The abstract idea of “what is a career?” is not a conscious thought for many of us. More usually, we will have a sense of what might be next, perhaps even talk of a “career path” (or the absence of one) or perhaps our career discussions are mostly in the context of those HR-fettered conversations around objectives and development.
In any career, whether we have a plan or not, there will be moments of great change – a merry-go-round of CEOs, the cold wind (or hot air bubble) of the markets, the creaky old see-saw of dashing for growth or braking to save costs, the expensive Consultancy recycling their last client’s Vision, and the endless pursuit of shiny new things. Within this world our career conversations are more often reactive and carry an urgency or expediency which might still be positive, but which can also be the enemy of reflection.
Therefore, when I write about the idea of a career, I am not thinking about the practical scaffolding around our roles, or how we react to events, but more existentially about what we want to experience as a result of having a career; something that has a sense of purpose, growth and legacy.
I have wanted to write these notes for a little while, not as a statement of some uncovered truth, but simply as a quiet and gentle challenge for us to make a little more time for reflection rather than reaction.
I have mentored for nearly three decades, I have also (I hope) thoughtfully influenced many others though my training events and writing. Working with so many people over so long, I observe that careers tend to have three stages or “ages.”
First there is the “age of expertise,” then the “age of experience” and thirdly the “age of wisdom.”
The age of expertise is often highly developmental. It is about acquiring knowledge and being valued for having insights that are specialist and uncommon. It is about learning our craft, and getting used to having influence; but this is often accompanied with a profound sense of needing to know even more to feel fulfilled – like having the ingredients, but not the recipe.
The age of experience is how we learn to apply our expertise. It accumulates over time but is shaped by learning how to build and maintain relationships, and how we understand competing interests, context and nuance in the environments in which we work. Typically, it cannot be taught in the way that we learn our expertise, but there will be lessons for us in every moment if we are willing to notice them.
The age of wisdom does not arrive for everyone. It comes when we let go of personal ambition and use our experience selflessly and unconditionally to support others. It rests in trust that has been won over years. It thrives without fanfare, but in humility and kindness; it is often self-deprecating, but it is also steely, indefatigable and an exemplar of integrity and calm assurance.
So, how should we think about our careers?
I do not think that a career can be truly fulfilling if it is approached transactionally and becomes mostly about accumulating increasingly senior job titles, or seeking bigger salaries and bonuses. These things are important and I do not underestimate their significance, but I know that careers can be, and should be, about other things too, especially if we want to enjoy all three ages of a career.
The essence of this, for me, is also in three parts:
The first is how we stay true to our values, and still continue to develop, to learn and to grow at all stages of our working lives. The second is how earn our reputation for our decision-making, our judgement and for the things we deliver. The third is how we influence others to find their path and to fulfil their potential too.
Each of these elements then come together to reveal what is in effect our personal leadership style. An amalgam where leadership isn’t about status or hierarchy, but a mindset to be intentional and to care.
Revealing our personal leadership style within our career is not about how ambitious or extrovert we are, how competitive or political we are, or how good we are at communication and strategy. These things can seem important, but on their own they are also performative, empty and formulaic. True leadership is revealed in how we intentionally stay true to our values, how we stay accountable for what we deliver (doing so with care and respect) and, crucially, how we help others to deliver too.
In my mentoring work, I will typically spend time discussing how we influence, then talking about the importance of relationships, about how our needs are met (or not) and then how we tell the stories we want to share. There is a reason for these conversations which is not to teach, but to reveal. The themes for these conversations are, in many ways, just stepping stones across the year; the value, I hope, is in the developing narrative we create that we then are comfortable to own and to share as we seek more fulfilment in our roles.
My encouragement when thinking about our careers is not to wonder what is next, but to enjoy every moment of now. Fulfilment is a feeling to find in today and not to hope it will be discovered tomorrow.
I will conclude these notes with a few more gentle encouragements for the next period of our working lives.
We are allowed to want things for ourselves, to have our needs met and for the working environment to be one in which we can thrive. Our efforts however should not be stubbornly pre-conditioned, but our hopes should be clear, signposted and shared.
We have more to offer our colleagues and our businesses than we think. As we move into the age of experience, the combination of our corporate memory, our understanding of people and frankly, how to get shit done, is an increasingly valuable resource. So, how do we make things even better in the moment and for those who pick up where we left off?
If we can therefore contribute to an environment in which others can thrive, this is a gift which will endure long after we have gone because it will stay with those we influence throughout their working lives. I include our more junior colleagues, but also our peers and those more senior to us as well. Can we use our experience to encourage, to coach and to support others to succeed?
In terms of your career right now, I hope your story is already brilliantly well told, but it is also wonderfully unfinished.
Take care. Paul xx
