The Macro Game of Our Position

Written By Paul Farina

Depending on the  model you subscribe to there are anywhere from 4 to 12 steps of a job life cycle. These sorts of models are taught to most HR professionals detailing the journey we go through in any generic job.

 
 

From Recruitment to Onboarding to Development to Retention and eventual Separation. To translate this into practical language I feel we mostly go through the following stages:

  1. Argggghhhhh!!!! - jumping at shadows and riddled with Imposter Syndrome. Generally trying to survive from one day to the next (6-12 months depending on seniority)

  2. Ohhhh (breathe) - things start to click and make sense. A feeling of 'bedding in' and knowing who and what to trust. Starting to get things done and feel productive

  3. Hmmm - with enough experience to have observed the problems and able to put forward well thought out ideas for improvement

  4. Yay or Oh-Ho - ideas are activated and impact is made. Or, ideas don't see the light of day and frustration starts to fester (thoughts of 'what am I doing here' become frequent)

  5. Ummm - thoughts of the next move start. Either to take on a bigger/exciting challenge or to find somewhere you can be happier

If in a leadership position the stages tend to be similar with an extra dose of anxiety and tension. Knowing we are moving through these macro stages can in itself help us align expectations. I speak to people almost daily about their feelings of 'always failing' when in fact they are just new (or new'ish) to a role. We tend to be in a rush to make moves and have an impact which creates all sorts of friction inside of us and even with others. 

The first step is to identify where you are on the life cycle of your current job. From here choices emerge, especially at the fork-in-the-road stage of Yay or Oh-ho. But, no matter what the current state of play, there is always an opportunity to understand challenges and gain a yes from the people you work with to create valuable improvements. Like most good things, it starts with awareness. From this platform we can then launch.

 
Paul Farina

Obsessed with high-performance without the sacrifice of relationships, health, and fulfillment, Paul is an Educator and Author of The Rhythm Effect: A leader's guide in team performance.

Partnering with leaders, teams, and organisations, Paul speaks to groups about the power of rhythm, and how professionals of all types can master it to synchronise their teams and create meaningful progress.

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