What is the strategy for you?

We spend our business life preparing strategies - sales strategies, marketing strategies, growth strategies etc…. but what about our own personal strategy to build our careers, work/life balance and our futures? We develop and design 3-, 5- and 10-year plans for our organisations. Should we not put the same thought, time and energy in to developing our careers? Well, the answer of course is “YES!” Do we do that? In the main, the answer is a deafening “NO.”

How do we design our own strategy? Well, like many successful strategies it is being clear about what we want to achieve, so instead of thinking budgets and £s, $s or €s, think about where and which direction you want to go and the end objective. Clarity is essential. Then it is about building the plan / strategy of how to get there. What do you need to do? Who do you need to engage with? How to build a functioning and useful network that will help you? What are the check points along the way, achievements to be attained to ensure you are on the correct path? As always, with strategies there must be flexibility, as we all know they never go to plan - that would be way too easy. You have to be aware that your initial objective might change as life throws its spanners - that is not a bad thing and not a failure just an admission that what you want today might not be want you want tomorrow.

To gain clarity, it is sometimes good to have a sounding board, someone with complete neutrality to listen, challenge and support. That can be achieved by working with a coach, a professional who has worked and understands the corporate world as well as delivering sound advice and guidance. dbX Career Coaching can help. For a complimentary coaching session to help you understand the benefits and clarity coaching can bring, please email cate@dbxcareercoaching.com.