Every career event has a structure.

Senior professionals come to me at three distinct moments: when a promotion is stalling or approaching, when a restructuring is underway, or when a new role isn't landing the way it should. Each has its own stages, its own decision points, and its own cost if handled badly.

Who is this for?

The 5 Stages

Every journey through a career event follows the same structure. The situations differ. The stages don't.

Most people in a live career event are too close to see it clearly. Stage 1 is about establishing what is actually happening, not the official version, not what you've been told, but what the signals indicate. Before any move is made, the situation needs to be read accurately.

Stage 1 — Read the situation

Stage 2 — Prepare the move

The outcome of most career events is determined before the event itself. Stage 2 is about sequencing, identifying what needs to happen, in what order, and before which windows close. Preparation is not planning. It is knowing what is still moveable and acting on it while it is.

Stage 3 — Navigate the event

The conversation, the announcement, the decision, the offer. Stage 3 is the event itself, the moment where the preparation either holds or doesn't. How you respond, what you say, what you don't say, and what you put in writing carries consequences that run well beyond the room.

Stage 4 — Make the decision

The event has produced information. Stage 4 is about reading that information clearly and making a contained decision, not reacting to it, not waiting to see what happens next. Every outcome has a right first move. Identifying it before the window closes is the work.

Stage 5 — Act on the outcome

The decision is made. What comes next, a new role, a negotiated exit, a repositioning, needs to be set up correctly from the start. Stage 5 is about making sure the outcome travels with you in the right way: the narrative, the positioning, the compensation anchor, the next move.

What this looks like in your situation.

Select your situation.

The right level of support depends on where you are.

Some people want a thinking partner from the first signal through to the outcome. Others need clarity on one specific stage. All of it starts with a Decision Call.

From Start to Outcome: Covers all 5 stages. You're in a live situation and you want structured support through every stage, reading what's happening, preparing the move, navigating the event, and acting on what comes out of it.

Diagnosis and preparation: You know something is coming. You want a clear read on your position and a sequenced plan before the event happens. Support through Stages 1 and 2, with a written position summary at the end.

The decision in front of you: Something has already happened, an offer is on the table, you've been passed over, an announcement has landed. You need a clear read on your options and a defined next move, quickly.

Not sure where to start?

If your situation isn't listed, that doesn't mean I can't help. Senior career decisions rarely fit neatly into one box. Email lisa@nextpositionadvisory.com and describe your situation in a few lines. I'll tell you honestly whether anything I offer is relevant.