If you want to get ahead in your professional life, don't leave it to chance. Use this 10 step approach to get off to a flying start.
Step 1: Set a vision
Get a clear vision of what you want. Ask yourself at the pinnacle of your career:
What role do I want?
How much do I want to earn?
What type of organisation you want to be working for?
When do you want to achieve it by?
What impact do you want to leave behind at the end of your career?
Step 2: Identify what you are willing to do to achieve your vision
Life is all about choices. By saying yes to career you are saying no to another area. Make a list now of:
What you are willing to to achieve your vision
What you are not willing to do
Step 3: Identify what it is worth to you to achieve your vision
Get connected to
What it will give you
What values your will be honouring
How it will feel to achieve it?
What will be the cost to you if you don't achieve?
Step 4: Identify the help and support you will need along the way
Start to make a list of all of the people and resources that you will need along the way to achieving your vision.
Step 5: Assess your skills
In assessing your skills you need to identify:
Skills that you currently have
Skills that need to be developed
Step 6: Assess your knowledge
Similar to skills consider areas where you have specific knowledge such as Finance, Marketing, IT and also the knowledge you will need to develop to be a leader.
Step 7: Assess your personal qualities
Read any research or speak to anyone who has reached a leadership role and they will probably tell you that softer skills were the most important attribute. Rigorously assess and review this area.
Step 8: Prepare a personal development plan
Use the results of the steps 5 to 7 to set out your personal development plan for each of the next 5 years. Be specific about what you want to do, the outcome you are seeking, how you will do it and when you will do it by. Consider the accountability you need to say on track.
Step 9: Prepare your career plan
In developing your career plan consider the experience you need to acquire, type of roles you need to do, specific industry experience you want, time in each role, support and help you need.
Step 10: Monitor, evaluate and adapt
If you don't monitor you are likely to go off track. Set up accountability. Set review dates. Be honest about what is working and what is not. Be ready to adapt to reach your final destination.
Remember that many people have the potential but fail to realise it. Use this 10 step approach to get you off to a flying start.
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