Here are 2 quick ways to identify the leadership skills you need for rapid growth

July 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The starting point for accelerating leadership development is to focus on the key leadership skills that will really make a difference to performance.

To find out more about how to get faster, more sustainable results from developing your leaders – without taking their time and attention away from the business, download “Accelerated Leadership Development:  How to Develop Future Leaders in High-Growth, High-Change Organisations”

So what are the key skills that future leaders of high-growth, high-change organisation need to learn to improve their effectiveness in the face of ever increasing complexity?

Here are 2 quick ways you can identify them:

1. Defining Specific Leadership Skills

In an ideal world, you should define the specific leadership skills that your organisation needs to be successful, given its business goals.

One cost-effective and time-efficient way of doing that is to hold a facilitated strategy session with the key stakeholders.  The session is to help them define the “Future Perfect” for the organisation.  The facilitator, projects them forward one or two years and asks them to describe what is happening in the successful organisation.  They then describe the behaviours and skills that leaders need to achieve that.

Individual leaders can then identify what they do already, what leadership skills they already possess and what immediate development will have the greatest impact on their performance and that of the organisation.

You can find out more about facilitation and how I can help here.

 2.  Using Generic Leadership Skills

An alternative to defining custom-made leadership behaviours is to learn from others who have already grown and changed rapidly.

One source is India.  In India, many businesses are seeking to double, triple and quadruple their revenues over the next decade, if not sooner. In recent years, Indian companies have begun to show great interest in leadership training and development.

What can we learn from their experience?

In 2008 the Tata Management Training Center (TMTC) and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL-Asia) published a report called “Developing Future Leaders for High-Growth Indian Companies”.  This report summarised their research with 71 senior executives from eight high-growth global Indian companies.

The findings showed the leaders had learned many key lessons resulting in a shift in attitudes, values, knowledge, behaviour or skill level. Of these, 35% relate to self, 30% to other people, 30% to running the business, and 5% to the meaning of leadership.

  1. Leading Self. These lessons are about how leaders manage themselves—their thoughts, emotions, actions, and attitudes. Specific skills include: Confidence; self-awareness; understanding and committing to life and career goals; and integrity.
  2. Leading Others.  These lessons are about how leaders manage relationships and influence others.  Specific skills include: Interpersonal and social skills; Managing and motivating subordinates; developing subordinates; and team management/development.
  3. Leading the Business.  These lessons are about managing a unit, department, or organisation. Specific skills include: Operational management; innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship; functional knowledge; and gathering information, knowledge, and insight i.e. the essentials of
  4. Meaning of Leadership.  These lessons are distilled from years of experience and result in a leader’s personal formula for success in how to lead self, others, and the business.

A summary of the lessons learned is shown below:

The Variety of Lessons Learned by Indian Senior Executives

THE MEANING OF LEADERSHIP

LEADING SELF

LEADING OTHERS

LEADING THE BUSINESS

Developing Confidence*

Self-Awareness*

Understanding & Committing to Life Goals*

Integrity*

Emotional Intelligence

Dealing with Setbacks

Developing Flexibility &  Adaptability

Seeing Things From a New Perspective

Dealing with Ambiguity

Managing and Motivating Subordinates*

Developing Subordinates*

Team Management*

Cultural Awareness

Building Relationships with Peers and Superiors

Building Credibility

Communication & Feedback

Gaining Influence

Managing Multiple Stakeholders

 

 Understanding of Execution & Operation Management*Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship*

Functional Knowledge*

Gathering Information, Knowledge & Insights*

Decision-making & Problem-solving

Acquiring a Broad Organizational View & Strategic Insight

Customer Orientation

Managing Organizational & Cultural Change

*Top 11 lessons

Source – Developing Future Leaders for High-Growth Indian Companies: New Perspectives (Center for Creative Leadership & TATA)

Download “Accelerated Leadership Development:  How to Develop Future Leaders in High-Growth, High-Change Organisations” to discover how to get faster, more sustainable results from developing your leaders – without taking their time and attention away from the business.

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Case Study: Creating a Coaching Culture by Stealth

July 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In my last blog post “Case Study:  How a Coaching Style of Leadership Can Help Employees Take Ownership & Responsibility”,  I described a Solutions Focus (SF) Coaching for Leaders Programme I am delivering that is helping employees take ownership and responsibility.  The case study featured in a presentation at the Coaching and at Work Conference:  Beyond Frontiers.

The audience was coaches who worked in organizations and independently. They were particularly interested in how we implemented the programme.  Contrary to accepted wisdom, we didn’t start at the top of the organization.  In fact, no Executive Director has yet been through the programme.

Instead, we started with two cohorts of senior leaders who were interested and keen to get involved.  As they started using the SF coaching tools and seeing the benefits, other leaders became interested in being part of the programme too.   Eleven cohorts have so far gone through the six-month programme, which includes two days on SF coaching, six coaching sessions per participant, two supervision days and a final review day.

Change in an organization is created one person at a time.  Our experience says it doesn’t matter which person you start with.  You can create a positive ripple effect through the organization.  So if you are finding your efforts to introduce change hampered and all your energy is going into trying to reduce resistance, why don’t you try an experiment?  Start small, work your supporters and build a band of champions and evidence that others will want to follow.

You can read “AWP Creates Coaching By Stealth” in Coaching at Work  Magazine at www.coaching-at-work.com/2012/01/19/awp-creates-coaching-by-stealth/

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Case Study: How a Coaching Style of Leadership Can Help Employees Take Ownership & Responsibility

July 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, Coaching at Work Magazine featured a programme I am working on as a case study in an article they called “The Ripple Effect”.  If you are a subscriber, you can read the full article here.

Or read on to learn more.

In 2008, Mark McKergow, the Director of sfwork, invited me to be the Programme Director for a‘Solutions Focus Coaching for Leaders’ programme for Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP).

AWP recognised that a key role of senior leaders is to support and develop levels of management and leadership at all levels.  So they wanted a programme that would help these leaders adopt a coaching style of leadership with their staff.

I have been privileged to deliver the programme for eleven groups of managers, with the twelfth group now underway.

The programme uses the Solutions Focus (SF) coaching model, OSKAR – a valuable way to introduce coaching to groups of managers as it provides them with a set of tools they can use rather than a prescribed process.  This gives them the flexibility to use the tools in many different circumstances and in short periods of time rather than waiting for an illusory serious coaching session which never arrives.

The programme consists of a two-day “Solutions Focus Coaching for Leaders” workshop to introduce managers to the OSKAR model.  After the workshop the managers begin using coaching in their roles, coming back together for two review workshops to discuss how the tools and techniques can be applied to specific management challenges such as managing performance, developing teams etc.  They also receive six months of individual support from an external coach to facilitate their own personal development.

Managers have benefited considerably.  They spend less time talking about problems and why “it’s not fair”.  Instead they use their new-found coaching skills to get others to think for themselves and to recognise the skills and knowledge they have to move forward.  There has been an observable decrease in anxiety and a noticeable positive impact on ability and action, a can-do attitude.  There has been clear recognition that small steps help create progress.

Managers found they started to use the skills on themselves in a form of self coaching so they too find their own solutions to problems with positive results.  All of these developments have helped increase their confidence and helped them feel more in control.  This led them to feel less stressed and be more efficient and effective

As more managers complete the programme they have seen the positive effects rippling through the organisation.  These include:

  • Less negativity.
  • A more positive culture
  • Team members empowered and energised, giving everyone more time.
  • Staff becoming more self-reliant and less dependent
  • People feeling more positive and enjoying work therefore being more proactive
  • Greater progress being made.  Things moving forward
  • Improved relationships
  • More frequent celebration of progress
  • More action, less discussion

AWP, like most organisations, is going through tough and challenging times.  Solutions Focus coaching isn’t a silver bullet but it’s helping them make progress in tough situations and has given leaders a set of tools to help them when they’re stuck.  You can find out more about the principles behind Solutions Focus Coaching here.

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10 Reasons Every Leader Needs a Mentor

June 28, 2012 By 1 Comment

Last week I attended a great seminar featuring senior leaders talking about how they had managed their careers.  Every leader talked about the important role that mentors had played.

Having recently helped launch the Professional Mentoring programme for CIPD North-East of England I was delighted to hear that and it prompted me to summarise the reasons I think every leader needs a mentor.

1.  To get objective, unvarnished advice

A mentor can be a great sounding board for all issues – whether you are having difficulty with your immediate boss, an ethical dilemma, or need advice on how to tackle a new project or ask for a promotion.  Don’t be afraid to spell out the need for confidentiality.  Mentors and mentees need to share their stories and experiences and keep them within the boundaries of the relationship.

2.  To gain immediate access to valuable insights and experiences.

A mentor can give you the benefit of his or her perspective or experience.  He or she can help you understand what is required in a role or situation and give you an insider’s view on how to succeed.

3.  To help you reflect on what you’re good at and how you can develop

A mentor can help you reflect on your achievements, helping you become more aware of what you do well and how you can build on that for future successes.  They can also help you identify what you could do differently to get a better result.

4.  To help you look at a situation in new ways

By sharing a different perspective, or giving additional information a mentor may help you to change your opinion, attitude or action. If we only draw on our own experience, we seriously limit the learning opportunity. Winston Churchill once said: “You have to learn from other people’s mistakes -you don’t have time to make them all yourself.”

5.  To inspire and motivate you

Getting individual attention from someone whose work you admire can be a strong inspiration.  It can also be very motivating to hear that a mentor has experienced similar challenges to the ones you are dealing with and found ways of overcoming them.

6.  To build your confidence through guidance, help and support

A mentor may give you information, refer you to information or simply draw information from you. A mentor will share ideas and experience, and refer you to others for answers they don’t have.

7.  To get learning and development within time and money constraints

A mentor can help you learn and develop efficiently and cost-effectively.   A mentor will help you focus on the specific challenges you face right now.  Then they will help you develop the knowledge, skills and experience you need to address them, giving immediate benefit to you and the organisation.

8.  To help you apply new knowledge, skills and information within your organisational culture and business environment

A mentor will help you apply any new knowledge, skills and experience so it fits your specific needs and those of the organisation.  Whatever the situation, a mentor will help you decide on practical actions to help you achieve your aims then check in with you to review and encourage progress.

9.  To have a champion who can provide clear direction to positions in the organisation that match your interests and skills

To make progress in your organisation you will need the help, support and encouragement of others.  A mentor can act as a sponsor and champion you to others in the organisation who have the kinds of opportunities you are looking for.

10.  To open doors and expand your contacts and network

Raising your profile in your organisation and in your industry relies on you getting connected and expanding your network.  A mentor can help expand your network of contacts and business acquaintances.  A mentor can open doors within your company, in other companies and in your profession or industry.

What other benefits have you gained from having a mentor?

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Accelerated Leadership Development: A New Approach for Rapidly-Changing Organisations

April 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Accelerated Leadership DevelopmentAccelerated change requires accelerated leadership development

Chances are, if you’re reading this post, you’re responsible for leadership in a rapidly-changing business that is going through the kind of growing pains normally reserved for adolescents going through puberty.

As the company grows, your role becomes increasingly challenging.

Sustaining growth requires constant change – in business direction, management structures, employee workloads and skill requirements.

And you recognise that remaining competitive – even surviving – will depend on developing the future leaders that the company needs to be successful.

Research shows that companies that excel at developing leaders tend to achieve higher long-term profitability. Unfortunately, fast growing companies can rarely afford the “luxury” of long, drawn out leadership development programmes.

Traditional approaches to leadership development focus on establishing career paths so that leaders know how to make progress within the organisation and defining competencies so that leaders know what skills and behaviours are expected for effective performance in a specific role at a particular hierarchical level.  The competency framework then forms the basis of a “curriculum” of leadership training to help leaders address any development needs.

A structured approach like this works for stable, bureaucratic organisations where the pace of change is slow and the future skills needed by the organisation can be predicted and mapped out.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work well in high-growth, high-change organisations which are, by nature, emergent and dynamic.  You can’t easily predict and predetermine career paths in such an organisation and the competencies required by leaders will evolve and change just as the organisation does.

Increasingly, we’ve recognised that leadership development is a process that takes place over time (rather than as the outcome of a single event) and that the process should be integrated with day-to-day work.

So most traditional leadership development programmes are designed in modules with a series of training sessions followed by action projects to transfer the learning back into the workplace.

Now I’ve spent 20 years developing leaders in organisations and I too will recommend such an approach in certain situations.  It is particularly effective if you want to change the culture of an established organisation and therefore want to train all leaders in a common set of skills and way of behaving so that changes start to ripple through the organisation.

But that’s not the case in a high-growth, high-change organisation.  In these situations you need an approach that allows leaders to develop the skills that will have the greatest impact on their performance at that specific time and with minimal interruption and time away from the business.

That’s what I call Accelerated Leadership Development

The key is to stop seeing leadership development as something that is separate to the business; something that happens outside the workplace and then has to be transferred and applied in order to have an impact.

Instead, it’s about putting the leader and the challenges they’re facing at the heart of the development activity so that leadership development becomes integral to how they address the challenges and grow the business.  It is during the challenging times that a leader learns most.

Every interaction, every conversation, and every piece of work is an opportunity for leaders to develop their skills. As they manage and grow the business and deliver value for clients and stakeholders, developing their leadership skills will help them reach higher performance.

In essence that means turning the workplace into the classroom, intentionally designing roles and assignments to create development opportunities.  It also means providing the support and resources to help leaders identify, recognise and extract the learning from their experience.  And finally it means providing access to knowledge, information and formal learning as and when leaders need it and in ways that they can integrate into their working lives.

The key premise of Accelerated Leadership Development is developing leadership skills by addressing leadership challenges in the workplace.  But of course it’s not quite as simple as that.  Some leaders tackle challenges every day but that doesn’t necessarily translate into them becoming better leaders.

So you need three elements to be in place for it to be effective.

1.      Focus on one or two key leadership lessons at a time.

Accelerated Leadership Development relies on the leader being totally in tune with the development experience and highly focussed on the specific leadership skills they wish to develop and the actions and behaviours they’re taking to develop those skills.

This means the starting point of Accelerated Leadership Development is to focus on the one or two key leadership lessons that will really make a difference to performance and to plan and create the work tasks, projects and experiences which will give leaders the opportunities to learn those lessons.

2.     Facilitate reflection and feedback.

You need to ensure that leaders make the most out of these experiences, by putting in place opportunities for people to understand what they’ve learned and how they came to learn it.  Quality conversations with peers, coaches and mentors are critical to this process.  They support reflection, provide feedback and add information just in time.

3.     Provide access to supporting knowledge, information and formal learning.

The leader is then in a position to determine what knowledge, information or formal learning they need before engaging in those experiences or to address a gap identified as a consequence of the experience.  This will determine what workshops, elearning, books etc comprise the “training” element of any leadership development plan.

Accelerated Leadership Development will help you develop the leaders you need to accelerate change and growth within the organisation.  Download “Accelerated Leadership Development:  How to Develop Future Leaders in High-Growth, High-Change Organisations” to discover how to get faster, more sustainable results from developing your leaders.

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6 Secrets of Successful Leadership Development Programmes

March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Are you responsible for leadership development within your organisation?

If so, you have one of the toughest jobs going in this difficult climate.

With the highly competitive nature of business today, organisations are holding everyone to higher standards.  This means that business leaders are being pressured to deliver results – and HR/Learning & Development Departments are no exception.  Like other business units they are expected to do more with less as well as provide evidence of their value.   Organisations are going to need to see hard evidence that time and money spent on leadership development is making a real difference.

This article is going to share with you 6 techniques that will allow you to design and deliver a leadership development programme that will really make a difference to the business.

Secret No. 1:  Focus on skills and behaviours not just theories.  Ultimately, the only way leaders can influence others behaviours is through their own behaviour i.e. what they say and what they do.  So, while there is a place for leadership theories, a truly effective leadership development programme will provide leaders with the practical skills, tools and techniques to help them influence the behaviour of others in the way that is needed to deliver business results.

 Secret No. 2:  Make it real.  You can’t force people to change their behaviour. People will only adapt their behaviour voluntarily.  You need to create development experiences that will persuade people both intellectually and emotionally that behavioural change is both possible and advantageous for them and for the organisation.  One very powerful way of doing that is through the use of drama because it has an impact on both the intellect and the emotions. And the use of professional actors can provide an invaluable opportunity for participants to try out new behaviours and develop their skills.

 Secret No. 3:  Combine a number of experiences and connect them back to the workplace.  Under-developed leadership skills and behaviours are a bit like underused muscles.  To develop them, one must actively and continuously work on them, over time, through a variety of development experiences with each one reinforcing and building on the last.

Secret No. 4:  Look for ways to encourage participation and create collaborative learning opportunities.  Start with what the participants know already and then build a series of experiences that will enable them to actively learn what they need to learn by participation rather than by presentations by the trainer.  The trainer is there to facilitate the learning, rather than being the focus of the process. That is not to say, of course, that presenting new information to leaders is no longer necessary. But by getting them actively involved in the process all the trainer needs to do is to ‘plug the gaps’.

Secret No. 5:  Create a positive and stimulating learning experience right from the start.  The effectiveness of any leadership development programme is a function, not only of its content and methodology, but also the quality of the total experience for participants from the moment they are nominated to take part.  Engage participants before the workshop through the communications and administration process as well as during the workshop through design and facilitation.  In both cases help participants see “what’s in it for me?” so that they arrive in a state of mind that is curious and receptive.

Secret No. 6:  Get the environment right.  Just as the venue is a critical element in the success of any important social event, so is the case with a development programme.  For most leaders, the venue is inextricably linked with how they feel about the programme.  More importantly, it can have a serious impact on how effectively they learn.  If leaders feel comfortable at the venue, their learning is enhanced.  Likewise, an inappropriate venue can have a disastrous effect on even the most professionally designed development programme.

Oscar Wilde once said “We teach people how to remember, we never teach them how to grow.”  Put these secrets into practice and you will teach your leaders how to grow – themselves, their people and ultimately the business.

For more information about each of the above points, download the full report “Secrets of Successful Leadership Development Programmes: How to Design & Deliver Leadership Development Programmes That Really Make a Difference to the Business”

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The Power of Publicly Committing to Your Goals

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A key leadership skill is the ability to commit to personal and business goals.  We are now well into the third week of January and those of us who like to set goals for the calendar year will have them well defined and established.

So let me tell you about one of mine.

On 22 April 2012 I will be running the Virgin London Marathon to raise money for The PSP Association.

PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) is a devastating brain condition that my father suffered from in the later years of his life. He passed away in January 2010.  If you’re interested, information about the charity and why I’m running for them is available on my justgiving page at http://www.justgiving.com/Antoinette-Oglethorpe.

But I am NOT writing this to ask for sponsorship.

It goes without saying that I’m keen to raise awareness of The PSP Association and get as much money for them as I can so if you are moved by the work they do and wish to make a donation in support, please do.  But I’m not actually writing this to ask for money.  Thanks to the generosity of family and friends I have already raised my fundraising target of £2012.

Now, all I have to do is run the 26.2 miles.

I am a regular runner and have run a number of 10K and half-marathon races since I took up running 15 years ago.  But this will be my first (and probably last) marathon.  And quite frankly, the distance is daunting.

As a leadership coach and facilitator I am well aware of the power of public commitment to inspire the action needed to achieve challenging goals.

Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion makes the point that individuals are driven to act consistently with their previous commitments in order to stay true to their concepts of themselves.  His research also shows that someone who actively makes a commitment (rather than just passively agreeing to a request) is more likely to act in accordance with that commitment.  And public commitments tend to be more effective than private commitments.

So, with all that in mind, I thought I’d practice what I preach.  I have already committed to running the London Marathon on 22 April 2012.  This is my public commitment that I will lace up my trainers, hit the road or the treadmill and follow my training plan in spite of the cold, wet, dark mornings.  Please wish me well.

What goal will you publicly commit to this year?

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Leadership development is not about what people know or think

January 4, 2012 By 1 Comment

Leadership is a huge subject surrounded by numerous theories.  A recent search on Amazon revealed 160,194 books that have been written about the subject.  That’s a lot of books!  And a very, very long leadership development programme if you were to try and include all that they contain.  So how do you determine the focus and the content of your leadership development initiative?

The reality is that leadership development is not about what people know or think.  It is about what leaders do and how what they do impacts on others.  Above all else, effective leadership is about influencing the behaviour of others.  Business results, business change and business success all stem from the behaviour of individuals.

The challenge for any leader is to influence the behaviour of those people who are key to delivering the business results.  That might be the behaviour of the people who report directly.  It might be the behaviour of the senior management who work alongside.  It might be the behaviour of the board, the Chairman or other stakeholders.  Or it might be the behaviour of clients, partners, suppliers or other third parties.  The key challenges the leaders I work with have are:

  • Influencing the board/leadership team
  • Managing the performance of the managers who report to them
  • Working in partnership/collaboration with other parties
  • Resolving conflicts & difficulties between two or more employees in their team
  • Motivating and developing a team that has been through significant change and uncertainty.

Ultimately the only way a leader can influence others behaviours is through their own behaviour i.e. what they say and what they do.  So, while there is a place for leadership theories and indeed the theories of influencing, performance management etc, a truly effective leadership development programme will help leaders develop the practical skills, tools and techniques to help them influence the behaviour of others in the way that is needed to deliver business results.

As a Finance Director said to me recently “My role is 20% Finance and 80% psychology.  It’s all about relationships”.  He went on to thank me for what he had learnt while on a leadership development programme I designed and delivered, specifically for the “Techniques that I can apply and use in my working environment.  It’s given me the confidence to effect change.  It’s also helped me to identify some key issues that are affecting the teams I lead and give me some practical tools and strategies to tackle them.”

So when thinking about your own leadership development initiative, don’t stop at knowledge and theories.  Take it one step further and focus on developing the skills and behaviours that will allow participants to put leadership into action.

To find out more about how you can design and deliver leadership development programmes that really make a difference, download your free report “Secrets of Successful Leadership Development Programmes”.

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Why you should help your employees develop their careers

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In today’s tough economic circumstances, business leaders are seeking competitive advantage through the best use of their people more than ever before. In a time when the job market is uncertain many leaders may feel that supporting the career management of their staff is not a priority, seeing it as something that is personal to employees.

But the challenge is, that while you as a leader will want to maximise your employees performance, your employees want to maximise their careers – and these goals are not one and the same.

Years of change, restructuring, outsourcing and down-sizing have caused people to take a more active role in managing their careers. Employees at all levels face career decisions on a daily basis: is my job safe? Should I stay or should I leave? Should I change careers? Should I pursue new projects? Should I go back to university? Should I start up on my own? And in a rapidly-changing work environment, the answers are not always obvious.

It is in the context of this economic reality that supporting employees in managing their careers assumes more significance not less. Career management is about getting people to where they want to be and where the organisation needs them to be. If you want your people to be committed to the organisation, engaged with their work and driven to perform you need to provide them with the tools and resources they need to manage their careers within the organisation.

Sadly, in a buoyant job market it’s often easier for employees to leave a company than to manage their career internally.  In the tough economy we’re in right now, the bigger risk is that employees quit (mentally) and stay!  So supporting your employees in managing their careers isn’t just a “nice” thing to do – it’s a business imperative.

Support your employees in managing their careers and they will feel connected to their work, valued for their contribution, engaged with the organisation, and motivated to contribute. Their willingness to apply and increase their capability will be enhanced.

Ignore the subject and you risk the capability of your team being driven down as individuals exit either psychologically, becoming disengaged or demotivated, or physically by moving to competitors.

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3 myths you need to dispel to take control of your career in 2012

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

career management consultants

Career Management Consultants discuss myths…

As we enter 2012, the new year brings new resolutions and the promise of “New Year, New You”.  Some, like me, will be embarking on a fitness plan, suddenly conscious that the marathon I signed up to 8 months ago is now only 16 weeks away.  Others will be embarking on a detox to recover from the excesses of the festive season.  And yet more will be determined that this is the year they will take control of their careers.

If you are one of this latter group you may also be among the many who hold a number of assumptions with regards to managing your career.  Here are 3 such myths that career management consultants agree you need to dispel if you are going to take control of your career this year:

Myth No 1. Career progression requires a formal career path.

The promise of a formal career path often attracts people to organisations.  It brings a sense of predictability and comfort, giving people a false sense that their career will take a certain course.  In reality, organisations and careers have to be much more fluid.  Markets, strategies and organisational structures always change over time, and that alters the types of roles that need to be carried out and creates opportunities that previously were not available or even considered. This is especially true in the dynamic times we live in.

So, instead of developing a formal career path, your strategy should be to learn all you can while in your current role and always be open to opportunities that allow you to do what you want to do. Retaining the services of career management consultants can also help you focus your efforts.

Truth No 1. You can’t fully plan a successful career – so be clear on what direction you want to go in and always be open to opportunities to help you get there.

Myth No 2. Career progression means an elevated title and a higher salary.

The answer to career progression does not lie in an elevated title or a higher salary.  Those are not bad things but they are not the only definition of success.

Being in control of your career means different things to different people.  It isn’t just thinking about your next step up the ladder.  For some people it’s about finding a way to continue learning.  For others it’s about achieving recognition.  For some it’s about moving into a job or taking on responsibilities that are more interesting and fulfilling.  It’s about being stretched.

Truth No 2: Career progression means different things to different people – you need to decide what it means to you

Myth No 3: My career is in the hands of my manager and HR

How passive is your career plan?  How much does your future depend on the intervention of others – your boss, your colleagues, HR?  If your strategy is to sit tight, keep your head down and work hard, that might just work.  Opportunities for growth, development, and variety may just come along.  On the other hand, you’re not doing much to improve the odds.

The passive model is the one we inherited from a time when employers did your career thinking for you: organised your training, planned your promotion steps, looked after your interests.

That time no longer exists.

In today’s ever-changing organisations you need to take ownership for your own career and take responsibility for actively pursuing your aspirations with support from your manager, HR and Career Management Consultants where necessary.

Truth No 3. You are the driver of your career

So, make 2012 the year you take control of your career. Even times of economic uncertainty can present opportunities for growth and development if you see them that way.

Take control of your career, the use of Career Management Consultants will increase your chances of success.

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