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Breaking Free from Career Ruts

Embarking on the journey of professional growth often involves recognising and addressing the subtle yet impactful aspect of being stuck in a career rut. As a seasoned coach mentor, I frequently encounter individuals who find themselves in this situation, often unaware of their stagnant state until it is pointed out.

Comfort in the Rut

Why do so many people linger in a career rut? The answer is often rooted in the comfort it provides. Despite potential negativity and mismatch with personal goals, the familiarity and predictability of the rut create a sense of comfort that makes it difficult to break free.

Uncovering Career Aspirations

However, for those with aspirations beyond the confines of the rut, it’s essential to reflect on the impact this stagnation has on one’s professional trajectory and personal life. Making the decision to move forward is a pivotal step in this process. The coaching journey aids individuals in formulating and solidifying this crucial decision.

Deciding to Move Forward

The crux of the matter lies in deciding that you want to progress, grow, and move beyond the current career limitations. This decision becomes the cornerstone of the entire process. The coaching facilitates a thoughtful exploration of this decision, aligning it with individual aspirations, values, and long-term goals.

Once the decision to move forward is made, the path forward becomes a journey toward destiny. While we can discuss the strategies and steps that follow, essentially the coaching process serves as a catalyst, guiding individuals through a thoughtful and purposeful decision-making process that aligns with their unique journey.

Breaking free from a career rut requires acknowledging the comfort it provides, understanding the impact on personal and professional spheres, and ultimately making a conscious decision to move forward.

Watch the full video below.

In the ever-evolving landscape of professional growth, many individuals find themselves on the career ladder, ascending through hierarchies and envisioning their future roles. As a professional coach and mentor, I often encounter clients with ambitious aspirations, a drive for progression, and a well-crafted plan for their career timeline. While strategic planning is crucial, I increasingly pose a fundamental question: Why?

Understanding the Motivation

Delving into the motivations behind career aspirations is a crucial aspect of my coaching sessions. I inquire whether the pursuit is driven by societal expectations, external pressure, or a genuine and fulfilling ambition. Unpacking these motivations allows for a deeper exploration of the individual’s desires and intentions.

The Importance of Introspection

As individuals progress up the career ladder, the decisions they make become increasingly pivotal. What may seem like a logical step in one’s thirties can significantly impact the trajectory of one’s forties and even influence retirement plans. This realisation underscores the need for thoughtful introspection and strategic planning.

Building a Personalised Strategy

In coaching, we focus on developing a strategy that aligns with the individual’s values, personal circumstances, and ultimate goals. It’s not merely about following a predetermined path but rather crafting a unique journey tailored to the individual’s aspirations and the broader context of their life.

Considering the Big Picture

As we navigate the complexities of the workplace, it becomes imperative to consider the broader picture. What might be right for someone else at a particular stage in their career might not align with your individual path. We aim to build a holistic understanding of what’s right for you, your family, and your long-term objectives.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Career Growth

In essence, career progression goes beyond the act of climbing the traditional career ladder. It involves a strategic, introspective, and personalised approach that takes into account the individual’s motivations, values, and long-term goals. By adopting a holistic perspective and building a customized strategy, individuals can navigate the complexities of the workplace with confidence and purpose.

Watch the full video below.

Navigating Leadership Challenges

In the ever-evolving landscape of leadership, the expectations on managers and leaders within organisations have become increasingly overwhelming. Ashley Brooks, a seasoned professional coach and mentor, sheds light on the complexities of leadership in the modern world.

Leadership Evolution: A Complex Position

“Leadership has changed. Leading is a challenging position to be in,” acknowledges Ashley. With pressure emanating from various directions – from above, below, and sideways – navigating this complex role requires a strategic approach.

The Four Corners Methodology: Guiding Your Leadership Journey

Ashley Brooks is renowned for his compassion-driven coaching, helping individuals find their path to a happier and more fulfilled life. Central to his approach is the ‘Four Corners’ Methodology, a proprietary system designed to address the multifaceted challenges of modern leadership.

Delegation: A Key to Overcoming Overwhelm

In his latest video, Ashley delves into the importance of delegation, a crucial skill often overlooked. “If we’re going to move forward in our careers, delegation is an absolute must,” he emphasises. The video explores strategies to cope with overwhelming situations, fostering a mindset shift and creating time to switch off.

Your Leadership Journey with Ashley Brooks

Whether you are a seasoned leader or aspiring to lead, Ashley Brooks offers valuable insights to navigate the complexities of the modern leadership landscape. Watch the full video below.

Balancing career success and life harmony? 

If we’re all honest about the world now, post COVID, it seems to be more intense.

Everything seems to be more stressful, more pressured. A lot of people that I coach are overwhelmed by their situation at work. Working from home adds more pressures to them and their family. And it seems that more and more I’m coaching people on managing the the pressure and the stress in their lives. It’s kind of got out of control.

 

So what we do is just we build in strategy as coping mechanisms and different mindsets on how we handle that pressure.

I think now more than ever, because of accessibility at home, laptops, phones, etc., people just don’t know that level of when to switch off. Work life balance is something I really promote in my methodology and we’ve got to find that balance in our lives and it can overtake and before you know it, it’s normalized and that’s what you’re doing.
And it really isn’t healthy, not just for you, but for your work, your colleagues, etc. So it’s a really big thing that I concentrate on now at something that I’d impress that we think about in our work.

There are many things that we could talk about in our coaching relationship.

 

One big one At the moment I’m finding, post-COVID is the how overwhelming people’s jobs are now. Now, I know we were all busy before COVID, but it seems that we’ve ramped up a gear since and now people are working from home.

There’s accessibility that we didn’t have before, our laptops and our phones, etc. I’m finding more and more of my coaching relationships are based around handling that pressure and that stress at work. We don’t know when to say no. We don’t know when to stop and it’s really affecting people’s wellbeing. Work life balance, which is hugely important and it’s become normalized that this is how we work now. It’s unsustainable. We’re all overwhelmed and we need to sit back and think about how we change that. So what we do, which is put in strategies of able to cope now to think about things differently, but importantly when to switch off.

Watch the full video to learn more.