Working Identity

"Our working identity is not a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered at the very core of our inner being. Rather, it is made up of many possibilities ..."

Working Identity: Unconventional strategies for reinventing your career by Herminia Ibarra (2023) HBR Press

Herminia Ibarra is Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behaviour at London Business School. In addition to the first edition of Working Identity (2002) Ibarra is also the author of Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader (2^nd ed, 2024).

Ibarra opens this edition by noting that ‘“Am I doing the right work for me, and should I change direction?”  is one of the most pressing questions on people’s minds today … Most can articulate what they don’t want or what no longer works for them. What’s less clear is what to do instead – and how to make the change” (pix).

At a time when the nature of work is changing more rapidly than ever for many people, when technology is replacing, reshaping and re-creating jobs, and when expectations of working life (and post- full-time working life) are broadening, the book provides timely guidance for embracing the opportunities that exist for creating careers and post-career lives. The book provides numerous real-life examples of people engaging in career change and reinvention, illustrating how the principles she teaches have been applied and experienced.

The book “hinges on two disarmingly simple ideas. First, our working identity is not a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered at the very core of our inner being. Rather, it is made up of many possibilities: some tangible and concrete, defined by the things we do, the company we keep, and the stories we tell about our work and lives; others existing only in the realm of future potential and private dreams. Second, changing careers means changing our selves, reworking our identities. Since we are many selves, changing is not about swapping one identity for another but rather a transition process in which we reconfigure the full set of possibilities. These simple ideas alter everything we take for granted about finding a new career. They ask us to devote the greater part of our time and energy to action rather than reflection, to doing instead of planning” (px-xi).

Ibarra observes that when she wrote the first edition of the book “the notion of experimenting iteratively with one’s possible selves was unusual. Today, ideas like fast prototyping and design thinking are everywhere. Yet, we hesitate to apply them to our working identities, if only because our desire for answers allows the ‘discover the true you’ industry to thrive” (pxiv). One of the common themes she has observed across age groups is that “everyone wanted a greater sense of meaning in their work. We all want to do work that matters” (pxv). And while we are “mostly on our own when it comes to how to find” that meaningful work, “the possibilities of true ‘self-authoring’” are great.

While “conventional wisdom tells us that the key to making a successful change lies in first knowing – with as much clarity and certainty as possible – what we really want to do and then using that knowledge to implement a sound strategy … career change doesn’t follow the conventional method, and it’s not linear. We learn who we are – in practice, not in theory – by testing reality, not by looking inside. We discover the true possibilities by doing– trying out new activities, reaching out to new groups, finding new role models, and reworking our story as we tell it to those around us. What we want clarifies with experience and validation from others along the way” (pxi).

The book acknowledges three typical “periods and pathways, each dominated by a defining question:

·       Build: How do I find a work arena in which to build skills, identity, and reputation?

·       Pivot:How do I shift into a different work arena when the old one is no longer suitable or possible?

·       Leverage: How do I curate work that I enjoy and plays to my strengths without having to devote all my time and energy to work?” (pxii).

In the introductory chapter Reinventing Yourself, Ibarra notes thatbecause we are not one self but many selves, “we cannot simply trade in the old for a new working identity or upgrade to version 2.0; to reinvent ourselves, we must live through a period of transition in which we rethink and reconfigure a multitude of possibilities. Second, it is nearly impossible to think out how to reinvent ourselves, and, therefore, it is equally hard to execute in a planned and orderly way. A successful outcome hinges less on knowing one’s inner, true self at the start than on starting a multistep process of envisioning and testing possible futures. No amount of self-reflection can substitute for the direct experience we need to evaluate alternatives according to criteria that change as we do” (p2). This exploration of possibilities is a recurring message in the book, and one that requires us to accept the reality that: “Change always takes longer than we expect because to make room for the new, we have to get rid of some of the old selves we are still dragging around and, unconsciously, still invested in becoming” (p12).

Working Identity is presented in two parts.

Part 1: Identity in Transition explores

Possible Selves– “Stop trying to find your one true self. Focus your attention on which of your many possible selves you want to test and learn more about. Reflection is important. But we can use it as a defense against testing reality; reflecting on who we are is less important than probing whether we really want what we think we want. Acting in the world gives us the opportunity to see our selves through our behaviours and allows us to adjust our expectations as we learn. In failing to act, we hide from ourselves” (p36).

“The more unfamiliar the new possibilities, the more necessary it becomes to learn about them through direct involvement rather than planning … The test-and-learn sequence recognises that a person and his or her environment shape each other in ways that can produce possibilities that did not reside in either at the start” (p38).

Ibarra acknowledges that this approach flies in the face of much career counselling, partly due to “the myth of the true self”. “The action steps recommended by true-self models are introspective steps: taking tests and interest inventories, for example, that uncover personality traits that influence fit in a work context; engaging in therapeutic relationships with counsellors, coaching, or psychologists, who can help diagnose the development underpinnings of the desire for change; or just taking time to reflect on what we have enjoyed and succeeded at in our past lives … But far more often than not, the belief that there is a ’right’ career out there, and looking inward will give us the insight necessary to find it, often paralyses us” (p40-41). “A very different definition of working identity asserts that we are not one true self but many selves and that those identities exist not only in the past and present but also, and most importantly, in the future. Based on the work of Stanford psychologist Hazel Markus, this possible-selves model reveals that we all carry around, in our hearts and minds, a whole cast of characters, the selves we hope to become, think we should become, or even fear becoming in the future. During career transition, our possible selves spur us to find role models whom we’d like to become (and whom to avoid becoming) and help us to benchmark our progress towards those ideals. The more vivid these possible selves become, the more they motivate us to change. Why? Because we strive to become more and more like our ideals, and we care ourselves out of becoming our most dreaded selves” (p42).

Ibarra recommends developing a “possible selves list”, which “always has a favourite (and it is always near the bottom of the list, as if we were fearful of even exposing it). The list often starts with what gets framed as the ‘reasonable option’, one that exploits the past but in a new context or job. The tone used to describe this path betrays its lack of appeal. The list typically has something on it we really do not want to do. Sometimes it has role models, people whom we would like to be like. More often than not, it also has things we really have no intention of actually exploring but that add colour to the list or are thrown in to round things out” (p42). Then, start learning about one or two of them. Take action and use the feedback from those actions to assess what you really think and feel about the possibilities that show up.

Between Identities– describes the “difficult middle period when our identities are in flux. In this transitional state … we oscillate between holding on to the past and embracing the future … The in-between period is the crucible in which we bring our possible selves tentatively into the world. Unpleasant though it may be, we short-circuit it at our own peril” (p51).

“At the root of the word transition is ‘transit’, a voyage from one place to another. As in any voyage, there is a departure, a disorienting time of travel and, finally, a destination. Transitions guru William Bridges calls the time between endings and new beginnings the ‘neutral zone’, a ‘neither here nor there’ psychological space where identities are in flux and people feel they have lost the ground beneath their feet” (p59). “One of the hardest tasks of reinvention is staying the course when it feels like you are coming undone” (p60). Part of this experience is “becoming an ex” (p61). “Long before we start exploring alternatives, we also begin to disconnect socially and psychologically …” (p62). This “psychological distance, even rupture (what Willam Bridges calls ‘disidentification’ and ‘disenchantment’) is also part of the ending process” (p63).

“Doing things – taking on new roles and projects – is one way to ‘try on’ possible identities. Connecting with people is another” (p66). “Throughout a career transition, the narratives we craft to describe why we are changing (and what remains the same) also help us to try on possibilities” because public declarations of our intent to change commits us further (p67). This trying out of a variety of possible selves can create a dilemma. “But, as our possible selves are fleshed out in deeper colour and character, we begin to feel fragmented, not whole. We sometimes feel like an imposter in some, if not all, of the different lives we are leading” (p68). Two sources can help us zero in on the highest-potential self: “our gut (our emotional reactions) and the people around us (their responses to our trials and efforts)” (p68).

Deep Change– “Resist the temptation to start by making a big decision that will change everything in one fell swoop. Use a strategy of small wins, in which incremental gains lead you to more profound changes in the basic assumptions that define your work and life. Accept the crooked path” (p83). Part of this incremental process is letting go of things that can hold us back from pursuing our new goals. It is hard to let go of what we know, the assumptions we’ve held, and what it familiar. Keeping daily track (e.g., journal entries) of progressive steps is a proven methodology for harnessing the power of small wins.

“Social scientists have argued that a strategy of ‘small wins’ – making quick, opportunistic, tangible gambits only modestly related to a desired outcome – is in many instances the most effective way of tackling big problems” (p82). Recording moments of clarity about what you want or no longer want, what has become nonnegotiable for you, a motivation-boosting interaction or words of encouragement, saying no to something you know is the wrong choice, doing a task that illuminates new competencies or preferences, learning from wrong choices (p97) are all ways of capturing small but important indicators of insight and progress that make your transition more tangible and present.

Part 2: Identity in Practice addresses

Crafting Experiments – “By far the biggest mistake people make when trying to change careers is to delay taking the first step until they have settled on a destination … Crafting experiments refers to the practice of implementing the small probes and projects that allow us to try out new professional roles on a limited but tangible scale without committing to a particular direction” (p101). Examples include side projects, temporary assignments, going “back to school” to gain training or credentials in a new area, and trying a “portfolio of self-directed activities” (which itself can be a career choice or a semi-retirement option). Small-scale, spare time, and weekend projects can all provide experiments that can create insights, connections and a feel for what the work might be like as a career.

Shifting Connections – “We cannot regenerate ourselves in isolation. We develop in and through our relationships with others … Yet, when it comes to reinventing ourselves, the people who know us best are also the ones most likely to hinder rather than help. They may wish to be supportive but they tend to reinforce – or even desperately try to preserve – the old identities we are seeking to shed … Shifting connections refers to the practice of finding people who can help us see and grow into our new selves, people we admire, would like to emulate, and with whom we want to spend time.

All reinventions require social support ... New or distant acquaintances – people and groups on the periphery of our existing networks – help us push off in new directions while providing the secure base in which change can take hold” (p129-130).

“In the mid-1970s, a Harvard sociologist named Mark Granovetter published what became the landmark study of how people get jobs. What he found and others have confirmed, is still true today: Most people find their jobs through personal connections. What surprised Granovetter – and hence the name of his famous ‘strength of weak ties’ study – was that those personal contacts were neither friends, family, nor close work associates. They were distant acquaintances. Among those who got jobs through personal contacts, the great majority had interacted with that contact only occasionally or rarely” (p136).

But because these distant acquaintances are less likely to be motivated to help you, especially when they’re stretched themselves. So one way around this is to “make use of your ‘dormant ties’ – the relationships with people whom you were once close to but now haven’t been in contact with for roughly three years or more. In a study reported in MIT Sloan Management Review, more than 200 executives were asked to reconnect with such people and to use their interactions to get information or advice that might help them on an important work project. The executives reported that the advice they received from these dormant sources was, on average, more valuable and novel than what they obtained from their more active relationships” (p136). New peer groups, guiding figures, and communities of practice all provide ways to shift our connections “from the core to the periphery of our networks” (p151).

Making Sense – refers to the practice of interpreting what is happening today, in light of past events, and creating compelling stories that link the two and point to the future. A life story defines us” (p154). “Major career transitions take three to five years. The big ‘turning point’, if there is one, tends to come late in the story. In the interim, make use of anything as a trigger. Don’t wait for a catalyst. What you make of events is more important than the events themselves. Take advantage of whatever life sends your way to revise, or at least reconsider, your story. Practice telling it in different ways to different people, in much the same way you would revise a resume and cover letter for different jobs. But don’t just tell the story to a friendly audience; try it out on skeptics. And don’t be disturbed when the story changes along the way” (p161).

“Events punctuate continuous experience, giving us some pegs on which to hang our reinvention stories. Some events unfreeze us, help us start moving away from the old; other events focus our energies toward the future, helping the new direction to jell” (p162). Making Sense can also incorporate the French phrase reculer pour mieux sauter(“stepping back to better leap forward”). “Time and space away from the everyday grind create the ‘break frame’ that allows people in transition to articulate intellectually what they already knew emotionally” (p168). Short breaks in routine like a day hike can provide space for a perspective reset and sensemaking.

Equally valuable is seizing “windows of opportunity”. “We go through periods when we are highly receptive to major change and periods when even incremental deviations from ‘the plan’ are hard to tolerate. Take advantage of any natural windows (e.g., the period just after an educational program or assuming a new position; a milestone birthday) to start off on the right foot. Communicate to others that you have changed (and will be making more changes). Watch out for the insidious effect of old routines. Progress can be served by hanging in limbo, asking questions, allowing time and space to linger between identities. But don’t let unanswered questions bog you down; move on, even if to an interim commitment” (p176).

In the conclusion to the book, Becoming Yourself,Ibarra writes that “because we are growing and changing all the time, the oft-cited key to a better working life, ‘knowing yourself’, turns out to be the prize at the end of the journey rather than the light at its beginning” (p181).

“Real change takes time because we usually have to cycle through identifying and testing possibilities a few times, asking better questions with each round of tests, crafting better experiments, and building on what we have learned before. Two different rhythms regulate this cycle. Speed is of the essence in moving from making a list of possible selves – in our head or on paper – to actually testing any one of them. If it seems that relatively few people make the career changes they dream about it is because many of us just don’t take the first step. Which self we test hardly matters; small steps like embarking on a new project or going to a night course can ignite a process that changes everything. But, paradoxically, it is usually better to slow down in the testing phase, investing enough time to explore even those selves that seem less promising. We need time to fully internalize the self-knowledge we are accumulating with each experience. Even when taking our time seems unproductive, it is hardly so; we are moving away from outdated images of what we ‘ought’ to be, of meeting expectations or pleasing others – the hidden foundation that dictated our old working identity – and moving toward greater self-direction” (p182-183).

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