• Pivot by Blinkist is a guide to helping business professionals make quick, meaningful changes to their career.
• It outlines a step-by-step process for recognizing when it's time to pivot, as well as how to successfully do so.
• The author provides tips on how to cope with the uncertainty of a career shift, as well as when and how to turn the thought process into a tangible plan of action.
• With the book, readers can discover how to use their existing skills in new directions and take meaningful action to build a successful career.
• As a UX Designer, this book will be especially useful in teaching how to effectively utilize design processes and apply design thinking when pivoting.
• Additionally, Blinkist suggests other books which may be beneficial to UX Designers in their personal and professional growth processes such as Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, and The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen.
🎀 Highlights
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants your employees to be satisfied and productive. Regardless of which of these might apply
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants your employees to be satisfied and productive.
Gallup poll showed that up to 90 percent of employees are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” from their jobs.
make a deliberate career shift in a new direction. It’s known as a career pivot, and to do it, you don’t even have to leave your current employer.
She felt stuck as a senior creative strategist in a public relations firm, but she wasn’t ready to ditch just yet. Rather than looking for new jobs, Schonberger started taking responsibility for social media and blogging. Her coworkers weren’t interested themselves. They felt working in social
She felt stuck as a senior creative strategist in a public relations firm, but she wasn’t ready to ditch just yet. Rather than looking for new jobs, Schonberger started taking responsibility for social media and blogging. Her coworkers weren’t interested themselves. They felt working in social media would damage their reputations.
Her status as a social media expert soon led to her appointment to a new, official role: director of digital entertainment.
The trick is to keep the focus of your dreams tight. Don’t start thinking long-term and in generalities; instead, define a pivot vision based on your values for the next couple of years.
Now it's time to test out your vision in the third stage of the four-step method: piloting.
He’s a business consultant for Fortune 100 companies but was once working on developing a beginners' bondage course for couples.
However, he used the pseudonym Ryan White so as to keep the hustle separate from his day job.
He thought that if enough people were interested in the Facebook group and the free PDF guide to basic bondage he’d written, he’d see it as an indication that there would also be interest in an e-book.
the experiments turned out differently than he expected.
But for some people, fear of failure can keep them
But for some people, fear of failure can keep them from actualizing their pivot in the first place.
engage in some basic troubleshooting and
They never had the chance to see each other. Meitner
They never had the chance to see each
Fears involved in launching your pivot can be overcome by setting yourself launch criteria. Once you’ve evaluated your values for planting your pivot, scanned for opportunities and connections and piloted your putative move, the only thing left to do is launch. But for some people, fear of failure can keep them from actualizing their pivot in the first place. Don’t get caught in this trap. Identify specific launch criteria to determine when to set your plan in action. You’ll need to engage in some basic troubleshooting and be prepared. Using launch criteria worked for Tom Meitner. Meitner worked answering customer service emails. His wife, Amanda, did the same job but on a different shift. They
Meitner worked answering customer service emails. His wife, Amanda, did the same job but on a different shift. They never had the chance to see each other.
overqualified for his job and decided to write to 300 companies and offer his services as a copywriter. Meitner reckoned that a benchmark of success would be earning $2,500 a month freelancing. If he hit that figure, he would know he could launch properly. Within three weeks he had already made $3,000.
Meitner knew he was overqualified for his job and decided to write to 300 companies and offer his services as a copywriter. Meitner reckoned that a benchmark of success would be earning $2,500 a month freelancing. If he hit that figure, he would know he could launch properly. Within three weeks he had already made $3,000.
Not long after that, he was able to raise his rates, and was making a six figure sum each year – all while working mostly at home.
that a good pivot also involves diverging from an original concept, especially if it’s clear that things aren’t going to plan. That’s not failure – that’s adaptation.
Even though the start-up was proving to be profitable after a year, it was clear that the project wasn’t going to be the cash cow they’d hoped.
Consequently, they sold the company and parted ways – but they were able to bounce back. Rather than
Consequently, they sold the company and parted ways – but they were able to bounce back.
at a predictive analytics startup.
John landed a job at a predictive analytics startup.
managers can employ it within their own companies.
managers rarely discuss career mobility with their employees, a recent Inc. survey found that 51 percent of CEOs identified their biggest challenge as "attracting and retaining skilled employees."
If you're a manager, it's up to you to begin talking to your employees about pivoting. That’s how you keep good staff.
offer real opportunities for your employees.
don’t discuss with your employees what they could or should being doing. Instead, use the basics of the pivot method: lead open-ended discussions using the simple question, "what's next?"
supermarket chain Whole Foods does just this. It has job-specific certification programs that its employees can take, such as the training for the American Cheese Society’s Certified Professional Exam.
Whole Foods employees can gain skills and pivot to work in specialist sections within the company’s supermarkets.
It’s your aim to foster an environment where employees neither stagnate nor quit.
pivoting provides you with the mentality you need to adapt to your surroundings, while fostering connections and opportunities.
define a project-based purpose
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants your employees to be satisfied and productive. Regardless of which of these might apply
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants your employees to be satisfied and productive.
Gallup poll showed that up to 90 percent of employees are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” from their jobs.
make a deliberate career shift in a new direction. It’s known as a career pivot, and to do it, you don’t even have to leave your current employer.
She felt stuck as a senior creative strategist in a public relations firm, but she wasn’t ready to ditch just yet. Rather than looking for new jobs, Schonberger started taking responsibility for social media and blogging. Her coworkers weren’t interested themselves. They felt working in social
She felt stuck as a senior creative strategist in a public relations firm, but she wasn’t ready to ditch just yet. Rather than looking for new jobs, Schonberger started taking responsibility for social media and blogging. Her coworkers weren’t interested themselves. They felt working in social media would damage their reputations.
Her status as a social media expert soon led to her appointment to a new, official role: director of digital entertainment.
The trick is to keep the focus of your dreams tight. Don’t start thinking long-term and in generalities; instead, define a pivot vision based on your values for the next couple of years.
Now it's time to test out your vision in the third stage of the four-step method: piloting.
He’s a business consultant for Fortune 100 companies but was once working on developing a beginners' bondage course for couples.
However, he used the pseudonym Ryan White so as to keep the hustle separate from his day job.
He thought that if enough people were interested in the Facebook group and the free PDF guide to basic bondage he’d written, he’d see it as an indication that there would also be interest in an e-book.
the experiments turned out differently than he expected.
But for some people, fear of failure can keep them
But for some people, fear of failure can keep them from actualizing their pivot in the first place.
engage in some basic troubleshooting and
They never had the chance to see each other. Meitner
They never had the chance to see each
Fears involved in launching your pivot can be overcome by setting yourself launch criteria. Once you’ve evaluated your values for planting your pivot, scanned for opportunities and connections and piloted your putative move, the only thing left to do is launch. But for some people, fear of failure can keep them from actualizing their pivot in the first place. Don’t get caught in this trap. Identify specific launch criteria to determine when to set your plan in action. You’ll need to engage in some basic troubleshooting and be prepared. Using launch criteria worked for Tom Meitner. Meitner worked answering customer service emails. His wife, Amanda, did the same job but on a different shift. They
Meitner worked answering customer service emails. His wife, Amanda, did the same job but on a different shift. They never had the chance to see each other.
overqualified for his job and decided to write to 300 companies and offer his services as a copywriter. Meitner reckoned that a benchmark of success would be earning $2,500 a month freelancing. If he hit that figure, he would know he could launch properly. Within three weeks he had already made $3,000.
Meitner knew he was overqualified for his job and decided to write to 300 companies and offer his services as a copywriter. Meitner reckoned that a benchmark of success would be earning $2,500 a month freelancing. If he hit that figure, he would know he could launch properly. Within three weeks he had already made $3,000.
Not long after that, he was able to raise his rates, and was making a six figure sum each year – all while working mostly at home.
that a good pivot also involves diverging from an original concept, especially if it’s clear that things aren’t going to plan. That’s not failure – that’s adaptation.
Even though the start-up was proving to be profitable after a year, it was clear that the project wasn’t going to be the cash cow they’d hoped.
Consequently, they sold the company and parted ways – but they were able to bounce back. Rather than
Consequently, they sold the company and parted ways – but they were able to bounce back.
at a predictive analytics startup.
John landed a job at a predictive analytics startup.
managers can employ it within their own companies.
managers rarely discuss career mobility with their employees, a recent Inc. survey found that 51 percent of CEOs identified their biggest challenge as "attracting and retaining skilled employees."
If you're a manager, it's up to you to begin talking to your employees about pivoting. That’s how you keep good staff.
offer real opportunities for your employees.
don’t discuss with your employees what they could or should being doing. Instead, use the basics of the pivot method: lead open-ended discussions using the simple question, "what's next?"
supermarket chain Whole Foods does just this. It has job-specific certification programs that its employees can take, such as the training for the American Cheese Society’s Certified Professional Exam.
Whole Foods employees can gain skills and pivot to work in specialist sections within the company’s supermarkets.
It’s your aim to foster an environment where employees neither stagnate nor quit.
pivoting provides you with the mentality you need to adapt to your surroundings, while fostering connections and opportunities.
define a project-based purpose
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants your employees to be satisfied and productive. Regardless of which of these might apply
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants
Perhaps you’re a manager who wants your employees to be satisfied and productive.
Gallup poll showed that up to 90 percent of employees are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” from their jobs.
make a deliberate career shift in a new direction. It’s known as a career pivot, and to do it, you don’t even have to leave your current employer.
She felt stuck as a senior creative strategist in a public relations firm, but she wasn’t ready to ditch just yet. Rather than looking for new jobs, Schonberger started taking responsibility for social media and blogging. Her coworkers weren’t interested themselves. They felt working in social
She felt stuck as a senior creative strategist in a public relations firm, but she wasn’t ready to ditch just yet. Rather than looking for new jobs, Schonberger started taking responsibility for social media and blogging. Her coworkers weren’t interested themselves. They felt working in social media would damage their reputations.
Her status as a social media expert soon led to her appointment to a new, official role: director of digital entertainment.
The trick is to keep the focus of your dreams tight. Don’t start thinking long-term and in generalities; instead, define a pivot vision based on your values for the next couple of years.
Now it's time to test out your vision in the third stage of the four-step method: piloting.
He’s a business consultant for Fortune 100 companies but was once working on developing a beginners' bondage course for couples.
However, he used the pseudonym Ryan White so as to keep the hustle separate from his day job.
He thought that if enough people were interested in the Facebook group and the free PDF guide to basic bondage he’d written, he’d see it as an indication that there would also be interest in an e-book.
the experiments turned out differently than he expected.
But for some people, fear of failure can keep them
But for some people, fear of failure can keep them from actualizing their pivot in the first place.
engage in some basic troubleshooting and
Check for most not recycled / recycled goods
They never had the chance to see each other. Meitner
They never had the chance to see each
Fears involved in launching your pivot can be overcome by setting yourself launch criteria. Once you’ve evaluated your values for planting your pivot, scanned for opportunities and connections and piloted your putative move, the only thing left to do is launch. But for some people, fear of failure can keep them from actualizing their pivot in the first place. Don’t get caught in this trap. Identify specific launch criteria to determine when to set your plan in action. You’ll need to engage in some basic troubleshooting and be prepared. Using launch criteria worked for Tom Meitner. Meitner worked answering customer service emails. His wife, Amanda, did the same job but on a different shift. They
Meitner worked answering customer service emails. His wife, Amanda, did the same job but on a different shift. They never had the chance to see each other.
overqualified for his job and decided to write to 300 companies and offer his services as a copywriter. Meitner reckoned that a benchmark of success would be earning $2,500 a month freelancing. If he hit that figure, he would know he could launch properly. Within three weeks he had already made $3,000.
Meitner knew he was overqualified for his job and decided to write to 300 companies and offer his services as a copywriter. Meitner reckoned that a benchmark of success would be earning $2,500 a month freelancing. If he hit that figure, he would know he could launch properly. Within three weeks he had already made $3,000.
Not long after that, he was able to raise his rates, and was making a six figure sum each year – all while working mostly at home.
that a good pivot also involves diverging from an original concept, especially if it’s clear that things aren’t going to plan. That’s not failure – that’s adaptation.
Even though the start-up was proving to be profitable after a year, it was clear that the project wasn’t going to be the cash cow they’d hoped.
Consequently, they sold the company and parted ways – but they were able to bounce back. Rather than
Consequently, they sold the company and parted ways – but they were able to bounce back.
at a predictive analytics startup.
John landed a job at a predictive analytics startup.
managers can employ it within their own companies.
managers rarely discuss career mobility with their employees, a recent Inc. survey found that 51 percent of CEOs identified their biggest challenge as "attracting and retaining skilled employees."
If you're a manager, it's up to you to begin talking to your employees about pivoting. That’s how you keep good staff.
offer real opportunities for your employees.
don’t discuss with your employees what they could or should being doing. Instead, use the basics of the pivot method: lead open-ended discussions using the simple question, "what's next?"
supermarket chain Whole Foods does just this. It has job-specific certification programs that its employees can take, such as the training for the American Cheese Society’s Certified Professional Exam.
Whole Foods employees can gain skills and pivot to work in specialist sections within the company’s supermarkets.
It’s your aim to foster an environment where employees neither stagnate nor quit.
pivoting provides you with the mentality you need to adapt to your surroundings, while fostering connections and opportunities.
