Future-Proof Your Career

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat.”

Steve Jobs

We all wish we had a crystal ball, something to give us a peek into the future. Many times when I ask developers what kind of support they would like, they answer me with: “I just really want to know what’s going to happen in the future with my project, my team, my client, the company, the market…”

Here’s the thing about wants…
Whatever you THINK you want, isn’t what you really want, what you really want is how that thing will make you FEEL.

When we want to know the future - what we REALLY want is to FEEL peace, security and control. This is helpful to realize because even though there is no crystal ball or time machine available to us - we CAN find other ways to help us FEEL peace, security and control.

Opportunity not threat

Seeing change as an opportunity rather than a threat doesn’t mean we have rose colored glasses and ignore the potential risks. Yes, you may get laid off, or start working on a project that is chaotic with poorly defined requirements or have to work with cumbersome legacy code.

What we have to remember is that opportunities do not arise out of peaceful, perfect, smooth sailing situations. Opportunities typically arise as a solution to a problem.

If you encounter a situation that is problematic - good!

(Side note: if you haven’t already hear this speech from Jocko Willink called “Good” give it a listen)

What opportunity is available for you?

What skills can you develop? What relationships can you lean into? What areas are you required to step out of your comfort zone and grow in?

Where to begin

We loved this graphic from Reno Perry because it not only breaks down 10 soft skills to future proof your career, but also three resources you can dive into in order to develop those skills.

Out of this list, here are the top five we see day in and day out making a difference on the projects and teams we have at Lumenalta.

1. Resilience

   Avoiding the problem only makes the problem worse. We see it time and time again, the developers who are courageous enough to face a difficult situation head on, gather resources (like our culture coaches), lean on their team and tech leads and don’t back away when things are hard - THOSE are the developers who solidify themselves and leaders and valuable assets to the team.

2. Problem-Solving

   We love to have a bias toward action at Lumenalta, but it must be tethered to clear thinking. The developers who slow down to go fast are the ones who build trust with their team and the client.

   Be ambitious - at work and at home

3. Effective Communication

   I recently asked a developer what skills he was looking to improve this year, and he said “You know, whatever technical stuff I need to learn, I know I can figure that out, but the hardest part of my job is communicating effectively with the client and my team.”
   

   I always think it’s a useful practice to look at the things that are giving you the greatest frustration and find a way to bring just a little bit more ease and flow to them. If meetings, demos, negotiating scope and getting requirements are challenging, read one book, listen to one TEDtalk, take one course to improve your communication. It will pay off and turn a frustration into something you might actually enjoy!

4. Teamwork

   There are three places I see teams getting stuck:

   1) Not providing constructive feedback to each other

   2) Not communicating what they are working on and when they are available

   3) Not asking for help when they need it

   If you can avoid these three pitfalls, you will create a team where you can give and receive feedback with ease, know exactly who is taking care of what and easily reach each other to collaborate, and not get stuck on something that could easily be fixed by reaching out to a teammate for help.

5. Time Management

   Run the day or the day runs you.

   We recently had a productivity training at Lumenalta and one of the most powerful exercises was to do a time inventory. We took three days and documented how we spent each hour of those days. It was eye opening to see where all the time was going and it made it easy to see where context switching was slowing down focus, or where an afternoon walk really boosted us through the afternoon slump.
   
   You can’t fix what you don’t track. Start tracking your time and take back ownership of your hours.

Trust your wings

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but its own wings.”

We may not have a glimpse into the future, but what we do have is the opportunity to strengthen our own wings through skill development and mindset work. When we know how strong our wings are, we can navigate any change with grace and power.

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Time for reflection

• What is one lesson you learned about yourself when the future presented you with a situation you weren’t prepared for?

• What is one skill you can start developing today?

• How else might you give yourself a sense of peace, security and stability outside of a crystal ball?