“When
you wish upon a star
Makes
no difference who you are
Anything
your heart desires
Will
come to you.”
Most
of us wish that the lyrics from Walt Disney’s film Pinocchio would mirror our
personal realities; but as we mature we come to realize that simply “wishing on
a star” is a futile exercise.
By its very nature, making a wish places responsibility for making it come true in someone else's hands; thus depending upon others to fulfill our wishes can stack the deck against achieving our aspirations and celebrating desired outcomes.
Whether
you have just graduated from school or are well into your career, your wishes
express desires to strive for, but converting them into your intended reality requires
considerable proactive actions.
Let’s
examine the validity of some common wishes and action steps that may bring them to fruition.
There
is a difference between:
- Wishing for a job (or a better one) and taking control of a career strategy
- Wishing for increased profits and managing a solid business strategy
- Wishing for increased income/results and executing a successful revenue generation plan
- Wishing for financial security and advancing a well-positioned investment portfolio
- Wishing for positive change and implementing a game-changing initiative
The Wishing Syndrome
In
the executive search and selection profession, we often observe a debilitating “wishing
syndrome” among some people aspiring to make a positive career advancement. This
syndrome can present itself in varying ways.
For
instance, one phase of magical thinking in career management occurs when job
seekers announce to friends and recruiting professionals their wishes for entering
into a new role. These seekers view a simple declaration as definitive progress.
Yet, delegating assignments to valued colleagues can leave them hoping for the
best, but lacking in assurance of the final outcomes.
There
lies the rub. Surely, friends and colleagues want to be of help, but just how
often do the stars align, revealing dream jobs that they can pass along to their
favorite seekers? And recruiters commonly struggle to make a very precise match
between a seeker’s circumstances and a client organization’s particular unique
specifications. In the end, seekers’ wishes often stir up polite replies more
than advancing them toward definitive career progress.
Another
symptom of this wishing syndrome is “wheel spinning.” Employment seekers can
get caught up in stages of earnest review, unproductive rumination,
conscientious reflection or dogged research only to have their intended career
progress hit a blank wall for lack of planned action.
The Antidote
Responsibility
for a career plan rests with the career seekers, although this doesn’t mean they
must go it alone in advancing their process. For instance, a seeker’s
initiatives can be supported with an assessment by a business psychologist. This type of professional serves as a neutral,
yet honest advocate for development of the most prudent path a seeker ought to pursue.
The results flowing from an assessment are commonly pivotal in orienting both
prospective employers and a savvy seeker to their individual talents and unique
characteristics and to the seeker’s healthiest career path.
Much
as organizations target acquisitions of products that best match long-term
growth strategies, effective seekers precisely target organizations and the
roles which best complement their personal career trajectories. This focus telegraphs
their intentions, stimulates relevant referrals and assures their supportive
allies that they are focused and well-prepared in advancing their career plans
rather than simply wishing upon a star.
*Image courtesy of bulldogza
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
