Forced into something new - 4 suggested steps in the pursuit of value

Whether it’s by choice or circumstance, we will all have a time when we step onto a different path. As I leave my corporate career after some 25 years, I am comforted by the fact that I have many learnings to bring with me and amazing friends and colleagues to guide me. I look ahead with both excitement and trepidation, eager to find a new opportunity that will provide a point of differentiation.

For anyone looking to work for themselves or start their own business, I encourage you to brainstorm about that pursuit of value and differentiation. Here are four simple suggestions as you start to plan:

Look past current boundaries

Think about the future of work. There are already more women and older people working, more part-time jobs available and enormous technological change. Maybe for now you want to focus on lifting capability and growing your experience. Look past the current boundaries that you might see, so you can consider and create a new space for yourself you may have otherwise overlooked.

Set your own rules 

Stop trying to beat the competition and instead set your rules of the game, making sure to create new demand. What can you do or offer that no one else is doing?  Don’t think that it needs to be revolutionary.

Boost your network

A strong network has multiple benefits. In particular, it provides you a way to keep across changes and trends in your profession, industry and beyond. You’ll want to spend your time on quality news and you can search for opportunities to open your mind to new attitudes and thinking.

Strengthen your resilience

We know that the future is uncertain and change will continue. How you bounce back from disappointments and take your learnings forward will be key to your own health and well-being. Some signs of resilience include holding yourself accountable, not being afraid to ask for help, not comparing yourself to others and taking care of yourself. Don’t forget that others look for these things in you.

I will be looking to develop my own unique mix of value and allow space for creativity. We don’t have to have a clear outcome for our situation; but we must keep moving ahead and pushing past obstacles. 

Best of wishes for your new path.

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Lana Johnston is a HR Professional and Board Director interested in the benefits of #takingitforward. She is a lover of music and has stepped into the world of start-ups. You can follow Lana on Linkedin or via www.takingitforward.com.