Are you fed up with your job? Disillusioned with working for an organisation you don’t believe in any more? Struggling to make your relationship work with your manager? Worn down by constant restructuring? So, you need to find out how to manage your career effectively.
Career Case Study: Dave
Dave came to see me for career coaching. 42 years old, he had kept his head down, working hard as an Area Sales Manager for many years. He said that he deserved the promotion he wasn’t getting, after four years in the role. He was sure the grass was greener, and wanted to ‘escape’ to a new career.
He said that a combination of constant organisational restructuring, increased pressure to perform with fewer resources, and an unsupportive manager had worn him down. He wanted a better work-life balance.
But let’s look at it another way: Dave may ‘blame’ his manager for not supporting his progression. But what had Dave done to nurture and build that relationship? How did his manager view Dave?
Dave felt torn between his desire to spend more time with his family and his wish to gain promotion. But how ‘smartly’ was Dave working? Is he typical of the many people in mid-career who run themselves ragged at the behest of their employer?
How clear was Dave about his career development strategy? How open has he been to learning and development and to the changes that re-structuring has led to?
In other words, how well has Dave been managing his career?
Become Your Own Career Manager & Manage Your Career Effectively
I believe that we can all become better Career Managers. An effective career manager takes a ‘balanced’ approach, paying sufficient attention to the needs of both self and employer.
There are at least six areas we can become more effective at:
1. Building relationships
2. Learning and development
3. Career development strategy
4. Use of personal energy
5. Openness to change
6. Work life balance.
How well are you managing your career in each of these areas?
At CCS, we have developed a self scoring questionnaire called Balance™. We use it as part of our career coaching programmes, and have helped people to:
• improve a relationship
• improve awareness of networks and how best to use them
• request feedback constructively
• address blocks to learning
• developing their personal brand
• improve their management of stress
• develop skills to better manage change
• ensure they achieve the work-life balance they want.
For more details email us on info@career-counselling-services.co.uk to see how we can help you manage your career effectively.
1 Comment
Great subject and article, Rob. The self scoring questionnaire called ‘Balance’ does sound excellent and an inspiring tool to counter ‘passive helplessness’ at work.’
I’ve never forgotten the words of a colleague/friend who said ‘While we blame others we are stuck’ i.e. we are giving all the power to others instead of working out what is our responsibility and what is theirs, and what WE can do to help ourselves!
I look forward to more blogs.
Thank you
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