Lekan Otufodunrin, career media development specialist reports on the virtual launch of the book How to Design Your Career Game Plan by Colleta Macharia in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ever thought of GAME PLAN, which normally means a strategy for getting something done is an acronym for anything?
I haven’t, but on Saturday, July 27, I and many of the over 50 plus participants at the virtual launch of How to Develop Your Career Game Plan by Colleta Macharia, a career coach from Kenya learnt how the author used the letters of the words to develop a tool for intentional career development.
I will tell you about the apt eight letters in this piece later, but let me first write about the well-coordinated ceremony in Nairobi by Team Macharia, made up of the author, husband, David, David Jr, the son who was the programme anchor and Jonathan, the son who played music during the interlude.
Among others, the programme featured an interview with the author during which she shared her journey from wanting to become an accountant to Career Coach, Christian Leadership Coach and writing, Readers testimonials about what they learnt from the book and call to action on next steps on follow up activities to take the message of the book to the various targeted audience.
The excited responses of the participants who either spoke or shared their comments in the chatbox of the zoom platform confirmed the valuable content of the book.
“I could hear Colleta speaking like when she is training while reading the book,” said Joan Leteipa, who has a Kindle edition while waiting for her print copy.
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“The book is a coaching tool. It’s not just a book about career development, but life generally. It has helped me in parenting and relationships. It addresses the issue of having a game plan and the need to be intentional in getting things done,” she said.
Another reader, Susan Kiamba said of the book: “It is a very practical guide and you feel like the author is holding your hand. It makes you think you can do it. It gives you hope and tips on how to align your career with the reality you are confronted with.”
Explaining why she wrote the book, Colleta said it was borne out of the desire to share from her own experience of dealing with a career dilemma occasioned her family’s multiple relocations and from the experience of supporting other people who experience challenges in their career journeys.
“I wanted to support people who are experiencing a career dilemma about what to go into. I want to help them eliminate the paralysis when they are faced with making career choices,” she stated.
Unlike some self-help prescriptive books, Colleta’s Career Game Plan is more of a How-to guide that offers opportunity and spaces for the readers to think through what they are reading, reflect on how to apply it in their own situations and write about it.
“As a reader, you get to design your own journey and the result you desire. There is the opportunity for co-creating with guidance,” Colleta added stating that she does not want to be a “sage on the stage, but a guide on the side.”
What do the letters of GAME PLAN stand for?
Colleta explains G for Gift, A, Attributes, M, Motivation and E for Experience. The P is for Playground, L, Leverage, A, Articulate and N for Nurture.
One of the readers of the book shared his favourite quote in the book: “When we are conscious of our GAME and the goldmine it is, we can play more strategically leveraging our strength to grow exponentially.”
I can’t wait to get my copy of the book to read.
