Success Factors in Life, Business, & Transitions
By: Steve Carples
I have personally journeyed through several transitions over the past 62 years, and am currently thinking about the next one. I wonder: what will the next 15 years look like? Similar to most aging Boomers, I recognize that “retirement” isn’t defined the same way as it was for our parent’s generation. All of us want to stay intellectually stimulated and physically active, while enjoying travel experiences, creative avocations and new roles such as being a grandparent.
As I was reflecting on all of this, it occurred to me that many of the key success factors that impact business performance also apply to life transitions. Here’s what I believe to be the Top 5 key success factors for life-changing transitions:
- Know Yourself: Take the time to articulate your core values. These should guide your journey both in times of status quo and transition. Start with the long list, then pare it down to the five or six values that really matter. You’ll know when you’ve settled on the right ones, as they will spark your internal energy and passion.
- Be open: All of us get comfortable doing things the same way, over and over again. Success in business and life, and especially during times of transition, require one to be open to new ideas and approaches. Listen to others and hear what they have to say. Be careful not to be too judgmental or to rule things out too quickly. Build on the ideas of others, and see what sparks might fly.
- Assess Your Competencies: Take an inventory of your experiences and highlight your skills – professional, technical and interpersonal. Think about how these skills can be redeployed in new ways. How could you potentially leverage your unique competencies to find fulfillment and success in different situations? How can you make a difference that is meaningful to both others and yourself?
- Let Your Creativity Flow: We are all creative. Too often, we’re fearful of allowing our creativity to blossom into realized new concepts, approaches and things. I contend that expressing creativity is an energizing process that makes us feel good while motivating others to think about things in new ways. Creativity leads to new possibilities. It allows the magic to happen.
- Be Guided by Others: If you have professional mentors, great! Regardless, we all have friends and family that we trust. Use them as a sounding board. Discuss your transition thoughts with them. Get their thoughts and honest feedback. Let them to challenge your thinking, then pivot and grow as a result. You will gain strength from this invaluable support system.
I sincerely hope that my comments above are helpful, and I wish each and every one of you lots of success as you pursue your own transitions and personal journey through life.
© 2016 by Steve Carples (Synergistics Consulting www.synconsult.com). All rights reserved.
