Change management is one of those phrases that gets CEOs agitated, employees groaning and consultants rubbing their hands together. It's become part of the language of work and business and is something that, done well, is great for innovation and productivity. Portfolio careerists have to become their own change management consultants because the very nature of portfolio careers equates to the need for some heavy duty adaptability skills.
On one level this can mean simply switching between the various roles that make up your portfolio. In my own I might switch between teacher and educationalist to branding consultant and editor in the space of 24 hours. But it can go deeper than this. With a regular job the shape of the year may ebb and flow, projects may start and finish but the role itself remains constant. In a portfolio career those fluctuations occur across multiple roles and so create or eat up time that has a direct impact on each role and potential new roles you might choose to add to the mix, perhaps by subtracting something else. The complexity of this adds up to a definite requirement for excellent change management skills on the list of essential rather than desirable skills you might put in the job description of a portfolio careerist. It can be scary because we're conditioned to seek out security, stability and predictability. Fast and effective decision making takes on a whole new meaning when you're making decisions that affect your own livelihood rather than someone else's bottom line.
Today I have been in touch with three fellow portfolio careerists, all of whom I know via this blog and coincidentally all of whom are currently faced with portfolio career related decisions. I guess this post is the upshot of talking with these three brilliant women today and to remind them and others that it's OK to trust your gut instincts even if they seem to go against the grain, that it's OK to be daring sometimes and cautious at others, to have a portfolio career that changes shape over time and looks more like a conventional career at some times than others. Nothing is forever and the beauty of a portfolio career is that you can bend and shape it to suit you. Opportunities will come and go, some you'll take, others you won't. Some will be interesting enough for you to reshape your portfolio career to accommodate, others may not. Financial constraints might make you do one element more than you'd like for a while but you'll have your eyes open for moving on when the chance arises. That's what makes a portfolio career exciting and exhilarating!
Lots of love and luck to you three - you know who you are. Hx
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