Ask Sanyin: What Matters Most in Evaluating New Opportunities?

I am considering new opportunities after recently stepping down from a leadership role. What used to matter most to me — compensation and growth path — is no longer paramount. What should I prioritize in deciding my next move?

Early in our careers, we tend to focus on financial rewards and growth potential when evaluating job offers. That’s a limited perspective on a major life choice. Your perspective on what matters is broadening; with age we value time more and want to make the most of what we have.

In coaching executives through job transitions like this, I’ve found that it’s helpful to think of the different types of personal capital we accrue in life. When evaluating which activities you take on, consider the following five types of capital in terms of what the opportunity can bring to you and what value you can add.

Financial capital: With a career opportunity, how much money is the job or opportunity worth to me? For a social impact opportunity, how much will I be able to contribute to a cause I care about?

Reputational capital: How will an association with this activity or organization enhance my credibility and influence to be able to do more good things? Or, how will my engagement with this organization or cause increase its credibility and influence?

Intellectual capital: How will engagement in this opportunity enable my growth and learning? What can I contribute from my experiences and learning that can enhance team members’ growth?

Relational capital: We are shaped by the company we keep. Will the people I’m going to work with enhance my character and growth? Will this engagement introduce me to more good people and expand the diversity of my network? What good people in my network can I bring to the engagement and opportunity?

Joy capital: Will taking on this opportunity energize me? (This doesn’t mean that it will be easy but, rather, that it will have meaning and purpose, and your own superpowers can be applied to making a positive difference.) And how can I intentionally, through my presence and actions, contribute a positive energy that can create joyful engagement for the team? On this dimension, positive energy is contagious.

All too often, we over-index on financial and reputational capital. We might be most drawn to an opportunity for its financial rewards and prestige. Or we might take on a board seat because being a director boosts our profile. That’s OK. 

But in evaluating options through the lens of all five types of capital, we might discover there are big potential trade-offs. Misalignment with your values could exhaust your joy capital, or incurious colleagues might limit both your growth in and sharing of intellectual capital.

We should pay particular attention to relational and joy capital. The people we relate with shape our character, challenge our perspectives, and, in the process, help us grow. Healthy networks meet our human need for connection with others. And joy is really about what energizes us and is aligned with our purpose. Both factors contribute to growth and flourishing, helping us become who we aspire to be.

Think through your current opportunities with the five types of capital in mind. When you do so, you may discover that your best chance to grow or make the greatest impact is where you least expected.