Tag: Career Development

If You Are Not Happy With Your Career, Ask Your Choices

by Bright Osadiaye, posted in Health & Well-Being, Leadership, Management, Personal Development, Workplace Learning
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It is my boss. It is my manager. It is my partner. They have to change. When it comes to your career, it is not about them, but about you. Managing your career is no one’s business, but yours. If you do not know what you want for yourself, if you do not know where you are going, how can you manage it?

Before you blame people for where you are in your life, take a look at your choices, your decisions. Because your decisions are your drivers. They brought you to where you are right now. If you are not happy with your career, ask your choices. Ask your decisions.

Your career is yours to manage. It is your life. It is what you want for yourself. If your career is stuck, it is never too late to go back and start again. Sometimes starting again is better than getting stuck. Yes, people are going to talk shit. But do not let that bother you. Because they are not responsible for your growth. You are responsible for your career. So if your career is not growing, it is time to rethink your plan. And part of rethinking your plan is to have the courage to ask yourself some really tough questions about your career.

Ask yourself, ‘Why am I stuck? Why am I not making progress? Why am I not happy with my career? Why am I not passionate about my career? Is this really what I want to do with my life? Is this place okay for me? Is there a chance for growth here? Is my manager going to support me? Above all, am I going to support myself, no matter what?’

Because you are responsible for growing your career. That is why it is not a good thing to put your career growth in other people’s hands. What if they are not interested in your career? What if they are after what you can do for them, not what you can do for yourself? What if your career is not what they think about every day? What if you are not even communicating yourself the right way?

Whether you are communicating yourself correctly or not, don’t use that as an excuse to give your power away. You must do whatever you can to take care of your career, to nurture your career, to breathe life into your career.

If you are not getting ahead, if you are not making progress, try something else. If one thing is not working, it is not working for a reason. Try something else. If you are not happy with your current employer, think about what you can do to change things. If you can’t change where you are, you have got to leave. If you stay, you are not going to grow. But before you leave, make sure you have a plan. Make sure you have a plan that is workable. If you can’t change your current place of work, then you have got to find a way to get used to the culture of the place. If not, you are going to get even more frustrated with the situation.

Remember, you can’t force people to support you if you do not have the courage to support yourself. If you want to have a great career, you have got to take charge of your career. Don’t be scared. You can do it.

Gary Burnison On How To Take Control Of Your Career

by Bright Osadiaye, posted in Health & Well-Being, Leadership, Management, Motivational Quotes, Personal Development, Workplace Learning
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‘You get hired for what you can do but fired for who you are. So if you want to get ahead, start there- figure out who you are and the value you bring. Awareness awakens!’

‘Find your inner hustle. Call it fire in the belly, or drive. It is the sustaining energy that keeps you moving, especially when the going gets tough. With hustle, you’ll recognize those difficult times as opportunities to challenge yourself, learn, and grow.’

‘Without knowing your blind spots, you’re vulnerable to hit a brick wall in your career- no matter how talented and high potential you are.’

‘Assess, assess, assess. You can’t see yourself clearly if you only assume. You need to have the courage to truly at yourself.’

‘Remember: learn more, earn more. Be aligned with your boss about how you can stretch and grow in taking on more of what needs to be done.’

‘Unless you’re a sculptor working alone in your studio, chipping marble or molding clay, you are not a solo performer. Despite all the technological advancements of the past few decades, we still need to work with others.’

‘You can’t change your boss- you can only change yourself. Or you can change the situation by developing an exit strategy.’

‘Be accountable for your own behaviors and performance, and always ask for unvarnished feedback.’

‘Ego is not your amigo. Maybe it’s not them, it’s you.’

‘Don’t judge, understand others before demanding to be understood.’

‘Build your political capital on trust- it is earned, not given to you.’

‘Demonstrating what you do is only half of the equation. Be connected so others can see who you are.’

‘Be self-aware as you lead by your actions, not just your words. Your team will watch what you do even more than they will listen to what you say. Model the behaviors you want to see in others.’

‘Leadership requires fellowership. Your success as a manager is solely dependent on the success of others. If your team doesn’t perform, you won’t progress.’

‘Collective genius can only come from open and candid discussion, not a scripted performance.’

‘Networking is a contact sport– it’s all about building relationships. Lead with what you can give.’

‘It isn’t like microwaving popcorn on high. Advancing your career takes time, effort, and insatiable curiosity. Learning agility is the number one predictor of success.’

‘Self-awareness is the starting point for any skill development and will keep you from derailing.’

‘Know that no matter how much you study and prepare, you will make countless mistakes, especially at first.’

‘Learning determines your earnings for life- and learning can be as simple as following good old-fashioned curiosity.’

‘Learning generally happens only when you’re outside your comfort zone.’

Source

Gary Burnison (2020). Advance: The Ultimate How-To- Guide for Your Career