting again with new courage. It may mean doing any work while you work on your ‘Plan A’. It may mean starting the day with new hope and purpose, no matter how hard yesterday was. It may mean asking for help and, with new insight, trying again.
Whenever I faced a crossroads on my own career journey, I thought it was only me. Everyone else seemed to have it sorted. I’ve discovered it wasn’t only me, and still isn’t. People looking to make better decisions in their work lives fill corporate corridors and business school lecture halls. They sit beside me on planes and strike up conversations at social functions. Many see me professionally, most often without their employers’ knowledge.
One step at a time
I believe we each can make brave choices; it’s part of being human. But there are two things to let go of. First, we need to make peace with not having to change the world and everyone in it to make a difference. Second, we must give up needing other people’s approval for every move we make. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek the best advice we can, but we still need to walk our own path. I met a gentleman a few years ago who had sold his large business for a considerable sum of money. He told me he had no interest in studying further when he was young. He wanted to do something with his hands. His mother said to him one day: ‘If you don’t study, you’ll end up sweeping the streets, and then what will people say?’ ‘I’ll tell you what they’ll say’, he said. ‘They’ll say what beautifully swept streets.’ I believe we all can do something that matters to us and that we can be proud of.
I have not written this book for those who are satisfied and flying in their work lives, but for those who are stuck and willing to take the next step – if only they knew what that was. Making brave choices doesn’t mean being reckless, resigning in a huff, or buying the first franchise you find online. But it does mean letting go of needing everything to be safe. Life is not safe. We can avoid every risk and still be run over by a car at our local mall. I believe we are all invited to make brave choices in an uncertain world. The good news is we don’t have to do it all at once. We just need to take one step, one day at a time.
Copyright: Andrew Bramley 2024. All rights reserved.