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Thanks for being a part of the Development Crossroads community! I
value your time, attention, and the space in your inbox. I hope you
find this newsletter and its information and resources helpful.
This edition of the
newsletter includes an exercise to help you find your "career sweet spot." The participants in my "What's Next?" group coaching program have found it really helpful, and I hope you do, too.
If you think a friend or colleague would
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| 3 Questions to Find Your Career Sweet Spot |
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Trying to figure out what work is best for you? Answer three questions and find the “sweet spot” where your answers intersect.
In sports like tennis, baseball, or golf, there is such a thing as a “sweet spot”
– the area on the racket, bat, or club where hitting the ball will have
maximum impact. At the same time, the shock of the impact is minimal – so the athlete doesn’t even feel a vibration when she hits the ball.
Great results, with a minimum impact on the player.
So, is there a “sweet spot” when it comes to our choice of jobs and careers, too? (While I’m the last person who could be considered a sports buff, I do appreciate a good sports analogy!)
I think your job or career “sweet spot” is at the intersection of your answers to the following three questions:
- What brings you joy? What are you so passionate about and
fascinated by that you want to eat/sleep/breathe this area of interest,
idea, cause, or issue?
- What are you great at? What are the things that you do outstandingly well? What activities have you noticed come easily to you?
- What will people pay you (enough) to do? What marketable
skills and abilities do you have that will earn you however much you
feel is “enough.” (Note that your definition of “enough” will change at
different points in your life.)
A helpful way to visualize it is as a Venn diagram
of overlapping circles. By the way, this concept is based on the work
of Jim Collins in his now-classic book on organizations, “Good to Great,” and has since been riffed on by many others.
If you’re struggling to figure out what kind of job is the best fit for you, or even if you are pretty content at work but would like a career tune-up,
I encourage you to answer these questions for yourself and find your
sweet spot. I’ve developed a handy worksheet that will help you do that –
download it here.
For me, the sweet spot is helping international development
professionals and expats get clear about what’s next in their careers
and lives. I do sometimes coach people who work in other fields, yet I feel drawn
to work with international development professionals. It allows me to
blend my twin interests in international development and personal/career
development. And what can I say, many of the people I’ve met in
international development are some of the most interesting, admirable,
enjoyable, and inspiring people – why wouldn’t I want to hang out with
them? It also feels great to use my skills and strengths to do this work
in a way that feels natural and fun – through one-on-one coaching,
group facilitation, and writing. The fact that my clients seem to value
my work with them is gratifying, humbling, and fulfilling.
We talk about the sweet spot in the “What’s Next?” group coaching program. (In fact, the worksheet I’m sharing here
is adapted from the program.) Group members typically find this
exercise very helpful in illuminating potential next steps in their
career.
If you’re feeling stuck in your career and would like to get clear about what’s next, I invite you to consider joining our newly forming “What’s Next?” online group. Registration is open through September 12. Details can be found here.
If you’d like to hear more about the program, ask questions, and get a feel for the online group experience, join me for a free 30-minute call
on Wednesday, September 5 at 8:30 pm Eastern (US), which is Thursday,
September 6 at 8:30 am Singapore/Manila time (GMT+8). You can call in
directly from Skype. To sign up for the no-cost, no-obligation call, click here. Can't make the call live? Sign up anyway, and I'll email you the recording of the call afterward.
I look forward to speaking with you!
Tennis image courtesy of Michael Duxbury.
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Shana Montesol Johnson
I'm a certified executive/career coach who works with international development & aid professionals to help them chart a course toward careers they love, that make an impact, and allow them to have a life outside of work.
If we're not already connected, I'd love to connect with you:
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Is it Time to Get Clear on What's Next?
- feeling “stuck” in terms of your international development career
- having the uncertainty of an ending job contract looming over you
- being unhappy with your job, your boss, your organization or location
- not knowing what you WANT to step into next
then you may want to consider
joining the "What's Next?" Group Coaching Program. You’ll take stock of
your strengths, values, priorities and goals, and
move toward a strong, doable action plan – all while working with a
certified coach, and along with great
like-minded people who are on the same path.
Past group members have reported that they have found the program to be empowering, confidence-boosting, and great value for money.
The
What’s Next? Group Coaching Program starts on September 20 (in N. America; that's Sept. 21 in Asia). We'll meet via Skype/phone so you can participate from anywhere in the world). Registration is open now.
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