死亡线上收获的成功学

    通常来说，承诺阶段出现在职业生涯的开端——西特林认为是最初的5-7年。在这期间，判断成功与否的标准是一个人具备的潜力，而不是他为工作带来的实际价值。进入冲击阶段，情况将发生变化，一个人的价值将由他的业务水平和以往成绩共同决定。最后是收获阶段，Spencer Stuart公司认为这个阶段通常出现在45-55岁，进入这个阶段的人分为两种：一种人开始为自己的职业生涯倒计时，另一种人则继续取得成功，途径是设法用自己辛苦掌握的专业技能来解决新的问题。

    十年前这种说法完全合理，那时工作努力、有所成就的人多少还有些职业上的稳定感。但数字领域猎头公司The Hired Guns首席执行官艾莉森•亨明指出，目前就业市场混乱而且动荡，就连最成功的人也受到了影响。美国劳工部（Department of Labor）称，到目前为止，婴儿潮一代（指二战结束后从1946年初至1964年底出生的人）人均从事过的工作数量为11.3份。这就是说，上述三个阶段可能要在我们所有人身上发生多次循环，而且未必一定按顺序进行。亨明建议，要在每个阶段都获得成功，就得像一直处在冲击阶段那样行事，也就是永远不要让自己的技能变得生疏，而且一直要准备学习其他技能。她说：“处在冲击阶段的人既要挣钱，同时还要学习。”

    对此斯托克持赞成态度。他还以自己的咨询工作和亲身经历为基础，就如何保持冲击状态提出了一些建议。他说，最重要的建议之一是“保持思想的开放性”。他这句话的意思是手头始终有其他的兴趣或项目作为备选。可能眼下没时间、没精力，但一旦发现了日后可能有用的信息，马上存起来，总有派上用场的那一天。这样，你就永远都会有新的目标，新的设想，甚至是新的职业。

    另一种确保自己不会被淘汰的方法是将自己的职业视为一套技能、而不是某个具体专业，进而建立相应的工作关系网络——其中不仅包括自己的同龄人，也包括比自己年轻的人。如果自己所在的行业出现萎缩，这种方法能让你更轻松地找到支点。亨明指出：“必须始终保持警惕，而且要这样问自己，‘我的下一个工作会是什么？下下一个工作又会是什么？如果我不在这干了，我会到哪家公司？’”

    最后，要在每个阶段都获得成功，对成功的定义就必须灵活。对斯托克来说，这个定义已经发生了改变：从一开始扮演办公室超人到后来只能勉强能阅读文件，再到如今终于在工作、健康和家庭之间找到平衡。对他来说，“就是再多一点点儿”已经有了全新的意义。（财富中文网）

    译者：Charlie

    Traditionally, the Promise Phase takes place at the beginning of your career -- Citrin says the first five to seven years. During that time, your success is judged on the potential you offer more than the actual value you provide on the job. That changes in the Momentum phase, where your worth is measured by both your expertise and your track record. In the final, Harvest Phase, which Spencer Stuart says typically occurs between ages 45 and 55, there are two groups: those who begin to run the clock out on their careers and those who continue to succeed -- by finding ways in which to bring that hard-earned expertise into new situations.

    All of this made sense as recently as a decade ago, when there was still some sense of job security for those who worked hard and had successes to trumpet. But now, says Allison Hemming, CEO of digital talent agency The Hired Guns, disruptions and volatility in the job market affect even the most successful. The Department of Labor says that baby boomers now hold an average of 11.3 jobs over the course of their careers. That means that we are all likely to experience several cycles of the three phases -- and not necessarily in order. To be successful at every stage, Hemming counsels, you must operate as if you're in the momentum phase at all times -- which means never letting skills decay and always looking to add more. "Momentum has to be about both earning and learning," she says.

    Stalk agrees -- and has a few suggestions on how to maintain that momentum, based on both his consulting work and his personal journey. One of the most important, he says, is to "keep an open file." What he means by that is to always have other interests or projects on the back burner. You may not have the time to devote to them, but if you find information that could be helpful, save it and put it aside until that time comes; you'll never find yourself without a next new project, proposal, or even career.

    Another way to stay relevant is to think of your career as a set of skills rather than a specific profession and to network accordingly -- not only with your own peers but with younger people as well. This way, if your industry contracts, you can more easily pivot. You have to constantly be vigilant," says Hemming, and say, 'what is the job after this job and what is the job after that? If I'm not here, which company am I at?'"

    Finally, to be successful at every stage, you must be flexible in your own definition of success. For Stalk, it changed -- from being a sort of corporate Superman to merely being able to read the paper, to, today, finally balancing work, health, and family. "Just a little bit more," for him, has a whole new meaning.