8 questions to ask yourself before making a career change

For some, the shock of the pandemic - with the closure or precariousness of certain sectors, particularly those of the restaurant and service industries - forced a career change, not necessarily desired. Once the ECP tap was turned off, they had to face the fact that it was time to go back to work in order to feed and house themselves, pay their bills and support themselves and their families. Many of them were forced to find a job that was not necessarily their dream job, but that would provide them with a stable income.

For others, it was a challenge to the status quo that triggered the desire for change. A significant event, a change of decade, demotivation, dissatisfaction or a feeling of stagnation, professional exhaustion, a feeling of inner malaise, a dream to be fulfilled, the desire to realize one's potential or simply to do something else: the motivations for change are multiple and can be both internal and external. 

Whether you are thinking of changing direction after a few months or several years in the same field, there are some fundamental questions to ask yourself in order to make your career shift a success.

1. What is working for you – or not – in your current career?

   Take some time to take stock of what is causing you to want to change careers at this point in your life. Is it your job that doesn't match your interests, or simply your work environment that doesn't suit you? Is it the lack of flexibility in your schedule, a toxic boss, too much micromanagement, the lack of intellectual challenge? Write down everything you don't like about your job, but also everything you like about it. This will help you identify what is important to you in a professional setting. If you have trouble finding positives, think about what you would like to see happen more often in your day. It might give you some insight into what you're passionate about or strengths that are underutilized in your current job.  

2. Beyond work, what is important to you in life?

   Think about what is important to you as a human being, not just in the context of work. Is spending more time at home caring for your children or an aging/ill parent a priority for you right now, or do you need time to train for a triathlon? So it's not just about having a fully satisfying job. Sometimes it's also a question of work-life balance, which allows you to dedicate yourself to those other activities that are important to you.

3. What are your values and what job will best allow you to express them? 

   Your values are at the heart of who you are. They are the qualities that define you and when you can express them in your work, you will normally feel more aligned, engaged, successful and happy. So think about your values - what you're like, when you're at your best, what others value you for, etc. - and see if your potential new career would allow you to embody those values and who you are, every day. If the answer is no, it may not be the right path for you.

4. What is your vision in life and how will your work help you achieve it?

   What do you aspire to in life, what do you want to contribute to that is bigger than yourself? Project yourself into the future, say 10 years from now, and imagine what you do and with whom, the impact you have, what people say about you. Once you have imagined the life you want, think about your future job. Will it allow you to simply survive or will it allow you to move towards your vision? In your current job, if you are simply counting the days until your retirement or next vacation, you are probably not fulfilling your life mission or moving toward your vision.

5. What are the barriers to entry in your future career and how can you address them?

   Do you feel you have the prerequisites, knowledge and skills for your new career? Sometimes, by the same token, your reorientation may require a return to school. If so, have you considered your options (back to school, continuing education, part-time, etc.)? Will you have to balance your work with your studies and your family? It is important to ask yourself these questions and prepare yourself accordingly before you make the leap.

6. Can you afford this career shift?

   A career change may involve some direct or indirect costs. For example, going back to school will require an investment of money, and possibly a loss of salary since you will no longer be able to work full time at the same time. Also, a professional reorientation may imply a decrease in income, for example if you go from being an employee to being self-employed. Before taking action, take the time to plan a budget and find out what financial resources are available and accessible.

7. What impact will this have on my family and friends?

   Before you take the plunge, it would be wise to assess the impact of your career change on your family, friends and anyone else who will be affected by your project. Also, ask yourself if your family situation can allow you to make your career transition. Take the time to discuss this with your family and friends in order to identify the negative and positive effects that could result.

8. What planning do you need to do before embarking on a new career? 

   Having a game plan before you begin your transition to your future career will allow you to build on a solid foundation and live the experience in a more relaxed mode. Yes, listening to and following your inner voice, as well as living your dreams are important. And it’s also important to be realistic and to take into account your personal situation before taking the plunge. Does your health allow you to make this transition right now? What is your tolerance level for change or risk? Do you need to put money aside to create a financial cushion? Are you about to receive a promotion, a bonus or a mega salary increase? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, is now the right time to take the leap or would it be wiser to wait a while?

   Take the time to listen to yourself, respect your balance and your abilities, while taking into account the external context. These are the keys to a career change that is congruent and aligned with your values, your mission and your vision.

   And remember the method of small steps: a series of small actions will allow you to take giant steps in your life and in your projects. Starting with the first smallest step you can take today.

The 4 Pillars of Trustworthy Leadership

The recent kerfuffle involving the resignation of the Governor General of Canada, after a disastrous report on the toxic work environment she allegedly created, inspired me to write this post. Why is it that in 2021, despite the multitude of excellent books, articles, TED talks and social media publications, there are still managers and executives who mistakenly believe that leadership is a matter of title or hierarchy? The result: distrustful organizational cultures; heavy, unhealthy or downright toxic work climates; teams that work in the same place but not necessarily together; high turnover, absenteeism or burnout rates; unmotivated employees; short-term results only, etc.

So what makes a good leader? This topic has already been discussed so extensively that I will not go into a new list of skills and qualities here. I will simply list the six elements that I think are the most important:

• Vision - A good leader has a vision. He doesn't wait for it to be whispered in his ear. And when he has one, he communicates it to his teams and inspires - rather than dictates - them to embrace it and make it happen.

• Motivation - A leader motivates and mobilizes his troops. Rather than positioning himself as a star, he aims to make others shine by building on their strengths and motivating them to develop their full potential. Also, instead of focusing on tasks or processes, a good leader focuses on people.

• Leadership - A good leader provides direction and guidance to his  or her team. Leading is not an honorary role linked to a title, which confers power over others. It is about making decisions, while listening to the ideas and advice of others. It's about knowing when it's time to step up to the plate, to lead by example or to lend a hand. It's also about knowing when it's time to step back and let others take the initiative. And it's not about micromanaging. Micromanagement kills creativity and initiative.

• Service - A leader is at the service of his team, not the other way around. It's up to him to take care of his employees, to provide them with the support and tools they need to succeed in their work, to steer them in the right direction. It is also his responsibility to recognize their efforts and achievements.

• Empathy - Knowing how to put oneself in the place of others is one of the essential qualities of a good leader. Understanding employees' concerns, helping them find solutions to their problems, taking an interest in their well-being, their lives, who they are: empathy is a proof of emotional intelligence and a great strength. It inspires, helps build relationships, builds trust and ultimately leads to team success and lasting results.

• Trust - Finally, a good leader trusts his or her co-workers. With this trust, people feel valued, will give their best and give free rein to their creativity. This works much better than mistrust or micromanagement. A climate of trust is also essential to a team spirit, where people will work together towards a common goal.  The leader who creates a climate of trust will in turn attract the trust of his team members.

This last point deserves attention, in my opinion, because when employees do not trust their manager or leader, the risk to the organization and its performance is enormous.

While many organizations are pushing their managers to take leadership or communication training, I would be willing to bet that virtually none of them offer confidence training. Yet trust is directly linked to certain HR performance indicators, such as workplace engagement, commitment and retention.

Organizations that don't know how to create and maintain a culture of trust end up with a cynical work climate, where employees openly distrust their leaders, who feel threatened by this attitude, establish a management style based on control and monitoring. In such work environments, political games, withholding of information and finding blame in a crisis reign supreme.

According to a 2014 study by the University of Bath, England, trustworthy leadership is based on four elements:

1. Putting relationships at the heart. Trust is born out of relationships. A good leader puts trust at the heart of his priorities. He doesn't isolate himself in his ivory tower but takes the time to build relationships with his teams, to get to know the people around him. He also allows himself to be discovered by them, so that the relationship is true, human and two-way.  

2. Recognizing and developing uniqueness. People trust their managers when they feel valued by them and recognized in their own individuality. A team is not monochromatic, but is made up of unique individuals, each with his or her talents, skills, knowledge and attributes. A good leader knows how to recognize the strengths of each individual and build on them. He also encourages people to develop continuously and focuses not only on his own needs, but on those of his team.

3. Enabling mutual responsibility. In a work environment where trust reigns, everyone, regardless of their role in the organization, is responsible for their actions. Thus, a good leader will recognize when he or she is at fault if he or she makes a mistake or a bad decision. Similarly, he or she will give credit for an achievement to the person who made it rather than to himself or herself. This last element is fundamental to earning the respect of his employees. Indeed, who wants a boss who keeps all the flowers for himself but rejects the pots on others... Finally, the notion of co-responsibility, which implies that a part of the responsibility must be passed on to his employees, is essential to build trusting leadership. Making someone accountable indicates trust and allows the person to gain experience, learn from their mistakes and develop their sense of responsibility, as well as their self-confidence. It's a win-win situation!

4. Engaging with real people. A trustworthy leader is perceived above all as a real person: someone with a personal history, values, personality, qualities and flaws.  It’s someone who does not consider that showing his vulnerability or emotions is a weakness, on the contrary. It’s someone who is not ashamed to acknowledge his wrongs, to ask for forgiveness, to say thank you. And it’s someone who is perceived above all as benevolent. When team members feel safe with him, then naturally they will want to make a maximum effort, give their best, stay loyal to the organization and play the team card.

In short, trustworthy leadership is a matter of soft skills rather than hard skills or know-how. The more emotionally intelligent a leader is, the more his employees will want to trust him. It is also important that his intention be perceived as sincere and that his empathy be real. Afterwards, if he is competent in what he does, keeps his promises and respects his commitments, he will hold the keys to trustworthy leadership and, therefore, to a happy, fulfilled team. It's really all so simple...

Can't keep your New Year's resolutions? Try a vision board

The year 2020 is coming to an end and in the particular context it unfolded, the tradition of New Year's resolutions will undoubtedly be more popular than ever. Indeed, many of us will want to hit the reset button and start 2021 with our hearts and minds full of dreams, hopes and projects.

Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, few resolutions last more than one or two months. To quote Alexandre Dumas, Jr.: "Resolutions are like eels; they are easy to catch. The devil is in holding on to them."

So how do you turn wishful thinking into concrete reality? A rather zen and pleasant way to do this is to create a vision board. If you're interested in personal development, you're probably familiar with this term. The vision board is a tool that synthesizes our goals, making it easier to achieve them.

According to neuroscience, our brain does not know the difference between what we imagine and what is real. By using visualization, we "print" images and positive feelings in our subconscious. This helps us materialize them. The greatest athletes, for instance, use mental imagery to succeed in competition.

It’s the same principle with a vision board. The difference is that we use a paper or cardboard support, for example, to illustrate what we want to manifest in our lives.

In short, a vision board is a collage of images and words, which evoke a goal, a desired result, an ultimate dream. The idea is that by providing your subconscious mind with a graphic plan of what you want and need, it will find the means to achieve it. It’s all about the law of attraction, which says that our thoughts create our reality.

You can create a vision board to realise your wishes, whatever they may be: finding a new job, meeting your soulmate, reaching your ideal weight, finding your dream house, reaching a personal or professional goal, etc. The important thing is that what is shown on your collage is within your own responsibility to achieve, and that these wishes take into account the potential repercussions on your loved ones.

How do you make a vision board?

First of all, define your objective by asking yourself: "What exactly do I want?” Your goal should be specific and, most importantly, it should be formulated in a positive way - i.e., what you want rather than what you don't want. Also ask yourself what accomplishing this project will do for you and why it’s important to you. Make sure you believe in it and, above all, sincerely believe that you deserve to have your wish come true.

Once you know what you want, you're ready to take action!

• Collect a stack of old magazines - the more varied the selection, the better.

• Create a calm and warm atmosphere that is conducive to internalization. Then flip through the magazines, cutting out the images that interest and attract you, in line with your objective. Try not to think too much about it and let the images guide you.

• Stick these images on a large sheet of cardboard or paper. You can also include a picture of yourself (ideally in the centre of the collage) and any sentences, words or quotes that inspire you.

• Place your collage where you can see it regularly, in front of your desk, in your bedroom or in the kitchen, for example. Then trust the power of attraction of your creation, which will serve as a guide for your subconscious.

So if there is something you've always wanted - try doing a visualization board. But beware: your dreams may come true!