Strategic Career Planning

Strategic Career PlanningSeptember 11, 2009

Jean M. BakerRed Lantern Group, LLC

Lawyer vs. Business Owner

Lawyer › Went to law school after being

fired because I was pregnant› Want to help women achieve

goals by tearing down barriers› Employment discrimination

lawyers are reactive Business Owner

› Proactive – help you get where you want to go

Harvard Business Review

Survey looked at essential characteristics of leaders:› Envisioning› Empowering› Energizing› Designing and Aligning› Rewarding and Feedback› Team building› Outside Orientation› Global mind-set› Tenacity› Emotional intelligence

Harvard Business Review

Women ranked higher on all but envisioning

Possible reasons?› Define differently› Afraid to “go out on a limb”› Don’t put much stock in vision

Want something said – ask a man Want something done – ask a woman

Visionary

Having or marked by foresight and imagination – Merriam-Webster

A Good Reason to Change

The time for working hard and hoping that the boss would recognize/reward is over – if it ever existed

Time to be more proactive and assertive regarding your career

Time to be more strategic regarding your career

Define Strategic

Of great importance within an integrated whole or to a planned effect

People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed.

Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Overarching Goals

General enough to allow for flexibility› (CEO of a Fortune 500 company, vs. CEO of

GE) Specific enough to create a good target

› (CEO vs. “a position of leadership”)

Interim Goals

Will this move me closer to, or farther away from my overarching goal?› Won’t always be

obvious

Experiences

What experiences do you need to succeed?› Mentoring› Choice Assignments

High profile Affect bottom line Demonstrate leadership

› Global assignments› Education and development› Internal/external networking

Speak Up!

Make sure the boss, etc. knows you want to be promoted› Formalized development plan?

Ask for developmental opportunities, choice assignments and mentor(s)

Summary

Ask for what you want Recognize when it might be time to

move on› No growth in the foreseeable future› Resistance

Recognize and articulate value to the organization

Thanks!

Questions?› Call – 327-5966› E-mail – jbaker@redlanternllc.com› Web-site – www.redlanternllc.com› Meet

Consulting, workshops, presentations