| "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, | | | | concern but also because I wanted to maintain |
| and remarkable. Take those attributes to | | | | my reputation for being competent, efficient, |
| work and you're on your way to building a | | | | and successful. So, courage in hand, I asked |
| fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a | | | | for a new role. Within a few days he made me |
| bodacious career sound exciting to you? It | | | | a job offer; corporate training manager. My |
| is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer | | | | burgeoning Bodacious Career took another |
| service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, | | | | turn. |
| accepting four promotions and surviving over | | | | |
| six layoffs to become the head of corporate | | | | From this experience and countless others, I |
| training for 12,000 employees. Along the way | | | | gained a few ideas about dealing with change. |
| I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve | | | | Consider these for your own Bodacious |
| the career I wanted. Out of that experience | | | | Career. |
| I created my "cheat sheet" of ten essential | | | | |
| Bodacious Career Builders. Here's number | | | | As you thrive on shift and change, expect |
| seven: Thrive on Shift and Change. | | | | some initial discomfort. Old weaknesses and |
| | | | insecurities that you managed to efficiently |
| At AOL, my entire career was about rapid | | | | camouflage in the old systems suddenly make |
| shift and change. For the first seven years, | | | | themselves obvious again. The stress of |
| I was totally focused on the call center. I | | | | change can lower your immunity system and |
| was promoted from customer service rep to | | | | cause you to catch the flu, a cold or a case |
| trainer to training manager and then to call | | | | of hives. You may temporarily feel like a |
| center manager. Soon other areas of my life | | | | mess. |
| - namely one last-ditch effort to save my | | | | |
| marriage after a year's separation - demanded | | | | Learn to lead with your value. Trust that |
| that I make a major change. I needed to | | | | you can be resourceful. As you research |
| shift some of the energy I was dedicating to | | | | options, look beneath the surface. The |
| AOL into reviving my marriage | | | | alchemy of your passions, combined with |
| | | | external needs may create an opportunity for |
| I considered leaving the company altogether, | | | | you that hadn't existed before. |
| but that seemed too drastic. So I started | | | | |
| looking around the company to see where else | | | | Get outside perspective whenever you can. |
| I might be able to offer value. After 10 | | | | You may not know how good you really are |
| years and more than 1200 employees, the | | | | until you leave your fishbowl. When we're |
| company still had no management training | | | | sealed up in our own environment, working |
| program and the new human resources VP was | | | | hard, and focusing on the tasks immediately |
| looking for a corporate training manager. | | | | in front of us, we can lose perspective. So |
| | | | get out there! You may discover that you are |
| I knew I could help in developing and | | | | further ahead than you thought. |
| influencing this group of contributors. I | | | | |
| thought I could have a greater impact | | | | Shifting and changing may cause you to go |
| throughout the organization and remove myself | | | | through some major culture shocks and climate |
| from the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the | | | | changes. As with every alteration in your |
| call center. Instead of ten- to twelve-hour | | | | life you create or any alteration that comes |
| days, maybe I could reduce it to eight or | | | | you way (let's face it, some events are out |
| nine. | | | | of your hands), you may feel alien to your |
| | | | new circumstances. Don't worry, you'll grow |
| I didn't wait until I saw a job posting. I | | | | into them. Soon you'll be more than |
| took the initiative and contacted the VP | | | | surviving, you'll be thriving! |
| Although I was motivated to make a change for | | | | |
| personal reasons, I emphasized to him my | | | | BODACIOUS CAREER BUILDER #7: Be honest about |
| desire to help build the company from the | | | | how you handle change in your career and |
| inside out by quickly developing skilled | | | | life; make a commitment to thrive, not just |
| managers. I didn't want him to know about my | | | | survive. |
| personal life, partly because it wasn't his | | | | |