path Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

12
Dec 18
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Two Career Paths, Which Is Yours?

If you had a choice which path would you choose? It is a question that many of us ponder each day. Not always consciously, but we’re working on it in the background. There are at least two career paths, which one are you on?

Sometimes the problem is that there is a goal in mind, but the path, plan, or process remains elusive.

Become the manager of the department.

Get the advanced degree in my field and pivot.

Find a job doing the work I love.

Two Career Paths

The first path is simple. Put in some effort, land a job, do the work, and see where things go. Sometimes this is a career. It is easy to go through the motions each day.

Good effort at work. Enjoy a little free time here and there. Spend time with the kids. Have a hobby or take a vacation.

It isn’t your dream job, but it is work. It doesn’t pay what you want, but you are surviving. Suddenly weeks turn into months and months to years.

It’s a job and you’re doing alright. Life rolls on.

The second path is different. It has purpose. It may include a journey down the first path, but there is a different kind of objective. The objective is to use the first path to get to the second path.

Career Strategy

If you have a goal, you need a plan. When you have a goal and a plan, you need to execute. As you execute you must compare outcomes to timelines and milestones. Adjust, and move forward. Failure to do any of this puts you back on the first path.

Many will suggest it all depends on how bad you want it.

I would suggest that the recipe for success also includes commitment, discipline, and self-confidence. You’ll need to add in accountability and belief to get the best flavor.

You can let your career happen to you, or you can make your career work for you. Neither choice is wrong. Just remember, it is a choice.

What path are you on?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

06
Aug 18
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Are You Taking The Best Career Path?

Tags : career destination journey path

It is the question that people ask before they start, the question along the way, and sometimes the question asked as they near the end. “I am on the right path?” The best career path has many variables. What is your path?

Time Matters

We hear it often and sometimes we say it. Life is short. Your career is even shorter. If your career or earning a respectable living is important to you here are a few things to keep in mind.

Most paths are fluid. Many people describe career shifts or changes throughout their lifetime.
Career paths are not always linear. Different than staying fluid, sometimes you may have to navigate sideways, or for a short time backtrack, to get to where you’re going.
While any career may at times feel painstakingly difficult, staying on the wrong path costs more than changing paths.

Best Career Path

What is the best career path? It is may be as simple as suggesting that it is the path you are currently pursuing. People often express the significance of their journey as providing more value than what they experience after arrival at the destination.

Destinations can change. If you leave New York in a car planning to drive to San Jose, California, you can change your mind in Cheyenne, WY and go to Santa Rosa, CA instead. Doesn’t really matter.

On the other hand, leaving New York, and driving to Tarpon Springs, FL, and then deciding your real destination should be Portland, OR, could be more problematic. The longer you are in the wrong direction, the costlier things become.

If you are a carpenter, deciding you want to be a heart surgeon when you are 45 years old is probably going to be difficult.

So, the best thing may be to make sure you are on a road that seems to support your general direction. Know where you don’t want to be.

Everything else may be just part of the journey.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

31
Jan 18
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Who Will Choose Your Career Path?

Tags : career growth organizational psychology path

There are many people giving career advice. The experience of a career may be different for everyone. Like success, respect, and good art, each person may define it differently. What is your career path?

People nearing the end of their career may often suggest that you should do what you love, love what you do, and make sure you enjoy life.

Those who are closer to the beginning of their career may suggest that money or compensation is a bigger driver. We can’t forget about those who claim schedule flexibility, flex time, or time off, as holding a significant importance.

Career Options

Honestly, your choices and strategy has a significant number of options. Doing what you love, loving what you do, receiving more pay, accepting less pay, travel opportunities, flex schedule, work from home, a car, a 401K, paid healthcare, and so much more.

What about skills, are you doing something that aligns with your natural talent? Can you learn more about something that interests you even when you aren’t so skilled?

Considering that there are so many options why is there often a lack of job satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty.

Organizational Psychology

People closely connected with organizational psychology would probably suggest that the leadership and culture has something to do with that. Does the organizational culture shift to fit the people or should the people shift to fit the culture?

A losing battle may be to think that any individual will push, shove, or stretch the culture and create their own uniquely special opportunity. Sure, some of the job may always flex to accommodate the best of the best from the person filling its shoes. However, it is unlikely you’ll completely change the dynamics.

Career Path

Three things I think make a lot of sense about a career:

Give one hundred percent of you for whatever compensation you accept. Never scale your output by the amount of compensation.
Always remain open to learning and improving your knowledge and skills. Everything changes, you’ll have the choice of change or staying stuck.
Job markets are typically selfish. They don’t really care about how hard you are working or the sacrifices you’ve made. They care about the best story and those who can deliver on it. So build it.

When we remove the money from the calculation, things really change. Remove the security of the job and that mixes things up too. The real constant is change and so the highest risk for your career is insisting on staying exactly the same.

You should pick your career path, unless of course you would rather let that up to someone else.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

28
Dec 17
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Why Most Career Paths Are Unknown

Tags : career education journey path Talent

Working for years to discover your career path is common. Certainly pursuing meaningful work, continuing your education, and even taking some risk is important, but most career paths are not known, they are discovered.

Spirit of Career Paths

SharkTank is in its ninth season. Its popularity represents something that many believe is part of chasing the American dream. Entrepreneurs of all ages, backgrounds, and interests pitch a panel of venture capitalists in an attempt to continue building their dream.

People who care deeply about their career are working towards a dream. It may be doing something they love, trying to build financial freedom, or sometimes it is the final stretch of preparing for retirement. Many will tell you that they didn’t see the path until they started walking it.

Perhaps the most important news for career seekers is that there aren’t any shortcuts. What looks like a shortcut is probably a path that is already taken, saturated, overused, abused, or headed for decline.

Navigating the Pivot

The business climate is shifting. Technology has created opportunities that no one knew existed ten or twenty years ago. The people who are on their own journey will shape what is next. It is the path not yet discovered but one that is unfolding over time.

When your career is important to you, you’ll take the appropriate steps. You’ll do the work, put in the time, learn the skills, analyze the market, and jump in. All of that is good because standing still won’t make much happen.

Your Plan

Will it go exactly as you planned? Probably not and for a really good reason.

That reason is that your best work develops from your talent. It develops from your interests, the things others have suggested you do well, and from doing the things that feel natural.

That isn’t all though, your talent also develops from the twists and turns, the in’s and out’s, and how you performed and endured when things turned upside down.

It seldom is how others described it, how someone forecasted it, or what the text book suggested it would look like.

Most Career Paths

Your best work, the work that shapes your career, will come from your heart. It’s where the best work occurs, it creates luck throughout your journey.

There is a good chance that most career paths are unknown because you don’t really train for it, you become it.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: path

Dec 18

-

Two Career Paths, Which Is Yours?

Two Career Paths

Career Strategy

Aug 18

-

Are You Taking The Best Career Path?

Time Matters

Best Career Path

Jan 18

-

Who Will Choose Your Career Path?

Career Options

Organizational Psychology

Career Path

Dec 17

-

Why Most Career Paths Are Unknown

Spirit of Career Paths

Navigating the Pivot

Your Plan

Most Career Paths

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