The Story of Leaders in Transition
Why Did We Need a Career Transition Program Designed for Office Employees?
Since we launched the Leaders in Transition program in November 2024, the positive feedback we’ve received from a range of audiences has also raised some questions people are curious about. While most individuals and organizations appreciate that we developed a program specifically for career transitions, some say we should explain better how our program differs from other services such as business coaching or résumé/interview preparation.
First of All, Who Are “We”?
We are six professionals*, each running a one-person company, who come from very different academic and professional backgrounds and bring a wealth of experience together. Inspired by the “solopreneur” movement of the gig economy, we aim to make a difference in our country and around the world through our areas of expertise. In this fast-changing, competitive landscape, we have chosen to build our place in the world on the profession we are passionate about. The Leaders in Transition program is the meeting point of those who share this common passion: to ease the career transitions that have gained rapid momentum since the pandemic, to turn office employees into more productive, happier and higher-performing leaders, and to raise social well-being by increasing the success of leaders, the backbone of organizations.
A Glimpse of My Own Story
I confess: I lit the fuse for this program myself. In 14 years, counting the founding of my own company, I changed 2 countries, 3 cities, 6 companies and 3 professions. According to joint research by Genesis, HBR and IMD**, a leader goes through a major transition every 1.3 years in their career. The dream of “joining a company and retiring there” is becoming a thing of the past. I predict that the “Rolex” watch given to 25-year employees during my years at Coca-Cola will also be consigned to history. During transition periods, I feel deeply how important it is to focus on the opportunities in front of me, to multiply the positives and to embrace change.
Why Should Organizations Make Such an Investment?
When critical transition moments such as hiring, promotion and return from maternity leave are not adequately supported, we can run into outcomes such as disappointments in hiring, hiccups in promotions, difficulties readjusting after childbirth and a decline in women’s contribution to the workforce. A market survey we conducted with 100 people showed that organizations have not yet sufficiently developed support mechanisms for such acute situations. In organizations operating with a “sink or swim” mindset, leaders are left alone during transitions; this leads to a loss of energy and productivity, for individual careers and for companies, our country and the world alike.
What Makes Leaders in Transition Different?
We designed this program on a coaching foundation. As noted in Josh Bersin’s book “Irresistible,” we believe successful companies need coaches who listen, develop and guide, not bosses. We liken Leaders in Transition to a Lego set: each of our modules has pieces of different sizes. We can adapt the modules, which include various development tools such as online learning, individual coaching, group and team coaching, training, webinars and mentoring, to each organization’s specific needs. This way, we offer a standard solution while also addressing each organization’s unique requirements. In our services we put quality, sincerity, sustainability and measurement and evaluation criteria first, and we dream of delivering creative, solution-focused projects with organizations that share the same values.
Be Part of the Change
If you are also looking for solutions that will take the leaders in your organization to the next level and support career transitions, get in touch with us. We would be delighted to share the program details.
With warm regards,
*Sinem Atayurt Bozkuş, Kelly Pınar Goodwin, Dr. Erim Kırca, Funda Aytekin, Figen Küçükkoner Kırca
**Taken from Michael Watkins’ book “The First 90 Days.”
Would you like to talk about this topic as part of your own development journey?
AUTHOR
Azer Karabıyık
Career Transition Coach PCC, ACPC, ORSC
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