Career Transformations: From Good...to Great!

In Jim Collins’ book From Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t, he says “Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice.” I believe that individual greatness is the same – we make the conscious choice to be average, pretty good, or really great in our jobs and careers. Think about it – what do you need to do to move up that scale to greatness? Upgrade your skills, stretch yourself by taking on a new project, or move into that career path that better suits you? Here are some more ideas and information on transforming your career into something truly great:

From Secure to Fragile: If layoffs are looming in your work environment, now’s the time to step up your involvement and visibility. After sharpening your time management and delegation skills so you can focus on higher priority tasks, offer to take on new projects and participate in the company’s initiatives to build revenue. Be a model employee by always being on time, demonstrating a positive attitude, and handling yourself professionally. Document your accomplishments and high-level activities, not only for your own self confidence, but also to fill your boss in on what you’re doing to be of value during tough times. While keeping busy with this plan, look out for yourself and continue your networking, updating your resume, and stay tuned in to what your next move might be if it becomes necessary.

From Broad service offerings to Focused service offerings: For small business owners, it’s easy to take on too much and try to be “all things to all people”. If you’re finding yourself spread a little thin these days with no time to accomplish all that work on your plate, do a little Quantity-Quality evaluation. List all the services you provide and the revenue each brings in to your company and the clients that purchase those services. Make a decision to stick with the ones that bring in the most money and attract the best clients. Recheck your list by factoring in the happiness component – which tasks and services are you providing that bring you the most joy? Weigh that against the revenue factor and see which you should consider keeping, then really focus and build on those few. Let the others go.

From White Collar to “Green Collar”: According to a recent article in Business Week, many mid-career changers are choosing a new path to benefit their passion, the environment. By assessing your skills and interests, you may find a position you can easily transition into while pursuing your passion for Mother Earth. This is a relatively new field for job seekers: There are currently 8.5 million of these "green-collar jobs" in renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries in the U.S. and a November report commissioned by the American Solar Energy Society projects that number could grow to 40 million by 2030. Whatever your passion, the same evaluation process of your skills and interests will be of value. Transitioning into something you love may not be as difficult as you think!

More things to consider this month as we explore the idea of career transformation. What conscious choices can you make this week to move from just good to truly great in your work life?

“Man’s greatness lies in his power of thought.”
Blaise Pascal - French mathematician, philosopher and physicist (1623-1662)

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