Two weeks ago, I had a very intense discussion with a friend who sought my advice on a career move he was contemplating. His, lets call him Sri, dilemma is this - he is working in a very good role in an MNC that is very well known, but on a technology that is not cutting edge. He is well recognised for his technical contributions, respected by juniors and the company pays him well. There really isn't any reason for him to move. However, he was drawn into a new opportunity in a company not as reputed as his current one, will in probability struggle to match his current salary. But the opportunity is unique and in a cutting edge technology and seem to provide a faster path to become a CTO. However, he understands he has to give his everything over the next few years.
I regularly get requests to advice on such or variant of such things and I've personally "been there and done that". I usually have only two questions:
1. How badly do you want the prize whatever it is (being a CTO in Sri's case)?
2. What is the impact of it on your other/life goals?
I've read things like only 3% of the people have written goals. But my experience is that even in those 3%, only a small set will have goals that cover all aspects of life. I've been pretty big on having written goals for myself, but it is only in the last 1-2 years I've come to realise the need to look everything from the prism of "life goals" and not just from a single perspective (usually, career goals for achievement oriented people).
Sri immediately got it and said he'd work on writing down his "life goals" before taking a call on his career move and then talk to me again. My guess is that the moment he sets his "life goals", answers would be very clear to him and that the said meeting will not happen and even if it happens, it will not be for further advice - he will probably be telling his decision and how we arrived at it. And I'd be patting my own back for a job well done!
This is perhaps what Stephen Covey asks "Is your ladder leaning against the right wall?". He asks us to make sure that we say an emphatic yes to the above question, before we start climbing the steps.
Now, are you in the 3% that have written goals or in the majority? Does these goals cover all aspects of life? If not, why not? If not now, then when?
I regularly get requests to advice on such or variant of such things and I've personally "been there and done that". I usually have only two questions:
1. How badly do you want the prize whatever it is (being a CTO in Sri's case)?
2. What is the impact of it on your other/life goals?
I've read things like only 3% of the people have written goals. But my experience is that even in those 3%, only a small set will have goals that cover all aspects of life. I've been pretty big on having written goals for myself, but it is only in the last 1-2 years I've come to realise the need to look everything from the prism of "life goals" and not just from a single perspective (usually, career goals for achievement oriented people).
Sri immediately got it and said he'd work on writing down his "life goals" before taking a call on his career move and then talk to me again. My guess is that the moment he sets his "life goals", answers would be very clear to him and that the said meeting will not happen and even if it happens, it will not be for further advice - he will probably be telling his decision and how we arrived at it. And I'd be patting my own back for a job well done!
This is perhaps what Stephen Covey asks "Is your ladder leaning against the right wall?". He asks us to make sure that we say an emphatic yes to the above question, before we start climbing the steps.
Now, are you in the 3% that have written goals or in the majority? Does these goals cover all aspects of life? If not, why not? If not now, then when?
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