Natalie Rowe is a woman who wears many hats. She is a mother, financial coach, author, and friend. Next to her passion of following Jesus Christ, Natalie is a woman who loves to walk with people as they discover their own callings and purpose, seeing them pursue what they were made to be and do.
We interviewed Natalie on “Let’s Talk Money with Dave and Reb” recently, mining her expertise and passion in the area of career transition, and also highlighting parts of her book S.E.T. Proceed and Succeed in Your Career. In light of current employment and economic uncertainty due in part to the global pandemic, we know that Natalie is a voice of hope, reason, love and encouragement. Over the next four weeks, Natalie looks at the importance of risk-taking on our journeys of discovery and career transition, and delves into the acronym of R.I.S.K.
R
Risking time, money, talent, and reaping rewards
To risk is to expose something you care about to uncertainties. In the context of career, risk could mean investing your time, talent, and money into pursuing a certification that comes with uncertainties around landing the desired job.
Before changing jobs, thoroughly examine your options, including your status quo, to help inform a productive decision. Often, we assess the risk of moving forward but forget to assess the risk of standing still!
Remember, standing still has risks too. But here is the catch – familiarity with the risks we are already experiencing makes them seem less intimidating than the risks associated with moving forward. This is called the discount effect of the status quo. Keep this in mind when weighing your options.
Practical steps
- Firstly, write down each option, even those that may be far reaching. It is productive to stretch your thinking and it could generate innovative solutions.
- Secondly, for each option, write the things that could hinder its realization. For example, the option to remain in the same job may come with uncertainties around promotion or income stability. On the other hand, the option to change jobs may come with uncertainties around finding the job with flexible hours or funding the required certification.
- Thirdly, the heart of the exercise is to generate solutions to address each uncertainty. For example, nurturing habits that favour promotion, or researching funding sources for certification. You will quickly learn you cannot eliminate uncertainties (and by extension risks), as you do not have full control over risks. However, you can reduce uncertainties by working on those factors within your control.
- Finally, from a more informed perspective, you can make your decision to remain or change jobs. Your choice will reveal what matters more to you, as well as your risk tolerance. If you are changing jobs, be certain to use the information from this exercise to identify realistic transition steps.
If you have further questions or would like to meet with Natalie, please email info@morethanenough.ca or call 613-520-4157.
Friday, Natalie will look at the letter I, in assessing R.I.S.K.