How many times have you heard the phrase about the pitfalls of “staying the same” but never really thought about how it applied to you? A friend of mine says that you need to reinvent yourself every five years to not only stay relevant but also to prepare yourself for new possibilities.

There are many examples of how individuals, groups of people and companies have figured this out, as well as those who have not.

Entertainers

The Temptations are a great R&B vocal group from the 60’s and 70’s who never had a hit record until they replaced original group member Al Bryant with David Ruffin. The Beatles hit it big after replacing original drummer Peter Best with Ringo Star. The original members weren’t willing or able to keep pace with the future requirements and missed out on stardom.

Cities

Today, the City of Pittsburgh is known as a financial services business capital. Few remember that they were originally known as the steel capital of the United States, with smokestacks belching thick smoke over the downtown waterfront. When steel started to falter, the business and government communities joined forces to change their trajectory and point towards an industry that would be sustainable. It took decades but they made a successful transition.

Organizations

Nokia was founded in 1865 as a paper mill, transitioned to a diversified portfolio from telephone equipment to rubber products to cables. In 1991, they introduced a mobile phone line and quickly become a market leader. Due to competitive pressures, the product line fell behind and was eventually sold to Microsoft. They both succeeded in keeping relevant and failed to keep up with competitive pressures.

How about you?

How can you keep your head in the game and stay up with changing market conditions? If you are in a declining industry, how can you make the shift to a growing area?

Here are several ways to “remake yourself:”

• Go back to school: Get the credentials to be a lawyer, cyber security specialist, or EMT. Whatever interests you and has a bright future. The Bailey Group founder, Leigh Bailey, did just that, transitioning from a banking career to coaching. The firm just celebrated 31 years of success.
• Volunteer: Find part time work on a “pro bono” basis in the industry that you want to enter. It is a good avenue to gain experience. You can see if this is something that you really want to pursue. This route has proven extremely successful in the not for profit world where both parties can “check each other out.”
• Consult: Work on projects on a consulting basis and show how you can add value in a new area. I know an individual who puts part time gigs on his resume under a consulting category rather than show multiple, short-term employment tenures.
• Work on your personal brand:  Everyone has the capability to create original content on social or print media to showcase your expertise. Be a regular contributor on topics relevant to companies where you want to be hired.
• Network: Get out in the marketplace and let everyone know about what you are trying to accomplish. Don’t be shy or discount any contact that could “know somebody, who knows somebody.” An acquaintance of mine was hired to be CEO of a Utah based company and the referral chain started with a friend of his who was a Minneapolis schoolteacher.

No matter what you are trying to accomplish, remember that you are the one in charge of your future and personal brand. Sometimes you need to take a risk or a step backwards to achieve the ultimate goal that you have in mind. Are you willing to take that risk? Send me an email if you think coaching might help, or if I can be of support in other ways.