We’ve all experienced the discomfort of finding ourselves at an unexpected dead end. We’re moving along, expecting to continue in one direction, and suddenly, that way isn’t available anymore.

Dead ends may occur many times in our careers. Companies close, departments are reshuffled, critical funding isn’t obtained, and good bosses quit and are replaced by bad ones. Dead ends may come from personal experiences affecting work, like trying to go from full-time to part-time to care for children or parents, only to be told by your current employer that it’s impossible.