One of my catchphrases in The Career Elevator is…small steps taken regularly lead to big results.
That’s what it’s all about. I think we can get caught up in setting big goals and get put off by the idea that they require big action.
So to help you navigate your career, and boost your confidence in 2023 I’ve identified SIMPLE steps you can take that will lead to big outcomes.
- Block out personal development time in your diary and do something for yourself. Take that course, read, plan your career strategy.
- Don’t expect your manager or leadership to be mind-readers, tell them you want a promotion or payrise or to work on something that interests you. Ask what they need to see from you to make it happen.
- Ask for feedback…don’t use those words, think about what you want to know and ask a positive question that will give you advice. Like…how do you see me having impact? What do you think I could do to increase my impact?
- Journal on what I did well today…it will train your brain to notice the good things you do which builds self-belief. And it will act as a record of your impact. Throw in some things you’re grateful for and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel about yourself and life.
- Similarly, keep a weekly record of your work…challenges overcome, learning, successes, feedback. It will build your confidence and make performance reviews and interviews lot easier
- If you’re a hybrid worker, be strategic with your time in the office. Focus on relationship building and visibility…who can you meet and speak to in person that will help you progress?
- Email/ instant message less and speak to people on the phone and in person more. You build way better relationships that way.
- Volunteer to present to your team, to customers, to the senior leadership team. It increases your visibility and confidence.
- Make time in your diary for networking…like actually block time out and lift the phone, reach out to someone on LinkedIn or set up a call.
- Before meetings, take time to think about the outcomes you want and why. It will keep you more focused.
- Make your goals visible, put them on the wall at your desk, create a vision board, have them as the wallpaper on your phone. Seeing them every day will keep them in mind.
- Be more intentional. Take time to think about your day and week and what you want to achieve. What are the opportunities to build relationships and visibility?
- Take a minute before meetings to get in the right headspace. Ask yourself how do I want to show up?
- Plan thinking time into your week.
- Say yes to opportunities that scare you and will be good for your career. Fear is an indicator that you’re doing something big enough and exciting enough. Enjoy it!
- Say no more! Don’t be the person who says yes to things that aren’t valued or because if you don’t do it who will? Think about what you want to be known for (not the dogsbody) and act in that way.
- Identify the people in your company or industry that it would be useful to be visible to and make a plan for how you can make it happen.
- Turn your plans into actions, ask yourself what do I need to do to make that happen? And follow the steps.
- Be generous with feedback. Let people know what they’ve done well and share the impact it has had. Growing confidence in others will make them and you feel great.
- Stop being so busy and instead focus on where you add the most value and have the most impact. Fill your day with those things and you’ll see your performance rocket.
- Talk about your results and your impact. Let people know the problems you’ve solved, the ideas you’ve had, what you’re working on. You can’t be recognised if people have no idea what you do…and remember people are rarely paying attention!
- If you feel in a rut or stuck, there are always options. Feeling stuck is a story you’re telling yourself so you don’t have to take action. Don’t just rot there, do something about it! Talk to your manager. Ask advice from friends, reach out to a recruiter.
- Invest in yourself. This is your career and you can make great things happen when you back yourself. I’m running a FREE challenge next week that will help you kick ass in 2023…why not join me? Investing 30 minutes a day for a week could take you from meh to momentum in your career!
