Cowgirl Up: Whichever It Is, Own It

While I'm not psychic, I'll say that one of two articles sums up your career thoughts. One, a blog on Harvard Business Review: "Why You Won't Quit Your Job" and the other, from Forbes, "Why You Will Quit Your Job This Year."  Both are worth the read and beg the question:  "Well, which am I?"

Both articles, in their different ways, note the necessities for owning your career: Confidence & Courage; Realistic Perspectives and Options; and Support.  Considering these, how do you stack up? Are you ready when the time is right for you? Have you taken both of these actions below to be ready?

       Yes    No    1. I have a professional development plan and I follow it; it's the best                                long-term investment I can make in myself.

What's your development plan for the next 12 months? What additional information do you need and what new skills will increase your value to your employer…current or next? What certification or licensure indicates that you're on the leading edge of your profession? And, while long term plans may change, what's your potential career path for the next three years? In addition to learning directions, what projects or work will you take on to move toward your next career step? It may supplement your professional learning plan or it may be the project that helps you explore a new or parallel path.
Investing in yourself means paying for the learning you need to bolster your career direction. You might expect your employer to pay and that may happen. If it doesn't, what investment account are you growing to ensure you stay current in your profession? Start this month—this leap year—with $50 or $100 a month put aside for your development. Talk with a financial advisor to identify annual payout goals that you can work toward as you move along the career path best for you.

       Yes    No    2. I have mentors and strong relationships in place that offer support,                                         objectivity and accountability.

Mentors and sponsors offer more than support…they offer perspectives that you won't get without them. They offer experience, different world views and perspectives and likely learning that may keep you from making similar mistakes! If they are inside your current organization, they can give political counsel; and if they're outside, they can provide objectivity as well.
Objectivity comes from someone who has your professional interests at heart; someone who will ask the tough questions and give the direct feedback that grows your confidence in yourself and the courage to step into your power. Strong, effective coaches hold you accountable for moving forward: for making commitments that grow and stretch your thinking and being, and for coaching you to get out of your own way! This is most often a coach who is trained in the changing world of work as well as the subtleties of querying and feedback. The right coach invests as much in you as you invest in you!

    If you'd like an article on how to find your perfect coach, drop me an email and I'll get it to you!

Adding these actions to the four covered in my previous two posts gives you a platform from which to establish a tailored yet flexible career plan backed up with preparation and momentum. So if you haven't already, take the bull by the horns and get moving!

Janine Moon