At one time or another, most of us will come to a point in our lives when it’s time to determine our next step. As a business and success coach, I often hear from people who are wondering if it’s time to make a change in their lives. Things may be going well, or not-so-well, but for whatever reason, they’re thinking that it’s time for change. They come to me for help figuring out what’s next in their career.
Most people are not in jobs that they planned and studied for. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty clear that many people are in careers that just “happened.” They started working at a job thinking it was going to be something they’d do until they decided what they really wanted to get involved in, and then they just stayed around until it became a kind of career.
In other cases, individuals are in jobs or professions based on the guidance or encouragement of other people in their lives. Perhaps their parents always wanted a doctor in the family. Maybe their boyfriend or wife kept telling them they were capable of “better” things and needed to get moving on their career. My point is this: Regardless of how they got to where they are now, it wasn’t, for most of the population, a well thought-out plan that was skillfully executed.
In my coaching practice, I’ve learned that this situation often translates into people doing work that really isn’t right for them personally. They may be doing okay, but they sure don’t bound out of bed looking forward to getting to work each day.
We are all more successful when we are doing things we enjoy. To help clients decide what that may be, I ask them a few questions designed to get them to take an honest look at who they are at their core.
For those of you who’ve been thinking, “Maybe I should make the move into management,” I’ve put together this list of 10 warning signals. If any of these hit you as your personal reality, the chances are that you are not cut out to be a manager.