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Plan B: Turning this-isn’t-working into that-could-work

Reinvention The New Reality

Nov 28, 2011 by Jane Genova

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Who hasn’t surrendered to the reality that the original strategy, tactic, and/or educational investment wasn’t panning out? With such a volatile economy disrupted by technology, we’re all finding ourselves stumbling or even stuck. Yet, it’s been tough to admit that, yet again, Plan A didn’t work. We feel foolish. Our confidence is shaken to the core. And we just want to relocate to an emerging economy like Nigeria which is growing at about eight percent. Could be that we will have more luck there.

Serial entrepreneur David Murray sucks out the drama from failure. His book “Plan B” chronicles how few plans yield any results. And that’s it’s primarily through constant course correction, sometimes radical, that we can finally hit some home runs.

Murray presents the riveting example of why Facebook is going gangbusters and MySpace withered. MySpace kept in its space. It formed a strategy and that was that. Yet the world was changing, including increasing competition. Facebook, on the other hand, stays tuned-in. Based on what it picks up in the environment, it does course correction. When its trusty leader Mark Zuckerberg observed Google getting out there with potential Facebook killer Google+, he had a lockdown. Everyone had to work non-stop until Facebook produced the features which could take on Google+. Zuckerberg announced those at the f8 conference.

Murray hammers that not experiencing our work life as including setbacks, obstacles, and even dismal disasters means we’re not in reality. Sooner than later external forces will deep-six us as they have MySpace, Kodak, and GM [before it learned to love failure].

I must be destined for career greatness. Recently I tried and failed at a part-time sales career, being a top strategist in social media, and providing marketing communications services directly to the legal defense industry. What I learned during those ordeals helped me build a niches which are taking off, at least right now. I watch what’s happening in them, every minute. Instead of chasing success, I’m now rooted in reality, which keeps changing.

Graphic credit: Care2

About the Author

Jane Genova Has Written 24 Articles For Us!

I’m a coach, book author, and lecturer on careers, specializing in transitions. When I was 58, I restarted my professional life. That was in 2003. Since then I have I have muted into one of those renaissance folks who keeps multiple lines of work going. My latest book Over-50: How We Keep Working has helped thousands of people realize that exciting careers don’t depend on your age. I write four blogs: Jane Genova, Law and More, Career Transitions, Over-50.

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