In June 2026, I took time to evaluate my career path. Like many business professionals navigating a role transition, I initially moved quickly into a search and then spent two months focused on a new role I thought was my next opportunity to drive success.

After a third round of interviews, the recruiter passed along a message from the hiring manager: “my skills weren't the right fit.” She was right when I went deeper within to really understand why. That feedback gave me more confidence, not less, to focus on my true calling for this moment.

As a change management practitioner most recently at ServiceNow, I've spent years helping organizations move through change. What I didn't expect was to watch myself resist it in exactly the way I guide others toward successful outcomes. So I did what I would do for any organization: I ran my own pivot through Prosci's ADKAR model.

If you're rethinking your career right now due to personal goals or shifting business priorities at work, this framework can help you gain clarity on your unique value faster.

‍Five steps with actions

Step 1 - Awareness: encourage people to say what might be uncomfortable to hear‍

Every change starts with understanding why it's needed. For me, that came from a hiring manager who told me plainly that the fit wasn't there. She didn't question my talent. She questioned my direction. That distinction changed how I heard it.‍

Action: Stop asking "How did I do?" and start asking "What would make someone a stronger fit for this role than me?" This invites specifics instead of politeness.

Step 2 - Desire: notice when you're defending the prior approach‍

This is where individual change often stalls. Awareness doesn't move anyone on its own; you have to want the change more than you want to be right about the original plan. During a transition, there's pressure to pick a direction fast and commit. My first instinct was to sharpen my pitch with better talking points for the next interview. That's classic resistance: investing more effort into the same approach instead of questioning the approach itself.

Action: Ask yourself, "If I were starting today with no time already invested, would I choose this direction?" If the honest answer is no, sunk cost is doing your thinking for you.

Step 3 - Knowledge: audit your energy, not your titles‍

Once I was willing to change direction, I needed to know which direction. So I looked at the work that made me feel most useful, not the titles I'd held. The pattern was clear. My best moments were about people: helping teams adopt something new, aligning leaders, and building communication plans that turn strategy into action and results. My strengths pointed toward change management, enablement, and communications.

Action: List ten moments from your career when you felt most effective, focusing on the verbs rather than job titles (e.g., guiding, building, fixing, persuading). The pattern in the verbs reveals your true direction.

Step 4 - Ability: learn to say it in one sentence‍

Knowing your direction is different from being able to articulate it. I stopped translating my background into another field's language and started leading with what I actually do well. For example, my LinkedIn About section shifted from focusing on what I produce to defining the problem I solve: I am a Change Management and Enablement Manager with 10+ years helping enterprise teams get through complex transitions. In interviews, the difference was immediate; I could speak clearly about what energizes me and how it connects to the work.

Action: Write a one-sentence value statement using the formula: "I help [who] [do what] so that [outcome]." Test it in three real conversations and refine it based on what makes people lean in.

Step 5 - Reinforcement: track the signals that tell you it's working‍

Since refocusing, I've gotten callbacks from several leading companies that had not responded to my earlier applications. Further, my interview anxiety has calmed considerably. That energy shift told me as much as any callback did. In organizations, early wins are what make a change stick. Careers work the same way.

Action: Choose two or three signals to watch for over 30 days—such as response rate, quality of conversations, and how you feel walking out of an interview—because energy is data.

For hiring managers: constructive feedback is change leadership

The most important person in this story isn't me. It's the hiring manager who took a few minutes to provide useful feedback. Most candidates never hear why they weren't selected. Silence feels kind, but it can leave people spending weeks going in the wrong direction. Clear, respectful feedback about fit is one of the most useful things a leader can provide.

If you manage people, keep these principles in mind:

• Separate fit from value. "This role needs X" lands very differently than telling someone they aren't good enough.
• Be specific. One concrete observation beats a paragraph of encouragement.
• Point forward. If you see where someone's strengths would shine, say so.

You may never know what your constructive feedback sets in motion. In my case, it redirected a career.

For candidates: catch misalignment early

I became Prosci certified after a transformation project where, six weeks in, I discovered another team in the same company was running the exact same initiative. Two groups, one goal, no idea the other existed.

That taught me change management isn't only something you point outward at customers or stakeholders. It's just as valuable turned inward, to catch misalignment before it costs time and money.

My career pivot was a smaller version of the same problem. The feedback didn't change what I had to offer; it showed me where I could make the strongest contribution, and it showed me sooner rather than later. The earlier you catch misalignment, the less costly it is to fix.
‍

Help us help you and others

How are you co-creating the future in your business domain? Choose at least one action below to engage:

• Subscribe to the Creatorbase Brief™ weekly newsletter.
• Apply to join the original Creatorbase® community and media company.
• Participate on a Co-cre8 project team to start your co-creation journey today.