Afleveringen
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Due to unforseen circumstances, I am unable to produce an episode this week. Episodes will resume next week.
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Advancing your position or getting promoted at work can sometimes feel like a struggle. If you are feeling stuck and wondering why you aren't advancing, this week's episode will help you understand the key misconception that most people face and learn some strategies you can put in place to get past it.
As we go through childhood, we are often told that through hard work, we can be successful. While this is true in large part, just by working hard and being good at your job is not always enough to get promoted. Early in your career, when advancement is focused on learning and growing, competence can lead to a promotion. But, once you advance beyond the junior phase, you may find yourself stalled no matter how much you increase your skills.
The biggest factor that is holding you back could be visibility. When the organization is deciding on who is promoted and who is not, the leaders need to know who you are and what value you have provided to the team.
If you are unsure if you have a visibility problem, consider the following:
Does your boss just know the status of the project, or does your boss also know what you contributed to the project? How often are your projects mentioned in the wider organization? Do you have a relationship with your boss' peers and leaders?If you can't answer yes to each one of those questions, any struggles you experience when it comes to advancement can be traced back to the lack of visibility. When promotion discussions are held, it's a lot easier for your boss to justify the promotion to their peers when you are visible.
When it comes to visibility, everything starts with actually performing your duties. But, after that, you have to sell yourself. Most people are uncomfortable with self-promotion because it can feel awkward or like you are bragging, but if you want to progress, you will need to get past those feelings. It's not about bragging as much as it is about factually stating your accomplishments and the value that they provide. Review Episode 018 - Selling Yourself (https://www.managingacareer.com/18) and Episode 044 - Reporting Status (https://www.managingacareer.com/44) for insights into how best to communicate your value to various management levels.
One way to ensure that your status does not come across as being braggadocious is to communicate it regularly. If you send status focused on larger items either irregularly or only when asking for a promotion, it will appear to be insincere. Instead send a weekly status to your boss and communicate progress on assignments of all sizes. Once per month or once per quarter, include a recap where you highlight the larger items that were reported on previous status reports.
Beyond just reporting status, you need to make yourself known to other teams throughout your organization. Part of being known is creating a Personal Brand as covered in Episode 043 (https://www.managingacareer.com/43). But you must also engage with those other teams. Organize cross-team sessions where you share ideas and techniques. Participate in departmental social events. And, through it all, build your brand.
The last thing you need to do in order to build visibility is to build relationships with your manager's peers such that you find an advocate or sponsor. When you've identified someone that will support you, meet with them regularly and talk about how the work that you are doing aligns with their goals and how you can help them. When your manager elevates your name as a promotion candidate, your sponsor will add their support increasing the chances that your promotion will be approved.
Is visibility something that you struggle with? I'd love to hear about how you've overcome this. And if there is something else that is keeping you from the advancement you seek, let me know and I'll cover that topic on a future episode. You can send your stories on the ManagingACareer.com website via the contact form (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/) or leave me a voicemail through your computer.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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If you pay attention to what is going on within your company you can often see what direction things are going to go. With this warning, you can PRE-act to upcoming changes instead of RE-acting to them. This proactive stance will put you in the best position to succeed when those changes happen.
Whether the changes are localized within your department or if there are larger changes coming that impact the entire company, everything starts with understanding who are the key players in decisions at each level. You can start with people in positions of power such as the CEO or a department head, but key players could also be individuals with significant influence over those people in key leadership roles. These people may not be within your immediate network, but make every effort to understand what their priorities are.
When you know who the key players are, look at how they make decisions. Are they someone who is driven by emotion or facts? Are they strategic or tactical? Do they look for consensus or do they make the decision on their own? The insight into the decision making process can help you anticipate how and when decisions will be made. For example, If the decision is being made emotionally, when a triggering event happens, you can prepare for an emotional reaction to that event. Whereas if decisions are made based on facts, you can expect that those decisions are made methodically with great care.
Listen to the language that these key players use when they talk about the concerns of the company; especially when their language changes. Most companies are for-profit entities and money is a huge driver of many decisions. As such, focus on revenue, expenses, or margin will lead to different decisions all with the goal of increasing company profits. If the executives focus on revenue in all of their speeches and newsletters, you can expect decisions focused on increasing sales. If they focus on expenses, decisions will usually be focused on reducing overhead and cutting things they consider non-essential. With a focus on margin, look for negotiations around material costs and an investment in technology that offers process improvements.
The last factor to pay attention to in order to predict company change is to be aware of what is happening in your industry overall. If your competitors are having a different level of success, look for your leaders to make decisions to capitalize on those discrepancies. If new regulations are being discussed, what changes will that drive for your company? Are there new ideas or new technologies that you company can benefit from and how will they be adopted by your company?
Once you have some insight into the factors that could lead to change, you can use this knowledge to begin to predict what changes may be coming for you. These predictions can give you an opportunity to get ahead of the change and potentially influence how it impacts you.
If you are already aligned with the key decision makers, use this connection and your influence to turn the decision your direction. Even better if you have predicted the change before they have as it will strengthen the relationship and showcase your ability to think strategically. Look ahead to the potential choices and identify the ones that are most advantageous to you. Put together a justification for these options and present your case to the decision maker. Even if the final decision doesn't go your way, a compelling argument will usually provide some benefit for you.
Whether you have influence over the potential decision or not, understanding what's coming gives you time to react before the actual decision is made. If processes or technologies are changing, learn everything you can about them beforehand; become the resident expert. If your area will see growth, position yourself to take on higher level work potentially even with a transition to a leadership role. If your department will be impacted by budget cuts, spend time communicating the value you provide to set you apart from others and reducing the chance that you will be impacted by any reductions. Episode 44 (https://www.managingacareer.com/44) provides more insight into Reporting Status.
A career coach can help you gain the foresight you need to get ahead. I would love to be that coach for you. Reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/). I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your situation. If we are a good fit, we can schedule regular sessions to help you get your career on the right track.
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At some point, you may find yourself in a position where you are able to attend an industry conference. When this happens, with enough planning, you can leverage this conference to help advance your career.
At any conference, there will be panels, talks, and sessions by industry experts. These can help you understand upcoming changes to any regulations that apply to your industry. They can also offer new techniques and solutions to problems that you may have been facing. Often, the speakers also represent the companies that create the software commonly used in the industry and you can learn about new features that are coming to the tools that you use.
Before you travel to the conference, review the schedule of talks and identify the ones most relevant to your projects. Also talk with your leader and teammates to see if any of the presentations will cover topics that will benefit them. There will often be overlapping events, so identifying the most important sessions will let you plan your daily schedule. It will also let you identify alternative sessions so that if your primary session is full or underwhelming, you can attend a different presentation that will still provide some value.
During each presentation, make every effort to remove any distractions. Turn off the alerts from your phone. Position yourself where you can see anything projected on the screens as well as the presenter. Be sure to take notes of the most important points. Over the course of the conference, you will be hearing a lot of new information and it may be difficult to remember it all without good notes.
Beyond the opportunities for education, the other major activity at a conference is to network and socialize. Try to get to the conference city a day early so that you can attend any kick-off social events. Include time during your day to gather in the common areas and talk to attendees. Make a note of the speakers that had the most insightful talks and look for opportunities to connect with them outside of the meeting rooms; unless they are a major keynote speaker, they are usually excited to talk with conference attendees.
If this is not the first time you've attended this industry conference, reach out to everyone that you have met during previous years and arrange to meet with them again this year. This will strengthen these connections and allow you to compare notes on how others are progressing in your industry. Have them introduce you to others attending in order to grow your network faster.
If you are introverted, networking may not come easy to you. Take advantage of the quieter times in the conference when you can mingle in smaller groups. Leverage the fact that those attending the conference work in a similar field as you so there is a common topic for starting conversations. And when in doubt, stand next to someone who is outgoing and wait for them to bring you into their conversation.
Send an email to each person that you meet as soon as you have any sort of break. In that email summarize the conversation and offer to follow up after the conference. This will help you remember not just who you talked to but what you discussed. Fostering these connections will pave the way for future collaborations or even recruiting opportunities.
Be sure to visit the expo floor during the conference, too. Beyond just the conference swag, walking the floor can help you find new tools and technologies that may not be covered in any of the presentations that you attended. You can also meet vendor contacts which can help you bypass any of the red tape in getting support for the tools that you use.
After you return home from the conference, schedule a recap session with your leader and coworkers. Go over the highlights from the important sessions, especially those that discussed upcoming changes to the tools used by your company or any new government regulations that apply to your industry. Send an introductory email between your team and any vendor contacts so that they can extend their network, too.
Lastly, reflect on what you've learned and look for ways that you can inject new ideas into how your company works. In Episode 049, I covered thinking strategically (https://www.managingacareer.com/49). Use the insights you gained at the conference to understand the competitive landscape of your industry and to guide your solutions to these bigger problems.
I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes.
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I've mentioned Jackie Simon in the past. If you aren't following her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiesimon1/), you should. She's a leadership coach and regularly posts some insightful content. This week's episode of the ManagingACareer.com podcast is inspired by a post she made this week on Delegation vs Leverage (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jackiesimon1_delegating-wont-get-you-promoted-activity-7230196646461026304-D_UT). Links to Jackie's profile and the inspiration post will be in the show notes for this episode.
As with anything, we start with definitions to establish a context for further discussion. Delegation is assigning tasks to others. Leverage is using your resources (including people resources) to complete your work more effectively. While they can seem very similar, the differentiator is the goals and outcomes of the action.
Way back in Episode 001 of this podcast (https://www.managingacareer.com/1), I covered Higher Level Tasks. In that episode, I covered that your goal should be transitioning from process driven tasks to tasks that rely more on your personal discretion and judgement. Part of this transition is delegating lower level tasks.
The goal of delegation is to pass activities that distract you from more strategic work to someone else. You do this because the task needs to be done but you are less focused on HOW it's performed. If done well, delegation is an opportunity to build trust with those that you delegate to because it helps them expand their role and provides them a level of autonomy. However, done poorly and they can feel a level of resentment when the delegated tasks are menial or if you continue to inject too much influence into the details of their performance of the task.
When it comes to leverage, however, the goal is to continue to be involved in the task but to bring others into the activity. You may need to augment your skills by bringing in an expert. If the task requires navigating tough political waters, you may look to leverage someone with the right connections. Another reason to use leverage is when you are mentoring someone and you get them involved in order to expose them to new situations. The focus with leverage is to multiply your efforts through the resources available to you.
Delegate small, routine tasks. Delegate to divide and conquer. Delegate to grow your team. Use leverage for those impactful, strategic, higher level tasks. Use leverage to augment your abilities. Use leverage to grow your network.
In Episode 006 (https://www.managingacareer.com/6), I introduced the concept of the Eisenhower Decision Matrix. This matrix divides work based on two scales: Urgency and Importance. This results in four quadrants: Urgent and Important known as the DO NOW quadrant; Important but not Urgent known as the SCHEDULE quadrant; Urgent but not Important known as the DELEGATE quadrant; and neither Important nor Urgent known as the IGNORE quadrant. This can be a useful way to determine which of your tasks would benefit from delegation and which would benefit from leverage.
By definition, work that is urgent but not important falls into the DELEGATE quadrant, but there may also be opportunities to delegate some of the tasks that are in the DO NOW quadrant. If you have trusted members of your team that have shown growth or when specific skills are needed to accomplish them, consider delegating some of these urgent and important tasks within your team.
When it comes to Leverage, the SCHEDULE quadrant is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of Leverage. This work is strategic in nature and being able to leverage your connections to make progress on these tasks while continuing to put focus on the work in the DO NOW quadrant will allow you to showcase your impact to the organization. Speaking of the DO NOW quadrant, this is another opportunity to apply leverage to remove any roadblocks preventing you from doing the things that should receive your primary attention.
I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes.
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In today's episode of the ManagingACareer.com podcast, we take a look at a framework you can use to evaluate whether your current role will have a positive impact on your ability to advance your career. This framework is supported by four E's: Enablement, Empowerment, Engagement, and Enthusiasm.
Enablement: The first E is Enablement. In Episode 51 - Success or Failure (https://www.managingacareer.com/51), I use the quote from Alexander Graham Bell, "the only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action." A big factor in your ability to take action is whether or not you are enabled you to perform your role.
Enablement refers to the support you receive to actually perform the duties of your role. Do you have the tools and access you need to be successful? When you face barriers, do your leaders help you break past them? Do you have a clear understanding of the expectations of the role?
If you are a leader or a senior member of the team, how do you enable the rest of your team to perform their duties? Do you provide the documentation and SOPs that junior members require? Review Episode 5 (https://www.managingacareer.com/5) on how Documenting Your Work can help you get ahead. Do you carve out time from your day to mentor others on your team? Review Episode 3 for more insights about Mentoring (https://www.managingacareer.com/3).
When you are enabled, you will have confidence that you can be successful in your current role. When you are enabled, you have the tools you need to be efficient.
Empowerment: The second E is Empowerment. Where Enablement is about having the tools needed to perform your duties, Empowerment is about having the authority to perform your duties. If you have to check in with someone else for every decision you need to make, it can be demoralizing and discouraging. When you are empowered to make decisions, you will take initiative and drive results proactively.
When you have responsibility of others on the team, do you empower them? Delegating decision making can free you up to do more important tasks. It will also lead to team that is more satisfied and more willing to follow your leadership.
Engagement: The third E is Engagement. Engagement is when you feel connected to your work and have a desire to complete your duties at the highest level of quality. When there is a clear link between your role and your company goals you will have a higher level of satisfaction and be more willing to see things through.
When the work you perform aligns with your goals, successful completion will lead to a positive performance review and the rewards and recognition associated with those reviews and ultimately to the advancement you seek.
Enthusiasm: The final E is Enthusiasm. With Engagement being your connection to your company goals, Enthusiasm is your connection to your personal goals. Alignment with your interests and desires makes work easy. You don't need to be convinced to do the work because ultimately, it's what you want to do.
I speak often about the Individual Development Plan and how it can help you identify the path you want your career to take. When your role aligns with your Career Vision (see Episode 37 - https://www.managingacareer.com/37), this linkage will provide personal motivation because you see how it will lead you to your ultimate goal.
As a leader, watch for members of your team who only half-heartedly complete their work. There may be a mismatch between what you are asking them to do and their interests.
Enablement, Empowerment, Engagement, and Enthusiasm. Resulting in Confidence, Initiative, Satisfaction, and Motivation. When your job provides you with all of these factors, career progression is just a matter of time. When any one of them are missing, reach out to your leaders and have a conversation on how, together, you can resolve that.
I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes.
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Having regular conversations with your manager is important to ensure that you are on track for your desired career growth. But just as important is to occasionally have similar conversations with your skip level leaders.
When it comes to skip level one-on-ones, there are three key outcomes to look for. First, is to build a relationship with your leaders. Second is to have an opportunity to highlight your contributions to the organization. And third is to have more insight into the direction that your leader is driving the team. Even just requesting the one-on-one will help you stand out when it comes time for promotions because most people never request a skip level meeting. This one act shows your leader that you are proactive and interested in advancing your career.
Building a relationship. Unless you work for a very small company, your leaders are responsible for a lot of people; potentially a couple of hundred in larger companies. It is very rare for your skip level manager to know much about you individually. Requesting a one-on-one with them allows you to get to know them on a more personal level and for them to get to know you better. People are more likely to help people they like, so establishing a positive relationship and not just engaging in small talk should improve your chances of better assignments and eventually career advancement.
Showcasing your contributions. When the conversation eventually turns towards your work, this is your chance to practice your presentation skills. Episode 056 covered Presenting to Leaders (https://www.managingacareer.com/56); revisiting that episode should help you here. If you think about the scope and timelines that you are responsible for compared to those of your skip level leaders, their focus is on larger efforts and longer time horizons. So, as you describe your recent accomplishments, make sure you focus on describing them in relationship to the bigger picture. Many of the insights from Episode 44 - Reporting Status (https://www.managingacareer.com/44) apply when communicating verbally, too. Focusing your contributions in terms of value produced will ensure that your skip level leader can relate what you do to the things that they care about.
One of the benefits of presenting your contributions in the context of value to the organization is that it signals to your leader that you are starting to think strategically. Back in Episode 49 (https://www.managingacareer.com/49), I cover several ways that you can transition to more strategic work and having your skip level leader recognize that growth should help.
Gain Insight. The third goal of a skip level one-on-one is to learn about the direction of the organization from your leader. The purpose of this isn't to feed the rumor mill. Use this time to understand the drivers for the decisions that they make and figure out how those drivers can also be applied to your priorities. How can you leverage these insights to devise an idea that involves a bigger scope than your current level of responsibilities? Don't try to formulate the idea and make the pitch during your skip level one-on-one, but by understanding how your leader thinks and knowing what aspects are important to them, you can look for opportunities where you can expand your role.
After your one-on-one is finished, spend the next few weeks refining your pitch. Reach out to trusted peers and mentors to vet the idea. Along the way, socialize the idea with decision makers and direct reports of your skip level leader. By winning over support, when you finally present your idea, it will be much easier to convince your skip level leader to adopt your idea.
I would love to hear some stories of how this podcast has helped you in your pursuit of career advancement. Go to the ManagingACareer.com website and leave a message via the Contact form (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/) or click the button to leave a voicemail via your computer. Tell me which episodes have had the biggest impact for you. If I get enough feedback, I'll start including them in upcoming episodes.
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I was hosting a coaching call the other day and I wanted to share the problem that we discussed in case you are experiencing a similar situation. The person I was speaking to has an issue where their manager is actively sabotaging their career development. If you want to be successful, you have to take control of your career because no one else will do it for you. And when your leader creates roadblocks that prevent you from growing the way that you wish, it becomes even more important to own your own career.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, the first thing you need to do is to try to identify why your leader might be behaving this way.
Your manager may have some form of bias. This could be a form of prejudice such as racism or sexism that should be addressed with HR or it could just be as simple as playing favorites with others on the team. Your manager might feel threatened by you. There are several reasons why your manager could have these feelings from being a below average performer to being new to the role. Another reason that your manager may not support you is that they may just not be aware of what it actually takes for you to advance. Though, if you have been following this podcast for any length of time, I regularly encourage you to have career conversations with your leader to ensure that they are invested in your development.By understanding the source of the problem, you can adjust your approach towards finding a resolution.
Start by having a conversation with your manager for feedback on your performance. Prior to this conversation, review Episode 012 - Receiving Effective Feedback (https://www.managingacareer.com/12). It may be a difficult conversation given the contentious relationship you may have, but it is important to maintain a level of professionalism and avoid getting defensive about anything your manager says. Ideally, you don't react at all to any faults that your manager indicates -- whether true or not. Even if they are actively preventing your progress, there will still be items that they think you should work on.
Your goal with this feedback is to spend the rest of the year generating evidence to counter each believe. For instance, if there are skills that your leader thinks you are weak in, look for training that can supplement your abilities and try to find opportunities to showcase them to your organization. Use this evidence during your performance review to prove that these are not weaknesses.
If your leader believes that you have issues related to your performance on assignments or projects, create a weekly status report. Review Episode 044 - Reporting Status (https://www.managingacareer.com/44) for some guidelines on what makes a good status report. This status report should be sent to your manager, the project manager, and your manager's leader. It is important that your status report include not just the activities that you have completed or made progress on, but also the value that those activities provide to the company -- in dollar amounts if possible. Additionally, relate the status back to your annual goals and your personal career goals.
By documenting your performance with a full circle view and sending it to a wider audience, you ensure that your manager is not the only person aware of your performance. When it comes time for your annual performance review, you can summarize the details from all of your status reports and provide details of which of your goals you have completed.
Another strategy to help you when your manager is blocking your career progress is to find an advocate. Episode 029 - Building A Network (https://www.managingacareer.com/29) can give you techniques for meeting and identifying potential advocates. Ideally, your advocate would be someone who is in your organization as either a peer or a senior leader of your manager so that their opinion has weight. When your performance is discussed among the leaders, having and advocate can ensure that someone will be speaking positively about you instead of just hearing the biased opinion of your manager.
If none of these strategies improve the situation, the more severe options is to look elsewhere. If you have an advocate, they may be able to help your find an internal position that you can transfer to. Just be sure to do your homework to ensure that the new situation isn't just perpetuating the problem. If your would-be new manager is friends with your current manager, any bias may carry forward. If there are no internal positions -- or at least none that provide the opportunities you want -- the next step would be to look outside of the company.
If you are facing a challenging situation at work and could use a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/). I'll schedule an introductory session much like the one that inspired this episode and if we are a good fit, we can schedule regular sessions to help you get your career on the right track.
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At the time of this episode, we're a little more than halfway through the current year. Most companies have an annual goal setting process and it's a good time to check in on your progress towards those goals. Waiting until the end of the year to review your progress doesn't give you enough time to react and adjust to ensure success.
In Episode 47 - Annual Goal Setting (https://www.managingacareer.com/47), I go through several frameworks you can use to help define your goals. If you followed the guidelines I provided in that episode, you should have a series of goals that align with the corporate strategies but still provide opportunities for growth and advancement of your career. Each goal should consist of some sort of long-term objective and a list of supporting activities that will help you achieve the objective.
As part of a mid-year evaluation, you should review each of the supporting activities and update the status of them. How many of those activities have you completed? How many have had significant progress? Of the ones that haven't been started, what is preventing your progress?
One aspect of the IDP that I encourage is the section that documents your Successes -- see Episode 39 for more details on this part of the IDP (https://www.managingacareer.com/39). With this review of your progress against your goals, you have an opportunity to boost your motivation by acknowledging the success you have had so far this year and also to spur action knowing that there is still time to achieve everything that you set out to achieve for the year.
Now that you know where you stand with respect to your goals, consider whether they are all still valid. Companies will adjust their goals based on any events going on in the wider market. The priorities of your team may have shifted. Even your personal roadmap may have changed based on things you have learned. If any of these factors apply, use this opportunity to update your goals to align with these new conditions. Even if the overall goal is still valid, it is also an opportunity to redefine the supporting activities to match your current work assignments.
For any goals that you are off track or are blocked by something beyond your control, have a conversation with your leader. How can the two of you work together to get things back on track? Is it a matter of missing resources or aligning your assignments with the activities that support the goal?
Your annual goals should align with both your company and personal objectives, so this midyear review should include progress on your Individual Development Plan (https://www.managingacareer.com/36) as well. Be sure to update your Action Plan (https://www.managingacareer.com/39) but review whether you need to adjust your Roadmap (https://www.managingacareer.com/37) based on how your year has progressed so far.
As I covered in Episode 51 - Success or Failure (https://www.managingacareer.com/51), a large component of success is taking action. There is still plenty of time left in the year to successfully complete your goals, but this review will show you where you need to focus your attention and take action in order to complete your goals.
My goal for this podcast is to continue to grow the audience in order to help as many people as I can advance their careers. To reach this goal, I would appreciate it if you would share this episode with your friends and coworkers. Send them to ManagingACareer.com/follow (https://www.managingacareer.com/follow) which will give them links to everywhere that this podcast can be found.
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Let's talk about credit. I'm not talking about the financial mechanisms by which you borrow money from a bank using plastic card. I'm talking about the type of credit involved when someone receives recognition for work performed.
If we consider our relationship to credit: we can TAKE credit; we can GIVE credit; we can STEAL credit; and we can GIVE AWAY credit. In today's episode, I'm going to talk about each of these different modes and how they can impact your career advancement.
Taking credit. When we perform a task, especially if we do it well, we should be proud and take credit for our work by sharing that information with others; especially with our leaders. Keep a "success diary" of some sort so that you track the things that you do that deserve credit. Whether small or large, track everything. Successes with a more localized impact can still be shared within your project team, but successes with a more wide-spread impact should be shared to higher levels of the organization. Be clear in what was accomplished and your role with bringing it to fruition; just be careful that you don't come across as too braggadocious and share your successes with a level of humility. By making this a regular occurrence, it keeps your leaders aware of the contributions you make which will help them consider you when new opportunities become available.
Giving credit. If others were involved in the success, we move to the next mode, giving credit. If you are keeping a success diary, include documenting the roles other played in making your activities successful. When you share YOUR success whether in meetings or emails, mention the others, too. Most work is done as part of a team and including them in your successes will lead others to reciprocate providing YOU additional recognition with your leaders.
Another aspect of giving credit is when the work of others provides a positive impact to you. Call out the work of others by leveraging any appreciation tools provided by your company. By recognizing the work of others, you'll strengthen your relationships and bring others to WANT to work with you.
If you are a leader of a team, pay special attention to Episode 008 - The Five Recognition Languages. Everyone on your team has a different way that they feel appreciated, so be sure to align giving credit with the form that they prefer. This will ensure that they feel valued and increase the impact of the recognition.
Stealing credit. The opposite of giving credit is stealing credit. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, if you take credit without including others who contributed to the effort, you are stealing credit that they deserve. Another form of stealing credit is if credit is given to the wrong person. Where giving credit can build up a team, no matter how the credit is stolen, it can cause a rift within the team and undermines your credibility.
Giving away credit. The last form of relationship that we have with credit for work performed is when we give away credit. If you allow someone to steal your credit or you don't speak up when credit for your work is stolen or misappropriated, you are giving away credit. If you give away your credit by allowing it to be stolen, you run the risk that person gets opportunities ahead of you.
There may be instances where you might wish to give away credit. An example would be when you have built up significant goodwill but someone else involved in the work has been underappreciated, you may wish to give away your credit to the underappreciated person. In instances like this, you can strengthen your relationship with them. And as I covered in Episode 029 - Building a Network, a strong network is one of the most valuable tools for career advancement.
Earlier in the episode, I mentioned keeping a success diary. If you would like a free template you can use to track YOUR successes, reach out to me via the contact form at the ManagingACareer.com website. I would be happy to send you one.
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I firmly believe that you have to own your career. If you rely on someone else to drive it, it will likely not go in the direction that you want -- if it actually goes anywhere at all. In each episode of this podcast, I cover a topic that makes you think about your career, but taking action is still up to you. Sometimes, we find ourselves procrastinating even when we know we should be acting.
This week, I want to cover several reasons why you may be procrastinating and how to get past them. We know what we SHOULD do, but struggle to find the motivation to do it. So, why do we procrastinate?
The first reason may be the fear of the unknown and the comfort of the known. We know what it's like where we are. It may be "just fine" to continue in our current role. If you've reached a level where you have a fair number of responsibilities and your pay allows you a level of comfort, maintaining the status quo may be more important to you than the risk of what might come next.
The strategy here is to find ways to reduce the risk and get excited about the future. Find someone within the company that has a role similar to your next role that will serve as your mentor. Set up regular time with them to talk about what their day to day activities look like. Ask them what they find fulfilling about the additional responsibilities of that role. Use their insights to identify the areas you are least comfortable with and find opportunities to strengthen them through training or assignments.
The next reason that we procrastinate is not having a clear goal of what actually IS next. I'm a big fan of the Individual Development Plan. The primary reason that I like the IDP is that it provides a systematic approach to help you clarify what your next steps should be. For a refresher on the IDP and how you can use it as a tool for career planning, go back to Episodes 036 through 040 and then reach out via the contact form at ManagingACareer.com to request your free IDP template. Once you have completed your IDP using my template, you will have identified your next role and created an action plan to get you there. This clarity will allow you to break past this source of procrastination.
Another reason that we might procrastinate taking action on our career is being overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done. You may be excited about what is next and have formulated an action plan in your IDP, but if there is too much to do, you may not know how to get started. Pair that with a fear of failure or a desire for perfection and you may feel completely paralyzed when it comes to getting started.
If you find yourself overwhelmed with everything that you need to do, take a step back and find the smallest, easiest task. Success breeds success. A small win provides momentum to the next win. Once you've gained confidence with small, easy steps, you'll be ready to take on the bigger, more important steps. In Episode 051 - Success or Failure, I talk about how taking action can be inspiring and this snowball effect can jump start your career progression.
If you are unable to push past your source of procrastination, it can lead to career stagnation. This can lead to a negative perception about having a lack of ambition. You might also face increased stress as you miss out on promotions and opportunities. You may even lose confidence in yourself and your ability to grow. Just like success breeds success, lack of success can lead to further delays.
One strategy, no matter what is driving your procrastination is to have someone on your side -- your leaders, your mentors, or your coach. Someone that can help you clarify your path forward and provide the motivation you need to take action. If you are interested in career coaching, it is a service I offer. Reach out to me via the contact form on the ManagingACareer.com website and I will set up an introductory session where we can determine if we are a good fit. If we are, we can arrange regular coaching to help you break past your source of procrastination and put your career on the fast track to advancement.
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The other day, I saw a post on LinkedIn by Wes Kao the co-Founder of the Maven learning platform. Her post was a synopsis of an issue of her newsletter that really resonated with me (Link https://newsletter.weskao.com/p/the-unspoken-skill-of-finesse). It was on the topic of Finesse in Communications. You could also think of it as communicating like a leader.
In Wes' article, there was a situation where a customer had asked about the limits of a software system. Several people were in a chat thread formulating a response. The first person offered a factual number based on the highest limit observed in the system. The second person clarified the limit with a lower number that had shown acceptable performance plus a plan to increase the performance for a higher limit. The third person took the response from the second person and reframed it to have less of a negative connotation but still convey the same results.
Finesse is the ability to refine your message based on understanding the situation and the desired outcomes it is the ability to use good judgement in delicate situations. None of the responses were wrong per se, but the first answer could have led to disappointment by the customer if they approached the technical limit and experienced the performance degradations. The second answer provided additional context around the limits but may have caused the customer to look elsewhere for a solution that didn't have those limits. The final answer with a more positive message invited the customer to be optimistic about the solution being able to scale to meet their needs.
For some, the ability to have finesse in their communications may come naturally. But for others, like any skill, you can improve your abilities with focus and practice. The more you practice, the easier it will be to know when to apply finesse and the more likely it will come to you without consciously thinking about it.
First, you need to recognize when situations require finesse to handle. As you start practicing, look for situations where the outcome is not well defined or where there are people involved that you don't regularly interact with. That isn't to say that other situations would not benefit from nuance and finesse, but when you are learning the skill, the situations with the most uncertainty will be the ones most obvious to you that using finesse will be appropriate to lead to a positive result.
Once you have identified a situation to practice your skills, think about your desired outcome and what aspects have the least clarity. When you discuss them with others, pay attention to how the other people react to what you say and how you say it. You aren't just looking for surface level reactions such as responding verbally -- whether in agreement or to counter your points. Look at those micro-reactions such as that fleeting expression when your point hits home before they recompose and make their point. These types of responses can give you clues as to how your approach has been received such as whether it is too direct or needs more context or whether it's too aggressive or too passive. As the interaction proceeds, make adjustments and pay attention to how that changes how your arguments are received.
Finesse is not just about what you say and how you say it, but it's also about what you DON'T say. In Episode 56 - Presenting to Leaders, I talked about how my background in an analytical field lends itself to providing every detail because they all matter when solving technical problems, but when presenting to an executive, I had to focus on stripping my message down to only the most relevant bits. This is another part of exhibiting finesse in your communications. Understanding when to include and when to exclude information to direct the situation towards the outcome you are pushing for. This doesn't mean to lie through omission -- that leads to losing trust. But understanding which details are important to your audience and which details are noise is part of framing your message clarity.
Because finesse is in large part driven by the PEOPLE, there are no hard and fast rules about how to handle each situation. But what you CAN do is bring in someone who has a better handle on how to apply finesse such as Person Three from the example story. Have them observe your approach and provide feedback on how you can do better. You can also watch them when they are interacting with others and then have a review session afterwards where you can ask them about the different decisions they made about how to approach the conversation.
Go read Wes' full article on finesse which you can find linked in the show notes (https://newsletter.weskao.com/p/the-unspoken-skill-of-finesse). There are additional insights and strategies that can help you perfect your finesse skills. Improving your communication skills will help you advance your career no matter what level you are at and finesse is an important aspect of that.
If you would like to be alerted when I release new content, go to ManagingACareer.com/follow for the various platforms where I can be found. Help me spread the word by sending that link to your friends and co-workers, too.
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The goal of most people in the corporate world is to get promoted. Along with that promotion is usually personal growth, more responsibility, and increased pay. But, what happens if you find yourself promoted too soon?
There could be many reasons that you receive a promotion. Someone more senior could have left -- either the team or the company. You could have also pushed for it with your leaders and everything aligned for them to promote you. You may have even received a promotion that you weren't expecting.
When you receive a promotion when you are ready for it, it can be a great experience. But, when you are promoted early, it can lead to possible complications. Check out Episode 26 - Should You Be Promoted for insights into whether you are ready for a promotion or not.
The first complication is not having the necessary skills to perform the new role. Often promotions build on the skills you've already been using but there are additional new skills that you will need to develop. If you are promoted early, you may not have had the time to build those new skills. The more advanced your position, the more you are expected to just "figure it out". As soon as you are notified of your promotion, you should begin working on those skills in whatever form of learning works for you best.
Finding training courses for the more technical skills should be fairly straightforward. When it comes to the soft skills, it may be time to reach out to your mentors or your network to find someone who can provide the insights you need to be successful.
Another complication could be strife within your team. If there is someone else on your team that was angling for the same promotion, they may be resentful if you receive a promotion over them. This may make working with them difficult, especially if you now have a position of authority over them. If you foresee this as being problematic, you will need to work to build -- or rebuild -- that relationship.
If this leadership position is a new type of role for you, you may not be well positioned to navigate these types of relationship problems. Lean on your leader and your human resources department for insights into how to best smooth this rocky situation.
If you feel undeserving of the promotion, you may have a sense of Imposter Syndrome. This complication can completely undermine your ability to be successful in your new role and possibly even future roles. Imposter Syndrome as a topic is very large and I should probably do a future episode on the subject, but the number one way to combat it is to build your confidence.
You probably just said, "That's easier said than done". Confidence comes from skill and experience and support. I've already covered how to build the skills required of your new role. And your mentors, network, leaders, and HR should offer the support you need. The only remaining component is experience and the only way to gain that is to put yourself out there. Go back and review Episode 051 - Success or Failure that talks about how taking action and building on small successes can lead to much greater success. This success will build your confidence and dispel the feeling of Imposter Syndrome.
The final complication is more of a factor of the environment that we currently face. There are many companies that are looking for ways to cut costs or increase profits and one avenue that they pursue to achieve that goal is to reduce their workforce through some sort of layoff. Being promoted early could put you at higher risk of being selected for any pending layoff. With an early promotion, you will be one of the lower performers at your new level until you have addressed the other potential complications. Lower performance combined with higher pay is usually the attributes that lead to selection.
There is no easy solution to this complication because it is more of a factor of the situation. The best you can do is to work quickly to bring your level of performance up to the standards of the role.
If you've listened to most of the other episodes of this podcast, I talk about different things you can focus on that will make you more promotable. You should be prepared with the tools you need so that any promotion does not include any of the above complications.
If you want to be sure to get new episodes when they are released, go to https://ManagingACareer.com/follow to find all of my social media links.
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I was reading an article on LinkedIn by Christine Laperriere that was titled "How to get on the AAA team". This article talks about how a new leader could build a AAA team - a team with the three A's: Accountability, Autonomy, and Authority. From a leader perspective, it's important to build a team that everyone wants to be on, but what about you as an individual, if you are a AAA talent, you can help your leader attract other AAA talent to your team. In this week's episode, I'm going to talk about what it takes for you to become a AAA talent
Accountability is about taking responsibility for your actions and owning the results of them. But beyond just YOUR actions, if you want to stand out, you need to have a sense of ownership for the results of your project and team.
In order to build accountability, start with fulfilling your commitments. If you are assigned a task, see it through to the end. Be clear about the deadlines and raise concerns when they are at risk. Be proactive in clearing roadblocks, the earlier you can clear them, the better. When completing a task, don't just do the bare minimum, but complete your work with the highest quality.
If, in completing your work, you make mistakes, don't be afraid to own them. Go back to Episode 055 - Owning Your Mistakes and review the guidance there.
Once your commitments have been met, you should also look to help your team complete their tasks as much as is within your ability. Do as much as you can to elevate the quality of the team.
When your leader knows that, no matter what, you get stuff done with very little of their oversight, you build their trust. If you consistently deliver their trust will grow. Bringing that accountability to the rest of the team will set a good example and show your leadership skills.
Trust leads to the next A, Autonomy. Once you have proven that you are accountable, your leader will allow you to be more independent and own more decisions. When you are not autonomous, your assignments will sound like a list of tasks to complete - do this, do that. But, as you gain autonomy, your assignments will be less defined and sound more like desired results with a lot of the "how to get there" being left up to you.
To prepare yourself for more and more autonomy, start by mastering the core skills of your field. This knowledge and understanding will provide confidence as you make decisions. Next, work to understand how your tasks fit into the bigger picture. How do the things you are assigned lead to results in alignment with your team's goals?
With a better understanding of the mission of the team, you should begin to understand the priorities of your various tasks. As you complete a task, if you know where that task is leading, start working on the next task without being told. By taking initiative to do the "right" thing next, you'll build additional trust with your leader.
The last thing to work on to build more autonomy is to showcase your decision making skills. When your leader has given you a level of autonomy, they expect you to make some decisions without their input, but larger decisions they may still want to be involved in, at least initially. Instead of bringing the problem to them, bring the problem as well as the solution you would take. By showing them that you would make an acceptable decision, they will let you own larger and larger decisions leading to the final A, Authority.
Authority is the power to make decisions that impact your projects and your team, not just your assigned tasks. You grow your authority by strengthening your relationships with your extended team and sharing what you've learned as you've progressed from an A talent to a AAA talent. This builds credibility such that, not only will you gain trust with your leader, but you will gain trust with the rest of your team. When your team trusts and supports you and you communicate your decisions clearly, your decisions will be followed and your authority will grow.
Taking the steps needed to transform into a AAA talent, will help you grow not just as an individual but as a leader and a teammate that other AAA talent will gravitate towards. Helping your leader build a AAA team reinforces the trust you've gained and will put you on a fast track to advancement.
Do you have questions or topics that you would like me to cover on a future episode? If so, go to the ManagingACareer.com website and submit them via the Contact Form. I would love to be able to help you with your career questions.
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The past few weeks, several of us at my job have been working on a slide deck that will be presented to an executive that is a few levels above mine. The final deck is just three slides, but it took a lot of time to get those three slides nailed down to the ideal content. Most of the time was spent on simplifying the content to only the information that the executive would actually care about and refining the slide design to be more visually focused.
For a deck to only be three slides but for it to take a few weeks to put together might seem like a really long time, but when you are communicating with your leaders, regardless of whether it's your immediate manager or the CEO of the company, it's important to get the message right. Leaders are responsible for teams of people usually spread across several different projects. The higher in the organization, the more teams and the more projects that the leader is responsible for. They usually don't have the attention for nor the time for minutiae.
What this means for you, is that you should focus on providing just enough context for the leader to know the situation and then provide a lens into the most relevant information for them to provide the solution or to make the decision you need them to make. Besides guiding your leader to the topic at hand, a well-crafted presentation will make you seem smart and aware and "leaderly" in the mind of your leader; all aspects that can put you on the fast track to advancement.
Peeling back the layers a little more, what actually makes a well-crafted presentation? It begins with the right structure. Since your leader has limited time, it's important to get to the point quickly. A good structure that maximizes focus with minimal content is the Goal / Problem / Solution structure. This is basically the structure we took with our three slide presentation that we've been working on.
The Goal should set the context of the meeting. Why is this meeting on your leader's calendar -- as opposed to being an email or being a meeting with one of their direct reports? What is the outcome that you are trying to achieve? Ideally, this message can be condensed to a single slide.
The Problem should be where you drive their attention to the specific area that you need assistance with. This is an area that I struggle with because I'm in an analytical field where accuracy and completeness are important. But, when dealing with an executive, too much detail just becomes noise. If you feel that you really must include everything, move it to a back-up slide that isn't part of the core presentation. If there are details that your leader needs that you haven't provided, you can share the content from the backup slide or speak to it directly.
The last area should propose a Solution to your problem. Tell your leader what answer you want them to give you. If you've done all of the leg work and justified your case, your leader will likely agree and send you on your way. If they have insights that you aren't privy to or if your case isn't strong, they may send you back to do more research into possible solutions or they may tell you "no".
I mentioned that one of the other things we spent time on was making the presentation more visual. There's that old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, and the same applies in a presentation. If you've spent a lot of time simplifying the message, particularly such that the problem is boiled down to just the information relevant to the decision you need the executive to make, using a more visual representation instead of just a dump of text allows you to hint to all of the information that was culled. It leads the audience to the fact that there is more there if they need it.
Beyond just making a good presentation and stating your case, there are some other things you can do to increase your chances of a successful request. The first is practice your presentation. The easiest way to combat nervousness -- either from just presenting in general or from addressing senior leadership -- is to just be so comfortable with your content that you can fall back to that to settle your nerves.
The second thing you can do is get people on your side. If you prepare others who will be in room, especially if they have the trust of the leader you will be presenting to, and convince them that your solution is the ideal choice, they will be able to support you during the presentation and provide additional context when the leader asks questions. They can also offer insights into the quality of your presentation before you actually present it.
Regardless of whether you are making a request of your direct manager or the head of the company or anywhere in between, making a clear, concise presentation not only has a higher chance of getting the result that you are going for, but it gives you an opportunity to stand out and be memorable. When you are brought up as a promotion candidate, being remembered -- especially positively -- will make your managers case much easier leading to faster promotions.
If you find the content of the Managing A Career podcast beneficial, share it with your friends and coworkers. And to help me spread the work, go to your podcast platform of choice and leave me a review. Reviews by people like you helps other learn about the value that my podcast provides and helps me grow my audience.
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I was reading through LinkedIn the other day and there was a post by Jason Feifer, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, where he had made a mistake but owning up to it and correcting the issue lead to an overall great outcome. That post inspired this podcast episode.
It can be scary when you make a mistake. Depending on how impactful that mistake is, there is always the possibility of severe repercussions. If you are insecure or unconfident, your first reaction may be to try to hide or cover up the mistake. But, that may actually make the situation worse.
So, what SHOULD you do when you make a mistake?
The first thing you should do is acknowledge that you made a mistake. This doesn't have to be an overly complex statement, just state what you did wrong and don't try to deflect blame to others.
Next, explain the situation that lead to the mistake. This isn't an opportunity to make excuses. If possible, offer potential solutions so that the mistake can be avoided in the future. Even if you don't have a solution, by describing the root cause, your team will have the information they need to make any required adjustments.
After acknowledging your mistake and explaining the situation, the next thing you should do is apologize. Be clear and genuine and show that the negative results were not intentional.
Next, you should address the impact your mistake has had and how you are mitigating that impact. What steps have you taken so far to correct it? How have those steps improved the situation? What steps will you be taking in the future?
The last thing you should do when you make a mistake is reflect on the situation and determine what you can learn from it. In your next one-on-one or coaching session, be sure to bring it up to get insights from your leaders and mentors on how this situation can lead to personal growth.
If you take those steps to address your mistakes, you will find that once the frustration with the immediate situation has passed, owning your mistake will lead to a greater sense of trust between you and your team. The demonstration of accountability and the willingness to learn and grow allows the team to know that you are team-focused and not self-serving. This can build credibility with the team. If you have a position of leadership, it sets a positive example and encourages the team to be more transparent.
One thing that WON'T be a mistake is engaging with a career coach the help you learn and grow as you advance your career. Reach out to me via the contact form on the ManagingACareer.com website. I will arrange an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and how I can help. If we are a good fit, we can schedule regular coaching sessions or I can refer you to other coaches I know that may suit your needs.
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I focus a lot on the Individual Development Plan or IDP as a tool for managing your career. As a singular document, it encapsulates where you want your career to go and the steps it will take to get there. If you need to review the IDP, refer back to Episodes 036 through 040 where I break down each section. But if you are unsure of what that end goal should be, understanding your WHY may help you resolve that problem.
Have you ever spent time of self-reflection on your motivations for choosing the work that you do? To determine what your primary motivator is, think back to moments in your career when you felt the best. What were you doing at the time? What had you just achieved? Why was that the specific time that mattered most?
When I talk about motivation, I'm not referring to being able to pay for food, shelter, and basic necessities -- essentially anything required to support your family. Those things are all important but those needs could be met by various jobs. What is it about your current field that keeps you going? Let's take a look at several common motivators.
Financial - One possible motivator is financial. Beyond just meeting your basic needs, those that are financially motivated choose a career based on its potential for higher levels of income.
Altruistic - Some people are motivated by the impact their work has on the world. Those that choose humanitarian or environmentally focused careers or that work for socially conscious companies are likely motivated by altruistic impact.
Intellectual - If you enjoy the quest for knowledge or the challenge of solving complex problems, you might be intellectually motivated. Classic examples of this type of motivation are scientific and engineering focused careers.
Self-Fulfillment - Some people are motivated when their work aligns with their personal interests. If you find joy and your work aligns with your passions, then personal fulfillment could be the source of your motivation.
Social - When the relationship and comradery you have with your coworkers or being able to engage with customers is what keeps you going, you are socially motivated.
Advancement - The final form of motivation that I want to cover is that of career advancement. Some people are motivated by their career growth and the chase of higher and higher titles.
Regardless of whether you are Financially, Altruistically, Intellectually, Self-Fulfillment, Socially, or Advancement motivated, does your role provide you with opportunities to meet your motivations? What about the company or team that you work on? Based on the typical progression in your job at your company, will you continue to build on the aspects that bring you career satisfaction?
If the answer to any of those questions is no, you may want to consider a transition to something else. That doesn't necessarily mean that you need to quit your job or leave your current company, but finding a role that aligns with your WHY will allow you to enjoy your work more.
For example, if you are motivated by social engagement it may just be that your current team is geographically dispersed and you may need to transfer to a team that is all located in the same city. If you are intellectually motivated but have been in the same position for several years, you may no longer be challenged by the problems you face and you just need to work with your leader on being assigned to a project that leverages new technologies or techniques. However, if you are altruistically motivated and want to improve the environment, that may mean switching to a company that better meets that mission.
Regardless of your motivation, if you are struggling deciding on your career vision, have a conversation with your manager, a mentor, or a trusted peer and explain to them what motivates you and how your current role does or does not satisfy that. They can help brainstorm a career path that helps you find fulfillment. Use this information to revisit your IDP and put a plan in place that will get you there.
I hope that this episode has helped you think about your WHY and how a career in alignment with it will give you a better sense of success for whatever success means to you. If you need someone to help define a career roadmap that helps bring you a higher level of enjoyment, I'm available for career coaching. If you reach out to me via the contact form on the ManagingACareer.com website, I will arrange an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals. If we are a good fit, we can set up regular coaching sessions or I can refer you to other coaches that may suit your needs.
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There is a lot of uncertainty in the job market right now with so many news stories talking about this company or that company laying of large portions of their workforce. If you've been following the guidance that I've shared in the various episodes of this podcast, you've likely done all within your power to keep your name off of "the list", but sometimes, no matter what you do, you could find yourself impacted by a layoff.
When you lose your job, it's ok to have feelings. Acknowledge them. Work through them. Find support for them. In Episode 043 - Mental Health and You, I cover several resources and strategies that may help you in this situation. Additionally, most companies offer counselling services to those affected by a layoff; take advantage of them if you need them. If you need an escape, spend a few days taking a mental vacation so that you can return refreshed and able to focus on finding new employment.
Once you have recovered from the initial shock, the next phase is to address short-term needs. Begin by understanding what, if any, severance is offered -- not just monetary, but how long will your health insurance continue, what sort of job placement assistance will be offered, etc. Additionally, apply for any government unemployment benefits as soon as possible. It usually takes time for those processes to complete, so starting early ensure a minimal gap before they begin.
Once your immediate personal needs have been addressed, the next steps are to prepare for the upcoming job search. If you are like most people, you haven't kept your resume up to date because there wasn't a need. Take some time to review and update it. If you were offered job placement assistance as part of your severance package, that usually includes someone available to help revise your resume. Don't forget to review and update any online profiles such as LinkedIn or job boards as well.
Before you begin the actual job search, it's a good time to reflect on WHY you were let go. Why were you selected instead of your peers? What skills should you work on while you look for a job? This is also a good time to look at new skills that you can develop that can open up additional options for potential jobs. Use your time away from the daily grind to focus on learning and growth.
In Episode 029 - Building a Network, I had covered how to expand your network. You don't build a network overnight, but if you've spent time building a strong network, now is the perfect time to take advantage of it. As a personal anecdote, other than my very first job in high school, every job I've ever had can be traced back to my network in some capacity. Reach out to those that you know to see if they have leads and connections on a new job.
At this point, you are ready to begin the actual search. Determine what your ideal situation will be and target jobs that meet that criteria. Will you look for a similar job to the one you had or will you leverage new skills that you are building to transition to a different type of job? Would you be open to considering a freelance or contractor position? Is this a good time to consider a management position? Early in your job search, it's ok to be selective. But the longer the search goes, the more flexible you may need to be, based on your personal situation.
Job hunting can be trying and stressful. It is good to have someone on your side during this process. Don't be afraid to engage a personal Mentor or a Career Coach to help you with the process. They can help you review your plan and practice interview techniques so that you are better positioned to land the job that you want. There may even be instances where you will want to use a Placement Firm to aid your search -- for instance, many executive positions are not listed on the public job boards and going through a placement firm can get you access to that type of position.
If you treat your search as your job and track your progress like a project, you can distance yourself from negative emotions and keep the focus on the goal. Use the lay off as an opportunity for personal growth. And if you find you need a Career Coach, reach out to my via the ManagingACareer.com contact form. I will schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your goals. If we're a good fit, we can set up regular coaching or I can refer you to other coaches I know that may suit your needs.
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Manager, Leader, Mentor, Coach; all four can help you advance your career. This week, we take a look at each role and how each one can help you in your quest for a promotion.
At the most simplistic level, the roles can be summarized as:
A Manager tells you want to do. A Leader enables you so that you can do it. A Mentor shows you how to do it. And a coach changes the way you think about it.Your manager is responsible for what projects you work on. It's important to have a manager that recognizes both your strengths as well as what skills you need to develop. If they take these things into account when giving you assignments, they can ensure that you are successful while still growing as an individual. And, of course, they are ultimately the decider on whether you are considered for a promotion. With that much control over your activities, you don't need to be best friends with your manager, but you certainly need to build a positive relationship with them.
A leader is someone who inspires and motivates the team. In Episode 016 - What Does It Mean To Be A Leader, I described a leader as someone who enables their team to do MORE. A good leader can remove impediments and provide you with the tools and resources you need to complete your tasks. Leadership can come from people in official leadership positions or from peers that lead informally. Regardless of the source, a good leader will put you in the best position for success.
A mentor is someone -- sometimes on your team, but not always -- that acts as a teacher. Episode 003 - Mentoring goes into types of mentoring in more detail When you are learning a new skill or working in a new company, having a mentor to show you the ropes can help you learn skills faster but also the way to apply those skills in line with how the company values them.
The final role that can help you advance your career is a coach. The role of the coach is to challenge your thinking and get you to look at things from a new angle or with a different mindset. Where leaders and mentors are focused on the shorter term tasks, coaches are looking towards the horizon. A good coach will help you set long term career goals and help you put a plan in place to achieve those goals. Where the mentor is focused on skills and tools that address your current assignments, a coach will focus on skills and tools that will help you grow as an individual. Often, a coach will come from outside of your organization where they will not be restricted in their thinking by the limits and attitudes of everyone else.
If you're lucky, you may find one person that serves all four roles, but that will be rare. More often than not, you will need to find two or three different people to fill them. Managers and Leaders, by their nature, will be people within your team or organization. Mentors and coaches may come from anywhere -- within your company or even externally.
When looking for a mentor or coach, there are several places that you can look.
First, look to more senior or longer tenured members of your team. Even if they are not interested or if they don't feel like a good fit for you specifically, you can leverage their connections to find other candidates. Another source for finding mentors and coaches is to reach out to your network and professional organizations. Ask your personal connections if there is someone that can and will mentor you or if they know someone who will. If you have access to a formal network such as an alumni network of your school or an industry association, they will usually have matching services that will put you in touch with potential mentors and coaches. Lastly, look towards professionals. There are professional coaches that can help with various aspects of your professional career. Whether technical skills or soft skills, look for a coach that is experienced in the areas that you wish to develop.Managers, Leaders, Mentors, and Coaches. Find people who will be on your side and can help you get ahead. Having several people in your cheering section will give you more confidence and support as you continue your career.
In the Managing A Career podcast, I cover short-form topics to challenge your thinking about career advancement. If you are interested in professional coaching, reach out to me via the contact form on the ManagingACareer.com website. I will schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your coaching goals. If we're a good fit, we can set up regular coaching or I can refer you to other coaches I know that may suit your needs.
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The other day, while browsing Facebook, a quote appeared on my feed that I found very inspiring. "The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action" - Alexander Graham Bell. This week, I want to break down why I find this quote so inspiring.
In general, I consider myself a fairly successful person. But most of that success has come from not being afraid of the results and just TRYING…..or using the language of the quote, taking action.
If you are looking to make progress -- on anything -- you can sit an analyze (very likely over analyze), or you can take action. Even when that effort does not produce the desired results, it still provides learnings and guidance for how to refine your approach and take additional action. Regardless of the results, taking action puts you closer to your goal.
In addition to the aspect of progress, taking action also helps resolve fear. Most fear comes from the unknown. Each time you take action, you become more comfortable and familiar with the situation. This results in eliminating doubt and transitioning the unknown that you fear to the known that you can overcome.
The final reason that taking action should be inspiring is the snowball effect. Taking small action leads to small wins. Small wins helps build confidence and momentum leading to bigger actions and bigger wins. Over time, those early small actions have led to exponentially bigger and bigger success.
To reiterate the quote from Alexander Graham Bell, "The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action." Making progress, removing fear, and exponential momentum all leads to success….because you took action.
If you, like me, find this inspiring, the next question is how can you apply this to your career? I stress in the intro and outro of this podcast that taking control of your career is entirely up to you because no one else will do it for you. And part of taking control is to consider your situation and take action to move your career forward.
In previous episodes, I've covered the Individual Development Plan. If you need a refresher on the IDP, a good place to start is Episodes 036 though 040 where I introduce the IDP and then proceed go through the process of creating one. After following the IDP Process, you should have created an Action Plan. If you find yourself struggling to make progress, find the simplest task in the plan and focus on completing it. Let this small action build to others and clarify the unknown.
In addition to the Action Plan, the IDP includes a Successes section. When you find yourself stuck, reflect on your accomplishments. Remember how completing those actions made you feel. Think about how you may have been unsure before you started the task, but once you took action, it built until you completed it.
If taking on tasks from your Action Plan and reviewing your Successes doesn't inspire you to move forward, seek out a mentor, coach, or trusted leader that can provide the motivation that helps you break through and resume career progress.
When you are ready to take action towards advancing your career, go to ManagingACareer.com and request a free IDP Template. The IDP provides a framework for ensuring that the actions you take are in alignment with your career goals and the difference between career success and career failure is taking action that moves you one step closer to your goals.
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