There’s a phrase out there that always makes me cringe a little. “Secret sauce.”
You’ve probably seen or heard it before. The one thing that will change everything… IF you pay for it.
I’ve never really liked that idea.
Because when you’re sitting there, wondering what on earth to do next with your career, the last thing you need is another magic solution being dangled in front of you.
You need something practical. Not the answer, but something you can actually use.
So today, I’m going to share with you one of the most powerful coaching questions I use with my clients.
Because I’ve seen what happens when people actually sit with it. It shifts something.
And if you let it, it might just shift something FOR YOU too.
How Public Sector Leaders Move From One-Track Thinking…
If you’re a public sector leader thinking about your next move, you might recognise this.
You try to think of “what’s next” and all that comes up are variations of what you’re already doing. Same job title. Same type of role. Same sector – just in a slightly different organisation.
It’s like your thinking is stuck on a loop. No matter how hard you try, nothing new appears.
Your mind is stuck in one-track thinking. And it’s common, and hard to step out of, especially when it’s about your career.
Because when it comes to work, our brain immediate zones in on what’s sensible, realistic, responsible. All great qualities.
But not always helpful when you’re trying to imagine a different future – one that’s more aligned with who you are now.
Here’s the thing most people don’t realise: You don’t find clarity about anything – least about work you love – by narrowing your options too early.
You find clarity by going WIDE first. By stepping OUTSIDE the usual rules. By allowing ideas that don’t immediately make sense.
I know, it feels counterintuitive. Almost irresponsible.
But there’s actually strong evidence behind this.
In psychology and innovation, this is called ‘divergent thinking’: the ability to generate many different ideas before evaluating them.
Research shows that when people allow themselves to think more freely – without immediate judgment – they access more original, more aligned, and more motivating ideas.
And yet most of us do the opposite. We shut ideas down before they even fully form.
… To Expansive Thinking
So here’s the question I want to offer you today:
“What’s the most outrageous thing you could do?”
Pause for a moment. Notice your reaction. Because this question does something powerful.
It bypasses your internal filters:
“That’s not realistic.”
“People like me don’t do that.”
“I shouldn’t want that.”
And instead, it opens the door. For imagination and possibilities.
When I ask clients this question, something really interesting happens. At first, they laugh. They might say something like:
“Oh, I don’t know… quit everything and move to Italy.”
“Start a completely different career.”
“Do something creative for once.”
They brush it off.
But then… we stay with it. And underneath the “outrageous” idea there’s usually something very real:
A desire. A pull. A part of them that hasn’t had a voice in a long time.
Often, what they name as “outrageous” – or “crazy” – is actually the closest thing to what they truly want.
When you look at it more closely, it’s usually not as outrageous as it first seemed. It’s actually ‘figure-outable’ (is that a word?), it’s something you can figure out.
Your answer to this question is not about making a drastic decision tomorrow. It’s a clue. A signal.
It tells you something about what you’re missing right now. What you’re craving more of. What parts of yourself have been sidelined. Maybe it’s:
Freedom.
Creativity.
Having an impact in a different way.
Maybe it’s simply doing things on your own terms.
There’s also an important layer here.
Many of the career paths we follow are shaped – often unconsciously – by expectations: our family, the culture we grew up in, professional norms. Ideas about what ‘success’ is supposed to look like.
And over time, we stop questioning those assumptions.
We just continue. Without asking ourselves whether that’s actually how we want to spend our time, this one precious life we’ve got.
This question interrupts that pattern. It’s like a reality check.
Now, let me be clear: This is not about blowing up your life overnight.
It’s not about making reckless decisions. It’s about expanding your thinking before you start narrowing it again.
If you only ever choose from “sensible” options, you’ll likely end up with more of the same. And that’s exactly what keeps you stuck.
Ask Yourself This Question
So here’s what I’d love you to do: Take a few minutes and ask yourself:
“What’s the most outrageous thing I could do?”
Sit with the question. Write down whatever comes up. No filtering. No judging. No self-censoring.
Then get curious:
- What is this really about?
- What does this idea give me that I don’t have right now?
- How could I bring more of this into my current reality?
You don’t have to take the whole leap to start moving in that direction now. But you do need to get out of one-track thinking to discover work that lights you up.
So instead of asking: “What’s the most sensible next step?” Try asking: “What’s the most outrageous thing I could do?” And see where it takes you.
And if you want support figuring out how to translate that into a career and life aligned with who you are now, you know where you can find me.
Get in touch at spacetoshiftyourcareer.com/work-with-yvonne – or reach out to me on LinkedIn.
Until next time: Make space, rediscover YOU, and then take action.