Work life – Page 7

Career plan: does it still exist?

Even though a lot is said about flexible careers focused on projects with an end date, we still hear many employees wishing for the so-called career plan. Is it just habit or a genuine desire? While some companies still insist on more structured frameworks, others adopt more flexible models with a shorter life cycle, and still, others don’t adopt any career plan structure to offer to their employees. So, how is a career plan currently?

Career plans offered and managed by companies

For a company, this boils down to trying to predict and anticipate movements, and preparing employees for future positions, since rotating positions is a constant in any organisation. Eventually, someone is fired, retired, or promoted. No, a company doesn’t think about your career; the business needs are the main need, and therefore, you are impacted. In light of this, I would like to share some perceptions I have about career planning in companies.

1 – Companies which are consistent with what they determine in career and succession plans:

In this scenario, competence and result will determine more than relationship and effort.
You will be able to clearly observe the requirements of positions, and especially that many (not all) people who occupy them meet these criteria.
Feedback is guided by values and company documents are constantly reviewed according to the current reality of the business. In other words, these documents are valuable for decision-making, not just a pure process.
Decision-making and expectation alignment are more accurate and less frustrating. There aren’t many big surprises, neither good nor bad.
Most of the time, the desired position needs to be empty for you to occupy it, and this can take years.
You will hear keywords in conversations with your boss and whenever you have an unsolved question you will hear “Let’s consult the manual.doc”.
There is greater clarity on what to do and what to expect when you want to occupy a certain position. You probably only want what you can achieve, here people want real and possible positions.
You will hardly see a rocket career.
Of course, there will still be subjective facts that can determine positions and movements, but they avoid saying.

2 – Companies which are not congruent with what they determine in career and succession plans.

In some cases, relationships and effort may determine more than competence and results.
These companies, even having a succession and career plan prepared, rarely use documents that are adherent to the culture and reality of the business.
Their career plan criteria and keywords are rarely used in one-on-one meetings.
The urgency factor and ease of movement also influence the decisions of the positions.
It is necessary to discover the implicit key criteria of the organisational culture.
No, it’s not all bad. Here you can skip steps if you know how to plan a strategic and structured career plan, following what would really make you jump into the position which you want. Only a few people within this type of organisation do this consciously and intentionally.
The lack of a structure that works leaves people adrift, believing only in the factor of luck and time. This can make any well-intentioned person great potential for professional advancement.

3 – Companies without career and succession structure.

What will determine your future probably will be the relationships and results.
Feedback is likely implicit, often you will not be told clearly what you need to take off in your career. Why? The criteria change all the time, it is not possible to give you guarantees.
Speaking of guarantees, many movements and promotions are done informally. Salary expectations are frequently not very well aligned.
Because they’re smaller companies, the impact of individual actions is bigger, so it’s easy to see who stands out. You will hear first and last names associated with projects.
There may be a lot of personnel changes, so you will have a lot of opportunities to be able to move around. But in this scenario, the memory is shorter. The most recent name in the boss’s memory will be the name remembered in a promotion’s decision table.
A chair doesn’t necessarily have to be empty for you to occupy it.
The promotions need approval from fewer people. Yes, the CEO can promote someone because they had lunch with them and found a good name for a new area.
It is necessary to discover the key criteria (probably implicit) of who has the power to promote you.
Criteria slip: sometimes someone is promoted for serving the customer empathically and having contributed to the company’s image, sometimes cost reduction is better seen, even if the price of this is not meeting some customer need.
Here you can also burn steps, but it can be a little more frustrating.

In all the scenarios, we have two conflict-of-interest that we often overlook: companies have business interests that don’t always match the employee’s interests, and employees have personal interests that don’t always match their current job and company. This represents a risk if we leave our entire career in the hands of the current company we work for.

Career self-management

We know that many employees question companies about career plans. But when we ask these same people about their career expectations and ambition, few will answer concretely. Many still respond by associating their career with the current company, when, in fact, thinking about a career plan involves a long-term game that goes beyond the current position. There are also expectations similar to “I should already be in position x because I worked for it”, but rarely related to:

Do I want to continue in this area? Does it make sense with my identity? Does this work talk about who I am?

Do I want my boss’s position? Why no, why yes?

What industry (type of company or product) would I prefer to work in?

What would I like to say that I am retired? “I’m retired from…”

I’m a leader or an expert?

What training do I want to take to boost my career?

How many working hours do I prefer to work?

Any hobby that would turn into work?

What do I want to be known for? What I don’t mind not knowing much?

Do I prefer to work with a lot of people, or am I a lone wolf?

What is a career for me? It could be…
- Life legacy.
- Something to be enjoyed rather than tolerated.
- A kind of art that I want to leave for the world, or just for my children, or just for myself.
- A value that I want to generate from myself.
- It’s something that just doing for living a comfortable life, it can be enough.

You don’t need to have the answers now, you just need to know that these questions are important. They also change over time, in fact, they always change.

Knowing this will help you:

Creating a plan that respects your personal wishes and not the company’s interests.
Giving up what doesn’t matter: you don’t accept something just because everyone likes it, and you start making room for what you really want.
Clarity for bargaining power: how about fewer hours of work instead of a salary increase? Or training funded by the company? Just because nobody owns it, or because it’s never been asked, doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate some contractual benefit.
And most importantly: having this clarity will show your strategic vision and authenticity to your leadership, which are aphrodisiacs for business. And for our self-confidence, of course.

Companies create processes for everyone, but we are unique individuals, who, even occupying the same position, have different ambitious and desires.

How to manage your own career plan

Self-knowledge. Here, the questions you make are more important than the answers. Remember that you will always change.
Review and be consistent. It’s like in any other area of life (finances, relationships, health etc) we need to look periodically and intentionally. To have consistency and clarity of your internal changes (of desire, format, and career needs) is significant to think of a system that supports these revisions.
Look for some methodology to plan and organize your career: so you can manage it in a simple, intuitive and constant way. I strongly recommend GTD (Getting Things Done, by David Allen) for personal organization.
Set a date and time and focus early on getting in the habit of looking at it regularly than being perfect.
Having someone as a reference and inspiration. Not just in their field, but someone who thinks of a career as a significant area of life.
Think more about your mental health, intentionally.
Exploring possibilities: before getting to the answers, explore the questions. An alternative is to search on Google Images: career path for + your area.
It’s basic, but I need to reinforce: Always study. You may discover new horizons of interest and want to start over or abandon something. Discover, explore and enjoy the possibilities.
Manage your own CRM, yes, have a personal CRM to manage your network, intentionally.
Investing in your employability. At the end of the day, it is the most important skill that brings you results and peace of mind to take risks (change areas, change companies, etc).
- How do I do an excellent interview in my field?
- How to position myself as a reference person in my area?
- What are the marginal gains that drive my employability in my field?
- What could I have done better in my last selection process?
- How to improve my resume, LinkedIn etc.
Investing in your introspection. Figuring out what we want first can be easy, but it usually isn’t. It’s a slow process of figuring out and asking questions that may have never been asked, and frequently, a lonely journey of self-knowledge.

Not relying on one company to determine our professional future is the #1 positioning for having a more meaningful and fulfilling career. It is an endless process of self-knowledge, experimentation and adjustments, but one that brings us closer to our singular truth day after day. Knowing that we are on the way and that this path is connected with what we believe makes life more exciting and interesting. Being comfortable in our own skin brings tranquillity and individuality. It gives strength.
After all, we are unique, just like our careers.

Morning ritual – starting from the beginning

“What? 5:50 am?
I’m not in the barracks”.

That was a friend’s response when I mentioned that I wake up a little before 6 am. Amongst the astonishment and criticism of this habit, I curiously noticed what it means to many people, including my past self. Unconsciously, waking up before the necessary time to get ready for work is associated with sleep deprivation and a loss of freedom. Since my friend didn’t ask me about my morning activities or my bedtime, the focus was solely on the time itself.

I wonder if our current understanding as adults stems from a lifetime of waking up and immediately diving into something that “has to be done.” The early hours of the day were usually unpleasant obligations, not by choice, not for fun or pleasure, but because we had to. We used to wake up and go straight to school, and now we wake up and go straight to work. However, nobody complains about getting up early to take a trip, pick up someone they love at the airport, or on their wedding day. It’s not about the time; it’s about what we do.

If you, as the reader, share this experience of being human, you likely function best in the first hours after waking up, whether it’s 5 or 10 am. Intuitively, this makes sense, doesn’t it? Throughout the day, our energy levels deplete. However, immediately after recharging and resting, our energy level is higher (assuming we sleep the recommended 7-8 hours). Depriving yourself of sleep to join the 5 AM club is certainly a bad idea.

There are treatments to balance and restore our natural rhythm, such as reducing stimulation, improving melatonin production, and establishing routine schedules that support our circadian cycle. My evening ritual determines my morning routine; it helps my future self do what I want. But that’s a subject for the next post.

If you believe you perform better at night, experiencing the best version of yourself in the morning might be surprising. You might realise that you’re not utilizing your best self yet.

It's important to note that these observations apply to the majority of people in general, not necessarily to everyone or in exceptional circumstances. Perhaps you have a young child and can't regulate your sleep as you would like, or you have a health issue that goes beyond simple habits. Adapt your reality; no one else lives your life or knows what's best for you.

The first few hours of the day hold precious time when our body, mind, and creativity are at their best. Have you noticed how, in the morning, the problems of the previous day seem smaller? How irritability decreases? How we gain clarity on our doubts, fears, or regrets? It’s like a new blank page, with less pollution and noise.

Since the early hours are characterized by clarity, well-being, tranquillity, and energy, how can you make the most of them? How can you wake up early, like a child on Christmas morning, ready to open presents? I have been waking up before 6 am for over 10 years, and I have tested and adapted various widely discussed methods.

What I have realised and learned throughout this process is:

1 – I could understand that I come first.

My best hours belong to me.

Work is a part of my life, such as taking care of finances, my home, and my relationships. All areas are important. But there is one that always stays and supports all of them: my well-being, my mental health and my relationship with myself. Waking up and not going straight to work makes me prioritize myself. It means putting myself first, before letting the world in

I believe that what and how I perform for companies and customers is just the result of whom I have become. I am the product, I carry it up wherever I go. The ID badges are provisional and borrowed, but I remain. Consequently, those who depend on my work will get the most out of me more focused, energized, optimistic and creative.

2 – I need to know what works for me and think about consistency, in the long term

For some, waking up at 5 is wonderful. But in my life, is it okay to go to bed at 9 pm? Maybe on a weekday, but on the weekend it would go over some hours. No, not for me, thank you. Our body works better with more consistency at bedtime. Most of the day a variation of one hour doesn’t change much, and on weekends even two hours is considered ok. More than that can get in the way of consistency, and the lack of consistency makes the process of waking up at the desired time more difficult, and above all, makes us tired throughout the day. For me, what has been working is a routine where I wake up at 6 am and go to bed at around 10 pm.

3 – I must protect this moment from:

What all rituals have in common is the protection of YOUR moment from the outside world. No mobile, no communication, and as little noise as possible.

External Villain: the telephone and its hypnotic distractions

Solution 1 – Don’t depend on the phone to wake up

Does this mean I did affirmations to program my subconscious to wake up at 5:50 am? No, I just bought an old-fashioned alarm clock. This one in particular has gradual lighting, which helps a lot in my mood when I’m waking up. It’s especially useful when you live in a country where half the year you wake up in the darkness.

Solution 2 – Automatic app blocking

There are many apps for this. On iPhones, this function exists natively. Of course, you can unlock it, my friend. It will only generate more friction that makes you think better if you really want to start your morning with a photo of Kim Kardashian or do what makes you feel better. I leave some apps unblocked, like the meditation ones.

Solution 3 – Allow calls

I usually block messages and notifications, but I allow calls. This way, I don’t expect any urgent matters to be communicated through messages, and I can enjoy uninterrupted personal time. People still tend to call in case of emergencies, right?

Solution 4 – Don’t depend on the phone to know that your time is over

I created an appointment in the calendar when the event ends, so I don’t have to check the time.

Internal Villain: Millions of ideas popping up on how to conquer the world.

A notepad for writing ideas solves this problem. I capture everything that comes to mind, and at the end of the day, I process that list using a classic GTD step. So at that moment I don’t process or execute them, I just write them down, so I don’t forget and feel freer.

Now, this activity is one of my best practices. I love the sensation of freedom which comes when I don’t have to do anything. It’s like having the discipline to be there every day to serve my freedom to be what I want to be. Dreaming, imagining, creating, and feeling. Always on my terms.

What to do?

This question is completely personal. Following someone else’s script doesn’t say I’m choosing my timing. I’ve already tried doing several things and I’m always adjusting. I’m constantly adding and removing activities. It depends on how my energy is on the day, what my body asks for, the season, the weather, or the moon. Experimentation is the only answer.

I make a list of what I like to do on paper, some days I do a little of each, and other days one or two.

Staying with my cat.
Contemplating nature – behind my house there is a small forest, depending on the season I just walk outside or simply admire it through the window. Here the seasons are well-defined, so it’s quite charming to look at the snow or autumn leaves on the ground 🍂.
I am inspired by Ayurveda in some habits: scraping my tongue and drinking water with a little lemon as the first tasks in the morning.
Yoga: asanas (physical exercise), pranayama (breathing exercise) and meditation. Here I stay for around 1 hour.
Some affirmations and reminders for the month related to my habits and what I want to improve about myself.
Reading – About 30 min.

Additionally, this type of activity disconnects us from the external world and allows us to connect with our body, our breathing and especially with what we feel. In the medium and long term, it made me listen to myself better, get to know myself better and, consequently, be more authentic.

What energizes you? (not necessarily what brings pleasure). I suggest you make a list of offline activities you’ve done and enjoyed. Here are a few ideas of what you can do:

Reading
Doing stretches
Writing – thanks, ideas, a book, diary
Drawing or painting
Listening to any music, podcast, book
Walking
Praying
Or it can be just: stop and listen – pay attention to how you are in the rhythm of breathing. What is the content of your thoughts? Writing it down on paper will give you clarity, self-awareness, and comfort (it’s real!).

How to make life easier for the ritual to happen:

Create causes for the ritual to happen:

Where will I stay? Need to tidy up the environment?
Should I separate something in advance? Clothes, books, notes, etc.
What do I deserve in my, and only my, atmosphere? Do I deserve a cosy blanket? A scented candle? An inspiration playlist?

What does your inner muse need? Pampering your inner muse will make her stronger, more self-assured, and comfortable in her own skin.

How to be consistent

I must say that rigidity in the first few days of the habit is key. After a few weeks, this moment should become so fundamental and essential, that it will be easy to say no to other things. Here, done is better than perfect, and you’ll probably find yourself on the way. At first, it may not be ideal as you may feel very sleepy. But gradually, your body understands your new schedule. But in the first few days, focusing on the structure is critical for building habit muscles. Again: consistency is more important than excellence.

I write on paper what I want and like to do. On one side the morning ritual, and on the other the evening ritual. I don’t follow strictly, it’s just inspiration. I see what my body and my state ask for at the moment. Sometimes, just reading the affirmations I want for my life is enough. Sometimes reading about my big goals cheers me up more. Another day, just brushing my cat and letting him lay on top of me is enough. Sometimes stretching my back and meditating. I do what energises me, and that thought “do it without feeling like it” doesn’t work here.

At this moment, in the conditions I have today, what’s best for me?

Improve and adjust

The ritual is not fixed, you will develop it.

I review my list each month and see if the current season call for different things. Sometimes I must read more, or I’m too agitated and need to meditate longer. I write it down in my reminders to check in periodically on what I need most.

In conclusion, having a set date to think about what we do in the early hours of the day helps us to be aware of what we want and seek.

REFERENCES:

1 – Time to decide: Diurnal variations on the speed and quality of human decisions – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010027716302414