00:00:00: Introduction
00:01:15: Defining profession standards
00:04:34: Profession standards vs strengths and values
00:07:34: The excessive/low profession graph
00:10:15: Should-haves versus nice-to-haves
00:15:53: Success assertion
00:18:22: Perceive your constraints
00:22:32: Profession conversations
00:31:33: Last ideas
Sarah Ellis: Hello, I am Sarah.
Helen Tupper: And I am Helen.
Sarah Ellis: And that is the Squiggly Careers podcast, the place each week we speak about a special matter to do with work, and share some concepts for motion and instruments to check out that we hope will assist you. And let’s be sincere, each week it helps us to navigate our Squiggly Profession with that bit extra confidence, readability and management.
Helen Tupper: In case you are a daily listener and you do not need to miss out on an episode, or the entire sources that we create to go together with the dialog that we’ve, join PodMail. It’s an e-mail that goes out on a Tuesday, therefore it is PodMail, as a result of it is concerning the podcast; and in PodMail, you’re going to get the hyperlinks to our PodNotes, to our PodSheets, particulars about PodPlus, all issues Squiggly Careers are principally in there. And it’ll come into your inbox about 8.30 each Tuesday. If you wish to join that, go to the present notes, and then you definately’ll discover a hyperlink in there. And if you cannot discover the present notes, then simply e-mail us. We’re helen&sarah@squigglycareers.com.
Right now’s Squiggly Careers dialog is all about tips on how to create your profession standards. It is one thing that we speak about on fairly a number of of our classes, really.  I feel after we speak about exploring our future potentialities, and we consider using your strengths extra at work, we regularly come again to this concept of profession standards, however we have not talked about it on the podcast earlier than. So, we thought it could be helpful to share it with folks.
When it comes to what a profession standards is, it is actually only a checklist of issues which might be necessary to you concerning the work that you simply do, and which may embody what’s necessary to you about what you’re employed on, the kind of work; or if you work, so the form of your working week, for instance; the place you’re employed, possibly the kind of companies that you simply wish to work in; the how of your work, the why of your work. It is getting a listing of issues that really feel private and particular to you and utilizing that as a information to the choices that you simply make about your profession.
It is not a job title or a job description that is precisely what you need to do. So it is not me occurring LinkedIn, wanting up a job and going, “That is my profession standards”, as a result of that is a job and it could be attention-grabbing to you, however we’re attempting to get you to suppose a bit extra broadly with the profession standards, as a result of you probably have a profession standards, what it lets you do is look past a job title or a single job description, and suppose a bit extra broadly about what you could possibly do and the place you could possibly discover your match.
Sarah Ellis: One of many issues that profession standards has all the time actually helped me with will not be getting distracted about what we typically name, “shiny object syndrome”. Shiny object syndrome is job titles, as Helen’s described, possibly it is a model that simply appears very glamorous, possibly it might be a couple of wage, however one thing that on the floor, does really feel very type of jazz palms.
Helen Tupper: The jazz-hands job!
Sarah Ellis: I do know, jazz-hands job! However you realise, I feel, fairly shortly that these shiny objects do tarnish. So, it is actually questioning your self by way of, what are your profession standards, and people issues that final means past a few of these shiny issues on the floor? And I’ve made some troublesome, however undoubtedly proper choices, as a result of I knew my profession standards.
I feel I’ve additionally made some actually dangerous choices in my profession earlier on, the place I hadn’t thought of this sufficient, and I felt like different folks have been extra in charge of my profession than I used to be, or I used to be doing maybe what I ought to do, or what different folks instructed me was a good suggestion to do, with out actually stopping and questioning, “What’s my profession standards; what feels necessary to me about my choices and my selections?” Given, in Squiggly Careers, we’ll have much more of these, this looks like one thing that you simply need to hold coming again to.
Helen Tupper: And I feel, when you might have that perception into your profession standards, it additionally makes you rather more assured within the conversations that you’ve got. As a result of, I really feel like as soon as you have bought readability on it, you’ll be able to go right into a dialog and you’ll say, “These are the types of issues that I am enthusiastic about, and because of this I am enthusiastic about it”. And I feel, upon getting that information, you do not really feel like you need to apologise or you need to defend it, you are simply saying, “That is what I need to do in my profession and I am hoping I can try this right here, I might wish to discover a means to do this right here, however finally these are the issues which might be necessary to me”.
I do suppose it helps you might have higher conversations, it helps you be a bit braver, to your level, braver about among the selections that you simply would possibly make; and in addition it means, I feel, you will get higher assist from different folks, as a result of when you might have readability about your profession standards, different folks can assist you, since you will be extra particular concerning the assist that you simply want. And I feel it is that readability that you’ve got that helps different folks that will help you in a means that could be extra significant.
Sarah Ellis: And for individuals who hear on a regular basis, you should have heard us discuss lots about strengths and values, and I consider course we’d all the time encourage you, if you’re eager about profession selections, to start out with some questions round, “Am I going to get the chance on this position, or with this transfer that I’d make, to make my strengths stronger, or to stretch my strengths? Am I going to get to make use of them, initially, however am I going to make them even stronger? And, will my values present up and can I be capable to dwell my values?”
These are actually good beginning factors, I feel, as you are eager about the place your profession may take you. I feel the distinction between these issues and profession standards, or definitely in my expertise of how I’ve used these, is I feel profession standards are a bit extra fundamental. I am unable to consider a greater phrase to explain them than that, however they seem to be a bit extra day-to-day and so they’re a bit extra within the right here and now, and I feel they possibly embody some issues which might be simply extra about you and your life basically, and attempting to make all your work/life match really feel best for you at that second in time, as a result of your profession standards do change.
So, the place your values keep fairly fixed and your strengths definitely develop over time, however we have talked earlier than, you select your super-strengths, I feel your profession standards does change. It depends upon what you study your self, your self-awareness, but additionally your life stage and what are your priorities in the meanwhile; and that is the place I feel, after all all of them come collectively and so they’re form of blurred on the edges, however that is the place I feel profession standards finally ends up being a bit completely different.
Helen Tupper: There’s some, I by no means say that phrase “Ikigai”.
Sarah Ellis: Oh, I do not know the way you say that, yeah!
Helen Tupper: You realize that, everybody is aware of Ikigai. Everybody’s shouting at this podcast now going, “That one!” I really feel there’s some type of Venn diagram the place you might have your values, what makes you you; your strengths, what you need to be recognized for; after which, your profession standards, which is the way you do what you need to do.
I feel, if you will get these, and I am not saying it is easy, everyone, however in the event you can take into consideration your profession alternatives and design your profession round these issues, you’ll be fulfilled, since you’re utilizing your values; you will be growing your influence, since you’re utilizing the stuff you need to be recognized for; and you will be happier in work, since you’ll be working in a means that works for you. And in some unspecified time in the future, there’s some Squiggly Profession candy spot in the course of all that that’s the goal!
Sarah Ellis: I really feel a diagram.
Helen Tupper: I do know, there may be undoubtedly going to be a diagram! However possibly this ought to be referred to as, “How you can discover your Squiggly Profession candy spot”; possibly that is the podcast after!
Sarah Ellis: Possibly. So, what we’ll speak about is tips on how to firstly discover out your profession standards, so what you need from work, a few concepts for actions and workouts that we have all the time discovered useful; secondly, understanding your constraints, so understanding our actuality and what could be getting in the way in which of that profession standards in the meanwhile; after which how you should use your profession standards to have actually good profession conversations, among the actions then that you would be able to take as soon as you have bought that information and consciousness, how that may result in actually helpful conversations with different folks.
So, to start out off with, by way of discovering your profession standards, the one greatest train I’ve ever completed to assist me with this, is what we describe because the excessive/low profession graph. It is a very visible factor, which I am now going to aim to elucidate over audio, so let’s examine how this goes! However you’ll be able to all think about an empty graph, the place on one axis you have bought how blissful you’re, from very sad on the backside to super-happy and loving life on the prime. Then, on the opposite axis, you have bought time.
You possibly can select what’s useful for you by way of that point interval. So, you would possibly need to do all your profession, you would possibly need to begin out of your first job ever and undergo all your profession, otherwise you would possibly need to select the final couple of years or the final 5 years, no matter feels most useful for you. What you’re doing on that graph is plotting your personal private highs and lows. So, what have been the highs, what have been these actually good moments, the place have been you someplace within the center, did you might have any dramatic lows? Everyone’s graph finally ends up wanting, unsurprisingly, comparatively squiggly, as a result of we all know there is no such factor as a straight line to success.
However the necessary factor about doing that graph will not be the road as such, it is what you’ll be able to study from that study. And it is eager about, what do your highs have in frequent and what are you able to study out of your lows. And that is the place typically actually diving in on possibly one 12 months will be useful, as a result of you will get very particular and you’ll keep in mind, and I’ve completed this taking a look at this via a great deal of completely different lenses. I can nonetheless do it eager about all of my profession, as a result of I’ve completed this train fairly a number of occasions, and I’ve bought some actually dramatic lows alongside the way in which, and I’ve actually learnt about what occurred, and why these lows occurred in the way in which that they did; why did these moments really feel so laborious for me.
Then, I actually keep in mind my first ever excessive, and I usually speak about it in a few of our workshops. I will not speak about it now, as a result of we need not in at this time’s podcast, however I’ve bought an actual spike, most likely about 5 years into my profession, the place out of the blue I discovered my move. For the primary time, I used to be like, “Wow, work can really feel like this!” and in addition, “I’m so significantly better at this job than any job I might completed earlier than”. So, I used to be like, “That is attention-grabbing”.
So, plot your line in your graph after which simply look again and take into consideration, what have your highs bought in frequent, what are you able to study out of your lows? And I’d counsel doing this as a little bit of a thoughts map. So, all you are attempting to do at this level is simply get as many phrases as doable onto a web page. Do not query your self an excessive amount of, do not try to work out, “What subsequent?” simply but; simply get all your insights, what do you discover, what do you observe concerning the actually good things, and in addition the actually dangerous stuff alongside the way in which too.
Helen Tupper: So, as soon as you have bought that details about your profession, the place you have been thus far, whether or not that is, as Sarah mentioned, every week, a 12 months or because you began, what we then need to do is layer on one other large of perception onto the highest of this. That’s, what are your profession must-haves versus your nice-to-haves? I feel that is extra helpful when you consider, what does that appear like with the place I’m at this time? So not generically, “What should I’ve in my profession?” So, “I should have flexibility, I should have freedom, I should have studying”, since you most likely do want that for you. However I feel it will get rather more helpful if you suppose, “The place I’m proper now in my life, what actually should I’ve?”
So for instance, I’ve bought two comparatively younger youngsters, a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old. So what I should have now’s a job that allows me to see them. Beforehand, I’ve had a job the place I travelled an terrible lot and I beloved it on the time as a result of then, the factor that was actually necessary to me was, “Should have a job the place I get to study to be a greater chief”, and main folks in numerous international locations and travelling and studying various things, that was actually, actually necessary to me.
That is a type of nice-to-have now. It is nonetheless one thing that is necessary to me, however what’s extra necessary, what I should have is a job that allows me to realize and make an influence, that is elementary to me, attaining and making an influence; however I additionally should have a job that allows me to see my youngsters. So, if I used to be travelling on a regular basis now, that would not be the fitting factor for me to do. And it’s simply eager about the place I am at proper now, what finally do I need?
I’d simply begin with a listing of all of the issues that I need. So, I need to make a distinction and I need to have an effect and I need to see my household and I need to meet plenty of folks via my work and I need to study new issues.  I’d write all of it down, simply get all of it out, as a result of it is fairly enjoyable to. However then, take a look at your checklist of stuff, and actually begin to divide it. Of all this stuff, what actually should I’ve proper now with the place I am at, and what actually is sweet to have, that if I had to decide on between the 2 of this stuff, there could be one that may top-trump it?
It’s actually that must-have checklist that you might want to maintain onto fairly tight, as a result of typically you would possibly decide, and also you would possibly unknowingly commerce that stuff off. I could be like, “Oh, wow, a job with a great deal of journey in it, superb!” and I nonetheless most likely would suppose that. However finally, that is most likely a nice-to-have for me proper now. And if it conflicts with my must-haves, I am most likely not going to make the fitting choice. That could be one thing to do sooner or later, however my must-have for proper now most likely is not that.
Sarah Ellis: I feel at anybody time, we most likely solely have between two and 4 must-haves. You might need a number of extra, you might need a number of much less, however I all the time actually problem myself after I do that train, I all the time actually take pleasure in making a wishlist. I wish to have a extremely lengthy profession standards to get began with, with all these insights from the highs and the lows; however then nearly, as Helen says, making these selections between going, “What actually issues to me proper now?” That is notably helpful.
Truly, in the event you can share it with another person, it does make it much more useful. And after I say another person, this may not be a supervisor, I feel that is extra prone to be a piece greatest good friend. So, we have talked earlier than concerning the significance of getting greatest mates at work. There’s some nice analysis about how necessary it’s by way of our resilience and the way a lot we benefit from the work that we do. However I actually distinctively keep in mind, at sure factors in our careers, Helen and I speaking about our must-haves to one another, after which holding one another to account after we have been each fairly tempted to do issues that most likely would not have been proper, however had bought plenty of shininess, however would have contradicted a kind of must-haves.
So sometimes, it is fairly useful to have, we typically name it our accountability associate, however I simply principally consider this as somebody who can name you on it, somebody who can go, “Okay, however you mentioned to me that it was actually necessary to work a four-day week, Sarah?  You could have simply been provided a job –” clearly this can be a actual instance, as a result of I principally cannot make stuff up notably nicely on the spot; however one in every of my must-haves for a very long time, for about 4 or 5 years, was to work a four-day week so I may spend a day on Wonderful It. And I as soon as interviewed for a job that I actually wished and I talked about working a four-day week. It was all wonderful till they provided me the job, after which they mentioned, “However you have to work a five-day week”.
I keep in mind being, “I do not know, possibly I ought to take it”. I wanted to get a job in some unspecified time in the future. And I actually keep in mind having a dialog with Helen the place she was like, “You instructed me the four-day week factor was essential, and also you talked about how necessary it was and also you mild up when you have bought that further day”. It wasn’t like we have been operating Wonderful If notably critically, I used to be simply spending a day studying and completely loving it, so I wished that freedom of that day. So, simply in that second, another person understanding your must-haves, if you end up making troublesome choices, otherwise you’ve possibly bought a alternative the place you have bought two or three choices, it may be fairly helpful, I feel, for a piece greatest good friend to know your must-haves.
Helen Tupper: I agree. It is really making me suppose a little bit bit, that I do not suppose you and I’ve talked about it for some time. As a result of our work has been rising rather a lot —
Sarah Ellis: As a result of we’re too busy working!
Helen Tupper: Properly, yeah, however I used to be simply pondering, for each of us, what’s most likely fairly necessary is that our work will not be our whole world; as in, you appreciated having the variety of a four-day week and a one-day week, and it is a part of the rationale I work for the charity, and also you do the factor with the Mayor of London, is that we have some issues that we study from outdoors of the work we do. I feel that is most likely one in every of our must-haves. I feel we may do with a little bit of a refresher, and we should always reconnect on our must-haves in order that we will assist every. Proper, let’s take that motion!
Sarah Ellis: Okay. I really feel such as you’ve simply given me an motion. You’ve got given me one thing else to placed on my to-do checklist!
Helen Tupper: Sorry, I am actually sorry! Okay, so you have completed your excessive/low profession graph, you have thought of your must-haves versus your nice-to-haves. The subsequent factor to consider is a Squiggly Profession Success Assertion, and this, I feel, is simply to have one thing that basically brings it into a comparatively neat articulation. Now, we all know those who have completed Squiggly Profession Success Statements really visually, they’ve nearly created a visible. They’ve drawn it out, which we love, as a result of we use a lot visualisation in our workshops, however they’ve nearly drawn what their success appears to be like like, or they have one phrase or a quote. It would not actually matter the way you do it, it may be a pleasant assertion, or it might be a quote or an image, however there’s a way, I feel, to summarise a few of these insights that we have.
So, “Success in my Squiggly Profession means to me…” after which you’ll be able to draw it, stick a quote, like one of many quotes that I like is, “It means to me, difficult my limits, not limiting my challenges”. You might need a pleasant pithy factor that you simply connect your self to. It is simply one thing that’s significant and motivating for you that brings all these completely different insights that we have gone via, with the excessive/low and the must-haves and the must-nots, collectively into one thing that you would be able to, I feel, maintain. That is the factor that you simply go to first and reminds you of what you need work to be.
Sarah Ellis: As you have been describing that, I used to be pondering, “What would mine be?” I feel mine is identical as the most effective piece of profession recommendation that I all the time share with folks when folks ask that query, or after we ask different those who query; my reply is all the time, “By no means dwell the identical 12 months twice”, and I feel that is mine. I feel that is my success assertion, as a result of selection is one in every of my values, again to how this connects with our values; I like new stuff, so I like concepts and I like beginning stuff from scratch. And also you talked about your Squiggly Profession candy spot and the diagram that I am certain you will create —
Helen Tupper: It is occurring social media, I’ve already made a be aware.
Sarah Ellis: I am certain, I’ve bought little doubt! However I feel, in the course of that diagram for me, it might say, “By no means dwell the identical 12 months twice”. So, it is nearly attention-grabbing, your assertion may possibly go within the center. I am unable to imagine I am serving to you now to create the diagram that I am not even certain we want, however that is what I’d put in the course of mine, I feel.
Helen Tupper: I really suppose mine genuinely could be, “Problem your limits, do not restrict your problem”, as a result of I feel I am so motivated by what you are able to do in the event you pursue your passions. I discover that very motivating, as a driver for my profession, so yeah, I feel that most likely could be mine. Have a look at us getting some readability!
Sarah Ellis: Have a look at us persevering with to principally use our personal podcast to assist ourselves, that is what’s occurring proper now!
Helen Tupper: Coach ourselves, superb. Thanks for listening alongside, everyone!
So, now you have bought your profession standards, you have bought your Squiggly Profession sweet-spot diagram that you would be able to fill in, and there will likely be a fillable PDF coming your means, so now we’re going to take into consideration what could be getting in your means. So, we’ll go from discovering out your profession standards, to understanding your constraints.
We have taken a little bit of inspiration right here from Tash Walker, who’s the founding father of a analysis company referred to as The Combine who, amongst different stuff, has some good sources on the significance of four-day week; was doing a four-day week, I’d say, far earlier than it was trendy to take action.
Sarah Ellis: Years earlier than, yeah.
Helen Tupper: Years earlier than, a great deal of stuff. And he or she shared a publish, and I feel I noticed it since you appreciated it first, Sarah, on LinkedIn.
Sarah Ellis: I simply learn it and I believed, “That’s genius”. You realize if you learn one thing and your like, “Sure, you’re so proper”?
Helen Tupper: Properly, clarify, clarify to our listeners what was genius about her publish?
Sarah Ellis: Sure. So, we’ll borrow some genius from Tash, and hopefully she’ll be okay. We do know her, so we’re hoping she’ll be okay with this. On this publish, she was speaking concerning the phrase “perception” and the way perception usually will get misinterpreted, or maybe used within the incorrect means. And he or she outlined perception in such a easy and simple means, it actually caught.
So, we’ll use that, we’ll use her definition, after which we’ll apply it to this concept of just about connecting your profession standards along with your constraints, so how do these two issues join collectively. So, let me simply discuss you thru the framework first, Tash’s framework, after which we’ll provide you with a number of examples.
So the primary bit is, “I need”. So that is, what do you want, what’s your purpose, what’s your ambition. The second half, “As a result of”, why would you like this, why is it necessary to you. The ultimate half, “However”, what is the stress, the constraints, the one factor that is holding you again, the impediment that is getting in your means. So it is, “I need… as a result of… however…” and it lets you get to a quite simple and simple means of sharing the place you’re, I feel, along with your profession standards, and acknowledging these obstacles.
I keep in mind pondering again to after I was at Sainsbury’s, I used to be very clear that I wished to work a four-day week, as a result of I wished to spend a day growing Wonderful If, however I could not say any examples of different folks a bit like me. So, my constraint felt a bit like not having position fashions, or not feeling assured, as a result of I could not see anybody else who’d completed what I wished to do earlier than.
Or, I used to be then attempting to suppose, “Proper, let’s do it within the right here and now”, and I used to be pondering, I need to spend extra time growing new concepts, as a result of it is one in every of my strengths and it is one thing that I take pleasure in and provides me a great deal of power and it is how I make careers higher for everybody, however I do not really feel I’ve area in my week in the meanwhile.
The explanation I feel it is such genius is, I actually just like the simplicity and I like that readability. So, after I was writing these sentences, they’re nearly half a sentence. So, they’re so quick and pithy and particular, and I feel it helps to make clear your pondering. So, I am somebody who undoubtedly, as a thinker, I meander and wander, and my head goes in a great deal of completely different instructions; so simply having this framework simply helped me to convey my ideas collectively in a really concise means.
Helen Tupper: I feel the opposite factor it actually helps with is, you will get rather more particular concerning the assist that you simply now want. So, in the event you take Sarah’s instance of the four-day week, she ended with, “However I am unable to see examples of different folks like me”. So, you are like, “Okay, so that is what I want, I must see different individuals who’ve made this work”. Or, the one about Sarah mentioned she needs to spend extra time growing concepts, however then the constraint on the finish that she bought to was, “However I do not really feel like I’ve bought area in my week in the meanwhile”, so then what she must get some assist with is redesigning how she’s spending her time at work, in order that she has the area.
She may not have gotten to that readability of tips on how to overcome that constraint, till she’d gone via that means of actually reflecting on that perception. So, we’d extremely advocate that you simply take the, “I need… as a result of… however…” strategy to exploring what could be getting in the way in which of you realising your profession standards, as a result of it lets you be rather more sensible about it and particular concerning the assist; which then takes us onto the third one.
So, we have completed the factors, we have completed the constraint, and now we’ll go on to profession conversations. And the purpose right here is, nobody actually succeeds on their very own, even if you see the individuals who look very good and really profitable and their beautiful posts, and it is not simply the shiny objects, it is the shiny particular person, who’s most likely bought a staff of individuals behind the scenes, mentors, a supervisor, a staff of people that allow them to be at their greatest. Understanding how you should use this perception you have developed in your profession conversations to get the assist you want will assist you to succeed a lot greater than going it alone in your profession.
What we need to do now’s suppose, “How do I take what I’ve bought and use it within the profession conversations that I do must have?”
Sarah Ellis: The very first thing we would say about these conversations is that your dedication creates dedication. So, we have mentioned earlier than, we do not need our growth to be depending on different folks. So, what we’re not turning as much as these conversations and doing is, Helen’s my supervisor and I simply flip up and go, “Proper, I need to work a four-day week, however there is no examples. Assist, or ideally kind it out for me!” So, we do not need to be passive, we nonetheless need to take possession for these conversations.
Definitely, I’d all the time advocate to folks that when you are clear in your standards and your constraint, you do some choices and a few exploring and a few concepts, and also you would possibly even take some actions earlier than a few of these conversations. Usually we are saying, among the greatest profession conversations are the place you have bought midway there, or principally you have gone so far as you’re feeling that you would be able to go, and then you definately’ve recognised that it is a second the place you want another person’s enter or concepts or perspective.
So, simply just remember to’ve completed a few of that onerous graft first, as a result of I feel when folks hear you speaking for your self about going, “Properly, I’ve checked out this [or] I’ve thought of this”, and it reveals that you simply actually care, folks see that dedication and so they’ll suppose, “How can I assist?” I’ve most likely instructed this story earlier than on the podcast, however definitely after I was speaking to my supervisor about working a four-day week, I imply I would not advocate taking this strategy, however the strategy I did take was creating about an 18-page PowerPoint on why working a four-day week was going to work, why it was a good suggestion, why they need to undoubtedly say sure.
Now, do not create an 18-page PowerPoint; that was not a wise factor to do and never a great use of my time. However are you aware the one factor I feel it did do, is it confirmed I used to be extremely dedicated. I imply, my God, was I dedicated to that concept. And I feel what that particular person most likely noticed was, “Okay, not nice judgement to go and do the 18-page PowerPoint, certain, however she clearly actually cares and he or she has thought of it lots, and he or she has explored it”. And I had gone and checked out examples of four-day weeks elsewhere, and talked to another individuals who’d completed it and checked out some completely different fashions of how I might need completed it. I imply, I might actually thought of it; that a lot was undoubtedly clear.
Then, I feel I bought extra assist in consequence, so it did not really feel like a nice-to-have, if you’re like, “This could be good [or] I might fairly recognize this if we may do it”. It did not really feel like a possibly, it felt like one thing the place I used to be like, “I actually need to make this occur, this feels actually necessary to me”. However equally, I could not try this on my own, that wasn’t a choice I may make and simply provoke alone.
Helen Tupper: So, I assume that is the motion that you simply take forward of the dialog, to create extra dedication and assist within the dialog. The opposite factor that is actually necessary is that when you might have that dialog, you need it to be as open as doable. So, the goal in our profession conversations is to get the assist we want, however to be open about maybe what that might appear like. So, slightly than saying, “Sarah, I need you to search out me somebody who can reply this actual query”, what I’d say to Sarah is, “One of many issues that is necessary to me is to study extra about, I do not know, management at work. Are you aware anybody who may assist me discover this additional?”
So, I am giving Sarah a broad — this “exploring” phrase is definitely actually attention-grabbing, as a result of Sarah may take that in plenty of completely different instructions. However these kinds of questions, “Are you aware anybody else who can assist me discover this factor that is necessary to me, additional?” is a extremely good one to maintain a dialog open, so that somebody can join dots for you. When you’re too fastened concerning the assist that you simply want, you do not actually assist them to attach the dots.
One other very nice open query could be, “What do you suppose I must study extra about to take this ahead?” You are not giving somebody the reply, which is, “I need to study this. Can you set me on this course?” which is sort of fastened and closed; you are saying, “That is what’s necessary to me, what do you suppose I must study extra about to take this ahead?” and you are not totally certain what they are going to counsel to you, or who they are going to join you with, however that is the purpose, as a result of you are going to profit rather more from what they know or who they know, in the event you allow them to join the dots, and also you keep open to that end result.
A 3rd query you could possibly ask, which I feel really is admittedly attention-grabbing, as a result of it’s so open, which is, “And, what do you suppose I could be lacking?” You’ve got bought no concept of the place that may go, however that is the purpose, since you’ll will get extra info and perception in the event you ask these kinds of questions within the dialog.
Sarah Ellis: What I feel will be difficult, however is admittedly necessary for us to remember as we’re having these conversations, is we do not need to be fastened. So, we do not need our profession to be fastened to at least one future, but additionally we need to be versatile about how that profession standards would possibly occur. So despite the fact that, as I’ve described, I actually wished to work a four-day week, that was in my must-haves, I used to be nonetheless very open to how we made that occur. Did I attempt it for a month? Did it need to be a four-day week; may it’s two days, as soon as a month?
I additionally suppose, as a part of your must-haves, you need to maintain on tightly to these, as a result of they’re actually necessary to you; however I feel folks have higher high quality conversations with you after they really feel like you aren’t fastened by way of the precise end result. So, if I might have mentioned, “Properly, I need to work a four-day week and I need that to occur by subsequent month, and it is that or nothing”, then that makes another person defensive, they really feel like they’re being backed right into a nook, and nobody needs to have that dialog.
Whereas, I feel my most profitable profession conversations have all the time been the place I’ve completed the dedication factor, I’ve all the time completed the laborious work first, however I’ve been versatile about my profession standards. So, “It may not be capable to be achieved fairly in the way in which that I might like proper now, however I can see that we would get there in a few months [or] there are some issues we’ll check out”. And if you’re positioning these conversations, they’re actually about exploring and being curious. I feel then, you get significantly better insights and concepts from the opposite particular person, since you’re not placing them on the spot to decide, and other people by no means reply nicely to being shocked.
So once more, if I’ll discuss to Helen about growing new concepts, if I simply flip as much as a dialog with Helen and simply say, “Properly, I need more room in my week to have new concepts, Helen, so I am simply going to spend half a day doing that”, that really feels very fastened and fairly unhelpful, and fairly laborious for Helen to answer. What’s she going to do? It feels fairly binary, it is like, “Sure, okay then” or —
Helen Tupper: It sounds such as you’ve already made the choice, so why are you speaking to me? I imply, you are probably not having a profession dialog with me, you are telling me one thing.
Sarah Ellis: Precisely. So, I feel we need to hold these conversations as open and as exploring as doable. However we’re not speaking about letting go of these must-haves, however I feel simply all the time having that adaptability. Adam Morgan, who we interviewed again in January, describes that stubbornly adaptive mindset of being away from, what do we actually need to maintain on to and what would possibly it’s okay to let go of for some time, or for a bit, and simply convey that strategy to these conversations; as a result of, I’ve discovered I’ve had rather more efficient conversations after I’ve had that form of mindset.
I’ve additionally made the error, I feel typically, of getting conversations the place I have been too fastened about my future, about plans slightly than potentialities, about what must occur in precisely what order, versus simply having that flexibility; and in addition remembering, you need not repair every little thing in a single dialog.
I used to be speaking to somebody about this at this time and I feel so usually, as a result of we are saying “Having a profession dialog”, we nearly put a full cease on the finish of it. Simply remind your self, it is profession conversations, as a result of most of those kinds of conversations are not often full in a single sitting. In a single half-an-hour slot, you are impossible to out of the blue realise all your profession standards. So, see it as a collection of conversations, which could be with one particular person, or could be with plenty of completely different folks.
Helen Tupper: Ideally, extra folks. Extra folks for concepts, extra enter into your careers, is what we actually need. So, simply to summarise then, the first step is discovering out your profession standards, that’s what you need from work; step two is perceive the constraints, what would possibly get in your means; after which step three is to make use of that in your profession conversations, so as to get the assist you might want to achieve your Squiggly Profession.
So, we hope that has been useful, we hope it is created a little bit of readability. We all the time suppose that Squiggly Careers are stuffed with uncertainty and ambiguity, however issues like having a profession standards may give you again a little bit of management, can create that little bit of readability that you simply would possibly want, so hopefully that has completed that for you. And remember, there’s the PodSheet, so we’ll summarise all of this on the PodSheet. And sooner or later, there will likely be a Squiggly Profession sweet-spot factor showing someplace, as quickly as I’ve bought spherical to growing it, which I’ll do!
Sarah Ellis: And, in the event you’ve been listening for some time, and maybe you have been which means to get spherical to depart us a overview or a ranking, or to share it with somebody, please take 5 minutes and try this five-minute favour for us. That is how we proceed to share Squiggly and continue to grow, and we actually recognize it. All of our podcasts have all the time grown simply by you all telling different folks, “That is value a hear”, after which that particular person telling one other particular person. And that is how we went from my mum to 2 million downloads.
So, in the event you’ve bought an opportunity to do this, we actually recognize it. And we do learn each overview, and we do actually recognize all of them, so thanks.
Helen Tupper: Thanks, everybody. Communicate to you once more quickly, bye.
Sarah Ellis: Thanks, everyone. Bye for now.