Professionals who want to “next
level” their career trajectories will not do so unless you have a plan. It
is just that simple and just that challenging at the same time! One of the many
things I truly enjoy about coaching and training established professionals is
that they often challenge me. Inevitably one will ask me the “how do I?” question
which gets me thinking out loud about creating a tool or process that will be of
value.
In John Maxwell’s great book, The
15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, he makes the clear case that no one grows and
improves by accident. It takes intention and strategy to do so. The problem is,
however, that many are not willing to pay the price for growth and development
for a variety of reasons:
Growth Takes Investment –
If you want to level-up, you
are going to have to invest energy, effort, time, will, and sometimes money. Dreams
can come true, but they do not come for free! If you are not willing to invest
in yourself then why should you expect others to do so?
Growth Reveals Gaps –
None of us wants to feel we
are inadequate or incompetent. The challenge, however, comes when we start taking
a deep dive into our capabilities, we will experience some “ouch” moments. Just
the other day I was reviewing the results of a 360 Maxwell Leadership Assessment
that tracked my progress on the 5 Leadership Levels with a group of former team
members. I appreciated the fact (eventually!) that they trusted me enough to be
candid because they set me on a path of leadership improvement I never would
have pursued if I had not been aware of some key blind spots!
Growth Requires Change –
As Maxwell often states, it
is possible to change without growing but it is impossible to grow without changing!
Herein lies the issue. We often concerned about the changes that will occur
both within and around us when we start to improve. We are concerned about the
reactions of those around us. Don’t be. As I once heard John Maxwell say, “when
average people start to talk you out of something, you know you are on
to something!” Further, leveling up requires that we become that person we
aspire to be. That means we are going to have to start being the grown up in
the room, exceed expectations, and perform at a higher level.
So back to one of my client’s
questions. “Hey Bill, all this talk about professional development is great but
how do I start and how do I know when I have got there?” First of all, start
where you are. There will never be an ideal time to start any growth initiative
so you might as well just jump in! I will provide a more detailed process below
but a great place to start is to identify the leadership, organizational, and your
industry-specific technical skills and qualities needed to get to the next
level.
According to a study completed
by the Business Higher Education Forum, the researchers identified that a skill
such as Data Management appeared on over 3.5M positions announcements and
Project Management appeared in over 2.3M. Just in case you believe you can
skimp on the ‘soft” skills, Communication skills appeared in over 9.1M position
announcements!
Again, it is difficult if not
impossible to grow professionally unless you have a plan. In response to client
needs, I developed an MSExcel based spreadsheet that allows clients to identify,
operationalize, and track their progress on certain growth domains. I have
attached a link below to the document and have provided a brief summary:
Competency ID and Ranking – First,
DEFINE what competency or skill you want to improve. This can be based upon
prior assessments, work scenarios and/or personal aspirations. List no more
than 15 key GROWTH AREAS or goals. To get started, Inventory what you already
HAVE. List those Personal Qualities, Content Areas and Skills Sets that are
SOLIDLY in your realm of expertise and mastery.
Gap Analysis – Next, identify
the Growth Areas that you WANT or are Aspirational to obtain Next Level roles,
opportunities, etc. Finally, the Gaps or Areas for Development are what you
NEED.
Once NEEDS are identified, list
your TOP 3 and ONLY attempt to develop 3 areas at any given time! Now you are
ready to Design a Learning and Growth Strategy. For each competency identified,
create three Learning and Development Strategies. These can include but not
limited to: Books and Learning Systems, On-line or Continuing Ed Courses, Shadowing
Opportunities, Seminars, Micro-Internships, Informational Interviews, Podcasts
and Video Cast series and Webinars. Make sure to indicate DUE DATES for
completion.
SUCCESS METRICS – Once you
have developed a GROWTH STRATEGY, establish METRICS or INDICATORS for talent,
skill, etc. obtainment on 3 PROGRESSIVE LEVELS
- Foundational - what will base-line or FOUNDATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT look like?
- Intermediate - what will INTERMEDIATE PROGRESS look or sound like?
- Advanced - how will you know you have gained ADVANCED MASTERY?
As you can see, this takes some
effort, but the Return on Investment will make it more than worth it. A word of
caution, once you open this door of development, there is no going back. What
you were and did prior will no longer be sufficient for you. You will want to
be the kind of person who wants to do and be more! Finally, I urge you
to help others in their leveling up efforts. When God has given you the
ability, experience, and dispositions to do something very well, it is not just
a nice idea to teach others what you know, you have a solemn responsibility
to do so!
As always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I invite
you to contact me.
Yours in leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Independent Coach, Speaker,
and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
For more information on the
John Maxwell Team, please visit
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