2 Questions To Ask When Navigating a Significant Transition

A significant transition was about to happen in his life – James came to me with a question, “What do I do?”

He was unemployed. He had worked for a large software firm for nine years and had risen in the company to a junior executive level position. However, as the firm experienced a financial downturn they needed to reorganize.

James’ division was put on the chopping block and he found himself with a major life challenge. Fortunately, his company had given him a very valuable severance package.

Just when his career seemed to be ending, his wife, Alicia, was ready to launch hers. She wanted to start a home for battered women and James wanted to help her accomplish her dream.

As I listened to James, I knew sitting still wasn’t the answer. In fact, clarity always follows your courage to take the next step.

[Tweet “CLARITY ALWAYS follows your COURAGE to take the next step.”]

So I drafted a simple process that would not only benefit James, but will help anyone facing a major transition in life or work. It’s based on two questions…

1. What Decisions Need to Be Made During a Transition?

How do we move forward effectively – personally and professionally?

At this stage, he didn’t need to worry about collecting information – there’d be plenty of time for that once he determined which decisions need to be made.

I asked James to consider his current goals. Was he making progress? And how did this career move affect his plans? He was more about contributing to society than just bringing home a paycheck.

James had liked his job and earned a good salary, but there were certain things about his job that were frustrating. This event gave him an opportunity. He could find another job in the same industry or he could use this event to change to another career.

Losing his job also gave James an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. The only short vacations he had been able to take were trips to visit family. These were often as stressful as his job and his health suffered as a result.

With the loss of his income, James knew he had to make some lifestyle changes to remain financially viable. Were there assets he could sell? Could he better manage his investments to weather this transition?

[Tweet “What NEW opportunities does your current situation make possible?”]

I encouraged him to rework his budget to reduce or eliminate some of his expenses. He didn’t need to make huge adjustments, but he’d need to manage cash flow through this transition.

I also encouraged him to look at self-employment as a new career option. James and Alicia had dreamed of running a bed and breakfast after they retired. This could be the opportunity to accelerate those plans.

Alicia had several important contributors ready to help fund her battered women’s shelter. Should she move forward with those plans or did this event signal that she needed to slow down and wait for better timing? Also, childcare for their young son would be an extra expense if she was busy starting a new venture.

2. What Do I Need to Know During a Transition?

After James and I talked about the decisions he needed to make, he had filled the page with detailed notes. Then I shared the second question, “What do you need to know to make those decisions?”

I had worked with James a couple of years earlier and he had developed a Life Plan and a Business Vision. I suggested he review them in detail to determine the impact of his new circumstances.

James had a good reputation in his industry and would probably be able to find another management position with a software company. However, this transition also presented a great opportunity to find something that met his desire to serve the community, an idea that really excited him.

He needed to determine if he had the skills and experience that would translate to a career in the nonprofit sector.

Alicia was passionate about helping abused women. She had studied the issue for years and had been asked to speak recently at several small events to raise awareness. Could James find a way to help Alicia while fulfilling his own goals? Or were they pulling in different directions?

Was the urban area where they lived the best location for them to stay or should they explore other communities? They wanted to be sensitive to the desires of their children and make sure any decisions they made didn’t adversely affect them.

James needed to consider all the aspects of his current reality and their past experiences to determine which direction to move toward for the future.

At the end of our time, James had developed a list of items to research. It included:

• Life Plans/Business Vision
• Skills, Experience, and Purpose for both James and Alicia
• What were the anticipated funds available for the women’s shelter and how much was left to be raised?
• What salary (if any) would Alicia draw as the director of the shelter?
• Where would the best community for the shelter be? Should they consider staying in the urban area or relocating to a nearby semi-rural community?
• For how much could they sell their current urban home? What would it cost to purchase a small farm, ranch, or estate in the farming community as a location for the battered women’s shelter?
• What type of business could James start that would strike a balance between time and income?

James’ transition would not be easy. In fact, transitions almost always get more chaotic before there is clarity. But if he takes it one step at a time and sticks to his plan, he’ll be successful.

[Tweet “Transitions almost always become more chaotic, before there is clarity.”]

What’s the number one question you ask yourself when making major life changes?