The Transitions Framework: A Primer
In our fast-paced lives, many things still require slowing down to go faster. A career transition is an excellent example of one of those things that you can’t rush.
In our fast-paced lives, many things still require slowing down to go faster. A career transition is an excellent example of one of those things that you can’t rush. In this article, I will i) explain what transitions are, ii) share some thoughts on transitions generally, and iii) provide a framework to help you navigate transitions.
What is the difference between Change and Transition?
According to Transitions by William Bridges, change is an external event or situation: a new business strategy, new leadership, or a merger. As we all learned in the pandemic, change can happen very quickly. Unlike a mere change, transition is not an external event; it is the internal psychological process that people go through as they digest and move toward the new situation that the change brings about. The pandemic was a change; how we navigated life during the pandemic was a series of transitions. Most people struggle with change, so most people struggle with transitions, whether or not they initiate them.
What are the Stages of Transition?
Bridges points to three stages of transition: i) Endings, ii) the Neutral Zone, and iii) New Beginnings, each of which is worth understanding in some detail;
Stage 1: Endings
According to Bridges, Stage 1 of a transition starts with a loss “with some other beginning's end.” See “Closing Time” by Semisonic. There is a time of grieving for what you have lost or the ending of an identity. The company you work for was sold, you were let go in a RIF, or you decided that after eight years, it was time to do something else–but you have no idea what is next. Disidentification, letting go of a piece of your identity, is a key element of Stage 1, and that takes time. After all, how often have you asked someone at a cocktail party, “What do you do?” This question can be a real challenge for the person in between roles. Many highly successful professionals will do everything in their power to either stay in Stage 1 (that person who just won't leave the job they hate) or they will move as quickly as they can to something–anything–that helps them stay out of Stage 2–the Neutral Zone.
Stage 2: The Neutral Zone
The second transition stage comes after the process of disidentification/grieving is complete: the Neutral Zone. The Neutral Zone is that “in-between” time when the old reality no longer exists, and the new reality isn’t evident or in existence. It is a time of significant growth and uncomfortable uncertainty. It's real work to be in the uncertainty of the neutral zone as you discover what you think you might want in the future. This is the time between the old reality and sense of identity and the new reality–which has not arrived. This stage has no set schedule. Spending adequate time in the Neutral Zone is the core of an effective transition process. People are creating new neural pathways and learning what their new lives might be or how they will interact with a new environment. They are in flux and may feel confusion and distress. The Neutral Zone is the fertile ground for New Beginnings. And it is worth repeating: it's hard work to be in the Neutral Zone and to spend the time necessary to exit successfully. The tendency to either look back to Stage 1 and long for what was (or try to recreate it) or to dash ahead to Stage 3 will be ever-present.
Stage 3: New Beginnings
Beginnings involve new understandings, values, and attitudes. They release energy in a new direction and express a fresh identity. Well-managed transitions allow people to establish new roles with an understanding of their purpose, the part they play, and how to contribute and participate most effectively. As a result, they feel reoriented and renewed.
The end of a successful transition means making very effective (not perfect) choices about what it is you want in your career and why you want it. An unsuccessful transition either i) does not occur, you are attached to what was and unwilling to let go (you continue in a job you hate), or ii) results in a rushed escape from the discomfort of the Neutral Zone to something that is not in concert with your values or vision (e.g., a role you don’t love and/or working for someone you don’t respect). Both outcomes are avoidable.
What is Transition Coaching?
Transition coaching generally adheres to standard coaching principles with the added benefit of having more structure and a very clear outcome: designing a soft landing into a New Beginning after thoughtful and productive time in the Neutral Zone.
In an ideal setting, transition coaching starts at the beginning of the ending, during the period of disidentification and loss. Having a resource to guide you through this stage of grieving is helpful and provides support. A resource can also serve as a bulwark against rushing into a New Beginning that is the wrong fit. We frequently see this in friends in their romantic relationships. They are out of their undesired relationship and then, in a matter of weeks, are engaged to the “perfect” person (i.e., a “rebound”) without spending any of the time alone they need to collect themselves. Indeed, in addition to rebound relationships, there are also “rebound jobs.” These roles are not a great fit, but you take them anyway to avoid processing the loss of some other role and spending time in the Neutral Zone. And those rebound jobs have the same likelihood of working out long-term as rebound relationships!
That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t find another position while still working. Although having nothing but the Neutral Zone in your life would be the ideal state between roles, most people don’t have the luxury of leaving their careers or their lives and spending months at the beach studying their navel, so the challenge is to find the space and time to moderately disidentify and not rush to the rebound job.
I like to use the metaphor of moving homes to explain moderately disidentifying. Ideally, when moving homes, there is no time when you are without a place to live, and yet when your boxes are packed, and you are ready to move, there is a process of saying goodbye to the old home and not yet moving into the new one. In fact, even when you move into the new home, you are still living out of boxes, the internet might not work, and you certainly have not decorated. When you don’t have the luxury of making a “clean break,” use the metaphor of the move; pack up some of your boxes at your existing career, envision yourself being someplace else, dial back the outrageous hours that you have been working to something merely heroic and create some space emotionally and mentally to consider what might be next. Looking for a new role takes significant time and energy. Don’t cheat yourself out of a fulsome search for what you really want.
What are the Steps in Transition Coaching?
Having coached many clients in transition and spending time in transitions myself these past several years (including a long stint in the Neutral Zone), I’ve developed a systemic coaching approach to guide clients through the process. Transitions are best done with support. The key elements of that work consist of:
Reading "Transitions" by William Bridges
I ask clients to read the book, take notes, and then we discuss key learnings during a coaching session. We often refer to the three-part model outlined above.
Updating the Resume
Most resumes could use a tune-up. Some are too general, some too specific, and others simply suffer from outdated narratives. Most resumes list data or titles and ignore the principles behind the person and their impact on the organization. A resume is the first opportunity someone has to brand themselves in the job search; it should not be wasted.
Ensure your resume clearly explains what you did and how that work impacted the organization. Each statement on a resume should appeal to a prospective employer's needs and highlight the unique value proposition you bring to the table.
Taking the Enneagram Test
Of all the psychometric tests I’ve seen, the Enneagram resonates most with me. I ask clients to take the test to accelerate their self-awareness. The more you know about yourself and the better you can regulate your behavior, the more options you have to find a career that naturally dovetails into what makes you feel resonant and alive. Conversely, not knowing your triggers might mean that you place yourself in the kind of role that will be like nails on a blackboard.
The learning from the Enneagram serves clients long after transition coaching is complete as it continuously provides a window into motivations and habits.
Completing “Using Why to Choose Your Next Career Step”
I developed this tool when I noticed that competing visions of what we really want in our careers make it extremely hard to focus on what matters most to us when an opportunity arises. Our inner critics and a busy mind compound this. These inner critics are highly protective of us and, as a result, drive us in ways that do not produce optimal results. Inner critics, for example, might fear a future of scarcity, thus driving us to take the first job offer we get, even if that offer only marginally meets our criteria.
This process takes time. Usually, two to three sessions of sitting with the results are necessary to sift through the chaff of what we think we “should” or “need” to do to determine why we want to do something. When the “why” is strong enough, almost anything is possible.
When this process is complete, it's the perfect time to also talk about your unique value proposition and practice explaining what makes you irresistible to employers.
6) Reviewing and Practicing EQ related interview questions
The questions in this linked document result from years of recruiting and gathering behaviorally-based interview questions. Some of the questions are pretty hard to answer. If you can answer these, you can answer anything.
I’ve used these steps to help many clients navigate through transitions and realize what they truly want in their careers. Armed with this knowledge, you can use this outline to help choose an effective transition coach. If you are a coach, I hope these resources will help you meet your clients where they are and create exceptional outcomes.
For more thoughts, visit me on LinkedIn.
