I recently worked with two leaders navigating career change, and they needed completely different support teams.
One leader was drowning in possibilities. She had five ideas and couldn’t decide between them. She needed someone to help her structure her thinking and break things down into steps. A Manager and a Trusted Expert were the roles she needed.
The other leader was paralysed by fear. He needed someone who believed in him and who motivated him to work things through step-by-step. A Motivator and a Mooring were his priority.
If I’d given them both the same template – all six roles I talked about last week – one would have felt overwhelmed and the other would not have gotten what would actually help.
Your support team isn’t one-size-fits-all. It needs to be tailored to YOU.
Today, I’m going to help you figure out which roles matter most for where you are right now.
3 Questions To Help Leaders Decide Which Roles They Need on Their Support Team
When I work with my clients in my 5-month Find Your Career Space programme, I help them build their own career transition support team.
I do a diagnostics with them: a series of questions to help them clarify which roles they need on their team.
Today, I’d like to share three of these questions with you.
To begin, I’d like to invite you to think about where you actually are in your career change journey.
Are you at the very beginning with no idea where to start; in the middle of the exploration phase; testing and validating options; or about to start making the transition?
You’re likely to find that you need some roles more than others depending on the stage you’re in.
Here are the three question to help you figure out which roles matter most for where you are right now.
Question 1: What’s your biggest blocker right now?
Is it fear? –> You need a Motivator.
Is it indecision? –> You need a Trusted Expert.
Is it lack of follow-through? –> You need a Manager.
Is it doubt that it’s even possible? –> You need a Mentor.
Your biggest blocker points to the role you absolutely need.
If you’re not sure what I mean with these roles, go back to the previous episode, Episode 46.
I talk about the six roles leaders should consider when building their career transition support team, and the different purpose each of these roles has.
Question 2: What would make this feel easier right now?
Would it help to hear from someone who’s done it before; or to have a structure to work with; or to have expert guidance?
That points to another role that would serve you now.
Question 3: What drains your energy the most when you think about your career change?
Is it the uncertainty; managing it all by yourself; or feeling like you’re crazy for even wanting this?
The answer tells you what kind of support would restore your energy.
How To Find Multiple Roles In One Person
As I mentioned in the last episode: You don’t need all six roles. And you certainly don’t need six separate people.
The point is to have the six FUNCTIONS covered
– however that works for you.
Sometimes, one person can fill multiple roles.
Some roles may naturally come from your personal network.
Your partner might be your Mooring, providing emotional safety, and your Manager, keeping you accountable. An old friend of yours, who’s changed careers, might be your Mentor and your Mirror.
While other roles might be better sourced professionally.
A good career coach or counsellor can be several roles in one: your Mentor and your Trusted Expert; your Motivator (who believes in you), your Mooring (who provides emotional safety) and your Manager (who keeps you on track in a more structured way).
It all depends on:
- What’s available in your network
- What you’re willing to invest
- What you’re comfortable with
- What would actually help you most to move forward
There’s no one “right” answer. There’s only what works FOR YOU.
What Comes Next
In the next episode, we’re going to talk about where to actually find these people.
Because your immediate network might not include obvious candidates for all the roles you need along your career transition journey.
Until next time: make space, rediscover YOU, and then take action.