Where Are You Headed?

Have you taken the time to establish both your career objectives and personal goals? If not, why not? Do you have any idea where you want to be five years from now? Where do you hope to be by the end of your career? What are your goals for this next year?

Goals are essential but the most important part of career planning is to do a good job at what you are assigned right now. Then, things have a way of falling into place assuming that you have taken the time to decide upon your personal and career goals.

A career goal might be to become the division President some day. In order to get there, you may conclude that you need some specific assignments such as corporate experience, multi-location exposure, or international experience. Likewise, you may conclude that your functional skills need to be better rounded so you should seek assignments that will enable you to broaden your base. The important thing is to set some career goals for yourself and monitor them occasionally.

Lastly, personal goals are important for day to day success. They may include things such as improving your speaking ability, becoming more dynamic, improving your relationships with the people in your organization, becoming a better listener, learning to think before reacting, etc. I force myself to keep a list of 100 wild and crazy things that I want to accomplish before I die. I refresh it annually and it is surprising how many I can check off the list.

The combination of career objectives and personal goals are a powerful combination. Try doing both and you will soon benefit from the exercise.