I was recently blown away listening to Jill Hicks who lost both her legs & was close to death after she was caught in an explosion in the London Underground in 2005. I was inspired by her story of courage, determination & a strong will to live!
The part of the story that left me breathless and speechless is when she mentioned that the doctors were about to declare her dead but waited “30 seconds” only to find a pulse and resuscitated her back to life!
“30 seconds” made the difference between life and death!
Jill’s story made me think about the influence your natural response has on the decisions you make in your life and the paths you choose to take. Our natural instincts are often to resist change and this may be holding you back in your career (without you even realizing it)!
How many times do we make decisions in 30 seconds that change our lives forever?
How many times do we simply need another 30seconds before we give up and find another direction?
How many times does a further 30 seconds more present a new opportunity?
BEING MORE FLEXIBLE IS AN OPPORTUNITY
If you have new management or are facing change in your organization or career, a willingness to embrace change will help your career options. Many of my clients do not respond to change as well as they could. Their natural reaction in the first 30 seconds may be inflexible. In this article by Pinnacle Jobs the author suggests that a lack of willingness to be flexible and adapt may prohibit or derail career advancement.
You do have a choice and can delay your response by 30 seconds to help you respond more flexibly to change. Here are 3 approaches suggested by Pinnacle Jobs that may be helpful for you to learn to be more flexible.
- Demonstrate Your Flexibility
Whether you are looking for a new job or are currently employed, staying open-minded is essential to career success. An example of this is accepting a temporary or part-time position while waiting for full-time career employment. While not an ideal scenario, being open to such opportunities can help pay bills as you await your next open door. In fact, your temporary position of answering phones at the front desk could lead to a long and satisfying career within the same company.
- Be a Versatile Employee
Being flexible is also about being versatile within your role. You must showcase your skills in a way that demonstrates your ability to accommodate the demands of work, as well as the needs of your co-workers and superiors. ‘It’s not my job to help you with that’ is not going to get you anywhere! Instead I recommend you take a team player approach and do what you can to help those in and beyond your team.
- Maintain a Positive Attitude
It is also important to do your best to maintain a positive attitude when the going gets tough.
Being one of the first to offer a solution that can meet the need in question. Saying “yes” to change may require extra time and energy, but approaching challenges with such fearlessness and drive can make you an asset to your company or organisation quickly.
Inspired by Jill Hicks, I’d like you to consider where you can wait another 30 seconds to alter your natural response and see how this influences your career opportunities.
I am a passionate Career Coach who works with individuals in the explore and search phase of their career journey, helping you realise your strengths through my career coaching and training programs. I enjoy showing people the path to greater career satisfaction and providing insight and tools to help you make your next career move.
