Use this Dot Game to help find your next role - it's so simple, it works!

"Hey, what job do you want next?" is a question many of us are asked, yet have a hard time answering. Years ago (and I do mean a lot of years ago!), I was trying to help an employee answer that question, and this silly, yet simple, dot game was born. Here's how it all happened, and I share it with hope that it helps you find your next career step or help someone you are mentoring.

One of my employees, let's just call her Maria, was sitting at a table in my office wondering what role to consider for her next career move. She loved what she was doing, but knew she needed a change. She wanted to get into a people leadership role someday, but thought she might need to do something else first. The company was growing like wildfire, and she was a known, high performer. So, of course, she was often asked, "Hey, what do you want to do next?" When new roles were posted, she didn't know whether or not to apply. She was stuck, and her career was stalling. She asked me for help.

Randomly, I had an org chart printed on my desk and a cup full of markers. After 30 minutes, Maria left my office full of new energy and ideas on potential next roles and lots actionable to dos. She was unstuck! Since that day, I've used this silly dot game - now for over 15 years - with my own career and countless others. Every time the reaction is the same - O.M.G. this is so easy and it helped me think about opportunities I had not thought of before.

Here's how it works:

1. You need a few basic supplies: 3 colored pens - red, green, and yellow and an organization chart (of course you can do this electronically as well).
2. Next, you start at the top and work down the org chart. Stop on each box and mark it red, green, yellow, or leave it blank based on the color guidance below. Don't over think this. It's simple, remember!

3. Your picture might look something like this with some red, green, and yellow dots and some boxes that are blank. Hmmm....

4. Now, here's the fun part. Reflect and ask yourself some questions about what you see:

• How many are GREEN?  Do they cluster around a type of role or part of your organization?  Who can you call to learn more about these roles and find out if they are truly green for you?
• How many are RED?  Do you know someone in one of these roles and are you willing to call them to say, "Hey - I'm working on my career development plan, and from what I know, your role is not one I'm interested in. However, I'd love to learn more about what you do to make sure I am not ruling something out I would really enjoy. Can you tell me more?"
• Look at your YELLOWS.  Seek ways to meet people in these roles and learn more about them so you can make them green or red.
• Now, think about the BLANK ones. Perhaps you don't know a lot about your organization and all the jobs it offers. That's great to know, and something that is fun to action. Get to know your company - start discovering!
• Finally, prepare for the roles you want. If you interviewed tomorrow for your GREEN roles, what skills or experiences would prevent you from being the best qualified candidate? 

That's it! Ridiculously simple. 3 colors and an org chart can really help you see what jobs you are interested in, challenge some of the ones you might be ruling out, and also expand your awareness of roles that you might not know about. This world is full of amazing opportunities, and finding them is half the fun! Good luck!