We’ve covered the first two stages of a career journey.
C – Criteria. Knowing what you want makes it more likely you’ll get it.
H – Hunt. We identify some promising possibilities.
Now it’s time for “A”.
Analyze. Assess. Adjust.
As you know, the H step involved making some educated guesses.
For some of my clients, this is wonderful and fun. They see possibilities everywhere. The world is full of interesting problems and alternative lives beckoning.
Other clients find this uncomfortable and speculative. They prefer the world of the concrete and known. Unfortunately, they’re working with me because what they’ve known is untenable. So it is with reluctance and trepidation that they are considering alternatives.
The “A” step is where we stop guessing and start researching. For both my optimists and pessimists, this step is grounding.
What’s involved with this role? How do people in this organization describe its culture? What kinds of people succeed in this industry? What publications do people read? How do insiders talk about the work, and what trends, threats, and opportunities are they thinking about most?
This kind of information will help you recognize what you’ve been right about and which of your guesses need to be adjusted.
It will give you context for evaluating whether you’d like a particular opportunity, and which of your talents and traits will matter most if you transition.
“A” is all about replacing assumptions with information — and then using what you learn to sharpen your thinking about what you want and which problems and people would most value your contributions.
Some of the “A” research can be done online. But the juiciest information will come through conversation with humans. Hot takes, fears, and gossip, when gathered thoughtfully, can help. Every corporate website says some version of “our people are our most cherished asset,” but getting to know the people within organizations can give you a sense of whether a place will burn you out or build you up.
The only way you can get an “A” is by networking.
People hate this. It’s a little better when, instead of saying networking, we call it “Conversational Research.” But there are some fundamental misunderstandings of what ‘networking’ is that cause the distaste and disinclination for this step.
In fact, this is hardest for my most accomplished and thoughtful clients. They recognize the importance of their reputation, and they value their time and others’ time highly. Going out to your network without a very specific approach can be counterproductive.
“Just have coffee with people,” is a bad plan. It’s almost as bad as “just apply to some things on line and see what happens.”
Networking gets better when you recognize that there are four distinct activities we might mean. And there are a couple of practical habits that can help you schedule, execute, and measure the time you spend on this practice.
I spend a lot of my time as a coach helping people build and activate their networks, with intention and authenticity. This is personal and individualized, but there are principles and patterns I see across clients.
I could talk about this all day (and some days I do!). But for now, know that effective research includes networking, and that’s a set of activities and skills that most people haven’t been taught beyond insipid platitudes, and that everyone can learn to do better.
A great way to get better at it is to read this book and adopt the specific outreach tactics and conversation outlines until your confidence grows and you feel more comfortable with both the outreach and the informational interview process.
