How to Drive Your Own Work, Growth, and Career
Conversation Cards
Simple Tools for People
Who is driving your work, growth, and career?
As a coach for both people and companies around work, growth, and career, I know of at least one thing that is worthy of turning on its head: Who sits in the driver’s seat.
Philosophically companies and people say they want the employee to be in charge of his or her own destiny and that they should know their superpowers and fault lines, what their goals should be, and where their career is headed. While that wish is clear, I often hear people complain they have managers who don’t tell them what their goals are, how they’re doing, or where their career is going.
And so many people wait. They wait until they have a perfect manager to guide them on their path or a perfect company that has an ideal mission and clear goals for them to get behind. Meanwhile, many companies overinvest in learning and development for leaders to teach them (often many years into management) how to give feedback, develop a team, and manage people. All the while the amount of time managers have for this work is dwindling. Add to this picture the amount of time and dollars invested in programs like traditional performance management, succession planning, and cascaded goal setting it starts to look very different than how people and companies say they want it.
In practice, managers are still in the driver’s seat. Yet conditions for employees and companies have changed. Employees expect to switch companies and careers many times in their lives. And companies constantly change direction and are looking for shape-shifting people as the landscape changes. These new forces and needs can either compete with one another or build on one another.
You don’t need to wait for the next training program to teach people to learn about themselves, their work, and their careers. As a start, these Work-Growth-Career cards are designed to get any person, at any level, started around these topics. Take a look and find out how many questions for which you have good answers. If you manage others, find out what you have to learn about your team and get started on flipping who’s in charge. You might find things get a little easier – and better – for everyone.
Growth
Questions
What is the one thing I will focus on growing or developing this year that will make a difference in my work?
Do I know what skills I need to develop to advance at Clif Bar?
Have I asked for (or given) feedback lately?
Whom should I ask for feedback?
Am I reluctant to ask for feedback? Why?
What is my biggest strength and how can I use it more?
What are my resources and who are my supporters? How can I better utilize them to further my growth?
What could I do to facilitate others’ learning on my team?
Tips
On a monthly basis check-in with yourself: What’s my purpose? Am I doing my best work?
Commit to your personal goal, whether it’s practicing a new skill or learning something new. Give it 10 minutes of attention daily for 100 consistent days.
Identify a person with whom you can share your growth goals and check-in regularly about your progress
Work
Questions
Do I understand the connection between my work and the company’s goals?
Are expectations of my work clear to myself and others?
What are my ideal outcomes for this month?
How am I spending my time– does it need to change?
What do I need to know more about in order to better deliver on my work?
What words would people use to describe my work and how I work?
How am I demonstrating the appropriate company values and work behaviors?
Tips
Setup a monthly or quarterly meeting with your Manager to check-in about expectations and areas of focus.
Make sure you know from others the most important things you need to deliver on.
Clarify expectations often about your work. E.g., When closing a meeting ask: “Is there anything I’m not thinking about here?” or recap later.
Career
Questions
Do I know what roles/ paths are open to me? Do I understand the requirements to progress in my career?
What do I love and what do I loathe?
What types of work activities replenish me/give me energy?
What’s working well in this job?
What would I like to change about my job?
What am I curious about learning today, this month, or this year?
Does what I’m doing today serve what I want to become later?
Is there someone I know in a role I want in the future?
Tips
Take time to reflect and understand your career goals.
Create a ‘Users Manual’ for yourself and communicate it to others. E.g. My goals, strengths, and what I’m working on to improve.
Identify someone you can meet with 1-2 times a year who will help you take action on your career goals.