Yes, we know it’s our career. Now that that’s cleared up, HOW do we actually OWN it?

Don’t you love the advice “Own Your Career”?  I remember the first few times I heard this. I sarcastically thought to myself “Ok, I will own my career now, thanks!”, as though it previously belonged to someone else and now that management told me it was mine, I would miraculously be able achieve my career goals.  Many companies tout support for employees to raise their hands and ask for opportunities, without providing real direction or advice on how to do so.  And so, we flounder, spinning in circles “owning” our careers, leaning in until we’re falling over.  Having gone through a variety of experiences and eventually leading teams or priority corporate initiatives, I’ve realized there are things we can do to drive our careers, which I certainly wish I knew much earlier in my career.

Take the reins and start driving your career down the right path

Know Thyself

Assess what you’re really good at and what you enjoy doing.  You might be inclined to brush this one off, thinking you already know your strengths.  But when we take an objective look at ourselves we identify areas we’re naturally strong in as well as gaps we should be mindful of in order to surround ourselves with people who can bridge them for us.  Instead of spending precious time and energy trying to improve weaknesses, why not focus on what you know you’re good at and plan for a role you’d enjoy?  Not that we shouldn’t always be working to improve ourselves, but when you can focus your efforts on becoming great at your strengths, you will differentiate yourself. 

Think about it. Most leaders aren’t looking for someone who became average in the areas they were once weak in.  They are, however, looking for someone with greatness in specific areas. Equally important is self-awareness and the ability to surround yourself with those who compensate for your weaknesses, linking arms in partnership to achieve a goal.  Standing out as GREAT at what you are good at, while having a sense of awareness of your gaps to ensure you’re accounting for them in your interactions, will establish your brand and help set you in the right direction.

Be an Advocate to Gain an Advocate

There’s something about speaking up for someone and highlighting others’ successes.  We might go through our day thinking “I don’t have time for that”, reluctant to promote someone when we’re striving for recognition ourselves.  Here’s the thing: When you start looking for opportunities to advocate for others, you’ll realize what it takes for someone to want to do so for you.  Also, being a strong teammate and someone who can objectively see the good in a colleague’s performance and be a voice for them when they aren’t in the room, establishes you as a leader and shows an ability to champion others.  It’s natural to spend time wondering who is sponsoring you, and if you go one step further to serve as a mentor or sponsor for others, it’s likely that you’ll learn a lot about yourself along the way and the good will come back around.

One of my most memorable “ah-ha” moments came during a situation where I saw a leader take ownership for an idea one of my teammates had proposed, again. I thought long and hard about how to handle this; if I bring it up to him directly, I could potentially offend him. If I encouraged her to do so, she might risk her relationship. This leader was already known as a “me first” type of guy, so it would continue if we didn’t say something. I pulled her aside and we worked out a method to subtly let him know that she was excited that he liked her idea, and that she was eager to help drive it forward. In my discussions with him, I made it a point to mention progress on a few of the ideas “Mary” (of course, name changed to protect the innocent :)) had proposed. It was clear that he realized he failed to give her credit, and later he made it a point to do so. And going forward, we saw an effort to be mindful of hearing the room and appreciating all contributions. It was risky, but worth it and helped me understand what it’s like to champion someone else, particularly in a sticky situation.

Mix It Up

Are you raising your hand to participate in efforts or projects that sit outside of your core responsibilities?  This isn’t easy.  You’re super busy and probably feel like you can’t possibly spend time on something that’s not going to contribute to your own year-end objectives.  However, participating in projects and volunteering for cross-functional efforts can be a strong strategic move, and usually can be woven into your objectives to ensure successes from those efforts count toward your successful year.  Your frame of reference and knowledge base will inevitably grow, as will your network (remember, it’s not what we know, or who we know, but WHO KNOWS US, that matters), and the experience is great to pull from for answers to interview questions in the future.  Lastly, and maybe most importantly, these experiences show you are willing to put work into the greater good, taking up a sense of ownership for the company’s success and corporate priorities.

Meaningful career development tips DO exist.  Instead of hearing “own your career” (which is lazy advice, if you ask me), show your leadership team you’re being intentional in building out and acting on your career plan.  Start with these few steps and see what happens.  Take a solid assessment of your strengths, putting your brand message together around those things while surrounding yourself with perspectives to compensate for your gaps, and speak up – both for opportunities to participate in different initiatives and for coworkers you see doing great things. 

Hope this helps!  As always, I’m happy to chat if you’re looking for help in driving your career down the path that’s right for you.

Xo, Andrea