Do you consider yourself a leader?
A leader creates opportunities for himself or herself. Leaders do not moan and groan about a lack of opportunities to advance their careers. They CREATE opportunities - regardless of their current situation, regardless of their current boss, and regardless of obstacles that appear to stand in the way of reaching their full potential.
The following information is adapted from Leigh Branham's 2005 book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late. I was so impressed by this piece that I decided to share it with you as the Feature Article in this issue of Your Career Advocate!
I hope you enjoy the following material as much as I did. These strategies are empowering and practical, and if you put them into action, you will discover that they work. Enjoy!
- If you're not getting enough feedback and coaching:
-If you believe you're not getting enough feedback and coaching, ask for it.
-If you find it difficult to seek feedback, begin by asking those with whom you are most comfortable.
-Make it a habit to solicit feedback from peers, customers, direct reports, coworkers, and anyone else with whom you may interact, not just the boss.
-If you receive feedback that is too broad or difficult to comprehend, request specific examples.
-Ask to write your own performance objectives or self-assessments if you have never been asked to do so.
-Speak up if you are unhappy with your performance objectives or appraisal results. Try to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement with your supervisor.
-If you believe that changes in external circumstances have forced you to revise your objectives, request a meeting with your supervisor to rewrite them. If your company offers 360-degree feedback assessments, see if you can participate in the process.
-Inquire whether your company offers ready-to-use personality and work-style inventories, employee development planning guides, or competency assessments.
-Change your developmental objectives, your supervisor, or your job if you feel you are spending more time trying to improve your weaknesses than building on your strengths.
-If your company hires outside coaches to help employees, inquire whether they would be willing to provide such coaching at your level.
-If your organization does not hire outside coaches at your level, consider hiring one on your own.
-If you work for a manager who is not interested in coaching or providing you with the feedback you require, consider seeking a new position within the company where you can work for a manager who is.
- If you don't have enough chances for growth and advancement:
-First and foremost, master the job you have now. Remember that fortune favors those who perform admirably today.
-If you're in the wrong job, find a better one. Love what you do, which means discovering your talents, interests, values, and motivations.
Understand how money flows through the organization, what factors cause profit and loss, and how much of that you can influence.
-When there appear to be no open promotions, look for lateral or cross-functional assignments, or create a job that meets unmet company needs and makes use of your talents.
-Seek ongoing learning opportunities, both formal and informal.
-Learn about the career paths of those in positions to which you aspire. Solicit their advice, get realistic job descriptions, and ask them to be your mentor.
-If the position you want is not currently available, look for mini-assignments that will help you prepare and try out pieces of the job.
-Prior to pursuing other opportunities, seek new challenges and satisfying activities in your current job.
Inform your manager about your goals, talents, ideas, and plans so that he or she can provide appropriate feedback, coaching, or sponsorship.
-Act like an entrepreneur to re-energize your career. Begin a new service or business line for the company.
-Before deciding to leave the company, discuss the source of your career frustration with your manager or a trusted mentor.
- If you believe your contributions are not sufficiently valued and recognized:
-Ask your manager to define the outcomes required for job excellence.
Consider whether you are willing to put in the effort and pay the price to achieve your goals.
-Inquire about the criteria used to determine bonuses and raises.
-Consider whether you are willing to put more of your pay at risk in order to receive bonuses based on achieving specific results - rather than simply receiving annual pay raises.
-Compete against yourself, not your peers, to achieve key results.
-Inquire about any new skills that would make you more valuable to the organization.
-Tell your boss how you want to be recognized for your contributions.
-Attend a sales call with a satisfied customer to better understand the worth of your position.
-Make the case for purchasing resources you believe you need by presenting a cost-benefit analysis to your manager.
-Don't wait for your manager to ask for your opinion; instead, share it with him or her at appropriate times.
- If you're feeling stressed and overworked, do the following:
-Recognize that we all have the ability to choose how we react to stressful situations. Train yourself to be more aware of, and accountable for, your choices.
-Prepare the work for the day before. Sort your in-basket by priority and start with the most important items.
-Set aside specific times during the day to check e-mail and voicemail.
-Allow yourself to let go of the need for perfection. In business, very few things must be done perfectly.
-Take advantage of all of your vacation time. Put those dates on your calendar as soon as possible.
-Don't try to do two or three things at once. Chronic multitasking is taxing.
-You should not bring work home with you every night. Instead, occasionally stay later or come in earlier.
-When you are extremely busy and don't want to be distracted, let voicemail answer your phone.
-Block out your calendar ahead of time to ensure you have the uninterrupted time needed to complete a large project or several smaller tasks.
-When dealing with a heavy workload, don't be afraid to seek assistance from coworkers.
-Take short breaks to clear your mind and relax for a few minutes. If possible, get some fresh air outside.
-Take your lunch break away from the office whenever possible, or simply go for a lunchtime walk.
-Increase your delegation.
-Create a morning ritual, such as quiet meditation or reading time, to set the tone for the rest of your day.
-Block out your calendar days ahead of time to ensure that you have enough time between appointments - or to work on important projects uninterrupted.
-If possible, exercise every day.
-If it can help to make your life less complicated and stressful, don't be afraid to ask for flex-time, part-time work, job-sharing, or other family-friendly conditions.
-Seek out new (or old) sources of gratification aside from your job - take up a new (or old) hobby, spend more time with friends and family, take more vacation days, travel more frequently, or treat yourself to a massage - whatever works to bring you more balance.
-If you are in the wrong job or working for a manager who raises your stress levels, make a plan to change your situation and begin implementing it immediately.
-Get enough rest.
- If you believe senior management lacks trust and confidence in you:
-Speak up in meetings and stand firm in your beliefs.
When a leader or manager places trust in you by allowing you to do your job without constant supervision, be ready to take the initiative.
-Demonstrate your desire for a "ownership mentality." Discover how the company makes money and what you can do to help it become more profitable.
-Earn the trust of your company by constantly looking for ways to meet the needs of your customers, or by improving your own skills so that managers will trust you to handle new challenges.
-Allow new leaders to benefit from the benefit of the doubt. Allow them time to communicate and implement their new vision before dismissing it.
