Career Resolutions for You and Your Staff
Each January, we all make resolutions with varying degrees of sincerity and dedication. As we get further and further from New Year celebrations, life has a way of creeping in. Achieving lifestyle changes is not solely about exercise or dieting; it should also be about improving your professional competence and positioning yourself and/or your staff for future success. This year, why not try a different resolution?
Are you an individual trying to manage your career?
Resolve to focus on your career.
- Ask for the stretch assignment.
- Explore mentorship opportunities.
- Challenge yourself to hone current skills or learn new ones.
- Go for that promotion.
- Ask for training and professional development.
- Be ambitious!
Get out of whatever rut you may find yourself and commit to creating and fostering a personal path to career success and an environment of learning and advancement.
Perhaps you are more seasoned, and at a more advanced place in your career development. Why not investigate a certificate program; successful completion can demonstrate your knowledge and dedication. Another possibility is getting a leadership coach or mentor. If you’re lucky, your organization may have a formal mentorship program, but you can do it informally too. Ask for over-the-shoulder coaching, stretch assignments, or simply discussing your career aspirations with a trusted co-workers can also make a huge difference.
Are you a supervisor?
Maybe your resolution is to bolster the skillset of your direct reports. I’m sure someone took an interest in your development—pay it forward.
As the President’s FY15 Budget noted, steps are in place to “restore cuts to Federal employee training to help train, retain, and recruit a skilled and effective Federal workforce, targeting investments in employee training to common, but high-impact areas such as customer service or information technology.” This statement announces a hopeful and positive change, a return to the time-proven practice of investing in people. Feds are again able to focus on seeking the learning and development that keeps them – and their staffs – efficient, productive, up-to-date, and effective.
Career development for your personnel will enhance productivity and morale. Smart investments in quality learning solutions will help deter the loss of high-performing Federal employees to the private sector. Identify the stepping stones that will take you – and your staff – to the next level. Recognize and reward your dedicated employees and groom them for future success in positions of greater responsibility.
Don’t wait for your staff to ask for training. Identify the development opportunities that will lead them to successful performance. As a professional development and performance improvement company, clearly we value formal training. It is important to remember, however, that remaining professionally competitive doesn’t necessarily entail only classroom training. Career development is a broad mix of mentorship, coaching, challenging work assignments, support, industry association, and professional certifications that together enhance the skillsets of Federal employees.
Abraham Lincoln once said “I will prepare and someday my chance will come.” Don’t leave your career or the development of your staff to chance. Positive developments result from intentional steps toward a goal.
I love to hear stories about a team finishing a challenging project or a student getting promoted. We succeed when you succeed because we are dedicated to unleashing the potential of people, teams, and organizations. Now, what is your resolution?
Tom Dungan, CEO
