My blog is actually an interactive experience in talking to friends and colleagues about change. The topic of change can be intergalactic. However, the three people who have agreed to share their thoughts about change, Karen Hirsch, Jennie Wong and P.J. Ferrin, found ways to talk about their experience providing insight and inspiration. (All interviews are in the archives.) I am particularly grateful for their contributions because blogging and tackling the topic of change are new endeavors for me. I do not have a predetermined agenda or plan in mind on how the blog will evolve but truly appreciate their willingness to share their stories.

In thinking about the richness of their interviews I was reminded of a book that had a profound influence on my work many years ago. Composing a Life by Mary Catherine Bateson is based on a series of interviews with women who creatively improvised their careers to juggle personal and professional goals. The interviews with Jennie and P.J. share some of this need to reinvent themselves when external circumstances prompted a new life path solution. While change may have been started by an external circumstance the richness of their solutions comes from an awareness of what they learned in the process. Karen’s thoughts about change grew over time as a result of a strong need to focus her coaching skills to support people engaged in social initiatives.

Composing a Life, which was written in 1989, has a feminist slant. One of the observations Bateson offers about the women profiled in her book is their creativity in dealing with obstacles and setbacks particularly because not as many avenues were open to women as they are now. Although these women did not have linear career progressions, they were successful in finding the next iteration through their ability to reinvent themselves.

How times have changed! Now men and women can equally expect to have non-linear careers. With a few exceptions, it is probably more likely that men will also be composing their careers in unexpected ways. Some men may find themselves in the role of primary caretakers while their spouses work, others may find that they need to take pay cuts in order to move into new fields. The men who took on the primary caretaker roles will experience the biases and challenges that many stay-at-home moms faced when they attempted to reenter the work force. I am not predicting that all gender bias will disappear but rather suggesting that more men will likely have interrupted career paths both by choice and as a result of business instability.

The process of personal change and reinvention is a life skill that we may all need to develop further. This is very much on my mind as I am currently in transition (a fancy way of saying out of work). In my last career transition from retail to training and development, I decided to go back to school to complete my masters in adult education. That proved to be a good decision and I had support from my mother and husband to make the change. Although there were some economic consequences, I did not have a mortgage and was buoyed by the prospect that I could land a career that was better suited to my talents.

Perhaps overly reacting to the pervasive mood of fear that is fueling the tremendous number of layoffs over the last six months, my driving concern was to find another position as quickly as possible. Now that I have more hindsight, I am beginning to understand that I am ready for another change. That has prompted my inquiry into what it is that propels us to move in new directions.

I hope that you will find this blog helpful as you reflect on changes in your life. Also, if you are interested in being interviewed for a blog post, please let me know. The interviews have been a combination of phone calls and e-mails. The approach is collaborative with the interviewee having the right to edit before any material is posted. You are also welcome to add comments to the posts.