Career

Lessons Learned from My First Career

Before becoming a professional coach, I worked for over 30 years in another profession.
Here is a summary of lessons learned from that experience. 

1. Be aware. Take note of your environment, inside and out, and of the people you work with. Compare them to other workplaces. Be especially mindful when changes occur.
2.  Gravitate to and learn from those people who care about doing their jobs well.
3.  Mentor others. As has been often said, teaching is one of the best ways to learn.
4.  If you are not enjoying your work, think seriously about making a change. There are many ways of doing so, ranging from minor to fundamental.
5. Don’t complain if you are unhappy; you are accountable for your actions and your career.
6. There are huge benefits in bringing together people from different disciplines to form a harmonious and productive team of two or more.
7. Challenge people in the right way and they can achieve great results.
8. Study the leaders you work with, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and then develop your own unique leadership style.
9. Treat career reversals as learning experiences rather than failures – your ultimate success becomes that much sweeter as a result.
10. Change is inevitable; be prepared for continuous learning and radical shifts in the work you do over time. Your attitude makes all the difference.
11. There is no substitute for enthusiasm, in you or your colleagues.