Career Development Check List

Transcription

1 + Resources Career Deveopment Check List Simpe To Do List Presentation Check List Stakehoder Anaysis Risk Register Risk Profie Gantt Chart Appraisa Interview Check List Negotiation Check List Option Appraisa Check List EFQM Exceence Mode Baanced Scorecard SWOT Anaysis Interview Assessment Sheet Further Reading

2 170 Resources Career Deveopment Check List The foowing check ist can be adapted according to your individua needs. It shoud be revisited periodicay (at east once every six months) in order to check that you are on course to achieve your career deveopment objectives How ong do I want to be in my current job? What resuts do I need to show by the time I move on? Key achievements New or enhanced experience New or enhanced skis Other Where do I aim to be in five years time? What action do I need to take now in order to get there? Where do I aim to be in ten years time? Is there any action I need to take now in order to ensure that my onger career objective is achievabe?

3 Simpe To Do List Description of Task Priority Resut Needed Deadine 171

4 172 Resources Presentation Check List What s the purpose? Who are the audience? How many? Where from? How much experience? etc What wi the audience expect to get out of it? What are my specific audience-based aims and objectives? What s the setting ike? Type and size of room Seating arrangements Equipment, etc Method to be used (e.g. PowerPoint, Tak book, etc) Length of presentation (normay 20 minutes maximum) Key points to be incuded in the content Anecdotes and exampes to be used How wi I begin the presentation and draw the audience in? How wi I end the presentation?

5 Stakehoder Anaysis A simpe two-axis diagram can provide a usefu structure for prioritizing attention to reevant stakehoders. In identifying stakehoders, remember to incude both interna and externa ones. The axes show infuence and interest : respectivey, how much that individua or organization can affect what happens, and how much they are affected by what happens. Each stakehoder shoud be given a position somewhere on the diagram. If the diagram is put onto a fip chart, whiteboard or arge sheet of paper where it can be preserved and accessed, stakehoders positions can be moved over time to mimic the dynamism of reaity, and new stakehoders can be added as necessary. The amount of infuence and/or interest which each stakehoder has may change over time. The diagram can be set up in the foowing way, with the vertica axis representing a scae from no infuence at a to exceptiona or over-riding infuence, and the horizonta axis from no interest at a to exceptionay strong interest: 100 Infuence 173 Inform Invove 50 Interest Ignore (but watch!) Listen and carry

6 174 Resources Risk Register Every project carries some eement of risk. It s important to identify the risks: 1 assess each one for probabiity and impact 2 consider possibe countermeasures or contingency action It s important that these are proportionate to the risk. A risk register, reviewed and updated at reguar intervas, is a usefu way to record, assess and track risks: Risk Probabiity Impact Owner Countermeasures Status Expanations Risk: Brief description (or ID) of each risk (or obstace) identified Probabiity: Rank: VH (very high), H (high), M (medium), L (ow), VL (very ow) Impact: Rank VH (very high), H (high), M (medium), L (ow), VL (very ow) Owner: Name of the individua responsibe for monitoring the risk and taking any necessary countermeasures Countermeasures: Description of countermeasures or contingency action identified Status: The current state of pay

7 Risk Profie A Risk Profie can provide an overa picture of risks and hep to highight those in respect of which countermeasures are most necessary. For exampe, if five risks have been identified these coud be numbered (1 to 5) and entered in the foowing tabe, with assessments for probabiity entered verticay and for impact horizontay: Very high High Probabiity Medium Low Very Low Very Low Low Medium High Very High 175 Impact

8 176 Resources Gantt Chart January February March Apri May Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E

9 Appraisa Interview Check List The foowing check ist can be used to prepare for an interview appraising individua performance: What evidence is there of performance during the past year? Identify tasks which have been accompished exceptionay we and/or unsatisfactoriy be specific and factua. What factors can you identify that have affected performance (for good or bad)? Divide these into interna factors (i.e. within your own organization) and externa factors Identify new tasks and objectives for the forthcoming year, and put these in order of priority. Aim to reach agreement with the interviewee on a ist of SMART objectives Is there any training or other support that coud hep the interviewee to further improve performance in the job? Is there anything you might suggest that woud hep the interviewee s onger-term career deveopment? 177

10 178 Resources Negotiation Check List Purpose of negotiation Idea outcome Fa back position Bottom ine Key facts and figures Kier arguments Key individuas Supportive: Hostie: Uncertain:

11 Option Appraisa Check List Identify options List the pros and cons of each option Estabish criteria cost practicabiity effectiveness acceptabiity to stakehoders and staff speed of impementation Rank each criterion according to its importance (say on scae of 1 to 5) Consider each option in turn and go through each criterion, awarding points (say from 0 to 10) according to the extent to which it satisfies that criterion Mutipy the points awarded by the weighting given to each criterion Put the resuts into a tabe or onto a spreadsheet for ease of comparison You can now see which option best meets your criteria 179 If there is very itte to choose between your top options, don t be constrained by the arithmetic. Be guided by your experience and instinct.

12 180 Resources EFQM Exceence Mode The European Foundation for Quaity Management (EFQM) Exceence Mode, used beyond the boundaries of Europe, is an assessment too that aows an organization to be compared against best practice. It can be thought of as a arge check ist to hep an organization identify its strengths and weaknesses in a systematic way. The Mode has nine criteria, some (enabers) reating to how an organization does things, and others (resuts) to what the organization achieves in quantified terms: Enabers 1 Leadership 2 Poicy and Strategy 3 Peope 4 Partnerships and Resources 5 Processes Resuts 6 Customer Resuts 7 Peope Resuts 8 Society Resuts 9 Key Performance Resuts The EFQM Exceence Mode can be appied either to an organization as a whoe or to individua units within an organization. It is most commony used as a sef-assessment too, but some organizations have commissioned independent assessments based on the Mode.

13 Baanced Scorecard The Baanced Scorecard is a performance measurement, management and reporting framework that enabes managers to ook at the business from four key perspectives: The customer perspective how do our customers see us? The interna business perspective which processes and competencies do we need to exce at? Innovation and earning perspective how can we continue to improve and exce? Financia perspective how do we ook to our financia stakehoders? Within these four perspectives the organization decides on a series of objectives that are considered to be critica to success. Progress towards these objectives is then tacked through specific measures and targets, with specific initiatives being taken to deiver the improvements necessary to achieve the targets. 181

14 182 Resources SWOT Anaysis SWOT anaysis identifies Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is a simpe and versatie too that can be used for organizations, parts of organizations or individuas. Strengths and weaknesses refer to the present state. Opportunities and threats refer to the future. Here are some exampes of questions that might be asked when conducting a SWOT anaysis: Strengths What is done we? What are your advantages? What unique features or characteristics are in your favor? Consider such questions (a) from your own perspective and (b) from that of others. Be reaistic but modest. Weaknesses What is done bady? What are your disadvantages? What coud be improved? What shoud be avoided? Again, consider (a) from your own perspective and (b) from an externa perspective others may spot weaknesses that you do not. Be reaistic and face up to any unpeasant truths. Opportunities What are the trends? Where might future opportunities arise? Consider, for exampe, ikey changes in: government poicies economic deveopments

15 ...cont d market trends technoogy socia or demographic patterns Threats (incude risks and obstaces) What obstaces are there? Remember: action to contro risk must be proportionate to the risk. How might these change in the future? How are others ikey to react? Assess risks for probabiity and impact Consider: prevention, reduction, contingency action or acceptance. Strengths Weaknesses 183 Opportunities Threats

16 184 Resources Interview Assessment Sheet Criterion A simpe method of assessment is to prepare, for each candidate, a sheet of paper with three coumns, isting each of your seected criteria. Remember that you may want to give more weight to some criteria than to others. Name of candidate: Evidence/comments/observations/ reevant factors Assessment (NS/S/EWS)* NS = Not satisfied S = Satisfied EWS = Exceptionay we satisfied

17 Further Reading Business Coaching in easy steps by Jon Pooe Deveoping your Career in Management by Jeremy G. Thorn Effective Project Management in easy steps by John Carro Embracing Change Essentia Steps to Make Your Future Today by Tony Buzan Giving Great Presentations in easy steps by Drew Provan How to be a Civi Servant by Martin Staney Leadership in easy steps by Jon Pooe Leading Change by John P. Kotter Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fai by R. Meredith Bebin Pubic Speaking in easy steps by Drew Provan Team Roes at Work by R. Meredith Bebin The 7 Habits of Highy Effective Peope by Stephen R. Covey 185 The 80/20 Principe: The Secret of Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch (Nichoas Breaey Pubishing) The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker The Essentia Drucker: the Practice of Management by Peter F. Drucker Who Are You? The Briggs Myers Personaity Indicator and Personaity Types by Stuart Soan Working with Emotiona Inteigence by Danie Coeman For further information from the author, visit:

18 186 Resources Excerpt from Leadership in easy steps Leadership Behaviors Looking back at some of the games you payed as a chid can hep you understand why you enjoy doing the things you do in your work ife today. Being True to Yoursef In Chapter 1 we stressed the importance of being yoursef rather than merey trying to mirror others eadership styes. This sounds easy to do but does make the assumption you fuy understand and appreciate who you are in the first instance. Nature vs. nurture Much is written on the subject of personaity and, in particuar, the nature vs. nurture debate. That is, are you the person you are because of nature, i.e. the genetic coding that you were born with or due to nurture, i.e. the way you were brought up and the experiences that you have encountered and earnt from throughout the various stages in your ife? The answer is, you are who you are due to a compex combination of both nature and nurture and you shoud be proud of the resutant personaity you have become. This is one of the main reasons why, in terms of becoming a eader, you shoud try to be yoursef rather than trying to be someone ese. Look back to your chidhood Because your personaity has graduay deveoped based on a combination of genetics and the experiences in your ife, you probaby be abe to reca important moments in your ife especiay from your chidhood where some of your eary thinking, vaues and motivations started to take shape. Think back to your chidhood now and try to reca the types of games and activities that gave you the greatest satisfaction. Now try to reate these to work and the activities you enjoy the most. You may notice that there are simiarities in some of your favorite activities and the work you enjoy. We expore this some more ater in this chapter.

19 to further deveop your management skis...cont d Be genuine One of the critica eements of being an exceent eader is trust. You need to be abe to have trust in those who work for you and with you. Most essentiay, others must have trust in you it cannot be a one way thing. 187 Trust is a fragie thing that can ony be buit over time but with the possibiity of being ost in an instant foowing, perhaps, just one careess comment or act. The peope who interact with you have earnt who you are and wi be acutey aware of any changes in your behaviors and actions. If you aren t genuine attempting to be someone who you are not they wi be quick to see through your facade or act and wi be immediatey on guard. Te them what you re doing If you have an open enough reationship with those who you work with, you shoud be abe to make them aware that you are working on aspects of your eadership. Ask them for hep by: Giving you feedback on any positive changes they notice Letting you know of changes they woud ike to see happen Letting you know if any of the changes don t appear genuine Hopefuy supporting you and encouraging you after a, these changes shoud utimatey benefit them! You cannot expect others to trust you if you are not prepared to demonstrate a eve of trust for them it works two ways. 33

20 188 Resources 34 Leadership Behaviors Behind Exceent Leaders Behind every exceent eader... we, behind every one of us, in fact, is a highy compex and constanty changing mix of personaity eements that make up you. These incude aspects such as: Your personaity traits or predispositions Your persona vaues and beiefs Your behaviora strengths and weaknesses Your prime motivators or drivers Your knowedge and skis sets Your experience and capabiities A of the above eements pay an important roe in heping to define the person you are and aso your resuting eadership stye. Understanding yoursef Over the next few pages we wi expore each of these eements in turn and the interreationships between them. We wi aso hep you understand their potentia impact on your roe as a eader and, most importanty, hep you determine your own strengths and possibe weaknesses reating to each eement. It may hep your understanding to attempt some of the exercises within this book. Some may need you to refect over a number of days or even weeks in order to fuy understand yoursef. Ony when you start to expore and understand these underying eements of personaity that drive the things you do, can you then be true to yoursef and become a natura and genuine eader. Exercises From time to time, we wi suggest exercises to hep you discover more about yoursef. You don t need to work through a of these. Fee free to dip in to those you think may hep. In addition, in Chapter 10, you find references to a number of onine resources where you can access more in-depth information and anayses reating to various aspects of your personaity. ISBN: Visit for more detais or to buy