Live your life by developing and growing each day

Okay so I was going to have the title as 'why life is the same as baking a cake'...or something along those lines. Then I thought 'too cliche'.

But the message I wanted to communicate is along the same lines. I could keep it real simple by saying 'you get out what you put in' but it's not as simple as that. Achieving what you 'want' in life is not simply about effort. It's about a focused and directed effort that has been refined from past experiences, failures and research. Living a life you 'want' can be tough because it isn't as if your wants remain static...once you achieve one thing then you move onto your next goal. This is usually automatic for achievers in that not having a goal, even though you've reached all in the past, is worst then the difficulties faced in achieving a current goal.

But the fact of the matter is that none of us is owned anything in life and you have to be prepared to take the good with the bad. It doesn't matter how much you think you deserve something or wish for something to happen....even if you think something is 100% guaranteed to happen for you the fact is if it doesn't it doesn't - no matter how much you thought it would.

Now in these current economic times we are all being tested; financially challenging, jobs and careers not as secure...this could be leading to relationship and health issues etc etc. However it is what you do now that will make the difference and not a time to give up. To lead the life you want you have to take a path you think is correct, judge the results and if not as you want, make adjustments and try again. This is repeated as long as it takes. It's not about following the same process or 'receipe' but harder but doing things a little different, adding something/taking something away. You can also look at the 'receipe' of another person who has what you want - this is again another theme of neurolinguistic programming or NLP; modelling your actions on another.

Bottom line is that you cannot get out of bed each morning expecting something to happen because you 'deserve it or think it will happen because it did in the past'. Each action has to be attached to a result and you have to be prepared to change your actions if necessary - most important thing is not to ever stop because it might only need one more adjustment for everything to fall into place

Do we need to change how we educate ourselves?

What do you think of when it comes to your professional education and indeed your professional growth and development? Do you know what you need to grow and develop both at the professional and personal level, or are you hoping for the best and that whatever choice you make will be the right one?

There is no doubt that our society, in respect to the way we live and do business, is continually changing and evolving. Work and life has never been so intertwined because (1) the corporate environment is becoming more and more competitive thus you have to sacrifice more to succeed within it and (2) with the increasing trend of working for yourself or within a small business there is the need to almost live by working in something that you want to become a large part of your life. There is no switching off when you come home at night; mobile communication sees to that and many people who run a business have to use that time to undertake other tasks that they didn't have time to get around to during the day. However what I've seen is that whilst we're working harder than ever, and perhaps enjoying the experience, there is still a challenge in ensuring that our professional and personal development is not only a priority but is also meaningful and of real benefit.

What I see in respect to the professional and personal development frameworks currently in place, at least in the Western countries I've lived in is; (1) schools are not preparing students for the reality of the changing world when it comes to teaching them the basic competencies they will need, (2) universities are struggling to do the same and for the most part change their courses only when they feel they are going to make enough money from it, (3) there are many what I would call inadequate and 'unauthentic' training and development companies that charge a lot of money for something that is either sub-standard or doesn't deliver any meaningful long-term benefit and (4) society as a whole is uneducated about the most efficient and effective way to ensure they develop both professionally and personally. Sure people develop but usually after a lot of wasted time, money and personal sacrifice that in hindsight (you have to love hinsight) could have been done a lot better.

We all need to consider how we educate ourselves and my belief is that as a society we can do this a lot better. Of course I have no real solutions but I would love for learning to be fully collaborative rather than directed by institutional bodies that by chance have put themselves in a position to dictate a lot of what we are taught. I also believe the future of our society is to ensure that our personal development is at least given the level of importance of information based learning so we are able to manage ourselves and make better choices when it comes to the key decisions in life. My advice is to think outside the box when it comes to educating yourself and really look at what you need - remembering that the information you learn today could very well be outdated within a short period of time but that the development of you as a person is an ongoing journey.

Change your focus from 'job searching' to 'job creating'

The hard, cold truth is here...some jobs will disappear and never to return. In some industries this reduction will be greater than in others but nevertheless where we are now is the start of a resource reallocation shift.

I've just read an article on CNBC that mentioned that many financial jobs will not be able to be supported simply because of the reduction in leverage in the market. The same is happening in London and every major financial centre around the world. In property the same is happening where the drying up of bank credit will not only reduce the volume of property transactions but the revenues available to real estate agents. Same for retail, if the focus is consumer discretionary due to credit drying up and the consumer cutting back.

But for all those thinking doom and gloom this is an event that had to occur. This is not only going to re-create a balance in our society but give many of us the opportunity to do things we want to do but never had the courage to start - for one reason/excuse or another.

If your job is gone create one instead

I speak with many recruiters and job seekers these days and am amazed at the fact that many hundreds of CVs are submitted for each job...Presidents going for VP roles and MDs going for Director roles. It's almost desperation to find something or anything. Is this the approach to take? Humans are creative and amazingly resilient in times of adversity and now is the time to see this come through. Rather than send your CV for the one role that is similar to what you used to do, but is competing against 500 others, look at your skills and consider about how to apply them to another area of the economy. This may be in role that already exists or better still, be entrepreneurial and apply your skills to something you think is missing in the market. You may never get this chance again.

The way to look at it is this. If we are going through a huge resource reallocation then jobs will not reappear. Hoping for your job to reappear is not going to help - get in control of your destiny and create demand for your skill instead.

Why you shouldn't call your job a 'job'

I have to say I am pretty much over hearing the word 'job' these days. New job, job search, redundant job, job, job, job.....if it's not the fact that you have just lost 30% of your wealth in 3 weeks then it's about the fact that life is over because of your job. Maybe you've lost it, maybe you're about to or just maybe you're next to the guy who is about to lose his job....either way morale is down.

But before I go too much deeper into a self-defeating spiral about our pessimism let me focus on something much easier. Stop calling your job a job...call it a career, a life interest, anything but a job. I thought our culture was beginning to move past seeing a job as a job - the word itself instills no motivation and certainly doesn't inspire me in anyway. And inspiration is what we need at the moment, along with hope and belief that we, both as an individual and society and move out of the current economic slump we are in and progress as a species.

Many psychologists have said we are how what and how we speak, that is language forms the basis of many of our core beliefs. The word job is related to something you 'have to do' not 'want to do'. Even the addition of the word 'good' in front of job only insinuates that your job is bearable or perhaps better compared to the vast majority. It still doesn't inspire or encourage you to want to do well.

So even if you only want a 'job' don't use that word, choose something else. That goes for those who both have a job and need a job. Our society needs to take a turn for the positive and that small language shift will, if only very small, make a meaningful contribution.

Be aware of the attraction of short-term goals

"Now, wait just a minute" you may say, "we all need short-term goals so who is this guy Daryl Close thinking he is when he says to be aware of them?". I will then respond by asking you all to let me explain just what I mean.

I first started thinking about this topic when reading yet another article on the saga of the US financial system. AIG, if you haven't read it, are paying out another couple of hundred million dollars in bonus to the people that supposedly lost billions. Now, whilst interesting on its own, what is more interesting is the approach bank chiefs and regulators are now recommending - that is reward for long-term performance only, not short-term.

That got me thinking about my own decision making and how I differentiate between short-term and long-term goal setting. Obviously, it would seem, I make short-term goals that benefit me now and long-term for the future. But are is goal-setting process aligned? Do I make short-term goals that benefit me in the long-term and long-term goals that benefit me in the short-term? 'I don't know', is the answer to the first and 'I don't know' is the answer to the second. But for the second 'I don't know' may be a acceptable answer...it sure as ain't for the first.

As with the financial markets, if I take a high risk position to make myself a lot of money in the short-term, I carry with that a high risk of losing a lot of money. I've gone through that experience and it isn't pretty. Did that result benefit me long term? No way it did, though the intention was good. Now apply that logic to every other short-term decision you have made; at work, about a career choice, about a business choice, about a relationship choice, about a fitness choice....short-term goals and results do sometimes blind us from making decisions that are best for us in the long-term. Taking a job, for example, for 20% more is something that benefits us in the short-term but not if it takes us on a direction we don't really want to head in. Even settling for a job 85% of what we truly want will come back to bite us in the ass in the long-term...and let's face it, that's not great because at some point the long-term is the present. Everyone hates the word 'hindsight' and that's what that word represents - making a decision that is regretted later on.

So when you're making your next decision or setting your next short-term goal, question yourself as to the real benefit of that decision. Is the benefit in the short-term going to become a long-term benefit, and if not, is the short-term benefit going to out-weigh any negative consequences in the future? Not starting a business and keeping your 'safe' job may benefit you in the short-term, by protecting you from risk but in the long-term?....have a think about that one which is only just one example.

So my message is keeping setting short and long-term goals....but don't think they are independent of each other. If you don't then I think the quality of your short-term decision making will improve dramatically.

Why are you underperforming in your chosen career?

FACT: what you thought were the key performance drivers underlying your career are probably out of date.

FACT: what you think you need to do to ensure your career is successful is probably not nearly enough.

A career is a fluid creature - it may look like it retains the same shape but in reality it is continually evolving and demanding different things from those involved. Why is this? Because our society is evolving and as such what was needed 50, 20 or even 5 years ago is no longer applicable/not applicable to the same degree.

Take the job of a lawyer, accountant, investment adviser, IT programmer, marketer, recruiter and even a teacher - the career requirements have developed and changed from what they were to something else today. The skills and knowledge required for each has progressed because of the different demands facing each of these jobs.

So what does this mean for you?

Well, if you commenced your career over 5 years and particularly if more than 10 years you should be sitting down and researching the competencies (skills and knowledge) that are now required for your career. Start by looking at what your career is and what your key performance drivers are. Some of the skills might be the same but you may have to change your focus. For example, accountants are just not about financial reports and regulations but business advising and company restructuring and strategy. Teachers have to adapt to the generations coming through in respect to personal branding, networking and IT knowledge. Recruiters are not just about finding you a job but career advisers and personal branding experts (if they are any good of course).

So it's just not about assuming you're on the right career path - you have to assume that as society changes, demand for your skills change and thus you need to adapt to that demand. What our society is going through at the moment is this on a very wide scale; our society is changing what is wanted and what is not and thus the allocation of resources is being turned on its head. We are finding that we are not able to provide the correct resources and there will be therefore a period of exploration and consolidation whilst our society gains the required skills and knowledge to move forward.

For you, take a look at yourself and if in doubt as to how to manage your professional career, feel free to email me.

Manage your professional development effectively by understanding how and why the value of skills and knowledge changes

So you're a professional worker or business owner and you are currently providing the market place with one or more services. These services are based on your current skills and knowledge and the services are supplied because there is some demand for them. Not so hard to understand. At any point in time your services (the drivers of which are your skills and knowledge) are attributed a certain value based on market demand. So how do you base your career or business development knowing that the value of your services may increase or decrease simply because the wider market values them more or less? Do you assume as a professional that your skills will always be useful and if you decide to re-train/study etc how do you know whether that will add value to you or just cost you time and money?

The point I want to make is that you shouldn't assume any professional development is actually going to be beneficial even it is does improve your professional performance. Economic forces of demand and supply are what determines our value and so even if you study to become a lawyer, a web developer, a consultant, a banker or psychologist (to name but a few) your value may not increase because (1) you are not the best at what you do (2) there are too many others with the same skills for a level of demand in the market (3) whilst there is a need for many with your skills the value-adding benefit perception of your skills is not so high.

This is why I am personally against training and development programs just for the sake of providing people with new skills. Whilst there are skills and knowledge that we should all aim to improve for the sake of developing in line with our society (such as in the area of the internet and general understanding of IT) a lot of skills that are taught in training and vocation programs are simply going to provide knowledge that (1) might not be effectively utilized and (2) not going to be in demand when it comes to ensuring a strong career path or business venture.

Professional development has to be taken in context of what is needed by our society. Learning for the sake of it is commendable but it will not enhance your professional development. You have to consider what benefit your professional development activities are providing and how they are taking into account demand and supply shifts for certain skills and knowledge in our society. You have to consider trends in society around the way we live, how we see ourselves (who ever considered personal branding consultant to be as big a hit as it is), the influence of technology and global mobility. What is in demand one day might easily not be in demand the next.

Manage your professional development through personal development

Many of us spend a lot of time focusing on our professional careers, whether that is working for a large organisation, a small-medium enterprise, freelancing or running your own business. So many things to do, so little time...developing skills, knowledge, networks, managing finances, building a sales pipeline, passing exams etc etc....the list goes on. However what is it you need to do to ensure that you can do all of these professional development tasks???

The answer......PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT!

What do I mean by personal development? I mean you have to ensure on a number of personal levels that you are in good health in able to sustain the pressure and rigours of developing that professional career of yours. You have to attempt to ensure that your mind is clear and focused, that your stress (of course there will be some) can be managed and is actually a positive, that you are happy and committed to the course of action you are undertaking and that your motives are positive and tied to your personal values.

There are many cases where personal lives get in the way of promising professional careers and it is almost the case that your personal life has to be managed before you can ensure you have a solid foundation on which to build your professional career. Some of you might say that personal and professional cannot work together - but I'm not saying your personal life has to incorporate marriage and kids. Of course if this is the route you take then your professional route will have to adapt. What I refer to is that you cannot develop a long professional career (in the vast majority of cases) if you hate yourself, hate your life, have no meaning for what you do and because of that do not enjoy your life and your work. Professional development cannot occur over a long period of time if you operate in a negative environment personnally.

So my message is to look at yourself and your life as a whole and ask yourself the questions "do I like who I am", "do I know why my life is as it is", "do I know where my life is heading". These are only a few questions but they will get you thinking about what many of us don't - that is thinking about yourself and your well-being. Of course you have to spend time developing your career and business but don't do so in isolation of your personal health and stability. Remember that your career or business only goes on for as long as you go on and you are more likely to succeed professionally if you are able to focus less on fixing your personal issues. Work on building a strong personal foundation that you can rely on when the demands of your professional life come calling.

Make sure you are in control of your career, don't let it control you

So we all know there are hundreds of articles in the paper and online about the economic disaster and job losses and I'm going to give you yet another one http://www.cnbc.com/id/29034624.

I only wanted to put this in today to show the extent of job losses across the economy, no company is not impacted and no job is safe. However right now I wanted to make three points about the situation - one is that the jobs are disappearing because there is no demand for them, two is that there is no guarantee the same jobs will return and three who is making the decision as to what you do next - you or your situation?

When it comes to an organisation making a position redundant because there is lack of demand that is not something within your control. What is in your control is what you choose to do about it and how to plan on moving forward, updating your skills and knowledge to make yourself in demand again.

What our society is becoming to understand is that an organisation will no longer provide a job for life and whilst many of us realize this and prefer this when times are good when times are challenging many of us look to the organisation for security. Going forward this is not going to be a solution but will simply cause more issues. Why? Because you will have no control over your career because you have no plan. You will scramble to take 'a job' and this leads to a situation where you will reduce the quality of your life because you do not identify with or value the job you were forced to take. Organisations are also on a trend where they are looking to continually reduce their costs and this will result in lower permanent staff. Where does this leave you if you have no career plan and no job security?

So what to do? Well no matter if you need to find a new career or are thinking about a new career, start now by looking at what you need to do and who you want to be. Define your path, define each action in detail and ensure you are the one in control of where you are heading. Do not wait for the tap on the shoulder from the organisation - the bottom line is they do not care about you when it comes to creating shareholder value. Respect yourself and do not let yourself get in a situation where you are forced to take a job for the sake of survival. I do realize there are times when this will happen but in this case still make sure you have a plan to hold this job only temporarily with a clear vision as to what you want to do and why.

Does our society need employees or freelancers?

Historically our society was all about employing people with the intention that they would be with the organisation for pretty much life. Organisations had the upper hand, employees would be forced due to demand and supply imbalances to be satisfied for most part with what the organisation offered. That trend has changed and gained a lot of traction, in my opinion, from the beginning of the 1990s with the introduction of the internet and associated online businesses and with the global recession causing downsizing which led to many professionals becoming freelancers and contractors.

There is no doubt that society sees the rules and cultural norms surrounding employment to be greatly different than they were even 30 years ago. There is no fixed assumption that a job is for life and neither do employees or employers want this. Employee loyalty and performance is still demanded by the organisation but the rewards expected by the employee is not the job tenure, but rather the benefits attached in the form of motivation, enjoyment, professional development and financial reward.

So we come to our current economic climate where many organisations are finding it difficult to adapt and many employees are also finding the time very challenging. I know many professionals who five years or even a couple of years ago would with no second thought market themselves to different organisations whilst employed if it meant they could benefit in some way. Now that is definitely not the case and many of these professionals are willing to take any relevant job in order to gain some kind of job security.

But what is best for our society, for economic growth and benefit of both organisations and employees? Is the concept of an employee something that we should start to move away from and instead look at developing our society as a flexible group of individuals who can fulfull a number of roles and who are flexible and adaptable to develop new skills in order to easily fulfill future role demand? Organisations do not want employees who can only perform a fixed role set because the nature of their business may find this skill set obselete within a short period of time. The employees should not want to work in this environment as it creates a false sense of security that they are more valuable to the organisation than what they truly are. That we have seen in this current environment where many professional employees are finding their so-called skills and knowledge is just not required. This is because the role requirements for a professional employee are on an expotentially increasing trend - if you don't think this is the case just think back to the start of this century and how the demand for skills and knowledge have changed.

This change is not going to happen overnight but it has been communicated that organisations want a more flexible labour force and as such employees are going to have to adapt. Society is also demanding a more flexible work-life balance and if you look at these demands, then it makes sense to focus on a contractor or freelance driven environment than than of a permanent employee driven environment. My advice is for all professional employees to start to reassess their knowledge and skills and to make plans to adapt to an environment that is ever increasingly hiring on value alone.

Ensuring your career adds value rather than being just useful

The way society works these days is a lot different from the past...and that includes what organizations require of their employees. It used to be enough to be useful to the organization and to serve a purpose if you wanted to ensure job security. However it is evident that today that is definitely not the case. Today, if you wish your career to be within a corporation, you must add-value to it's bottom line - not just today but next month, next year and so forth.

The two questions you might ask yourself are (1) what do I need to know or do to provide this value? and (2) who can I obtain this information or guidance from? The short answer to the first question is to understand that impacts the bottom line of the company and your division in particular and look for ways to improve it. Do more than your job requires, particularly if you realize that your actual position adds very little to the bottom line of your organization. If you realize this then someone higher up will and you know that is the end of your career as you know it. In respect to question two look at those who are successful in your organization to provide guidance or those in similar positions at competitor organizations. For what it's worth I find that HR and Training departments unfortunately are not sufficiently resourced or knowledgeable these days to provide any real assistance. It's not all their fault as organisations are requiring them to pick up more administrative tasks and subsequently their skill sets are being diluted away from what I believe are the more important roles of people management, being reskilling advice and career advice for employees.

Whilst being useful is about performing a process, adding value is about providing knowledge and skill the company doesn't otherwise have or not have in sufficient quantities. What does this mean for you? In simple terms obtain more knowledge, not just about what is required to perform for the company today but what is going to be required in the years to come.

The last piece I want to say is in respect to networking, both inter-company and outside of company. Having connections can be invaluable to providing value to the organisation you work for, in respect to possible sources of new employees, new sales channels and other information. Don't think by putting your head down within your cubicle and working the 15 hour, 6 day a week schedule will guarantee you the career of your dreams (doesn't sound like a great career anyhow). Rather get out and network with others in the industry(s) in which your organization deals. Establishing a positive relationship with management from another organization or your own will never hurt your career and in 9 times out of 10, be sure to enhance it.

Rebranding misplaced late Generation Xer's

Since the turn of the century there has been increasing focus on the influence and impact on business strategy, workplace engagement and communication and networking initiatives from the individuals termed as Generation Y. To a lesser degree there is talk about the influence of the baby boomer generation as they either look to extend their careers by continue working at their organization or rather than retire look to move into setting up their own businesses. There is no doubt the shape of the workforce has changed immensely since 2000 because of these generations.

However I have noted an age range that is starting to find itself in 'no man's land', a situation where this particular group of people is starting to find themselves or think themselves too old to be too innovative and risk taking but too young to find security in their current career in view of all the opportunities taking place around them. Particularly in face of current market conditions, on top of the changing nature of the workforce this is a problem. The age group I am talking of is the late to mid Generation X, individuals from the age of 29 or 30 to 44-45.

So why is this a problem. Well at the short-term tactical level there is a lot of market unrest and over the next few months to years perhaps there will a lot of volatility in the job market. This is due to the shifting demand of the consumer, the reactions of organizations to economic downturn and shifting consumer demands and even people themselves deciding to change careers for one reason or another. This age group of 30-44 are least able to make adjustments to their lifestyle/career due to; current financial obligations e.g. mortgage, family obligations e.g. family and kids in school and the fact that they have put up to 20 plus years into a career and perhaps organization that they expect results and rewards from. Considering all of this volatility and the need for career change is not optimal.

However at the strategic level the situation becomes even more challenging for this age range, particularly those closer to and in their early 40’s. The job you are will most likely be made redundant in the future as economic and social demands and trends change or at the very least require an updated skills and knowledge. The environment in which you work will change, will become more mobile and as many organizations look to reduce their financial overhead the largest one which is permanent staff, will see the workforce become more contractor/freelance/self-employed based. Already the ‘job for life’ is a ethos no longer believed or accepted by our society as the norm – it that is the case then you shouldn’t expect the working environment and norms to change as well.

The one message I want to get across here, while focusing on this late Generation X age group, is that any of us have to be adaptable, forward thinking, visionary not reactive, with a focus on professional development. Many basic IT skills that children of 10 have today far surpass the IT knowledge of 30-40 year olds and don’t forget this latter age group will have to not only manage this younger group but also live in an increasingly technical society.

So my focused age is this late to mid Generation X crowd and I am of the belief that it is this group that need the most help in preparation for career transitions and revamping their professional development plans and strategies. Branding is part of this process as it is important you know where you stand in the workplace universe and just as important know what you stand for. Be aware of what you know and what you don’t – I work with clients in this age range to determine the skills and knowledge that they will need but do not have. Whilst I am becoming a bigger proponent of web 2.0 architecture and social networking this is not what personal branding should be restricted to or solely focused on. The basis of high performance, success and even survival in the future workforce is just not about internet tools, it’s about adapting and preparing your psyche and inner you. I work with clients to increase their performance in collaborative work environments and structures and to prepare themselves for a more entrepreneurial workplace environment. I also work building self-confidence and belief in respect to preparing for the day when you might not be able to or want to rely on your organization to support you.

So all up this late Generation X group has to be conscious about the changing future and ensure they are not left behind because they chose not to act or even worse ignored the fact that they even had to even consider their perceptions of the changing workforce and the personal impact it would have.

Focus on the present, plan for the future and learn from the past – how to plan to enhance your skills and knowledge capabilities

Economic cycles are in continual flux and are always moving from boom to bust to boom and so forth. Within these cycles there are various and shifting demands for the supply of goods and services. However many people do not recognize this to apply to them when it comes to managing a career, small business or looking to startup a business. The truth is demand and supply relationships relate to all of us and that means as individuals we need to be prepared to shift careers and business strategies to protect against being left behind socially and financially.

It appears that the underlying economic and social structures of our society are changing at an ever increasing rate. Review of history has never found political, financial and social trends to change so quickly and with so little warning. One aspect of this is that we are having to rely on ourselves to manage our own careers and professional development rather than leave that responsibility with our employers. The same goes with small business owners and entrepreneurs; the reliance on demand for current products or services is less and less as the awareness that demand can change overnight has become more prevalent.

I am personally very interested in history and I believe we can all learn from it to help predict the future. This is because at both a conscious and subconscious level humans will act and behave the same as they have all through history – our genetic makeup ensures that is the case. Emotions, motivations, personality type influences, cultural hierarchies…at some level our society today is as it was 500, 100 and 50 years ago. But it isn’t all we need to do to ensure we are prepared to face the demands of the future. Let me also say it doesn’t matter where you work or what you do; the demands on you will change and if you are not ready and prepared you will be left behind. So as I said it isn’t just the past you have to take an interest in.

Let’s just start with the past for a minute. It is imperative that you focus on where you are right now financially, knowledge wise, motivation wise, clarity around management of your career and professional development. Until you are clear as to where you are you will not be able to effectively establish your motivation around your short term and medium term tasks and goals. You need to ensure you are true with this personal assessment because it will impact your next and future decisions and if your decision making is flawed due to inaccurate information than your decisions will be less than optimal.

When looking to the future you firstly cannot assume that anyone should be more responsible for the outcome than yourself. Spend some time with a professional business or career coach to understand your inherent likes and dislikes, interests and motivations. Understand how you can influence your performance, enhance your strengths and minimise your weaknesses or development areas. Professional development is important if it will allow you to achieve future goals but do not professionally develop for the sake of it. For example, do not blindly take on an MBA if you do not have a plan for it. Also when looking to the future understand potential demand for skills and knowledge in the future and again speak to a professional regarding this. Do not assume that any skill will be useful – be smart in selecting the skills and knowledge you wish to enhance because you have limitations in the time, finances and brain capacity you can allocate.

Let me end by saying that your actions in the present and future should be referenced in least to those you have undertake in the past. Look at what has worked and what has not – and understand why this is the case. Understand any trends that you wish to continue and identify the motivations that underlie these. On the one hand habits can be difficult to break but only because time is not spent analyzing why these occur and secondly because the old motivations are not replaced with new ones. So be conscious about how you have lived life and be conscious about what you need to do to survive and thrive in the future.

Are you prepared to take your career 'off-road'?

Flexibility, adaptability, vision and determination are factors I work on a lot with my clients when it comes to enhancing careers or kick starting an entrepreneurial venture. Multi-skilling, value-adding and adapting to the demands of a developing society and economy are musts for any of us if we want to achieve our own goals and dreams. I must say I has happy to come across an article that talked on a topic I believe in, not in a lot of depth, but better then nothing. That is around hybrid job roles and that was in Marketwatch @ http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/tough-job-market-qualifying-hybrid/story.aspx?guid=%7B2A799D13%2D5D3E%2D453D%2D8BA4%2D979FDDBDB53B%7D&dist=msr_7

Why was I happy to see this article? Because I am passionate about re-skilling and ensuring people are focused on gainful and useful employment - for personal and society benefit. It is not about sticking in a single role for life if that role has no more use in society or, just as important, to your own professional development.

At the moment society is developing in such a way to see that our motivations in respect to careers are torn in two separate directions. Whilst things are going well we are demanding more opportunity for self-development, more empowerment over the role and flexibility. When things take a turn for the worst, as they are now, we all turn inward to protect what we have and job security increases greatly in importance. There is a school of thought that individuals must be less reliant and beholden to organisations to guide and develop our careers - we must be responsible for our own knowledge, skill and professional development. Your work motivations thus are focused on increasing your 'employability' not your chances of being found a position at your current organisation. Thus it's time to stop talking the talk and walk the walk.

So the thing with a hybrid-career role is that it not only makes you more employable, it also increases your ability to grow as a professional - no matter what role you are in. At the same time it enables your professional network to grow which is critical for the workplace of the future which will be increasingly more collaborative based - much more about who you know and how you apply your knowledge to multiple situations then a single subject of expertise. With the workforce declining it will no longer be possible to be capable of working in one area and you will have to become extremely adaptable. The workplace in 2020 will be even more collaborative and team-driven than it is today.

So start thinking about your future goals and how to enhance your current skills with new knowledge that can enhance your position in the employment market and prepare you for the workplace of the future. Don't just keep your career on the same main road and expect it all to work out for you. Take it off-road and look for new paths and opportunities to enhance your professional experience.