Many of you have heard me say that career transition is, at its core, simply a problem solving and decision making exercise.
Today I read a great Harvard Business Review article that, while focused on organizational strategy, reinforces my point.
While focused on organizational strategy, Rita McGrath's article "The Power of Strategic Centering" (HBR, Jul-Aug 2026) notes important points that translate well to individual career transition success. The central idea is that having a clear 'organizing principle' helps companies manage uncertainty and act faster when the business situation, economy, etc. change and old systems, structures, processes, practices, tools, and techniques are no longer available/effective.
This is exactly the situation one faces in military career transition. What 'was' is gone and what 'will be' is largely unknown.
Your 'strategic center' defines what you are really about. For organizations, this may be customers, technology, regions, clarity, speed, choerence, or myriad others. For individuals in career transition it may be geography, life style, money, security, or innumerable others.
A 'strategic center' is not about rigid, inflexible, dogmatic adherence. It is about clarifying what is valuable to you; about having a focal point by which to guide your efforts and identify, vet, and select opportunities; about how you will respond to and deal with challenges.
So, as you begin (or continue) your career transition journey, what is YOUR 'strategic center'? How will you use it to navigate your journey?
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