Why Lobster?
I’m not claiming this as my own concept, but I love it and think it is a great image for anyone going through change. It’s a life lesson from ‘Homarus Gammarus’, or the common lobster.
A lobster’s shell does not grow. An animal with an exoskeleton must go through ecdysis, or ‘moulting’, in order to develop. This process, which begins with a hormonal change, is slow, laborious, and dangerous. While moulting, the lobster is highly vulnerable to infection and to predators, so it will hide away in a cave, or under a rock, making itself less likely to be attacked and eaten. Even so, around 10% will die as a result. Lobsters will shed their shells around twenty-five times in their first five years, then typically once or twice a year from then on.
I won’t labour the point. Change is risky. If you want to grow, you have to make yourself vulnerable along the way.
Be more lobster.
Why me?
In twenty-five years as a recruiter, I supported countless candidates with their career moves, developing a deep understanding of the opportunities, challenges and frustrations involved in navigating today’s workplace. In that time, I met very few people who have not experienced some kind of ‘career shock’ – an unforeseen event, positive or negative, that had an unexpected impact on their professional trajectory. I certainly experienced my fair share. My interest in these events and how we respond to them led me, over time, to move away from the transactional end of headhunting and retrain in career counselling.
Career shocks can come in many forms, often far more subtle than the obvious event such as redundancy. They are usually influenced by factors outside our control, such as economic changes, organizational restructuring, or personal life events. They can appear as negative, like sudden changes in the work environment, or a piece of feedback that impacts self-esteem. Positive shocks, like an unexpected promotion or starting a new role, can also be unsettling and create self-doubt.
Whatever the individual situation, I strongly believe that we all hold the solutions to these challenges within ourselves. As a coach I am committed to facilitating insight, learning and positive development in everyone I engage with.
Be More Lobster 