“In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”
If partnership is the pinnacle of a professional services career, what comes next?
It’s a question that is not always easy to answer. There isn’t really a natural career progression after partnership, apart from moving up the ranks to equity partner (where that option is still available).
So what? There are more than enough challenges and opportunities that come with partnership to keep you occupied, the pressure to perform only increases, budgets become even more significant, you have to manage people as well as be a technical expert etc.
The danger though, is that without a clear sense of what’s next, it is easy to become stagnant and start going through the motions.
One senior law partner put it to me like this: at the start of the week I have a sense of foreboding, but once I get going it fades into the background and I focus on what’s at hand, but if I think that I’ll be doing this for another 7 years until retirement it fills me with dread.
So if you feel like you have reached a bit of a mid-career hump, or just need to take things to the next level, here’s three things you can do to refresh your aspirations:
1. Decide what you are working towards
Partnership is an outward sign of success, which is one of the reasons it is so desirable. But if success is much more about the journey, like life, then partnership in and of itself isn’t likely to tick all your boxes. So it’s time to reassess career goals.
If you are goal driven then go for some new SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Based). There’s nothing quite as motivating as progress, but it has to be your progress, your goal. Make sure you are defining your own success – it’s easy to get suckered into what those around you consider to be successful.
Goals are only a tool, so if they don’t work for you, don’t use them. What you are looking for is movement forward. This can mean simply having a clear vision on how you want to work, or what impact you want to have, or what your legacy will be? Then identify ways to move towards achieving this.
Pay attention to your values. What is it that you really value? Are your career aspirations aligning with your values?
2. Make a realistic assessment of your alternatives
I recently had a meeting with a very stressed partner in a mid-sized law firm who was under the pump and struggling. He spent a considerable amount of time telling me how that if he were to cease to be a partner then his professional career was over. Seems a little extreme, but once we are under pressure, we start making assumptions about things and act accordingly.
Having a fresh look at your career options is a good way to shift your perspective. So test those assumptions, explore the alternatives outside partnership, and also partnership opportunities elsewhere - not all partnerships are equal and it may be you can find a better fit at another firm.
Armed with a better sense of your reality can help you make better decisions, even if it is to stay and make the most of where you are.
3. Go back to basics, focus on that which energises you
Are you giving priority to the parts of your work that you really enjoy, that which energises you? The pressures on a partner can be great – having to be all things to all people, manager, business developer, technician, etc. It’s easy to get caught up on the very real demands and lose sight of why you are doing what you are doing and those aspects of the job that get you out of bed.
OK, so you can’t just suddenly decide not to do parts of your job, but you can start to refocus on those aspects that motivate you.
And finally, get some objectivity, talk to a mentor, get yourself an executive coach, find that objective perspective that can help you look at your current circumstances anew.
You can’t always change your circumstance, but you can always shift your perspective.