#520 sundaes

I was talking with a colleague about an upcoming job search that she'll be conducting.  At the moment, she is conflicted about which career path to pursue.  Each of the options have commonalities, but they are also a different branch of the field.  She is worried that her resume, letter and elevator speech will all need to be so different that she won't be able to manage it all.  As a result, she wants to choose only one option and limit herself to that from the beginning.

I encouraged her to do the opposite.  I see her choices as sundaes -- the core of who she is represents the ice cream which is the same in all the scenarios.  She already has the whip cream and nuts from her experiences up until this point.  She is completing her doctoral degree which equates to the cherry on top.  To me, her different paths represent different flavor toppings on the sundae.  Yes they are different, but the essence of what she is doing would be the same.  When you think about it in those terms, pursuing different options is not only manageable, but wise.

Do you have a problem in your life or organization that you are making more complex than it needs to be?  Think about what characteristics the problem has in common with other things you have done or know and see how you can reframe it to where only one portion of the issue is the variable.  Getting a handle on that variety may very well provide you with opportunities that delight.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com