"So...what do you do?" A dreaded question.
So many of our clients hate this question. Who wants to go to a dinner party and be reminded of how they're feeling stuck or unhappy at work? "Let's chat about all my unused potential compared to your accomplishments, Mr. Astronaut, as we sip Cabernet." Awesome.
Typical advice in this situation: don't treat the question literally. People aren't actually interested in what you do. They don't want to hear about your soul-sucking 9 to 5. They want to know what lights you up.
We often ask clients in career transition to start sharing what they are passionate about with others. It's good advice.
But, what if we flip it? What if we all admit, out loud, that so many of us crave meaningful work but have resigned to live life without it? What if, at the dinner party, we talked about how to help each other pivot into roles that allowed us to flourish?
Let's tell our true, authentic stories to each other about our lived experience. Let's be honest about what we don't want to do. Then, as we #storylisten to each other, let's ask "What's the flipside of that?" or "What do you want instead?".
Vent then flip. That's the strategy, instead of hiding behind a canape when you get the dreaded question. Who wants to try it?
"So...what do you do?" A dreaded question
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