For people in high-accountability roles – executives, managers, and professionals – integrating a program of recovery into an already full career presents a few challenges. Those challenges – real or perceived – fall into the following 3 categories:  time, trust, and tactics.

Time

Newly recovering working professionals can experience panic as they approach their first sober day back at the office.  Some of the thoughts that whirl through their minds are, “Will I have enough time to devote to my recovery?” “How am I going to balance it all?” “How long will it be until I feel normal again?” “What if my recovery activities interrupt my productivity”…or conversely…”What if the demands of my job keep me from recovery activities?”

If you were productive and capable before getting sober, it’s likely you’ll be productive and capable afterward. Getting sober doesn’t make you forget how to do your job. You won’t forget how to perform. Executives won’t forget how to manage business operations and doctors won’t forget how treat patients.  You will naturally know how to do what you did…but now that you’re sober, you’ll be awake!

What will take time is focusing your efforts on the business of staying sober. There will be books to read, meetings to attend, phone calls to make and service to be performed. It will take time. How much time?  That really depends on you.  How committed are you to being sober? Think of it this way: if you really wanted to have a fit, strong, toned body, would you show up at the gym once a month? Probably not. So if you want to transform your life…build a life that is different from the one you had in active addiction…you will need to devote time and attention to your recovery.  (Aren’t you worth it?)

Trust

Professionals in recovery, especially early recovery, question everything and everyone. They say things like, “Can I trust myself to act right in all the stressful situations that are bound to come up at the office?” “Can I trust that I will respond appropriately to all the everyday challenges that arise?”  Answers to these questions naturally emerge as the newly recovering professional performs a searching and fearless inventory. Self-confidence grows by examining who you really are…both positive and negative.

Another matter of trust involves others.  The recovering professional asks, “Who can I trust?” or “What or how much can I share with others?” The old adage “to thine own self be true,” does not give you permission to spill your guts to anyone within earshot.  Information about your recovery is reserved for those who have a stake in your recovery success; that includes your sponsor, your therapist, and your coach.  Trust your sponsor with matters related to your recovery, and trust your boss (or business advisor) with information related to strategic or tactical business matters. Knowing who to rely on for what is really a challenge. And if, like most people, you are not sure, ask your recovery coach.  It’s that person’s job to help you apply recovery principles in your professional life and sort things out in a safe space.

Tactics

Everyone looks for the silver bullet, right?  We all want to know the one, two, threes or the a, b, c’s of doing everything from making the perfect pie crust to having the perfect body.  It’s no different for recovery and career success.  We want to know the “best” way to successfully blend recovery with our profession.

How do you ‘surrender to win’ and still be an effective professional? In business, the tactics/steps necessary to perform your work in line with your company’s mission are typically spelled out in performance plans. Reviewing this information upon your return will be a reminder of what is (and was) expected, but having a frank discussion with your boss (or business advisor) around performance expectations is critical. The people greeting you upon your return to the office have lots of questions.  “What is his/her commitment level?” “What can we expect out of him/her?” Talk about those expectations.  Share your assimilation plan.  Ask for feedback. Schedule frequent meetings with those who hold you accountable in order to check-in on your own progress and invite their input. Not sure how to do this? Ask your coach for insight on these crucial conversations.

Alcoholism/addiction respects no socio-economic boundaries, nor does it bow to any authority. Staying sober requires effort, and it requires commitment. It’s a simple process… simple, not easy. Blending your recovery with your chosen profession also requires a conscious effort. But the reward for those willing to learn is an overwhelming sense of career fulfillment and a peace that comes from being the very best version of yourself.

(Published by www.soberrecovery.com 1/6/15)