Taking an experimental approach to development de-risks big life decisions
‘What will you do when you grow up?’ If you were anything like me, these questions from well meaning adults filled you with dread, and feelings of pressure to come up with “the answer”.
Without intending to, these types of questions leave a lasting impression that a rock solid ‘career destination’ is needed, leaving those of us without one feeling like something’s missing. But seriously, how many people do you know are still doing the same thing they set out to do in their 20s?
We have to ban that question! An attitude of flexibility and experimentation is key in today’s fast-changing working world. Life is unpredictable, work is unpredictable, and we are constantly learning. What we thought we knew about ourselves in our 20s (when we knew it all!) is likely to have moved on considerably by the time we hit our 30s and 40s and beyond.
Our choices about the right growth and development path need to stay flexible for a few reasons:
As we grow and develop, our needs, goals, and personal circumstances change. Having more than one idea for a career direction helps us to adjust our goals and focus as needed.
The environment changes - demand for some skill sets wane while others have emerged in a short space of time - and that will keep happening as AI and other forms of automation impact jobs and skill sets.
Having more than one option on the go can help us stay in a creative mindset. With a single plan, humans have a tendency to ignore warning signs, and attempt to force a plan to work. With more than one viable development path, we are more relaxed if something doesn’t pan out because we have other viable options to pursue.
It can help us stay motivated. When we have multiple personal development options, we have more to work towards. This can help us stay motivated and on track with our goals.
With that said, it is helpful to have some compass points to aim for. Author Seth Godin advocates for being clear about who you aspire to be outside of a job title. Following that direction may mean pursuing paths that make you happier and more content, rather than following a pre-planned set of steps that may or may not eventually lead to your “dream job.”
Once you’ve created some options - get experimental!
Closely connected to the idea flexibility, is the idea of experimentation. We very rarely have all the information at our fingertips to make big calls about career next steps. So testing out our rough career plans helps to refine our thinking before important and potentially expensive big decisions get made. Afterall, you wouldn’t buy a second-hand car without giving it a good check over and test driving it first, would you?
In a career and development sense, this means seeking out experiences and knowledge that will help you gain an understanding of the potential and viability of a development path.
Examples might be:
Testing out a new course of study before committing to that MBA! Short courses or free online courses (MOOCS) are great for this
Put your hand up for a project in another part of the organisation to try to build skills in a new area you’re interested in
Shadow someone for a few days to see what it is REALLY like to walk in their shoes
Volunteer roles - flex your capabilities by offering to provide services to community groups or a not for profit organisation. Joining a school Board of Trustees might give you a view into the world of governance
Starting a side hustle to see if you’d enjoy it before chucking in your paid job to become self employed
Joining special interest groups to meet people already in your desired field
Interview people in your desired field - what are they inspired by? What are they demotivated by
As you gather more information and experiences, some plans may fall away, others might light up! You may even scrap them all having come up with something even better through your experimentation.
Assessing your plans
As your plans evolve, stop and assess them from time to time. The DVF approach discussed in our recent blog can be used here
Some ideas to take action
Can you articulate your vision for who you want to be? What do you need in your life in order to feel inspired, connected, fulfilled, content?
Roughly draft out 2 or 3 development plan options. Think beyond the immediate next step, and envision what life might be like when you are smashing it (and living the life you want). Note all the parts of the parts of the plan you are sure of, and all the parts that you don’t know enough about yet.
Make an action plan - what steps will you take to get experimental and fill the gaps in information, knowledge, skills?
Evaluate your plans using DVF to see if you have found your sweet spot
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