Chase Your Dreams Not The Title

Chasing a title for status or proof of accomplishment is a facade.
Chasing what you can do and represent while occupying a title means so much more.

Titles are so subjective to industry, level of business, KPI’s (Key performance initiatives) and the list goes on.
You are not defined by your title you are defined by what you do and how you ‘be’ within it. As William Arruda Senior Contributor for Forbes.com states, “Focus on your talents not your title” The Great Resignation has occurred over the last year with employees leaving their jobs for a variety of reasons such as the below top five concerns according to PEWResearchCenter. org in March 2022

-        Low pay

-        No opportunity for advancement

-        Felt disrespected at work

-        Childcare issues

-        Lack of good benefits

But there is another component to why people are dissatisfied in their job, and this goes beyond the perks and what’s listed above. The pandemic allowed us to take a pause and reflect on what really matters to us and its lead to realising for some, that what they are doing just isn’t satisfying enough. This has to do with what they are doing in the company and within their role. It has to do with a lack of meaning or alignment in values and with how they work naturally. Their purpose, their flow and what uniquely drives them to succeed.

Most of us have been there, reaching for the top. Hoping for the promotion, gaining a title to gain further respect amongst our peers and within our industry or simply put to feed our egos. It’s how we’ve been taught to play the career game, to be successful, to win at life. Yes, better pay generally comes along with this and that is incentive enough right!?

But then why is there a percentage of those who reach these goals and gain the title yet often feel a lack of satisfaction once they get there? It has to do with who you are and goes beyond what is lacking in the company offerings.

To find better satisfaction in a new role you must first do the groundwork to ensure it is what you really want. For example, if you love helping clients or maybe selling solutions and you reach for the next level in your career such as, a management role will this truly satisfy you? Do you understand what the new role is and what’s involved on a day-to-day basis? It’s never going to perfectly align with all areas of what defines satisfaction for you. But, clarifying what it is then figuring out how you can best mold into it or create something that aligns with you and your talents is a great place to start.

Here are some proven ways to help in deciding if the next level or new role is right for you:

-        Understand your values. How do they align in the new role or company?

-        What drives you? What are the key tasks that flow naturally for you and energize you as opposed to drags you down?

-        What is your personal mission, your calling, your purpose? How does this new role empower you to express this?

-        What is the ability for you to create what works best for you in this role while delivering what’s expected?

-        Assess what the development opportunity is within this role to help you get to where you want to go within this position

Do your research. Talk with others in similar job titles or those who have occupied this exact position. Have them breakdown how their time is spent amongst the deliverables. Does this resonate with you or turn you off? How can you enter the role with a different approach that is unique to you yet gain the same results that are expected from this position?

When people are unhappy within their roles research shows that they are less productive, more resentful which leads to lack of engagement and overall retention becomes an issue. (careerwave.me) So, how do you, the employee be responsible for some part of ensuring satisfaction is achieved? The first step is to gain clarity, be honest with yourself and others about how you best work and how this can impact positively on the role you would be entering. What is your overall goal or mission within this position? Aligning this better will lead to stronger engagement, motivation, overall career satisfaction and ultimately success.

If you need support in clarifying this and how to begin aligning this make the request to work with a coach if this is not something already offered. Studies show that over 70% of individuals who receive coaching benefited from improved work performance, relationships and more effective communication skills. While 86% of companies feel that they recouped the investment they made into coaching plus more on top. Forbes.com - The Institute of Coaching  research

So before you jump at the chance to take a job for the title or just the title, consider the true reason: WHY” you are taking it and how it will affect your happiness, wellbeing and success in the long run.

You don’t become a legend in your industry because of the title you held. You become a legend because of what you’ve done, the things you have left as a legacy for others to carry on, be inspired by and continue to evolve.

Go for it…