When I left a big corporate job to join the ranks of hopeful entrepreneurs, my wise boss told me: “be prepared for two things – one, turn right instead of left when you board the aircraft, and two, don’t expect people to return your calls quickly once you’ve lost your Big Co brand.”
He was right, obviously, but these changes didn’t matter much: I wasn’t flying long haul any more and developing a new brand was the challenge. A year later however, I experienced a mild shock: I was downgraded by British Airways (along with multiple other providers) from elite status to ‘normal’. It felt like a personal affront. I was no longer special! Obviously it didn’t pass any form of objective scrutiny, but the pain from loss of status was real. A bit of introspection made me realise that being recognised as part of that group was a lot more important than I thought… Over the years, I had started to identify myself with the perks of the job.
Status is one of a dozen recognised career drivers. It can motivate us more than money or expertise for example. Where it comes from doesn’t matter, what’s important is to realise that it forms an important part of our identity. So when you transition away from full time work, what impact will it have on your status and how will this affect you? What will you replace it with?
Call me if this applies: I’ve been through it!
