Take Charge of Your Career Growth
Most of us want to make a positive impact on our career, but are you one of the many who is too busy with work to pause for a moment and figure out to how to do that?
Perhaps you’re in a role you love, or your company is fantastic, but you’re wondering how and when you’ll get that promotion or bump in your salary or reach that next career milestone. If you’re still not sure how to get the results you want in the office, then what you need is a plan, because, with a plan, I guarantee you’ll feel more in control of influencing the results you want.
Lean In San Francisco’s February Event
In our first chapter event of the year, we invited Rachel Ernest, Director of Employee Success at Reflektive to speak on how to approach work with a growth mindset. Reflektive is an employee success platform, dedicated to talent development and employee success, which is even more fitting, and we’re excited to learn more.
Here are Rachel’s three takeaways:
1. “No one, but you, is responsible for your growth.”
It’s time to dive into some self-discovery, because if you don’t know where you want to go, how will you get there? Take a pen to paper and brainstorm, think about what types of activities, skills or interest comes naturally to you. Consider what you enjoy most from your current role and previous positions. And yes, answer the question, what would you do if nothing was stopping you from doing it? By organizing and piecing together these thoughts, you’ll be farther than you were in understanding what you want out of your career.
2. “Find your opportunity to take control.”
When challenging situations arise at work, sometimes we feel like we don’t have a voice or it’s lost in the noise. The thought of not having any influence or control may or may not be true on the surface level, but we forget we can always change our situation to some extent, even if it’s just how we react to it. Most of us don’t focus on the things we can control because we simply haven’t thought of them. A good practice is to pause and ask yourself, “What is within my control?”, “Have I done everything I can to change the situation?”
3. “There is always more to learn.”
Your career will always be a lifelong learning journey, but you already know because you’re a smart cookie. It’s daunting to ask for feedback — sometimes it feels like you’re inviting criticism, but who you ask and what you ask for will make a difference. Ask individuals you admire and trust in the office, then ask for specifics (like, how did my presentation skills go in that last meeting?) then be open and curious to hear what they have to say. Seeking regular feedback will keep you on track and allow you to see progress, so don’t be shy and schedule those coffee dates.
I love events when there are mini-exercises involved — that’s when I know I’ll get a chance to put some of these things into practice right away. Rachel’s presentation was simple, yet powerful and she let us practice some of these pointers during the event. Rachel’s key points allowed me to start thinking (thus begin piecing together a plan) on what I want, how to go about it and know that I can control my career outcome, especially with the help of trusted friends and colleagues.
In speaking with a few of our members during the exercise, I learned we all share similar struggles at work. After sharing and listening, my group agreed that small bit of support gave us each a little extra boost of courage to face our challenges head-on.
Our monthly chapter events usually last about an hour, but the conversation doesn’t have to end here, learn more about our Circles group if you want to meet up with other like-minded women within the chapter.
Now that you’ve got a gist on creating and owning your career, I want to wrap up with Rachel’s ending ask: What’s one thing you’ll do tonight to help your career grow?
Share your response with a comment below and via Twitter or Facebook @LeanInSF, with #WorkGrowthMindSet and #LeanInSFMember to let us know!
