Coaching Circle: Being proactive with your career progression

Coaching Circles bring together small groups of peers (typically five) for a structured, collaborative and action-oriented exploration of a topic or theme.

Over 90 minutes, in a safe and supportive space, the group works through a series of prompted discussion points, exercises and reflection questions; drawing in their own take on a topic and creating learning and accountability on future facing steps.

This coming Coaching Circle offers a chance to get clearer on the idea of career progression and get proactive on the priorities that will support your own sense of progression this year. We all want to feel like we’re moving forward with our work; that we're learning to avoid that sense of being stuck and equipping ourselves with the skills and experiences needed to progress.

When we take the time to slow down, reflect and become proactive about our career progression, we open up options, reveal hidden opportunities and ready ourselves for change — whether that’s within our current organisation or an altogether new one.

And when we take more ownership of this career progression we increase our sense of autonomy; feeling more motivated, in control of where we’re headed, and armed with more resilience for unpredictable factors.

Choosing to choose

In his brilliant 2021 book, Four Thousand Weeks, writer Oliver Burkeman reminds us of the trap of “life on the conveyor belt,” and how the constant demand to ‘do’ can distract us from the bigger questions, reflections and opportunities to look up, and consider the kinds of progression we’d like to prioritise.

We can make the risky assumption that within this continual culture of getting things done - of working through our to-do-lists and hitting deadlines - that opportunities for recognition, reward and natural progression will arise, purely as a consequence of our diligence. It’s risky because we’re ceding control when we think this way, and losing sight of the importance of being intentional, creative and being in the driving seat of our progression and development.

Stay squiggly

Many of us will be familiar with the concept of a ‘Squiggly Career’ coined by Amazing If founders, authors and podcaster extraordinaires Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. In their latest book You Coach You they write how “Progression used to mean climbing the ladder. We worked to a one-size-fits all view of success and our job was to follow in the footsteps of the people who went before us.” In this context career progression felt more predictable; a clearer path revealing itself before us, well-trodden by others who could guide us towards the same. But in the modern context, “the linear path has been replaced with something much more fluid, as our careers flow in lots of different directions.”

And so in this context it’s on us to own our progression; challenging ourselves to get clearer, more proactive and creative with the future in mind. Joining this Coaching Circle will be a personal and positive step towards this, and you'll be helping others too.

In this Coaching Circle, you’ll explore and define:

• Plotting your progress beyond promotion
• Revealing hidden learning opportunities
• Defining your progression priorities
• Opportunity spotting

How the Coaching Circle will be structured:

In a small, breakout peer groups of five, you'll work through a structured, guided series of exercises, reflection questions and coaching prompts around individual and collective career progression challenges and opportunities, to explore together.

Some simple reflection questions and short exercises will be shared in advance of the Coaching Circle, so that you come armed with some helpful starting points to share and work through in your small group.