28: THIS Crazy Move Helps Public Sector Leaders Discover What's Next

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There’s a phrase out there that always makes me cringe a little. 

“Secret sauce.”

You’ve probably seen or heard it before. The one thing that will change everything - IF you pay for it.

I’ve never really liked that idea.

Because when you’re sitting there, wondering what on earth to do next with your career, the last thing you need is another magic solution being dangled in front of you.

You need something practical. Not the answer, but something you can actually use.

So today, I’m going to share with you one of the most powerful coaching questions I use with my clients.

Because I’ve seen what happens when people actually sit with it. It shifts something. 

And if you let it, it might just shift something FOR YOU too.

Other episodes related to this topic:

Episode 15: Why It's Time for Public Sector Leaders to Redefine Success (including a Re-Define Success Workbook)

Episode 17: Why The Big New Career Idea Won't Just Arrive - And What To Do Instead 

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Yvonne Davidis helps public sector leaders develop exciting career options that align with who they are now and how they want to evolve in future. 

With 20+ years of moving countries, working for the UK and Denmark across three continents, plus professional coaching certifications, Yvonne is a unique specialist for leaders in the public sector considering their next chapter.

Book a 90-minute Jumpstart Session to clarify your deal-breakers and must-haves for a more satisfying work experience.  

For step-by-step support on your career change journey apply here for Yvonne's 5-month Find Your Career Space programme, and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

There's this phrase on social media that always makes me cringe a little secret source. You've probably seen or heard it before. The one thing that would change everything if you pay for it. And if I'm honest, I've never really liked that idea. Because when you're sitting there wondering what on earth to do next with your career, the last thing you need is another thing being dangled in front of you. You need something real, something you can actually use. So today I'm going to do the opposite. I'm going to give you one of the most powerful coaching questions I use with my clients completely free. Because I've seen what happens when people actually sit with it. It shifts something for them. And if you let it, it might just shift something for you too. You are listening to Space to Shift Your Career, a free resource for leaders in the public sector wondering what's next. I'm Yvonda Vides and I've created this podcast to invite you to explore new paths that reflect who you are now and how you want your career to evolve in the future. I have a talent for creating a high trust space so you can reflect, think out loud and test your assumptions. And I love helping you explore, dream and discover new possibilities for yourself. I moved country several times and I know what it's like to change careers, both within and out of the public sector. And I'm a trained career change and executive leadership coach. I've been working with career shifters as a mentor since 2013 and as a coach since I started my business in 2022. Now subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes. Now let's go. And all that comes up are variations of what you're already doing. Same job title, same type of role, same sector, just in a slightly different organization. It's like your thinking is stuck on a loop, and no matter how hard you try to figure it out, nothing really new appears. Your mind is stuck in one track thinking, and it's common and hard to step out of, especially when it's about your career. Because when it comes to work, our brain immediately zones in on what's sensible, realistic, responsible. All great qualities, but not always helpful when you are trying to imagine a different future, one that's more aligned with who you are now. Here's the thing most people don't realize you don't find clarity about anything, least about work you love by narrowing your options to early. You find clarity by going wide first, by stepping outside the usual rules, by allowing ideas that don't immediately make sense. I know it feels counterintuitive, almost irresponsible, but there's actually strong evidence behind this. In psychology and innovation, this is called divergent thinking, the ability to generate many different ideas before evaluating them. Research shows that when people allow themselves to think more freely, without immediate judgment, they access more original, more aligned, and more motivating ideas. And yet most of us do the opposite. We shut ideas down before they even fully form. So here's the question I want to offer you today. What's the most outrageous thing you could do? Pause for a moment. Notice your reaction. Because this question does something powerful. It bypasses your inner filters. That's not realistic. People like me don't do that. I shouldn't want that. And instead, it opens the door of imagination and possibilities. When I ask clients this question, something really interesting happens. At first they laugh. They might say something like, Oh, I don't know, quit everything and move to Italy. Or start a completely different career. Or they might say, I do something creative for once. They brush it off, but then we stay with it. And underneath the outrageous idea, there's usually something very real, a desire, a pull, a part of them that hasn't had a voice in a long time. Often what they name as outrageous or crazy is actually the closest thing to what they truly want. When you look at it more closely, it's usually not as outrageous as it first seems. It's actually figure out. Your answer to this question is not about making a drastic decision tomorrow. It's a clue. It's a signal. It tells you something about what you're missing right now, what you're craving more of. What parts of yourself have been sidelined? Maybe it's freedom, creativity, making a difference and having an impact in a different way. Maybe it's simply doing things on your own terms. There's also an important layer here. Many of the career paths we follow are shaped often unconsciously by expectations, our family, the culture we grew up in, professional norms, and ideas about what success is supposed to look like. And over time we stop questioning those assumptions. We just continue without asking ourselves whether that's actually how we want to spend our time, this one precious life we've got. This question interrupts that pattern. It's like a reality check. Now let me be clear, this is not about blowing up your life overnight. It's not about making reckless decisions. It's about expanding your thinking before you start narrowing it again. Because if you only ever choose from the sensible options that first spring to mind, you'll likely enter with more of the same. And that's exactly what keeps you stuck. So here's what I'd love you to do. Take a few minutes and ask yourself what's the most outrageous thing I could do? Sit with the question. Then write down whatever comes to mind. No filtering, no judging, no self-censoring. And then get curious. What is this really about? What does this idea give me that I don't have right now? How could I bring more of this into my current reality? You don't have to take the whole leap to start moving in that direction now, but you do need to get out of one-track thinking to discover work that lights you up. So instead of asking what's the most sensible next step, try asking, what's the most outrageous thing I could do? And see where it takes you. And if you want some support, figuring out how to translate that into a career and life aligned with who you are now, you know where you can find me. Until next time, Mac Space, rediscover you, and then take action. Thank you for listening today. You care about solving real problems and making a difference. And you feel it's time to figure out in what way you can do that in the next chapter of your career. Learn more about how I help leaders in the public sector break through four limiting beliefs about shifting their career. Space2ShiftYourCareer.com. If you're getting value from this podcast, please do share it with other public sector leaders who are considering what's next for them.