1. Career Flow: A Hope-Centred Approach to Career Development
The Career Flow model provides a framework for guiding individuals through phases of Self-Reflection, Self-Clarity, Visioning, Goal Setting, Planning, Implementing, and Adapting. With a central focus on instilling and maintaining hope, this model accommodates the dynamic interaction between individuals and their environments. Career Flow also offers a metaphor for different types of career experiences, including Stillwater, Whitewater, Optimal Flow, Stagnant Water, and even Flow Interrupted – career experiences that resonate with many career practitioners and their clients. The Career Flow workbook, co-authored by Drs. Spencer Niles, Norman Amundson, and Roberta Neault, provides diverse case examples, tips, and practical activities, solidly grounded in theory. This presentation will introduce the model, the metaphor, and practical tips and strategies. Reflect on your own careers as well as your clients’ – learn to navigate through transformational times. Leave inspired, re-energized, and equipped for the important work ahead.
Presented by:
Dr. Roberta Neault

2. Overview Career Flow Model 10 Components of Career Flow
10 Tips to Facilitate Career Flow

3. Career Flow Competencies
Environment
Environment
Self-Reflection
(Self / Circumstances)
Self-Clarity
(Objective, Subjective,
Life role)
Visioning
(Possibilities / Future Outcomes)
Goal Setting & Planning
(Long and Short-Term / Action Steps)
Implementing & Adapting
(Action / Flexibility)
Hope
Environment
Environment

4. 1. Grounded in Theory

5. Theoretical Influences
Positive Psychology
Seligman
Snyder
Csikszentmihalyi
Trait Factor
Parsons
Holland
Developmental
Super
Hansen
Career Responsiveness
Neault

6. 2. Hope-CentrEd Optimism

7. The Hierarchy of Hope Global Domain-specific Goal-specific
I can generally achieve my goals
Domain-specific
I can generally achieve my goals in athletics but I’m less confident about achieving school goals
Goal-specific
I’m generally able to achieve my life goals but not sure that I can earn an “A” in my chemistry exam

8. A Hope-Centered Approach
Goals
Pathways thinking
Agency thinking
We all have possibilities we don’t know about.
We can do things we don’t even dream we can do.
~Dale Carnegie

9. 3. Environmental Impacts

10. Whitewater Potentially engaging Potentially terrifying
Perfect match between challenge and capacity
Potentially terrifying
Too much challenge or insufficient skills/resources

11. Waterfalls Unforeseen obstacles Unprecedented change “Gracious exits”
Knowing when to leave

12. Tsunami Experiences Huge environmental changes
Shifts in flow for large groups of people

13. Career Flow . . . Interrupted
Social and economic trends
Underemployment
Downsizing
Unemployment
Personal issues

14. Out of “Flow” Extreme conditions Insufficient or damaged resources
Far too much or too little challenge
Insufficient or damaged resources
Negative self-talk
Fear
Apathy

15. Stagnant Water Toxic environments No opportunity for movement
Nothing new or creative

16. Stillwater A time to Reflect Re-evaluate Recuperate Reposition
Re-energize

17. Optimal “Flow” Activities that . . . Completely capture our attention
Are appropriately challenging
Allow us to fully express who we are
Reflect our values
Call upon our strengths

18. 4. Self-Reflection

19. 5. Self-Clarity

20. Framework The top half of the Wheel includes external factors
e.g., opportunities, experiences
The bottom half of the Wheel includes personal characteristics
e.g., skills, interests
Reproduced with permission from Career Pathways 2nd Ed. (Amundson & Poehnell, 2008)

21. 6. visioning

22. Forcefield Analysis

23. 7. Goal Setting

24. SMART GOALS
Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-Limited

25. 8. Action Planning

26. 9. Implementing

27. 10. Adapting

28. Career Responsiveness
Emergency Preparedness
Scenario Planning
Benchmarking
Lifelong Learning
Keeping up with Change

29. 10 Components of the Career Flow Model
Grounded in Theory
Hope-Centred Optimism
Environmental Impacts
Self-Reflection
Self-Clarity
Visioning
Goal Setting
Action Planning
Implementing
Adapting

30. 10 Tips to Facilitate Career Flow

31. 1. Establish a relationship

32. 2. Identify a counselling goal

33. 3. Listen to the client’s story

34. 4. Identify themes or inconsistencies

35. 5. Introduce the Career flow metaphor

36. The “Career Flow” Metaphor
Optimal flow
White water
Waterfalls
Tsunamis
Flow interrupted…
Out of flow
Stagnant water
Still water

37. 6. Introduce the model

38. Career Flow Competencies
Environment
Environment
Self-Reflection
(Self / Circumstances)
Self-Clarity
(Objective, Subjective,
Life role)
Visioning
(Possibilities / Future Outcomes)
Goal Setting & Planning
(Long and Short-Term / Action Steps)
Implementing & Adapting
(Action / Flexibility)
Hope
Here’s a full view of the hope-centered career development model. Obviously, we are influenced by our environments, e.g., people, economics, politics, society, technology. When we think about hope, we also need to consider environment circumstances. It is important to think about students and their contexts (school, community, media exposure, etc.).
Environment
Environment

39. 7. Choose a starting point

40. 8. Recognize environmental influences

41. 9. Strengthen hope for the future

42. 10. Evaluate progress and set new goals

43. 10 Tips to Facilitate Career Flow
Establish a relationship
Identify a counselling goal
Listen to the client’s story
Identify themes or inconsistencies
Introduce the flow metaphor
Introduce the model
Choose a starting point
Recognize environmental influences
Strengthen hope for the future
Evaluate progress and set new goals

44. Career Flow: The Book Spencer G. Niles, Norman E. Amundson, Roberta A
Career Flow: The Book Spencer G. Niles, Norman E. Amundson, Roberta A. Neault
Introducing Career Flow
Essential Career Flow Competencies
Pursuing Your Interests (Passions)
Mapping Your Skills
Personality Style
Understanding Values
Connecting With Others: Social, Emotional, and Financial Support
Optimal Career Flow / Setting Goals
Connecting to the World of Work
Turning Possibilities into Realities
Engaging the Search
Career Flow Interrupted - Realizing Your Dreams in Challenging Times
Whitewater and Stillwater
Expanding the Career Flow Metaphor
Career as a journey
Your life as a book
Your legacy
©2011 Pearson Education Inc, Boston, MA

45. Career Flow Competencies
Environment
Environment
Self-Reflection
(Self / Circumstances)
Self-Clarity
(Objective, Subjective,
Life role)
Visioning
(Possibilities / Future Outcomes)
Goal Setting & Planning
(Long and Short-Term / Action Steps)
Implementing & Adapting
(Action / Flexibility)
Hope
Environment
Environment