Proceed with Caution

Job transitions are like taking a turn on an intersection.

1. You have to decide whether you do want to turn and what direction. The turn is the beginning of a new journey. It’s a necessary step when you want to change the direction, and it’s important that you know why you want to turn left or right. Is it to see what’s out there? Is anyone or anything waiting for you there? How much do you know about what’s waiting for you behind the corner?
2. Make sure you are safe before the turn. The same way as the car has to be in a good condition (brakes, accelerator…) and all the people have to have the seatbelt on, in the job transition scenario you need to make sure you’re ready. It may mean to have a support of your family and friends, maybe a bank account with accumulated savings to be prepared for unexpected “bumps in the road”. You must be in shape for the change, since it takes extra energy to change the direction.
3. As we signal our turn, we let the other people know what we’re up to and give them a chance to react and adjust. I’ve already mentioned the friends and family. When you are messing with the status quo you need to be aware of all the people around that may be impacted. It may include your coworkers, customers, people who are used to your current YOU and will somehow be affected by your change. How can you let everyone know where you are going?
4. You need to slow down. OK, don’t need to, but the centrifugal force will make it really hard for you to turn if you don’t slow down before the turn. And that’s the same with job transitions. Something’s got to give! You have to start doing a bit less before you turn if you want your turn to be a smooth one. Start delegating your workload to other people, spend less time on perfecting the PPT decks, stop jumping on new opportunities, get off your e-mail frenzy routine… Slowing down is probably the hardest. We naturally resist the loss of speed. Our bodies automatically lean forward as we break. Our minds need to adjust to the change the same way our bodies do.
5. Proceed with caution. The turn itself is a dangerous move. We have to pay extra attention in many directions and keep in control of our vehicle. A turn takes time. Even if you changed the job overnight, you are still in the middle of the turn for a while. This is not the time to relax and assume everything will be just like before. The road may be changing from asphalt to the gravel and there may be obstacles you didn’t see before you started turning. Be patient when listening to “Are we there yet?” from the back seat. Take your time to proceed with caution.
6. Only when you are confident that you are done with your turn, you can speed up again. You can get back to your routines as well as start experimenting with the new behaviors. Make sure you get familiar with the rules of the new neighborhood, though, as the speed limit may be different here and you may not understand the language you see on the signs. Check with your passengers to see if they are also enjoying the ride. You can now embrace the new surroundings and create your new YOU.