Most people think a career change is about changing what you do

Most people think a career change is about changing what you do.

It’s not.

Let me explain.

I have always read, written, spoken, listened and thought.

In school I was taught to read and write.

I didn’t learn to listen (though I was told to often enough).

And it seemed ideal if no pupil spoke much.

The intention was to learn (listen and read) and to pass exams (write and speak).

At university, I learned to think.

It was there I found out I preferred reading to writing.

Listening to speaking.

But thinking most of all.

Which was valuable in my first career as a Theatre Director.

I read plays.

I listened to actors read them aloud.

And I occasionally shared my thoughts about what I was seeing and hearing.

My second profession was as an Artistic Director.

I consider it a privilege to have held the position.

I was still thinking, reading, writing, speaking and listening.

But the intentions changed.

When I thought, I invented.

What could we do differently?

How could we improve?

Can we do more, go further.

When I read, I judged.

Is this play good enough?

Unique enough?

Commercial enough?

When I spoke, I pursuaded.

Get behind my vision.

Give us this money.

Now let us spend the money.

When I wrote, I proved.

We’re good enough for this money.

We’ll do what we say we’re going to do.

We’ve done what we promised.

And when I listened, I calculated.

What needs to happen to ease this person’s pain?

How can we help them get back to their best?

What do I need to say to get this person to do what I want them to do?

Thinking, reading, speaking, writing and listening.

Inventing, judging, pursuading, proving and calculating.

Now, in my third career as a professional Coach, I do exactly the same things.

But the intention has changed once again.

Now I think to understand.

Arrange.

Connect.

Accept.

I read to learn.

Expand.

Change.

Feel.

I write to express.

Help.

Offer hope.

(and yes, advertise my services).

I speak to reveal.

To share.

To demystify.

To question.

And I listen to empathise.

To be alongside.

To support.

To empower.

My point is, sometimes we think everything needs to change.

We’re fed up with our job.

Frustrated at work.

Ready to jack it in and do something completely different.

But maybe it’s not always what we do that needs to change.

It’s just why we do it.