Think As Inc

PLAYING A COMPLETE GAME

March 29, 2010 on 1:24 am | In career coaching, life coaching | No Comments

Great offense still needs defense.  Defense keeps the offense in the game.  Likewise, great defense needs offense to win.  Thus, career and life planning requires attention to the complete game.  In both spheres, the complete game means maintaining what you have while striving for more. 

Maintain an inventory of what you have that is meaningful to you, and protect these things.  In your career, identify what skills and work situations interest you.  Keep these in your current job by honing these skills and putting yourself in the optimal situations (e.g., volunteering for suitable projects).  In your life, check your balance.  Are there areas that you have been neglecting (career, family, friends, community, your health)?  What can you do now when there is no crisis on hand to build a stronger foundation?

However, you can’t just focus on keeping what you have.  Not only does this prevent you from taking advantage of good opportunities, but it doesn’t prevent bad things from happening.  You might be doing a fine job in your current position, but your position might still go away.  Therefore, you need to take the offensive and strive for more.  This includes networking, keeping abreast of industry trends, and adding to your skill set, even when you aren’t actively looking for a job.  This includes making life improvements before crisis hits.  Is there a relationship that needs tending?  Is there a problem in the community where you can help?

A complete game is balanced.  Too much offense might mean uncalculated risks that can knock you out of your game (think the entrepreneur going after every idea who burns out of capital before the winner pays off).  Too much defense might mean too little risk (think the indifferent employee clinging to the status quo who is unexpectedly downsized).  Taking no risk is not the same as having no risk.  There is always risk, so think defense and play offense to reach your goals.