Overview
For many of us, work is a big part of our lives. It’s the way we earn our living, the way we trade our talents and the way we exchange value with the world. And our work can be a lot more than that. It can be an essential vehicle of self-expression, where we act out our purpose in life, the setting for our opus, the place where we grow and find belonging to a team or where we find a cause beyond ourselves. Given these possibilities and the sheer amount of time we spend at work, it’s essential that our work works for us.
Change my work?
Our motivations for and expectations of our work will vary at different points in our lives. We may make compromises in our work in exchange for prioritising other aspects of our life. These trade-offs may be short-term or long-term. There are many reasons we might willingly alter our career game plan. The arrival of children, relocation as the result of a relationship, a partner’s career move, major health events, a chance for Olympic selection, the impulse taken to write a first novel.
Outside of these trade-off moments, we tend to ‘make hay’ through our present work. At such times, we owe it to ourselves to be ambitious enough to seek work that allows us to thrive.
Inevitably, we will all go through patches of doubt about the magic of our current work. These niggles can come from anywhere, but often they present as a quiet, sometimes persistent, recurring voice in our heads that asks, “Does my work stack up?”
At more of me, we don’t seek to unreasonably sow seeds of revolution, but we can relate to those niggles. We’ve produced an easy-to-use tool that aims to examine the itch, to identify the cause, and to allow you to make a considered and objective decision as to whether or not it’s time to change the nature of your work, your workplace or how you approach your work. Leaving work is not the only form of change, though you may decide it’s warranted.
Best work match
If you’ve decided you and your current work no longer make good sense together, you’ll certainly want to get the right match next time. Finding the right work is not a simple matter and you may be tempted to jump on instinct, but there are risks in this approach. It can be hard to explain something like an ‘instinct call’ to a prospective new employer when they ask why you’re changing course, and making a bad call can have unexpected consequences.
Ensuring a best work match comes from rolling up your sleeves and getting to the bottom of important personal questions before you go searching. We have a tool and process to help you answer these key questions. Here’s a sample from our list:
- Do you comprehensively know why you are leaving your current role?
- Do you know exactly how you have grown (where and why) in your current role?
- Do you know what needs to change in your next work?
- Do you know how you might need to change yourself?
- How can you be sure that your next work will be better?
- Do you have a detailed picture of what type of work will totally engage you and align really well with your innate talents?
- What type of organisational context will you best prosper in?
- What is the best stuff that you bring to the table?
- What kind of a team member are you and what sort of contributions to teamwork do you typically make?
- If you are a leader, what is your version of authentic leadership and how do you lead from your strengths?
- What are your major motivations in life and what kind of work does that suggest for optimal motivational fit?
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without the work.”
'Me at my best' dossier
All of you, at your best, is a formidable force! Know what your personal best looks like. Compile a full and compelling representation of your individuality. There’s no-one else quite like you. Capture it. Enjoy it. Believe it. Use it. Live it.
This is not a shallow workout for your ego. The more work process will inform, excite and encourage you. Once harnessed, you can use your self-knowledge to influence others with the compelling power of authenticity. It will help open doors to the opportunities you target. Produce it in the way you want. We’ve got the formula, you add your personality.
“Best is good. Better is best.”
More work search
A thoroughly targeted search, underpinned by deep personal insight and motivation.
Being ready for more work means you’ve put in the prep time. Ready means you’re in with the best chance to find the elusive best match. Ready also means you know in detail what you’re looking for and why you’re looking for it. You’ll go looking in the right places and, because you can see the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel, you’ll easily be able to sense and recognise more work when you find it. In addition, you’ll have the energy and commitment to sustain you in the search. Let’s go find your more!
“The early bird catches the worm… provided she can see it.”
Compelling at interview
Most often, employment interviews most take place in a competitive context. To compete, you have to present yourself in a compelling way. Why should an employer hire you and not the best of the rest? You are at your most compelling when you have the self-awareness and courage to be totally authentic you. But what does that look like exactly?
Ultimately, your ability to be compelling and successful at interview depends on being very well prepared. Before you can expect others to consider you, you first need to have deeply considered yourself.
More of me have the resources and the experience to help you be ready to impress.
More work: Actions and Outcomes
Process steps:
- Complete the check-in process: ‘How does my work stack up?’ exercise and template
- One-on-one coaching to consider the insights of the check-in and customise an action plan, which could include any or all of steps 3-7
- Complete the ‘change my work’ exercise and template
- Complete the ‘best work match’ exercise and template
- Compile ‘Me at my best’ dossier
- Complete a more work search plan, assisted by our resources
- One-on-one coaching on compelling at interview
Time commitment required:
- ‘How does my work stack up?’ exercise: 1.0 hr
- One-on-one coaching check-in follow-up: : 1.0 hr
- ‘Change my work’ exercise 1.0 hr
- ‘Best work match’ exercise: 1.0 hr
- One-on-one coaching follow-up: 0.5 hr
- ‘Me at my best’ dossier: 3.0 hrs
- More work search plan: 1.5 hrs
- Compelling at interview prep: 2.0 hrs
- One-on-one compelling at interview coaching: 1.0 hr
Total time for this process:
12.0hrs
If you’ve already completed some of the expert in me and more compass module exercises, you’ll have a substantial head start on the more work processes.
Outputs and outcomes:
- You will gain a detailed understanding about what is working well for you in your current work and what is not.
- You will gain insights needed to enable a considered decision as to whether or not to seek a change of role at your existing company, or a new role at a new company.
- You will gain insights to enable a change or personal development strategy (contingent on above decision).
- You will gain detailed clarity on the profile of a new target role and why it fits you.
- A comprehensive plan for finding your best work match, as well as vetted options.
- You will present a compelling case at interview.
- You will have given yourself the best chance at a successful job change.