Pivot

Cover of the book Pivot by Jenny Blake
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In Pivot, the former career development manager at Google reveals how to methodically make your next career move by doubling down on what’s already working for you. Jenny Blake’s mantra is: If change is the only constant, then let’s get better at it.

“Typically when the word pivot is applied to a business strategy shift, it is considered Plan B…Pivoting is a response to failing at Plan A, the original goal. But when it comes to our careers, learning to pivot is Plan A. Pivoting, within our roles and throughout our careers, is the new normal,” says Jenny Blake.
“I define a career pivot as doubling down on what is working to make a purposeful shift in a new, related direction.Pivoting is an intentional, methodical process for nimbly navigating career changes,” according to Jenny Blake.
“In the career-as-smartphone analogy, pivoting is about learning to download apps one by one–or a few smaller apps simultaneously–so you can reduce risk, experiment with ideas, and enhance your career-operating system without sending yourself into a panic by trying to make moves that are too drastic, too far removed from what you are doing right now,” says Jenny Blake.
“By doubling down on what is working best while thinking about how to develop into what’s next, you accelerate the experimentation and change process. You can proceed with confidence, knowing that you already have what it takes to get where you want to go,” according to Jenny Blake.
“I felt tremendous relief when I stopped blaming myself for my career confusion and started taking smarter, more focused steps. Combing my past for clues to my future gave me a sense of buoyancy and relief: I can figure this out,” says Jenny Blake.
“I started to celebrate the many things I was proud of and began experimenting with small extensions of the strengths and experiences I had been accumulating…This boosted my confidence and empowered me to solve the puzzle sitting right in front of me, with new insights into the pieces already at my disposal,” according to Jenny Blake.
“Hitting a career plateau is not a problem, nor is it a crisis. It is a captivating knot waiting to be untangled, in exchange for accelerated growth…All of us, when we reach even higher than we have previously or bust out of traditional norms, may wonder, Am I smart enough? Capable enough? Am I the rule or the exception? Am I cut out for this?” says Jenny Blake.
“YES. Your biggest vision is worth pursuing. Just as not two people share the same fingerprint, your ideas have not yet been tackled with your unique upbringing, worldview, and life experiences, at this moment in time, in the framework of our current economy and technology, for your intended community,” according to Jenny Blake.
“That does not mean that your exact conjecture about what’s next is guaranteed to be successful or profitable. But what I can say with absolute conviction is that you are creative, resourceful, and resilient, and will find a way to bounce back from just about anything. That is a certainty you can return to, says Jenny Blake.
“Career pivots can stretch us to our maximum capacity, and often even a bit further, but they do not have to be debilitating. Working through the 4 Pivot stages will help you avoid extremes on the risk spectrum: neither taking a blind leap, nor analyzing yourself into the ground by overcalculating every step,” said Jenny Blake.
STAGE 1 of PIVOT METHOD: PLANT. “Plant by creating a foundation from your values, strengths, and interests, and your 1-year vision for the future. The primary goal of the Plant Stage is grounding,” according to Jenny Blake.
“Rather than aimlessly searching ‘out there’ or building from scratch, the most successful pivots start from a strong foundation of your core values, a clear understanding of your strengths and interests, and a compelling vision for the future. Without these critical elements, you will be reading, talking, second-guessing, and analyzing ad nauseum without gaining any traction–a car spinning its wheels in mud,” said Jenny Blake.
STAGE 2 of PIVOT METHOD: SCAN “The aim of this stage is structured exploration, which involves research, plugging knowledge and skill gaps, having conversations, and clarifying what types of opportunities interest you most,” according to Jenny Blake.
“You will harness serendipity by expanding your network and exposure, while being mindful not to scan so much that you fall into analysis paralysis or compare and despair,” said Jenny Blake.
STAGE 3 of PIVOT METHOD: PILOT “After identifying potential opportunities…you will likely have several hypotheses about what to pursue. Instead of betting big on any one, it is best if you can pilot–reduce risk by conducting small tests–then expand upon what is working to launch in the most promising direction,” according to Jenny Blake.
“Piloting is critical because it gets your momentum snowball started. Small pilots will help you get unstuck, without the pressure of having to figure out all the answers up front,” said Jenny Blake.
STAGE 4 of PIVOT METHOD: LAUNCH “The first three steps of the Pivot Method, repeated as many times as necessary, help reduce risk and give you a greater chance of success, often taking you 80 to 90 percent of the way toward your goal. Launch is when you pull the trigger on the remaining 10 to 20 percent,” according to Jenny Blake.
“Do not expect courage to rain down from the sky before you make a move. It comes from taking action. Courage will not arrive in full before your launch; it will appear afterward, when the confidence from making a life-changing decision settles in,” said Jenny Blake.