Tag Archives: transition strategies

How can a career vision help me with my career

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How can a career vision help me with my career

 Professional Development Series

This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into professional development and  real-world IT topics in detail.

If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.

There is a saying that “If you don’t know where you are going, then anywhere is fine.”

Steve Wynkoop and I were talking a lot about designing and managing our professional careers on a weekly interview on SSWUG.org.  This episode was about what steps to change your position in the your current company.

The most important step is to clarify what you really want.  As in any success strategy, clarifying your goals (in any endeavor) is extremely critical.

Visualize yourself in 5 or 10 years into the future.  What are you doing?  What is your yearly income? What type of people are surrounding and supporting you? Where are you living?  What type of neighborhood, town, and leisurely activities are you enjoying?

For example:  What if you see yourself campaigning for a senate seat in 10 years?  Or you see yourself a partner and VP of Research and Development at your own company?  Or you own a company with 100 employees in 10 years?

After you clarify your career vision and goals (5 and even 10 years into the future), do the following:

1) Clarify your career vision and goals. [For a dream sculpting worksheet to help clarify your career vision– check out the Worksheets for Success page]
2) Do a self assessment on the skills, attributes, and education required to achieve those career goals
3) Identify the skills and education gaps between where you are today and where you want to be.
4) Put together a 1, 3, 5, 10 year Individual Development Plan designed to achieve those goals and start filling in those gaps. [For a copy of a IDP worksheet – check out the Worksheets for Success page]
5) Include reasonable forcing functions, accountability partners and manager/mentors/coaches to assist you on your journey.
In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into each step in more detail

For more worksheets (like the individual development plan) check out my Worksheets for Success at https://www.lauraleerose.com/worksheets-for-success/

Links:

Try it and let me know what you think.
If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

 

Keeping a job offer alive

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Keeping a job offer alive

 This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail.

If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.

It’s usually bad news when your job offer is put on hold. Sometimes the offer disappears. So what strategies can you employ to make sure you keep that offer alive even if the employer has to suspend plans for bringing you on board?

Today we are talking about our careers and things we can do to keep moving forward.  Steve and I were talking about when people are pushing their careers forward; and find themselves applying for positions and then waiting; applying and waiting; almost an unending cycle.  Sometimes the jobs can go ahead, placed on hold, temporary hiring freeze, or reorganization issues that suspend our momentum.  What are some of the things we can do to stay on the short list or field of vision?

 

One important acknowledgement is that others will not be as diligent about your career as you.  You are totally responsible for your own career and professional path.  Others can be helpful; but you have to drive that bus.  Some things you can do to increase your chances are:

 

Especially in these economic times, hiring managers, HR and recruiters have hundreds of applicants and resumes in front of them every day.  It’s unlikely that your resume will continually stand-out as time goes by, without some effort on your side.

 

Some things to try with internal job postings:

 

People do business with folks they like, know and trust.

  • Be proactive in staying on their radar
  • Recognize that others are not responsible for your career.
  • Schedule monthly lunch dates, phone call, email an article that they (the recruiting department or team) may be interested in, or an update on one of your current projects that they are interested in.  This level of “touching-base” doesn’t have to be frequent or elaborate.  Just something to remind them that you are still out there and are interested in working with them in the future.
  • Add them to your regular LinkedIn.com professional network and stay on-top of what their department is doing.
  • Make friends and build relationships with the other team members of that group or project area.
  • Invite and escort them to any speaking engagements, seminars or professional association gathering that they might be interested in attending.  By attending the event with them, gives you additional relationship-building time.
  • Clarify the essence of what you are looking for – versus a specific ‘job title’.  Many positions share transferable skills, projects, high-profile results, functions and environments – but they may not have the same ‘job title’.  For instance, a Project Manager, Program Manager and Operational Manager all provide essentially the same functions – but at different scope and level.  Usability Lead, Customer Advocacy Agent, Quality Assurance and Beta Program lead all provide similar functions – but in departments.  You may find an equivalent match in a different area under a different job title.
  • Be open to creating your own position.  If you know want to stay in development but want more hands-on with clients – pitch your own position as a Technical Support Designer that works with high-profile clients to create one-off utilities that are specifically customizes to fit their needs.  Once that client is satisfied – you program manage how to safely implement it into the regular maintenance stream.  This single position combines: Tech Support, Business Requirement Design, Change Management and Program Management skill sets.

Continually demonstrate your worth and value to the company and department

  • The fact that they had to place their hiring on hold because of budget or organizational issues; doesn’t negate their need for resources and help.  It only suspended the “HOW”, not the “WHY” or reason for hiring.  Let them know that you realize that they are currently understaffed and offer assistance (especially in the area or position that you are interested).
  • Keep them updated on what you are working on to see if they can re-use or share your code/libraries with them.
  • Offer to facilitate any code review meetings or document results of those meetings for them – as a way to help them with the tedious documentation compliance aspects of design and development (while at the same time getting the birds-eye view of how they internally work).
  • Facilitate Brown Bag Lunch learning series on topics they are interested in and continually invite them (especially in the area or position that you are interested).

Use this time to become the perfect match

  • Use this time to fill in your skills gap. For instance, if your top competitor for this position has better presentation skills or marketing/sells savvy – use this time to join Toastmasters.org, or some relevant professional organization.  Start networking to bring in potential new clients and sales leads.
  • Report your achievements in those gap areas, such that they see your commitment to continuous improvement.

 

If you are interested in something outside your company – do the above items AND add the following:

 Add technical recruiters to your list of resources.

  • Technical recruiters can skim and filter an abundance of positions for you, without having your resume out there for everyone to see
  • Create a video or Youtube video resume for external recruiters to make use of.

Use your social media contacts

  • Use your social media like LinkedIn.com or other professional pages.  Keep your resume and profiles are accurate and relevant to the position that you are interested in
  • Social media pages (such as Linkedin.com) have Job-Postings.  Take the extra step to look up who actually posted that job and build a relationship with that person through that social media.
  • Start conversations and discussions on your social media pages to be recognized as an expert in this area.
  • Make use of Youtube.com to video your presentations, blogs, articles on relevant technical issues.

Create your own networking opportunities.

  • See what types of networking or speaking engagements others in your ‘dream position’ will be attending in the future – and arrange to bump into them there.
  • Post your speaking engagements and networking meetings on your professional media pages and invite your social network to those events.
  • Post your articles, blogs and vlogs about this field – and follow-up with webinars and chats, to be recognized as an expert in this area.

Try it and let me know what you think.

In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into this in detail.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

 

You can’t get your refund, if you don’t mail in your tax forms…..

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A friend of mine asked me to help a friend of his with their taxes.  I worked on this friend’s (first-removed) back taxes from 2010 with great results.  After filling out some simple forms, his was owed a very nice accumulated refund.  I had the forms done, appropriate W2 forms clipped to the right forms, the envelops addressed and even stamped.  All this gentleman needed to do was to review, sign, fold and mail.  The paperwork mentioned that he would get his refund in 2-4 weeks.

4 weeks later, I asked this friend-first-removed if he had received his refund yet.  He confessed that he has the forms signed, but he has not mailed them in yet.

“Well — you know you can’t get your money, until you mail in forms in….”

 

It’s the same in life and work.  It’s more difficult to get what you really want if you don’t explicitly ask for it and then follow-through with your plan.

  • You want a new position or a promotion; make your manager and mentors aware of your aspirations.
  • You want to speak at local conferences; submit abstracts to those conferences
  • You want a raise or bonus; ask your manager what are the specific requirements to receive a raise or bonus.
  • You want to make extra money; ask HR what other side projects you can do to make additional money. (Some companies pay you for technical articles, patent ideas,  sale referrals, some off-hour billable  tasks, etc)
  • You want to spend more time with family; investigate flex hours, working from home, or 4-day work week options

Is there anything you are procrastinating?

 

This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.
If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.Whether we a member of the staff or the owner of our own business, thinking like an owner provides additional solutions that we otherwise would never consider.

 

For more worksheets (like the individual development plan,and the individual network strategy worksheet) check out my Worksheets for Success at https://www.lauraleerose.com/worksheets-for-success/

Links:      

Try it and let me know what you think.

 

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

 

15 Etiquette Tips to Get Ahead

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This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office methods on various real-world IT topics in detail.
If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.

Yvette Maurice (http://blog.opencolleges.edu.au/perfect-office-manners-check-list-30-rate/) wrote an interesting article regarding Do You Have Perfect Office Manners? Check This List of 30 To See How You Rate!

I liked it very much.  There are great tips for getting comfortable in your current position.  I then took some of hersame tips (just 15) and modified them for the 15 Etiquette Tips to Get Ahead.

They are strictly based on Yvette’s tips with a twist.

Here are some of the things Yvette listed – but with a small twist to get ahead.  For her unmodified advise, read http://blog.opencolleges.edu.au/perfect-office-manners-check-list-30-rate/

1. Don’t “Blame-storm”  – Get the team to immediately focus on the solutions.

When you see the Blame-storm start, initiation the focus on the solution by saying, “Great, we know what we need to fix.  How do you want this to work from this point forward?”  Focusing on how and why something occurred only keeps you in the same ‘thinking state’ as when the problem was created.  Visualizing how you really want the “entity” to work is really where you want your ‘thinking power’ to be focused.

2. Chewing Gum and other ticks

Everyone has a nervous tick or activity.  Some it’s chewing gum, others it’s twirling their hair or tapping their fingers.  When you see yourself doing your “nervous tick”, use it as a trigger to let you know something is not exactly right.  Then ask yourself these questions:

  • Am I bored? If so, start another project on my todo list.
  • Am I nervous?  If so, do something positive and productive to reduce that nervousness
  • Am I angry or frustrated? If so, think about what you can do right now to reduce those negative feelings.

3. Dressing with Respect BUT FOR SUCCESS

Dress like the person you want to be.  Dress more like the next level up then your peers.  If the managers are dressing in more business attire and your co-workers dress very casual – I recommend dressing more like the managers (or the group that you want to be).  Surround yourself with the type of people you want to emulate.

4. Don’t take Personal Hygiene to extremes

Don’t over-do cologne or perfume.  Many people are allergic to scents in deodorants, soaps and perfumes.  Also be careful with scented candles, if you are in a shared working space.  It’s more of a health and safety issue at this point.

5. Cover Your Mouth and Say Excuse Me

In Yvette’s article, she was commenting on how to handle coughing and sneezing.  My recommendation is to stay home when you are ill.  Often people feel that they are being tough when they come into the office – but actually you are costing the company money.  And no co-worker around you appreciates it either.  Think of it this way.  You come in and work with (infect) 5 people.  Now instead of losing 1 day of work from you, the company is losing 5 people the next few days.  You are also only 40% productive while you are there; and others are also distracted with the thought that they will become sick as well.  With today’s ability to work from home – the best solution is to stay home and help out from home.  You’re get better faster and will be able to produce at 100% then you do arrive in the office.

6. Keep Interruptions to a Minimum

In Yvette’s article, she recommends keeping personal calls to a minimum as to not interrupt your co-workers.  If you work in a cube environment, reserve a conference or team room for those important personal calls.  With the advent of text and on-line instant messaging, many can carry on a quick communiqué from their desk.  And then take the longer (necessary)  conversations to a small conference room (or schedule those at lunch or during outside breaks).

7. If Someone Does Something Nice, be Appreciative AND RECIPROCATE

In Yvette’s articles, she mentions saying thank you for these nice things.  If you want to get ahead, actually reciprocate beyond what they did for you.  If they helped you with a project, send a thank you note to them and copy their managers.  If they mentioned you in their presentation, mention them in yours and ask them to stand up when you give your presentation.  Reciprocate one step beyond what most people would be expecting.  And make sure their manager (and your manager) knows they are helping you.

8. Be Helpful and Cooperate with Your Colleagues to a point

In Yvette’s article, she correctly recommends helping others.  If someone needs help with a copy machine or directions to someplace, please be courteous.  But don’t take too much time helping others.  Don’t take on others people’s problems as your own.  You lose time and momentum on your items.  If your colleague’s problem is aligned with your goals, take the time to assist.  If their issues distract and derail you from your tasks, schedule and goals give them your consult and move on.  Call-in and delegate their problem to the appropriate person.  Remember, your colleague is currently stuck and is just asking for assistance to get to the next step (to get unstuck).  They aren’t necessarily asking you to do their work.  Advising them or calling in the right person for the job is helping.  It doesn’t have to be you doing the actual work; just advise them to their next step so that they are no longer stuck.

Also – be careful you are not training people to continually come to you with their issues.  Teach them to fish.

10. Look After New Employees to a point

The only thing I would add is that – if you are taking much time with a new employee; make your manager aware.   The new employee should already have a ‘helper’ assigned to them.  Get the “helper” involved in orientating the new employee.  If you company doesn’t have an orientation program for the new folks, then make your manager aware that you are helping a new person.  As long as your manager understands where your time is going, your manager can assist with the issue.  Don’t be afraid to talk to your manager about your project progress, your interruptions, and your challenges.  It’s your manager’s job to manage the normal ebb and flows of a project.  Keep them in the loop at all times.

12. Instead of Wait Your Turn to Speak in a Meeting – Create Your Turn

My only recommendation is to get your topics on the meeting agenda.  Meet with the meeting facilitator to add your issues to the agenda.  Tell the facilitator that you will need to leave the meeting at a certain time and ask him/her to put your agenda toward the front end of the meeting.  This way, you can relax and really listen to what’s going on in the meeting, without being worried that you won’t get a turn to speak.  If you want to get ahead, you will want to participate in meetings.  But, as Yvette mentioned, you don’t want to unnecessarily interrupt.  Showing initiative to place your topic on the agenda will allow you to calmly have your turn.

13. Respect not only Your Elders

The only thing I would add is to RESPECT EVERYONE.  You never know who these people will be next year or even next month.  Your co-worker may become the next manager of a sibling department or your department.  You may find that – in order to be on your dream project – you will have to work alongside someone that you don’t normally associate.  You may find out that in order to complete your task; you will need to ask a favor of a sister-department.

14. Manners at All Times but with balance

Although I agree with the general thought of “mind your manners”; don’t be a doormat either.  Take respectful initiative in everything you do.  Be considerate but selective where you put your time.  Keep your own business commitment in mind at all times.  Don’t risk not completing your tasks to assist others with their jobs.  If someone is having a lot of computer problems, call IT for them.   If someone needs a lot of help, advise them to seek their manager.  It’s their manager’s job to make sure his/her employees are running smoothly (not yours).  Make sure your manager is aware of what’s going on with your project – so that he/she may help manager some external distractions that you are encountering.  Keep external interruptions to a minimum, to allow yourself to stay on track.

Keep the airplane rule in mind:  “Put on your oxygen mask before helping others.”

30. And Don’t Nit – Pick!

I’m just skipping to tip 30.  My general rule is to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.  Everyone is actually doing the best that they can with the information and expertise that they currently have.  Everyone wants to do a good job.  Everyone wants to do the right thing.  If you have that attitude, things will look differently to you.

 

Try it and let me know what you think.

If you liked this tips, more can be found at www.lauraleerose.com/blog or subscribe to my weekly professional tips newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

The weekly newsletter contains tips on:
1)      Time management
2)      Career maintenance
3)      Business networking
4)      Work life balance strategies

If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

Leveraging Links

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This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.

If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.
Most professionals have a LinkedIn.com account and profile.    They accept requests from friends, coworkers and family members that they already know. Then they stop there.

  • Is your social media connections assisting you in your professional and career goals?
  • Are you using your social media contacts smartly?
  • Are you connecting only with people you already know instead of the people that can help
  • you in your development?

We typically associate with folks of the same socioeconomic circles.  Studies show that your salary and income are typically within 20% of the group of people you regularly hang around with.  So, if you want to jump to a different salary or professional level, we may need to change who we hang around with.  If you want to leap to the next professional rung, we may want to find ways to network with people that are of that next desired level.  In other words, surround ourselves with the success we want to achieve.

We can use our social networking profiles to do this.

For a quick review of the steps, watch the video  and  purchase the Leveraging Links Zipinar Ebook.

To create your individual networking strategy, sign up for our free workbook at: http://eepurl.com/njCWz

Make a quarterly goal of increasing your networking circle by 10% in the right direction.

Other things to consider:

1) Invite the authors of your favorite technical journal articles to your LinkedIn.com network
2) Socialize at the cafeteria and create intellectual discussion groups.  Add them to your LinkedIn.com network
3) Conduct Brown Bag Lunch series on important topics to your industry.  Offer to send the presentation and whitepaper to those that connect with your on LinkedIn.com
4) Work on white-papers with your manager on items that can be shared and published.  Invite your readers to link with you on LinkedIn.com
5) Select a side-hobby and invite those folks to your linkedin.com network.

Try it and let me know what you think.

Even when everyone does everything right….

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Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables story shows that even when everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, there will be conflicts and oppositions.  Set in the backdrop of the French Revolution, the characters both implodes and explodes because of these diverse principles.

The story is more rich than this quick summary depicts; but these are just quick examples of how even when people are doing what they feel they must do – there are conflicts and opposition.

 

  • Jean Valjean steals bread to feed his sister’s family, and is sentenced to jail.  He was trying to do what he was supposed to do, in providing for his family.  Jean Valjean completes his sentence, but is on parole forever.  Because he has a criminal record and is on parole, society ostracizes him.  He cannot find  ‘honest’ work.   He soon realizes that he cannot provide for anyone under the title of convict/parole.  So he breaks parole to start a new life.

 

  • M. Myriel, the kindly bishop of Digne, provides Jean Valjean with the means to start a new life.  Even though the bishop was ‘breaking the law’ by harboring a criminal – he was doing what he was supposed to do by saving a soul.  At that point Jean Valjean committed to use the riches to enrich other people.  With his new life, Jean Valjean becomes a benevolent business owner and major.  He supports and watches over his entire town.

 

  • Fantine (single mother) tries everything to provide for her daughter, Cosette.  Because she is a single mother, society ostracizes her and it’s difficult for her to get ‘honest’ work.   As a last resort, she sells her hair, teeth and finally herself to send money to her daughter.  She was trying to do what she was supposed to do – in providing for her daughter.
  •  Javert, Montreuil’s police chief, is duty-bound to hunt criminals and people that break parole.  His job is to capture Jean Valjean if/when their paths cross.

 

The character list continues as the above.  Most characters have very good reasons for doing what they do.  As you look at each character separately, they are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.  Set during the pre-ample of the French Revolution (an even larger conflict), each of these characters are met with situations that challenges their core principles.  The colliding of these diverse (yet reasonable) principles both implodes (by Javert’s suicide) and explodes (revolution).

 

This concept is great for any personal or professional interaction.  Give others the benefit of the doubt in the office boardroom, meetings, and project schedule conflicts.  Most people are actually trying to do the right thing.  If you can pause and view the situation from their perspective, you may be able to recognize other alternatives in which everyone can win.

 

This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.

Turning competition into collaboration.

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A friend of a friend was visiting from Berlin, Germany.  Although I regularly teach a private group lessons at my friend’s home, she wanted to postpone (cancel) our January group classes — so that her group can take lessons from their visiting friend.  Although I could have seen this as a negative, I didn’t.  It would not make much sense to do so.

  • My friends have been taking from me forever; and they will continue when their friend returns home.
  • Their friend will only be here through January.  I’ll be here long after their friend leaves.
  • My friends enjoy all different types of dances; and it’s fun for them to learn from different instructors.
  • Although I have connections into the Argentine Tango community, I don’t  teach Tango (which is my friend’s friend’s expertise).
  • When their friend leaves, I can still help them stay in practice with Tango during our regular dance lessons.

So I immediately went into collaborative mode.  When my friend mentioned why she was canceling our January classes,  I forwarded my friend all the Argentine Tango community information that I could find.  I also introduced some local Argentine Tango instructors to my friend’s friend.   Local instructors could then offer guest workshops and private lessons with an international Argentine Tango instructor without much overhead or hassle.  I also connected her with a local Argentine Tango instructor that has her finger on the pulse of everything Tango.  This allowed all sides to benefit from the connection.

Even though making these connections between the guest instructor and others may not directly or immediately benefit me — both sides realize that I was thinking of their best interest.  And like any good dance partner, we look out for each other (both on and off the dance floor).

On the dance floor or work environment, we don’t want to show-off, out-do, or struggle with our partners.  We don’t want to make our partner feel uncomfortable or ungraceful.  If the moves aren’t coming out exactly as we had initially envisioned, just relax and co-create a new movement from the blending of your styles.  If your follower isn’t exactly paying attention to you OR if your leader isn’t giving you any play time — just ease into the space and make the best out of this current situation.  You may be surprised  what will develop.  This specific song/task will only last a very limited time.  But the steps and care that you in invest in this time will give you lasting results.

If you are interested in knowing how to take these  concepts into the professional environment, please sign up for my professional and career management (free) newsletter at : http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

URGO method to reduce overwhelment and stress

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URGO
Urgent Rating Graphing for Overwhelment

This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.

If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.
Every day we are inundated with new tasks, special requests, and high-profile client requests.   But we rarely truly take the time to relationally and realistically prioritize to our best career advantage.  A co-worker is in the middle of some family issues and you end up picking up his/her slack.  The company undergoes some re-organization, and your project lists has increased.  Often times we don’t feel we have a choice, but you really do.
Below are some quick steps that gives you a visual chart that clearly outlines which project or task to spend your time on.
I call this my URGO (Urgent Rating Graph for Overwhelment) method.

  1. Identify your imperatives or career goals
  2.  List your significant time sinks or tasks
  3.  Score each task 0-5 (5 being the most in aligned with your goals) for each listed goal
  4. Chart the results
  5. Create a career plan to accomplish those priority action items.

Example:
Step 1:  My professional goals and mission statements

  •   Get recognized as a thought-leader in my field
  •   Become the GoTo MPV that the executives go to on new innovation and technical strategies
  •   Acquire a new-level promotion within the next 6 months

Step 2: List your current tasks and desired tasks

  • Have a great, innovative approach to solving a new market problem that might open the company to a whole new market
  • Team mate is growing through some tough times and I am stuck picking up his/her slack on maintenance issues
  •  Assigned to an end-of-life product that has been scheduled to be dropped.  But a few clients won’t upgrade to the new product; therefore, the ‘drop’ schedule continues to be postponed.
  • Although I am not behind, I would like some time to get ahead of my current project.
  •  Next Generation Project X is the next high-profile product.  My business proposal would fit perfectly in that scenario.

Step 2: Take each task and objectively rate or score it for each of your career and professional goals

Make a proposal for a new solution to the executives

  • Get recognized as a thought-leader in my field
    • Score 5 – I feel that this is innovative and can be used in our company’s next generation product
  • Become the GoTo/ MPV that the executives go to on new innovation and technical strategies
    •  Score 4 – If this goes as I expect, I could be implementing this in Project X.  I could become one of the technical leads on Project X
  • Acquire a new-level promotion within the next 6 months
    •  Score 4 – This would get me off some of the ‘end-of-life’ product and out of maintenance duty

————————————–Total Score  13
Continue to pick up slack for a co-worker

  •  Get recognized as a thought-leader in my field
    •  Score 0 – It could be considered being a team-player, but neither my manager nor executives actually recognize or acknowledge that I’m doing this.  Right now, I’m doing it.  I’m not even sure my co-worker realizes the extra work he is putting on me.  Besides, this really isn’t even my responsibility.  It’s my manager’s role to manage everyone’s changing work schedule.  Not allowing my manager to know what’s going on is not to my benefit.
  •  Become the GoTo MPV that the executives go to on new innovation and technical strategies
    • Score 0 – Once again, no one is aware of what I am doing for my co-worker.
  • Acquire a new-level promotion within the next 6 months
    • Score 0 – This just keeps me stuck on this maintenance project.

————————————–Total Score  0

Working on ‘end-of-life” and maintenance products

  • Get recognized as a thought-leader in my field
    •  Score 2 – One of the few people around here that still understands this old technology.  Everyone else has either quite or has moved onto the new platforms.  But this technology is currently obsolete.  My company is just behind the curve on ending it.
  • Become the GoTo/MPV that the executives go to on new innovation and technical strategies
    • Score 0 – I don’t have a chance to even learn a new technology because of my current maintenance tasks.
  • Acquire a new-level promotion within the next 6 months
    • Score 0 – Without my intervention, I’ll be stuck on this ‘end-of-life’ and maintenance gig.  I’ll become the only one with this old technology knowledge and they won’t be able to remove me from this spot.

————————————–Total Score  2
Although I am not behind, I would like some time to get ahead of my current project. 

  •  Get recognized as a thought-leader in my field
    •  Score 2 – The current projects are on the technology that is being phased out.  I can not be regarded as a thought-leader with this project.  As long as I don’t fall behind, my remaining time should be spent on other things.
  •  Become the GoTo MPV that the executives go to on new innovation and technical strategies
    •  Score 0 – This is not new technology.  Therefore, spending more time that I need on this is fruitless.
  • Acquire a new-level promotion within the next 6 months
    • Score 2 – If my project is actually phased-out, I will be available for a new project or position.  But there’s no telling when that will be.  It’s been in this same state for 2 years already.

————————————--Total Score  4

Next Generation Project X is the next high-profile product.  My business proposal would fit perfectly in that scenario.

  • Get recognized as a thought-leader in my field
    • Score 4 – This project is getting lots of visibility.   I already have ideas on the next directions on this platform.
  • Become the GoTo MPV that the executives go to on new innovation and technical strategies
    • Score 5 – My  proposals will tie my ideas to the Project X evolution schedule.  We will be no only able propel the development cycle forward but be able to patent and license how we are doing it.
  • Acquire a new-level promotion within the next 6 months
    •  Score 5 – My blending my business process ideas directly into the Product X infrastructure, I will be building a foundation for a promotion and leadership role.

————————————–Total Score 14

Step 4) Chart the results
From the chart, you can visually see that Getting the Next Gen Project X  and Presenting your proposal to the executives are your top career and professional goals.

Step 5) Create your career plan with those to priorities in focus.
Some suggestions would be:

  • Stop picking up the slack for your co-worker.  Talk to him/her honestly about the issues and encourage them to talk to your manager about it.
  • Start diverting your time to creating that proposal and interviewing executives on what they are really looking forward to in the next fiscal year.
  • Start volunteering your time on Project X and networking with the Project X managers.
  • Prototyping your process as it would look and feel in Project X
  • Continue to work on your proposal and demo/practice on Project X team and managers.
  • Start patent disclosure meetings with your company legal departments.

The above is just an example.  Your goals and tasks will be different and more complex than the above.  But this method works on a variety of situations from task priority, career management, risk analysis, and much more.  It takes the emotional out of the decision process and allows you to focus on the ROI for your professional career development.

Try it and let me know what you think.

What else do you need to continue to move forward?  Tell LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info — and she will try to make it happen.  It can’t be given if no one knows you want it…. Ask for what you want.

If you are having trouble keeping up with the assignment,  let’s talk….

On the Move? Things to Consider Before Relocating for Work

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Moving boxes in empty roomTraveling across the country for a new job may be just the adventure you’ve been waiting for. Like all adventures, relocating for work comes with its share of challenges. Being honest about the benefits and drawbacks of moving for work can save you time, money and family struggles down the road.

Show Me the Money

One big relocation incentive is a pay increase. But extra zeroes may not make much difference when the boxes are all unpacked. Ask yourself these questions regarding price vs. rewards before relocating:

  • Can I sell my home and break even or make a profit? If you can’t sell your house in a timely way and make enough from the sale for a down payment on another home in the new location, the difference in salary may not be worth the move.
  • Is the pay substantially better than where I am? Although the pay may look like enough to make moving worth the effort, some serious number crunching can help you get a clearer picture. Compare utility costs, fuel costs, taxes, as well as the cost of food in the new location. Are there added perks to the new job, like a car that could save you money? Take time to compare 401k plans, profit sharing and potential bonuses between your current job and the new offer. Adding everything together helps you get a clear picture of how much more you will make if you relocate.
  • Will the new company help with moving expenses? Moving across the country is expensive. Calculating how much the move will cost and whether your new job will to pay for it is an important part of your decision-making process.
  • Will the company cover temporary housing? If you are moving to a large city like, say, Phoenix, finding the right neighborhood for your family can take a lot of time. Many companies offer a short-term housing allowance to cover apartment rentals to give you and your family time to find the right house, neighborhood and school district.

The Relationship Factor

No matter how good the job offer, relocating can be difficult on relationships. Spouses, significant others, children and extended family are all part of the equation. Consider the impact your move will have on those you love by asking yourself these questions:

  • How will the move affect my spouse’s career? If your spouse has achieved certain career goals or is working toward them, relocating for your job may not be in her best interest. Be willing to say “no” to a new offer for the sake of your spouse.
  • What about the children? Moving can be harder on children than anyone in your family. Changing schools, making new friends, getting used to a new neighborhood can be devastating for children if not planned intentionally and strategically. Consider carefully how relocating will impact your children and, if they are old enough, get them involved in the conversation.
  • How will my extended family react? If you live near aging parents, consider how moving will impact them. Do they need help with their daily routine? Will moving mean multiple trips back and forth each year to meet their changing needs? Do your parents provide support like babysitting? How will your family replace this in a new town?

Using other’s failures to set your pace?

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This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.

If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.

 

Over the holidays, I visited my family (as many people do).  During on conversation with my mother, I was offering to pick up a movie for mom to watch.

Mom: “Don’t bother.  All the movies are in discs these days.  I like videos and they don’t make them anymore.”

“Well, you have a DVD player in your reading room.  We could…”

Mom:”No,No.  It’s connected to the small TV.  I don’t like that TV.”

“No, problem.  We’ll just connect it to your big TV in here.  You are right … it’s much better watching this set.  We’ll just…”

Mom:  “Don’t bother.  Your sister tried it and she couldn’t do it.  Your cousin tried it and he couldn’t do it.  They both say that the TV is too old to be connected.”

“Well, it won’t hurt to…”

Mom: “Don’t bother.”  And I decided to drop it for now.

The next morning, while mom was still asleep, I took a closer look.  I took the DVD from the small set and successfully moved it to the larger set in the family room.  Since I knew mom already worked the VCR machine, I wrote out the instructions for the DVD as close to the VCR players instructions as possible.  When mom woke up, I played a DVD for her and she was very excited.

I realize that many people believe that “history repeats itself” as rationalizing for not trying things others have failed.  But you are not the same person that tried before.  They don’t know what you know.  They don’t have the same experience, background or resources that you do.  Even if you are the one that tried and failed before … you are currently a different person than you were last year, last month and even yesterday.

What past limitations are you using to hold you up?