How I Got Here - Allyson Lindsay
I have known Allyson since we were basically born, as our families lived 2 houses apart and we grew up riding bikes around the neighbourhood, hung out at band camp (true story), went to the same parties and I’m sure at some point, both had really bad perms (maybe that was just me….). As adults, we’ve drifted in and out of each other’s lives due to geography and changing circumstances however last year, when I did my 6 month relocation to Brissie, Allyson reached out as she’d reached a critical point in her career and was stuck. I knew Allyson to be a highly intelligent and confident women, always greeting you with smiles and laughter but when we met she was clearly in a funk, and I was curious to know how she got here and I’m delighted to share with you, how she turn it around.
Allyson’s story is more common than you think. People heading along their career path, being unsatisfied but not knowing how to shift in another direction. The fabulous part of my work is seeing the ‘after’ part of the story, when there’s been a shift and how an individual can look and sound completely different once they’re headed in the right direction. Allyson was inspirational in this process. She allowed herself to be vulnerable, asked herself the hard questions, didn't allow herself be influenced by those around her and she took some bold steps in a new direction. I can’t wait to see where she goes from here!
What is your current role and how does it fulfil you?
I’m moving into a new role as a Principal Project Officer in a Business Transformation Unit with the Queensland Government. I am really excited about the opportunity to use my expertise in business process improvement and project management to transform business processes for this busy section of government. I have an analytical mind that enjoys solving problems - the more complex the better! I see this role providing me with interesting and challenging work in an environment committed to driving innovative business transformation.
What career decisions and experience led you to where you are today?
I have worked in process driven environments for many years and often had to work with processes and systems that were not efficient and didn’t allow for the most effective use of the finite resources available. Whilst my primary role was managing teams delivering front line services to vulnerable members of the community, I regularly undertook projects to improve businesses processes, where time and funding permitted. I really enjoyed this project work but it often had to take a back seat to the need to ensure the critical delivery of front line services. Over the past few years, I started to become dissatisfied with my work - despite remaining very committed to wanting to provide quality services to the community - but couldn’t really put my finger on what the problem was. Ever the problem solver - I engaged with Lisa from Madi Talent Studio and discussed my situation. She recommended I complete a DiSC Workplace profile and then we arranged a meeting to discuss my results and determine my next steps. The DiSC profile was such an insightful process - we laughed about how spot on it was about me and the work environments I was more likely to thrive in - and the fact that my current work in front line service delivery to vulnerable members of the community really didn’t align with my style at all. These results helped me understand why I wasn’t satisfied with my current role - a real light bulb moment! Lisa asked about the type of work I enjoy doing and I was very quick to explain how much I enjoyed working on projects to improve business processes - but had only been able to do this on the side over the past few years. My profile confirmed this type of work very much fit with my style. All of a sudden, I felt excited about where my career was headed - and I hadn’t felt this way in a long time. Lisa helped me get my resume and LinkedIn Profile set up and I started the journey of looking for business process improvement roles. I have now obtained a position where I can specialise in this type of work and am really excited to see where this opportunity takes me.
What is the one piece of advice you would give someone wanting to end up where you have?
The quote about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome comes to mind here. It wasn’t until I used the skills of a professional - in Lisa from Madi - to look at the situation from a different angle and help me identify what I needed to do differently in order to achieve a different (and fantastic) outcome. If you don’t love your job - don’t settle - find someone who can help you get from where you’re at to where you want to be.
Be Fabulous
Lisa xx