Chapter 5

Preparing for Change

This chapter will help you manage change in your work life by enabling you to finesse the transition from the old professional niche to a new one. When you understandthe characteristics of transitions and how to move successfully from point A to point B, you can integrate changes into your career goals and plans and retain control of your professional life.

As in any other career field, over your working lifetime you can expect to experience at least two major career movements or professional shifts and several minor ones. Some of the changes or shifts are typical adult experiences (promotions); others result from your planning (career mobility) or from circumstances beyond your control (reorganization). Change often results in uneasy feelings, even if the change is one you've initiated or believe is positive. Movements and shifts alter established professional role, routines, and responsibilities and can affect home and personal life as well. The future is a blank space and you're not yet sure about the shape it will assume or the direction it will take. You ask yourself, Will I like the change? Will this shift work? How will I know what to do? Did I make the right decision? Will I succeed?

Change produces outcomes that need appropriate and prompt reaction. Although change is the onset of a new situation, transition brings closure to the old one, preventing you from getting stuck and not able to advance as required.

When you take responsibility for managing your reactions to a change event, you are empowered for success in the new work situation.

Given the demands of the workplace, you need to move effectively and efficiently from one professional place to another. An understanding of the inbetween role of transition in the change experience makes this time less stressful and fatiguing. Transition is a seamless interval that starts almost unnoticed and sometimes ends with no acknowledgment until sometime after it's complete.

A transition interval is a period of time to assess the change's impact on your life, to regroup, and to develop a clearer perspective of the situation, your reactions, and needed decisions. This interval creates space for the psychological/behavioral adaptation that occurs (internally and externally) during any move between points in your life. Transition is the emotional accommodation to change, and it's key to surviving change events with minimal upheaval and strain by returning harmony and balance to your life. You are able to move forward professionally and personally and involve yourself fully in your new work.

A transition interval consists of three phases, each of which needs to be experienced to give shape and direction to that blank space in your professional future. Change in itself is a neutral event. People looking at the same event and its resulting changes (for example, a new assignment or changing employers) can view it either positively or negatively with various levels of feelings ranging from excitement to apprehension. As a result, a transition varies in length, magnitude, and impact from one person to another. How you perceive a particular career move or professional shift is the critical factor in determining the ease or difficulty of saying good-bye to the old, moving on, and greeting the new.

The Three Transition Phases

To bring completion to what is being left behind, to have time to reflect and reenergize, and to greet the fresh beginning, you'll experience the passage through a transition interval in three phases:

1. winding down: bringing closure to the old and seeing it in retrospect
2. calling time out: taking time to think about how this change will affect your life
3. taking off: welcoming and moving forward into the new professional phase.

Transition comprises these three phases whether you are undergoing a major professional change or a minor one. Skipping over either or both of the first two phases will leave you feeling that you still have unfinished business to complete. Even if you devote only a day to one phase, at least you've acknowledged it. Practical Exercise 1 at the end of this chapter will help you to finesse any professional transition.

Phase 1: Winding Down

With any change in your life—particularly a major one—the first step is to close up your old life and pack it away as a memory. This first phase, winding down, is the time to tie up loose ends; to take leave of people, places, and things. In departing from a workplace, goodbyes can be said to a supervisor, colleagues, support staff, clients, anyone you worked with and will miss. There may be some people you'll want to contact for help after becoming more familiar with the needs of your new work situation. These good-byes are important because they bring an end to present professional relationships before initiating new ones.

Remember that it's important to leave an employer on good terms (even if your leaving results from a termination). You never know when you'll need references or when you may return to a former employer as a career move for professional advancement.

If you're moving on to a new assignment within an organization, acknowledge that your status and work associations will be different. This phase is an important declaration for your peers and associates to see and accept your new organizational role. Although some working relationships will continue, they will probably be on a different level. Other relationships will end and new ones will be established and developed.

During this phase, review and sort out work records, files, data systems, your card file or contact list, mementos, and personal possessions. Decide what to throw out, transfer to your replacement, give away to colleagues, or keep. Without cleaning and clearing, full concentration on the work you soon will face becomes more difficult, particularly in a major professional change. And the unfinished business will weigh on your mind as you take some time for yourself before entering your next professional stage.

Phase 2: Calling Time Out

A period of time must elapse before you can see definite lines between the old and the new. This second phase, calling time out, is for reenergizing—a time for review, reflection, planning, and refreshing your physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Use this opportunity to become accustomed to and accepting of change in your professional life, and perhaps your personal life as well, even if the change is only a modest one. Once a new job is started or other career plans are initiated, you may not have another opportunity to relax or take care of personal and family matters.

Calling time out can be as short as a weekend and as long as several months. During this period, you truly realize that you're in the midst of a transition and that changes are happening. A mindshift occurs about where you see yourself professionally, about gearing up for adjustment to a new work environment, and about learning new responsibilities. Approaching the next professional niche positively, energized, and focused requires your willingness to give some time to replenishing yourself, assessing your situation, and planning your next steps. To have the best chance for success, the next phase of your professional career must begin with a feeling of self-confidence and an “I'm ready and able” attitude.

Phase 3: Taking Off

This phase begins when the change event is complete. You look forward to filling in the blank spaces in your life. This is a time of creativity, high energy, motivation, and resourcefulness. You have feelings on many levels: excitement, enthusiasm, joy, apprehension, anxiety, and the belief that you are off to a fresh, new beginning. Whether starting a new job, being promoted, transferring, initiating a business, activating a job search, or going back to school, there are many questions, tasks, and timelines.

Concentrate on your priorities, keeping communication lines open, creating supportive relationships, acquiring needed new knowledge, and noting benefits of the change. Take satisfaction in completing projects and solving problems. And don't forget to celebrate in your own fashion the start of a new professional situation, working through a particularly thorny issue, or checking off a difficult task. Turn to Practical Exercise 1 on page 72. This exercise guides you through the three transition phases to your new professional beginning. These activities help you to deal with emotion, keep a positive mindset, and maintain control over your professional life.

The transition interval with its three phases is an integral part of the change process. You'll repeat this experience as often as there are adjustments and modifications in your career path. If you wonder whether you'll ever get used to the disruptions and flip-flops in the daily patterns of the work world, the answer is, probably not. But with the right skills and attitudes, you can deal with them efficiently and effectively and look forward to your next career shift.

Career Movements and Professional Shifts

Career movements are generalized and common job activities experienced by most people in the workforce. These movements document the expansion, retreat, and direction of your work history. On the other hand, a professional shift is more specific and narrow in scope, experienced by some people in an occupation. Such shifts refocus how you use your specialized knowledge and expertise.

Being aware of and understanding your professional transition possibilities is important to decision making about a career path or a professional niche and to selecting specific options and resources for your next step. Most people go through several professional changes in a lifetime, some of which can be experienced simultaneously (such as promotion and a transfer) or more than once (like a new job or a termination).

What are some of the professional transition possibilities? Recognizing and accepting various career moves or professional shifts is important to determining your career objectives and direction and your next steps. The basic profile of a professional transition includes an overview of its unique or special characteristics, a picture of specific feelings or emotions generated, and a list of questions people frequently ask themselves.

For someone already working in training, HRD, or workplace learning and performance, professional transitions that can be categorized as career moves include moving within your existing work situation, transferring to a new location, being out of work, making professional shifts, and retiring. Let's look at each of these moves in detail.

Moving Within Your Current Work Situation

The most common professional transition is moving from one work situation to another. After their first professional job, most people change employers or positions at least once during their work lives. In fact, five or six career moves are more the presentday norm and will continue to be so. Concerns expressed during these change experiences can include these: Will I lose contact with my former work friends? How quickly and easily will I adjust to my new responsibilities? Will management and colleagues readily accept me in my new role? Am I really ready for this?

Moving up the organizational ladder is a natural change event in career mobility. People usually look forward to this transition, are pleased about their career progression, and believe they deserve it or are ready to move ahead. But promotions can put you in a temporary state of anxiety where you ask, How will this new position affect my home life? Will I live up to the expectations of my supervisor? How soon will I feel comfortable with my new status? Can I really learn what I need to learn quickly so I'm up and running as soon as possible? Your focus is on the taking off phase as feelings of impatience, raring to moving on, and wanting to tackle the next challenge bubble to the top and it shows in your body language and expressions.

• Promotion from staff to administrator/supervisor—This transition prompts a major mindshift about yourself—who you are and the nature of your relationships with colleagues. For example, if the promotion means you begin to supervise colleagues who are friends, you may feel uncomfortable about the changed status; some people may resent your now being their supervisor; or you may need training in management/supervisory skills. On the other hand, you may be proud and excited that your abilities have been acknowledged and that the leap from staff to management with decision-making authority has been made. Whatever the situation, it will take time for you to feel comfortable in this different role and to meet its challenges.
• Promotion from middle management to executive—This can be a dramatic transition as people are clearly moving to the top of the career ladder. It's a major shift in terms of self-image, responsibilities, and expectations of you. This promotion is probably the culmination of all your hard work, sacrifices, and efforts. If you're becoming an executive at a rather young age (before 40), reflection during the calling time out phase is critical for continual satisfaction in future endeavors. Whatever your age, use this phase to consider the impact this promotion will have on you. Ask yourself, What challenges are on the horizon for me? In what ways will I leave my mark on this organization? How do I want my lifestyle to change? What do I have to look forward to in the future?

Transferring to a New Geographical Location

A transfer can happen either within your present organization or because you have a new employer. With a work-related move, you actually experience several transitions: a new physical living environment, a new work environment, new work responsibilities, and possibly a new organization. You (perhaps with family) need to make some larger-than-usual adjustments during this time. There can be much stress, anxiety, and possibly fear as you face several unknowns and risks.

The calling time out and taking off transition phases are especially critical for success, but the timelines your employer sets may not allow for each phase to run its natural course. Relocating and settling into new surroundings entails a lot of preparation and activity. You may not have much time during either phase to accomplish your personal and professional to-do lists. And if you have a family, they may have to stay behind temporarily to complete a school term, to separate from their own jobs, or because there was not enough time to find new housing before your report-to-work date. If you're single, having to adjust to a new area all by yourself may make you feel isolated and cause you to miss your old friends greatly. A geographic move can prompt several questions: How quickly will we adjust to the new situation? Will my family and I like our new location? How quickly will I be up and running in my new position? Will I find people with interests similar to mine?

Being Out of Work

Unemployment is a professional transition that is often very upsetting and unforgettable, particularly when it's unexpected and unplanned. Depending on the circumstances, people's attitudes and reactions to this experience differ. Regardless of the specific conditions for being out of work, a healthy and productive outlook is crucial to viewing this as an opportunity for evaluating your next career step and direction. The calling time out phase is critical for your future success and sense of fulfillment. This time should be viewed as an opportunity to rethink career objectives and reenergize for the next professional step. Willingness to do a self-assessment is a recommended career management strategy that indicates good decision-making ability and a disinclination to act impulsively. Among the common questions people ask themselves are: What do I truly want to do in my next job? Do I want to take some time off? What will make me happy and content? Is this the time for a fresh start somewhere else?

There are two major types of out-of-work transitions:

• Involuntary job loss—This is the most traumatic transition. It creates stress, agony, and upheavals in people's lives, and recovery can take some time. An involuntary job loss has the hazards of lasting too long or of leaving you stuck in either the winding down or calling time out transition phase. Some people never get beyond mourning their job loss and have difficulty implementing plans or carrying out their to-do lists. In the best-case job loss scenario, you receive sufficient notice and a severance package that gives you time to develop a plan of action.
• Voluntary job leaving without new employment—In this transition, you take the initiative and control the situation. Various reasons exist for deciding to resign and walk away from a job: feeling burned out, having the balance wheel of work satisfaction and employee benefits out of kilter, believing you're not appreciated, knowing that advancement possibilities don't exist, or wanting to change your work environment. You may wonder if you made the right decision, but simultaneously feel relieved at no longer feeling frustrated and unhappy. When the resignation results from a desire to take some time to rethink career and professional goals and strategies, then the transition interval is more like the one described in the section on making professional shifts.

Making Professional Shifts

At some point as people pass from early adulthood (their 20s) to middle adulthood (their 30s-40s) and build up personal and professional experiences, they'll review their lives. Everyone—some to a greater extent than others—will assess where they started and where they are and they'll reevaluate where they want to be in the next 10 to 15 years. The interests they had when just starting out in the professional world probably don't have quite the same appeal.

Professional transitions that can be categorized as professional shifts include four common options that many specialists in training, HRD, and workplace learning and performance consider:

1. becoming an entrepreneur
2. joining a consulting firm
3. teaching in an HRD graduate program
4. entering into contractual work (becoming a free agent) with a temporary services agency that hires professionals for short-term assignments.

Both the calling time out and taking off phases are key for such professional shifts. Again, in terms of good career management and feelings of fulfillment and satisfaction, you need a period of time to assess your past and present situations and describe for yourself a desirable future. And you need to consider present and future personal and family obligations and responsibilities. Carefully lay your foundation and plans for the taking off phase of your next professional stage.

For many people this a major change in their lives. Some of the common questions that people ask themselves are, How much am I willing to risk? Are my ideal job and work environment still the same or have they changed? Will I have the emotional support that I'll need? How clear am I about wanting to make a major professional shift?

• Becoming an entrepreneur—For some people this is the time to make plans to start a business or become an independent consultant. The idea of being your own boss may be appealing. Taking time out can be a lengthy process because of the many activities that are involved in startups, including making business plans, developing a financial base, conducting market research, identifying clients/customers, and setting up support networks for advice and information.
• Joining a consulting firm—If you want to engage in consulting but you aren't willing to assume all of the risk or you need the guarantee of a minimum income level, working for a consulting firm is a viable option. This is particularly true if you have special expertise or skill, such as experience in the high-technology or health field, instructional development, or learning technology.
• Being a free agent—If you want to take some time off before making a decision about what to do next, or want to gain some specific experiences or skills, you can become a contract worker with a temporary services agency that specializes in short-term training and development assignments. This is a way to gain some breathing space, try out various work environments, and build up a résumé while keeping an income flow.
• Becoming an academician—Teaching full-or part-time in an HRD graduate program is an option if you want to give something back to the profession. This is particularly true for someone with a doctorate and an interest in research, someone who believes in mentoring and learning, and someone who will enjoy the professorial lifestyle.

Retiring

Almost everyone will go through this final transition. The most difficult part of this interval can be the winding down phase, followed by taking off, particularly if ending the career was forced or mandatory and very little opportunity existed to think about what to do after the separation. At such a time, emotions are quite mixed. Many losses are felt, including those of identity, status, good friends and colleagues, and a fixed daily routine. The most common question asked under these circumstances is, What do I do now with my time and my life?

Given an opportunity for long-term planning, most people truly look forward to enjoying activities they had little or no time to experience previously. Some people will continue working in some fashion, and so begin setting goals and making plans. Questions people ask themselves include, How do I see myself at this stage of my life? Which professional skills do I want to use? Realistically, what are my options?

Thus far our discussion has focused on transitions and professional standing, but to reach a clear understanding of your entire work life, you need to understand the connections that exist between transitions and career pathing and how those connections affect professional development and direction.

Relationship of Professional Transitions to Career Pathing

A career line illustrates your work history. Career pathing traces the overall direction of your work activities. Professional transitions mark the specific ways in which your training, HRD, or workplace learning and performance career is evolving. Career pathing indicates steps, pace, and length of your work history; professional transitions reflect the pattern of your adjustment to a new place in the field.

Career direction can occur in the following ways:

• Vertical: The most common path is an upward one that represents ambition, advancement, achievement, increased responsibility, and authority.
• Horizontal: A lateral move occurs where there is a desire for more variety in tasks, a cross-functional experience, increased breadth of experience, or a new challenge without a promotion.
• Cyclical: A cyclical career path comprises a succession of spirals made to learn new skills or competencies for professional growth that leads to new employers or professional shifts. These spirals can be in any direction at one organization or can be done through several assignments from a professional temp agency. You usually return to home base—either your permanent position or the temp agency—before taking on another assignment.
• Leveled: A career has leveled when there is very little or no movement, when a secure position has stabilized or plateaued, and when intrinsic job satisfaction exists.

With each addition to your career line, a change occurs and thereby a professional transition is experienced. The type of career maneuver, how often maneuvers are made, and whether they are voluntary or forced, affects the speed and length of your passage through the transition time interval. Your perspective on business trends, new professional developments, the importance of professional growth, your satisfaction with your present job situation, and feelings about your career's place in your overall life plans influence the specific career maneuvers you make and your attitude toward the ensuing transition experience.

A career maneuver creates a temporary blank space in your future; a professional transition is the time to establish new perceptions of yourself, to revise your self-image. Essentially, you are reconfiguring yourself in terms of identity, roles, relationships, and routines. Focus on how you need to adjust the following reference points that define you:

• Changing identities: Who are you? How much or in what ways will that identity change? How do you think others will see you?
• Changing roles: What will you be doing that's new, that's the same but performed in a different way or less often, or what will be given up or temporarily delegated to someone else at work? At home? In your personal/ social/leisure life? How do others see you functioning, according to what people actually have said to you?
• Changing relationships: In what ways will your connections or associations with people at work be altered? With family and friends?
• Changing routines: In what ways will your present home, personal, and work practices and activities be altered, readjusted, or replaced?

Characteristics of Successful Transitions

Thinking about your answers to the questions in the previous section helps you effectively initiate the taking off phase. Revising your professional image and embracing a new professional niche quickly and successfully depend on the strength of your inner resources and adaptive responses to change. Six key actions are characteristic of success in any transition:

1. being willing to risk
2. facing the unknown
3. directing yourself
4. expressing your emotions about change
5. developing a support system
6. dealing with your stress.

The extent to which these actions are part of your inner resources and are integrated into your adaptive responses will affect your passage through a transition interval. Different types of professional transitions require different allocations of these factors, depending on your view of the move or shift and the intensity of the change.

Think about how the six actions would apply to your specific professional transition interval. Ask yourself, How relevant are each of these success factors to my passage through this transition? How can I assess my skills in managing success factors? And, most important, How willing and ready am I to incorporate these actions into my strategies for finessing my transition?

Let's take a closer look at these actions, which are characteristic of successful transitions.

1. Being willing to risk—taking a chance, taking the plunge. You think positively about the out-comes, and that lessens your anxiety about the involved risks.
2. Facing the unknown—going into uncharted territory, dealing with changing routines and new situations. You prepare by gathering information, setting goals, and making plans.
3. Directing yourself—assessing and managing yourself. You have self-confidence and self-esteem for decision making and you accept changing roles and identities.
4. Expressing feelings about change—acknowledging and sharing your emotions about change. You communicate to others that you can manage your career, are in control of your future, and are looking forward to what it holds for you.
5. Developing a support system—people you can rely on for encouragement, resources, and help. You're willing to ask family, friends, and colleagues to be part of this group during your transition experience.
6. Dealing with stress—frustration, tension, anxiety. You use effective coping methods, that is, you stay focused, remain adaptable and flexible, and manage your time.

Preparing for Moves to Other Businesses or Professional Settings

As you get ready to make a career movement (for example, to become an executive or move to a different training, HRD, or workplace learning and performance role) or a professional shift (for example, to become an entrepreneur or join a consulting firm), it's important to face the actuality of the change event. Even with a voluntary change, you may have some problem accepting the reality of your new situation. Perhaps you can't believe that you've been given your ideal job. Or maybe your worst nightmare has come true: You've been laid off. For the passage to be quick and successful whatever the circumstances, you need to take four actions:

1. recognize the situation
2. accept the situation
3. disengage from the situation
4. redefine the situation.

Recognizing the Situation

Whatever the context may be, the first step in dealing with any change event involves recognizing, both mentally and emotionally, the differences in your professional life and assessing present conditions and future prospects. You must admit to yourself that this change is real and that, in some small or large ways, your life will be different. The winding down phase of the transition interval begins when you can express your feelings (for example, loss, fear, or gladness).

Handling your emotions in an appropriate manner—perhaps by talking to someone you feel comfortable with or keeping a daily journal—helps confirm the reality of the situation. A ritual or ceremony brings closure to the old situation and provides a way to express feelings in an acceptable manner. You can create your own ritual or ceremony to mark a turning point in your professional life (for example, make a collage of photos and other mementos from your old professiona l setting, write a toast to your new professional niche with which colleagues, friends, and family can salute you and your transition).

When emotions have been dealt with, you can assess your present status and think constructively about the future. How would I rate my situation at this moment? What can I do to maintain it or improve it? Do I think I'm in a good spot emotionally? The calling time out phase of the transition interval begins with this assessment and acceptance of your situation.

Accepting the Situation

Accepting the change event affirms the present as an opening to developing your ideal picture of the future and making practical plans to ensure future success. You're able to think productively about your next steps or activities. Onset of the acceptance of reality coincides with calling time out—the period of renewal and self-assessment.

Regardless of the scenario about your immediate professional future, you must ask yourself some questions and clear up any remaining ambiguity before initiating your next career move or professional shift. Although you may have been in control of this change and, most likely, believe you are set to take off, make a final analysis of how the new professional experience relates to your overall career vision, goals, and plans. If you're about to start a new job, ask yourself, In what ways will I benefit from these new responsibilities? What do I need to do to make this happen? If you're making a major move or shift, such as returning to graduate school for a Ph.D. or starting your own business, ask yourself, What kind of benchmarks do I want to establish for myself? In what ways will this endeavor affect my family and lifestyle?

Disengaging From the Situation

By putting distance between yourself and the old professional niche, physically and/or mentally, you are dealing with this third reality. In managing change and throughout the transition interval, it's important to develop a mindset in which you envision yourself on a different professional path, in a different workplace, with different tasks, associating with different people. Disengagement is the act of identifying less with and removing yourself from the old professional niche, and focusing on the new one.

At this point, you're in the midst of the calling time out phase and at the height of your self-assessment process. While shedding some of your old professional self and developing a different image, you also are involved in creativity and brain-storming. As confidence grows about the career move or professional shift you're about to make, choices are more focused, some practical plans are developed, and you're anxious to get going. Questions that arise include, What have I learned about myself that will serve me in my next endeavor? How can I build opportunities for continued growth and learning in my work life so I'm better prepared for the next change? What can I do to keep focused on my professional vision and not become discouraged when things don't work out as hoped or I become too comfortable in this professional niche?

By the end of disengagement, you are aware of internal changes and are more positive about your ability to move forward successfully. You are ready to create a new or revised professional image and to enter the taking off phase of transition.

Redefining the Situation

How strongly and enthusiastically you embrace your new professional image and niche determines your ability to describe the work situation you are about to enter. While in the taking off phase, you begin to feel comfortable with your changed circumstances. Once again you know who you are, what you're doing, and where you're going. As we noted earlier, redefining your professional self occurs through changed identity, changed roles, changed relationships, and changed routines. How do you know you have finessed the transition interval and are truly prepared for this move or shift? Clear indications are

• the new or revised “professional you” fits like a second skin and everything feels natural
• colleagues, fellow workers, family, and friends no longer question what you do or who you are; they accept and respect whom you have become.

Transformation doesn't happen overnight or without conscious effort on your part. With a positive mindset, good strategies in place, and an awareness of the role of the transition interval and its phases, you are poised for your next professional experience to begin smoothly and successfully.

The next chapter presents a key component of good career management strategy—your Professional Design Plan and the incorporation of your description of fulfilling work into its development. This is your lodestar, especially during transition, to keep you on track and focused toward your future.

 

Practical Exercise 1: Navigating the Three Transition Phases

Complete the items for each phase at a time you feel you are moving into that part of your transition interval. For example, a month may pass between Part One and Part Two.

 

Part One: The Winding Down Phase

Directions: Complete all of the following items that apply to your situation. Skip items that are not relevant.

 

A.  What is the professional change event that initiated this transition interval? Is the change welcomed? Why or why not?

 

 

 

B.  Describe your feelings about winding down your affairs marking the end of this stage of your professional life. Are you surprised by any of your emotional reactions? Why?

 

 

 

C.  List the people (individually or as a group) to whom you wish to or must say good-bye (for example, colleagues, clients, friends). How do you choose to take leave of people? In a group or one-on-one? As a planned/formal activity or an unplanned/ informal activity (perhaps a party or dinner, an office visit, a phone call)?

People	In a Group or One-on-One?	With a Planned or Unplanned Activity? (describe)

D.  List the places you need or want to visit one more time (for example, workplace, favorite lunch eatery, neighborhood, any special site). Do you choose to do it alone or with someone? While you're there, is there something you'd like to do (for example, take photos, jog/run a favorite course, eat at a certain restaurant)?

Place	Alone or With Someone?	Just a Visit or Engage in Specific Activity? (describe)

E.  List the work and/or personal items you need or want to keep, give away, or throw out (for example, materials/records for a work portfolio, desk items, books). If necessary, check with a colleague or team member if you don't have all the details of an assignment that was a learning experience for you. Are there any mementos, such as a work award or achievement certificate, and why are they special? Describe your feelings about disbursing these artifacts.

Item	Disposition	Memento	Disposition

F.  How do you think you will remember this transition phase?

 

 

 

Part Two: The Calling Time Out Phase

Directions: Think about how you want to use the calling time out phase to relax and envision your future professional self. Answer the following questions thoughtfully and thoroughly.

 

A.  Describe your feelings about calling time out to take it easy and put some distance between the old and the new. What is your timeframe for this phase—two weeks, three months, a year?

 

 

 

B.  Do you have any concerns or issues about the calling time out phase (for example, short time available before next stage, financial or budget status, family responsibilities)? Briefly describe them. What can you do to resolve or alleviate these concerns?

Concern or Issue	Actions to Resolve or Alleviate It

C.  What are your plans for relaxing and reenergizing yourself? When will each activity take place (at the start, middle, or end of the calling time out phase)? How much time will you take for each activity?

Activity (describe)	When	Timeframe

D.  What household projects or personal needs could you attend to during this phase? When will you take care of these projects? How much time will you allot to each one? What preliminary steps are required (for example, making an appointment, hiring someone, buying materials)?

Project or Chore	When	Timeframe	Preparation Needed

E.  In what ways do you need to shift gears to begin thinking differently about your professional self and life and to focus on your next career move? To make the change, think about what you need to do before entering the taking off phase. Describe yourself professionally in both the old and new settings, and indicate any preparations that you need to make for the transition. Circle the aspects listed below that are most germane to your situation. For one or more of these aspects, characteristics in the old and new descriptions may be similar or identical.

1. If you underwent a job loss, think about your options: seek a new job, make a career shift, return to school, start your own business, and so forth.
2. If you are starting a new job, consider how you want to handle the new situation and how you want people to perceive you.

Professional Aspect	Old Setting	New Setting	Preparation Needed
Identity
Role (job title)
Responsibilities
Relationships
Routines
Skills
Knowledge
Personal strengths
Other:

F.  How do you think you will remember this transition phase?

 

 

 

Part Three: The Taking Off Phase

Directions: The third phase signals that the change event is complete and your life is back on track, headed toward its new destination. You are in control and ready for a new beginning. Think now about setting priorities, creating supportive relationships, establishing new communication and networking lines, and resolving any remaining concerns.

 

A.  Describe the new professional niche that is being integrated into your life. How do you feel about beginning this stage of your career?

 

 

 

B.  Briefly describe any concerns or issues you have about being ready to take off (for example, financial needs, preparation status, adapting to a new geographic area, family or friends’ support). What can you do to resolve or alleviate these concerns?

Concern or Issue	Actions to Resolve or Alleviate It

C.  To begin this stage successfully, a number of elements need to be in place.

1.  For each of the following elements that are relevant to your situation, describe what it means to you and indicate its current status.

2. If an element is not fully in place, think about what you need to do to complete it. Element Tasks to Be Done to Put It in Place

Element	Tasks to Be Done to Put It in Place

D.  How do you think you will remember this transition phase?