Making a Case for Career Polygamy...

Posted on February 04, 2017 by Mark Myette, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

If you’ve been a reader of my blogs you probably have an idea of why I have used this provocative title…truth be known this term “Career Polygamy” was coined from a webcast I attended from my Alma mater, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, in Atlanta, GA…Career Polygamy: Turning Passion Projects Into Profit.

No surprise, since I am focused on people’s career journey and the fact we have to be very creative in our approach as we navigate our career, I LOVE that philosophy. To that point, below is a partial list of blogs about career management written to date:

Want to Transform? You’ll Need This One Thing…
Wicked SMAAAAART Goal Setting…
​The Greatest Gift Revisited…
The Most Important Value?
Career Clock Management According to Belichick…
​Maslow & the 80000 Hour Career Journey…
Wantrepreneur: Do You Have What it Takes to Be Your Own Boss?
A Calling VS A Job…
How did I get here?
How Not to Suck @ Fill-in-the-Blank…
Assessment Summary – Picking Your Scissors
Workplace Assessment Summary – Running With Scissors…
How to Ensure Workplace Assessments DON’T Fall Short…
Why Workplace Assessments Fall Short…
Passion Is OK But It’s Not All of It! Just Ask Tim Tebow…
Name! Claim! & Aim!

Tick Tock!

Our most precious commodity is our time…the conundrum we face is how we spend it so we achieve maximum output and better yet, contentment.

To that end, our time in a career (i.e. 80000 hours) and on this earth is limited and as Steve Jobs once put it “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

I submit an “AMEN!” with a caveat… “Make sure what you love also affords you the opportunity to lean in on YOUR gifts!”

As you navigate through your career – SEE BLOG: Maslow & the 80000 Hour Career Journey… – You need to approach your career and break it down into quarters SEE BLOG: Career Clock Management According to Belichick…

As you look to manage your own professional clock you might consider opening yourself up to the concept of multiple revenue streams…i.e. more than one oar in the water…more than one egg in your basket…toward career polygamy!

As you approach your third or fourth quarter of your professional journey – i.e. years 20-30 and 30-40 respectfully – you might find yourself at a crossroads where you are in any number of scenarios:

- Discontent in your current position/profession;
- In transition in your current role/profession – whether your choice or someone else’s;
- Disengaged and wanting more in your current role/professional;
- You need to be financially viable to support your family/lifestyle.

The concept of career polygamy…

If you look at some of the well-known entrepreneurs and / or large companies, you’ll notice some takeaways from their approach to your own. Specifically, you should seriously consider diversifying your offering to your community, profession, and the world. As a result, you will enhance your legacy.

Steps to define your own career polygamy:

1. Get buy-in!
2. NAME; CLAIM; AIM!
3. Adjust!

1. Get buy-in!

It seems pretty obvious but you’d be surprised at how many folks battle with a major decision and NOT involve others…especially those closest to them. You’ll be best served to share your thought process and give feedback about that option. You might be surprised at the feedback and some of the outcomes of your quest to involve them!

2. NAME; CLAIM; AIM!

SEE: Name! Claim! & Aim!

Ideally you want to be able to leverage your gifts and do some thingS beside one thing! Continue working; do some consulting on the side; invest in a business as a “silent partner”; manage a manager in a side business; share your knowledge via writing and sell your work online. For more ideas check out: Easy Ways to Make Extra Cash.

3. Adjust!

You should anticipate, like any diversification strategy, there WILL be periods when one strategy may not be netting what you thought or intended and then another strategy will runs on all cylinders and seems to be achieving its objectives…In other words, be okay with some duds mixed in with your success. Ideally, prepare to adjust.

The bottom line…

Be open to the possibility of diversifying your career and doing so you will enhance your outcomes, revenue streams, and career…!

My best to your quest!

Mark

I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum ​performance.

www.WhatAreYourGifts.com