Space To Shift Your Career
Welcome to Space to Shift Your Career!
This show, hosted by Yvonne Davidis, invites leaders in the public sector to explore new paths that reflect who they are now and how they want their career to evolve in future.
Episodes cover how to overcome the feeling of being trapped, get motivated to take action and tap into your creativity to design exciting possibilities for yourself.
The podcast also offers strategies and tools to help you navigate the shifts and turns on the way to living out your ideal career and life.
Space To Shift Your Career
38: Do You Actually Want a Promotion… or a Different Life?
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Find the full transcript at spacetoshiftyourcareer.com/38
A public sector leader I spoke to recently told me they’d worked hard to earn their place. They'd been "climbing the ladder" for years.
But instead of feeling proud and satisfied, they wondered:
“Is this even the ladder I want to be climbing?”
From the outside, the next step is obvious: another promotion, more responsibility, more status.
But something in them hesitates.
They’re no longer sure they want to.
Yet in the current political and economic climate, with lots of uncertainty, they feel they should.
If this sounds like you, this episode is for you.
LISTEN in to find out whether you actually want a promotion... or a different life.
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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.
A public sector leader I spoke to recently shared feeling disconnected, disillusioned and drained. They had been climbing the career ladder. They'd worked hard to earn their place. But instead of feeling proud and satisfied, they wondered, is this even the ladder I want to be climbing? My colleagues and I are close to burnout. We basically take turns taking leave, giving each other a moment of relief. But it's not sustainable longer term. From the outside, the next step is obvious. Another promotion, more responsibility, more status. But something in them hesitates. They are no longer sure they want to. But in the current political and economic climate, with lots of uncertainty, they feel they should. If this sounds like you, this episode is for you. Listen in to find out whether you actually want a promotion or a different life. 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 Vidis 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. What's more, the goalposts keep shifting. Long-term work streams are being shelved at the last minute or put on hold until an upcoming election. They've had to pick up politically more urgent tasks, and of course continue to deliver on business as usual, day-to-day work. On top of that, there's another restructure on the horizon. At this stage in their career, it seems like the question is not anymore can I move up? It's do I still want what moving up gives me? Because a promotion usually means more hours and meetings, less time for your loved ones and the people you care about and the things that matter to you outside work. And if something else in your life is already asking for more space, your health, your relationships, your energy, then the next step up can move you further away from what you actually need. Many public sector leaders have built their identity around being a striver. You set goals, you achieve them, you keep growing. That's what got you here. But there comes a point where growth doesn't look like this anymore. It looks different. More alignment with your values or what matters most to you now. More life outside work, more meaning. And that can feel confusing because the old definition of success still sits there saying, hey, keep going. This is what success looks like. And that's what you see everyone else around you doing. Or that's your assumption at least. While another part of you is asking, why does it feel pointless? Why do I feel empty? Is this really what I want now? There's often an unspoken assumption. If you don't want a promotion, you're losing ambition. But that's not necessarily true. You might not be less ambitious, you might just be reallocating your ambition. From status to meaning, from progression to alignment, from achievement to quality of life. And that's a very different kind of growth. I can hear you asking, but what does this look like in practice? Well, you might notice things like this. You're less motivated by titles or hierarchy. You're thinking more about how you want to spend your time, what kind of an environment you want to be working in, and how you want to live. You're questioning whether the usual next logical step is actually your next step. And that's not a problem that needs fixing. It's a signal for you to pay attention to. I invite you to ask yourself, what do I want life to look like in a year from now? What about in the next two to five years? Or six to ten years? And does the next promotion move me closer to that or further away? What do you notice when you answer those questions? This is actually not about rejecting progression, but about realizing that you get to choose what progression means for you. Maybe it's a different role, a different environment, or a different way of working all together. The key is that you are intentional about it. Sometimes the bravest move isn't climbing higher. It's pausing and checking in with yourself whether you're actually climbing the right ladder. Until next time, make 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 for limiting beliefs about shifting their career.com. And 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.
