Do you share some of these
questions?
- ”I’m not ready to
retire, but my company is pushing me out.”
- ”I don’t think I have a
future in this organization any more; I can’t get any straight answers.”
- ”I like my job, and
I’ve survived two work force reductions. But I’m always looking over my
shoulder, and I hate that.”
- ”I always thought
loyalty was a big deal—but no more. There isn’t any loyalty from my employer
anymore. Where do I find that job security, like it used to be?”
- ”When will all the
changes here (in the work place) stop?”
- ”I’ve been in a corporate environment all my life,
but things are different. I’m uncomfortable, things change all the time, and
I don’t think I can stick it out until retirement. But I’m over 50, and
don’t know how to begin or where to start. It’s probably foolish to try.”
- ”I’m really burned out
on 60 hour weeks and doing my job plus the job of two people let go in the
last layoff. What choice do I have, really?”
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Respond (not react) to workplace changes.
We’ve are in the Information Age, and any workplace that hasn’t kept up with
technology changes and increased global competition faces certain failure,
probably sooner rather than later. Our ancestors who lived through the move
from the agrarian age to the industrial age surely feared the same
uncertainty—but the transition occurred and changed our workplace for the
remainder of the 20th century.
The best way to manage the uncertainty and constant change in the work place
is to set your own course: become “career resilient” and “career
self-reliant” by taking responsibility for your own career and future
direction. While this may not be easy, it is less stressful and puts you in
control of your future. A career coach can help you determine how to develop
the self-reliance to respond, not react, to workplace changes.
The “employment contract” has changed…is actually non-existent. Employers
used to provide “a good day’s pay” for a “9 to 5” job with “cradle to grave”
employment and “upward mobility” or “career ladder” for hard workers who put
in the time and played the political game. Today’s global economy and
increasing competition has forced employers to change their practices and
employee expectations in order to remain in business.
Only you can determine your job security, your employment future; to wait
for your employer to do so is a waste of time. If your beliefs and
expectations are caught in the “shoulds” of how things used to be, it’s time
to align your expectations with business reality.
A coach is that supportive partner who listens to where you are and then
serves as your guide and mentor as you align with reality, develop new
skills and act on your choices.
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