The theme here is Career Choice & Opportunities and hence we need to view this theme not just in the context of the current environment but with its future relevance as well, because, the future these days unfolds itself much more quickly than it did 10 years back and CHANGE is going to accelerate itself even more in the days to come.
We are on the threshold of a new era where technology gets re-invented almost every day in some way or the other and this impacts every business domain which in turn impacts revenues and global economies. Innovation is a norm not an outlier. Transformational innovation might be an outlier but innovation as such has become a part of this Era. So for now, let us name this as an era of “Accelerated Change Driven by Transformational Innovation”. Some of us recognize this while others are totally oblivious.
This is already happening and those working for Start-ups will notice this change faster than those who work for established brands and so in the context of this environmental backdrop how will you make a Career Choice that will set you up for success?
So what is this New Era? The New Era is where work will happen from everywhere, Start-ups are cooler to be with than established brands. “Work from home” will slowly and surely move away and “work from anywhere” is going to be accepted. Innovation is not just a cool value but a necessary competency and talent that will redefine organizations. Transactional Success will be accepted as the norm but not appreciated as much, while Transformational Success will be rewarded and nurtured. Communication Skills are not going to be enough in the new era, but you need to have Business Orientation and a keen eye to analyze the business as well.
Without much ado, I would like to share a really simple model that actually works and it is amazingly simple and wow! I am in the process of patenting or copyrighting this model because of the encouraging feedback that I have been receiving from those who have tried it out! So, I thought of sharing this because serious matters like Career Choices and Opportunity need simple, highly effective and user-friendly tools. Tools that will help you accelerate and maximize your Success. Here is a tested tool that will help you redefine your success factor and not just help you succeed but will keep you happy as well!
The model is called SUCCESS MAXIMUS, a simple Venn diagram (Intersection of Circles) based model that has three circles or areas in it –
1st Circle - What do you love doing? (You are the only person who can answer this; so no external help is required)
2nd Circle - Your Special Talents. What are you good at? (This you need to ask those who have worked with you and lived with you and they need to be clear and honest)
3rd Circle – What is hot in the Job Market, and what are the Industries or Business Domains that are growing faster than the rest of the market? (You need to be expanding your network beyond newspapers and the web to get an idea of the real emerging markets)
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The Career Options that fall in the intersection area of all three circles are the ones that will MAXIMIZE your potential and accelerate your SUCCESS. This model works not just for fresh talent from grad schools but also for anyone at any level irrespective of industry, age, geography, cultural background etc., now let us take a look at the model.
Ok, how good is this model? Every time we tested the model on someone who used this model unknowingly or knowingly, we found that the success rate was close to double the average rate of those who never used this model at any given point of time. Isn’t that cool?!
Is this very difficult to do? The answer is “NO”, it is just that we are in the habit of following the crowd instead of pausing and thinking about where we will succeed more easily and be of value to ourselves, our loved ones and to the society in general. This model has worked for me and for all successful people who are happy with what they do! Now you know why I am in the process of patenting / copyrighting it!
Ok, let us do a sample test right away. For example, Let us say a young design aspirant wants to make a career in industrial design because of the love for it, but is not very good at and suddenly this professional competency is really hot in the Indian market, what happens now if you want to pursue this as a career? With a lot of hard work you will succeed at the entry level if there is a hot market that results in high demand and low supply of talent, but then you might not be able to consider it as a career for life or achieve any notable recognition because your limited talent shortens and limits the options for real career growth unless you are wealthy enough to choose it as the love of your life and then it becomes a hobby that you enjoy but definitely not a career option that will keep you growing and glowing!
So what does this really mean? It means that it would be wise not to react in an impulsive fashion when people say, “Do what you love” you have to pause, and make a check whether “What you love” is aligned to “What you are good at” and then again pause, find “Hot areas in the market” that align to both your talent (what you are good at) and your passion (what you love). This will give you a set of career options which will help you maximize your potential to grow faster than the market.
Now, the next question is “How good should you be?”. Well, You have to be really good at it…which means it is an accepted fact by people around you that it is your natural talent which you can then convert into a strength by developing it with the help of a coach/educational institution/mentor or whatever that helps the development of that talent….You have to be really obsessed to take it to a level of exclusivity.
Remember, SMART folks don’t wait preparing for CHANGE to happen, they are Alert to Anticipate ahead of the change with the Attitude to Adapt just enough to help them to be an Aggressive Achiever whose mindset is to seek out and WIN CHANGE and make it their slave.
The 6As given above can WIN CHANGE over to your side and create opportunities that accelerate your rate of success.
About the Author
Bharathan Prahlad is an HR Thought Leader and Change Agent