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Career Ownership - The Program (for Individuals) Print E-mail

If you’re thinking about your own career:

Who’s directing your career?  You? Your manager?  Or are you just hoping it will take off—sooner rather than later?

It’s easy to think you’re managing your career…why not test your ownership by answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each question:

  1. Do you have a rolling 12-month learning program for yourself that fits your longer-term career direction?
  2. Are you following that program, paying for it yourself?
  3. Do you know the work that fits you best, based upon your values, energizers, innate talents and life purpose?
  4. If you’re not doing that work now, do you have a plan in place to get you to that work in the next three to five years?
  5. Have you worked with a coach so you know your Foundation…who you are and what you’re about?
  6. Do you track the value you provide to your current organization, relating that value to your manager on a regular basis—at least twice a month?
  7. Do you regularly go after learning opportunities in your current organization: special projects, shadowing exercises, work in strategic areas, etc?
  8. Do you have mentors, chosen based upon your learning goals, whom you meet with regularly?
  9. Do you know your organization’s future? Its strategic directions, competitors, financial strength, leadership strength and success in the global marketplace?
  10. Do you know where in your organization you can best utilize your strengths while aligning with its strategic direction?
If you answered “no” to two or more questions, you are not directing your career and you haven’t yet taken ownership!

But you can if you choose to do so, and within your current organization! The best time to own your career is now, when few organizations have formal career development programs or career paths—and they need your ‘human capital’ more than ever. In this knowledge economy, where service and innovation are ‘King,’ the most successful organizations have employees who use their brains, heart and soul to stay ahead of their market competitors.  

Yes, the rules have changed about how careers happen—but you don’t have to be a victim of the new rules…you just need to learn to play within them! Career Ownership shows you how to do just that! When you own your career, you can:

  • use your Foundation as your benchmark for work and career decisions;
  • recognize your value to your organization—your current one, or one that needs the value you offer;
  • have the self-confidence and efficacy to set your best direction and make sure it aligns with the organization’s strategic direction;
  • increase your value as your alignment and contributions to the organization increase;
  • develop a flexible career plan backed by your “personal career fund;”
  • feel certain that your career decisions are aligned with what’s important to you;
  • ensure your skills are updated or upgraded as your work requires;
  • reduce the stress of being captive to an organization and its politics;
  • create security for yourself in an economy that is global and changing;
  • experience the satisfaction of doing work that engages you emotionally and makes a difference;
  • speak the language of business as a partner to your organization;
  • provide unparalleled customer service to your #1 customer: your employer.
When you’re ready and you choose to take ownership of your career, consider these options:

  1. Buy the book, Career Ownership: Creating ‘Job Security’ in Any Economy, and work through the self-paced exercises and activities. It will guide you toward clarifying your Foundation, finding mentors and building a business case for your career direction.
  2. Work with a Career Ownership Coach, someone trained in the challenges of a different economy and employment market…someone who can guide you to defining your best work direction. While you can define your best direction, an objective outside observer will ensure that you view it from the perspectives of current reality and organization challenges. Click here to contact Janine or other Career Ownership Coaches!
  3. Discuss the potential of your organization utilizing the Career Ownership program, offered by internal staff or external coaches. Click here to talk with Janine about the Career Ownership program for your organization!
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