Far too many professionals today look to their managers to manage their career path and trajectory. However, this is yours and yours alone to manage. It’s so easy to get caught up in our work that we lose sight of our career. So, how do you manage your career with confidence? Let us discuss what Accenture teaches in best practices for career development that can help you.
Is there a secret to why some people have successful careers and others don’t?
Research shows that IQ or abilities often have no cause and effect relationship. Certainly, the socio-economic background does have significant influence but no guarantee.
You are accountable for your success. As such, it is your responsibility to discover your special gifts, attributes, and capabilities. These can give you a competitive edge and the greatest probability to have a flourishing career.
Career management requires quality networking, being in the right place at the right time, and earning a voice at the table. It also requires knowing your unique value proposition and how to use it. It requires managing your personal brand, and being influential – to name a few essentials.
But in the end, all of these factors require one important thing: a personal commitment to manage and invest in your career the right way.
On the surface, this sounds simple – but it is quite time-consuming and requires strategic thought and planning. Making an investment in your career requires you to know what you should invest your time, money and resources in.
When you invest in your career and personal development, you must do it with the end game in mind.
For example, what performance improvements and career advancement outcomes do you expect. And when will you be able to see favorable financial results and lifestyle changes as a result of your investment?
I have seen too many people waste time and money on making career investments that don’t align with their passionate pursuits and ultimate career ambitions. They can’t see the opportunities around them. Therefore they cannot effectively seize these for their advancement and personal satisfaction.
To invest properly in your career, you must know yourself extremely well. Knowing yourself requires you to understand the factors that positively inspire you. Inspire you to achieve something substantive and relevant – with passion – every day.
For some people, this takes a long time to discover. For others, they know themselves well enough to make good career investment decisions.
As a senior manager and mentor, I’ve talked to scores of experienced employees and managers about their careers over the past four decades. They’ve shared their innermost fears, secrets, and hopes for the future with me.
A constant theme for both high-performing and high-potential professionals has been the pitfalls and promises of corporate politics. The theme included finding the keys to career success.
Here are fifteen ways you can start managing your career today:
What Accenture teaches … set measurable goals
The key to getting what you want is knowing what you want. You must know what you want out of your career. It starts there.
You should be clear about these goals with your manager and your mentor. These goals are also great ways to measure your progress.
This progress is visible through the year and years in your regular performance reviews.
What Accenture teaches … maintain an open feedback loop
The hardest thing to do is to hear honest feedback because it isn’t always positive.
But, the ability to listen to all feedback and adjust accordingly is what will elevate your career.
Be sure you are open to the good, the bad and the ugly feedback. This will help you adjust your work and your goals.
Best practices for career development … continuous learning
Read industry publications, websites, and blogs. Share the best articles and have a point of view of your own.
Position yourself as a voice of the industry and a valuable resource within your professional community.
When you see great content, make an insightful comment and connect with influencers in the industry.
What Accenture teaches … volunteer for new tasks
When a new project comes up, and it aligns with your goals, raise that hand.
Let your manager or HR team know that you want to learn some new skills or gain new, more advanced experience.
Be clear on what you can offer to the project and stay involved.
What Accenture teaches … plan career objectives
Study the trends that are shaping your industry and niche.
Pay attention to what the experts are saying. Know your strengths, and which skills are marketable.
Take an assessment test if you have the opportunity. Map a path to get to where you want to go in your career.
Know that you will have to make changes as the work environment changes. Pay attention to what you are seeing and hearing.
What skills do you have to acquire to become more valuable to yourself and future employers? Acquire those skills and make learning a part of your day. Every day.
What Accenture teaches … build your networks
Cultivate networks inside and outside the organization you work for, and both online and offline.
Find ways to be of service to the people in your network. It could be as simple as introducing them to each other. It could also include sending them articles and other information that are meaningful and valuable to them.
Attend worthwhile events to build and expand your network of contacts continually. When you hear of an event that’s worth attending, pass on the information to people who might benefit from attending as well.
Let them know why you thought of them.
Speak at industry conferences
This is another opportunity to build your networks. This opportunity also allows you to build your personal brand. And more importantly, when you speak at a conference, people will view you as an authority in the field.
Another possibility is to host a webinar on behalf of your organization. Note this is good both for the company and yourself.
Take responsibility for managing your career
Don’t wait until you’re fired, laid off, burned out or fed up to revitalize your career.
Manage your career on an ongoing basis, particularly through the good times.
This reflects a belief you should embrace:
“take responsibility for everything that happens in your life;”
What Accenture teaches … treat every conversation as an interview
Everyone you talk to judges or evaluate your worth. Make that conversation worth something.
And focus on the other person and not yourself;
What Accenture teaches … focus on strengths
Do what you’re best at, and what you have a passion for.
Don’t spend much time trying to make your weaknesses strengths.
Focus on self-management
Being clear about your values and living them. You should continually be mindful of your inner state. Also, focus on being aware of your impact on others.
Learning how to manage your emotions and thoughts can be the greatest contribution or downfall to career success.
What Accenture teaches … never be under-employed
If you get fired or laid off, volunteer immediately somewhere for something that puts your skills, knowledge, and attitude to work.
The longer you’re not meaningfully engaged, whether you’re compensated or not, the more this will drain your energy and confidence.
What Accenture teaches … under promise and over deliver
The celebrity and professional athlete hype and heroic CEO promises of super achievement have captured the public’s fancy.
But humility, kindness, compassion and selfless service are a powerful combination that has a more significant long-term impact;
Find mentors
Hire a coach, find a wise person to give you counsel, and preferably outside the organization.
This will provide that oasis of calm to express your fears, dreams, and hopes. It will also help guide you to the wisest decisions.
There are no magic potions or formulas for career success.
It requires sustained effort, street smarts, and insightful strategies. It is similar to the focus of successful organizations.
What Accenture teaches … invest in your strengths
Become increasingly aware of your natural strengths. These will allow your skill sets and capabilities to thrive. Make the commitment to invest in them.
For example, if you are a good negotiator, never assume that your technique doesn’t require fine-tuning.
Take a negotiations class, enhance your abilities and then put them to work more frequently.
To get your mindset in the right place, try this:
The next time you are in a meeting, carefully observe your colleagues. Notice the dynamics in the room. Ask yourself:
What are other people doing to invest in the betterment of their careers?
The ultimate prize is to find happiness in your career and your work by fueling your strengths and passion.
Invest in intelligence and know-how
Never stop learning. This begins by investing your time to acquire the right intelligence and know-how that will accelerate your career advancement.
For example, most people want to build their personal brand. But they don’t invest in the process of developing one. Hence they miss opportunities along the way.
Never assume that you don’t need to get smarter, wiser and more strategic about how to better manage your career. Be proactive.
Get to know the goals the industry you are serving desires to achieve. Study how you can contribute. Build relationships with key thought leaders.
Identify the best executive search firms that can support the career path you seek. Get to know what your direct competitors are doing to secure the position(s) you may be targeting.
What Accenture teaches … invest in relationships
Build a personal advisory board who can properly guide your career goals. Identify your circle of influence.
Who are they today? Are they guiding you rightly? Are you truly investing in these relationships in ways that are continually helping you?
Are they moving your career in the direction you want it to go?
Invest in how to network the right way. Your networking should be viewed as a professional development boot camp.
Learn to value your time and how to connect with the right people. Nurture the relationships that matter most.
Give these relationships the proper time and attention. Keep the most meaningful relationships active at all times.
Invest in a mentor
Staying focused can be difficult with so many different responsibilities to manage. This is why most people lose momentum when attempting to advance their careers.
Most people start and stop the career management process. They often find it difficult to manage their time.
Make career management a new best practice. Make the process one that becomes an embedded part of your daily activities, goals, and objectives.
If possible, invest in a career coach to increase your commitment levels and hold yourself accountable. Today’s competitive landscape requires you to stay on track.
You must do so by investing in someone that can provide you with the tools and perspective to keep you focused.
What Accenture teaches … create life balance
Balance is the key to success – in both business and in life. Contribute to the success of your career by investing in work/life balance. Dedicate more time and attention to your personal and family life.
My family and personal friends are an essential component of my career success. They help clear my mind and enrich my points of view.
Engaging in activities separate from your career allows you to broaden your observations through a different lens. From them, you learn to appreciate new types of ideas and ideals.
These can help shape your thinking and contribute to your professional growth.
Invest the right way and more effectively manage your career.
Think of your investment as a personal enrichment process. Make it an investment that is always working for you. Let it focus on making you a better person both in and outside of the workplace.
The bottom line
These are things that we already know, of course. They are not rocket science and shouldn’t be.
Yet this list of little things simply reminds us of what we have forgotten. Then it is up to us to put these lessons (or reminders) into daily use through persistence and practice.
Remember … your experience and learning trumps all!
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Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?
Do you have a lesson about making your learning better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on mentoring from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Remarkable Lessons in Motivation Steve Jobs Taught Me
How to Create Honest Employee Trust and Empowerment
The Story and Zen of Getting Things Done
10 Positive Thinking Ideas from Peers and Mentors
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What Accenture Teaches for Career Development: Simple Things You Must Do