Employees at all levels must learn to recognize their areas of power and improvement as well as their areas for improvement. The author of this article provides six tips for taking charge of your learning and career: First, be aware of the criteria used to assess you. Second, get input, particularly on areas where you might have blind spots. Third, evaluate yourself on each competency you need to perform your job well, and concentrate your time and efforts on the areas that need the most work. Fourth, make yourself more visible to senior leaders so that your efforts will be noted. Fifth, become the departmental authority on a new problem that’s critical to the business. Find a good mentor who can guide you along the path, and that’s it. There are no quick cuts, but with diligence and persistence, you can acquire the knowledge, abilities, and connections you’ll require to succeed in the workplace.
The age of DIY career growth is currently upon us. Formal training is less commonly provided by businesses, a long-standing trend. This could be because businesses don’t see the value in investing in employees who are likely to leave because they change positions so frequently (the average job tenure today is about four years). This stands in stark contrast to the investments top leaders once made in their workforce. The majority of my 11 years at PepsiCo, which were spent in the 1990s, saw “personal development” treated as a significant business endeavor.
Sadly, businesses today unwittingly expose workers to skill gaps and blind spots that can sabotage careers and business effectiveness. Additionally, managers are doing nothing to assist. Most managers are too preoccupied with protecting their own interests to have the time or energy to consider those of others. In reality, Korn Ferry discovered that “developing others” came in dead last when managers rated themselves on 67 managerial skills.
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Organizations should do more to support job development, including promoting more immediate feedback, creating clear performance standards, delivering developmental feedback with clarity and tact, and giving managers the tools and incentives they need to prioritize employee development.
However, in actuality, it is the workers who bear the heavier burden. Workers at all levels need to develop the ability to recognize their areas of weakness, their blind spots, and their talent gaps.
Here Are 6 Ways to Take Control of Your Career Development are as follows:
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Understand what you’re evaluated on.
What does success in your job entail? What are the success criteria for your job? The easiest way to do this is to discuss it with your manager, but if that doesn’t happen, you should write down what you think the objectives and key performance indicators are. Take them to your boss for approval, and have ongoing conversations to make sure you remain on the right path.
Solve for your own blind spots.
Top performers regularly ask their boss, peers, and subordinates for input. They are constantly learning and making adjustments. Start the discussion yourself if your boss doesn’t provide you with feedback right away. After a talk or significant meeting, mention one thing that you believe went well and then solicit feedback on one area where you could make improvements. Because most people can only take in one area at a moment to improve, it is best to keep things simple. Pay attention to your supervisor and express gratitude for the input.
Codify your learnings.
By maintaining a journal, you can record feedback and lessons learned. Make a list of the five to ten skills or competencies you need to gain for your job and rate each one of them (either independently or with the assistance of a trusted advisor). You might award yourself an A in advertising development, a B+ in pricing analysis, and a C in trade marketing, for instance, if you work in brand marketing. To close ability gaps, concentrate on the Cs. You can learn more quickly by asking someone who has held your position in the past for input.
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Increase your visibility with the C-suite.
Senior leaders may not always be able to notice your direct work, so you might try volunteering for programs like on-campus recruiting, business events, or charitable work. This is a simple but frequently disregarded method of meeting senior individuals who will observe you in action and, ideally, take note of your contributions.
Become an expert in an area of increasing importance to your company.
A new technology like the internet of things, artificial intelligence, or cloud computing may be causing disruptions in your business. Become recognized as the department’s foremost authority on a new problem. Attend conferences, engage in literature reviews and study, or write about the subject. Gaining knowledge in a new field with growing importance can result in promotions and other job possibilities.
Seek good counsel and mentoring.
Although a senior person’s viewpoint is priceless, approaching someone and asking, “Will you be my mentor?” is likely to turn them away. Try to arrange your meetings in a casual setting, such as the coffee shop in the lobby of your workplace, a corporate picnic, or a golf outing. Knowing the person’s background will help you prepare some insightful inquiries about their area of expertise. You’ll hear, “If I can help you, let me know,” if everything goes well. You can invite them to “continue the conversation” over coffee a week or so later. A mentor-mentee connection may naturally grow over time.
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Strong functional skills take time to develop. In most positions, whether it’s enterprise sales, brand marketing, supply chain logistics, or corporate finance, being competent often consists of having deep functional knowledge in four or five key job areas and a good working knowledge in another four or five. Without the willingness to take multiple assignments, or even strategic lateral moves, a well-rounded skill set will be elusive. It takes patience.
Earlier in my career, I was still at the manager level within PepsiCo while a good friend moved up to vice president by moving to another company. But as my skill set solidified, I understood how the pieces of the business fit together, and my career progression accelerated.
Your skill set is ultimately your career capital, so take the time to develop your functional skills. Jumping from job to job too quickly (say, in 18-month or two-year increments) won’t allow you to develop the functional expertise you need to advance your career. With time and patience, and by taking the initiative, you’re far more likely to thrive in this DIY world.
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