Managing Your Career
When managing your career, the same concept applies, but with a slight twist. It’s important to have goals and associated plans to achieve them, but don’t be rigid in the timing or order.
Clichés are so cliché, but there is often an element of truth in them. For instance, “plan the work, work the plan.” While annoying if said repeatedly, the truth is that planning things out is generally a good thing to do.
Your career is yours, but it’s also influenced by your environment, as there may be opportunities to seize that you never imagined. Or, the timing might be different than your plan, forcing you to be flexible. Have a career plan, but definitely be nimble in its application.
It All Starts With a Plan
If you don’t have a career plan, here are a few simple steps to follow to do so:
Understand Your Values: Through reflection, assessment tools or discussions with a Coach, develop the list of things you really value in your career over the next few years. These values answer you career “why.”
Develop Your Goals: Next, tackle the “what.” Articulate what you want to achieve in your career. This can be positional or role based; however, it might be better to describe the type of things you want to be doing/achieving. This allows for flexibility when the opportunity presents itself.
Create Your Plan: Document “how” you will achieve the goals that align with you values. Some people like very detailed plans; others like a general framework. Either will work.
Share Your Plan: Talk to people in your life and at work about it. At Centric, this might be your Coach, Account Manager or BU Lead (through the PSP/PEP Talk process or ad hoc). It’s important to get feedback on it and let those around you know your plan so they can assist wherever possible.
Review and Update Your Plan: At least quarterly, dust off your plan and take a look at it. Do the values still apply? Have you achieved a goal? Do the steps need to change to take advantage of an opportunity? A quick refresh isn’t hard when a more detailed review is scheduled annually.
You don’t want to be “all talk and no action,” so let your “actions speak louder than words” and create or refresh your career plan this weekend!