Redirecting.work

As I continue to interview people about career and life redirection, one theme appears so consistently that it becomes impossible to ignore: successful pivots aren’t done in solitary. We ask for and get advice and support from others. We go to others to find our next opportunity. We have a “kitchen cabinet” of advisors. Our partners, family, and friends are our resources. We live in neighborhoods. We participate in local activities. We work in organizations with colleagues, b

When I started my redirecting research through interviews and telling stories of people’s pivots, I expected to find recognizable patterns in why people redirect and how they would be successful. I assumed the drivers of pivots I’d hear about would be burnout, layoffs, a longing for more meaningful work, or a desire for better alignment between values and work life. I had seven hypotheses of success factors. I’ve written about five of them in Redirecting Foundations. I expec

With gratitude to a real person That last promotion into a new area you now want to pursue -- you just don't have enough experience to get the job you now really want. A serial pivoter rarely looks “linear” on paper. But in real life, the pattern is often clear: they are the person who steps into what the organization needs next, learns fast, and makes it work. They become the fixer, the translator, the bridge between functions. Over time, that range becomes a strength, and t

When people talk about retirement, there’s a familiar script. You’ll spend your time on the three Gs: golf, going places, and grandchildren . Frank Scavo said this with a smile. Sue Van Klink later added a fourth G: great friends . That addition matters more than it first appears to. Because for many people retiring, time is no longer something to be filled. It’s something to be chosen . For much of our working lives, time is something we manage. We schedule it, allocate it,