42: When Public Sector Leaders Hesitate to Invest in Themselves

Find the full transcript and other resources at spacetoshiftyourcareer.com/42

I notice something interesting when I talk to public sector leaders about investing in themselves.

They’ll spend thousands on a degree and professional qualifications without blinking. They’ll invest their time in training courses their employer sends them on.

But when it comes to investing in something that helps them figure out what they want next in their career and life, and how to make that happen, suddenly they pause. 

And I think I know why.

Because degrees and certificates are tangible. You can put them on your CV. You can show them as proof that you’ve learned something.

But…

• Clarity about your values
• Knowing what actually matters most to you
• Confidence in your decisions
• A sense of agency over your career and life 

You can’t put those in a frame on your wall! 

They are less tangible. So they feel less real and less valuable.

In this episode, I’m going to talk about what return on investment means. And why the "waste of money" objection might be missing something important. 

***

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

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I notice something interesting when I talk to public sector leaders about investing in themselves. They spend thousands on degrees without blinking. They spend money on certifications. They invest their time in mandatory training their employer sends them on. But when it comes to investing in something that helps them figure out what they want and how to get there, suddenly they pause. And I think I know why. Because degrees and certificates are tangible. You can put them on your CV. You can show them as proof that you've learned something. But clarity about your values, about what actually matters most to you? Confidence in your decisions? A sense of agency over your career and life? You can't put those in a frame on your wall, so they feel less real and less valuable. In this episode, I'm going to talk about what return on investment means and why the waste of money objection might be missing something important. You are listening to Space to Shift Your Career, a free resource for leaders in the public sector wondering what's next. I'm Yvon Davides 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. Think about the last time you paid for something that didn't give you a certificate. Did you invest in a holiday, in time with family, or in a hobby you love? You didn't get a tangible product, but you got something valuable, rejuvenation, connection, and joy. Do you invest in a gym membership or a personal trainer? You don't get a certificate there either, but you get something else. More energy, less stress, a sense of control over your house. Did you ever invest in a therapist or a counselor? What did you get out of that investment? Not a certificate, but clarity, a different perspective. Someone to help you work through something difficult. One of my clients spends about $500 a month on a personal trainer. When I asked her why, she said, Because it's the one time in my week when I feel grounded in my body. It costs money, yes, but it's worth every penny because of how it makes me feel. So why is investing in clarity about your next career move any different? Let me be really honest. When you invest in clarity, agency, and alignment, you don't get a certificate. You get something else. You get time back because you're not spending 10 hours a week worrying about your career. You're not lying awake at night wondering if you should make a change. You're not spinning in indecision. You get energy back because you're not using emotional labor to manage a situation that doesn't feel right. You're not dragging yourself into work on Monday morning. You're not coming home depleted. You get agency, because you've figured out what matters to you. You've done the work to understand your values. You've made a conscious choice about your direction instead of drifting. That's not nothing. One of my clients went through this process and said, The first thing I noticed was that the Sunday evening dread went away. My situation hadn't changed overnight, but I had a plan. I knew what I was working toward. And suddenly I didn't feel like I was waiting. There was so much I could do that I had control over. It felt like I was using my time intentionally. I prepared myself for my next step. I created my next step, and that feels empowering. That is return on investment. It's not quantifiable in a traditional sense, but it's still real. Another client told me, I realized I could actually make decisions again. For years I'd been stuck in analysis paralysis. Now I have a framework for deciding things, and that's worth more than money. That's agency. That's clarity, and both are valuable. Here's where I think the real question lies. When you dismiss investing in yourself as a waste of money, what you might actually be saying is this I don't believe I'm worth investing in. I don't believe change is actually possible for me. Those beliefs are worth paying attention to. Because if you don't believe clarity is valuable, you won't invest in it. You won't make space for yourself to create it. If you don't believe you're worth investing in, you will keep prioritizing everyone else's needs over your own. And if you don't believe change is possible, you will stay where you are, waiting, hoping, but not taking action. So the real question for you is this, do you believe you're worth investing in? And if the answer is yes, if somewhere inside you you do believe you could build a career in life that feels more aligned, then the question becomes, what is it worth to you to make that happen? 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 four limiting beliefs about shifting their career. It's based to shiftyourcareer.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.