I changed my job...who am I now?
A few years ago, I made the decision to leave an organization I had been with for nearly 15 years.
The decision was multifaceted and contributing factors included things such as needing a new challenge, not seeing a clear path to my next role (or even being excited about what that could be), leadership changes (that did not align with my approach), and wanting to stretch myself to see what my potential could really be (I felt like I was not fully using my skills at times.)
None of these are surprising and I often hear these items come up in my discussions with clients.
What is often unsaid though, until we start digging in, and I discovered as part of my own experience, is the anxiety and hesitation around the decision to leave a company, that is built around our own identity that we have curated within a particular organization.
For me, I was known as someone who was (as a manager described me) a heavy hitter in the environmental sector and latterly as a strong leader and grower of teams. I had attained a certain level of respect with senior leadership, peers and my team (although we can never truly know how others perceive us) and my internal network was extensive, I knew the right people to speak to, to get things done!
So then, to leave the organization where I knew where I fit, was comfortable how others generally saw me and understood how work was a big challenge.
It took me a while to leave behind the ‘mindset’ of being within that organization and to shift to something new. I struggled not to reference my previous ways of operating when I was employed in a new role. And I’m sure I annoyed people in the process of trying to understand what my new identity really was!
Several strategies helped me move forward:
Resisting the urge to reference the past. Each time I did, it reinforced my old identity rather than helping me build a new one.
Adopting a learning mindset. Staying open and flexible allowed me to grow from new experiences.
Reassessing my skills. Taking stock of my strengths and gaps helped me shape a new professional version of myself.
Getting excited about my next chapter. I asked myself what I wanted my “2.0” identity to look like.
Ultimately, this transition was a personal change management process. It required honest self-reflection about my purpose, past contributions, and what I wanted to build next. The journey wasn’t easy, but it was essential for growth—and it’s a conversation worth having with ourselves whenever we face big career decisions
ps. When you’re ready…..I help leaders and teams through in-person team training, coaching, 1:1 virtual coaching and career coaching. Reach out for a complimentary intro call