March 2007
A Career Transformed
My Experience with the Career Transformation Workshop
By Rick Kiel
Prologue
My knees shake as I try to balance atop the telephone pole. I stare at the bar suspended impossibly far away and shudder at the thought of jumping to it. Voices from below ring encouragement and remind me to breathe. I notice the rugged desert hills in the distance, bright blue sky, and clouds changing color as the sun begins to set. Then I'm back atop the pole; one last deep breath, I crouch deep, and spring up and out ...
The Climb Before the Leap
This "leap of faith" on the ropes course was symbolic of my career move to Win Win Workplace Solutions, as I have reached my dream job! But this story is about how I got here, the climb up the pole, and how the Career Transformation Workshop (CTW) influenced the journey. It is the discovery process and commitment that arose from CTW that positioned me for the move to Win Win.
Ready for Change
After grad school, everything about work was new, exciting, and fun. Before long, I was on the career "fast track." Success led to promotions, and soon I held a senior operations job for a mid-size company (VP, $250 million revenue). After a few years, the novelty, challenge, and enjoyment faded; and the routine became more stressful. I began to explore options; and through a process of self-assessment, I came to focus on consulting, facilitation, and project management as my next career horizon.
A Career Shift
When the director of an internal consulting group in a large company ($20 billion) offered me a job, I jumped at the chance. I learned consulting processes, practiced group facilitation, and refined my project management skills. Meanwhile, I met Gail Schaper-Gordon through a local non-profit board; and we volunteered together on a variety of projects. Gail had just acquired a new coaching/planning tool (the CTW) and suggested that she and I work through it along with another colleague.
A New Vision
We committed to a timetable to complete the worksheets and scheduled weekly meetings to review our progress. Through the process, we shared our competencies, values, and dreams and learned from each other. We progressed to mission, vision, and goals and inspired each other. When we finished with draft career plans, I knew my future: a consultant in a small- to mid-sized firm specializing in helping teams achieve breakthrough performance.
Transformation
The CTW was essential to my career shift and my commitment to joining Win Win. Sure, leaving a secure job in a large corporation to join a small group was scary and dramatic for me -- like the leap from atop the pole. But the real transformation was in the journey getting to that point -- like climbing the pole and standing at the top. The Career Transformation Workshop was the key step to position me for joining Win Win, and my dream job.