Thinking about a career change? Use a process for thinking better about it.
(This is from Edition 55 of The Upleveler, our weekly smartletter)
"We aren't trained to think of decision-making as a process; instead we use ad hoc methods. This means our decisions are prone to several flaws."
This is the motive force behind "Decisive", an excellent, practical book by the Heath Brothers (who are a CTQ favourite).
"Decisive" prescribes a 4 part process. Here's a summary:
Now, how do you apply this to a decision like "should I switch jobs/start a new career?" Let's try:
1. "Widen Your Options"
When it comes to jobs, we usually think "X or Y" i.e. you replace what you do now with something else. It's usually a like-for-like swap. But consider expanding your options, especially in areas a little adjacent to your core area of work.
You should also consider if both "X AND Y" are possible.
Say you are a UI engineer looking for a change. Your choices could be to switch companies. But you also want to explore the world of AI. Is there a way to do both? Perhaps you were also interested in areas such as ethics. Can you tie them all together?
More ORs are good. ANDs are powerful (but tougher to pull off).
2. "Reality-test your choices"
A change comes with consequences if you get it wrong. We often go into a new situation with excessive optimism. So is there a way to reality-test your choices?
An artificial situation like an interview won't work. Tests need to be closer to the real situation. As there are different variables to test, you will need to get creative. Some examples:
To get a flavour for a prospective company/team, can you do a one day stint with them, working on a real problem?
For new tech areas, can you participate in a hackathon in it?
To try a new kind of role (say digital marketing), can you try volunteering with a non-profit, or take up a freelance project?
If the job involves a move, can you work+live from that location for a week to see how it actually feels to be there?
The idea is to get a first-hand feel for the changed circumstances, keep the consequences of failure low, and be able to rollback if needed.
3."Attain emotional distance"
A tiff with the boss? Seeing someone leave for a better opportunity? Dreading an upcoming reunion because you don't have anything cool to show on your resume? There are many short-term emotional triggers that can set us thinking about 'what's next'. The worst thing now is to take a trigger-happy decision that you'll regret.
'Decisive' recommends you try getting distance from the problem. Two interesting ways to do this:
a. The Friend Test: What would you tell your best friend if they were in a similar position?
b. The 10-10-10 Test: how would you feel about this decision in 10 mins, 10 months, and 10 years?
The goal is to dampen the System 1 side of your brain (the one that is excitable, thinking for 'now') and to invoke your System 2 side (the one that is more detached and can think about 'later').
4. Finally, "Prepare to be wrong (or right)"
Think about the 2nd order consequences of your decision. What is the spectrum of possibilities if your decision was wrong? Could you survive them? By when should you make that judgment call (too early and you won't give it a chance; too late, and you won't be able to stave off the consequences). And if you were indeed wrong, what could you salvage from the ruins nevertheless?
And what if you loved your decision? What would need to change to keep it that way?
The big lessons?
Making any major decision, like changing a job or career, is never easy.
You can get immobilized by too much analysis, or find yourself deciding with very little information and thought.
A process like Decisive's WRAP method helps clear the fog, increasing the chances that you make a good decision.
Know someone who is thinking about changes in careers and jobs? We have a reading list for them. Send it their way.
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