Spring means many things to different people. For me it’s a time of year when I find new projects to do around the house. It’s not that I enjoy doing this work but I know that certain improvements need to be made, not only to maintain the upkeep on my house but to enhance the quality of my life while I live there.
Searching for projects to improve your life should not be limited to your brick and mortar house. This same “walk around your professional house” can and should be applied to you, your career, and your business.
Have you stepped back lately and taken a long hard look at where you are in your career versus where you wanted or thought you would be? Some of us start out with a Plan – a Plan A. Your Plan A could have been developed early on in your career or been one that developed over time.
Either way, Plan A should be a moving target. If it’s not and you haven’t progressed in the way you wanted or anticipated, then you are living Plan B.
Having the presence of mind to ask yourself some important questions and answer them honestly will enable you to identify the changes you need to make to improve your positioning, give you greater career and business satisfaction, and put you back on track for accomplishing your Plan A.
What are some of the questions you need to ask? We can put them into categories as follows:
How Am I Doing:
– Is my career moving in the direction I expect?
– Does this work still satisfy?
– Is my work still challenging and am I continuing to grow?
– Am I living my plan A or have I inadvertently shifted into a Plan B?
What Do I Need to Make Things Better:
– Are there skills I need to add to improve my positioning?
– Are there other ways where I can add value to my company/clients?
– Are there people who need to be in my network and ultimately my tribe?
– What do I do to increase my visibility with management/target group/clients?
– What kind of help (professional, personal, collegial) do I need to move my career forward?
– Are my goals still realistic?
– Do I need to move out of my comfort zone and if so, how?
Let me be clear, I don’t fix things in my house because I love doing it. I do it because it needs to be done. The same holds true for your career. It’s not always fun to put up a mirror that shows every blemish or wrinkle but you can’t make yourself look better if you don’t recognize what’s wrong.
What other questions can you think of that would help you get a better reading on where you stand? Please share them here.
Do you need help in improving your professional house? Contact me.
June 13, 2013
6:37 am
All good questions to ask. Would add “How do others see me?” Very often I find myself speaking to someone and mid-conversation they say” “I never knew you had that experience” or “What an interesting way to frame the situation”. Each day we add to our skill set; choosing the highlights is often easier said than done.
June 13, 2013
7:08 am
Great point Sharon. In fact, understanding how others view you is an integral part of managing your career. So often we have a disjointed view of how others see us. If I were to compare it to something we can all relate to: Have you ever walked down the street and suddenly you catch a glimpse of yourself in a store window and you almost don’t recognize that person? That experience is similar to seeing yourself through other people’s eyes.
There are tools that are available to help you gain that perspective. The 360 Assessment I use with clients does just that. The key though is to act on what you learn. Thanks so much for your comment.