Career Compass Navigating Your Own Path to Success

Transcription

1 Career Compass Navigating Your Own Path to Success

2 your great day at work uuquestion 1: Your Engagement. Select the spot where you believe you are on the X above. Is this where you typically are? If not, move your mark to a spot on the X that shows where you generally are in terms of satisfaction and contribution in your job. SUCCESS Values, Goals, Strategy MAXIMUM SATISFACTION Values, Goals, Strategy MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION SUCCESS ORGANIZATION INDIVIDUAL uuquestion 2: A Recent Great Day. Write what you were doing on your most recent great day at work. Consider things like what tasks you were doing, whether you were working individually or with others, who you were working with, where you were, how you felt u u QUESTION 3: More Great Days at Work. What might you be able to change about your daily work situation so that you have more great days at work? Think about your individual satisfaction as well as your contribution to the organization. Write your ideas in the box below. Typical actions employees can take to create more great days at work are... rr Talk to my manager about where I want to grow. rr Set up a meeting with a colleague who is working on a project in which I am interested. rr Sign up for training in an area of interest where I would like to develop skills by BlessingWhite, a division of GP Strategies. All rights reserved. GP Strategies (v1.1, 7/16, J ). No part of these written materials may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from BlessingWhite, Hamilton, NJ, USA. In North America, Tel: In Europe, Tel: +44 (0) Your Career Compass

3 Values Clarification Summary Your values are what motivate you and can be key drivers of decisions you make both at work and elsewhere. In your version of this document, put an x in the First Look column in the rows of the 5-6 values you feel represent you the most. If you would like another point of view (POV) from someone who knows you well, print a blank copy of this sheet and have that person complete the second column for you. If you obtain feedback from someone else, you can use it to help inform your Top 5 Values in column three. VALUE ACHIEVEMENT (attaining goals, sense of accomplishment) ADVANCEMENT (progress, promotion) ADVENTURE (new and challenging experiences, risk) AFFECTION (love, caring, fondness) COMPETITIVENESS (striving to win, being the best) COOPERATION (collaboration, teamwork) CREATIVITY (being imaginative, inventive, original) ECONOMIC SECURITY (steady, adequate income) FAME (renown, distinction) FAMILY HAPPINESS (close relationships with family members) FREEDOM (independence, autonomy, liberty) FRIENDSHIP (close relationships with others, rapport) HEALTH (physical and mental well-being) HELPFULNESS (assisting others, improving society) INNER HARMONY (being at peace with yourself and others, tranquility) INTEGRITY (honesty, sincerity, standing up for beliefs) INVOLVEMENT (participating with and including others, belonging) LOYALTY (commitment, dedication, dependability) ORDER (organized, structured, systematic) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (learning, strengthening, realizing potential) PLEASURE (fun, enjoyment, good times) POWER (influence, importance, authority) RECOGNITION (respect from others, acknowledgment, status) RESPONSIBILITY (accountability, reliability) SELF-RESPECT (belief in your own abilities, self-esteem) SPIRITUALITY (faith, strong spiritual and/or religious beliefs) WEALTH (abundance, getting rich) WISDOM (discovering knowledge, insight, enlightenment) First Look (check 5-6) Another POV (check 3-5) Top 5 Values 2 Your Career Compass

4 Job Conditions Profile Mark your preferences on the spectrum for the condition on each row. The most extreme ratings point to conditions that are important for you to find in a job that is a great fit. Greatly Prefer Greatly Prefer 1. High structure; goals and procedures established by others 2. Projects are short cycle; frequent new assignments 3. An absorbing job; think about work on own time; take work home 4. Do whatever is needed to get the job done 5. Work closely with others; teamwork and collaboration needed 6. Job requires coming up with and selling ideas 7. Quantitative skills required (budgeting, analysis, etc.) Low structure; associate establishes own goals and methods Projects have long time frames Work at work; don t have to think about it at home Following established procedures is important Work mostly alone; independence needed Job requires implementing ideas of others Minimal quantitative work 8. Low risk, low likelihood of failure High risk, high challenge 9. Frequent communication with manager or team leader 10. Considerable contact with external customers 11. Job requires specialization of current skills; expertise 12. Tight deadlines, high pressure for results 13. Manage people; team leader 14. Little creativity or innovation required 15. High visibility to senior management 16. Attention to detail required Infrequent communication with manager or team leader Little contact with external customers Job requires broadening of skills; knowledge of different areas Flexible deadlines, less pressure for results Does not manage people; independent contributor Considerable creativity and innovation required Low visibility to senior management Little attention to detail required; conceptual 17. Work hours are flexible Work hours are well defined 18. Financial rewards are steady and predictable 19. Informal atmosphere and casual dress Financial rewards are variable and linked to results Structured atmosphere and formal dress 20. Lots of travel; with overnights Little travel; rarely out of local area 21. Individuals roles are clearly defined; consistent responsibilities 22. High level of decision-making authority Responsibilities and roles shift frequently depending on team priorities Limited decision-making authority 23. Participative decision making Mostly top down decision making 24. Frequent written communication required 25. Close supervision of work by manager Infrequent written communication Self-management of work and coaching by peers 3 Your Career Compass

5 Skills Assessment Everyone has certain strengths in the way they execute their work, and everyone has weaknesses. Use H to represent a strength, L for weakness, and M to mark the skills that fall in the middle. If you want to get feedback on your skills, consider printing one or two blank copies of this assessment so that a manager and/or former manager can complete this for you in the appropriate columns. On your copy, complete the first column: My View. MM = My Manager MF = My Former Manager SKILL My View MM MF 1. Managing projects to achieve results within budget and on time. 2. Focusing on projects and tasks that add value. 3. Managing a variety of responsibilities at the same time. 4. Taking action to prevent or minimize the impact of possible problems; being proactive. 5. Recognizing the broader implications of a project. 6. Making sound decisions with limited information. 7. Remaining productive during periods of ambiguity, uncertainty, and change. 8. Adapting approaches to be appropriate for each situation. 9. Finding a way to get the job done even when usual methods don t work. 10. Demonstrating a commitment to organizational initiatives with words and actions. 11. Demonstrating credibility and trustworthiness. 12. Taking responsibility for decisions, actions, and results. 13. Contributing to an enthusiastic, positive work climate. 14. Resolving personal conflicts when appropriate. 15. Taking appropriate risks. 16. Projecting a professional image. 17. Communicating insights and lessons learned so others can benefit. 18. Communicating effectively with people at all levels in the organization. 19. Communicating effectively with people outside the organization. 20. Presenting ideas and facts clearly in oral communication. 21. Presenting ideas and facts clearly in writing. w 4 Your Career Compass

6 MM = My Manager MF = My Former Manager SKILL My View MM MF 22. Listening, showing interest, and responding to others ideas and concerns. 23. Communicating candidly. 24. Keeping up-to-date on appropriate knowledge (profession, industry, marketplace, organization s products/services). 25. Learning from experiences. 26. Thinking creatively; identifying new ideas and innovative actions. 27. Demonstrating a willingness to take on new challenges, responsibilities, and assignments. 28. Developing and expanding work skills to improve performance and add value. 29. Seeking and accepting feedback for self-improvement. 30. Supporting others (in our group and in the rest of the organization) when requested. 31. Involving others in problem solving or projects to achieve the best results. 32. Giving specific, timely feedback to manager and others to ensure smooth working relationships. 33. Creating buy-in and support for projects throughout the organization. 34. Working effectively in a diverse environment; respecting different ideas, perspectives, and values. 35. Maintaining a balance between concern for people and a focus on business results. 36. Gathering and giving relevant information to others in a timely manner. 37. Getting cooperation and commitment of people through influence, not authority. 38. Looking for ways to improve work processes to achieve better results. 39. Considering internal customer needs when making decisions or taking action. 40. Considering external customer needs when making decisions or taking action. 41. Understanding the real needs of internal and external customers by asking the right questions, listening, and confirming. 42. Following through on commitments. 43. Making decisions that balance quality, customer focus, and fiscal responsibility. 44. Making customers aware of the value of their relationships with the organization; "selling" the organization. 45. Taking initiative; doing all that should be done, not just as directed. 5 Your Career Compass

7 Networking Approach When it comes to your career, the stronger your network is and the more interactive you are with it, the more you ll be exposed to information, advice, and opportunities that may align with your career development goals. uuquestion 1: What is your preliminary career goal? (Remember, this is only meant to help give you direction as you talk to people and gather information; this can be a short-term goal and you can always change it once you learn more. This goal can be something like grow in place by contributing to a cross-functional project, continue your education through training, explore a lateral move to develop skills, earn a promotion or discuss a change for improved work-life balance.) Write your preliminary career goal in the box at the center of the diagram. uuquestion 2: Who do you know who may have information about your preliminary career goal? Write each person s name in a Name box below. For each person, write what particular insights they may have, what you have in common with them in the box below their name, and what you know to be their priorities and motivators (this will help you to see things from their perspective and understand how their views may differ from yours). You & Your Goal 6 Your Career Compass

8 next steps In order to start taking action in your career development, it s helpful to break down the approach into small steps. Start with a short list of questions you want to answer and build upon it over time. Set interim goals and stick to them so that you don t let too much time go by without progress. uquestion u 1: What questions do you have to ask to find out more about your preliminary career goal and how to accomplish it? Write those questions in the box below, and if you know who in your network may be able to answer each one, write that person s name next to the question. uuquestion 2: What will you do to start working on your career development? Write your action items in the appropriate boxes below. Tomorrow? Next week? This quarter? Next 6-12 months? 7 Your Career Compass