The Last Career Guide you will ever Need

Careers are always interesting. We all want to get the most out of our careers. However, considering the pace of change how does a 10-year plan sound or even a 2-year plan. The fact is the product lives are getting shorter and so are the project lives. The question is how to navigate through this fog and uncertainty with some level of calm.
This is where Daniel Pink’s book “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko” can help. Of course, Daniel Pink makes the audacious claim that this is the last career guide you will ever need. Review this with me and see if that is indeed true.
Here are the 6 keys to navigate your career going forward with my take on each.
There is no plan – This should stop all of us on our tracks. Truly there is no plan. We should be more flexible and ready to pivot at any point of our career. While this is not meant to be taken literally I think it does require us to go with the flow. Career plans may not be that useful but what maybe more useful are career pivots.
Think strengths, not weaknesses – This has obviously been well established by Peter Drucker and Marcus Buckingham. We all have certain strengths which if we polish can help us get better. We will also find more joy when we work in areas where we are competent. That is why being a team player is very important because you can find others who can complement your weaknesses.
It’s not about you – The key is not self-actualization. The people who matter are your boss, team and stakeholders. If you keep them happy and satisfied you will go further in your career. So having a broader mindset on what the job or work means will keep us more satisfied and in the game longer.
Persistence trumps talent – This is all about grit which is passion and perseverance towards long term goals. You can beat most of your competition if you stay in the game longer and never give up. Talent gets you in the game and persistence keeps you in the game.
Make excellent mistakes – We are all going to make a lot of mistakes in our official and personal lives. The champions learn not to dwell on those mistakes for too long. They quickly bounce back so make sure the bounce back time for you is short. Learning from mistakes is important but brooding over them is not. As a manager or leader we should allow our teams to make excellent mistakes and not fear from taking any chances. The key is to build psychological safety where everyone feels comfortable that their voice will be heard.
Leave an imprint – This point has been well established by Stephen Covey with begin with the end in mind. The fact is when you connect a higher purpose to your work you will find greater joy. Joy in life comes through finding your cause. Work on identifying your life purpose and joy will find you.
So, it is for you to decide if this is the only career guide you need. However, I am sure these points are great to ensure our careers hit the right notes. Thanks for reading the post.
The views expressed in this article are my own and do not represent my organization. Thanks for reading this post.

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