Does My Career Need a Strategy, Too?
by Barbara Reinhold
Monster Contributing Writer
DEAR COACH: "I'm really confused. The more I read articles telling me change is inevitable and to "follow your bliss," the more I'm wondering if individual planning is really possible. I do some strategic planning for my company and I consider myself an analytical kind of guy, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to apply those principles to myself -- or even whether to try. Can you help me figure this out?"
-- CRAIG
DEAR CRAIG: Louis Pasteur used to say that chance favors the prepared mind. That's as true today, with the old and new economies facing off, as it was in the 19th century, when he was knee-deep in beet juice trying to figure out the mysteries of microbiology and immunity. Scientists have always held that you need a theory, and that you need to be prepared to alter it when the data changes. The same is true for people making decisions about the organizations they lead, and for people trying to make sense of their own careers in such a volatile time. Does your career need a strategy, too? You betcha!
There are two places to be collecting data to feed this strategy: outside yourself and inside yourself. You're probably luckier than most people because you already know about collecting and analyzing information. So the outside part of the routine may be easier for you. Here are some questions you need to be asking about the outside components of your strategy:
1. Is the potential in my field growing?
2. Is my organization a major player in this field?
3. If not a major player, does my organization have a strong niche?
4. Is my role in this organization one that is likely to increase in importance over the next five or so years?
5. Do I have the full support of the people to whom I report? Am I seen as a ''high potential" player? 6. Do I have the credentials I need to move higher in this organization or field?
In all these questions, the right answer is "yes!" If you got a no answer to any of these it's a good sign your strategy needs to include rethinking your industry, your organization and/or your role in it. A performance coach would probably be a good investment for you.
And what about the inside dimensions? These are harder, particularly because they are often frowned upon in executive settings. They have that touchy-feely tone that sends people running for the cover of a good objective analysis. But, this is actually the more important dimension of your strategy because it's directly linked to your emotional and physical well-being.
Try these six questions and see what they tell you. You might want some paper handy to jot down your responses:
1. What do you love most about your work? What percentage of your time is actually spent doing those things?
2. How much do you believe in the work you're doing? Has that increased, decreased or stayed the same over the past five years?
3. Is there anything you'd rather be doing?
4. To what degree is your work compatible with the other parts of your life? (And are there any other parts to your life?)
5. What new ideas, information, technologies or possibilities attract you
now? Which ones might you like to integrate into your work life?
6. What new things would you enjoy studying or learning?
Obviously, the inside questions are a lot harder to work with than the outside ones. But they're essential if you want your external strategies to be built on a strong inner foundation. Much of the career stress and dissatisfaction I encounter in my work has to do either with people trying hard to be good at what they don't really want to do any more, or with employees wanting to keep doing things the market no longer supports. If the answers to your inside questions are disturbing,you might feel better with a career coach or counselor helping you to make sense of your answers.
Both the world of work and the needs, wishes and values of people are changing all the time. The trick to career satisfaction is to keep those changes in sync with each other. When that's not true for you at any point, then it's time to figure out how to change what you're doing or how you're doing it.
So what does Pasteur's quote about chance favoring the prepared mind have to do with your career strategy, Craig? It's like this. When you're alert to both the external factors like new business opportunities, market shifts, emerging technologies and the relative strength of your field and organization, you're constantly ready to take actions that can position you for where you want to be next. In the meantime, being tuned in to your own changing values and needs helps you decide which of many new opportunities could bring you joy and fulfillment. It's definitely not either/or here. You need to stay on top of what's happening "out there,'' and at the same time be on speaking terms with your own mind and body. When you do those things, you'll be maximally prepared to make good strategic decisions. You'll know when to make a calculated big push in the direction you're already going, when to risk adding a new dimension and when to make a lateral or big career change.
Your strategy, therefore, should be about staying aware, on the job and off, of how well yesterday's choices are working for you today. You should also stay aware of what the odds for tomorrow look like. It's an ongoing challenge, and one that you're well-advised to stay ahead of.
Good luck, Craig.
-- CAREER COACH