Find fulfilling through strategy thinking

19 August 2020

Many people have the goal to do fulfilling, meaningful, work.  In pursuing this they can get lost in tactics when strategy thinking is needed.

To do more fulfilling, meaningful work people:

• update their resume
• look at job sites
• practice answering interview questions
• get another job

These, though, are all tactics.  They are the tactics that “everyone” does.

You may get lucky, and the tactics you pursue pay off, but often getting clear on strategies first, before defining the tactics you follow is more beneficial.

Strategies are the big picture plan elements of achieving a goal, tactics are the actions to implement the strategies.

People naturally jump to tactics because it feels good to be doing something when you want to make change.

People don’t think strategies in regards to their own career because it is not easy to do.  It requires stepping back from yourself, and stepping back from what everyone else is doing.

Here are some strategies for the goal to do fulfilling, meaningful work:

• Know yourself so you know what is fulfilling and meaningful to you
• Know the environment around you so you know what sorts of fulfilling and meaningful opportunities are available or likely to be needed
• Know your own decision parameters so you know how far you are prepared to go in pursuit of fulfilling and meaningful
• Then test different things out to judge the level of fulfilling and meaningfulness of them

Along the way you will probably update your resume, but it will be with deeper knowledge of yourself and what you can offer.  You will probably look at job sites, but it will be with a more discerning eye, and you may also look at some less traditional sites.  You might also have some interviews that you practice for, and you might also try out some different roles.  You will do all these tactics secure, plus more, secure in the knowledge of the strategy they align to.

The above strategies also happen to be reflected in the process of career maintenance.

Your tactics will be infinitely stronger when undertaken through the lens of better strategy.

As always, wishing you a flourishing career.

Katherine