We’ve all heard about – and perhaps lived – the fact that the modern reality of work means that people are and will continue to change not just their jobs but their careers.
While I think I’m about on my 3rd or 4th profession at this point in my late-30’s, I’ve realized that while my work or profession has changed, my avocation has not:
I work with individuals or groups to help them define their issue or problem, and create and implement their own answers.
It’s a definition that sums up my best skills, from my work with kids as an outdoor educator, to a member of a diabetes research team, to a community health organizer, to a manager and supervisor, to a professional coach.
I’m a facilitator of ideas and action. And others see and count on these skills too: a collaborator of mine told me recently I was her "catalyst".
What I know is that these qualities, these values of mine, will stay with me regardless of what work I do, and that they are my real job in life.
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So, what is your real work in life?
What do others count on you for?
Before specializing as a professional coach in 2004, I spent more than a decade in leadership, management and program development for state and local government and non-profit organizations. Now I get to help leaders and teams have more clarity and ability to stand up for what's important in their work and in their organizations. Working with me, leaders and teams find more meaning and purpose, feel happier and more confident, navigate change and conflict, and work together better.
My real job “title” is help desk manager. What my real job “is” is harder to explain:
Mentor
Coach
Escalation Point
Answer Guy
Subject Matter Expert
Helper
I don’t know who else to call so I called you
All of which take on a life of their own at one point or another. And I’m thankful for the variety of it all.
Phil:
I bet a lot of us can resonate to the “I don’t know who else to call so I called you” role!
In a former life of mine, we used to call that “other duties as assigned” – which often wound up being more than 1/2 the job!
Variety being the spice of life indeed – what I hear in your list is that you’re a connector, a reference, a trusted source.
It’s these themes, our “real” jobs, that often most closely link us to what we are truly most interested in accomplishing, where we are truly acting out our true roles as leaders.
Thanks for visiting & connecting!
Hanna