Lately, I've heard the word "fear" creep into several client conversations -- "fear of getting fired; fear of the new supervisor; fear of the revised commission structure; fear of not finding a job; fear of relocating family; fear of starting a business." Many, many fears. The thing about fear, as it pertains to career transition, is that is serves in a dual role of ally and enemy; only you can discern which role prevails. Listed below are a few pointers to help you deal with fear, as friend or foe, in your career journey:
Face the fear. Name it. Claim it. Make it specific. I am afraid of this or I have a fear of that. Then, ask yourself this question -- is this fear helping me or hindering me in my career transition? Be honest. If your fear is supporting your efforts to move ahead, consider it your friend. If, on the other hand, your fear is hampering your ability to take needed steps, think about what you can do, starting today, to face your fear and make some needed changes. As one of my executive clients remarked, "you can't hold on and let go at the same time."
Envision. See yourself doing the very thing that you fear. Explore the gap between where you are now and where you would like to be. If a goal in your job search is to speak with 50 key decision-makers of manufacturing firms in the Midwest, and your fear precludes you from doing so, focus on a few easy, non-threatening steps you can take, starting today, to reach your target goal. Start small. Pick one name to contact. Call that one person and proceed from there. Continue to build on your small successes and gradually, you'll see yourself changing -- slowly, steadily, deliberately -- replacing fear with increased confidence while moving closer to your target goal.
Action. Take action to address, manage, and/or conquer your fear. For example, if your fear is public speaking and your recent promotion calls for group presentations, consider taking a class to help you improve. Act, don't react. Ask others for help, support, and guidance. Reach out. You'll be amazed at what you can learn and discover to help you better manage your fear and move forward.
Reward. Recognize your successes and reward yourself. Make your reward meaningful and simple; something you know you can do and will do to celebrate better management of your career fear. You can do it!