Planning for the Future 177
Managing my career
What is it?
Research shows that all truly successful people have at some point in their
lives produced a written plan of where they want to be and how they think
they will get there. And the most successful achievers will tell you that they
constantly review these plans to ensure that they are on track, and modify
them as appropriate. It is particularly important to write long-term plans to
ensure that a career stays on track – if people do not have one eye on the
bigger goal, it will be easy for them to become sidetracked and miss oppor-
tunities. The saying we quoted earlier – ‘If you don’t know where you’re
going, you’ll end up somewhere else’ – applies to many people who have
inadvertently found themselves in the wrong role and for some reason feel
unable to break free and fulfil their real potential.
What would happen to the great organizations if they didn’t spend time
creating visions and the strategies to ensure that they achieve them? If people
can think about themselves as their own organization – ‘Me PLC’ – they will
find it easier to understand the importance of having a long-term plan and
of spending time working on how they will achieve it. The other important
thing that most successful people have in common is a great network and
the ability to extend it; and networks don’t happen by accident. It takes
thought and planning to create a network that will support someone to
achieve a career goal – yet some people are actually not comfortable net-
working.
What is it for?
This tool (see Table 10.6) provides a structured process for clients to work
through, to give considered thought to their career and to put together an
action and networking plan. This can be reviewed regularly and modified to
ensure that they have extreme clarity on where they want to be and how
they are going to get there.
When do I use it?
This tool is particularly useful when clients have reached a crossroads in
their career or do not seem to have clarity on where they want to be in the
future.
178 50 Top Tools for Coaching
What is the process?
Ask clients to decide what period they wish to consider in their planning,
eg three or five years. Ask them to project forward and think about where
they will be at that time. What sort of role will they be in? Ask them to be
as specific as possible. What sort of company will they be working in? What
level will they be at? Will they be managing a team or a project? What will
they be earning? What sort of environment will they be in? How will they
have developed personally? What will a typical day look like?
Once they have a good view of what success would look like, ask them to
think about what skills and competencies they will need for that role. Ask
them to compare these with the ones they possess now, and enter this infor-
mation on the form. Ask them to think about which of their current skills
are transferable and which they are going to need to develop. Then ask them
to complete the networking sheet by thinking about the range of people who
might be able to help them.
Work with them to complete the action plan by breaking it down into
milestones.
Hints and tips
Clients may not be able to identify exactly what sort of role they would like
at this point, but by looking at their transferable skills they should at least
have a plan for investigating certain paths.
Time required
45 minutes.
Planning for the Future 179
Table 10.6 Managing my career
THE VISION – WHAT DO I WANT TO ACHIEVE BY… (TIME)?
What role will I be in? What sort of company will I be working in? Will I be
managing a team or a project? What will the environment be like? What would
a typical day look like?
WHAT SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES WILL I NEED THEN?
WHAT TRANSFERABLE SKILLS DO I HAVE CURRENTLY?
WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE WILL I NEED TO ACQUIRE?
Networking: what does my network currently look like and need to look like
for the future?
PEOPLE WHO WILL PEOPLE WHO WILL PEOPLE WHO WILL
SING MY PRAISES GIVE ME HONEST CHALLENGE ME TO
FEEDBACK ON MY DEVELOP
PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE WHO WILL PEOPLE WHO WILL A MENTOR WHO WILL
GIVE ME POSITIVE HELP ME HELP ME TALK
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT UNDERSTAND THE THROUGH PERSONAL
ORGANIZATION AND CAREER
DECISIONS
(continued)
180 50 Top Tools for Coaching
Table 10.6 (Continued)
PEOPLE WHO HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN PEOPLE WHO WILL
POWER TO MAKE HELP ME TO HELP ME TO STRETCH
THINGS HAPPEN INCREASE MY MY SKILLS AND
VISIBILITY KNOWLEDGE
POSITIVE ROLE PEOPLE WHO WILL PEOPLE WHO ARE
MODELS SPEAK HIGHLY OF ME WELL CONNECTED
AND MY WORK AND CAN INTRODUCE
ME TO OTHERS
What actions do I need to take to develop my transferable skills/knowledge,
to develop my network and position myself for the next part of the journey?
ACTION BY WHEN WHO WILL SUPPORT?
