A few words about career planning: without a target, you’ll miss it every time.
No matter where you are in the arc of your career–whether you already perceive your work as fulfilling and you feel satisfied, or whether you are still looking for “the one great experience,” you owe it to yourself to clearly define your career goals. Technologies and business processes may go out of vogue (remember when we thought it too casual to text someone we worked with?), but one thing never goes out of style: the need to be the captain of your career. It is up to YOU to chart your course, steer your vessel, and track your progress.
To paraphrase a famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” Here’s a five-step approach that I use with clients to help them:
Study and articulate to yourself who you are: What are your strengths? What type of activity gives you energy? What do you do better than anyone else? How do others describe you? The greatest gift to you, your team, and your organization is an honest understanding of who you are.
Set five clear goals: Once you have a clear sense of who you are now, take that perspective and articulate what success means to you in the medium (12-18 months) and longer (18-36 months) timeframe. What role (note - not what title) could you see doing your best in? What type of culture or team could that be? To keep things simple, aim for no more than five goals across these two-time horizons.
Shout those goals from the rooftops: There’s a reason people who attend exercise classes tend to stick to programs more often: peer accountability and motivation works! Be open to sharing your goals with your friends, family, colleagues, and bosses that you trust. Not only will they help you stay true to your goals, they can also find means to help you achieve them faster. Pro tip: when you share your goal with someone, finish with a clear ask of how they can help you accomplish them. You’d be surprised what others can help you with when you are clear about your ask!
Celebrate any and all milestones along the way: even small accomplishments should be called out and recognized.
Revisit this work at least annually: hey, life and plans are never set in stone, and your goals may change as you progress in your path. It’s ok to revisit those goals and set aside the ones that no longer work for you. In fact, I often see clients adjust goals significantly once they start this process of self-discovery. Change, in this case, is a good thing!
A last word here: this process may be simple, but it can be hard actually to do. Not because any of these steps are overly complicated, but life often gets in the way of our best-laid plans. If you think you might struggle to do this alone, consider how a leadership coach might be a good accountability partner for this process.