Intuitive Career Decision-Making

How should we approach making career decisions?  What should be the balance of logical analysis versus our “intuition”, and how can one guide the other?  Also, are there lessons from how we make decisions in other contexts which we can apply to our career planning? In this episode, Roger Parker, former EMEA Managing Partner at global law firm Reed Smith, adviser to leaders and mentor to those beginning their careers at Resurgo, shares tips and advice on how we can approach career decision-making.  Roger reflects also on how he needed to make decisions in his senior management roles and the principles which one can take from those approaches to decision-making related to our career paths.  Roger considers a range of issues ranging from how one aligns with one’s values to the importance of listening to feedback from your trusted circles of friends and colleagues.  Also, Roger emphasises how important it is to balance risk and opportunity, to consider saying “no” to opportunities, and also to be patient and considered at times of uncertainty: having the confidence to “wait for the fog to clear” as one plans a next career step.   Action for listeners:  Spend 10 minutes making notes about these 3 career questions, and then discuss your answers with a trusted colleague:   1.       In my current, and next role(s), what do I want to contribute?  (Tip: think about your values, what is really important to you.)  2.       Think about a potential next role you have considered and ask yourself: what would I be giving up, as well as gaining, if I took that route? (Tip: Think about networks you may lose, and also future opportunities in a current role which you would no longer have.)  3.       If you are uncertain about a possible career route, stop and consider: what is driving that uncertainty? (Tip: Breaking down the uncertainty can help you to clarify what conversations, or data, you need before taking your decision.)