How would you like to receive a promotion to CEO? Read on to learn how to think and act like the CEO of your career and make your career highly profitable.
What are some important characteristics or qualities of effective CEOs? · They have a solid vision and plan for their company · The have specific short-term goals to enable the company to reach long-term goals based on a time line, such as for the next year, next 5 years, next 7 years. · They understand the strategic positioning or their company in the marketplace. · They review the financial statements and have clear knowledge of what changes need to be implemented to create profit. · They are strong leaders and are proactive and action-oriented
Adopt and implement these characteristics by following these 5 steps:
1. Create a Solid vision As a CEO has a strong vision for where the company is trying to go, you need to have a vision for your career. This vision will help to guide decision making, inspire and motivate you, and keep you heading in the right direction.
Exercise: Brainstorm your core career values. Come up with a list of 15 values and then rank-order them so you know your #1 and #2 values.
2. Have a solid plan: Short term and long term goals Make all goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed Create your shorter-term goals for 1 year, 2-5 years, and 5-7 years. Create your longer-term goals for 7-10, 10-20, 20+ years. Make sure that your goals are driven by your vision and career values. Brainstorm creative ways to meet short-term goals. For example, if your goal is to move into a position as a human resources director, you can have a short-term goal of networking within your own company over the next year, and making a lateral move in the next 2-5 years.
Exercise: Write down all of your career goals. Then divide them into categories: Short-term (1-5 years), medium term (5-7 years) and long-term (7+ years)
3. Strategic positioning For a company to be successful, the CEO must have a clear understanding of where the company’s market values lies in comparison to competitors. As CEO of your career, do a SWOT analysis on your own competitive position in the marketplace. Analyze your own career strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Exercise: List your own Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in comparison to your peers, colleagues, and coworkers. Update this list as your skills or your competitors change.
4. Look at the Balance Statement and Profit and Loss Statement Carefully review whether your career is currently in a deficit or creating profit for you. Use your fundamental vision and values to help make this determination. Consider what you are getting out of your career and what you are putting into it? Do the liabilities or losses outweigh the assets or profits? If so, you need to take action (see step #5).
Exercise: Create a P & L statement. Determine exactly what you are putting in and what you are getting out of your career. In areas where you are investing more than you are gaining, you know you will need to make changes.
5. Take action Now that you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can take action in a proactive manner. Address your weaknesses by: requesting additional trainings, partnering with a colleague who has expertise in that area, getting away from your desk and speaking to more people who you can learn from, building yourself up by celebrating your advancements and success, hire a business or career coach, etc.
Address your strengths by: Celebrating your successes, recognizing opportunities for advancement in your company, requesting a promotion or salary raise, mentor others, etc. Address your P & L statement by being proactive. You can also work to change others. For example, lead up or managing up to change behaviors of your supervisor or superior.
Exercise: Determine 2 important interpersonal action steps that you can achieve over the next 6 months, such as leading up or asking for a promotion. Pair into groups of three and practice using these skills in 1-2 sentences.
Dr. Larina Kase, President of Performance and Success Coaching is a nationally recognized business coach, and has helped many business people attain profitable and rewarding careers.
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