Our Paths
How did you get to where you are today?
Was it a straight line? A plotted path? A little meandering? Or maybe it was a jumbled mess…
I tried to plot my path below.
Here’s a few things I have come to realize about my particular path:
I’ve had many jobs (and may have forgotten a few of them…)
Within those jobs - I’ve had many unofficial jobs or projects that have had a bigger impact then my own position.
There are times I was “on a path” that I was told to follow
There were a few times when I stood my ground and asked for the path I wanted to follow
Now, I get to go wherever the heck I want!
I know that I had and accepted situations where I got to explore other opportunities outside my typical role, use my strengths, hone different skills and build my own “career portfolio” that ultimately prepared me for my entrepreneurial life. And I was surrounded by people who supported me in this journey.
I know that this is not an opportunity that we all face. There are many organizations, bosses or heck even our own mindsets that keep us moving on what we think is the prescribed path to success. But what if you could break from that “path” and create your own?
A Better Map for Your Path
Recently, I had the opportunity to work with Sarah Kesher, Team Development Director of Quinn Evans on the development of The Career Navigator Model that she created for her firm.
This model takes the old “career path/ladder” thinking of development and shifts it to focus on the employee as a unique individual who not only bring their talents to the organization, but recognizes that there are many more opportunities to grow in a business (especially small ones) that don’t require a specific promotional path or job title change.
Forge Your Own Path
Whether you are working in a business you don’t own or you own your own business, you can and should “forge your own path.” You decide how you want to use and build the skills you have and want. And a tool like The Career Navigator can help.
Back to my own journey - I have been in many areas of the Navigator. I’ve been an Explorer, Connector, Team Leader, Capacity Builder, Strategist… In my own company I constantly go back to being an Explorer (which I love) and am considering what direction I want to move in as I continue to grow the business.
And, if you are a leader of people, helping others forge their own path while modeling it is powerful - not only for each individual - but for the culture of your team, department or company.
Here are a few things to consider as you “forge your own path” or help others do the same:
Consider your “path” to date.
Where have you flourished?
Where did you flounder?
What skills and strengths do you have? Do you use them?
Where would you like your path to take you next?
What experiences do you need to move in that direction?
Who can help you with it?
Who can support you along the way?
As Ralph Waldo Emerson’s says:
But whichever path you take, make it your own path. Don’t blindly follow a path simply because it is there, find your own adventure. Follow along the best path for you, and if it curves in the wrong direction, find a different path.
So go choose your own adventure!
