Are You Corporate Sleepwalking?
Are you corporate sleepwalking?
Do you feel like you've lost your identity in your organisation?
Are you unsure about who you are and how you got here?
When I was younger, I was a sleepwalker. Mum would be sitting in her recliner, watching her favourite TV program in the lounge room late at night, when suddenly, I would appear, standing right in front of her, just staring. Scary, right? She would then lead me back into my bed and I’d get up in the morning with no memory of what had happened.
Now, most of the time, I never woke up when I was sleepwalking but occasionally I would find myself in the kitchen in the middle of the night with my pyjamas on; not knowing where I was or what I was doing.
Some of my clients feel exactly the same way when they come to see me. They’ve arrived at a certain point in their career and suddenly they’ve woken up and thought “Hang on a minute. How did I get here?" They feel unsure, uncertain and a little lost in the dark.
You need to be a careful when climbing the corporate ladder that after all that hard work, you don’t discover that it was leaning against the wrong wall.
“If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”
- Dr Stephen R Covey
So, how does this happen?
How do we suddenly wake up one day and think where am I?
We can get busy in our lives and time flies, right? We can get comfortable and complacent in our jobs. We place limits on ourselves and we don't see what else is possible. We're influenced by our peers and our bosses and by the corporate culture that we're a part of.
We get given these detours in our careers. Opportunities come up and we’re asked, "Oh, would you mind doing this? Can you fill in this gap in our head office for a while? Can you also take on this responsibility?"
Now, I'm not saying that all of these detours are bad, because occasionally we can be detoured and then stumble across something amazing. For me, that was the case. I started my career as a lawyer, and through a few detours, I found my passion for leadership and mentoring. So, it's not always bad but some detours and influences can actually lead us in the wrong direction and take us away from our purpose and passion.
So how can you avoid the corporate sleepwalk?
Have a deep sense of self. Really know who you are, what you stand for. Your values, mission and magic. Discover what is important to you and why.
Be intentional and make conscious choices. Think about what you say yes to and what you say no to. Be deliberate in your decision making.
Put yourself first always. Not the organisation or your team or your partner or your family but YOU. When you put yourself first, you make magic and contribute in the most meaningful way. It’s a win-win for you and everyone else in your life.
Set personal goals, not just corporate KPIs. Have 1 or 2 goals that are just for you (and hopefully are aligned to your corporate goals as well)
Regularly do a self check-in. Every 6 months or 12 months, take some time out and do a deep dive. Where are you going? Where have you been? Are you heading in the right direction? What have you done in this timeframe to get you moving in the right direction? Is this work you want to be doing right now? If you’re off track, you can make the necessary adjustments.
It's time to refocus on what truly matters to you and to do work that gives you purpose and passion. No more corporate sleepwalking through your career. It’s time to WAKE UP and take back control!
Champagne and Sunshine,
Midja x