Seeking Accountability and Finding the Creative Solution

The Unique Way I'm Exploring New Career Paths

This time last year I was tired, I needed change, I was stuck in a schedule that was being dictated to me by others. I was sent from zoom call to zoom call with no time to pause and reflect.

I thought the only solution was to pull the rip cord.

I was ready to leave my career of 14 years.

I needed the space to take a sabbatical, travel with my family, and have time to just think.

I approached the decision in a binary way.

Either I was working or I was quitting, and at this point I was prepared to quit.

Fortunately for me, when I quit my leader pointed out there may be a solution that could help both the company and me accomplish what we were looking for.

He asked, “What if you take the summer off to travel with your family, stay at the company, and come back in a new role that provided a different schedule?”

I didn’t even consider that this could be an option.

This blended the security of retaining the career that I had worked to build, and combined it with a sabbatical. Upon return I would have the daily freedom to explore other interests and be more present to my family.

This situation taught me I need to pause, accept accountability and seek creative solutions I can take action on.

The questions I now ask myself

How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want?

I chose to move from individual contributor to having a team of 20+, I accepted all of the meeting requests, I focused on sales and not on training the team, I checked the late night emails, and I was the one who kept my phone available to answer every notification.

Had I asked this question, I could have come up with several solutions once I saw that my situation was of my own design.

I love this question because it shifts from blame on others to self accountability and taking action.

The other question I now ask is this:

What is the ideal option that I have not yet considered?

Just a few weeks ago, I was asked to lead a team in my new department and I felt the concern of passively accepting responsibility that didn’t serve my goals.

This time I was prepared.

The ideal option would be to have the enjoyment of leading the team strategy without the barrage of internal calls and HR issues that comes with having direct reports at a large company.

I presented this to my boss and he agreed. Everyone will still report to him while I take ownership of the strategic direction.

Many times the bold action is what is celebrated.

The situations where creative solutions that help all parties win often go unnoticed.

I now know that I need to pause, seek self accountability for the current situation and then own the actions that lead to a creative solution.

My career will continue to take a winding path.

In the future I will continue to seek non traditional employment opportunities that optimize for time with my family, avoiding boredom and making an impact in new ways.

Let me know if these questions resonate with you and how you plan on using them in the decisions you are facing.

Creator Spotlight:

Paul Millerd - @p_millerd -

Paul Millerd

Reading his book the Pathless Path recently has me excited to continue to seek out unique moves I can make in my career. I highly recommend his book and podcast.