HOW TO MANAGE
YOUR CAREER
Managing your career is up to one and only one person – you!
People who get promoted are outperforming everyone around them
THE THREE PHASES OF A
CAREER
First, take on rocket fuel
Build transferable skills
Build sustainable relationships
Then, pour gasoline on your
strengths
Pick jobs and companies that play to
them
Take on stretch assignments that
build on them
Don’t spend too much time shoring
up or hiding weaknesses
Finally, pass the torch
Give back by paying it forward
Do that inside your organization and
outside as well
HOW TO GET PROMOTED
Nail the basics of excellent
work hygiene
Things managers should never
have to talk to you about
Attendance
Hours
Attire
How you treat colleagues
Things that happen out of
the office
Be organized
Be professional
Volunteer for extras
Deliver on commitments
Good attitude
Live the values
Constantly learnRead business books/articles
Join professional groups
Practice universal skills like speaking, writing, presenting, analytics
Articulate, and be Articulate!Speak up!
Always know who owns what
Don’t use words like “stuff” and
“things”
Start doing the job you want to
move into
If it’s vertical, take stuff off your boss’s plate
If it’s horizontal, volunteer for stretch assignments
Do that while you’re still in your
current job
Do really well at it
Give thought to succession
Regularly work OTBSee the bigger picture
Redesign processes, don’t just execute them
Be a master of feedback
Giving it gently – espouse the
Whale Done mentality
Receive it regularly Ask for it
Internalize it gracefully
Act on it
Ask again
Make sure you’re visible enough
HOW TO WOW YOUR
MANAGER
Show up for every check-in with
the full agenda – send it a day or
more ahead
When you are asking your
manager to communicate
something (an email to the
team, a reference letter, etc.),
draft it for him or her
Do a start-stop-continue analysis
once a year on all of your key
activities
Own your own development plan
and check in on it at least
quarterly
Read a relevant business book
and ask your manager to discuss
insights with you
Dress for success – even casual
can be neat and “client ready”
Respond to every email where
you are on the TO line within a
day, even if it’s to say you will
respond longer form later
End every meaningful interaction by asking for informal feedback on how you’re doing and what else you can be doing
Do something that’s not required
but that you feel is a best practice
(If you have staff reporting into you) Show up for every check-in with your manager with a list of all staff issues and highlights
Own the solution, not just the
problem
Own cross-functional projects
Managing your career is up to one and only one person – you!
People who get promoted are outperforming everyone around them
HOW TO MANAGE
YOUR CAREER
Top Related