If you compared you career to the Wizard of Oz, would you be at the
start of the path, where the Lion lacked courage, the Tin Man had no
heart, and the Scarecrow had no brain? Or, would you be Dorothy when she
was moving forward to find her way back home or Dorothy in the beginning of the movie when she was afraid because the wicked witch was chasing her?
What's happening to you in your career? Is your job being eliminated?
Is your company merging or reorganizing? Are you on your third, fourth,
or fifth boss, and you don't know what is expected of you anymore?
Sometimes in our career we feel powerless. The circumstances around us are changing and we don't believe we have a say in how things go. Maybe you do have a say. Maybe you have more control over
your circumstances than you think you do. Maybe you have the ability to
map out the course your career will take as well as the power and energy
to complete the journey.
Where will this power come from? It will come from you. So, how do you create a powerful career? Follow these three steps below.
1. Assess Your Situation
Maybe what you are experiencing in your career currently is not as
bad as you think. Then again, maybe it's worse. Either way, you will not
know what you are dealing with until you can objectively look at what's
happening to you and around you. Take out a piece of paper and draw a
line down the middle. (You can also use an excel spreadsheet.) In the
left hand column, list the pro's of your present situation. In the right
hand column, list the con's. Which list is longer?
Take out another sheet of paper so you can assess how bad the con's
really are. Draw a line down the middle. In the left hand column, list
what you can change. In the right hand column, list what you cannot.
Which list is longer?
You are looking for an objective view of your situation; a new
perspective. Feelings without facts can be disserving. Getting your
thoughts out of your head and on paper will give you the ability to see
your situation in a whole new way.
2. Decide To Change Your Situation
Your career can improve once you decide to improve it. You would be surprised by the number of people I speak to who are waiting for unfulfilling situations to magically get better on their own. These individuals play a waiting game hoping to be victorious. Sometimes this strategy works. Most of the time it does not and they are left tired, confused, and disappointed in themselves because they failed to act.
I understand that change is not easy. Trust me that working in a bad environment is much harder than taking steps to improve it.
3. Get Your Power Back
Once you know a situation is no longer working and you have decided
to change it, it's time to become powerful. Power comes through
movement. When you are moving forward, you are energized. You are on the
court playing rather than sitting on the sidelines. You have your to-do
list and you are checking off the items one by one. You have focus and
direction. You are implementing your plan. Excuses and fear no longer
deter you. You feel different because you are different. You have your
power back.
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