Wrapping Up Your Current Role Before Moving On
It's finally happened. After months of hard work, and numerous interviews, you finally got the job you've always dreamed of. In just a few short weeks, you'll change departments, - or even companies - and take on a new role, with a new team and new responsibilities. Congratulations!
There's a lot to think about when you change jobs - whether it's because of a promotion, or a department change, or a move to a new organization. It's an exciting time, but what can you do to make the transition go smoothly for you, and easier on the people you leave behind?
Well, most importantly, you'll need to bring the work in your current job to an ordered close. To help you pass the baton onto the person who's taking over from you, you'll need to bring projects up to date as far as you can, or leave a list for your replacement, where you outline the tasks you've completed, and what remains unfinished.
If you're a manager, and one of your team members is leaving, you'll have your own set of challenges. At the forefront of your mind will be how you can make sure the person completes his or her projects before moving on.
In this article, we discuss why it's so important to 'close' your job before you make a transition - and how to make sure you don't leave your boss, your team, or your replacement with any loose ends.
Part 1: Closing
Depending on your company and your situation, you may have as little as one week, or as much as a month or more, to prepare for your move. Aim to do as much as you can in the time you have. Making sure things are in good order will help your team members adjust to the change.
It will also help you leave on good terms. It's important to remember that, if you're changing departments, you may eventually work with your former team members again. Someone who's your junior now could be your boss or your client in 10 years' time, so it's preferable for everyone all round to maintain good relations.
What should you do before you leave? Here's a list of actions for your 'to do' list:
Bring your projects up to date - You can't always complete every project before making a transition, but if you finish as much as you can, this will make life easier on the person who takes your place.
Prepare a report for your replacement - Detail what this person needs to know: future projects, who your clients are (and their contact information), tasks you recently completed, and how you did them - and anything else that's important.
Give 'insider' tips - Think about what you know now that you didn't know when you started this position. For example, if you're in charge of ordering supplies, it might have taken you months, or years, to figure out which vendors give the best deals. Or there may be an administrative procedure that saves you time. Why not leave this insider information for your replacement? It will only make the transition easier.
Take a copy with you - When you move departments, take with you to the new job an electronic copy of all the documents you prepare for the old job, containing details of where the files are, and the status of ongoing projects, etc. If your successor hasn't started by the time you leave, or if the new person loses the background material you left behind, you'll be able to help quickly, with a minimum of annoyance to you, when they track you down to ask about files and project status.
Help train your replacement - If you have the opportunity, this will ease the stress on both your boss and the person taking over from you. If your replacement hasn't yet been chosen, consider briefing another team member who may temporarily take your place.
Contact key business associates - Let clients, vendors, and other key people know when your last day is, and whom they should contact after you've gone. Then they won't be confused or frustrated if they try to reach you, and weren't told of the personnel change.
Plan for your new role - While you're tying up all the loose ends in your current job, it's also important to learn as much as possible before you take on your new role. The first 90 days are crucial for making an impact in a new job, so it helps to be equipped, knowledgeable, and focused on your first day. Our workbook Congratulations on Your New Role. Now What? will help give you a head start.
Part 2: Saying Goodbye
When you think about it, most people spend more time at work than they do at home. This means that your co-workers are also often your friends. Maybe, in some cases, you even think of them as family.
Even if you're not close to your team, you spend your days with these people, so saying goodbye can be difficult. You don't want to say something you might regret later.
So, how do you say goodbye with grace and tact?
Don't brag - Don't boast about your new position, say how happy you are to 'get out of here,' or talk about your higher salary. This is likely to leave a bad impression with your co-workers. Remember, they're the ones staying behind. Be considerate.
Say 'thank you' - If there are people who helped you at work, thank them. Be specific - if you couldn't have completed a project without someone's expertise, tell that person.
Send 'thank you' cards - This is a way to thank team members who really made an impact on your life, either personally or professionally. Again, be specific when you tell them how they made a difference.
Don't say bad things - Don't say negative things about anyone. Remember, just because you're changing departments or companies doesn't mean you'll never work with these people again. You may run into the same people time and again in different companies and different roles, especially if you stay in the same industry for most of your working life. Leave a good impression, and don't make any enemies on your way out.
Part 3: Managing Leavers
As we said earlier, if you manage someone who's about to make a transition, you have to deal with your own set of challenges. This person might be dreaming of the new job, and not concentrating on current tasks - but your team still has to get the work done.
Make sure this person completes his or her tasks before leaving. It's very hard to push replacements into a half-finished project, and expect them to meet deadlines and goals.
What steps can you take to make sure that things are getting done?
Check in regularly - Giving the person in transition a deadline may not be enough. Remember, the departing person has a lot to do. Check in every day, or every few days, to see how the projects are progressing.
Ask for a 'to do' list - If there's time, ask the person to write a list of important tasks to give to the replacement. What will the new person need to prioritize and focus on during the first week? The first month?
Don't assign new work - Don't give a lot of new projects to someone who's leaving. Think of how stressed you would feel if you were changing jobs, and your manager did that to you. If possible, let the person finish current work, and redirect new projects to other team members.
Gather the team for a farewell - If it's appropriate, get everyone together on the departing person's last day to say a few words, and thank the person for his or her hard work and accomplishments. If you don't know the person well, have another team member who does know the person stand up and say farewell. You might also give the departing team member a card or small gift. This can leave a positive lasting impression.
Key Points
Job transitions can be stressful. However, by taking the time to prepare for closure, you can reduce the impact on both you and your team. Be considerate, and leave a good impression. Remember, you never know when you might work with your former team members again, so don't brag or complain on your way out.
If you manage someone who's leaving, remember that this person has a lot to do. Yes, he or she needs to complete projects, but be reasonable, and offer to help where you can. Help prioritize the remaining tasks, so the new person starts with a clear focus.
Showing posts with label career skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career skills. Show all posts
Starting an important new relationship in a positive way
You may not have asked for it. You probably didn't plan for it. Yet, like it or not, your old boss is leaving, and a new boss is arriving to take his or her place. So, what's going to happen now? Does this mean that you'll also have to change your job? Or is this a good opportunity to make a great first impression, and potentially change the direction of your career?
Many people in this situation limit their thinking to what has changed about themselves – which, in this case, is nothing. However, a new boss will likely have different opinions, different policies, and even a different management style. The situation has now changed: if you simply keep doing what you did before, you're not facing reality.
You need to accept that this really is a new opportunity to make a first impression (this is one of the rare times that this possibility exists). But you also need to know how and when to act, as well as which problems to avoid. You don't want to overwhelm – or underwhelm – your new boss. There's a proper balance that you can find.
In this article, you'll discover what's usually important for new bosses, and you'll learn how to make a positive and appreciated contribution that's good for both of you.
So, Who's Really the "New Hire"?
In some cases, your new boss may be the ‘new hire'. However, you are also new to your new boss. In many ways, it's similar to when you first started your current job – you have to work to make a positive impression; and you have to be supportive, and prove yourself.
Whether or not you worked well with your old boss is no longer relevant. It's up to you to build a relationship with your new boss. Things will likely be different, so expect to change the way you work; and expect to experience a three-month adjustment period, during which you'll both "settle in" and get used to each other.
Your New Boss's Background
Your new boss may come from one of many different backgrounds. He or she may have been promoted from within the team or from elsewhere in the organization. Or your new boss may have had a similar position in another company – or even an entirely different role. This can lead to three possibilities:
Your new boss understands that he or she doesn't really know the work you do, so the boss may look to you for help.
Your new boss thinks he or she knows what you do, but doesn't. This person needs your help, but doesn't know it. Your goal is to educate tactfully, considerately, and sufficiently.
Your new boss knows what you do, so you can focus on the other aspects of building your working relationship.
Even if your new boss knows what you do, this doesn't necessarily mean that you'll interact with this person the same way you did with your old boss.
Perhaps your old boss knew exactly what to do in all situations, because she did your job before you got there. But your new boss may have a more general management background. He or she may not have detailed knowledge that you can use to check your work, or may not be able to offer advice on specific topics (this can be particularly true if you have a technical role). On the other hand, this can be a significant opportunity for you to accept a new level of autonomy and responsibility – and get great career experience!
Making the Relationship Work
An important step in managing the relationship with your new boss is to accept it. Whatever you might have thought about other candidates for the job (including, perhaps, yourself), you must face the reality that your company made a choice, and you have to work with this new person. (If you were competing for the job, and particularly if your new boss is an ex-colleague, don't sulk about not getting the job yourself; and don't be disrespectful towards your new boss. If you do either of these, you're setting yourself up for conflict and failure.)
Some parts of this situation don't apply equally. You have one relationship to manage with your boss, but your boss has several relationships to manage with all team members. However, your relationship needs to be a top priority for you. Remember that your boss is also a "gatekeeper," with the ability to allow you – or deny you – access to a number of things that can impact your job satisfaction.
Our article Managing Your Boss discusses these situations as well as how to make adjustments for a boss's weaknesses that you may discover as the 90-day settling-in period continues.
Tip:
Be helpful, but don't appear too eager. "Sucking up" may bother your boss as well as your colleagues. Offer your help, and then assess how your new boss reacts to your help: this will help you strengthen the relationship.
Helping Your New Boss Succeed
Your new boss will likely target several goals during the early weeks and months, because this will help confirm to upper management that they made the right hiring choice.
Our workbook Congratulations on Your New Role... Now What? covers this in detail, but we've summarized some of the information here. This is what your new boss is likely to be thinking - and it may therefore show you how you can make a positive impact:
Building competence and learning the new role: This includes dealing with information overload and creating a learning plan.
Learning about and understanding the team members: This means not only getting to know them, but also figuring out who the key players are.
Creating quick wins to establish credibility: Credibility also means focusing on results that are important to the new boss's boss, and linking tangible results with longer-term business goals.
Necessary Conversations with Your New Boss
Here's a checklist of what you and your new boss should understand and agree upon as you get to know each other. These conversations can range from informal chats at the coffee machine to formal meetings in your boss's office or elsewhere. Use common sense, individual preferences, and mutual availability as your guiding factors.
Determine how your boss views the current situation: Find out how your new boss sees things. For example, does your new boss think that the objective is to maintain a currently strong position or turn around declining performance? You may not agree on every point, but at least you'll know.
Learn what your boss's expectations are: What does your new boss want from you now and in the longer-term future? How will your success be measured? If you understand what will help your new boss succeed (see above), this will help you relate to his or her expectations, while making sure that what's asked of you is still realistic.
Figure out your boss's working style: What you do is important, but so is how you do it. You have your preferred way of working, and so does your new boss. Find out how your boss likes to operate, and show him or her how you like to operate. This will lead to a better chance of achieving more together – and a better chance that both of your careers will benefit.
Determine what resources are available: If you need more resources or need to keep what you have now, let your new boss know.
Establish opportunities for personal development: This is a mutual benefit opportunity. Ask if you can contribute to particular activities that will also help your career development.
Use good judgment as you have these different discussions. For example, make sure that you've already established sufficient credibility before you start a discussion about personal development.
Key Points
When you get a new boss, you'll both go through an adjustment period, usually of about three months. This period is important for you, because it's an opportunity to build a strong and positive relationship with your new manager. Depending on your boss's profile and background, you may need to educate him or her on many things, including your own role in the organization. Follow our tips to succeed with your boss – and you'll help your boss succeed as well.
You may not have asked for it. You probably didn't plan for it. Yet, like it or not, your old boss is leaving, and a new boss is arriving to take his or her place. So, what's going to happen now? Does this mean that you'll also have to change your job? Or is this a good opportunity to make a great first impression, and potentially change the direction of your career?
Many people in this situation limit their thinking to what has changed about themselves – which, in this case, is nothing. However, a new boss will likely have different opinions, different policies, and even a different management style. The situation has now changed: if you simply keep doing what you did before, you're not facing reality.
You need to accept that this really is a new opportunity to make a first impression (this is one of the rare times that this possibility exists). But you also need to know how and when to act, as well as which problems to avoid. You don't want to overwhelm – or underwhelm – your new boss. There's a proper balance that you can find.
In this article, you'll discover what's usually important for new bosses, and you'll learn how to make a positive and appreciated contribution that's good for both of you.
So, Who's Really the "New Hire"?
In some cases, your new boss may be the ‘new hire'. However, you are also new to your new boss. In many ways, it's similar to when you first started your current job – you have to work to make a positive impression; and you have to be supportive, and prove yourself.
Whether or not you worked well with your old boss is no longer relevant. It's up to you to build a relationship with your new boss. Things will likely be different, so expect to change the way you work; and expect to experience a three-month adjustment period, during which you'll both "settle in" and get used to each other.
Your New Boss's Background
Your new boss may come from one of many different backgrounds. He or she may have been promoted from within the team or from elsewhere in the organization. Or your new boss may have had a similar position in another company – or even an entirely different role. This can lead to three possibilities:
Your new boss understands that he or she doesn't really know the work you do, so the boss may look to you for help.
Your new boss thinks he or she knows what you do, but doesn't. This person needs your help, but doesn't know it. Your goal is to educate tactfully, considerately, and sufficiently.
Your new boss knows what you do, so you can focus on the other aspects of building your working relationship.
Even if your new boss knows what you do, this doesn't necessarily mean that you'll interact with this person the same way you did with your old boss.
Perhaps your old boss knew exactly what to do in all situations, because she did your job before you got there. But your new boss may have a more general management background. He or she may not have detailed knowledge that you can use to check your work, or may not be able to offer advice on specific topics (this can be particularly true if you have a technical role). On the other hand, this can be a significant opportunity for you to accept a new level of autonomy and responsibility – and get great career experience!
Making the Relationship Work
An important step in managing the relationship with your new boss is to accept it. Whatever you might have thought about other candidates for the job (including, perhaps, yourself), you must face the reality that your company made a choice, and you have to work with this new person. (If you were competing for the job, and particularly if your new boss is an ex-colleague, don't sulk about not getting the job yourself; and don't be disrespectful towards your new boss. If you do either of these, you're setting yourself up for conflict and failure.)
Some parts of this situation don't apply equally. You have one relationship to manage with your boss, but your boss has several relationships to manage with all team members. However, your relationship needs to be a top priority for you. Remember that your boss is also a "gatekeeper," with the ability to allow you – or deny you – access to a number of things that can impact your job satisfaction.
Our article Managing Your Boss discusses these situations as well as how to make adjustments for a boss's weaknesses that you may discover as the 90-day settling-in period continues.
Tip:
Be helpful, but don't appear too eager. "Sucking up" may bother your boss as well as your colleagues. Offer your help, and then assess how your new boss reacts to your help: this will help you strengthen the relationship.
Helping Your New Boss Succeed
Your new boss will likely target several goals during the early weeks and months, because this will help confirm to upper management that they made the right hiring choice.
Our workbook Congratulations on Your New Role... Now What? covers this in detail, but we've summarized some of the information here. This is what your new boss is likely to be thinking - and it may therefore show you how you can make a positive impact:
Building competence and learning the new role: This includes dealing with information overload and creating a learning plan.
Learning about and understanding the team members: This means not only getting to know them, but also figuring out who the key players are.
Creating quick wins to establish credibility: Credibility also means focusing on results that are important to the new boss's boss, and linking tangible results with longer-term business goals.
Necessary Conversations with Your New Boss
Here's a checklist of what you and your new boss should understand and agree upon as you get to know each other. These conversations can range from informal chats at the coffee machine to formal meetings in your boss's office or elsewhere. Use common sense, individual preferences, and mutual availability as your guiding factors.
Determine how your boss views the current situation: Find out how your new boss sees things. For example, does your new boss think that the objective is to maintain a currently strong position or turn around declining performance? You may not agree on every point, but at least you'll know.
Learn what your boss's expectations are: What does your new boss want from you now and in the longer-term future? How will your success be measured? If you understand what will help your new boss succeed (see above), this will help you relate to his or her expectations, while making sure that what's asked of you is still realistic.
Figure out your boss's working style: What you do is important, but so is how you do it. You have your preferred way of working, and so does your new boss. Find out how your boss likes to operate, and show him or her how you like to operate. This will lead to a better chance of achieving more together – and a better chance that both of your careers will benefit.
Determine what resources are available: If you need more resources or need to keep what you have now, let your new boss know.
Establish opportunities for personal development: This is a mutual benefit opportunity. Ask if you can contribute to particular activities that will also help your career development.
Use good judgment as you have these different discussions. For example, make sure that you've already established sufficient credibility before you start a discussion about personal development.
Key Points
When you get a new boss, you'll both go through an adjustment period, usually of about three months. This period is important for you, because it's an opportunity to build a strong and positive relationship with your new manager. Depending on your boss's profile and background, you may need to educate him or her on many things, including your own role in the organization. Follow our tips to succeed with your boss – and you'll help your boss succeed as well.
Reaching for the Top with Everyday Tools
Do you feel that you've gone as far as you can with your current employer? Despite knowing that you have much more potential, is there a limit for "people like you" in your organization?
If so, you've hit what's known as the "glass ceiling." This is the point at which you can clearly see the next level of promotion - yet, despite your best effort, an invisible barrier seems to stop you from proceeding.
Traditionally, the glass ceiling was a concept applied to women and some minorities. It was very hard, if not impossible, for them to reach upper management positions. No matter how qualified or experienced, they simply were not given opportunities to further advance their careers.
Today, there are many more women and minorities in powerful positions. However, the glass ceiling is still very real. And it's not always limited to gender or race.
Have you been pushed up against a glass ceiling? This can happen for many different reasons. Are you too much the champion of change? Do you have difficulty communicating your ideas? Are you quieter and less outgoing than the people who get promotions?
Whatever the reason, you have a choice. You can accept your situation and be happy with looking up and not being able to touch what you see. or you can smash the glass with purpose and determination.
If you do, indeed, want to break through that glass, here are some steps to take.
Identify the Key Competencies within Your Organization
Key competencies are the common skills and attributes of the people in your company's upper levels. These skills are often tied closely to the organization's culture and vision.
Companies that value innovation and strive to be leaders will probably promote individuals who are outgoing, risk takers, and not afraid to "tell it like it is." However, if you work for a conservative company (such as a publicly owned utility) chances are that top management are analytical thinkers, with a reputation for avoiding risk and making careful decisions.
Ask yourself these questions:
What are the values of your organization?
What behaviors does your company value and reward?
What type of person is promoted?
Understand what sets your company and its leaders apart. This is the first step toward discovering how to position yourself for a top leadership role.
To further clarify these ideas, read Core Competence Analysis and Deal and Kennedy's Cultural Model.
Two universal competencies for top management are effective leadership and effective communication. Each of these is complex.
Read everything you can about leadership styles, skills, and attributes. Mind Tools has an excellent collection of articles on Leadership Skills. You may also want to consider taking the Mind Tools How to Lead course.
Communication skills will help you, regardless of the level you want to reach in your career. Start with the introduction to communication skills, and learn to use as many of these tools as possible.
Set Objectives to Align Your Competencies with Top Management
Once you know your target, set goals to get there. You're responsible for determining your own career direction. Be proactive and go after what you want, because it probably won't be handed to you.
Do the following:
Let your boss know that you want to work toward a higher-level position.
Ask your boss what skill areas you need to develop.
Work together with your boss to set goals and objectives, then monitor and measure your performance.
Remember to concentrate on areas of your performance that you can improve. Don't set a goal to achieve a certain position by a certain time. This can be discouraging if it doesn't happen. For example, set a goal to consistently demonstrate assertive and clear communication. If you achieve that goal, no matter what job title you have, you've succeeded! See Personal Goal Setting for more ideas on how to define motivating goals.
Build Your Network
You should also build relationships with other people in your organization. You never know who may be in a position to help you or provide you with valuable information.
It's important to network in all areas and levels of your company. Many people tend to think it's best to make friends at the top. However, to be effective and actually make it to the top, you'll need the support of colleagues at other levels as well.
Try these tips:
Reach out to new people on a regular basis.
Get involved with cross-functional teams.
Expand your professional network outside of your organization. If you can't break the glass ceiling in your company, you may have to look elsewhere for opportunities.
Read more about Professional Networking.
Use the climate in your organization to your advantage. While "politicking" is often seen as negative, you can help your career by understanding and using the political networks in your company.
Find a Mentor
Having a mentor is a powerful way to break through the glass ceiling. The barriers that you face have likely been there for a long time. Past practices, biases and stereotypes, and old ideas are often long established at the top of many organizations.
Is upper management reluctant to work with certain types of individuals? Do they exclude certain people from important communications? A mentor can help you learn how to get connected to the information and people who can help you. A mentor can also be a great source of ideas for your professional development and growth.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is there someone in upper management you can approach to help you?
Will your boss be able to provide mentoring support?
Are there people with strong political power who can offer you assistance?
Read Finding a Mentor for details on what to look for in a mentor and ideas on how to find one.
Build Your Reputation
Ultimately, the way to get ahead is to get noticed. You want people to see your competence, leadership abilities, communication skills, technical knowledge, and any other competencies that are typical of people at the top.
Develop your skills and network with people so that your name becomes associated with top management potential. To do this, you need to build a reputation as the kind of person who fits the description of top management. Visibility is very important. Remember, while you can see up, those at the top can see down. Make sure that what they see is you!
Follow these guidelines:
Seek high-profile projects.
Speak up and contribute in meetings.
Share ideas with peers as well as people in higher positions.
Identify places where your reputation is not what you want it to be, and develop plans to change them.
For more tips on building the right kind of reputation, see What's Your Reputation?
Know Your Rights
Finally, watch for discriminatory behavior. Sometimes biases and stereotyping can cross the line into discrimination. It's unfortunate for both you and your organization when situations like this occur.
Don't just accept frustration and failure. Know that you're doing everything right, and arm yourself with a good understanding of your rights regarding official company policies and local laws.
Mind Tools' article on Avoiding Discrimination shows you how to protect yourself if you face this regrettable situation.
Key Points
To get ahead and reach the leadership level you want, you need to champion and market yourself. That means proactively managing every step of your career. If you can't seem to break through a glass ceiling, you might have to work harder than others.
We can't all be exactly the type of upper management person our company wants. What we can do is develop the skills that the company values. Arm yourself with a development plan as well as the help of your boss, a strong network, and, hopefully, a mentor. You can then build and showcase the skills that will help you climb the corporate ladder. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and you may find new zones of opportunity.
Apply This to Your Life
If you're frustrated with your career advancement, consider the following:
Do you have a career plan in place? If you don't, now is the time to make one!
Does your boss, or anyone in your organization, know what your goals are? Unless people know what you want, they may keep you in the same position and assume you're happy there.
Do you feel alone and unsupported in your career goals? If so, who can help you change that? We all need to make our own success, but most people don't succeed all on their own. Ask for support and assistance - this is a sign of strength, not weakness.
What areas for skill development have been pointed out to you in the past? Are you making improvements?
Are you facing a glass ceiling? Recognizing that the ceiling exists is the first step. The ceiling won't be removed unless you do something about it. Apply some of the ideas in this article, and monitor your progress.
Do you feel that you've gone as far as you can with your current employer? Despite knowing that you have much more potential, is there a limit for "people like you" in your organization?
If so, you've hit what's known as the "glass ceiling." This is the point at which you can clearly see the next level of promotion - yet, despite your best effort, an invisible barrier seems to stop you from proceeding.
Traditionally, the glass ceiling was a concept applied to women and some minorities. It was very hard, if not impossible, for them to reach upper management positions. No matter how qualified or experienced, they simply were not given opportunities to further advance their careers.
Today, there are many more women and minorities in powerful positions. However, the glass ceiling is still very real. And it's not always limited to gender or race.
Have you been pushed up against a glass ceiling? This can happen for many different reasons. Are you too much the champion of change? Do you have difficulty communicating your ideas? Are you quieter and less outgoing than the people who get promotions?
Whatever the reason, you have a choice. You can accept your situation and be happy with looking up and not being able to touch what you see. or you can smash the glass with purpose and determination.
If you do, indeed, want to break through that glass, here are some steps to take.
Identify the Key Competencies within Your Organization
Key competencies are the common skills and attributes of the people in your company's upper levels. These skills are often tied closely to the organization's culture and vision.
Companies that value innovation and strive to be leaders will probably promote individuals who are outgoing, risk takers, and not afraid to "tell it like it is." However, if you work for a conservative company (such as a publicly owned utility) chances are that top management are analytical thinkers, with a reputation for avoiding risk and making careful decisions.
Ask yourself these questions:
What are the values of your organization?
What behaviors does your company value and reward?
What type of person is promoted?
Understand what sets your company and its leaders apart. This is the first step toward discovering how to position yourself for a top leadership role.
To further clarify these ideas, read Core Competence Analysis and Deal and Kennedy's Cultural Model.
Two universal competencies for top management are effective leadership and effective communication. Each of these is complex.
Read everything you can about leadership styles, skills, and attributes. Mind Tools has an excellent collection of articles on Leadership Skills. You may also want to consider taking the Mind Tools How to Lead course.
Communication skills will help you, regardless of the level you want to reach in your career. Start with the introduction to communication skills, and learn to use as many of these tools as possible.
Set Objectives to Align Your Competencies with Top Management
Once you know your target, set goals to get there. You're responsible for determining your own career direction. Be proactive and go after what you want, because it probably won't be handed to you.
Do the following:
Let your boss know that you want to work toward a higher-level position.
Ask your boss what skill areas you need to develop.
Work together with your boss to set goals and objectives, then monitor and measure your performance.
Remember to concentrate on areas of your performance that you can improve. Don't set a goal to achieve a certain position by a certain time. This can be discouraging if it doesn't happen. For example, set a goal to consistently demonstrate assertive and clear communication. If you achieve that goal, no matter what job title you have, you've succeeded! See Personal Goal Setting for more ideas on how to define motivating goals.
Build Your Network
You should also build relationships with other people in your organization. You never know who may be in a position to help you or provide you with valuable information.
It's important to network in all areas and levels of your company. Many people tend to think it's best to make friends at the top. However, to be effective and actually make it to the top, you'll need the support of colleagues at other levels as well.
Try these tips:
Reach out to new people on a regular basis.
Get involved with cross-functional teams.
Expand your professional network outside of your organization. If you can't break the glass ceiling in your company, you may have to look elsewhere for opportunities.
Read more about Professional Networking.
Use the climate in your organization to your advantage. While "politicking" is often seen as negative, you can help your career by understanding and using the political networks in your company.
Find a Mentor
Having a mentor is a powerful way to break through the glass ceiling. The barriers that you face have likely been there for a long time. Past practices, biases and stereotypes, and old ideas are often long established at the top of many organizations.
Is upper management reluctant to work with certain types of individuals? Do they exclude certain people from important communications? A mentor can help you learn how to get connected to the information and people who can help you. A mentor can also be a great source of ideas for your professional development and growth.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is there someone in upper management you can approach to help you?
Will your boss be able to provide mentoring support?
Are there people with strong political power who can offer you assistance?
Read Finding a Mentor for details on what to look for in a mentor and ideas on how to find one.
Build Your Reputation
Ultimately, the way to get ahead is to get noticed. You want people to see your competence, leadership abilities, communication skills, technical knowledge, and any other competencies that are typical of people at the top.
Develop your skills and network with people so that your name becomes associated with top management potential. To do this, you need to build a reputation as the kind of person who fits the description of top management. Visibility is very important. Remember, while you can see up, those at the top can see down. Make sure that what they see is you!
Follow these guidelines:
Seek high-profile projects.
Speak up and contribute in meetings.
Share ideas with peers as well as people in higher positions.
Identify places where your reputation is not what you want it to be, and develop plans to change them.
For more tips on building the right kind of reputation, see What's Your Reputation?
Know Your Rights
Finally, watch for discriminatory behavior. Sometimes biases and stereotyping can cross the line into discrimination. It's unfortunate for both you and your organization when situations like this occur.
Don't just accept frustration and failure. Know that you're doing everything right, and arm yourself with a good understanding of your rights regarding official company policies and local laws.
Mind Tools' article on Avoiding Discrimination shows you how to protect yourself if you face this regrettable situation.
Key Points
To get ahead and reach the leadership level you want, you need to champion and market yourself. That means proactively managing every step of your career. If you can't seem to break through a glass ceiling, you might have to work harder than others.
We can't all be exactly the type of upper management person our company wants. What we can do is develop the skills that the company values. Arm yourself with a development plan as well as the help of your boss, a strong network, and, hopefully, a mentor. You can then build and showcase the skills that will help you climb the corporate ladder. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and you may find new zones of opportunity.
Apply This to Your Life
If you're frustrated with your career advancement, consider the following:
Do you have a career plan in place? If you don't, now is the time to make one!
Does your boss, or anyone in your organization, know what your goals are? Unless people know what you want, they may keep you in the same position and assume you're happy there.
Do you feel alone and unsupported in your career goals? If so, who can help you change that? We all need to make our own success, but most people don't succeed all on their own. Ask for support and assistance - this is a sign of strength, not weakness.
What areas for skill development have been pointed out to you in the past? Are you making improvements?
Are you facing a glass ceiling? Recognizing that the ceiling exists is the first step. The ceiling won't be removed unless you do something about it. Apply some of the ideas in this article, and monitor your progress.
Coping with the emotional turmoil
So, it finally happened. All of the headlines and statistics about the current economic crisis have become personal: you've been laid off.
Given the intensity of the stress you're likely to be experiencing right now, it helps to know what to expect in the weeks and months ahead. After all, the more you know, the better equipped you'll be to handle the ups and downs that you're likely to face.
The Five Stages of Loss
In a famous piece of research, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified five different stages of grief that people go through when mourning the death of a loved one. Sure, losing a job may not be quite as upsetting as this, however it can be a profoundly unhappy and stressful experience, and it can help to think in terms of Kübler-Ross's stages. These are:
Denial.
Anger.
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance.
Not everyone experiences each stage the same way, or in the same time frame. You might skip a stage, or spend a long time in one stage and move quickly through the next one.
Also, your age and life situation might partly determine how long you spend in each stage, or whether you experience a certain stage at all. A younger worker with no mortgage payments and no children may experience denial and self-criticism, but then skip directly to acceptance. Workers who have more responsibilities might take longer to move to the acceptance stage, simply because more stress is involved.
Let's look at the stages in more detail, and think about what you can do to cope with each one.
Stage One: Denial
If you're thinking things like "I can't believe I've lost my job" or you think that this is all a silly administrative mistake that can be fixed, then you're in Stage One.
To cope with denial, you have to open your mind to the fact that that bad, and even unjust or wrong things do happen, and that you have to live with them.
Don't pretend that you're just on an unexpected vacation or – worse – put your business suit on and catch the train as usual in the morning, but spend your day in a library or coffee shop with a newspaper. This is only prolonging the process of getting over what has happened.
Stage Two: Anger
Once you're past the initial shock of losing your job, you might begin to feel very angry – angry at yourself, your boss, your company, or the economy in general. After all, if you've worked hard and "given your all", surely you deserve better than this?
You might become angry at family and friends as well.
This can be one of the most difficult stages, especially for the people around you. If your anger causes you to treat others badly, use anger management techniques, or seek counseling. Hurting the people you love will push them away, and make you feel worse.
To cope, try to express your emotions in a healthy way. This doesn't mean that you should start kicking and screaming. Talk with family and friends, or even a counselor. This may give you the outlet you need to move past your feelings of anger.
Stage Three: Bargaining
After your anger has burned itself out, you might start bargaining with yourself or your organization in the hope that your job loss is somehow reversible.
In Kübler-Ross's original model, this reflected a form of subconscious bargaining with a higher power: "I just want to live to see my daughter married…"
In the case of job loss, this is likely to be more practical. For instance, you might go back to your boss and offer to work for less money, or reduced benefits. You might offer to work part-time, or train any new hires that come through the door.
Bargaining is almost always futile. Picture it like trying to board a ship that's setting sail; you've got one foot on the ship and one foot on the dock. Straddling them both will get you nothing but a miserable drop into the ocean.
To cope with this stage, be aware of what you're doing. Put your energy into moving forward.
Stage Four: Depression
As the old cliché says, "Whenever one door closes, another one opens somewhere." But, as someone else also said, "It's the hallway in between those doors that's torture."
Once you realize that your anger and bargaining tactics aren't working to get your job back, you might slip into a state of depression.
Depression is the beginning stage of acceptance. You're grieving for your lost job, and that's an important step because it shows your finally coming to terms with what happened.
So what can you do to cope? Accept that losing your job wasn't your fault. Or, if it was your fault, learn from the experience, forgive yourself, and move on. You can call it fate or destiny, but consider that something better might be out there waiting for you. You just have to be willing to find it!
Start doing something productive. Remember, your job right now is to find another job.
This is also a great time to volunteer for an organization that you care about. Helping others can be very healing, and it could give you a sense of control in your life.
Warning: If you're experiencing significant or persistent unhappiness at this or any other stage, seek the advice of an appropriately qualified medical practitioner. Depression is something that can be dealt with quickly and effectively if detected, but is something that can be painful and lingering if left untreated.
Stage Five: Acceptance
You've finally realized the truth: the layoff wasn't your fault, or if it was your fault, you've learned from it. You're a talented, incredible, exciting person with a lot to offer in your next job.
And the best news? You've faced the difficulties of losing a job, and you're stronger because of it.
There's no set time limit for any of these stages. Again, you might skip some stages, or go through all five: everyone is different.
If you feel like you're stuck in one particular stage and can't move past it, then seek help so you can move forward.
Tip:
Now that you no longer have a boss to manage your performance, give yourself a performance appraisal at regular intervals. Assess your work skills and also how you're doing at looking for another job.
Key Points
Losing a job can be emotionally upsetting and overwhelming. Many experts agree that people go through five stages of loss or grief, similar to what we experience at the death of a loved one: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Give yourself time to work through each stage. Talk about your emotions, do something productive, and keep moving forward.
So, it finally happened. All of the headlines and statistics about the current economic crisis have become personal: you've been laid off.
Given the intensity of the stress you're likely to be experiencing right now, it helps to know what to expect in the weeks and months ahead. After all, the more you know, the better equipped you'll be to handle the ups and downs that you're likely to face.
The Five Stages of Loss
In a famous piece of research, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified five different stages of grief that people go through when mourning the death of a loved one. Sure, losing a job may not be quite as upsetting as this, however it can be a profoundly unhappy and stressful experience, and it can help to think in terms of Kübler-Ross's stages. These are:
Denial.
Anger.
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance.
Not everyone experiences each stage the same way, or in the same time frame. You might skip a stage, or spend a long time in one stage and move quickly through the next one.
Also, your age and life situation might partly determine how long you spend in each stage, or whether you experience a certain stage at all. A younger worker with no mortgage payments and no children may experience denial and self-criticism, but then skip directly to acceptance. Workers who have more responsibilities might take longer to move to the acceptance stage, simply because more stress is involved.
Let's look at the stages in more detail, and think about what you can do to cope with each one.
Stage One: Denial
If you're thinking things like "I can't believe I've lost my job" or you think that this is all a silly administrative mistake that can be fixed, then you're in Stage One.
To cope with denial, you have to open your mind to the fact that that bad, and even unjust or wrong things do happen, and that you have to live with them.
Don't pretend that you're just on an unexpected vacation or – worse – put your business suit on and catch the train as usual in the morning, but spend your day in a library or coffee shop with a newspaper. This is only prolonging the process of getting over what has happened.
Stage Two: Anger
Once you're past the initial shock of losing your job, you might begin to feel very angry – angry at yourself, your boss, your company, or the economy in general. After all, if you've worked hard and "given your all", surely you deserve better than this?
You might become angry at family and friends as well.
This can be one of the most difficult stages, especially for the people around you. If your anger causes you to treat others badly, use anger management techniques, or seek counseling. Hurting the people you love will push them away, and make you feel worse.
To cope, try to express your emotions in a healthy way. This doesn't mean that you should start kicking and screaming. Talk with family and friends, or even a counselor. This may give you the outlet you need to move past your feelings of anger.
Stage Three: Bargaining
After your anger has burned itself out, you might start bargaining with yourself or your organization in the hope that your job loss is somehow reversible.
In Kübler-Ross's original model, this reflected a form of subconscious bargaining with a higher power: "I just want to live to see my daughter married…"
In the case of job loss, this is likely to be more practical. For instance, you might go back to your boss and offer to work for less money, or reduced benefits. You might offer to work part-time, or train any new hires that come through the door.
Bargaining is almost always futile. Picture it like trying to board a ship that's setting sail; you've got one foot on the ship and one foot on the dock. Straddling them both will get you nothing but a miserable drop into the ocean.
To cope with this stage, be aware of what you're doing. Put your energy into moving forward.
Stage Four: Depression
As the old cliché says, "Whenever one door closes, another one opens somewhere." But, as someone else also said, "It's the hallway in between those doors that's torture."
Once you realize that your anger and bargaining tactics aren't working to get your job back, you might slip into a state of depression.
Depression is the beginning stage of acceptance. You're grieving for your lost job, and that's an important step because it shows your finally coming to terms with what happened.
So what can you do to cope? Accept that losing your job wasn't your fault. Or, if it was your fault, learn from the experience, forgive yourself, and move on. You can call it fate or destiny, but consider that something better might be out there waiting for you. You just have to be willing to find it!
Start doing something productive. Remember, your job right now is to find another job.
This is also a great time to volunteer for an organization that you care about. Helping others can be very healing, and it could give you a sense of control in your life.
Warning: If you're experiencing significant or persistent unhappiness at this or any other stage, seek the advice of an appropriately qualified medical practitioner. Depression is something that can be dealt with quickly and effectively if detected, but is something that can be painful and lingering if left untreated.
Stage Five: Acceptance
You've finally realized the truth: the layoff wasn't your fault, or if it was your fault, you've learned from it. You're a talented, incredible, exciting person with a lot to offer in your next job.
And the best news? You've faced the difficulties of losing a job, and you're stronger because of it.
There's no set time limit for any of these stages. Again, you might skip some stages, or go through all five: everyone is different.
If you feel like you're stuck in one particular stage and can't move past it, then seek help so you can move forward.
Tip:
Now that you no longer have a boss to manage your performance, give yourself a performance appraisal at regular intervals. Assess your work skills and also how you're doing at looking for another job.
Key Points
Losing a job can be emotionally upsetting and overwhelming. Many experts agree that people go through five stages of loss or grief, similar to what we experience at the death of a loved one: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Give yourself time to work through each stage. Talk about your emotions, do something productive, and keep moving forward.
Learning how to get praise
Imagine this: You stay late at work, consistently win accounts that your co-workers only dream of, never miss deadlines, and never show up late - and to top it all off, you finish even your worst projects successfully and ahead of schedule.
You'd think that by doing all of this, you would, at least once in a while, get thanks and recognition from management? Well. you wish. Unfortunately, your boss is busy dealing with a "problem" member of the team, and as a result, she forgets to show any gratitude to her stars. That includes you.
Have you ever been in a situation like this? Working hard and getting ignored by your boss can be rough. That's why you sometimes have to take matters into your own hands.
Boasting of your own accomplishments can feel awkward. But look at it this way: If your boss doesn't notice your hard work, and you don't point it out to him or her, then what happens when you ask for a raise? How will he or she know you're ready for that promotion, or if you can handle that huge-but-fascinating project?
Things don't have to be like that. We'll show you how to get the recognition you deserve without looking like you're seeking attention. Believe it or not, there is a way to do this.
There are many types of recognition, so decide what type you want.
Step One: Decide What You Want
Companies often thank staff with awards, certificates, or bonuses. However, people often just want simple praise. We want to know that our work is meaningful and that we've made a difference. An "Employee of the Month" certificate, or a cold, hard check doesn't always communicate that.
So, what exactly are you looking for? It's important to really define this, because everyone wants something different. Do you want a simple "thank you"? An award ceremony in your honor? A raise?
Step Two: Define Why You Deserve Praise
Don't walk into your boss's office with no advance preparation to say what a great job you've been doing. Why? Firstly, it would seem odd. Then, if you're a bit nervous, you might forget something important that you've done. You might forget the help a co-worker gave you, and leaving out that person could speak poorly of your character. Be sure to make yourself look good, but also share credit where credit is due.
Make a list of the accomplishments you'd like to discuss. Beside each one, list the value that accomplishment has brought to the company.
Step Three: Praise Yourself
This is where you've got to get creative. You know your boss and your business environment, so think of ways to let your boss know how hard you've been working.
If you tell your boss directly, then do it carefully and tactfully - in a private area. You know that list of accomplishments you just created? Read that over a few times before your meeting. As you talk, emphasize how you had help and how your co-workers should be rewarded for their hard work as well.
If this feels a little too much like bragging, then think of ways to let your boss know what you're doing without being so obvious or bold. For example, send your boss an email every time you win a new account, or when you're finally able to please your company's worst customer. These little "progress reports" keep your actions in the open in a delicate, not-too-obvious way.
You can also praise others in front of your boss. By bringing their hard work and accomplishments to your boss's attention, she may also notice the great job that you've been doing. Keep it genuine and honest, however. If you appear insincere, then people may notice, and you may look bad. If you have something good to say, then say it, but don't speak up if you don't really mean it.
A Few Tips
Look closely at your boss's actions - he or she may be praising you, and you don't even realize it. For example, let's say you spent hours writing the annual message to shareholders, and your boss only quickly glanced at it before passing it on to be copied. Before you get upset, consider that her actions may really say that she trusts you to do top-notch work, and she doesn't have read every line to know you've done a great job. Yes, a "thank you" for a job well done is nice, but this kind of trust is also a compliment.
In your work environment, perhaps all the problem behaviors get noticed, and all the really great ones seem to be ignored. If so, then you may have to do something bold to get management's attention. Tell your boss honestly how members of the team need some recognition. Keep the focus off yourself, and help your boss understand how everyone would be more motivated if they just got a little praise now and then.
Key Points
Although not everyone is comfortable talking about their accomplishments, you might harm yourself if you don't speak up.
If your boss doesn't see the great work you've been doing, he or she might give that promotion or special project to someone else without knowing any better. It's up to you to prove that you can handle the added responsibility - and to do that, your boss has to know what you've already done.
Think of subtle ways to get your boss's attention by talking privately, sending emails about small accomplishments, and praising your teammates when he or she is around to hear it. Even if you keep the focus off yourself, it may get him or her to notice what you've been doing as well.
Apply This to Your Life:
Ready to put this into action? Here are some easy ways to use this tool in your life right now:
Begin by recognizing the accomplishments of others. If you notice co-workers doing something great, send them emails praising their efforts, and send copies to your boss. This can show your boss that you're leading by example.
Don't forget that your boss might need some praise and recognition too. Send him or her an email when she's made a difference in your day, and consider copying that email to his or her boss.
If you're a team leader, keep your eyes open for activities and co-workers that deserve praise. Whenever someone does something that's earned a heartfelt "thanks," send that person an email and copy it to your boss.
These are just a few ways you can "raise the bar" in your workplace to get other people thinking about praise and recognition. When you recognize the efforts of your team, you should steadily earn your own praise as well.
Imagine this: You stay late at work, consistently win accounts that your co-workers only dream of, never miss deadlines, and never show up late - and to top it all off, you finish even your worst projects successfully and ahead of schedule.
You'd think that by doing all of this, you would, at least once in a while, get thanks and recognition from management? Well. you wish. Unfortunately, your boss is busy dealing with a "problem" member of the team, and as a result, she forgets to show any gratitude to her stars. That includes you.
Have you ever been in a situation like this? Working hard and getting ignored by your boss can be rough. That's why you sometimes have to take matters into your own hands.
Boasting of your own accomplishments can feel awkward. But look at it this way: If your boss doesn't notice your hard work, and you don't point it out to him or her, then what happens when you ask for a raise? How will he or she know you're ready for that promotion, or if you can handle that huge-but-fascinating project?
Things don't have to be like that. We'll show you how to get the recognition you deserve without looking like you're seeking attention. Believe it or not, there is a way to do this.
There are many types of recognition, so decide what type you want.
Step One: Decide What You Want
Companies often thank staff with awards, certificates, or bonuses. However, people often just want simple praise. We want to know that our work is meaningful and that we've made a difference. An "Employee of the Month" certificate, or a cold, hard check doesn't always communicate that.
So, what exactly are you looking for? It's important to really define this, because everyone wants something different. Do you want a simple "thank you"? An award ceremony in your honor? A raise?
Step Two: Define Why You Deserve Praise
Don't walk into your boss's office with no advance preparation to say what a great job you've been doing. Why? Firstly, it would seem odd. Then, if you're a bit nervous, you might forget something important that you've done. You might forget the help a co-worker gave you, and leaving out that person could speak poorly of your character. Be sure to make yourself look good, but also share credit where credit is due.
Make a list of the accomplishments you'd like to discuss. Beside each one, list the value that accomplishment has brought to the company.
Step Three: Praise Yourself
This is where you've got to get creative. You know your boss and your business environment, so think of ways to let your boss know how hard you've been working.
If you tell your boss directly, then do it carefully and tactfully - in a private area. You know that list of accomplishments you just created? Read that over a few times before your meeting. As you talk, emphasize how you had help and how your co-workers should be rewarded for their hard work as well.
If this feels a little too much like bragging, then think of ways to let your boss know what you're doing without being so obvious or bold. For example, send your boss an email every time you win a new account, or when you're finally able to please your company's worst customer. These little "progress reports" keep your actions in the open in a delicate, not-too-obvious way.
You can also praise others in front of your boss. By bringing their hard work and accomplishments to your boss's attention, she may also notice the great job that you've been doing. Keep it genuine and honest, however. If you appear insincere, then people may notice, and you may look bad. If you have something good to say, then say it, but don't speak up if you don't really mean it.
A Few Tips
Look closely at your boss's actions - he or she may be praising you, and you don't even realize it. For example, let's say you spent hours writing the annual message to shareholders, and your boss only quickly glanced at it before passing it on to be copied. Before you get upset, consider that her actions may really say that she trusts you to do top-notch work, and she doesn't have read every line to know you've done a great job. Yes, a "thank you" for a job well done is nice, but this kind of trust is also a compliment.
In your work environment, perhaps all the problem behaviors get noticed, and all the really great ones seem to be ignored. If so, then you may have to do something bold to get management's attention. Tell your boss honestly how members of the team need some recognition. Keep the focus off yourself, and help your boss understand how everyone would be more motivated if they just got a little praise now and then.
Key Points
Although not everyone is comfortable talking about their accomplishments, you might harm yourself if you don't speak up.
If your boss doesn't see the great work you've been doing, he or she might give that promotion or special project to someone else without knowing any better. It's up to you to prove that you can handle the added responsibility - and to do that, your boss has to know what you've already done.
Think of subtle ways to get your boss's attention by talking privately, sending emails about small accomplishments, and praising your teammates when he or she is around to hear it. Even if you keep the focus off yourself, it may get him or her to notice what you've been doing as well.
Apply This to Your Life:
Ready to put this into action? Here are some easy ways to use this tool in your life right now:
Begin by recognizing the accomplishments of others. If you notice co-workers doing something great, send them emails praising their efforts, and send copies to your boss. This can show your boss that you're leading by example.
Don't forget that your boss might need some praise and recognition too. Send him or her an email when she's made a difference in your day, and consider copying that email to his or her boss.
If you're a team leader, keep your eyes open for activities and co-workers that deserve praise. Whenever someone does something that's earned a heartfelt "thanks," send that person an email and copy it to your boss.
These are just a few ways you can "raise the bar" in your workplace to get other people thinking about praise and recognition. When you recognize the efforts of your team, you should steadily earn your own praise as well.
Showing What You Can Do
You do your job faithfully every day. You may even do your job exceptionally well. Why is it, then, that you've been in the same position for three years while others - seemingly less-deserving people - have been promoted?
The people who have been promoted may know one critical thing that you don't. Promotion isn't just about doing what you're paid to do. It's not necessarily even about being the best "widget" maker you can be.
Promotion is about pushing the limits of your current position. It's about showing that you have outgrown your current responsibilities, and that you're ready to take on new ones.
Think about it. If you're busy working away, producing more widgets per hour than anyone has ever produced, why should I promote you? Clearly, your value to the company is your efficiency. If I promote you, my production output may suddenly fall!
Focusing on simply what's expected of you may be a great strategy to keep the job you have. But going beyond what's expected, and stretching yourself beyond your current role, can lead to a new job with more responsibility.
Now, before you head out to stop being effective at anything, remember - in your pursuit of a promotion, you still have to perform well and meet your current job requirements. The key is identifying ways to add more value to your contribution.
Organizations move forward by solving problems. Discover ways to be more involved in the solutions - and that may move you forward too.
Understand Your Organization
To prepare for a promotion, you have to really understand the drivers of organizational success. It doesn't necessarily mean doing more things - it means doing more of the RIGHT things.
Ask yourself these questions:
What are the strategic goals of the organization?
How does your department's work fit into the overall strategy?
How is your boss's performance measured?
What critical functions do other people in your team currently perform?
You may even want to make lateral moves - to similar positions in different departments - to increase your overall appreciation for what the company does. If your exposure is broader, you may also see and be considered for more promotion opportunities.
For example, if you're a communications manager and feel that there's no place else to go with your job, gain experience in other areas of the company. When you have the right mix of experience and skill, promotion to a more senior level may become a realistic goal.
Increase Your Responsibility
Typically, managers are given responsibility for something, and they then delegate various pieces to their staffs. They delegate in order to have more time to work on higher-level tasks. These higher-level tasks are what you want to get involved in.
To gain access to them, you first have to prove that you're capable of handling the increased responsibility. Here are some ways to prove your capabilities:
Complete your work thoroughly and with as little supervision as possible. This involves working well as part of a team, while also demonstrating individual competence.
When you have questions for your boss, come prepared with solutions as well.
Expand your skill set. Determine what you need to learn to add more value, and make a plan to acquire those skills. Also, find out about the skills you'll need in the new role, and make sure you acquire these.
Get up-to-date, and stay current in your field, perhaps by reading the industry press. Find opportunities to continue your learning and education.
Become aware of the economic and business pressures facing your organization.
Use good judgment when carrying out your responsibilities. Think about cost versus benefit, review bottom-line results, and know how your role impacts the company as a whole.
Then, look for opportunities to lead projects. This can help you practice your leadership skills and demonstrate your ability to take on new responsibilities. Try the following:
Volunteer to take on new projects and other opportunities, to learn and practice other skills. For example, offer to cover a co-worker's responsibilities while he or she is on vacation.
Identify opportunities to delegate your own work. This frees up your time and allows you to practice supervising others' work.
Offer to take on tasks that you know your boss dislikes or is weak in. You'll expand your range of experience, and you'll make your boss's job easier - it's a win-win!
Get Innovative
To prepare for a promotion, always think about how to do things better. That's one of the defining characteristics of leaders. How can you do something cheaper, faster, or with less waste? Consider the following:
Demonstrate critical thinking when you report to your boss. Rather than accept things as they are, think how you can improve them - and come up with innovative ways to do those things better.
Understand the big picture, and incorporate it into your decisions and solutions.
Look for things that aren't being done at all. Innovation isn't always improving things that already exist - it's often adding something of value as well.
Put forward your ideas, even if you aren't sure of the response. This demonstrates both your imagination and willingness to take risks. Be prepared for many of your ideas to not be accepted.
If you prove that you're interested in improving organizational performance and that you can come up with some original ideas, this can be a great way to set the stage for promotion. Learn more about innovative thinking in Practical Innovation.
Set Promotion Goals
Ultimately, you're the one who needs to work proactively to make a promotion happen. If you rely on someone else to make it happen, you'll probably end up disappointed. Take action with these steps:
Identify your career goals within the organization.
Talk to people who hold the kinds of positions and levels of authority that you want. Find out what they did to get where they are. The more you learn from other people's experiences, the better.
Evaluate your strengths, and set goals to learn the skills you need for success.
Take note of who your internal competition might be - others in your company who may want the same position you want - and work hard to distinguish yourself and make yourself stand out.
Look for a mentor within the organization. Having someone to talk to, and who might champion your ideas, is a great benefit. See Finding a Mentor for practical steps and strategies.
Set your goal, and follow it through! See Personal Goal Setting for practical tips.
When you run into obstacles, find ways to work around them. A positive attitude can go a long way toward reaching your goals, and getting noticed for your ability to inspire and motivate.
Communicate Your Desire
Doing all of the above will likely be met with great appreciation. That won't guarantee a promotion, though. Let people know what you want, and then proactively work to achieve it.
Here are some steps you can take to make your wishes known:
Identify a role or position toward which you want to work.
Using your knowledge of the organization, find out what experience and skills are needed to get that job.
Work with your boss to set performance objectives so that you can achieve the necessary skills and experience.
Network with people in the company. Let as many people as appropriate know what type of role interests you. Seek advice on how to prepare for that role.
Ask for the promotion when it becomes available. If you aren't ready yet, use this as an opportunity to develop the skills you need.
As you execute your promotion plan, let others who have influence over the decision know what you're doing. You have to be your own best champion: Preparing for a promotion is no time to be quiet and shy. You need many people to know what you're capable of and what you want.
Key Points
Earning a promotion is partly within your control. Simply doing what's expected of you, and even being the best at what you do, are not guarantees of advancement.
To prepare for promotion, increase your value to the organization. Be smart about the type of value opportunities that you create. Understand what drives your company's success, take on more of the right responsibilities, expand your skill set, and communicate your promotion goals to others.
By being proactive, you can create the path to the position that you want.
You do your job faithfully every day. You may even do your job exceptionally well. Why is it, then, that you've been in the same position for three years while others - seemingly less-deserving people - have been promoted?
The people who have been promoted may know one critical thing that you don't. Promotion isn't just about doing what you're paid to do. It's not necessarily even about being the best "widget" maker you can be.
Promotion is about pushing the limits of your current position. It's about showing that you have outgrown your current responsibilities, and that you're ready to take on new ones.
Think about it. If you're busy working away, producing more widgets per hour than anyone has ever produced, why should I promote you? Clearly, your value to the company is your efficiency. If I promote you, my production output may suddenly fall!
Focusing on simply what's expected of you may be a great strategy to keep the job you have. But going beyond what's expected, and stretching yourself beyond your current role, can lead to a new job with more responsibility.
Now, before you head out to stop being effective at anything, remember - in your pursuit of a promotion, you still have to perform well and meet your current job requirements. The key is identifying ways to add more value to your contribution.
Organizations move forward by solving problems. Discover ways to be more involved in the solutions - and that may move you forward too.
Understand Your Organization
To prepare for a promotion, you have to really understand the drivers of organizational success. It doesn't necessarily mean doing more things - it means doing more of the RIGHT things.
Ask yourself these questions:
What are the strategic goals of the organization?
How does your department's work fit into the overall strategy?
How is your boss's performance measured?
What critical functions do other people in your team currently perform?
You may even want to make lateral moves - to similar positions in different departments - to increase your overall appreciation for what the company does. If your exposure is broader, you may also see and be considered for more promotion opportunities.
For example, if you're a communications manager and feel that there's no place else to go with your job, gain experience in other areas of the company. When you have the right mix of experience and skill, promotion to a more senior level may become a realistic goal.
Increase Your Responsibility
Typically, managers are given responsibility for something, and they then delegate various pieces to their staffs. They delegate in order to have more time to work on higher-level tasks. These higher-level tasks are what you want to get involved in.
To gain access to them, you first have to prove that you're capable of handling the increased responsibility. Here are some ways to prove your capabilities:
Complete your work thoroughly and with as little supervision as possible. This involves working well as part of a team, while also demonstrating individual competence.
When you have questions for your boss, come prepared with solutions as well.
Expand your skill set. Determine what you need to learn to add more value, and make a plan to acquire those skills. Also, find out about the skills you'll need in the new role, and make sure you acquire these.
Get up-to-date, and stay current in your field, perhaps by reading the industry press. Find opportunities to continue your learning and education.
Become aware of the economic and business pressures facing your organization.
Use good judgment when carrying out your responsibilities. Think about cost versus benefit, review bottom-line results, and know how your role impacts the company as a whole.
Then, look for opportunities to lead projects. This can help you practice your leadership skills and demonstrate your ability to take on new responsibilities. Try the following:
Volunteer to take on new projects and other opportunities, to learn and practice other skills. For example, offer to cover a co-worker's responsibilities while he or she is on vacation.
Identify opportunities to delegate your own work. This frees up your time and allows you to practice supervising others' work.
Offer to take on tasks that you know your boss dislikes or is weak in. You'll expand your range of experience, and you'll make your boss's job easier - it's a win-win!
Get Innovative
To prepare for a promotion, always think about how to do things better. That's one of the defining characteristics of leaders. How can you do something cheaper, faster, or with less waste? Consider the following:
Demonstrate critical thinking when you report to your boss. Rather than accept things as they are, think how you can improve them - and come up with innovative ways to do those things better.
Understand the big picture, and incorporate it into your decisions and solutions.
Look for things that aren't being done at all. Innovation isn't always improving things that already exist - it's often adding something of value as well.
Put forward your ideas, even if you aren't sure of the response. This demonstrates both your imagination and willingness to take risks. Be prepared for many of your ideas to not be accepted.
If you prove that you're interested in improving organizational performance and that you can come up with some original ideas, this can be a great way to set the stage for promotion. Learn more about innovative thinking in Practical Innovation.
Set Promotion Goals
Ultimately, you're the one who needs to work proactively to make a promotion happen. If you rely on someone else to make it happen, you'll probably end up disappointed. Take action with these steps:
Identify your career goals within the organization.
Talk to people who hold the kinds of positions and levels of authority that you want. Find out what they did to get where they are. The more you learn from other people's experiences, the better.
Evaluate your strengths, and set goals to learn the skills you need for success.
Take note of who your internal competition might be - others in your company who may want the same position you want - and work hard to distinguish yourself and make yourself stand out.
Look for a mentor within the organization. Having someone to talk to, and who might champion your ideas, is a great benefit. See Finding a Mentor for practical steps and strategies.
Set your goal, and follow it through! See Personal Goal Setting for practical tips.
When you run into obstacles, find ways to work around them. A positive attitude can go a long way toward reaching your goals, and getting noticed for your ability to inspire and motivate.
Communicate Your Desire
Doing all of the above will likely be met with great appreciation. That won't guarantee a promotion, though. Let people know what you want, and then proactively work to achieve it.
Here are some steps you can take to make your wishes known:
Identify a role or position toward which you want to work.
Using your knowledge of the organization, find out what experience and skills are needed to get that job.
Work with your boss to set performance objectives so that you can achieve the necessary skills and experience.
Network with people in the company. Let as many people as appropriate know what type of role interests you. Seek advice on how to prepare for that role.
Ask for the promotion when it becomes available. If you aren't ready yet, use this as an opportunity to develop the skills you need.
As you execute your promotion plan, let others who have influence over the decision know what you're doing. You have to be your own best champion: Preparing for a promotion is no time to be quiet and shy. You need many people to know what you're capable of and what you want.
Key Points
Earning a promotion is partly within your control. Simply doing what's expected of you, and even being the best at what you do, are not guarantees of advancement.
To prepare for promotion, increase your value to the organization. Be smart about the type of value opportunities that you create. Understand what drives your company's success, take on more of the right responsibilities, expand your skill set, and communicate your promotion goals to others.
By being proactive, you can create the path to the position that you want.
Controlling Your Feelings... Before They Control You
Everything can be taken from a man but the last of human freedoms – the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances, to choose one's way.
– Viktor Frankl, 'Man's Search for Meaning'
We've all been in one of 'those' situations before. You know... when your favorite project is cancelled after weeks of hard work; when a customer snaps at you unfairly; when your best friend (and co-worker) is laid off suddenly; or your boss assigns you more work when you're already overloaded.
In your personal life, your reaction to stressful situations like these might be to start shouting, or to go hide in a corner and feel sorry for yourself for a while. But at work, these types of behavior could seriously harm your professional reputation, as well as your productivity.
Stressful situations are all too common in a workplace that's facing budget cuts, staff layoffs, and department changes. It may become harder and harder to manage your emotions under these circumstances, but it's even more important for you to do so. After all, if management is forced into making more layoffs, they may choose to keep those who can handle their emotions, and work well under pressure. As the above quote shows, no matter what the situation is, you're always free to choose how you react to it.
So, how can you become better at handling your emotions, and 'choosing' your reactions to bad situations? In this article, we look at the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace – and how you can manage them productively.
Why are we focusing only on negative emotions? Well, most people don't need strategies for managing their positive emotions. After all, feelings of joy, excitement, compassion, or optimism usually don't affect others in a negative way. As long as you share positive emotions constructively and professionally, they're great to have in the workplace!
Common Negative Emotions at Work
In 1997, Bond University professor of management Cynthia Fisher conducted a study called 'Emotions at Work: What Do People Feel, and How Should We Measure It?'
According to Fisher's research, the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace are as follows:
Frustration/irritation.
Worry/nervousness.
Anger/aggravation.
Dislike.
Disappointment/unhappiness.
Below are different strategies you can use to help you deal with each of these negative emotions.
Frustration/Irritation
Frustration usually occurs when you feel stuck or trapped, or unable to move forward in some way. It could be caused by a colleague blocking your favorite project, a boss who is too disorganized to get to your meeting on time, or simply being on hold on the phone for a long time.
Whatever the reason, it's important to deal with feelings of frustration quickly, because they can easily lead to more negative emotions, such as anger.
Here are some suggestions for dealing with frustration:
Stop and evaluate – One of the best things you can do is mentally stop yourself, and look at the situation. Ask yourself why you feel frustrated. Write it down, and be specific. Then think of one positive thing about your current situation. For instance, if your boss is late for your meeting, then you have more time to prepare. Or, you could use this time to relax a little.
Find something positive about the situation – Thinking about a positive aspect of your situation often makes you look at things in a different way. This small change in your thinking can improve your mood. When it's people who are causing your frustration, they're probably not doing it deliberately to annoy you. And if it's a thing that's bothering you – well, it's certainly not personal! Don't get mad, just move on.
Remember the last time you felt frustrated – The last time you were frustrated about something, the situation probably worked out just fine after a while, right? Your feelings of frustration or irritation probably didn't do much to solve the problem then, which means they're not doing anything for you right now.
Worry/Nervousness
With all the fear and anxiety that comes with increasing numbers of layoffs, it's no wonder that many people worry about their jobs. But this worry can easily get out of control, if you allow it, and this can impact not only your mental health, but also your productivity, and your willingness to take risks at work.
Try these tips to deal with worrying:
Don't surround yourself with worry and anxiety – For example, if co-workers gather in the break room to gossip and talk about job cuts, then don't go there and worry with everyone else. Worrying tends to lead to more worrying, and that isn't good for anyone.
Try deep-breathing exercises – This helps slow your breathing and your heart rate. Breathe in slowly for five seconds, then breathe out slowly for five seconds. Focus on your breathing, and nothing else. Do this at least five times. For more on this, read Physical Relaxation Techniques.
Focus on how to improve the situation – If you fear being laid off, and you sit there and worry, that probably won't help you keep your job. Instead, why not brainstorm ways to bring in more business, and show how valuable you are to the company?
Write down your worries in a worry log – If you find that worries are churning around inside your mind, write them down in a notebook or 'worry log,' and then schedule a time to deal with them. Before that time, you can forget about these worries, knowing that you'll deal with them. When it comes to the time you've scheduled, conduct a proper risk analysis around these things, and take whatever actions are necessary to mitigate any risks.
When you're worried and nervous about something, it can dent your self-confidence. Read our article on Building Self-Confidence to make sure this doesn't happen. Also, don't let your worries get in the way of being appropriately assertive.
Anger/Aggravation
Out-of-control anger is perhaps the most destructive emotion that people experience in the workplace. It's also the emotion that most of us don't handle very well. If you have trouble managing your temper at work, then learning to control it is one of the best things you can do if you want to keep your job.
Try these suggestions to control your anger:
Watch for early signs of anger – Only you know the danger signs when anger is building, so learn to recognize them when they begin. Stopping your anger early is key. Remember, you can choose how you react in a situation. Just because your first instinct is to become angry doesn't mean it's the correct response.
If you start to get angry, stop what you're doing – Close your eyes, and practice the deep-breathing exercise we described earlier. This interrupts your angry thoughts, and it helps put you back on a more positive path.
Picture yourself when you're angry – If you imagine how you look and behave while you're angry, it gives you some perspective on the situation. For instance, if you're about to shout at your co-worker, imagine how you would look. Is your face red? Are you waving your arms around? Would you want to work with someone like that? Probably not.
To find out more about managing your anger at work, take our self-test How Good Is Your Anger Management? Also, read Dealing with Unfair Criticism and Anger Management.
Dislike
We've probably all had to work with someone we don't like. But it's important to be professional, no matter what.
Here are some ideas for working with people you dislike:
Be respectful – If you have to work with someone you don't get along with, then it's time to set aside your pride and ego. Treat the person with courtesy and respect, as you would treat anyone else. Just because this person behaves in an unprofessional manner, that doesn't mean you should as well.
Be assertive – If the other person is rude and unprofessional, then firmly explain that you refuse to be treated that way, and calmly leave the situation. Remember, set the example.
To learn more about handling dislike in the workplace, please see Dealing with Difficult People and Egos at Work.
Disappointment/Unhappiness
Dealing with disappointment or unhappiness at work can be difficult. Of all the emotions you might feel at work, these are the most likely to impact your productivity. If you've just suffered a major disappointment, your energy will probably be low, you might be afraid to take another risk, and all of that may hold you back from achieving.
Here are some proactive steps you can take to cope with disappointment and unhappiness:
Look at your mindset – Take a moment to realize that things won't always go your way. If they did, life would be a straight road instead of one with hills and valleys, ups and downs, right? And it's the hills and valleys that often make life so interesting.
Adjust your goal – If you're disappointed that you didn't reach a goal, that doesn't mean the goal is no longer reachable. Keep the goal, but make a small change – for example, delay the deadline.
Our Back On Track article provides practical steps for recovering from a major career setback.
Record your thoughts – Write down exactly what is making you unhappy. Is it a co-worker? Is it your job? Do you have too much to do? Once you identify the problem, start brainstorming ways to solve it or work around it. Remember, you always have the power to change your situation.
Smile! – Strange as it may sound, forcing a smile – or even a grimace – onto your face can often make you feel happy (this is one of the strange ways in which we humans are 'wired.') Try it – you may be surprised!
Key Points
We all have to deal with negative emotions at work sometimes, and learning how to cope with these feelings is now more important than ever. After all, negative emotions can spread, and no one wants to be around a person who adds negativity to a group.
Know what causes your negative emotions, and which types of feelings you face most often. When those emotions begin to appear, immediately start your strategy to interrupt the cycle. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to pull yourself away from negative thinking.
Everything can be taken from a man but the last of human freedoms – the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances, to choose one's way.
– Viktor Frankl, 'Man's Search for Meaning'
We've all been in one of 'those' situations before. You know... when your favorite project is cancelled after weeks of hard work; when a customer snaps at you unfairly; when your best friend (and co-worker) is laid off suddenly; or your boss assigns you more work when you're already overloaded.
In your personal life, your reaction to stressful situations like these might be to start shouting, or to go hide in a corner and feel sorry for yourself for a while. But at work, these types of behavior could seriously harm your professional reputation, as well as your productivity.
Stressful situations are all too common in a workplace that's facing budget cuts, staff layoffs, and department changes. It may become harder and harder to manage your emotions under these circumstances, but it's even more important for you to do so. After all, if management is forced into making more layoffs, they may choose to keep those who can handle their emotions, and work well under pressure. As the above quote shows, no matter what the situation is, you're always free to choose how you react to it.
So, how can you become better at handling your emotions, and 'choosing' your reactions to bad situations? In this article, we look at the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace – and how you can manage them productively.
Why are we focusing only on negative emotions? Well, most people don't need strategies for managing their positive emotions. After all, feelings of joy, excitement, compassion, or optimism usually don't affect others in a negative way. As long as you share positive emotions constructively and professionally, they're great to have in the workplace!
Common Negative Emotions at Work
In 1997, Bond University professor of management Cynthia Fisher conducted a study called 'Emotions at Work: What Do People Feel, and How Should We Measure It?'
According to Fisher's research, the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace are as follows:
Frustration/irritation.
Worry/nervousness.
Anger/aggravation.
Dislike.
Disappointment/unhappiness.
Below are different strategies you can use to help you deal with each of these negative emotions.
Frustration/Irritation
Frustration usually occurs when you feel stuck or trapped, or unable to move forward in some way. It could be caused by a colleague blocking your favorite project, a boss who is too disorganized to get to your meeting on time, or simply being on hold on the phone for a long time.
Whatever the reason, it's important to deal with feelings of frustration quickly, because they can easily lead to more negative emotions, such as anger.
Here are some suggestions for dealing with frustration:
Stop and evaluate – One of the best things you can do is mentally stop yourself, and look at the situation. Ask yourself why you feel frustrated. Write it down, and be specific. Then think of one positive thing about your current situation. For instance, if your boss is late for your meeting, then you have more time to prepare. Or, you could use this time to relax a little.
Find something positive about the situation – Thinking about a positive aspect of your situation often makes you look at things in a different way. This small change in your thinking can improve your mood. When it's people who are causing your frustration, they're probably not doing it deliberately to annoy you. And if it's a thing that's bothering you – well, it's certainly not personal! Don't get mad, just move on.
Remember the last time you felt frustrated – The last time you were frustrated about something, the situation probably worked out just fine after a while, right? Your feelings of frustration or irritation probably didn't do much to solve the problem then, which means they're not doing anything for you right now.
Worry/Nervousness
With all the fear and anxiety that comes with increasing numbers of layoffs, it's no wonder that many people worry about their jobs. But this worry can easily get out of control, if you allow it, and this can impact not only your mental health, but also your productivity, and your willingness to take risks at work.
Try these tips to deal with worrying:
Don't surround yourself with worry and anxiety – For example, if co-workers gather in the break room to gossip and talk about job cuts, then don't go there and worry with everyone else. Worrying tends to lead to more worrying, and that isn't good for anyone.
Try deep-breathing exercises – This helps slow your breathing and your heart rate. Breathe in slowly for five seconds, then breathe out slowly for five seconds. Focus on your breathing, and nothing else. Do this at least five times. For more on this, read Physical Relaxation Techniques.
Focus on how to improve the situation – If you fear being laid off, and you sit there and worry, that probably won't help you keep your job. Instead, why not brainstorm ways to bring in more business, and show how valuable you are to the company?
Write down your worries in a worry log – If you find that worries are churning around inside your mind, write them down in a notebook or 'worry log,' and then schedule a time to deal with them. Before that time, you can forget about these worries, knowing that you'll deal with them. When it comes to the time you've scheduled, conduct a proper risk analysis around these things, and take whatever actions are necessary to mitigate any risks.
When you're worried and nervous about something, it can dent your self-confidence. Read our article on Building Self-Confidence to make sure this doesn't happen. Also, don't let your worries get in the way of being appropriately assertive.
Anger/Aggravation
Out-of-control anger is perhaps the most destructive emotion that people experience in the workplace. It's also the emotion that most of us don't handle very well. If you have trouble managing your temper at work, then learning to control it is one of the best things you can do if you want to keep your job.
Try these suggestions to control your anger:
Watch for early signs of anger – Only you know the danger signs when anger is building, so learn to recognize them when they begin. Stopping your anger early is key. Remember, you can choose how you react in a situation. Just because your first instinct is to become angry doesn't mean it's the correct response.
If you start to get angry, stop what you're doing – Close your eyes, and practice the deep-breathing exercise we described earlier. This interrupts your angry thoughts, and it helps put you back on a more positive path.
Picture yourself when you're angry – If you imagine how you look and behave while you're angry, it gives you some perspective on the situation. For instance, if you're about to shout at your co-worker, imagine how you would look. Is your face red? Are you waving your arms around? Would you want to work with someone like that? Probably not.
To find out more about managing your anger at work, take our self-test How Good Is Your Anger Management? Also, read Dealing with Unfair Criticism and Anger Management.
Dislike
We've probably all had to work with someone we don't like. But it's important to be professional, no matter what.
Here are some ideas for working with people you dislike:
Be respectful – If you have to work with someone you don't get along with, then it's time to set aside your pride and ego. Treat the person with courtesy and respect, as you would treat anyone else. Just because this person behaves in an unprofessional manner, that doesn't mean you should as well.
Be assertive – If the other person is rude and unprofessional, then firmly explain that you refuse to be treated that way, and calmly leave the situation. Remember, set the example.
To learn more about handling dislike in the workplace, please see Dealing with Difficult People and Egos at Work.
Disappointment/Unhappiness
Dealing with disappointment or unhappiness at work can be difficult. Of all the emotions you might feel at work, these are the most likely to impact your productivity. If you've just suffered a major disappointment, your energy will probably be low, you might be afraid to take another risk, and all of that may hold you back from achieving.
Here are some proactive steps you can take to cope with disappointment and unhappiness:
Look at your mindset – Take a moment to realize that things won't always go your way. If they did, life would be a straight road instead of one with hills and valleys, ups and downs, right? And it's the hills and valleys that often make life so interesting.
Adjust your goal – If you're disappointed that you didn't reach a goal, that doesn't mean the goal is no longer reachable. Keep the goal, but make a small change – for example, delay the deadline.
Our Back On Track article provides practical steps for recovering from a major career setback.
Record your thoughts – Write down exactly what is making you unhappy. Is it a co-worker? Is it your job? Do you have too much to do? Once you identify the problem, start brainstorming ways to solve it or work around it. Remember, you always have the power to change your situation.
Smile! – Strange as it may sound, forcing a smile – or even a grimace – onto your face can often make you feel happy (this is one of the strange ways in which we humans are 'wired.') Try it – you may be surprised!
Key Points
We all have to deal with negative emotions at work sometimes, and learning how to cope with these feelings is now more important than ever. After all, negative emotions can spread, and no one wants to be around a person who adds negativity to a group.
Know what causes your negative emotions, and which types of feelings you face most often. When those emotions begin to appear, immediately start your strategy to interrupt the cycle. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to pull yourself away from negative thinking.
Developing skills for your future as well as for today
How will your job be different five years from now? Indeed, will your job even exist in its present form in five years, or in 10 or even 20 years time? And over this time, what will happen to the company and industry you work for?
We really don't know what the future holds. What we do know for certain is that change is a constant in the workplace. This means that what we are doing now will be different in the future.
How can you predict and prepare for this workplace of the future? What should you be doing now to make sure you don't find yourself facing a dead end in your career?
This article gives you some strategies you can begin pursuing now. They will help you keep your skills current and your opportunities open. Pick and choose from among them to build your unique Future Proofing Kit. And remember, as your own circumstances change, your kit may need to adapt as well. Refer back to this list often and take inventory of what you should be doing either differently from, or in addition to, what you are doing now.
Future Proofing Kit
Find an "Academy" company. If you're early in your career, get a job at a company renowned in its industry for developing its people (traditional examples are GE, Toyota and Mars.) When you work for this kind of company, you are enrolled in a continuous development program that goes well beyond the technical skills you need for your current role. This forms a great foundation for a successful career.
Get and remain tech-savvy. Much of the change we see has to do with new technology. We keep finding faster and leaner ways to do things. Force yourself to keep your technical skills current, even if new developments don't seem directly related to your current job. Otherwise, you'll get left behind and may have to catch up a huge amount before you can head off in a new direction in the future. If that means learning the newest online tools like blogging and web conferencing, do it. If you're in a highly technical field of work, be proactive and stay current - even when your company does not.
Develop your competencies, skills and experience. Along with technical skills, it is critically important to continue your professional development, so that you remain in demand in the marketplace. You need to develop the transferable skills that are universally sought by employers. Leadership, communication, innovation, stress management and interpersonal skills are all fundamental requirements of the jobs of today and tomorrow. Here are some ways to do this:
Choose two competencies or skills to improve each year. Monitor and track your progress.
Develop a five year learning plan to acquire the knowledge and education you need.
Develop cross-functional skills. Beyond a certain stage in your career and in uncertain environments, specialization is no longer the route of choice. It can pay off for some; however, it has high risk of obsolescence attached.
And yes, consider joining our Career Excellence Club to learn these skills.
Your specific technical skills may get out of date. That's why you see nurses with business skills and technology experts with financial experience. A broad range of competencies, skills and abilities can help you secure a new job or may even open the door to working in a new industry.
To maximize your chances of success, use the tips found in the Personal Goal Setting article to help you set development goals effectively, and if you have our Personal Development Plan Workbook, make sure you use it to plan your skills development.
"Think global." In many industries, geographical barriers to business are getting less and less relevant. Your co-workers, clients and stakeholders now and in the future can be from anywhere in the world. You need to acquire the ability to work within the international marketplace by:
Learning about working with diverse cultures.
Asking for assignments that require international exposure.
Learning another language.
The more experience you get, the more confidence you will have when working in the global marketplace. This will make you much more attractive to employers in the future.
Create and maintain a success journal. The time to start thinking about your accomplishments and skills is not when you are looking for a new job. You need to be proactive and take continuous inventory of what you do really well, the accolades you have been given and the noteworthy results you've been responsible for. Employers want to know what you will do for them. When you have a ready list of things you have done, it is much easier to recall your most relevant achievements and skills.
Track your duties, projects and results.
Keep a list of professional development activities you've participated in.
List the training you've completed.
Note your volunteer work.
File your performance reviews and the written letters and emails you receive that note your performance.
Use this success journal to track your strengths and successes and also to affirm your wonderful qualities as well. All of us need to boost our confidence and self esteem from time to time. Having a list of objective strengths and accomplishments can do a lot to improve your motivation and belief in your abilities.
Build and maintain a professional network. Make sure that you develop good relationships with people both within and outside your organization. These people will be invaluable as the landscape of work changes. They can bring you along with them as they weather changes, and can provide opportunities when your current position looks uncertain. When you add a mentor or two to your network, you have the added bonus of learning new skills, technologies and strategies that will help you move your career in the direction you want.
Collect business cards.
Keep track of former bosses and colleagues.
Join professional networking associations.
Participate in a wide range of activities and build relationships beyond your current career or industry.
Scan the environment. Be aware of changes and trends in the economy, your profession and the industry you are in. No one can accurately predict the future; however stay ahead of the crowd by keeping yourself informed, and choosing to work in industries - and for employers - that have long-term sustainability.
Keep track of business trends by reading a good newspaper and the industry press.
Complete a PEST analysis for your industry and others you are interested in.
Analyze the attractiveness of your company using Porter's Five Forces and USP Analysis.
Back your hunches and analysis with action. If you think your company or industry is in trouble, it's best to get out while the going's good!
Overall, avoid industries and companies that are on a downward slide. Being an expert in a dying field may provide a niche strategy into the medium term; however, you will eventually have to leave. It is better to prepare now.
Keep a clear career path open. You may be fortunate enough to be in an organization where there's a clear and attractive career path ahead of you. For many, this will not be the case.
This may not be a problem if you're in a fast growth industry - if you're good at what you do, opportunities will most-likely appear with alarming regularity. However if you're in a slow growth industry or are one in decline, then this is a problem: There may be no onward path, and development may be blocked, however hard you work. This will lead to frustration, boredom and, in the long term, failure to achieve your potential.
This is where you need to review your options and take action to unblock your career, even if it means a job- or career-change. See our article on Career Planning to find out how to do this.
Develop resilience. Because the future is uncertain, you will probably encounter setbacks no matter how much you prepare and plan. People who will be successful are those with the ability to bounce back and consider such setbacks as learning experiences.
Evaluate and affirm your strengths on a regular basis.
Develop realistic and achievable goals, monitor your progress and identify what is holding you back.
Build your flexibility and maintain your enthusiasm despite what is happening around you.
To learn more about resiliency, listen to the Expert Interview with Cal Crow.
All of these techniques can be very useful as you begin to plan and prepare for your future. And they all have in common the elements of risk management and career planning. You need to become good at both to secure your future career.
Key Points:
While your job description may not be relevant in the future, you can ensure the skills you bring to the table are. With some forethought and planning, you can take control of your future career today. The key is not so much in how skilled you are at predicting what will happen, it is in how attuned you are to the early indications of change.
When you realize that change is constant and you are constantly planning so you stay ahead of the game, you will find yourself in a great position to recognize and capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves.
How will your job be different five years from now? Indeed, will your job even exist in its present form in five years, or in 10 or even 20 years time? And over this time, what will happen to the company and industry you work for?
We really don't know what the future holds. What we do know for certain is that change is a constant in the workplace. This means that what we are doing now will be different in the future.
How can you predict and prepare for this workplace of the future? What should you be doing now to make sure you don't find yourself facing a dead end in your career?
This article gives you some strategies you can begin pursuing now. They will help you keep your skills current and your opportunities open. Pick and choose from among them to build your unique Future Proofing Kit. And remember, as your own circumstances change, your kit may need to adapt as well. Refer back to this list often and take inventory of what you should be doing either differently from, or in addition to, what you are doing now.
Future Proofing Kit
Find an "Academy" company. If you're early in your career, get a job at a company renowned in its industry for developing its people (traditional examples are GE, Toyota and Mars.) When you work for this kind of company, you are enrolled in a continuous development program that goes well beyond the technical skills you need for your current role. This forms a great foundation for a successful career.
Get and remain tech-savvy. Much of the change we see has to do with new technology. We keep finding faster and leaner ways to do things. Force yourself to keep your technical skills current, even if new developments don't seem directly related to your current job. Otherwise, you'll get left behind and may have to catch up a huge amount before you can head off in a new direction in the future. If that means learning the newest online tools like blogging and web conferencing, do it. If you're in a highly technical field of work, be proactive and stay current - even when your company does not.
Develop your competencies, skills and experience. Along with technical skills, it is critically important to continue your professional development, so that you remain in demand in the marketplace. You need to develop the transferable skills that are universally sought by employers. Leadership, communication, innovation, stress management and interpersonal skills are all fundamental requirements of the jobs of today and tomorrow. Here are some ways to do this:
Choose two competencies or skills to improve each year. Monitor and track your progress.
Develop a five year learning plan to acquire the knowledge and education you need.
Develop cross-functional skills. Beyond a certain stage in your career and in uncertain environments, specialization is no longer the route of choice. It can pay off for some; however, it has high risk of obsolescence attached.
And yes, consider joining our Career Excellence Club to learn these skills.
Your specific technical skills may get out of date. That's why you see nurses with business skills and technology experts with financial experience. A broad range of competencies, skills and abilities can help you secure a new job or may even open the door to working in a new industry.
To maximize your chances of success, use the tips found in the Personal Goal Setting article to help you set development goals effectively, and if you have our Personal Development Plan Workbook, make sure you use it to plan your skills development.
"Think global." In many industries, geographical barriers to business are getting less and less relevant. Your co-workers, clients and stakeholders now and in the future can be from anywhere in the world. You need to acquire the ability to work within the international marketplace by:
Learning about working with diverse cultures.
Asking for assignments that require international exposure.
Learning another language.
The more experience you get, the more confidence you will have when working in the global marketplace. This will make you much more attractive to employers in the future.
Create and maintain a success journal. The time to start thinking about your accomplishments and skills is not when you are looking for a new job. You need to be proactive and take continuous inventory of what you do really well, the accolades you have been given and the noteworthy results you've been responsible for. Employers want to know what you will do for them. When you have a ready list of things you have done, it is much easier to recall your most relevant achievements and skills.
Track your duties, projects and results.
Keep a list of professional development activities you've participated in.
List the training you've completed.
Note your volunteer work.
File your performance reviews and the written letters and emails you receive that note your performance.
Use this success journal to track your strengths and successes and also to affirm your wonderful qualities as well. All of us need to boost our confidence and self esteem from time to time. Having a list of objective strengths and accomplishments can do a lot to improve your motivation and belief in your abilities.
Build and maintain a professional network. Make sure that you develop good relationships with people both within and outside your organization. These people will be invaluable as the landscape of work changes. They can bring you along with them as they weather changes, and can provide opportunities when your current position looks uncertain. When you add a mentor or two to your network, you have the added bonus of learning new skills, technologies and strategies that will help you move your career in the direction you want.
Collect business cards.
Keep track of former bosses and colleagues.
Join professional networking associations.
Participate in a wide range of activities and build relationships beyond your current career or industry.
Scan the environment. Be aware of changes and trends in the economy, your profession and the industry you are in. No one can accurately predict the future; however stay ahead of the crowd by keeping yourself informed, and choosing to work in industries - and for employers - that have long-term sustainability.
Keep track of business trends by reading a good newspaper and the industry press.
Complete a PEST analysis for your industry and others you are interested in.
Analyze the attractiveness of your company using Porter's Five Forces and USP Analysis.
Back your hunches and analysis with action. If you think your company or industry is in trouble, it's best to get out while the going's good!
Overall, avoid industries and companies that are on a downward slide. Being an expert in a dying field may provide a niche strategy into the medium term; however, you will eventually have to leave. It is better to prepare now.
Keep a clear career path open. You may be fortunate enough to be in an organization where there's a clear and attractive career path ahead of you. For many, this will not be the case.
This may not be a problem if you're in a fast growth industry - if you're good at what you do, opportunities will most-likely appear with alarming regularity. However if you're in a slow growth industry or are one in decline, then this is a problem: There may be no onward path, and development may be blocked, however hard you work. This will lead to frustration, boredom and, in the long term, failure to achieve your potential.
This is where you need to review your options and take action to unblock your career, even if it means a job- or career-change. See our article on Career Planning to find out how to do this.
Develop resilience. Because the future is uncertain, you will probably encounter setbacks no matter how much you prepare and plan. People who will be successful are those with the ability to bounce back and consider such setbacks as learning experiences.
Evaluate and affirm your strengths on a regular basis.
Develop realistic and achievable goals, monitor your progress and identify what is holding you back.
Build your flexibility and maintain your enthusiasm despite what is happening around you.
To learn more about resiliency, listen to the Expert Interview with Cal Crow.
All of these techniques can be very useful as you begin to plan and prepare for your future. And they all have in common the elements of risk management and career planning. You need to become good at both to secure your future career.
Key Points:
While your job description may not be relevant in the future, you can ensure the skills you bring to the table are. With some forethought and planning, you can take control of your future career today. The key is not so much in how skilled you are at predicting what will happen, it is in how attuned you are to the early indications of change.
When you realize that change is constant and you are constantly planning so you stay ahead of the game, you will find yourself in a great position to recognize and capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves.
Making the Most of Your Talents and Opportunities.
"Chance favors the prepared mind."
– Louis Pasteur
You are most likely to succeed in life if you use your talents to their fullest extent. Similarly, you'll suffer fewer problems if you know what your weaknesses are, and if you manage these weaknesses so that they don't matter in the work you do.
So how you go about identifying these strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you do this.
What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward.
If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities you need to advance your career.
How to Use the Tool
To perform a personal SWOT analysis, print out our free worksheet, and write down answers to the questions in each area below.
Strengths
What advantages do you have that others don't have (for example, skills, certifications, education, or connections)?
What do you do better than anyone else?
What personal resources can you access?
What do other people (and your boss, in particular) see as your strengths?
Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
What values do you believe in that others fail to exhibit?
Are you part of a network that no one else is involved in? If so, what connections do you have with influential people?
Consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around you. And don't be modest or shy – be as objective as you can.
And if you have any difficulty with this, write down a list of your personal characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths! You can also learn more about identifying your strengths in our article on "Your Reflected Best Self™".
Tip:
Think about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if you're a great mathematician and the people around you are also great at math, then this is not likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be a necessity.
Weaknesses
What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?
What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
Are you completely confident in your education and skills training? If not, where are you weakest?
What are your negative work habits (for example, are you often late, are you disorganized, do you have a short temper, or are you poor at handling stress?
Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field? For instance, if you have to conduct meetings on a regular basis, a fear of public speaking would be a major weakness.
Again, consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external perspective. Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Do co-workers consistently outperform you in key areas? Be realistic – it's best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.
Opportunities
What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people via the Internet?
Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the current market?
Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
What trends (management or otherwise) do you see in your company, and how can you take advantage of them?
Are any of your competitors failing to do something important? If so, can you take advantage of their mistakes?
Is there a need in your company or industry that no one is filling?
Do your customers or vendors complain about something in your company? If so, could you create an opportunity by offering a solution?
You might find useful opportunities in the following:
Networking events, educational classes, or conferences.
A colleague going on an extended leave. Could you take on some of this person's projects to gain experience?
A new role or project that forces you to learn new skills, like public speaking or international relations.
A company expansion or acquisition. Do you have specific skills (like a second language) that could help with the process?
Also, importantly, look at your strengths, and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities – and look at your weaknesses, and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating those weaknesses.
Threats
What obstacles do you currently face at work?
Are any of your colleagues competing with you for projects or roles?
Is your job (or the demand for the things you do) changing?
Does changing technology threaten your position?
Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
Performing this analysis will often provide key information – it can point out what needs to be done and put problems into perspective.
A Personal SWOT Example
What would a personal SWOT assessment look like? Review this SWOT analysis for Carol, an advertising manager.
Strengths
I'm very creative. I often impressing clients with a new perspective on their brands.
I communicate well with my clients and team.
I have the ability to ask key questions to find just the right marketing angle.
I'm completely committed to the success of a client's brand.
Weaknesses
I have a strong, compulsive need to do things quickly and remove them from my "to do" list, and sometimes the quality of my work suffers as a result.
This same need to get things done also causes me stress when I have too many tasks.
I get nervous when presenting ideas to clients, and this fear of public speaking often takes the passion out of my presentations.
Opportunities
One of our major competitors has developed a reputation for treating their smaller clients poorly.
I'm attending a major marketing conference next month. This will allow for strategic networking, and also offer some great training seminars.
Our art director will go on maternity leave soon. Covering her duties while she's away would be a great career development opportunity for me.
Threats
Simon, one of my colleagues, is a much stronger speaker than I am, and he's competing with me for the art director position.
Due to recent staff shortages, I'm often overworked, and this negatively impacts my creativity.
The current economic climate has resulted in slow growth for the marketing industry. Many firms have laid off staff members, and our company is considering further cutbacks.
As a result of performing this analysis, Carol takes the bold step of approaching her colleague Simon about the art director's maternity leave. Carol proposes that both she and Simon cover the job's duties, working together and each using his or her strengths. To her surprise, Simon likes the idea. He knows he presents very well, but he admits that he's usually impressed by Carol's creative ideas, which he feels are far better than most of his.
By working as a team, they have a chance to make their smaller clients feel even better about the service they're getting. This takes advantage of their competitor's weakness in this area.
Key Points
A SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that you face. This helps you focus on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available to you.
"Chance favors the prepared mind."
– Louis Pasteur
You are most likely to succeed in life if you use your talents to their fullest extent. Similarly, you'll suffer fewer problems if you know what your weaknesses are, and if you manage these weaknesses so that they don't matter in the work you do.
So how you go about identifying these strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you do this.
What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward.
If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities you need to advance your career.
How to Use the Tool
To perform a personal SWOT analysis, print out our free worksheet, and write down answers to the questions in each area below.
Strengths
What advantages do you have that others don't have (for example, skills, certifications, education, or connections)?
What do you do better than anyone else?
What personal resources can you access?
What do other people (and your boss, in particular) see as your strengths?
Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
What values do you believe in that others fail to exhibit?
Are you part of a network that no one else is involved in? If so, what connections do you have with influential people?
Consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around you. And don't be modest or shy – be as objective as you can.
And if you have any difficulty with this, write down a list of your personal characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths! You can also learn more about identifying your strengths in our article on "Your Reflected Best Self™".
Tip:
Think about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if you're a great mathematician and the people around you are also great at math, then this is not likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be a necessity.
Weaknesses
What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?
What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
Are you completely confident in your education and skills training? If not, where are you weakest?
What are your negative work habits (for example, are you often late, are you disorganized, do you have a short temper, or are you poor at handling stress?
Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field? For instance, if you have to conduct meetings on a regular basis, a fear of public speaking would be a major weakness.
Again, consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external perspective. Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Do co-workers consistently outperform you in key areas? Be realistic – it's best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.
Opportunities
What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people via the Internet?
Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the current market?
Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
What trends (management or otherwise) do you see in your company, and how can you take advantage of them?
Are any of your competitors failing to do something important? If so, can you take advantage of their mistakes?
Is there a need in your company or industry that no one is filling?
Do your customers or vendors complain about something in your company? If so, could you create an opportunity by offering a solution?
You might find useful opportunities in the following:
Networking events, educational classes, or conferences.
A colleague going on an extended leave. Could you take on some of this person's projects to gain experience?
A new role or project that forces you to learn new skills, like public speaking or international relations.
A company expansion or acquisition. Do you have specific skills (like a second language) that could help with the process?
Also, importantly, look at your strengths, and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities – and look at your weaknesses, and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating those weaknesses.
Threats
What obstacles do you currently face at work?
Are any of your colleagues competing with you for projects or roles?
Is your job (or the demand for the things you do) changing?
Does changing technology threaten your position?
Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
Performing this analysis will often provide key information – it can point out what needs to be done and put problems into perspective.
A Personal SWOT Example
What would a personal SWOT assessment look like? Review this SWOT analysis for Carol, an advertising manager.
Strengths
I'm very creative. I often impressing clients with a new perspective on their brands.
I communicate well with my clients and team.
I have the ability to ask key questions to find just the right marketing angle.
I'm completely committed to the success of a client's brand.
Weaknesses
I have a strong, compulsive need to do things quickly and remove them from my "to do" list, and sometimes the quality of my work suffers as a result.
This same need to get things done also causes me stress when I have too many tasks.
I get nervous when presenting ideas to clients, and this fear of public speaking often takes the passion out of my presentations.
Opportunities
One of our major competitors has developed a reputation for treating their smaller clients poorly.
I'm attending a major marketing conference next month. This will allow for strategic networking, and also offer some great training seminars.
Our art director will go on maternity leave soon. Covering her duties while she's away would be a great career development opportunity for me.
Threats
Simon, one of my colleagues, is a much stronger speaker than I am, and he's competing with me for the art director position.
Due to recent staff shortages, I'm often overworked, and this negatively impacts my creativity.
The current economic climate has resulted in slow growth for the marketing industry. Many firms have laid off staff members, and our company is considering further cutbacks.
As a result of performing this analysis, Carol takes the bold step of approaching her colleague Simon about the art director's maternity leave. Carol proposes that both she and Simon cover the job's duties, working together and each using his or her strengths. To her surprise, Simon likes the idea. He knows he presents very well, but he admits that he's usually impressed by Carol's creative ideas, which he feels are far better than most of his.
By working as a team, they have a chance to make their smaller clients feel even better about the service they're getting. This takes advantage of their competitor's weakness in this area.
Key Points
A SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that you face. This helps you focus on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available to you.
Shaping a career that suits your personality.
You know when you are in a job you like. You also know when the task you're doing just isn't right for you.
What lies behind our feelings of work satisfaction or dissatisfaction are our fundamental work interests: These are the things that we enjoy doing, whatever the industry or the job title. The trick to finding career satisfaction can be to identify those core interests and match your job to them.
For example, if you’re a science person, you may not be happy working in a job that needs quick decisions, or where you need to use your “gut” to guide you. Likewise, artistic people would be driven mad in a profession that has lots of rules and procedures, or which demands a lot of number crunching.
In a perfect world, we would all choose careers that suit our core interests. However this is not a perfect world: For all sorts of reasons, we can find ourselves in positions where what we’re doing just doesn’t suit our natural interests and abilities. This is where understanding how job and personality fit together can help you change the situation for the better.
Ability and personality are the two main things contribute towards job satisfaction. You’re likely to find that jobs that suit your ability and personality are much more rewarding than those that don’t. Here we look at your work interests – an important part of your work personality.
Understanding the Theory: Holland’s Codes
In the 1970s John Holland developed a popular theory of interest development based around these six personality types:
1. Realistic (R):
These are people who like well-ordered activities, or enjoy working with objects, tools, and machines.
Realistic people:
See themselves as mechanically or athletically talented, but may not be good with people.
Value concrete and tangible things like - money, power, and status.
Avoid "social" activities, those that need interaction with other people.
Common traits:
Hard-headed, inflexible, persistent, materialistic, practical, and genuine.
2. Investigative (I):
Investigative people like activities that involve creative investigation of the world or nature.
Investigative people:
See themselves as highly intelligent, but often lack leadership skills.
Value scientific endeavors.
Avoid activities that seem mundane, commercial or "enterprising".
Common traits:
Analytical, curious, pessimistic, intellectual, precise, and reserved.
3. Artistic (A):
Artistic people like unstructured activities, and enjoy using materials to create art.
Artistic people:
See themselves as talented artists.
Value aesthetics.
Avoid "conventional" occupations or situations.
Common traits:
Idealistic, complicated , introspective, sensitive, impractical and nonconformist.
4. Social (S):
Social people enjoy informing, training, developing, curing and enlightening others.
Social people:
Perceive themselves as helpful, understanding and able to teach others.
Value social activities.
Avoid activities demanded by "realistic" occupations and situations.
Common traits:
Generous, patient, emphatic, tactful, persuasive, and cooperative.
5. Enterprising (E):
These people enjoy reaching organizational goals or achieving economic gain.
Enterprising people:
See themselves as aggressive, popular, great leaders and speakers, but may lack scientific ability.
Value political and economic achievement.
Avoid activities demanded by "investigative" occupations and situations.
Common traits:
Extroverted, adventurous, optimistic, ambitious, sociable, and exhibitionistic.
6. Conventional (C):
Conventional people enjoy manipulating data, record keeping, filing, reproducing materials, and organizing written or numerical data.
Conventional people
See themselves as having clerical and numerical ability.
Value business and economic achievement.
Avoid unstructured or "artistic" activities.
Common traits:
Efficient, practical, conscientious, inflexible, defensive, and methodical.
The Model
Holland then arranged these six personality types into a hexagon (see figure 1, below) organized according to people's preference for working with different stimuli at work: people, data, things, and ideas. Holland's theory is that people with different personality types prefer working with different work stimuli, and that the distance between work personalities indicates the degree of difference in interests between them. For example Artistic people are least like Conventional people and most like Social and Investigative people.
Holland's conclusion was that for any personality type, the career most aligned with that type is most likely to be enjoyable and satisfying. For example, a Realistic person would be best suited for a Technical job and least suited for Social job. Jobs with Conventional or Operational characteristics would be the next best choices.
The way that this works in practice is that people use a personality test to identify their three top personality types. This gives their Holland's code (for example, ESA). This is then matched against the Holland's codes of people typically found within particular careers.
How to Use Holland Codes Career Model:
There are two good ways of using this model – either in helping you choose a career that suits you, or in helping you shape your existing job so that you maximize your fulfillment. To find your ideal career according to this approach, just complete steps i and ii below. To shape your job, use our complete process.
Using Holland's Codes is a straightforward process, which is made all the easier by some useful online interest evaluation sites.
Part One: Identify your Work Personality
Step i: Read through the brief descriptions given above and find the one you most identify with. You may want to take an official Holland Code Assessment. There are many of these, costing different amounts – you can find them by typing "Holland Code Assessment" into Google.
Try one: Does the assessment say what you thought it would? If they aren't, ask yourself why: Often we choose a personality type that reflects who we want to be, not who we really are. (If so, learn from this!)
Tip 1:
Do try the online tests – they're not expensive (for example, one costs US$9.99) and a good one will show you the careers and professions that most suit your code once you've completed it. This can save you a huge amount of painstaking research!
Step ii: To further explore your "true" work personality, ask yourself, "How would my spouse, family, and friends categorize me?" Show some of your friends and co-workers descriptions of the types and ask them to categorize you. Here again, explore any differences between your assessment of yourself and theirs.
Part Two: Analyze your job in terms of your interests
Step iii: Look at your main tasks and responsibilities. Are they aligned with your work personality?
Step iv: List those responsibilities that are aligned in one column and those that are not in another. Use this to decide whether your job is a good fit for your interests or not.
Step v: For each of the job roles where your interests are not well matched, work out at least one way of bringing the two sides together. For instance, if you are a "Conventional" person working in an administrative position, many of your roles will be in-line with your interests. However, if you were asked to organize the Christmas party, you might be very uncomfortable about deciding about decorations, entertainment, and so on. These are more Artistic responsibilities, which are directly opposite to your Conventional ways. One strategy to deal with this is to delegate the Artistic tasks and assume responsibility for making sure the tasks get done. You maintain the Administrative duties and get rid of the Artistic ones.
Part Three: Set Goals to Bring Your Interests and Responsibilities in line
Step vi: The best way of making sure that something gets done is to set a specific, time limited goal. Identify two or three of the most important problem areas, and set realistic goals to change things.
Tip 2:
Remember that this is a model – it's a useful way of looking at things, but it can't possibly capture all of the complexities of the ways that people behave at work. Make sure that you interpret any conclusions with common sense.
Tip 3:
Also bear in mind that as you develop in your career you'll need to extend your skills into new areas. In particular, as you take responsibility for people and then move upwards within an organization, you need to develop the "Social" ability to work with other people, as well as other skills that normally go with other personality types (if you're going to be a CEO, there's a lot of "Conventional" work that you just have to do, and do well.)
Key Points
Holland’s Career Codes provides a useful framework for exploring your personal interests and the careers most likely to suit you.
Every occupation requires a particular set of characteristics. By identifying your particular interests you can quickly uncover the parts of your job that give your satisfaction. Likewise, you can identify areas of dissatisfaction and help you plan how to address these. This helps you develop your career in the right direction – one that will be a source of long-term fulfillment.
If you're thinking about your career, and the way it fits with the future shape of your life, look at our Life Plan Workbook. This helps you think about what you want to achieve with your life, and set the goals that will lead you there
You know when you are in a job you like. You also know when the task you're doing just isn't right for you.
What lies behind our feelings of work satisfaction or dissatisfaction are our fundamental work interests: These are the things that we enjoy doing, whatever the industry or the job title. The trick to finding career satisfaction can be to identify those core interests and match your job to them.
For example, if you’re a science person, you may not be happy working in a job that needs quick decisions, or where you need to use your “gut” to guide you. Likewise, artistic people would be driven mad in a profession that has lots of rules and procedures, or which demands a lot of number crunching.
In a perfect world, we would all choose careers that suit our core interests. However this is not a perfect world: For all sorts of reasons, we can find ourselves in positions where what we’re doing just doesn’t suit our natural interests and abilities. This is where understanding how job and personality fit together can help you change the situation for the better.
Ability and personality are the two main things contribute towards job satisfaction. You’re likely to find that jobs that suit your ability and personality are much more rewarding than those that don’t. Here we look at your work interests – an important part of your work personality.
Understanding the Theory: Holland’s Codes
In the 1970s John Holland developed a popular theory of interest development based around these six personality types:
1. Realistic (R):
These are people who like well-ordered activities, or enjoy working with objects, tools, and machines.
Realistic people:
See themselves as mechanically or athletically talented, but may not be good with people.
Value concrete and tangible things like - money, power, and status.
Avoid "social" activities, those that need interaction with other people.
Common traits:
Hard-headed, inflexible, persistent, materialistic, practical, and genuine.
2. Investigative (I):
Investigative people like activities that involve creative investigation of the world or nature.
Investigative people:
See themselves as highly intelligent, but often lack leadership skills.
Value scientific endeavors.
Avoid activities that seem mundane, commercial or "enterprising".
Common traits:
Analytical, curious, pessimistic, intellectual, precise, and reserved.
3. Artistic (A):
Artistic people like unstructured activities, and enjoy using materials to create art.
Artistic people:
See themselves as talented artists.
Value aesthetics.
Avoid "conventional" occupations or situations.
Common traits:
Idealistic, complicated , introspective, sensitive, impractical and nonconformist.
4. Social (S):
Social people enjoy informing, training, developing, curing and enlightening others.
Social people:
Perceive themselves as helpful, understanding and able to teach others.
Value social activities.
Avoid activities demanded by "realistic" occupations and situations.
Common traits:
Generous, patient, emphatic, tactful, persuasive, and cooperative.
5. Enterprising (E):
These people enjoy reaching organizational goals or achieving economic gain.
Enterprising people:
See themselves as aggressive, popular, great leaders and speakers, but may lack scientific ability.
Value political and economic achievement.
Avoid activities demanded by "investigative" occupations and situations.
Common traits:
Extroverted, adventurous, optimistic, ambitious, sociable, and exhibitionistic.
6. Conventional (C):
Conventional people enjoy manipulating data, record keeping, filing, reproducing materials, and organizing written or numerical data.
Conventional people
See themselves as having clerical and numerical ability.
Value business and economic achievement.
Avoid unstructured or "artistic" activities.
Common traits:
Efficient, practical, conscientious, inflexible, defensive, and methodical.
The Model
Holland then arranged these six personality types into a hexagon (see figure 1, below) organized according to people's preference for working with different stimuli at work: people, data, things, and ideas. Holland's theory is that people with different personality types prefer working with different work stimuli, and that the distance between work personalities indicates the degree of difference in interests between them. For example Artistic people are least like Conventional people and most like Social and Investigative people.
Holland's conclusion was that for any personality type, the career most aligned with that type is most likely to be enjoyable and satisfying. For example, a Realistic person would be best suited for a Technical job and least suited for Social job. Jobs with Conventional or Operational characteristics would be the next best choices.
The way that this works in practice is that people use a personality test to identify their three top personality types. This gives their Holland's code (for example, ESA). This is then matched against the Holland's codes of people typically found within particular careers.
How to Use Holland Codes Career Model:
There are two good ways of using this model – either in helping you choose a career that suits you, or in helping you shape your existing job so that you maximize your fulfillment. To find your ideal career according to this approach, just complete steps i and ii below. To shape your job, use our complete process.
Using Holland's Codes is a straightforward process, which is made all the easier by some useful online interest evaluation sites.
Part One: Identify your Work Personality
Step i: Read through the brief descriptions given above and find the one you most identify with. You may want to take an official Holland Code Assessment. There are many of these, costing different amounts – you can find them by typing "Holland Code Assessment" into Google.
Try one: Does the assessment say what you thought it would? If they aren't, ask yourself why: Often we choose a personality type that reflects who we want to be, not who we really are. (If so, learn from this!)
Tip 1:
Do try the online tests – they're not expensive (for example, one costs US$9.99) and a good one will show you the careers and professions that most suit your code once you've completed it. This can save you a huge amount of painstaking research!
Step ii: To further explore your "true" work personality, ask yourself, "How would my spouse, family, and friends categorize me?" Show some of your friends and co-workers descriptions of the types and ask them to categorize you. Here again, explore any differences between your assessment of yourself and theirs.
Part Two: Analyze your job in terms of your interests
Step iii: Look at your main tasks and responsibilities. Are they aligned with your work personality?
Step iv: List those responsibilities that are aligned in one column and those that are not in another. Use this to decide whether your job is a good fit for your interests or not.
Step v: For each of the job roles where your interests are not well matched, work out at least one way of bringing the two sides together. For instance, if you are a "Conventional" person working in an administrative position, many of your roles will be in-line with your interests. However, if you were asked to organize the Christmas party, you might be very uncomfortable about deciding about decorations, entertainment, and so on. These are more Artistic responsibilities, which are directly opposite to your Conventional ways. One strategy to deal with this is to delegate the Artistic tasks and assume responsibility for making sure the tasks get done. You maintain the Administrative duties and get rid of the Artistic ones.
Part Three: Set Goals to Bring Your Interests and Responsibilities in line
Step vi: The best way of making sure that something gets done is to set a specific, time limited goal. Identify two or three of the most important problem areas, and set realistic goals to change things.
Tip 2:
Remember that this is a model – it's a useful way of looking at things, but it can't possibly capture all of the complexities of the ways that people behave at work. Make sure that you interpret any conclusions with common sense.
Tip 3:
Also bear in mind that as you develop in your career you'll need to extend your skills into new areas. In particular, as you take responsibility for people and then move upwards within an organization, you need to develop the "Social" ability to work with other people, as well as other skills that normally go with other personality types (if you're going to be a CEO, there's a lot of "Conventional" work that you just have to do, and do well.)
Key Points
Holland’s Career Codes provides a useful framework for exploring your personal interests and the careers most likely to suit you.
Every occupation requires a particular set of characteristics. By identifying your particular interests you can quickly uncover the parts of your job that give your satisfaction. Likewise, you can identify areas of dissatisfaction and help you plan how to address these. This helps you develop your career in the right direction – one that will be a source of long-term fulfillment.
If you're thinking about your career, and the way it fits with the future shape of your life, look at our Life Plan Workbook. This helps you think about what you want to achieve with your life, and set the goals that will lead you there
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Creating Job Satisfaction
Getting the most from your job.
"Find a job you like, and you add five days to every week."
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
For many of us, the idea of having a job that is truly satisfying - the kind where work doesn't feel like work anymore - is pure fantasy. Sure, professional athletes, ski patrollers, and golf pros may have found a way of doing what they love and getting paid for it. But is there actually anyone out there who dreams of sitting at a desk and processing paper, or watching products fly by them on conveyor belts, or working to solve other people's problems?
Career dreams are one thing; practical reality is often another. When they happily coincide, seize the opportunity and enjoy it! Luckily, when they do not, it's good to know that it is possible to get job satisfaction from a practical choice of career. Job satisfaction doesn't have to mean pursuing the ultra-glamorous or making money from your hobby. You can work at job satisfaction, and find it in the most unexpected places.
The heart of job satisfaction is in your attitude and expectations; it's more about how you approach your job than the actual duties you perform. Whether you work on the farm, a production line, in the corner office or on the basketball court, the secret is to understand the key ingredients of your unique recipe for job satisfaction.
Identify Your Satisfaction Triggers
There are three basic approaches to work: is it a job, a career, or a passion? Depending on which type of work you are in right now, the things that give you satisfaction will vary.
- If you work at a JOB, the compensation aspects of the position will probably hold more appeal than anything else, and have the greatest impact on whether you stay or go.
- If you work at a CAREER, you are looking for promotions and career development opportunities. Your overall satisfaction is typically linked with your status, power, or position.
- If you work at a PASSION, the work itself is the factor that determines your satisfaction, regardless of money, prestige, or control.
Inevitably, these are generalizations, and you will probably find that you get satisfaction from more than one approach to work. Being aware of the type of work you are doing, and the things you need for job satisfaction, will help you to identify and adjust your satisfaction expectations accordingly.
Building Job Satisfaction
Once you have identified the blend of status, power, or intrinsic enjoyment that need to be present in your work for you to feel satisfied, you then need to work on some of our seven 'ingredients' for a satisfying job. These ingredients are:
- Self-awareness
- Challenge
- Variety
- Positive attitude
- Knowing your options
- Balanced lifestyle
- A sense of purpose
Self-Awareness
The first step in the search for job satisfaction is to know yourself. If you're to be happy and successful, you need to understand your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify what types of profession will allow you to build on those strengths, and minimize those weaknesses. A useful framework for conducting this type of analysis is a Personal SWOT analysis.
It is difficult to feel satisfied with something you aren't very good at, so rather than spend time beating yourself up about it, take a long hard look at the things at which you excel, and try to find a position that uses some of those skills too.
Another important component of self-awareness is to have a good understanding of your personality traits and your preferred style of working. A useful tool for this is Schein's Career Anchors, which helps you understand what you value and what motivates you in your career, (and also what you do not value, and what de-motivates you).
| For more information on some of the most commonly used personality and behavioral typologies, the MindTools site has articles on Myers Briggs and Holland's Codes. These also provide links to assessment tools such as the MAPP assessment as well as a suite of assessment tools at Analyze My Career. |
By increasing your self-awareness, you can work towards the ideal blend of compensation, status, and intrinsic reward that suits you, and that you can realistically achieve. Knowing this will help you to set appropriate goals, and manage your own expectations.
The greater the match between your preferences and the requirements of the job, the more potential for job satisfaction you have. The remaining six 'ingredients' determine how much of that potential you actually achieve.
Challenge
Some days you may deny it, but we all thrive on interesting challenges. Does this mean your job has to be the head of engineering at NASA? No, different things challenge different people at different times. You just need to figure out what you can do to make sure you don't allow yourself to go stale at work.
Even if the job itself is not all that challenging, you can make it challenging. Some great ideas here include:
- Set performance standards for yourself - aim to beat your previous record, or set up a friendly competition among co-workers.
- Teach others your skills - nothing is more challenging, or rewarding, than passing your skills and knowledge on to others.
- Ask for new responsibilities - these will give you opportunities to stretch yourself.
- Start or take on a project that uses skills you would like to use, or want to improve.
- Commit to professional development - take courses, read books or trade magazines and attend seminars. However you do it, keep your skills fresh and current.
Variety
Closely related to the need for challenge is the need to minimize boredom. Boredom is a common culprit when it comes to job dissatisfaction. When your mind is bored you lack interest and enthusiasm and even a well-matched job becomes dissatisfying. Some common methods to alleviate boredom at work include:
- Cross train and learn new skills.
- Ask to be moved to a new assignment or department requiring the same skills.
- Ask to work a different shift.
- Volunteer to take on new tasks.
- Get involved with committee work.
- Go on an extended leave, or take a sabbatical.
| Tip 1: Tip 2: |
Positive Attitude
Attitude plays a huge role in how you perceive your job and your life in general. If you are depressed, angry or frustrated, you're much less likely to be satisfied with anything. Making a change to a positive attitude is a complex process that requires a lot of work and a strong commitment. However, over time, you can turn your internal dialogues around and start to see most events in your life as positive and worthwhile. Here are some tips:
- Stop negative thoughts from entering your brain.
- Reframe your thoughts to the positive.
- Put the events of the day in the correct context.
- Don't dwell on setbacks.
- Commit to viewing obstacles as challenges.
- Accept that mistakes are simply opportunities to learn.
- Become an optimist.
To help you with your quest to become positive, MindTools has a useful article titled Rational Positive Thinking, which helps you to identify and change negative and unhappy thinking patterns
Know Your Options
When you feel trapped, you can start to get anxious. At first you wonder what else is out there for you. This progresses to the point where you become convinced that anything other than the job you're doing has got to be more satisfying. To combat this, continuously scan your environment for opportunities. When you feel you have options, you have more control. When you make a positive choice to stay with a job, that job has much more appeal than if you feel forced to stay because you feel you have no alternative.
- Keep a list of your accomplishments.
- Update your resume on a regular basis.
- Keep up to date on employment trends.
- Research other jobs that interest you.
- Adopt an 'I'm keeping my options open' approach.
Maintain a Balanced Lifestyle
You'll have heard many times that you need to keep your life and work in balance. When you focus too much on one at the expense of the other you risk putting your whole system in distress. When work takes over your life, it is easy to resent it and lose your sense of perspective: Suddenly everything about your life is clouded with negativity.
The Life Career Rainbow and The Wheel of Life are two great tools to use when seeking to attain and maintain an appropriate work life balance.
Find a Sense of Purpose
Last, but certainly not least (for many people) is the need to find a sense of purpose in the things you do. Even if you have a boring job, it helps a lot if you can see the real benefit you're providing for people.
Even the most mundane job usually has purpose if you dig deep enough. And if it doesn't, should you be wasting your life doing it?
If you're struggling to see the value in what you do (or if you want to sharpen your image of it) see our article on mission statements and vision statements: Unleashing the Power of Purpose.
Key Points
Work plays a significant role in our lives. In our quest to be happy and productive, having a strong sense of job satisfaction is important. When you are dissatisfied with your job, this tends to have an influence on your overall outlook on life. While you may not be in the career of your dreams right now, it is still your responsibility to make sure that what you are doing is satisfying to you.
By knowing the key elements that go into job satisfaction, you can choose to take control and make the changes you need to feel really satisfied and motivated by what you do. Make one small change at work today that makes you feel good or different - build on that change and create a satisfying environment for yourself.
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