Timothy Clark is an author/consultant who talks about career management to working professionals. His books include The Leadership Test and Epic Change. I just read a local article titled Standing still is career suicide, where he argues that we resist change to our own detriment.
He says, regarding change, there is more change then ever before, and it is coming faster.
How do we react to change?
I see many job seekers panicking because the job search has changed from what it used to be.
Change can be good, and we can control how we react to it, or work with it.
Timothy’s advice includes (read the entire article here):
- Own your career. Yes, absolutely, that’s what many career practitioners (like me and Peter) have been preaching for many years. Too many people don’t, though. They get suckered into letting the company, or HR, or their immediate boss, make career decisions for them.
- Consider your technology skills. He says “Embrace the mindset that you must abandon them as they become obsolete and requalify yourself with new ones.” Great advice!
- Become an independent learner. Don’t wait for the company to provide you training on everything… seek out training on your own, outside of the company.
- View the organization as Configurable Parts. “Don’t get emotionally attached” to how things are or used to be. “Focus on creating value” to the entire system. Excellent advice.
Very good article and perspective. Timothy talks about organizational and individual effectiveness within a company, and it’s a perspective that we can all learn from.
