You CAN make a change!

Do you need to make a New Start this Summer?

Some call it Pivot, others call it reinvention. It’s always a (big) change.

It could be that a change of job or career or changing your business is needed.

Re-inventing Yourself - a necessity for many, especially for those over 50 (and these days I know a few), but it’s vital for others, too, such as stay-at-home parents who are re-entering the job market and for those who discover that what they have trained for/studied for is no longer a need.

Sometimes you have had to quit because the job was too toxic, or you were just not fitting in to the culture or the work.

Also. for many people facing job-cuts and company reorganization, reinvention is key for continuing in the work force.  Unemployment is often the catalyst for many changes, but it is not always so.

Sometimes finding a similar position is rather simple.

BUT

It just may not be possible to stay at the same level and in the same career, especially if you are at the top of the ladder. Being able to do exactly what you have been doing at same level of seniority is often difficult for the 50+ crowd (and this includes the same level of pay, too, at least in Switzerland). 

It can also be that the work has changed in your field and you want to get out before there is no job or it has become something completely different from when you began. 

OR you may have been part of the “great resignation of 2021-2022. And you want a big change –

Or maybe the pandemic has shown you that a change is essential for your personal or family well-being. 

Whatever the reason, you want to change, or to “reinvent yourself” and this blog is for YOU.

Yes, we ALL can change!!!

Based on research, every person is able to change until their life on this earth ends. 

An example from my coaching business:

When I had been teaching business students communication for twenty years (ten in Zürich and then ten in Brugg), I decided that I needed a change and found a great school that gave me a real (18 month) coaching training with a European certification.  Since that certification I haven’t stopped learning and have added a few certifications on that, as well, including a supervision certification in May 2020, plus a burnout/resilience certification, member-care certifications and many other courses to keep me “fresh”. 

We all need to keep “fresh” and grow.

But not every attempt at a change is successful.  Some are, of course, failures.

Failure is the next step towards success. Those “blips” I consider “learning events” when we take the time to reflect and learn from the situation.

You can change, too.

There is a BUT…

The qualification to the “yes, you can”:

You can re-invent yourself – with a qualified yes. 

We all have our general personality traits, and we work from a starting point of where we are at (age, education, skills). 

Yet, we need to challenge ourselves and not use the excuse, “I am x and can’t do y.” 

We are all able to do a lot of activities and jobs we don’t think we can, if we try and learn and try again, and keep trying until we make it. 

But those activities may very well be out of our “normal arena of comfort”.  These new activities may drain us more than other more typical to our personality activities do. 

Change is hard!

It will take (quite) some effort. Coaching can help support this process, by the way.

Change is hard and we all know it. 

Change will not be easy for you, that is true, but if you want to keep working, especially after being made redundant (especially after the age of 50 in Switzerland), change will probably be necessary for your success. Sometimes it’s even as young as 45, here.

I deal with the over 50s and younger people as part of my coaching.  I also deal with others, like business owners and leaders, as well as those who are just promoted.

Re-inventing your career at 50+ (or even younger)

When dealing with joblessness over 50, it is vital to re-invent your career and your skills, instead of working only within ones’ experience, training and/or personality borders, you will need a “Career Swing” of some sort.  Lately this topic has become more important for my friends and colleagues as the business and the economic reality of Switzerland’s landscape has been changing very quickly. 

Re-inventing and change

Essentially what the issue is, is that you need a good change process plan, based on the environment, your (realistic) expectations, and your abilities and boundaries. 

You may change your type of work, the way you work (perhaps as a consultant), or maybe you will start your own business.  This will, then start even more change processes.  Of course, you may have to learn new things such as more about networking and using social media, too. 

A wise advisor once said to me years ago that you should look at the job you want and then see what they expect of you to get that job.

One thing here is VERY GOOD German. If you don’t have that skill, go to class, now.

And what about your business, if you have one? Take inventory!

Finally, sometimes you need to re-invent or re-vamp your business or business strategies, especially after covid.  I have one business owner friend who is dealing with two C-related phenomena: the great resignation and a downturn in demand for her products.  She is taking inventory and pivoting, but, of course it is a regular practice for her.

This kind of inventory-taking for business should be done quarterly or twice a year at the least —depending on the business results from the last quarter and/or semester.  Some companies use some sort of project management tool, others use a few… sometimes those help.  Coaching can also help. 

I would love to have an email (or otherwise, perhaps a Skype or coffee, covid-requirements allowing) dialog about this kind of re-invention, whether it’s personal, about a career change, or about your business. 

One more thing: Maybe you are anticipating a big change, or are in the middle of it, or change has “happened” to you.  No matter what, when dealing with a difficult change process, remember to start by asking yourself what works for others, what has worked for you in the past, and what might work in the future, based on the present situation in your environment. Be realistic.

When you reflect on these questions you will then be on your way to a different and hopefully better future, and maybe even in a different place!

Have a great month of May!

Patricia Jehle                 patricia@jehle-coaching.com

Also, should you be interested you could like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Jehle.Coaching/