Talking it out
My two favorite experiences as a business owner are hearing from my client that 1) they secured the interview, and 2) they landed the job. It is sheer joy for me to receive messages like this, and it’s a source of pride for me that I’ve never been able to explain. Everything I do - from writing resumes, to hopping on Zoom calls, to digging for any leverage I can find on company websites and blogs - is all for my client’s happiness and success.
I decided to take on this long-term research project for the same reason.
I mentioned yesterday that I wasn’t satisfied with the direction I’ve been taking in my writings. While I was half-asleep and in wicked pain as I cranked out the email as the final item on my to-do list, I did fully mean what I was saying. ;)
There’s something about the research that has stopped feeling like I’m doing the right things or exploring the right questions. The only way that I know how to rectify something like this is to journal about it. I figure, rather than journaling, I’ll use the time here to try and explore what’s going on.
What are my goals?
I want to be a trusted resource for my client whenever they have a problem that they’re trying to solve for their career.
But, if I really stop and think about it, what I actually want is for my client to be able to take control over their destiny.
If they want a successful job search, I want them to be able to make it happen. If they want an internal promotion in their organization, I want them to have an understanding of what the playing field could look like.
The number one thing that I want everyone to know is that they have powerful tools in front of them to make their career aspirations happen. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and company websites/blogs are the combination that I swear by when assembling a strategy for achieving our career goals.
That strategy leads to positioning power, which leads to increased visibility. The visibility ultimately leads to a cautious trust that we can then build upon through our continued displays of competency, reliability, and (servant) leadership.
(As much as I’m a die-hard fan of servant leadership, I recognize that not all organizations value servant leadership as their preferred expression of leadership. The leadership skills we need to express all depend on the companies we’re looking to build trust with and what they value.)
What am I doing to make my goals a reality?
That’s where I’m staring at my raw notes in Obsidian and scratching my head. I began with a research topic on exploring promotions for remote working professionals, particularly during the pandemic. I loved what I was doing, and I found a tremendous amount of information and clues that I could keep digging at for the rest of the year and beyond. But, is this what I want to do? Is this the best use of my time?
As I’m sitting here and typing out this email, I’m realizing that I might need to pivot. I might need to explore what positioning power looks like for professionals who need to “market” (market?) themselves in order to get ahead in their careers.
Hmmmmm…
I’m going to keep exploring these thoughts. But right now, I’m feeling a sense of peace that tells me I’m on the right track.
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