One of the questions I often get asked is when do you know you're ready to reinvent yourself?
Well, it depends on what track you're on when you ask the question.
Track 1:
Professionals who are learning the process for the first time.Track 2:
Professionals who understand the reinvention process recognize the timing and dynamics associated with their Personal Inflection Curve™, and how to put together a career reinvention strategy and execution plan for a smooth transition. (They know when it's time for their next reinvention.)The biggest challenge for individuals on the fence about reinventing themselves is to not get in the way of their own success. Yes, self-sabotage. So, let's start with the reasons people use to convince themselves that reinvention is not for them.
Why I Shouldn't Reinvent Myself
I could be labeled by potential employers as not good at anything.
Reinventing yourself is not about scattering your talents. The process actually helps you to focus on what you're good at and what you truly care about. Learning how to bridge the past, present and future to create a seamless transition plan is part of your reinvention.
I'll be throwing away everything I've learned.
You include Portable Assets and Transferable skills when re-branding yourself. So, you decide what you want to bring along with you for your next reinvention. There's no tossing out anything unless you decide the experience is not something you want to include this time around (you can always incorporate past experience in future reinventions).
I like my employer and I don't want to leave.
Reinventing yourself is not about leaving your employer of choice. It could be that you want to position yourself for a new role or new responsibilities within the company. It's not always about leaving. Quite often it's about learning how to do something better or different in your career.
In a down economy it's a risky thing to do.
Actually, it becomes risky to not change or challenge yourself in any economy. But, particularly, in a down economy you need to be looking for new ways to differentiate yourself. Reinventing your career is about leveraging your existing talents, strengthening new areas, and identifying gaps that need closing (now or later) in order to keep yourself competitive in the workplace. This isn't risky business, it's a smart move.
People may not like me any more.
When we change and 'shed old or outworn skins', there's always the risk that you'll outgrow people, your current role or position, and even your employer. It happens. Why not bring someone you care about along for the ride? Changing in parallel (even if you change in very different ways) is another perspective for you to consider.
I'm not good at anything else.
People typically surprise themselves when they discover that they're actually better at a number of things they enjoy. The glass isn't empty, it's suddenly overflowing.
I'm not confident enough.
Believe it or not, taking a risk on your own career development and personal success increases your confidence!
What Reinventing You (Really) Takes
This is what I'm looking for when I assess someone's readiness to reinvent themselves.
* Focused, mentally prepared
* Prepared to put some "skin in the game"
* Ability to trust
Focused, mentally prepared
Reinventing your career and personal success requires discipline and focus. There are a couple of situations that can sabotage your efforts in this area:
You're feeling like a victim, e.g., blaming others for the painful turn of events, unable to step back and gain a bigger picture perspective. Your experience may still be too raw to tackle a personal / professional reinvention. It's too easy to get distracted (or to distract others) when you're in this frame of mind.
You could have so much going on in your life that the discipline needed to focus on the end goal might be too much for you right now. You'll want to assess how much risk you can handle at once.
Skin in the game
Reinventing yourself for a successful transition takes work. You must be prepared to invest time and effort in completing your "field work", so that you're able to practice the steps associated with the reinvention process. The more you practice the faster you internalize the process and the more adept you become in the art of reinvention. You want it to become a part of who you are and not just what you do.
Skin in the game also means a willingness to trust that you're capable of coloring outside the lines (see Trust below).
It can include a financial investment, particularly if you're looking to differentiate yourself. You might hire someone to rewrite your resume/CV or you might decide to take some training or other courses to close career and business gaps.
Able to trust
A big contributor to your success in the reinvention process is trust. You must trust that you can reinvent yourself. The leap of faith so often associated with risktaking is less about a "leap" and more about taking the first step...for you.
Secondly, you must trust the process. You can question and challenge while learning how to color outside the lines in a different way; however, distraction and disruption as a means of sabotaging you or others is not part of your readiness.
Thirdly, you must trust the leader of your reinvention--your trainer, coach, guide, or mentor.
The fourth area of trust is with your tribe, if you're going through the reinvention process as a member of a team.
Are you ready to climb down from the fence?