Most people think about the risk or security of their career when they think about the company they work for or will work for. However, the reality is, we all hold the risk or security of our career within ourselves.
There are so many issues of employment that are out of our control as individual people working in the market. If we were to discuss what could go wrong in any one business, we could create an endless list that would be enough to freak out every employee.
Economic, geopolitical, financial policy, pandemics, national elections, and the issues of the company, its market, its competition, technology shifts, social influence, and the most considerable risk of all – humans – make creating a risk analysis almost a joke.
But, the sky isn’t falling, and we can all succeed in any new situation if we constantly learn and challenge ourselves to adapt to change. We gain resilience when we endure stressful situations without taking on undue or unhealthy amounts of personal stress and worry.
Every organization is in a different stage of its lifecycle, from start-up to fully mature global business. Major scaling or retraction challenges at each stage of a company’s evolution require investment, decisions, and change. No business model is stagnant because of competition and innovation, so neither can the strategy. The refining pressures of competition and innovation lead to structural change, which leads to role changes.
Technology constantly evolves, changing product and service offerings, leading to market share changes and new winners and losers across industries. The biggest businesses of today didn’t exist 30 years ago. The biggest companies of today may not even exist in 30 years.
Change is a risk. Change is constant. Risk is pervasive.
How do you manage your risk? You can manage your risk by considering your career your own small business. CareerTruth calls this owning your career.
Be your best and stay agile in the market by getting to know your strengths and gaps versus the market opportunities. Continuously learn and fill the gaps you’ve encountered. Go out and be seen in your industry and be “of the market,” not just an employee of your company. Have big ideas and discuss them with your peers and those ahead of you. By being “of the market,” you will be aware of how you need to develop in your mastery and be able to be your best for your company and inform them of what you know.
Being in the market allows you to perform better in your role. By always owning your career, you will be working “on” your career and feel the freedom to act with urgency and communicate openly in your job. You will feel both the pressure and relief of being in charge of your career. The responsibility of owning your career will incentivize you to stay sharp and master new skills.
People who are free to be their best perform at a higher level. This motivating mix of agency and responsibility reduces their risk as they become more valuable.
Bottomline: the more you achieve mastery and seek freedom, the more valuable you are to the market, no matter the situation. Then when you add an intended purpose to impact others positively, you are valuable and highly desirable in the market.
Risk melts away. Fear is gone. You have flow.