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Index
The Ultimate Career Success Workbook
How to Use this Book
Chapter 1: Establishing Your Values and Career Priorities Overview Surveys repeatedly show that most people are not entirely happy with their jobs. Certainly, most people can explain some of the reasons why they are unhappy with their current job: perhaps it's the long hours, too much stress, or too little excitement. Oddly enough though, very few people can really describe what their ideal, but realistic (we are not talking about being paid for sipping cocktails while lying on a beach somewhere exotic!) job would be. We all recognize that working just for the sake of money is not that rewarding. Of course, we would all like to get paid more for what we do: but that is not the solution in itself. People are increasingly asking themselves what really motivates them. Do you want to be known for your achievements at work or your achievements outside of work? Putting it another way, do you want to be measured in terms of your work success or in terms of your life's significance? Perhaps it
Chapter 1: Establishing Your Values and Career Priorities
A WarningMost people dislike taking time to think about themselves. The vast majority of people like to act as opposed to think. In thinking about themselves, most people would rather be given a series of questionnaires that gives them answers on a plate, whereas the exercises in this chapter mainly require you to sit down and engage in some quiet thinking. And it is hard work too, thinking about yourself and really thinking about what you want out of your life and career. When I work with individuals, they often say that they do not have the time to do the exercises in this chapter. They say that they already know what they want out of their lives and their careers: they just want help in achieving it. They want something that they can act upon, as opposed to taking time to think and reflect. However, it is usually the individuals who do take this initial time out to reflect and think about their goals and aspirations who actually get the most out of the rest of the chapters of this b
Understanding the Importance of Core ValuesWe are much more likely to succeed in our careers when we are doing something that we value. It may sound obvious, but you would be amazed at the number of people who spend years or even decades slogging away at a job that does not motivate them, simply because they have never sat down and really thought about what they value. However, we all have different values. One person may be motivated by the thrill of running a big business, while another individual might be driven by the thought of running a local business that makes a difference to their local community. Another person may put personal and spiritual growth above all else. Yet another may seek predictable working hours that will allow him or her to put family above work interests. Distilling our values helps us to focus. The benefits of spending time on working out your personal values include: You will be much more likely to succeed in your chosen career if you are doing work that yo
Self-Test: Establishing Your Values Let's start with a fairly gentle questionnaire that may help you to get an initial sense of what you value in life. This is only a rough and ready quiz, and is designed to help steer you in the right direction. But you really do need to combine the results of this questionnaire with the other exercises in this chapter. After all, 20 questions cannot be enough to base the rest of your life on. Read the following statements and tick as to whether you agree or disagree with each of the statements. Don't spend too much time thinking about any individual statement. Go through the statements fairly quickly and select the first answer that comes into your head. Table 1.1 Question Agree Disagree I would rather have power and status than help people I would quit my job if I thought it would make my family or partner happier I enjoy being assertive and influencing people Being able to provide financially for my family is more important than being there all the
Eulogy ExerciseThis exercise probably requires more thought and effort on your part than any other in this book. But if you give it your full attention, you may be surprised by what you can get out of it. This exercise asks you to imagine a point in the distant future when you have died. If a close friend or colleague were writing a eulogy about your entire life, what would you like them to say about you? It is a cliché that no one on his or her deathbed ever said, 'I wish I'd worked harder.' So use this exercise as an opportunity to ask yourself 'What if…?' The steps to doing this exercise are as follows: Make sure that you have at least half an hour free to allow yourself to think without distraction. Take a clean sheet of paper and write at the top of the page: 'My eulogy: how I would like to be remembered.' Then write a detailed description of how you would like a close friend to describe you at your own funeral. You could write in prose or just a series of bullet points. This is n
Priorities Exercise While writing your eulogy is an opportunity to think about long-term goals, it can sometimes be useful to think about the short-term priorities for this stage of your career. Your eulogy is something to aim for over the course of years, if not decades. But this exercise can help you to focus on the priorities that are important to you right now. These priorities may change over the coming months or few years: for example, equity ownership might not be an option where you work at the moment, but something that could be a priority when you come to do this exercise at a later date. Or perhaps you have children studying for exams who need a lot of time and attention for the next few years, but later when they have left home, you might have much more time to spend on yourself and your plans to travel the world. By doing this exercise periodically - perhaps every year or so - it will help you to further focus your efforts in improving and enriching your career. The follow
Encapsulating Your ValuesThe eulogy exercise and priorities exercise should together help to give you a sense of some goals for your life. Now you should be ready to bring it all together. Americans often call this a 'life mission'. We do not need to be so grand. Why not simply call it your 'personal goal' or a 'career statement', if it makes you feel more comfortable to avoid any more management jargon! Writing such a statement is worth doing because it will act as a quick reminder for what you have decided you want out of your life. Think about your long-term future. Do not be limited to only the next few years of your life. Try to project yourself at least five or ten years into the future. Some example statements include: 'I want to have a career that is fast-paced and challenging. I don't want to stagnate in a role that doesn't change at all. And I think that I will only get that sense of challenge by working in small, entrepreneurial businesses. I'm willing to put in the hours an
Chapter 2: Beating Office Politics Overview The workplace is getting more competitive. As organizations downsize and de-layer, there are fewer opportunities for promotion. So it should come as no surprise that surveys repeatedly show that more and more people are complaining of being adversely affected by politicking. Office politics can take many shapes and forms. At one end of the scale, there is outright manipulation, manoeuvring and backstabbing. But most of the time, politicking is far subtler: it comes in the guise of gossip with a slightly hurtful edge, or perhaps passing the blame on to someone else to save one's own neck. Even sly gossip or rumour mongering can be used to inflict damage on the reputations and careers of others. One of the most important lessons you can learn is that building relationships at work is as important as getting down to the tasks of whatever you do. Getting a report out or closing a big deal with a customer simply does not matter if your colleagues
Chapter 2: Beating Office Politics
Self-Test: Identifying Politics Where You WorkPolitical activity goes on in most organizations, but it is worse in some than others. The first step in arming yourself against political attacks is to look at the extent to which politicking goes on where you work. Look at the following statements and tick either 'yes' or 'no' depending on whether you think it describes your workplace. To get an accurate score, you must answer every question. Table 2.1 Yes No Colleagues rarely own up for mistakes that they have made Official news often leaks out on the grapevine People talk about other colleagues behind their backs Good people rarely get overlooked for promotion People always share credit where it is due A lot of discussion goes on behind closed doors A few of my colleagues make cruel jokes about other people There are almost no cliques at work It is very difficult to keep anything quiet at work The best people usually rise to the top of this organization Scoring politics where you w
Recognizing Political Problems at WorkOffice politicians are often intelligent people who, because they are not restricted like most of us by our consciences, are able to employ all manner of devious and underhand methods intentionally to get ahead at work. However, there is also a category of simply incompetent colleagues who may be causing you difficulties by completely unintentionally using these tactics too. Political problems can take many shapes and forms. Some of these include: Distorting the facts (typically behind your back) or even telling outright lies to make you look bad. Fault-finding or persistent criticism of you, often done in public for maximum effect. Gossiping or spreading rumours behind your back. 'Forgetting' to include you in communications, meetings, training, social events or other activities. Taking responsibility away from you, perhaps under the guise of 'wanting to lighten your workload'.
Self-Test: Measuring Your Political SkillBefore we go on to talk about some of the ways in which you can defend yourself against political attacks, here is another questionnaire that may help you to analyse your current skill level when it comes to dealing with political troubles at work. Simply tick whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. Table 2.3 Agree Disagree I get on with everyone in my department I ask for feedback from the people that I work with on my performance I don't like to be disturbed by other people when I work I volunteer for work committees and projects outside of the remit of my day-to-day job I try to avoid people who seem to have a problem with me I know many people outside my department I frequently go out with colleagues for lunch or social events Getting a task done on time is more important than people's feelings I don't like to interfere when I see colleagues doing poor quality work I have a mentor I can speak to outside my depa
Seeking a Second Opinion If you do find yourself with a problem, do not wait for it to go away. Depending on the reasons, it is unlikely to go away. Taking action will limit the pain for you and the damage to your reputation or career. The following steps may help you: Identify the problem. Avoid blundering into a confrontation with the individual that you feel is harming your reputation at work. Take some time away from the office to review the 'evidence' that you have collected in your mind. Spend some time thinking about options for dealing with the situation. Office politicians are usually too clever to engage in political warfare out in the open: most political activity is more subtle and underhand. Think about how foolish you could look if you blundered into a confrontation with a backstabbing colleague, armed only with half the facts and unrehearsed tactics for dealing with the problem. Take note. If the attacks are openly malicious (for example, verbal or written abuse and thre
Self-Test: Your Style of Tackling Tricky People The vast majority of office politicians can be handled by confronting them with the facts and asking them in a nonconfrontational manner to change their behaviour. However, there are many ways to confront someone. The following questionnaire will give you an idea of your natural tendencies. Read through the list and fairly quickly tick whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. And be honest with yourself: otherwise there is no value in completing the questionnaire. Table 2.5 Agree Disagree I always give negative feedback in private I am less good at giving negative feedback than I am at praising and complimenting others I don't mind pointing out other people's faults by sending e-mails or writing memos I want to be liked by my colleagues as much as is practicable I try to give people small pieces of feedback as often as I can I feel that mistakes or inappropriate behaviour in others must always be tackled there and th
Getting TougherWhen you encounter office politics, the most likely course of action is likely to be taking your assailant aside and talking to them. However, if your assailant refuses to respond and change their behaviour, you might need to take further action. If your manager is supportive, you should ask for his or her guidance on the matter. The next step might be to speak to someone in your human resources or personnel department in confidence, presenting your evidence to him or her. Together, you might decide to pursue action using the company's official grievance procedure, possibly involving not only the difficult person but also his or her manager. If you work for a smaller business, you might not have the support of a full HR department. In such cases, you could seek external advice from: Your company's employee assistance programme (EAP). Ask to speak to a counsellor, explain the situation, and ask for their advice. Your local Citizen's Advice Bureau. Look them up in the phon
Chapter 3: Exerting Influence at Work Overview The people I coach often say they feel that they are not given the respect they deserve. However, it is often the case that they do not receive any respect because they do not influence and persuade others effectively. Think about it: you could be your organization's expert on a particular topic but fail to be acknowledged for it, if you cannot communicate it well to colleagues and customers. Perhaps you have brilliant ideas, but what use are they if you cannot explain them and persuade people to accept them? If you want to carve a career out for yourself, you need to learn these subtle skills. People are not always swayed by logic. For example, people will often go out of their way to repay a favour or to help out a friend, even if logic dictates that it is not necessarily the best course of action. In recent years, many of these skills have been collected under a new heading called 'emotional intelligence' or EQ. This chapter shows you h
Chapter 3: Exerting Influence at Work
Self-Test: Identifying Your Style of InfluencingThe first step is to identify your current, typical style of influencing others. Without a greater self-awareness of how you typically behave, you will not be able to understand how you need to change your behaviour. Most of us tend to have strengths in some areas and weaknesses in others: only the most adept influencers are able to switch between styles without missing a beat. This questionnaire is quite comprehensive - it has 24 questions - but it should still only take just over five minutes to complete. Again, be honest with yourself. Read each of the statements and try to decide on a rating for yourself based on the following fourpoint scale: Table 3.1 1 2 3 4 'Hardly ever' 'Occasionally' 'Usually' 'Almost always' Table 3.2 Your score I enjoy using facts and figures to back up my arguments I listen to other people's concerns before putting forwards my own ideas I set clear expectations for what I require of other people I try to mo
Understanding Different Influencing StylesEach of the four influencing styles has its merits and demerits, depending upon the circumstances. None is better than any of the others. As a proactive worker, you should be able to switch between different styles to get what you want. The four influencing styles are described as follows. Influencing style: convincing People who use the convincing style tend to influence others through logic and reason. They think through the advantages and disadvantages of different courses of action. These people enjoy a good debate, but in the sense of presenting facts and figures and defending them rather than getting into a heated and emotional confrontation. People who use this style are often described as: rational; critical; analytical; cool-headed; thorough. This is a good style particularly when you are trying to present an argument that has tangible goals and outcomes. For example, when there are options that have clearly identifiable costs or benef
Exercise: Putting Influencing into Action Given that none of the four influencing styles can be the best for all situations, you must think about the suitability of each of them. Given the circumstances and perhaps individuals that you are trying to influence, how can you tailor your approach to make them side with you? This exercise asks you to think about recent and current situations in which you have tried to persuade others. If you take the time to think through all of the questions, this will begin to make you more aware of alternative styles of influencing. In turn, this will make you more effective at influence and persuasion. For each scenario, you may want to jot a few notes on a pad. Avoid just skimming through the questions very quickly. The real value of this exercise comes in thinking carefully about each of the questions, coming up with your own answers, and understanding its implications for how you could change your preferred style of influencing others. Scenario one F
Final ThoughtsYour influencing style is not immutable. The whole purpose of completing the questionnaire and going through the different scenarios above is to help you modify your style to fit different situations. People do change over time, especially when they move to new jobs, confront new cultures and take on new responsibilities. Why not complete the influencing styles questionnaire again in, for example, a year's time to see whether you have managed to take a more balanced approach to influencing and persuading others?
Chapter 4: Investing in Your CV Overview Gone are the days when employees were expected to get on with their jobs, hoping that their bosses would notice them and reward them for hard work and good results. Nowadays, you could work tirelessly for your employer, only to be made redundant by a cost-cutting drive from the overseas parent company or a downsizing exercise due to a downturn in the economy. If your organization needs to make people redundant, no one can guarantee that you might not be one of the casualties. In such times, you need to be able to fend for yourself. The threat of losing your job is one of the strongest ties that bind you to your employer. By increasing your employability, you can take control of your career. The benefits of investing in your CV include: Better promotion prospects within your company, as colleagues recognize the key skills that you have. A reduction in the risk that you will be made redundant when jobs are being cut around you. Some commentators r
Chapter 4: Investing in Your CV
Self-Test: Measuring Your Core CompetenciesBefore we move on to the key skills that you need to really get yourself noticed at work, let us look at the more basic skills that you should have. The term 'competency' is simply a word that a lot of businesses have adopted to describe the skills and behaviours that are linked to success at work. Before we can think about your ability to make change happen, for instance, we should think about whether you have good planning and communication skills. To use an analogy, you cannot run before you have learnt to walk. The following questions ask you to rate your own skills against a set of skills. Think about each one in turn, but try to appraise yourself as honestly as possible. Use the following rating scale: Table 4.1 1 2 3 4 5 'Worse than most people I know' 'Needs some work' 'Equally as good as my peers' 'Better than some of my peers' 'Better than most people I know If you feel that a statement does not apply to you at all, then give yoursel
Exercise: Stop, Start and ContinueThe previous section on core competencies should have helped you to understand the skills that you need to foster and develop in order to further your career aims. However, there is a clear difference between mere understanding and doing. Understanding that we should do something is very different from knowing that we will do it. However, psychologists have identified that people who take the time to think through a plan of action are much more likely to succeed in changing their behaviour. The following three boxes provide you with space to jot down ideas for what you could do differently either immediately or in the very near future. Simply take a pencil and write down a few thoughts in each box, or copy each table out onto three separate sheets of A4. Table 4.4 I will stop … Table 4.5 I will start … Table 4.6 I will continue …
Further Skills Now that we have covered the essential skills, let us look at some of the more advanced skills that will set you apart from the rest of the organization. Research shows that certain skills are particularly well regarded by employers. These are: working across teams; managing change; delivering organizational benefits; continuing professional and personal development. Working across teams We have already talked about the core competency of teamwork. However, the 21st century organization is not just looking for the person who can work within a team, but also the kind of person who can work across teams. Companies that have exhausted their traditional markets are being forced to explore new territories for customers, typically in Eastern Europe, the Far East and South America. This means that organizations are increasingly looking for people who can work across boundaries in this global environment. In practice, this means being able to work with other teams perhaps across
Chapter 5: Jumping Through Organizational Hoops Organizations are associated with procedures and bureaucracy. As a rule, the larger the organization, the greater is the demand for form filling, process and bureaucracy. Even in companies with only a few dozen employees, the hoops in this chapter are still likely to apply to you. Most of us just accept the fact that we must undergo these trials. However, this chapter looks at not only how to cope with them, but excel at them. Self-Test: Understanding Your Organizational Effectiveness The following questions may give you a sense of how good you currently are at making the most of the organizational hoops that you need to handle. Tick the statements that you agree with. Table 5.1 Tick I make time to prepare before my appraisal I have an in-depth knowledge of internal training courses that are available to me I am ready to handle an exit interview when I resign from jobs I know what my performance objectives and targets are for the year M
Chapter 5: Jumping Through Organizational Hoops
Appraisals In theory, appraisals should be a chance for you to get feedback on your performance and help you think about your career aspirations and how to achieve them. More often than not, however, they focus on past performance rather than future plans, more of an end-of-term report than an opportunity to discuss career plans. In addition, managers are rarely trained or properly motivated to do them properly, and neither do appraisees do enough thinking and preparation for the event. If you think of your appraisal as a bureaucratic chore, you may be missing out on an opportunity to make a good impression on your manager, discuss new projects to keep you interested, and further your own career. Preparation Much of the work comes in a little forethought. Take time to: Recall your achievements over the months since your last appraisal. In particular, think of the skills that you have developed in those months. What have you learnt? Think back to mistakes you made or tasks that you felt
PromotionIf you want to get promoted, the most important lesson to learn is that being good at your job is not enough on its own to guarantee you a promotion. Getting a promotion involves at least three essential elements: competence, confidence, and a compelling argument. Competence It should go without saying, but unfortunately people can occasionally overlook the fact that before you can be promoted to a new role with additional responsibilities, you need to be sure that you are performing competently at your current role. Take a hard look at your current performance. Are there any areas at all in which your performance could receive criticism? If so, there is no point in trying to get a promotion. Chapter 7 may provide some ideas for identifying areas for improvement. Once you are sure that you are performing your current job competently, you need to begin to exhibit the behaviours that are required of the role that you want. If there is a job description that outlines the requirem
Internal Interviews and Assessment CentresWhen you are putting yourself forward for promotion, some organizations have a policy of recruiting from within, so there might be other internal candidates for the job. Other organizations will advertise jobs in the press or place the vacancy with recruitment consultants as a matter of course, potentially bringing in external candidates. In either case, the decision-makers typically will put all the candidates through an interview or assessment process to choose the best candidate. Such selection processes can vary hugely. Your job as a candidate is to understand the process as well as you can beforehand. While some organizations might have a number of one-to-one interviews, another organization might put candidates through an extensive assessment process comprising business case simulations, role play simulations, presentations and psychometric tests. Try to find out as much information as possible about the selection process. Some questions
Training CoursesSome employers offer internal training courses - perhaps run by the HR department - on topics such as time management, presentation skills and leadership development. Other departments might also offer more specialized training courses in legal affairs, health and safety, or IT skills. However, it is dangerous to assume that the 'powers that be' - in other words your manager and the other managers in the organization - will automatically have your best interests at heart and encourage you to go on the right courses. Many organizations have a training budget for employee development, but then keep quiet about it in the hopes of saving the money. Even though most organizations talk about the importance of developing their most important assets - allegedly their employees - they sometimes need to be reminded to do so. As a matter of course, you should keep an eye out for the training courses, seminars or development programmes that might be available to you. If your organi
MentoringFew organizations provide an official mentoring scheme for employees. Even at senior management levels, organizations typically expect an individual's line manager to act as coach and mentor for them. However, the benefits of having an additional mentor who is not your direct manager include: Being able to talk about political issues within your team. Sometimes, you might not feel able to raise these with your manager because such issues within a team could by implication be criticizing your manager's leadership of the team. Having a sounding board for any difficulties that you might be experiencing. Gaining a fresh perspective on long-term career opportunities that you might not be able to see for yourself because you are too busy coping with the day-to-day work. Having someone to talk to when the problem is your manager. Finding a mentor When choosing a mentor within your organization, it is important to think about their qualities as well as their qualifications. The most i
ResigningOver the course of your working life, you might find the need to move perhaps several times in your efforts to secure more pay, better opportunities, less stress or whatever else you are looking for in your career. No matter how much you disliked your colleagues, hated the work, or detested your boss, it never pays to leave on bad terms with an employer. For a start, you never know when you might need a reference in the future. The people at a previous employer can often form an important part of your network (see Chapter 11). And should the worse come to the worst and a new job or business venture should go sour, resigning on good terms makes it easier for you to ask for your old job back. Before we think about how to resign with good grace, let us think about how not to resign. First, you should never threaten to resign. People who threaten to resign often believe that it is a bargaining tactic; they hope that their boss will see their value and beg for them to stay, offerin
Chapter 6: Moving up in Management If you want more from your career such as more responsibility, more opportunities, or more pay and benefits, you will eventually need to move into management. There is a big difference between being a good team worker and a good team manager. Being a manager means being accountable for other people: making choices on behalf of your team, understanding their individual strengths and identifying ways of getting the best out of them, and even firing them if they under-perform. Have you got what it takes? Or if you are already managing others but have aspirations of rising higher within the ranks of management, you may need to take a keen look at how you manage. Are you a lacklustre manager or a valued leader? Self-Test: Measuring Your Readiness for Management The following is a quiz designed for people who are not currently in management. If you are already in a supervisory or management role you can skip this quiz, as you clearly have decided to embark
Chapter 6: Moving up in Management
From Team Worker to Team ManagerThere is insufficient space to write in much depth on the topic of what makes a good manager. Whole books are dedicated to the skills that are required. Rather than talking about these many skills (delegating, setting targets, motivating, handling disciplinary matters, communicating, resolving conflict, the list goes on and on), we shall only cover five basic principles, which are based heavily on surveys of what employees want from their managers. You may be wondering, what use are only five principles when managing a team requires so many skills? Well, these principles should provide a framework for all of the decisions that you make as a manager. Rather than providing you with the minutiae of becoming a manager, these five principles should inform all your thinking. If you keep these principles in mind at all times, you will pick up the other skills with time. Think of these as the five commandments of managing effectively. If you try to apply these p
Self-Test: Distinguishing Leadership From ManagershipThis questionnaire is aimed at helping people who are currently managers to think about how they can ascend the ranks of middle and senior management. There is little point completing this test unless you are actually managing a team; it is far better to save it until you have managed a team for at least six months or so. Some people say, 'I don't need to be a leader,' assuming that you only need leadership skills to be a chief executive or public figure. But even if you only have a team of several people these are the skills that will help to make you stand out from your peers. Before we discuss what the difference is between leadership and managership - and also the reasons why it is an important distinction - the following quiz will help you to identify your current style. Be honest with yourself as you decide the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following sixteen statements. Table 6.3 Agree Unsure Disagree
Combining Managership with LeadershipWhat the questionnaires and brief discussion should highlight is the importance of both sets of skills to manage effectively. Neither managership nor leadership is sufficient on its own. Consider an individual manager who has strong managership skills but lacks leadership. Such a manager would be good at focusing on day-to-day tasks. Colleagues and senior managers might trust such a manager as a 'safe pair of hands' for motivating a team to achieve short-term results. However, managers at the top of the organization may feel that the individual is not sufficiently strategic: that the individual lacks the ability to inspire and think about the big changes that will help the organization to prosper in the long-term. They might view the individual as more of a supervisor than a leader: a view that is almost certain to hold the individual's career back. On the other hand, let us consider the individual who is gifted in leadership but fails to focus on m
Exercise: Learning From Role ModelsBeing an effective manager and a good leader involves a set of behaviours and qualities that is hard to define. Leadership is also heavily influenced by the culture of a particular organization. In order to help you to pick up the right skills and qualities for your organization, try the following exercise: Think about three managers in your organization who are widely admired by you and your colleagues. Talk to your colleagues and try to find out why each of these managers is held in regard. Ask your colleagues, what qualities do these managers have? And what is it that they say or do that makes them good managers? Observe these managers, if you can, over the course of several weeks. It helps some people after each session of observation to write down a few notes on particular phrases that a respected manager uses. Or you might want to take mental note of their personal style or techniques that you see them using. Finally, think about what you can le
Chapter 7: Understanding Your Impact on Others Overview In my work as a career coach and mentor, I often work with individuals who feel that they are not being given the recognition they deserve. However, when we delve into the situation a little more, we often discover that there is a mismatch between what the individuals think of themselves and what their colleagues think of them. The point is that perception often rules over reality. For example, you might see yourself as an individual who is confident and honest, while others might perceive you to be arrogant and tactless. Perhaps you feel that you are a trusting person, but others see you as a gullible person to be taken advantage of. Or you might think of yourself as spontaneous and easy-going, while others may perceive you as being disorganized. Perception often rules over reality in the many situations that we encounter as well. Consider a hypothetical situation in which you have an argument with a customer. You might have been
Chapter 7: Understanding Your Impact on Others
Self-Test: Understanding Your Personality TypeOriginally based on Jungian theory, the MBTI describes our natural preferences on four dimensions of personality. For reasons of copyright, the questions in this chapter do not constitute the full questionnaire. So these questions will only be able to give you an approximate feel for your MBTI profile. Administering the full version of the MBTI is something that only chartered psychologists - such as my colleagues and I at Kiddy and Partners - should do. So if, at the end of completing this quick test, you feel that you need a more indepth understanding of your MBTI profile, you should get in touch with a chartered psychologist: perhaps through the British Psychological Society or the Association of Business Psychologists. Once that has been said, though, these next four sections and the brief analysis below should give you an excellent introduction to your personality. Extroversion versus introversion Before we look at what these two terms
Grasping the Importance of Your PersonalityThe MBTI tells us our personality preferences: we generally feel most comfortable when we behave in line with our preferences. However, the beauty of understanding these preferences is that we can choose to behave in a different way. Putting it another way, personality tells us the way that we generally prefer to behave or interact with others; it does not say anything about our abilities or lack of them. As such, everyone has the potential to behave in a different way. For example, you might be a strong introvert: meaning that your natural tendency is to work alone, with the result that you can sometimes appear detached or unfriendly to approaches from other people. However, you could always make more of an effort to engage with other people, perhaps gritting your teeth and forcing yourself to turn up to team meetings and social gatherings. As another example, your MBTI type might expose a high intuition score, meaning that you might not alwa
Respecting Personality DifferencesThe MBTI is an excellent tool for understanding personality, but it can also help us to deal with other people more effectively. We often say that we do not get on with other people because of 'interpersonal chemistry', 'personality differences', or 'a personality clash', but now that you understand a system for categorizing personality, you can analyse other people's personalities and come up with ways of interacting with them more successfully. In Chapter 2, we talked about how to confront office politicians. However, we discussed that people are sometimes oblivious to the effects that their actions are having on others. The MBTI can give you a non-pejorative language for discussing openly differences of opinion. For example, in running a project, a judging person might like to make decisions as quickly as possible, while a perceiving person might want to keep options open for as long as possible. Consequently, the judging person might think of the p
Gathering Feedback for Further InsightWhile personality has a huge impact on how you are perceived by others, it does not tell the entire story. It is common, for example, for people to suppress their natural personality preferences because of the working environment around them. So it might be the case that your Myers-Briggs profile does not tell the whole story of what your colleagues think of you. The only way to really find out what people think of you is to ask them. Think of it as doing market research on a product, only the product is you. Colleagues at different levels within the organization may have different experiences, and therefore different perspectives, about you. So it is important to talk to peers and your boss, as well as people who may be more junior, such as those who report to you. However, you obviously need to think carefully about how you are going to gather feedback on yourself, as most people's initial reaction might be to tell you what they think you would l
Chapter 8: Improving Your Work/Life Balance Overview Work/life balance is a phrase that is becoming increasingly popular, but there is evidence that this is a real issue as opposed to just a trendy buzz phrase. Surveys show that the length of the average working week is creeping ever higher. Both men and women say that they feel they have to spend longer at work and also experience more pressure while they are at work. Perhaps it is a symptom of increasing job insecurity in a world where a downturn in the fortunes of an employer could easily result in a wave of redundancies. However, work need not be a treadmill that is continually accelerating. For every person who feels compelled to work harder and for longer hours to keep up with everyone else, there is another individual who is taking the decision to re-prioritize his or her personal life and work life. Balancing your work and life does not have to mean being uncommitted to your work, it simply means that you are not willing to sac
Chapter 8: Improving Your Work/Life Balance
Self-Test: Measuring Your Work/Life BalanceThere are no objective measures of whether any particular individual is working too hard. While one individual may positively thrive on late nights and a 50-hour week, another may find even one or two late evenings at work unbearable. At the end of the day, your work/life balance is something that you must determine for yourself. So why not take this short test to determine whether your work and personal life are happily balanced? Read the following statements and tick whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. Table 8.1 Agree Disagree I usually feel rested when I wake up in the mornings My family often complain that they do not see me enough I have at least two hobbies or leisure interests that have nothing to do with work I was happier in the past than I am now I always take my full allowance of annual leave I sometimes wake up at night worrying about problems at work I often feel that my work intrudes on my perso
Exercise: Defining Your Personal Work/Life Balance The exercises in Chapter 1 should already have helped you to define a life mission for yourself. However, if you are reading this chapter, it may be that you are still confused at to what the proper balance between your professional work and your personal or home life should be. The self-test questionnaire may have identified that there is some sort of imbalance, but this next exercise aims to make you think about the particular areas of your life that may be suffering. In business, companies often apply what is known as a balanced scorecard to measure performance across different areas: such as profit, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and new product development. The following exercise asks you to look at four more relevant areas of your life: work, relationships, personal time and growth, and physical and psychological health. Give yourself a score from 1 to 10, depending on whether you strongly disagree or agree with ea
Taking a Career BreakA short-term solution is to take a break from your work. Some organizations call it a leave of absence; a few other firms like to use the word sabbatical, but it all amounts to taking time away from your day-to-day work to do something completely different. A few of the larger organizations may have formal policies about career breaks that your manager or human resources may be able to inform you about. Smaller employers are unlikely to have thought about such rules, but are likely to respond favourably if you can put a good case to your manager. Chapter 9 on negotiating might also help you to arrange a good deal. While taking time away to recuperate and perhaps explore new facets to your life, there are a number of issues that you need to consider: Money: for many people, finding the resources to live while you are not working is the biggest issue, especially if you have a family to support, or a mortgage, car loan or other debts to pay. Many people could afford t
Part-Time WorkingSurveys show that the number of people who work part-time is growing. Traditionally, there has been a perception that part-time working is solely for those who cannot work full-time, perhaps because they are in further education or have difficulties with child-care arrangements. However, more and more people are deciding that they do not want to work full-time, freeing them up to pursue other interests and develop in areas of their life outside work. If you are considering working part-time, you should read Chapter 9 on negotiating, which will help you to structure a case to put to your boss. However, do also make sure that you: Work out how the work will get done. There is no point trying to propose working part-time if you have a job that no one else can do. In many jobs, employers argue that working part-time is impossible: they might argue that clients or customers work five days a week and need access to you. So it is up to you to persuade them that it can be done
Part-Time Working
Job-SharingJob-sharing is a form of permanent part-time work in which two people share the responsibilities and hours, as well as the pay and benefits, of one full-time job. While the concept makes sense on an intuitive level to most people, the truth is that few organizations actively support job-sharing. Many organizations have no policies regarding job-sharing, and many managers believe that it is suitable only for relatively unimportant, perhaps administrative only, jobs within the organization. If you are serious about investigating and pursuing options for job-sharing, you may need to break new ground within your organization. Job-sharing can take many forms. For example, the job could be split up in terms of time commitment. Each person has the same duties and responsibilities, but the individuals just work different parts of the working week. For example, one person could work the first three days of the week while the other person works for the last two days. Or one individual
Other Flexible OptionsCareer breaks and part-time working have a significant impact on your income, while job-sharing can potentially involve a lot of hard work in persuading your boss and in potential upheaval for your organization and team. Two other alternatives may allow you to work more flexibly, without requiring such dramatic changes to your income or difficulties for your colleagues. However, they are still counter-cultural in many organizations, so you would still need to invest time in preparing a case to support why you should be allowed to do it (see Chapter 9). Annualized hours Some organizations allow employees to log a certain number of hours over the course of a year as opposed to working 35 hours every week. So, for example, you might work 40 hours for 3 weeks, saving up 5 hours a week, which would allow you at some later stage to work only 15 hours in another week. Having annualized hours still requires you to work a number of hours equivalent to a full-time job. So a
Going SoloDeciding to work for yourself is the ultimate form of control over your work and life. You are the boss, deciding where and when you will work. However, working from home does not suit everyone. Before we discuss how to make it happen, you might want to complete the following questionnaire to see whether it would suit you or not.
Self-Test: Measuring Your Work DisciplineTick whether you 'agree' or 'disagree' with each of the following statements about your attitudes and beliefs about working for yourself. Table 8.4 Agree Disagree I enjoy actively networking with customers or clients I like to work on one project or task at a time I am happy to take financial risks I value having job security I don't mind blurring the distinction between work and home life I like having my weekends completely free from work I am good at ignoring distractions and motivating myself to work I enjoy the buzz of working with colleagues I am good at budgeting and dealing with finances I do not like to talk about myself I could put up with having irregular pay from month to month I like having paid holidays at particular times of the year Understanding your work discipline Calculate your organization's score as follows: Award yourself 1 point every time you ticked 'agree' for all of the odd-numbered statements, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 1
Chapter 9: Negotiating for More Overview We all work for a variety of reasons. The simple truth is that many of us work because we need to earn a living. Most of us are unlikely to turn down a pay rise if it were to be offered to us! On the other hand, I have already mentioned that money is not the sole motivator for everyone. We want to do work that keeps us interested. And we want to do work that allows us to have a life outside of our jobs as well. We all want more. At the end of the day, we all want more money, more interesting or challenging work, and the best work/life balance possible: or some combination of these. But these can crop up in different ways. For example, having read the other chapters within this book, you may decide that you want to: Ask for a better pay package from your current employer to reflect the contribution that you make at work. Get a better work/life balance by asking to work part-time, in a job-share, or perhaps from home for a few days every week. Cha
Chapter 9: Negotiating for More
Striking the Right BalanceBefore we talk about how to negotiate, it is worth thinking about what to negotiate for. What do you really want out of your life and career? If you completed the exercises in Chapter 1, you should have a life mission statement that you can refer back to. Use this as a 'sanity check' before deciding what you want to negotiate. It is easy to get fixated on money, on salaries and the size of our bonuses. Unfortunately, many people in our society tend to equate salary with social worth. But is money what you really want to make you satisfied with your work and happy in your life? Is it really money that you want, or are you looking to meet other aspirations: for more responsibility, a greater variety of work, less stress in your work, new challenges? There is a big difference between financial success and career satisfaction. So think carefully before you decide to negotiate a bigger and better package. Is more money what you really want, or would a change in you
Self-Test: Evaluating Your Negotiating Effectiveness Negotiation is a particular skill that few of us are good at. Many of us feel uncomfortable asking for what we want out of life, with the result that we simply do not get it! Read the following statements and tick whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements when approaching a negotiation. Table 9.1 Agree Disagree I set clear objectives before entering into a negotiation I prepare arguments to support my case I see negotiation as a situation where there can only be one winner I make a list of points that I would be willing to concede on I occasionally lose my temper when negotiations do not go my way I know that I tend to give in too easily I think that negotiations should be handled in one sitting I think about the difference between what I want and what I need I think about the point at which I would walk away from a negotiation rather than settle for an unsatisfactory deal I am prepared to issue an ultimat
Step-by-Step NegotiationWhen we use the word 'negotiate', it tends to be associated with hostile situations. We tend to think about negotiation as a process of psychological warfare: of two hostile parties sticking rigidly to their positions, trying to push their cause or side of the argument, and trying at all costs to avoid 'losing face' by giving in. However, it is far more helpful to think of negotiation as a process whereby you plan to trade off some of your more superficial wants to ensure that you get what you need for your career. In particular, be prepared to balance short-term, tactical career benefits against longer-term, strategic gains. At work, we most commonly want to negotiate over money, changes to the nature of our work, or our job roles. The following steps should help you to cover all of the important points to maximize your chances of getting what you want. Step 1: determining your objectives It may sound obvious that you need to set a clear objective before you en
Understanding Your Worth The most common form of negotiation in the workplace takes place over pay and benefits. We should all negotiate when we are considering taking a job with a new company. And we should all negotiate whenever our role changes substantially: either because of promotion, transfer or changes that we initiate. However, before you know what you can ask for, you need to determine what you are worth. It is in your best interests to do some research to benchmark what you could be earning: Look at job advertisements. What kind of salary are other employers offering for a similar role? Look at the whole package and not only the cash element. Calculate the benefits and bonus elements too. Medical insurance, use of a mobile phone or a car, gym membership, all of these could enhance your quality of life. Talk to recruitment consultants who specialize in your field of expertise. However, do take their advice with a pinch of salt, as they make a living out of putting people into
Chapter 10: Changing Career Track Overview Surveys over the last 40 years have shown that people are becoming increasingly mobile in their careers. It is not unusual for people to move from employer to employer every three to four years. In some fast-moving industries such as investment banking or IT, it is not uncommon to change jobs every two years. In addition, many recruitment consultants advise that a change of role or employer is important every five or so years to ensure that you remain employable. Job changes are sometimes prompted by factors outside of our control: redundancy, being fired, illness, or the needs of our families. But there are occasions when we may want to make the switch to a new employer. The exercises in Chapter 1 may already have helped you to identify that a change is needed in your working life. Too many people put up with being unhappy in their work; they believe that it is acceptable because it pays the bills and 'it could be worse'. But think of how muc
Chapter 10: Changing Career Track
Exercise: Searching for Reasons to Like WorkIt is human nature to be dissatisfied with what we have. We always want what we do not have. When it comes to looking for a new employer or a new job, it can be easy to believe that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. This next exercise is designed to help you take a measured perspective of your current working situation. On a blank sheet of paper, copy out the two headings and write down at least 10 reasons why you most like your work, colleagues, company and culture. Only when you have come up with 10 good points should you allow yourself to work on 10 reasons why you dislike your work. Table 10.1 Likes Dislikes You may want to refer back to this table of likes and dislikes as you complete the questionnaires and other exercises in this chapter.
Self-Test: Measuring Your Work Dissatisfaction LevelsThis next questionnaire has two aims. First, it can help you to figure out how dissatisfied (or satisfied) you are with your current job. Second, it can help to point out possible reasons you are unhappy with your work. Read the following statements and tick as to whether you agree or disagree with each of the statements. Do not spend too much time thinking about any individual statement. Go through the statements fairly quickly and select the first answer that comes into your head. Table 10.2 Question Agree I often feel that I do not fit in at work I don't get to use my strongest skills in the job that I am doing I don't like the way that decisions are made at work If I am honest, I don't think that I am as good at this job as most of the people in my team I do not like the way that I am typically treated by other people at work I wish I could be doing a completely different job The things that other people at work regard as importa
Exercise: Choosing the Right Company Culture There is no 'best' or ideal company culture. What suits one person may be completely at odds with the preferences of another person. If you have identified that you enjoy the nature of your work, but want to move to another company with a culture that more suits your style of working, then this exercise may help you to select the right company for you. There are many different dimensions to company culture. Take your time to think through the following areas: How important is sociability to you? There are some companies that encourage employees to socialize or 'bond' together. For example, many large firms send trainees on induction programmes at corporate universities (lasting weeks or months), that are as much about social networking as training for the job. Once on the job, some companies actively promote socializing within teams. Other companies make far less effort to do so, with the result that employees tend to keep a greater distance
Career Options Before you think about a drastic career change, consider some of the less radical ways of changing the way that you work. Chapter 8 presented ideas on how to adapt your existing role to fit your work/life balance needs and long-term career aspirations. But there are other ways in which to work that sit somewhere in between being a permanent, full-time employee and a completely independent self-employee. Which of these could work for you? Becoming an interim manager. Companies sometimes find themselves facing a short-term issue that they do not have the resource to cope with. In such situations, they may look to bring in an interim manager, a seasoned individual with experience and a track record of success in dealing with similar issues to those they are facing. Interim managers are typically matched up with potential employers through specialist recruitment firms or interim management associations. The pay can be very good, but this is usually matched by an expectation
Making a Drastic Career Change If you have tried other ways of changing the nature of your work but are still feeling frustrated, then now may be the time to consider a complete change of career. Look back at Chapter 1. Do any of the exercises there - especially the values quiz and the ARC table - push you in the direction of any particular careers? What do you feel passionate about in your life? If you have any interests that truly excite you, would it be possible to make a living - or at least part of a living - out of those? If you are unable to come up with ideas yourself, perhaps you could ask friends what they think might be a good career choice for you. Once you have identified possible future careers, ask yourself the following questions. Again, it is worth writing down your initial thoughts. Then, when you come to doing more rigorous research, you can compare your findings with your initial ideas and preconceptions about the job. What attracts you to that career choice? What s
Researching Your New CareerEmbarking on a new career path needs serious consideration. It takes time and effort and often a lot of money as well. So you need to gather as much information as possible to ensure that any potential new career will definitely make you happier in your working life: Use the Internet and library resources to read up on the field. Contact the trade body or association of your chosen profession (if there are any); some professions also have their own trade union. For example, acupuncturists typically do courses that are approved by the British Acupuncture Council. Vets need to get in touch with the British Veterinary Association, while veterinary nurses should consider contacting the British Veterinary Nursing Association. However, do be aware that some professions are governed by several bodies. Get each trade organization to send you as much information as possible. Also ask if they have a list of people that you could approach to meet and talk to. Contact th
Exercise: Gap Analysis and Action PlanningThe information gathering process should help you to identify whether you do want to pursue this new vocation or not. If you decide that a career change is what you want, then you may need to do some in-depth planning. Planning will help you to translate fuzzy goals into concrete actions. It will also identify possible barriers and help you to set realistic timeframes for achieving your new career goals. Work through the following steps: What current skills, experience, and qualifications do you have that would be useful in your new career? Take a sheet of paper and list each of these down the left-hand side. Now think about the necessary skills, experience and qualifications that you must have to ensure success in your new career. Write these on the right hand side of the paper. Look at the two lists and identify the gaps between them. Draw up a table as follows for each skill gap that you uncover. Table 10.5 Skill gap Actions Timeframe Resour
Final ThoughtsIf you are serious about changing careers, then do it. So many people spend their time complaining to friends and family about how unhappy they are at work. But no one likes a moaner, so invest your energy in researching and planning a career switch instead. If you are still undecided, it may help you to think of what could happen in your future if you stick it out in either an organization that you do not enjoy working for or a job that you can no longer tolerate. Could any of the following statements describe your future? 'I'll continue being unhappy and probably regret not having done something.' 'I will have a steady job but be bored for the rest of my working life.' 'My enthusiasm for work will decline and I'll end up getting fired or made redundant.' If any of those statements apply to you, then again it suggests that a change of employer or career could be in hand. It will take hard work and application, but I have yet to meet a single person who has embarked on a
Chapter 11: Achieving What You Want Through Networking Networking is good for careers, almost irrespective of what your career aims might be. We tend to use networking when we are looking for a new job. Indeed, there is a vast 'hidden market' of jobs that do not get advertised but filled by word of mouth. However, networking is not only useful when you are looking for a new job. Perhaps you want to keep abreast of industry developments to help you stay at the forefront of your field. If you are considering setting up in business on your own, then a strong network of future customers and clients is essential. Neither is networking solely limited to gathering contacts outside your current organization. A strong internal network can act as your eyes and ears, on the look-out for everything from office politics to job opportunities. Networking is simply a technique for meeting more people and making the best use of the short time that you might have together. Unfortunately, networking can
Chapter 11: Achieving What You Want Through Networking
Analysing Your Network When asked to think about their network, most people protest that they do not have one. But the whole point of networking is that it does not matter whether you know anyone 'important' or not to begin with. By networking effectively, you will be able to forge links with people that you had not previously met, building increasingly more useful relationships as you go. One approach to building a network is by joining your professional association, trade body or union. However, such a strategy will take time to bear fruit if you have a particular goal that you want to achieve from your network. A quicker alternative, then, is to tap into the people that you already know. Start by listing everyone that you know. And by 'everyone', you really do need to begin by writing down a list of every single person whom you currently know or have ever met. This may sound ridiculous, and it is certainly time-consuming, but it is a necessary step. Start with the people that you ar
Setting Your Networking GoalsThe next step is to think about what you want to achieve through networking. There is no point (not to mention not enough time) in getting in touch with every person on your list. So you need to think through: What are your objectives for networking? It may be to do with looking for advice on how to change careers or find a new job. Perhaps you are looking for a business partner to set up a new venture with. Or you might have no particular goal for the moment other than to raise your profile and let others know about your talents. Who can help you achieve your aims? Look back at your list to pick out the individuals who may be able to help you. Either they might have information relevant to your objectives, or perhaps you think they are more likely to know someone who could be able to help.
Preparing to NetworkWhen networking, the ideal situation is to get in touch by telephoning, with the intention of setting up a short face-to-face meeting. Obviously, not everyone has the time to meet you in person. However, it is much easier to build a rapport with individuals and get them to lower their guard than if you are merely talking on the telephone. When thinking about how to approach someone, it may help you to think about the six 'I's of networking. 1 Identification Initially you may be speaking to people that you know, but the whole point of networking is that you will soon be speaking to people you have never spoken to before. So you need to 'identify' yourself to these people who do not know you by explaining who you are and why you are getting in touch. So think about the five or six sentences that you are going to use to explain the purpose of your telephone call. In a world of busy people, first impressions are critical. So be succinct and to the point. Some people fin
Maintaining Your NetworkNetworking is a powerful technique for meeting more people, gathering information and raising your profile. But it is also time-consuming. So now that you have invested all that time and effort into making these new contacts, you should aim to maintain the size and diversity of your network. What you do to maintain your network is up to you. It depends on the nature of the relationship you have with each individual contact. For example, it may be appropriate to forward humorous e-mails to a close friend of a friend. For others it might be a dignified Christmas card or a personalized letter informing them about a change in your work details. As time passes, some contacts will move on, but at the same time you should meet new contacts. You should also get a better sense of the individuals you want to spend more time on, those that seem to have an interest in seeking mutual benefit with you. Occasionally, you may find yourself having to invest in a focused burst of
Chapter 12: Figuring Out Your Next Employer Overview It is a great feeling to be offered a job. Whether you networked your way into it, got headhunted, or went through the good old-fashioned route of applying to a job advertisement, you should congratulate yourself. The advice in Chapter 9 should have helped you to negotiate a good package, so it may seem like an offer that you cannot refuse. But you CAN refuse the offer. In fact, you should put off making a decision for a few days to give yourself some time to think it through. Before you accept the offer, you need to be confident that it is right for you. In particular, you need to be positive that you can answer 'yes' to the following two questions: Am I certain that I will enjoy all of the aspects of this job? Will this job help me to achieve my long-term career aims? The advice and questions in this chapter should help you to make up your mind. When a business is thinking about acquiring another company, it will engage in a proces
Chapter 12: Figuring Out Your Next Employer
Twenty Questions to AskLooking at promotional literature or information on a Web site is not going to tell you anything; organizations frequently do not practise what they preach. Your only option is to spend some time talking to your prospective employer. The interview process itself is rarely the best time to ask truly probing questions about your potential employer. Finding good questions to ask during interviews is a fine balance between gathering information and creating the right impression. However, with an offer on the table, you will never have a better opportunity to ask some really probing questions. Here are just 20 questions (and a few supplementary questions) that you might like to choose from. Broadly, they fall into four categories: Pay and reward How will my performance be measured? How will my targets be set? And how much say will I have in setting them? Who are the key decision-makers that I will need to get along with? And how would you describe each of them? How re
Meeting the TeamThe 20 questions above can unearth lots of interesting information about the potential employer. But an employer is likely to put forward only its most acceptable employees for you to meet. Typically, they might provide a select group of socially skilled and presentable managers, and these individuals are likely to talk about only certain aspects of the culture: the brand that they would like to present to potential recruits. However, we all know that what really goes on within an organization is not always fairly represented. If you really want to know what life in the organization is like, though, you should try to meet some of the people that you would end up working with. Ask if you can spend some time - perhaps only a half-day - speaking to peers who might work with you, or members of any team that might be reporting to you. Not all of the 20 questions will be appropriate, but most of the ones from questions 6 to 20 should be okay. If at all possible, ask to meet p
Opening Your Eyes and EarsAnother valuable source of information is what you can see and hear around you when you wander through the employer's premises. Think about the following issues and what you may be looking for in an employer: Is the office laid out in an open plan or not? Is 'hot desking' a feature of the workplace? How does the building strike you? Is it glamorous or self-satisfied, homely or run-down? What do you think of the location of where you will be working? Is it a 'good' area of town? What would your journey to work be like? How up-to-date are the IT systems and office technology? Would computer problems cause you difficulties later on? How are people dressed? Is there a formal or casual dress code? What do the workspaces look like? Are they cluttered and disorganized or obsessively tidy? Are personal items allowed to be displayed on the work surfaces? None of the above questions have right or wrong, better or worse answers. What suits most people may not suit you. F
Making a DecisionAt the start of this chapter, I raised two questions that you need to be able to answer to your personal satisfaction: Am I certain that I will enjoy all of the aspects of this job? Will this job help me to achieve my long-term career aims? Now that you have collected some evidence by interviewing your prospective employer, meeting your potential colleagues, and soaking up the atmosphere, you should be able to make a decision. You should now have a good sense of whether you would enjoy working in the company. Did you find your potential colleagues pleasant? Would you find your personal objectives and targets acceptable? You may also want to refer back to the likes and dislikes exercise at the start of Chapter 10. Is this organization's culture right for you? In answering the second question, though, do refer back to the notes that you should have taken in working through Chapter 1. The whole purpose of that first chapter was to help you decide on what your long-term ca
Conclusion There is a lot of material covered in this book. If you raced through it, then you are not making the most of the book. I will mention again that the way to get the most out of this book is to take it slowly. Read a bit of a chapter, complete a self-test questionnaire, and maybe set the book aside to think about your future. Where are you now? And where would you like to be in a year, two years, five years or ten years? You may want to skip some chapters for the moment because they just do not seem relevant to your current situation, and that's fine. But keep the book with you, as you might discover that the issue crops up later on in your career, perhaps as you climb the career ladder or move onto new jobs. The idea of job-sharing may be completely alien to you at this moment in time, but it could become increasingly attractive later on in life. Or you may need to gain considerably more experience of working for other people before you can realistically decide to set up in
Chapter 1: Establishing Your Values and Career Priorities
Chapter 2: Beating Office Politics
Chapter 3: Exerting Influence at Work
Chapter 4: Investing in Your CV
Chapter 5: Jumping Through Organizational Hoops
Chapter 6: Moving up in Management
Chapter 7: Understanding Your Impact on Others
Chapter 8: Improving Your Work/Life Balance
Chapter 9: Negotiating for More
Chapter 10: Changing Career Track
Chapter 11: Achieving What You Want Through Networking
Chapter 1: Establishing Your Values and Career Priorities
Chapter 7: Understanding Your Impact on Others
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