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What do we need to "Thrive" in our Careers?

Writer's picture: Anuj ChadhaAnuj Chadha

Having coached over a hundred leaders from different industries and countries, and having lived through my career of more than 25 years, a few things stand out that people look for in a thriving career. These factors may be broadly divided into two buckets: Extrinsic and Intrinsic

 

The Key Extrinsic factors that people look for in a Thriving Career are usually easily visible to others:

 


First, people look for indicators of GROWTH & ACHIEVEMENT. These parameters include job size, job level in the organization hierarchy, and the number of people reporting to the role. An all too often used indicator, though not always accurate, is compensation (or, if you are the owner, then earnings). People feel a sense of thriving because they see these as indicators of how much they have achieved or how far they have come.

 

Second, people look for signs of CAPABILITY & TRUST: People look for roles that will utilize and even enhance their skills and experience. So, people thrive when their work allows them to either develop new capabilities or dig into their hip-pocket skills. One would rarely thrive without either. When I was nudged by my manager to consider moving from Sales to Marketing for a Brand that needed a holistic business strategy lift, I saw it as a sign of trust and an opportunity to enhance my experience.

 

Third, people look for indicators of RECOGNITION & CONFIDENCE: When a company is wrestling with a particularly sticky situation in a business category, technology, or geography, individuals they select for such roles have the confidence of the senior leadership to get them through. People thrive when they sense they have the confidence of their senior leadership. When I received the opportunity to move into a Country Manager role in a high-risk turn-around assignment, I saw it as a sign of recognition and confidence of the senior leadership in me.


 

And then there are the Key Intrinsic factors that people look for in a Thriving Career - these factors are usually not visible to others:

 

First, people look for CHALLENGE: When a role pushes them to expand their intellectual and creative boundaries to resolve something difficult, they thrive. This is often measured in degrees of change - when people move into a new job level, a new category, or a new geography or culture, the challenge is increased with each degree of change. No one feels like they are thriving when their work is too easy. Walking into a Unit head role knowing the main supply plant was on strike in the peak season gave me the challenge to thrive.

 

Second, people look for a sense of BELONGING & CONNECTION: When we find a team, or a group of people who we can be ourselves with, we thrive. Authentic connections help us to find expression in a safe space without the fear of constant judgment and evaluation. If we can identify a set of people with similar values, it helps us create such open and honest connections. It needs a degree of self-awareness and vulnerability to find our "tribe". Having worked in different parts of India, South East Asia, and in a Global team, I found the value of building authentic connections.

Third, people look for a sense of CONTRIBUTION & MEANING: Contribution comes from making a difference to the people, processes, or products & services offered by our organization. Meaning comes from having a sense of purpose in the work that we do. People look to understand the bigger picture, the main plot, of why we do what we do. It is an innate human need to understand what purpose we serve in the larger scheme.

 

As I stepped back and looked at these factors, I recognized a pattern: While the Extrinsic factors are mostly not in our control, the Intrinsic factors are. Like the famous anecdote of the janitor at NASA who was asked by J F Kennedy about what he was doing, and he had said that he was "putting a man on the Moon!" The janitor was definitely 'thriving' because he had found a sense of meaning in what he was doing.

 

What helps you Thrive in your Career?

 

 

 

The author, Anuj Chadha, is a Leadership Coach, and the Co-Founder of the Thrive Program, designed for Individual Leaders, Teams, and Organizations, along with Harpreet Arora. To know more, write to anuj@threecircles.co.in or connect@harpreetarora.com


Anuj is the Founder of Three Circles, Faculty & Coach with Leadership Et' Humanite, and an Associate Coach with the Center for Creative Leadership.  


At Three Circles, we build a deep understanding of what it takes to navigate the challenges that life throws at us. We partner with our clients, listen to their life & career aspirations, and support them to break through the obstacles that seem to be holding them back. Life is too precious to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled. Partner with us as you re-imagine and re-create the Life that you Love!

 

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