Develop A Career Life Plan
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FACTSHEET | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Develop a career-life plan In spite of all today’s labour-saving technology, many of us seem to be busier than ever! How can you manage your life better and get the balance right between work and play? The answer starts in establishing your priorities in life and developing a career and life plan. Is it time for you to take the initiative for your life and career? If so, these seven ideas will help you to develop a greater awareness of what you need and want out of life, so that your career fits into the life you want, rather than fitting your life into your career.
Idea 1: Define YOUR vision of success Are you successful? Do you want to be successful? What is success? And how do we recognise success? She must be successful she drives a Porsche. He really must have made it - all of his suits are Hugo Boss. They must be successful they live in a big detached house and take three holidays a year. Are these YOUR ideas of success? The dictionary defines success as ‘The favourable outcome of something which one has attempted’. But what does success mean to you? A big salary increase? A promotion? A fast car? When did you last sit down and write your definition of ‘a successful life’? Have you ever done it? I believe there are as many definitions as there are people reading this article. And the definition doesn’t have to be driven by money. The 15 months that I spent working as a volunteer teacher with the charity, Voluntary Services Overseas in Papua New Guinea, count as one of the most successful chapters in my life, in spite of the fact that I was paid only a subsistence-level income. So what are YOUR criteria for a successful life? What is YOUR life-vision? Write down the words that come into your head and develop your definition of success.
Idea 2: Write a life plan Where do you want to get to in your life? What do you want to achieve? What is YOUR Life Plan? What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Most people are too busy with the day-to-day aspects of their lives to establish a strategic direction and to set life-goals. The idea of a strategic life plan may sound a bit pompous but how many of us would choose to work for an organisation that doesn’t have a long-term business plan? We should apply the same principles to ourselves and as a starting point write down 5-10 ‘life goals’ for the next five year period. These are the actions, which can turn your vision into reality.
Idea 3: A positive mental attitude People often have problems in making career plans and developing goals because they impose barriers on themselves. They say things like ‘I could never achieve this’, ‘That opportunity is not
T h e C h a r t e re d I n s t i t u t e o f M a r k e t i n g
D e v e l o p a c a re e r- l i f e p l a n | 1
FACTSHEET | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
available to me’, ‘This isn’t feasible’, etc. How many times have you heard (or asked!) the question ‘Is the glass half-full or half-empty?’ and felt good about the positive ‘Half-full’ answer that you’ve given. Well, I’d like you to take your thoughts to a new level. Because unless you live your life in a vacuum, the glass is ALWAYS full. Sometimes water, sometimes air, sometimes both. ‘The glass’ is in your hands. The responsibility for making the most of the contents is, to a very large extent, yours. If you adopt the mindset that you CAN make the most of what you’ve got, then you’re halfway to success. Many successful sports people develop mental pictures of themselves crossing the winning line first or scoring that winning goal. Convince yourself, that you are in charge of your own destiny. Believe that you can achieve the success you want, picture yourself achieving it, and you’re halfway there!
Idea 4: Prepare to fail Don’t be afraid of failure. Treat it as a learning opportunity. If you persevere you CAN succeed. Here are some famous ‘failures’ that were never going to make it: Coca-Cola sold only 400 bottles in their first year in business. Henry Ford went bust twice before his business successes. In their first year of trading Gillette sold only 51 safety razors and 168 blades! H J Heinz (of beanz fame) went bankrupt, learned the lessons, and did better next time. Luciano Pavarotti was told that he should follow in his family’s footsteps and remain a baker, as he would never succeed as a singer. Apparently, John Lennon’s Auntie Mimi used to tell him daily that he would never get rich strumming that guitar! Eric Morecambe’s mum received a letter from his teacher saying ‘..... I hate to say this, but your Eric will never get anywhere in life’. A recent BBC poll voted Eric Morecambe the funniest person ever. The list is endless: learn from your mistakes, persevere and don’t be discouraged by naysayers
Idea 5: Prepare to change Career and life planning is a personal change management process. And of course we’ve all heard it said in the past that ‘people don’t like change’ haven’t we? Well I disagree. People LIKE change! If people didn’t like change then why do we look forward to going on holiday, buying new clothes, getting a new car! People like change if it answers the WIFM question in a positive way! What’s in it for me? Charles Darwin tells us that ‘The most successful species are the ones which adapt best to the changing environment. The most successful individuals are the ones with the greatest competitive advantage over the others.’ He could have been writing a career and life-planning book for the 21st century! So how do you make the most of change? By keeping an open mind, having a positive attitude to change, and identifying what’s in it for you.
Idea 6: Re-invent yourself You may need to challenge your paradigm of your self-image and what you can achieve. In business paradigm paralysis can cause missed opportunities. Swiss watch manufacturers dismissed the concept of the quartz watch, even though they had invented the technology … and suffered the consequences. Apparently 42 companies rejected Chester Carlson’s new photographic process in 1930. One company saw the opportunity - the Xerox Corporation and produced the first photocopier. Inertia or fear sometimes stops people from challenging their personal paradigm. You have not been genetically encoded to be a group product manager, an account manager, a creative director … you
T h e C h a r t e re d I n s t i t u t e o f M a r k e t i n g
D e v e l o p a c a re e r- l i f e p l a n | 2
FACTSHEET | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
can take control and have the life that you want, but you need to be brave. ‘You cannot discover new lands, until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.’ Paradigm shifts can create new opportunities like the re-positioning of Lucozade. In the mid 20th century Lucozade was a drink, which helped people to recover after a period of illness. In the latter part of the century Lucozade re-invented itself completely as an extremely successful ‘energy’ drink for athletes and sports people. What has Lucozade got to do with career and life planning? Well, everything! Our working environments are changing faster than ever. The rate of change continues to accelerate. Our beliefs and perceptions about what is right or possible often prevent us from exploring new solutions. Challenge your life-paradigm. Just like Lucozade you may need to re-invent yourself, to achieve your goals.
Idea 7: DO IT NOW! The first time I embarked on a major career and life planning process, I spent several hours over the space of a fortnight. I used the principles I have mentioned here as well as many techniques like mindmaps, life-pies, force-field and SWOT analyses. It was hard work but the investment paid off enormously. I have had the privilege of working with numerous people who too have used these techniques to start their journey of career and life planning. But it doesn’t come from reading an article. If you want to achieve a better work-life balance, you need to commit time and energy to the process. If you have a partner, then you must involve them from the start, so that you can develop a joint vision and set mutually compatible life-goals. Are you now inspired to develop a career-life plan? Then switch off the TV tonight, and start on your career and life plan. There’ll be another edition of Eastenders tomorrow night, and you’ll quickly catch up. But you’ve only got one life! And remember a successful life is a journey, not a destination; make sure that you review and re-set your goals periodically. If you tell yourself that you CAN’T achieve your vision of a successful life and do nothing, then you won’t achieve it. Tell yourself that you CAN achieve your vision of a successful life and you might achieve it, then you probably will! In summary - ‘If you try you might. If you don’t you won’t.’
Written by Malcolm Hornby Chartered FCIPD MCMI career coach and author of Get That Job, Pearson 2005 ISBN 0-273-70212-2 © Malcolm Hornby 2005
T h e C h a r t e re d I n s t i t u t e o f M a r k e t i n g
D e v e l o p a c a re e r- l i f e p l a n | 3
Develop a career-life plan In spite of all today’s labour-saving technology, many of us seem to be busier than ever! How can you manage your life better and get the balance right between work and play? The answer starts in establishing your priorities in life and developing a career and life plan. Is it time for you to take the initiative for your life and career? If so, these seven ideas will help you to develop a greater awareness of what you need and want out of life, so that your career fits into the life you want, rather than fitting your life into your career.
Idea 1: Define YOUR vision of success Are you successful? Do you want to be successful? What is success? And how do we recognise success? She must be successful she drives a Porsche. He really must have made it - all of his suits are Hugo Boss. They must be successful they live in a big detached house and take three holidays a year. Are these YOUR ideas of success? The dictionary defines success as ‘The favourable outcome of something which one has attempted’. But what does success mean to you? A big salary increase? A promotion? A fast car? When did you last sit down and write your definition of ‘a successful life’? Have you ever done it? I believe there are as many definitions as there are people reading this article. And the definition doesn’t have to be driven by money. The 15 months that I spent working as a volunteer teacher with the charity, Voluntary Services Overseas in Papua New Guinea, count as one of the most successful chapters in my life, in spite of the fact that I was paid only a subsistence-level income. So what are YOUR criteria for a successful life? What is YOUR life-vision? Write down the words that come into your head and develop your definition of success.
Idea 2: Write a life plan Where do you want to get to in your life? What do you want to achieve? What is YOUR Life Plan? What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Most people are too busy with the day-to-day aspects of their lives to establish a strategic direction and to set life-goals. The idea of a strategic life plan may sound a bit pompous but how many of us would choose to work for an organisation that doesn’t have a long-term business plan? We should apply the same principles to ourselves and as a starting point write down 5-10 ‘life goals’ for the next five year period. These are the actions, which can turn your vision into reality.
Idea 3: A positive mental attitude People often have problems in making career plans and developing goals because they impose barriers on themselves. They say things like ‘I could never achieve this’, ‘That opportunity is not
T h e C h a r t e re d I n s t i t u t e o f M a r k e t i n g
D e v e l o p a c a re e r- l i f e p l a n | 1
FACTSHEET | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
available to me’, ‘This isn’t feasible’, etc. How many times have you heard (or asked!) the question ‘Is the glass half-full or half-empty?’ and felt good about the positive ‘Half-full’ answer that you’ve given. Well, I’d like you to take your thoughts to a new level. Because unless you live your life in a vacuum, the glass is ALWAYS full. Sometimes water, sometimes air, sometimes both. ‘The glass’ is in your hands. The responsibility for making the most of the contents is, to a very large extent, yours. If you adopt the mindset that you CAN make the most of what you’ve got, then you’re halfway to success. Many successful sports people develop mental pictures of themselves crossing the winning line first or scoring that winning goal. Convince yourself, that you are in charge of your own destiny. Believe that you can achieve the success you want, picture yourself achieving it, and you’re halfway there!
Idea 4: Prepare to fail Don’t be afraid of failure. Treat it as a learning opportunity. If you persevere you CAN succeed. Here are some famous ‘failures’ that were never going to make it: Coca-Cola sold only 400 bottles in their first year in business. Henry Ford went bust twice before his business successes. In their first year of trading Gillette sold only 51 safety razors and 168 blades! H J Heinz (of beanz fame) went bankrupt, learned the lessons, and did better next time. Luciano Pavarotti was told that he should follow in his family’s footsteps and remain a baker, as he would never succeed as a singer. Apparently, John Lennon’s Auntie Mimi used to tell him daily that he would never get rich strumming that guitar! Eric Morecambe’s mum received a letter from his teacher saying ‘..... I hate to say this, but your Eric will never get anywhere in life’. A recent BBC poll voted Eric Morecambe the funniest person ever. The list is endless: learn from your mistakes, persevere and don’t be discouraged by naysayers
Idea 5: Prepare to change Career and life planning is a personal change management process. And of course we’ve all heard it said in the past that ‘people don’t like change’ haven’t we? Well I disagree. People LIKE change! If people didn’t like change then why do we look forward to going on holiday, buying new clothes, getting a new car! People like change if it answers the WIFM question in a positive way! What’s in it for me? Charles Darwin tells us that ‘The most successful species are the ones which adapt best to the changing environment. The most successful individuals are the ones with the greatest competitive advantage over the others.’ He could have been writing a career and life-planning book for the 21st century! So how do you make the most of change? By keeping an open mind, having a positive attitude to change, and identifying what’s in it for you.
Idea 6: Re-invent yourself You may need to challenge your paradigm of your self-image and what you can achieve. In business paradigm paralysis can cause missed opportunities. Swiss watch manufacturers dismissed the concept of the quartz watch, even though they had invented the technology … and suffered the consequences. Apparently 42 companies rejected Chester Carlson’s new photographic process in 1930. One company saw the opportunity - the Xerox Corporation and produced the first photocopier. Inertia or fear sometimes stops people from challenging their personal paradigm. You have not been genetically encoded to be a group product manager, an account manager, a creative director … you
T h e C h a r t e re d I n s t i t u t e o f M a r k e t i n g
D e v e l o p a c a re e r- l i f e p l a n | 2
FACTSHEET | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
can take control and have the life that you want, but you need to be brave. ‘You cannot discover new lands, until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.’ Paradigm shifts can create new opportunities like the re-positioning of Lucozade. In the mid 20th century Lucozade was a drink, which helped people to recover after a period of illness. In the latter part of the century Lucozade re-invented itself completely as an extremely successful ‘energy’ drink for athletes and sports people. What has Lucozade got to do with career and life planning? Well, everything! Our working environments are changing faster than ever. The rate of change continues to accelerate. Our beliefs and perceptions about what is right or possible often prevent us from exploring new solutions. Challenge your life-paradigm. Just like Lucozade you may need to re-invent yourself, to achieve your goals.
Idea 7: DO IT NOW! The first time I embarked on a major career and life planning process, I spent several hours over the space of a fortnight. I used the principles I have mentioned here as well as many techniques like mindmaps, life-pies, force-field and SWOT analyses. It was hard work but the investment paid off enormously. I have had the privilege of working with numerous people who too have used these techniques to start their journey of career and life planning. But it doesn’t come from reading an article. If you want to achieve a better work-life balance, you need to commit time and energy to the process. If you have a partner, then you must involve them from the start, so that you can develop a joint vision and set mutually compatible life-goals. Are you now inspired to develop a career-life plan? Then switch off the TV tonight, and start on your career and life plan. There’ll be another edition of Eastenders tomorrow night, and you’ll quickly catch up. But you’ve only got one life! And remember a successful life is a journey, not a destination; make sure that you review and re-set your goals periodically. If you tell yourself that you CAN’T achieve your vision of a successful life and do nothing, then you won’t achieve it. Tell yourself that you CAN achieve your vision of a successful life and you might achieve it, then you probably will! In summary - ‘If you try you might. If you don’t you won’t.’
Written by Malcolm Hornby Chartered FCIPD MCMI career coach and author of Get That Job, Pearson 2005 ISBN 0-273-70212-2 © Malcolm Hornby 2005
T h e C h a r t e re d I n s t i t u t e o f M a r k e t i n g
D e v e l o p a c a re e r- l i f e p l a n | 3
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