How can you be the master of your own professional journey? Why do some people know how to evolve, while others feel stuck?
The question of professional evolution is central to our lives. But what does it really mean to know how to evolve? Is it simply about adapting to change? Or is it something more profound?
In this article, we explore the art of managing your professional growth. More than just adapting to circumstances, learning to evolve is about developing a vision, clarifying your goals, and confidently forging your own path with self-awareness.
We invite you to explore this often-overlooked skill while offering key insights on how to develop this essential soft skill.
What Does "Learning to Evolve" Mean?
The difference between evolving and learning to evolve is subtle, yet fundamental. Evolving is about adapting to situations over time, often automatically or by necessity. Learning to evolve is much more than that: it is a conscious process, a capacity to take control of your own trajectory, to make informed decisions in order to grow and feel more aligned with your professional aspirations. It’s about having control, self-awareness, and clarity in your choices.
Learning to evolve is about developing a kind of science of self-awareness, so you can make the right decisions, take charge of your journey, and move towards what truly makes you happy.
Obstacles to Professional Growth
For many, self-awareness is the key to evolving. However, that this is not always the main obstacle. Often, what prevents us from evolving is a lack of clarity about our life goals or fears and beliefs that hold us back.
- A safety reflex: Our brain is biologically programmed to avoid risks and protect what we know. Even in situations that no longer pose any real danger, this tendency to overprotect can limit our choices and stifle our evolution.
- Rigid educational paths: In many countries, we are pushed to choose our career path very early on, often without knowing our true aspirations or skills.
- The weight of novelty: The possibility of choosing one's profession is relatively new in human history. Our parents and grandparents didn’t have this luxury, and we still lack the tools to fully embrace this freedom of choice.
- Lack of time: We spend very little time truly reflecting on our careers, our goals, and what makes us happy. As a result, we often move forward without any real direction.
Why Is Learning to Evolve Crucial Today?
It’s not just about climbing the career ladder but thriving—not only in our professional lives but also for our overall well-being.
Being able to say, "This is who I am, and this is where I want to go," is essential for meeting employers' expectations and for answering that famous annual review question: "How do you see yourself evolving?"
3 Tips to Develop Your Ability to Evolve
- Commitment to Yourself: The first step is committing to finding a career that truly makes you happy. Tell yourself: "I’m setting out to create a career path aligned with my values and passions."
- Self-Awareness: Reflect on two levels: who you are today and who you want to become in the long term. Identify your skills, your values, but also imagine the person you want to be at 90 years old. Knowing yourself allows you to see whether an opportunity is right for you or not.
- Create Opportunities: Meet people, expand your network, grab coffees, and train in various subjects. Opportunities aren’t “luck” that falls from the sky; they’re relationships, encounters, and connections waiting to be seized. Constantly generate new occasions to spark those "aha" moments.
How Can Companies Support Their Employees?
- Create listening spaces: Offer regular moments for dialogue to understand each person’s aspirations, doubts, and ambitions. This encourages active reflection on growth possibilities.
- Provide self-awareness tools: Offer personality tests, skills assessments, or talent maps to help employees identify their strengths and needs.
- Encourage networking: Promote internal mobility, cross-functional projects, and inter-team workshops to generate new connections and open up career opportunities.
- Encourage continuous learning: Implement development programmes that allow employees to acquire new skills and adapt to an ever-evolving professional world.
Learning to Evolve: A Skill Within Everyone’s Reach
Learning to evolve is ultimately about accepting that the professional journey is constantly shifting. It’s about listening to yourself, adapting, but also creating opportunities. And here’s the good news: this skill can be developed. Whether you’re at the start of your career or have 20 years of experience, it’s never too late to work on knowing yourself better and taking control of your growth.
